~Guest Post by Greg Jamiel, Founder & Executive Director, Snovalley Pride
As June begins, many people ask, “Why is Pride Month still necessary?” The answer is simple. Because our 2SLGBTQ+ neighbors, friends, family members, coworkers, and children are once again being told by people in positions of power that they do not belong.
Across our country, we are watching an unprecedented wave of attacks targeting queer and transgender people. Laws are being proposed and passed that erase identities, limit healthcare, censor books, silence educators, and make it harder for people simply to exist as themselves. The message being sent is clear: some people deserve less dignity, less freedom, and less protection than others. That is why Pride still matters.
Not because queer people are asking for special treatment, but because we are asking for the same opportunity every person deserves… to live openly, safely, and honestly.
The truth is that 2SLGBTQ+ people have been here since the beginning of human history. We have always existed in every culture, every community, every generation, and every corner of the world. And we are not going anywhere.
Here in the Snoqualmie Valley, Snovalley Pride was born from both heartbreak and hope. Several years ago, our community lost young people to suicide. Those losses left a mark on many of us and forced us to ask a difficult question: What kind of community do we want to be?
We never want another young person in the Snoqualmie Valley to feel unseen, unloved, unwelcome, or alone.
For generations, rural communities have often carried an unspoken message for 2SLGBTQ+ people: you can stay, but only if you stay quiet. Many young people couldn’t wait to leave. Many adults believed they were the only queer person in town, or that they had to celebrate who they were somewhere else, in secret.
When Snovalley Pride began, there was no organization bringing our community together. No Pride events. No gathering spaces. No visible reminder that queer people belong here, too. And over the years, we’ve discovered something powerful… There are a lot of us here!
We live in one of the most beautiful areas in the country, and our community has a place in that story. We are deeply connected to these rivers, mountains, forests, farms, and small towns. We are artists, musicians, business owners, parents, volunteers, teachers, healthcare workers, and neighbors. We bring beauty, creativity, music, compassion, and connection to the Valley… and that benefits everyone.
We are not Seattle, and we’re not trying to be. The Snoqualmie Valley’s greatest strength has always been its sense of community. The way we watch out for one another and help each other out.
That is the energy that Snovalley Pride is built on. We are showing what life can look like when we lead with kindness instead of fear, hope instead of cynicism, and community instead of division. We are leaning into our gifts and creating spaces where young people can see a future for themselves right here at home.
A future where they know they are safe to be who they are. A future where they understand there is an entire Valley of people cheering them on and wanting them to grow into healthy, thriving adults who share their own gifts with our community. A future where they can live long, joyful, meaningful lives. That is why Pride is not just a celebration. It is an act of light protesting the darkness. It is a declaration that every person deserves to be seen, loved, and safe.
On Sunday, June 7, Snovalley Pride will host our 4th Annual Pride Picnic at Tolt Commons in Carnation. Everyone is welcome, and the event features live music, free catered food, free art-making activities, and community connection.
With so much darkness, division, and fear in the world, our Pride Picnic offers an opportunity to experience something different. For a few hours, we gather as neighbors, friends, and chosen family to share music, food, art, laughter, and connection. Pride started as a protest… and it still is today. Every time we choose kindness over fear, community over isolation, and love over hate, we carry that legacy forward.
The Picnic is our way of shining a little more light into the world. And everyone is invited, because the future we are fighting for is not just for queer people. It is a future where kindness matters, where differences are celebrated, where everyone belongs, and where our communities are stronger because of the diversity that lives within them. This is our home, and we love it. And we love all the people, animals, plants, rivers, and trees that call this place home.
Pride Month matters because the fight against oppression is not over.
Comments
Greg,
Thanks for all that you do for the community. I’m of the belief that love always wins, and when we are kind to one another, we build bonds that strengthen us and not walls that divide us.
And thanks for the emphasis upon the young people who have often felt unloved and unwanted. Your work to reach them saves lives and saves people from despair and loneliness.