The first annual Orcas Island Pride Festival was held at the Village Green on June 23, 2019. A small group of hopeful queers pulled together the incredibly successful community event in just two weeks. The success of the event can be credited to island community support, enthusiasm and engagement. The original mission of Pride was “To increase visibility, representation and support of the LGBTQIA+ communities in the San Juans via an anti-capitalist, locally organized celebration.” While the Orcas Island Pride mission has grown over the years, the foundation is still firmly rooted in these core beliefs.

Orcas Pride then merged with Out On Orcas, a community group of LGBTQIA+ folk who have been holding space and potlucks for years. OIP and Out on Orcas together hosted a few potlucks and navigated large group conversations on how to best serve the diverse needs of the local queer community.

After the success of the June Pride fest, OIP partnered with Jared Lovejoy and the Barnacle to host monthly “Lucky Nights”. Events ranged from queer publishing launches to trivia nights to Valentine’s dances to drag shows. Orcas Pride hosted monthly Lucky Nights from August 2019 to February 2020 when the organization terminated them due to the COVID-19 pandemic.