February 6–9, 2025, Atlanta, Georgia — Pride Corpus Christi is proud to announce that three of our board members—President Jonathan Swindle, Vice President Robert Kymes, and Board Member Jerry Cantu—recently represented our organization at the United States Association of Prides (USAP) Conference in Atlanta. We were honored to serve as the only Pride organization from Texas in attendance, underscoring our commitment to advocating for and celebrating the LGBTQIA+ community on a national scale.

Throughout the conference, we had the privilege to engage with various leaders and organizations, including Lambda Legal, which is at the forefront of protecting LGBTQIA+ rights across the nation. Their crucial work encompasses ensuring transgender individuals can serve in the military, defending the right to use restrooms aligned with one’s gender identity, and safeguarding marriage equality. This partnership introduced us to valuable resources that will help us, our members, and our broader community respond effectively to discrimination in both the workplace and public sectors.

A highlight of the conference was a rousing speech by Stacey Abrams, who emphasized the importance of fostering Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Accessibility (IDEA) to create a stronger, more unified society. Her inspiring words resonated with our commitment at Pride Corpus Christi to promote equality and champion the voices of all individuals in the LGBTQIA+ community.

On February 10, immediately following the conference, we attended the LGBTQIA+ Victory Institute Leadership Training at Atlanta City Hall. There, we joined openly gay Georgia State Representative Sam Park, non-binary and non-monogamous Atlanta City Council Member Liliana Bakhtiari, openly gay City Council Member Alex Wan, and queer Georgia State Representative Park Cannon. This training aimed to equip participants with the knowledge and skills to consider a run for public service and to support other LGBTQIA+ individuals aspiring to hold public office. By doing so, we seek to amplify the voices of our community in policy-making and legislation.

If you or someone you know is considering running for public office, we strongly encourage you to apply for the Houston, Texas 4-Day Bootcamp on May 15–18: https://victoryinstitute.org/event/2025-houston-tx-candidate-campaign-training/

By supporting the next generation of LGBTQIA+ leaders, we continue our mission to ensure that our communities—not just in Corpus Christi, but everywhere—are represented in the rooms where decisions are made.

Stay tuned to our website and social media pages for more updates and ways to get involved. Together, we are committed to creating a more inclusive, equitable future for all.

About Pride Corpus Christi
Pride Corpus Christi organizes the annual Pride Parade and Block Party in October and leads various Pride Month activities in June. Our mission is to foster a thriving, safe, and inclusive community for LGBTQIA+ residents in Corpus Christi and beyond.