Gilroy, long known for its conservative roots and agricultural heritage, will host its first official Pride celebration on Saturday, August 2. This historic event — which will include drag performances, queer folklorico, live music, and vital community resources — marks a powerful step forward for LGBTQ+ visibility in the South Bay.
The celebration is the result of years of grassroots activism by Pride Social South County, a small but passionate collective of volunteers. Their efforts began quietly nearly two years ago, with private meetings that often carried real safety concerns. One of the group’s founders, Terry Hernandez, recalled their first gathering taking place discreetly behind a Mexican restaurant in Morgan Hill — marked only with a Cinco de Mayo balloon, and shadowed by fear that the meeting could be targeted by hate groups.
Since then, the group has grown slowly but steadily, building trust through shared stories and community potlucks. Hernandez and others have heard painful accounts from residents who were stalked, harassed, and even threatened at gunpoint. One couple had to seek legal protection from a hostile neighbor. Another advocate, Carlos Pineda, said Pride flags at his workplace were repeatedly destroyed.
“This isn’t how it should be,” Hernandez told Bay Area News Group. “You shouldn’t have to live in fear or hide who you are to feel safe in your own town.”
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Despite the challenges, the group pushed forward — launching public events, dance nights, and eventually organizing last year’s Morgan Hill Pridefest. This year, they’ve brought that momentum to Gilroy.
The inaugural Gilroy Pride event will take place at the Civic Center from noon to 4 p.m., featuring music, food vendors, family activities, and booths offering HIV testing, immigration legal services, and mental health support. A more adult-focused after-party and drag show will be held later in the evening at Tempo Kitchen and Bar starting at 9 p.m.
Organizers have made it a point to center both LGBTQ+ identity and Gilroy’s Latino heritage. One of the main performances will be a queer folklorico troupe, a symbol of pride for the city’s predominantly Latino community. Hernandez noted that health services are a critical focus, particularly given county data showing that Latino men in Gilroy experience significantly higher rates of new HIV diagnoses.
“There’s power in being seen,” said Augustine Alvarez, treasurer of Pride Social South County. “And doing this in a place like Gilroy — where Pride has never happened before — sends a clear message: We’re here, and we’re not going anywhere.”
Alvarez and others also credited supportive city officials, including Mayor Greg Bozzo and Councilmember Zach Hilton. While many community leaders were hesitant, these allies helped clear the path for the event.
Gilroy’s journey to Pride hasn’t been easy. In 2021, a campaign to fly the Pride flag at City Hall stirred controversy. Although the City Council voted unanimously to approve it, then-Mayor Marie Blankley refused to participate in the ceremonial raising. The city later implemented a formal policy requiring 150 signatures and biennial council approval for such displays. Since then, the Pride flag has flown every June.
For comparison, the nearby city of Morgan Hill embraced Pride years earlier. According to Rene Spring, the first openly gay elected official in South Santa Clara County, Morgan Hill began flying the Pride flag in 2017. That year, Spring successfully introduced a resolution backed by the entire City Council. Morgan Hill’s small initial flag-raising evolved into a growing tradition, paving the way for larger Pride events.
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Pineda, who now mentors LGBTQ+ youth in Gilroy, reflected on the isolation he experienced growing up. “In our culture, it’s often something you just don’t talk about,” he said. “To understand myself, I had to leave. I had to go to San Francisco.”
Now, he hopes local youth won’t feel the same need to flee. “This is about creating a home where you don’t have to hide who you are.”
As Hernandez put it: “Gilroy has always had pride — pride in family, in heritage, and in community. Now it’s time we show that we also have Pride with a capital P.”
