Dear Editor: As we celebrate Pride Month in Sitka, we are reminded that visibility, safety, and belonging are not luxuries – they are lifelines, especially in a time when LGBTQ+ Alaskans face rising political attacks.
Current Alaska House Bill 40 seeks to bar transgender girls from participating in girls’ school sports, enforcing a rigid definition of gender based on birth-assigned sex. Nationally, the picture is grim: a recent executive order redefined gender in federal policy as fixed at birth, cutting off funding for gender-affirming care and denying transgender people access to facilities that match their identity. The pace of these changes is staggering — and for many trans and nonbinary people, especially those with IDs that no longer match their birth-assigned sex, it’s more than fear. It’s a daily question of survival.
At Sitkans Against Family Violence, we know safety looks different for everyone. That’s why our shelter is open to people of all genders, because everyone deserves access to support without fear or exclusion.
In times of growing uncertainty, building connection and belonging is more important than ever. Research shows that a sense of belonging is a protective factor against violence, isolation, and despair. That’s why Sitka Pride is creating safe, inclusive spaces and challenging the rigid gender norms that too often put our community members at risk.
This Pride Month, Sitka Pride is hosting 15 events to bring us together – including an all-ages Pride Prom and a Pride March and Variety Show on June 28. These gatherings are joyful, welcoming spaces that remind us we are not alone.
We invite you to be part of it. Follow Sitka Pride on Instagram. Visit safv.org/pride to explore allyship resources, the Sitka Pride calendar, and ways to help build a Sitka where everyone, regardless of gender, identity, or background, knows they belong, knows they are held, and knows they are safe.
With pride and gratitude,
Mel Beadle,
Sitkans Against Family Violence
