Seattle LGBTQ Commission

Today we are posting our first of many IDT updates to come. We are excited to see the City taking our requests seriously and are looking forward to seeing this process through to provide critical support and infrastructure for our community.

Please reach out with questions or feedback -- it is a privilege for us to sit on this team and we are committed to making sure the city gets it right. 🌈

Happy Pride Month!

“Although our city is experiencing challenging budget constraints, we will proactively search for ways to meet urgent needs while planning for a stronger future,” Mayor Wilson wrote. But both Rinck and Davis have been heartened by the City’s quick responses so far. “It surpassed my expectations,” Davis says. “It’s been met with a level of seriousness and engagement that I’m frankly proud of.”

City & community leaders raise LGBTQ+ Pride Flag at City Hall To kick off Pride Month, City of Seattle leaders, commissioners, and community organizations gathered at City Hall to raise the Le***an, Gay, Bisexual, Trans...

"As anti-trans laws pass across the country, more and more trans folks are leaving their home states for better access to legal protections, healthcare, and safer social environments. Today, we’re hearing from two LGBTQ advocates in progressive cities about what’s needed to support the internally displaced trans people in their communities.

Jessa Davis is a co-chair of the Seattle LGBTQ Commission, which issued the state of emergency recommendation. Honey Mahogany is the Director of the Office of Transgender Initiatives in San Francisco.

This week’s Trans Joy features Caro Caden, a theatre artist, oral historian, and archivist."

Jessa Gavrielle

America’s Trans Migrant Crisis - TransLash Media Episode Description As anti-trans laws pass across the country, more and more trans folks are leaving their home states for better access to legal protections, healthcare, and safer social environments. Today, we’re hearing from two LGBTQ advocates in progressive cities about what’s needed to su...

Recent coverage of our advocacy work on trans migration from Cascade PBS with Co-Chairs Kody Allen and Chris Curia.

Advocates say need for support for trans refugees in Seattle is a crisis The LGTBQ Commission is asking the Mayor to declare a state of emergency and says lives are at stake

We are so grateful for the show of support and love that we experienced in community yesterday at the 14th Annual LGBTQ+ Pride Flag Raising at Seattle City Hall.

Special thanks to Mayor Katie B. Wilson Seattle City Council Seattle Office for Civil Rights and all those who make our city a safe and welcoming place to call home. The Seattle LGBTQ Commission looks forward to working with our partners at the City and in the community to continue advocating for the rights and protections that we all deserve.

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Comments from Co-Chair Jessa Davis follow:

Good afternoon,

I’d like to thank the Mayor, members of City Council, and our special guests for being here today. My name is Jessa Davis, my pronouns are she/her, and I serve as Co-Chair of the Seattle LGBTQ Commission. It is truly an honor to stand with you today as we raise the Pride flag over our city.

Every year, this moment carries deep meaning for me personally: As someone who moved to Seattle to find a place where I could belong, I – like so many others here – understand that visibility itself is never a neutral act. And we know that raising this flag isn’t a trivial thing, because in some parts of this country what we’re doing right now is illegal.

As we are witnessing an unprecedented wave of backlash across the US targeting 2SLGBTQIA+ people, hundreds of bills attacking transgender, gender nonconforming, and Two Spirit people have been introduced to restrict our healthcare, limit participation in public life, censor education, and erase legal recognition. Despite the claims made to the contrary by those who are pushing this agenda, these are deliberate efforts to make it harder for people to live safely, openly, and with dignity.

And as a result, people are being forced to leave their homes. Not because they want to, but because the alternative is too dangerous. This is policy-driven displacement: It involves families asking whether their child can access appropriate care. It means individuals deciding whether they can remain employed, housed, or if they can even legally exist in public as themselves. And in some places, these oppressive policies carry the threat of prison, often for the simple act of having the audacity to be seen. So, many of those individuals are arriving in places like Seattle for safety.

We proudly call ourselves a Welcoming City, which is a standard that we have set for ourselves. It’s a commitment that requires our policies, our services, and our communities reflect the values we claim to hold. That means ensuring access to housing, healthcare, employment, and legal protections. It means resourcing the organizations already on the frontlines. And it means defending and strengthening the protections that make this city a place where people can truly live and belong.

Pride has always been about celebration and resistance. It is both joyful acceptance of oneself and a fierce declaration of belonging: An assertion that we will not accept policies rooted in fear or bigotry. And a declarative statement that we will continue to build a city where everyone has the ability to thrive.

So today, as we raise this flag, we do so with clarity: We affirm our values and make a commitment to every person who looks to this city for safety, for dignity, and for belonging—that Seattle will stand firm. Not just in what we say. But in what we do for our neighbors now and every day.

Thank you.

Jessa Gavrielle Davis (she/her), Co-Chair, Seattle LGBTQ Commission

Today, the Seattle LGBTQ Commission is publicly announcing our Declaration of Civil Emergency Recommendation Letter calling for a coordinated City response to the growing crisis facing 2SLGBTQIA+ communities, especially transgender and gender-nonconforming people seeking safety and support in Seattle.

Across the country, harmful legislation and increasing hostility have forced many people to leave their homes in search of refuge. Seattle is already seeing the impacts, and our community organizations and support systems are being asked to meet growing and increasingly complex needs.

Our recommendation urges City leaders to explore collaborative emergency response measures focused on:
• Housing stability
• Healthcare access
• Public safety
• Community infrastructure
• Long-term resilience planning

We believe impacted voices, lived experience, and frontline expertise must remain central to any response. The Commission remains committed to working alongside City leaders, providers, and community members to advance practical, compassionate, and community-informed solutions.

Read the full press release and recommendation letter attached.

The Seattle LGBTQ Commission is grieving the horrific murder of a nineteen-year-old transgender woman near the University of Washington.

We are heartbroken by this tragic loss and invite our community to mourn with us, care for one another, and continue advocating for safety, dignity, and justice for Trans and Q***r people in Seattle and beyond.

We encourage anyone directly impacted by this tragedy to seek support through 2SLGBTQIA+ specific resources such as Peer Seattle, Seattle’s LGBTQ Center, The Trevor Project, or Trans Lifeline.

Read the full statement below.

To wrap up our celebration of Le***an Visibility Week, we're honoring Storme Webber; writer, artist, educator, and activist.

As a Black, two-spirit, q***r le***an voice, Storme’s work speaks to identity, belonging, ancestry, and liberation. Through poetry, storytelling, and community leadership, she has created space for voices too often pushed to the margins.

“I am my ancestors’ wildest dreams.”

Visibility is not just about being seen. it is about being known, honored, and remembered.

***anVisibilityWeek ***anVisibility ***rVoices ***rExcellence