Dear Pride Family,
Our community is creating tangible safety, security, and equality here and now, even when we’re bombarded with stories of LGBTQIA+ hate. We’re able to do this work through community building and grassroots organizing.
I’m privileged to work in explicit organizing spaces, and I’m constantly motivated by the work my peers are doing here in San Diego. I wanted to share some examples of organizing efforts that fuel my belief in community power and our collective fight for justice.
Last year the concept of Pride and our ability to signal acceptance of LGBTQIA+ folks was challenged.
Several cities across San Diego challenged our ability to signal acceptance of LGBTQIA+ and attempted to ban Pride Flags. In the South Bay, Chula Vista Elementary School District initially voted with the intent to ban Pride Flags in all schools of the district. Community leaders including leaders at Rainbow Spaces, rallied public support against their action. The following School Board meeting resulted in the board reversing their decision. A similar instance in Carlsbad involved the city council, who failed to allow Pride Flags to be flown in May of last year. After strong community organizing, including an impassioned protest planned by North County LGBTQIA+ Resource Center, and impassioned testimonies at city council, Carlsbad ultimately voted to let the Pride Flag fly the following week.
Recently, activists in Sacramento worked with city council members to create and unanimously pass a resolution to become a sanctuary city for trans folks.
Lastly, we’re in collaborative efforts with community leaders and organizations to create a strategic coalition. We’re organizing to take action across SD School Boards to remind them of California’s robust LGBT+ protective policies, and rally support for our community when School Boards or other authorities violate our rights.
Grassroots organizing is everywhere, but we acknowledge that it can be challenging to identify the specific, transferable skills of organizing, and difficult to identify how to level up community building efforts, or apply strategy to plans for change. It can also feel intimidating to get involved.
That’s why we’re thrilled to host our second annual Pride Power Summit, a crucial initiative aimed at empowering LGBTQIA+ and equality-minded organizers in San Diego. Last year, we engaged over 40 attendees and more than dozen community leaders. Our attendees walked away feeling energized and confident in the transformative power of grassroots activism.
Our supporters believe in this work and are invested in the community. We are excited to announce that the 2024 Pride Power Summit is free for all registered attendees, ensuring that cost is not a barrier to attendance. Our carefully curated workshops are designed to address key areas of activism and advocacy. Here’s a glimpse of the what’s in store for our workshop tracks:
WORKSHOP 1:
WORKSHOP 2:
WORKSHOP 3:
This conference is designed with every person in mind. It’s for the seasoned grassroots organizing professional, looking to incorporate an LGBTQIA+ lens into their work. It’s for the volunteer who’s participated in every election cycle since before they were able to register to vote. It’s for the high school students who want to advocate for themselves in front of school boards that are seeking to pass transphobic policies. It’s for the ally who wants to learn how to show up for their LGBTQIA+ loved ones beyond words of affirmation and take direct action.
But most of all, it’s for the anxious person who’s worried about the state of our democracy and the future of LGBTQIA+ rights in this country, and who doesn’t know where to begin. We got you.
You do not need to have experience in political efforts, you just need an interest in learning about justice centered actions, and a free Saturday on May 11.
We invite you to join us for the Pride Power Summit and become a part of the movement for lasting positive change. Together, we can create a more inclusive, equitable, and just world for everyone. Together, we can create history now.
With Pride,
Jen Hibberts(she/they)
Organizing & Outreach Coordinator
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.
