Leadership and initiative. These are the two qualities that Pride Foundation’s first fellow, Kraig Cook, embodies on a daily basis. Kraig is currently the Civic Engagement Coordinator/Project Manager for the City and County of San Francisco’s Office of Civic Engagement & Immigrant Affairs, where he is in charge of implementing a fellowship program for immigrant
Aligning Our Funding With Our Priorities
When Pride Foundation embarked on our recent strategic planning process, we used part of this time to reflect on our mission, values, and priorities. Through the process, it became clear that we needed to adapt our community grant making program to keep pace with the changing landscape. It has been ten years since Pride Foundation
Working to Improve Washington’s Child Welfare/Juvenile Justice Systems
Last year Pride Foundation made a grant to Center for Children & Youth Justice (CCYJ) to conduct a policy research project called the eQuality Project. This project focuses on collecting data to document the unique needs and challenges facing LGBTQ youth in the juvenile justice and foster care systems. Our hope is that this data
Help Support the Billings Non-Discrimination Ordinance
We have hit a roadblock in the campaign to pass an inclusive non-discrimination ordinance in Billings and we need your help. The ordinance would prohibit discrimination in housing, employment, and public accommodations based on sexual orientation and gender identity/expression—providing important legal protections to the LGBTQ community. On Tuesday, Billings City Councilmember Shaun Brown introduced yet
Five things I learned about Fair Housing in Alaska
Last week, Identity and the federal Office of Fair Housing & Equal Opportunity organized a session for LGBTQ people to learn about their rights to fair housing under federal law. The session was packed with representatives from the local HUD office, Rural Alaska Community Action Program (RurAL CAP), AARP, ACLU of Alaska, and of course
Love Wins: The Freedom to Marry Comes to Oregon
On Monday, May 19th, the long-awaited decision on marriage equality in Oregon finally came—and I am so excited to say that we won! In an eloquent and powerful ruling from Judge Michael McShane, the ban excluding LGBTQ couples from marrying was determined unconstitutional. LGBTQ couples were allowed to get married, effective immediately. And get married
Gender Identity Defined in Spokane Ordinance
Sitting in Spokane City Hall with the anticipation of a vote that would change the way Spokane looks at gender identity within the city code made me both excited and nervous. I found myself wondering who in the room would support or oppose the proposed amendment that would provide gender identity its own definition within
A Very Significant Win in Oregon
With all the much-deserved excitement around the possibility of marriage equality in Oregon, many folks may have missed another initiative that, until last Friday, had been gaining momentum and posed a significant threat to LGBTQ Oregonians. The so-called “religious freedom” measure being pushed forward by the Oregon Family Council would have created exemptions in already
Pocatello, ID preps for NDO vote on May 20
I’m hitting the road for a work week in southeastern Idaho, where my primary hope is to see a victory on May 20th for the LGBTQ community in Pocatello. Pride Foundation is part of a coalition of organizations and individuals helping get out the vote, raise funds, and gather volunteers for Fair Pocatello, the campaign
Not In Our Town Billings Town Hall
Earlier this month, Not In Our Town Billings held a town hall gathering to facilitate a discussion on discrimination, prejudice, and hate. Not In Our Town Billings is a local affiliate of the national group, Not In Our Town, with the vision of an informed community—free of hatred, intolerant of intolerance, where justice thrives. The