Pride is a protest. Pride is a celebration.

Pride is a protest. Pride is a celebration. In 2025, many of us are reflecting in a different way on Pride and its meaning. There can be no question that we are in new territory in 2025. As activists and leaders of a movement that has been characterized by steady — if uneven — progress, we are now in a moment of severe backlash.

This did not just start in January; the attacks on the transgender population have been ruthless and unrelenting for the past several years, and we have lost a lot of ground at the state level. But things have gotten even worse with transgender servicemembers being kicked out of the military and the Supreme Court upholding a state law that bans affirming health care for transgender young people. Even those gains that we believed were secure, such as marriage equality, are now being threatened by actions such as the Southern Baptist church officially voting last week to seek to overturn same-sex marriage in the United States.

We have gay asylum-seekers being denied due process and sent to third countries with notorious human rights records. We see public support dropping for LGBTQ equality, including marriage. We see the word transgender being erased across the entire federal government.

So, yes, we must protest. Should we also celebrate? You may have to squint to see them, but there are glimmers of hope out there.

Record numbers of queer people now hold elected office, including the first trans member of the U.S. House of Representatives. This past weekend, we saw 5 – 6 million Americans take to the streets to protest what is happening in America. 

We have seen courts step up to stop some of the most egregious attacks on the rule of law and our vulnerable populations. We see more and more people claiming their queerness in the public eye.

And we see voices emerging who are moving past fear and paralysis to call for a better way forward. And we know the joy that living openly and authentically creates. 

So, we can surely celebrate.

At Raben, we are committed to doing both. We are committed to doing everything possible to support the work of our partners, colleagues, and clients in creating a more just and equitable America for the LGBTQ+ community. We achieve this by collaborating with federal and state lawmakers, creating and amplifying pro-LGBTQ+ messaging, assisting LGBTQ+ groups with strategic planning and organizational development, and fostering opportunities for the community to come together, be educated, and inspired. 

We are honored to be part of the fight, and we look forward to taking on new challenges and celebrating new victories alongside all of you.