This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2017, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

As Pride Month kicks off this June, there couldn't be a greater contrast to last year. Instead of feeling hopeful for the future of the LGBTQ+ and allied communities, too many of us are afraid.

The current political atmosphere is feeding these impulses of anger and fear and giving rise to a passive acceptance of outrageous, intolerant and hateful rhetoric. From violent attacks on Jewish community centers and six Pride centers, to attempts to block refugees from war-torn countries, the difference this year is palpable.

And while much of the progress the LGBTQ+ community has made in recent past is under attack, we are certainly not alone. The reproductive health rights of all who live in this great country are threatened. The very air we breathe and water we drink is threatened. The safety and protection of some of the most vulnerable in our communities is threatened.

Now is the time to come together and take to the streets – singing, dancing and marching. We can't keep quiet and we must let our voices be heard. And now, more than ever, we need absolute solidarity.

This year, many will notice some distinct changes to the annual Utah Pride Week. In addition to the Pride Parade and Festival – which celebrates the wonderful diversity in the LGBTQ+ and allied communities – we will be holding a Pride in Solidarity March and Rally Friday, June 2. In the march, we're inviting and bringing together groups from various communities in one unified voice to let everyone from local and state leaders, to the U.S. Congress and the White House know that we are watching. Each time they appoint a cabinet member who is more anti-LGBTQ than the last, or pass legislation that threatens any one of us, we will stand strong.

An attack on one is an attack on all. Whether it's a threat to women's rights, or an unethical attack on our refugee and immigrant communities, we will stand together. Even in the conservative stronghold of Utah, with each encroachment to our civil liberties, a single voice will rise that says, "We can't keep quiet."

LGBTQ+ people are everywhere. We're women. We're men. We're neither. We're immigrants. We're black. We're white. We're Latinos. We're rich. We're poor. We're young. We're old. We're Christian. We're Mormon. We're non-believers. We are everywhere.

And that's why we can be the glue to bring together so many disparate community groups who are threatened and afraid. Everyone who is troubled for what the recent election means for women, education, marginalized communities or the continued ability to marry the person they love must stand together.

Pride festivals are a celebration, and we will celebrate. But the history of Pride is also a history of resistance. In June 1969, New York City police raided a well-known LGBT bar. Tired of being abused and treated as lesser humans, the patrons of the Stonewall Inn resisted and fought back. This sparked a worldwide movement and Pride festivals are held around the world, in part, to commemorate this event.

It's with that same spirit we'll be launching our own solidarity march with this week's Pride Week. But we can't do this alone. We need your help and presence in the solidarity March, Pride Parade and Pride Festival. The proceeds from the Utah Pride Festival support the Utah Pride Center and vital community programming and efforts that will be even more necessary in the years to come. We hope you'll join us this May 31-June 4 at the Utah Pride Week and Festival to help us build a brighter future for all Utahns.

Carol Gnade is the Utah Pride Center's executive director. She also ran the Utah branch of the American Civil Liberties Union for 14 years.