Celebrating Pride 2023 while fighting for Black Trans Liberation
by Lavender Rights Project’s Communications Team
Once again, we are deep within what some of us consider the “high holy days” of the queer community: PRIDE with a capital P-R-I-D-E! In the spirit of the original Pride being a riot, Lavender Rights Project has spent this month deepening its commitment to Black and gender diverse communities across Washington State and beyond. We have been very busy to say the least, but here’s a little bit about what we’ve been up to and what we are excited about!
Re-imagining Black Trans Liberation:
a cultural art experience
This past Friday (June 16th), Lavender Rights Project’s Advocacy Team hosted its first cultural organizing event following our advocacy about the failings of King County Jail and its protection of incarcerated trans people. We hosted the event at Garfield Community Center and worked with four Black trans and gender nonconforming artists, including two poets, one painter, and a photographer who created pieces that spoke to their system-impacted experiences. The event space was a family dinner style with free coloring books that had the printed faces of valued trans activists. In total, 40 people attended this thoughtful event! Folks left saying they felt deeply connected to the experiences that were on display. One artist that particularly moved our staff and attendees was Tarryn Unique, a 34 year old Black transgender woman who is currently imprisoned in California, serving a life without parole sentence. Everyone who showed up shared laughter, advocacy conversations, and meaningful connection. For the artist who were able to attend, they all felt grateful for the opportunity to have their artwork and stories seen. We look forward to expanding exhibitions like these to continue the conversation in King County on abolition and Black Trans Liberation. Thank you King County and Legal Foundation of Washington for providing funding for this critical work!
The Black Trans Comedy Showcase 2023
On Saturday, June 10th, we hosted our second annual Black Trans Comedy Showcase fundraiser! The evening was unforgettable to say the least — so many folks came out to laugh, connect, and support our life-saving work. We especially want to give the biggest thank you to everyone who bought tickets, donated, and participated in our raffle! Together, we raised over $120,000 for protecting Black trans life!
A HUGE thank you to SIFF Cinema Egyptian, who welcomed us into their space. We are also incredibly grateful to the artists who graced us with their presence, including Mx Dahlia Belle, KJ Whitehead, the incomparable TS Madison, and our interpreters Naomi and Rae Rae! Y’all are megastars and this evening could not have happened without you.
We also want to take a moment to lift our guest of honor, Beyonce Black St. James. Beyonce shared moving testimony about how we thrive and survive in spite of the trauma we face on a daily basis. Our staff hopes that people give not only to our work, but also uplift Ms. St. James by following her on social media and hiring her to perform at their next event. Her passionate and unrelenting demand that we prioritize housing for Black trans women has opened the door to ongoing consulting and policy changes throughout King County and the City of Seattle. We all owe her a debt of gratitude for the work she is doing to make the community a safer place.
And lastly, if you DID attend our event, please don’t forget to fill out this survey and give us your honest feedback. For folks that complete the survey, our friends at Cupcake Royale would like to offer 20% off on their Pride cupcakes!
We’re grand marshals for Seattle Pride 2023!
Ya'll hold onto your hats, because we have some absolutely incredible news to share with you! Lavender Rights Project has been chosen as a one of the Grand Marshals for Seattle Pride 2023 and we couldn't be more ecstatic about it! Our staff and board will be marching this Sunday, June 25th, in downtown Seattle from 11:00am to 12:30pm!
As one of the Grand Marshals, our advocacy and movement building for Black gender diverse communities will be where it belongs in PRIDE: front and center! This is a moment of joy—a time to come together and show the world that we are here, we are proud, and we will not be silenced. So let's get ready to paint the town and show our support for Black trans liberation! And thank you Seattle Pride for giving us this opportunity. We are very grateful to be here.
