City and ONE MI hold Pride Celebration at Mercerdale Park

Pride flags of all sizes were in abundance on Sunday afternoon at Mercerdale Park.

There was also plenty of music, hugs and smiles to go around at the city and ONE MI’s two-hour Mercer Island Pride Celebration, which attracted a wealth of residents of all ages supporting the LGBTQ+ community.

The Puget Sound Band, which featured Mercer Island students, plugged in and got things rolling as attendees made their way toward the pergola to join in the celebration. The family-friendly event on the final weekend of Pride Month also featured lawn games and sweet treats.

Madison Liu, an incoming junior at Mercer Island High School (MIHS), hung out with her friends at the event and noted: “Most of the people here are queer, and we’re here because we just wanted to celebrate our identity and it’s important to be here to recognize the queer populous on Mercer Island. Also, it’s just fun.”

Nandini Mishra, another MIHS incoming junior and part of Liu’s friends group, added: “There’s a lot of kids here and there’s a lot of adults here, which is really nice. You have this set of people that you like that you go to school with that you’re just generally around — it’s nice to be together.”

Many attendees gathered around the LGBTQ+ Families Affinity Group booth, which featured a host of hanging miniature Pride flags and members who shared resources to help Island parents support their LGBTQ+ children, according to ONE MI’s Danielle Damasius.

Group member Jaymee Lundin is also part of the Mercer Island Diversity Equity and Inclusion (DEI) PTA Council, which formed three years ago and created the affinity group.

“My son is LGBTQ, so it’s something that’s really important to me, and just being involved in this group has been really inspiring,” Lundin said.

Lundin added that the US Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade on June 24 gave the Pride celebration extra meaning.

“It feels really important (the Island event), especially now with a lot of our rights are at stake and being actively taken away, so this feels like an active resistance. Just celebrating and being proud and getting together,” she said.

DEI PTA Council co-vice president Cristina Martinez joins Lundin in the affinity group and said that the Pride event celebrates all the progress people have made amid struggles to reach this point in their lives. She added that everyone should have equal and protected rights.

“For me, I think that this is a great effort from the city to be a more inclusive society in the Island, making it more welcoming for everybody,” she said. “We are here to support all the families that need our support and also to celebrate. We are happy to have a diverse world and be able to work together.”

Martinez’s daughter Pia Santana feels the vital event united people at the park to respect the LGBTQ+ community.

Recent MIHS graduate Chase Schubert, who spearheaded a peaceful organized school walkout on March 11 protesting the Florida “Don’t Say Gay” bill, first attended the Seattle Pride event on Sunday before making his way back to the Island for the local gathering.

Reflection and celebration are two key elements to mark the immense progress of the LGBTQ+ community, he said.

“Each year, the lives of LGBTQ people improve regardless of current legislation. I am thankful and proud that Mercer Island is promoting inclusivity by hosting its own Pride celebration,” he said.

Speaking on behalf of ONE MI, Damasius added: “It’s been really wonderful to see the city of Mercer Island celebrate the diversity of our community with events like this and the recent Juneteenth event. These events are a nice compliment to the community conversations on equity and inclusion that the city is sponsoring.”