Santa Cruz Pride’s 50th-anniversary celebration culminates in vibrant parade down Pacific Avenue

A sea of rainbow flags and chants of “No Going Back” infused the streets of downtown Santa Cruz with a vibrant energy Sunday as Santa Cruz Pride capped off its 50th-anniversary celebration with a parade down Pacific Avenue. 

Hundreds of Santa Cruz residents showed up to the gathering decked out in rainbow-colored outfits, proudly waving gay and transgender Pride flags as participants passed out plastic beads necklaces, flags and stickers to attendees while marching along Pacific Avenue. 

Santa Cruz Pride’s 50th anniversary comes at a time where the rights of LGBTQ+ individuals are being threatened by the Trump administration, such as through executive orders attempting to limit access to gender-affirming care and ban transgender women from participating in school sports. This year’s theme, “No Going Back,” demonstrates the strength and resilience of the community during this political climate, organizers said. 

“The closet is not a fun place to be, and once you’re out, it’s impossible to go back in, and that’s where we’re at as a community,” said Vnes Ely, one of the parade’s grand marshals. “Not only will we not go back, it’s literally impossible.”  

This weekend’s celebration also brought back grand marshals from the past 50 years and honored Santa Cruz Pride’s rich history in the community. Ely — who was also a grand marshal in 2019 — said being selected this year is an immense honor. 

“There’s so many legends in this roster of grand marshals,” she said. “I’m seeing people I have not seen in years, and people that I fully looked up to as a young queer, like my role models.” 

Ely has been participating in Santa Cruz Pride for years. If she weren’t marching as a grand marshal this year, Ely still would have found a way to be a part of the parade, she said. 

Emma Booton from Re-Cycle Garage — a co-op group that helps people fix their motorcycles and provides free riding gear — said Pride 2025 has a different edge to it because of the current political climate, bringing a new meaning to the celebration. “We live in times that some might argue we’re going backwards. We’re not going to let that happen,” she said. 

Sunday’s parade is an affirmation for LGBTQ+ individuals that they have support from the greater Santa Cruz community, said Booton. She and Re-Cycle Garage led the procession, as they do every year, on their motorcycles, decked out in feather boas and vibrant outfits. They were met with cheers from the crowd as they made their way down Pacific Avenue. 

Photo Gallery: Santa Cruz Pride Parade

This weekend’s celebration couldn’t have come at a better time, said Lilia Chagoya, who walked the parade with the Diversity Center. As a lesbian Latina, Chagoya said she feels it’s extremely important to put herself out there and be visible. “This is a time for us to celebrate who we are, and we have the space to do it, we’re free and we feel safe,” she said. 

Adam Spickler — one of many parade grand marshals — said his favorite part about participating in this year’s Pride celebrations was being able to connect with fellow members of the LGBTQ+ community, seeing them embrace their identities and, in turn, empower allies to continue supporting them. Spickler is a Cabrillo College trustee and was the first openly transgender man elected to public office in California when he first won the post in 2018. 

“​​At this time in our history, more than ever, all of our allies who are here today, it’s going to be the start of their education and what it means to move from allyship to accompliceship,” Spickler said. Being an ally who doesn’t take risks to support or actively fight for LGBTQ+ is not enough anymore, he said. 

“We’re going to need your help so that we can continue to not just thrive, but literally survive. So all the visibility and all the education and all the support that that means takes place today. It starts today,” Spickler said.

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