June Board Letter
Dear Friends and Community Members,
As we welcome Pride Month, I am filled with gratitude and excitement for all that our community has built together here in Nevada County. June is a time to celebrate LGBTQ+ joy, visibility, resilience, and connection — and this year’s Pride events offer so many opportunities to come together in community.
Throughout the month, there is a vibrant lineup of events including the Pride flag raising in Nevada City (Many thanks to Yubanet for donating the flags for six years!), proclamations, arts programming, Queer Movie Night, a benefit concert with Barbara Higbee and Teresa Trull, LaCage at the Nevada Theatre, community gatherings, and the 5th annual Pride Family Fest. These events are more than celebrations — they are reminders that LGBTQ+ people belong, thrive, and deserve spaces where we are seen, valued, and supported.
And thanks to the hard work of a diverse group of community members, the FIRST Nevada City Pride Parade will be on June 6th, followed by a Pride After Party Variety show at the Nevada Theatre.
In addition, we are thrilled that Lavender Glow | Queer Art & Our Shared History, a collaboration celebrating queer history, art, and lived experience here in Nevada County, opened on May 26th, with a community reception on June 12th. It’s been in the planning for more than a year. In addition, a satellite show of these queer artists will open at the Nevada City CHAMP Gallery on June 1.
It reminds us that LGBTQ+ people have always been an important part of the cultural fabric of this region.
This June also marks an important new step forward for our organization and our community. We are proud to launch the Nevada County LGBTQ+ Community Center Needs Assessment Survey. This survey will help us better understand the needs, hopes, and priorities of LGBTQ+ people, families, allies, and service providers across our region as we explore the future possibility of a dedicated LGBTQ+ community center in Nevada County.
Your voice matters deeply in this process. We encourage everyone to participate in the survey and help shape a vision for what our community needs most — from youth support and social connection to arts, wellness, education, and community gathering space.
The survey takes less than 10 minutes and can be found HERE [add Link].
You can learn more about upcoming events, volunteer opportunities, and ways to support our work at www.nevadacountypride.org.
And that brings me to my final thought:
Pride is more than a parade or a flag.
It is the courage to replace isolation with belonging.
It is the belief that every person deserves dignity, respect, and the freedom to live authentically.
That is the future Nevada County Pride is working toward.
Thank you for being part of this growing movement of hope, inclusion, and Pride. We look forward to celebrating with you throughout June and continuing to build a stronger future together.
With gratitude and Pride,
Rick Partridge
Board Chair