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KPBS Midday Edition

How The Stonewall Riots Influenced San Diego Pride

A float carrying participants in the San Diego Pride Parade waits its turn on Normal Street, July 13, 2013.
A float carrying participants in the San Diego Pride Parade waits its turn on Normal Street, July 13, 2013.
This year’s Pride festivities are not only celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall riots, but it’s also saluting how far Pride has come in San Diego.

This year’s Pride festivities are not only celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall riots, but it’s also saluting how far Pride has come in San Diego.

From the humblest of beginnings, now the San Diego Pride parade and festival draws more than 200,000 people.

Jeri Dilno has been there from the beginning. She helped plan the first Pride parade in San Diego and is one of the community grand marshals for this year’s parade.

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She said that after the Stonewall riots there was a move to create Pride parades across the country. She was first involved in the Philadelphia Pride parade. When she moved back to her hometown of San Diego she was recruited to help with the first official Pride parade here in 1975.

Dilno joins Midday Edition on Thursday to discuss the event's origin.

San Diego Pride kicks off Friday at 6 p.m. with the Spirit of Stonewall Rally at the Hillcrest Pride Flag on University Avenue. The San Diego Pride parade is on Saturday and begins at 10 a.m. at the Hillcrest Pride Flag at University Avenue and Normal Street. The San Diego Pride music festival is on Saturday and Sunday in Balboa Park.