Pride Foundation

This is a special guest post by Michael Bonacci, a long-time Pride Foundation volunteer who is now working part time as our organizer for Northwest Washington. Michael was lucky enough to attend Mount Vernon High School’s Over The Rainbow festival, which Pride Foundation was honored to support with a grant.

That's me tabling at the Over the Rainbow Festival at Mount Vernon HS

Students in the Mount Vernon High School’s Gay/Straight Alliance (GSA) club have done it again!  This year’s Over the Rainbow Festival was somehow even more amazing, interesting, well organized and entertaining than I expected.  I’ve had the privilege of being a workshop presenter, organizer and info tabler at the festival over the past three years in addition to serving as a community mentor with the group last year.

The students began the event with the film “Straightlaced:  How Gender’s Got US All Tied Up,” through a generous grant from Pride Foundation board member Doug Exworthy and his partner Kent Poush, the film’s producer Brittney Shepherd of San Francisco attended the screening and led a post-film discussion.

Saturday morning began with lovely singing followed by a spoken word performance.  The afternoon was filled with workshops about Gay History, Homophobia in Daily Life, Being Religious and Being Gay, Gender Identity, Healthy Relationships and Queer People of Color.  The GSA students identified these topics earlier in the year and found presenters from around the state.

Saturday evening was capped off with delightful performances by MVHS alum and singer/songwriter Chris Riffle.  Also celebrating with us was a group from Seattle’s “Diverse Harmony” GLBTQ youth choir, and Brock Madden from the Seattle Men’s Chorus.

MVHS alumni and Pride Foundation scholar, Ian, with his mom at the festival

Are you thinking it just can’t get any better?  Imagine our surprise as we opened Sunday’s edition of the Skagit Valley Herald only to find a large color photograph of drag queen Aleksa Manila above the fold!

I am so proud and delighted to represent Skagit County as a Community Organizer for Pride Foundation’s Northwest Washington  Region, including fabulous folks from Snohomish and Whatcom counties as well.  As far as we know, the MVHS GSA’s annual festival is the only one of its kind produced in the state or perhaps anywhere else in the country.  Pride Foundation has been a proud sponsor of the MVHS GSA for the past three years and we can’t wait to see what these kids come up with next year!

Tags: Grantee, Mount Vernon High School Gay/Straight Alliance, Northwest

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