January 2026 LGBTQ Commission Newsletter

Office of the Governor / Office of Financial Management sent this bulletin at 01/08/2026 12:00 PM PST

A Note from the Director - Start of Legislative Session

The legislative session is a great opportunity for civic engagement for community members of all ages. The LGBTQ Commission has a legislative toolkit to help members of the public understand how to weigh in on bills, track bills, and how to give written or verbal testimony. It's a comprehensive guide with the intent of making it easier for community members to engage throughout legislative sessions. You can also follow our legislative tracker on the bills that the commission are tracking at lgbtq.wa.gov/2026session. This site will be updated every weekday by 10am starting January 12th.

As we head into another legislative session, I want to take a moment to acknowledge the complex and difficult work done by our legislators and their staff. Legislative staffers are the glue behind the scenes. They work tirelessly to support legislators, stakeholders, and the public, which often goes unseen. When you do reach out to your legislator, know that each one has a team of staff helping them do the important work for the people they represent.

On January 16, 2026, the LGBTQ Commission will be hosting the first public meeting of the year in Olympia. The focus on the public meeting is healthcare. The continued uncertainty surrounding healthcare due to federal and Congressional actions have real impacts. The WA State LGBTQ Commission aims to help get relevant, important information to community members. Be sure to attend in-person in Olympia or tune-in anywhere via Zoom! For more information, head to our website.

Lisa Keating, Executive Director - Washington State LGBTQ Commission

Message from the Legislative Priorities Committee

By Commissioner Omni Romero, Chair of the LGBTQ Commission Legislative Priorities Committee

During the 2025 legislative session, Washington State saw the highest number of bills introduced since 2019, roughly 1,905, with 422 enacted into law [Source]. To learn more about which legislative bills from 2025 impacted the LGBTQ+ community, review the WA LGBTQ+ Commission’s legislative summary here. As we look ahead to the first day of the 70^th session on January 12^th, 2026, we’re expecting a shorter legislative calendar due to the midterm elections this fall, which likely means fewer bills will be introduced. With the status of the state budget, many bills will likely focus on regulation and implementation rather than new developments.

At the WA LGBTQ+ Commission, we’re committed to helping all LGBTQ+ Washingtonians understand their rights and use every available tool to advocate for a Washington that works for everyone. This year, the WA LGBTQ+ Commission will be paying special attention to bills focused on Data & Privacy, Education, Healthcare, Housing, and Justice. While the vast array of bills affecting LGBTQ+ communities may feel overwhelming, this diversity reflects the endless potential of our collective efforts to build a better Washington for all.

As a resident of Benton County, born and raised in Eastern Washington, I understand firsthand the importance not only of passing laws but ensuring they are safeguarded and implemented effectively and equitably. I know this because I can’t go to the grocery store without seeing anti-LGBTQ+ messaging working to undo our collective safety with their hate.

Efforts to safeguard our existing protections and identify opportunities for positive change are strengthened by each of us – especially you, reading this. If you are looking for ways to get involved this year, make sure to follow the Commission and the dedicated leaders and organizations working for a brighter future for all Washingtonians, including members of the WA LGBTQ+ Legislative Caucus, as well as groups like the Lavender Rights Project, GSBA, AAOC, WAISN, POCAAN, and many others you can learn about at our Rainbow Resource Hub. I hope to see you on the legislative floor, at a public meeting of the commission, or a power-building event near you. Your life is your first form of advocacy and together we are limitless!

Message from the Washington State LGBTQ Caucus

Senator Claire Wilson (D-30th) serves as one of the Commission's appointed Legislative Advisors. She also serves as a co-chair of the Washington State LGBTQ Caucus.

"The 2026 Legislative Session is just around the corner, and the LGBTQ Caucus remains committed to continuing the ongoing struggle for safety, dignity, and full equality for all members of our community. We are still finalizing our priorities for this year, but we are already looking at legislation that focuses on personal safety, privacy concerns, protections for our transgender brothers, sisters, and siblings, health care access, and more. I look forward to continuing our work together this upcoming session so we can make sure the arc of history continues to bend toward justice for all people."

The 2026 LGBTQ Caucus includes Sens. Jamie Pedersen, Marko Liias, Rebecca Saldaña, and Claire Wilson, Speaker Laurie Jinkins, and Reps. Nicole Macri, Beth Doglio, and Zach Hall. The Washington State LGBTQ Commission looks forward to working with the LGBTQ Caucus as we bring the 2SLGBTQIA+ community's voice to the halls in Olympia.

Get to know Nathan Bays, Deputy Policy Director for Governor Ferguson and Fierce LGBTQ+ Ally

By Sawyer Tuttle, LGBTQ Commission Communications Coordinator

The LGBTQ Commission works frequently and closely with Governor Ferguson's office as we work to advance equity for all people in Washington state. This newsletter, as we focus on the upcoming legislative session and policies that impact 2SLGBTQIA+ people, we thought it was great opportunity for our community to get to know an individual in Governor Ferguson's office that truly exemplifies what it means to be a steadfast ally in a position of influence in state government.

As soon as you log onto a virtual meeting with Nathan Bays, you are greeted with his bright smiling face next to a blue, pink, and white striped flag hung up on the wall behind him.

"I have had a trans pride flag on my whiteboard in the background of my call since January [2025], and it hasn't budged. That's been on every Zoom call I've been on. So that's with the Governor, with the executive team, with agency leaders, with legislators, with our local governments, community partners, constituents, whoever is on a Zoom call with me, sees that flag in the background... I think it's important for me to normalize vocal and clear support for this community," Bays explained.

Nathan Bays has dedicated his entire life to public service and helping people. He graduated law school in 2008 after teaching secondary school for the Peace Corps in Malawi. He clerked for two federal judges before working as a frontline public defender for the King County Department of Public Defense. Most recently, Bays served as Section Chief for the Complex Litigation Division of the Washington Attorney General's Office, where he received the Attorney General’s Award for Excellence. Now, he is Governor Ferguson's Deputy Policy Advisor, where he works to advise the Governor and executive branch agencies on a variety of federal policy issues. His work this year has primarily focused on immigration, LGBTQ+ issues, and collaborative responses to the federal administration across state government.

“I’m grateful to work for Governor Ferguson and alongside so many wonderful colleagues who appreciate the importance of these issues and the need to uplift and protect this community,” said Bays.

At least once every other week, Commission staff gather with Bays and his team to inform them of recent impacts to the 2SLGBTQIA+ community and discuss the state's response. These meetings have been essential in elevating community concerns to the highest level possible in the state. Bays has also helped inform the entire enterprise on 2SLGBTQIA+ issues, arranging for some of our commissioners to come present on the impacts of the federal administration to a meeting with over one hundred leaders throughout state government.

"Relying closely on the Commission's wisdom, experience, and guidance, is absolutely critical to having a state government that responds appropriately, compassionately, and effectively to the challenges that Washingtonians were facing," Bays shared. "We can express support and a desire to uplift and protect the community, but without informed knowledgeable guidance, and without incorporating the voices of the community, it wouldn't be as effective as it should be. By incorporating voices from the community, commissioners and the youth advisory council leaders throughout the state, the Commission informs the state government's work and ensures that it is better representative of all Washingtonians."

In his little free time spent away from his office, Bays continues to work to support 2SLGBTQIA+ justice. He volunteers with a transgender-led organization and has donated pro bono legal work to help transgender and gender-diverse Washingtonians with name and gender designation changes.

"My pro bono works specifically for this community has been over the course of the last year. I've been now to several pro bono clinics where I've helped trans and nonbinary folks who have been looking to get name and gender-marker change documents, both federally and through the state. It's just a volunteer thing, but it has been the most personally rewarding and gratifying experience for me," said Bays.

Nathan Bays has played an invaluable role in Washington's ongoing response to harmful federal executive orders and actions that impact our community. His commitment to standing up for our community where it truly matters has been inspiring to us as Commission staff. If you see him around Olympia this session, give him a "hello!" We are looking forward to continuing to work with Nathan, and all of our policy advisors within Governor Ferguson's office, this legislative session.

"In really challenging moments, in really scary moments or in big decision moments, one thing that I try to do is to think, down the road, a few years later, when I look back at this moment, how am I going to feel about what I did, what decisions I made, what actions I took, and am I going to feel good about it or not good about it? And it is so plainly clear to me right now that in this moment, one of the absolute, most important things that I can possibly do is to fight for and uplift the LGBTQ community, so that my future self will look back on this moment and feel like I did the right thing with my one brief life here," said Bays. "I try to let the strength of that belief guide me. There are a lot of things that I could just take it or leave it. This one, though, it just feels like it doesn't get any more important than this."

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!

Home for the Holidays - A Poem

Anonymous Youth Advisory Council Member

Quiet conversations in an isolated room, words only spoken in whispers. Grandma’s long tangents and my crushed hopes of ever revealing myself to her. Pointed jokes and Christmas cookies make for hidden feelings that boil over like water dousing flames, except the flames within me only grow. Hiding who I am leads to lashing out, I fight when anger has never been who I am. My frustration only grows and fights with my brother restart like a clock. Every year I become someone else all because of the holidays. Maybe it’s the overwhelming lights and gatherings, maybe it’s my inner self clawing to escape. I can’t tell those who are meant to love me what I truly feel out of fear, fear of rejection and isolation. Family with deep cutting ideals that slice at any chance of truly having a relationship. Christmas ends and I’m flying back to who I have always been.

Resources for Getting Involved with Legislative Session and Civic Advocacy

Follow along with the Commission's Legislative Tracking

Interested in following along with legislation that impacts the 2SLGBTQIA+ community in Washington this session? Starting on January 12th, our staff will be updating lgbtq.wa.gov/2026session with up-to-date information on the progress bills that could impact our community. Current status of legislation will be updated every weekday by 10am PST. Legislation tracked on this page does not reflect the Washington State LGBTQ Commission's support or opposition to any legislation. This is for educational purposes only.

Make sure you are also following our social media pages for timely updates on legislation progress and more information on legislative session! Instagram, Facebook, Threads, Bluesky, LinkedIn

2026 LGBTQ Commission Legislative Toolkit

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 of the 2026 LGBTQ Commission Legislative Toolkit!

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.

January Public Meeting Announcement

January 2026 LGBTQ Commission Public Meeting

Interested in hearing about what the LGBTQ Commission is working on? Want to provide a public comment to the LGBTQ Commission? Come to our January public meeting in Olympia, Washington! The theme for this meeting will be 2SLGBTQIA+ Healthcare.

On Friday, January 16th, from 9:00AM to 5:00PM, the Washington State LGBTQ Commission will convene for their first public meeting of 2026. 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. Public comment begins at 4:30pm, but the public is always welcome to observe any portion of the meeting. Visit our website for in-person location details.

There will be a Zoom option for those looking to participate virtually. Zoom link will be live here on our website prior to the meeting. An agenda will be uploaded no later than 24 hours prior to the start of the meeting.

We hope to see you there!

The Washington State LGBTQ Commission has compiled the following state agency statements that might relate to the 2SLGBTQIA community. These are agency statements that have been released since our last newsletter. To look at our previous newsletters, click here.

Washington State Governor's Office
Washington State Attorney General's Office
Washington State Superintendent of Public Instruction
- State Superintendent Chris Reykdal’s Statement on Governor Ferguson’s Budget Proposal, Dec. 23
Washington State Secretary of State
- Washington Residents Encouraged To Support Western Washington Flood Relief, Dec. 11
- Secretary of State Steve Hobbs Opens Business Services in Cheney, Dec. 30
Washington State Office of the Insurance Commission
Washington State Department of Health

January 2026

DAYS
- January 4th: World Braille Day
- January 19th: Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
- January 27th: International Holocaust Remembrance Day

Monthly Upcoming Appointment Opportunities:

Washington is home to vibrant communities and diverse Washingtonians who all have unique talents, skills and experiences. Governor Ferguson 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 Ferguson 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.

Job 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 contact@lgbtq.wa.gov

Save the Dates! LGBTQ Commission 2026 Public Meeting Calendar

Save the dates! The Washington State LGBTQ Commission is excited to announce our public meeting schedule and locations for 2026. One-day meetings are typically held from 10am-5pm and two-day meetings are typically split in half, with the first day being held in the afternoon from 12pm-5pm and the second day from 9am-12pm. Times are subject to change and will be announced closer to each public meeting date.

January Public Meeting
- Friday, January 16th
- Olympia, WA
March Public Meeting
- Friday, March 17th & Saturday, March 18th
- Seattle, WA
May Public Meeting
- Friday, May 15th & Saturday, May 16th
- Pullman, WA
August Public Meeting
- Friday, August 14th
- Coastal WA (Clallam, Grays Harbor, or Pacific County-TBD)
October Public Meeting
- Friday, October 23rd & Saturday, October 24th
- Ellensburg, WA

At the October 2024 meeting in Spokane, Washington, the Washington State LGBTQ Commission voted on meeting dates and general locations for the 2026 year. These locations were selected based on geographic locations we have not been or have not been to in several years. Commission staff are working to establish meeting locations and specifics.

We are looking to collaborate with 2SLGBTQIA+ organizations and groups in the regions we are meeting! Please reach out to contact@lgbtq.wa.gov if your organization is interested in learning about partnering with us.

Have something you want to share in our newsletter? Please send any submissions to contact@lgbtq.wa.gov.

Deadline for all submissions is the last Tuesday of the Month at 12:00 Pacific Time.

Published the first full week of every month.