Pride isn’t canceled; mass gatherings were canceled. Through everything going on in the world, San Diego Pride’s board, volunteers, staff, and community partners continue to press on, producing more free programming and services than ever before. 2020 has given us a much different world than we’re used to, so we’re going to bring Pride to you in a whole new way!
Pride is not one thing. Everyone’s vision or version of Pride is unique. That’s Pride’s beauty. This year, we’re streaming live interviews of our awardees and community leaders doing the hard work of our movement right to your home and mobile devices. We’re sharing deeper and more engaging stories with folks than we ever have before.
Our LGBTQ-women’s event, She Fest, LGBTQ-interfaith event, Light up the Cathedral, and The Spirit of Stonewall Rally will also stream to you live in ways that allow you to engage and be in community safely while retaining the core of our mission and the stories we are here to tell.
On what would normally be Pride Parade and Festival Day, July 18, 2020, we will bring you our first-ever (and hopefully last ever) Pride Live: Together We Rise. During the course of our day-long event we will take you through the full day of Pride from Parade all the way through the Festival. We will showcase our community organizations, volunteers, leaders, elected officials, businesses, and of course entertainers that make Pride possible every year.
Hundreds have submitted videos with meaning, purpose, passion, and joy. We’ll be broadcasting those to you interspersed with live segments from all around our San Diego LGBTQ community.
Entertaining us and dropping by during Pride will be Adam Lambert, Lady J, Mila Jam, Jai Rodriguez, Paul Oakenfold, Paris Sukomi Max, Francisca Valenzuela, Chaos Chaos, JORDY, Gigi Goode, Jake Zyrus, AZJAH, Lucy Spraggan, Disco Dolly, SOULcial Workers, Roann Mesina, Tamiel McKee Bey, Amber St James, The Resizters, and many more special guests.
We’ve never undertaken a project like this before, but our community leaned in to help make this possible. I wish we could all be together in person, but for now, staying physically apart is keeping us all healthy and safe. I hope you’ll find ways to tune in, host your own watch parties, and see all that we’ve built together. Pride is different this year. We will still continue the work of pursuing justice with joy, and Together We Rise.
With Pride,
Fernando Z. López
Pronouns: They/Them/Theirs
Executive Director
San Diego Pride
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.
