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January 16, 2023 Newsletter
Remembering Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
From The King Center
During the less than 13 years of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s leadership of the modern American Civil Rights Movement, from December 1955 until April 4, 1968, African Americans achieved more genuine progress toward racial equality in America than the previous 350 years had produced. Dr. King is widely regarded as America’s pre-eminent advocate of nonviolence and one of the greatest nonviolent leaders in world history.
Drawing inspiration from both his Christian faith and the peaceful teachings of Mahatma Gandhi, Dr. King led a nonviolent movement in the late 1950s and ‘60s to achieve legal equality for African-Americans in the United States. While others were advocating for freedom by “any means necessary,” including violence, Martin Luther King, Jr. used the power of words and acts of nonviolent resistance, such as protests, grassroots organizing, and civil disobedience to achieve seemingly-impossible goals. He went on to lead similar campaigns against poverty and international conflict, always maintaining fidelity to his principles that men and women everywhere, regardless of color or creed, are equal members of the human family.
Dr. King’s “I Have a Dream” speech, Nobel Peace Prize lecture and “Letter from a Birmingham Jail” are among the most revered orations and writings in the English language. His accomplishments are now taught to American children of all races, and his teachings are studied by scholars and students worldwide. He is the only non-president to have a national holiday dedicated in his honor and is the only non-president memorialized on the Great Mall in the nation’s capital. He is memorialized in hundreds of statues, parks, streets, squares, churches and other public facilities around the world as a leader whose teachings are increasingly-relevant to the progress of humankind.
To learn more about Dr Martin Luther King Jr. visit The King Center
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Connect with the Commission
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Notice of Public Meeting of the WA State LGBTQ Commission
The Washington State LGBTQ Commission will host its January public meeting on Friday, January 20th from 10:00 am – 5:00 pm and Saturday, January 21st from 10:00 am – 1:00 pm. This meeting will take place at the WA State LGBTQ Commission’ office located at 905 Plum Street SW, Suite 300, Olympia, WA. This will be an in-person public meeting with no live broadcast. The public can attend in person and public comments will be received both in person at the meeting or in writing prior to the meeting. If you want to submit public comments, please direct them to Tracey Carlos, Program Manager for the Commission at tracey.carlos@lgbtq.wa.gov.
Please note that the agenda and other materials for the meeting will be made available no later than 24 hours prior to the event through our website here.
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Opportunities for the Community
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 SAVE THE DATE February 14, 3pm * State Reception Room * Legislative Building, Olympia * LOVE, =QUALLY The Journey to Marriage Equality, A Legacy Washington Project, Washington Secretary of State, Legacy Washington https://www.sos.wa.gov/legacy/love-equally.aspx
To learn more go to Legacy Washington
Legislative Session Updates
The LGBTQ Commission identifies legislative priorities annually and works with our Legislative Advisors and other legislators to advance bills that expand the rights of the community.
The current bills being monitored for 2023 so far are:
Legislative Priority:
Affecting the community:
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SB 5008 - Providing parents and legal guardians access to instructional materials.
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SB 5009 - Requiring parental or legal guardian approval before a child participates in comprehensive sexual health education.
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SB 5024 - Establishing parents' bill of rights related to their child's public education.
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SB 5028 - Revising the process for individuals to request name changes.
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SB 5029 - Empowering school district boards of directors.
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SJR 8202 - Amending the Constitution to address reproductive freedom.
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HB 1028 - Supporting crime victims and witnesses by promoting victim-centered, trauma-informed responses in the legal system.
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HB 1207 - Preventing and responding to harassment, intimidation, bullying, and discrimination in schools.
You can find a full list of the bills we are watching in the 2023 session through this link.
The LGBTQ and ally community in Washington has several ways to be involved in advocating for issues that are important to us. Here are some tools you can use:
Washington State LGBTQ Legislative Caucus
Contact Your Legislator
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Find Your Legislator: Enter your address to find your current legislative and congressional district.
- Legislative Hotline: 1-800-562-6000 (TTY for Hearing Impaired 1-800-635-9993). Callers to the Hotline can leave a brief message for their district legislators, Governor or Lt. Governor on issues of concern or on questions they may have about bills or laws. For non-English speaking callers, the Hotline offers interpreter services for many languages.
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E-mail: Click a legislator’s name to go to the e-mail form for that legislator
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Visiting the Legislature: Information about directions, parking, Capitol Campus activities and events, and tours.
Bill Information
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Bill Information: Find out the latest information on a piece of legislation.
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Legislative Process: Learn how a bill becomes a law.
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How to Testify in Committee: Your opportunity to testify comes at the committee hearings. If you cannot appear before a committee, contact your legislator making your position on a bill known.
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TVW: Washington’s public affairs network, providing gavel-to-gavel coverage of Washington State Legislature sessions and coverage of the Washington State Supreme Court and public affairs events.
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 Important Update for Social Equity Cannabis Retail License Applicants: New Instructional Courses and Upcoming Webinar Series Jan. 24 and Jan. 28, 2023
The Liquor and Cannabis Board (LCB) will soon be opening the application window for a limited number of retail cannabis licenses that have been reserved for social equity purposes.
The LCB has partnered with MakeGreenGo! to provide technical assistance and business education for potential social equity applicants. MakeGreenGo! is a company with experience providing technical assistance to cannabis businesses in several state and local jurisdictions.
New Instructional Courses
New instructional courses have been added to the Technical Assistance Program. Sign up for the free Technical Assistance Program here. The six new videos provide detailed information on the application process, including:
- Social Equity Program Overview
- Social Equity Application Process
- How to Submit an Application
- How to Complete a Social Equity Plan
- Cannabis Laws and Rules
- Cannabis Licensing Overview
Social Equity Program Webinars
Together, LCB and MakeGreenGo! are hosting a series of webinars to help potential applicants learn about the social equity licenses and how to prepare to apply. The webinars are for anyone who is interested in learning more about applying for a social equity cannabis license. Registered attendees will learn:
- How to apply for a license;
- Qualifications for a social equity in cannabis license;
- Documents you will need to gather; and
- Additional information potential applicants will want to know:
The webinar content is pre-recorded, however, registered participants will still be able to ask questions through chat during the live question and answer period. LCB staff will be online to answer your questions.
Please only sign up for one webinar.
Webinar Dates and Times
Jan. 24, 2023 (Tues.)
January 28, 2023 (Sat.)
Webinar Registration
Click here to register to participate in a webinar. A recording of a webinar will also be available on our website, at a later date.
LCB Social Equity in Cannabis Website
As always, the source for the most current information is the Social Equity section of the LCB website. Please visit our website to learn more about social equity in cannabis and to access the training provided to prepare you to apply for a license.
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Open Call for LGBTQ+ Visual Artists
Calling all LGBTQIA+ visual artists for Fred Hutch’s Public Art and Community Dialogue Program! Selected artists will create commissioned artwork informed by our Community Dialogues to be displayed across the Fred Hutch Seattle campus and featured in public and community program materials. Selected artists will also receive $5,000 for their commission and participation in the program.
Artists who work in a variety of visual media will be considered. Examples of media include, but are not limited to, traditional art, digital art, collage, graphic art, mixed media and textiles. Fred Hutch employees and staff are not eligible to apply at this time. Deadline for Applications: Friday, February 10
Learn more: fredhutch.org/en/about/about-the-hutch/diversity-equity-inclusion/public-art-and-community-dialogue/artist-call-details.html
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WA Department of Health – Youth Advisory Council – Apply Today!
 Get involved and get a $50 gift card! We’re recruiting people ages 13-22 to serve on our Youth Advisory Council. We’re looking for young people from all walks of life with a variety of lived experiences (BIPOC communities, LGBTQIA+, disability experiences, rural communities and more).
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Youth Advisory Council members will share their thoughts, opinions, and recommendations about important health topics to help guide public health projects for Washington’s young people. You’ll earn a $50 gift card for each activity you participate in! Learn more and apply by January 31. Find the link in our bio.
https://waportal.org/partners/home/adolescent-health/youth-advisors
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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.
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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.
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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.
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