Belvedere cop’s nonprofit fills void for LGBTQ+ community

Belvedere police Sgt. Tom Sabido (right) and wife Barbara are seen with son Dominic (fourth right) and other ‘family members’ of their nonprofit, (ap)Parent Love. They started the group to support those in the queer community who lack relationships with their parents. (Provided by the Sabidos)

It was Christmastime about six years ago when Belvedere police Sgt. Tom Sabido and wife Barbara visited their oldest son, Dominic, at his job at Lookout, a gay bar in San Francisco’s Castro district. Dominic, who is gay, had invited them to attend a drag brunch, a new experience for both his parents.

During the show, the couple says, they were approached by an older man who held out his hand.

“Thank you for loving your son,” they recall the man saying. “I lost my parents when I came out.”

The interaction gave Barbara an idea. On the ride home to San Rafael, she explained to Tom that she wanted to create a nonprofit geared toward providing support to members of the LGBTQ+ community who may lack a relationship with their own parents.

Tom was immediately on board and came up with the name and motto: (ap)Parent Love.

“We want to provide a parent’s love, and we want that love to be apparent,” he says.

They launched the nonprofit in 2022 and through their work aim to provide a family-type connection to the dozens of members of the queer community who are currently a part of their group. That includes hosting gatherings, supporting individuals in their hobbies and passions and spending one-on-one time with individuals or small groups.

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