The Washington State Legislature adjourned this past March 10^th, having passed major pieces of legislation that strengthen our communities, protect our environment, and guarantee people’s fundamental rights.

The Washington State LGBTQ Commission wants to thank each legislator who has worked tirelessly to protect our LGBTQ communities. We are especially thankful to our Legislative Advisors, Senator Claire Wilson (D – Federal Way), Representative Nicole Macri (D – Seattle), and Representative Skyler Rude (R – Walla Walla), who championed many of our priority legislation. The Commission extends its gratitude to all the members of the Washington State Legislature LGBTQ Caucus, as they continue to be a strong voice on behalf of our communities.

At a time when state legislatures have been passing anti-LGBTQ, and especially, anti-transgender legislation, the Washington Legislature rejected some of those copycat bills introduced this year in our own legislature and prevented any rights to be taken away from LGBTQ Washingtonians. Throughout the interim, the Commission will continue working with our legislative advisors to listen to our communities, strategize on how to best address the needs of LGBTQ Washingtonians, and collaborate with our local communities in finding solutions to the challenges our people still face.

Once again, THANK YOU Legislators for your service to the community!

Pride season is just around the corner! The WA State LGBTQ Commission wants to keep an updated calendar of Pride events throughout the state. We have created this form (https://forms.gle/XriJeud9DURibmZY9 ) which you can use to let us know about any event your agency or community group is planning for this year. Feel free to share this link with agencies around your area who are planning events to celebrate and honor our community.

The LGBTQ Commission reserves the right to publish the information of the event, and here are some guidelines we will follow in making our decision on what events will be published:

• Events that go against the mission, vision, and values of the LGBTQ Commission will not be publish on the calendar.
• Only community events will be accepted for publication. No commercial events at bars, clubs, restaurants, or paid venues will be accepted for publication. (It’s OK if a community event has an entrance fee.)
• Political, partisan, and religious events will not be accepted for publication.
• Acceptance for publication of an event on the Commission’s calendar does not constitute endorsement, support, or sponsorship of such event on the part of the Commission, its staff, Commissioners, or affiliated agencies.

Commission staff would be delighted to share with our community at Pride events throughout the season. If you want to extend an invitation to the staff or Commissioners to attend your event in an official capacity, please submit your invitation through the Commission’s “Contact Us” page here.

We request your input on recent legislation.

The Department of Licensing (DOL) is seeking input regarding fair housing curriculum for Real Estate licensees. This is the result of Substitute Senate Bill (SSB) 5378, which passed the Washington State Legislature in 2021. This requires new and current Professional Real Estate licensees in Washington to take instructional hours in Fair Housing. DOL is tasked with providing the Fair Housing and prevention of unfair practices curriculum for Real Estate Licensees. 

Here is what we know so far: 

DOL will need to create or update the following fair housing education content: 

• 3 hours of instruction to be incorporated into the DOL’s core curriculum for new licensees 
• 3 hours of instruction for first renewal of real estate licensees
• 3 hours of instruction for all subsequent and ongoing renewals 
• 6 hours of instruction for current real estate licensees to take one time upon first renewal following effective date

Here is what we need your help with: 

• What are the key areas or topics fair housing education should cover for a first-time licensee and a renewal licensee? 
• What are some specific concepts DOL should consider in developing the above instructional content? 
• Are there particularly common unfair practices that you feel should be addressed by these training programs?
• What other thoughts, ideas or recommendations do you have for us?

How you can partner with us: 

DOL is seeking input from individuals and organizations impacted by SSB 5378. We welcome any written feedback to the questions above. We would also like to invite you to discussions in March 2022. These discussions will be hosted on the Zoom platform and close captioned in real-time. The discussions are scheduled for: 

• Tuesday, March 29, 2-4 p.m.
• Wednesday, March 30, 1-3 p.m.

Requesting Accommodations and how to RSVP:  

For any reasonable accommodations to participate, such as language access needs, please contact Krista Hornish by email at khornish@dol.wa.gov. Requests for reasonable accommodations should be received by March 18, 2022. We will try to make reasonable accommodations for participants even if received after this date.   

To register for one or more of these meetings, please use the Microsoft form link provided here: https://forms.office.com/g/w0k2wvvg10.  We will send a Zoom link to the email address provided on the Microsoft form on the Monday prior to the sessions.  Please feel free to forward this invitation to others who will be interested in providing feedback.

If you are unable to attend these times, please email feedback directly to DOLEducation5378@dol.wa.gov.  

The Board of Directors of Renton LGBTQIA+ Community, a local resource group for LGBTQ people, is planning a statewide demonstration in support of LGBTQ people being targeted by the over 140 anti-LGBTQ and anti-transgender bills introduced in state legislatures throughout the nation. 

If you or your organization want to join this effort, you can fill out this form (https://tinyurl.com/4r9vbfwm) and a member of the leadership team will reach out to you or your organization with more information and details.

This year, GLSEN will have an amazing mix of speakers, interactive workshops, and opportunities to network with educators and students from all over the state! The conference will include specific events centered around Queer and Trans People of Color, Trans/Gender Nonconforming youth, LGBTQ+ youth in sports, youth presentations, the Arts, and so much more!

Keynote speaker for the conference is WNBA star Sue Bird!

Check out details of the conference, including volunteer opportunities, by visiting this link here.

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.

The Washington Courts will be receiving comments on a proposed change to their Code of Judicial Conduct to include “gender identity” and “gender expression.” The Courts will be receiving comments through April 30^th, 2022. You can read the full rulemaking changes information and submit comments through this link: https://www.courts.wa.gov/court_rules/?fa=court_rules.proposedRuleDisplay&ruleId=5939