Every Day is Pride
Queer Pride in Seattle Southside
Seattle Southside celebrates LGBTQIA+ pride, during Pride Month and year-round.
While the Seattle area has a rich, storied history of being a hub for queer events and community, that legacy lives on in Seattle Southside as well. Read on to learn about a few ways you can celebrate LGBTQIA+ pride year-round.*
Des Moines Waterland Pride
Des Moines Waterland Pride is known for its annual Pride Fest in June, but it's expanding to hold smaller events year-round. Founded in 2022 by locals who wanted to create a safe space for marginalized communities, the all-volunteer group is now a growing 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.
"Our goal is to help create a city where everyone can feel safe and have resources they can locate," says Vanessa Foley-DeLong, Vice President of Des Moines Waterland Pride. "Visibility has been Waterland Pride's main goal with our annual family-friendly festival, but we are also finding ways of creating community through game nights, mixers, and Drag Bingo."
In 2025, Pride Fest is planned for June 21. It will include a day's worth of events, including The Park Run (Rainbow edition) at Des Moines Bach Park, a booth at the Des Moines Waterfront Farmers Market, and a family-friendly event at a yet-to-be-determined location (likely in downtown Des Moines). Continuing a tradition established in past years, the night will end at Creole Soul, a locally owned, 21+ and over bar and restaurant serving up strong drinks and Southern hospitality.
Many local businesses support the group through donations, including Marina Mercantile, Kaihana Sushi, Salon Michelle, Anytime Fitness, and real estate agents Sandra Mok and Foley-DeLong, among others. Part of the group's year-round work involves drumming up excitement about Pride Month so that even more businesses will get in on the action with their own events. Check the group's website and social media pages to stay up-to-date on details about upcoming events.
The Royal Flush: Queens are Wild Drag Brunch
The Royal Flush: Queens are Wild Drag Brunch at the Great American Casino in Tukwila is a party that never ends. Hosted throughout the year on select Sundays, this glamorous recurring event features some of the top names in the Seattle drag scene, along with traveling acts from RuPaul's Drag Race and The Boulet Brothers' Dragula. Founded in 2021 by Seattle performer Queen Andrew Scott (of the hit TV show Drag Latina) and co-host Irene "The Alien" Dubois (of RuPaul's Drag Race), the event series quickly drew a loyal fanbase who came for the mimosa bar and stayed for the incredible performances, which include dancing, of course, but also a fair share of storytelling and acting. Scott, a native Washingtonian who grew up in Yakima, performs a host of characters, including Willy Wonka and Cruella DeVille.
"I love telling stories," says Scott. "I love to take inspiration from films and put them into short performances. I’m also Mexican American, and try to tie my culture into my drag as well."
In 2025, Scott is co-hosting the show with Seattle star Norvina Dubois on the second and fourth Sunday of every month. The series will include theme days like "Sci-Fi/Horror" and a rotating cast of guest stars. Guests can enjoy all their favorite breakfast classics while enjoying the show.
"We want people to have a good time, that's what drag is all about," says Scott. "But also, to see the work, the focus, the effort, and the family aspect that drag provides. Seeing people who are on top of the game. Seattle has probably one of the best drag scenes in the country."
Whether you're a regular drag fan or you've never set foot in a drag show, you'll be warmly welcome at a show. It's a perfect event for birthdays and special events, or any time you want to add some glam to your weekend.
Follow @theroyalflushqueens on Instagram to stay in the loop about upcoming events.
The Miss Island Goddess Pagent
The Miss Island Goddess Pagent is an annual celebration of drag excellence through the lens of Pacific Islander heritage and culture. Hosted by local organization UTOPIA Washington, a queer and trans people of color-led, grassroots organization in South King County, this amazing pageant attracts hundreds of attendees from across the globe. It also serves as a community fundraiser, benefitting the work of UTOPIA in supporting the local Queer and Trans-Pacific Islander community (QTPI). Founded in 2010, it was held at the Highline Performing Arts Center in Burien for ten years. As it grew in popularity, it moved to the nearby Muckleshoot Casino while continuing to draw supporters and participants from Seattle Southside. In 2025, the pageant takes place on April 5 (learn more here).
More Ways to Celebrate Queer Pride Year-Round
- The website Everywhere Is Queer lists queer-owned businesses throughout the country. You can use it to find places like All Points Yarn in downtown Des Moines, a local favorite for fiber crafters (Use the Seattle Southside Savings Pass for discounts!)
- The Intentionalist is another resource for finding LGBTQ-owned businesses.
- Closer to Pride Month, local publications like the Waterland Blog, South Seattle Emerald, and The Stranger list events throughout the region.
- Highline College in Des Moines is a welcoming, diverse campus with a robust program of queer studies courses. The college also has a Queer & Allies Club, "a space for folx of all sexualities and gender identities to meet, socialize, learn together, and thrive in a safe space."
*LGBTQIA+ stands for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans, Queer, Intersex, Asexual, and the plus sign stands in for other identities that may not fit under any of the previous terms. The umbrella term "queer" is used here as well as it is widely used within the LGBTQIA+ community.
References and Further Reading
Brennan, N. (2021, August 12). Here’s how Two Spirit and Indigiqueer people are reclaiming space in Washington tribes. The News Tribune. https://www.thenewstribune.com/news/state/washington/article253268193.html
Everywhere is Queer. (2024, continuously updated.) Everywhere is Queer Map. https://www.everywhereisqueer.com/map
Highline College. (2023, June 22.) LGBTQIA Resource Website. https://lgbtqia.highline.edu/
Hill, Chrystie. (2003, April 12.) Queer History in Seattle, Part 1: to 1967. HistoryLink.Org. https://www.historylink.org/File/4154
Hill, Chrystie. (2003, November 28.) Queer History in Seattle, Part 2: After Stonewall. HistoryLink.Org. https://www.historylink.org/File/4266
UTOPIA Washington. (2024, January 30.) Miss Island Goddess Pageant. https://utopiawa.org/miss-island-goddess/
UTOPIA Washignton. (2023, July 10.) Our Story. https://utopiawa.org/about/
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