Carson Valley LGBTQ and Friends Social Saturday, March 14, Email RSVP Required by Thursday, March 12

The Carson Valley LGBTQ+ and Friends Social is proud to announce the Business Sponsorship of Sassafras Eclectic Food Joint as well as Community Sponsors – PFAG (United States’ first and largest organization uniting parents, families, and allies with people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer – LGBTQ+) and Sassabration (Carson Valley’s Annual Pride Celebration).

A word from one of our founders is at the end of this article.

Door prizes for people willing to give their email addresses so that the monthly LGBTQ+ and Friends Monthly Social can stay in touch include gift certificates from DST Coffee in Gardnerville (a welcoming place for everyone: conservative or liberal, religious or not, straight or gay), A to Zen and Sassafras in Carson City as well as original art from Carson City’s Nevada Artists Association Gallery at the Brewery Arts Center.

The first LGBTQ and Friends Social will be Saturday, March 14th, 2-5pm at Sassafras Eclectic Food Joint. Your RSVP is required for the luncheon. The luncheon is $12 per person NOT including gratuity. Please be generous to your server.

Please RSVP by Thursday, March 12th. Email your RSVP to cvlgbtqandfriends@gmail.com. You can decide your menu selections when at Sassafras.

Sassafras is located at 1500 Old Hot Springs Road, Carson City, NV 89706.

The luncheon has a $12 fixed price menu NOT including gratuity (the price does include tax). Please tip your server generously.

The menu choices are as follows:
Cheese Pizza: Homemade Marinara & Cheese

Small Roasted Beet Salad: Mixed greens with roasted beets, spiced pecans and blue cheese with a roasted garlic & beet vinaigrette

Entrée House Salad: Mixed greens with fresh veggies and choice of dressing

Nachos Borrachos: Fresh chips, melted cheeses, black beans, grilled peppers & onions, sour cream & homemade salsas

Hamburger or Cheeseburger (Veggie Patty available): ½ pound burger on a brioche bun with lettuce, tomato & onion on the side. Served with your choice of side: Hand cut French Fries, Homemade Potato Chips, Blue Cheese Slaw, Thai Slaw or Yucatan Potato Salad

Cold Sandwiches: Deli Sliced Pit Ham, Oven Roasted Turkey or Tuna Salad
Sandwiches are served with your choice of bread: Sourdough, Whole Grain or Rye and a choice of side: Hand cut French Fries, Homemade Potato Chips, Blue Cheese Slaw, Thai Slaw or Yucatan Potato Salad

Price $12 (incl tax) per person includes choice of drink: Pepsi, Diet Pepsi, Sierra Mist, Dr. Pepper, Mountain Dew, Root Beer, Lemonade, Club Soda, Tonic Water, Iced Tea or Coffee
Again, Gratuity is NOT included. Please be generous to your servers.

The goal of the Carson Valley LGBTQ and Friends Socials is to draw folks together to meet one another and develop new friendships. Beyond the $12 luncheon price, there are two simple requirements for participating: 1. That you come from a loving place and 2. That you respect, recognize and embrace your differences with others.

Looking forward to seeing you!

Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CV-LGBTQ-Friends-107309864199742/

From one of our founders: I’ve been a community fundraiser, activist, organizer, and educator as well as an AIDS-rights activist, educator and fundraiser for 40 years this coming December. I came out as a gay man in 1980. The world was a different place then. Our bars were raided routinely, there was rabid gay-bashing, people were outed causing them the loss and separation from their married families, blood families, friends and jobs. I came out to stand up for those who could not stand up for themselves.

That community involvement started in Santa Cruz and on to San Jose to San Francisco to Kauai back to San Jose and on to Mexico. I have called Nevada home for the past five years. This is the first LGBTQ+ organizing I’ve done here so I don’t know what to expect. I just know that, by doing all that I can, I’ll give this Social the best chance for participation, enjoyment and success.

I live in Gardnerville. I believe that Nevadans do not care what you do in your home or how you present yourself outside your home. They only truly care about is how you behave in public. Are you courteous and kind? Do you hold the door open for men and women alike? Do you tailgate? In Gardnerville, I’ve gone out in my very obvious “Gay Pride” t’ shirt shopping at Walmart, Raley’s, Walgreens, AM/PM for gas and shopping. No one treated me different. Of everyone, only one old woman did draw her husband close in Walmart saying, “He doesn’t come from our community”. I just turned around and laughed.

I am not saying that everyone has an easy time in Nevada. They don’t. I’m not saying that everywhere in public is safe to be out. It isn’t. I am saying that we are so much stronger in numbers than we are alone. I am saying that meeting others who are different from myself and my experience is very important. This is a light, no-topic, no-group therapy event. Its sole purpose is to give folks and myself the opportunity to develop friendships.

This is a safe space event. All we ask of participants is that they be loving and that they embrace – not hate or mock – their differences with others.

I hope to see you there. Mark Gillard