The SGN looks back on 50 years of local LGBTQ+ coverage
BY ARUL GNANASIVAM, AUDREY OSCARSON AND HANNAH SAUNDERS

In 2024, the SGN celebrated five decades of bringing local LGBTQ+ news to the community here in Washington State. As we prepare to head further into 2025, writers at the SGN—the third oldest LGBTQ+ newspaper in the U.S.— revisited archives to see how the paper advocated for our community, brought us together, and created positive change for us all.

'70s

In 1974, the Seattle Gay News (formerly a project of the Seattle Gay Community Center) was launched. Over the years, when the AIDS epidemic was ravaging Queer communities nationwide, physical violence and hate speech was the norm, and LGBTQ+ people did not have protections under the law, the SGN worked tirelessly to educate the public, whether about legislation, initiatives, support groups, or events.

On July 1, 1974, the paper reported on the Seattle Counseling Service for Sexual Minorities and the Gay Community Center starting a joint effort to collaborate with Gay people who were incarcerated at the Monroe State Reformatory. "Other than some religious groups, there is practically no one willing to work with Gay prisoners. Thus, many who could have been long ago released are still behind bars because of the lack of prisoners," the article stated.

While prison is isolating in general, the SGN highlighted how Gay prisoners experience the worst of it: many inmates at Monroe who were sexually assaulted were transferred to maximum security cells for their protection. "This in effect means that they are being penalized for the crimes of their assailants who remain free to roam the prison," the SGN wrote, providing contact information for those wishing to support incarcerated Gay people.

During Pride Month 1976, David C. Neth, the director of the Gay Community Center, wrote an open letter to Mayor Wes Uhlman asking him to issue a proclamation to recognize June 21—27 as "Gay Pride Week" and cited how the 1969 NYC Stonewall Riots were a catalyst for change regarding LGBTQ+ human rights.

"It was the needed inspiration to congeal the emerging Gay consciousness of the time into an outspoken, upfront, nationwide movement," he wrote. "Your refusal to issue such a proclamation last year was disconcerting. In a front-page article in the Post-Intelligencer last year, columnist Rick Anderson reported that you have issued proclamations for such things as 'Liver Week,' 'Salad Week,' and 'German Shepherd Weekend.' Your staff member told him that 'Gay Pride Week' was the only request he could ever remember being turned down!"

On Nov. 10, 1978, the SGN front page celebrated the defeat of Initiative 13, which would have repealed city ordinances on housing and employment rights on the basis of sexual orientation. "WE WON!" crowed the headline. "The results of the election battle against Initiative 13 were a staggering victory for Seattle's gay community — a victory way beyond all predictions of success... 62.9 percent against the initiative and 37.1 percent in favor." This was a turning point after a string of defeats in 1977 and 1978 around the country.

In 1979, the SGN covered police harassment of Gays in Washington state. The topic, stemming from a string of assaults against Lesbians in Washington, DC, was discussed at the Washington Advisory Committee in downtown Seattle.

Later that year, a letter addressed to the paper commented on the focus on "disco and theater," rather than the mistreatment of Gay men. It came was from an inmate of the Washington State Penitentiary, who struggled with how Gay men were treated there, noting that young prisoners were "bought and sold."

'80s

1980 brought the second annual Gay fiction contest, held by the SGN. The entrance fee was $1, and the first-place prize was $50 (equivalent to $191 today). The paper also reported on the opening of Seattle's first clinic for venereal health, which provided STI and STD checkups free of charge, and care and services specifically tailored to the Gay community.

The SGN made its big move to Capitol Hill in June of 1981, migrating from the old Eastlake location to East Pike Street. By this point, circulation had hit 10,000, up from 1,000 five years earlier.

In 1982, the five women started the Lesbian Heritage Group, a collective aimed at correcting the distorted and suppressed history of the Lesbian community. The group collected all and any documents that dealt with the lives of Lesbians, whom they described as "strong women, women loving women, gay women, amazons, dykes, inverts." The SGN published some of the pieces collected in the October issue.

In 1985 a reader of the SGN brought up the topic of taxation without representation, stating that she "opposes ... tax dollars going towards heterosexuals," explaining that if institutions are displaying homophobic behavior, then they should not receive her tax dollars.

The Seattle City Council attempted to implement a curfew for those under the age of 16 in 1986, prompting a letter to the mayor that was published by the SGN. The proposal aimed to reduce drug- and sex-related crime among minors but was ruled unconstitutional by the state Supreme Court.

On Christmas Day in 1987, the Northwest AIDS Foundation ran a promotion to provide sex education at parties. The SGN reported that locals could invite NWAF to a party they were throwing, and the foundation would bring a variety of toys to promote safe sex. The "stocking stuffers" included condoms, feathers, fur gloves, tit clamps, and lubricants.

1988 marked a huge political milestone, as the SGN reported that Lesbian activist Jean O'Leary was appointed as an at-large member of the Democratic National Committee. O'Leary was the first out Lesbian to be named to the governing body of the national party.

In July of 1989, the SGN ran a full-page ad to promote a community meeting ahead of the 1990 legislative session, hosted in the Off Ramp Cafe — which is where a small band would make their debut before going on to worldwide fame: Pearl Jam.

'90s

Sometimes dubbed "the Gay '90s," the decade was a monumental era for progress, full of protests and legislative victories and setbacks. Hate crimes were frequent, and often Queer people and establishments were targeted, including bomb threats.

"Even in Seattle, where we pride ourselves on our diversity and our commitment to human rights, we are not immune to senseless acts of bigotry," said Mayor Norm Rice in the May 18, 1990, issue of the SGN. In 1991, the Seattle Police Department appointed a new hate crime coordinator to reduce the number of attacks and provide better resources to the victims. A police riot in 1992 during an anti-Nazi march brought into question the issue of excessive force and why the protestors were attacking a Gay bar.

The effects of the AIDS epidemic was still being felt during the '90s, as legislators and others wrestled with how to reduce its transmission. Almost every week, the SGN printed almost a full page of obituaries of those who lost their lives to AIDS.

The University of Washington adopted a policy in 1991 to prevent doctors and dentists who had tested positive for HIV from performing "invasive" operations, which elicited much pushback. In 1998, the Supreme Court deemed that people with AIDS were covered under the Americans with Disabilities Act, securing rights for those facing discrimination because of their status.

The Chicken Soup Brigade, an organization supporting those with AIDS, opened a new location in 1992, with community meeting rooms and a food bank. "We've been ready to explode [in our old space] like a tick on a dog," said Carol Sterling in the May 15, 1992, issue, "People are just packed in there."

Effective treatment for HIV began to be administered in the mid- to late 1990s, which saved many lives and turned the virus into a chronic, manageable condition. Adverts in the SGN at the time urged people to get tested, receive medical care if necessary, and practice safe sex.

Sherry Harris, sworn in in 1992, became the first openly Lesbian woman of color to hold elected office in Seattle, having won a city council position. "The city council now has a female majority, and many new members who certainly bring innovations and creativity to the challenges facing the city," as said in the January 10, 1992, issue.

Queer people were being discharged from the military because of their homosexuality, but many of them fought the laws that kept them from serving their country. President Clinton, who won the 1992 election, had promised to immediately lift the ban on Lesbian and Gay people in the military. But facing a backlash, the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" (DADT) policy was introduced months later, which allowed Queer people to serve — as long as they weren't vocal about their identity.

In 1994, Col. Margarethe Cammermeyer, who had served in the Washington National Guard, won her court case to be reinstated after having been discharged for being a Lesbian; the judge deemed the ban unconstitutional. (DADT was finally repealed in 2011). "I feel a little like a general who has just won a war," Cammermeyer said in the June 3, 1994, issue.

In 1993, the March on Washington was held to support the lifting of the military ban and the passage of a Lesbian/Gay rights bill. About a million supporters showed up for the Queer community's biggest demonstration. Attendees called out President Clinton on his promise to lift the military ban and for his inaction on the AIDS epidemic, which was still killing people daily.

Hands Off Washington (HOW) was launched in 1995 to stop anti-Gay initiatives from making the 1996 ballot, following the establishment of Bigot Busters (a spinoff of Queer Nation) the year before. Both groups were successful, as none of the anti-Gay initiatives made it to the ballot either year.

HOW continued its work in the coming years to introduce legislation to protect the rights of Queers, including combating legislation that would have required a record of people who had tested positive for HIV. (However, its pro-LGBT rights initiative, I-677, lost at the ballot box in 1998.)

Sen. Cal Anderson, Washington's first openly Gay elected official, passed away in 1995 due to complications from AIDS. Anderson's funeral was attended by a wide range of people from all walks of life, and he was remembered for his activism on behalf of the community. "I wish I had the linguistic capability to describe the contribution that Cal made," Gov. Mike Lowry said in the August 11 issue. "Cal stood for openness and fairness. He personified political and personal integrity."

While marriage equality was not yet legal, domestic partnership laws were in place to give more rights to Lesbian and Gay couples regarding sick leave. President Clinton signed the Defense of Marriage Act into law in 1996, which banned same-sex marriage and defined marriage as between a man and a woman for federal purposes. The same year, in contrast, the Supreme Court ruled that a discriminatory constitutional amendment in Colorado, passed in 1992, violated the Constitution.

A "culture war" was sprouting up across the country, and religious fundamentalists protested the growing recognition of Lesbian and Gay people, leading to violence and hate crimes. A bill similar to the Defense of Marriage Act went into effect in Washington in 1998, even though same-sex marriage was not legal. "The new law is more insult than actual injury to the Gay/Lesbian community, because the status of same-sex marriage in Washington state is the same as it was before this new law was passed: It was then and is now illegal," said the February 13 edition of SGN.

Early 2000s

Although people feared that Y2K might bring the end of the world, the turn of the millennium happened without a hitch, and Queer people in Seattle looked forward to the decade with hope.

A growing number of laws banning discrimination on the basis of sexual identity protected over 60 million LGBT people. In 2003 the Supreme Court struck down sodomy laws in the Lawrence v. Texas case and ensured a right to privacy for Gay and Lesbian couples across the country. "We share this victory with Gay people in all 50 states who are better off today than they were yesterday thanks to this ruling," said John Lawrence in the June 27 issue.

Schools begin to make progress in being more inclusive, with more young people getting involved and starting Gay-Straight Alliances at their schools. People began talking about the harassment and bullying they experienced at school because of their sexual orientation, and in 2001 the Safe Schools bill was passed in Washington, requiring stronger policies against bullying in schools.

Domestic partner benefits were expanded in Washington, with the introduction of benefits for Gay state employees in 2000. The following year, the state Supreme Court ruled that same-sex unmarried partners would be considered couples under a law that had protected heterosexual couples for decades.

The first Gay couple was married in 2004 in San Francisco, marking a historic achievement for Queer people all over the country and setting off a series of lawsuits — both by couples that also wanted to be married and by anti-Gay activists who wanted to ensure that marriage was only between a man and a woman. A few months later, Massachusetts became the first state to officially allow same-sex couples to get married.

Issues specific to Transgender people also gained more visibility and entered more conversations. Discussions of gender became more normalized, with help from activists like Aiden Key, and events such as the first official Transgender Day of Remembrance, which was held in Seattle in 2001. "We will not be erased, nor will we be silenced," said Dr. Anne Lawrence at the event, covered in the December 7 issue. "We have always been here and will always be here."

Religious fundamentalists grew increasingly outspoken in their attacks against Queer people, with Fred Phelps hosting a demonstration at Ferndale High School's graduation. A study released in 2001 claimed Gay people could become straight if they tried hard enough, though it was quickly denounced by the American Psychiatric Association.

In 2001, a federal court ruled that doctors could not withhold treatment based on personal religious beliefs, which was a "total victory" for the LGBTQ+ community. "Today's decision says that everyone has to obey civil rights laws," said Leslie Cooper in the March 23 issue.

Washington State passed legislation in 2006 that prohibited discrimination based on sexual orientation in employment and housing, among other things. AIDS was still prevalent in the Queer community, and an outbreak of syphilis and other STDs occurred in 2002. Activists continued to fight for safe-sex education and funding for HIV/AIDS research to help reduce the number of infections. A new HIV vaccine was trialed in Seattle in 2003.

Micah Painter was attacked during the summer of 2004 because he was Gay by three men with a broken bottle, which resulted in a long, contentious trial. A year later, his attackers were all found guilty, though not of the more extreme charges many were hoping for. The attackers received varying sentences, from nine months to three years.

In June 2005, the annual Pride parade attracted over 100,000 attendees. In the SGN, Marketing Director Dale Kirshner of the Seattle Pride Committee recalled booths selling out faster than ever before. Given the momentum, the committee announced the decision to move the march to Seattle Center the following year, marking a moment of increasing publicity and impact.

In 2006, Seattle Pride added a new event in conjunction with Three Dollar Bill Cinema: the Queerstock Festival, a showcase of music, poetry, and more, combining art and accessibility. The AIDS epidemic continued to expand in King County in 2007. An estimated 6,188 residents were living with HIV at the time, with that count rising by 370 each year.

Still, the community's support never wavered: over 3,700 people participated in the annual Seattle AIDS Walk. At the same time, the King County Board of Health introduced a plan to reduce HIV cases by 25% by 2015.

Spearheaded by Queer councilmembers, the plan included such actions as promoting safe sex and drug use, as well as identifying current residents who unknowingly carried the virus.

2009 marked a major victory for the Queer community with the passing of the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act. Named after victims of gruesome bias-related murders, the law expanded the definition of federal hate crimes to include bias based on a victim's sexual orientation, gender identity, gender, and disability. It also provided tools and resources for local law enforcement to prosecute such crimes. At the time, the FBI found one in six hate crimes to be related to the victim's sexual orientation.

On April 17, 2009, the 13th annual Day of Silence protest took place across Washington schools. Despite advancements in the rights of Queer people, bullying remained prevalent. The introduction of the Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network (GLSEN) benefited students, but for those at the wrong institution, the consequences of a homophobic culture were deadly. One mother commented, after her 11-year-old son committed suicide due to bullying, "I have been homeless, but Carl made it through. I was a victim of domestic violence, and we made it through. The one thing we couldn't get through was public school."

2010s

On April 27, 2011, the University of Washington selected Michael Young as its next president. The SGN was hit with dozens of calls from faculty and students due to Young's involvement with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, a historically anti-LGBTQ organization. However, a closer look into Young's past showed a long legacy of inclusion.

Despite some mixed opinions from students, his track record earned him a note of approval from the SGN, which regarded him as "pretty damn progressive."

In 2012, marriage equality finally came to Washington state. An enormous 24,000 postcards were sent to the Senate advocating for the bill. The final vote was 28-21, three more than expected, and a huge victory. Gov. Christine Gregoire signed it into law on February 17, 2012. Opponents mounted a referendum to repeal it, but that was defeated by voters in November. The first legal marriages then took place on December 9 that year.

Former state Sen. Ed Murray was elected Seattle mayor in 2013. An openly Gay man, Murray boasted a long record of activism for the Queer community, especially in the legislature. One of Murray's achievements as mayor was increasing the minimum wage to a national high of $15. However, his career was marred by a string of sexual abuse scandals that ended with his resignation in 2017.

The long overdue recognition of same-sex marriage secured a victory for Joe Krumbach, who fought for years to recognize his union with Jerry Hatcher, a veteran who passed away in 2008. Since marriage wasn't legal at the time of Hatcher's death, Krumbach couldn't claim Veterans Affairs benefits for a surviving spouse. After years of fighting, Krumbach finally won his benefits and legal recognition of his marriage in 2015. His victory set a precedent and helped others claim what was rightfully theirs.

In 2015, the SGN reported on the ruling that a Denver bakery did not discriminate when it refused to bake anti-Gay cakes for a Christian customer. The case gained attention at the time for its interpretation of a business's right to refuse service and what crossed the line into discrimination.

Parker Perry Z, a drag queen, was attacked outside of a show in Olympia in September 2016. Despite eyewitnesses, the police dismissed the case within days and didn't report it as a hate crime. It took an uproar from the public to bring the case back into light. Drag King Cesar Hart hosted a fundraiser to help pay for Perry Z's medical bills, highlighting not only the violence that had occurred but the lack of affordable healthcare.

The SGN's April 14, 2017, issue was filled with events related to Donald Trump's presidency. The paper covered Trump's appointment of an anti-Gay official. An contributing writer also spoke about how Trump was the reason for the fall of public television. Finally, the SGN ran a two-page antifascist ad titled "Drive Out the Trump/Pence Regime!"

In 2018, the Trump administration refuses to sign a declaration supporting marriage equality. In the local scene, Three Dollar Bill Cinema presented its first-ever Date Night Shorts and Queer Fast Flirting, just in time for Valentine's Day.

Representation in politics took a turn for the better in 2019, as the SGN reported that more openly LGBTQ candidates had been elected into office than ever before. As of November 6, 144 out of 382 out LGBTQ candidates had won their races.

In 2021, following the outbreak of the pandemic, the SGN reported on LGBTQ sentiment about the vaccine. Around 92% of the community had received at least one dose of the vaccine, a statistic that the SGN attributed in part to the devastating effects of COVID. A report showed that 21% of the LGBTQ community had lost a friend or family member to the virus.

On the final days of 2022, the SGN wrote a profile of Helena Greer, a Washington resident who had published a Queer romance novel. Despite having not written in 15 years, Greer's first work was a hit. The paper also dove into seasonal depression, offering resources for Queer people, including the Trans Women of Color Solidarity Network, Somos Seattle, and Lambert House.

In 2023, the SGN covered Jason Graber, a Spokane pastor who was recorded saying that parents of Trans kids "need to be convicted in trial and immediately shot in the back of the head, and then we can string them up above a bridge so the public can see the consequences of that kind of wickedness."

Organizations around the state, including other religious figures, condemned his words.

On a more positive note, Western Washington University's Planned Parenthood Generation Action found an eccentric use for expired condoms: a fashion show. The event not only promoted safe sex but also highlighted the creativity and confidence of designers from the school.

In 2024, the SGN reported on key election wins, like Dave UptheGrove breaking a glass ceiling by being the first out LGBTQ+ statewide executive office holder in state history. It also highlighted how Sen. Jamie Pedersen's election for the Senate majority leader position made Washington the first state in the nation to have two out LBGTQ+ legislative leaders serving at the same time, with Sen. Pedersen joining House Speaker Laurie Jinkins.