MISSION
To effectively address and present the concerns of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered citizens of Seattle to the Mayor, City Council, and all City Departments.
COMMISSIONERS
Mauraan Schultz, co-chair
David Beard, co-chair
NaaSira Adeeba
Aurea Astro
Lillie Cridland
Cristina Dodson
Allena Gabosch
Shelley Ho
Thomas Hubbard
Dave Iseminger
Jean-Paul Page
Joseph Siddiq
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FRIDAY, JUNE 26
Dunshee House 3rd Annual Barbecue Dunshee House / 5pm
SATURDAY, JUNE 27
Equality Yoga
Cal Anderson Park /10am
SATURDAY, JUNE 27
Capitol Hill Pride Festival
Broadway / 11-4pm
SATURDAY, JUNE 27
Seattle Dyke March
5pm and Rally 7pm
SUNDAY, JUNE 28
Seattle Pridefest
Seattle Center / 11-7pm
SUNDAY, JUNE 28
KCTS-TV Broadcasts In the Life TV
Summer of Stonewall -- a Summer-long 3 part mini-series
www.inthelifetv.org
TUESDAY, JULY 28
GSBA Young Professionals with Pride Networking Mixer hosted by Chapel
$5 GSBA / $10 non-members
SATURDAY, AUGUST 1
Vancouver, BC dyke March and Festival!!
www.vancouverdykemarch.com
SUNDAY, AUGUST 2
Vancouver, BC Pride Parade & Summer Beach Festival!!
AUGUST 14-16
National Queer Asian Pacific Islander Alliance Conference
www.nqapia.org/nc-2009.html
AUGUST 20-23
NX Weekend 2009
A dozen social and fundraising events benefiting the Lambert House
www.nxposure.com/
FRIDAY, AUGUST 21
Under the Stars, The Eighties Strike Back!
Cal Anderson Park
Three Dollar Bill Outdoor Cinema’s “9-5” series
MONTHLY
Seattle Police Dept Sexual Minorities Community Advisory Council Monthly Meeting
3rd Tuesday most months / 6-8pm
Email kim.boguki.@seattle.gov
IMPORTANT LINKS
Lamda Legal Health Care and Fairness Survey
Contact the Commission!
Contact your Commissioners by:
Emailing Us!
Phone: (206) 902-6447
Visiting our Website!
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Greetings from the Commission Chairs |
Happy Pride Month! This summer is shaping up to be quite an active LGBT Pride month in Seattle. The parade, the festival, the 40th Anniversary of Stonewall celebration, the Dyke March, the Pride Cruise and the countless other events will be filling our calendars. Pride is a great time to commemorate the LGBT community’s past, present and future.
Our state legislature passed and Governor Gregoire signed Senate Bill 5688 which expanded the rights and responsibilities of the state Domestic Partnership Registry. While this was a hard-fought and an amazing accomplishment, we still have yet to achieve full marriage equality. We also face the possibility of Referendum 71, which seeks to overturn the registry. During the summer, many supporters of LGBT equality will be participating in a “Decline to Sign” campaign and Commission will be working with city government to provide support for this effort. For more information, please see the article below.
On another troubling note, the City of Seattle has a $29.5 million budget gap that needs be closed. The city is looking for administrative efficiencies and potential layoffs of employees. While this is a start, City Council and Mayor Nickels will still have to decide if and which services the city will have to reduce or eliminate. The Commission invites public comment and feedback that we can give to city policymakers. It is our goal to ensure that the LGBT community and services we depend on such as the LGBT Cultural Competency Curriculum, funding for health and mental health programs, funding for homeless youth services, are not adversely affected by cutbacks.
To help us in these efforts, the Commission is seeking new and talented prospects that have a willingness to serve the LGBT community and to work with city officials. We invite you to check out our website and find out more about who we are and what we do. If you or someone you know is interested, feel free to contact our Chair of Internal Affairs Lillie Cridland at lillie@sexualminorities.org.
It has been 40 years this month since Stonewall Riots in New York City changed the course of the LGBT rights movement. As we continue in our fight for equality, we should spend this month celebrating our accomplishments, our heroes and our community for all that we have been able to achieve and gearing up for all the challenges that we face. From all of us at the Seattle Commission for Sexual Minorities, we wish you and happy and enjoyable Pride 2009!
Kind Regards,
David S. Beard and Mauraan Schultz
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BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
A PROCLAMATION
Forty years ago, patrons and supporters of the Stonewall Inn in New York City resisted police harassment that had become all too common for members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community. Out of this resistance, the LGBT rights movement in America was born. During LGBT Pride Month, we commemorate the events of June 1969 and commit to achieving equal justice under law for LGBT Americans.
LGBT Americans have made, and continue to make, great and lasting contributions that continue to strengthen the fabric of American society. There are many well-respected LGBT leaders in all professional fields, including the arts and business communities. LGBT Americans also mobilized the Nation to respond to the domestic HIV/AIDS epidemic and have played a vital role in broadening this country's response to the HIV pandemic.
Due in no small part to the determination and dedication of the LGBT rights movement, more LGBT Americans are living their lives openly today than ever before. I am proud to be the first President to appoint openly LGBT candidates to Senate-confirmed positions in the first 100 days of an Administration. These individuals embody the best qualities we seek in public servants, and across my Administration -- in both the White House and the Federal agencies -- openly LGBT employees are doing their jobs with distinction and professionalism.
The LGBT rights movement has achieved great progress, but there is more work to be done. LGBT youth should feel safe to learn without the fear of harassment, and LGBT families and seniors should be allowed to live their lives with dignity and respect.
My Administration has partnered with the LGBT community to advance a wide range of initiatives. At the international level, I have joined efforts at the United Nations to decriminalize homosexuality around the world. Here at home, I continue to support measures to bring the full spectrum of equal rights to LGBT Americans. These measures include enhancing hate crimes laws, supporting civil unions and Federal rights for LGBT couples, outlawing discrimination in the workplace, ensuring adoption rights, and ending the existing "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy in a way that strengthens our Armed Forces and our national security. We must also commit ourselves to fighting the HIV/AIDS epidemic by both reducing the number of HIV infections and providing care and support services to people living with HIV/AIDS across the United States.
These issues affect not only the LGBT community, but also our entire Nation. As long as the promise of equality for all remains unfulfilled, all Americans are affected. If we can work together to advance the principles upon which our Nation was founded, every American will benefit. During LGBT Pride Month, I call upon the LGBT community, the Congress, and the American people to work together to promote equal rights for all, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim June 2009 as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Pride Month. I call upon the people of the United States to turn back discrimination and prejudice everywhere it exists.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this first day of June, in the year of our Lord two thousand nine, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-third.
BARACK OBAMA
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Transgender Hate Crimes Expansion Bill Signed Into Law!
by David Iseminger |
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Since 1993 Washington State hate crime laws have protected gay, lesbian, and bisexual members of our community – but not our transgendered peers. But on July 26, 2009, gender identity and expression will finally become a protected class under the State's malicious harassment laws (commonly called "hate crime laws") thanks to Senate Bill 5952.
In February, State Senator Joe McDermott of West Seattle (D-34) introduced the bill to expand the definition of sexual orientation to cover the transgender community.
Commissioner Dave Iseminger was a key force in lobbying legislators to pass the bill. Iseminger was a lobbyist for UW graduate students and worked with other college's student lobbyists on this issue. College student governments placed hate crimes expansion on their legislative agendas after three attacks occurred over an eight day period last October at Washington State University.
Many expected the bill to stall in the Senate Judiciary Committee as has happened in previous years. However because of powerful testimonies by Dave Iseminger, Marsha Botzer, Ramsey Campbell (of ERW), and Matthew Holmes (of Eastern Washington University), the bill passed the committee – with support from all republican committee members.
The bill subsequently passed all other legislative hurdles with bipartisan support including a full Senate vote of 36-12 and a full House of Representatives vote of 68-30. Governor Gregoire signed the bill into law on April 22nd.
The Seattle Commission for Sexual Minorities wrote a letter to the Legislature in support of the bill, supported Iseminger in his lobbying efforts, and prompted the City's lobbyist to sign in supportive of the bill.
You can see a copy and history of SB-5952 at http://apps.leg.wa.gov/billinfo/summary.aspx?bill=5952&year=2009.
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Referendum 71 – Decline to Sign the Attack on State Domestic Partnerships
by Dave Iseminger
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(*This article was written with information available as of May 31, 2009)
2009 has seen advances across the country for an issue important to many in our community and our allies – relationship recognition, specifically, marriage equality.
The momentum began when Iowa's Supreme Court held the state's Defense Against Marriage Law (DOMA) unconstitutional in a unanimous 7-0 decision. By the end of May the Vermont legislature enacted marriage equality by overriding a gubernatorial veto, Maine's governor became the first to sign a marriage equality bill, Connecticut codified a same-sex marriage law (rather than leaving the right to same-sex marriage in a court opinion), Colorado enacted limited domestic partnerships, Washington D.C. voted to recognize same-sex marriages performed elsewhere, New Hampshire's legislature and Governor struck a deal that should lead to Marriage Equality soon, Nevada's legislature passed a domestic partnership bill and may override a gubernatorial veto, and the New York General Assembly (but not the Senate) passed a marriage equality bill.
That is a lot of movement in a country were sodomy was illegal in many states just 6 years ago!!!
Here in Washington State we had advances too! On May 18th Governor Gregoire signed into law a domestic partnership expansion bill – this one fully harmonizes the rights and responsibilities of state domestic partnerships and civil marriages.
The expansion bill includes over 250 rights and responsibilities such as pension rights for surviving spouses of government workers (i.e. firefighters and cops) and the right to use sick leave to take care of a domestic partner. Some of the rights with impacts on the state budget will not be implemented until 2014
But the state's 5455 registered domestic partnerships may not experience the benefits of this landmark legislation. The Washington Values Alliance has filed "Referendum 71" and will be trying to gather the 120,577 signatures to force a vote on the latest expansion this November.
You will see petition gatherers for Referendum 71 from now until their July 25, 2009 deadline asking you to sign "to protect WashingtonDo not be fooled into signing a petition that could ultimately take your rights away – please educate yourself about any petitions before signing them so you are making an informed choice. families, to protect marriage, and to protect children."
The Seattle Commission for Sexual Minorities urges you to decline to sign Referendum 71 and to encourage your friends and family throughout the state to decline to sign as well.
Declining to sign Referendum 71 will send a message that here in Washington we will not subject the rights of minorities to the will of the majority, we will not spend millions of dollars during an economic recession on this battle, and we will not be tricked into believing that this is a fight about same-sex marriage when really it is a fight about domestic partnerships and survivorship benefits.
Please decline to sign Referendum 71!
If, however, the signature gathering is successful realize a “no” vote in November will repeal the law. Unlike initiatives, when all the confusing ballot title language is removed any referendum asks one simple question – do you agree with the legislature's actions? In the case of SB5688, if you agree with equal rights for domestic partnerships please vote YES in November.
The Seattle Commission for Sexual Minorities will be working in the coming weeks to encourage the Seattle City Council and Mayor's office to come out against Referendum 71. Seattle has a strong history of being a leader on LGBT civil rights issues and has had a city domestic partnership registry since 1993.
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US Conference of Mayors Passes Resolution Supporting the Freedom to Marry
New York, June 15, 2009 - The U.S. Conference of Mayors today passed a resolution in support of ending the exclusion of gay couples from marriage. The resolution, titled "Equality and Civil Rights for Gay and Lesbian Americans," included support for the freedom to marry along with endorsement of federal bills such as Employment Non-Discrimination Act,
the Military Readiness Enhancement Act, the Uniting American Families Act, and the Matthew Shepard Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act.
*By passing this resolution, America's mayors spoke for the families they know and serve in communities across the country, and said that excluding those families from the freedom to marry must stop,* said Evan Wolfson, executive director of Freedom to Marry and author of Why Marriage Matters: America, Equality and Gay People's Right to Marry.
*The mayors have their fingers on the pulse of the country, and their voices today said loud and clear that ending discrimination in marriage is the way to go.*
In reference to the freedom to marry, the resolution stated, *BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that The U.S. Conference of Mayors supports marriage equality for same-sex couples, and the recognition and extension of full equal rights to such unions, including family and medical leave, tax equity, and insurance and retirement benefits, and opposes the enshrinement of discrimination in the federal or state constitutions.*
*The nation*s mayors are proud to take the lead in recognizing the importance of protecting all our citizens equally. It is now time for state legislatures and our federal government to enact the same protections for all our nation*s citizens,* said U.S. Conference of Mayors President Greg Nickels, Mayor of Seattle.
*The mayors' leadership reaffirms that the freedom to marry should not be partisan or political, but rather is part of the security and respect all couples who've made a commitment to care for one another and who are dealing with life's ups and downs should have, especially in these challenging economic times." said Wolfson. *Now the New York
State Senate should be the next to lead the nation on the path to equality by swiftly passing the freedom to marry bill into law.*
New York's Assembly passed the marriage bill in May, and political leaders from across the state, including New York City's Independent/Republican Mayor Michael Bloomberg and U.S. Senators Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand, have called on the State Senate to follow suit in the next few weeks. New York Governor David Paterson is ready to sign the bill. New Jersey also has a governor pledged to sign the state*s pending freedom to marry bill once it reaches his desk.
View the Resolution:
http://www.freedomtomarry.org/pdfs/Mayors_Resolution.pdf
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Pride month is here. I'm sure each and every one of you has a personal list of things you are proud of. I myself am proud that I reside in a city like Seattle where the majority of our elected officials and community at large are supporters of our LGBT community. On that note there has been some confusion surrounding the city's lawsuit against SOAP. I want to clarify that the City supports Pride and the lawsuit does not in any way reflect views about the LGBT communtiy. The city has worked for and achieved an agreeable solution for both parties involved in the lawsuit. Both sides involved in the lawsuit recently reached an agreeable soultion. The lawsuit was dropped. This working agreement reflects the city's support for Pride and our community. "We've always admired and respected the volunteers who work to make Seattle's Pride events amongst the best in the Country" stated Tom Carr, City Attorney and added "We're happy to have reached an amicable agreement to resolve the financial dispute between SOAP and the city"--Tom Carr, City Attorney.
Seattle's Pride parade and fest at the Seattle Center will go on as planned.
See you at the parade!
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