Actions speak volumes | Guest column

Published 1:30 am Tuesday, June 16, 2026

By the San Juan Island Pride Foundation

We at the San Juan Island Pride Foundation are grateful for the Council’s support for 2SLGBTQIA+ residents and deeply appreciate the Council stating that our rights shall be defended and protected. However, we respectfully request that the Council go further than words and take action toward protecting 2SLGBTQIA+ residents.

We call for the following actions: making support visible, addressing the discrimination 2SLGBTQIA+ employees identified in the 2024 Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging survey, providing direct support to 2SLGBTQIA+ residents facing higher risk of income loss, homelessness and medical neglect, and formulating a specific, actionable plan to protect 2SLGBTQIA+ residents from direct threats of violence

First, we request that the County visibly display 2SLGBTQIA+ support across the county by displaying Pride Flags, street banners, etc. These let 2SLGBTQIA+ residents know that they are supported and provide notice that acts of hate toward 2SLGBTQIA+ residents will not be tolerated. We are not immune to these acts here in San Juan County. Last year, there were multiple acts of hate during Pride Month on San Juan Island alone.

Next, we request that the Council address the known issues internally in the treatment of 2SLGBTQIA+ employees. The DEIB Survey clearly indicated that members of the queer community within County employees, especially non-binary individuals, felt they were not treated equitably by supervisors and were made to feel unwelcome. Council members identified “the clear need for a more inclusive leadership and culture” (Impact Report presentation, page 28).

This study was a first step, yet there is no information about any actions taken as committed to by April 2026. Discrimination against 2SLGBTQIA+ individuals impacts those employees and their families but also impacts the programs and services available to residents, as employees will not feel safe proposing services for their community.

Thirdly, we call on the Council to create direct means of supporting 2SLGBTQIA+ community members in their struggles with higher unemployment, homelessness and denial of adequate medical care. Studies have found that 2SLGBTQIA+ individuals are more likely to be fired, not hired or not promoted, with 55% of trans/nonbinary individuals reporting employment discrimination (https://williamsinstitute.law.ucla.edu/publications/lgbt-workplace-discrimination/). 2SLGBTQIA+ households are more likely to live in poverty, experience loss of income and have difficulty paying bills, with trans and non-white 2SLGBTQIA+ members more impacted (https://www.americanprogress.org/article/fact-sheet-lgbt-workers-in-the-labor-market/). 2SLGBTQIA+ individuals are more likely to experience homelessness and housing instability, with 2SLGBTQIA+ youth 120% more likely to experience homelessness than their peers (https://nationalhomeless.org/lgbtq-homelessness/). Studies have found that seriously ill 2SLGBTQIA+ patients were discriminated against, with reports of denying pain medication and denying treatment for serious illnesses unrelated to their identity (Berkman et al., 2025, https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12145487/).

Finally, we ask the Council to create a plan to protect 2SLGBTQIA+ residents, especially trans residents, as the calls for violence against 2SLGBTQIA+ individuals increase. With the federal government designating pro-transgender groups and people as terrorists, the violent rhetoric is scaring many residents who need reassurance of County protection.

For more information about San Juan Island Pride Foundation, visit https://sjipride.org/.