San Antonio will celebrate the annual pride festival and parade on June 24 at Crockett Park. There will be a mass wedding, live entertainment, a health fair, food vendors and more. In the evening, there will be the “Just Say Gay” night parade,
Pride San Antonio began in 2004 as Gay Pride SA when a group decided to create a PRIDE festival that would be designed by the community at-large, for the community at-large, and about the community at-large.
Pride San Antonio has the mission to instill pride, celebrate unity, embrace diversity, and recognize the contributions of the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender community in the San Antonio metropolitan area.
As June is Pride Month and a time to celebrate the LGBTQ+ community, it is also a time to remember the history of discrimination and violence that LGBTQ+ people have faced and continue to be subjected to.
For centuries, homosexuality has been demonized and stigmatized. LGBTQ+ people have been beaten, arrested, and even killed for their sexuality.
In the United States, it was not until 2003 that the Supreme Court ruled that laws against sodomy were unconstitutional. And it was not until 2015 that same-sex marriage was legalized nationwide.
Despite this progress, LGBTQ+ people still face discrimination. They are more likely to be fired from their jobs, evicted from their homes, and denied housing and healthcare. They are also more likely to be victims of hate crimes.
There are still places in the world where being gay is illegal. There are still people active in American politics who continue to call for the jailing and even execution for people who are gay.
Guest: Johnathon Gooch is the Communications Director for Equality Texas.
James Poindexter is the secretary for Pride San Antonio. He is also the Parade Director for Pride Bigger Than Texas.
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*This interview will be recorded on Monday, June 12.
