Everyone Belongs:
Celebrating Pride Month at the Santa Monica Family YMCA
June is Pride Month, a time to honor love, identity, and the power of belonging. At the Santa Monica Family YMCA, we’re proud to stand with our LGBTQIA+ members, staff, and neighbors who help make our community stronger, kinder, and more connected every day.
Pride Month is a reminder that when we show up for each other, we all grow stronger together. Join us in celebrating, learning, and supporting a community where everyone can be themselves. At the Santa Monica Family YMCA, we believe that community is for all, this month and every month. Happy Pride!
What Belonging Means to Us
Our Y is powered by inspiring leaders who remind us For what community really means. This month, we’re sharing the stories and contributions of LGBTQ+ staff, volunteers, and members whose dedication makes the Santa Monica Family YMCA a place where everyone belongs.
This year, we asked some of our members what belonging means to them:
“Belonging means to be on a team, working together as one… Belonging is a very warm and fuzzy feeling and it makes you want to spread the love to others.”
“Belonging looks like being accepted by for who you are by every individual”
“For me, community looks like the inclusion, where everyone is welcome.”
“Belonging looks like everyone feeling safe and wanted by their community.”
“For me, belonging means that no matter where you’re from, it doesn’t matter what your background is or what your age is, you are a part of something bigger.”
“Belonging means feeling welcome”
“To me, belonging is found in places that feel safe and where you know you are accepted, no matter what your identity is.”
How We Celebrate Pride
This month, we’re excited to share how our Y is uplifting and celebrating our LGBTQ+ community. Our YMCA participated in Pride on the Promenade on June 13th, gathering with Santa Monicans and celebrating the what can happen when we all can be our truest and most vibrant selves – community.
Pride isn’t a moment – it’s a movement. The safety, inclusion, and sense of belonging that Pride calls for is something we work to create and protect everyday in the work we do. The Santa Monica Family YMCA is proud to be a place so many people call home and find that sense of belonging, and we hope to welcome even more neighbors into that community for years to come.
