This appointment marks a historic moment for Toward Pride. For the first time in the organization's history, the Board of Directors has appointed an Interim Chief Executive Officer. Tierney is the first person to hold the role and the first Black queer woman to serve in it. Her appointment is both a milestone for our organization and a testament to years of faithful leadership, growth, and service.

As I prepare for my first-ever sabbatical, I've found myself reflecting on what it means to step away from the work that has shaped so much of my life.

When institutions talk about data, they are often referring to what can be measured, counted, and reported. Metrics, outcomes, utilization rates, and performance indicators are treated as the primary sources of truth. But it is not the only form of data available.

Over the last five years, we have often received questions from reporters and journalists about resistance to the work of Toward Pride. There is an assumption that institutions are inherently, or even inevitably, resistant to LGBTQ+ thriving and flourishing.

We are living through a care crisis of epic proportions. Families are poorer. Kids are hungrier. Clinics are closing. Safety nets are shrinking. Care is harder to reach and easier to lose these days. What’s more alarming is how quickly we got here, rationing care as if it were a privilege instead of a right.