31st Annual HR Pride Launch

Barry Menser and I with our dear friend Pam Northam (not the best photo of me!).

The husband and I attended the 31st annual Hampton Roads Pride launch event today at Tysinger Motors here in Hampton, Virginia.  As is always the case when Tysinger hosts, the event was over the top - especially when  surrounded by beautiful Mercedes Benz's and Audi's - and I suspect new levels of pledges to fund the HP Pride event in Norfolk's Town Point Park were achieved.  Despite the last week of political turmoil the event host, the First Lady of Virginia and our very dear friend, Pam Northam, was in attendance.  In addition to setting new records of sponsorship being achieved  - the City of Norfolk again pledged $50,000 - many new sponsors were in attendance as well. 

Other than Harbor Fest (always the first weekend in June), Pride Fest is Norfolk's now largest festival with 30,000 people in attendance.  It is the largest pride event in Virginia and is increasingly drawing cities in Hampton Roads to work collaboratively.  Today, we had members of Congress in attendance, members of the Virginia legislature, and elected officials from Portsmouth, Norfolk, Virginia Beach and Hampton in attendance.

Interestingly, the heavy hitters in the Hampton Roads LGBT community are heavily supportive of Ralph Northam, so Virginia Democrats kissing the butts of DC insiders (Tim Kaine and Mark Warner have major fence mending to do) and would be Democratic presidential candidates may be in for a rude awakening come November 2019, and in 2020, when they want support from the Hampton Roads LGBT community.  I even received thank you's from an number of major players for all my vocal  support of Northam.  Julian Castro, Elizabeth Warren, Kamala Harris and even former Virginia Governor Terry McAullife may have irreparably burned some bridges in their rush to judgment against Ralph Northam, one of the most decent and genuine politicians I have ever known.  I certainly will not support any of these individuals other than perhaps McAulliffe who would have to do some truly major acts of penance to earn my forgiveness.

Pam Northam at the 2019HR Pride launch party.