marchers carrying the seattle dyke march sign

Seattle Dyke March & Rally 2023 Recap

Powerful speakers, exhilarating performers, a unifying march, and a beautiful Seattle summer evening in Volunteer Park just scratches the surface of everything that happened at the 2023 Seattle Dyke March & Rally. We were so honored to spend a few hours celebrating the identities of queer women and dyke-identified folks across the gender spectrum, and recognizing all the beautiful work our community does to fight injustice and make the world a safer place for the LGBTQIA+ community. 

Every participant in the Dyke March & Rally represents a core part of our mission and why the march & rally exist. Our performers remind us of the joy and talent that exists in our community, and the pleasure that comes with celebrating who we are. Our speakers remind us of our history, how we’ve gotten here, and the work still to be done. And you, our incredible Dyke March community, are the reason we do this. Coming together to be in community, uplifting one another, and enjoying the experience of marching through Seattle streets and telling the world who we are — the march and rally exist as a safe space where we can enjoy these experiences to their fullest extent. 

© Naomi Ishisaka

The rally began with a warm welcome from Miss Indigo Blue. Dressed in her (first) stunning outfit for the evening, she introduced Ramona Ahto, who is a member of the Yakama Nation and is also Quinault and Cascade. She led the rally in an opening prayer, reminding us to honor our histories and ancestors. At 82 years old, Ramona is a cornerstone of our community and consistently does her part to speak up against discrimination against 2 Spirit and LGBTQIA+ people.

© Naomi Ishisaka

Following Ramona was our first speaker, Elayne Wiley, who is a founder of the Gender Justice League. She was back to Volunteer Park from the previous day, where she helped organize Trans Pride Seattle, to share her experience as a transwoman in our Dyke community. Her inspiring words of inclusivity and cross-community support were echoed by our crowd, who cried out against her feelings of imposter syndrome and emphasized the belonging of trans and non-binary members of our community. 

Belonging and intersectionality were common themes on our stage this year, and were spoken about extensively by our speakers from GenPride, Judy Kinney and Regina “Queen” King. GenPride is a “senior-focused” organization in Washington for LGBTQIA2S+ adults, and Judy and Queen shared the importance of being mindful of our “Rainbow“ elders, and how we can all work to ensure that those 55 and older have resources to live safely, with dignity, and in community. Social isolation and protection for older adults are challenges that are often overlooked, and GenPride reminds us that all members of our community need our continued love and support. 

Joy, love, and support are some of the key reasons that the Dyke March exists. As organizers, we hope and exist to create a space where our Dyke March community feels safe, empowered, and joyful. Jill Mullins took the stage to represent the Seattle Dyke March organizers, and emphasized the importance of demanding joy in our lives. To better inspire that joy for all involved, she also shared the exciting news that Seattle Dyke March will begin transitioning to become the Seattle Dyke Alliance — an organization that still hosts the annual March & Rally, but will be better able to host events throughout the year. The Alliance hopes to become a hub for queer and dyke-identified Seattlelites, offering spaces and resources for safety, fun, and connection. 

That connection is one of the most amazing feelings at the march — the reminder that you are not alone. People who share your love, identity, feelings, and experiences are all around you, and they are there to celebrate with you or empathize with whatever you’re going through. Jess Leslie from The Trevor Project spoke to us about the importance of this exact thing: the power of community and support networks to prevent suicide. The Trevor Project is the leading suicide prevention and crisis intervention organization for LGBTQIA+ people. Jess shared the harrowing reality of suicide rates amongst young LGBTQIA+ people, where more than 1.8 million members of our community seriously consider suicide every year. But, she also shared what is possible when we exist together and support one another. When we stand together actively against discrimination, transphobia, homophobia, racism, colonization, and xenophobia, we’re able to create spaces of love and support for those who need them most. 

Our featured speaker of the Dyke March was Li Nowlin-Sohl on behalf of the ACLU LGBTQ & HIV Project. As a Senior Staff Attorney with the ACLU, Li has worked on significant cases that ensure that LGBTQIA+ people can live openly without discrimination and enjoy equal rights, personal autonomy, and freedom of expression and association. Li emphasized the history of Pride and its origins as an uprising. She also stressed that we must keep going — even as new legislation passes that better protects our community, other legislation constantly emerges to undo that work. Li urged everyone to stay vigilant, particularly to the more than 500 anti-LGBTQIA+ bills introduced this year, and to always remain active in our resistance to protect our collective future. 

© Naomi Ishisaka

In between our speakers, we were graced with the presence of some exhilarating, titillating, and inspiring performers. Our first performer was Sara Camille Benson, a Seattle-based songwriter who sang her songs ‘Hope Begins at the End’, ‘Say It Loud,’ and ‘Nothing Left to Do but Belong.’ In addition to performing at the rally, Sara hosts monthly Singer/Songwriter events at the Wildrose and has coordinated with the SDM for quarterly Open Mic Nights at Distant Worlds Coffee. 

Next up, our stage was brought to life by King Leo Mane’s funky drag king performance. He excited the crowd with a rousing lip sync performance to a Bruno Mars mash-up, which brought many audience members to their feet to dance with King Leo and offer up some well-deserved dollar bills. When he’s not capturing the hearts of the Dyke March audience, King Leo is a resident cast member at Sissy Butch: a transmasculine showcase and Producer of Seattle’s longest running open stage night, Studio Saturdays.

Another performer who worked our stage was Tracey Wong, who performed a jaw-dropping dance performance to Diana Ross’s ‘I’m Coming Out.’ Diana’s singing with Tracey’s incredible talent and show-stopping, mid-performance outfit change made for an unforgettable experience. In addition to dancing, Tracey is an interdisciplinary artist that lights up and inspires spaces through her singing, DJ-ing, hosting, education, and space-holding work.

A favorite instrument amongst the SDM organizers is the viola — not just for its queerness and beautiful tone, but also for the incredible music that Alex Guy performs with it. Alex is the principal songwriter for Led to Sea, a magnetic chamber-pop trio that fuses classical, pop and experimental music. She offered the Seattle Dyke March audience a mesmerizing performance where she balanced her singing with her viola playing, sharing her songs ‘Have Mercy’ and ‘Hold Still.’ 

Finally, our featured performer of the night, Chiku Nance, closed out the rally with a mix of original music and beloved covers. They’re a Chamoru, queer and non-binary indie singer/songwriter whose music focuses on how they process feelings of love, grief, and struggles with identity. They shared a sample of their original music, including ‘Hurry’ and ‘Havin’ Fun,’ and encouraged the audience to get on their feet and sing along to their cover of Britney Spears’s ‘Baby One More Time’ in preparation for the march. 

This year’s march was a powerful experience in celebration, resistance, and joy. Dykes on Bikes led us through our new route and you, our community, filled the streets with your beautiful bodies, provocative signs, and loud voices that let Seattle know we’re here (and we’re queer). 

We are so grateful to our performers, speakers, and YOU for making this year’s Dyke March & Rally an event to remember. We can’t wait to see you again next year, and look forward to all the ways we can continue to improve and move forward together. 

June 2023 Newsletter

Happy Pride Month from the Seattle Dyke March! 

As the 2023 Pride season kicks off, legislation and attacks on the queer community have been escalating, with trans people of color particularly threatened. The Seattle Dyke March stands unequivocally against the anti-trans, anti-drag, and anti-queer sentiments. Moreover, we believe queer joy, community, and resistance is more essential than ever in the face of increased bigotry. However you celebrate Pride, from staying in with your cats to attending every Pride event in the Seattle area, we encourage you to take the time to reflect on and honor the activists past and present who have made Pride as we know it possible. 

The Seattle Dyke March also has a variety of events planned for the month – for more information of Dyke March events, as well as other events please find our calendar here. For more information on the June 2023 Dyke March, please read Jill Mullins’ previous update here

Community Events

June 9th – August 27th, various times: C.A.M.P. Q, hosted by Queer the Land and Made Space Seattle, is a queer summer camp-inspired series of events, including game night, speed dating, a beach day, maker date, writing workshops and open mics, and a Bainbridge Island field trip, with the goal of inspiring connection. Buy tickets here

June 10th, 7pm – 10pm: The Black Trans Comedy Showcase, a fundraiser show featuring T.S. Madison, Mx Dahlia Belle, KJ Whitehead, and Beyonce Black St. James. Proceeds go to the Lavender Rights Project. Get tickets here

June 10, 7pm: Reign Vs Kansas City Current Pride Match and fundraiser for the Seattle LGBT Center. Purchase tickets here

June 17th, 8pm-1am: ¡AZUQAR! A Queer Latinx Dance Party at Mosé Auto Garage. Both a pre-Pride kickoff and a fundraiser for Seattle’s LGBTQ Center, the party will feature a live band, music performances, and DJ sets.

June 23, 6-9:30pm: Trans Pride Seattle’s 10th anniversary, taking at the Volunteer Park Amphitheatre. Find more information here

June 23, 7:30pm: C.C. Presents Pride at the Sunset – Pole and Burlesque Performances and Dance Party, Featuring DJ Nightmere. Read Lauren Wagner’s review of a previous show below! Purchase tickets here.

June 24, 11am-1pm: Cherry Court Pride Brunch, an intimate supper club hosted by Chef Roni Davis. Buy tickets here

June 23-25th, various times: Wildrose’s weekend of Pride events, featuring a wide range of performers. Find more information and purchase tickets here.

Community Spotlight – Gemini (Pole Show & Dance Party) by Lauren Wagner

The place to be last Friday night was undoubtedly squished between strangers with fistfuls of singles, screaming yourself hoarse while watching performers dazzle you from a pole. And by this, of course, I mean the Gemini pole show at the Sunset Tavern in Ballard. This was the third show put on by CC Presents that I’ve had the privilege of attending, and each time has been even more titillating than the last.

The show comprised of an impressive variety of performers, with the theme of the night highlighting duality in honor of Gemini season. The dances showcased dichotomies such as dreams and nightmares, the sun and moon, and grace and vengeance. The most notable performance of the night was undeniably the “nightmare” performance by Andromeda – have you ever been simultaneously terrified, impressed, and horny?

Previous to these events, the most I had experienced of pole and burlesque performances were seeing the aggressively heterosexual ads aimed towards bachelor parties the one and only time I’ve been to Vegas. I was worried that I would feel out of place as a lesbian there with my partner, but I have never been a part of such an inclusive, invigorating, and intoxicating crowd – there is just something so electric about the celebration of bodies and the power they hold. I left the show feeling sexier than ever and aching for more.

For photos and videos of the event, check out the CC Presents instagram here, and photographer Anna Xu’s instagram here.

If this sounds enticing to you, make sure to snag tickets to the upcoming Pride at the Sunset: Pole and Burlesque show here before it sells out!

Read, Listen, Watch, Learn

Read — Last Night at the Telegraph Club by Malinda Lo: 
Last Night at the Telegraph Club by author Malinda Lo focuses on the coming of age of Lily, a Chinese lesbian coming to terms with her identity and falling in love in 1950s San Francisco. While Lo does not shy away from the difficult realities of Lily’s life during the Red Scare nor under anti-queer laws, she also artfully weaves in moments of joy, love, and discovery. In addition to telling Lily’s story, Lo, who is a lesbian author, places the spotlight on historical butch/femme relationships and lesbian club culture through the eyes of Lily. She offers an introduction to lesbian history without ever lecturing or speaking down to the reader. As AAPI heritage month ends and Pride month begins, Last Night at the Telegraph Club is the perfect YA novel for readers interested in historical fiction and queer romance.

Seattle Dyke March – June Update

It’s Pride month! That means it’s the biggest month of the year for the Seattle Dyke March. Not only does this month feature our annual Dyke Rally & March, but we also have a host of other fun events leading up to our big Pride weekend. 

If you’re looking to meet queer women, sapphics and dyke-identified people across the gender spectrum, join us at our events and march with us on June 24th! Here’s what’s coming up for the Seattle Dyke March this June: 

Upcoming Events hosted by SDM 

Friday, June 9th: Les Dance @ The Lumber Yard 

We’re collaborating with The Lumber Yard in White Center to host a dance night for our community! Join us for a night of dancing, drinks and fun with DJ Summersoft. Doors open at 8PM, and make sure to stop by the Seattle Dyke March table to say hi and grab some cute buttons! 

Check out the Facebook event for more details. 

Saturday, June 10th: WLW Queer Takeover @ Wild Waves Theme & Water Park

Come celebrate summer at the water park! Make new queer connections, and have a blast on rides and in the water. When you arrive, just look for the rainbow ribbon by the wave pool!

You can buy your ticket beforehand at wildwaves.com or at the gate. Parking is $20 per vehicle.

Friday, June 23rd: Les Mingle @ WILDROSE

Are you looking for an opportunity to meet other queer women and dyke-identified people in Seattle? Then Les Mingle is your chance! Join us for Pride weekend at WILDROSE on Friday, June 23rd for Les Mingle, an evening of facilitated mingling and matching. 

Find out who the local plant parents and passenger princesses are in our community with a fun game of mingle bingo! Worried about mistyping phone numbers or usernames in the blur of the fun? We’ll have snazzy business cards with your preferred contact info (mobile numbers, IG handles, whatever you want!) to hand out to potential friends… or more 😉 

Tickets are limited and they’re going FAST, so snag yours today. Please note, you must also purchase a ticket to WILDROSE’s Friday Pride to join Les Mingle. Your ticket to Les Mingle DOES NOT include the cover to WILDROSE. Tickets to WILDROSE can be purchased here

Saturday, June 24th: Seattle Dyke March & Rally 

This is it: our biggest event of the year! Join us on Saturday, June 24th for the annual Seattle Dyke March & Rally. We have an incredible line-up this year, including speakers from the ACLU National LGBTQ project and the Trevor Project, a drag king performance by Leo Mane, a musical performance by Chiku Nance, and more! The rally will also be emceed by the incredible Miss Indigo Blue! 

As we announced a few weeks ago, there will be a number of changes to this year’s event. First, we will be at Volunteer Park and marching in the residential neighborhood around the park. The reason for this change is to avoid involvement with the Seattle Police Department. As such, this year’s march will also be unpermitted. If you choose to participate, please understand what it means to march unpermitted and prepare accordingly. Dykes on Bikes will also be joining us in a limited capacity for this year’s march due to restrictions around space and safety. For more information about these changes, please check out our Dyke March Update blog

We will also be making an extremely BIG announcement at this year’s rally, so you won’t want to miss it! Bring your sunscreen, your emotional support water bottle, and all your queer friends for an afternoon of uplifting, amplifying, and celebrating queer and dyke identities! 

What’s Coming the Rest of the Year? 

Although the Seattle Dyke March is our pinnacle event of the year, we host events year round! For the rest of 2023, you can look forward to ongoing Open Mic nights and a new Speed Dating series beginning in July! Make sure you’re following us on Facebook, Instagram, and MeetUp so you never miss an event! 

Interested in getting involved with the Seattle Dyke March or have questions about our upcoming events? Please reach out to us at organizers@seattledykemarch.com

Happy Pride, and we can’t wait to celebrate with you! 

seattle dyke march 2023 logo

Seattle Dyke March & Rally 2023 Announcement! 

We are two months away from the annual Seattle Dyke March and Rally on June 24th, 2023! We are celebrating our 29th year of the March, but as with most things, time brings change. We will still have the Rally from 5-7PM and the March will begin between 7-8PM when the Rally ends. We are moving to Volunteer Park and having an unpermitted march around the North Capitol Hill neighborhood. 

The Seattle Dyke Rally will be held at Volunteer Park on June 24th, 2023 at 5PM. As in previous years, this will be a celebration of dyke-identity from across the gender spectrum. Our stage is a place to highlight and honor the experiences, pleasures, activism and identities of queer women and dyke-identified people — that much is unchanged. If you are interested in speaking or performing at this year’s Dyke March, please reach out to organizers@seattledykemarch.org, but please keep in mind that we ask that all persons on stage be dyke-identified. The Seattle Dyke Rally is an annual event to highlight the voices of queer women and dyke-identified people across the gender spectrum, so please be respectful of this effort and uplift these voices during our event. 

Second, since the Rally will be hosted at Volunteer Park, that is also where the March will begin from. Since we are marching unpermitted and without police involvement, we have moved to this new location to protect the safety of our marchers and limit disruption to Seattle public transportation. There are risks associated with participating in an unpermitted march, and we completely understand if anyone is uncomfortable participating. If you plan to participate, please know your rights and come prepared

Want to attend the Rally and not the March? That’s fine! However you choose to show up during Pride is valued and appreciated. In addition to the Rally, we will also be hosting a number of other events throughout Pride and during the rest of the year, so this is not your only opportunity to find community! 

Why are we moving? 

There are logistical reasons, like trying to find a venue that will make sound easier through access to electricity, but the main reason we are moving is to have a March and Rally on Capitol Hill during Pride weekend that better aligns with our values. Historically, the Seattle Dyke March has been a permitted event at Seattle Pride. We have spent several years attempting to find a way to safely do a march that does not require a police escort. We have been unable to get traction on changing the law or the interpretation of the law which requires a police management of controlled intersections. We have also been unable to secure the volunteer force sufficient enough to block streets to feel like we could safely do a march through a busier neighborhood. This move allows us to keep the March, while making sure that we keep people safe. 

In addition, without being permitted, we won’t be able to coordinate with King County Metro about bus routes. The Dyke March is mindful about how important access to reliable public transportation is and our historic route needs coordination with King County Metro. 

Why is it important to us to have a march without a police escort? 

We are sure that the vast majority of people familiar with the values of Dyke Marches understand why the institution of policing is problematic. The Seattle Police Department has a long, troubled history. Throughout the 1900s, the Seattle Police Department was considered corrupt due to the collusion with criminalized gambling and sex work

In 2010, Seattle Police killed an innocent Native American woodcarver, John T. Williams. The Department of Justice investigated, and the Seattle Police Department has been under a consent decree since 2011 to attempt to correct its racist/biased policing that is so pervasive it was found to violate our constitutional rights.  

In that time, we have witnessed many other incidents of violence and death at the hands of police. 

We also witness the ways SPD disrespect the civilians it is supposed to serve and protect. In the middle of the CHOP/CHAZ protests, the SPD engaged in radio chatter about Proud Boys coming to the Capitol Hill to try and scare people into leaving. 

Last year, with the rising levels of anti-LGBTQ rhetoric, when trying to discuss how SPD would respond to protestors, SPD made it very clear that they would do nothing to prevent protesters from attempting to infiltrate our permitted event — something that we have seen in the past. The way the police will stand by when someone is yelling and screaming obscenities, hateful rhetoric, and clearly attempting to start conflict. The only time they would get involved is if the protester assaulted someone, and the person who was assaulted was willing to file a complaint. The police made it clear that if anyone in the March attempted to keep the protester out, they could be subject to arrest if they touched the protester and the protester complained. 

The reality is that having SPD at our event is inconsistent with our values. We should have never done a permitted route if it meant SPD had to escort us. We should have stopped having the escort after the killing of John T. Williams. We should have stopped after the killing of Charleena Lyles. We should not have done our first post-pandemic march with a permit. But we cannot keep marching with a permit even though we failed to do better in the past. 

How will the route change impact other parts of the March? 

Dykes on Bikes will be joining us for the 2023 march, but in a different capacity than previous years. Due to the new route, we are not confident that the more narrow streets will be able to accommodate the Dykes on Bikes and their need to do circles to prevent damage to vehicles from idling at low speeds. Therefore, Dykes on Bikes will begin the march, but the riders will move to block intersections as the march continues.  

We are checking to determine whether we will be able to have the accessible bus on our route. If not, we will be exploring other options so people who want to be a part of the March but have barriers to walking the entire route can still participate. 

It is a challenge, giving up our historic route and knowing that we may lose some of the incredible feeling of community that is collectively marching through the main streets of our gayborhood. It is hard navigating what will be safe for our community, knowing many people may not even know what the difference between a permitted and unpermitted march are. We trust our community of Dykes will understand and support this decision. We look forward to marching in community in ways that feel safe. Figuring out what our future Marches will look like is going to be a work in progress. We invite your feedback — you can always reach us at organizers@seattledykemarch.org.

We can’t wait to celebrate and march with you! 

Juneteenth

The Seattle Dyke March recognizes Juneteenth, a holiday that in many ways demonstrates the difficulty of the fight against one of our nation’s original sins: the enslavement of human beings. Juneteenth marks a day two and a half years after slavery was supposed to have ended in confederate states — but didn’t end in Texas until June 19, 1865. The Thirteenth Amendment would officially end slavery (except in the case of incarceration) on December 6, 1865.

It is well past time we begin to celebrate the end of slavery. It is well past time we begin to honor the importance of ending the enslavement of human beings.

There has been so much systemic racism in our country and in particular Washington state, when founded as the Oregon Territory, excluded Black people from residing in its borders.

We know that Juneteenth as a holiday does not equate to Black liberation. We will keep pushing for reparations, voting rights, fair housing, health equity, and police reform.

Seattle Dyke March Supports Take B(l)ack Pride

As you are considering what events to attend and support this Pride season, please educate yourself about who is running those events. The in-person “Capitol Hill Pride” event is being run by people with a long history of inserting themselves and attempting to displace community events and center themselves. Their attack on Taking B(l)ack Pride is the latest example. The Seattle Dyke March fully supports Taking B(l)ack Pride, the Trans Women of Color Solidarity Network who is organizing it, and the concept of charging admission to non-Black people who want to attend their event.
Information on Taking B(l)ack Pride, and How To Donate📢@twocsolidaritynetwork (facebook.com/TWOCSolidarityNW) is putting on TAKING B[L]ACK PRIDE on June 26th at 1PM.
💰Venmo: @TWOCSolidarity-NW
💰Cash App: $TWOCSolidarity-NW
💰PayPal: TWOCSolidarityNW

Details from Taking B(l)ack Pride’s Facebook Page (as of 6/20/21)

In collaboration with: Trans Women of Color Solidarity Network ,Alphabet Alliance of Color, Queer the LandTo Our Community,
Our hearts break in the shadow of the recent deaths of our trans siblings Dominique Lucious, Diamond Kyree Sanders and Jaida Peterson. This Pride we honor our fallen, and raise them up! This Pride Month we take our community back!
“TAKING B[L]ACK PRIDE” is about lifting the voices, narratives, and contributions of black queer and trans voices. It’s about centering who we are and what we need to feel empowered, joyful, and heard.
****All are free to attend HOWEVER this is a BLACK AND BROWN QUEER TRANS CENTERED, PRIORITIZED, VALUED, EVENT.
White allies and accomplices are welcome to attend but will be charged a $10 to $50 reparations fee that will be used to keep this event free of cost for BLACK AND BROWN Trans and Queer COMMUNITY. ****
Please join us for our HOEVID-19 Ball with $400 category prizes and much much more!
Come join us for food, movies in the park, performances and open speak spaces, art healing spaces, music, and, dancing in a social distancing friendly park!
We will also have a Covid-19 vaccine clinic
(Masks Mandatory masks available.) To volunteer, click here:
https://docs.google.com/…/1FAIpQLSesk7TjK49…/viewform…
Support TAKING B[L]ACK PRIDE!
Venmo- @TWOCSolidarity-NW
Cash App-$TWOCSolidarityNW
PayPal-TWOCSolidarityNW
Accessibility:
ASL interpreters will be available for the main performances and Ball. We will live stream the event And pin ASL Interpreters. Jimi Hendrix Park has wheel chair accessible pathways to the park from parking lot and sidewalks. Access map will be available soon to show accessible entrances, parking, bathrooms

Dyke March Newsletter 6/9/21 – Virtual Showcase

Saturday, June 26, at 5pm we will continue to celebrate and honor the talents of queer women and dyke-identified people across the gender spectrum through our 2021 Pride Virtual Showcase. We are excited to host Tracey Wong, 1st-generation Chinese-American (Gaginang) dancer, educator, and community event organizer who will captivate us with her moves. Also captivating us with her moves will be Luna Sol (a/k/a Stephy Styles) doing a Waacking Burlesque. If you’re not familiar with Waacking, check out this YouTube video linking the dance style to LGBTQ history and community. Delphine Elliott ushers in the next generation of singer-songwriters with an Indie/Pop sound, and Grae Violet is a singer-songwriter and spoken word artist who blends dreamy vocals with 80s style synth-pop beats for a trippy alt-pop sound that centers her unique black queer artist perspective on all of her work. Save Your Spot Now!Dyke March favorite, Naomi Ishisaka wrote an article about the anniversary of George Floyd’s murder. 
Queer & Trans Pop-Up Market in White Center on June  12- Check out VietQ’s Facebook page for more info. 
Century Ballroom OutDancing is venturing into the vaccinated events world by hosting the first OutDancing event in over a year. Vaccines required and it maxes at 50. Friday, June 11, 2021, 8:30 to 10:30 p.m.  
Seattle Pride will hold an online event during Pride Weekend (June 26-27, 11am-5pm). 
Pacific Northwest Black Pride Theme in 2021: “Stronger Together Fighting: Anti-Blackness – Centering Black Trans Lives” – watch the website for details about a possible event possibly in October. 
Pride Asia Fest was May 30 and the video is online
Entre Hermanos is already advertising for their annual Día De Muertos Gala in October.

Dyke Discussions – News, books, commentary, and more that has captured our attention
Seattle Times article providing resources for mental health for BIPOC. 
The ACLU-Wa series on policing in Washington, from budgets, overtime, and the war drugs and a new series to explore. 
LGBT Allyship sent out an summarizing the recent Washington legislative session and continues to provide information and resources for renters. 

LGBTQ Issues and stories captivating us 
Making Gay History recent podcast honored Kay Lahusen, January 5, 1930 – May 26, 2021. Kay was a monumental figure in the LGBTQ civil rights movement with Barbara Gittings, her partner in life and activism. Her frustration with mainstream movements resonated with the Dyke March desire to always explore how we can do better than assimilation or the status quo. 
Aisha Ibrahim, becomes the first female executive chef at Canlis and she’s joined by her partner, Samantha Beaird.
The Seattle Dyke March is looking for poets, musicians, and artists of all kinds to amplify the art and activism of queer women and dyke identified performers. If you, or someone you know, is interested in a spot on our virtual gallery, please contact us via email of fill out our google form at http://bit.ly/SeattleDykeMarchGallery

Dyke March April 21, 2021 Newsletter

Community Spotlight – Hothouse Spa
Long time Seattle Dyke March supporter and community creator, the Hothouse, has opened it’s doors on a limited basis. Prior to pandemic, Hothouse was a drop-in spa for cis and trans women. Recently it opened up for private rentals for up to four people. Dyke March organizer, Jill Mullins, and lover of the Hothouse was able to reserve some time at the Hothouse. It felt great to support this local queer-owned business – and most importantly, it felt safe. The spa was super clean. Masks are required to be worn while at the spa. Jill used her cloth face mask. Hothouse provides face masks and it was nice to use the disposable face mask they provided afterward (masks get damp and it was great to leave with a fresh mask). 
Owner, Julio, helped with the check-in. He was delightful and chatted, answering all sorts of questions about what it’s like to keep the Hothouse open so that it will survive the pandemic. He also had a phone attachment for the audio system and Jill and her spa partner got to enjoy their own playlist while soaking, steaming, and enjoying the sauna. He creates a super safe feeling at the spa and provides a 15 minute notice through a doorbell sound so you can relax and not think about the time. 
Go to https://www.hothousespa.com/ to book your visit!  Dyke March favorite, Naomi Ishisaka continues to publish interesting comments articles about race and social justice, continuing the conversation about Asian Americans discrimination and writing about a new Washington State Supreme Court holding Washington’s drug statute unconstitutional. Naomi and Anika Varty are creating a Seattle Times Equity & Inclusion Newsletter.
Gal Pals Watch Podcast dropped a new podcast discussing Ellie & Abbie (& Ellie’s Dead Aunt). 
After attending a StopAsianHate Rally, the Seattle Dyke March has a new favorite dancer, Tracey Wong! She has several videos and details about some great work she does in community.

Dyke Discussions – News, books, commentary, and more that has captured our attention
It is hard to think of anything other than racialized violence. The murders of Asian women at spas, members of the Sikh community at the FedEx facility, and the endless police violence and murders of Black and Brown folks. We think one of the best things we can do to express our solidarity is to amplify the family, community, and people doing work to create change. 

Black Lives Matter As the verdict came down, we have been captivated by the family of George Floyd and the way the horror of the death of their family member echoes Emmitt Till and his mother Mamie Till Bradley’s demand for an open casket to raise awareness. 
We also continue to turn to Dr. Angela Davis and her lifelong history of fighting police violence, talking about important changes to – prison reformdefunding the police, restructuring the bail system
We continue to support Black Voters Matter and pay attention to the Republican efforts to remake our democracy and radically extend the already discriminatory voting practices that exist in many states, especially after the U.S. Supreme Court ended some of the Voting Rights Act protections in 2013 in Shelby County v. Holder. 
We continue to say their names, most recently, Duante Writght, 20 and Ma’Khia Bryant, 16, and so many more that do not become as well know. The African American Policy Forum allows us to dig deep, with their most recent YouTube (4 hour) video, UCLA Law Review’s 2021 Annual Symposium (Day 1), Structural Inequality and the Law
We’re also excited to explore some films at Seattle Black Film Festival. As avid listeners to NPR’s Code switch, back in February, we listened to a podcast about Black romance novels and discovered Beverly Jenkins historical fiction novels that are fun to read while also providing some historical information. 
LGBTQ Issues and stories captivating us 
The LeGALs podcast provides interesting discussions about the issues impacting LGBTQ community in the courts, with a recent podcast about expected cases to come to the Supreme Court.
The ACLU At Liberty Podcast has so many good podcasts on all the issues, and in April they had a conversation with Chase Strangio about legislation attacking Trans youth
There’s also the push to get the Equality Act passed, which will clarify that LGBTQ people cannot be discriminated against n employment, housing, credit, education, public accommodations (things like restaurants, hotels, and theaters), and jury service (on the state level, in Washington, this is already the law). 
Inspired the by Seattle Lesbian Literature Meetup book club April read, we recently read, “Red at the Bone” by Jacqueline Woodson and loved the weaving of intergenerational stories and the way in which queerness has become a part of stories. 

Supporting Lesbian Community Businesses in Covid

When coming to a new city or Coming Out or getting out of a relationship, we often crave community spaces. Spaces where we may be able to meet other queer women (inclusively and expansively defined). Two places in Seattle have been significant sources of community for many a Seattle Dyke. We encourage you to support them so we can all go out and celebrate when we can safely enjoy being in the community again. 

Century Ballroom

The Century Ballroom is a long time Dyke March supporter. For years, we have done an OutDancing Fundraiser with them. OutDancing is a monthly queer social dancing night in Century Ballroom’s iconic space. Hallie and Allison have been creating space for queers to come to socialize through dancing since forever (check out this adorable video made in 2015 about Century Ballroom Swing Girls). In recent years, they have been able to sustain a Friday night queer dance lesson series that seemed to keep growing and building before the pandemic. 

Of course, in the pandemic, the Century cannot do all the dance classes and dance nights we love. However, this kind of community will be vital to our ability to recover and reconnect in the pandemic’s aftermath. 

There are two main ways to support the Century. The first is their GoFundMe Fundraiser – available at https://www.gofundme.com/f/-campaign-for-CenturyBallroom. Another way to help them is by getting food from Tin Table. They’re keeping it interesting by changing up the menu and having special event menus for events like the inauguration and Valentine’s Day. 

The Wildrose Bar (a/k/a The Rose)

There is a special magic that can happen simply by having space just for us.  It’s hard to be a queer woman in Seattle and not have a story or a dozen about the Rose. Once upon a time, they had Spoken Word nights, and I got to feature and MC on different occasions. There were long-standing trivia and karaoke, and I learned some of my friends have excellent singing voices and range. Once upon a time, there were pool tables, and hanging out on a slow night with one of my BFFs and my queer twin, led my queer twin to a friendship that would go strong for more than a decade and open the door to the world of rugby. Pre-pandemic, my lesbian book club would occasionally end up on the dance floor on a Saturday evening, sardined in with a bunch of queer women. 

Who hasn’t spent part of Pride at the Wildrose? Reuniting with people you maybe only see once or twice a year, but once upon a time, you hung out all through a period in your 20s (or 30s, or… ). Sunday at Pride has long been a fundraiser, with the door cost donated towards various LGBTQ nonprofits. 

The Wildrose is open as much as it can be during the Covid Times. Their Facebook page seems to be the best place to get updated information. Taco Tuesday is still happening! Martha’s homemade chicken enchiladas are available every day. You can also make a donation via their GoFundMe page at https://www.gofundme.com/f/the-wildrose-needs-your-help 

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If you know of other lesbian, bi, queer women (inclusively and expansively defined) businesses you’d like us to spotlight, let us know.