The San Diego LGBT Pride board voted unanimously for a new operational festival admissions policy on June 21.

The new policy, which was voted on at the end of a board meeting at the Pride office, allows unaccompanied youth 17 and under into the two-day San Diego LGBT Pride festival, which takes place July 29-30 in Balboa Park.

Pride executive director Ron deHarte first announced in a Gay & Lesbian Times commentary on April 20 that youth 17 years and under who want to enter the festival will need to be accompanied by a parent or guardian. In a Gay & Lesbian Times article published last week, deHarte said he approved the new youth policy.

Leyh overviewed the new festival policy to the board and a group of about 25 members of the public who were concerned about the youth policy.

At a board meeting in May, Leyh and board member Jeri Dilno were appointed as liaisons to collaborate with local activist Emily Foster and her group to reach an agreement about adopting a new youth admission policy for Pride.

“Emily [Foster] and her group were very concerned with the wording of the policy, especially the phrase, ‘accompanied by a parent or guardian,’” Leyh said. “… After a lot of discussion, we were able to come to an agreement Jeri and I believe will allow San Diego Pride and Emily and her group to move forward in a partnership that will allow us to work together to meet the needs of our GLBT youth.”

The policy states youth 17 and under will not have to be accompanied by an adult or guardian in order to enter the festival and will no longer have to be assigned to a buddy/guardian within the festival grounds. In addition, no oaths or waivers will need to be signed by any individual entering the festival.

Leyh said as part of the policy, youth 17 and under will receive a free ticket at the “youth welcome information tent” after showing a valid ID and attending an orientation.

Local attorneys Britton Donaldson and Jane Brooks have agreed to purchase and donate 100 or more tickets as needed on both days so that youth can enter the festival free of charge

In the youth information tent, youth will receive goodie bags, learn where the first aid and security station is located, and be given information cards that list the locations of booths providing resources for youth within the festival, preliminarily called “safe zones.”

Exact details of the youth tent still need to be finalized, but Leyh said it will be located outside the main festival entrance.

Leyh also said existing discount policies for other groups will remain. After showing their valid ID, senior citizens and students can still purchase tickets at the festival discount ticket line, and active military with ID will be admitted free.

“We still have a lot of little areas to work out,” Leyh said. “We need to figure out this ‘youth welcome information tent’ – what we really want to call it [and] how to make it inviting.”

Lisa Lipsey and Foster developed a youth creed that will be communicated to each youth who participate in the orientation. It reads: “Hey, do the right thing. Stick together. Say no to alcohol and drugs. Respect yourself and others. Know your personal boundaries. Seek help if you need it. Be out. Be Proud. Be Safe.”

Leyh said youth may receive this creed on a card when they get their tickets, but the specific details have not been finalized yet.

The National Youth Advocacy Coalition (NYAC) will provide complimentary copies of their “Youth Connections” resource to each youth within the tent.

Youth will also be informed that PFLAG members will be positioned throughout the festival grounds and will be available as official chaperones.

Leyh said general admission ticket sellers will tell any youth who are in line to purchase a ticket that they can be admitted free if they go through the youth information tent.

Unaccompanied youth who decline to participate in the youth orientation will still be able to purchase tickets and enter the festival through the youth tent.

“Why they would decline a free ticket I’m not sure, but if they are that adamant about paying $10, we’ll take their $10,” Leyh said.

deHarte said the new admissions policy does not remove all risk and liability associated with admitting minors into the festival grounds.

“It does add multiple layers of oversight that the organization did not have last year,” he said. “… When we take all of those elements and we put them together in a package, that helps us a little bit more as an organization, and it helps us do what we were trying to do, and that’s protect the customers who are coming into the festival.

“It doesn’t relieve the organization of the total responsibility that we still do have for minors coming in,” he said.

At the meeting, questions were raised about how to identify youth 17 and under when they are in line to buy a ticket in the general ticket line, and also about the process of directing them to the youth tent.

Brooks said the Pride board will have to incorporate a flat policy to deal with any discrimination issues related to the process.

Leyh said that the board will work with Foster and Pride’s legal counsel before implementing this process.

“We’re very grateful and feel very strongly that this is something that we can work together [on] to create a positive youth experience at the festival, and we look forward to working with Emily and your group,” Leyh told attendees at the meeting.