Looking Toward the Next 50 Years of Pride

Last year marked a significant milestone in Seattle's queer history as it honored the 50th anniversary of LGBTQIA2S+ Pride celebrations in Seattle.

Now entering the 51st year, we spoke with local LGBTQIA2S+ leaders to share their hopes for the next 50 years.

Over the next 50 years, how do you envision the LGBTQIA2S+ community in Seattle and Washington state evolving? What are your hopes?

Over the next 50 years, I imagine the LGBTQIA2S+ community will become even more grounded in mutual care, resilience, and decolonization. With the new administration, there’s a real potential for radicalization—a community that shifts from just surviving to creating a society that fully embraces its truths, voices, and histories. I’m looking toward a deeper focus on collective liberation, and an evolution of organizing that’s less about fitting into existing structures (like nonprofits) and more about creating alternative ways of living and creating support that reflects the values of the LGBTQIA2S+ community. I hope that in these coming decades, there’s a shift toward restorative practices, where we don’t hold ourselves or each other to impossible standards of perfection but instead foster a culture of care, learning, and accountability. I’m hoping for more representation from marginalized identities within our own community—more room for BlPOC, especially those at the intersections of multiple identities, without tokenism. Overall, I hope that Seattle and Washington become places where the LGBTQIA2S+ community thrives beyond just legal victories and visibility, creating radical, sustainable change that transforms not only our own lives but also the broader society. – Mattie Mooney, Taking B(l)ack Pride Co-Founder 

It’s really about people being able to be out and be able to be who they are and be supported. I think one of the things we're seeing nowadays is, that nothing that we win is ever permanent, and nothing that we lose is ever permanent, but it is about us as a community continuing to always work for inclusion, not just of LGBTQIA2S+ people, but for communities of color and other disenfranchised groups. – Speaker Laurie Jinkins, Speaker of the House of the Washington State House of Representatives

How can the LGBTQIA2S+ community as a whole more fully embrace intersectionality and uplift BIPOC, disabled, and economically marginalized voices?

To fully embrace intersectionality, the LGBTQIA2S+ community must not only acknowledge but actively center the voices of those who experience multiple layers of marginalization. This includes recognizing the specific challenges faced by immigrants, particularly those who are undocumented, trans, and living with HIV. For these individuals, every aspect of their identity adds a layer of vulnerability—whether it’s being at risk for deportation, being denied gender-affirming care, or facing stigma in healthcare settings because of their HIV status. 

The community must prioritize providing accessible, culturally competent services that meet the needs of people at these intersections. Creating safe spaces where individuals don’t have to fear being “outed” or having their immigration status questioned is key to building trust and solidarity in these marginalized groups. 

Additionally, we need to ensure that leadership positions within the LGBTQIA2S+ movement reflect the full diversity of our community, including those most affected by systemic oppression. It’s not just about inclusion in conversation but about tangible, equitable access to resources, representation, and decision-making power for Latine trans and immigrant LGBTQIA2S+ people. – Edgar Longoria, Entre Hermanos Executive Director

I used to believe that all we needed was to teach each other about our differences and see our diversity as our beauty, but I think we could spend more time teaching each other about our similarities. We have so much more in common than we think. I think the ability to empathize and to see myself in others has helped me navigate this world. We’re pitted against each other so often that it stops us from seeing that we’re facets of the same gem. – Rosette Royale, South Seattle Emerald Managing Editor

What are the most pressing issues currently facing LGBTQIA2S+ communities in Washington?

Our most pressing issue is the assault on the trans community nationally and the hostility of the Trump administration. We must work to make sure that trans folks generally, particularly trans youth, know that we love them and will protect them. – Sen. Jamie Pedersen

The fear of deportation is a massive barrier that keeps many from accessing critical services, including healthcare, mental health support, and social services. Many undocumented trans individuals hesitate to seek help due to the fear that their immigration status will be reported, leaving them without the support they desperately need.

Transphobia is another significant issue. Trans individuals — particularly those who are undocumented — face systemic discrimination both within the LGBTQIA2S+ community and the larger society. This can result in high rates of violence, homelessness, and unemployment, as well as limited access to healthcare that is culturally competent or gender-affirming. All of these issues are compounded by the economic hardships faced by many immigrant families, leading to a cycle of poverty that is incredibly difficult to break. – Edgar Longoria

How can we better ensure that LGBTQIA2S+ youth experience safe and affirming educational environments?

It's important that LGBTQIA2S+ youth feel seen and supported in places where they spend much of their time, and school is one of the most significant of those spaces. Teachers, staff, and administrators need continuous training on LGBTQIA2S+ topics, so they know how to create inclusive classrooms, address microaggressions, and understand the unique challenges LGBTQIA2S+ students face.

Another key piece is strong, clear policies. Schools must have clear protections in place against discrimination based on gender identity, sexual orientation, and gender expression. This means making sure students can use the bathroom and locker rooms that match their gender identity and addressing bullying quickly and effectively. Schools should also be proactive with anti-bullying programs that specifically address LGBTQIA2S+ issues.

Creating a support system is just as important. Schools should offer spaces where LGBTQIA2S+ youth feel comfortable being themselves, like student groups or alliances. These spaces can help students build a sense of community. It’s also essential that students have access to counselors or mental health professionals who are trained to support LGBTQIA2S+ youth and understand their needs.

Lastly, family and community support are crucial. When schools, families, and communities work together, LGBTQIA2S+ youth are more likely to succeed in environments that really support their well-being and identity. – Mattie Mooney

Because I'm a policymaker, I think you have to elect good policymakers, good school board members, and good legislators who aren't enacting policies that are hostile to young people. As part of that, those people who are elected need to start by listening to those youths' experiences and listening to the suggestions they have about what would help them have more affirming educational environments. They also need to listen to the people who have lived experiences in the classroom and the school system, which is the way to make good policy.  – Speaker Laurie Jinkins

What initiatives or changes would you like to see in health resources for the LGBTQIA2S+ community?

Health resources need to be radically more inclusive, accessible, and culturally competent. Latine individuals account for approximately 27% of new HIV diagnoses in the U.S., despite being only 19% of the population (Center for Disease Control). Expanding access to PrEP, bilingual services, and community-led health initiatives is essential for prevention and care. To better serve this community, healthcare providers need to be trained on the intersectionality of these identities. 

Mental health services must also be expanded, particularly services that address the compounded trauma of migration, transphobia, racism, and HIV stigma. Creating safe spaces for undocumented, trans, and HIV+ individuals within healthcare settings is crucial to overcoming the deep mistrust many of these individuals have in institutions that have historically failed them. – Edgar Longoria

When I think about the changes I’d want to see in healthcare for the LGBTQIA2S+ community, I envision a system built on radical frameworks of care — where accessibility, inclusivity, and dignity aren’t just buzzwords, but the foundation of everything.

As someone who works in healthcare, I’d want to see a model where people who are part of the community are the ones actively involved in the care decisions, shaping the services, and directly leading initiatives. A truly transformative shift would be to have more people from within the community in positions where they are the ones designing and implementing healthcare services. 

Access to healthcare needs to be radically decolonized. We’ve seen how white, cis-normative, ableist and capitalistic models of care have dominated, leaving marginalized communities — especially BIPOC, disabled folks, and trans and nonbinary people — on the outside. We need healthcare that understands and centers the intersections of identity — not just "LGBTQIA2S+" as a monolith, but specifically what it means to be, for example, a Black trans woman or a disabled queer person.

There needs to be affirmative healthcare. That means more healthcare professionals who are LGBTQIA2S+ themselves and who can authentically provide the care that our community needs — whether that’s through gender-affirming treatments, mental healthcare, or just simple everyday care that recognizes us for who we are.

Lastly, there needs to be a focus on healing justice, which means recognizing and addressing the impact of systemic oppression, historical trauma, and environmental factors on LGBTQIA2S+ health. This framework acknowledges that we don’t just need health services that treat individual conditions; we need ones that acknowledge and address the harm caused by a society that marginalizes us. Healing justice demands that we create spaces for not just physical healing, but emotional, spiritual, and collective healing as well.

Ultimately, the changes I want to see are rooted in the belief that our health is about more than just the absence of illness. It’s about creating environments where we’re empowered, supported, and able to thrive — where we can access healthcare with dignity, on our own terms, and with our identities fully affirmed. – Mattie Mooney

Having come of age at a time when people were dying regularly of AIDS, I am delighted to see the progress we have made in fighting HIV. I hope that we continue to increase access to PrEP for all young people. – Sen. Jamie Pedersen

What legacy do you hope today’s LGBTQIA2S+ leaders will leave for future generations? What legacy do you hope to leave as a queer leader?

I hope today’s LGBTQIA2S+ leaders leave a legacy of truly inclusive activism that centers the voices and experiences of the most marginalized. The legacy I hope we leave is one where these individuals are no longer forced to fight for the basics: access to healthcare, safety, legal protections, and economic opportunities. I want future generations to inherit a community that does not just acknowledge but celebrates the complexity of their identities, ensuring that every person is seen and supported in all their intersections. 

As a queer leader, I hope my legacy will be one of advocacy for the most vulnerable, helping to ensure that future leaders don’t just fight for policy change but also actively dismantle the systems of oppression that affect the most marginalized. I want to be remembered for amplifying the voices of Latine trans individuals, undocumented immigrants, and HIV+ people, and for contributing to a world where they can live without fear, fully and unapologetically, as their authentic selves. – Edgar Longoria

The legacy I hope today's LGBTQIA2S+ leaders will leave defies the mainstream assimilationist narrative that often co-opts our struggles. It's a legacy that challenges systems of oppression, that uproots the very foundations of capitalism, white supremacy, ableism, and patriarchy. A legacy rooted in care, in community, and in radical love — one that rejects any notion that our worth is based on fitting into boxes, appeasing the status quo, or pursuing respectability politics. It’s a legacy that reminds us that the fight isn’t just about visibility or legal rights but about transforming the way we exist in this world together, across generations, across identities. I hope to see leaders uplift the wisdom of our elders, allowing their lived experiences to inform our strategies while also elevating the voices of youth — who often have the most revolutionary ideas because they haven't yet been broken by the weight of the world. It's about creating a space where every person’s experience is valid, where our collective trauma doesn’t define us, but where we build a future free from the violence of the past and present.

As for the legacy I hope to leave, it’s one where my refusal to conform — to shrink, to silence myself, or to compromise my principles for the sake of belonging — serves as a testament to the power of radical self-truth. I want to be remembered as someone who was not afraid of standing alone, of being the outlier, of taking the heat for doing what was right. I want to leave behind a space that is messy and real, a space where I wasn’t concerned with whether I was liked or accepted, but with whether I was doing the work that would push us forward.  It’s important to me that my legacy be one that creates room for others to show up as their full, unfiltered selves—unapologetic in their contradictions, their complexities, and their fight for liberation. To be a queer leader who is unafraid of the consequences of being real — that’s the legacy I hope to carve. – Mattie Mooney

Being the first out lesbian elected to the state legislature, and then being the first woman and lesbian speaker of the house, I've had a lot of experiences already where not just young people, but people involved in the political world say to me, “I see you doing that, and it told me that I could do it too if I want to.” That's a big part of the legacy that I hope to leave. If that inspires one other young person who thought they wouldn’t be able to do this work to feel like they can, that's perfect for me. We have the most diverse caucus we've ever had in the history of the state and I believe that the more diversity we get into these policy-making bodies, the better decisions we make for the people of this state. It can take longer to make the great decisions that we make because we are learning and understanding things from a whole different perspective when we have that much diversity in the room, but the final decisions, the approaches that we come to, are always better. I hope that LGBTQIA2S+ people continue to think of running for policy positions and working in policy and are out as they do it because it then inspires more and more people to do it, to see themselves in that role. – Speaker Laurie Jinkins

I hope that today’s LGBTQIA2S+ leaders bestow a belief that positive change is possible. When I moved to Seattle, the one openly queer political figure anyone could name was Cal Anderson. Now there have been and are dozens of LGBTQIA2S+ people in politics.

Positive change happens. Yes, disheartening things are still going on, too. But people continue to move forward. Together, we can help change this world for the better. And I know it’s true because it’s already happened. – Rosette Royale