Pride month reminds us we can choose to treat all with dignity and respect
An important mindset we can choose to adopt is to try to meet people where they are rather than where we are and do so with a sense of curiosity and a commitment to treating people with respect and dignity.
I have found this mindset is easier said than done because it is so much easier to apply my own world view and forget that others have had far different experiences. To the extent we can be less judgmental and more curious, our world will be a kinder and better place.
Folks in our midst who are part of the LGBTQ community often face hostility and frequent reminders that they don’t belong. I cannot think of a more tragic situation than being shunned and treated as if you are “less than” others.
In the service of encouraging dignity and respect, I appreciate those in our community who go out of their way to foster a greater sense of belonging to those in the LGBTQ community.
The folks at Wenatchee Pride are giving a shout out to Columbia Valley Community Health for their ongoing support of LGBTQ awareness. For graduating seniors who identify as LGBTQ, the medical group has funded rainbow cords to be worn at graduation.
With an estimated 61 percent of LGBTQ students reporting being harassed during school in a national study, the cords symbolize “they went through that and came out on the other side,” according to Wenatchee Pride president Lincoln Nere.
“A rainbow cord is a minuscule thing, but it’s a statement,” according to Nere. “It’s a piece of who they are, their identity, what they went through. Wenatchee Pride is proud of all our students.”
With June being Pride month, CVCH is also funding free flags for community members who want to show support for the LGBTQ community.
“We want to paint Wenatchee in the colors of the people it represents,” said Nere. “That’s why we chose the Progressive Pride Flag instead of the traditional, because it also honors “people of color- whose activism inspired the very first Pride.”
Here’s to building a society where everyone is treated with dignity and respect so that these awareness campaigns are no longer necessary.
