Seattle Pride’s Voter's Guide: Queering Public Accountability since 2021

At Seattle Pride, our mission is to “create unity, honor diversity, and achieve equal human rights throughout our region and the world.” While this sounds like word salad to some, in practice this means that we actively seek opportunities to ensure LGBQTIA+ folks are equally represented within their communities, cities, and beyond!

Since 2020, Seattle Pride has been engaging queer Seattle-area voters through our Vote with Pride campaign by registering new voters and rewarding LGBTQIA+ community members for sharpening their civic knowledge via weekly quizzes. Historically, LGBTQIA+ voters have been underrepresented in the electorate - as of 2020 more than 1 in 5 LGBTQIA+ adults were not registered to vote. This is deeply consequential, as we know that high LGBTQIA+ voter turnout helps elect progressive candidates who are more likely to serve the needs of the queer community and keep those who actively persecute us out of office.

This year, we want to serve our LGBTQIA+ community members by holding our King County candidates accountable to the unique needs of the queer electorate. That’s right, we’ve produced our very own Seattle Pride Voter’s Guide!

In our inaugural guide, we ask all King County candidates the following questions:

• What makes you an effective advocate for the LGBTQIA+ community?

• If (re)elected, how will you advance the rights of LGTBQIA+ individuals in your purview?

• LGBTQIA+ workers have disproportionately experienced unemployment and employment insecurity, which the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated, particularly for queer and trans BIPOC workers. How will you use your office to champion employment security for such workers?

• LGBTQIA+ residents have disproportionately experienced homelessness and housing insecurity, which the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated, particularly for queer and trans BIPOC residents. How will you use your office to champion housing security for such residents?

To make it easier for LGBTQIA+ voters, we’ve also assigned ratings based on candidate responses - and we have high standards. While many LGBTQIA+ and allied community members are used to hearing about commitments to “protecting all against discrimination” and “promoting tolerance,” we want to push our candidates to:

• Demonstrate a commitment to equity - prioritizing QTBIPOC community members is a must.

• Be specific - the vast majority of policymakers promise to end homelessness and ensure inclusive workplaces We want to know how! We want our leaders to have actionable policy proposals.

Getting excited? Check out the Seattle Pride Voter’s Guide today to see if your favorite candidate is a champion for LGBTQIA+ communities! Check back often as new candidates are added as they complete the questionnaire. Don’t see your candidate included? Reach out and tell them you deserve to have your needs met. Not sure who your candidates are? Click here to find out!