Meadow Park in San Luis Obispo is no stranger to hosting events—but on May 27, it was host to something Ila Moncreif considers to be more impactful than just another random event.
“This was a space that is welcoming to everyone,” the Tranz Central Coast board chair told New Times. “We wanted it to be an opportunity for people—whether they be trans or allies—to reach out and get connected.”
Together with Central Coast Pride and the Gala Pride and Diversity Center, Tranz Central Coast organized Trans Pride at the Park, a day dedicated to celebrating individuals who identify as trans, nonbinary, intersex, and gender-fluid. The celebration’s part of a slew of events scheduled for Pride Month on the Central Coast, and it was one way to provide a safe space and resources for what Moncreif said can be an underrepresented LGBTQ-plus group.
“People can sometimes take it for granted—and while I can only speak for myself and my experiences—the cultural environment has been hostile to trans people,” she said. “This mere act of getting together and celebrating trans people on the Central Coast is so moving and impactful.”
The event featured activities for people from all walks of life to enjoy in the company of each other with open mics, food trucks, trans-support-centered nonprofits, photo booths, and drag performances.
Moncreif said that while the focus was to celebrate, the most important parts of the event were the resources being offered in the community building at the park’s center. There, participants were able to receive health care advice—something that Moncreif told New Times can be hard to come by due to the social stigma and cost associated with trans care.
The building also housed a clothing exchange and the opportunity to receive free haircuts courtesy of Tiger Lily Studio.
“Everything they would need or want help with we had there,” Moncreif said. “We asked ourselves as we planned the event, ‘What do trans, nonbinary, intersex folks need?'”
Like other Central Coast Pride coordinated events, this one also featured spots where people could clear their minds or escape the social buzz—like mediation meadows and wellness walkways.
“Our goal was to uplift people who feel or who have literally been left behind by our institution,” she said. “I want events like this to be important to trans folks because they deserve to be safe and feel supported in their communities.”
Trans Pride at the Park was one of three events that Moncreif helped coordinate alongside Central Coast Pride Director Laura Albers. The other two days featured a drag show at Libertine Brewing Company on May 26 and a Zoom panel on May 29 highlighting the experiences of being trans on the Central Coast.
“Trans individuals have—across U.S. history—historically been left out of discussions when it comes to celebrating LGTBT-plus groups,” Albers said. “So rather than just having a singular ‘Trans Day of Visibility,’ we wanted to do a whole weekend to raise awareness and offer resources.”
Both Albers and Moncreif are hopeful that the event’s success will not only shed more light on the transgender community on the Central Coast but also help trans individuals feel more welcome to be out and about in their daily lives.
“To have these spaces where people can just go and be themselves is more important than I think most people realize,” Albers said. “They don’t have to be a trans person walking out at the park; they can just be a person at the park enjoying their time.”
Moncreif said that many trans individuals often struggle with day-to-day interactions with the world, so offering them an opportunity to feel normal and gain some skills or access to tools that could help them or those around them is very important.
“There is this saying in the trans community that, ‘You aren’t just coming out once, you are coming out every day of your life,'” she said. “It’s a challenge for a lot of people to navigate pronoun usage in the workspace, manage health care, or even just walk downtown.”
With the success of Trans Pride at the Park, everyone involved in planning it hopes that its impact is felt by more than just those who attended or read about it.
“All of the events—whether it’s the one we just held or future events—are open to allies,” Albers said. “Everyone who wants to come and celebrate is welcome and encouraged no matter the time or place.”
Albers and Moncreif both emphasized that no matter where they’re being held, events like Trans Pride at the Park open the door for more acceptance and dialogue across the Central Coast.
“We have talked to groups throughout SLO County and north Santa Barbara County about putting more events like this on, which will only continue with each passing day,” Moncreif said. “This is a sustainable event that has real momentum, and it is desperately needed in a county where we still have a lot to figure out and learn to accept.”
Moncreif said that acceptance and impact are what truly matter, especially at a time when government and societal forces are at odds with people in the LGBTQ-plus community.
“Celebration is resistance,” she said. “Even if that celebration just affects one person’s life, it means something, and that is more important than people can ever imagine.” Δ
Reach Staff Writer Adrian Vincent Rosas at arosas@newtimesslo.com.
This article appears in Pride 2023.