The Gala Pride and Diversity Center hosted Pride in the Park Sunday afternoon at Meadow Park in San Luis Obispo. According to representatives, it's the widest-reaching pride event to date on the Central Coast.
From drag performances, to live music, and arts and crafts, the park was in full swing Sunday afternoon. Pride in the Park, a rebirth of Pride Fest at Laguna Lake, had an important reminder for the LGBTQA+ community.
"It's recognition," Director of Operations JBird said. "It's seeing each other, it's having a voice. I mean, our theme this year is We're Still Standing with a little nod to the Elton John song, I'm Still Standing."
The message the Gala Pride and Diversity Center wanted to reiterate was this was a safe space.
“We are facing so much [hate] politically in the world right now, so much hate to our trans family, so much hate to our LGBTQ community and this is a space to be to be seen, to be loved, to be ourselves," JBird emphasized.
Organizers say the support extends outside of San Luis Obispo. Atascadero and Lompoc have created their own committees within the program to extend the outreach of Central Coast Pride.
“That's what events like this are for," Skinny Mocha, an event performer said. "It's to show that we're here, we take up space here, we hold jobs, we hold value in this community.”
The drag performances and acrobat performances kept the vent uplifting for the community and its allies.
“We moved down here seven years ago and there really wasn't very much at all going on," Arroyo Grande resident Annie Aquino said. "There's so much more now and it's more important than ever.”
Not only did the safe space extend to adults, but the kids in attendance as well.
“Just going to all the booths and talking with people [has] been an epic time," Pride in the Park visitor Zoe Bonei said.
"The best thing we can do in the face of someone that doesn't support us is to be loving and continue to move forward and support each other," JBird said.
To continue pride month festivities, the Gala Pride and Diversity Center is hosting Pride Prom for teenagers in 9th - 12th grade on June, 8. More information can be found here.
