Bakersfield LGBTQ is the LGBTQ community access portal for Bakersfield and the surrounding County of Kern, in California. We are the local Gay Pride committee, and we organize political, networking and social events all year long. Some of our groups include the Women's Group, Men OUTspoken, Coming Out Support Group, Rainbow Voices singing group, and Rainbow Flags Color Guard.
Bako LGBTQ was born in 2004, as a result of a small group of concerned community members who wanted to see more community activities and advocacy. Originally, we werer allied with Marriage Equality California, but when we decided to put on a Pride festival in the Fall of 2004, we went out on a limb and formed our own group, Bakersfield LGBTQ. We have now successfully held seven Prides, and are excitedly planning our next Pride Festival for Ocotber 2011!
We were recognized by the IRS as a 501c3 non-profit in 2006. We strive to serve our community with educational, advocacy and social opportunities and to date, we have held over 160 successful events of all kinds. We are members of the Consolidated Alliance of Pride, Inc (CAPI), and this brings us into a very strong relationship with Pride committees all over the Western US and Mexico.
We became a member of the Bakersfield Chamber of Commerce in August, 2010.
Our vision for the future includes a Bakersfield LGBTQ Community Center, a place where people could expect to find support groups, social events, educational seminars, advocacy groups and of course, more Pride.
Our Mission
Bakersfield LGBTQ is a nonprofit, social justice and service organization for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning individuals, their families and the community. We are dedicated to creating positive change in people’s lives through advocacy, education, social support and networking.
