Festival Main Stage
A MESSAGE FROM THE PRIDE COMMITTEE AND LORNA BARKER
We are honored to be here with you virtually and with humbled hearts in reflection of the difficult days communities around the world have faced over these last weeks. As Pride Month is the birth of all Pride celebrations, we honor the flight of the LGBTQ community through many years of demanding acceptance and respect, at a great personal risk to ourselves.
We raise our voices for Black LGBTQ Youth. We stand and support organizations like The Trevor Project, National Black Justice Coalition, The Human Rights Campaign, GLSEN, and GSA Club’s to eradicate bullying, racism, homophobia, transphobia and LGBTQ youth suicides. We raise this flag with the hope that schools and communities become safe spaces in which Black LGBTQ Youth can thrive.
We raise our voices for Black LGBTQ Elders. The Aging With Pride: National Health, Aging and Sexuality/Gender Study conducted in 2010 estimates that 2.7 million adults age 50 and older in the U.S. self-identify as LGBTQ. Approximately 20 percent of those adults are people of color, that number is expected to double by 2050.
We stand in solidarity with organizations like SAGE: Advocacy & Services for LGBTQ Elders, who are a group of loving, caring activists dedicated to providing advocacy, services, and support to older members of the LGBT community.
We mourn with the families who have suffered devastating losses with COVID 19 and racial injustice from police brutality.
We remember the strong legacy of resisting hate, violence, and police brutality in our own LGBTQ community and we stand with our black, brown indigenist, family against racism in all forms.
We dedicate this Pride to them and acknowledge all those who are still living in fear of persecution and death, those that are fighting for human rights and racial justice, for their lives, dignity, and pursuit of happiness.
We pledge to continue our advocacy and to lead by example. We stand together to honor the resilience and powerful history of members of our Black, Brown and Indigenous Members of the LGBTQ Community.
Join us as we raise the flag and kick-off the 2020 (virtual) PRIDE By The Beach Festival
Max Disposti (He/Him/His), Executive Director
North County LGBTQ Resource Center
FESTIVAL KEYNOTE SPEAKER
Naya Marie Velazco, She|Her|Hers, is a visibly proud Trans Xicana and first generation American. Naya Marie prides herself in being a peer advocate and liaison, she humbly serves as the Transgender Services Coordinator at The San Diego LGBT Community Center overseeing and managing Project TRANS at The Center. Her objective, is to bring marginalized and vulnerable community members together all while evoking their highest potential by reminding them how incredible they all are! She began her advocacy and activism after overcoming crisis, alcoholism and homelessness in 2017, Naya made it a soul mission to share her story of hope and recovery
RAINBOW POM-POM CIRCLES ART INSTALLATION
Oceanside Museum of Art has installed the Pride flag made out of over 1,000 pom poms. It will be displayed outside the museum for the communities enjoyment until the end of the month. Special thanks to Fiber Artist Katie Ruiz and our entire community of creative volunteers who helped make this project possible!
A PERSONAL MESSAGE FROM
CHAD MICHAELS
Chad Michaels’ career as one of the world’s premier Cher Impersonators now spans over two decades of acclaim! Chad has collaborated with and entertained for Industry favorites such as David Foster, Bruce Roberts, Elton John, Christina Aguilera, Cyndi Lauper, Gene Simmons, RuPaul, and even the Diva Herself, Cher. For Chad Michaels, the “Beat Goes On”!
SPECIAL MESSAGE FROM CONGRESSMAN MIKE LEVIN
Before being elected to Congress in November 2018, Mike Levin has been involved in a variety of local, state and federal political campaigns and community organizations for the last two decades. Mike was raised in South Orange County, where he attended public elementary and junior high schools. Mike spent his high school years in Los Angeles at Loyola High and then went to Stanford University, where he was honored to serve as student body president. After college, Mike served in the Coro Fellows Program and then attended Duke University School of Law. After law school, he served as Executive Director of the Democratic Party of Orange County and has worked as an attorney focused on environmental and energy regulatory compliance and government affairs.
Mike is a passionate believer in clean energy and has over a decade of experience in the industry, helping to accelerate the transition towards more sustainable power generation and transportation options. Mike has served for several years on the board of the Center for Sustainable Energy, based in San Diego, and co-founded Sustain OC in Orange County. For his work in clean energy, Mike was named to the OC METRO 40 under 40. Mike lives in San Juan Capistrano with his wife, Chrissy, a graduate of the University of Arizona and Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, and their two children, ages 7 and 6.
READING OF THE PROCLAMATION FROM THE CITY OF OCEANSIDE
Thank you to the cities of Oceanside, Carlsbad, Encinitas, Vista and Escondido for passing Pride Proclamations in support of Pride month and our LGBTQ Community.
My name is Marty Bell (He/Him/His) and I am the Education Walk Coordinator for Pride By The Beach. I have been volunteering at the North County LGBTQ Resource Center for a little over a year now. I worked on the education walk for Pride by the beach 2019, and I'm excited to be coordinating the education walk again this year. Working with the Center and on the Pride By The Beach committee has shown me what it means to be a contributer and builder in my community. The experience I've gained, and the friends I've made here make me proud to be a queer San Diegan. My goal for the educatiom walk is to create an experience that is both interactive and memorable.
Marty Bell (He/Him/His),
Pride Education Walk Coordinator
PROJECT YOUTH DIRECTOR MOLLY FRANCIS SHARES LETTERS OF LOVE
At some point in our lives, we all deal with challenges, some are able to overcome these challenges on their own while some others benefit from help and loving support of their community. These letters of love are a message to the LGBTQ youth currently in the Unicorn Homes program.
If you would like to learn more about the Unicorn Homes Program of the North County LGBTQ Resource Center, please click the link below.
A MESSAGE OF ENCOURAGEMENT FROM WIL FISHER
As the current Drag Show Chair, Wil Fisher is also an entrepreneur, life coach, facilitator, producer, performer, writer, and nonprofit professional. After graduating with a BFA in theatre from the Hartt School, Wil moved to New York City and quickly found his energy pulled towards social rights issues- predominantly those affecting LGBTQ youth. He served as the Northeastern Regional Director of Scouting for All, a national organization working to change the Boy Scout’s discrimination policy against gays and atheists.
CHAD MICHAELS PERFORMS
Chad’s career highlights in the art of Celebrity Impersonation include engagements with Norbert Aleman’s Las Vegas and London productions of “An Evening at La Cage”, Jimmy Emmerson’s South American production of “La Cage Follies”, and Dan Gore’s ICONS productions in California. Chad is a favorite of booking and talent agents alike and has been featured on such television productions as “The Cher E! True Hollywood Story”, “The Cher A&E Biography“, MAD TV, Women’s Murder Club, Kath & Kim, “The Comedy Central Gene Simmons Celebrity Roast”, E! Talk Soup, and most recently Jane the Virgin and Two Broke Girls.
In 2011, Chad competed in RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 4 on the LOGO Network and achieved a Top 3 position in the Race. Chad was praised by RuPual for “…elevating this competition forever…” and was cast as Professor Chad Michaels in RuPual’s Drag U Season 3! In 2012, Chad ultimately took the title of “Queen of Queens” in the RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars, winning the competition and earning the first spot in The Rupaul’s Drag Race Hall of Fame. Currently, Chad produces and performs with the longest running Female Impersonation show in California, The Dreamgirls Revue, and travels extensively touring nationally and internationally as a proud representative of Rupaul’s Drag Race!