Concluding a week filled with events, from a flag raising at City Hall to Queer Night at the Movies, the largest pride celebration in the South Bay marched through Downtown San Jose on Sunday morning.
Silicon Valley Pride celebrates the LGBTQ+ community and its allies in the last week of August and has held parades since 1977 according to its site.
Businesses, organizations and associations passed through the intersection of Julian and Market Street and ended at the Pride festival in Plaza de Cesar Chavez Park.
Catinni P. Vandon, a drag queen hostess at Splash, said they appreciate the San Jose community having a second month to celebrate Pride.
They said Splash is one of the largest of the three local gay bars in the San Jose area that hosts daily drag shows.
“Of course we celebrate all together in June during World Pride, but I think every town, every county should have their own separate pride to celebrate the individuals in their own community,” Vandon said.
Samantha Quiñones, a teaching assistant for students with learning disabilities, said she grew up in San Jose and has been coming to Pride since she was 15-years-old.
“I personally noticed it's definitely gotten a lot bigger,” Quiñones said. “There's a lot more companies participating, a lot more communities participating. I've also seen a lot more indigenous communities, a lot more diversity.”
While Vandon and Quiñones are no strangers to SV Pride, others were attending pride for the first time.
Genevie DeLeon, music technology freshman and San Jose State color guard member, said this was the first Pride she has performed in as an SJSU student.
“I love it,” DeLeon said. “I'm pansexual, so being able to be out there and everyone being so supportive of my sexuality, it's nice to see it being celebrated.” Melia Means, forensic science freshman and SJSU color guard member, said this was also her first SV Pride parade she has participated in.
The parade hosted various companies and organizations, including the San Jose Police Department (SJPD).
Denise Alvarez, LGBTQ+ community liaison for the SJPD, said she coordinates community outreach, helps with policy reform and leads training for diversity topics.
She also said it felt good to represent both the queer community and the police department, and that she was in uniform for the first San Jose-based Pride event she ever attended.
“The first Pride I ever went to here in San Jose was in uniform,” Alvarez said. “So it feels good to be able to represent, you know, both sides of policing and being part of the community as well.” She said the relationship with police and the queer community has not been the most positive historically.
“There's been a lot of discrimination and a lot of policies that reinforced that,” Alvarez said. “I always see it as a representation of progress, and how we can all come together and celebrate something beautiful.”
Izabelle Kokkat, Notre Dame High School junior and SV Pride volunteer, also said it's good to remind people that Pride is not limited to June.
“I feel like a lot of people, especially companies, kind of forget about Pride after June,” Kokkat said.
Rogue Mermaid, dancer at Splash Video Dance Bar, said she loves staggering Pride throughout the year especially for artists and performers.
“It keeps the energy going throughout this summer, which I don't think should be quantified into just one month or one weekend,” she said.
