Wow! San Diego Pride was a homecoming brimming with emotion. Our LGBTQ community and allies worked together for over a year in what felt like the largest and most celebratory family reunion you could imagine.
The energy across all of our events was kinetic from start to finish. Beautifully diverse crowds of people from over 1,400 cities around the world filled San Diego with love and celebration.
I couldn’t be more proud of every staff member, volunteer, community partner, artist, and entertainer who made this epic return possible.
I have heard countless stories of people’s first Prides, more than ever before as so many had been held back for 3 years! I watched as people sobbed with relief and joy as the full impact and significance of our return struck them, struck me. I’m sure we all have transcendent moments of Pride we could share. Honoring those we’ve lost in the last two years and carrying their memory with us. Coming out for the first time. Finding love. Feeling safe. Feeling seen. Simply sharing space.
We don’t have Pride because we are free. We have Pride because we are not.
This Pride we were reminded that our celebration is justice, our joy is defiance, our love is insubordinate, and our revelry is a revolution.
That is why we have Pride.
This weekend our joy felt like justice as together we pursued Justice with Joy.
Thank you.
With Pride,
Fernando Zweifach López
San Diego Pride raises funds primarily through festival ticket and beverage sales, and through sponsorships, and exhibitor fees. These funds support San Diego Pride’s community philanthropy which has distributed more than $2.5 million in advancement of its mission to foster pride, equality, and respect for all lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender communities locally, nationally, and globally.
