Be sure to also read our earlier blog post recapping Pride celebrations with our Casa de los Amigos youth in February.
Against the backdrop of a global pandemic and our world’s ongoing fight to seek justice for Black lives, Pride celebrations at YouthCare looked very different than years past. We wanted to share with you the things we learned and the special ways we honored Pride this year.
Honoring Pride’s History
In recent years, Pride celebrations could be seen as a rainbow-clad party, catered heavily towards gay White men and straight allies who wanted to celebrate the immense progress won over the last two decades. Yet, amidst these joyous celebrations, the history behind the Stonewall riots and its leaders often gets overlooked: Stonewall was a violent protest against police brutality, led by Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) trans women like Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera.
Let’s acknowledge the vital role that intersectionality plays in the fight for both LGBTQ+ rights and justice for Black lives taken today. Let’s pay tribute to changemakers that paved the way to a safer and more welcoming world for all of us. And let’s continue their legacy to demand change in our policies and institutions. Learn more, including ways you can help, here.
On June 12, 2020, the Trump Administration repealed laws protecting LGBTQ+ people and their right to receive healthcare services. Sign the petition below to demand reinstation of these laws now.
Celebrating Pride in Our Programs
Last year, we marched alongside staff and young people during Seattle’s Pride, donning rainbow-colored shirts and waving flags. We mostly stayed inside this year to be safe, but we did all we could to make it special for young people in our care. We’re deeply grateful to SAP Concur for generously donating over $20,000 worth of food, supplies, clothing, and decorations to help us bring Pride to all of our programs!
Thoughtfully purchased from queer and POC-owned businesses, we delivered redesigned Black Trans Pride flags, baked goods, yummy catered meals, decorations, supplies for Pride festivities, and essential clothing items to our housing programs and engagement centers. Isis at Ravenna House, our housing program focused on the unique needs of LQBTQ+ youth, celebrated with a cookout, face painting, and bubbles. Thank you SAP Concur for making this possible!
Check out some photos below.
Supporting LGBTQ+ Youth
YouthCare’s Employer Engagement Specialist Paris, and Community Engagement Specialist Craig, had a Queer Community Conversation with Gay City: Seattle’s LGBTQ Center about what LGBTQ+ homeless youth are experiencing while systemic racism and a pandemic persists today. Watch the full conversation below.
“You’re seeing the unified front of people who are not willing to settle for what has been the norm. We have some youth who have never had any positive interactions with the norms of society.
People are now just becoming aware of how our youth have been treated all along.” – Paris
Finally, a reminder as we close out Pride month…
Trans youth enter a world steeped in anti-trans hostility: on school grounds, in the workplace, and for some, at home. Racism further traumatizes and triggers harmful feelings of rejection. We must continue fighting for young people’s right to live safely and authentically.
Black- and Trans-led organizations you can follow and support
- Washington Black Trans Task Force
- Ghetto Heaven Collective
- Alphabet Alliance of Color
- Queer the Land
- Trans Women of Color Solidarity Network
- Black Trans Prayer Book
Thank you for honoring Pride month with us!