Our History
Our Founder, Juli.
LOREN BENOIT/CDA Press, Juli Stratton, a founder of North Idaho Pride Alliance, is a human rights powerhouse. She went to Boise [March 2017] to gather information and advocate while learning how to help build compassionate communities. She is photographed in Coeur d’Alene.
Juli Stratton is a gender and sexual diversity educator and trainer and has presented to health care and mental health providers, social workers, public health professionals, social work, foster care, nursing and medical students, criminal justice professionals, educators, and various other community groups.
Juli has been given the tremendous gift of experiencing careers through a variety of ways: athletics, social work, counseling, corporate law, and LGBTQ advocacy. All of those experiences have led her to finding her center and life work - living the most authentic life possible and shining her light wherever she can. (Check out her January 2020 TEDxSpokane talk to learn more about her journey)
Co-founded with her Mother, Juli started the North Idaho Pride Alliance (NIPA), a non-profit organization that focuses on networking, community organizing, gender and sexual diversity education, and advocacy. NIPA was founded out of necessity, for the greater LGBTQIA+ community of Northern Idaho, but also to find like-minded individuals to gather and socialize. Juli led the organization as its first Executive Director and Board President. Juli's leadership and inspiration provide the drive for NIPA to really gain momentum in the Coeur d'Alene community.
Juli holds a Master’s degree in Counseling and Community Services from the University of Illinois at Springfield and is the owner of Stratton Consulting. When Juli isn’t speaking, training or advocating she spends her time with her wonderful wife and three fur babies, traveling and experiencing the beautiful region they call home - while also teaching Tai-Chi.
Where We Started
Since the North Idaho Pride Alliance’s founding in 2016, we’ve been able to tell the story of NIPA and have been able to live up to its founding mission and purpose within our community - through the good and challenging times. We continue to honor our founding purpose with meaningful programming and events to bring people together. Our origins date back to Juli’s inspiration to bring people together, well before 2016, through the connections and relationships made with countless LGBTQIA2S+ allies within the Northern Idaho community.
In the early 1990s, Bev M. planted the first seeds of LGBTQIA2S+ support in North Idaho by starting a local PFLAG chapter. It was a small, grassroots group focused on helping families support their gay children. After several years, as many of those children graduated and moved away, the chapter faded.
In 2009, Juli moved to Idaho and struggled to find an LGBTQIA2S+ connection with the community. Aside from limited activity at North Idaho College (NIC), there was little organized community. A major turning point came in June 2013, when the Coeur d’Alene City Council debated an anti‑LGBTQIA2S+ discrimination ordinance. The community was sharply divided, but Councilman Dan Gookin helped secure the ordinance’s passage by sharing key information and research. Around the same time, hearing Susan M. talk about returning to Coeur d’Alene to raise her family inspired Juli to create something more enduring.
Juli began attending Spokane PFLAG meetings and soon started bringing carloads of NIC students and local community members with her. From these experiences, the idea emerged to restart PFLAG in North Idaho—this time focused directly on LGBTQIA2S+ individuals as well as their families. In 2014, the new North Idaho PFLAG chapter formed. The group quickly outgrew its first meeting space at Unity Church and moved to St. Luke’s, regularly drawing up to 60 people.
PFLAG initially centered on support, then increasingly on outreach and visibility—embracing the belief, “If you build it, they will come.” Allies like Bishop Pat B., Andy M. and Jen M. of Mountain Madness Soap Co., and designer Ali K. of AHA! Creative stepped up early with sponsorship and support. Young leaders within PFLAG pushed to do more advocacy, aligning with statewide efforts like “Add the Words.” The group held its first advocacy meeting in April 2014, hosted a backyard Pride celebration in May, and marched in Spokane Pride for the first time in June.
That same year, they attempted to launch the “Coeur d’Alene Center for Gender and Sexual Diversity” and mounted the first Pride exhibit at the Human Rights Education Institute (HREI), making visibility a central goal. In June 2014, they hosted the first Pride in the Park at Phippeny Park. With 10–12 vendors, about 100 attendees, and a single 3’x5’ Pride flag, organizers were nervous about backlash. Instead, people they’d never met walked in with friends and family to celebrate. The event proved successful and grew every year, as more volunteers took on leadership roles and more events filled the calendar.
In 2015, the group joined the St. Patrick’s Day Parade under banners like “Add the Words” and “Unity in Community,” a positive and affirming experience. The 4th of July parade that year, however, brought a harsher reaction and raised questions about whether PFLAG was truly welcome in parts of the Coeur d’Alene community. Even so, the organization continued to seek connection through events like a sold‑out Chili Cook‑Off at St. Luke’s, monthly game nights, and karaoke.
By 2016, the work had outgrown the PFLAG structure, and North Idaho Pride Alliance (NIPA) was formed to focus more directly on advocacy. That year, the Pulse Nightclub shooting in Orlando became the catalyst for formalizing NIPA. Wanting to honor the victims and stand against hate locally, NIPA approached the Coeur d’Alene Mayor about holding a vigil. With the Mayor’s support, they organized it within 24 hours. Representatives from churches, hospitals, city government, the sheriff’s office, and law enforcement all spoke against hate—an emotional, unifying moment that led to NIPA’s first board of four members and a stronger organizational foundation.
As NIPA took shape, PFLAG continued briefly but eventually merged into NIPA’s organization format, which took over all PFLAG events, including Pride in the Park. 2016 became NIPA’s “Year of Action,” launching the Pride Youth Alliance, the Pride Youth Summit (the first in Idaho), Q‑Prom, the Gender Alliance, and Transgender Day of Remembrance observances, and a monthly older adults program, later to be known as the LGBTQ+ Seniors of the Inland Northwest. NIPA also sustained ongoing community events such as the Unity in the Community Dinner, partnering with NIC sports teams and the Mayor’s office.
By 2017, NIPA’s first formal year, the alliance had participated in 173 events and meetings, focused largely on outreach and education. Its work rested on intentional relationship‑building—with LGBTQIA2S+ individuals, allies, and institutions. Key figures like Linda R., a 70‑something trans woman who helped bridge relationships from PFLAG to NIPA, were instrumental in building strong partnerships—particularly with Heritage Health, one of NIPA’s most consistent supporters. Community allies like Kathy C. also played important roles.
The transition from PFLAG to NIPA was not without loss; some people felt the new advocacy‑driven direction was not for them and stepped away. In response, Juli challenged NIPA to keep finding ways to bring people together—especially those who don’t fit the “typical” mold—to continue reaching across the community for support and to stay firmly rooted in serving the LGBTQIA2S+ community of North Idaho.
From a small, early‑1990s PFLAG chapter to a broad, advocacy‑focused alliance, North Idaho’s LGBTQIA2S+ movement has grown into a visible network of support, education, and action, built on the simple idea that when you create welcoming spaces, people will come and community will grow.
Organization Leaders Through The Years
Throughout the years, the North Idaho Pride Alliance has had dozens of valued board members and community leaders, who have helped lead projects like "Pride in the Park", "Q Prom", and other amazing events that we've hosted for our greater community. Our Board of Directors has been grateful to all of the previous board members who have utilized their professional talents, put in immense effort, and have passionately served their community and this organization. We're honored to have had each of you as part of the North Idaho Pride Alliance family!
Where We Are
Ten years ago, North Idaho Pride Alliance was born out of a simple but powerful belief: that LGBTQIA2S+ people in Northern Idaho deserve a community where they belong, can connect, and are empowered to thrive. What began as a spark has grown into a vibrant, resilient organization rooted in our community and driven by our people.
Today, NIPA is a trusted resource and gathering place for LGBTQIA2S+ individuals, allies, and community partners across Northern Idaho. From our annual Pride in the Park celebration to healthcare forums, educational panels, Queer connections, film screenings, and our lending library, we are building the inclusive Northern Idaho we know is possible.
Where We're Going
Our next chapter is one of growth, visibility, and deeper impact. With a new community space on the horizon, an expanding network of partners, and a passionate board and volunteer base, NIPA is positioned to do more than ever before.
We are committed to strengthening our programming, expanding access to resources, and ensuring that every LGBTQIA2S+ person in Northern Idaho (regardless of their background, identity, or ability) has a place where they are seen, celebrated, and supported. The road ahead is bright, and we are just getting started.
Media Requests
The North Idaho Pride Alliance is governed by a 15-member volunteer Board of Directors, with the goal of creating strong connections and partnerships through collaboration between community organizations, local and regional businesses, community education, and our year-round programming. The North Idaho Pride Alliance is determined to maintain a diverse Board of Directors, keeping accurate with the ideals of the LGBTQIA+ community.
Interested Media Organizations are highly encouraged to reach out to us via email. We will provide responses to media requests in a timely manner – to those we wish to work with. Please be patient as we work to craft a response.