The Sacramento Rainbow Festival brought color, music, joy and pride to the city’s vibrant Lavender Heights neighborhood as the LGBTQ+ community celebrated – amid security concerns following attacks in the area over the past year.<\/p>\n
Marcus Mosinski, regional operations for Badlands and the Depot, two of the neighborhood’s anchor businesses, said the festival is about having fun while also being visible at a time when that can carry risk.<\/p>\n
“We’ve got to get our voices out there and be heard, and we want to be able to be seen,” Mosinski said.<\/p>\n
Lavender Heights is a district Myron “Terry” Sidie helped pioneer. He opened Faces nightclub more than 40 years ago and has helped put on the nonprofit Rainbow Festival<\/a> for decades. The festival raises money for charitable organizations while creating a safe and fun space for the community.<\/p>\n “Enjoying what we enjoy here today, you can forget for a moment how bad it’s going right now for the community, and we have to defend it,” Sidie said.<\/p>\n Sidie cited challenges facing the LGBTQ+ community at the national level and in Sacramento.<\/p>\n Last November, 57-year-old Alvin Prasad was attacked in Lavender Heights. He went into a coma and later died from his injuries. The man accused of attacking Prasad faces charges including involuntary manslaughter with hate crime enhancements.<\/p>\n Just last week, a man named Joseph Sais was attacked in Lavender Heights and is recovering from his injuries. He told police his attackers made homophobic and racist comments. No arrests have been made in that attack, but Sacramento police said they deployed additional resources to the area for the Rainbow Festival.<\/p>\n Despite ongoing security concerns, the community showed up.<\/p>\n “It’s an important event because it brings our community together,” Mosinski said. “This is definitely a great way to bring in people and fundraise and really get people to see the community.”<\/p>\n Misty Dawn Mastella, an ally of the LGBTQ+ community with Sacramento Sirens Cheer Elite<\/a>, said the turnout is important.<\/p>\n “I love seeing Sacramento come together, helping each other, showing community, showing spirit, celebrating love, celebrating diversity,” Mastella said.<\/p>\n Anyone with possible information about last week’s attack of Joseph Sais, which happened around 1 a.m. Sunday near 20th and L streets, should contact Sacramento police.<\/p>\n Watch more:\u00a0El Ni\u00f1o transition adds to California’s weather shift<\/a><\/p>\n