The Student Union at South Mountain Community College was filled with warmth, connection, and celebration on June 12 as the Southwest American Indian 2SLGBTQIA+ Rainbow Gathering welcomed attendees from across the region.

Hosted by the Phoenix Indian Center, this year’s gathering carried the theme, “Weaving Tradition: Past, Present & Future” and brought together elders, youth, healthcare advocates and allies.

Elder Curtis Davia opened with a heartfelt blessing, inviting everyone to begin the day, “in a good way.” Phoenix Indian Center CEO, Jolyana Begay-Kroupa, followed with welcoming remarks, recalling the first gathering in 2011 and emphasizing the importance of continuity.

“We gather here right now to find strength, to find solidarity, and weave a stronger fabric so that we can hold on together,” Begay-Kroupa said.

The day included a moment of silence in remembrance of the 2016 Pulse nightclub shooting, a solemn acknowledgment of the violence still facing 2SLGBTQIA+ people.

Keynote speaker Charlie Amaya Scott delivered a moving address on her journey as a trans Indigenous scholar. She shared advice she described as dreams and encouragement:

• “Listen with your heart and carry your relatives.”
• “Embody joy.”
• “Tell your stories, share and be generous with your knowledge.”
• “Lastly, please be safe and vigilant. I want all of us to survive this.”

In a discussion following her talk, Scott reflected on evolving traditions. “Traditions are meant to live and reflect also who we are and where we are going. The thing that is supposed to remain is the teaching, the lesson, not the specificity.”

Later, elder Curtis Davia returned with Albert McLeod to offer insights into the role of elders in the community and how the HIV/AIDS epidemic created a gap in community knowledge. McLeod also traced the history of the term Two Spirit, noting that many communities have their own words in their own languages that describe our identities, a further reminder that these are not new concepts.

The gathering honored two community members with awards for work done in service to the community. The Basket Award, presented to an individual or organization who is identified as an ally of the community through extensive work, went to Tara Begay (Diné), a Family Nurse Practitioner and HIV advocate involved in ensuring access to treatment through Arizona’s Rapid Start initiative.

The Dream Catcher Award, which is awarded to an Indigenous person who identifies as Two Spirit and has displayed commitment to serving the 2SLGBTQIA+ community, was presented to Rita DeMornay (Akimel O’odham, Gila River), Miss Phoenix Pride 2025 and the first Indigenous titleholder since 2007.

DeMornay, whose advocacy includes the Gila River group H.O.P.E. (Helping O’odham Pursue Equality), shared a vulnerable and honest reflection of the work that led her here, and the challenges she faced along the way. She recalled first seeing a drag performer and thinking, “I seen her, and I said, I want to do that. I want to represent my tribe and take this very seriously, because I want to be able to take this back to my reservation and inspire kids who may be confused themselves.”

When self-doubt and a sense of invisibility arose, she felt the spirit of her drag mother and leaned on the support of her community and her mother.

“I said to myself, if I could quit now, I’m telling those Native kids to quit on their dreams, and that’s something that I was not going to do,” Demornay said.

After lunch, Rainbow Gathering founder Trudie Jackson led a health-focused session, followed by a roundtable discussion and closing blessing. The day affirmed the strength of community, the importance of cultural survival, and the healing power of shared stories.