Commerce is seeking proposals from qualified LGBTQ+ competency trainers who can provide expert training to Housing Division staff, grantees, and partners. The training will cover a range of topics related to LGBTQ+ identities, issues, and challenges, and should equip participants with the knowledge, skills, and attitudes necessary to support and serve LGBTQ+ individuals and communities in a sensitive, respectful, and inclusive manner. 

Marginalized communities often face similar challenges, and it is crucial that we work together to address these challenges and find common solutions. We must recognize that our struggles are interconnected and that by fighting against one form of discrimination, we can make progress in addressing others.

At this event, we'll bring together groups from around the region to connect around this common goal. Guest organizations include: AgePRIDE, Lavender Rights Project, WA State LGBTQ Commission, WA State Commission on Asian and Pacific Islander-American Affairs, Seattle Latino Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce and more!

Mix & mingle and make brand new connections as you enjoy some delicious complimentary bites and a beverage.

Thursday, July 27, 2023 4:30pm - 6:30pm

Salesforce Roof Deck

Address: 744 N 34th Street, Seattle 98103

Street parking or the pay lots that surround the building in Fremont.

Access to the roof deck will be through the main front entrance of the building and through the elevators in the Main Lobby.

Gender neutral restrooms available.

For more information and registration, visit this link.

Public Health Connects is a speaker series developed by the Washington State Department of Health to advance health equity, spotlight innovative ideas, and foster collaborative partner engagement throughout the health and wellness system — and beyond. Together, we can create a future where everyone can live their healthiest lives.

Kate Starbird is an Associate Professor in the Department of Human Centered Design & Engineering (HCDE) and Director of the Emerging Capacities of Mass Participation (emCOMP) Laboratory. She is also adjunct faculty in the Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science & Engineering and the Information School, and a data science fellow at the eScience Institute.

Kate is a co-founder of the University of Washington's Center for an Informed Public, which formed in 2019 around a shared mission of resisting strategic misinformation, promoting an informed society, and strengthening democratic discourse. Kate's research is situated within human-computer interaction (HCI) and the emerging field of crisis informatics — the study of how information-communication technologies (ICTs) are used during crisis events. Her research examines how people use social media to seek, share, and make sense of information after natural disasters (such as earthquakes and hurricanes) and man-made crisis events (such as acts of terrorism and mass shooting events). More recently, her work has shifted to focus on the spread of disinformation in this context. Kate's research touches on broader questions about the intersection of technology and society—including the vast potential for online social platforms to empower people to work together to solve problems, as well as salient concerns related to abuse and manipulation of and through these platforms and the consequent erosion of trust information.

Washington State’s Department of Children Youth and Families, in collaboration with Kauffman and Associates Inc., is holding gathering sessions with external stakeholders to better understand the existing service landscape and unmet needs for six different populations of children, youth and families. We are holding a gathering session with Tribal Partners to discuss AI/AN populations. The five population gathering sessions we would like you to consider attending are:

1) Hispanic and Latino

2) Asian American and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander (AANHPI)

3) Black and African American

4) Immigrants and refugees

5) Non-English primary language/American Sign Language (ASL)/Sign language/limited English proficiency (LEP)/families using interpretive services

One gathering session will be held for each of these groups. Please note that we will also discuss LGBTQ+ population needs, particular to that group, at each gathering session.

The gathering sessions will be 90 minutes each and will be held virtually in August. They will be organized and moderated by consultants from Kauffman and Associates, Inc.

To register for individual Gathering Sessions, click on the Registration Link below:

Questions? Please contact Leigh Hayden, Kauffman and Associates Inc. at leigh.hayden@kauffmaninc.com.

Martha Shelley, who organized the first protest march in New York City after the 1969 Stonewall Riot and helped found the history-changing Gay Liberation Front, will read from her new memoir, We Set the Night on Fire (Chicago Review Press), in the Pink House of the Port Townsend Public Library, 1220 Lawrence St., at 6:30 on August 9^th. Discussion will follow.

The daughter of Jewish refugees and undocumented immigrants in New York City, Martha Shelley grew up during the Red Scare of the late 1940s and 1950s. After coming out at a time when homosexual acts were illegal, she became the public speaker for the New York chapter of the historic lesbian rights group, the Daughters of Bilitis.

Immediately after the beginnings of the Stonewall Riot on June 28, 1969, Shelley seized upon the history-making nature of the rebellion against police brutality and homophobia to organize the first post-Stonewall LGBTQ protest march. That march took place on July 27, 1969. At the same time, she joined with others to found the Gay Liberation Front. Some who were present at the meeting where GLF was born credit her with coining the name of the organization.

As autonomous Gay Liberation Front chapters began to spring up around the United States and abroad, Shelley coproduced the GLF newspaper, Come Out! and played a central role in the Lavender Menace action to confront homophobia in the women’s movement. A poet and novelist, she has authored numerous seminar essays on gay and feminist issues, including "Gay Is Good" and "Notes of a Radical Lesbian.”

Ever the organizer, even as she approaches 80, Shelley will lead a discussion following the book signing. She will ask, “With everything we fought for under attack, where do we go from here? What should be our priorities?” The evening promises to be equally enlightening and productive.

Books will be available for purchase and signing. Due to health concerns, masks are requested.

For those who cannot make the Port Townsend event, Shelley will also present a book reading / signing / discussion in Seattle at Elliott Bay Books, 1521 10^th Ave, on Tuesday August 8 at 7 pm.

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.