UPDATE!! After having to postpone HB Pride from May due to the new noise ordinances passed by the city council, we have an official date and time! HB Pride 2024 will be on the Huntington Beach Pier, on Sunday, September 8th from 1pm to 4pm. We'll have music, organizations tabling, art opportunities, and of course, our Giant Pride Flag. We hope you'll join us there! #followtheprideflag #HuntingtonBeachPride #lgbtqcommunity #lgbtq #prideatthepier

In March, OUSD voters made the decision to recall Madison Miner and Rick Ledesma from their positions at Trustees on the Orange Unified School District board, after a wave of chaotic and concerning decisions from them both that included targeting LGBTQ+ students. Last week, two new Trustees were appointed to the OUSD board by the remaining board members after a public interview process to fill those seats. Trustee Sara Pelly and Trustee Dr. Stephen Glass together have a combined 60 years of teaching and education experience between the two of them, and are long time members of the public school system in Orange. The OUSD Recall team, which has been one of the most active organizations in school district politics in Orange County across the board, has expressed their support for these new Trustees. We look forward to seeing, as the OUSD team says, "school board meetings go back to being boring". (not that we think local politics is ever boring 😉) Pelly and Glass will hold these seats through November, at which time they may choose to run for these seats in the regular election. Orange USD meetings are held at 1401 N. Handy Street, Bldg H, Orange. The next meeting is May 9th at 7pm, and is also Livestreamed on YouTube. You can always contact the board by calling (714) 628-4487 or at board@orangeusd.org. We encourage folks, especially those in the OUSD area, to tune into the next meeting and continue to pay attention, as always. #ousdrecall #localpoliticsmatter #politicalactivism #lgbtqpolitics #queeradvocacy #followtheprideflag #queersolidarity #localschoolboards

Hi folks! We're raising funds to support HB Pride 2024 (happening this September!), educational events, voter guides, registration drives, and more! Every donation counts, but for those in Orange County who donate $25 or more, we'll send you a free full-sized Pride flag as a thank you! You'll help us, and you'll help show solidarity with the queer community at a time when your visible support is sorely needed. Your contribution fuels: 🌈 A vibrant HB Pride celebration in September 🏫 Educational & advocacy events throughout the year 📑 Informative voter guides for upcoming elections 🗳️ Voter registration drives to empower our community …and more A big thank you to folks who have donated already.  We are endlessly grateful to the generosity of this community, and will work hard to provide high quality work in return.  P.S. Flag gift is limited to Orange County residents due to delivery costs. If you're outside of Orange County and would really like a flag, shoot us a DM. #nonprofitsofinstagram #politicalactivism #politicaladvocacy #civicengagementmatters #letsmakeavotingbloc #lgbtqcommunity #queersolidarity #queerresistance #followtheprideflag

Thank you to the @latimes for the coverage of the work Pride at the Pier is doing and the crisis LGBTQ+ people face in Huntington Beach and Orange County at large. Tyrone Beason wrote an excellent, detailed study of the nuanced issues facing our community at this crossroads, and we hope that this spotlight on the fight will help us build the resources we need to empower queer folks to get politically involved. You can pick up a copy of the LA Times print copy today to find us on the front cover (7-11 stores in SoCal carry this!), or visit the link in our bio to read the article in full. As always, you can visit our website at prideatthepier.org to learn more, sign up for our newsletter, and/or donate if you're able. Everything helps. 🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍🌈✊ #localpoliticsmatter #queeradvocacy #queersolidarity #nonprofitsofinstagram #frontpagenews #transrightsarehumanrights #lgbtqsolidarity #huntingtonbeachcitycouncil #followtheprideflag

📢📢📢 CALL TO ACTION!! Look, many of us have been hearing about the HB Library for months now - starting with the (so far successful) attempts to ban books about potty training and puberty from the children's and teen's libraries for being "sexually explicit" and "obscene", to the enumerable public comments about "dangerous" queer literature and "groomer" librarians, to the recent unpopular push from the council majority to privatize the library and hand it over to a private equity firm that will cut the pensions of the library staff and potentially remove more "controversial" literature from the library without any recourse, all in the name of making money. Many of you have been outraged, and have asked what to do about it. Well, here's your opportunity - The council minority (Kalmick, Moser, and Bolton) are introducing Agenda item #30 - (24-350) "...Vote of the people to privatize/outsource (charter amendment) and postpone/terminate RFP process until After Vote ". Essentially, this agenda item would put a pause on the out-of-control freight train that is library privatization in HB, and instead put this deeply, deeply unpopular move up to a vote of the citizens in HB. This is the opportunity we have to protect public libraries and to protect the freedom to read - AND to prove the failure of using anti-LGBTQ rhetoric to justify destroying an Orange County public institution that is over a century old. This is a biggie, guys. And if we can get it to pass, we will need support to raise voter awareness of the stakes in November. Please join us. Feel free to bring signs and shirts showing your support for the Freedom to Read, and for Public Libraries. The meeting starts at 6pm - come at least 30 minutes early to put in a comment card and get a seat. Bring water and snacks and a fully charged phone, and prepare to make friends! 🕜: 6pm, May 7th 🏛️: City Council Chambers, 2000 Main St., HB 💻: Livestream available on YouTube @ cityofhb #protectpubliclibraries #freedomtoread #politicalactivism #localpoliticsmatter #readbannedbooks #lgbtqsolidarity

📢📢📢 CALL TO ACTION! The OC Board of Education is at a crossroads. Superintendent Al Mijares is resigning, and the board will soon choose his replacement. This is a critical moment for the future. We know this board has a history of decisions that don't reflect the values of our diverse community. Now is the time to send a message! We need the board to know that parents, educators, and community members are watching. Time/Date: Wednesday, May 1st at 3:30 PM.  It’s highly advised you come early. Address: Board Room, Orange County Department of Education, 200 Kalmus Drive, Costa Mesa, CA 92626.   It will also be live streamed on youtube, on their youtube channel, @orangecountycaboardofeduca2878.  If you're not able to come in person, please live stream it - the viewer count is another way we can show that we are watching their actions here. This new superintendent will have a huge impact on our schools for years to come.  We need a leader who champions all students, regardless of background or identity. Public comment is limited to 30 minutes, so come prepared to speak for 60 seconds.   This will likely be the first of several meetings we ask you to attend and speak, as it will take quite some time for the board to appoint a replacement - but we need to be involved from the jump. This is a marathon, not a sprint. See you there!  #localpoliticsmatter #protectqueerkids #politicalactivism #followtheprideflag #engageforchange

This and every March 31st, we celebrate Transgender Day of Visibility. Trans folks exist all throughout Orange County, and their lives are deeply impacted by the decisions made in council chambers and board rooms. As members of this community, the best way we can celebrate our transgender and nonbinary community members is to get involved in our local politics and civic systems to protect their rights, safety, and dignity. Visibility without protection is a trap, but visibility with solidarity is a celebration. ✊🏳️‍⚧️🎉 #localpoliticsmatter #transdayofvisibility #transrightsarehumanrights #queeradvocacy #queersolidarity #lgbtq #localpolitics #followtheprideflag

What a busy week of tabling it's been! We were so happy to meet so many of you today at the Trans Day of Visibility event that the @lgbtqcenteroc put on. The community events like this are so filled with joy and connection - two things that are key to sustainability in our mission to build a queer voting block in Orange County. Welcome to all of our new followers who found us this past week! We're excited to share more opportunities for engagement, connection, and empowerment with you all. #localpoliticsmatter #transdayofvisibility #transrightsarehumanrights #queersolidarity

Thanks to @ccucclosal for having us table their Flamy Grant/ Tom Goss concert tonight! We got to meet so many amazing people this evening. If you're one of the lovely folks who followed us tonight, drop us a heart! We're looking forward to engaging in new and impactful ways. #followtheprideflag #goodfaithconversations

Big News Incoming. Stay Tuned. #itsasurprise #majorannouncement #lgbtcommunity #queerresistance #queersolidarity #followtheprideflag #prideisaprotest

See our Story for updates! Call to Action today!! Per our allies over at @lgbtqcenteroc : "While the Orange county Registrar of Voters is still counting votes from Tuesday's primary election, Orange Unified School Board school board members Rick Ledesma and Madison Miner are on track to be removed from their seats, as the majority of ballots are in support to recall them. As you are aware, Miner and Ledesma are the school board members who led the introduction and passage of the forced outing policy in the district last fall. Should the recall succeed, the school board will now face decisions regarding filling the vacant seats. Options include appointing interim members until the next regular election in November, calling a special election, or waiting until November for voters to elect replacements. Given the significance of the ongoing election results and the future direction of the school board, we encourage our advocates and allies to stay informed and engaged in the process. We encourage you to attend the upcoming school board meeting, where updates regarding the recall efforts and next steps will likely be discussed. Let's continue to underscore the importance of establishing schools that support and affirm LGBTQIA+ students, parents and families!   📆Date: Monday, March 11, 2024 🕜 Time: Open Session begins at 7:00 pm. Board room opens and public comment submission at 5:00 pm 📍Location: Orange Unified School District 🏫 Address: 1401 North Handy St. Orange, CA 92867" Additional Note: Anti-LGBTQ extremists will likely be there. We will be there ourselves, as will others within the queer community, and our friends from @ousdrecall . You will not be alone, and we'll have a buddy system available should you need it. We stand together, always. ✊ #queersolidarity #queeractivists #localpoliticsmatter #protecttranskids #followtheprideflag #stopfascism

The LGBTQ community came out in force today to help protect the HB Library. We don't know who tagged the library, or why, but we know there are better ways for the queer community to channel our fear, anger, and need for justice. Huntington Beach City Council meetings are every other Tuesday at 6pm, and there are always lots of allies there - we're often there ourselves! The group @fotlhb Friends of the HB Public Library is working hard to fight book banning and protect queer library patrons. The group @protect_hb Protect HB is full of folks who are interested in standing tall in the way of the rampant bigotry in HB. And councilmembers @nataliemoser4hb , @rhonda.bolton , and @dankalmick are consistent allies who are always open to the concerns of the queer community. There's so much work to do - freedom, safety, and dignity for the queer community in Huntington Beach is NOT a lost cause, and there's so much we can do that's more productive than vandalizing a library - especially when the librarians aren't our enemy. We hope you'll join us in the work. ✊✊✊ #queersolidarity #lgbtqsolidarity #queeractivism #hbpubliclibrary #stopfascism #transsolidarity

“I think a lot of people write off Orange County… I did too, in my youth, but then you see that it's actually a place that deserves love and care. And if everyone leaves, then this hurt is always going to continue.” Uyen Hoang is the Executive Director of Viet Rainbow OC (@vietrainbowoc), an intergenerational grassroots organization that “strives to create a world where everyone has the resources and agency to thrive with dignity.” VROC formed in 2013 as a unified banner for LGBTQ+ Vietnamese folks to march under in the annual Little Saigon Tết (Lunar New Year) parade. However, their application was rejected by the parade’s organizers on the grounds that “LGBT is not part of Vietnamese culture.” Orange County is home to the world’s largest Vietnamese immigrant population, and the explicit exclusion of queer people from a huge and important cultural celebration was the catalyst for rapid community mobilization with the loud sentiment that, “queerness exists everywhere.” Born and raised in Orange County, Uyen became involved in VROC in 2016 after seeing the queer Vietnamese community mobilize. ‘What we're continuing to do is really just build an Orange County that is beyond what we know. We're manifesting an Orange County where everyone can have the resources and agencies to thrive with dignity, love and joy and know that they are cared for here.’ ‘It’s a common thing where queer folks think that they have to leave Orange County in order to just be themselves. We want to be able to see more community members - more black trans folks, more queer kids of color, be able to do things. But we have to recognize that Orange County is not a very safe space for queer people of color or for queer people, period. We can really cherish and enjoy the small little moments of progress, while understanding there's a larger beast that we have to address and also know that we aren't going to be like L.A. (...) And so we just have our unique nuance that is Orange County.’ You can support Viet Rainbow OC via their website vietroc.org or follow them @vietrainbowoc #saturdayspotlight #queersolidarity #vietroc

It's Election Day! There's a LOT of close, important races here in Orange County today. Remember - your decisions today make a large impact on this community, even if (especially if) that decision is to stay silent. If you're not sure where to find a polling place, visit ocvote.gov for resources. Remember, you CAN register same-day in California. #electionday #yourvotematters #queersolidarity #lgbtqsolidarity #localpoliticsmatter #lgbtq #protectqueerkids #prideflagban #transrightsarehumanrights #forcedoutingpolicies #followtheprideflag

Pride at the Pier is proud to endorse the campaign for a NO vote on Measure B in Huntington Beach. Measure B would enshrine the pride flag ban ordinance that was passed in 2023 into the City's Charter, and add an extraordinary additional clause requiring a unanimous vote to ever fly it in the city - something that does not exist for any other piece of governance in HB. The supporters of Measure B say in their campaign literature and signage that it's about "protecting the children" - Pride at the Pier stands firmly in opposition to any rhetoric that claims that Pride harms children. To learn more about the No on Measure B campaign, visit their website at www.protecthb.org or check out their Instagram at @protect_hb Disclaimer: As a 501c3, Pride at the Pier can endorse Recalls, Measures, Ballot Initiatives, etc that involve our mission. We cannot endorse partisan political candidates. #localpoliticsmatter #prideflagbans #politicalendorsement #queersolidarity

Pride at the Pier is proud to endorse the recall campaign brought forth by the community in Orange Unified School District. They are seeking to recall OUSD Board Trustees Rick Ledesma and Madison Miner, who have brought chaos and extreme anti-LGBTQ rhetoric to their district while failing to serve the students they were elected to serve. The safety, dignity, and well-being of ALL children should always come first for school board trustees, and partisan political games have no place in OUSD. To learn more about the OUSD Recall campaign, visit their website at www.ousdrecall.com, or check out their Instagram at @ousdrecall . Disclaimer: As a 501c3, Pride at the Pier can endorse Recalls, Measures, Ballot Initiatives, etc that involve our mission. We cannot endorse partisan political candidates. #localpoliticsmatter #ousdrecall #politicalendorsement #queersolidarity #protectqueerkids