![San Diegans march in the first Pride parade after the COVID pandemic began, July 16, 2022.](https://cdn.kpbs.org/dims4/default/dcc8430/2147483647/strip/true/crop/4296x2646+0+0/resize/880x542!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fkpbs-brightspot.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com%2F89%2Fa0%2F5572859e43e3a00aa1d62a282e75%2Fdsf5586.jpg)
Matthew Bowler
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KPBS
Thousands of San Diegans turned out to participate in this year's Pride Parade, the first since the beginning of the COVID pandemic.
![A person in a unicorn costume marches down the streets of Hillcrest as part of the San Diego Pride Parade, July 16, 2022.](https://cdn.kpbs.org/dims4/default/0d7ce89/2147483647/strip/true/crop/4992x3075+0+0/resize/880x542!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fkpbs-brightspot.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com%2F42%2Fd8%2Ffa75fe6042ab8fb3157439534834%2Fdsf5772.jpg)
Matthew Bowler
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KPBS
The theme for this year’s Pride celebration is “Justice with Joy,” a theme filled with emotion for San Diego Pride executive director Fernando Lopez Jr, who said, “We’re back and it’s just so beautiful and meaningful to be back together in community, and I know that our community and I have missed this, and we really need a win right now.”
![A San Diego Pride Parade participant poses while on a float, July 16, 2022.](https://cdn.kpbs.org/dims4/default/72db942/2147483647/strip/true/crop/4715x2904+0+0/resize/880x542!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fkpbs-brightspot.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com%2F48%2Fb4%2F6066f6f048669b33483daabf3562%2Fdsf6044.jpg)
Matthew Bowler
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KPBS
The parade began at 10 a.m. at the Hillcrest Pride Flag at University Ave. and Normal St. and ended at the entrance of the Pride Festival in Laurel St. (See map)
![Hundreds of San Diego Pride Parade participants march on the streets of Hillcrest, July 16, 2022.](https://cdn.kpbs.org/dims4/default/9977320/2147483647/strip/true/crop/4701x2895+0+119/resize/880x542!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fkpbs-brightspot.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com%2F0d%2F85%2Fa8c74c1c4631a6f1ef596591f126%2Fdsf5350.jpg)
Matthew Bowler
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KPBS
![San Diego Pride Parade goers pose for a photo, July 16, 2022.](https://cdn.kpbs.org/dims4/default/108f763/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6240x3843+0+0/resize/880x542!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fkpbs-brightspot.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com%2Fb1%2Fcf%2F309c77f24423900400f6f2aaeac4%2Fdsf3605.jpg)
Matthew Bowler
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KPBS
![San Diego Pride Parade attendees pose for a photo, July 16, 2022.](https://cdn.kpbs.org/dims4/default/a3527e0/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6240x3843+0+0/resize/880x542!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fkpbs-brightspot.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com%2F7c%2F0c%2F24739d1d42079ab43aed79148845%2Fdsf3651.jpg)
Matthew Bowler
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KPBS
![Marchers at the San Diego Pride Parade hold up a rainbow design of the Mexican flag, July 16, 2022.](https://cdn.kpbs.org/dims4/default/e3bdb17/2147483647/strip/true/crop/5163x3180+0+0/resize/880x542!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fkpbs-brightspot.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com%2F69%2F41%2F1d256e5848d799032706f7f675e9%2Fdsf3822.jpg)
Matthew Bowler
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KPBS
![San Diego Pride Parade attendees sit on the sideline of the parade to cheer marchers on, July 16, 2022.](https://cdn.kpbs.org/dims4/default/f6a495a/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6240x3843+0+317/resize/880x542!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fkpbs-brightspot.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com%2F21%2Fe2%2Fd50fc1674b88a20bff77cd535d06%2Fdsf3979.jpg)
Matthew Bowler
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KPBS
![San Diego Pride Parade attendees watch from the sidelines as marchers make their way to the festival entrance, July 16, 2022.](https://cdn.kpbs.org/dims4/default/f15ab2c/2147483647/strip/true/crop/4992x3075+0+0/resize/880x542!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fkpbs-brightspot.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com%2F4e%2F40%2F984e264f4784be0337f7d83268ac%2Fdsf5400.jpg)
Matthew Bowler
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KPBS
![A San Diego Pride Parade goer holds a sign that says "Reproductive rights are an American value," July 16, 2022.](https://cdn.kpbs.org/dims4/default/b62ae31/2147483647/strip/true/crop/4992x3075+0+225/resize/880x542!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fkpbs-brightspot.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com%2F32%2Fda%2F11dfa024474ebd6c6281a43c87fe%2Fdsf5513.jpg)
Matthew Bowler
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KPBS
![A group in costume marches in the San Diego Pride Parade, July 16, 2022.](https://cdn.kpbs.org/dims4/default/0ee1288/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6240x3843+0+0/resize/880x542!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fkpbs-brightspot.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com%2Fed%2Fd7%2F99d5bf9d44f98170170e8f6de1d6%2Fdsf3888.jpg)
Matthew Bowler
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KPBS
![A person in costume marches in the San Diego Pride Parade, July 16, 2022.](https://cdn.kpbs.org/dims4/default/cd170db/2147483647/strip/true/crop/4992x3075+0+0/resize/880x542!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fkpbs-brightspot.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com%2F31%2F47%2Fc38f15cf4991a297872adc3728a0%2Fdsf6139.jpg)
Matthew Bowler
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KPBS
![A San Diego Pride Parade goer waves the lesbian Pride flag, July 16, 2022.](https://cdn.kpbs.org/dims4/default/9e4a9fd/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6240x3843+0+317/resize/880x542!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fkpbs-brightspot.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com%2Fc8%2Fcf%2Ff7b0ee184500b387fa63154acea2%2Fdsf3945.jpg)
Matthew Bowler
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KPBS
![A San Diego Pride Parade attendee celebrates while marching in Hillcrest, July 16, 2022.](https://cdn.kpbs.org/dims4/default/8f364bc/2147483647/strip/true/crop/4624x2848+0+0/resize/880x542!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fkpbs-brightspot.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com%2F16%2F4b%2Ffdc0d9214525905ea6d77a0dd311%2Fdsf5842.jpg)
Matthew Bowler
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KPBS
![](https://cdn.kpbs.org/dims4/default/89d6845/2147483647/strip/true/crop/4260x2624+0+0/resize/880x542!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fkpbs-brightspot.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com%2F79%2Fba%2Fd551d591477d82ff7ac59e7c8a3f%2Fdsf6002.jpg)
A member of San Diego's 501st Legion poses for a photo at the Pride parade, July 16, 2022.
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KPBS
![A member of the 501st Legion poses for a photo while marching in the San Diego Pride Parade, July 16, 2022.](https://cdn.kpbs.org/dims4/default/7a1fd76/2147483647/strip/true/crop/3634x2238+0+0/resize/880x542!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fkpbs-brightspot.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com%2F9b%2F0f%2Faf2e5b0943a99ce489bbd26a6c2f%2Fstormtropper.png)
Matthew Bowler
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KPBS