\u201cWe are getting so much hate right now towards our community,\u201d Silicon Valley Pride Interim CEO Jerry Mai told San Jos\u00e9 Spotlight. \u201cWe have to remind ourselves\u2026 that we, too, are humans. The only way we can face this hatred is together.\u201d<\/p>\n
This year\u2019s Silicon Valley Pride\u2019s theme \u201cFlourish and Bloom\u201d is a reminder for LGBTQ+<\/a> people to stay visible, he said.<\/p>\n \u201cJust remember that you\u2019re not alone,\u201d Mai said. \u201cWhen I came out at 16, my family kicked me out. I struggled with homelessness and there were many times when I felt that life was done. Don\u2019t be afraid to reach out and to talk to others. The people who shaped me, that\u2019s my chosen family.\u201d<\/p>\n Mai said when he discovered Silicon Valley Pride<\/a>, he realized he wasn\u2019t the only one struggling.<\/p>\n He hopes the community continues to embrace the LGBTQ+ culture, even though there\u2019s been a 12% drop in corporate sponsorship this year. But even with the decrease, he appreciates the corporate support and turnout the festival does receive.\u00a0<\/p>\n Silicon Valley Pride<\/a> used to be San Jose Pride with its celebration in June, but to avoid competing with San Francisco\u2019s festival, the date shifted, former CEO Nicole A. Denson said. The switch allows performers and vendors to attend multiple events.<\/p>\n She said Silicon Valley Pride is a vibrant, beautiful festival reflecting the LGBTQ+ community.<\/p>\n \u201cIt is a place where people can come and be themselves,\u201d Denson told San Jos\u00e9 Spotlight. \u201cBe as expressive or flamboyant or dressed up as they want to and feel warm and accepted.\u201d<\/p>\n Ken Yeager<\/a>, former Santa Clara County Supervisor and Silicon Valley\u2019s first openly gay official, said \u201cPride\u201d is the right word to describe the celebration which brought self-esteem to gay people who felt rejected by society in the 1970s.<\/p>\n \u201cFor people to be able to become proud of who they were and to express it in such an open way was such an act of defiance,\u201d Yeager told San Jos\u00e9 Spotlight. \u201cIt\u2019s wonderful that the community can celebrate itself, along with our allies, to reiterate that we are worthy people and we contribute a lot to our society.\u201d<\/p>\n The LGBTQ+ community can find resources at the festival and have a good time in a safe space, Mai said. More small businesses and LGBTQ+ owned businesses are participating this year.\u00a0Silicon Valley Pride operates on a $450,000 budget.<\/p>\n The board, made up of volunteers, starts setting up at the crack of dawn. The two-day event includes performances and a family garden with Drag Queen Storytime<\/a>, dress-up and coloring activities. The San Jose Sharks and Bay Area Valkyries will have booths at the event. Last year there were about 150 floats in the parade, and it may be even larger this year, the organizers said.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cWe do all the legwork, and we put our sweat into it. We recognize how important the festival is to our community,\u201d Mai said. \u201cIt\u2019s an amazing experience. It\u2019s going to be vibrant with a lot of flowers and a lot of beautiful colors.\u201d<\/p>\n Gabrielle Antolovich<\/a>, board president of the Billy DeFrank<\/a> LGBTQ+ Community Center, said the community is doing its best to support each other and \u201cstay fabulous as queer people\u201d while picking its battles against anti-LGBTQ+ legislation.<\/p>\n \u201cNot only is it still relevant because of the anti-trans, anti-LGBTQ+ sentiments out there,\u201d Antolovich said, \u201cbut it\u2019s still relevant for us to be out there celebrating who we are.\u201d<\/p>\n Denson said Pride is vital for a community being sent back into the closet.<\/p>\n \u201cWe deserve to live free from persecution. We deserve to marry who we choose<\/a> to. We deserve to be in the bodies that we feel comfortable in. We deserve to use the pronouns that we want to. Pride was born out of a need to live free from persecution for who we are. And today, more than ever, it\u2019s very much needed.\u201d<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/IMG_9411-1024x658.jpeg\")
Silicon Valley Pride Interim CEO Jerry Mai said this year\u2019s parade and festival will be vibrant, colorful and floral to reflect its theme \u201cFlourish and Bloom.\u201d Photo courtesy of Silicon Valley Pride.<\/p>\n![\"In-line](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/interactive-321838904008.png\")
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