Sonoma County Pride will for the first time host an LGBTQI Solidarity Rally Saturday, June 3 in Guerneville 1 – 4 p.m.  The name of the event is “Rise Up,” because this is a call to action for the Community to stand up for:  LGBTQI Rights, Women’s Rights, Immigration Rights, Voting Rights, Racial Equality, and Economic Equality.

“Rise Up” joins the many Pride month events like The LGBT March on Washington, which this year will replace Washington D.C. Pride as it will be more political in nature.  All over the nation, Pride events will take on a more serious tone during this time of much uncertainly and anxiety.

The North Bay’s LGBTQI Community will gather to express their opinions about President Donald Trump’s collusion with racist and anti-gay groups, his anti-immigrant executive orders, his unqualified and anti-gay cabinet nominations and senior advisory positions.

Fifteen speakers will tackle a wide range of issues and motivate the crowd to educate themselves, practice resistance, and refuse to allow this administration, Congress, and the courts to roll back the rights we’ve fought so hard for.  The LGBTQI Community is poised to gain the full equality that is afforded under the Constitution and it will not be deterred.

Some of the folks scheduled to speak are:  Sonoma County District Attorney Jill Ravitch, Sonoma County Supervisor Lynda Hopkins, Petaluma City Councilmember Gabe Kearney, Positive Images Executive Director Javier River-Rosales, and Trans Activist Mandi Camille Hauwert.

“We want to resist apathy.  We want to resist having our Civil Rights rolled back. We want to make it known that the LGBTQI Community stands with our brothers and sisters who also must fight to be seen as equal members of this society, here in California, here in the United States, as well as all over the world,”  said Gary Carnivele, one of the organizers of the rally.

 

 

Sonoma County Pride (SCP) is an all-volunteer non-profit organization dedicated to celebrating and enhancing the lives and well-being of the LGBTQ community and our allies throughout Sonoma County.