The Port of Seattle Commission officially proclaimed June 2023 PRIDE MONTH during its meeting today.
In addition to adopting the Proclamation, Port employees were invited by the Port-wide Pride group to join the 49th Annual Seattle Pride Parade.
The Port also announced that its first all-gender restroom will open at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport in mid-July. Located between gates D1 and D2, this multi-user, all-gender restroom is among the first of its kind to be introduced in a North American Airport. The ADA-accessible restroom is inclusive to all, with full-door stalls, a family restroom, a private urinal room, and a shared washing station. The Port worked with a community stakeholder group during the restroom design.
The SEA customer service website includes even more services and amenities for transgender, non-binary, and gender-nonconforming travelers coming through SEA Airport.
“Pride Month is a celebration. We celebrate the contributions of the LGBTQIA2S+ community, honor the decades of efforts to demand their rights, and commit to ending the homophobia and bigotry that remains,” said Commissioner Ryan Calkins. “In a time when some would have us go back, with legislation that would undo the gains we’ve made to ensure the rights of the LGBTQIA2S+ community, this is also a month to commit to solidarity and allyship.”
The Proclamation, read by members of the Port of Seattle Port-wide PRIDE and Trans Inclusivity employee resource groups, acknowledges the commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion as an asset to the strength of the Port.
“The fight for the dignity, respect, equality, inclusion, and belonging of LGBTQIA2S+ communities has been hard-fought in the streets, courts, and legislative chambers for decades,” said Rut Perez-Studer, Senior Manager for Fishing & Commercial Vessel Services and a member of Portwide PRIDE. “We appreciate that employers like the Port can stand against discrimination and ensure that all people have access to equality, liberty, and justice.”
The Proclamation celebrates the progress of LGBTQIA2S+ rights since the Stonewall Inn riots in June 1969, a turning point in U.S. history to protest police violence against lesbian, gay, and trans communities in New York City.
The Proclamation also acknowledges new concerns that new discriminatory and bigoted laws targeting the LGBTQIA2S+ community are on the rise. The Port rejects discrimination and supports LGBTQIA2S+ individuals, their families, and their fight for equal rights.
Contact
Perry Cooper | Port of Seattle Senior Media Officer
(206) 787-4923 | [email protected]
