1976 marked the U.S. Bicentennial and the Gay Pride Committee selected “Gay Spirit” as the theme for that year’s march. Many participants marched with banners and signs emphasizing the gay community’s right to freedom. That year, the Pride committee established a $5 fee for floats or vehicles and created a detailed set of guidelines for… Continue reading 1976: “Gay Spirit”
Category: San Diego Pride Timeline
1975: “Gay Pride (Come OUT To A Celebration)”
The Center for Social Services (CSS) again hosted gay pride events in June of 1975, but that year, they sought permits with the help of volunteer attorneys. Not without struggle, permits were obtained, marking 1975 as the year of the first permitted march and rally. Although government officials were predominantly not yet vocal in their… Continue reading 1975: “Gay Pride (Come OUT To A Celebration)”
1974: Gay Pride Week and the First March
The Center for Social Services (CSS) established committees to provide a variety of services for the gay and lesbian community and veterans.* In June, CSS held another Gay Pride Week that included a yard sale and a potluck to celebrate the anniversary of Stonewall. This event was followed by an impromptu, unpermitted march along the… Continue reading 1974: Gay Pride Week and the First March
1972-73: The Center is Born and the Final “Gay-In”
In 1972, Metropolitan Community Church (MCC) continued to hold services and events and the Catholic support group Dignity returned to San Diego. The Monday Night Lesbians also formed in the early 1970s. Significantly, Stephen Bell and Jess Jessop of the Gay Liberation Front (GLF) attended a national conference in Chicago organized by the Gay Activists… Continue reading 1972-73: The Center is Born and the Final “Gay-In”
1971: A Hotline, a Protest, and “Gay-In 2”
In spring of 1971, Gay Liberation Front (GLF) came back to campus. On-campus status still officially revoked, the group began to operate meetings through a course called “The Homosexual and Society,” which was sponsored by the Experimental College. This loophole allowed GLF to use campus facilities and advertise to students, and Morris Kight, pioneer of… Continue reading 1971: A Hotline, a Protest, and “Gay-In 2”
1970: Community Groups and the First “Gay-In”
1970 was a turning point for the San Diego gay community, marking immense growth of organized activism and pride. Existing organizations evolved and new ones formed, coming together to plan public events in celebration of LGBTQ+ people for the first time. Gay Liberation Front (GLF) was approved as a recognized student organization by Associated Students… Continue reading 1970: Community Groups and the First “Gay-In”
1969: The Turning Point
On June 28th, 1969, a raid on New York City’s Stonewall Inn escalated into a riot that lasted for days. Fed up with regular harassment, patrons of the gay bar refused to cooperate with police during the raid. News of this victory spread and inspired the gay community throughout the country to organize, forming activists… Continue reading 1969: The Turning Point
Pre-1969: Before Stonewall
To truly appreciate the significance of the Pride phenomenon in San Diego and all over the world, it is essential to understand the historical and social contexts from which it has emerged. Prior to the Stonewall Riots and the birth of the modern gay rights movement in the 1970s, LGBTQ+ people in San Diego had… Continue reading Pre-1969: Before Stonewall