Organizers of San Diego's annual LGBTQ+ Pride Celebration have cancelled its 2020 events amid ongoing concerns surrounding the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic.
After weeks of consideration, today, San Diego Pride’s Board of Directors and staff announced that all in-person Pride gatherings scheduled for July 2020 will not take place as planned. The event was scheduled to take place July 17-19 and was anticipated to draw 350,000 people over the three days.
"We recognize how deeply meaningful Pride is to our community," said San Diego Pride Executive Director Fernando López. "Pride brings us together in times of protest and times of celebration. Pride helps connect us to community and our found family. Pride gives us access to life-saving direct services and provides grant funding to our local and global LGBTQ community. In San Diego, we are privileged to have a Pride organization that does that meaningful education, organizing, advocacy, and philanthropic work all year long, not just one weekend a year. Our programs have continued on in virtual space and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future."
"Pride is not canceled," continued López. "In-person mass gatherings are canceled. Nothing can strip away our pride. Nothing can deny us the pride our community has built inside ourselves, our community, or the broader world. We will still find ways to raise our Pride flags, celebrate the vibrancy of our community, and bring to light the issues that our movement still faces."
The decision to cancel the 2020 San Diego Pride Festival was finalized following California Governor Gavin Newsom’s press conference earlier this week where he stated major events attracting large numbers of people are unlikely to occur at any point this summer. The San Diego County Fair also announced this week that it was cancelling its 2020 incarnation. Yesterday, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti indicated that the citywide ban on large gatherings like sporting events and concerts may not be lifted until 2021.
"San Diego Pride’s mission has always been to bring our community together and now more than ever they continue to do so even while we must be physically apart," said San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer. "Today’s decision was not made lightly and with the best interest of the health of everyone in mind. This year’s theme for Pride perfectly expresses how we will get through this: by coming together, supporting our fellow San Diegans, and rising to the challenge before us just as we have done so many times before. Together we will rise, San Diego."
For more information about San Diego Pride and to make a donation, visit sdpride.org.
