The history of the LGBTQIA+ community in the Seattle area has deep roots going back centuries. In the 19th century, legislation was passed making any non-heterosexual relationships a crime. This forced many into the shadows. As time progressed and industrialization took hold in Seattle, various gay communities would begin to form. Bars, code words, and discrete relationships formed out of the necessity for safety.
In 1974, five years after the Stonewall Rebellion in New York City, Seattle held its first ever Pride event. Less than 200 people were in attendance. While numbers were low, the Gay Liberation Movement in Seattle grew larger as time went on. By 1977, the Mayor of Seattle declared the city’s first ever Gay Pride week. LGBTQIA+ organizations took inspiration from the Civil Rights leaders of the time by using the same ideas of power and freedom to describe their movement.
Organizations like the Men of All Colors and Cultures Together (MACCT) would form to address the racism within the gay community. The organization worked to bring awareness and change to their linked struggles for freedom and acceptance. In recent decades, more organizations focusing on a diversity of identities have formed in order to address the various intersections of race and ethnicity with the LGBTQIA+ community.
Today, Seattle has one of the largest Pride Parades in the country with 300,000+ community members and allies attending every year. As we celebrate today, we also reflect on the deep history of persistence and resilience in the LGBTQIA+ community. We honor and continue the work in creating equality among the many intersections of identities.
