Vallejo Pride Picnic coming to Mare Island on Sunday

The LGBTQ community will be gathering Sunday at Alden Park for a celebration and no, it's not for Donald Trump's 80th birthday.

For the 28th time, the Vallejo Gay Network will host its annual Pride Picnic at Alden Park on Mare Island. Vallejo Gay Network Organizer Thomas Bilbo says the picnic is not intended to be a big production. Still, it will be a safe spot for the LGBTQ community to gather with friends and family while enjoying a potluck.

"I think (the event) is even more important this year because it lands on Trump's birthday, and he's treating fellow citizens poorly. And we're going to speak about it," Bilbo told the Times-Herald on Saturday. "We see what is happening to our community. This will be a good gathering of folks in a diverse community."

In April, the Department of Housing and Urban Development announced new wording that gay rights activists say will change federal policy to strip the rights of transgender people to safe housing. The HUD announcement says, "The rule would remove references to 'gender' and 'gender identity' from HUD regulations, or remove and replace them with 'sex."

The rule change would also allow shelters, owners, and other providers the right to "confirm the sex of an individual," which could mean genital exams and other dangerous and exams of any woman or girl.

Bilbo, who is gay, grew up in Mississippi, where inclusion and acceptance were hard to come by. He moved to California years ago and is now proud to call it his home.

"There is the family you are born into and the family you choose," Bilbo said. "The family you are born into is by chance, while the chosen family, I think, is something bigger. My chosen family means more to me and my partner."

The Sunday event begins at noon and will run until approximately 5 p.m. A photo is tentatively scheduled for 2 p.m. on the steps of the gazebo. Bilbo said there will be plenty of music and adult games, while there will also be activities for kids for those who bring their entire families.

Bilbo said the event is not a big production, but more of a "low-key potluck."

The event is located between Railroad and Walnut Avenue and 8th Street on Mare Island.

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