OPINION | Solidarity Is Not Seasonal: Pride Is More Than a Celebration — It's a Call to Action

by Taylor Farley

In South King County, queer and trans communities — especially Black, Brown, immigrant, and working-class residents — have always lived at the intersection of resilience and resistance. We face housing insecurity, barriers to health care, anti-trans discrimination, and systems that too often ignore our voices.

As Pride Month approaches, these challenges feel even more urgent. Across the country, anti-LGBTQIA+ legislation is gaining ground, even here in Washington — long seen as a progressive state — our rights are not guaranteed. LGBTQIA+ youth are disproportionately pushed into homelessness. Trans and nonbinary people still fight for basic access to health care.

Meanwhile, Seattle's Pride celebrations are facing a $350,000 shortfall — nearly a quarter of its operating budget — after companies pulled back their sponsorships in the wake of DEI rollbacks. These aren't struggling small businesses making hard choices. They're major corporations that were eager to rainbow their logos and dominate parade floats when being part of something fabulous was easy. 

But Pride was never about corporate branding. It has always been about people, protest, and power.

On June 28, 1969, a group of LGBTQIA+ individuals — led by brave trans women of color like Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera — rose up against police violence at the Stonewall Inn in New York City. That defiant act sparked the modern LGBTQIA+ rights movement. The first Pride marches, held in 1970, were acts of radical visibility. They weren't celebrations — they were calls to action, demanding recognition, protections, and equal rights for LGBTQIA+ lives. These events were about asserting our existence and demanding justice.

Today, Washington's queer communities continue that legacy. We don't need corporate validation to realize our worth. Instead, we continue to build movements from the ground up — with love, grit, and an unshakable belief in our collective power.

Our community's true strength isn't in corporate-sponsored floats — it's in grassroots organizations and everyday people who refuse to give up. South of Seattle organizations are part of the nonprofit tapestry doing the work that keeps this movement alive. United Territories of Pacific Islanders Alliance Washington (UTOPIA Washington), based in Kent, provides culturally grounded support for trans and queer communities. POCAAN, in Federal Way, offers life-saving care for BIPOC communities impacted by HIV. Queer Power Alliance, alongside Entre Hermanos and POCAAN, is collecting vital data to ensure LGBTQIA+ BIPOC voices shape the policies and funding decisions that impact our lives. And Trans Community Action (TRACTION)  is building networks of safety and support for trans people seeking sanctuary across the country with the Project Open Arms.

This is what Pride looks like: community-led, year-round, and rooted in justice. Together, we are working to build power, create spaces of belonging, and fight for policies that protect and uplift our communities.

Right now, there are ways to take action to defend and strengthen key legislation that directly impacts queer communities in Washington. We must defend and advance the progress we've fought so hard to achieve, including supporting HB 1217/SB 5222 (rent stabilization), SB 5181 (student privacy), HB 1296 (protections for LGBTQIA+ youth in public schools), and others through the final stages of our state's legislative process. And we must continue to defend Washington's existing gender-affirming care statute, so trans individuals can live fully and authentically.

As June approaches, let's remember that Pride is not a product to be sold, but a movement we live in every day. It's a commitment to show up when it's uncomfortable, speak out when there's risk, and keep going forward when others step back.

To our neighbors, friends, and local businesses in South King County: This is your moment to choose courage with us. Where you can show up, not just at the parade, but all year long.

The South Seattle Emerald is committed to holding space for a variety of viewpoints within our community, with the understanding that differing perspectives do not negate mutual respect amongst community members.

The opinions, beliefs, and viewpoints expressed by the contributors on this website do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs, and viewpoints of the Emerald or official policies of the Emerald.

Taylor Farley is executive director of Queer Power Alliance, a nonprofit working to empower Washington communities, advocate for change, and ensure a future where all LGBTQIA+ people can thrive.