SGN: Seattle Gay News

03/07/2025

Now in their 24th year, Gothic Pride Seattle has been uniting the Goth and Q***r community through events such as the Dark Delights Bazaar and the Consent 101 Workshop, ever since its humble start at Mercury nightclub in Capitol Hill. Newly appointed President Chuckie Bear is excited to continue the old traditions while ringing in new and compelling additions.

A big priority of Gothic Pride Seattle is safety and education. One of its most popular events is a quarterly consent workshop.

"The consent workshops basically teach people what yes means and no means, and what boundaries are," Bear told the SGN.

Gothic Pride provides opportunities for members old and new to up their fashion and find pieces that speak to them. In the Dark Delights Bazaar, vendors sell goth goods such as clothing, jewelry, and other accessories. Everyone wears black, but each person can mix their style with genres like fe**sh, steampunk, industrial, and many more.

Read more about Gothic Pride Seattle below.

https://www.sgn.org/story.php?ch=news&sc=seattle&id=338155

Now in their 24th year, Gothic Pride Seattle has been uniting the Goth and Q***r community through events such as the Dark Delights Bazaar and the Consent 101 Workshop, ever since its humble start at Mercury nightclub in Capitol Hill.

03/07/2025

Shon Barnes stepped into his new job as Seattle's chief of police in February, bringing his background and experience to bear on the goals of crime prevention, community engagement, and officer retention.

Chief Barnes, who has been inducted into the Evidence-Based Policing Hall of Fame, came to town from Madison, WI, where he also served as chief of police.

"Evidence-based policing, to me, is the use of the most current empirical research as well as officer experience in order to quickly respond to and resolve crime in order to make people feel safe," Barnes told the SGN. "We are looking at a community problem, like quality-of-life issues. Can we clearly diagnose that? And what... actions do we need in order to resolve that problem quickly and not make it worse?"

Click below to learn more about the new police chief.
https://www.sgn.org/story.php?ch=news&sc=seattle&id=338120

Shon Barnes stepped into his new job as Seattle’s chief of police in February, bringing his background and experience to bear on the goals of crime prevention, community engagement, and officer retention.

03/06/2025

Happy Ramadan to those who celebrate!

Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar. Muslims who observe it will fast from dawn to dusk to achieve greater "taqwa," or consciousness of God. The month of Ramadan is also a time of prayer, reflection, and community.

Fasting is one of the commandments in the Quran, and feeling thirst and hunger allows observing Muslims to experience what the less priviledged do, and is meant to create greater empathy and gratitude.

Many observing Muslims break their fasts with dates and water, which stem from the religious teachings of the Prophet Muhammad. The Quran specifically highlights dates due to their nutritional value.

From the SGN to those who celebrate, we say "Ramadan Mubarak!" May this year's month bring you all peace and joy 🏳️‍🌈🩷

03/06/2025

Have you gotten your "Here to P*e," tickets?

Colorado-based Trans comedian Ren Quillian Dawe is performing his comedy tour at the Rendezvous in Seattle, and proceeds from the show will go to Gender Justice League

The 160 anti-Trans laws proposed in the first month of 2025 have many feeling bleak about the future. However, one man sees an opportunity to educate, advocate — and urinate. Colorado-based comedian Ren Quillian Dawe will kick off the first leg of his

03/06/2025

Tony Vincente first fell in love with fashion when his mother took him to the Versace store as a child: the garments, their quality, and the ambiance of the store stuck with him.

Decades later, Vincente now has his very own high-end brand, Rossario George, named after the father of his partner of 27 years.

"Rossario George is made around the world... I look for the highest of qualities of ethical responsibility for these companies and sustainability itself," Vincente said. "There's so much beauty and so many different ways of doing things all around the world — I am just floored when my designs are fully made... I feel like the world is a true bizarre ,and it's our duty to enjoy it and bring it to the masses."

Vincente loves that Rossario George is all-encompassing: from ball gowns and regular day-to-day wear to skincare and beauty lines (every clothing collection has a matching eye color palette).

Click below to read more about Rossario George ✨

https://www.sgn.org/story.php?ch=features&sc=&id=338154

***rStyle

Tony Vincente first fell in love with fashion when his mother took him to the Versace store as a child: the garments, their quality, and the ambiance of the store stuck with him.

03/05/2025

Despite overwhelming opposition from community members, the Tumwater School Board recently passed Resolution 092425, which directs staff to approve Washington Interscholastic Activities Association (WIAA) policy amendments 7 and 8, which limit participation in girls' sports to those whose assigned s*x at birth was female and provide for girls', boys', and open divisions, respectively.

"I am firmly opposed to this resolution because of the message it sends to our Transgender students here in the Tumwater School District," Melissa Beard, board president, said during the February 27 meeting. "Since 2016, I've advocated for students, staff, and families here in Tumwater School District and to have a space [for people] to be their authentic selves, and to live the life that they were meant to live."

Board member Jill Adams said she thinks many in the room do not agree with Trump's executive orders that prohibit Trans youth from participating on sports teams that align with their gender identities, but that almost every president has signed executive orders.

Click below to read the full article

https://www.sgn.org/story.php?ch=news&sc=local&id=338353

Despite overwhelming opposition from community members, the Tumwater School Board recently passed Resolution 092425, which directs staff to approve Washington Interscholastic Activities Association (WIAA) policy amendments 7 and 8.

03/05/2025

👕 So what are you wearing? Right now, take a good look, and then think about where you got it. How long have you had it? Where was it made?

Those are important things to know, said Tiffanie Darke, because fashion has gotten out of hand.

The average closet has "around 150 items," and most of those shirts, skirts, pants, and shorts will be worn just 7—10 times before they're thrown away. "Americans," she said, "buy an average of fifty-two items of clothes a year," and most are inexpensive — and inexpensively made. This is bad for the consumer, workers in other countries, and the environment.

So what can you do about this?

🪡 Shop your own closet before you buy, and keep only a small number of basic essentials. Don't purchase more than five new pieces of clothing per year — and when you do, buy quality items or thrift what you need and resell what you don't want anymore. Consider renting. Learn the art of repair, and forget about "fashion."

Learn more about how to be sustainable and stylish below ✨
https://www.sgn.org/story.php?ch=arts__entertainment&sc=books&id=338226

So what are you wearing? Right now, take a good look, and then think about where you got it. How long have you had it? Where was it made? Those are important things to know, says Tiffanie Darke, because fashion has gotten out of hand.

03/05/2025

🚨 The Trevor Project released a new research report today that encompasses the experiences of over 18,000 LGBTQ+ youth aged 13-24 across the nation and offers state-level data about mental health and su***de risk, access to care, the impacts of anti-LGBTQ+ policies, and avenues to supporting Q***r young adults.

🌄 While Washington is considered a safe state, data from "The 2024 US National Survey on the Mental Health of LGBTQ+ Young People by State" show that LGBTQ+ youth need more familial support and access to mental healthcare providers.

🏳️‍⚧️ Reported rates of anxiety and depression are higher among Transgender and Nonbinary youth: 66% of Washington respondents reported experiencing anxiety, but 71% of Trans or Nonbinary people did. Furthermore, 52% reported experiencing symptoms of depression, though 59% of Trans or Nonbinary respondents did.

🏨 Even with vital tweaks to the healthcare system in recent years, like expanding Medicaid coverage, mental healthcare access for LGBTQ+ Washington youth is failing. Of the respondents, 49% reported wanting care but not receiving it, with 43% reporting that they could not afford care. Others reported being concerned to talk about mental health challenges, not wanting to receive parental or caregiver permission, or being scared of having the police called and being involuntarily hospitalized.

Click below to learn more about the report.

https://www.sgn.org/story.php?ch=news&sc=regional&id=338189

While Washington is considered a safe state, data from "The 2024 US National Survey on the Mental Health of LGBTQ+ Young People by State" show that LGBTQ+ youth need more familial support and access to mental healthcare providers.

03/05/2025

🏳️‍🌈 Anita Hulitza and Andy Coleman, partners in life as well as business, are the joint owners of No Harm, a Ballard-based hair salon that has operated since 2020. The duo works together as stylists specializing in Q***r-affirming cuts.

✂️ Hulitza and Coleman were inspired to create No Harm in 2020 after leaving their previous relationships and coming out as Q***r, which was a huge milestone for both. Unable to be their authentic selves in their marriages, now things completely changed. "That feeling was incredible," Hulitza said.

Another factor was the pandemic. The couple had been working in separate spaces when the it hit, and they realized things needed to change. Hulitza admits that opening No Harm during that time was not an easy feat; however, she said it was still the best decision, as "we finally were able to have a space that was truly ours, a space where we could be our true, authentic selves."

Click below to learn more about No Harm.

Anita Hulitza and Andy Coleman, partners in life as well as business, are the joint owners of No Harm, a Ballard-based hair salon that has operated since 2020. The duo works together as stylists specializing in Q***r-affirming cuts.

03/04/2025

Seattle's Capitol Hill has long been a nexus of Q***r life and culture, a place where originality, acceptance, and community converge in electric fashion.

Over the decades, this iconic neighborhood has been celebrated for its eclectic array of bars, clubs, cafés, and performance venues that have offered safe spaces for Q***r people to connect, express themselves, and find belonging.

Yet in recent years, a curious ennui has settled over much of the area's nighttime scene. Patrons are voicing a shared observation that too many of the bars seem to rely on the same set of events, curated by the same small group of programmers, often drawing from the same talent pools.

What was once a thrilling mosaic of parties, performances, and subcultures now feels at risk of collapsing into a repetitive loop, leaving many people wondering whether fresh voices could breathe new life into these establishments.

Read the full piece below.

Seattle’s Capitol Hill has long been a nexus of Q***r life and culture, a place where originality, acceptance, and community converge in electric fashion. Over the decades, this iconic neighborhood has been celebrated for its eclectic array of bars, clubs

03/04/2025

💘 On a frigid Wednesday evening during the week of Valentine's Day, Madame Lou's was bustling. As the doors opened, showgoers that were lined up early outside the venue began to pack into the cramped basement to see the Q***r indie icon Jordana.

🎤 Jordana, wearing a cottagecore dress, received a boisterous reception. Commenting on the show being sold out, she admitted teasingly to the crowd, "Guys, this is bonkers, this is cray-cray." She and her band then proceeded to play all the songs from her new album, Lively Premonition, in order.

🥁 The set started off rockily, with the drummer having technical difficulties, which were quickly resolved, and it was then redeemed by the band's first song, "We Get By," which felt glamorous and pristine, very much aided by Jordana's talented violin playing.

Click below to read more about the show.

https://www.sgn.org/story.php?ch=arts__entertainment&sc=music&id=338192

On a frigid Wednesday evening during the week of Valentine’s Day, Madame Lou’s was bustling. As the doors opened, showgoers that were lined up early outside the venue began to pack into the cramped basement to see the Q***r indie icon Jordana.

03/03/2025

A bill that would require Medicaid to cover all FDA-approved HIV antivirals has seen early success in the Washington state legislature, most recently being unanimously passed by the Senate's Health & Long-Term Care Committee meeting on February 13.

But with Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s recent confirmation as the Health and Human Services (HHS) secretary, primary bill sponsor Sen. Marko Liias (D-21) is ready to fight like hell to ensure that Washingtonians have access to this life-saving medication.

"Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s dangerous views threaten to upend the progress we've made toward eliminating HIV in this country," Sen. Liias told the SGN. "Despite whatever conspiracy theories the secretary peddles, he cannot erase the fact that HIV antiviral medications are incredibly effective for reducing transmission."

Click below to read the full article.

https://www.sgn.org/story.php?ch=news&sc=regional&id=338229

A bill that would require Medicaid to cover all FDA-approved HIV antivirals has seen early success in the Washington state legislature, most recently being unanimously passed by the Senate’s Health & Long-Term Care Committee meeting on February 13.

03/02/2025

🌈 You may have noticed that the SGN—Seattle Gay News—did a thing… We updated our logo to signal our commitment to inclusivity, visibility, and an understanding of intersectionality. Our goal is to ensure that all members of the LGBTQIA+ community feel represented and supported in our coverage. 🏳️‍🌈

💡 This change also reflects the newspaper’s evolution, particularly under the leadership of Renee Raketty, the first transgender publisher in the SGN’s history. Under her guidance, the paper has become the most diverse it has ever been. Our team represents multiple religions 🏵️✡️✝️, ethnicities 🌎, and cultures 🎭, embraces all s*xual orientations 💕, and spans a spectrum of gender identities ⚧️. The SGN remains committed to these efforts under a new DEI policy, ensuring equal opportunities for all. 🤝

The updated design was inspired by the LGBTQIA+ Progress Pride Flag, created by Daniel Quasar. This flag builds upon the traditional rainbow flag 🌈 by adding black and brown stripes to recognize LGBTQ+ people of color 🖤🤎, as well as light blue, pink, and white stripes to honor the transgender community 💙💗🤍.

📢 For 51 years, the SGN has uplifted diverse voices in Washington State, documenting the historical struggles and ongoing fight for equality within the LGBTQIA+ community. This logo change is another step in our continued mission to represent and advocate for our community. 🏳️‍⚧️💜

***rNews

03/01/2025

🏳️‍🌈 Seeking Safety, Facing Barriers 🏳️‍⚧️

For LGBTQ+ asylum seekers, the journey to safety is filled with obstacles. Many are denied their legal right to a "credible fear" interview, while others struggle to share their trauma in a system stacked against them. Yet, Entre Hermanos continues to fight for them, winning asylum for dozens of Trans women and Q***r immigrants.

But the fight is getting harder. Federal funding cuts threaten critical services, and some asylum seekers are disappearing in detention. We can't let this happen.

Learn more: https://www.sgn.org/story.php?ch=news&sc=seattle&id=338228

"Virtually every Trans client we’ve served has been the victim of violence," said immigration lawyer Robert Foss. "Some of them multiple times." Violence from "family members, teachers, classmates, police, and strangers. In their home. In school.

03/01/2025

Alvin Ailey was a groundbreaking Black gay choreographer who popularized Black American dance.

Ailey founded the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, celebrating African American cultural heritage through iconic works like "Revelations."

02/28/2025

James Baldwin was a renowned novelist, essayist, and civil rights activist who explored Black and Q***r identities in works like "Giovanni's Room" and "The Fire Next Time," challenging societal norms around race, s*xuality, and justice.

02/28/2025

Phill Wilson is a Black HIV/AIDS activist who founded the Black AIDS Institute in 1999 to combat the epidemic's disproportionate impact on Black communities, having merged health advocacy with LGBTQIA+ justice.

Wilson's activism began after he and his partner were diagnosed with HIV in the early 1980s, as he did not feel as if anyone was working to bring the Black community together regarding this issue.

His partner died from HIV-related illness in 1989 and he moved to Los Angeles in 1982. Wilson served as the co-chair of the HIV Health Commission from 1990 - 1995, and took a break from work in 1997 as his disease progressed.

In 2010, Wilson was appointed by President Barack Obama's Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS.

During his decades of advocacy, Wilson and other Black AIDS advocates pressed the CDC to provide more funding to African American groups wishing to educate and engage with their communities around HIV/AIDS. This led to a five-year "Act Against AIDS" campaign where 14 organizations were awarded grants to expand their work through the hiring of AIDS coordinators.

02/28/2025

Miss Major Griffin-Gracy is a Black Transgender elder and a Stonewall veteran who has spent decades advocating for Trans rights, with a focus on incarcerated Trans women and grassroots community support.

Griffin-Gracy came out as Trans when she was living in Chicago in the late 1950s. She was later expelled from college for having women's clothing, and her family rejected her after she came out.

She later moved to NYC and discovered the Stonewall Inn, becoming a regular patron. Griffin-Gracy was present during the first night of the 1969 Stonewall riots.

During the height of the AIDS epidemic, her work expanded to home health care.

In 2004, Griffin-Gracy began working at the Transgender Gender Variant Inters*x Justice Project (TGIJP) shortly after it was founded, and became the executive director of the organization.

The TGIJP provided supportive services to Trans, gender variant, and Inters*x people in prison, and her work included visiting people in California prisons to help coordinate access to social and legal services.