Celebrating Pride All Year Long
Pride Month is celebrated each June to honor the 1969 Stonewall uprising in Manhattan, NY. A violent police raid at the Stonewall Inn, a club where the LGBTQIA+ community in New York could socialize, dance and be themselves, sparked five days of protests against police harassment and discrimination. It drove renewed momentum for the Gay Liberation Movement and led to the creation of new gay rights organizations and increased support for important public policy changes.
The last Sunday in June, known as “Pride Day,” soon grew to encompass a month-long series of events such as parades, parties, workshops and concerts, to celebrate and recognize the remarkable contributions of our LGBTQIA+ community.
Nyhus is a proud LGBTQIA-owned business that encourages authentic expression and demonstrates allyship in our community and among our team. We believe people should feel welcomed and celebrated in their identity not only during the month of June, but throughout the year.
One way we live our commitment is by volunteering with or donating to LGBTQIA+ advocacy organizations, shopping at LGBTQIA-owned small businesses, attending Pride events in our city, educating ourselves on the history of Pride and consuming queer media and entertainment. We invite you to honor the LGBTQIA+ community, whether you’re a member or an ally, by demonstrating kindness and love, and celebrating diversity all year long.
During the month of June, we highlighted events, people and local businesses to support in honor of Pride Month and have included these resources below. We acknowledge that this is not an exhaustive list, so we encourage you to find more LGBTQIA+ leaders and business to support throughout the year.
About Pride Month
Find an overview of the history of Pride Month.
Learn more about the intersectionality of Pride. Black and Brown folks who are part of the LBGTQIA+ communities are especially marginalized, and the activism of people of color is what originally inspired the first Pride.
Read about the nuances to queer and trans liberation and the five Seattle-area organizers, community workers and artists who came together in 2020 to dream up Taking B(l)ack Pride, a family-friendly music and arts festival that seeks “to empower the BIPOC [Black, Indigenous and people of color] transgender, queer and gender-diverse communities to take charge of the ways we own our joy, grief, healing, anger, celebration, pride, expression of culture and community.”
LGBTQ-Owned Businesses and Organizations to Support
Take your car to Repair Revolution, a feminist, LGBTQIA-owned and operated, community driven auto repair shop with a social justice heart. The car maintenance shop offers diagnosis, service and repair on all makes and models, and holds workshops on car-owning basics.
The root for social movements in Seattle and a safe space for the queer community, Big Little News is a LGBTQIA+-owned business with shelves stocked with indie magazines. Print is living in this new-this-year Capitol Hill newsstand co-owned by Queer/Bar’s Joey Burgess. Stop by and you may end up spending the entire day there.
Summer weather calls for a visit to the rooftop garden at Tamara Murphy and Linda Di Lello Morton’s “earth-to-plate” restaurant, Terra Plata! The incredible food and creative cocktails keep folks coming back year-round. This restaurant is one of Washington’s many LGBTQIA-owned businesses represented by the GSBA.
Stop by Sugarpill, a modern apothecary owned by Karyn Schwartz, and treat yourself to her insight on all things natural medicine. While you’re there, pick up a variety of artisanal foods, chocolates and other pantry essentials.
Dive into the delicious pies at A la Mode Pies where owner, Chris Porter, created a vision not just to re-create his mom’s recipes, but reinvent them using imagination and high-quality ingredients. They create pies and tarts that look as good as they taste – no sprinkles, frosting or grocery store gimmicks.
Volunteer at Gay City, the definitive hub for LGBTQIA+ individuals seeking affirming and responsive resources, wellness and community. Gay City is committed to creating more opportunities for all LGTBQIA+ people to receive services, resources, engage in community and in the arts.
Shop or donate at Out of the Closet, a chain of thrift stores benefiting the nonprofit AIDS Healthcare Foundation. When you shop or donate at Out of the Closet Thrift Stores, 96 cents of every dollar goes back into HIV care and services. You’re helping fund AIDS Healthcare Foundation’s life-saving programs in your community and around the world.
The GSBA, Washington State’s LGBTQIA+ and allied chamber of commerce represents more than 1,300 small business, corporate and nonprofit members who share the values of promoting equality and diversity in the workplace. Find more LGBTQIA+ events, businesses to support throughout the year on GSBA’s website.
