S1: Welcome in San Diego. It's Jade Hindman on today's show here. What's planned for the rest of San Diego's pride week? This is KPBS Midday Edition. Connecting our communities through conversation. It is pride Week in San Diego , and celebrations are well underway as the city gears up for the annual pride parade and festival this weekend. It continues to be among the largest pride festivals in the country. So now I am joined by Keisha Lynn Elliot. She is the executive director at San Diego Pride. Keisha Lynn , welcome to midday.
S2: Thank you so much , Jade. I'm very honored to be here.
S1: So glad to have you here in studio with us. So it is it's your first year overseeing pride as executive director. Congratulations to you. Thank you. What's it been like so far? How are you feeling coming into this weekend?
S2: Well , I'm feeling really great. You know , the first six months of the job were a lot. There was a lot to see , learn. And as you probably know , six months ago , I walked into an organization that had experienced a lot of transition and uncertainty. And so being the new executive director gives me an opportunity to stabilize the organization at a leadership level. And I'm fully , fully committed to addressing all of the ways that the past has really affected the organization , but also deeply committed to staying the course and getting the job done here. Over the course of time. Excellent.
S1: Excellent. So now this year's theme is Pride Shines On. So what does that theme mean to you and and how does it sit in the moment?
S2: Uh , it sits in the moment as , um. Exactly what we need. You know , the theme was the very first thing that was presented to me as a decision to make on the job. And when I saw the logo and I heard the theme , I said , yes , because we've been living through some dark times that's not unfamiliar to the LGBTQ community. It's not unfamiliar to me. But what it is is that the only answer to to the darkness is the light. So pride shining on means shining a light on all of our resilience , our versatility , our beauty , our joy , but also shining the light on the fight , the push for equality , not hiding and allowing ourselves to be made small or kept silent , but really , really pushing on and leading the way for the future generations to come behind us.
S1: And so how is that theme going to show up this weekend at the festival and parade?
S2: Well , I think it's already showing up. I mean , we have over 230 contingents that are going to be participating in this year's pride parade , and there is a competition , you know , there will be awards given to different parade contingents. And so I think I'm excited to see how the different community partners and sponsors and people that are participating in the parade really embody the theme. But also , you know , we really are just trying to to , um , make sure that everybody feels seen and belonging in this pride. And so what it means to shine is shine in your LGBTQ identity. If that's you shine in your allyship , shine and your support and stand in this moment in the light. Like we said , it's been there's been enough darkness for this week. This weekend. Can we be bright together? Wow.
S1: Wow. Well , before the big parade this weekend , there's also a rally this Friday. That's the Spirit of Stonewall rally. What can you tell us about the event and how you're really uplifting? trailblazers in the community.
S2: We are really excited to be partnering with the Brass Rail and delivering not only the Stonewall rally this weekend , but the Arco Park Block Pride Park party that happens after and what the Stonewall rally is for San Diego Pride is that opportunity to not only again , create that moment of visibility and shining the spotlight on the impact of the LGBTQ community. But also , we're giving amazing awards out to organizations and community leaders who have really left their fingerprints on the movement. So I'm excited to recognize a number of different award participants , and also to celebrate with the community in a new location , in a new way , but to continue an important legacy. Everybody knows that pride started as a protest , and so the Stonewall rally gives us an opportunity to demonstrate that we haven't forgotten where we're coming from. We honor and recognize the people who got us here , and we have a long way to go.
S1: You know , earlier you mentioned that the organization had seen a lot of change. There was a lot of turnover in leadership before you came in. There were also concerns from some local LGBTQ plus leaders over transparency and poor community engagement in the months leading up to last year's festival. Um , you're about six months into this job. What changes have you made since stepping in?
S2: Well , my first priority has been stabilization. So not to tip my hat too much , but I think the fact that I'm still staying the course and showing up and being in community , listening and showing that we're doing the work , and there is a lot of work to do. I have been personally focused on rebuilding trust across the community , strengthening our internal operation and increasing that transparency , being open , listening to people alongside the work of preparing not only for this year's Pride Festival and parade , but preparing pride to survive and endure for its next 50 years.
S1: And pride is also facing a loss of funding and an increase in anti LGBTQ plus policy and rhetoric that's coming from the federal level. How are you navigating those challenges?
S2: I am navigating those challenges by really making it clear that this week , INS Festival and parade are a fundraiser , and it's not just a fundraiser to make sure that we can make the parade and festival happen , although that is a part of it. It is to make sure that pride can make its mission happen , and our mission is year round. Our our community advocacy , our community education programming in our community philanthropy. So I've been coming to the community letting them know , thank you for coming to pride because you are one of our biggest donor bases. And if you want the this organization to continue to do its work , We need you to continue showing up for us and with us , with your time and with your money throughout the year. That is what is going to help. And I think that that's a different message that I'm bringing from in the past. It's just focus on come to the celebration , but there's work to do after the celebration is done. And I think the the community needs to understand that the organization needs them to be involved in order to continue to deliver on the fullness of our mission.
S1: And working in the community is something you've done for a while. What can you tell us about your your journey in San Diego and how it brought you to where you are today?
S2: Well , professionally , I come to , you know , the LGBTQ movement. After a 20 year career working in K-12 public education , most recently at the Monarch School Project and working in operations over there was really what prepared me for the stabilization work. But my heart is really about this is my identity , pride. San Diego pride has been my home for the past 15 years , So the opportunity to use everything that I've learned over 20 years in education and really extend that in this movement , work has been the honor of my professional life so far , but it's also deeply personal to me. You know , San Diego Pride is the reason that my wife and I moved to San Diego from Long Beach. We came down here and we had an experience that stayed with us. It stayed with us. It's a part of our love story. Even like the wedding band , I wear it to this day was purchased at that first Pride San Diego Pride Festival that we came to 16 years ago. So now we live here in San Diego. We own a home here. We built and started our family here , and now I'm leading this movement that has meant so much to me. So it's not just about continuing continuing my career in education. It's about continuing to be who I am in my fullness and using that to give back to this movement and our community.
S1: That's beautiful. How how are you , you know , thinking about the history of pride today. How is that history informing your leadership?
S2: Well , I do spend a lot of time thinking about the history because I don't come in pretending to know everything. I am learning so much from the lessons from the past. Not just the mistakes , but the successes. It really inspires me to find myself at the helm of this movement in this way. But I do not feel alone. Not only am I able to access so much mentorship and support within and across the community , but I listen to people's stories and I really let it shape how I'm making decisions every day. I think that that's a part of the transparency piece. There's a humbleness that comes to it , even though as I've progressed in the role , I realize it is there's a lot of power and a lot of influence here , but my leadership style is restorative and it's really shaped by engaging the community deeply , explaining the decisions that we're making and making sure everybody understands what's at stake.
S1: Do you feel like the organization is as inclusive as it could be?
S2: I think that we are striving every day , and that is a real key part also of my leadership , because the representation that I bring to the leadership of this organization as the first black lesbian to serve as executive director and in its 50 year history , just as a statement in and of itself. But I think , again , my message as I've moved through community has been about pride belonging to all of us. So I am not just here to represent myself or my own identities. I really am here to represent the mission. And that mission is inclusive of the entire LGBTQ plus community , not only locally , but nationally and globally. And that is a message that I also have been emphasizing , because , yes , we're taking care of home. And yes , we want this. This pride does belong to the entire city of San Diego , but we have a responsibility to go above and beyond and make sure that we're fighting for inclusion , equity , and also joy and celebration for this community everywhere.
S1: Earlier , you said , you know , that there's work that needs to be done even after the festival. How else is San Diego Pride continuing its advocacy work and programming year round?
S2: I'm so glad that you asked that , because I also , even as a coming in as a community member myself , didn't understand the full depth of what it is that San Diego Pride does year round. So we have amazing community. We do advocacy work year round because that is obviously necessary not only at the federal state , but here , even at the local level. You know , the work to make sure that we can access the funding and that we can push back against the anti LGBTQ policies that , you know , are making their way through our different state branches of government has been central. And I'm so I'm really excited. In fact , on the first day I started the job , we also brought in our director of advocacy and programs , and that was a position that had been vacant in the organization for a long time , and it was really important to fill that role , because it's important to continue that advocacy work and the civic engagement that's necessary to secure our rights. And we also have vibrant year round programming that touches on , again , to the inclusion in the diversity part. We have Latino pride , we had Kapamilya Pride , we have art of pride , and we have tons of youth programming that we deliver as well. Because again , this is not just about being in this moment , but also about securing the future. And the third thing is our community philanthropy. So all the proceeds that we make from pride , all of the fundraising that we do , all of it pays our expenses and pays for us to put on pride , but we use what's left to give back. And that's the exciting part for me. My dream job is to be a philanthropist , and so I get a little bit of everything over here at pride , because we do a lot of everything that the community calls us to do.
S1: That's great. Um , you know , the other important aspect of all this that you mentioned earlier is joy. And that's a really important part of your mission. So how are you uplifting and finding space for for joy in this time?
S2: Well , it started with the theme I smile when I see pride shines on. I think a smile is a shine that we all carry around. And that is that was that was a part of the goal. Another thing I said early on , and I keep saying is that joy is our greatest renewable resource. It's a choice that we can make. It's an experience that can be created , and our movement specifically understands that , you know , there is the protest , there is the fight , there is the anger and the outrage. And then there's this beautiful moment of unity and celebration and visibility. So we are infusing that into very many aspects of the the pride festival and the parade. I'm really excited about our lineup , which we've really focused on bringing high energy acts that are in demand with the community. Let's have a moment of attunement together. Let's dance. Let's pause on our concerns for a little while. But joy is not frivolous for the LGBTQ community. Joy has always been an act of resilience , and so I'm hoping that that's what will be on full display this year. The fact that we're able to create spaces where people can feel safe , visible and like they belong. So everybody who shows up this week is going to experience that. Joy is invited to experience that joy , and also is called to sustain the work so that we can continue it. Pride is an opportunity to remember that none of us are alone in the fight , and we should all share in the celebration.
S1: You mentioned the lineup. Who's in the lineup?
S2: Well , we're very excited to have Krewella as our main headliner for Saturday night , and we are bringing Marina to to kick us off or wrap us up rather as our top headliner for Sunday. And so that again , it's responding to the community saying , we want to dance , we want to shine , we want to feel the bass and we want to feel the beat. But the other thing that's really unique about pride is that we have four stages across the the festival , the two day festival , and we bring over 50 local artists , acts and other opportunities for our key community members to have that moment in the spotlight as well. So you're going to see if whatever you're looking for in this , there's something in that lineup for you across the four stages. And of course , we're really excited to see how , you know , we're really excited to have that moment with our top headliners on Saturday and Sunday.
S3: All right.
S1: I've been speaking with Keisha Lynn Elliott , executive director at San Diego Pride. This year's Spirit of Stonewall rally will kick off on Friday , July 17th , and the annual San Diego Pride Parade and Festival will take place both Saturday and Sunday. And of course , we'll include more details on our show notes@kpbs.org. Keisha Lynn , thank you so much and happy pride.
S2: Thank you. Happy pride as well. Let's be safe.
S1: That's our show for today. I'm your host , Jade Hindman. Thanks for tuning in to Midday Edition. Be sure to have a great day on purpose , everyone.
