by Dot Cannon

Families, art, dance, and great books were all part of the day.

So were saving lives, resources and communication.

San Gabriel Valley Pride’s fourteenth Pride Festival, themed “Fall in Love With Pride”, brought the community together on Saturday in Pasadena’s Memorial Park, with everyone welcome.

One of the first exhibits we saw was the LGBTQ at All Saints (formerly GALAS) table.   The group is currently in the process of changing its name to LGBTQ at All Saints, said co-facilitator Kimberly Anderson, to be even more inclusive.

Kimberly said All Saints Episcopal Church has had a history of “radical inclusiveness”.  “No matter where somebody is on their spiritual journey, they’re welcome at All Saints.”

The LGBTQ ministry at All Saints is very active, Kimberly continued.  “We have activities throughout the year that involve regular fellowship, Sunday brunches once a month,  we have cultural activities…(and) we do workshops throughout the year.”

Upcoming activities for LGBTQ at All Saints include a karaoke party, on November 14th.  New workshops are in the planning stage for 2016, and they’ll also be giving a Christmas party on December 6th, for the whole church, to thank them for their support throughout the year.

“I had heard that it was a gay-friendly church and it’s not just a gay church, it’s an ‘everybody’ church, and it’s an Episcopal church,” Kimberly said.

“The thing that’s been memorable to me…is not all the parties but when I’m sitting at the table, and somebody comes up to me who has had negative experiences with religion, and they’re very nervous and scared, and they come up to me and say, ‘Is this for real?’ and I get to say, ‘yeah, it is for real.’ ”

“And I’ve never been more of a practicing Christian then when I came out and was able to be true to who I am…That’s the most important thing, is just being there to support somebody…who’s not sure that it’s OK to be both gay and Christian.”

Further along in the park was Altadena Community Church.  According to their website, they’re one of the first Southern California churches to officially welcome members of all sexual orientations.   They’re also a disability-friendly church, with wheelchair spaces among the pews.  And yes, those cookies are homemade!

Meanwhile, Pasadena PFLAG was offering information on a new resource.  In addition to the Teen Line Yellow Pages on their table, there’s now an app that teens can download!

While his display showed a sense of fun, Ariel Garcia was also potentially saving lives.

Ariel is the Event Coordinator for the L.A. Condom campaign, a program from L.A. County Department of Public Health.

“Unfortunately, in L.A. County there was an increase in STDs pretty much across the board,” Ariel said.  “So the county developed this program to lift barriers of not only access but cost.”

L.A. Condom, he said, will mail free condoms directly to any L.A. County resident’s home upon request.  They also distribute free condoms through special events, as well as distributing to the community through partner organizations.

“For younger adults, there has been an increase (in STDs) because they either don’t have the access to materials and information, or they aren’t aware of certain risks,” Ariel said.

Technology, he added, is also part of the reason.  “The fact that technology has influenced how individuals meet and interact…for example, on the…social apps where you can hook up real quick, there has been recent evidence that individuals (using) those apps are at higher risk for STDs.”

Asked about ways to approach this problem, Ariel said, “I can only speak for myself, and I try to participate in risk-reduction strategies.  So I talk to my partners about, ‘when was the last time you got tested, what are your testing habits?’…It’s very important to have open communication.”

Communication and resources are also what The G-spot is all about.  They’re the men’s group of Whittier Rio Hondo AIDS Project.

Their display included a message of support–and information about an upcoming drag show on November 13th, at The Whole Place in Whittier.

Not far away, Pacific Reproductive Services reached out to women: both lesbian couples, and single ladies ready to have a family.

“We help ladies who are attempting to begin or expand their families, specifically nontraditional families,” explained staffer Ahyana Clark.

Ahyana said that clients can choose from their sperm donors.  “It’s whatever the parents want, from their donor.  They have a long profile, where they can view the history of the donor, what the donor’s involved in currently…and that can help them make decisions, as parents.”

Sometimes, she said, the parents send letters or pictures of their newborn.  “It’s part of what makes the job so rewarding.  It’s wonderful work.”

Pacific Reproductive Services has been around for about thirty years, she said, and has helped hundreds, if not thousands, of women become parents.

“Sometimes our ladies remind us that thirty years ago or so, this was not a possibility,” Ahyana said.  “Lesbian couples did not have access to donor sperm…It was difficult to find companies that would service you, at all, a generation ago”

“Any individual, any couple, should be able to access and become a family when they’re ready,” she continued.  “Any single ladies, any lesbian couples, anyone that’s interested in having a child, should have access to, and be able to create that life and give it love in the world.”

 

San Gabriel Valley Pride’s fourteenth festival celebrated love–of all kinds–with a Saturday that was family-friendly, eclectic and just plain fun.

Once again, The Big Draw LA gave people a chance to use their creativity and add a message of support to the “yellow brick road”.

 

In the exhibit area, we found these modern Mexican sterling-silver earrings, necklaces and rings, handcrafted by father-and-son artists at Quetzal Boutique.   These were beautifully done and attracted a lot of interest from passersby (and this reporter, who became a customer within minutes of seeing the mother-of-pearl butterflies!)

The Authors’ Forum featured live readings from 1:00 on.

Abdi Nazemian started off, reading from his novel The Walk-In Closet.  His 2015 Lambda Literary Award-nominated novel may be the first to explore the experiences of a gay man in Los Angeles’ Persian community, also known as “Tehrangeles”.

Next was Matthew Shaffer, reading from his nonfiction book So You Want to Be a Dancer: Practical Advice and True Stories From a Working Professional.  His book draws on his experiences working on Broadway–but the creative lessons and tips he offers could really be applied to any creative field.

Then, Peter Saenz put listeners in a Halloween mood, reading from his fantasy novel Coven of Wolves II: Blood Ties.  While his book deals with witches, werewolves and epic battles involving ancient magic, it’s addictive, no matter what time of the year you’re reading it!

Peter will also be signing copies of his book at Comikaze Expo,  on Halloween weekend.

Dance lessons were a new addition to this year’s Pride Festival.  Salsa, contemporary and musical-theatre were among the styles guests could explore.

For the musical-theatre lesson, Matthew came over from the Authors’ Forum to share his expertise.

And as people strolled through the park, four-legged family members were welcome, as well.

Pasadena Humane Society was on hand, once again, with pets for adoption.

Visitors already “owned” by a pampered pooch could find out about grooming, treats and accessories at The Bowhaus Pet Company.  Here, Corgi “Chandler” supervises.

Animal Medical Hospital of Pasadena offered information on low-cost vaccines and pet care.

Of course, San Gabriel Valley Pride Festival wouldn’t be the same without their classic car show, courtesy of Great Autos of Yesteryear, the largest gay and lesbian car club on the West Coast.

At 4:00, Classic Car Show Chair Mitch Braiman announced the results of what had to be a tough choice: the judges’ picks for the winners.

One of those was Jo Dunn, whose 1966 Ford Mustang, “Hi-Ho Silver”, won “Best in Class, 1966 to 1975”.

Congratulations to Jo–and to San Gabriel Valley Pride, for another great celebration.

And Happy Anniversary to them, a little early.  Next year, they’ll celebrate their fifteenth Pride Festival!