This past August 29^th, the Washington State LGBTQ Commission met with LGBTQ leaders from Kazakhstan who are currently participating of the International Visitor Leadership Program with the US Department of State. During the conversation, Executive Director J. Manny Santiago, Program Manager Tracey Carlos, and Commissioner KB Kelly Barroga had the chance to share their experiences working for the wellbeing of LGBTQ Washingtonians through the Commission.

The Kazakhstani delegation included activists working on all aspects of LGBTQ advocacy, from lesbian rights to LGBTQ children and youth issues as well as transgender rights. Members of the delegation included Karina Alipova with the Human Health Institute, Arsen Aubakirov from the Human Rights Consulting Group, Viktoriya Primak with ALMA-TQ Transgender Initiative, Zhanar Sekerbayeva from Feminita, and Lyudmila Zakharova from Youth for the Future of Kazakhstan.

This opportunity was facilitated by the World Affairs Council in Seattle, and hosted by Tacoma Community House, an immigrant and refugee service organization in Pierce County. The Commission shared some of the successes of the LGBTQ community in Washington, as well as some of the challenges that still exist. The Kazakhstani delegation shared with the Commission about the work they are doing in Kazakhstan and the challenges they face. International solidarity and support are key in advancing LGBTQ rights across the globe, and the Commission is grateful that we can share and inspire colleagues from around the world.

Join the US Department of Health & Human Services and Pride Foundation for a virtual convening on LGBTQ+ health, hosted by the Pride Foundation and facilitated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Region 10.

You’ll be joined by other LGBTQ+ leaders, organizations, and service providers from Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and Washington; HHS regional and national leadership, and Pride Foundation staff. Together, we will listen, share, and learn more about how HHS funding, policies and initiatives impact the LGBTQ+ community.

Pride Foundation is proud to play a convening role in this gathering to help connect LGBTQ+ organizations with the services and offerings of HHS.

Our goals for this convening are to:

• Create a 2-way channel of communication between local organizations and HHS
• Share information with you and build the collective knowledge base about HHS funding, policies, and initiatives that impact LGBTQ+ communities
• Hear questions, concerns, priorities, and recommendations about how HHS can better support LGBTQ+ people and communities
• Build and strengthen relationships between HHS and organizations, and between stakeholders across the region

What we’ll talk about: Monkeypox (MPV), mental health and wellness, LGBTQ+ youth and older adult health, access to care, gender affirming care, and more.

Registration is required. Please visit this link to register.

Starting in 2023, the Working Families Tax Credit is a new tax refund that helps Washington workers and their families get more money back at tax time. The refund returns a portion of sales tax paid each year and is modeled after the federal Earned Income Tax Credit program.

The purpose of the Working Families Tax Credit is to stimulate the local economy, promote racial equity, and support the financial stability and well-being of low-to-moderate income Washington residents and their families.

This credit program is managed by the Washington State Department of Revenue (DOR), the state’s tax administration agency.

Find out more information about this program by visiting the Working Families Tax Credit page through this link.

SUMMARY: The U.S. Department of Education (Department) proposes to amend the regulations implementing Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 (Title IX). The purpose of the proposed regulations is to better align the Title IX regulatory requirements with Title IX's nondiscrimination mandate, and to clarify the scope and application of Title IX and the obligation of all schools, including elementary schools, secondary schools, postsecondary institutions, and other recipients that receive Federal financial assistance from the Department (referred to below as recipients or schools) to provide an educational environment free from discrimination on the basis of sex, including through responding to incidents of sex discrimination. The Department recognizes that schools vary in size, student populations, and administrative structure. The proposed regulations would enable all schools to meet their obligations to comply fully with Title IX while providing them appropriate discretion and flexibility to account for these variations.

DATES: Comments must be received on or before September 12, 2022.

ADDRESSES: Comments must be submitted via the Federal eRulemaking Portal at http://www.regulations.gov.

The Department will not accept comments by fax or by email, or comments submitted after the comment period closes. To ensure that the Department does not receive duplicate copies, please submit your comments only once. Additionally, please include the Docket ID at the top of your comments.

For more information and submit your comments, please visit this website.

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.