By Julie BUTCHER

On Saturday, June 7, about 250 members of Glendale’s LGBTQIA+ community, their friends, families and allies gathered at Adams Square Mini Park to celebrate PRIDE month. It was the fourth annual family picnic organized by glendaleOUT (https://www.glendaleout.org/).

There were food and bubbles, crafts for little kids, crafts for older kids, crafts for adults, a booth supporting mental health awareness staffed by Didi Hirsch Mental Health Services (https://didihirsch.org/), a photo booth with a rainbow background, and more.

Twenty-year Crescenta Valley High School teacher and advisor to the school’s Gay-Straight Alliance Alicia Harris staffed a table celebrating banned books. She described the day as “a glorious picnic – that’s all it is.”

One gay senior explained the “Be Gay! Do Crime!” slogan: “It’s an homage to olden times when it was illegal to be gay. It started in France, I think. Now, here, I’m proud because I’m not afraid anymore. And we are definitely not going back.”

“My kid was bullied all through middle school, so you know I have to be here to support them,” a mom with GUSD Parents (https://gusdparents.org) shared. Another mom added that the day was about “celebrating joy together.”

Staff and volunteers from Glendale’s Library, Arts, & Culture Dept. offered buttons to paint, friendship bracelet kits to assemble and information about summer programs at the city’s libraries including PRIDE-related events (https://www.eglendalelac.org/pride-month).

“We’re a vital part of the community and we try to show up whenever and wherever we can,” said library director Lessa Kanani′opua Pelayo-Lozada. 

Children and adults listened raptly by the storytelling and music performed by Queen Angelina. 

Hugs were also available.

“Free Mom Hugs [https://freemomhugs.org/] started in Oklahoma – I always like to tell people that – and there’s a group in every state in the country,” a volunteer hugger explained. “Today we’re at eight PRIDE events in this area. We’re totally apolitical; we offer no services – just open arms!”