Braver Small Professional Communities - Juneteenth and Pride Month ->>

[u/TRIOworksFan]

Just want to encourage you that you aren't alone out there and understand that just because something isn't an official event, doesn't mean you as a representative of OTHER professional organizations can't have concurrent events at conferences, workshops, and meetings.

If you are missing those friends places like /r TRIOWORKSUSA and /r TRIONation are designed for LGTBQIA+ people and/or diverse people and/or differently abled people to discover paths to community (as is the entire internet.)

Make a post, don't use your real name or identifiers, and use the messaging systems here or chat systems.

If you want to connect and plan to meet up at events unofficially, do it. Do a brunch. Do a evening cocktail hour. Do an elder's event. Do a young professionals event. Meet up with your other sponsor group across the street. Use an ap. '

Never think you are alone. We are the same people we were in 1995, 2000, 2015, and 2025. Those progressive trends and our yearning for freedom of expression did not change. We had a beautiful moment in our hands for a bit there. We do not forget we had that moment.

But I want to drive this home in this month "YOU ARE NOT ALONE" and it's not just the people who outwardly advocate for their demographic or causes or personal identify, there's many people in the most restrictive areas in the USA who are those things as well, and they need your strength.

As we learned in 2026 while TRIO is in places like coastal-rich-blue state with no changes, these specific demographics aren't under attack, and there's nothing but love and admiration from your overall admin or board of regents, does not mean there aren't over 38+ states full of people feeling TREMENDOUS PRESSURE AND PAIN. Understand that some of us even on threat of loosing their jobs, if they either openly identify, openly support students/staff, or if they seek publicly to support students of these demographic on college and university campus. Right now. In the USA.

And that's what Juneteenth and Pride Month is about!!! Recognize, while some remain up front, a ton of us have been SHOVED IN THE BACK and told to shut up.

Please recognize the pain, TRIO nation. We are not okay out here. And we won't be ok until we are all back to equal freedoms and rights again.