Public Greetings 40th San Diego Gay Pride Parade

7 July 2014

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

I am Gary B. Gulley, the organizer of the first Gay pride parade in our city of San Diego in 1974. I was also an initiator of Gays against the War 1972 & '73, the San Diego
Gay Center 1972 & '73, the founder of the Gay Student's Union
at San Diego State University in 1975, and organizer of Labor
against the Brigg's Intiative [Prop. 6] in 1978. I was the last president of the San Diego Gay Liberation Front in 1972,
after Robert [Jess] H. Jessop. I wish to thank all those who supported our community's struggle for equal justice and civil rights with special thanks to ECS [Episcopal Community Services]. That year. 1974, over two hundred of us marched from New Town Park downtown up to a rally in Balboa park that June. We did so without a permit from the city; for freedom is not by permit. Since those early years our annual parades have now grown to around 250,000 each year. Since the release of gay male AIDS in Jan 1978 we have lost ten of thousands of our brothers here in San Diego, but their loss has also lead to the advanced Biotech industries we have today. We can take solace in knowing that their many deaths have gone to benefit us now in so many ways.

Jesus had his St. John the beloved, King David had his Jonathan, and before the French dandy the 19 year old Marquis de La Feyette, Washington had his Wakefield. God saw fit to give us the Ten Commandments, all else is merely interpretation and speculation. I also think that God sent us His gay son, Sweet Jesus, because in His wisdom he knew we already had enough demigods running about. Thanks to the many and diverse groupings that now make up our yearly parades. May the Good Lord look kindly upon you all.

with best regards
for you and yours,

Gary