Accessibility and Inclusion

Hello,

First and foremost, I hope that this message finds each and everyone of you well and safe as we charter these unprecedented times. These past few months have been some of the most trying for many of our communities, especially communities of color and those that may require accessibility accommodations. 

June continues to be a month of celebration for our LGBTQIA community;  a testament of our community's resilience and historical fight for equality and civil rights. As many of you are aware, due to Covid-19, this year's San Diego Pride in-person festival and parade will not take place. The safety of our community and public health concerns have affected each and everyone of us. 

Unlike many other Pride Organizations, San Diego Pride operates year round, contributing efforts and programming for youth programs, community and social engagement, and political and social justice efforts that affect each of its community's members. MYSELF INCLUDED... 

I  personally have been working (volunteering) in San Diego Pride's Leadership Team as the Community Engagement and Outreach Coordinator for the Accessibility Department for 5 years now. Our department, under the direction of Melissa Kelly Colibrí works closely  to provide accessibility accommodations for Pride's physical events and programming year round. This includes ASL Interpretation, physical access, human guides for the blind community, captioning and transcription services, and even sensory stations at our Pride event for those with Spectrum Disorder. In short, we strive to create spaces that are inclusive to all members of our communities. 

Our department's operations are solely dependent on the efforts and financial contributions from our community and local philanthropic efforts, much of this occurs during our Pride weekend event. Due to the fact that we are unable to celebrate in person this year, I am asking that you search your hearts and make a small donation of any amount to support our programing here at San Diego Pride.

Your donations will provide financial support to keep our year round programing available to our community, especially those that are most underserved. Our youth and advocacy programs often provide a space of acceptance and community, something that some LGBTQ+ individuals do not receive from their own families and communities of upbringing. 

Please take the time to browse San Diego Pride's organization and programs here. 

Thank you for loving our community!

Together We Rise! 

Juan-