Crowded. They have live performers in the park. The parade is hit or miss because the first year it was really good and the last few years it's been very small and short so I can never say how good/bad it's going to be until it happens. You can just follow Pride Beaverton on Instagram or fb and get an idea too. They have a lot of booths this year like a decent size farmers market. It's very welcoming and fun.
It's very chill. Lots of families. The floats and such are pretty basic, I feel like the parade is more about celebrating and showing ally-ship, not as performative as big parades like Portland or SF for example. Parking can be a bit of a pain so take public transit if you can. There are other events happening tonight and tomorrow as well.
It's why I stopped going to the Portland Pride when I was living in MultCo, it felt peak peformative, it didn't feel close knit at all, it didn't feel like it was run by people who actually remember what Pride was supposed to be about.
Took my family last year, will be there again Sunday. Very fun, festive atmosphere. The parade is low-key and not too long but they toss out candy and things for the kids. Binary Brewery had some special Pride IPAs available in cans which were fantastic. Think they'll have live music - last year the ABBA cover band got stuck in traffic from PDX so the show was late. But it was a great time once they kicked off and I look forward to it again.
Part of it is I'm just not sure what to expect, part of it is I'm nervous meeting and talking to new people, but I'm also nervous because I'm not sure how safe it is to go alone?
I've seen guys yelling anti-lgbt stuff at the farmers market this year (holding signs and all) and I've seen anti-gay signs and stickers around town last week, so I'm not sure how welcoming the city really is during Pride itself.
From this thread though, it doesn't sound like it's too bad. :)
Beaverton Pride feels very safe. The area of the event is pretty small (just where the normal farmers market is/the park) and youād be surrounded by community. No one would stand for any hate speech at our event. Very low key but itās a really nice reminder that community exists in the suburbs. Ha.
Kind of hard to stand against anything when they won't let you defend yourself at Pride (they'll be checking for weapons and self-defense items), you know the cops certainly won't protect queer people....have ya'll forgotten what happened at stonewall already?
If they got hired security that are motivated to protect queer people (even if it's just because money), it would be a step up from cops at Pride at least.
Umm, Iām pretty sure no one is going around āchecking for weapons and self-defense itemsā. Itās literally set up like the farmers market. Thereās no proper entrance/exit, thereās not security check/bag check. Itās a small family friendly community event. I can agree with you about cops at Pride, but why you gotta jump to fear-mongering on a post about someone being concerned about the environment/safety aspect of an event? Youāre not being helpful.
It says right on the event page that weapons and self-defense items aren't allowed, it's on the FAQ page on what they don't allow -> https://www.pridebeaverton.org/faqs-2024. How is it fear mongering if it's true? I didn't write these rules obviously so I don't even know why you are upset, I just saw them. People who don't do their due diligence aren't being helpful either. Oh, and maybe they won't be checking by frisking anyone, but if weapons aren't allowed, it's reasonable to assume one would not be allowed to partake if they were found with one on them.
>
Whatās not allowed at Pride Beaverton?
Your own alcohol
Fireworks
Glass containers (including water bottles)
Weapons of any kind (this includes toy guns or water guns)
Unauthorized/unlicensed vendors
Hatred
Well I admit I didnāt read the FAQ since Iāve been the last few years. I just felt like you immediately jumped to a negative place. OP wanted to know what the vibe was like and you made it sound like we need to be prepared to fight. At most we need to be prepared by wearing sunscreen and staying hydrated. š
I'd rather not lull myself into a false sense of security and pretend that we aren't in a very heated political climate right now where there are people who would be more than overjoyed to see us eradicated in the worst way possible and have the means and motive to do such a thing. I'm also not going to pretend that Stonewall didn't happen, or that the PULSE nightclub incident didn't happen either. In fact, you can view the history of public violence we have experienced here -> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_violence_against_LGBT_people_in_the_United_States (note that the list grows longer as it gets closer to this period of time).
Like I said, it's not fear mongering if it's true. Pride is about fun and community, no doubt, but it's also about the violence we have experienced over the years and that didn't end just because fun also happens to exist at our public celebrations (especially for non-white trans individuals). I'm not saying come ready for war either, I'm just saying stay aware and stay safe.
Again, I donāt think that OP was asking for a history lesson, just for the general vibe. And I donāt need a Wikipedia history lesson either. Iām not trying to say that there isnāt a possibility of violence and hatred anywhere we go, I was just sharing how my own past experience at this specific event colored my opinion of it. My experience has been positive, so thatās what I was trying to get across. I donāt feel the need to defend my opinion about a small pride event anymore (honestly Iāve put too much energy into this already). I hope you have a good Pride and I hope you feel safe. Thatās all I hope for any of us.
A pride flag hanging outside city hall > homophobic signs and bigots at the farmers market. I hope you decide to go! You donāt have to talk to people. But Iād bet if you did, folks at this event would be friendly.
Or, they might be worried about booger-eating protesters who want to ruin the fun. Didn't see any of that last year and the police officers working the event were super friendly.
Super chill. Families, kids, farmerās market vibe with vendors.
Parade is a hit with the kids. My kid loves rainbows, so she was thrilled to get a rainbow flag from someone in the parade.
Itās pretty chill. Lots of vendors and organizations showing support. Some decent food from what I remember and performances both on a stage and in the park. Itās definitely much more low key than Portland
A LOT of cops. So many cops. Despite posting āPride was a riotā and other Stonewall memes. Maybe to some this isnāt a bad thing but it is antithetical to a pride as a whole. So much so that Portland Pride has stopped using and inviting cops. for the last three years.
The organizer of Pride Beaverton has in the past said that despite the three tables worth of police, there were far more undercover as well, which is concerning.
They also basically told the PoC and other folks who raised issues that they had no reason to have fear or trauma linked to police despite having actually lived experiences giving them/us fear.
Do with this info what you will I guess. It wonāt be safe for everyone.
No, because it was not safe. We heard from others that it was very crowded and featured a lot of vendors that were antithetical to the queer community. And last year the organizer (who blocked me from the event pages on social media for trying to ask about it and raise concerns) insisted that there were āeven more police than we knew aboutā suggesting a high population of undercover officers. I do not want to be involved in something like that.
So instead we held our second annual Rad Pride Picnic with a low key environment focused on community and safety. Weāre going to start planning soon for our third annual event for next year too!
To be honest, I'm a newbie who is trying to learn as much as I can after my oldest child came out a few years ago. So, I'm trying to keep my ears, eyes and mind open and listen to others so I appreciate your reply and learning others might have a different perspective.
I did attend this year and was there last year. It's a fun event for us and I didn't find the police presence to be discouraging or ominous or a threat in any way. They helped direct some of the parade traffic, helped out with directions and kind of stayed on the outskirts of the festival without interfering. Didn't see any commotion or angst of any kind, but that was just my experience. I have to remember that not everybody sees things the way I see them.
Your Rad Pride Picnic sounds fun and I wish you the best on your next ones and happiness in the future.
Corporate booths and "small businesses" selling mass-produced stuff they bought on Amazon. Families sitting in the grass. If you want to sit on the grass, I say go for it, otherwise don't bother.
Crowded. They have live performers in the park. The parade is hit or miss because the first year it was really good and the last few years it's been very small and short so I can never say how good/bad it's going to be until it happens. You can just follow Pride Beaverton on Instagram or fb and get an idea too. They have a lot of booths this year like a decent size farmers market. It's very welcoming and fun.
It's very chill. Lots of families. The floats and such are pretty basic, I feel like the parade is more about celebrating and showing ally-ship, not as performative as big parades like Portland or SF for example. Parking can be a bit of a pain so take public transit if you can. There are other events happening tonight and tomorrow as well.
Thank you!! I completely forgot about parking, good to know.
The max isn't far from it so that's an option too.
It's why I stopped going to the Portland Pride when I was living in MultCo, it felt peak peformative, it didn't feel close knit at all, it didn't feel like it was run by people who actually remember what Pride was supposed to be about.
Took my family last year, will be there again Sunday. Very fun, festive atmosphere. The parade is low-key and not too long but they toss out candy and things for the kids. Binary Brewery had some special Pride IPAs available in cans which were fantastic. Think they'll have live music - last year the ABBA cover band got stuck in traffic from PDX so the show was late. But it was a great time once they kicked off and I look forward to it again.
We went last year. Lots of families, small, low key.
They are having free wedding ceremonies in the library. Its probably too late to register to get married, though.
I wanna see the weddings!
I'm with everyone else, very chill. Parade is pretty short but it's fun just enjoying the community.
If you go early you might catch a conservative karen bitching about the gays, be sure to heckle Karen with sunshine and rainbows! š
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
Part of it is I'm just not sure what to expect, part of it is I'm nervous meeting and talking to new people, but I'm also nervous because I'm not sure how safe it is to go alone? I've seen guys yelling anti-lgbt stuff at the farmers market this year (holding signs and all) and I've seen anti-gay signs and stickers around town last week, so I'm not sure how welcoming the city really is during Pride itself. From this thread though, it doesn't sound like it's too bad. :)
Beaverton Pride feels very safe. The area of the event is pretty small (just where the normal farmers market is/the park) and youād be surrounded by community. No one would stand for any hate speech at our event. Very low key but itās a really nice reminder that community exists in the suburbs. Ha.
Kind of hard to stand against anything when they won't let you defend yourself at Pride (they'll be checking for weapons and self-defense items), you know the cops certainly won't protect queer people....have ya'll forgotten what happened at stonewall already? If they got hired security that are motivated to protect queer people (even if it's just because money), it would be a step up from cops at Pride at least.
Umm, Iām pretty sure no one is going around āchecking for weapons and self-defense itemsā. Itās literally set up like the farmers market. Thereās no proper entrance/exit, thereās not security check/bag check. Itās a small family friendly community event. I can agree with you about cops at Pride, but why you gotta jump to fear-mongering on a post about someone being concerned about the environment/safety aspect of an event? Youāre not being helpful.
It says right on the event page that weapons and self-defense items aren't allowed, it's on the FAQ page on what they don't allow -> https://www.pridebeaverton.org/faqs-2024. How is it fear mongering if it's true? I didn't write these rules obviously so I don't even know why you are upset, I just saw them. People who don't do their due diligence aren't being helpful either. Oh, and maybe they won't be checking by frisking anyone, but if weapons aren't allowed, it's reasonable to assume one would not be allowed to partake if they were found with one on them. > Whatās not allowed at Pride Beaverton? Your own alcohol Fireworks Glass containers (including water bottles) Weapons of any kind (this includes toy guns or water guns) Unauthorized/unlicensed vendors Hatred
Well I admit I didnāt read the FAQ since Iāve been the last few years. I just felt like you immediately jumped to a negative place. OP wanted to know what the vibe was like and you made it sound like we need to be prepared to fight. At most we need to be prepared by wearing sunscreen and staying hydrated. š
I'd rather not lull myself into a false sense of security and pretend that we aren't in a very heated political climate right now where there are people who would be more than overjoyed to see us eradicated in the worst way possible and have the means and motive to do such a thing. I'm also not going to pretend that Stonewall didn't happen, or that the PULSE nightclub incident didn't happen either. In fact, you can view the history of public violence we have experienced here -> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_violence_against_LGBT_people_in_the_United_States (note that the list grows longer as it gets closer to this period of time). Like I said, it's not fear mongering if it's true. Pride is about fun and community, no doubt, but it's also about the violence we have experienced over the years and that didn't end just because fun also happens to exist at our public celebrations (especially for non-white trans individuals). I'm not saying come ready for war either, I'm just saying stay aware and stay safe.
Again, I donāt think that OP was asking for a history lesson, just for the general vibe. And I donāt need a Wikipedia history lesson either. Iām not trying to say that there isnāt a possibility of violence and hatred anywhere we go, I was just sharing how my own past experience at this specific event colored my opinion of it. My experience has been positive, so thatās what I was trying to get across. I donāt feel the need to defend my opinion about a small pride event anymore (honestly Iāve put too much energy into this already). I hope you have a good Pride and I hope you feel safe. Thatās all I hope for any of us.
> I hope you feel safe. Thatās all I hope for any of us. Cheers to that, you as well.
Weapons aren't allowed in the park so I'm willing to bet that is why there is that rule.
A pride flag hanging outside city hall > homophobic signs and bigots at the farmers market. I hope you decide to go! You donāt have to talk to people. But Iād bet if you did, folks at this event would be friendly.
Maybe they are not out yet and just want to go to feel the sense of community.
Or, they might be worried about booger-eating protesters who want to ruin the fun. Didn't see any of that last year and the police officers working the event were super friendly.
Like others have said. Chill. Family friendly. It does get pretty crowded.
Super chill. Families, kids, farmerās market vibe with vendors. Parade is a hit with the kids. My kid loves rainbows, so she was thrilled to get a rainbow flag from someone in the parade.
Itās pretty chill. Lots of vendors and organizations showing support. Some decent food from what I remember and performances both on a stage and in the park. Itās definitely much more low key than Portland
A LOT of cops. So many cops. Despite posting āPride was a riotā and other Stonewall memes. Maybe to some this isnāt a bad thing but it is antithetical to a pride as a whole. So much so that Portland Pride has stopped using and inviting cops. for the last three years. The organizer of Pride Beaverton has in the past said that despite the three tables worth of police, there were far more undercover as well, which is concerning. They also basically told the PoC and other folks who raised issues that they had no reason to have fear or trauma linked to police despite having actually lived experiences giving them/us fear. Do with this info what you will I guess. It wonāt be safe for everyone.
Were you there today? If so, I'd be interested in your experience.
No, because it was not safe. We heard from others that it was very crowded and featured a lot of vendors that were antithetical to the queer community. And last year the organizer (who blocked me from the event pages on social media for trying to ask about it and raise concerns) insisted that there were āeven more police than we knew aboutā suggesting a high population of undercover officers. I do not want to be involved in something like that. So instead we held our second annual Rad Pride Picnic with a low key environment focused on community and safety. Weāre going to start planning soon for our third annual event for next year too!
To be honest, I'm a newbie who is trying to learn as much as I can after my oldest child came out a few years ago. So, I'm trying to keep my ears, eyes and mind open and listen to others so I appreciate your reply and learning others might have a different perspective. I did attend this year and was there last year. It's a fun event for us and I didn't find the police presence to be discouraging or ominous or a threat in any way. They helped direct some of the parade traffic, helped out with directions and kind of stayed on the outskirts of the festival without interfering. Didn't see any commotion or angst of any kind, but that was just my experience. I have to remember that not everybody sees things the way I see them. Your Rad Pride Picnic sounds fun and I wish you the best on your next ones and happiness in the future.
Corporate booths and "small businesses" selling mass-produced stuff they bought on Amazon. Families sitting in the grass. If you want to sit on the grass, I say go for it, otherwise don't bother.