Happy Pride, San Diego! June marks the annual commemoration across the U.S. as the LGBTQIA+ community and allies alike come together to celebrate the freedom to be themselves, uplift voices, and advocate for LGBTQIA+ rights.

Pride is traditionally celebrated in June to honor the Stonewall Uprising that occurred in 1969, when police raided a popular gay bar in New York City, The Stonewall Inn. The patrons of the bar fought back, starting the Stonewall Riots. The Stonewall Inn was later declared a historic landmark by the city of New York in 2015 and named a national monument by President Barack Obama in 2016.

San Diego Pride in 2023 will take place July 8-16, and Wave FC will be at various events and festivities in full force, including at the Pride Parade on July 15. San Diego Pride occurs in July every year in part because previously when all Prides attempted to be on the same weekend in June, it limited organizations’ abilities to be in every city, to build supporter lists, and to grow. Pride organizers began to talk about how they could better coordinate events and in turn better serve communities, so the decision was made to leave “June gloom” behind for the warmer and sunnier month of July.

Later this month though, Wave FC will hold its annual Pride Night match against OL Reign on June 24, when the club will host a full night of celebrations at Snapdragon Stadium, including the sale of a special Pride pack whose proceeds will benefit San Diego Pride.

San Diego Wave FC encourages all Wave FC fans to join us this month in celebrating Pride. Below is a list of resources and events to consider supporting, attending, or learning from. Click on the individual names to visit their websites and learn more about the independent work these organizations are achieving for their communities. If there are additional organizations and/or resources you believe we should provide our platform to, please send your suggestions to [email protected].

Events:

Black Pride 2023 — July 6-9 featuring events each day including a pageant, ball, and pool party; all to help raise funds in service of building a stronger San Diego Black LGBTQ community.

Light Up The Cathedral — July 12 at 7 pm, join Dean Penny Bridges, Faith Leaders and Allied Faith Leaders for an Interfaith Pride Celebration at St. Paul’s Episcopal Cathedral. After the service, the Cathedral will be lit in rainbow colors.

Pride 5K — July 15 at 8 am in Hillcrest. Last year, a record setting 1,700 runners and walkers, from around the world, participated and raised $40,000 for charity partners. Every year, funds raised at the San Diego Pride 5K generate significant donations for San Diego Pride and The LGBT Center’s Youth Housing Project.

Pride By the Beach — June 3 from 12 pm-6 pm in Oceanside, the 16th annual Pride by the Beach is a visibility program and free community event of the North County LGBTQ Resource Center. They serve over 13 cities, including Camp Pendleton, and the festival helps increase LGBTQIA+ visibility in the region, and the 2022 festival had an estimated 20,000 attendees. The attendees represent the diverse and intergenerational LGBTQIA+ community, including youth, students, families, veterans and active duty military individuals, LGBTQIA+ allies, educators, lifesaving organizations, elected officials, and more.

San Diego Pride Festival — July 15-16 in Balboa Park, San Diego’s largest 2-day event highlighting the best in LGBTQ entertainment, interactive exhibits, cultural presentations, and community resources.

San Diego Pride Parade — July 15 at 10 am, the annual San Diego Pride Parade is the largest single-day civic event in the region and is among the largest Prides in the United States, attracting over 300,000 people. The parade begins at the Hillcrest Pride Flag at University Ave. and Normal St., proceeds west on University Ave., turns south on 6th Ave., turns left onto Balboa Dr. and ends at Quince Dr.

She Fest 2023 — July 8 from 12 pm-6 pm, She Fest delivers empowering and accessible programming and content that centers 2SLGBTQ+ women and non-binary people; creates opportunities to connect 2SLGBTQ+ small businesses to new audiences; facilitates social events that bring people together; and invests in and celebrate the volunteer leadership of She Fest committee members. The year-round efforts culminate in an annual flagship event that brings over 4,000 of our community members together to kick off San Diego’s Pride week in July.

South Bay Pride Festival — August 26 in Chula Vista Harbor, South Bay Pride’s goals are to make this event not only a celebration of the community and educational outreach but also to provide funds in order to assist in creating a bi-national resource center in the south San Diego county where youth and aging community can be supported and have a safe haven.

Spirit of Stonewall Rally — July 14 from 6 pm-7 pm, the Spirit of Stonewall Rally is a time to recognize and honor leaders who are working hard to preserve gains and meet the many challenges still facing the community. It is a time for to honor origins, celebrate those who are leading the way, and call the community to action around some of the movement’s most pressing issues.

Businesses:

Explore the San Diego Equality Business Association directory, which strives to promote LGBTQ influence through business ownership, workforce equality and active consumerism, creating prosperity to support equality, diversity and inclusion.

Additional business information and ways you can support can be found via the San Diego LGBTQ+ Visitor Center, the San Diego LGBT Community Center, and SD News.

Resources and Organizations:

Hillcrest Youth Center & South Bay Youth Center — The Hillcrest Youth Center and South Bay Center provide drop-in support and recreational activities dedicated to the needs of LGBTQ and nonbinary youth, as well as youth living with HIV.

Our Safe Place — Our Safe Place program provides behavioral health services for youth that identify as LGBTQI+ from 12 to 21 years old, and their families. The program’s service provisions include a certified outpatient clinic that serves all of San Diego County. Clinical services include individual and family therapy, as well as psychiatric services. Additionally, Our Safe Place offers four LGBTQI+ drop-in centers throughout the County (North Inland, North Coastal, Central and South Bay) that are open 7 days a week, 8 hours a day.

PFLAG San Diego County — PFLAG is the first and largest organization for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) people, their parents, families, and allies. With over 400 chapters and supporters crossing multiple generations of families in major urban centers, small cities, and rural communities across America, PFLAG is committed to creating a world where diversity is celebrated and all people are respected, valued, and affirmed. The PFLAG San Diego County chapter was formed in San Diego in 1982 with 15 members and extends into multiple regions of the county.

Project Trans — Project TRANS (Transgender Referrals, Assistance, Networking, and Services) offers discussion groups, behavioral health services, HIV prevention services, youth services, and more. In addition, the program focuses on advocacy, referrals, outreach, sensitivity trainings, social activities and events, workshops, and networking with community agencies. Through a partnership with the Transgender Law Center, Project TRANS also provides assistance with legal documents. For more information, contact the Project Trans coordinator at [email protected].

San Diego Black LGBTQ Coalition — The San Diego Black LGBTQ Coalition strives to be a haven for the Black LGBTQ community. Their primary focus is connecting individuals to resources, events, and outlets that support and enrich their lives, and providing opportunities to strengthen the community in which we live.

San Diego County LGBTQ Latine Coalition — Únete a los miembros de la comunidad latina, activistas y líderes de todo el condado de San Diego que buscan mejorar la capacidad de la comunidad para construir un movimiento y movilizarse. Juntos podemos fortalecer el poder educativo, de salud, cultural, cívico, político y económico de nuestra comunidad LGBTQ Latine y la región.

San Diego LGBT Community Center — Open daily, the center provides a wide variety of LGBTQIA+ programs and services including crisis counseling, individual and couple counseling, facilitated coming-out groups, and over a dozen LGBTQIA+ peer support groups each week. Additional social, educational and cultural events, and information regarding community resources, as well as HIV testing, counseling, and substance abuse information and referral are available. Located at 3909 Centre Street in Hillcrest. The North County LGBTQ Center is located in Oceanside.

Sport A Rainbow — An organization close to Wave FC goalkeeper Kailen Sheridan’s heart, Sport a Rainbow encourages coaches, athletes and organizations to join the Inclusion in Sport Movement and be supportive, respectful and kind to each other despite individual differences.

TransFamily Support Services — TransFamily Support Services guide transgender/non-binary youth and their families through the gender transitioning process to help make it the most positive experience possible. We provide family coaching, assistance with healthcare and insurance issues, help navigating the legal system, and support at schools. All services are provided at no fee.