NBOP’s Statement on Sonoma County Pride 2025

Leer en español.

After careful deliberation, evaluation, and deep listening from our base, the North Bay Organizing Project’s (NBOP’s) 20-member coalition voted last month to not participate in the 2025 Sonoma County Pride Parade and Festival.

Following a year of negotiations, the Sonoma County Pride Board continues to welcome and celebrate police presence at their annual parade and festival. Given NBOP’s involvement in Sonoma County’s Sanctuary Coalition work, our leaders acknowledged that this Board has failed to integrate the experiences of QTBIPOC and immigrant communities into their event planning. The political moment demands that we respond to this tension between police presence and the experiences of our communities by deciding not to participate in this year’s activities.

At NBOP, we center those closest to the pain as our leaders, because we believe they are closest to the solution. Our members rooted their vote in their lived experiences as directly-impacted people who have fought for and won changes across Sonoma County that repair harms made to historically excluded and oppressed communities. 

The championing of law enforcement institutions in the Pride parade and festival stands in opposition to the 15-year legacy of NBOP’s community organizing efforts: Developing culturally responsive emergency systems, working to end Sonoma County Sheriff collaboration with ICE, establishing restorative justice programs to reduce school suspensions, winning Measure P for greater police accountability, and seeking justice for community members killed by local law enforcement. 

We lead through our shared values and vision of social justice, dignity, intersectionality, and community care. From Stonewall to Compton’s Cafeteria, NBOP celebrates a Pride born from the liberatory struggle of Black and Brown, queer, trans, working class folks of color against police and state violence. 

NBOP will continue to follow the leadership of our member organizations and partner organizations who share our vision for liberation. We remain steadfast in our mission: to unite people to build leadership and grassroots power for social, economic, racial and environmental justice in Sonoma County and beyond.

– North Bay Organizing Project (NBOP)