SGN Jun 16, 2023 - Part 2

Queer & Local Businesses

BY BENNY LOY SGN CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Pride Month is often a time of “rainbow capitalism”: like the Christmas season, companies fall over one another to sell their products to the demographics that celebrate the occasion.

However, it’s hard to get excited about a new Pride selection when this “support” is subject to a cost (potential outrage)–benefit (LGBTQIA+ dollars) analysis. So we’ve searched high and low and selected various Queer-owned businesses that deserve to be shown some love. Whether you’re looking for clothing in Seattle or in the market for a haircut on Vashon Island, these enterprises stand out.

Mosé Auto, Georgetown

Vehicle repair and maintenance can be a stressful experience, especially if you know little to nothing about how cars work and/or are feminine presenting.

But the dread of mentally preparing yourself for the possibility of getting a shady mechanic who thinks you’re a sucker is over. Mariajose Barrera, the owner of Mosé Auto in Georgetown, has your back. Whether you need a repair, general maintenance, or auto body detailing, the company’s motto is “Automotive repair for every human,” and it lives up to that.

The crew at Mosé Auto thinks of everything. They use the most up-to-date diagnosis software for your vehicle, and original equipment manufacturer (OEM) parts so as not to compromise your warranty. These parts are sourced locally or from Mosé’s own warehouse to keep your money in the community. All of its work comes with a three-month or 12,000-mile guarantee, and all its parts come with a manufacturer guarantee.

The best part is that the business is committed to not leaving you in the dark. It offers basic classes focusing on empowering women

you should be proud to support

to maintain their vehicles. As Barrera states, “Growing up in a family-run business has taught me the value of providing high-quality services with the best value possible, along with friendly advice. At Mosé Auto, we are committed to our community.”

Wellspring Midwifery, Federal Way

St arting a family is a big decision, and navigating bringing a new life to the world can be scary. Midwives Elliott Leslie and Lizz Fay will guide you through this process with “anti-racist, queer-centered, and anti-oppressive care.” One testimonial on their website states, “I felt like I was being treated more like a person than an incubator for the real patient.” They offer prenatal care; home and birth-center birth; and monitrice, postpartum, and newborn care.

Th e midwives are committed and available 24/7 for all your needs, and they believe in tailoring their services to each family’s unique structures and values. They also ensure that you are informed every step of the way and have a full say in how you build your family.

You can have your baby in the birth center or your home; water births are also an option. If hospital treatment is needed, the midwives will provide a smooth transition to in-hospital care and accompany you there. Throughout the journey, Leslie and Fay provide trauma-informed counseling and all the resources needed for all decisions, including if the pregnancy does not go according to plan.

They also continually educate themselves on anti-oppression care and show accountability through self-audits. They acknowledge the struggles of low-income families, and Washington Apple Health Care fully covers all of their insurancebased care.

Shikorina Pastries, Central District

Everyone remembers that recent rise in baking, so to speak. While many of us were stuck at home during the early pandemic, Hana Yohannes pivoted to make pastries her career. With the help of the Pastry Project, a program that offers free training, and a successful GoFundMe campaign, she started Shikorina Pastries. The shop is located in a home, and her products all give off that welcoming vibe. “I really want this to be a place where everyone feels welcome,” Yohannes said in a 2021 interview with KING-5 News.

Yohannes is devoted to sharing the support she was given to start her business with the broader community through sustainability, ethical ingredients, and affordability. The bakery aims for zero waste and only uses two single-use items: compostable parchment paper and gloves. All its products’ packaging is either reusable, compostable, or recyclable. Any glass jars from the shop can be returned for a discount on your next order. All the ingredients come from local, organic, or fair-trade sources.

Yohannes believes in providing an inclusive experience, so no matter any allergy or diet restrictions you may have, you are sure to find something sweet.

The chocolate Shikorina uses is from Seattle-based Theo Chocolate, and the plant-based sprinkles are from Seattlebased India Tree. Its wheat flours are bought from Central Milling, an employeeowned company in Utah.

The employees make everything from gluten-free cinnamon rolls to their most popular menu item, homemade pop-tarts.

Shikorina also takes custom cake orders and has a space for meetings.

Yohannes believes everyone deserves a tasty treat every once in a while, so her business offers a sliding scale, pay-whatyou-can option for some of its products. Goodies priced at $5–10, for example, can go as low as $2.50 if that’s all you can manage at the time.

C’mon Barber, Vashon Island

“G et spiffy, stay classy” is the motto of Tara Morgan’s mobile barbering business. When she was laid off during the pandemic, people started asking her to cut their hair. That’s when the vision for how she could serve the Vashon Island community was born. She invested in an electric bike, loaded it with equipment, and began cycling across the island to cut hair on people’s porches.

Morgan found that being a community barber was her calling and eventually invested in a delivery van and outfitted it as a mobile barbershop. She named the van Mickey, after her late father. Morgan still rides the bicycle to see her patrons in their natural habitat, but she also takes the van to community events, like the Strawberry Festival.

Her practice is also expanding into dog grooming, with more info about that to be announced.

Vashon Island is a short ferry ride from Seattle. If you plan on attending the Strawberry Festival or other events there, look for Mickey the delivery van and Morgan. She’ll have you looking spiffy and classy quicker than she can pedal.

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Dazzle Cleaning, Georgetown

Logan Jay Taylor’s self-proclaimed “Gayest cleaning company in America” was started in 2015; it was his way to turn his favorite hobby into his profession. Now having served over a thousand customers in Seattle, Taylor has built an enterprise that focuses on being environmentally and LGBTQIA+ friendly and prioritizing employee happiness, as well as community-minded. It offers residential, office, and moving-related cleaning.

The business has been eco-friendly since the beginning, but Taylor realized that buying “green” cleaning supplies was insufficient, as those products increase carbon emissions as a result of their supply chain. So Dazzle took matters into its own hands by making cleaners with water, mineral oil, baking soda, baking powder, and vinegar. Its bags are compostable, and it replaced paper products with cleaning cloths. It also strategically routed its supply chain to maximize efficiency.

“T he best way to have really happy clients who love your company is to have super happy cleaners that love their job,” says Taylor. Cleaners at Dazzle get industry-leading benefits, including a $26 starting hourly wage, insurance, IRA matching, paid time off, and flexible scheduling. One employee stated, “I’ve been working here for three years, and this is one of the best companies I’ve ever worked for.”

Da zzle also created the Merry Fairies program, which regularly cleans the bathrooms of two organizations that serve those experiencing homelessness: St. Francis House and Facing Homelessness. It also cleans the homes of people who can’t afford to hire a cleaner and physically can’t clean due to disability or illness — free of charge.

Dace’s Rock ‘N’ More Music Academy, Maple Valley

The academy was established in 2005 by Dace Anderson, initially as a for-profit business called the School of Rock. However, Anderson later realized that becoming a nonprofit would better fit the mission statement, and the business became Dace’s Rock ‘N’ More Music Academy. Its mission statement says it “is here to provide a positive, uplifting, and inclusive educational experience for all members of the community

through private, class, and applied music instruction regardless of ability to pay.”

The academy offers lessons to all ages (including adults) and skill levels in guitar, bass, drums, vocals, piano, and ukulele. Anderson believes that even though learning through online sources like YouTube videos is more accessible than ever, nothing can beat face-to-face lessons. The benefits to children especially are significant, including improvements in academic, physical, and social skills. Along with the private lessons and classes, the school offers “rockology” and continuing education classes for adults at Green River College.

Rockology groups students into bands, in which they select the songs they’ll play and a band name. After six rehearsals, they’ll put on a “sweet gig” for a live audience. They often perform in the Chalet Theater in Enumclaw for an audience of about 200–400 people.

The college courses are curated and taught by Anderson. She educates adults on various topics, like the history of rock’ n’ roll and the business of music. The courses also offer ongoing artist support, with opportunities for students to get gigs (including at Key Arena), radio play on several stations, studio recording time, and songwriting workshops.

The best part about the academy is its tuition assistance program. Anderson has given tens of thousands of dollars away in tuition assistance and scholarships. As the business states on its website, “We won’t let your ability to pay get in the way.”

Anderson cares deeply about spreading the joy of rock and roll to her community and giving artists the tools to learn and grow.

Th is Pride, there is so much to be proud of, and these businesses make us even more so. These LGBTQIA+ business owners are pursuing their dreams and uplifting others while they do it. Whether educating others about vehicle maintenance or music, putting extra effort into operating ethically, providing affordable and accessible services to underserved community members, or even cycling the length of an island to give safe, open-air haircuts during a pandemic, these operations truly epitomize the passion our community has to offer.

The Queer Trans Project does lifesaving work from the frontlines

BY LINDSEY ANDERSON SGN STAFF WRITER

While Florida may be one of the most dangerous states in the country for LGBTQ+ people, it’s also the home of one of the most vital nonprofits: the Queer Trans Project. Cielo Sunsarae founded the organization in 2021 as a response to gaps he felt excluded some Queer and Trans people in other grassroots organizations.

“I founded the Queer Trans Project during a time when I had just gotten comfortable with my sexuality, and then my mind was like, ‘Wait, gender?’” Sunsarae said.

While navigating his coming-of-gender journey, Sunsarae sought help from nonprofits and grassroots organizations that aid and advocate for Queer and Trans people. “There were either none, or the resources that were available were very restrictive,” he recalled.

“Some organizations will only give resources to individuals who identify a certain way, or if they’re a certain age, or if they live in a certain city or zip code,” he said. “I just think that’s very restrictive, because you don’t stop being Queer or Trans or Lesbian because of your age or where you live.”

After noticing the gap in LGBTQ+specific mutual aid programs, he started the Queer Trans Project. The organization stands on three principles: providing resources to everybody regardless of age, gender, or location; working within the community and not competing for resources with other LGBTQ+-focused nonprofits; and prioritizing the experiences of BIPOC people.

Build-A-Queer kits

When Sunsarae first started the Queer Trans Project, his main goal was to give aid to LGBTQ+ people however they needed it. The organization provided Trans-selfdefense kits, a VR museum for BIPOC artists, and a mutual aid fund for anyone who needed financial help to access genderaffirming care. The most popular item on the website was a Build-A-Queer kit.

“Our Build-A-Queer kit program is … an online website where all our products are listed, but everything is free, including shipping,” Sunsarae explained. “We have things like binders, packers, and Trans tape for [those] who tuck. Makeup, toys, things

like that. It’s fully customizable, so they can get as much or as little as they need, within reason.”

People can add whatever they need to their cart, including socks, T-shirts, literature, and sexual health items. Sunsarae asks that people take what they need and leave what they don’t.

The kits are available on the website and split between Trans-masculine and Transfeminine items. “We know that items aren’t gendered, but, for example, a Trans femme [person] doesn’t necessarily need a binder, so it’s just for nuance,” Sunsarae said.

Because BIPOC people, especially in the Queer and Trans communities, are more likely to face additional challenges when accessing gender-affirming care, the Queer Trans Project prioritizes them by making all of its Build-A-Queer kits available to Black and Brown customers a half hour earlier. “We know all the economic and societal impacts that have an impact on BIPOC communities, for example, not having steady access to the internet and things like that, so we just try to make it as equitable as possible,” Sunsarae said.

Though Sunsarae has a team of dedicated board members located across the country, most of the labor that goes into the BuildA-Queer kits is his and that of his partner. “It’s only me here in Jacksonville, Florida, with my partner, behind the scenes getting all those orders packed.”

After seeing how popular the Build-AQueer kits were, Sunsarae and his team decided to restructure their programming

to serve the needs of those in the LGBTQ+ community more efficiently. “A month ago, we had a different program, but we’ve since restructured to focus better on the quality of the resources we give over the quantity,” he explained. “I didn’t want to lose focus on our mission and spread myself too thin, so …now we’re only focusing on the Build-AQueer kits and the gender-affirming care flights.”

Gender-affirming care flights

On top of providing free resources, like binders, tape, and makeup for Trans and Nonbinary people, the Queer Trans Project also helps connect those in need with free flights to states where they can access medical care, doctors, and other resources necessary for their transitions.

Just like the Build-A-Queer kits, genderaffirming care flights are always free. The Queer Trans Project partners with a volunteer pilot program called Elevated Access, which transports patients at no cost to get the healthcare they need. Those interested in using this transportation service can contact the Queer Trans Project, which will then send a referral.

“They just have to hit us up in our email, and we will ensure they meet the requirements,” Sunsarae explained. “Our only requirement is that they identify as a Transgender individual and have an upcoming need to receive gender-affirming care. For example, if the [person] needs surgery or a consultation, they provide us with proof.”

Fundraising for the next launch

The Build-A-Queer kits are available only a few times a year and often sell out very quickly. “At first, that was an exciting thing to hear — it’s exhilarating, and it shows the need we have and the need the community has,” Sunsarae said. “However, it led to people thinking we were a scam, because although X [number] of people were getting it, these many people weren’t. I didn’t like that, especially since we were dropping quarterly. Now we’re working to have rolling availability.”

The Queer Trans Project is fundraising and applying for grants to provide more kits for people in need. In its first year, it received $35,000 in grants and started a partnership with G2CB, which donates all the binders the organization gives away.

It also relies heavily on donations from community members. “We had a drag crew in Nebraska raise $1,000 for us in one night, and that alone is going to help us provide items for 500 more kits,” Sunsarae said. “It may seem like a little bit, but everything helps, big or small. Anything makes a difference.”

Recently, the Queer Trans Project partnered with Lush, which now provides free items in each Build-A-Queer kit. Cantiq LA also ran a drive the first week of June and donated one product to Queer Trans Project for every item sold.

The project is getting ready for the next launch, which will be sometime in September. The fundraising goal is $50,000.

The Queer Trans Project is always open to people willing to donate their time or money to help the organization. There’s a “Take Action” tab on the website, which provides all the information needed on how to donate directly or start a fundraiser.

“The other way to volunteer is what we need the most — handwritten letters,” Sunsarae said. “Each Build-A-Queer kit comes with handwritten letters, and we send out a lot of them.”

On the frontlines

The Queer Trans Project currently serves people in nearly every state in the US and is looking to expand globally soon. It sends the most kits to Texas and Florida.

“What the numbers show here, especially with all the anti-Queer and anti-Trans laws going on, [is that] these people’s lives are at stake, and we’re doing lifesaving work,” Sunsarae said. “You see Florida there. You see Texas there as well. Those are dangerous states right now.”

No matter how dangerous it gets in these Southern states, Sunsarae says he will continue to provide Build-A-Queer kits and gender-affirming care flights to anyone who needs them.

“The work we do is not only gender empowering and provides [people] with a better sense of who they are and can make them feel confident and powerful and themselves, but it’s lifesaving work,” he said.

He knows he is making a difference in the world, especially when he received reviews from satisfied customers like Jayden Ybarra, who said, “I’ve never been able to find or make a binder that could make my chest flat. Not until I found you guys. I cried tears of joy when I put my binder on. You guys made a lost dream come true for me.”

A message to the Queer and Trans community

“Our community believes in us, and we pass that around to [others] in need. Those are two bases for me founding the Queer Trans Project,” Sunsarae said.

His biggest goal for the next year is to provide more. Donations are essential to keeping the project going. “For [those] who want to help out, the first thing is to donate.

The drag queens who raised money for us in Nebraska, they’re probably thinking $1,000 might not be much, but this is what we have to offer. That does a lot. That’s 500 more kits,” Sunsarae said.

Even interacting with the Queer Trans Project on social media helps boost its presence. Every week, the organization hosts “Tag ‘em Tuesdays,” when it chooses one

celebrity or organization with influence to tag on all its posts so as to bring more attention to the cause. Recently it reached out to Lizzo, following the news of her new gender-affirming clothing line.

The Queer Trans Project is fighting on the frontlines in one of the most dangerous states for LGBTQ+ people. Despite the risk, Sunsarae is determined to show love and kindness to everyone in his community who needs it.

“I just want to leave a message to our Queer and Trans community,” he said. “There is a lot of hate in this world right now, and a lot of it is because of ignorance and misinformation causing a lot of mass hysteria. No matter what it takes, we will get you the resources you need. I’m not getting paid for this, but I’m going to keep doing this, because this is what I love. You are family, and you are cared for.”

Pride 2023:

We’re here and we’re queer — with loads of fun gear

BY MIKEY ROX SPECIAL TO THE SGN

Pride isn’t just a parade in June anymore.

It’s a whole vibe — a full-blown aesthetic that suffuses our lifestyles year-round. Kick off this new season with these fresh finds designed with us in mind.

Let the Light Shine In boxer briefs Hang loose (but not too loose) in SAXX’s super-soft Let the Light Shine In boxer briefs, designed by queer artist Carlos Oliveras Colom, who tapped into his LGBTQ+ and Afro-Latinx experiences to create this colorful, curvy, comfortable pair of skivvies that give off more than a few vibes. $34, SAXXUnderwear.com

Stonewall ’69 candle

A torch still burns bright for LGBTQ+ equality — even though these dark times sometimes hinder its light — and you can hold vigil with Kendi Lux’s soy blend, lemon-leaf-and-jasmine-scented Stonewall ’69 candle commemorating the movementdefining riot that blazed our first path. $17.50, KendiLux.com

Rainbow earring studs

Sometimes less is more — yep, even at Pride — and Alexis Jae’s rainbow stud earrings (constructed of recycled gold and ethically sourced gems) are an understated statement piece that gives your lobes lowkey sparkle without clamoring for attention. Wear both or split ’em up to share with a friend. $135, AlexisJae.com

Personalized

pronouns note kit

The art of suggestion isn’t lost on queerowned Nice Paper Goods, which offers a first-of-its-kind personalized pronoun note kit — an all-in-one stationery set complete with 10 cards, envelopes, and US Forever stamps that never expire, and it’s printed with your preferred pronouns under your chosen name. $32, NicePaperGoods.com

Dentata ring

Teeth — the 2007 horror-comedy about a good Christian girl with a mean set of chompers in her “sacred place” — was probably enough to turn a few guys gay, but many feminists have reclaimed the vagina dentata myth as a symbol of pride and empowerment. All “belts” are off with KIL NYC’s dentata ring, featuring a spiked mouth design that curves around the finger, mimicking the way a Victorian chastity would have been worn. Even better, 10% of each sale will support Her Justice, an organization dedicated to helping impoverished women in New York City. $150, KIL-NYC.com

Rainbow rolling papers

Puff, puff, pass the Pride — legally, of course — when you share your supply wrapped in Papers+Ink Studios’ prismatic, organic, unbleached hemp rolling papers available in eight styles, including Love Lines, Tie Dye Fantastic, Cheeky Checkers, and We Say Gay!, among others. $14-$25, PapersAndInk.com

Rainbow coin purse

Pocketless at the parade? Par for the course when you prefer to party in sequined banana hammocks, but Pop of Confetti has you covered with its cute-AF rainbow seedbead coin purse that stashes your contraband . . . and condoms (because safe sex is still sexy, y’all). $32, PopOfConfetti.com

Calvin Klein Pride jocks

Cyndi Lauper didn’t anticipate you prancing around in your barely-there Calvins when she invited you to show your true colors, but Calvin Klein’s “Pride Edit” five-pack thong set in a spectrum of flashy colors is practically begging for a remix. $42, CalvinKlein.com

NEFT Vodka Pride barrel

Cocktail connoisseurs typically have a go-to spirit to get them in, well, the spirit, but consider corking your staple swill this season and switching it out for something sassier, like NEFT Vodka’s poparty, community-supporting Pride barrels, made with oxygen-rich water filtered deep in Austria’s Rhaetian Alps for an earthy, slightly sweet front and minerally smooth finish. $45, Shop.NEFTVodkaUS.com

Rene jacket It’s hard to choose just one Pride-primed

piece from Orttu’s expansive collection of sophisti-sensual wearable art, but our money’s on its mesmerizing, double-breasted Rene jacket in deep black, featuring uniquely sculpted sleeves and a stunning geometric laser light print in high-contrast yellow-gold, so you can show up in the VIP room as a status whoa instead of status quo. $450, Orttu.com

Rainbow Parenting guide Pride starts at home — it was born in the streets only out of necessity — and Lindz Amer’s Rainbow Parenting: Your

Guide to Raising Queer Kids and Their Allies not only serves as a sign of how far we’ve come but also provides effective tools for understanding, accepting and respecting LGBTQ+ minds and bodies — which is all we really want anyway. $19, US.Macmillan.com

Mikey Rox is an award-winning journalist and LGBT lifestyle expert whose work has been published in more than 100 outlets across the world. Connect with Mikey on Instagram @mikeyroxtravels

Joon CEO Emily Pesce gives back to Queer youth

BY CAMERON MARTINEZ SGN INTERN

Mental health among teens and young adults is getting worse.

Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show that 57% of teen girls and 29% of teen boys in the United States felt persistently sad or hopeless in 2021. This is a 60% increase from statistics taken in 2011. Washington state is no exception to this epidemic related to a decline in mental health. A 2021 survey from the Data Resource Center for Child and Adolescent Health states that 12.7% of children aged 3 through 17 in Washington have received mental health care in the past year.

Mental health care is already inaccessible for many, but on top of that, patients often have a hard time finding a therapist who can relate to their struggle as a Queer or BIPOC person.

While many people are left wondering what to do about this crisis, Emily Pesce presents a solution: Joon Care.

Joon is a Seattle-based startup whose sole focus is to provide 13-to-24-year-olds with teletherapy using an evidence-based and skill-focused approach. Pesce is the CEO of the company.

“A good measure of a society is how well it treats its most vulnerable,” Pesce said. “We’re not doing a good enough job helping our youth, especially as it relates to their well-being and their mental health… They’re young, they’re inexperienced…and it is an extraordinarily difficult position to be in, when there are so few people in your life that you can trust or lean on, especially when you as a kid are still developing your own brain.”

While other services, such as BetterHelp, offer assistance to all people 13 and up, Pesce and those at Joon believe a service that focuses on youth is beneficial to the clientele.

We focus on that specific audience,

because it’s one with very unique needs,” Pesce said. “The brain is still developing, there are a lot of comorbidities, and access is often very difficult. Eighty-one percent of counties in the United States do not have young-adult psychologists.”

The focus of the company also allows for better resources for Queer youth, a topic Pesce is especially passionate about.

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What is it like to be a Trans CEO?

A long with being CEO of Joon, Pesce is also a Trans woman, having transitioned in 2010 after moving to Seattle and interacting with other Trans people. She uses her identity to her advantage as a way of understanding marginalized people.

“Understanding there are others like us, and using that to help us understand and, critically, be comfortable with who we are — good or bad — is the superpower of visibility and an enormous unlock for the vibrance, diversity, and humanity of our society,” Pesce said in a LinkedIn post about Trans Visibility Week.

This has also led to a desire to help young Queers who are in the same situation she was in when figuring out her identity.

“As I began to understand myself a little bit more not so long ago, and really became a part — not just an ally, but a part — of the LGBTQ+ community, I was able to move on from using all my energy to get myself out of the closet …to get myself to a place where I can be part of the community,” she said.

“And I was able to then say to myself, ‘Hey, what can I now do to help?’ And as I looked around, the place where the most help was needed was among LGBTQ+ youth.”

Pesce uses this same mindset of understanding and inclusivity when hiring and working with team members at Joon.

“What does someone reading somebody’s name on a résumé offer to you?”

Pesce said. “We try to …find places where

there might be an opportunity for a subconscious bias — or worse, a conscious bias — to show up… And we try to eliminate those things. We try to be thoughtful about the process, and make sure [it] is inclusive…

“We would hire people and say, ‘I believe you can actually go do these things. I’m going to give you a title [that] people say [you weren’t] capable of before, because I know you [were] not given the title you actually deserve for a whole bunch of bad reasons.’

“And what we see — and it’s one of the greatest parts of my job — is that, almost always, the people just blossom into that opportunity.”

The success Pesce has had has only proven her methods to be useful.

“You always have to learn and listen and be willing to be wrong,” she said. “One of the pull events of a diverse team is that diversity brings contrarian perspectives … ideas that I don’t know or don’t understand or haven’t lived or experienced myself. And so, as a leader, the first way I can build … and continue to enable more diverse teams is to listen and grow and create space for those views and perspectives to sort of permeate our culture.”

The fight for teen mental health services that care for the intersectional parts of each person is still developing, but so far, Washington youth have at least one place that will meet their needs.

Dog Yard Bar hosts second annual Pride celebration

BY LINDSEY ANDERSON SGN STAFF WRITER

Some showed their Pride by wearing rainbow colors, others by wearing nothing at all. At Dog Yard Bar on Sunday, June 11, the dogs celebrated Pride with wagging tails and snoots full of foam!

Sponsored by House Wine

The popular Ballard bar celebrated Pride Month by hosting its second annual collaboration with House Wine. “We have an ongoing collaboration with House Wine that we’ve done over the last couple of years, and House Wine reached out to us again to continue to do that partnership with a pride event,” Dog Yard Bar’s Marketing Assistant Hannah Sheil said.

House Wine was on location handing out free samples of limited-time flavors and merch. “House Wine is known for its participation and support. During Pride, they have the [rainbow] can and everything,” Sheil said. A percentage of all House Wine’s June profits go toward LGBTQ+ charities and organizations.

When House Wine reached back out to the bar to collaborate on a second Pride party, Sheil started brainstorming ways that they could top last year’s event. “I wanted to come up with an idea to make it a little more exciting in how we celebrate Pride,” she said. “One idea was for people and their dogs to have a foam party. It’s something that other dog bars around the US have done, and I’ve always wanted to do it. I thought, what better time to have a foam party than Pride?”

Dog Yard Bar partnered with Leapfrog Foam, a small company with experience doing foam parties for animals. “They’re very popular with dogs, and it’s an animaland dog-safe foam. They can fill up a 20 by 20 space five feet high if they wanted to. We’re not going to do that much, but I think it will be just enough for the dogs to have fun,” Sheil said.

Let the puppy party begin!

When the foam cannons finally started, there was more than enough sudsy snow falling to create jubilation among the dogs in attendance. Dogs of all sizes, from Great Danes to French Bulldogs, pounced into the growing pile of fluffy foam. Though Leapfrog warned the foam should not be consumed, some dogs didn’t listen. Pride is

about rule-breaking, after all.

Clothes came off as the dogs got into the Pride festivities. Collars and rainbow bandanas were removed so the dogs could better feel the foam against their fur. For some bathing-averse dogs, it was the closest thing to a bath they will ever enjoy.

The people were just as excited as the dogs. Proud owners snapped photos and

videos of their pups dancing through the pile of fluff. The Golden Retrievers in attendance found a particular fondness for the foam. One even sat in the middle as the bubbles fell around them in a large mound.

“I think the event is great. It’s nice to relax and allow your dog to run around, and representing the community is also amazing,” said local dog parent Reanna.

Safety first!

Safety was a concern for all the staff members at Dog Yard Bar. Like any event, all dogs are required to show proof of vaccination and make an online account with the bar. The staff members on site are also all trained in animal first aid and behavior.

“All of our staff are trained in dog behavior and dog handling. Our assistant general manager comes from the dog show world. He’s worked with dogs for 15 to 20 years. He’s very knowledgeable about behavior and everything,” Sheil said. “That’s the draw of Dog Yard, especially. In a regular dog park, you don’t know if the dogs are vaccinated, desensitized, or have good behavior.”

Dog Yard did not charge a specific event fee for the Pride party. As with all their events, humans got in free, and dog admission was $16. “That entry fee day pass is good for the whole day. You can come in the morning and later for the foam party, or vice versa. You can come for the foam party, then leave and come back later. We do a little stamp on your hand, and then it’s good for the whole day,” Sheil explained.

Catch the next party

For anyone interested in treating their dog to the next rover rager, Dog Yard Bar

has a packed June schedule, including an event for dogs of all kinds. Every Saturday and Sunday morning, Dog Yard Bar also hosts breed-specific meet-ups. “Those are awesome ways for people, if they don’t know other dog owners who have the same breed, come to meet them. I’ve seen dogs flourish in this environment,” Sheil said. As the owner of a Corgi, she has seen her dog thrive when surrounded by other stubbylegged floofs.

“We also do ones that aren’t necessarily breed-based, but just groups,” Sheil added. “We do a shy and senior dog one, for the lowkey type of dogs or ones for small dogs only.” Small dog parties are valuable for petite pooches who can’t enjoy most dog park spaces due to the large rowdy breeds that often dominate them.

Dog Yard Bar’s next sponsored event will be for the summer solstice on June 21. “We are planning an event with June Shine for the summer solstice, so Wednesday, June 21, 4 to 7 p.m.,” Sheil said. “June Shine will be joining us, similar to how House Wine is joining us, samples, all that fun stuff.”

This weekend Dog Yard is hosting a Boston Terrier meet-up on Saturday, June 17, and a Schnauzer meet-up on Sunday, June 18. They also host puppy play nights every Monday at 6 p.m