SisterLand Farms invites the Olympic Peninsula community to join in a celebration of diversity, inclusion, and pride.
The farm’s third-annual Pride Picnic is scheduled for 6-9 p.m. on Saturday, June 1, B&B Family Farm, 5883 Old Olympic Highway.
When asked who the invitation is for, Jenson — founder of SisterLand Farms and the Pride Picnic event organizer — cited a sign outside of the Finn River, a Chimacum cidery: “All are welcome who welcome all.”
This event welcomes all ages and operates on a donation basis, ensuring no one is turned away for lack of funds.
Attendees are encouraged to bring dishes for a vegetarian potluck, clothing for a swap, and outdoor gear for a gear swap. Masks are encouraged. The event will be held in both a semi-indoor barn and outdoors.
This will be a no-alcohol event. Organizers wanted to offer a different space for pride apart from those found at bars, brunches or drag events. Pets should be left at home.
For people who are adjacent or self-educating about Pride or the LGBTQ+ experience, Jenson noted the importance of curiosity, good faith, and respect.
Community solutions
Jenson has faced renewed challenges to their identity since moving to Port Angeles in 2018.
“What was acceptable in my queer identity in Washington D.C. or in major cities around the world, is maybe not here,” Jenson said.
Photo credit Zion Hilliker / Pride Picnic attendees gather in the barn at B&B Family Farm during a Pride Picnic in June 2023.
“Pride in general, and my community here affirms what I already know about myself and celebrates it. Which feels magnificent because daily I feel questioned and that’s not work I ever thought I would have to do again after coming out at the age of 11.”
Pride events have a history based in a riot and a resistance to oppression, and different participants and organizers will bring different meanings to the event.
For Jenson, the focus of this event is community building, likening their role to that of a switchboard operator — facilitating connections and fostering a supportive environment for LGBTQ+ people.
“This years theme is ‘Brazen Rural Queer.’ [There’s] this idea that we’re out here and we’re isolated,” Jenson said. “[But] it isn’t as if queer people on the Olympic Peninsula is a new thing. We’ve got volunteers in their 60s and 70s, and they’ve been out here for decades.
“What is new is that we’re getting a little bit more loud, a little bit more vociferous, we’re becoming a little bit more visible. On your own, that can be terrifying, but with a critical mass, it’s exciting. It’s joyful.”
Photo by Zion Hilliker SisterLand Farm employee Eli Smith enjoys a previous Pride Picnic in June 2022.
This is B&B Family Farms’ third year hosting the picnic. Regarding how hosting the event has been for them in past years, farm co-owner Zion Hilliker said, “It has been awesome. We didn’t know what to expect the first year but we knew when Jenson asked for hosting space that we wanted to be a part of it. The team that puts on the event is extremely courteous and always go above and beyond. The event itself is a blast and great for our community.
“To me me pride is about love first and foremost. However, it’s also about celebrating people who have traditionally been marginalized and felt unwelcome in our society. Pride is about love and bringing visibility to community members who have traditionally been pushed to the fringes and left out of sight. Pride is a chance for the LGBTQ+ community to celebrate who they are with love from their community.”
Plenty to do
Jaiden Dokken, the North Olympic Library’s first Poet Laureate, will share their poetry at the event. The library will also bring a bookmobile stocked with LGBTQ+ literature.
Portions of a locally produced lesbian-pirate musical by Fabulist Fables will be performed. There will be a clothing swap hosted by Port Angeles’ Thrift Star, so attendees are encouraged to bring clothes to participate.
Photo credit Zion Hilliker / Jenson speaks at previous Pride Picnic in June 2022.
Both Port Angeles and Sequim Food Banks will be represented.
An outdoor gear swap organized by BIPOC Pride Outdoors will be held, so bring outdoor gear to exchange. Studio Bob will offer a chance to try out figure drawing.
Other participants include LVF Florals and the John Brown Gun Club.
