Then, now, forever—that’s this year’s theme for Pride Month in San Luis Obispo.
Gala Pride and Diversity Center, SLO County’s prominent LGBTQ-plus nonprofit, isn’t giving up the opportunity to celebrate the queer community this year despite targeted national executive orders, controversy within local cities and schools, and its financial struggles, including alleged embezzlement by a previous executive director.
“It’s a celebration of queer folk that have existed long before us, everybody that is here now, and a promise that we will continue to fight and be there in the future,” Gala Project Manager Linnea Valdivia said. “We are here, and we will always be here.”
We rebuild
Gala is currently undergoing organizational repair, Valdivia said, after it announced financial trouble in September 2024, which threatened the nonprofit’s ability to run. Having been in her position for about six weeks as the first full-time staff hire since those struggles, Valdivia said the nonprofit is still figuring everything out.
“I really want people to know that we are still here, and while we certainly have places where we can improve as an organization, we are listening and really trying to show up for the community in the ways that it needs,” she said.
Gala’s struggle became public last September after it pleaded to the community on Instagram saying that it needed more financial help than ever. According to tax records, Gala’s funding and donations between 2021 and 2022 had decreased by more than half, and the nonprofit faced the risk of closing.
The community did show up, and Gala received at least 50 donations after its call for help. At the time, New Times reported that the organization needed stable, monthly, and larger donations to remain operational.
Some criticized the organization’s public plea, and one commented on Instagram that Gala should consider reorganization.
“Instead of asking the public to fix the financial mess, let’s get creative about turning this organization into something actually functional, financially sustainable, and equitable for all,” the commenter wrote.
Gala was forced to reorganize in October, posting an update about it on Instagram revealing financial discrepancies in its records and accusing former Executive Director Dustin Colyer-Worth of diverting organizational funds into personal accounts—anticipated at about $42,000. The accusation was reported to the SLO County District Attorney’s Office for investigation in October.
SLO County District Attorney Dan Dow told New Times that as of June 4, the case is still under investigation.
“The most common question we get as staff and board members is, ‘Are there charges being filed? Are you going to get them?’ And I appreciate that,” Valdivia said. “I mean, I think that question is coming out of a sense of righteous anger and a desire to hold him accountable for the harm that he caused.”
But on the other hand, Valdivia said, her primary concern is to rebuild the community’s trust in Gala after the nonprofit’s “broken promises” to maintain its finances. To do this, she said she’s working on a new auditing system and applying for large grants.
“There’s been a lot that’s happened since revelations of October of 2024, and I really want folks to recognize—jeez, I don’t want to sound like Julius Caesar—but as a leader of this organization, I want to build an organization that is representative of and serves the queer folks in our community and across all corners of our community,” Valdivia said.
We advocate
SLO County’s been no stranger to tensions among the LGBTQ-plus community. With the Morro Bay City Council opting not to fly the Pride flag each June and residents protesting trans students competing in women’s sports at school board meetings, the queer community has found itself in the spotlight of local conflict.
Valdivia said that Gala sees itself in a position to advocate and fight against queer “erasure” it’s seeing in current times.
“One of the biggest needs is showing up for those most marginalized in our community—for trans folks, for queer youth, for trans youth—and for remaining civically engaged to protect the rights that we have locally,” she said. “To allow people to stay informed about what’s happening federally with health care bans and with attacks on Medicare, … especially gender affirming care for trans and nonbinary and intersex folks.”
But even if the community must fight, Valdivia said it also must celebrate where it came from—hence its theme of “Then, now, forever.”
“We want to stay civically engaged. We need to know what’s going on, but also, like, let’s party,” Valdivia said with a laugh. “We want to uplift—especially during a time when queer folks and queer history is being literally and metaphorically erased from reference right now.”
Then, we party
Between Downtown SLO and Atascadero, there are opportunities to celebrate Pride Month nearly every day. Starting off the month, Gala hosted a downtown celebration, Pride in the Plaza, on May 31 which has taken place for nearly 30 years, Valdivia said.
With 40 vendors, the event has been open to everyone every year, including “friends and neighbors, colleagues, kids, and dogs.”
“We want folks to feel connected and proud of everybody in our community,” Valdivia said.
The festivities will continue with Gala’s packed calendar of activities for all walks of life, including silent discos, gender-affirming haircuts, and poetry workshops.
Atascadero Pride co-producer Thom Walden said it’s Atascadero’s fourth year hosting a Pride festival despite the city not proclaiming June as Pride Month this year, just as it refused to do in 2024, Walden said.
This year, the festival is at Atascadero Lake Park on June 14 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. featuring the theme “Love is everything.”
“The theme is really important that, you know, love changes everything because that’s all we have to fight against all the hate,” Waldman said. “Everything else that’s going on right now, love encompasses everything and everyone and all its forms. And so, I’m just trying to create a safe place for the community to just gather and have a good time and take a moment to remember our loved ones.”
The event will host vendors, roller skate lessons, free mom hugs, and a gazebo to hold weddings if attendees so choose. There will also be designated quiet spaces for those with autism or who need space to recharge, Waldman said.
By happenstance, Waldman said the event is taking place on President Donald Trump’s birthday.
“So, there are going to be some protests before the Pride event,” he said. “Yeah, you can do your protest and then leave that there and you can come and hang out with us for the rest of the day. But please don’t bring your protest to the event, because that’s not what it’s about.” Δ
Reach Staff Writer Libbey Hanson at lhanson@newtimesslo.com.
This article appears in Pride 2025.