Seattle Hosts First Transgender Pride Event In 16 Years

During Pride weekend, Seattle’s Capitol Hill neighborhood will host a march and party specifically for transgender people - the T in LGBT.

There hasn’t been a separate Pride event for the trans community in Seattle since 1997. Yet according to the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, transgender people are at much higher risk for job, housing, and health discrimination than the general population. Here in Washington, people who expressed a transgender identity in school were 81 percent more likely to be harassed, 39 percent more likely to be victims of physical violence, and 10 percent more likely to drop out of school.

It’s statistics like those that make Trans*Pride a must-attend event for Carolyn MacGregor and her 11-year-old. Carolyn’s child started dressing as a girl at age four and identifies as a girl.

“She’s fighting to be authentic, and to be recognized and treated equally,” says Carolyn. “I think it’s a really good place for her to be and see all the support around her, and that she is part of their community.”

The Trans*Pride March begins Friday, June 28 at 6:00 p.m. on Capitol Hill. Speakers and music begin at 7:00 p.m.