Cherokee Nation declares June Pride Month; officials emphasize inclusion

A Cherokee Nation agency official signed an executive order at Mankiller Park declaring June Pride Month for the nation and called for ongoing action to ensure equal dignity for all citizens. "We're all in it together," the agency official said in opening remarks, framing the event as a celebration of joy and equality.

The official said the declaration was more than a symbolic gesture, saying that equal protection under the law "means everyone" and that the nation must do "purposeful work" beyond the month to ensure people in the community, program participants and members of the workforce are treated with dignity. The official described the moment as the signing of an executive order to mark Pride Month.

A presenter at the event highlighted ceremonial values of inclusion, saying ceremonies traditionally call for honoring all people and treating one another as "sacred." Another presenter said Pride Month is an opportunity to celebrate two‑spirit and LGBTQ Cherokee citizens and to recognize "the many ways that they strengthen our community and our nation every single day." (This sentence paraphrases the speaker to correct conventional hyphenation for the term "two‑spirit"; the transcript used the unhyphenated form.)

A resident who spoke shared a personal anecdote about growing up in a small Oklahoma town and described how discrimination can be pervasive. The resident asked that the declaration help people feel more comfortable at work, saying, "And Cherokee Nation is such an amazing place to work and to exist, and it already is so welcoming," while also noting there is room for further improvements.

The ceremony as recorded in the transcript did not include a recorded vote; the signing was presented as a ceremonial executive action. Officials repeatedly framed the declaration as the start of continued efforts rather than a final policy package. The event closed with calls for concrete, ongoing work to translate the declaration into workplaces and programs that protect and affirm two‑spirit and LGBTQ Cherokee citizens.