2017 Spirit of Stonewall Awardees
Every year, San Diego Pride accepts nominations from the community for the annual presentation of the Spirit of Stonewall Awards. The awards recognize individuals or groups who contribute significantly to the LGBT community through their leadership, activism, and fundraising efforts.
Click here for a full list of our awardees.
Spirit of Stonewall Award – Community Grand Marshal
Awarded to an individual or couple who has demonstrated outstanding leadership in the LGBT community over an extended period of years with consideration to service to San Diego Pride.
2017 Recipient – Russell Roybal
Russell Roybal is a noted fund-raiser and LGBTQ movement leader. He worked with the Gill Foundation for over six years and served as the director of training and capacity building, teaching thousands of LGBTQ and allied activists and leaders, around the country, how to resource their organizations. Russell also served on the staffs of The National Latina/o LGBT Organization, the San Diego LGBT Center, and San Diego Pride. He attended San Diego State University where he majored in Chicana/o Studies and was active on campus and in the local LGBTQ and Chicana/o communities. He is also a graduate of the Chicano Federation of San Diego County’s Leadership Institute.
He has served in various leadership capacities for several nonprofit organizations, both locally and nationally. He has served as chair of the Grassroots Institute for Fundraising Training, and as a board member of the National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy, Gay and Lesbian Latinos con Orgullo, and the Imperial Court in San Diego. Russell now serves on the board of the International Imperial Court System.
Russell is the recipient of numerous awards including the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) first-ever Equality Award. He was also recently named a 2017 Pride Honoree by the CA LGBT Legislative Caucus.
Currently, Russell Roybal is the National LGBTQ Task Force’s Deputy Executive Director, where he manages the organization’s day-today-operations. He also directs the organization’s policy and programmatic work, including the National Conference on LGBT Equality: Creating Change. Founded in 1973, The Task Force advances full freedom, justice and equality for LGBTQ people and is the country’s oldest national LGBTQ advocacy organization.
His activism is rooted in his family’s tradition of public service and pursuit of social justice. Russell grew up in La Puente, CA, but his chosen home is San Diego. He currently resides in Washington, DC. Later this summer Russell will return to the Golden State to serve in a senior leadership role at the San Francisco AIDS Foundation.
Chloe Janda is San Diego Pride's Public Relations Manager and an ally to the LGBTQ+ community. She oversees the media relations and content creation for Pride's festival and parade, and some events and programs throughout the year. She is also the Public Relations & Communications Coordinator at Brown Marketing Strategies. Outside of Pride, Chloe plays Masters Water Polo, is an avid podcast listener, standup comedy fan, beach lover and social media junkie.
