Category: Newsflash

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STAY UNITED. STAY STRONG.

The recent election results are painful, but they reinforce the need to unite as an LGBTQIA+ community. Kitsap Pride remains committed to celebrating, supporting, and uniting our community, especially amid increasing attacks on trans and gender non-conforming individuals.

Despite setbacks, there are reasons for hope: protections for marriage equality in California and Colorado, two Black women serving in the U.S. Senate, and Sarah McBride becoming the first openly transgender member of Congress.

Here in Kitsap County we are sending Emily Randall, a proud, queer, Latinx, leader, to Congress, strengthening our representation and becoming the first woman, LGBTQ person to represent Washington’s 6th district.

Our work is more critical than ever. We stand in solidarity with the vulnerable, pledging to fight for a world where everyone—regardless of sexual orientation, gender identity, race, or background—can live with safety, equality, and pride. The attacks on our community, especially trans siblings, are terrifying, but our history shows that we can endure and prevail.

We call on allies and advocates to unite for a future where LGBTQIA+ rights are protected and love overcomes hate. Our values of diversity, respect, and integrity are unwavering. We will not back down or be silenced. We are Kitsap Pride, committed to fighting for equality and dignity, together and in community. Stay Strong, Stay United and please take be extra kind to one another.

United in Pride,

Michael Goodnow
President, Kitsap Pride

P. S. Support Kitsap Pride – Click to Donate.

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2023 Kitsap Pride Poster & More

We are so excited to bring you the 2023 Kitsap Pride event at Gordon Fields (part of the Kitsap County Fairgrounds) in Bremerton, WA on Saturday, July 22 from 2 PM to 9 PM.

We have a great lineup on our Pride Stage. Kicking it off with the Purple Passion Swing Band, Local singer-songwriter ILA, 9 local drag Kings & Queens, DJ Woodrow Low (presented by C89.5fm), the BeautyBoiz, and wrapping up with CarLarans.

This year we wanted to honor the legacy of our neighbor and friend the late Patrick Haggerty. Lavender Country, led by singer and songwriter Patrick Haggerty, released what it widely considered the first openly gay country album in 1973. So join us for a Lavender Hoedown.

We have a great T-shirt and some stickers with our Y’all Means All logo. Plus, we will have some of last year’s T’s that didn’t make it before the festival.

We have our 21+ (w/ID) bar sponsored by Tito’s Vodka and Silver City Brewery. We will have Frozen Tito Ritas and Frosé along with cocktails and beer (including the Silver City Nice Day IPA Pride Edition can.

We also have expanded food offerings with an expanded layout with more room for food and watching the stage. Plus more vendors than ever!

Community partners have come together to create a Teen Space and a Kid Zone.

Thank you to our Major Sponsors ($2,000+)

Thank you to our Day Sponsors ($1,000+)

Media Partner

Community Partners

Thank you to our Community Sponsors ($500+)

Special Thanks

We couldn’t do it without the volunteers and sponsors who make this happen. This is our 27th year and support just keeps growing. Thank you. On behalf of the Kitsap Pride Board of Directors. See you at Pride.

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Volunteer Opportunities

Visit our Volunteer page to find out more and click on the link to get signed up. It can be very rewarding to be a part of creating this community event. We can’t do it without our amazing volunteers.

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2023 Vendor Registration Now Open

Vendor registration for Kitsap Pride 2023 is now open. This year’s festival will be held at the Kitsap County Fairgrounds on Saturday, July 22rd. We plan for a similar layout as last year with additional room for more vendors and more food vendors. We are planning for 5,000 visitors throughout the day this year.

Vendor Information – Click here for more information about becoming a vendor at Kitsap Pride. We have room for food vendors, businesses, non-profits (including clubs), and artisans. This is a great way to reach the LGBTQ+ community in Kitsap County.

Sponsor Kitsap Pride – Kitsap Pride is a free festival largely because of the generous support of our sponsors! We offer sponsorships starting at $500 as part of the vendor application or click here to find out more about sponsoring Kitsap Pride at whatever level is appropriate for you.

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Vicci Martinez to Headline Kitsap Pride

We are Proud to announce that our headliner for the Kitsap Pride stage on Saturday, July 16th at Evergreen Park is Vicci Martinez.

Photo Credit Scott Haydon
Photo Credit Scott Haydon

Vicci Martinez is a recording artist known for passionate performances, powerhouse vocals, and forging her own path—independently releasing music and touring the country for years before being a finalist on the first season of The Voice, NBC’s primetime singing competition, in 2011. On the show, she was mentored by CeeLo Green and they released a single together, “Come Along,” for her major label debut, “Vicci.”

The 31-year-old singer and songwriter from Tacoma lept into the national spotlight when she finished third in NBC’s singing competition “The Voice” in 2011.

A graduate of Stadium High School, Martinez has 10 albums to her credit, including the 2015 self-released “I Am Vicci.”

Martinez has been touring the United States and Europe the past five years. She has performed with artists including Sting, Annie Lennox, B.B. King, The Doobie Brothers, Jonny Lang, Michael Franti, Train, Colbie Caillat and Ed Sheeran. Her music is raw, personal, and powerful. She has returned to releasing music independently with a new found energy and urgency, a new ferocity. On May 1, 2015, she released I Am Vicci Martinez, Its lead single, “Bad News Breaker,” made its debut to nine million viewers on an episode of The Voice. She is currently writing and producing independently on her new record for a release in fall/winter 2016.

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KITSAP PRIDE TWENTY

On July 16, 2016, we will celebrate 20 years of Pride in Kitsap County! This year’s international theme is “Solidarity Through Pride” and, clearly, we have a lot to celebrate! It is the goal of the Kitsap Pride Network (KPN) to make this year’s festivities bigger and better than ever. To do this, though, we need YOUR help!
With planning and strategy for our 20th Pride celebration already underway, we wanted to reach out and encourage you to become involved ASAP. We need people who will voice their ideas during this all-important planning stage and then continue on to help manage and coordinate activities to turn our collective vision into reality.
While we began meeting last fall, it’s not too late to get involved! We are meeting regularly. The location is usually our office or Olympic College, but we will be posting that information along with a meeting reminder a few days before on our Facebook group page. Please respond in a comment below or sign up on our Facebook page to let us know if you’ll be participating. We would encourage you to bring along any friends who might be interested in volunteering.
In addition to seeking more volunteer involvement, KPN is seeking candidates to expand its Board to ensure it represents the diversity of our community. We are a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that is dedicated to celebrating and supporting the LGBTQIA community in Kitsap County. Being a member of our Board requires a dedication to our group’s mission as well as the ability to attend meetings and actively work towards executing our goals.
We also want to hear if there’s something that can be done to make it easier for you to be more active in KPN or Pride volunteer activities. The group open to any suggestions; we really want to make these opportunities as inclusive as possible.
Thank you for your time and support of KPN and Pride in Kitsap County. Because of people like you, we’re celebrating our 20th anniversary. This is a momentous achievement during a very exciting time in our community’s history.
Kitsap Pride is YOUR Pride…and with your help we can set the stage for another 20 years!