Editor’s note: This story is part of a project recognizing LGBTQ+ people who have shaped Washington ahead of the 50th anniversary of Seattle Pride. Keep an eye out for more in-depth coverage of these changemakers through June 30. Fifty years ago, the first Seattle Gay Pride Week drew about 200 people.
This June, an estimated 300,000 people are expected to attend the Seattle Pride Parade — a reflection of the tireless work of Seattle’s LGBTQ+ community in making our world more welcoming, inclusive and just. Today, the Seattle area has a reputation as one of America’s most LGBTQ+ friendly communities. Seattle and Washington state have established themselves as leaders in protecting LGBTQ+ people, enshrining their rights to access health care , housing , employment and more over the decades.
Ahead of the 50th anniversary of Pride festivities in Seattle, The Seattle Times asked for nominations of LGBTQ+ changemakers who have left lasting impacts on our region. Among the nearly 400 responses: social activists, legal scholars, health advocates, local politicians, business owners small and large; world-class athletes, pioneering artists, inquisitive writers; keystones in the community who beat back oppression and erasure daily. Some changemakers work across multiple disciplines — shaping local housing policy by day and strutting at a ball by night — or across intersecting identities, such as serving LGBTQ+ residents facing immigration challenges.
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