At a recent public forum, every speaker approached the issue of hate crimes against members of the lesbian, gay, bi, trans and queer or questioning community (LGBTQ) in Capitol Hill from a different vantage point. But even so, the underlying message was the same: People no longer feel safe in the community. And they need solutions.
On March 3, hundreds of community members, LGBTQ advocates and leaders met at All Pilgrims Church to share personal stories of hate violence and offer ideas for how to stem a wave of hate crime and bias incidents on the Hill.
Among those incidents: The attempted arson on Neighbours nightclub on New Year’s Day 2014, the murder of two gay men last year in Leschi and the daily verbal and physical harassment described by so many at the forum.
“We should not have to walk around being afraid in our own community,” said Raven Heavy Runner, of the Northwest Two-Spirit Society.
Hosted by Seattle City Councilmember Kshama Sawant and Danielle Askini of the Gender Justice League, the forum drew Mayor Ed Murray, who has called the Hill home for more than 30 years.
“We walked these streets and were in these very rooms when our friends were dying of AIDS,” Murray said.
“Let’s be hopeful,” he added. “We can do this. We’ve done it before.”
A lineup of speakers offered ideas for community-based solutions, often harkening back to the Q-Patrol of the ’90s, a neighborhood patrol group formed in response to gay bashings. Some ideas are already being implemented or will be soon, including a night safety shuttle — set to start March 18 — self-defense courses and an LGBTQ hate-violence info gathering line, meant to gain a more accurate count of hate incidents, which advocates say go largely unreported.
But the idea that generated the most energy was the need for an LGBTQ youth shelter, a proposal that drew multiple rounds of applause. Sawant said she would work to garner funding for a shelter in the city’s budget.
The issue of police mistrust was a common theme at the forum, and community members differed on whether cops should be included as part of the response.
Jackie Sandberg, of Peace for the Streets by Kids from the Streets, shared a candid story of being a homeless LGBTQ youth — one that included being kicked by a cop and called a homophobic slur while sleeping under a bridge, avoiding blocks notorious for LGBTQ harassment and seeing hate violence occur within the social service system.
“I frequently see staff ignore incidents of queer-phobia in these supposed safe spaces,” Sandberg said.
After an emotional testimony, Sandberg took a seat while receiving a standing ovation.
Seattle has one of the largest LGBTQ communities in the nation, largely concentrated in Capitol Hill. Many speakers said they were first drawn to the area because of its vibrant community, but now feel both unsafe and displaced from that community via gentrification and skyrocketing rent.
Sawant told Real Change that the issue of hate violence is interlaced with larger social and economic issues.
“This is not about blaming any particular group of people,” she said. “It’s more about understanding that if we aim to create an affordable, livable, friendly space for all our citizens, we have to create a truly inclusive neighborhood. That brings up the question of whether the people who have made Capitol Hill what it is are able to live there.”
The final public speaker voiced disappointment that many of the suggested solutions put the onus on community members to defend themselves or report crimes. The speaker wanted viable solutions like the LGBTQ center.
“The last person did a good job of challenging us and helping us to not just feel really good about sitting in a room talking,” said Zachary Pullin, of the Capitol Hill Community Council.
Sawant said she hopes the forum was one of many discussions that will lead to action.
“For us, the task doesn’t end tonight,” Sawant told the audience. “It begins tonight.”