Sonoma County’s Pride parade returns with in-person, virtual events

The disproportionate impact of the coronavirus pandemic and a desire to build support among the LGBTQ community were central ideas behind this year’s Sonoma County Pride festivities, a month-long celebration that will include a drive-thru parade, concert and virtual events.

This year’s theme, “Beyond the Rainbow: Surviving, Reviving, and Thriving,” takes inspiration from “The Wizard of Oz” and will include a mix of socially distanced and virtual events, said Sonoma County Pride Board President Christopher Kren-Mora.

Besides the literal health setbacks it caused in those who contracted COVID-19, the pandemic has also had a figurative impact, which has led many to believe they continue to fight for their lives economically due to the jobs lost during the pandemic. Still, there have been others who thrived despite the adversity created by the coronavirus.

Recognizing this, Kren-Mora made connections to the 1939 film.

“We correlate the journey of Dorothy to the journey through COVID,” he said, referring to the film’s main character. “At times she’s just surviving the journey and at times she’s thriving. The way we see it, there’s no place like home, back into the community.”

This year’s celebration will mark the return of the Sonoma County Pride Parade on June 5 after a yearlong hiatus caused by the coronavirus pandemic, Kren-Mora said.

But instead of a procession of floats, it’ll be attendees who will drive through a marked route at the Graton Resort & Casino parking lot, Kren-Mora said.

They’ll pass by stationary displays depicting scenes from the movie, as well as floats and other exhibits built by local LGBTQ-serving community groups, such as Food for Thought and Positive Images.

Last year’s Pride Parade was switched to a virtual variety show due to the pandemic.

“This event is COVID compliant, so we are asking people to stay in their cars and wear their mask if they get out of their cars,” Kren-Mora said of this year’s parade.

Food for Thought, a local nonprofit founded in 1988 to deliver food to neighbors with HIV/AIDS that has since expanded to help people suffering from a variety of illnesses, is building an archway of colorful papier-mache fruits and veggies for its display during the parade, said Kristen Power, Food for Thought’s event manager.

Dave Hall, the nonprofit’s operations director, will also appear as Sister Yanita Letgo along with other members of the Russian River Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence.

When the pandemic began, the county’s Department of Behavioral Health reached out to the nonprofit to see if it could deliver food to families with members who contracted the coronavirus.

The group agreed to help and started a COVID-19 nutrition program, which by the end of April had served nearly 3,300 people, the nonprofit said. Most are Latino.

“We were able to find out that we are able to serve a whole lot more clients than we thought we could,” Power said. “ Now we’re able to look beyond that and start researching new programs that we can provide nutrition to.”

Santa Rosa’s Positive Images has participated in annual Pride celebrations since 1990, the year it was founded, when the organization;s first meeting hosted five gay men seeking support and community, according to the nonprofit’s website.

Pride events help honor LGBTQ leaders throughout history and affirms the community’s right to “exist in beautiful spaces and show our pride,” said Jessica Carroll, the organization’s program director.

This year, the opportunity to gather as a community may be especially important to some, Carroll said.

“Most of us have been apart and distanced, and a lot of folks in our community are feeling heavy isolation and disconnection,” Carroll said.

Besides the parade, the nonprofit will also participate in the raising of the Progress Pride Flag in Healdsburg on June 1, a first for the city after the Healdsburg City Council earlier this month approved an ordinance change that allows nongovernmental flags to be raised on city property.

A picnic on June 12 at Julliard Park in Santa Rosa and an outdoor self expression art camp for teens from June 7-18 at the Sonoma Community Center are among some of the nonprofit’s other events.

On June 26, Sonoma County Pride will present its “Rainbow City Concert” at the Sonoma County Fairgrounds. The lineup includes rapper, singer and choreographer Todrick Hall, “RuPaul’s Drag Race” contestant Morgan McMichaels and musician Ryan Cassata.

A series of virtual community conversations are also slotted throughout the month of June as part of the Sonoma County Pride festivities.

They include a June 16 discussion on chosen families hosted by North Bay LGBTQI Families, a local family support group, and a presentation on body dysmorphia and its effect on the LGBTQ community.

Jessie Hankins, the program manager for LGBTQ Connection, will be one of the people presenting information about an upcoming LGBTQIA+ Needs Assessment Survey during a conversation on June 2.

The survey, which was crafted by a group of more than 10 local LGBTQ-serving organizations known as the Sonoma County LGBTQIA+ Coalition, aims to collect data on their community’s experiences, ranging from the health care they receive to information about their housing and financial wellness, Hankins said.

The survey should be available online and in person in late June and the coalition plans to lean on community partners and elected officials to get it in the hands of harder to reach populations, Hankins said.

Once the data is collected, the coalition hopes to compile a report about their findings and use the information to push for policy change where needed, she added.

“There are new challenges and needs that have arisen because of the pandemic that we want to make sure we know about and are addressing,” Hankins said.

You can reach Staff Writer Nashelly Chavez at 707-521-5203 or nashelly.chavez@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @nashellytweets.