Decriminalization at Lavender Rights Project
The Decrim Department exists to dismantle the systems of policing, punishment, and criminalization that disproportionately target Black, trans, queer, immigrant, and poor communities. We believe safety is not built through cages or surveillance — it's built through equity, care, and collective power.
We work towards a future where every person is free to live without fear of harassment, displacement, or incarceration. Our work combines legal advocacy, grassroots organizing, narrative power, and community care to move us toward that vision.
Narrative Power
Stories change culture, and culture changes policy. Through projects like Word on the Street and the How Y'all Feelin, Y'all Alright? townhall series, we uplift the voices of people most impacted by criminalization. These narratives challenge stereotypes, expose harm, and build a collective story about what true safety and justice look like. With the intent of shaping public opinion to inform Policy.
Canvassing & Community Engagement
Change doesn't happen in silence — it happens when we talk to each other, face to face, block by block. Our canvassing and outreach efforts connect directly with community members, neighbors, and partners to share resources, listen deeply, and build power together. We ground our advocacy in the wisdom and leadership of community.
Legal Advocacy
Our legal work is rooted in movement lawyering — law in service of community-led movements for justice. We partner with law firms, grassroots organizations, and impacted people to explore impact litigation that challenges unjust systems and policies.
Through our legal clinics, held in collaboration with our panel of probono attorneys, we provide direct, accessible pathways for community members seeking relief from convictions, legal barriers, or the harms of criminalization. These clinics are designed to remove barriers, uphold dignity, and ensure that legal expertise is shared as a tool for liberation, not gatekeeping.
Our Commitment
The Decrim Department is rooted in liberation. We stand with survivors of the carceral system and fight for policies that replace punishment with care. Together with our coalition partners, community members, and legal advocates, we are reshaping what safety means in Seattle and beyond.
