Seattle Pride announces parade grand marshals, festival lineup



SEATTLE -- Mayor Jenny Durkan, the city's first openly lesbian mayor, and drag star Jinkx Monsoon are among the six grand marshals who will lead the 45th annual Seattle Pride Parade.

The parade, set for June 30 in downtown Seattle, is the nation's fourth largest pride parade. More than 200 groups and 60,000 people march in support of LGBTQ pride.

"This year’s grand marshals are shining examples of what it means to be a leader, advocate and role model,” said Seattle Pride President Kevin Toovey. “Each of them embodies LGBTQ progress."

The four other groups that will serve as this year's grand marshals include:

· Bailey-Boushay House – Established in 1992, Bailey-Boushay House (operated by Virginia Mason Medical Center) was at the forefront of the AIDS crisis and served as a pioneer and national model as a place where those with HIV/AIDS could find compassionate care, and to live their last days with dignity, even as many faced fear and isolation.

· Camp Ten Trees – As a summer camp for children who are questioning or who identify as LGBTQ, Camp Ten Trees is a safe place for diverse youth to come together and form a community that is truly their own – and where all are welcomed and engaged. In addition to traditional camp activities, campers engage in age-appropriate workshops exploring identity, issues of oppression/privilege, youth coalition building, social justice and more.

· Seattle Children’s Gender Clinic – As one of only five such facilities in the U.S. caring for youth with gender identity concerns, The Gender Clinic (operated by Seattle Children’s) provides expert gender-affirming care for youth whose gender identity is different from their sex at birth.

· UTOPIA Seattle – United Territories of Pacific Islanders’ Alliance (UTOPIA) provides sacred spaces to strengthen the minds and bodies of LGBTQ Pacific Islanders, along with support and access to critical life-stabilizing resources which enable those in the community to lead fulfilling lives, while also in helping reclaim their identities lost through colonization with community organizing, political engagement and cultural stewardship.

The Pride Parade is the culmination of a monthlong pride celebration in Seattle, which kicks off June 8 with the Volunteer Park Pride Festival, an annual celebration of queer arts, music, performance and culture.

The free event will feature a beer garden, food trucks, local crafts fair, sponsor and community nonprofit informational booths, and is highlighted by live concert performances.

Click here for the lineup and more information about Pride events happening through June.