Napa Valley Celebrates Pride Month

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Napa Valley has the reputation in California of being the place to go to experience some of the best wines in the world.

It’s also known for luxury hotels, five-star restaurants, and a picturesque landscape.

But did you know there are other popular events happening in Napa that are just as diverse as its wine selection?

Every year, the month of June is celebrated nationally as Pride Month– and the Napa Valley is no exception.

Napa has been providing events in honor of pride for more than a decade, and a large part of that is due to local community members who founded LGBTQ Connection: an initiative created to support undeserved LGBTQ youth and elders in Napa and Sonoma.

“I came out when I was sixteen, so for me pride means celebrating who you are, being proud of your differences and samenesses, feeling comfortable as a person, and not being apologetic.”

Denyelle Bruno, CEO of MWG Holdings

Napa’s Pride Month includes a variety of activities to benefit local LGBTQ organizations. This event, hosted by HUGS, the latest brand from Perfect Union, strives to be inclusive and welcoming to everyone- as reflected in their new products and philanthropy.

This event brought together friends, family, and allies to celebrate the contributions and diversity of the LGBTQ+ community.

“The Founders say we were all born equivalent of the right to life, liberty, and happiness, and pride is a manifestation of that.”

Mansoor Zakaria, Board Member of MWG Holdings

For this event, Lowell Farms founder Dominic Grech donated some products for the gift bags, but every year, they do special pride packs where some of the proceeds of their sales go to GLAAD or other charities.

The reason why many Pride events are held in June is to commemorate the anniversary of the Stonewall Rebellion in New York City on June 28, 1969. Many historians consider it to be the birth of the modern LGBTQ movement. That night in 1969 a riot broke out at the Stonewall Inn when police raided the bar, a common practice at the time.

The violent event started a national show of activism that put a spotlight on the struggle for LGBT equality.

“It’s really important for us to celebrate pride, inclusion, and diversity. Everybody is special and everybody needs to be celebrated and take pride in who they are.”

Dominic Grech, Founder of Lowell Farms

For more information on LGBTQ Connection Napa, please visit www.lgbtqconnection.org.

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