Pride belongs to all of us. It is the annual event that brings us all together in celebration of ourselves and our freedom to be who we want to be. But after the events that unfolded this week, many in the community fear for the future of the organization that organizes Pride. Many are even asking if San Diego Pride 2010 will happen.

Former Pride Board members and other community leaders have organized a Town Hall meeting for TONIGHT (Sunday, January 10) at 6 p.m. at The Center. It is important that as many people in the community as possible come together and let their voices be heard. The meeting, which is expected to be a packed house and covered by multiple media outlets (both LGBT and mainstream), will include information on the events have unfolded up to this point; a presentation by a group of former Pride Board members who met Friday night; a presentation by a group of current Pride volunteers, Ambassadors, and (hopefully temporarily) former staff who also met Friday night; time for community members to voice their concerns and suggestions; and a consensus of next steps from those assembled. The current Pride Board members are not expected to be present at the event, but the ideas and thoughts that come out of tonight’s meeting will be forwarded to them and trust me, it will be hard for them to miss it on the news.

Some people have asked: “Why can’t we just ‘overthrow’ the current sitting board?” What has to be understood is that Pride is a nonprofit organization having its own governing documents and body. The Board of Directors of San Diego Pride is elected by itself, as is standard with most nonprofit organizations that are non-membership organizations. We, as a community, place our trust in this body to take care of the organization that we cherish so much, but when that trust is violated, there is little we can do. The best we can do is be vocal, make our voices be heard, and demand accountability. There are expensive, lengthy, and complicated legal processes that can be taken to remove a nonprofit Board of Directors, but again, as I said, that process is expensive, lengthy, and complicated.

Hopefully, tonight’s meeting will put enough pressure on the sitting board members to allow a new, interim board to take control of the organization and get it back on track. Pride is San Diego’s largest civic event, and the fifth largest event of its’ type in the nation. It takes a great amount of skill, time, and year-round effort to put together the events. There is no time to waste – our voices need to be heard now, and a new board put in place to ensure the continuity of our community’s showcase events.

A group of concerned Pride volunteers and Ambassadors have put together a petition calling for the resignation of the current Board and reinstatement of terminated staff. Please sign the petition if you have not already done so, and forward the link! Electronic signatures will be accepted through TODAY. The efforts of the volunteers of San Diego Pride are noble – these are the people who give of their time to this organization year-round, expecting nothing in return (except maybe a free T-shirt and meal on Pride weekend). Without the volunteer force, there is no Pride. A large number of volunteers have pledged to NOT return to Pride if the current Board does not step down. Again, without volunteers, there is NO Pride. Pride will not continue as we know it if change is not made, and fast. Please do your part and speak out!

As a Pride volunteer and Ambassador, I am excited to get back to the work of organizing this year’s Pride events…but there has to be a change in leadership first! Please stand with us, and take back Pride!