On Monday, June 2, before the Healdsburg City Council meets at 6pm, a “Pride-raising” ceremony will take place as the multi-colored flag of the Pride movement is run up the flagpole. On the agenda for the meeting is a proclamation recognizing June as Pride Month in Healdsburg.
A few days later, on the following Sunday, the same location will see a ceremony by the local Professionals With Pride organization. This and other similar gatherings in June are due in part to PWP’s assertion that Sonoma County has the second-largest population of LGBTQIA+ identifying homes in the nation.
The event, billed as Healdsburg’s “First Annual Pride and Tea Dance!”, promises a day of celebration, inclusivity and support. (Copy editor’s note: it’s not “annual” until the second year; this is the inaugural event)
The flagpole event starts at 2pm, featuring speakers and entertainment for about a half-hour after which the group will adjourn to the nearby Healdsburg Bar & Grill (245 Healdsburg Ave.) for an after-party and silent auction.
City Manager Jeff Kay said he’ll pay a visit to the 2pm gathering, and other city employees may as well. Vice Mayor Chris Herrod is on the speakers list, as is Mariah Hanson, an early promoter of what became the Dinah Shore Weekend in Palm Springs, and entertainer Lambert Moss. Lise Asimont of Dot Wines will be emcee.
It is not an official city event, Kay said, but no permit was necessary, as the city pitched in to help host it.
The primary speaker will be Gary Saperstein of Sonoma, founder and owner of Out in the Vineyard, the earliest and by most accounts most successful of niche wine tourism enterprises. He is also a former interim executive director of the Sonoma Valley Visitors Bureau, among a handful of other pursuits.
In Sonoma he’s a magnet for positive publicity and action. Healdsburg city employees should know that Saperstein, who lives in Sonoma, convinced the city council there to paint the crosswalks the colors of the rainbow for Pride Month.
“For me during these challenging times it is more important than ever for our community to come together,” he said when asked about his role in the Healdsburg Professionals with Pride event on June 8. “This is where we find our joy, our power and our resilience to fight for our rights and our lives.”
Afterward, the Healdsburg Bar & Grill will be the scene of a “tea time” until 5:30pm. A DJ will spin sounds, and drinks and food—as well as auction tickets—will be available. Space is limited to 150 people, so pre-sale tickets ($35 – $50 ) are necessary. The event is a fundraiser for Professionals with Pride, a.k.a. Sonoma County’s LGBTQIA+ Chamber of Commerce. A portion of the proceeds will benefit LGBTQIA+ charities, in partnership with Healdsburg High School’s Gender and Sexuality Alliance.
This event is one of several area Pride events this year, including in Santa Rosa (May 30-31), Sonoma (May 30-June 1), Rohnert Park (May 31), Windsor (June 21) and elsewhere.
For more information and tickets, see professionalswithpride.org.
