Representation and Inclusivity Matter
The NAACP Santa Rosa-Sonoma County Branch has made the decision not to participate in the 2025 Sonoma County Pride parade or festival.
This was not an easy decision. We understand the deep significance Pride holds for many in the LGBTQIA+ community—especially for Black queer and trans people who have long been at the forefront of this movement, often without recognition or protection. Our Branch has spent the past year in dialogue with community members and local organizational partners regarding accessibility, safety, and representation at Sonoma County Pride. We have listened deeply, reflected carefully, and assessed how our participation aligns—or does not—with our values and obligations to community care.
What we know is this: the current structure of Sonoma County Pride does not reflect a shared commitment to equity and inclusion. We have observed a repeated lack of prioritization of historically excluded voices—particularly those of Black and Brown LGBTQIA+ community members and organizations. Our Branch has not been invited to participate in Sonoma County Pride in past years. The limited presence we have had has only come after community partners advocated for our inclusion. That dynamic, in and of itself, reveals a troubling disconnect between the event’s stated values and its practices.
Additionally, the prominent and celebrated presence of law enforcement at Pride continues to be a source of real harm and exclusion for many in our community, especially those who live at the intersection of racial, gender, and immigration-based oppression.
June is one of the most active and demanding months for our Branch, as it is for many organizations rooted in justice work. We must direct our limited capacity toward efforts that offer meaningful impact, build power, and reflect our principles. In a time of increased legislative violence, rising white supremacy, and intensified targeting of queer and trans youth, we are choosing to invest in work that directly supports the safety, healing, and freedom of our community.
Our decision is not made in isolation. We remain in deep relationship with local partners who share our concerns and values, and we are committed to continuing dialogue about what a more inclusive and accountable Pride could look like in the future.
We hold both the grief and the clarity that this decision brings. As always, we remain steadfast in our mission: to ensure the political, educational, social, and economic equality of all persons, and to eliminate race-based discrimination.
If you have questions about this decision, we welcome the opportunity for conversation.
In solidarity,
Santa Rosa-Sonoma County NAACP Branch Executive Committee