For 40 years, Sonoma County Pride has been a beacon of love, resilience, and advocacy, uniting the community in a powerful movement for equality. As we celebrate our Ruby Jubilee, we honor the trailblazers who paved the way, the progress we’ve achieved, and the vibrant future we are building together.

Rubies symbolize passion, strength, and prosperity—all qualities that define our LGBTQ+ community. This year’s theme, “Forty & Fierce”, embodies the boldness and brilliance of our journey, reminding us that Pride is not just a celebration but a movement that continues to shine with unwavering courage.

Join us as we paint the town red with love, joy, and advocacy! Whether you’ve been here since the beginning or are just joining the celebration, this year’s Sonoma County Pride will be bigger, bolder, and fiercer than ever.

Let’s honor the past, embrace the present, and ignite the future—together, we are Forty & Fierce!

Forty & Fierce: Celebrating 40 Years of Sonoma County Pride

Sonoma County has long been a place where queer individuals and families have chosen to live, build community, and thrive. According to a 2008 analysis of U.S. Census Bureau data by the San Francisco Chronicle, the Santa Rosa metro area ranked second only to San Francisco in the percentage of same-sex households—a remarkable distinction that underscored the region’s strong LGBTQIA+ presence well before national conversations on marriage equality or anti-discrimination protections reached their peak. Pride in Sonoma County is more than a weekend celebration—it’s a reflection of a deeply rooted, year-round community presence.

What began in 1987 as a modest community picnic has blossomed into one of Northern California’s most vibrant celebrations of LGBTQIA+ visibility, resilience, and joy. For four decades, Sonoma County Pride has honored the power of queer community—lifting up voices, demanding equity, and building spaces where all people can live and love authentically.

The Roots of Pride (1987–1993)

In the wake of a national wave of LGBTQ+ activism, Sonoma County’s first organized Pride effort took shape in 1987, led by Forward Together: Lesbians and Gays of Sonoma County. Under the leadership of early advocates like Magi Fedorka, the group launched the county’s first Pride Picnic at Spring Lake Park and introduced a resolution to the Board of Supervisors acknowledging the LGBTQ+ community. While it would take five years of advocacy for that resolution to pass, the movement was underway.

The late ’80s and early ’90s saw a powerful combination of public celebration and protest: sidewalk marches, community picnics, and eventually Sonoma County’s first permitted Pride Parade in 1992. Grand Marshals like Caren Callahan and Mert Preston helped usher in a new era. Caren Callahan, a champion for LGBTQIA+ representation in education, played a pivotal role in bringing Sonoma State University into active participation with Pride events, helping bridge campus and community. Mert Preston, a tireless advocate who came out later in life, co-founded Face to Face and the Sonoma County Men’s Support Network, leaving a legacy of compassion and visibility for people living with HIV/AIDS. Their leadership reflected Pride’s commitment not only to celebration, but to community care and activism., while early parades and rallies laid the groundwork for broader community acceptance and visibility.

These formative years also laid the foundation for what would become the guiding mission and vision of Sonoma County Pride: to promote equality for all, to support the nonprofit community, and to preserve and educate the public about the rich LGBTQIA+ history of our region. These core values have shaped every stage of Pride’s development.

A Growing Celebration (1994–2016)

In 2018, Sonoma County Pride moved from Guerneville to downtown Santa Rosa, a pivotal shift that allowed the celebration to expand and better serve the community. The relocation provided more space to accommodate growing attendance and offered a central, accessible location that made it easier for more people across the county to participate in Pride events. From the 1990s through the early 2000s, Pride evolved into a countywide movement. The annual parade and festival—anchored for many years at Santa Rosa Junior College—featured commitment ceremonies, live entertainment, and educational programming. In 2005, the celebration expanded to Guerneville, where it thrived for over a decade with themes like “Free to Be” and “Equality Everywhere.” Russian River’s Pride events became known for their grassroots energy, artistry, and unapologetic queer joy.

Artists such as Gwen Avery, a blues and gospel singer known for her powerhouse performances and her role in the women’s music movement of the 1970s—whose song “Sugar Mama” became a queer anthem; Holly Near, a Sonoma County native and iconic folk singer and activist whose song “Singing for Our Lives” became an enduring rallying cry after the assassination of Harvey Milk; Pandora Boxx, a fan-favorite drag performer from RuPaul’s Drag Race known for her humor and visibility; and Bobby Jo Valentine, a gay singer-songwriter celebrated for his heartfelt lyrics about identity, love, and belonging, graced the stage. These artists did more than entertain—they embodied Pride’s spirit of authenticity, empowerment, and celebration., reflecting the rich cultural diversity of the LGBTQIA+ community. Pride in Sonoma County became more than a parade—it became a tradition rooted in resistance, celebration, and love.

Throughout this period, Pride events not only promoted visibility, but actively educated the community and supported numerous local nonprofits—bringing Sonoma County Pride’s mission and vision to life in concrete, lasting ways. These efforts reflected the growing importance of Sonoma County as a hub for LGBTQIA+ life; by the early 2000s, the region had become one of the most popular destinations for LGBTQ+ families and individuals relocating from more urban areas. As noted in the 2008 U.S. Census data, the Santa Rosa metro area ranked second only to San Francisco in the proportion of same-sex households at the time—a reflection of both the cultural shift and the lasting impact of inclusive local advocacy.a reflection of both the cultural shift and the lasting impact of inclusive local advocacy. and supported numerous local nonprofits—bringing Sonoma County Pride’s mission and vision to life in concrete, lasting ways.

A New Era of Impact (2017–Present)

Over the past several years, Sonoma County Pride has continued to honor and celebrate outstanding LGBTQIA+ leaders and allies whose work reflects the organization’s mission to promote equality, educate the public, and support the nonprofit community. In 2024, Pride welcomed renowned activist Cleve Jones, co-founder of the San Francisco AIDS Foundation and creator of the AIDS Memorial Quilt. That same year, Jim Obergefell, the lead plaintiff in the U.S. Supreme Court case that secured marriage equality nationwide, returned to Sonoma County Pride after first being honored in 2019. Additional honorees included Zoe Dunning, a former U.S. Naval officer instrumental in the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” and Felix (Pati) Santiago Reyes, whose advocacy work represents the intersection of queer and Latinx identities.

2023 brought recognition to civic leaders like Mayor Natalie Rogers of Santa Rosa and Osvaldo Jimenez, Mayor of Healdsburg, both of whom have been outspoken advocates for LGBTQIA+ inclusion in local government. Other honorees that year included educator and activist Laurie Fong, OutWatch LGBTQ+ Film Festival, Kate Kendell—longtime leader of the National Center for Lesbian Rights—and Tina Dungan, a historian and educator who has preserved Sonoma County’s queer history for future generations.

In prior years, honorees such as Amy Schneider, the first transgender woman to qualify for the “Jeopardy!” Tournament of Champions (2022), and Alec Mapa, comedian and actor known for his outspoken LGBTQIA+ advocacy (2018), brought national visibility to Sonoma County Pride’s mission. Local changemakers like Mike Kessler, Gary Saperstein, Robin Waters, Dianna L. Grayer, and Matthew Smith were also recognized for their service to the region’s LGBTQIA+ community.

Since its earliest days in 1987, Sonoma County Pride has been shaped by the passion, labor, and love of community members—always as an all-volunteer organization. That commitment has remained unwavering for four decades. From early grassroots picnics and marches to full-scale parades and festivals, every step forward has been driven by people who believed in building a more visible, inclusive, and joyful LGBTQIA+ community.

In 2017, a renewed volunteer board came together to revitalize and grow the organization. What began that year as a 1,000-person gathering in Guerneville has evolved into a multi-day celebration drawing over 20,000 attendees to downtown Santa Rosa by 2024. Sonoma County Pride is now the largest single-day event held at Santa Rosa’s Old Courthouse Square and a leading recipient of city event grant funding—testament to its impact and reach.

Even during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Sonoma County Pride remained committed to keeping Pride alive in innovative and community-safe ways. In 2020, Pride partnered with the Luther Burbank Center for the Arts and Diversified Stage & Sound to produce a virtual two-hour livestream featuring local artists and performers. The production was later featured by WorldPride, reaching a global audience of hundreds of thousands. That same year, with the support of Graton Resort & Casino, Sonoma County Pride hosted its first-ever Drive-Thru Pride Parade, allowing the community to celebrate from their cars while maintaining public health guidelines—a joyful and heartfelt reimagining of togetherness.

This era has also brought unprecedented growth in partnerships and impact. Over 30 business sponsors now support the event, up from just a handful in 2017, with annual fundraising surpassing $125,000. Initiatives like Rainbows Over Sonoma County have raised Pride flags in more than ten cities, while Sonoma County Pride has actively supported the development of new Pride celebrations across the region. In addition to Russian River and Petaluma Pride, recent years have seen the emergence of Cloverdale, Occidental, Windsor, Sebastopol, Healdsburg, and Town of Sonoma Pride events—further amplifying LGBTQIA+ visibility and connection across the entire county.

But with growth has also come deeper purpose: to ensure Sonoma County Pride is a safe, welcoming space for all—especially for BIPOC and other historically marginalized LGBTQIA+ individuals. Pride must be both a celebration and a reflection of the full spectrum of our community, built through equity, intention, and listening.

In just the past two years, Pride has donated over $40,000 to local nonprofits, distributed hundreds of backpacks to underserved youth, and reinvested in organizations serving LGBTQIA+ youth, seniors, and families.

This ongoing dedication to promote, educate, and support the LGBTQIA+ community—our core vision—remains central to everything we do. Sonoma County Pride is not just an annual event; it’s a year-round movement fueled by the belief that Pride should lift everyone, every day.

As Sonoma County Pride celebrates 40 years, it does so with fierce pride in where we’ve come from—and fierce determination to keep growing a movement rooted in joy, justice, and belonging.

A Legacy Worth Celebrating

As we honor those who came before us—the queer elders, activists, allies, and trailblazers who stood firm so we could stand proud—we also look ahead. Pride remains as relevant as ever: a celebration, a space for healing, and a call to action. We invite everyone to be part of the next chapter.

Here’s to 40 years of Sonoma County Pride—and the fierce, fabulous decades still to come.