When Juli Stratton moved to rural North Idaho from Chicago five years ago, she had no intention of becoming a leader in the area’s LGBTQ community. Today, the board president of the revived PFLAG chapter in Coeur d’Alene and self-described “accidental activist” knows that stepping up has made a difference. “I was miserable and felt
Shawn Francis lives in Bozeman, Montana, but he travels over an hour and a half to Helena to see the doctor. He also had to wait three months for his first appointment with an endocrinologist. Long distances and long waiting periods are common experiences for Shawn and other transgender people living in rural areas. “Transgender people
Ofelia* has been visiting the office of Entre Hermanos, a Pride Foundation grantee, on a regular basis for two months now, utilizing one of their computers to apply for jobs and health insurance. Ofelia recently relocated to Seattle from out of state, and she is trying to establish roots in her new home and connect
Christopher Newcombe, a Pride Foundation scholar, was born in Spokane and graduated from Mead High School in 2002. He is currently in his senior year at Washington State University (WSU) in Pullman, WA—working toward his bachelor’s degree in music education. Christopher plans to pursue a career in teaching because of his passion for music and
Doug Ingraham, chair of Pride Foundation’s Leadership Action Team in Montana, recently married his partner of 12 years, Schylar Canfield. They were married over the summer in Chicago, with a handful of friends in attendance. While our region and country continue to make great strides toward the freedom to marry, loving and committed couples in
Sounding slightly weary, Pride Foundation fundholder Carol Kerley answered the phone on a crisp fall day to talk with me about her life, her wife, and their plans for the future. Explaining that her basement was currently flooded, she nevertheless jumped head-first into her story—leaving her current problems at the door. Carol Kerley and Linda
Through my work at Pride Foundation, I have had the opportunity to meet many wonderful people who are passionate, courageous, and determined to create a brighter future for the LGBTQ community. Many of these people are involved in our work because of personal experiences and barriers they may have faced to being their true selves.
Pride Foundation awards grants to 56 organizations—advancing equality and supporting LGBTQ people in their home communities across the Northwest. It is with a full heart and much excitement that I share with you Pride Foundation’s 2014-2015 community grants award winners. Pride Foundation’s supporters fuel our work and help create lasting change—allowing us to have a
When Jeanne St. John moved to Lincoln County, OR from the Bay Area in 1990 the culture shock was overwhelming; “It was stunning—like a time warp, but in a bad way.” She and her partner went from being out and open to being closeted. Many people in their new town assumed they were just friends
The state of Montana first categorized Michael* as homeless a few years ago. However as a young, transgender man living in Billings, he has lacked vital emotional and family support for as long as he can remember. Michael can’t pinpoint the exact moment he first experienced homelessness because it has been an ever-present force in