Who We Are
Mission
To provide a platform for visibility and celebration of the LGBTQ+ community.
Santa Cruz Pride is the largest LGBTQ+ event on the Central Coast (the fourth oldest annual Pride Parade and Festival celebrated in California), attracting more than 7,000 participants every year since June 1975. We are an all volunteer organization. We are funded through the support of local businesses, organizations and individuals.
About Santa Cruz Pride
We believe that:
All people should be treated equally
All people should feel safe in their community, businesses, schools and homes
Transgender people have a right to live and work and compete in sports and other activities that are aligned with their gender identity.
We will always support other LGBTQ+ organizations throughout the county and the state.
We will speak up at any time that anyone threatens the freedoms of LGBTQ+ people across Santa Cruz County in any way.
All people are welcome to participate in our Santa Cruz Pride events and to celebrate the rich LGBTQ+ culture across Santa Cruz County.
Santa Cruz County is an inclusive and welcoming and safe place for all people and most especially, LGBTQ+ people. Anyone who threatens this belief may be reminded by us of the actions who maintain and promote the welcoming and inclusive places that so many people before us have fought to earn and put in place across Santa Cruz County and the State of California that protect our rights in laws and policies in state, county and city government and the policies adopted by school districts across Santa Cruz County.
People who do not share our beliefs are welcome to not participate in our events and to keep their opinions to themselves that may be contrary to our beliefs as well as the beliefs of our county.
Beliefs
Each June Santa Cruz Pride Parade and Festival kicks off the worldwide Pride season on the first Sunday in June. We produce the local Pride parade and festival and we collaborate with businesses and organizations to celebrate the LGBTQ+ community with events all year long.
Events and Programing
Our ongoing commitment is to share our stories, be visible and advocate for the well-being and safety of all LGBTQ+ people throughout Santa Cruz County. We are safe and secure in who we are and we invite everyone to be their authentic selves. We strive for the safety of everyone in our community. All of our events are open to anyone supportive of our beliefs.
Safety and Sustainability
We are an all volunteer organization and depend on volunteer labor and funding to implement our many activities. Our volunteer Board directs all SC Pride activities during the year. We depend on volunteers to staff our many events and to provide funding for many of our events.
all Volunteer Organization
The land on which we gather is the unceded territory of the Awaswas-speaking Uypi Tribe. The Amah Mutsun Tribal Band, comprised of the descendants of indigenous people taken to missions Santa Cruz and San Juan Bautista during Spanish colonization of the Central Coast, is today working hard to restore traditional stewardship practices on these lands and heal from historical trauma.