[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 96 (Thursday, June 5, 2025)]
[House]
[Page H2495]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




         RECOGNIZING SANTA CRUZ PRIDE PARADE'S 50TH ANNIVERSARY

  (Mr. PANETTA asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. PANETTA. Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize the 50th anniversary of 
the Santa Cruz Pride Parade, one of the oldest Pride events in the 
Nation and the first of any small American city.
  Since 1975, Santa Cruz Pride embodies the spirit of resistance and 
persistence. Even though it was California, back then, it was just a 
small gathering of a few brave and determined people standing in 
solidarity.
  Today, as we saw this past weekend, Santa Cruz Pride is a multiday, 
community-wide event that brings together thousands for a celebration 
of Pride.
  As we celebrate, we also appreciate and commemorate that we stand on 
the shoulders of those who got us here. It is with that realization 
that we are reinvigorated in our push for equal rights.
  We in Santa Cruz and throughout the 19th Congressional District of 
California understand that Pride is more than just flags and parades. 
It is also about creating policies, putting in place protections, and 
the persistence of a community to achieve equality.
  Yes, we are proud of the past 50 years of Santa Cruz Pride, but we 
are also determined now more than ever to continue our march forward.

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