We are super excited to introduce our second product collaboration with Pacific Pride Foundation.
As part of the collection’s rollout, we’d like to introduce some of the folx of the PPF community to get everyone stoked and supporting the cause!
To learn more about PPF or to get involved visit HTTPS://PACIFICPRIDEFOUNDATION.ORG
Angel D’Mon – She/Her
Educator, Curriculum Developer, Experience Creator, Author, LGBTQ+ Activist, Drag Queen, MEd
Do you have a favorite PPF moment and/or one you are most proud of?
When it comes to PPF, I am so happy to live in a city where we have resources for the LGBTQ+ community, including its youth! Events such as the rooftop mixers, Queen of Pride and the Pacific Pride Festival have all been unforgettable memories for me. I am very excited to participate in PROUD Prom this year, especially since it is giving the queer youth the opportunity to have a night of celebration of love, happiness and no judgment. The LGBTQ+ youth have a special place in my heart and I love celebrating their truths and watching them live their true authentic selves.
What’s your proudest accomplishment?
Over the past three years I have really embraced “Choosing Me” and doing what makes me happy. By doing so, I found a love for Drag and writing. Through Drag I am able to create a role model for queer people and young queer people while shining a light on the LGBTQ+ community. Doing so I have written a children’s book with the Award winning author Michael Tyler, for all queer children and allies. I also wrote an inclusive and progressive curriculum that will be taught in schools in Chicago, August of 2022. Finally, queer kids and POC could finally see themselves being represented in their schools, finally we will feel seen and heard. In that time, I have also created a persona for young kids where I read a variety of children’s books.
Storytime with Miss Angel is a fanciful experience filled with laughter, crafts and stories. Miss Angel invites and welcomes the entire family, to bring their happy minds and smiling hearts and join in and relive their childhood — page by page, book by book, story by story. With a diverse library of books that focus on kindness, self-love, empathy and inclusion that also features a wide range of LGBTQ+ children’s books, Miss Angel creates a safe and encouraging space for everyone. She is an author, an elementary school educator and a curriculum consultant with a Master’s Degree in Education. She devotes her time reading to young audiences, performing and dancing throughout her hometown of Santa Barbara, California. If you ever visit her beautiful city, be on the lookout for big hair strutting about!
“Lift your chin, hold it high, keep your head up to the sky, then say in a voice so wonderfully free, “I am fabulously perfect for me”’. — Miss Angel
Lee Palomares – they/them
My name is Lee Palomares and I use they/them pronouns. I’m currently working on getting my bachelor’s in psychology and one day becoming a therapist that works with queer youth.
Where is your happy place? Tell us about it.
Yosemite National Park and going camping. I grew up in North Cal so I and my family would go every other spring or winter. Whenever I go I feel all of my worries and stress leave my body. Especially going to a forest, the air feels nicer and I find it a very beautiful place.
Tell us a bit about your involvement with PPF.
I became a Youth Leader Advocate for PFF in 2018 until 2020. I would attend the youth group session every week during those 2 years.
Do you have a favorite PPF moment and/or one you are most proud of?
Going to NYC for Pride in 2019 with the other Youth Leaders. Not only was it so so much fun, but I also made some lifelong memories and created a bond with the other Youth Leaders that, even if we don’t see each other often, we will still be supporting each other from wherever we are.
Cristian Arango – He/Him
Tell us a bit about your involvement with PPF.
I am a board member for PPF. Prior to becoming one, I remained a supporter and actively attended some of its events.
What inspired you to join PPF?
After being involved in the nonprofit world, PPF truly impressed me with how intentional and impactful its work is in the communities it serves despite having limited revenue streams and restricted budgets due to the COVID pandemic. Further, PPF does an amazing job quantifying the lives it touches.
If you’re comfortable, please tell us about your experience in being out/open.
I came out as a gay man to my friends and family at the age of 21. While interning for a member of congress and then attending law school in Miami, I lived in fear knowing that I could be outed. I did not think members of the LGBTQ+ community could ever lead a company, become a partner at a law firm, run for office, or have a normal life. Law School, a challenging period in my education, did push my mental well-being to start living out and proud. Further, I did marry young to another man and adopted my son who is now 5. Despite ending my marriage, I am happy to know that I gave my son, with his other dad, a second chance to live a life with tons of love and care. Since then, I became an advocate for my community hoping to inspire younger individuals that identify as LGBTQ+ to no longer to live in fear but rather live freely and proudly.
Where is your happy place? Tell us about it.
My happy place(s): hiking in the wilderness, swimming, gymming and caring for orchids.
What’s your proudest accomplishment?
Knowing that my efforts helped protect and preserve 323 affordable units on Miami Beach while serving as Chief Operating Officer for the Miami Beach CDC, in an area experiencing one of the most impactful waves of gentrification seen since 2006.
What does Pride mean to you?
It’s a celebration of love and a people with a common dream.
The last 2 years have been pretty isolating for just about everyone. How have you and PPF navigated the ever-changing landscape?
I moved to Santa Barbara on March 8, 2021. When PPF hosted its July ’21 Sunset at Canary I took advantage of this opportunity and met some of my closest SB friends. Further, I have stayed connected by following PPF on social media, subscribing to its emails, and receiving its first annual report in over a decade.
What is your definition of an LGBTQ + ally?
A person who has the inherent ability to acknowledge, respect, accept, and promote all cultural traits and histories of a marginalized group inclusive of all of its categories. Is not just LGBT, but LGBTQ+.
How can folx support PPF (donations, volunteering, etc)?
Sponsorships and donations will have a direct impact on PPF’s operations.
Do you have a favorite PPF moment and/or one you are most proud of?
Partaking in making the tough decision to cancel the Royal Ball due to OMICRON, and shift focus on creative revenue-generating initiatives to secure, long-term, the economic vitality of the organization while protecting its reputation as an advocate for health and wellness.
What are you most excited about on the horizon for PPF (initiatives, events, etc)?
Its diversification of fundraising initiatives and more intentional connection with local supporters of all ages.
Do you have any specific personal goals for 2022?
Introduce my better half, whom I have dated for two years, to my son for the first time.
Any specific goals for 2022 that encompass the LGBTQ+ community?
Hope to assist PPF in forging stronger relationships with local corporations/companies.