Crystal Marché

"Why I'm with history project"I have an unrelenting and

voracious passion for history. It's not just about the past - it's a map of

where we've been, who we are, and where we come from. Sometimes,

certain people, places, and moments leave a mark so powerful that they

shift the course of society and move the needle of civilization

itself.History gives me a sense of security. It helps me understand

myself, grounding me in the legacy of those who blazed trails, threw

rocks, and broke glass ceilings. I learned long ago that most of what we

call "history" was written by the victors, which often means white,

heterosexual, cisgender men. As a result, the stories we inherit

overwhelmingly reflect their lives, their voices, and their retelling of

events to reflect the politics of their time.To find histories of women,

people of color, indigenous people, or trans folks, one has to dig; not just

through the words, but the historical context and subtext that hides the

stories of the voiceless. As more people work to correct these historical

erasures, that's beginning to change. But it's not enough.We must start

preserving and telling our queer histories - especially at the local level -

because we are now living in a time where truth is under threat, where

national history is actively getting rewritten, or erased. If we don't tell

our stories, someone else will. Or worse, no one will.Spokane Pride's

History and Remembrance Project is a love letter to the queer

community. Even when our voices were only whispers, we were here.

We've always been here—resisting, surviving, thriving. Now we must

preserve that truth, not only to honor the past but to inspire the

future.Join us. Tell your story. Help us archive the lives, the protests, the

joy, the love. Because every story recorded is a light against the dark,

and together, we are building a history that cannot be erased.