Rainbow Pride Coalition: Here to Support

To the Editor,

This letter is the collective effort on the part of the “Rainbow Pride Coalition,” a coalition of various Pride organizations and entities on the North Shore and Merrimack Valley of Massachusetts who met on February 25.  Some of us
are transgender and some of us are cisgender.
We write this letter as a group of people who love, are friends with, work
alongside, and are partners and lovers with transgender people.  We know from
personal experiences that transgender people are lovable and desirable in all the
ways that a person can be loved and desired.  There are not enough stories of
these friendships, partnerships, and other relationships, and so it can be hard to
know that it’s possible.  We want you to know that this is possible.
To all of our friends and family in the transgender community, we firmly believe
that transgender people are valid and deserve to be treated with dignity and
respect.
We care about you, whoever you are.
We care about you, no matter what gender you identify with.
We care about you, even if the only place you’re out is in the mirror.
As anti-trans bills continue to be introduced across the country to block
transgender people from receiving basic human rights including healthcare,
education, legal recognition, and ultimately the right to exist, we want you to
know that we see you and promise to stand by your side during this difficult and
trying time.
We urge everyone to listen to the experiences of transgender people, challenge
discriminatory attitudes, and advocate for their rights.
As a group, we came up with this list of skills and strategies, in case you find
yourself facing rejection or isolation:

• Remember that you can make your own family, you may share your experiences when defining family in creative and preferred ways.
• There is no obligation to keep in contact with people who do not accept you.
• It can help to find a community of people who have shared similar experiences and when possible, form a support network.
• Community can be found anywhere, in-person or online. Finding community online can be especially helpful if you, like many of us, experience anxiety or are in a more rural location.
• Take care of yourself. Carve out time to rest and recover. Prioritize nurturing your mind, body, and soul in whatever way you can. You deserve love, and sometimes the best love comes from within yourself.
  Finally, even if you’re feeling completely alone, here on the North Shore we know
  you are complete, and worthy of love. You don’t have to feel complete, and we
  have no expectations of you. Our hopes for you, and our acceptance of you, does
  not require that you also feel hope or acceptance. No matter where you are in
  your journey, and no matter how you feel about yourself, we support you.

The Rainbow Pride Coalition of 2025:
North Shore Pride, Inc.
Merrimack Valley Pride
Lynnfield Pride
North Shore LGBTQ Social Network
Tri-Town Human Rights Coalition
Newburyport Pride
Hamilton-Wenham Human Rights Coalition
North Shore LGBTQ Network
Cape Ann Pride Coalition
North Shore Alliance for LGBTQ+ Youth (NAGLY)
Haverhill Pride
Marblehead Pride
United Lynn Pride

With so much warmth and respect,
Hope Watt-Bucci
Manchester