Report: San Diego’s Pride by the Beach
By Melanie Yarborough (Neutral Corner)
San Diego North County’s Pride by the Beach took place on October 12 at the Oceanside Civic Center Plaza. A combination street festival and social resource fair, the event was sponsored by The North County LGBTQ Resource Center, and supported by the local communities of Oceanside, Carlsbad, Vista, and Encinitas. This year’s theme was 50 Years Of Pride, We March On. It commemorated the half-century anniversary of the queer community fightback after a local police raid on New York City’s Stonewall Inn.
Several San Diego county Trans-organizations had booths. Many event attendees stopped by to learn about each groups mission and programs. Others wanted to know of resources and ways to support their own children or family members or friends with gender issues.
The North County Resource Center’s Gender Advocacy Project (GAP) celebrates its 5th year this month. They oversee local support and social groups, educate the larger community on trans-issues, and work with local health providers to provide trans-inclusive care.
Neutral Corner is a community development organization focusing or charity and education. They fundraise for their youth scholarship, awarded every April at San Diego’s Trans Day Of Empowerment. They maintain a Website and Facebook page featuring a blog as well as local and national events. They also have a monthly meeting for members and guests to socialize.
Trans Family Support Services guides youth and their families through the transition process with family coaching, assistance with healthcare and insurance and legal issues, and support at schools.
Overall, LGBTQ youth organizations were well represented. The North County Center’s Project Youth works with local schools to develop their own Gender & Sexuality Alliances (GSA). These student led clubs create safe spaces for gay and trans-youth. Several GSAs present included El Camino High School, Pacific Ridge Middle School, and Cesar Chavez Middle School. Project Youth, among its many activities, helps provide genderjunk : trans-youth items of need, such as chest binders for trans-boys or breastforms for trans-girls. Every year they have a trans-youth salon where they provide free hairstyling and makeup classes. Other youth supporting organizations at the event included The Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (www.glsen.org) and North County Lifeline (www.nclifeline.org).
Pride would not be Pride without Drag, and the North County event did not disappoint. Local entertainer Mariam T emceed the ongoing stage show, dispensing banter and wit. The Uptown Starlets gave a rousing rendition of Hey Big Spender, and American Idol contestant Ada Vox also performed. The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence brought their own unique blend of spirituality and merriment.
Some of the T-shirts of attendees offered their own special pride messages: We are all Human, Build Bridges Not Walls, No pride for some of us without liberation for all of us, We Will Not Let Hate Win, and Stonewall 1969-First Pride was a Riot.
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