1991
Hello, July
After a minor, but not devastating, setback in 1990, Pride got back on track and began planning for the 1991 event. The first step was to change the date from early June to late July and the date was soon set for the weekend of July 20th and 21st. This gave them a better shot at having an event with good weather and also prevented San Diego Pride from having to compete with Prides in other cities for parade and festival participation.
A New Executive Director
Although the change in date was the most noticeable change, another change was happening behind the scenes as Executive Director Tim Williams stepped down and Barbra Blake became Pride’s second Executive Director. Williams told Blake and the Board that he was HIV+ and that he had developed full-blown AIDS, and that he knew that he wouldn’t be able to continue as E.D. of Pride.
The Board put out a call for new applicants for the position of Executive Director, but they received no response.
One night, over margaritas, Williams asked Barbra Blake if she would consider taking the position. It wasn’t something she had set out to do. She had a full-time research job working in a biology lab and she knew how much work was involved in the position, but when nobody else applied for the job, Williams asked her if she would do it. In the end, she took on the position out of love for her friend Tim. She was helped in her new position by close friend Maryanne Travaglione, and by Tim Williams, who stayed on as a Board Member.
The Event
With new leadership and a new date, Pride was set to make 1991 the biggest event to date. The parade, rally and festival all recovered from the previous year’s stumble with big numbers and plenty of big names.
The parade followed the familiar route from Balboa Park north to Robinson and back. More than 7,000 people turned out to watch the event and 1,120 people participated in 108 contingents. The parade was led by Grand Marshals Frank Buttino and Karen Marshall; other participants included Mayor O’Connor and Councilmembers John Hartley, Bob Filner, and Tom Behr and Assemblyman Mike Gotch. Joining these local politicians was Congresswoman Barbara Boxer, who became the first federal office holder to participate in the parade.
The rally took place immediately following the parade at the Organ Pavilion in Balboa Park. Keynote speakers Carole Migden, Frank Buttino, and Barbara Boxer spoke on a number of topics, including Assembly Bill 101, which would have prohibited employment discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. AB101 passed the Assembly and the Senate, but was ultimately vetoed by Governor “Sneaky Pete” Wilson.
The festival gates opened up after the rally for two days of eating, drinking, dancing and entertainment. The entertainment lineup included local favorites, such as the San Diego Men’s and Women’s Choruses, Jeff Miller and his band, Tall Timber, and Comedienne Robyn Tyler. All entertainment was accompanied by ASL interpretation. Festival attendance swelled with 8,544 tickets sold compared to 5,718 the previous year.
When all the accounting was done, Pride had once again turned a profit. After expenses, the organization netted $36,215, which was a big step up from the -$450 in 1990 and even better than the $23,590 made in 1989. It appeared that Pride had made the right decisions and was on the right track.