Larry and Fresh! had decided to march – choices that had their own complex set of causes and conditions. Larry Yang (right) and his partner Stephen laugh after posing for pictures of a kiss. This wasn’t a year I wanted to miss out on Pride. As a queer person, I’ve been hungry for near constant queer community after the massacre of 49 LGBTQ folks at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando two weeks ago. James Infirmary, chosen for Pride Community AwardĪt the same time, I was scheduled to march in Sunday’s parade celebrating two other Grand Marshals - Larry Yang and Fresh! White - dear friends and teachers at East Bay Meditation Center, my home sangha (a word that means Buddhist community). These policies do not reflect the theme of racial & economic justice which we sought to march under proudly.” – Stephany Ashley, St. The increased police presence at Civic Center, as well as the ban on shopping carts and items typically belonging to marginally housed and homeless people will only make pride less safe and accessible to our communities. “LGBT sex workers are often victims of violence and exploitation at the hands of police. As a racial justice, anti-police violence, and sex positive activist, these are people and groups that I look to for leadership and insight about how those most marginalized are harmed by oppressive forces. James Infirmary had pulled out of the march, was to join them in protest. We chose you because we trust you <3 We do not choose or trust the police” Janetta Johnson by Micah Bazant reads “Police out of Pride. When my community is safe, then we can be really proud.” Art of Ms. And when Black trans women are safe, in our city, in our society, every single day. “While I am thankful for this honor, and grateful to Pride for bringing our work to the front this year, the decision to add more police to Pride does not make me, or my community, more safe …the truth is my community needs house keys not handcuffs, needs care not cages, needs jobs and job training, economic power and cultural self-determination. Janetta Johnson of the Transgender, Gender Variant, & Intersex Justice Project said, In a public statement, Pride Grand Marshal Ms. On Friday, three San Francisco honorees pulled out of Sunday’s Pride parade because their communities no longer felt safe due to increased policing and militarized security scheduled to be there. When beloved members of our spiritual-political communities take divergent paths, how do we choose which ones to follow? military service branch - leading the military contingent as an honorary grand marshal.Heavily armed police patrol a rainbow balloon festooned side street during New York City’s 2016 Pride parade. Secretary of the Army Eric Fanning - the first openly gay leader of a U.S. This year’s parade highlights included U.S. The parade headed west on University Avenue from its start at Normal Street, took a left on Sixth Avenue and headed south to the end at Laurel Street in Balboa Park. More than 190 entrants, some waving rainbow flags, took part in the 1.1-mile parade through the heart of San Diego’s gay community. Waving to the crowd from her open convertible, Miss Gay Pride San Diego couldn’t help but think of a friend, Shane Tomlin, who had been shot and killed in Orlando. “We came out here to show support for the LGBT community. Instead of marching, they were taking “significant security precautions,” said SDPD Lt.
Hundreds of uniformed officers - police from San Diego, Los Angeles, La Mesa, Chula Vista and Escondido, plus the California Highway Patrol and other agencies - patrolled the parade route.
There was a shadow over the festive atmosphere, thanks to recent terrorist attacks on public gatherings, including last week’s murderous rampage by a driver in Nice, France.
Politicians both near and far also marched through the street to show their support for San Diego. Over two-hundred contingents comprised the procession.įrom the San Diego Sherriff’s Department to The Unified School District to The Padres, every organization truly excited to show thier advocacy to the community.
Rainbow flags, multi-colored beads, and Thump Sticks were the fashion choice, some people choosing to soak up the sun and bare their skin beneath the clear blue skies. Photographer Haley Joy Porter was there and took these photos. People used the word Orlando in many ways throughout the event, symbolizing solidarity, love, and courage. The crowd was loud and proud, with an undercurrent of poignancy due to memories of the Pulse nightclub attack on June 12, where 49 people lost their lives to a gunman. An estimated 100,000+ people showed for the 42nd Annual LGBT Pride Parade on Saturday, July 16.