Many of those who participated said it was important to show that Dillingham was a safe and supportive community.
In Dillingham, rainbow flags covered the landscape.
Desi Bond, one of the Pride March organizers, spoke to about 50 people in the Bristol Bay Native Association parking lot.
“I’m so happy to see everybody — we’re all here. This is something that has had to... I feel has had to happen for a long time, so this is really exciting," Bond said. “I’m a little bit nervous, but I’m so glad to see that everybody’s here, that showed up to show support, to show love. That’s one of the biggest things and I’m just... my heart is really smiling, so thank you so much."
People walked along the bike path, down the hill toward the harbor.
“I have two moms, and I’m just supporting them and stuff," said soon-to-be sophomore Kaitlyn Bond.
Bond said she’s also marching to show that people shouldn’t be treated differently because of who they choose to be with.
“Like my mom taught me that love is love, and be who you are,” she said.
People turned around at the harbor and headed back up the bike path.
Many were marching because they wanted to show support for the LGBTQ community, and because in Dillingham, visibility is especially important.
Silas Newman, who just graduated from high school, said that while it’s easy to feel isolated, there are lots of people to turn to.
“In Dillingham at times you can feel so alone, and then these events just remind you that you have people, and you have a community that will support you and uplift you at times,” he said.
Desi Bond started to plan the march in May. She said it’s something that’s needed to happen for a long time.
“We just wanted especially our youth to know that they’re accepted and they’re loved, and they’re safe with a lot of us, and the turnout here was — it’s proof of that,” Bond said.
Gregg Marxmiller was another organizer. He’s on the Dillingham City Council, and he works at SAFE, the shelter in town. He said the big turnout showed that there was a lot of love in Dillingham.
“I think there’s been a long history of going and supporting people, everybody in the community," he said. "I think a lot of people don’t feel supported and I think that it was important for us to come out and show that we care about everybody in our community.”
As the march wrapped up, one of the organizers, Amber Webb, moved to the front of the crowd to speak. She said a lot of people are working to reclaim culture.
“Our naming systems in Yup’ik culture never did recognize gender. They never recognized gender, and I believe that that’s because our ancestors and our Elders understood that that part didn’t matter," she said. "It was about who people were and how everyone fit into the community, and how everyone contributed.”
For Webb, the Pride march reflects Yup’ik values.
“Love and acceptance is the biggest and most important part of being a Yup’ik person, is that we accept everyone and we love everyone, and we recognize that everyone has a place in our community," she said.
Webb hopes the Pride march becomes an annual event; she said the more it grows, the better it is for all of us.
Contact the author at izzy@kdlg.org or 907-842-2200.
