Together in Pride Written By : Nick Vargus
Togetherness, unity, and celebration of the diversity of the human experience are felt at LGBTQ+ Pride events. PRIDE Visalia in particular has brought together people who ordinarily might not mix, in an area where a Pride ordinarily might not happen. The past four years of PRIDE Visalia have been attended by LGBTQ+ people in all their colors, ethnicities, identities, abilities, political affiliations, and ages. But what’s unusual about PRIDE Visalia is that it’s also been attended by an equal number of straight allies who wanted to demonstrate their support of the local LGBTQ+ community. And as someone who grew up in Visalia, the thought of having a Pride event was radical enough. To have it attended by over 3,000 people equal amounts of straight allies was paradigm altering for me.
giving out “Free Dad Hugs’ alongside the moms at the entrance to PRIDE. I’ve also seen our local elected officials like Devon Mathis and Bob Link engage our youth programs in civic discussions. Most importantly, our local sponsors have stepped up to show their support with donations so that we can have large cultural events. Having an event for 3,000 people costs more than one might think. And for businesses and individuals to sponsor an event and put their name/logo on display as supporters shows our community that we are seen and that we matter. Visibility is a key component of acceptance and togetherness. We are seen as valuable members in our own community. This hasn’t always been the case.
In all the Pride events I’ve been involved in, most of the attendees are part of the LGBTQ+ community. Of course you see a lot of support from straight allies, but I’ve never seen so many proud parents, siblings, and classmates come out to show their support. Tulare and Kings counties have historically been difficult places for LGBTQ+ people to live openly. Access to health care, suicide rates, and other markers of LGBTQ+ acceptance and inclusion have been worse than other areas in California. In 2016 when we began this work, there wasn’t a single healthcare provider listed on The HRC Equality index. With our support and guidance, we have fostered meaningful relationships with our local health care centers, and 3 of them are not only listed, but work with us directly to increase access and safety for our shared clients. As I think back on the founding of The Source in early 2016, it makes sense that half of PRIDE is made up of allies. Our founding board was half straight allies, and continues to be today. Particularly women ages 25-45 make up our strongest supporters. But I’ve seen dads
At PRIDE 2018 a local man came up to me and said that it was a dream come true to have this event in his hometown. He’d always wanted to go to a Pride, but his circumstances were such that it was never possible to make it to San Francisco or LA. When he learned about Pride Visalia he was overjoyed. But he was brought to near tears when his mother and his sister said they wanted to come too. They insisted on taking pictures in our “Portraits of Pride” studio and buying
