A Note from the Director
As we begin the new year, I want to share some things we are excited about. The legislative session kicks off on Monday January 13th. For several months, we have been collaborating with legislators, our commissioners, and community stakeholders to prepare for this session - while also preparing for the changes that are coming with new federal and state administrations. Our top priority is to protect, maintain, and enhance the strong protections we have in Washington state.
Next week is filled with big endings and beginnings. Governor Inslee will give his last State of the State address on Tuesday January 14th and Governor-Elect Ferguson will be sworn into office on Wednesday the 15th. Then on Friday the 17th and Saturday the 18th, we will have our first public meeting of the year. It's going to be a very busy and exciting week!
On a personal note, my daughter and I were able to be with now Congresswoman Emily Randall for her swearing in ceremony, along with Congresswoman Sarah McBride, of Delaware, and Congresswoman Julie Johnson, of Texas. Witnessing these three LGTBQ+ women become firsts, again, was a powerful reminder of progress. People from across these states said, "Yes!" to their leadership, values, and what they represent to their constituents.
The road ahead is always uncertain and often hard. What I do believe in are people and our stories. Our connectedness is tied through relationships and stories. More than ever, we will need to lean into relationships that keep us whole.
From all of us at the WA State LGBTQ Commission, we hope you had a joyful and rejuvenating holiday!
 Lisa Keating, Executive Director - Washington LGBTQ Commission
“We deserve to experience love fully, equally, without shame and without compromise.” — Elliot Page
Public Meeting Announcement
On Friday January 17th and Saturday 18th the Washington State LGBTQ Commission will convene for their first public meeting of 2025. With the Legislative Session starting just 4 days prior, the State of the State address happening on Tuesday, and the Govenor's Inaugural Ball on Wednesday, Olympia is going to be an exciting place to be that week! We hope you are able to find some time join us to hear more about Commission work, and we highly encourage 2SLGBTQIA+ individuals around the state to tune in and share public comment with us, in-person or virtually, during meeting day 2, Saturday, starting at 11:30am. For more information on what public comment is and how to submit or share your comment, read below.
Please note agenda & meeting materials will be available on our website no less than 24 hours prior to the start of Friday's meeting day.
Date & Time:
Friday, January 17th from 12:00pm-4:00pm
Saturday, January 18th from 9:00am-12:30pm (Please note, public comment will start at 11:30am on Saturday)
Location:
Helen Sommers Building, Capitol Campus See Parking Map
106 11th Ave. SW
Olympia, WA 98501
If you are interested in attending this meeting virtually, please email contact@lgbtq.wa.gov and staff can assist.
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What is a public meeting?
The Washington State LGBTQ Commission hosts five public meetings a year in different locations across Washington. Public meetings are opportunities for all 15 Commissioners to gather together in-person (or online) to discuss Commission business, engage with other state agencies on matters affecting 2SLGBTQIA+ people in the state, familiarize themselves with community organizations working with 2SLGBTQIA+ communities, and hear from actual 2SLGBTQIA+ individuals from across the state during public comment.
What's public comment? How do I give public comment?
The public comment portion of our public meetings is a time for individuals to share their experiences as a 2SLGBTQIA+ person in Washington. Example of comments could include sharing how a state policy has positively or negatively affected you as a 2SLGBTQIA+ person, explaining a problem or issue you are seeing in your community, or simply stating how you feel living in Washington as a 2SLGBTQIA+ person. Please see below for the process and rules around public comment.
- Written comments can be received prior to the meeting. Please email your comment to contact@lgbtq.wa.gov. Please include your name and organization affiliation, if applicable. Please make the subject line January 18 Public Comment.
- Public comments will also be received live either in-person or via Zoom. If you are in-person, there will be a sign in sheet. If you are attending virtually, there will be digital sign in shared in the chat.
- Public comments will be limited to 1-2 minutes. Commission staff will notify the public either verbally or in writing, about how much time each person will have to share their comments, based on the number of people
signed up to speak and the time allotted for public comments during the meeting.
- Each individual can only give one public comment per meeting.
- Commissioners are not expected to respond to public comments during the meeting, but instead direct comments that merit action to their relevant committees.
- All public comments must be respectful. The Commission reserves the right to limit the time of public comments for individuals who use vulgar or derogatory language.
Get Involved this Legislative Session!
Are you looking to get involved this legislative session? Wanting to learn how to testify on bills that matter to you, or how to keep track of everything happening?
Look no further! The Washington State LGBTQ Commission has created a Legislative Toolkit full of helpful resources to understand all sorts of different ways to engage, so you can find what works best for you. We hope you find this is a helpful document if you are new or returning to session!
Click this link to download a copy!
In addition to reaching out to your state legislators (which you should absolutely do!), you are always welcome to reach out to contact@lgbtq.wa.gov to share your feedback on legislation. It is very helpful for us to hear your thoughts so that we can best advise the Governor and the Legislature on what is most important to our community. Please reference the bill number in the subject line of the email.
Interested in following along with the Commission's priorities this session? After our public meeting on January 17 and 18th, our website will be updated with bills that we are tracking and monitoring throughout session. Make sure you are following our social media pages for timely updates on legislation progress and more information on legislative session! Instagram, Facebook, Threads
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Meet your LGBTQ Commissioners!
As we kick off this legislative session, we thought it would be a good time to introduce you to your Washington State LGBTQ Commissioners again! If you are interested in connecting with a Commissioner in your area, please reach out to contact@lgbtq.wa.gov, and Commission staff are happy to help.
Everett Maroon, Co-Chair (He/him/his, They/them/theirs) - Walla Walla County
Everett Maroon has lived in Walla Walla since 2008, after spending more than a decade in Washington, DC as a systems analyst and project manager. He has served as the executive director of a healthcare-focused nonprofit organization since 2010, and is co-chair of the Greater Columbia Accountable Community of Health’s opioid demonstration project.
He sits on both the finance committee and the behavioral health council for the Walla Walla County Department of Community Health, and is a member of Rotary. Everett attended Syracuse University, graduating with bachelor’s degrees in English and psychology. He and his partner, Dr. Susanne Beechey, are proud parents of two children.
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Jason Serinus, Co-Chair (He, him, his) - Jefferson County
Jason Victor Serinus has been emphatically out since the spring of 1970, when he founded the New Haven Gay Liberation Front. In late spring, he moved to NYC to work in the original New York Gay Liberation Front and live in the pioneering 17th St. Gay Men’s Collective. He marched in NYC's first three “Pride” parades, including the Christopher Street Liberation Day Parade, and worked on GLF’s Gay Flames newsletter and short-lived Gay Community Center. He and his husband were first married on Feb. 13, 2004 in San Francisco City Hall on the second day of the Month of Lavender Love. Subsequently, there were legally married in Oakland City Hall on June 16, 2008—the first night that same-sex marriage was legalized (for the first time) in California—in a public ceremony officiated by Mayor Ronald V. Dellums and Rep. Barbara Lee. They moved to Port Townsend in the summer of 2014. Almost a year later, Jason organized Port Townsend's Supreme Court Same-Sex Marriage Decision Victory demonstration.
Jason has contributed to the local and national LGBTQ+ press since 1973. He also organizes Jefferson County GBTQ Men’s potlucks and helps publish the Gudlife weekly LGBTQ+ informational newsletter for the Olympic Peninsula. Joining the Washington State LGBTQ Commission is another chapter in a history of his activism.
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Amasai Jeke, Vice Chair (She/her/hers) - King County
Ms. Amasai Jeke, an Indigenous Fijian feminist activist, advocates for gender equality and LGBTQI rights. With over a decade of experience, she's worked with organizations like Rainbow Pride Foundation Fiji and served on various regional advisory boards and currently serves as the SPEaC Change Program Coordinator for UTOPIA Washington, focusing on climate justice. She's also involved in various regional groups, including the Peer Support Group on Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights Fiji and the Asia-Pacific Youth Voices Count, representing LGBTQI voices at national and global levels, including collaborations with the United Nations.
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Matthew Landers, Secretary (He/him/his) - King County
Matt Landers (he/him/his) has been professionally involved in LGBTQ advocacy issues in Washington State for over a decade, including working as Director of Public Policy & Government Relations at GSBA - Washington's LGBTQ+ chamber between 2011 and 2022 and working with campaigns such as Washington United for Marriage (R-74), Raise Up Washington (I-1443), Washington Won't Discriminate (I-1515, I-1552), and the Washington Fairness Campaign (I-1000).
He has degrees in geography from Macalester College and the University of Oregon. Previously he served on the board of Out for Sustainability, volunteered with regional chapters of the LGBTQ Victory Fund and OutRight Action International, and was appointed to serve on the King County Gender Identity & Sexual Orientation Task Force and the Seattle Commercial Affordability Advisory Commission. Matt currently works in government relations at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center and is a 2023 Marshall Memorial Fellow with the German Marshall Fund. He lives in Seattle with his husband.
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Michelle Kelly-Barroga (KB) (They/them/theirs) - Grays Harbor County
Michelle Kelly-Barroga is the Deputy Director at Oasis Youth Center in Tacoma. They come from Filipino families who left their country for a chance to achieve the American Dream. Michelle was born in Tacoma, WA, and spent their formative years in the Philippines. Michelle received a bachelor's degree in nursing from St. Paul University Quezon City.
They first joined Oasis as a youth member, went on to win a Pride Foundation award for leadership and became a dedicated volunteer. Michelle recognized the unique needs of middle school age LGBTQ youth and their families and led the development of a vital and innovative program: Project 13. They are dedicated to use their story, experience and creativity to fuel their passion to be an advocate and preventionist for the LGBTQ community.
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Alvaro Figueroa (He/him/his) - Spokane County
Alvaro Figueroa is a proud gay first-generation Mexican American born and raised in Pasco, WA. In 2011, he moved to Spokane, WA and has resided in its community ever since. He holds an undergraduate degree in finance and economics with a minor in Spanish and a master's degree in business administration (MBA) and master's degree in organizational leadership from Eastern Washington University. He is the Customer Solutions & Multi-Language Program Manager at Avista Corporation, the largest electric and gas utility company in Eastern Washington.
He has been working and serving on non-profit boards, task forces, committees, and commissions for the past 10 years. He was a co-founder of the Latino Hope Foundation (Spokane) in 2015, and has served on other boards such as the Eastern Washington University Alumni Association, Spokane Edible Tree Project, Washington Water Power Foundation, and the Spokane County Human Rights Task Force. Alvaro has helped create implicit bias & microaggression training, helped connect families to resources for LGBTQ youth, and has been involved in advocating for zero tolerance of bullying in public schools for LGBTQ youth.
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Ebo Barton (He/him/his, They/them/theirs) - King County
Ebo Barton is a passionate artist, educator, and activist dedicated to creating healing spaces and driving social change. They proudly embrace their mixed Black and Filipino heritage, and as a Transgender and Non-Binary Queer individual, they highlight the value and significance of intersectional identities. Currently serving as the Director of Housing Services for Lavender Rights Project, Ebo advocates tirelessly for inclusive housing opportunities for LGBTQ+ communities. Their expertise also extends to the Seattle Social Housing Developer Board, where they contribute to equitable housing initiatives. Additionally, Ebo engages with the Community Advisory Board for Creative Justice Northwest, using art-based interventions to transform the juvenile justice system.
Ebo's artistry has made a profound impact, with their poetry featured in "Black Imagination" curated by Natasha Marin and their performances showcased on esteemed online platforms. Their exceptional talent led them to a 5th place finish at the Individual World Poetry Slam in 2016. They co-wrote and co-produced the award-winning play "Rising Up" in 2017, and their portrayal of "Invisible One" in Anastacia Renee's production "Queer. Mama. Crossroads" resonated with audiences. In 2020, Ebo released their first published poetry collection, "Insubordinate," which received critical acclaim. The following year, the collection was named a finalist for the Washington State Book Award. A respected leader in the arts and activism, their transformative work fosters societal introspection and empowerment.
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Abigayle Coleman (She/her/hers, They/them/theirs) - Clark County
Abigayle Coleman aka Abby is of mixed-race descent with ancestors from Mexico, the Philippines, Native American ancestry- specifically Chiricahua Apache, and Irish descent. She was an intern for Senator Brian Schatz in 2020 prior to the COVID-19 Pandemic. She then finished her bachelor's in political science at home while working for her father and hiring veterans.
While in high school she was severely racially bullied, which would propel them down a path of social justice. She fought for her small town to proclaim June as pride month and received the proclamation from the mayor in June 2021. Abby loves to do volunteer work and started the first ever pride group in her town. While working for the state she was on a panel with the Latino Leadership Network and with the Rainbow Inclusion and Alliance Network (RAIN) on intersectionality. Abby's ultimate goal is to keep Washington State a safe haven for BIPOC and Queer folx alike. They strive to study policy and believes in the everyday voice of people.
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Tobi Hill-Meyer (She/her/hers) - Thurston County
Tobi Hill-Meyer is an Indigenous Chicana trans woman with 15 years' experience working in nonprofits, serving on boards, and consulting in nonprofit management. She is editor of the Lambda Literary Finalist Anthology Nerve Endings: The New Trans Erotic, author of children's books A Princess of Great Daring and Super Power Baby Shower, and director of the award-winning documentary series Doing it Online. Currently, she serves as the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion Program Manager at the City of Olympia
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Leiyomi Preciado (She/her/hers, They/them/theirs) - Kitsap County
Leiyomi Preciado (She/They) is a proud transwoman of Filipino, Mexican, and Indigenous American ancestry. Leiyomi is originally from Orange County, California and has called Bremerton and the Kitsap Peninsula home for the past decade. She works as a Certified Peer Counselor who provides services to adults who experience mental health and/or substance use. She empowers people to utilize their voice to self-advocate and influence decision makers in focusing on justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion as part of the solution and law implementation.
Leiyomi has worked in collaboration and partnership with the National Alliance to End Homelessness, Washington Low Income Housing Alliance, Washington Recovery Coalition, Washington Community Connectors, and the Washington State Society of Clinical Social Work to help dismantle stigma and increase understanding and awareness on how combat homelessness and help educate service providers on transgender history and healthcare. She has been a part of various boards and committees like Disability Rights Washington Mental Health Advisory Committee, Office of Recovery Partnership Advisory Committee, the Bremerton Race Equity Advisory Committee and more. Leiyomi was also the first openly trans person to run for public office in Kitsap County for County Commissioner.
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Darlin Blanco Lozano (They, them, theirs, She/her/hers) - King County
Darlin was born in Cuba and immigrated to Miami, Fl where they were raised on café con leche, community care, and so many pastelitos by a single mother and a brigade of tias who made sure to inculcate a strong sense of justice and curiosity in them. Darlin holds a Bachelor of Arts in Human Rights and Visual Arts from the University of Dayton, Ohio. Darlin’s lineage and ancestors are Chinese, Indigenous and Arab as a result of forced labor migration and the Trans-Atlantic slave trade. A common kaleidoscope of identities that many of hold across Latinidad. Darlin is queer and non-binary and from this place they reimagine what it means to be Caribbean.
Darlin is the Program Manager for 2SLGBTQ+ Health, in the Office of Healthcare Equity at the University of Washington Medicine, where they are developing the Inclusive Health Center, focused on advancing 2SLGBTQ+ Healthcare and Gender Affirming Care. Darlin is deeply invested in creating a more equitable healthcare landscape for 2SLGBTQ+ people. They are an undisciplined scholar whose research is concerned with the intersection of social change, identity, queer and trans liberation grounded in anti-racism practices. Darlin has previously enjoyed a variety of nonprofit positions throughout her career in immigration law, program and project management, policy education, while establishing and leading Yoga and Meditation programs within the nonprofits sector.
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Omni Romero (They/them/elle) - Benton County
Omni Romero (they/them) is a trans nonbinary strategist and storyteller living with HIV who is committed to transformative justice and wellness for all BIPOC and LGBTQI2S+ people and their communities. Omni was born to Mexican and Salvadoran farmworkers in rural Eastern Washington State in a town without a hospital. They graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with honors in Cultural Anthropology and continued with graduate studies at Duke University. Since 2012, they have led grassroots organizing, resource mobilization, and strategic planning work across the US and Mexico. Since 2016 they have provided gender-affirming Spanish interpretation/translation for clients around the globe.
Omni is the inaugural Director of Community Advocacy, Research, and Education (CARE) at the Pride Foundation, working across Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and Washington. Prior to this, they worked as the inaugural Director of Encuentro at the Latino Commission on AIDS. Omni has worked on the ground in over 25 US states, as well as federally and internationally, to advance social justice and health equity for marginalized communities (particularly BIPOC, gender-diverse, limited-English, and rural communities). They have driven over $10 million in funding into community projects through donor engagement, grantmaking portfolio management, participatory grantmaking opportunities, and successful municipal budget campaigns, among other avenues.
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Mark Rosén (He/him/his) - Walla Walla County
Originally from Saint Paul, Minnesota, Mark lived in Seattle for 43 years, before moving to Walla Walla in 2022 with his two husbands and finding a warm and welcoming community in a beautiful setting in Eastern Washington. Mark had a long career as a small business owner in the beauty industry in Seattle, before moving into nonprofit and fundraising work for the decade before he retired from his last position as Acting CEO & President of GSBA.
He continues to use his passion to raise awareness and funds for nonprofits in the ARTS and in support of youth, by serving on two Boards in Walla Walla and advising others in their fundraising efforts. Him and his husbands built their home to be a gathering place for making connections and showing support for the community and have hosted numerous friend and fundraising events for local organizations and love introducing friends to causes they are passionate about. He is also a potter and loves to express his creative energy through clay. He is proud to be an out and open member of the LGBTQ+ community and a voice in Eastern WA for equality.
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Roo Ramos (They/them/theirs) - Spokane County
Roo Ramos is a Two Spirit community leader and advocate in Spokane, Washington. They currently work as a consultant offering cultural competency training and consulting for business organizations, government entities, non-profits and educational institutions. They are a fierce advocate for BIPOC and 2SLGBTQIA+ populations. They have previously served as the Executive Director of Spectrum Spokane, Excelerate Success Spokane, and Potlatch Fund. They have received a bachelor's in journalism with a minor in Native American studies from the University of Montana and a Master of Business Administration - Health Care Management from Western Governor's University.
Jade Thornwood (She/her/hers) - Spokane County
Jade is lesbian trans woman born in Albuquerque, NM but has called Washington home for most of her life. She grew up in a mix of rural communities, military bases and urban cities. Her long journey to self-discovery across multiple different environments imbued her with lived experiences that color her perspectives on everyday life. She serves as a Board Member for Odyssey Youth Movement, a local organization that promotes equity for LGBTQ+ youth in the Inland Northwest through youth-driven programs and community education and serves on the Program Excellence and Fund Development Committees where she helps organize fundraisers and youth programs. She earned a BA in Political Science with a minor in Economics from Western Washington University in 2020 and has turned that into a career in the legal field. Her mission is to help ensure that Washington State continues to not only protect LGBTQ+ rights of Washingtonians, but to also to be a beacon of LGBTQ+ rights to the nation. Today, Jade lives in Spokane with her wife and their many houseplants.
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 In Their Words - Messages from the LGBTQ Youth Advisory Council
We are proud to feature articles written by our LGBTQ Youth Advisory Councilmembers. Want to learn more about the council? Head to www.lgbtq.wa.gov/YAC!
The Youth Advisory Council has been working on goals and objectives for this new year! Check out the flyer below to learn about their 2025 Gay Agenda!
Roller Derby and the 2SLGBTQIA+ Community
Felix Painter (He/They) - Spokane County
When many people think about roller derby, they think of roller skates, queer people, violence, and the movie Whip It. But to a lot of individuals, the idea of roller derby isn’t that it’s something that people casually join to find a wonderful community and love for the sport; but rather buff ladies giving each other concussions (which to be fair, is not an uncommon experience.)
First things first, many people reading this article may have no idea about how derby works, so rather than sending you off the read the WFTDA (Women’s Flat Track Derby Association, however, derby is not just a female sport, there are many gender-diverse and co-ed teams) rulebook*, I’ll provide a brief explanation: Roller derby is a sport played on an oval track and four-wheeled roller skates. Each round of play is called a “jam” which lasts two minutes unless called off earlier. On the track during each jam there will be two teams, each with four blockers (including the pivot) and one jammer. Jammers, who wear stars on their helmets, are the people who score the points, blockers are in charge of preventing the other team’s jammer from getting through while also providing offence for their jammer, pivots, who wear a stripe on their helmet, are a regular blocker, however, in the case of their jammer getting stuck, the jammer can pass their star helmet cover and make the pivot the new jammer for the remainder of the jam. Jammers score the points by passing the opposing team’s blockers, one point per human. There are also numerous penalties one can acquire, which for both our sanities, I will not get into.
Roller derby, if you find a good team and coaches, can be a fantastic experience. I have found those things. My team is always there to support and love each other. My coaches do the same. They push us, but make sure we’re taken care of if we go too far. Derby has been an important part of many people’s lives, including mine. My coach, coach Jester, when asked about what made roller derby an important part of her life replied with “Derby came into my life when I was 16. It offered me a space to develop myself as an athlete and learn who I was as a person... To coach and play this sport is to carry on the lessons I have been taught, and to continuously create spaces to youth to feel safe and develop themselves.”
Have you taken the WA LGBTQ+ Survey?
This first-of-it's-kind survey empowers LGBTQ+ Washingtonians to share their experiences to help us build a more inclusive and supportive environment for all LGBTQ+ people across the state. PLUS - Those who complete the survey will have a chance to win one of over 300 $50 gift cards in appreciation for your time and input.
Take the survey today, and share this with your LGBTQ+ friends and family!
For more information, head to www.walgbtqsurvey.com
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