San Diego Pride 50 listicle
In July, I got to celebrate the 50th anniversary of San Diego LGBTQ+ Pride. The first parade in 1974 had people marching with bags over their head for fear of being outed at work or home and being fired or disowned, but they marched anyway. This year’s golden anniversary parade had over 250 contingents and 250,000+ spectators, marking its way down University and turning South onto 6th toward Balboa Park and into Marston Point for the Gay Pride Festival, aka the “Fruit Loop,” for a festival, with over 50,000 taking part in the two-day festival. Pride in San Diego happens all month long, with other events like She-Fest, the Lighting of the Cathedral at St. Paul’s Episcopal, an interfaith worship service, and the Spirit of Stonewall rally and Flag Raising, on Normal St. This year’s Stonewall Stage featured headliners Todrick Hall, Rico Nasty and none other than world-class percussionist and drummer, Sheila E. Here are ten things I loved about this years festival, whether about the festiva