Dear Community,

Sonoma County Pride will be engaging in dialogue

We have received feedback from some community members around concerns with Law Enforcement involvement in our events, and those same community members have called for a ban of police involvement in future events (including LE participation in the parade and tabling at the Pride festival). Other community members have expressed an interest to involving Law Enforcement in some capacity in Pride Weekend. We take these concerns seriously and are opening an invitation for thoughtful dialogue with a hope of enacting healing and repairing within our community so that we can move forward unified. We know that these are particularly challenging times for LGBTQ++ people, and solidarity and unification is more important than ever. We are stronger united, so our hope is that through respectful dialogue we can work together to form a plan that feels safe and welcoming for all at Sonoma County Pride moving forward. We recognize that this conversation will likely be ongoing for months or even years to discuss, and we are committed to allowing it the time and space necessary so that understanding and growth can happen.

Restorative conversations between Sonoma County Pride and concerned community members will be facilitated by Hanan Huneidi, a BIPOC member of the LGBTQ++ community in Sonoma County. Hanan has a long history of community activism and direct experience working for social justice in various realms throughout our community. Hanan has led community efforts in holding police accountable as well as social justice work within the realm of incarcerated youth and adults. She founded Petaluma Pride and served on the Ad Hoc Committee for Community Restructure for the City of Petaluma which focused on the need for police oversight. We are excited to have Hanan facilitate this important conversation.

Sonoma County Pride Board of Directors