In the 41 years since patrons at the Stonewall Inn in New York City demanded a new day in the equal treatment of our people, we mark each year of progress with our Pride Parade and Festival weekend.

As tens of thousands of San Diegans and visitors line University and Sixth Avenues, I can’t help but contemplate how far forward we have moved and how much remains to be done.

Our struggles have been enormous. But we can celebrate the advances made – in our legal, political and social accomplishments. Without a doubt, our lives as a group and as individuals are brighter than they were for our brothers and sisters in 1969.

Look no further than right here in California and the federal lawsuit challenging Proposition 8, which ended marriage rights for our community in 2008. After a three-week trial earlier this year, Judge Vaughn Walker heard closing arguments in June on the constitutionality of the state’s ban on same-sex marriage. A decision could come any day.

While we wait and hope for a positive ruling, the issue of marriage equality is not going away. This decision will be one more step on our way to national recognition of our right to marry – finally putting behind us the state by state patchwork we are forced to deal with now. Regardless of how Judge Walker rules, the question will find its way to the U.S. Supreme Court. A ruling at that level – sooner or later – will be the watershed that grants full marriage equality to all Americans.

At the federal level, new benefits are being ordered under the administration of President Obama. In June, the President issued an executive order – thereby avoiding a fight in Congress – that some federal benefits will be extended to the domestic partners of federal employees. That includes coverage for long-term health insurance and sick leave to care for a partner. This action says that our relationships deserve all the same protections and benefits as our straight colleagues.

The U.S. House of Representatives voted in May to repeal the military’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” law. The House vote is a major accomplishment toward restoring dignity to the lives of so many people serving in the military – and long overdue. Congress is also expected to vote this year on legislation banning workplace discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity as well as overturning the Defense of Marriage Act. Important steps forward for our equality!

Since 2005, I am proud to have authored a California legislative resolution putting our state on record supporting the repeal of DADT and urging Congress to take action.

And the last barometer of progress is our growing visibility. As more celebrities and everyday folks come out, more people see us and our lives as fully integrated – even ‘normal.’ What starts as a small step of acceptance will one day lead to full equality.

That’s why it was so important when singer Ricky Martin and actor Sean Hayes “came out” earlier this year. Some may have dismissed their announcements as obvious, but their “coming out” reverberates among millions of average Americans. Martin and Hayes are proud gay men who are prominent enough to shape people’s minds in subtle and favorable ways. Like Ellen DeGeneres and Wanda Sykes and so many other celebrities who “come out,” it helps our community in the long run.

Equally important, those of us who are less prominent must “come out,” too. Whether we tell a friend, family member, co-worker, or neighbor – don’t underestimate the influence of our “coming out” to them. By sharing the truth, it builds trust and empowers us to become stronger advocates for ourselves. It breaks down misconceptions and stereotypes and helps our friends, family members, co-workers and neighbors to become our allies.

I am proud of everything our community has accomplished. Our work is by no means finished but Pride brings us together as no other event does. Pride allows us to reflect on how much our lives have improved over the decades and how much our fight for equality has moved our country’s and our own perceptions of what it means to be gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender in America today. I wish you a safe and enjoyable Pride! Let’s celebrate!