Seattle's LGBTQ+ Commission held a meeting on December 19 to discuss its workplan for the new year, which includes socioeconomic empowerment, commission sustainability, and health equity. Another pressing issue that arose was the more conservative city council — more specifically, the behavior that led to Councilmember Tammy Morales's resignation, and the lack of collaboration from other councilmembers.

The commission's work is to advise the mayor, council, and city departments on issues brought forth by the LGBTQ+ community. At the meeting, the group tried to figure out how, if at all, they can work with the city council, and noted specific issues with Councilmember Cathy Moore.

"We have no relationship with Councilmember Moore. We've tried... to engage, but we do not have that relationship," one commissioner said, noting that since taking office this year, Moore never attended an LGBTQ+ Commission meeting but has sent her chief of staff to one.

The group believes that Councilmember Moore is attempting to silence LGBTQ+ community input as it relates to the new SOAP (Stay Out of Area Prostitution) and SODA (Stay Out of Drug Areas) zones, which the council approved earlier this fall by a vote of 8-1. This relatively new law gives judges the power to prevent people accused of prostitution and drug-related offenses from certain areas of the city. The commission does not support the council's decision to implement these zones.

Uncertainty

Discussion at the meeting highlighted how Moore's office encouraged them to look more toward the future rather than back at previous laws and policies.

"Councilmember Moore seems to take things personally, even when they are not intended that way. It happens [to be] that we are opposed to her legislation. Asking us to be more forward thinking is a cover. This is an incremental action to silence public input," according to the commission's minutes displayed during the meeting.

The commission has prepared a Powerpoint presentation about the Queer community's input on SOAP and SODA, but members were concerned about even bringing it to the council. They pondered whether to modify it to find more common ground, or if that decision would be sacrificing some of the community's voice.

One attendee, named Red, said that they had reached a fork in the road and will have to make a decision shortly.

"It's more powerful for us — we've spent a lot of time on this workplan to make it very specific to what our community needs. We can publish our workplan outside of City Hall and say it was not accepted," Red said, adding they could broadcast a decision to no longer work with the city council, or to meet in the middle for cooperation.

Commissioner Steven Pray said the Powerpoint is benign, and if elected officials take issue with it, then he's concerned about other issues.

"I don't think Councilmember Moore is losing sleep over this, or thinking about this for more than a few passing seconds," Pray said.

The commission will focus on relationship-building with other councilmembers, like the newly elected Alexis Mercedes-Rinck. It will meet again in February of the new year.

Workplan goals

According to the workplan Powerpoint presentation, under the socioeconomic empowerment portion, the commission seeks to support Queer career development and job creation, and increase funding to LGBTQ+ people, businesses, and organizations by partnering with the GSBA and potentially creating a small-business advisory committee.

"Commission sustainability" includes diversifying and retaining membership through growing a social media following.

The health equity aspect includes increasing the visibility of Queer-specific health and wellness needs that intersect with poverty and homelessness, and launching a community-health advisory committee to generate a list of LGBTQ+ mental health providers.