June is Pride Month, a time to celebrate the courage, brilliance, and the legacy of queer and transgender people who have always been at the forefront of the movements for our collective liberation. Pride has never just been a party, it’s a continued declaration that we belong. It was born from the leadership of Black and Brown, queer and trans communities who came together to protect and affirm our right to exist, to be seen, and to be free. Their righteous acts of defiance and joy reimagined the world not just for themselves, but for every generation to come.

Today, the Washington Immigrant Solidarity Network (WAISN) is proud to carry that legacy forward. As a queer and trans, immigrant-led and founded organization, our work centers those most impacted—undocumented queer and trans people, Black and Indigenous migrants—whose lives and experiences are too often rendered invisible within both immigrant justice and queer spaces.

We are guided by the fact that there is no immigrant justice without queer and trans justice, and there is no Pride without remembering that joy itself is a form of resistance. So this month let us find each other in celebration, let us be loud in our queerness and unwavering in our love for each other. Throughout Pride, we’ll be showing up across Washington to celebrate with our communities, and we hope you’ll join us!

And if you can’t join us at a Pride celebration in person, know that there are still so many ways to stay connected and be a part of this movement that stretches well past June. We are grateful to be in community with incredible queer and trans-led partners building care-centered spaces and working together to organize for a future where no one is disposable. We encourage you to uplift and share their work as powerful resources, this month and always:

• UTOPIA Washington - Founded by and for the Pacific Islander LGBTQIA+ community, provides culturally grounded resources, advocacy, and direct services, including housing assistance, healthcare navigation, leadership development, and reentry support for formerly incarcerated individuals.
•  Entre Hermanos - Promotes the health and well-being of the Latino queer and trans communities in Seattle through education, support services, advocacy, community building, and offering free HIV testing, condom distribution, and PrEP navigation.
• Lavender Rights Project - A Black-trans led organization elevating the power, autonomy, and leadership of the Black intersex & gender diverse communities in Washington through intersectional legal advocacy and community-driven initiatives.
• Point of Pride - Provides financial aid and direct support to help trans youth and adults access necessary, life-saving health and wellness services.
• Gender Justice League - Provides resources and support for BIPOC Two-Spirit, Trans, and Gender Diverse (2STGD) survivors of gender-based violence and crime.

We are living through a time shaped by deep uncertainty, but what has always guided us is our love for each other and our refusal to be erased. This Pride we’re showing up boldly in joy, in movement, and in community because together we will build the future our communities deserve.

In solidarity,

Catalina Velasquez

Executive Director, Washington Immigrant Solidarity Network