Dyke March Kicks off San Diego Pride Week

• KishaLynn Elliott, San Diego Pride's first Black lesbian executive director, made the decision to bring back the event immediately after joining the organization in January as a way to mobilize the community and increase visibility, she told Times of San Diego.
• The 11am march along University Avenue, from Mo's to Gossip Grill celebrates, lesbian, queer, trans and nonbinary people and ends with a free after-party.

Between the lines: The term "dyke" was originally a slur against lesbians or "masculine" women. But in this case, "it's not a limiting identity, it is an energy rooted in courage, resistance and refusal to be erased," the event website says.

The big picture: We celebrate Pride in July instead of June to avoid "June gloom" and conflicting events in other cities.

What's next: This is the first of several Pride events around San Diego leading up to the massive parade and festival.

• Light up the Cathedral on Wednesday, July 15
• Spirit of Stonewall Rally on Friday, July 17
• 5K Run + Walk on Saturday, July 18
• Pride Parade on Saturday, July 18
• Music Festival on Saturday, July 18, and Sunday, July 19