Come June 2027, a portion of La Mesa Village will be transformed with rainbows for the city’s first-ever Pride celebration.
City hall has raised the rainbow flag for the past five years – but the La Mesa City Council’s decision to fund a Pride event goes deeper.
The initial reactions have been encouraging, with some people even asking: What took so long?
“The response has been insane, awesome,” said Rodney Elliott, a La Mesan spearheading the effort.
La Mesa will join Ramona, Santee and Alpine Prides in bringing visible LGBTQ+ support and solidarity to smaller, inland communities outside San Diego’s core gayborhood of Hillcrest. Those suburbs have numerous LGBTQ+ residents, though they are not always as visible, who were lured east by the same affordability and green space that entices any transplant to move outside the city.
“La Mesa has a huge LGBT community. We live here because we have lots of friends here,” Elliott said. “They all (move) to La Mesa to have a house that’s affordable in a great neighborhood where neighbors all are loving (and) supportive.”
Elliott and his production company book the talent for La Mesa Oktoberfest and Holiday in the Village, as well as other San Diego music events like Adams Avenue Street Fair and Shamrock Festival in the Gaslamp.
Plus, he serves as the entertainment director for Orange County Pride and has worked at other Pride organizations. Starting La Mesa Pride brings those efforts home.
“It’s what I do,” Elliott said.
With that background, La Mesa Pride promises to be a music-heavy event modeled after similar activations in the village. In its first year, it will take place in the parking lot at Allison and Palm avenues.
In addition to music, a fenced-in 21-and-up area and information booths, the Pride event will include a march from Vons supermarket to the festival. Its organizers expect a bigger footprint and more things to do in the future.
“We do hope it will grow,” Troy Tinker, Elliott’s husband, told the city council on Sept. 8.
The inaugural event received $15,000 in funding from the city’s Village Enhancement Fund. Under the program, half of parking meter proceeds, up to $50,000 each year, go towards village programming that raises the profile of La Mesa’s small businesses and supports parking in the village. A wellness fair also received $20,000 from the council.
“We’re glad that our community supports us,” Tinker said.
There was a bit of confusion regarding the upcoming event, however.
During the council meeting, staff presented La Mesa Pride as being put on by Diversionary Theatre in University Heights. According to the applicants and Diversionary itself, at some point wires got crossed. The theater will be the recipient of fundraising proceeds from the event, but did not apply to run it. Instead, Tinker and Elliott formed a 501(c)3 for the express purpose of putting on La Mesa Pride.
The couple chose Diversionary as the recipient after Tinker had roles in Diversionary productions “Merry Me” and “Midnight at the Never Get.”
“They have been so good to my husband and we have a relationship with them and love what they do and what they stand for,” Elliott explained.
The theater supports the event.
“We will be proud to participate in the celebration and march in the parade,” said Diversionary Executive Director Jenny Case. “I was raised in La Mesa and hold the city very close to my heart. I’m genuinely thrilled to see a Pride celebration taking root in the community where I grew up.”
That sentiment was shared by others. Councilmember Lauren Cazares, before the unanimous vote to approve the parking district funds, said she appreciated Elliott and Tinker for bringing Pride plans to life.
“As the first and only member of the LGBT community on this council, I want to say thank you,” Cazares said.
The exact date for La Mesa Pride is being finalized by the city.
