December 5, 2022 Newsletter

Connect with the Commission

2022 Governor’s Equity Summit – Working Together for Results

Director Santiago (second from left), shares with state and King County staff during the workshop “The Elephant in the Room” at the Equity Summit. -- Photo courtesy of Nadia Damchii (DSHS).

The state of Washington continues moving forward as a Pro-Equity, Anti-Racist (PEAR) state. On November 30^th, the Office of the Governor and the Office of Equity hosted the first Equity Summit in our state. This summit is part of Governor Inslee’s approach to achieving equity in public contracting, education, employment, and services so everyone has a fair chance to live out their dreams and thrive in business, school, work, and life. Over 500 participants attended both in-person and virtual sessions where equity issues were discussed, and possible solutions were presented. Dr. Karen Johnson, Inaugural Director of the Office of Equity, invited workshop leaders to report their findings, their group’s ideas, and concrete next steps to Governor Inslee, who listed and summarized the strategies his administration will use to making Washington a more equitable state.

The staff of the WA State LGBTQ Commission attended the summit to listen, learn, and share their ideas on equity and belonging. Tracey Carlos, Program Manager for the Commission, was also a volunteer with the Office of Equity and RAIN to ensure the summit ran smoothly and information was shared with participants. Director Manny Santiago along with other agency heads participated of two workshops and two plenary sessions to continue learning and sharing the LGBTQ perspective on equity, inclusion, and belonging.

Washington is leading the way on equity, inclusion, and belonging. The Equity Summit was the first step to engage all of the state’s agencies and departments in honest, open, and transparent conversations on how to best achieve a more equitable state.

If you want to learn more about the efforts regarding equity, inclusion, and belonging in the state of Washington, visit the Office of Equity’s website through this link.  

Left image: Governor Jay Inslee speaks at podium looking out at audience, holding microphone. Right image: Dr Karen Johnson speaks at podium looking out at audience, holding microphone.

Opportunities for the Community

LGBTQ Rights at the Supreme Court: What to Expect in 303 Creative

On December 5, the Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in 303 Creative v. Elenis, one of the most significant cases on LGBTQ issues this term. The case addresses whether the First Amendment allows a website designer to refuse to serve same-sex couples in violation of Colorado’s nondiscrimination law.

Join the UCLA Williams Institute on December 13 at noon for an online discussion of the oral arguments, the evidence we presented in our amicus brief, and the implications for LGBTQ rights.

Register through this link.

LGBTQ+ Scholarship Programs Accepting Applications

Pride Foundation Scholarships

Pride Foundation’s scholarship program supports LGBTQ+ students who are leaders—in their own lives, in their families, in their home communities, in their fields of study, in their workplaces, or in our movements for justice. 

We prioritize moving resources to LGBTQ+ students who need it most, so we especially focus our funding on those LGBTQ+ student leaders who have some or all of the following experiences and qualities:

• Demonstrate a commitment to advancing justice and the well-being of their communities, past, present, and future
• Have experienced family rejection and/or haven’t been able to access a larger community support system
• Face systemic barriers to educational access, and have been impacted by systemic discrimination and oppression. Specifically:
  • Black, Indigenous, and other People of Color
  • Trans, non-binary, gender diverse, gender non-conforming, and Two Spirit people
  • Immigrants
  • Disabled people/People with Disabilities, including people living with chronic illness, HIV, neurodivergence, and mental health challenges
  • People over 25, as non-traditionally aged students
  • People living rurally
  • People who have experienced or are experiencing housing instability or houselessness
  • People who have experienced or are experiencing poverty
  • Demonstrate financial need and don’t have access to familial or other financial supports
• The priorities above drive the funding for all of our scholarships. While most Pride Foundation Scholarships are open to all students, we also host a number of scholarship funds that have specific criteria, based on students’ majors, backgrounds, where they live, and more. For those scholarships, we will prioritize students who both meet the specific fund criteria and also the broader programmatic priorities above.

For more information visit this link.

GSBA Scholarship Fund

About the Fund

Awarding scholarships to LGBTQ+ and allied students who exhibit leadership potential, demonstrate strong academic abilities, and are actively involved in their schools and community.

Become a Scholar

GSBA awards educational scholarships to LGBTQ+ and cisgender/straight-ally students who are committed to making a difference in the world. Our scholarships range up to $13,000 annually and are meant to provide significant support as you pursue your educational goals.

For more information, visit this link.

Working Families Tax Credit - A New Tax Credit for Washington Workers

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.

Interested in serving on Commissions and Boards?

Monthly Upcoming Appointment Opportunities

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.

Jobs Opportunities for LGBTQ Washingtonians

Check out the list of job opportunities for the community on our Careers Opportunities page by visiting this link.

We are excited to share job postings sent to the LGBTQ Commission. There are three requirements to be included on our page:

• The job needs to be able to be done in Washington State (virtual works)
• The business must have an inclusivity and/or equal opportunity statement
• The job posting must include a salary range.

 Please send any job opportunity to share with the community to our Program Manager, Tracey Carlos (she/her) to tracey.carlos@lgbtq.wa.gov

Have something you want to share in our newsletter?  Please send any submissions to Tracey Carlos, Program Manager, at tracey.carlos@lgbtq.wa.gov  

Deadline for all submissions is Thursdays by 12:00 PM Pacific Time.

Published Monday mornings.