LGBTQ+ Advocates and Allies Rally for Seattle to Declare Emergency Order Helping Trans People
The city’s LGBTQ Commission had asked for an emergency declaration to better organize in support of trans people fleeing red states.
Featured image: Screenshot via King 5 News
Dozens gathered over Memorial Day weekend to rally and march in downtown Seattle to call for Mayor Katie Wilson to declare a civil emergency in order to better support trans folks fleeing to the city.
It comes after the city’s LGBTQ Commission had announced last week that it had sent a letter to city officials and leaders to expand its support for trans and nonbinary people fleeing states passing anti-trans laws.
The rally on Saturday, organized by the Mutual Aid Network for Trans and Intersex Individuals in Seattle and the Gender Equity Movement, saw people holding placards with messages such as “Trans rights are human rights!” and Pride flags, according to the Seattle Times.
“It feels good to be with other trans people and people who support us,” 26-year-old Logan Hodge told the paper while holding a Trans Pride flag.
Maridee Bonadea, 76, said she had many trans friends. “With the kind of awful stuff that’s going on today, we need to say something,” she said.
The commission posted on social media after sending the letter that the city is “seeing the impacts” of the migration of trans and nonbinary people who have had to flee “their homes in search of refuge.” It said that declaring a civil emergency would allow Seattle to better organize in support of these people, as well as more easily and quickly move money to community organizations helping them.
The mayor replied the next day, stopping short of agreeing to the civil emergency declaration. She said a “coordinated, citywide approach is needed to evaluate immediate needs, fortify critical services and chart a longer-term path forward,” according to the letter shared by the Times. She proposed that a team be created to support the Seattle Office for Civil Rights to work with additional agencies and groups.
“The immediate priority of this team will be to evaluate our service and resource capacity. Moreover, this team will develop community-informed responses that center housing, behavioral health, food, transportation, legal navigation, and survivor-centered violence prevention,” Wilson said. She added, “Although our city is experiencing challenging budget constraints, we will proactively search for ways to meet urgent needs while planning for a stronger future.”
Andrew Ashiofu, a member of the commission, told local King 5 news on Saturday that local groups had struggled to continue supporting those who have found refuge in the city.
“Trans people are coming, from especially red states, to Seattle, not just for gender-affirming care but for safety,” Ashiofu said. “We’re seeing families coming to Seattle to protect their trans kids.”
The letter and rally came only a short time after the May 10 homicide of trans University of Wisconsin student Juniper Blessing. However, the Times notes authorities haven’t said if Blessing was specifically targeted over her trans identity. Blessing’s death has caused some fear in Seattle’s queer communities.
“I am pretty much just here to show how many of us there are and that we’re scared and angry,” a young trans woman told the Times.
Elle Missouri Cree, who moved to Seattle from Arkansas in December 2024, told King 5 news that she moved to the city because she had been harassed. Seattle’s community had welcomed her.
“I was finally able to fulfill the dream to be able to transition,” Cree told the outlet. “It’s been incredible.”
