A controversy surrounding San Diego Pride erupted last month when a coalition of Jewish organizations pulled out of the Pride festival over one of its headliners: Grammy-nominated R&B singer Kehlani.
The artist has spoken out in support of Palestinian sovereignty and against Israel's war in Gaza. A handful of corporate sponsors also pulled their support, while Mayor Todd Gloria said he would not attend the festival but would still march in the parade.
Kristin Flickinger, interim executive director of San Diego Pride, told KPBS the controversy does not appear to be hurting ticket sales, which are roughly double where they were at this point last year and in 2019, pre-COVID-19.
San Diego Pride, the nonprofit that puts on the parade and music festival scheduled for July 19 and 20, has said its selection of Kehlani as a performer should not be understood as an endorsement of everything the artist has said, and that the festival is an important space for the LGBTQ+ community to come together despite their differences.
"Whether someone wants to show up and celebrate or someone wants to show up and speak their mind in disagreement, it's really important that everyone shows up at this moment when our community is being silenced and erased," Flickinger said.
Critics have characterized some of Kehlani's comments as antisemitic. The artist, who is nonbinary, has repeatedly said they are against Israel's conduct in Gaza. Several United Nations officials and committees have determined Israel's warfare is consistent with genocide.
Flickinger told KPBS that sponsors were under a "coordinated pressure campaign" to withdraw financial support.
"It impacts the bottom line, which is really unfortunate because Pride is not just a two-day event," Flickinger said. "We take the ticket sales and reinvest it into the community through year-round programming, community grants."
Despite the drop in sponsorship revenue, Flickinger said the ticket sales show enthusiasm. She added the vast majority of tickets are sold the week before the event.
"People reach out to us daily telling us how excited they are for Kehlani, for Kim Petras," Flickinger said, referring to the Grammy-winning pop singer who is co-headlining the festival. "We also have folks reaching out regularly saying that they're really grateful that Kehlani remains the headliner and how much that means to them."
Lauren Henson, a volunteer who chairs the San Diego Pride Military Department, posted to Facebook last month that she would be withdrawing from the parade. She cited safety concerns and the organization's "diminished capacity," among other things.
Flickinger said despite Henson's comments, there would still be a military contingent at the start of the parade, as is tradition, and that it would include representatives from SPARTA Pride, an organization that supports transgender service members and veterans. The military is discharging trans service members under an executive order signed by President Trump.
Flickinger said San Diego Pride has updated its safety protocols, including allowing only clear plastic bags inside the festival grounds, as well as its entry policy and code of conduct.
"We've brought in a new executive security company that will be doing some protection around the stage and backstage," Flickinger said. "There are things that people will see. There are things that people won't see."
