Dear Pride Foundation Family & Friends, I have written and rewritten this email countless times since last night, trying to find the right thing to say. But there are no words. When it feels like divisiveness and hate have won out over unity and hope, the only place in which we will find solace is
Welcoming a Familiar Face to Pride Foundation
Tylene Carnell is joining Pride Foundation’s staff as the newest Eastern and Central Washington Regional Development Organizer! For the past 15 years, Tylene has lived in Ellensburg, Washington and since 2003 has worked at Comprehensive Healthcare (formerly Central Washington Comprehensive Mental Health). Her most recent role there was as the Clubhouse Coordinator, where she was
Honoring Service: LGBTQ Veteran Nikki from Portland
From the archives: Nikki never dreamed that she would be buying a house in Salem, Oregon with a loan from the VA: “At 72, I didn’t think I would ever see the day that I received an honorable discharge from the U.S. Air Force. In 1967, I was outed as gay and given a
The Privilege of Only Worrying About Geometry
The echo of school bells is returning now that schools across Montana are once again in session, bringing exciting opportunities for many students. For others, such as LGBTQ students, returning to school may remind them of the gulf between the mundane worries of managing crowded hallways, students rushing to first period, and last night’s geometry
A Queer, Muslim Scholar’s Journey to Acceptance
Just weeks before the devastating attack on the LGBTQ community in Orlando, Nadir*—a Pride Foundation scholar, Iraqi refugee, and member of the Muslim LGBTQ community—reached out to me to share his story. We scheduled time to meet the Tuesday following the massacre in Orlando, not knowing what the weekend would bring. Feeling heavy, Nadir and
Seattle Mayor Signs Proclamation for ‘Pride Foundation Day’
Today, Seattle Mayor Ed Murray proclaims this day as Pride Foundation Day in the city of Seattle. We are grateful to the Mayor and his administration in supporting the progress we’ve made together in the last 30 years for our LGBTQ community across the Northwest. The proclamation announcement kicks-off our region-wide celebrations for Pride Foundation’s
Scholar Elevates Queer, Indigenous in Oregon
It’s hard to believe Candi Brings Plenty (she/her/hers) only moved to Portland four years ago in search of community. In that short time, she’s become a prominent leader in Portland’s LGBTQ and Two Spirit community. Currently, Candi serves as the Executive Director of the Equi Institute, an LGBTQ specific health center, is a Pride Foundation
It’s About Family
Geraldine Cole clearly remembers the moment she decided to get involved with Pride Foundation more than 20 years ago. While walking along a beach in Hawaii, she had time to reflect upon what really mattered in her life—and it was then she realized that it was her family and her LGBTQ community that had inspired
Trusting the Experts: Funding Nontraditional Approaches in the Trans Community
During my internship at Pride Foundation this summer, I traveled to Denver to attend the “Money for Our Movements” Conference, which brings together community organizers, funders, and development professionals to explore strategies for sustaining funding for community-based organizations. Walking into the conference, I had one primary question on my mind: “What do trans and gender
Introducing TRANSform Washington
Transgender and gender nonconforming people are part of our families, workplaces, schools, neighborhoods, and places of worship. Yet, only 23% of people in Washingtonians say they personally know someone who is transgender. Just this past year, we witnessed how this disconnect and lack of experience has allowed for an increase in attacks against our state’s