Editor’s note: See how transit service will be adjusted during Pride Festival and Pride Parade celebrations.
It’s Pride week and our transit community is again celebrating across King County. You’ll see Metro at the #SeattlePride festival and in the parade on Sunday, where King County employees and their families are again supporting our LGBTQ riders and employees following the values of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. – the symbol of our county and an international icon for justice, equality and peace.
As a county and an agency we embrace the values of inclusion, diversity and excellence on behalf of the people we serve. We stand up for, support and ally with our gay and LGBTQ employees and riders – and our community is stronger for it.
Sadly, we’ve seen the power some take from others with their words and actions on our buses. Each slight, intended or not, eventually pools together and deepens the terrible stain of hate, homophobia, racism and violence in our culture. We want riders to feel empowered to stand up to hate when they hear it on our buses, see it at bus stops, anywhere it lives.
As a community, we know individual acts help form a shield against hate and work to help heal the hurt – and serve as examples to others who wondered afterward ‘what should I have done?’ A ride on Metro can be a place where people from all over our community come together and demonstrate respect and support for one another.
So look out for each other today, tomorrow, and every day. Speak up, smile and support each other on every ride. Together, we’ll get there.