I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to the many phenomenal community members, volunteers, businesses, nonprofits, and agencies who stood on the right side of history at Pride in the Park and other CDA4Pride events. Those who refused to waver in the wake of organized hate to stand for love and inclusion will never be forgotten. Because of you, love won, big-time.
I am comforted knowing that Saturday, June 11 serves as a desperately needed wake-up call and catalyst for community action. Keep standing up for human rights, Coeur d’Alene. Thank you, Kootenai County Task Force on Human Relations for continuing your work.
Western States Center, a regional advocacy organization since 1987 for an inclusive democracy, deserves special attention. They reached out to North Idaho Pride Alliance throughout our time of need to provide tools, resources, and guidance.
I would like to thank the local bullies for doing a fantastic job fundraising for us and inspiring people to attend events. We received record numbers of sponsorships and donations and hosted more people than ever before! Turns out that when you pick on a small community nonprofit that serves a vulnerable population, volunteers will passionately pledge hundreds of hours collectively to transform adversity into success.
What I learned from this experience is that it’s the strength of our relationships and willingness to collaborate that keeps us safe. Let’s hope “live and let live” prevails and more caring citizens are brought to the table to address community concerns.
JESSICA MAHURON Coeur d’Alene
