My name is Alex Ordoubegian (he/him), Senior Director of Facility Operations at The Center, and in honor of National Pride Month, it is my pleasure to invite you to join our contingent in this year’s San Diego Pride Parade!
June marks National Pride Month in the United States and in many countries around the world. Pride Month is a time to celebrate the resilience, visibility, and contributions of LGBTQ+ communities, and it traces its roots to the 1969 Stonewall Uprising in New York City, where transgender women of color, drag queens, and LGBTQ+ patrons stood up against police harassment and ignited a global movement for equality and liberation. Each year, we honor that legacy while recommitting to continue the work ahead. Here in San Diego, that spirit comes alive in June and July, as we gather for San Diego Pride on July 17-18, one of the largest Pride celebrations in the nation, where our community shows up, shines brightly, and marches forward together.
Throughout the last 50 years, The Center has marched in the San Diego Pride Parade, and we are proud to welcome our community members to march with us this year. Whether you attend Center events, volunteer with us, donate to our organization, or are a new member of our community, all are welcome!
This year’s San Diego Pride theme is Pride Shines On, and The Center’s theme is “Still Here, Still Shining.” RSVP by Friday, June 19, to place your t-shirt order, and wear it with pride at the parade.
Marching in the parade is only half the fun. Get your tickets to attend the San Diego Pride Festival to enjoy the full weekend of activities. Early bird tickets are gone, but regular tickets are still available. High-school aged youth and younger get FREE admission at the box office (you must go to the box office to get your free ticket before entering the festival). The Center will be staffing the Children’s Garden at the Festival on Saturday and Sunday.
Seniors 65 years and older can get a discounted $15 ticket at the Box Office as well, and San Diego Pride volunteers will get free admission with a completed 5-hour shift.
Learn all about San Diego Pride’s policies, VIP passes, bag entry guidelines, and more at https://sdpride.org/festival/ and visit their website to learn about the San Diego Pride Dyke March, Pride Block Party, Pride 5K Run + Walk, and more!
At the Spirit of Stonewall Rally on July 17, The Center is proud to celebrate Pam Halliwell (she/her), Director of Behavioral Health Services at The Center, for being selected by San Diego Pride as one of the recipients of the 2026 Spirit of Stonewall Awards. Pam will receive the Julia Legaspi Trans Leadership Award at the Spirit of Stonewall Rally.
The Center is proud to host our own community recognitions later this year at our LGBT Veterans Wall of Honor and Community Wall of Honor ceremonies in the fall. If you know someone who deserves to be recognized in our community, please nominate them by their respective deadline. Veterans Wall of Honor nominations are due June 30 and Community Wall of Honor nominations are due July 31.
At The Center, we show our pride 365 days a year. Despite the efforts to erase our community and rollback our rights, we proudly say, we are still here, and we are still shining!
In community,
Alex Ordoubegian (he/him)
Senior Director of Facility Operations