Queer Visalia - A local gay blog

I just can’t explain the feeling I’ve had in my heart for the last couple of days. Queer Visalia’s “Pride in the Park” Meet & Greet was a huge success and I believe we witnessed a little of Visalia history in the making right before our eyes. 102 queers coming together for some BBQ and some frisbee is a monumental feat for Visalia and the South Valley. If you were there, you know how much fun we had, and if you weren’t, mark your calendars because we’ll be doing it again, bigger, and better next year! Here is my list of thank you’s to all the chief players in Saturday’s Pride BBQ…

1. Thank you to the officer team of Queer Visalia (Donald, Marica, Jim, and Nate) for all their hard work, time, and team work. It was a joy to watch the flurry of emails go back and forth as you planned and worked together to make such a great event happen.

2. Thank you to Visalia PFLAG. Steven and Joan Palmer are fabulous people, have ALWAYS supported Queer Visalia, and it was a joy to see them Saturday. Steven and Joan embody the type of positive and healthy leadership that we will need as we build and strengthen the local GLBT+ community in Visalia. Queer Visalia is committed to helping Visalia PFLAG grow and succeed and we’re proud to work these fine people.

3. Thanks to Michael Crilly for showing up early, even though we didn’t ask him to, and help us set up and unload boxes of supplies. I was touched to see him show the initiative to just roll up his sleeves and dive in an help. I’m honored to have him be a part of Queer Visalia.

4. Thanks goes to Robin McGehee of the GSA Network for helping us spread the word about the Pride BBQ. I talked to several people that had heard about the event the night before from an email from Robin. It truly warms my heart when organizations work together for the good of the community. Thanks Robin!

5. Special thanks to Mr. Roy Rodriguez, a Queer Fresno blogger, for making the trip down to Visalia and helping us set up and clean up. She kept stealing my drink…but whatever!

6. Thanks also goes to James and Randy of Fresno Reel Pride. Their support and encouragement means the world to me and I was so jealous of their picnic spread…! Those bitches! Lol.

7. Thanks goes to Hillary Meeks of the Visalia Times-Delta for making it a point to include our Pride BBQ in the “Diversity in Visalia” piece they were doing over the weekend.

8. Thanks to the Dykes on Bikes that showed up and treated us to some “victory laps” around the park. I will never forget the image of Nate waving the Pride U.S. Flag. He almost looked butch there for a minute didn’t he?

8. Last, but certainly not least, THANKS YOU to all 102 people that showed up to support Pride in the Park. I saw kids, I met moms and sisters, I met awesome queers from all ages groups, all ages, and all parts of the South Valley.

If there is anyone I missed, I’m so sorry, please don’t be offended. Don’t forget to mark your calendars for next year’s Pride in the Park BBQ exactly one year later: Saturday, May 31, 2009!

Cheers Queers!