For anyone looking to absorb a half-century of local history, there’s no better place to be than the Santa Cruz Museum of Art & History on Friday, May 30, when Generations of Pride offers a one-night-only celebration of 50 years of LGBTQ+ Pride.
The atmosphere promises to be vibrant, but also meaningful and reflective. “A 50-year milestone is a once-in-a-lifetime celebration,” event organizer Marc Zammit explains. “Our aim for this event is to bring together our community across all generations in a joyful and memorable gathering.”
From 6:30 to 11pm, the night marks the opening of two Pride-themed exhibits, entertainment vignettes that enact moments from each decade, a strolling dinner with small dishes and mocktails, and dancing to DJ Sparkles, who will lead guests through decades of music.
Generations of Pride is more than a party. It’s a moment to honor five decades of resilience, activism and joy.
In June 1975, a group of students and community members from the Lesbian and Gay Men’s Union at Cabrillo College organized the first local Pride weekend. Larry Friedman, one of those early organizers—and also a current Santa Cruz Pride planning committee member—remembers it well. “I was very much involved in organizing, planning and executing the various events in that window of June 1975. I was also the editor of the newsletter.”
Since then, Pride in Santa Cruz has grown into a favorite community event. Local activists and volunteers have continuously rallied to keep Pride visible and meaningful, such as resisting homophobic legislation like the Briggs Initiative and establishing vital community institutions like the Diversity Center. The Briggs Initiative was a California ballot measure that would have banned LGBTQ+ people and supporters from teaching in public schools.
The people organizing this year’s event have deep local roots. Pat Dellin, the co-coordinator of Generations of Pride, came out shortly after moving to Santa Cruz in 1974. She went on to work with the Diversity Center, where she helped raise funds to secure its building, and led the Trailblazers History Project in the 2010s. This helped establish the QueerStory Archives at the MAH and the ongoing queer Santa Cruz exhibit in its history gallery.
For Dellin, this Generations of Pride event is “a celebratory gathering to meet up with old friends and new, and reflect on how far we’ve come, so let’s have fun and dance.”
The MAH will host two exhibits for the occasion. Dellin is curating “Out of the Closet, Into the Streets: 50 Years of Santa Cruz Pride,” which is a historical look at Pride through photos and archives.
The other exhibit, “Threads of Love,” created by the Diversity Center, focuses on the local impact of the AIDS crisis and features panels from the AIDS Memorial Quilt and a new local documentary. “I’m personally very excited to share parts of the archives of the MAH, the Diversity Center and Pride,” Dellin says.
Another key participant is Larry Friedman, who has volunteered for Pride, the Diversity Center, and the Santa Cruz AIDS Project for decades. He and husband Tom also host a social group for older gay men. “I am so happy to see how far the queer community has come in these 50 years, and am so grateful to be alive and well in order to continue with my tradition as a volunteer,” Friedman says.
Generations of Pride is designed to be a high-energy reunion and celebration, from the colorful exhibits to DJ Sparkles spinning the classics. “What’s not to celebrate?” Zammit says. “I’m most excited to dance through the decades to the spin and groove of DJ Sparkles and do the Hustle!”
As the LGBTQ+ community faces rising oppression across the country, events like Generations of Pride carry an important message. “Gathering as a community and celebrating Queerness has never been more vital,” Zammit said. “It’s crucial to stand together, amplify our progress, and boldly declare: We’re not going back!”
Tickets are available at santacruzpride.org, priced at $75-$150 with $20 student tickets. The MAH is located at 705 Front St., Santa Cruz.
Kyara Rodriguez, a Cabrillo College student doing an internship with Santa Cruz Pride, says, “In my free time I enjoy sewing, baking, playing with my dogs, watching anime and spending time with my girlfriend.”
READ ALL THE STORIES IN OUR PRIDE ANNIVERSARY COVERAGE
Out of the Closet and Into the Streets
by Rob Darrow
No Going Back
by Kyara Rodriguez
Public Works
by Rob Darrow
Loud and Proud
by Kyara Rodriguez
