A native of San Diego, Jeri Dilno began her LGBT activism while living in Philadelphia and helped organize that city’s first Pride march and rally in 1972. In 1974 she returned to San Diego and has spent her career working as a courageous political and social justice advocate on behalf of women’s and gay/lesbian rights. Her own military undesirable discharge in 1961 for being a lesbian led her to risk personal safety on behalf of gay and lesbian civil rights.
Over her years of living in San Diego, she has been involved in planning of numerous annual Pride parades. Ms. Dilno also was the first female executive director of The Center (then called The Gay Center) and also was assistant editor and editor of the Gay and Lesbian Times (Uptown Publications).
She was one of six openly lesbian delegates from California at the 1977 International Women’s Conference in Houston. Ms. Dilno also has served as president of the San Diego Democratic Club for four terms, has been an openly lesbian delegate to three National Democratic Conventions and in 1994 served as co-chair of the LGBT Caucus of the California Democratic Party.
Ms. Dilno is currently on the Board of Directors of LGBT Pride, serves as a member of the City’s Balboa Park Committee, which is an advisory board to City Council, and a member of the San Diego County Democratic Central Committee. Ms. Dilno plans to continue to be an activist as long as she is able to add something to the struggle and hopes to encourage young people to be active.
