Who We Are

Nate Higby (he/him/his) graduated with a degree in Sociology from Whitman College, Washington and works at Virginia Mason Medical Center where he does continuous improvement consulting and is an active member of the LGTQB staff committee. A life-long Pacific Northwesterner, Nate is passionate about social justice, especially dismantling systems of oppression. In particular, Nate has spent time advocating for both Disability and LGTBQrights. In 2018, Nate was able to participate in a civil rights pilgrimage in the South and heard firsthand from footsoldiers about the importance of civic engagement. Since then, Nate has been committed to serving the community by working with a variety of local organizations in Seattle, including Year Up, Common Purpose, Yesler Terrace's Youth Tutoring Program, and United Way. When not working or volunteering, Nate likes to
train for marathons and try new restaurants around Capitol Hill.

Victor Loo (he/him) is the President and CEO of Seattle Counseling Service (SCS). Founded in 1969, SCS is proud to be the oldest LGBTQIA + focused mental health agency. SCS is a valued partner in our community for their dedicated commitment to the King County LBGTQIA+ community and is a long-standing provider of behavioral health care in King County. He has expertise in the provision, supervision, and management of behavioral health services/social services. He is 1 of the 25 national leaders in the SAMHSA-HRSA Center for Integrated Health Solutions (CIHS)'s Addressing Health Disparities Leadership Program, and 1 of the 15 national leaders in the National Council for Behavioral Health's Healthy Youth Leadership Institute. He is a member of the King County Integrated Care Network Finance Committee. He is a board member representing the Behavioral Health sector in HealthierHere King County Governing Board, its Co-Chair and also on its Executive Committee. 

Besides the passion to serve Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, immigrants, and refugees, he is also an active community advocate/leader for the LGBTQ community and is Co-Chair with the City of Seattle LGBTQ Commission.

Jessi Murray has been a community activist, leader, and volunteer for more than half of her life, particularly in the realms of reproductive justice and LGBTQ advocacy. She works as a technical program manager and UX designer on open-source software for accelerating cancer and HIV research. Overall, she strives to make the world a better place to live for everyone, through technology, advocacy, and community.

Andrew Ikechukwu Ashiofu is a second generation Nigerian-American born to Nigerian immigrant parents in Houston, Texas. As a toddler, he moved back to Nigeria where he grew up and after 20 years came back to the USA. He has lived in Seattle since 2016. He has a BSC in Microbiology. 

While in College he represented Nigeria at the Youth Employment Summit (a millennial development growth initiative). In Nigeria, he started a safe spiritual sanctuary called House of Rainbow for the LGBTQ community. Here in the US, he has worked with fellow LGBTQ+ Nigerians in establishing human rights advocacy and asylum aid for LGBTQ+ Immigrants seeking help. He is a member of DPHIU, the first Greek fraternity for gay men of color. Andrew is also a planning council member with the Seattle HIV/AIDS planning council and co-chair of the King County Democrat's DEI committee. He is an avid traveller, has been to 5 continents, and hopes to one day go to Antarctica.

Raja Fouad (they/them/theirs) is an asylee from Pakistan who moved to the United States at the age of 17. They lived in Alabama for most of their 20's & moved to Seattle in 2016. They identify as Non-Binary.

During their time in Alabama, they worked with various Civil & Labor Right groups. They were an active part of working on various projects & legislations including but not limited to Rape Prevention & Policy change at University of South Alabama, legislation requiring City of Mobile Police Department to wear body cameras, 15 Now Campaign, the fight against Alabama's Anti-Illegal Immigration bill (Beason-Hammon) HB-56, and the fight for equal rights for LGBTQ couples even after the Marriage Equality Bill was passed. 

In Seattle, they are focused on continuing the work to better the lives of Trans & Immigrant Communities. They have been active in the art scenes & have enjoyed working in spaces like the Seattle Art Museum & McCaw Hall. Currently they are working at Toyota where they are helping pave the way forward to create a welcoming environment in a space not generally welcome to Queer folks. It is part of their focus on moving away from Safe Spaces to a Safe City & providing Equal Opportunities everywhere for Trans & BIPOC communities. 

In their leisure time, they enjoy going to art spaces, thrift stores, various parks & beaches in the region, and going to local Drag shows & Concerts. You can also them exploring the City's International & Local food scene

Diondra Braswell (they/them/theirs)  is a black trans non-binary artist who is passionate about the aid and liberation of QTBIPOC folks, especially black trans folks. 

Raised in Northern Arizona and L.A., they moved from Arizona to Washington seven years ago. Since living in Seattle, they have focused on visual art, music, and building community. Being able to dream and create new worlds is something that intersects in all parts of their life including community and activist work. They enjoy spending time in nature, traveling, and going to art and music events.