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GAY SAN DIEGO October 8-October 21, 2010


NEWS


www.gay-sd.com


Pride at the Beach returns to Oceanside, Oct. 9


San Diegans will head north to conservative beach town for 5K, children’s garden and more


By Margie M. Palmer | GSD Reporter On Saturday, Oct. 9, LGBT in-


Photo Xena Warrior


dividuals from across San Diego County and Southern California will make their way to one of the newest celebrations on the Pride circuit: Oceanside’s annual Pride at the Beach event. Produced by the North County LGBT Coalition, the third annual celebration is expected to draw more than 4,000 attendees and more than 60 vendors to Betty’s Lot, an outdoor venue ad- jacent to the beach and just south of the Oceanside pier.


“In the beginning it was just a small event,” said Max Dis- posti, president and founder of the North County LGBT Coalition. “Every year it has become bigger and better, and we really want to create a moment where all our di- versity is visible in North County.” This year’s Pride will kick off


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with a 5K walk/run and include raffles, keynote speakers, an equality torch relay, live music and a proclamation by Oceanside Mayor Jim Wood. In the proclamation, which


declares October to be Diversity Awareness Month, Wood wrote: “The City of Oceanside promotes a respectful and tolerant environ- ment where all individuals can


live, work and play. The North County LGBT Coalition has cho- sen to hold its annual Pride at the Beach event in our area, empha- sizing their freedom of choice.” Oceanside City Council mem- bers Chuck Lowery and Esther Sanchez, who are scheduled to appear at the event, have also written a letter of support. “For three years, Pride at the


Beach has been an all-inclusive, respectful celebration of diversity in our community,” they wrote. “We would like to express our support for Pride at the Beach, as we continue working together to promote equal rights for all of our residents, regardless of sexual orientation and gender identity.” Disposti said that in addi-


tion to promoting equal rights, the event is a place to support LGBT families.


“New to Pride at the Beach this year will be a children’s garden,” he said. “We want to pro- mote awareness, but we also want this to be a fun, family event.” Lisa Kove, executive director of DOD Fed Glob, an organization which supports the rights of LGBT Armed Forces to serve openly, feels that creating awareness and exposure in a conservative military town will help promote tolerance and understanding.


“I support their efforts, and to be honest, I think that holding an event like this in a conserva- tive area creates an opportunity to educate the public,” Kove said. “What the North County [LGBT] Coalition is doing via Pride at the Beach accomplishes all of that. Events like these are really impor- tant for the LGBT community.” Lowery agreed.


“I think Pride at the Beach


invites all residents to participate in a non-threatening way with a part of our community that seems foreign to some,” he said. “When I visited the event in the past two years, I found neighbors and friends enjoying themselves and met folks who were happy to inter- act with each other. Familiarity creates positive personal feelings and opinions, and I believe that’s the mission of Pride at the Beach.” North County Coalition Marketing Director Tina Leight- Roades is hopeful that money raised at events such as this will help the coalition in its effort to build a North County LGBT Com- munity Center. “We’re getting to that point,” Leight-Roades said. “Having an actual building with meet- ing spaces which provides the


see NC Pride, pg 7


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