Two years ago, Terry Hernandez feared that a Pride flag would draw unwanted attention. So she marked her place with a Cinco de Mayo balloon and told those in the queer community to meet in the back of the now-defunct Chacho’s Mexican restaurant in Morgan Hill.
Bit by bit, a dozen people trickled into the restaurant, found her cue and breathed a sigh of relief. Some worried that it might be a trap set up by a hate group and that they would be attacked.
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Instead, that first apprehensive meeting planted the seeds of Pride Social South County, one of the few groups in southern Santa Clara County dedicated to the LGBTQ+ community. Now on August 2, that group will celebrate a historic milestone for the region by hosting Gilroy’s first ever Pride celebration. The celebration stands in defiance of a local history of harassment and fear for the queer community amid a national political environment increasingly hostile to LGBT+ people. Organizers hope it will mark a move toward a better city for queer residents.
“To (the rest of the County), it’s not monumental, but to us, it’s just something we’ve never seen before,” said Jesse Santos, 23, a queer youth advocate and lifelong Gilroyan. “It’s something that can hopefully spark change … I hope it makes a difference.”
At each of those early meetings, many would recount how they had been harassed online or in person.
As president of Pride Social and a South County resident, Hernandez heard all kinds of horror stories: a couple filed a restraining order after being threatened by a neighbor wielding a gun, a young lesbian couple was stalked and queer students were outed by teachers. And, Carlos Pineda, a local queer advocate who works with disadvantaged youth, pushed to fly pride flags and banners in front of his workplace, only to have them torn down and run over.
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In the face of the abuse, Hernandez decided to fight for more representation in the region.
“This is not normal. You should be able to live in your community freely and not have a restraining order against your neighbor or worry that you’re gonna go home and hide the flag because somebody’s gonna come onto your property,” said Hernandez, recalling how the group had to hop from location to location just to find a meeting space. “Pride is a protest.”
So she, Pineda and others began to push to fly Pride flags at government buildings across South County. Last year, she helped organize the first Pride celebration in Morgan Hill at Chacho’s, the same restaurant where Pride Social first met. Afterwards, she and her cohorts knew it was time to bring Pride to Gilroy.
“I’ve felt there was a need here,” said Augustine Alvarez, treasurer for Pride Social South County and one of the lead co-organizers of Morgan Hill and Gilroy Pride. “(Our) goal is ultimately to make sure that we create a safe space down here where there isn’t really any queer space at all.”
While the rest of the Bay Area has a long history of trailblazing support for LGBTQ+ people, many from the southern reaches of Silicon Valley felt left behind. “Being born and raised in this community, I wasn’t able to understand what it meant to be confident, to be your authentic self … Growing up in a Hispanic household, it’s a lot of ‘we don’t talk about it,’” said Pineda. “I wish growing up I had that, because there wasn’t any organization (in Gilroy) … You’d have to go to San Francisco to have conversations about how to find yourself.”
The whole event is a home-grown effort, with a handful of volunteers designing websites and flyers and reaching out to vendors and partners. “It’s amazing when everybody comes together,” said Hernandez. “At times, we don’t realize what we bring to the table. And Gilroy has pride, family, the love of community. That is what has taken Gilroy forward anytime something has happened, and that’s what’s going to propel forward the LGBT community.”
While some in the community expressed hesitation or confusion, Hernandez persisted in connecting and educating people on her mission to bring the community into the fold for Pride, assuring residents that the event would be a family-friendly affair.
“We’re very grateful for the support that we’ve gotten in Gilroy,” said Augustine Alvarez, pointing to city officials like Mayor Greg Bozzo or Councilmember Zach Hilton as key supporters. “We went all around here and we got a lot of no’s … but we’re very grateful for the people that said ‘yes.’”
The event next Saturday will be a celebration of both Gilroy’s queer community and the city’s Latino heritage. Attendees can expect vendors, food trucks, a DJ, and queer performers including a queer group doing baile folklorico – Mexican folk dance — and live music from local artists. Resources for immigration, mental health, and HIV testing will be offered. Hernandez noted that a recent county report showed that Latino men have twice the rate of new HIV diagnosis as countywide, with Gilroy being the most heavily Latino city in the county. The group is also organizing an adult event that evening featuring drag queens and DJ sets.
Even so, there’s the sobering knowledge among many in the group that the event comes after a legacy of harassment, with federal actions seeking to push back against LGBT+ community, especially trans and non-binary people. Many within the queer community and allies expressed fear of backlash at the event or because of it.
“It’s a new day for Gilroy, having (Pride) happen,” said Rebeca Armendariz, a former councilmember who helped lead the push to fly the first Pride flag at Gilroy city hall in 2021. “It’s an absolute leap in the right direction, but it’s a scary one for all of us.”
Despite the fear, others say that the context makes celebrating Pride even more essential.
“The administration and governments are all trying to push us back into the closet,” said Alvarez. “For us to have Pride in a conservative area where it’s never been done before, hopefully it will send a loud message to the queer community: ‘We’re here. We’re going to continue to be here. We’re going to continue to fight for you.’”
The first Gilroy Pride will take place on Saturday August 2, from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. at Gilroy Civic Center, 7350 Rosanna Court. Attendance will be free.
Starting at 9 p.m., Tempo Kitchen and Bar, 7560 Monterey Rd, will host an afterparty and drag show for adults 21 and older. Tickets are $15 if purchased in advance and $20 at the door. Proceeds support Pride Social South County.