Editor,

June is traditionally the month during which we celebrate and support the LGBTQ+ community and its allies. This Saturday, June 21, please join South Whidbey Pride at noon as we march through downtown Langley, followed by a festival at the South Whidbey Community Center.

This year, however, it’s not only a time of celebration; it’s also a time of reflection and resilience. The theme of this year’s Pride activities is “Now More Than Ever,” an acknowledgement that the LGBTQ+ community is facing unprecedented challenges to our rights and our lives.

At present, there are almost 500 bills proposed across the nation to curtail or eliminate the gains that queer people have achieved in the past few decades. Many of these bills target trans and non-binary people, seeking to erase their identities and criminalize their very existence. Several states have introduced legislation to overturn same-sex marriage, efforts that will likely make its way to the Supreme Court with potentially devastating effect.

The Trump administration plans to cancel funding for a national queer youth crisis hotline that has saved thousands of lives. It’s banned trans people from serving in the military, many of whom have served their country admirably for years. Arts funding has been slashed under the guise of eliminating “woke” and DEI culture, forcing performing and fine arts venues to reconsider any content related to sexuality and gender. Books with queer or gender non-conforming themes have been removed from many public libraries.

We need to stand together as a community and as a nation, to raise our voices, to show our support, and defend our rights. Be there with us on June 21. We need you Now More Than Ever.

Jeff Natter

South Whidbey Pride, board president

Langley