November 21, 2022 Newsletter

Statement from Washington State LGBTQ Commission Director J. Manny Santiago Following the Killing of LGBTQ Patrons at Club Q in Colorado Springs

Yesterday, once again, the LGBTQ community was the target of gun violence when 5 people were killed and 25 were injured at Club Q in Colorado Springs, CO. This senseless act of violence and hatred against the LGBTQ community happened as Washington and the nation were getting ready to observe Transgender Day of Remembrance on Sunday, November 20^th. Transgender Day of Remembrance is a moment to mourn, grieve in community, and remember with love the lives of transgender, gender non-conforming, and gender-expansive people lost to violence. The mass shooting at Club Q during such an important date for our community only confirmed the need for more protection to prevent the indiscriminate targeting of LGBTQ people as victims of all types of violence.

Our hearts are with the families of the victims, and with those who survived. To those who were lost, we commit to continue working for safer spaces for our communities. To those who are hurt both physically and emotionally, we commit to continue supporting you in any way possible, including continue working for public policies that prevent this type of violence nationwide. We join in the voices of our community activists from ACT-UP, who taught us to say: “Honor the dead, and fight like hell for the living.” We will, indeed, fight for the living to honor the memory of those lost.

In recent years we have witnessed an increase in violent rhetoric against LGBTQ, and particularly transgender, people under the guise of “free speech”, “traditional morals”, or “family values.” This violent rhetoric increased during the recent election cycle. It made our community the target not only of hate speech but also, as this event proves, a target of physical violence. Every constitutional right is accompanied by civil responsibility. Free speech and the right the bear arms should never be above the safety and preservation of human lives. Moreover, there is nothing moral or pro-family in speech that dehumanizes anyone in our communities. In the past few years, we have seen the dehumanization of transgender people in particular as many jurisdictions pass legislation trying to erase transgender people’s existence under false and misleading premises. Our LGBTQ community is being portrayed as predators, and “groomers” trying to advance an agenda of confusion, chaos, and turmoil amongst children. Our families are still being treated like second-class families at best and completely unrecognized in many instances. In some jurisdictions, the mere mention of our families in schools is grounds for criminal prosecution. In many of the same jurisdictions, parents are being stripped of their rights and made into criminals for the responsible and loving act of seeking medical care for their transgender children. Even our right to marry was questioned and challenged recently when the US Supreme Court took away people’s rights over their own reproductive decisions.  

With all these examples, it is no wonder that many among us believe that our lives are disposable. This violent rhetoric can only lead to violent actions. Unless this rhetoric is stopped, the violence will only increase. Therefore we call on policymakers in our state to prioritize the strengthening of laws that regulate firearms and how to obtain them; we also urge them to prioritize the safety and well-being of our transgender, Two-Spirit, and LGBTQ students and children; and we invite the community at large to educate themselves on LGBTQ matters to better understand the LGBTQ community and our needs and become better allies. Likewise, we encourage our LGBTQ community leaders around the state to continue working on building networks of protection, support, safety, and empowerment to keep our community together.  

Opportunities for the Community

Transgender Day of Remembrance Memorial and Candlelight Vigil

2021 was the deadliest year on record for our transgender siblings, and 2022 has already seen 32 reported murders of our trans siblings.

We have to do better.

While so much progress has been made in the fight for broad LGBTQ protections here in Washington, it is important for our non-trans community to understand that legal protections for trans folks are further out of reach and the lived trans experience does not yet match the legislative goals our state has so far enshrined into law.

Our trans community siblings face higher rates of discrimination in the education system, employment, health care, direct service access, public accommodation, treatment by law enforcement, and more. Visibility and policy revisions alone aren’t the answer. As we reimagine our social systems, we must understand the power that each of us has in our daily lives to stop trans-hate in its tracks and proactively engage in shaping a safer and more equitable world for our trans siblings.

POCAAN along with The Seattle  LGBTQ+  Center , and Pacific Northwest Black Pride Day of Remembrance is this coming Tuesday. I hope you will join us as we mourn and honor the lives and legacy of our trans siblings who were murdered this year. I also hope that you use that time, that day, to pause and reflect on the role that you play within your own schools, institutions of faith, government agencies, companies, small businesses, communities, social groups, sports teams, media outlets, arts and culture groups, friend circles, and families. From there you personally can make an impact toward ending transphobia, create a more equitable life for our trans siblings, save lives, and ensure all of us can live to pursue Justice with Joy.

Transgender Day of Remembrance Memorial and Candlelight Vigil Presented by Seattle LGBTQ Center, POCAAN, Black Pride, November 22, 2022 4:00pm-7:00pm, Location: Seattle LGBTQ+ Center 4400 E Pine St #100 Seattle WA 98122. For questions, email POCAAN@pocaan.org or call 206-322-7061

Take the 2022 US Trans Survey!

The U.S. Trans Survey is the largest survey of trans people, by trans people, in the United States. The USTS documents the lives and experiences of trans and nonbinary people ages 16+ in the U.S. and U.S. territories. USTS reports have been a vital resource, including the reports on the experiences of people of color and reports by state. In 2015, nearly 28,000 people took the USTS. A lot has happened since then – and it’s time to conduct the USTS again in 2022. Help us continue to be the largest, most diverse sample across all identities. Please spread the word to ensure that people of color, older people, those who live in rural areas, immigrants, Spanish speakers, those who are HIV+, and others hear about the survey. More than ever, it's important to ensure that trans voices will shape the future. To take the survey in English, please visit this link. Para tomar la encuesta en español, por favor visite este enlace.

Community engagement to improve sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI) data collection

In preparing to roll out new standardized collection of sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI) data, honoring community and listening to feedback will go a long way towards achieving a positive patient experience. Two hospitals in Washington will share how they are partnering with their LGBTQ+ patient community to support SOGI data collection. Confluence Health partnered with Confluence Pride and Wenatchee Pride to develop definitions that will be used in a pamphlet to explain why the data is being collected. Dr. Bindu Nayak and Dr. TJ Grasch will share their experiences at Confluence creating safe respectful healthcare for LGBTQ patients and co-designing solutions.

The event will take place Nov. 28, 2-3pm, and you can register here.

At the Fred Hutch Cancer Center, Tiffany Go and Christy Satterlee will share how they designed and deployed a survey for their Patient and Family Advisors to understand preferred workflows for reporting sensitive information. Their process to collect information using their E-Advisor Survey and early results will be discussed.

World AIDS Day – Interfaith Service

Join African Americans Reach and Teach Health Ministries (AARTH), POCAAN and other local organizations serving the African American and Black communities to honor and remember the lives of those lost to the HIV epidemic. “Global Solidarity, Shared Responsibility” is the theme for this service, to be held on Thursday, December 1^st starting at 6:00 pm at Plymouth Church in Seattle. Please visit this link for more information and registration.

Interfaith Service World AIDS Day Thursday, December 1, 6:00 PM Educational Vendors | 7:00 PM Service | Plymouth Church | 1217 Sixth Ave | Seattle 98101 | Come let us worship together. Black people accounted for 42% of new HIV diagnoses in the US in 2019 - https://www.cdc.gov/hiv/group/racialethnic/africanamericans/diagnoses.html - Rev Dr. Leslie Braxton New Beginning Christian Fellowship, Keynote Speaker - Organizers: African Americans Reach & Teach Health Ministry AARTH www.aarth.org, Plymouth Church United Church of Christ Rev. Dr. Kelle Brown Sr. Pastor, Liberation United Church of Christ, New Beginnings Christian Fellowship, POCAAN, Unity Fellowship Outreach. For more information contact Dr. Renee McCoy, Reneem@AARTH.org

REQUEST FOR APPLICATIONS – Environmental Justice Community Participation Fund Grant

The Washington State Department of Health (DOH) is excited to announce the formation of an Environmental Justice Community Participation Fund Grant program. The aim of this program is to award a $400,000 pass-through grant to a statewide community-based environmental justice organization for the creation of an Environmental Justice Community Participation Fund. This Fund will be used to allocate smaller sub-grants to other community-based organizations around Washington State to support meaningful participation and engagement with the Environmental Justice Council and state agencies around the Healthy Environment for All (HEAL) Act. The Request for Applications (RFA) for the Environmental Justice Community Participation Fund Grant is now available! We are accepting applications until 9pm PST on Friday, December 2nd and expect to announce a grantee by early 2023. RFA is available here: Environmental Justice Community Engagement | Washington State Department of Health We will also be holding a one-hour informational call from 6-7pm PST on Monday, November 7th over Zoom. This call will include a brief overview of the grant and application requirements, as well as time for question and answer. A recording of this call will be sent to all registrants and will be posted on the DOH Environmental Justice Community Engagement webpage within 2-3 days. Register for the informational call here: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZIkcOygqTspGNdp1rJzV0zjWz8i3N5GSqVM If you are interested in receiving updates or have any questions, please contact Leah Wood (she/her) at leah.wood@doh.wa.gov

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.