SAN JOSE, Calif. (KGO) — Preparations were underway Friday afternoon at Cesar Chavez Park in San Jose.
This weekend, the park will host Silicon Valley Pride for its 50th anniversary.
“It is much more geared towards community and focusing on diversity and inclusion. It truly is what makes up San Jose,” said Nicole Denson.
Denson is Silicon Valley Pride’s executive officer. She says people will be able to experience the pride celebrations not just in the park about all around downtown San Jose.
A few blocks away on Post Street, a new mural was unveiled Friday.
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An attraction businesses along this corridor believe will help increase foot traffic over the weekend.
“It feels nice that over the years, we’ve been able to have these celebrations and have specific pride moments,” said Linh Hoang of Moment Post Street.
Although a milestone celebration, Denson says this year’s festivities will be different than years past.
Like pride organizations around the country, Silicon Valley Pride has seen funding significantly dry up.
“We had to really scale down. We typically have three stages that we run. This year, we just have the main stage,” Denson said.
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That reality is frustrating for people like Bianca Zamora, the nonprofit’s chief diversity officer.
Zamora believes some of the funding cuts are a result of the rollback of corporate DEI initiatives since President Trump’s return to the White House.
“Right now is not the time to shy away from inclusion and equity initiatives. Right now is the time to invest even harder because so many communities across our country are being impacted,” she said.
Despite the challenges, Denson says the weekend will be a good time for all.
Determined not to let adversity stop the community she loves.
“They can try to take away our rights and our healthcare, but we are unstoppable. We will not go back in the closet,” she said.
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