Having served in the Washington state legislature since 2006, Sen. Jamie Pedersen was recently elected as the Senate majority leader, which marks a historic turn during an election cycle that shattered the hearts of many LGBTQ+ Americans, leaving them concerned for their futures.
Sen. Pedersen joins House Speaker Laurie Jinkins, making Washington the first state in the nation to have two LGBTQ+ legislative leaders serving at the same time.
"As a kid growing up in Puyallup in the 1980s, I didn't think that a career in politics ─ or getting married to a man and having kids ─ was possible for me," Sen. Pedersen told the SGN. "I hope that young LGBTQ+ folks in our state see a Lesbian speaker of the House and a Gay Senate majority leader, and see that there are no limits on what they can do."
Sen. Pedersen will replace Sen. Andy Billig, from the 3rd Legislative District, who is retiring.
Rep. Jinkins told the SGN she's excited to be serving alongside Sen. Pedersen, whom she met about 30 years ago, while working on LGBTQ+ rights.
"While it's always wonderful to make history with him, our focus this year will be on improving the lives of all Washingtonians, including LGBTQ people," Rep. Jinkins said.
Shoring up protections
Rep. Jinkins said Trump's campaign rhetoric and Project 2025 provide a solid outline of what his administration is likely to pursue.
"I am especially worried about all of the anti-Transgender propaganda we saw during the campaign. One of my highest priorities will be to shore up protections for our Trans community," Rep. Jinkins said. "Our LGBTQ community has a long history of statewide grassroots organizing, and we need [to] restart this approach as the best way to support the work legislators are ready to do."
To prevent negative experiences and to pursue "great policy," Rep. Jinkins said LGBTQ+ people must continue to educate, advocate, legislate, and litigate.
Sen. Pedersen said Washington state has much experience with protecting LGBTQ+ people, immigrants, women, and others from the harmful federal actions of Trump's first term, and that state laws enacted during that period will, once again, be of use.
"We have strong protections in state law for Trans people. One of our first actions in the 2025 session will be to amend Initiative 2081, the so-called 'Parents Bill of Rights,' to make it clear that the initiative does not change or undermine our robust protections for Trans youth, and young people seeking reproductive health care or mental health care," Sen. Pedersen said.
I-2081 is a citizen initiative that was passed by the state legislature this year and became effective early in Pride Month. It allows parents and legal guardians to obtain school records, like vocational counseling and medical records, and to opt their youth out of surveys, assignments, questionnaires, and any other engagement activities that relate to a child's sexual orientation or experiences.
In a recent interview with the SGN, Montana Rep. Zooey Zephyr said how she wished legislators had fought "tooth and nail" to ensure I-2081 didn't pass, and that when "you allow even the seeds of an anti-Queer policy to be planted in your state, maybe you can root it out, but it impacts red states, where we have to fight with everything we have. Those decisions ripple [out to] our states and cause so much harm."
A press release earlier this year from Sen. Pedersen stated that 90% of I-2081 is already state law or standard practice, but acknowledged the potential harmful impact it has on LGBTQ+ students and said that he's ready to act if necessary.
Another pressing constituent concern Sen. Pedersen plans to address in the upcoming legislative session, which begins January 13, is the high and increasing cost of housing. He said he will work on a variety of policies, including rent stabilization and increasing the affordable housing supply.
"Other top priorities for 2025 include funding for public schools; increasing treatment for substance use and mental health; and resolving the shortfalls in our operating and transportation budgets," Sen. Pedersen said. "One of the great things about working at the state level is that we live in the communities we represent, and get a chance to help solve problems that we see there. We do our best work when we get good ideas from the people we represent."
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