June is Pride Month, when Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) communities, and others who feel like their sexual identity falls outside the mainstream, celebrate the freedom to be who they are.
Pride Month is celebrated each June to honor the 1969 Stonewall Riots in Manhattan, a catalyst for the gay rights movement in the United States. Today, celebrations include colorful pride parades, workshops, symposia and other events that attract millions across the globe.
While most Pride events take place in June, some cities hold their celebrations at other times. The San Diego Pride Festival, for example, typically occurs in July.
The 2018 festival takes place Saturday, July 14 through Sunday, July 15 at Marston Point in Balboa Park. The festival includes more than 50 LGBT-serving organizations, over 100 artists across four stages, and draws 40,000 attendees.
Many San Diegans may not know the first Lesbian and Gay Pride Parade in San Diego dates back more than 40 years to 1974.
San Diego Pride, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, raises funds primarily through festival ticket sales to support San Diego Pride’s community philanthropy, which has distributed more than $2.5 million to foster pride, equality, and respect for LGBT communities.
LGBT Support & Resources in San Diego
In addition to San Diego Pride, America’s Finest City houses several other nonprofit organizations that live out the spirit of Pride Month all year long.
The San Diego Foundation and our supporting organizations have funded LGBT programs and initiatives through grants made to the Human Rights Campaign Foundation, North County LGBTQ Resource Center, the San Diego LGBT Community Center, otherwise known as “The Center”, and more organizations.
A major resource for local LGBT and HIV communities, The Center is the nation’s second oldest and one of the largest LGBT community centers in the U.S. It provides direct program services to men, women, youth, seniors, families, LGBT Latino community members and their families, and those living with HIV.
In 2017, The Center provided more than 73,000 direct service visits to San Diego community members.
In 1993, The Center established an agency endowment fund at The San Diego Foundation to ensure long-term sustainability and support for the local LGBT community in perpetuity. More than 25 years later, The Center continues to fulfill its mission to enhance and sustain the health and well-being of local LGBT and HIV communities.
Other local LGBT resources include our neighbors at the Malin Burnham Center for Civic Engagement, the San Diego Human Dignity Foundation, and the Diversionary Theatre, which provides a theatrical platform to explore complex and diverse LGBT stories.
