With spring upon us, the return of the sun is making for longer, brighter days. Nature seems to be emulating the hopefulness of this season as supporters, organizational partners, and LGBTQ+ communities across the region continue to care for one another, heal, and work together to build a brighter future using all we have learned over the past year.
And for even more hope, next week marks the 12th annual Transgender Day of Visibility! TDOV celebrates the resilience, beauty, and success of trans and gender diverse people and raises awareness of transgender rights. Scroll down for a non-exhaustive list of some of the organizations hosting virtual TDOV events across our region.
Without further ado, here are just 3 cool things from the past month for our Pride Foundation community to celebrate:
1. Early in March, our TRANSformCulture program hosted a virtual convening of the Village Council—an advisory group of representative community members from across the 5-state region who are directing and informing our messaging and culture change work. In the coming year, they will be collecting stories of BIPOC trans and non-binary people across the Northwest, focusing on the impact of the pandemic. The council is creating frameworks to guide these efforts that will deconstruct anti-Blackness in all of our atmospheres through holding the experiences, knowledge, and voices of all Black people, while centering both Black and Indigenous communities, not at the expense of the other.
2. In February, grantee and community partner UTOPIA Washington held their first COVID-19 vaccine clinic for LGBTQ+ communities and allies, who have been disproportionately impacted by the pandemic. UTOPIA WA staff and volunteers made the event a welcoming place for community members, who were overjoyed at receiving their first shot. Click here for pictures and reflections from the day.
3. After awarding nearly $1M in 2020 through our Crisis Community Care Fund, Pride Foundation is excited to announce that we will be continuing timely funding beginning this week for community groups responding to the reverberating challenges of the pandemic and related crises. We will continue to support organizations on the frontlines of the pandemic, including Black-led and centered groups addressing systemic racism and the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on Black people and communities. For community groups and organizations who want to learn more, click here! To support these efforts, click here!
As always, thank you for all of the ways you continue to show up for this work, for our communities, and for equity and justice in the Northwest.
Katie Carter is Pride Foundation CEO.