This morning I woke up reflecting on all that has happened since this day in 2020. I was struck by how Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day is different this year, in ways that are especially relevant to honoring his memory. In the past year, we’ve experienced a global pandemic that has cost the
I watched in horror and anger yesterday as white supremacist terrorists led a violent insurrection that attempted to undermine our democracy, our elections, and our voices. I don’t need to recount the events of what happened. If you’re like me, you’ve been glued to the news every moment since early yesterday afternoon. What I must
This year, community organizations across our region have been reimagining their work in pursuit of equity, justice, and community care. Portland, Oregon’s Ori Gallery is a space dedicated to amplifying the voices of trans and queer artists of color. Normally a home for in-person exhibitions, Ori has pivoted to hosting individual residencies for artists affected by
![Pictured: NW landscapes, interspersed with photos of 2020 grantees [clockwise from top] SAGE Metro Portland, Inclusive Idaho, Kachemak Bay Family Planning Clinic, and UTOPIA Seattle.](https://ls54l2hza1y3kgz1q15jx48p-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/6CT60S-Email-Collage-large-300x169.png)
To say that this year has held a lot is such an understatement. 2020 called each of us to get very clear in our purpose. At Pride Foundation, ours has been crystal clear: to show up in all the ways we can for LGBTQ+ people and communities in the Northwest. Despite the challenges of this
As the pandemic spread this year, LGBTQ+ youth experiencing homelessness faced compounding challenges finding shelter, safety, and belonging. In Alaska, the volunteer collective Choosing Our Roots responded immediately by expanding their efforts to find safe and supportive places for LGBTQ+ youth to live, and creating online spaces of connection that are especially critical for youth in rural communities. This year, Pride Foundation’s
“When I’m going through my classes and I’m having a particularly hard time getting through it, I like to remind myself that, in the end, when I graduate, I get to be one of those people that helps other people understand that they’re beautiful and they’re valid and they matter.” Maxwell Storm Blue is
Every year, people across the Northwest create fundraisers for Pride Foundation that inspire their communities to invest in equity and justice. Early in 2020, we were delighted to see donations from every corner of the country roll in on behalf of Quince Mountain under the punny hashtag #Igivearod. That’s when Quince and his team of
No one exemplifies the revolutionary values of Pride Foundation quite like Brian M. Day, the creator of our very first scholarship fund in 1993. An activist, computer engineer, and business owner—Brian shaped the local Seattle movement for LGBTQ+ and racial justice, and created space for other Black gay men in the Northwest to lead in
“I think what’s really powerful is my own self determination to be able to decide how I identify, and model that for my child.” -Lourdez Velasco, featured in 2019 TRANSform Washington public education video Launched in 2016 in the face of discriminatory anti-trans legislation, Pride Foundation’s TRANSform Washington program celebrates the dignity, diversity, and humanity
Over the past 35 years, we’ve come a long way in our work to create a world where all LGBTQ+ people can live safely and openly as our whole selves in all the places we call home. All the progress we have seen, and all that we will see in the future, is only possible