Pride By The Beach

On any weekend, in any town, you will find street fairs.  The one I went to on Mission Avenue in Oceanside was different than any one I had been to before.  It was called Pride By the Beach, and was sponsored by the North County LGBTQ.   The mission statement of the orginization is to foster and empower North County LGBTQ community and provide a safe space to sustain equalityand inclusiveness.

I have not seen such a diverse group of presenters in quite a while.   The US Army, several churches of all faiths, political booths for individuals or propositions on the ballot, Community Resource Center, and dozens of LGBTQ organizations to protect gay and lesbian citizens from inequality in housing, work and society.  People of all types were walking around the fair, gathering information and having a good time.  So many services are available for people in need, not just in the gay community, but everywhere.  It's a matter of knowing where to go to access assistance.

Fairs such as Pride By The Beach get the word out that there is a lot of help available for those in the LGBTQ community.  They face unique problems, and luckily we are living in an era where they can get counseling and meet with others like themselves, to discuss their unique issues.  I was so happy to see a broad cross section of the community supporting the fair.  It gives me hope that there are lots of people that want equality and inclusiveness for all.