Increasingly entertainment-oriented LGBT fest ranks among the top 10 in the nation
By Chris Nixon
For the San Diego Union-Tribune
July 27, 2006
Since the San Diego LGBT Pride Festival's inception 31 years ago, the climate for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people in San Diego has changed.
During its transformation from old Navy town to multinational, multicultural metropolis, San Diego now sports the 10th largest Pride Festival in the country, drawing 200,000 to Hillcrest and Balboa Park to celebrate diversity.
In fact, the Pride Parade is now San Diego's largest civic event, according San Diego LGBT Pride's executive director, Ron deHarte.
“(Pride) increases awareness, it provides an opportunity for education in the community, it provides an opportunity for the community to come together in celebration,” said deHarte, who joined the organization just this year. “It just so happens that the parade is the largest civic
event in San Diego. In the 'red' city that we are, that's hard to believe in some people's minds.”
With the slogan “Equality! No turning back,” this year's festival includes a full weekend of events: the Spirit of Stonewall Rally on Friday, a two-day music festival in Balboa Park with 70 bands on 10 stages and the huge Pride Parade on Saturday, which deHarte expects to draw 150,000 people this year.
After 31 years of Pride festivals in San Diego, organizers felt like it was time for a change, especially in the way the two-day event is structured. In the past, the festival featured one stage of music. The organizer wanted to shift more focus to the bands this year, expanding the number of stages to 10 while providing a few headliners to draw more diverse crowds.
“We wanted to draw a more diverse attendance through the gate,” said deHarte. “The single biggest driving force was feedback from folks who have come over the years. This last year we started an online survey that ran for four or five months.
“Overwhelmingly, the comments were coming back for us to focus on entertainment, bring in more varied guests, bring in more headliners,” continued deHarte. “More entertainment clearly was a message people were sending as far as suggestions to improve the festival.
“So it was clear: It was time for us to make a change.”
A Flock of Seagulls, Debbie Gibson and Tiffany headline the festival this year, but deHarte also wanted to place more emphasis on local bands like Spell Toronto and the U.V. Tigers: “We get a crowd of 40,000, and we get to put some of our local bands on stages in front of 5,000 people.”
San Diego LGBT Pride has taken great strides to make this year's event more inclusive, with a senior tent, an interfaith pavilion and kids' activities.
“The Pride festival is for the entire community,” stated deHarte. “You don't have to be labeled 'gay' to participate in it.”
Chris Nixon is a San Diego writer.
PICKS FOR THIS WEEKEND'S PRIDE FESTIVAL
The two-day Pride Festival features 10 stages of entertainment, more than 70 musicians, bands, comedians and dancers. Areas in the festival include Jack FM Stage, Country Western Village with dance floor, Rocket hiNrg dance floor, Lavender Lens Women's Space and dance floor, Latino Stage and Cantina, Karaoke Stage, Buzz Great Lawn Stage, three beer gardens, Senior Connection, Leather Realm, Coffee Terrace, Interfaith Pavilion, Art of Pride (LGBT local artists), Youth Space and the Children's Garden. Whew!
Here are a couple of choice bands from each day of the festival:
SATURDAY
The Ethel Merman Experience: Impersonator Mark Sargent channels the late Ethel Merman, merging the singer's trademark booming alto voice with rock standards. The band covers Led Zeppelin, Nirvana, Red Hot Chili Peppers, AC/DC, Van Halen and The Doors. Not to be missed.
A Flock of Seagulls: This British quartet has two clear claims to fame: the '80s synth-pop single “I Ran” and lead singer Mike Score's hair (looking like the result of a terrible accident involving mass quantities of hair mousse and an industrial turbine).
SUNDAY
Tiffany / Debbie Gibson: If you're not well-versed in '80s uber-kitsch, Tiffany and Debbie Gibson could easily be mistaken for one another. For good reasons: They both emerged in 1987 (and both sported atrocious '80s style); both had failed attempts at “Star Search”; both sang simple '80s pop tunes; and now they're both singing at this year's Pride Festival.
Orquestra Bi-Nacional de Mambo: Bill Caballero's 20-piece band kicks the brassy, old-school Latin style of mambo (think Latino big band music). Stocked with musicians from both sides of the border, Orquestra Bi-Nacional de Mambo also dabbles in salsa and boleros with an occasional cha-cha-cha.
– CHRIS NIXON
