Throughout the history of LGBTQ liberation, Black LGBTQ people have been at the forefront of the struggle. Audre Lorde, the great poet, and activist for Black and LGBTQ liberation, once said: “None of us are free until all of us are free.” Liberation is an intersectional endeavor. This is why the Washington State LGBTQ Commission recognizes that the fight for civil rights and full equality for Black people in the United States is a queer issue. Our collective history has benefited from the lived experience and advocacy of people like William Dorsey Swann, a formerly enslaved person who is one of the earliest Black drag artists in the USA. Bayard Rustin, a leader of the Civil Rights Movement and collaborator of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. continues inspiring countless civil rights activists to this date. The modern LGBTQ rights movement owes its existence to Black LGBTQ leaders such as Stormé DeLarverie, Marsha P. Johnson, Miss Major Griffin-Gracy, and countless others whose names have been forgotten or systemically erased from our LGBTQ history books.

Many studies reveal that Black transgender and gender diverse people experience discrimination at rates way higher than other groups within the LGBTQ collective[1]. Black transgender youth experience higher rates of mental health challenges than any other youth group[2], and higher rates of suicide and suicidal ideation[3]. The challenges faced by today’s Black LGBTQ community members are directly tied to the history of colonization, enslavement, discrimination, racism, and anti-Blackness so prevalent in our society. Recognizing and celebrating Juneteenth is but a small step in acknowledging that we have a long journey still ahead of us to bring about equity and justice for Black people in the United States.

As we observe Juneteenth and work to establish an equitable state for all people, the WA State LGBTQ Commission wants to share about some incredible organizations that are led, work with, and uplift the lives of Black LGBTQ Washingtonians. Lavender Rights Project “elevates the power, autonomy, and leadership of the Black intersex & gender diverse community through intersectional legal and social services.” The Alphabet Alliance of Color creates “networks of support and care for QTBIPOC in the Puget Sound region.” The Trans Women of Color Solidarity Network works to uplift and support transgender women of color throughout Washington. POCAAN is “a multicultural, multi-social service agency that addresses disparities in marginalized communities in Seattle and greater King County by offering a wealth of health services and community programs.” The African Americans Reach and Teach Health Ministry (AARTH) “exists to address health disparities and inequities in healthcare services for people of African descent.” These are just a few of the many, Black-led organizations in the state that support Black LGBTQ Washingtonians. We encourage you to visit with them, to support them, and to share about their services with your networks. We also invite all LGBTQ Washingtonian to explore ways in which we can continue working for a more equitable and just state for everyone.

Thank you to all the amazing people who joined the Women's Commission and the LGBTQ Commission in Seattle to discuss how to make the Women's Commission more inclusive of trans women and non-binary people assigned female at birth.

Grace Yoo, the new Executive Director of the Women's Commission, along with Tracey Carlos, Program Manager for the LGBTQ Commission and Leah White, Program Manager of the Women's Commission, invited everyone to share their concerns to better understand the needs of the community. .

We discussed several concerns including about the safety of our community, difficulties they face in being able to retain employees in Seattle with the growing cost of housing, and the need for economic development, difficulties with finding mental healthcare for those who don't speak English along with many other issues.

We hope that this is just one of many opportunities to collaborate with the Women's Commission in the future so we can create policies for a all women in our state.  

The WA State LGBTQ Commission has curated a calendar of 2SLGBTQIA+ Pride events throughout the state. You can find events in your area by visiting the Calendar Page on our website here.

If you know of an event that is not yet on our calendar, we have created this form which you can use to let us know about any event your agency or community group is planning for this year. Feel free to share this link with agencies around your area who are planning events to celebrate and honor our community.

Commission staff and LGBTQ Commissioners would be delighted to share with our community at Pride events throughout the season. If you want to extend an invitation to the staff or Commissioners to attend your event in an official capacity, please submit your invitation through the Commission’s “Contact Us” page here.

This guide is intended to support discussions around transitioning in the workplace, but the safety and wellbeing of the employee transitioning should be the center of this process. This document is not all-inclusive nor is it legal advice.  There may be updated resources and changes that should also be consulted when engaging in this process.

When using and distributing this guide center folks with lived experiences and consider the following:

• Distributing to and connecting with affinity groups in your agency
• Building your process before you need it
• Sharing this across your agency, including any supplemental agency specific information your organization has
• Adding to onboarding and regular agency wide updates

Please distribute this document to your entire agency. We encourage everyone to keep this document somewhere that is accessible to all employees. There are people in every agency who can benefit from this information, especially those who may be assumed to not need it.

RAIN will be facilitating training on the content of this guide to support a thorough understanding of all the information. We would love to hear any feedback from employees regarding the guide so that we can continue to improve it.  The RAIN Best Practices subcommittee is also available to provide feedback on policies and procedures at your organization, not just to do with this guide. You can check out RAIN trainings to see what opportunities we have for you coming up.

Transitioning can be one of the most stressful and wonderful time of someone’s life. The goal and intention of this guide is to support anyone on this courageous and beautiful journey.

You can access the toolkit through this link.

In love and solidarity,

The RAIN Best Practices Subcommittee Co-Chairs

Ariel Kay-Barto & Rueben Otero

Marginalized communities often face similar challenges, and it is crucial that we work together to address these challenges and find common solutions. We must recognize that our struggles are interconnected and that by fighting against one form of discrimination, we can make progress in addressing others.

At this event, we'll bring together groups from around the region to connect around this common goal. Guest organizations include: AgePRIDE, Lavender Rights Project, WA State LGBTQ Commission, WA State Commission on Asian and Pacific Islander-American Affairs, Seattle Latino Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce and more!

Mix & mingle and make brand new connections as you enjoy some delicious complimentary bites and a beverage.

Thursday, July 27, 2023 4:30pm - 6:30pm

Salesforce Roof Deck

Address: 744 N 34th Street, Seattle 98103

Street parking or the pay lots that surround the building in Fremont.

Access to the roof deck will be through the main front entrance of the building and through the elevators in the Main Lobby.

Gender neutral restrooms available.

For more information and registration, visit this link.

The Institute for Constitutional Advocacy and Protection at Georgetown Law has put together a guide to help 2SLGBTQIA+ Pride organizations combat armed and paramilitary forces threatening their Pride Month events.

You can access this comprehensive guide through this link: https://www.law.georgetown.edu/icap/wp-content/uploads/sites/32/2023/05/Pride-Guidance-5.17.23.pdf

As violent groups threatened the safety of our communities, this is important information to have at hand and to share with our community.

Washington is home to vibrant communities and diverse Washingtonians who all have unique talents, skills and experiences. Governor Inslee places a high priority on boards, commissions, and agencies that are reflective of the diverse make-up of Washington and that utilize the impressive talent of Washingtonians. We are always seeking skilled and experienced individuals from a wide variety of backgrounds to participate in boards and commissions ensuring an effective and representative government.

We are excited to share the highlighted Current and Upcoming Gubernatorial Appointment Opportunities.

As someone with deep roots in your respective communities and organizations, we hope that you will share these opportunities.  Anyone interested in being appointed will need to fill out this Application.  Please explore the Boards and Commissions Profiles if you are interested in learning more about the many opportunities to get involved!

Thank you for your assistance in helping Governor Inslee find well-rounded candidates with significant talent and diverse experiences. Please feel free to reach out to Boards and Commissions staff with any questions you might have.  Thank you for your time.