OCR: OC Pride parade and festival ‘Stand Up and Stand Out’ in Saturday’s 30th anniversary event
Blaze Bernstein’s parents, Jeanne Pepper and Gideon Bernstein, take part in the 2019 Blaze It Forward OC Pride LGBT Parade, dedicated to their son in Santa Ana on Saturday, June 22, 2019.(Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)
By Jeong Park, Orange County Register
Originally published in the Orange County Register 6/22/19.
The streets of downtown Santa Ana filled with celebration for the 2019 OC Pride on Saturday, June 22.
People from across the county marched down 4th Street in the “Blaze It Forward” parade, named after Blaze Bernstein, a 19-year-old college student killed in 2018.
The grand marshal for the parade was Brit Cervantes, a program coordinator for the UC Irvine Health Pediatric Gender Diversity Program, which helps children and young adults through their gender transition.
After the parade, more than 100 vendors and concerts welcomed the festival goers on 3rd Street.
The event’s theme this year was “Stand Up and Stand Out.” Organizers said they chose the theme because they saw the event as an opportunity for the county’s LGBTQ community to be recognized.
This year marks the 30th anniversary of the county’s first pride parade and festival.
Photos by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG
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