This year, I choose to nominate San Diego Pride as the organization to receive Suna’s 2023 Charity Donation. I’m so inspired by the work they do for the LGBTQIA+ community in San Diego, and I’m so excited to see all the different ways they’ll be able to utilize the support as they run the numerous programs throughout the year. They are a true testament to the idea that pride takes place all year long, not just in June (or in San Diego’s case, July as well!)
As an ally to the LGBTQIA+ community, I wanted to take this opportunity to allow someone apart of the community to share the importance of pride to them and how donations like this will impact the organization. I was lucky enough to connect with San Diego Pride’s Philanthropy Manager, Lo Horst (they/she). I’m thankful for the time they took to answer some questions about their experience at San Diego Pride!
Ali: What led you to work at San Diego Pride?
Lo: San Diego Pride holds a special place in my heart as it was the first Pride parade and festival I ever attended. In those vibrant and celebratory moments, I quickly felt a profound sense of acceptance, love, and community that left a lasting impact on me.
As I became more involved with San Diego Pride, initially as a volunteer for the LGBTQIA+ Survivor Task Force, I witnessed firsthand the organization’s unwavering commitment to advocacy, youth empowerment, education, and community-building throughout the year. The organization goes beyond the traditional Pride month visibility, focusing on creating empowerment and belonging that extend far beyond a single month. It is this dedication to fostering a different kind of Pride—one that is about building a more inclusive future, free of prejudice—that continually inspires me.
Professionally, my career in nonprofit fundraising aligns seamlessly with San Diego Pride’s mission. The organization’s approach to actively engaging and empowering voices across various intersections mirrors my own commitment to meaningful causes. The work we do at San Diego Pride is not just a job; it’s a continuation of the love, acceptance, and sense of belonging I first experienced at that initial Pride event, and it’s a commitment to building a better, more inclusive future for all.
Ali: San Diego Pride has an extensive list of programs that they support, are there any programs that you’ve invested a lot of time into or any that have a special meaning to you personally?
Content Warning: intimate partner violence statistics
Lo: As I mentioned, I have been a member of the LGBTQIA+ Survivor Task Force since before I started working at San Diego Pride. I got my start in social justice with the #MeToo movement and I was excited by the Survivor Task Force’s specific focus and empowerment on LGBTQIA+ survivors. For many LGBTQIA+ people, we grew up without so much as positive depictions of queer love, let alone healthy, affirming relationship dynamics or education about queer/trans intimacy. One of the risk factors in intimate partner violence (IPV) is isolation from networks of support, and many queer and trans people, because of family rejection, either are cut off from family, or don’t receive affirming support. Bisexual and trans people experience the highest rates of sexual and intimate partner violence. Studies estimate that nearly two thirds of bisexual women (61%), over a third of bisexual men (37.3%), and more than half (54%) of all trans and non-binary people have experienced IPV at some point in their lifetimes.
In addition to higher rates of IPV experienced, LGBTQ people experience barriers to assistance such as the dangers of being outed, lack or unawareness of LGBTQIA+-specific resources, homophobia from service providers, and low confidence in legal or law enforcement officials. Even for LGBTQ+ friendly providers, there can also be a lack of awareness or knowledge about issues affecting LGBTQ survivors.
The LGBTQIA+ Survivor Task Force works to bridge these gaps in awareness, competent care, and community by developing education and training for community members and providers, as well as advancing advocacy and building community spaces for LGBTQIA+ survivors. This is special and important work to both as a bisexual survivor of teen dating violence as well as someone who saw first-hand through my work with IPV providers the lack of understanding and welcoming resources for LGBTQ people, especially male and trans survivors. Our work has garnered the attention of providers across the country who seek to deepen their understanding and competency in serving LGBTQ people as well as brought together local advocates and community members seeking to reimagine systems of care.
Ali: Financial donations seem to be the best way to support the work SD Pride does year-round, and your website does a really great job of being transparent with where donation money goes. Are there other ways people looking to show their support can help?
Lo: Every year, San Diego Pride relies on over 1000 volunteers to help us plan and execute the Pride Festival, events, and programs. With over 30 different volunteer departments, there is something for everyone, and we need your skills to execute our city’s largest LGBTQ event.
Leading up to the festival and parade, we meet monthly on the third Saturday of every month in Hillcrest to coordinate and plan. This is a fantastic opportunity for people who are looking to get involved, build community, and develop leadership skills.
To sign up to volunteer for a shift Pride weekend, you can go to this link, or email us at volunteer@sdpride.org. Volunteer Leadership meetings will be posted on our Events page, alongside our program and community partners’ events! Check it out – we have so much always going in our community beyond the Parade and Festival to bring together LGBTQ people and allies.
Ali: The San Diego Pride Festival your team coordinates in July has had some pretty exciting and incredible talent. Has there been anyone that you’ve been most excited to see come through and support the San Diego community during t hose events?
Lo: My favorite stages are always our Euphoria and Mundo Latino stage – where we play house/dance/electronic music and Latin music – primarily featuring local talent. I love the ways that our festival creates platforms that amplify our local artists – in 2023, over 200 of our entertainers were local to San Diego! We were also able to create (6) 20-foot tall towers around the Mundo Latino stage featuring the art of local LGBTQ Latine artists, which was a special addition.
I also have incredibly fond memories of seeing King Princess at Pride in 2019 – it was awesome to see a Gen Z genderqueer person headline! This year, my dad and brother volunteered for the festival and I was able to take some time to listen to The Illustrious Blacks with them, which is a very tender memory for me.