It’s no secret that the rights of transgender and queer Americans are under attack, further exacerbated by Trump’s reelection in 2024. Constant attacks and detriments to queer livelihood create a general consensus of exhaustion, members of the Bellingham queer community say.
Now more than ever it is essential to celebrate queer love in all forms. Whether the relationships are romantic, platonic, familial or otherwise, community is our way through the dark and it must be flaunted.
Queer people are stronger together. When the government fails us, we only have each other to rely on. Oftentimes, surrounding yourself with love and laughter is the best armor against hateful rhetoric.
Sol Wilborn, an intersectional experiences coordinator for LGBTQ+ Western, has built a wonderful queer family, including two romantic partners and one platonic partner. They are a firm believer in mutual aid and community care.
“I feel so strong because of those that stand around me and all of the love I have in my life,” said Wilborn. “As shit continues to hit the fan, there are people around me that can offer what I need, and I can give them what I can.”
This political climate can be very isolating if you lack community. As a queer person, finding your people can be difficult at times; especially if you’re still coming into your own identity.
“You have to put effort into the community. It’s really easy to … interact with queer media, but you have to interact with the people behind it,” said Gee Díaz-Kelly, an intersectional experiences coordinator for LGBTQ+ Western.
Díaz-Kelly received an abundance of support both before and after getting top surgery last summer. Friends, family and acquaintances flocked to his pre-op celebration as well as his bedside during recovery, but the surgery isn’t what sticks out in his mind — it’s a sense of belonging.
“When you are around a bunch of queer people, you don’t feel queer. You just feel (right),” Díaz-Kelly said.
Intergenerational community building is an important aspect of cultivating hope for the future. Bellingham newcomer Jimmy Thornton, 56, and Western alumnus Robert Ashford, 71, are both loyal attendees of Generations of Pride. Being queer connects us across generations, and seeing queer elders thrive is a beacon of hope for young people.
“Talking to younger people … I think it’s nice to get different perspectives,” Thornton said. “It’s like the stock market with gay rights. It’s gone up and it goes down … but it’s always going to continue to go up.”
Valee Olson, LGBTQ+ Western’s Generations of Pride coordinator and one of Wilborn’s romantic partners, is gearing up to celebrate Generations of Pride’s two year anniversary.
“So often we focus on the doom and gloom of the AIDS crisis and how many elders we lost,” Olson said. “But many of them are here and happy and married and trans and living the lives that we want to.”
These monthly gatherings create opportunities to celebrate queer survival and resilience. Many friendships that would not have otherwise formed have found their beginnings here.
“It’s such a place of mentorship and storytelling and hope for queer futures,” said Olson.
Queer elders paved the way for this generation, and we are responsible for doing the same for those growing up behind us. Camp Ten Trees is a nonprofit summer camp for queer youth ages 8–17 that serves as a sanctuary for building lifelong friendships. Being around other queer youth allows the campers to bloom into the most authentic versions of themselves.
“The ways that they envision the world being a better, more socially just place — that is always really encouraging,” said Program Director Laur Lugos. “It's healing to watch… young queer people encourage each other and thrive.”
Youth are the grassroots of every longlasting, successful movement, and their triumph needs to be protected. Our collective power and refusal to stop expressing queer joy is what will get us through this administration.
“This joy and this exuberance in being bold and being weird and being, like, little freaks — that is so important,” Wilborn said. “We’re going to fight for this joy and this love … that love and joy gets even deeper when things are hard.”
Raleigh Nolan (she/they) is an opinion reporter for The Front. She is a Journalism major and a Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies minor. Raleigh is originally from Michigan and has lived in Bellingham since 2021. Since then, she has made many wonderful friends and adopted a sweet/evil kitty named Olive. Some of her favorite spots in Bellingham are Rumors Cabaret, Avellino Coffeehouse, and Colophon Cafe. You can reach her at raleighnolan.thefront@gmail.com.
