JULY 2024 VOLUME 4 ISSUE 43
LGBTQSD.NEWS
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SAN DIEGO – This year marks the 50th anniversary of the first Pride march in San Diego. The march occurred in conjunction with the anniversary of the Stonewall riots in NYC, just five short years before. It may have been an ad hoc protest march along sidewalks, with many participants wearing bags over their heads to hide their identities, but for all those who were impacted by the archaic laws, the raids of our bars, and even the illegal surveillance in the bathrooms at the local May Company that year (which led to countless arrests), standing up and speaking out to those responsible was the most important thing on each protestor’s mind. Fast forward to today: While times have changed and we now come together to celebrate ourselves and the progress we’ve seen in so many areas, we must continue to march against the hate and oppression that still exists after 50 years. Happy Pride, San Diego! Above: Local community members carry the 300-foot-long Pride flag that signified the end of a recent San Diego Pride parade. (Courtesy Ben Cartwright)
50 years of Pride: A Timeline Will Johnny take Broadway?
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“The annual celebration of Pride has marked many of our struggles and accomplishments. Remember that when we started this, we were presumed criminals, given the presence of the laws prohibiting sex between persons of the same sex and the “crossdressing” laws. Each year reflected those struggles, from the Anita Bryant campaign to the Briggs Initiative, to the assassination of Harvey Milk, to the repeal for DADT, to marriage equality. Every year reflected the struggles and joys of our people.” –Bridget Wilson
CALIFORNIA BARS NOW REQUIRED TO PROVIDE ‘DATE RAPE’ DETECTION KITS As of July 1, all California bars are required to offer customers “date rape” drug test kits. Assembly Bill 1013, proposed by Assemblymember Josh Lowenthal (D-Long Beach), mandates that type 48 licensed bars must purchase and make available the kits, which can be a strip, sticker or straw. The kits will test for drugs typically found to be administered in drinks, like ketamine or GHB,
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(Courtesy Lambda Archives)
Resources: sdpride.org, sdpride.sdsu.edu, Lambda Archives, research on the interwebs, Doug Moore Facebook memories, and other first-person personal commentary and memories. For more historical detail about those who made Pride what it is in the early years, visit sdpride.org/history-of-pride. “A community, indeed a movement, that does not know its history or the shoulders it stands on, does not know where it’s going.” – Nicole Murray Ramirez
CITY OF SAN DIEGO HOSTS ANNUAL PRIDE KICKOFF The San Diego City Council and Mayor Todd Gloria invited various leaders and other members of the local LGBTQ community to take part in its annual “Pride Kickoff” celebration on July 1, at City Hall’s Council Chambers. LGBTQ Mayor Todd Gloria and LGBTQ Councilmembers, including District Three (D3) Councilmember Stephen Whitburn, D2 Councilmember Dr. Jennifer Campbell, and D5 Councilmember Marni von Wilpert, presented those in attendance a proclamation of July 2024 as “Pride Month” in San Diego. Christine Kehoe, the city’s first LGBTQ elected official (1993) who went on from the San Diego City Council to the California State Assembly and Senate, also spoke; her remarks focused on the 50th anniversary of San Diego Pride. Key LGBTQ stakeholders were also acknowledged at the gathering, including San Diego Pride, the San Diego LGBT Community Center, the Hillcrest Business Association, and the City of San Diego’s LGBTQ+ Employee Alliance. In addition, City Commissioner Nicole Murray Ramirez provided brief remarks regarding the very first Pride March, and announced this year’s 2024 Pride honorees: Mr. San Diego Pride 2024, Erick de la Torre; Ms. San Diego Pride 2024, Dawn Stultz; Miss San Diego Pride 2024, Alexis Gabrielle; Mx San Diego Pride 2024, Shiloh Tamir; and Mr. International Pride 2024, Logan Bolitho. Each received a sash that they will wear throughout the weekend. San Diego Pride related festivities are already underway and culminate in the three major events that include the Spirit of Stonewall Rally on Friday, July 19; the San Diego Pride Parade, Sunday, July 20; and the San Diego Pride Festival, Saturday and Sunday, July 19 and 20. To read the full proclamation, go to page 12 in this issue. To learn more about San Diego Pride festivities, visit sdpride.org.