West Hollywood’s LGBT Parents Group is getting ready to mark a small but meaningful milestone, its 6th annual holiday party on Sunday, Dec. 14. What started as a few families trying to keep their kids connected during the shutdown days of 2020 has grown into a regular community for queer parents and their allies.
WEHOonline received the note below from reader and organizer Darryl Sher, who wanted to share how the group began and what this year’s celebration represents for their families.
From Darryl, organizer of the LGBT Parents Group:
Our LGBT Parents Group will be celebrating our 6th Annual Holiday Party on Sunday, Dec. 14th.
We will have an optional kids’ gift exchange where each family brings an unwrapped children’s gift valued at 10 to 20 dollars. Each child will choose a gift to exchange with another. Last year, the kids opened their gifts, played, and shared with their friends, which was such a joy to watch.
Our first annual holiday party took place in December 2020, at a private residence when parks and restaurants were closed again during the second wave of COVID. A concerned neighbor called the police, who arrived only to find ten happy kids opening presents. It is incredible to see how far we have come, and we are so grateful to be celebrating our 6th year together.
Our LGBT Parents Group began in March 2020, when parks and restaurants had just started closing due to the spread of COVID. Since kids were not severely impacted by the virus, I reached out to the LGBT families I knew to get together for playdates, and it quickly became a weekly gathering.
As COVID got worse, a security guard asked us to leave the park since it was closed and when we refused, we were threatened with arrest. Eventually, gatherings were moved to private property, but that did not resolve the challenges. Neighbors began complaining about the number of kids using our community pool, leading to repeated altercations and, at times, threats. The HOA ultimately removed the pool furniture due to complaints about our group.
Moving events to other private properties did not work either. At one point, the Los Angeles police even threatened to cut off electricity to a private residence.
Today, we host monthly brunch parties for LGBT families, parents’ nights out, annual Memorial Day and Labor Day pool parties, and our annual pride parade walk. Screenwriter Quentin Lee and actor Ben Savage attended with his wife on one occasion as well. Mayor Chelsea Byers and Councilmembers Danny Hang and John Erickson also occasionally attend.
After all these setbacks, we are proud and excited to be celebrating our 6th annual holiday party. This event is open to all LGBT families and allies.
For more information, you can contact me at Darryl@lgbtparentsgroup.com or go to www.lgbtparentsgroup.com.
Families who want to plug into a standing LGBT parents’ network, whether they live in West Hollywood or nearby, are invited to reach out for details about the Dec. 14 gathering and future events. The group says the goal is simple, to give LGBT parents and their kids a place to show up, feel welcome, and see that they are not the only family like theirs in the neighborhood.
Happy Holidays!
