Date: Thu, 12 Jan 1995 22:24:05 -0800 (PST) From: Richard Isaac Subject: Seattle comfortable for gays (fwd) Briefly, I would say that it is very comfortable for gays in Seattle. The political leadership and atmosphere are very gay-friendly, including the mayor and incoming Police Chief. There are non-discrimination statutes in Seattle & King County and in state government. Domestic partnership was passed unanimously this August by the City Council. The mayor is always in the Pride Parade, the new Chief marched for the first time this year. A statewide gay civil rights bill just missed passing last year; gays are included in the statewide hate crimes bill. We have our Christians but they are well-opposed in this area. Two anti-gay initiatives failed statewide to get enough signatures to make the Nov. 1994 ballot, but two more are being filed in '95. Get out of Seattle proper, though, and it's a different story, just like anywhere else. There are a wide variety of political and social organizations, though there is no LGB community center. We do have a gay street patrol and a gay youth center. There are a number (20?) of bars, 2 of them for women. Most are not extraordinary, though the country bar is awesome, and we have 2 leather bars. Pride Parade draws about 50-60,000 and will probably outgrow the "gay ghetto" (Capitol Hill) in '96. Broadway, the main drag of Capitol Hill, is Queer Central and it is extremely comfortable to live here. Queers holding hands is not an uncommon sight, and stores cater to us. It is said the Broadway Market is America's only queer mall. There is a new wave of women's activism (raves, marches, etc), a strong bisexual community, a good court system (drag), an order of the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, and good AIDS/HIV service organizations, including brand new AIDS housing. There are several major huge gay social events (The Prom, the Bump, etc.) and bi-weekly gay bingo. Also a great gay theatre company and some smaller ones. The movie houses here are wonderful, lots of them small, old buildings, and you can see much more than the big Hollywood releases here (art and foreign films abound). There is a big intl. film fest in May/June, a gay film fest each May in Olympia (1 hr away) and a gay theatre fest each June, too. Lots and lots of neighborhood festivals each summer, and really big ones on Memorial and Labor Day weekends. Good local music scene, too. There is a great gay campground in Index (1 hr to the NE), but 1995 is its last year in this location; it may move to Darrington (1.5 hrs north), but this is unsure at present. Our senator in Olympia (the capital) is openly gay (the only one in Washington State, although he is now sick with AIDS) and we have a black lesbian on the city council (one of 7 women on the city council, out of 9 total!). The economy is relatively healthy; the cost of living is pretty high. The city is relatively safe and clean and the citizenry and city leaders are very conscious of the environment and city planning. Richard Isaac Seattle: The Emerald City Jet City The Rain City The Upper Left Hand Corner