The rally comes as advocates are calling on Mayor Katie Wilson to declare a state of emergency to help provide increased resources “for LGBTQIA+ refugees fleeing red states,” as the Seattle Gay News reports.
In a letter to the city’s LGBTQ Commission, Wilson said Tuesday she will convene a citywide team to work with the Seattle Office for Civil Rights and the LGBTQ Commission, City Council, “community organizations, and regional partners.” The mayor said she is moving with urgency with a plan for the team to meet this summer to help shape legislation to provide resources and protections.
In her response, the mayor also cited fiscal constraints at the city amid predictions of a $175 million deficit.
While it is difficult to estimate how many have come to Seattle seeking protection, data from the Lemkin Institute for Genocide Prevention and Human Security calculates a 45% increase in anti-transgender legislation filed nationwide between 2024 and 2025.
Saturday’s rally is slated to begin at 3 PM:
WHO: Rally and March with Trans people and Trans supporting orgs!
WHEN: Saturday, May 23 3PM
WHERE: Cal Anderson Park
GENOCIDAL and VILE legislation across the US have left transgender people with one option- TO FLEE. TENS OF THOUSANDS of our siblings are flocking to SEATTLE where they find STRUGGLING community orgs fighting uphill to support them! These refugees NEED MORE SUPPORT than what POVERTY STRICKEN, UNEMPLOYED, and OVERWHELMED volunteers can do.
Tell Mayor Wilson NO MORE!
The LGBT Commission is calling on Katie Wilson to declare a STATE OF EMERGENCY. Now is the time to DEMAND MORE from our city. We need HOUSING for trans refugees, run BY TRANS ORGS FOR TRANS PEOPLE and not being VIOLENTLY SWEPT OFF THE STREETS BY SPD! We need MONEY to EMPLOY the unemployed volunteers working FULL-TIME against this crisis and MASSIVELY SCALE UP to meet the numbers we are seeing! We need PROTECTION from the federal government and COMMITMENT that when the white house comes for trans people THE CITY WILL SAY NO. We need to FIRE bigoted police who BEAT US ON THE STREETS with NO CHARGES!
During Seattle’s Trans Day of Visibility, the city declared the crisis we’re fighting is a GENOCIDE.
Hit the streets, and tell Mayor Wilson TO ACT LIKE IT!
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