A rare photo of the first official San Diego Pride parade (Lambda Archives of San Diego)

Did You Know…

By Frank Sabatini Jr.

…that San Diego’s first LGBT Pride march was held without a permit in 

1974 along Broadway through the heart of downtown? It took place amid jeering side liners, most of whom were taken by surprise over the spontaneous event. Less than 200 people took part in the procession. Many of them wore paper bags over their heads for fear of losing their jobs or rental properties.

The city had denied the organizers a legal permit to march despite the formal application submitted by local activists. 

But a year later in 1975, the activists obtained a permit for what is considered San Diego’s first official Pride march. Nearly 400 participants traversed parts of India and C streets before moving onward to Fifth Avenue. The march concluded with a rally at Marston Point in Balboa Park, where LGBT community members gave political speeches in their quest for basic civil-rights protections.

The marches soon turned into annual parades featuring large banners and colorful floats. Yet it would take more than a decade before mainstream businesses and local politicians began showing their support through sponsorships and by joining in.

Today, San Diego LGBT Pride attracts more than 150,000 revelers every July during a series of week-long events that includes a 1.5-mile parade along University and Sixth avenues in Hillcrest, plus a two-day festival with headline entertainment in Marston Point.

This year’s Pride celebration, which will likely see a return to some political fervor, will be held July 16–20. Click here for a full list of events.