Stockton’s Pride Festival returned for its 13th anniversary, reiterating its commitment to uniting diverse communities to celebrate the richness of identities and stories.
After a lengthy pause caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, Pride is live once again. The journey of Stockton’s Pride Fest began over a decade ago, evolving from a small gathering on Eight Mile Road and transitioning into a celebration at Weber Point Event Center. This year, the event was back downtown at historic Martin Luther King Plaza.
“This is our first year back downtown,” said event organizer Cymone Reyes of the the Central Valley Gender Health and Wellness Founder and Stockton Pride. “We wanted to start a little small before trying to tackle Weber Point next year, but it was important for us to come back because the city has done so much to bring life into Downtown, so we thought it was important to keep that tradition going,” Reyes said.
Upon Stockton Pride’s return, Reyes articulated the festival’s essence by emphasizing the importance of focusing on minorities within the LGBTQ+ community and their representation.
“There is no race, there is no religion, there is no tribe that does not have an LGBTQ+ identifying individual,” Reyes said. “It’s important for us to hold these events because in such a diverse city, it’s great to see every culture. When you look around it’s not just a sea of vanilla, it really is representative of what this city and county is,” she said.
Diversity takes a center stage as voices emerge, illustrating the impact of Stockton Pride. According to Bree Anderson, Behavioral Analyst and Bisexual woman, representation takes form in stories, providing a safety layer for those who are afraid to speak up.
“I think that the individuals that feel confident to share their stories change the stigmatism within communities, but by also having events like this and being out in the world helps because having that acceptance is important for individuals,” Anderson said.
This perspective is echoed by Sokay Tuy, who shared his insights into the challenges of being a gay man within the Asian community due to the lack of representation and cultural stigmas.
“There is a lot of hatred towards the LGBTQ+ community, in my experience I think it’s because it is out of the status quo, it’s different from the norm which is why people has seen is as “what is this,” “we’re not familiar with this,” or “We don’t want to talk about this,” which is why it is shunned or looked down upon,” Tuy said. “When it comes down to homosexuality, it’s been in our history whether we want to acknowledge it or not. I identify as a gay man, but I do this as a way to stay intact with my roots. I have fully embraced my sexuality and what I do,” he said.
St. John the Baptist Episcol Church hosted a vendor booth at the event aiming to engage curious minds. Their objective was to convey that there are churches that are accepting of members in the LGBTQ+ community, challenging the stigma that ‘All gays go to hell.’
“God loves everybody. The Churches who say that’s wrong are misreading scripture and are interpreting it through their own bias. We hold to what Jesus said, which is ‘Love thy neighbor.’ ” said, spokesperson Andee Zetterbaum, a member of St. John’s.
As Stockton Pride continues to grow and evolve by bridging the divides and celebrating diversity, it’s organizers hope it continues to defines the city of Stockton and its people