
By Kat Bryant |
Like most Pride stories, Grays Harbor’s began with a protest.
In 2013, owners of a downtown Hoquiam restaurant stated they were hosting a Sunday community dinner geared toward “traditional family values” – specifically, marriage being between one man and one woman. A group of LGBTQ+ individuals and allies gathered across from the restaurant on J Street to protest that concept. They later moved to Simpson Avenue (the small city’s main drag) and stood waving their flags and talking to people. A woman pulled to the side of the road and handed them a $10 bill – the group’s first donation.
Shortly after that, Out & Proud Grays Harbor Coalition was formed in Tully’s coffee shop in downtown Hoquiam by co-founders Jen Gillies and Miki Cabell. After several focus group meetings, they determined there was a need to start an organization to advocate for the local Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer (LGBTQ+) communities.
That year, they provided support for a Hoquiam High School student who identified as nonbinary in a controversy over gendered graduation robes. Girls had traditionally worn one color, boys another. Other students were harassing this individual because the school was moving toward single-color robes, breaking the tradition. Jen was asked to do safe space training for teachers and staff, then for students.
“I spent a day in a classroom and taught five different classes on it,” said Jen. “The kids were really receptive. There were some stereotypes that we broke down, and we talked about the different terms. I had a lot of students who thanked me afterward.”
Out & Proud received its first invitation to march in the Aberdeen Founders Day Parade in July 2014, a month before the first Pride festival. Miki wrote in a Facebook post: “It was the first legit presence of an LGBT community here on the Harbor. We had so many people come out and offer their help, hearts open, smiles radiating through the rain. … My heart was so full and proud.”
The first Grays Harbor Pride took place Saturday, Aug. 23, 2014, along Levee Street in downtown Hoquiam. It attracted about 40 vendors and over 2,000 attendees. Afterward, Out & Proud hosted a drag show at the 7 th Street Theatre in downtown Hoquiam, followed by a late showing of the Rocky Horror Picture Show.
The group heard from many people the impact of having the event had on them. One particular story caught our hearts: Two elderly gentlemen got up early and drove a few hours to attend the festival. They were overcome with tears of joy when they found that they could walk hand in hand on the streets of their hometown. They had met in high school and moved away to find a place where they could be in love and accepted.
It was stories like these heard over and over again that kept the momentum to continue having the event each year.
The festival expanded in 2017 to include the Pride Prom the night before. It was the brainchild of
longtime supporter Steven Puvogel, now the Pride Committee chair. It is meant to provide a safe, family-friendly event for all ages.
Two youth groups started up shortly thereafter: Harbor Include, based in Hoquiam, and Come As You Are, based in Elma. Both welcome individuals ages 13 to 18.
The fifth Grays Harbor Pride shifted from Levee Street to the historic Olympic Stadium in Hoquiam. But in 2019, largely because of weather issues, it was moved to the Shoppes at Riverside, a mall in South
Aberdeen.
“This was a place we could spread out and we had plenty of parking,” said Jen. “We didn’t have to worry about food vendors because there were restaurants there, and it had a stage for the drag show and other acts.”
And then came Covid, which precluded the group from holding in-person gatherings in 2020 and 2021; so the event went virtual. Several hours of drag and other acts, music and gaming were scheduled online. They also showed several short films of Harbor community members telling their stories.
In 2022, Out & Proud held its largest Pride since 2014 at the Grays Harbor Historical Seaport in South Aberdeen, with 35 vendors and about 1,000 attendees. The Lady Washington, Aberdeen’s resident tall ship, helped draw people – as did the drag show, as always, hosted by board member Ceasar Hart.
The 10th annual Grays Harbor Pride festival will be held Sept. 23 at the Seaport. They’re looking to attract a widely known act for this special event, with help from two community grants and plenty of donor support.
“We hope to keep growing and building awareness,” said Jen. “We will continue to be a positive voice for the LGBT+ community.”
