Pride Guide | Celebrating the LGBTQIA+ in Spokane

Celebrate Pride with us this June! Here at Cinder, we love and support our LGBTQIA+ customers. As a matter of fact, some of us on the team are part of the community! So, keep reading for all of the ways you can celebrate, support, and even receive support this June.

Celebrate

2nd Annual Garland Pride Rainbow Run Pub Crawl

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When: Saturday, June 1st 2024 at 3 pm
Where: Garland Drinkery – 828 W. Garland Ave.

The Drinkery and the Garland District bars are kicking off Pride Month with a pub crawl in the beautiful Garland Business District! This June 1st, celebrate the community with drag shows, comedy shows, prizes, karaoke, DJ, delicious food, and love all around. The event kicks off at 3 pm at the Garland Drinkery.

The Missing Piece Pride Kick-off Flash Event

When: Saturday, June 1st 2024 from 11 am to 8 pm
Where: The Missing Piece Tattoo – 410 W. Sprague Ave.

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Looking to get some new ink and support a great cause? Well, you’re in luck because The Missing Piece is hosting a Pride Kick-off Flash Event on June 1st! Their doors will be open from 11 am to 8 pm. At this event, you can get vibrant, full-color tattoos for just $100 in cash. To help spread the love, 20% of all profits will be benefiting the Odyssey Youth Movement here in Spokane.

Spokane Pride Parade & Festival

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When: Saturday, June 8th 2024 at 12 pm
Where: Riverfront Park – 507 N. Howard St.

It’s the most wonderful time of the year…time for the Spokane Pride Parade & Festival! This is Spokane’s largest pride event and is a great way to connect with your local LGBTQIA+ community members. For starters, Spokane Pride is proud to host small business vendors from all over the state. You can find a variety of locally made wares at various booths stationed throughout Riverfront Park during the Spokane Pride Parade & Festival. Spokane Pride is also a proud partner with the Greater Spokane Food Truck Association to bring a range of delicious local food to this year’s event. Additionally, there will be not one, but two beverage gardens at this year’s Spokane Pride Parade & Festival. Each garden will have a great view of one of the performance stages, so you can hang out, have a drink with friends, and catch a show!

Pride in Perry

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When: Saturday, June 29th 2024
Where: Perry District near 1121 S. Perry St.

Another great pride celebration taking place this year is Odyssey Youth’s Pride in Perry! Celebrate the LGBTQIA+ community in the beautiful South Perry District of Spokane. This year’s event will include several artists and community vendors, live music, activities and youth programming, local businesses, and so much more. Stay up to date as more details are released by checking out www.odysseyyouth.org.

 

Support

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While some of you readers may not be a part of the LGBTQIA+ community yourself, we are sure many allies are reading! As an ally, here are some steps you can take to support your friends in the LGBTQIA+ community.

Stay Informed

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Keeping yourself informed on issues people in the LGBTQ+ face is one of the most essential things you can do as an ally. Unfortunately, the sad reality is that our country is actively taking action to suppress the rights of transgender individuals. One useful resource to stay informed on this issue is translegistlation.com. On this webpage, you’ll see that a whopping 557 (up from last year’s 549) bills have been proposed across the U.S. with 37 having passed. This website also goes into detail as to what these bills say, what they affect (healthcare, education, etc.), where they are proposed, and much more. For more information on what the LGBTQIA+ is and how to be an ally, click here.

Call Out Misinformation

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Many harmful myths and disinformation campaigns are on the rise, so it’s important to know what the truth is. The Human Rights Campaign has put together a document debunking myths about the LGBTQIA+. These myths are popular talking points of those actively trying to take away the rights of transgender people. Even if you do not need this document to know the truth, this resource is great to reference when countering harmful anti-LGBTQIA+ rhetoric you may encounter others espousing. 

Listen to Your LGBTQIA+ Friends & Family

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Since I alone do not speak for all LGBTQIA+ individuals, it’s important to listen to your queer friends. Listen to their perspective and feelings and ask how you can support them. Many queer people feel isolated and forced into silence, especially nowadays. So, being a supportive friend is a little gesture that can go a long way.

Resources for LGBTQ+ People

Are you part of the LGBTQIA+ community and need support? Here are some great resources in and around Spokane for people in the LGBTQIA+ community.

Spectrum Center

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Spectrum’s mission is to create a safe, intersectional, intergenerational, 2SLGBTQIA+ community gathering space that celebrates a resilient, healthy community through social connectedness and support, arts and culture, access to resources, and leadership development. The long-term vision is for Spectrum to be the primary change agent for the 2SLGBTQIA+ community by advocating for social progress in Eastern Washington. They support a thriving and diverse population through education, social events, services, social activism, visibility, and by uplifting and collaborating with other organizations.

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The Spectrum Center offers great resources like its healthcare database. This database is composed of individuals who Spectrum has handpicked through surveys as qualified practitioners for affirming healthcare. The Spectrum Center is also home to the GAPP (Gender Affirming Products Program). This program helps transgender, non-binary, two-spirit, genderqueer, genderfluid, and gender nonconforming individuals in the greater Eastern Washington and North Idaho region to acquire gender-affirming products, services, gear, and more.

For more resources, click this link to go to the Washington State LGBTQ Commission’s comprehensive list of LGBTQ+ resources available in and around Spokane.

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