Drama unfolds for San Diego Pride ahead of festivities

Over two dozen community leaders, program leaders, current and former volunteers, board members and staff have issued an urgent open letter to San Diego Pride's board of directors, calling for accountability and transparency from higher leadership, citing patterns of alleged systemic dysfunction.

The letter was sent earlier this month, outlines serious issues, including lack of transparency, erosion of SD Pride's advocacy work and weakening of staff. Those who have signed the letter are calling for immediate governance reforms, transparent leadership selection processes and an independent audit of the organization's internal culture.

The letter states: "The current condition of Pride reflects not just instability but a profound crisis in leadership, direction and community trust.  The Board’s inaction, lack of transparency and repeated failures of accountability have left the organization weakened, its values compromised and the broader community confused, disappointed and alarmed."

With three weeks left until the planned festivities, the letter signed by 30 community-based individuals states that the organization is a "hollowed-out" version of what it once was. The letter also states that the identity of the organization has been "blurred", the staff has been "depleted" and where the "historic commitment to year-round advocacy, inclusion and leadership development" have been abandoned.

The letter highlights the following eight key grievances

• Resignation of fifth Executive Director in under two years

• Unexplained and unannounced departure of senior staff within the past 18 months, including the Director of Education and Advocacy, leaving no plan to sustain or rebuild critical education programs

• Erasing Pride Staff and Board directory from their public website

• The cancellation of She Fest and LGBTQIA+ Survivor Task Force "due to deep misalignment with the current leadership's values and actions"

• Decline of full-time staff from over 30 full-time employees, to fewer than ten

• Lack of response, dismissiveness, retaliatory behavior and hostility from board members when volunteers, leaders, staff and others bring up concerns

• Non-responsiveness to media inquiries

• Repeated stonewalling

San Diego Pride is also facing other issues with outside sponsors due to the lack of leadership and decision-making within the organization. 

Other news outlets have reported that San Diego Pride has lost major sponsors over headlining artist Kehlani and her outspoken support of Palestinians. Harrah’s Resort Southern California, a major financial supporter of the SD Pride Parade, pulled its sponsorship from the upcoming festival, which takes tens of thousands of dollars away from the festivities. Other groups such as University of California, San Diego; and University of California San Diego Health have also withdrawn sponsorship. 

A coalition of Jewish organizations decided to boycott the festival and parade, citing safety concerns related to the comments made by Kehlani, citing the music video critics suggest makes a reference to violence against Jewish people. 

San Diego Pride issued a statement regarding the sponsors decision to pull support, stating that it “does not endorse or adopt the political positions of any individual performer” and that they honor “the value of artistic integrity, the importance of free expression and the role that artists play in shaping culture, challenging systems and amplifying voices while respecting each other’s differences.” 

Kehlani responded to the accusations by stating that they are “not anti-semetic, nor anti-Jew” they are “anti-genocide…anti-extermination of an entire people… anti-bombing of innocent children, men, women,” in a social media video.