‘Shine Bright with Pride’: County Officials Celebrate LGBTQ+ Community

San Diego County government leaders came together Tuesday night to celebrate the LGBTQ+ community with an event that included special lighting on the County Administration Center building downtown.

Supervisors Terra Lawson-Remer, Nora Vargas and Monica Montgomery Steppe joined members of the county LGBTQIA Employee Resource Group at Shine Bright with Pride, which they described as “a vibrant display of community solidarity and recognition of LGBTQIA+ contributions.”

“As a county, we are committed to elevating and increasing visibility for our LGBTQ+ community and county employees, with the hope that communities of all types can come together and build a future that we can all be proud of,” Vargas said.

Supervisors raised the Progress Flag, which is an updated design of the original rainbow flag signifying support for gay rights. Along with rainbow colors, the Progress Flag features arrow-shaped stripes of black, brown, light blue pink and white to represent transgender people and communities of color.

The county also honored several LGBTQIA+ leaders “for their outstanding efforts in promoting equality and fostering a more inclusive community.”

Those lauded were:

• Roxanne Deatherage, director of PRIDE by the Beach
• Kevin Lee, chair and founding member of the San Diego Queer Asian, Pacific Islander, Middle Eastern and Desi American Coalition
• David Vance, advocacy and civic engagement senior manager for The Center in San Diego

Board Vice Chair Lawson-Remer said Tuesday night’s activities were “more than a celebration; they are a reminder that we must continue defending our values and fight back against those who try to eliminate our constitutionally-protected rights.”

Although Pride Month typically kicks off in early June across the United States, San Diego’s official festivities will be held July 13-21.

Updated at 3:30 p.m. Wednesday, June 26, 2024

— City News Service