By Chris Nixon
Union-Tribune
July 19, 2007
After 33 years of celebrating diversity and rights for the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender) community in San Diego, the local Pride festival is adopting a new attitude: think globally, act locally.
By embracing this year's theme of “United for Equality,” the 33rd annual San Diego LGBT Pride Celebration hopes to lend support to LGBT communities locally and half a world away.
“Here, we can have the largest civic event in San Diego,” said Ron deHarte, executive director of San Diego Pride. “And our brothers and sisters in Eastern Bloc countries can't even go out in a group of 10 or 20 without being stoned and beaten up. So, there's a huge struggle in many places in the world still. So 'United for Equality' is a worldwide Pride theme this year.”
The celebration revolves around two popular events: a free mile-long parade along Sixth Avenue and a two-day music festival at Marston Point in Balboa Park.
Details
The 33rd San Diego LGBT Pride Celebration
When: Parade, 11 a.m. Saturday; festival, noon Saturday and 11 a.m. Sunday
Where: Parade in Hillcrest along University and down Sixth Avenue; festival in Balboa Park at Sixth Avenue and Laurel Street
Tickets: Parade, free; festival, $15
Phone: (619) 239-0512
Online: www.sandiegopride.com
The festival features headliners Erasure along with nearly 100 live performances, expanded beverage gardens, a food court and many informative booths to help people get involved with LGBT rights. According to deHarte, San Diego Pride made an effort this year to include more local bands. And the lineup reflects the effort: Cover Me Badd's Blasphemous Guitars, The Shambles, Manganista, Buckfast Superbee and Spell Toronto all will perform at the fest Saturday and Sunday.
“We're really trying to create a platform for independent artists here in town,” said deHarte. “We haven't really provided that in the past. For some people there's been this image that they couldn't play Pride because they weren't gay. So, we've really started to get the word out there and break down some of those barriers. We want to give the independent bands an opportunity to have a great audience like the Pride festival.”
DeHarte wants attendees to have a good time, but also walk away with a greater understanding of others in the bigger San Diego community: “It's more than just going to a festival and enjoying different music and food. It's sending a message of visibility. It's putting a face on a community that a lot of people may not be able to identify with. That's where some of the stereotypes start breaking down.”
Chris Nixon is a San Diego music writer.
STRUT IT ON SATURDAY
From drag queens to muscle-bound shirtless men, the Pride Parade allows the LGBT community a chance to strut its stuff. With more than 200 floats and organizations marching, the parade is a fun-loving spectacle to behold.
The parade draws 150,000 people each year to the streets between Bankers Hill and Hillcrest near Balboa Park, making it the largest annual civic celebration in San Diego. It gets packed along the route, so come early and wear comfy shoes.
This year's Grand Marshal is Bruce Michael Abrams, a well-known San Diego attorney and a commissioner of the mayor's San Diego Human Relations Commission.
“Bruce has a tremendous history of giving back to the community,” said San Diego Pride executive director Ron deHarte. “Whether it's with legal help or fundraising in his home, he's helped dozens and dozens of organizations, literally.”
Starting at 11 a.m. Saturday, the Pride Parade is free. With a course starting at University Avenue and Normal Street, the parade travels west to Sixth Avenue, then south to Balboa Drive.
– CHRIS NIXON
A 'positive message' and some good music
July 19, 2007
A few weeks ago, the True Colors show – a tour organized by Cyndi Lauper to benefit LGBT rights – swung through town at SDSU's Open Air Theatre. In introducing the synth-pop duo Erasure, show host Margaret Cho simply said: “Erasure has provided the soundtrack to our lives.” And the crowd was ecstatic.
Since 1985, vocalist Andy Bell and musician Vince Clarke have provided the soundtrack to the gay community with their dance-floor friendly pop. Clarke – also involved in the early incarnations of Depeche Mode and the British duo Yaz – brings his style of synth composition, while Bell served as a role model to many people by simply being himself.
Singles like “Ship of Fools,” “Chains of Love” and “A Little Respect” propelled Erasure into the spotlight in 1987. This year found the duo releasing a studio recording titled “Light at the End of the World,” with the singles “I Could Fall in Love with You” and “Sunday Girl.”
This year's Pride festival expects to draw 40,000 people over two days in Balboa Park. On Sunday, many festival-goers will be in Balboa Park to check out Erasure.
“From an entertainment standpoint, they're a fun band,” said Pride executive director Ron deHarte. “But also when you look at the members in the band and the place they've held in the LGBT community and in this civil rights movement over the past 20-plus years, they really have been a part of the growing movement of bringing about equality, justice, tolerance and diversity, not just in London, but worldwide. They're carrying a positive message.”
Erasure will perform at the San Diego Pride Festival at Marston Point in Balboa Park from 6:10 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Sunday. One-day tickets to the festival are $15, a two-day pass is $21.
– CHRIS NIXON
