WINDOW ROCK – The third week of June each year is proclaimed Diné Pride Week by the Navajo Nation to celebrate LGBTQ+ relatives. The Navajo Nation Council approved resolution CJY-63-20 in July 2020 recognizing that “lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and two-spirit people are important to our livelihood and diversity since time immemorial.”
Diné Pride Week is to protect citizens from discrimination; foster a culture of inclusion, fairness and equality; and honor the diverse identities among Navajo people.
In honor of Diné Pride Week and to carry out the purpose of the Navajo Nation resolution, Navajo Division for Children and Family Services (NDCFS) employees received a presentation on June 18, 2026, on, “Two-Spirit/Native LGBTQ+ and Safe Space,” by Elton Naswood, Executive Director of Two-Spirit & Native LGBTQ+ Center for Equity.
The purpose of the presentation was to educate NDCFS employees on how to best provide services for relatives who are LGBTQ+.
Employees learned about terminology regarding identity, cultural roles, and views on gender and identity. Naswood also spoke about creating safe spaces and being good relatives for LGBTQ+ people.
The Pew Research Center reports that 8% of U.S. adults identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender. Many experience challenges such as discrimination, barriers to accessing health care, high rates of violence, and mental health conditions. The UCLA School of Law Williams Institute found that LGBT people were five times more likely to experience violent victimization than non-LGBT people. LGBTQ+ relatives are also more susceptible to being trafficked.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, LGBTQ+ students experience bullying, illicit drug use, and feeling sad or hopeless at higher rates than their peers. The Trevor Project reports that LGBTQ+ youth four times more likely to attempt suicide than their peers.
People of color often experience these challenges at even higher rates.
These alarming statistics made it imperative for NDCFS to ensure that employees are educated and aware of the dire need for support and services for LGBTQ+ relatives. Because the NDCFS coordinates the Diné Action Plan, which is the Navajo Nation’s roadmap to combat suicide, violence, substance abuse, and missing and murdered Diné relatives, the Division took a proactive approach to recognizing Diné Pride Week through the educational presentation.
Nationally, Pride Month is celebrated every June to recognize the contributions of the LGBTQ+ community and to commemorate the history of activism.
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