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DRAG MARCH PHOTOS P. 5
JULY 7, 2023 VOLUME 4 ISSUE 19
LGBTQSD.NEWS
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Pride is a community celebration. June has come and gone, but our local San Diego LGBTQ community is offering a plethora of ways for each of us to celebrate Pride, we simply need a longer week to fit it all in! Because in addition to the standard events of the Parade and Festival, there are a multitude of options to choose from, whether you are gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, queer, nonbinary, or genderfluid. Whatever your jam may be – yoga, dancing in the street, hobnobbing with friends, roller skating, light shows, soaking up rays poolside, cruising San Diego or even Mission Bay, pursuing fine art displays, or listening to music spun by DJs from across the world, there is something for everyone this San Diego Pride season. Cover photo above is “Lavender Resistant Pride March,” by local artist RD Riccoboni, (image courtesy The Studio Door). See this painting along with the works of many other artists featured in The Studio Door’s PROUD+ exhibition. See page 24 for more details. Yes, Pride is a community celebration. Choose how you plan to celebrate by checking out pages 13-16. Happy Pride.
From loss to philanthropy >> ART P. 20
PRIDE’S 2023 HONOREES CARRY THE TRUE SPIRIT OF STONEWALL Champion of Pride for 2023, Mrs. Christynne Lili Wrene Wood (Courtesy Mrs. Wood)
by Nika Yaya
PROUD+ A national exhibit
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Echos of humanity-based uprising permeate through Pride events all over the world, with San Diego Pride carving out its own month to celebrate a battle-riddled community. The first San Diego Pride in 1975 ended with the first Spirit of Stonewall Awards, a reminder of the ongoing advocacy and activism required for progress. This year, with an increasingly difficult social climate, the Spirit of Stonewall Awards harken back to the echoes of Pride’s original roots of activism and a fight for LGBTQ liberation, with this year’s awardees demonstrating their own leadership in the fight for equality. Fernando Z. Lopez Jr, San Diego Pride’s executive director, noted that despite the amount of anti-LGBTQ ire currently occurring across the nation, acknowledging the activists in the community shows there is hope, and that now, in this moment, the community has more power than ever. Lopez said they hope that those attending the Stonewall Rally will be inspired to engage, knowing that “we have champions in our corner,” a sentiment they liken to their own advocacy being awakened 23 years prior as a unsheltered youth, where they heard the calls for self acceptance permeate across the corners of Hillcrest
See STONEWALL page 26
STATE’S ATTORNEY GENERAL RELEASES INAUGURAL ‘STATE OF PRIDE REPORT’ On June 20, California’s Attorney General, Rob Bonta, issued a “State of Pride Report,” which highlights the California DOJs actions supporting, uplifting and defending the rights of LGBTQ residents and communities across the state and beyond. “As a committed LGBTQ+ ally, I firmly believe that everyone deserves to be safe, healthy, prosperous, and celebrated for who they are — regardless of how they identify or who they love,” Bonta said in a press release. “As we come together this Pride Month to celebrate our LGBTQ+ communities, we must also recommit ourselves to the ongoing fight for LGBTQ+ rights at home and across the country. Today’s report shows the California DOJ’s commitment to defending, expanding, and advancing LGBTQ+ rights. However, I know that there is substantial work yet to be accomplished. Our pursuit of equality knows no boundaries, and I vow to continue using every tool at my disposal to protect and promote the rights and well-being of LGBTQ+ individuals.” The report emphasizes the ongoing adversities LGBTQ people face, not only in California, but nationwide, and details the latest initiatives his DOJ is spearheading to counter hate and discrimination against LGBTQ individuals. One recent program is the DOJs new Office of Community Awareness, Response, and Engagement (CARE), which will proactively address hate crimes while working closely with community organizations and the public. On June 21, Bonta also held a roundtable Zoom call with the publisher and editor-in-chief of LGBTQ San Diego County News, Eddie Reynoso and Morgan M. Hurley, respectively, to learn more about issues surrounding San Diego’s LGBTQ community. Brody Levesque, editor of the Los Angeles Blade, was also on the call. After discussing recent anti-LGBTQ incidents in Temecula, San Diego, Chino Hills, Huntington Beach, Glendale, and Los Angeles, Bonta committed to visiting the region personally to address community concerns. He was encouraged to hear about the success of the Drag March for Trans Rights and took vigorous personal notes throughout the conversation. To read California DOJs State of Pride report, visit oag.ca.gov/ lgbtq. For additional information on hate crimes and LGBTQ+ discrimination, visit oag.ca.gov/ hatecrimes.
See NEWS BRIEFS page 2