community CONEJO VALLEY PRIDE by cutter slagle Fall is rapidly
approaching...Though autumn
will find queens trading in open-toed sandals for leather stilettos and bright and bold lipsticks for more neutral-colored tones, there is one accessory that stays in style all year long, despite the change in season: Pride. You may have joyously celebrated the bigger,
well-known Prides in cities such as New York and San Francisco, as well as our very own in San Diego and Los Angeles. However, the celebrations aren’t quite over... not by a long shot. In fact, there is still plenty of pride to go around, and it’s closer than you may think. Recently,The Rage Monthly had the privilege of
speaking with Narissa Petchumrus to learn more about the first annual Conejo Valley Pride, taking place this month in Thousand Oaks. That’s right boys and girls, Pride season continues! Are you ready for another celebration? To start the conversation, Petchumrus revealed
that the festival originated as a resistance to what has been happening since the 2016 election on a
national level, as well as things locally. Unfortunately, there are still elected officials within the Conejo Valley who still hold hostile opinions towards the LGBTQ community. Simply put, the Conejo Valley Pride event is both a celebration and a resistance. A side note to these elected officials (and anyone else) with hostile opinions towards the LGBTQ+ community: It’s almost 2019, can’t we find a new trend? One that doesn’t involve spreading hate, fear and discrimination? Interestingly enough, most of the Pride’s
MYSELF, ALONG WITH MANY OTHERS,
QUESTIONED WHY WE HAD TO DRIVE OUT TO OTHER CITIES IN ORDER TO BE PART OF A VIBRANT, LGBTQ+ COMMUNITY.
WHY NOT CREATE THAT COMMUNITY RIGHT HERE IN CONEJO VALLEY?”
organizers either identify as LGBTQ, are allies of the LGBTQ community or have children who are LGBTQ. Specifically, each organizer is personally invested in garnering much-needed support for the locals in need of it. It was this group of organizers, particularly Petchumrus, who recognized a need for a Pride event in Conejo Valley and took action. “I started analyzing needs in the community that were not being met. An obvious vacuum was a lack of outward support for the local LGBTQ community. Myself, along with many others, questioned why we had to drive to other cities in order to be part of a vibrant, LGBTQ community. Why not create that community right here in Conejo Valley?” From that train of thought, Conejo Valley Pride was officially born and a formal committee was organized, led by an executive board, with Petchumrus serving as its board chair. The executive board has also drawn support from the city of Thousand Oaks, multiple organizations, businesses and other entities.
Highlights from the event include LGBTQ talent in
the form of spoken word and poetry, dance, music and art, DJs and drag performances. There will also be mental and physical health services, LGBTQ non-profits, supportive religious organizations, local business vendors, food trucks, beer garden, refillable water bottle services (to reduce waste), Conejo Valley Pride merchandise, interactive exhibits (one that pays tribute to the Stonewall Riots—the reason Pride events exist in the first place), youth art/crafts, photo booths and more. One of the biggest draws, however, is the fact that
Petchumrus and company are making local LGBTQ history as an event like this has never been done in the Conejo Valley. Attendees will have the ability to intimately shape the area’s local LGBTQ history by supporting and being a part of this day. Attendance and participation will create new relationships and directly support an underserved community in the Conejo Valley. That is the initial goal of this event: to bring critical visibility to the entire LGBTQ+ community of the Conejo Valley and to provide a cathartic experience for all attendees. Petchumrus hopes this becomes an opportunity to connect people to important resources and each other.
Conejo Valley Pride takes place on Saturday, September 22 at the Mary and Richard Carpenter Plaza Park in Thousand Oaks. For tickets and more information, go to
conejovalleypride.com.
CREATING COMMUNITY THROUGH VISIBILITY
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RAGE monthly | SEPTEMBER 2018 RAGE monthly
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