While 2020 has been a devastating year for far too many reasons to list, it’s been reinvigorating to see the victories and joy that have shone through this week. As we all endure the hardship and pain this year has brought us, I hope we can take a moment to welcome the light and joy our community has experienced in the last few days.
Monday brought the transgender and entire LGBTQ community a landmark decision by the Supreme Court. Our nation’s highest court said to the world it is illegal for an employer to fire an employee because of their gender identity or sexual orientation. San Diego Pride partnered nationally for the Day of Decision Virtual Rally that Monday night, and then helped our local LGBTQ coalition hold our rally on Tuesday. While we celebrated that moment we also called our community to action. Our partners and we created an action toolkit to get engaged with our collective next steps to register to vote, support the Equality Act, complete your Census, and tell your personal story.
Today we also saw the Supreme Court uphold DACA which benefits LGBTQ immigrants whose parents brought them to this country as children for refuge, but who would now face persecution and even death if they returned to their anti-LGBTQ countries of origin.
Today, San Diego Pride also announced that in partnership with our presenting sponsor Tito’s Handmade Vodka, and with support from Tequila Herradura, we were able to distribute $30,000 in gift cards as part of our Pride Grocery Relief Fund for LGBTQ owned bar and restaurant workers. These workers who inspire our community and typically bring us joy all year round have been financially impacted due to the fact that their main sources of income were shut down in the interest of our collective public health, and it’s a privilege to be able to return some of their goodwill and kindness.
Through everything going on in their world, San Diego Pride’s volunteers and staff continue to press on, producing more free programming and services than ever before. We’re grateful to the hundreds of people and organizations that submitted videos for our Pride Live event coming up in July, and we can’t wait to bring Pride into your homes in July. With our loss of in-person events, our main source of funding has disappeared, but that isn’t stopping us from pressing on.
This is why we need your help. San Diego Pride is participating again in Give OUT Day on June 30, with a goal of raising $50,000 so we can continue to do this meaningful work. We’ll be continuing on with our new Pride Ambassador Program all the way through to Pride Live on July 18, and we’re asking everyone to participate in any way you can.
You can start a team page with your family, friends, business, club, or ERG. You start a personal page, or even simply help out with a donation. Pride is only possible because our entire community shows up to help make it possible. We’re asking you to jump in and help that happen again this year, just in a different way.
I couldn’t be more proud of our organization and our community for the ways we are all leaning in to support one another this year. There’s a lot of work left to do, but I know that if we all do it together, then Together We Rise.
P.S. Learn more about the Pride Ambassador Program here.
Fernando Lopez is the Executive Director of San Diego Pride. Lopez’s years of LGBT advocacy, nonprofit management, public education, diversity consulting, media relations, guest lectures, and organizing have made them a consistent presence ensuring the struggles of the LGBT community are ever visible.
