How do you transform fear into collective strength?

Community Engagement · Representation · Leadership

In 2025, I was appointed to lead Entre Hermanos' participation in Seattle Pride. As Washington State's first Latine LGBTQIA+ organization, Entre Hermanos has spent more than three decades advocating for the health, rights, and visibility of our community.

A volunteer prepares the participant credentials that made it possible to coordinate one of the largest Latine delegations in Seattle Pride history.

2025 was not just another year.

The immigrant community was experiencing one of the most uncertain periods it had faced in recent years. ICE raids dominated the headlines week after week, and fear had become part of everyday life for thousands of people. For many families, immigration status was no longer an administrative matter; it had become a constant source of anxiety.

Against this backdrop, the conversation within Entre Hermanos was no longer about how the organization would show up at Seattle Pride. The real question was far simpler, and far more difficult to answer.

Would anyone show up to march with Entre Hermanos?

There was no way to guarantee the safety of those who chose to stand with Entre Hermanos. No communications strategy could erase that fear. What the organization could decide, however, was how it would respond.

The conclusion was simple: the fear was real, but so was the responsibility to represent those carrying its greatest weight. With that conviction, the communications strategy set an ambitious objective: to bring together the largest Latine delegation in Seattle Pride history.

Pablo Castillo, Lead Coordinator of Entre Hermanos' participation in Seattle Pride 2025, alongside the coordinator of Monarcas.

The initial reaction spoke for itself. Even within Entre Hermanos, and among many outside the organization, the goal seemed unattainable. Some journalists questioned the ambition with genuine skepticism:

"The largest Latine delegation in Seattle Pride history?"

Yes.

That was exactly the goal. The objective was never about breaking a record. But because when fear takes hold, invisibility can never be the answer.

The Strategy - Seattle Pride 2025

From the outset, I knew this project couldn't simply be about organizing a delegation. It had to become a symbol of collective representation.

Members of Monarcas proudly carry the Latin American flags at the front of the Entre Hermanos delegation during Seattle Pride 2025.

We began by reaching out to other Latine organizations across Washington State, inviting them to march alongside us. The Mexican Consulate once again joined the initiative, while media outlets and community organizations began taking notice of the project.

The goal was simple: everyone should be able to see themselves reflected in the march.

That idea inspired one of the project's defining creative decisions. We commissioned 24 flags, one for each Latin American country represented within the Latine community.

Every flag was identical.

The same size.

The same craftsmanship.

The same flagpole.

Each one crowned with a subtle glitter finish.

Because every country mattered equally. And, in a way, we wanted to help people reclaim a little of the shine they had been denied in the places they once called home.

The 24 Latin American flags were intentionally curated as a single visual statement, with consistent styling and hand-finished glitter details.

We were equally intentional about who would carry those flags: members of our trans community.

Women and men who had crossed thousands of miles in search of a place where they could live with dignity. People who understand better than anyone the cost of being visible.

Members of Monarcas carry the Latin American flags that lead the Entre Hermanos delegation during Seattle Pride 2025.

No one was more deserving of leading the march.

Because representation, in itself, had to be an act of justice.

Creative Direction - Seattle Pride 2025

One creative decision emerged almost instinctively. If Entre Hermanos was going to celebrate Latin America, it had to do so through one of the region's defining traits: the ability to find joy, even in the most difficult moments. That idea became the creative concept behind the organization's participation:

"Latin American Carnivals"

Color. Music. Feathers. Dance. Joy.

Alexis McQueen, 'La Reina de Yakima', aboard the Entre Hermanos float during Seattle Pride 2025.

Not as an escape, but as a declaration of resilience. For the Latine community, celebration has always been more than joy, it is also an act of resistance.

Execution

In the weeks following Entre Hermanos' call for participation, support began to build across Washington State. The organization's newly opened Yakima office mobilized participants from Eastern Washington. Latine drag performers who had previously collaborated with Entre Hermanos volunteered their time. DJs, volunteers, community organizations, media outlets, businesses, and public institutions all stepped forward.

The Mexican Consulate in Seattle marches alongside Entre Hermanos during Seattle Pride 2025.

Little by little, fear began to make room for something far more powerful:

Hope.

The Outcome

On the morning of June 29, 2025, no one at Entre Hermanos knew exactly what to expect. The first participants began to arrive, followed by staff, the delegation from the Mexican Consulate in Seattle, drag performers, DJs, Monarcas, volunteers, families, and friends.

Before anyone fully realized it, the gathering had grown into hundreds of people. At the front of the delegation, 24 Latin American flags led the way, a powerful visual statement of unity, visibility, and belonging. It became one of the defining moments of the day.

The delegation carrying 24 Latin American flags leads Entre Hermanos’ participation in Seattle Pride 2025.

From a distance, the crowd would fall silent for a few seconds, taking in what they were seeing. Then came the cheers.

Some people recognized their country’s flag and pointed to it with excitement. Others cried. Many simply applauded. By the time the delegation reached them, that silence had turned into a full celebration.

The moment confirmed something we had sensed from the very beginning: Representation matters.

And when people are finally able to see themselves reflected, they no longer feel alone.

What I Learned

This project reinforced a belief that continues to shape the way I think about communication: we often assume our job is to persuade people. Sometimes, however, our real responsibility is to create the conditions that allow people to find the courage to make themselves visible.

Because communication doesn't always change reality.

But it can change how a community chooses to face it.

And on June 29, I came to understand something that has stayed with me ever since.

Fear never truly disappears.

But when it is shared, it loses its power to paralyze.

And when a community chooses to walk together, representation stops being a symbol and becomes an act of leadership.

A member of Monarcas proudly carries the Progress Pride flag as part of the Entre Hermanos delegation at Seattle Pride 2025.

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PROJECT DETAILS

Built with:

Entre Hermanos

My Contribution:

Lead Coordinator · Creative Direction · Communications Strategy · Event Leadership

Disciplines:

Brand Strategy · Community Engagement · Creative Direction · Event Production · Public Relations

The Challenge:

To mobilize and represent Washington's Latine LGBTQIA+ community during a period of profound uncertainty, transforming fear into a shared experience of visibility, belonging, and pride.

Scope:

Strategy development · Creative concept · Narrative direction · Institutional partnerships · Community mobilization · Event production · Communications leadership

Impact:

The largest Latine delegation in Seattle Pride history (200+ participants), 24 Latin American flags, partnerships with community organizations, participation by the Mexican Consulate, and extensive media coverage.