By: Shalisa Krualphan
MEMBERS OF THE SANTA CLARITA VALLEY PACKED UP THEIR PICNIC BASKETS FOR AN EVENING OF FUN AND COLOR. ON OCTOBER 15TH, ALLIES AND MEMBERS OF THE LGBTQ+ COMMUNITY GATHERED IN STEVENSON RANCH TO CELEBRATE PRIDE WITH A PICNIC OPEN TO ALL.
“So the Santa Clarita Valley Pride Picnic is essentially a family-friendly celebration of the local LGBTQ community. We started in 2019, and since the population here, the demographics tend to be families with young children or same-sex couples. We have arts and crafts, and like, games and stuff like that as opposed to the more ‘OONTZ-OONTZ’ versions of pride that exist out there.”
THE SANTA CLARITA VALLEY PRIDE PICNIC NOT ONLY PROVIDES SUPPORT AND
ENTERTAINMENT BUT CREATES A FAMILY THAT MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY CAN CONNECT TO.
“I am both transgender and bisexual and I find a lot of fellowship here and it’s just really wonderful and liberating to find other people like myself.”
WITH LOCAL VENDORS COMING OUT TO THE EVENT, THEIR HOPES ARE TO SHOW THE COMMUNITY THAT THEY ARE NOT ALONE.
“My hope and my belief is that it will suddenly become not so weird or not so uncomfortable in Santa Clarita and everywhere else to be who you are out in the open and not behind your doors or at your particular clubs. That you can just walk down and hold the hand of the person you love without fear of any repercussions.”
