Dear fellow King County employee,

This month we celebrate Pride and the fight for equality and equal rights for LGBTQIA+ people, along with the many accomplishments and contributions they have made in our communities here in King County and around the world. It is also a time to reflect on the adversities that LGBTQIA+ people have faced throughout history and their courage in the ongoing struggle against injustice.

As you may know, Pride began as a protest against discrimination and police violence, in the form of the Stonewall Uprising in New York City in 1969. The first Pride March took place the following year in New York City, and now Pride marches are held each year in communities across the globe.

The LGBTQIA+ community has made much progress since that day in 1969, but Pride reminds us that the fight continues today. LGBTQIA+ people continue to experience discrimination and fear in their personal and work lives, and these experiences are amplified for LGBTQIA+ people of color who are also deeply impacted by racism and White supremacy.

The prejudices that LGBTQIA+ people continue to battle today remind us why we must remain steadfast in our work to achieve our True North – to make King County a truly welcoming and inclusive community where every person can thrive.

This Sunday hundreds of our King County colleagues, family, and friends will march in the Seattle Pride Parade in support of LGBTQIA+ rights, and you are invited to join the celebration. King County’s staging area is on Fourth Avenue between Seneca Street and Spring Street from 11:15-11:45 a.m. The King County contingent will get moving at 12:10 p.m., and it takes about two hours to get to the end of the parade route.

We have many more barriers to break down to become the place we truly want to be. Pride Month is a time of celebration and a reminder that the fight for equality and equal rights continues today.

Sincerely,

Dow Constantine (he/him/his)
King County Executive