Voices of MultiCare: Celebrating Pride Month
MultiCare is committed to cultivating, sustaining and evolving a genuine culture of belonging — an environment where all people feel safe, seen, heard, valued and welcome for who they are. Celebrating and uplifting cultural and historical observances that reflect our workforce and community is a key part of that.
In recognition of Pride Month, we asked MultiCare employees to share their thoughts and the ways they recognize the observance.
Here’s what they had to say.*
What does Pride Month mean to you?
“As a gay man, Pride Month is very important to me. I have been able to marry my husband because of the people that came before me and fought for my right to marry … Pride Month has been pivotal in providing acceptance and love for the LGBTQ community, but there is still a long way to go.”
— Eric, nursing education and professional practice specialist
“Pride Month is significant to me because it celebrates how boundless and untethered love is and should be. My family celebrates Pride Month every year by attending Pride events … and as a part of the Tacoma Dads Group, I participate in ‘Free Dad Hugs,’ offering support and encouragement to LGBTQIA and anyone else that just needs a hug or a fist bump.”
— Bobby Drown, learning experience manager
“It means love — as a lesbian, this month is about showing love to our past, present and future and how we are united and strong in numbers.”
— Madison, RN
“Pride Month is deeply meaningful to me, both personally and as a time for reflection and visibility. As someone who came out later in life, I spent many years keeping a significant part of who I am hidden out of fear — fear of judgment, concerns for my safety and a desire to fit into societal expectations. Living authentically today, and being happily married to my wife, is something I do not take for granted. For me, Pride is about honoring that journey while also recognizing the resilience and history of the LGBTQIA+ community.”
— Rhiannon Tobosa, administrative assistant
“Pride Month is an opportunity to celebrate and affirm our diverse community, as well as to highlight my personal commitment to equity and inclusion for all.”
— Stacey Speelman, utilization management specialist
MultiCare is proud to sponsor Pride festivities statewide
Join us at one of these events in your area:
- Spokane Pride Parade & Festival: June 14
- Yakima Pride Festival & Parade: June 20
- Capital City Pride: June 28
- Tacoma Pride Festival: July 11
“Pride Month is a welcome recognition of the need to accept and appreciate all people, especially recognizing the need to destigmatize and create acceptance and fair, kind treatment of all those who have diverse gender identities.”
— Marilu Coster, information services representative
“Pride Month is very important to me. Growing up in a household with same-sex parents, I have witnessed and experienced the progression of acceptance and tolerance … Pride Month isn’t just about the couple or the people going through the mental and physical experience, but their tribes as well. Parents, children, grandparents, siblings … Pride Month lets us all rally together and find commonality as well as acceptance and celebration for each other and our loved ones.”
— Brittni Davis-Dykes, HR coordinator
“Pride Month means showing up consistently, visibly and without conditions. As an ally, I believe love is love. Full stop. And I believe every person deserves the right to be proud of who they are, exactly as they are because that pride isn’t just personal. It’s the result of generations of people who fought, and continue to fight, to exist freely and openly in the world. For me, Pride isn’t a single-month checkbox. It’s a reminder to examine how I show up in everyday spaces — at work, in conversation, in the choices I make about who I amplify and support. It means being the kind of colleague and human where people don’t have to wonder whether they’re safe to be themselves around me. They just know.”
— Amanda Roper, workforce planning manager
How can we best address health care disparities among the LGBTQ+ community?
“Similar to so many other minority groups, health care disparities are real and systemic. I know many people in the queer community who avoid doctor visits and preventive care because of how they have been treated in the past — and often have to mask who they really are in order to get what they consider ‘normal’ care. It can be a slow process to fully address societal disparities, but it can start as simply as treating all of our patients and coworkers with the same respect and dignity that we would want for our own loved ones.”
— Jacob Lorber, health unit coordinator
“In my opinion, the best way to address health disparities within the LGBTQIA+ community is by creating health care environments that are inclusive, respectful, educated and accessible to everyone. Many individuals in the LGBTQIA+ community have experienced discrimination, stigma or fear within health care settings, which can lead to delayed care, untreated health concerns and mistrust of the health care system.
I believe health care organizations can help reduce these disparities by providing culturally competent education and training for health care professionals, ensuring patients feel safe, respected and heard regardless of their identity or background. Representation, inclusive policies, affirming language, and equal access to mental health services, preventive care, and community resources are also important.
Addressing health disparities also requires listening to the voices and experiences of the LGBTQIA+ community directly so care can be shaped around real needs instead of assumptions. Building trust, empathy and equitable access to quality health care can make a meaningful difference in improving outcomes and overall well-being.”
— Lloyd Uplinger, MBA, LPN
“Addressing disparities within the LGBTQ+ community starts with recognizing that people are not all shaped by the same experiences or challenges. Sometimes we make the mistake of thinking equality and equity mean the same thing, when in reality, treating everyone identically does not always create the best outcomes. Health care works best when it is welcoming, individualized and responsive to the diverse needs of the people it serves; not in spite of our differences, but because of them.”
— Alex Hendriksen, clinical assistant nurse manager
“Within health care, we should prioritize showing just how accepting we are. This does not just mean using the rainbow and surface value of the LGBTQ+. We should make sure to bring in the warmness and comfort that health care should give to anyone else.”
— Skyler Pataray, CMA
“As a patient-facing employee as well as a gender-diverse lesbian, the best way to address this disparity is ensuring patient-facing staff are up-to-date on aspects of LGBTQIA2S+ culture such as proper usage of preferred pronouns and names even if the patient’s preferred name in the system is not their legal name, as well as ensuring all queer patients are respected, advocated for and do not feel judged by staff.”
— Rylee Williamson, MA
“Right now, there are many barriers preventing quality care to members of the LGBTQIA2S+ community, from discrimination to personal bias. Health care should have no boundaries or limits.”
— Jose, specialty pharmacy navigator
What does a genuine culture of belonging mean to you?
“Belonging means meeting people where they are, loving people for who they are and accepting people as they are. I believe that belonging is a core aspect in every human and we all want to feel a sense of belonging.”
— Eric, nursing education and professional practice specialist
“Belonging means being able to proudly speak about my wife and my family with my coworkers and peers, just like everyone else.”
— Aubrianna, MA
“Belonging means I can talk about my family the same way anyone else talks about their family. That my journey is just as worth hearing about. That it’s not an aberration or wrong. All we want is the same things anyone else might want.”
— Rosie Freeman, nursing education and professional practice generalist
“It means enthusiastic welcoming. Not just a neutral stance. It means reaching out to marginalized groups to extend the invite to the table. It means putting in the work to understand the cultures beyond your own.”
— Carlene Young, environmental services and linen manager
“A genuine culture of belonging goes beyond inclusion — it’s about feeling safe to be your full, authentic self without fear of judgment or exclusion.
In health care, that means more than just policies or statements. It means building environments where patients and staff feel respected heard, and valued — not in spite of their identity, but with it … It also requires intention. It’s reflected in the language we use, the assumptions we challenge, and the way we respond when someone shares their lived experience. Inclusive environments don’t happen by accident — they are built through listening, humility, compassion and consistency.”
— Troy Underbrink, regional medical director for primary care
*Some quotes have been edited for length and clarity.
What's next
- Interested in joining our team? Explore career opportunities at MultiCare
- Explore how MultiCare fosters a culture of belonging
- See how the MultiCare Center for Health Equity & Wellness is improving patient care
