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Riverside Pride BBQ Brings the IE LGBTQ+ Family Together in Celebration

  • Pride buttons available for free to all attendees of the Riverside Pride BBQ held in Downtown Riverside on September 28
    Pride buttons available for free to all attendees of the Riverside Pride BBQ held in Downtown Riverside on September 28 Stephen Day
  • Riverside Pride BBQ brought together a collection of amazing food and beverage options including this carne asada flour quesadilla from Flor De Maria and a Lavendar Haze from Mundial Coffee during the celebration in Downtown Riverside on September 28
    Riverside Pride BBQ brought together a collection of amazing food and beverage options, including this carne asada flour quesadilla from Flor De Maria, and a Lavendar Haze from Mundial Coffee during the celebration in Downtown Riverside on September 28 Stephen Day
  • Marlow the Fish performs as Selena during Riversides Pride event in Downtown Riverside on September 28
    Marlow the Fish performs as Selena during Riverside's Pride event in Downtown Riverside on September 28 Stephen Day
  • Local Drag performer Marlow the Fish belts out the song for during Riversides Pride event in Downtown Riverside on September 28
    Local Drag performer, Marlow the Fish, belts out the song for during Riverside's Pride event in Downtown Riverside on September 28 Stephen Day
The Drag show was hosted by Torta Jugosa during Riversides Pride event in Downtown Riverside on September 28
The Drag show was hosted by Torta Jugosa during Riverside's Pride event in Downtown Riverside on September 28 an icon of a camera Stephen Day

Pride events take place in nearly every larger city in America, and Riverside is no exception. Riverside Pride, a local organization dedicated to improving the lives of the Inland Empire's LGBTQ+ family, hosted an end of summer BBQ and street party in Downtown Riverside on September 28, bringing vendors, churches, physical and mental health providers together as well as a collection of amazing food trucks, and a FABULOUS drag show to top off the day.

A staple at Pride events is the Planned Parenthood booth where people can learn more about prevention gender affirming care and get free condoms during the celebration in Downtown Riverside on September 28
A staple at Pride events is the Planned Parenthood booth where people can learn more about prevention, gender affirming care, and get free condoms during the celebration in Downtown Riverside on September 28 an icon of a camera Stephen Day

The event brought together local churches, and physical and mental health groups, and vendors like Cellar Door Bookstore to bring information, services, and products to the local LGBTQ+ attendees. The condom mascot, a familiar site at pride events, was on hand for photo opportunities, and Cellar Door Bookstore hosts a banned book discussion as well as a large collection of banned books available for purchase on site.

A couple present a panel discussion on being out in the IE
The Riverside Pride BBQ brought together a series of panel discussions on local politics, banned books, mental health and substance abuse, and being out in the IE an icon of a camera Stephen Day

Activism is the foundation of Pride, and getting people educated on the current political issues LGBTQ+ people face was a big part of the day with panel discussions on being Out in the IE, local civil rights museum exhibits, and the politics of local and national issues coming up on the ballot soon.

Local Drag performer Athena Kills gives the crowd the show they were begging for during Riversides Pride event in Downtown Riverside on September 28
Local Drag performer, Athena Kills, gives the crowd the show they were begging for during Riverside's Pride event in Downtown Riverside on September 28 an icon of a camera Stephen Day

The night capped off with a FABULOUS drag show hosted by Torta Jugosa, who hosts a weekly show at Hamburger Mary's in Ontario each Thursday. Brag performers included local faves like Athena Kills, Mariah Carey Carey, and Marlow the Fish, all while DJ Kontrol Freak spun tracks and kept the crowd on the edge of their seats.

Riverside Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer Pride Inc., AKA Riverside Pride, has the mission to unite, educate, commemorate, and celebrate the diverse LGBTQIA+ community in Riverside, California and surrounding areas. We aim to be the most visible LGBTQIA+ organization in the area, and be a beacon of hope, joy, and support for our community. If you would like to support their efforts, you can check out their website at www.riversideprideie.org. You should also follow them on Instagram @riversidelgbtq.

See the rest of our photos on our Flickr page.

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Stephen Day
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