Paso Robles’ first Pride event draws crowd with dancing, drag and rainbow sorbet floats
More than 100 people gathered in Downtown City Park in Paso Robles to celebrate the city’s first official Pride event Friday evening.
Little Gay Paso partnered with Paso People’s Action to put on the event. Paso People’s Action has previously hosted chalk drawing in honor of Pride month, but this year’s event was the first that was officially “Pride” branded, organizers said.
Twinka Masala, a drag king who helped organize the event, said it was important to cater the even toward queer youth because they are the most vulnerable and have the least access to resources.
“Especially in conservative communities, the youth are affected the most,” Masala said. “And the youth — the queer youth, especially in these areas — have the highest rates of depression, suicide rates.”
They added that showing queer youth queer adults who are thriving is important because it shows “you can be gay or trans or whatever and still make it to your 30s or 40s.”
“The sad reality is that not a lot of us do,” Masala said, “and that’s the fire under it all, the fire under wanting to make this event happen.”
Paso Robles’ event was full of dance parties, drag queen readings, chalk drawing and Pride flags. People blew bubbles as others danced to Lady Gaga, and families enjoyed rainbow sorbet floats.
The event did have security and legal observers to protect community members as they were celebrating LGBTQ identities and rights. Organizers said they crowdfunded money to hire security after they received harassment and threats from members of the Paso Robles community.
Camille Katz, with Paso People’s Action, said the need for security showed why it was important to have the event and also how far the Paso Robles community — and country in general — has to go when it comes to LGBTQ civil rights.
“This is what they are afraid of, a drag queen reading a book,” Katz said as she gestured toward dozens of children listening to a drag queen read “Julián is a Mermaid,” a story about a boy who wants to become a mermaid.
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Phoenix Thorne, 22, was born and raised in Paso Robles, and said they often found it difficult to feel accepted in the community as they navigated their identity. They said they ended up shutting themselves away.
With Pride flag incidents at Paso Robles High School — like when someone defecated on a flag and a subsequent flag ban, Thorne said it hasn’t always felt like a safe place to be queer.
“The fact that everyone was able to get together and organize an event like this — it’s just phenomenal and amazing and it makes me feel loved and safe and that there are people like me out here,” they said.
Katz grew up in Morro Bay, and remembers Paso Robles having the reputation for being less tolerant and accepting of other races, sexualities and gender identities.
“It’s not like that anymore. We’re a diverse, accepting, loving community,” she said. “With the support we’ve received, I think it shows that Paso is opening up and becoming more diverse overall. This is becoming a place I’m proud my kids are from.”
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This story was originally published June 25, 2022 at 5:00 AM.
