Just after Seattle’s new symbol of trans-inclusion, the Pride flag re-design, launched, the future of the annual Trans Pride on Capitol Hill looks strong.

Organizers Trans Pride Seattle and Gender Justice League have been fundraising against the clock to meet the costs required to host this year’s event and have smashed through the $20,000 goal. The fiercely independent group has, again, done it by depending on mostly small, individual donations.

This year has also been especially challenging as leader Danni Askini’s surgery has left the advocate unable to use her voice. Askini is executive direct of the Gender Justice League. She has been busy on Twitter, however, calling out Mayor Jenny Durkan and other city leaders for their lack of effective action on homelessness. Askini says that 37% of Trans people in Washington have experienced homelessness at some point in their lives and “33% of respondents who experienced homelessness in the past year avoided staying in a shelter because they feared being mistreated as a transgender person.”

“These numbers are shameful in a city with two LGBT mayors in the past 4 years,” Askini writes:

⚡️ “Pride Month & Homelessness in Seattle”https://t.co/aLWk2IOKdP — Danni Askini (@danniaskini) June 2, 2018

While the fundraising goal for Trans Pride 2018 has been achieved with weeks to spare, organizers said it has has been a challenge. “Significant streams of revenue for our services and work have been cut off such as community direct HIV prevention funding, and housing discrimination education funding,” they write. “These sources made up nearly 25% of Trans Pride Seattle’s funding. Other ‘mainstream’ funding continues to be extremely hard for us to access – we receive no city or county funds, have no TPS specific grants, and do not accept major corporation sponsorships.”

Seattle Trans Pride is the largest Trans Pride event in the Northwest, drawing crowds of 10,000 people yearly. This year, in order to support Seattle-area talent and minimize costs, most performers will be local.

UPDATE: Individual donations are an important part of fundraising for the project — but only part:

Securing sponsorships for Trans Pride Seattle has been exceedingly difficult this year. We have seen a 60% decline in year-over-year support from businesses and non-profits. We receive Zero government funding. A majority of funds go into the pockets of trans people – a rarity. pic.twitter.com/gs2uI8lWVk — Danni Askini (@danniaskini) June 4, 2018

You can still give. Donations at the $10 “Side Kick” level receive a trans pride mini rally kit, up to Seattle Trans Pride shirts at the “Hero” level, and more as incentive tiers for donations.

Trans Pride 2018 is June 22nd with a march through the area and then a rally in Cal Anderson Park: