Marvens Pierre Director of Events & Programs

By JP Emerson

Please introduce yourself?

My name is Marvens Pierre, my pronouns are he/they, and I am the new Director of Events & Programs at San Diego Pride.

Give our readers a bit of your history (where are you from, how long have you been in San Diego, how long have you been involved in the community)?

I was born and raised in a smaller neighborhood outside of Boston, MA. I moved to San Diego in 2020 to begin my Educational Leadership masters program at the University of San Diego. When I moved to San Diego, I started getting involved with the community almost immediately. Prior to living here, I have always been energized to be a part of social change community driven organizations and groups so it only felt right and natural to continue doing that as it is my passion and what fuels me. When I moved here my involvement mainly came through when I was coordinating Black and Queer initiatives and programs at the University of San Diego and eventually into the broader community.

Would you tell our readers about your role as Director of Events & Programs at SD Pride?

I am fairly new to the Pride family and I am very honored to be a part of it. I officially joined in December 2024 and it has already been such a journey for me. I help organize a number of events and programs which are heavily backed and supported by our amazing network of volunteers who work tirelessly year-round to produce some iconic and signature events we all know and love. For one, I help pull the logistical pieces of the puzzle together for our beloved annual Pride parade and festival, which takes an entire village to produce. I am especially excited for our Pride week this year given our theme of Unbreakable Pride, Unshakeable Power. This theme resonates deeply with me because it is a theme of resilience and not backing down in the face of hate and injustice especially given our current political landscape. Like the theme suggests, my pride, my energy, my joy will not be shaken and you will not break my spirit. Another component of Pride which is not as widely known is our Pride 365 programming. Pride is not just reserved for just the parade and festival in July but rather a movement every day, all year round, all the time. Pride 365 includes programming and groups such as Latine Pride, Accessibility coalition, Pride Youth Collective, Art of Pride and so much more that we are continuing to build and strengthen everyday.

We always say “seeing you represented makes a difference for our community.” Would you talk about the resources geared towards the black sector of our community Pride offers?

The beautiful thing about San Diego Pride programs is the inclusivity of our programs and that we do welcome everyone. I am in an interesting position because not only am I a part of San Diego Pride but I also sit on the board of San Diego Black Pride which works to establish a more unified Black queer and trans community here in San Diego. Black Pride (formerly known as Black LGBTQ+ Coalition) started off as a program of San Diego Pride back in 2015. The program and its resources grew and then transformed into its own standing 501(c)3 organization. At San Diego Pride we want growth for our programs and I am honored to be serving our community in both of these capacities. A big motivator for joining San Diego Pride is that although there is

some great programming already happening, there is always room for growth and making sure every person of our community is supported and seen, especially our Black LGBTQ+ population.

An area the organization needs to continue focusing on is the need to be more conscious and intentional of the spaces we are creating for our most marginalized within the queer community. San Diego Pride has some great existing models for this and there is definitely lots of opportunity to make these efforts more robust. Since I am a part of these two organizations my hope is to be able to grow our capacity and advocate for more resources in supporting our Black queer and trans community even further.

Would you talk about your own experience?

It really was not until my senior year of high school where I gained the courage to start

embracing my full authentic self. I am truthfully still on that journey and always continuing to grow and step into my truth. Growing up, I really struggled with my queerness and, on top of that, I struggled with the complexities and challenges of what it means to be a Black person in this country. I am a first-generation Haitian-American that grew up in a Black Seventh Day Adventist church; being queer is culturally and traditionally seen as a big no-no. Queer Haitians or Queer folks in the Caribbean at large face major discrimination and violence because of their identities to this day. Although there are some individuals and churches that do not align with this, the Seventh Day Adventist church organization at large still generally rejects LGBTQ+ folks. These narratives that rejected queerness surrounded me constantly when I was younger and that was super traumatizing.

Because of the challenges I faced coming to terms with all of the beautiful identities that make me who I am, it fired me up to be involved even more with my community. In a way, being in community and serving other queer folks also contributes to my own personal healing from my experienced traumas. I can very confidently say that I am right where I belong, surrounded by such a loving community, and I will forever be grateful for that.

Can our readers get to know you a bit better, any hobbies or interests?

Yes, of course! I love music. Spotify Wrapped shows at least 80,000 listening minutes every year. I am a big fan of house, R&B, and pop music. Some of my favorite artists include Beyonce, SZA, KAYTRANADA, Frank Ocean, and Victoria Monet. If there is an event that is even remotely related to these genres, you can catch me there dancing away. I also enjoy puzzles and when I have time, I like to do one on my own or with some friends and then preserve the puzzle with Mod Podge. Lately, I have been prioritizing more wellness focused activities such as going on long walks, breath work, and simple meditations before going to bed.

I am mostly energized by simply being in community and spending quality time with my chosen family, whether that is through game nights, brunches, and/or traveling. When I am alone, I find peace in cozying up at home, watching trashy reality TV with tea in-hand, and hanging out with my dog Rosa.

How can folks connect with you at SD Pride?

You can more than likely find me planning your favorite events at the San Diego Pride office or you can reach me via email at marvens@sdpride.org.