By Chris Nixon
July 17, 2008
Marriage rights celebration, 'D-List' celeb among celebration's highlights
After 34 years of celebrating diversity and rights for the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender) community in San Diego, the local organization Pride San Diego is reaping the rewards of activism and education.
Same-sex couples now have the right to marry in California, which should make this weekend's 34th annual San Diego LGBT Pride Celebration one to remember for members of the community.
On May 15, the Supreme Court of California overturned the state's ban on same-sex marriage with a 4-to-3 decision. As of June 16, the state started issuing marriage licenses for same-sex couples.
“Pride 2008 will be a Pride many people will remember because it will be a celebration of equal rights and a celebration of the ability for millions of individuals to marry the person they love,” said Pride San Diego executive director Ron deHarte. “This is a significant step forward in our LGBT civil rights movement and will be one of those 'point-in-time moments' people will remember forever.”
This year's festival combines the usual frolicking sense of fun with a sense of urgency and activism.
“We expect many parade contingents to celebrate this historical achievement of equal rights in their parade signage and themes. We will have a community celebration of marriage equality on Sunday afternoon and the Festival Opening Rally will have a number of speakers who have provided leadership in the effort to secure marriage equality.
“Pride is an opportunity for us to stand together and celebrate our shared vision of freedom and equality.”
DETAILS
34th annual San Diego LGBT Pride Festival and Parade
When: Saturday and Sunday
Where: Balboa Park, Sixth Avenue and Laurel Street (main entrance)
Tickets: The parade is free / festival: $15 ($25 for two-day pass)
Phone: (619) 297-7683
Online: sandiegopride.org
Here's a look at the schedule of events for this weekend's 34th annual San Diego LGBT Pride Festival and Parade:
Human Rights Rally & Vigil (tomorrow, 6:30 p.m.-7:30 p.m.): The vigil will call on the San Diego community to bear witness to human rights abuses of LGBT people locally and globally, to educate and inspire them to action in Balboa Park.
27th Annual Run and Stride With Pride (Saturday, 10 a.m.): Fast, flat and USAT&F sanctioned and certified 5k run and walk along parade route. There will be awards to top three in each age category. For entry fees and more info visit www.frsdweb.org. Annual Pride Parade (Saturday, 11 a.m.): With more than 150 floats and contingents, the Parade is the largest civic event in San Diego and the largest Pride parade in Southern California.
Right to Marriage Celebration (Sunday, 1 p.m.): As part of the Pride Festival in Balboa Park. Complimentary photographs will be taken by members of the Hewlett-Packard Leadership Council. Wedding cake provided by Babycakes.
Art of Pride (Saturday and Sunday): The juried exhibit showcases works by local LGBT artists skilled in oil painting, pottery, sculpturing and jewelry making will take place during the two-day Pride festival in Balboa Park.
Hillcrest Community Clean Up (Monday, 6 a.m.): Help the Hillcrest Town Council clean the neighborhood of Hillcrest after the Pride celebration. Volunteers help clean our city and raise funds for the Hillcrest Town Council.
For a complete list of events and the bands playing this year's festival, go to sandiegopride.org.
– CHRIS NIXON
THREE GRAND MARSHALS WILL OVERSEE THE FESTIVITIES
From drag queens to muscle-bound shirtless men, the Pride Parade gives the LGBT community a chance to celebrate and strut its stuff. With more than 200 floats and organizations marching, the parade is a fun-loving spectacle to behold. But it's also a chance to recognize people making a difference in the community here in San Diego and all over the world.
This year's parade features three grand marshals: Gilbert Baker, Peter Tatchell and Ruth Henricks.
Pride's celebrity grand marshal is Gilbert Baker, the creator of the Rainbow Flag and longtime gay activist and accomplished vexillographer (flag maker), who in 1978 put forth the colorful symbol that is embraced by millions within the gay community as a visible call for equal rights.
Hailing from London is Australian-born Peter Tatchell, a prominent spokesman for Britain's Green Party and a parliamentary candidate for Oxford East. In the U.K., he continues battling the government on issues of same-sex marriage and hate crimes while supporting other activists in more than 70 countries where LGBT people suffer considerable oppression.
San Diego Pride's community grand marshal is Ruth Henricks, recognized for her longtime volunteerism in the San Diego LGBT community. Henricks is the founder of Special Delivery and co-founder and chairman of the Board of Townspeople, which provides affordable and safe housing to people living with AIDS. She is also co-founder and board member of Something Special Food Pantry and active with ACCESS San Diego, an organization that brings clinical trials to San Diego.
Starting at 11 a.m. on Sunday, 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. The total distance is approximately a mile.
– CHRIS NIXON
AS A D-LISTER, KATHY GRIFFIN CONNECTS WITH BITING WIT
Believe it or not, there is someone out there actually giving letter grades to actors based on their draw and bankability. His name is James Ulmer, and his main accomplishment as an entertainment journalist is creating the so-called “Ulmer Scale”: the A-list refers to the most bankable movie stars; the C-list refers to the least. D-list refers to a celebrity too obscure to even make the list.
Watching an episode of Kathy Griffin's reality show “My Life on the D-List” is like getting a glimpse into the catty world of celebrity: the dirty looks, backstage fistfights and the snide comments muttered between gleaming white smiles. And it's all filtered through Griffin's brutally honest and hilariously funny perspective.
Griffin is the Jon Stewart of celebrity news. Self-described as a fake celebrity, her self-effacing wit lets her off the hook, but her biting commentary gives her act real substance and edge. She won a well-deserved Emmy Award for “Outstanding Reality Program, Non-Competition” in 2007, and she'll be performing at this year's Pride Festival.
Said Pride executive director Ron deHarte of Griffin: “Through her performance, she connects with people and she certainly has a connection with the gay community. She's popular because she's funny. She expresses thoughts that many people have but keep to themselves.”
Kathy Griffin will perform at the San Diego Pride Festival at Marston Point in Balboa Park from 6 p.m. on Sunday. One-day tickets are $15, a two-day pass is $25. Festival hours are noon to 10 p.m., Saturday and 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., Sunday.
– CHRIS NIXON
