The executive DNATL Pride planning committee appointed me to be parade Grand Marshall for our first ever Del Norte and Tribal Lands Pride celebration last year. This title was bestowed upon me through a super serious selection process. (I lost a game of “not it”…) It seemed to me as though the nature of the role called for a more fabulous title, and Heather Polen suggested “Rainbow Regent”, so we ran with it.
In light of recent actions taken and narratives pushed by the current federal administration I felt a responsibility to address the attempted erasure of gender diversity. If the sitting president can declare himself King, why can’t I use my Rainbow Regent title to issue a decree of my own?
HEAR YE, HEAR YE!
By ROYAL DECREE, the Reigning Rainbow Regent of this realm has issued the following proclamation:
Be it known that our Transgender, Intersex, and otherwise Gender-Non-Conforming kin are acknowledged, welcomed, and celebrated as integral and valued components of our community.
WHEREAS,
Gender diversity has existed since time immemorial, can be observed amongst multiple species in nature, and has been repeatedly validated by modern scientific studies of human genetic, chromosomal, and hormonal presentations.
WHEREAS,
The spiritual significance of gender transition is acknowledged in the mystical traditions of Judaism as gilgul ha-neshamot, or, the “cycling of souls” between masculine and feminine.
WHEREAS,
The Bikkurim tractate teachings of the Talmud affirm the existence of intersex individuals from Rabbinic oral traditions that predate the Christian Era. (Bikkurim 4:1-2)
WHEREAS,
Voluntary body modification to alter physical sex and gender-typed character traits was a common practice in a myriad of cultures for millenia – including the Judeo-Christian Bible. (Matthew 19:12)
WHEREAS,
The attempted erasure of gender diversity was a well-documented eugenics strategy utilized by Nazis in Germany.
WHEREAS,
Hitler’s Holocaust was modeled after America’s genocidal policies against the Indigenous peoples who have stewarded these lands since time immemorial.
WHEREAS,
Multiple indigenous spiritual traditions reference the cycling of souls, and the existence of individuals who had the ability to embody the spirits of both masculine and feminine energies.
WHEREAS,
I am honored to live on the ancestral land of the Tolowa people.
WHEREAS,
Those who possessed the capacity to embody both masculine and feminine energies in Tolowa spiritual practices held cultural significance as respected healers. Miller, J. Daani Tolowa Tututni: Tribes, Traditions, Texts.
WHEREAS,
Genocide and Eugenics are evil practices.
NOW, THEREFORE,
Be it known that the reigning Rainbow Regent of this realm urges that we live in love, respect diversity, and reject attempts to erase and/or vilify our trans+ friends and family.
If you are interested in supporting the 2SLGBTQIA+ community in Del Norte and Tribal lands, please consider participating in this year’s Pride festivities. We need volunteers for pride planning and staffing, event sponsors, and vendors for the festival. KFUG Community Radio is proud to be Del Norte Pride’s fiscal sponsor for the second year in a row! Sign up forms are available through the DNLGBTQ Resource Project at DNLGBTQ.org. Last year’s turnout was a wonderful surprise, and we need the strength of community now more than ever. The Second Annual DNATL Pride is scheduled for Saturday June 21st, 2025. The next planning meeting takes place Friday February 21st at 5 PM, and will continue every other week until the event. For more information, reach out to Thomas Kelem of the DNLGBTQ Resource Project through dnlgbtq@gmail.com
