Centering Equity and Justice for All with PRIDE
Last updated: May 27, 2024, at 6:30 p.m. PT
Originally published: June 30, 2022, at 8:13 a.m. PT
June is Pride Month, a celebration of the diversity within the LGBTQIAA+ community. As we end Y Pride Month, we are working on how to continue crucial conversations and how to focus on championing justice for all as we walk toward collective liberation for the QTBIPOC/LGBTQIAA+ community. As we keep the momentum ever pushing forward, we wish to highlight and center the voices of queer community members, staff members, and co-conspirators as they share insights on what inclusion and queerness mean to them, their memories of pride and joy, and how they would imagine a path to LGBTQIAA+ liberation. We hope these voices inspire you to share what you would like to see from our community and the changes that will push us toward collective liberation.
Patrick Carr
He/Him/His
District Director of Membership (District 1)
What does queerness mean to you?
Queerness, for some, can be a charged word depending on the generation you came out in. Older generations experienced the word queer/queerness as a derogatory term for being their authentic selves. While today, queerness or queer has been taken by young people to identify and embrace an existence and way of being that is non-heterosexual, non-cis-gendered.
To me, queerness is a powerful word intended to allow people to identify themselves outside of the long-standing marginalizing binary. I feel queerness empowers folx to be themselves unapologetically and embrace themselves for all they can be.
What does inclusion mean to you?
Inclusion, to me, simply put, is the act of creating space for all people to be included regardless of race, color, sexuality, gender, and economic background.
Please share your favorite memory of PRIDE and joy.
I was most prideful when my mom came to visit me from Nashville, TN. I was able to host her at my home with my partner for two weeks. When I took her to the airport, she said, “I'm proud of you and the life you've created.” At that moment, I felt peaceful in knowing my mom was proud, and I was loved and accepted as a gay, Black man in the world.
How would you define LGBTQIAA+ Liberation? What do you want to see in this community?
LGBTQIAA+ Liberation, to me, is the freedom to exist without fear of oppression and exclusion. I feel my liberation is tied to collective liberation – a collective liberation that meets individuals at the intersections of their humanity, inclusive of love, joy, vulnerability, and empowerment without judgment or limitations.
What message do you want to give to the community?
Liberation is possible when you:
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Read bell hooks.
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Challenge yourself to move out of your comfort zones to learn and embrace other cultures.
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Decide to be the change you want to see.
Victoria Aukland
They/Them/Theirs
Case Manager I at Child's Crisis Outreach Response System (CCORS)
What does queerness mean to you?
Liberation and fighting every day for a more antiracist, antihomophobic, anti-transphobic, anti-classicist, anti-ableism, anti-misogynistic, and more, society. Not being afraid to speak up, breaking down barriers to make all spaces an expansive universe in that gender and sexuality can collide in the many beautifully exquisite ways it does 😊.
What does inclusion mean to you?
Inclusion can actually be exclusion sometimes! For example, QT2SBIPOC spaces without White Queers (White myself), Queer/Trans spaces without cisgender and heterosexual people, etc. Giving space to bodies that have been marginalized systemically through institutions. All places are capable of toxicity! Including non-profits. We must work to sometimes silence our thoughts to give room for those more marginalized. We must give space and not wait for someone to do the work to implement new strategies to reduce barriers, such as removing educational requirements for lived experience, and always introducing yourself with your pronouns, especially as a cisgender person. And, of course, can sometimes be all together in a space that is built with tough conversation for success!
Please share your favorite memory of PRIDE and Joy.
My favorite memory was actually after I started dating a cisgender and heterosexual man. I acknowledge the straight-passing privilege just that sentence holds for me. I am also white, cis-passing, able-bodied, and profit off thin privilege. I came out as queer very young (13), and once I got to age 14, I labeled myself as a lesbian. Having obsessive-compulsive disorder, I struggle with inflexible thinking, and I thought once I labeled myself, I could never change it even if my feelings started to change. So, I had to work through a lot of imposter syndrome and biphobia to get to where I am today and to feel confident in participating in my queer communities. I am still very queer and have also been exploring my gender as well and currently identify as non-binary! Regarding sexuality, I had a lot of internalized biphobia and misogyny and thought women/femmes who were bisexual just did it "for attention." Embarrassing, but true. Now I try to decenter these biases and allow room for intersectionality by supporting myself and others to be their fullest selves! Now I love attending queer events, burlesque, drag shows, and Queer/Trans skateboarding lessons! It feels so good to feel seen in these communities and loved and appreciated. People respecting my pronouns and having these supportive atmospheres have been some of my favorite memories yet!
How would you define LGBTQIAA+ Liberation? What do you want to see in this community?
Queer, Trans, 2 Spirit, Black and Indigenous People of Color Liberation/Support/Equity! There would be no pride without the resilience, hard work, and, sadly, violence against and murders of our QTS2BIPOC community—Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera, Stonewall, etc. Change is violent. I will never forget when my Dancing Activism teacher in my undergrad taught me that change is not easy and is not always through "safe spaces." It is through brave spaces where we can speak up and challenge the system and become comfortable with uncomfortable conversations. Let’s try donating/buying from Taking B(l)ack Pride and Lavender Rights Projects, instead of buying all your pride gear from Target (guilty myself!). Also, on the sapphic/femme side, I wish fewer femmes and Queer women had internalized misogyny and didn't try to internalize toxic masculinity and let it present in themselves. I have had a lot of personal encounters with that myself on both sides, and I hope as we push more for intersectional approaches, we can navigate this better.
What message do you want to give to the community?
Hi Dad! I'm famous, lol :)
Ron Okimoto
He/Him/His
Branch Executive Director, Kent YMCA
What does queerness mean to you?
Growing up, the word "queer" was used as a negative label. It was one of many reasons why I struggled with my sexuality and believed that I was sick and could be cured. I know it's not the answer you were looking for, but when I hear the word "queer" or "queerness," the hurt and fear run deep.
What does inclusion mean to you?
Inclusion means equitable treatment of all people. No acronyms, no color, no physical attributes, no status, no categories, and no labels.
Please share your favorite memory of PRIDE and Joy.
My favorite memories of PRIDE were when I held hands with another man in public. More recently, when I was asked to speak at PRIDE Asia, announcing for the first time to a public crowd that I was an openly gay executive of the YMCA of Greater Seattle. In both situations, it was scary, exciting, and liberating all at the same time.
How would you define LGBTQIAA+ Liberation? What do you want to see in this community?
LGBTQIAA+ liberation to me is being able to live authentically. With that said, I know our rights are being attacked, so standing up to those who want to marginalize and oppress our community is critical. Liberation is fighting for inclusion and equity for all.
What message do you want to give to the community?
Everyone has a personal story. A collection of unique lived experiences. Yet, what unites us is our strength, courage, and perseverance to be counted, not for what the world wants us to be but instead for who we are authentically. Do something great today because the best is yet to come. Happy PRIDE!
Luca Verrier
He/Him/His
Membership Representative
What does queerness mean to you?
Queerness is beautiful. It is the strength to be your authentic self.
What does inclusion mean to you?
Inclusion means that all types of people are considered compassionately, with intention and accessibility to those who are gay, trans, gender non-conforming, and all the ways they intersect with race, size, ability, and wealth. Inclusion means that a space is open for people to include their pronouns when introducing themselves. Inclusion means having gender-neutral bathrooms. Inclusion means reporting, sharing information about, and taking action in your local government for the ongoing violence against trans bodies that murders hundreds every year. Inclusion is housing and mental health services provided by people who are educated about LGBT struggles, who know that 1 in 5 transgender people have experienced homelessness and that 80% of trans people have thought about taking their own life.
Please share your favorite memory of PRIDE and Joy.
Last night I was washing my face before bed, and I saw myself in the mirror. I saw MYSELF. After only three months on Testosterone, I looked at my reflection and recognized the person looking back at me for the first time. I used to cover my mirrors because I hated seeing my face, feeling the dysphoria of that. I'm so proud of how far I've come, and I'm so excited to get to know the man I'm growing to be.
How would you define LGBTQIAA+ Liberation? What do you want to see in this community?
I want to see routine and equitable justice for violence against LGBT people.
Kymber Senes
They/Them/Theirs
Program Skills and Training Manager at the Y Social Impact Center
What does queerness mean to you?
For me, queerness means freedom. It means rejecting the gender binary and all of society's expectations of what I "should" be and how I "should" act. I see my queerness as a gift. It led me to the very best version of myself. My queerness has not caused me pain, turmoil, or confusion – all of that comes from society's response to my queerness – because our cis-heteronormative, patriarchal, and capitalist society fears the freedom that Queer and Trans people embody in living their most authentic truths. That truth expands beyond me as a queer and trans individual – and into how I show up in community, my politics and values, and my purpose. Queerness is about building a family on your own terms. It is expansive in all ways. It rejects allowing anyone to feel small or unworthy simply for being who they are. Queer people are truly magic.
What does inclusion mean to you?
Inclusion is about safety – not just representation. For me, inclusion for Queer and Trans folks would mean that we could show up as our full and authentic selves and not just be "tolerated" by those who don't understand us but to be accepted, respected, and valued. Inclusion means creating spaces that are accessible and mentally, emotionally, and physically safe for Queer and Trans people to be a part of.
Please share your favorite memory of PRIDE and Joy.
My favorite memory of Pride was in 2017 when I was organizing back in California. I and a small group of amazing Queer folks revived Pride – which had not happened in our small town in over a decade. We faced a lot of backlash from community members who wanted us "to stay in the closet" and told us we were "going to hell," but we didn't allow their intimidation tactics to stop us. I will never forget walking in the parade and seeing a young Queer, maybe 11 or 12 years old, standing between their mom and dad watching the parade. The mom had on a shirt that read "Mama Bear," and the dad's shirt read "Papa Bear," and the kiddo had a shirt on with a vibrant rainbow-colored bear – standing in between their parents with the brightest and widest smile that is imprinted in my memory. That moment made it all worth it – just helping that one young person see that, YES, there are Queer people in this town and that you can grow older and envision a bright, happy, and thriving future for yourself. It matters for young Queers to see older Queers alive and thriving. It makes me emotional just thinking about it. My joy is being the unapologetic and visibly Queer and Trans adult I needed when I was 11.
How would you define LGBTQIAA+ Liberation? What do you want to see in this community?
There is no LGBTQIAA+ liberation without the liberation of Black Trans people, intersex people, and our Queer and Trans disabled siblings. Liberation for our community means access to care, like life-saving gender-affirming medical care for Trans people. It would mean Trans people receiving medical care from other Trans people and Trans people being the ones to establish the guidelines for that care. It would mean an end to non-consensual surgery on intersex children. It would mean policies embedded into law that protect Queer and Trans people – so we are not faced with daily news of our rights and protections being at risk. It would mean Queer and Trans kids being able to see a version of themselves in the future. It would mean White Queers standing in fierce solidarity with our Queer siblings of color. In the words of our Trans ancestor Marsha P. Johnson, "No pride for some of us without liberation for all of us."
What message do you want to give to the community?
The LGBTQ+ community is not a monolith – like any other community, we are incredibly diverse – and no one person experiences their Queer identity the same as another. You do not need to be an expert on everything Queer (and honestly, none of us really can!); what really matters is listening to the person or people in front of you and respecting that they know themselves better than you ever could. I will leave you with these words from the incredible Alok Vaid-Menon, "Trans and non-binary people have been here since the beginning. The emphasis should be less on our emergence and more on their disappearance of us. Less on our novelty, more on the banality of their exclusion. Less on our bodies, more on the systems they have put into place to erase us as we live next to you."
Walker Nassar
He/Him/His
Youth Program Specialist
How would you define LGBTQIAA+ Liberation? What do you want to see in this community?
LGBTQIAA+ liberation to me means freedom from liberation and progress toward equity. To me, it is the recognition of our past, recognition of the present, and acknowledgment of where we want to be in the future. That one day, we will be in a future where folks will truly stand by "Love is Love," no matter who they are or whom they want to be.
What message do you want to give to the community?
We can evolve despite what others say. We are humans, we are capable of becoming whatever we want to be. That said, we cannot and should not gatekeep queerness. If we believe in "Love," we need to fight for all civil liberties and fight to stop all –isms. EVERY person deserves to love whomever and whatever they please.