“I’m nervous,” she confessed.
After a half hour sharing confident plans, Ameina Qazi let a bit of vulnerable sneak into the chat.
Qazi’s first-ever Oak Harbor Pride Walk was just five days away. Langley and Coupeville have established Pride traditions, but — until now — not Whidbey’s largest city.
So Qazi said “if not now, when?” and stepped into the breach.
That same Monday, Mayor Molly Hughes relaxed and floated on the good vibe from her town’s third annual Pride Parade, which took place June 14.
“It’s more of a mob walk,” Hughes admitted with a grin, “joyful, happy, silly, fun, inclusive.”
When a citizen first suggested a Pride event, Hughes “said ‘yes, of course! …and why did this not happen already?’ It’s so Coupeville! We’re always there for each other.”
Hughes noted Coupeville United Methodist Church’s support for the LGBTQ community, dating to the 1980’s. “They’re inclusive of all of God’s children.”
When the town’s first Pride festivities kicked off in 2023, locals woke up June 1 to a fresh-painted Pride flag on Front Street. The reaction was overwhelmingly positive. Hughes recalled one woman lying on the artwork, posing for pictures, her smile full of wonder and joy.
Then came threats on the mayor’s voicemail. More threats followed in 2024, when the town painted rainbows in crosswalks. Both years, angry vandals spun black-tire donuts on the street art.
Anger was nowhere to be seen this year. There was nothing but happiness. Before the parade, the crowd celebrated with speeches and stories of belonging, safety, acceptance and a special message for young people struggling with their identity: “‘You’re not alone. And there’s nothing wrong with you,’” said Hughes.
That message saves lives.
Back in Oak Harbor, it wasn’t threats or anger that made Qazi nervous. “That stuff’s mostly online,” she said at Wild Ophelia’s, her Pioneer Way store. Her angst came from wanting so badly to do it right. As a passionate ally for her LGBTQ+ neighbors and friends, she didn’t want to let them down. She had no idea if anyone would even show up.
But every day, community members stepped forward to support Qazi. Folks poked their heads in the door to say thanks for flying a Pride flag. The Main Street Association backed the event. Social media posts garnered new followers.
Still… her town hadn’t done this before. Why not? Voices from up and down the island speculated, Oak Harbor is “too conservative,” “it’s a Navy town,” “it’s not as friendly.” Qazi was out to prove them wrong.
Mayor Ronnie Wright’s enthusiastic support steadied her. Wright believes Pride “reflects values I hold close, such as hope, compassion, kindness and inclusivity. When we lift each other up, we become stronger as a city.” He said the mayor’s job is to represent the whole community. “We’re here to create a city that welcomes everyone which means making space for all voices.”
Sometimes acknowledging all voices means facing criticism, and Wright said that’s OK. “Pride isn’t about pushing anything on anyone.” And he had a pointed response to those who think Pride celebrations are not appropriate for children. “Our kids are learning how to treat people with kindness, through the adults in their lives. That’s exactly the kind of lesson I want our next generation to grow up with.“
Wright does feel the hurt from negative, even hateful attitudes in the community. But “these moments are an opportunity for education, for listening, and for showing kindness. My response is to keep focusing on hope, compassion and love because I believe those are values that will outlast hate.”
Oak Harbor Councilmember Tara Hizon has heard it all too. Hizon, who was Grand Marshal of the Langley Pride parade back in 2016, only has so much energy to listen to complaints. Hizon sees the irony that anti-Pride attitudes just prove the ongoing need to celebrate Pride Month. “We’ve backslid a little bit, and that’s more reason to stand up.”
“These celebrations are important, especially for young people,” Hizon said. “There is so much joy, even a kind of weightlessness when a person can say, ‘I don’t have to pretend. Just today, I get to be me.’”
Down on the South End, Langley Mayor Kennedy Horstman told of her first Pride event, in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. It was 1987.
“It was a demonstration, not a celebration,” she said, recalling the tension in the air. Again today, “people are fearful right now, but we need to take heart. We [LGBTQ+ citizens] have been here before. Some of us have only ever been ‘here’. We should celebrate and we still have work to do.”
Horstman cherishes the chance to be a role model . “When my orientation comes up, the rest of my personality should be a part of that discussion too. And as a public figure, I try to be authentic, accessible and compassionate.”
Langley’s Pride events go back at least ten years. After a pause for COVID, Jeff Natter led the effort to bring them back. Natter is now Board President of South Whidbey Pride.
Natter and his husband, Jeff Buchan, first came to Langley in 2018. “It happened to be the day of the Pride parade,” Natter said. “There were maybe 75 people. It lasted 15 minutes.”
“This year,” said Natter with joy in his voice, “we had over 600. It wasn’t just a parade, it was a full festival, with 40 booths from vendors and supporters.” Natter’s group added dances, a drag brunch and a show at WICA.
South Whidbey Pride sees a future that’s more than a single weekend, more than a single month, with events all year. And Natter says “Pride,” while accurate, is morphing into something better.
Over the years, “we’ve gone from shame, to pride, to resilience. That is my journey, and that’s the whole LGBTQ+ community’s journey. When people see queer citizens living regular lives, with resilience, that engenders civility.”
Civility and resilience were out in force for Oak Harbor’s Pride Walk, where Qazi found she had nothing to worry about.
On a cool, cloudy Saturday evening, warmth and good cheer buoyed 200 or more people at Flintstone Park. Rainbows and an “EVERYONE IS WELCOME HERE” banner led the way along Bayshore, as passing car horns added happy harmony. Pioneer Way shop owners and bar patrons emerged to show support.
When the crowd packed in around a small stage, at times it felt like altar call at a revival. One after another, they stepped to the mic. Young and old, queer and straight, homegrown locals and recent transplants, shared heartfelt stories of pain and growth. They thanked the community for this place, their hometown, where they found joy and acceptance.
“I felt so much love and support,” Qazi said two days later. Oak Harbor “really showed up for love and kindness. It was beautiful to see, and feel. It really shows that Oak Harbor was wanting this, it was here all along, we just needed to show it.”
Qazi “loved hearing how many people here felt heard, seen and supported. The support from our mayor and city officials… I’m honored that they were there to inspire others.”
So much for that reputation, Oak Harbor. Another myth, erased by love, civility and one brave woman who knew we could do better.
William Walker’s monthly “Take a Breath” column seeks paths to civility and common ground in polarized times. Walker loves Dickens, cartoon beagles and catchy opening lines.
Mayor Ronnie Wright’s wife, Peggy, shows her support at Oak Harbor’s first Pride Walk. (Photo by Bill Walker)
Councilmember Tara Hizon, organizer Ameina Qazi, and Mayor Ronnie Wright celebrate at Flintstone Park before Oak Harbor’s first Pride Walk. (Photo by Bill Walker)
