When Jonathan Swindle was 10 years old, there was no organization like Pride Corpus Christi in existence.
His window into the LGBTQIA+ community was whatever he could see on his television, such as “Will & Grace” and news coverage of the Westboro Baptist Church’s protests against homosexuality. He said the latter made him feel “terrible and alone without any alternative to look to.”
As a preteen, Swindle said he felt someone else had to define his identity since he was unsure of himself.
“That’s something you get to decide for yourself, though,” Swindle said in between sips of his drink at a Starbucks in Corpus Christi. “Everyone’s experience is different, but it doesn’t make it any less valid. Pride Corpus Christi’s job is to provide information for our community and those individuals who are afraid or on their own.”
Swindle is the fifth person to take on the role of president for Pride Corpus Christi, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that is focused on addressing discrimination and providing a visible beacon for the LGBTQIA+ community in the Coastal Bend.
The organization first formed in 2016 and is celebrating its 10th anniversary. It wasn’t an easy journey to get where it is now, past presidents and Swindle said, but there are no signs of Pride Corpus Christi ending anytime soon.
The start of Pride Corpus Christi
On June 12, 2016, a 29-year-old man walked into Pulse, a nightclub in Orlando, with an AR-15, killing 48 people and wounding 58.
Sarah Lydia and Corpus Christi LGBT, a local organization, felt the proper response to the tragedy was to hold a candlelight vigil at Cole Park two days later.
At the gathering, Lydia saw the turnout of the LGBTQIA+ community and its allies and knew the city needed a pride celebration.
Years before, she had been trying to put together a parade but was told by several city entities that Corpus Christi did not have a market for such an occasion.
“So many people were there for that vigil,” Lydia said in a phone call. “I looked around and knew there was a market.”
Quickly, she gathered friends to create Pride Downtown. While no parade was held, an event featuring camaraderie and a Diva Showcase at Rockit’s Whiskey Bar & Saloon brought the LGBTQIA+ community together.
Lydia said that based on the sold-out event, she knew the following year’s had to be bigger and include a parade.
In 2017, Pride Downtown’s inaugural parade was featured in a nationwide Google campaign video with seven other cities including New York City, Los Angeles and San Francisco.
The parade included the wedding of two men who had won an all-expenses-paid wedding from Pride Downtown.
That same year, a board was created with about 10 members. In 2018, it became a nonprofit and rebranded as Pride Corpus Christi.
Financial woes and naysayers
As Lydia departed for San Antonio, Dylan Rios, who had been one of the co-founders of Pride Corpus Christi, took over the title of president. Rios said he had helped Lydia form the organization because “there was nothing like this within 250 miles, and we felt that absence.”
But as with any nonprofit, Rios said the hardest obstacle was finding sponsors and funding.
“Money was the real obstacle early on because we needed sponsors and people willing to invest in something that had never been done here before,” Rios said in a text message. “Building that network took real time and effort.”
Bill Hoelscher, the president after Rios, agreed that finances were still an issue during his term.
Before monthly events were a common occurrence for Pride Corpus Christi, the organization used to hold a Pride Week in June. Hoelscher said it was difficult trying to come up with funding for the seven days full of activities.
On June 5, 2019, then-Nueces County Judge Barbara Canales declared June 3 through June 9 Pride Week in Nueces County. That same year, Canales was selected to be the grand marshal for the Pride Parade — a first for a local government official.
Carolyn Vaughn, former county commissioner for Precinct 1, expressed her opposition to the proclamation during a Commissioners Court meeting, saying it went against her personal beliefs, the Caller-Times reported at the time. She was the only county commissioner to do so.
Tom Tagliabue, the president after Hoeslcher, said it was unfortunate that Vaughn “acted the way she did” but that Canales showed “great courage” in accepting the invitation. He said her allyship added to the legitimacy of Pride Corpus Christi.
Vaughn did not immediately respond to a request for comment on June 3 about her past statement.
“I think our city has come to understand that LGBTQIA+ individuals are a fact of life,” Tagliabue said in a phone call. “They live here and work here. They contribute to the quality of life in the Coastal Bend.”
‘It belongs to the community’
In 2022, Swindle became the president of Pride Corpus Christi. He currently leads a board of 15 members from different facets of the Coastal Bend community.
As president, Swindle has expanded the organization by holding multiple events throughout the year, securing a Federal Communications Commission license for Pride Corpus Christi’s own radio station (Unity 89.1), creating the Transgender Research Initiative and starting a partnership with Strengthening Wellness to provide mental health support groups for the LGBTQIA+ community.
“I was able to take the organization well beyond being known as the parade/block party organization,” Swindle said. “I’ve been able to have it be a reflection of the community by expanding what we do and bringing in diversity. But this organization does not belong to me — it belongs to the community.”
Like former presidents, Swindle said money has been a constant issue but he feels that Pride Corpus Christi is at a good place financially. He said some governmental organization sponsors dropped off from supporting the nonprofit, while some sponsors opted to engage anonymously with their support.
But Swindle said the main obstacle the organization faces right now is the lack of space to hold events.
The Bay Jewel, Mesquite Street Southside and Alamo Drafthouse were regular places where the nonprofit held events like a comedy night, a Pride Ball and special screenings. He said the group has had to resort to local churches to make up for space and continue with other venues such as The Hidden Door and House of Rock.
‘Healthier, vibrant and stronger’
When discussing the formation of the organization, Lydia giggled about memories from 10 years ago flooding back to her.
“I follow Pride Corpus Christi on social media, and being able to see its growth every year makes me so happy,” Lydia said. “It’s still going strong and getting bigger. It’s encouraging to see, especially knowing where it all started. I was told there wasn’t enough space for pride in Corpus, so this makes me smile.”
Rios said that Pride Corpus Christi’s continuing relevance 10 years later shows that it was never a moment; it was a movement.
“It says the LGBTQIA+ community in Corpus Christi and the Coastal Bend showed up and kept showing up, and that kind of consistency doesn’t happen by accident,” Rios said. “This organization was never built for a season. It was built so that long after the politics change and the headlines move on, the community will forever continue to show up and celebrate with Pride Corpus Christi.”
Hoelscher and Tagliabue both said that the community still needs the organization for representation, visibility and power.
Swindle said Pride Corpus Christi’s mission is to continue being visible in a world of darkness and uncertainty. He said he continues with strength for the next 10-year-old researching online trying to figure out who they are.
“I think our community looks significantly different today than it did 10 years ago when the organization first started,” Swindle said. “It looks healthier, vibrant and stronger. It’s exciting because we don’t know where our community is going to take it 10 years from now.
“I yearn for the day that our organization isn’t necessary anymore. That our community has accepted the LGBTQIA+ community as part of the social fabric. We’re here, we’re not going anywhere and we’re going to continue to thrive.”
Editor’s note: John Oliva served as a board member for Pride Corpus Christi from May 2023 through March 2025 and is no longer affiliated with the organization.
John Oliva covers entertainment and community news in South Texas. Have a story idea? Contact him at john.oliva@caller.com.
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This article originally appeared on Corpus Christi Caller Times: How Pride Corpus Christi built a movement in the Coastal Bend
Reporting by John Oliva, Corpus Christi Caller Times / Corpus Christi Caller Times
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By John Oliva, Corpus Christi Caller Times | USA TODAY Network
