Queer and proud in Cascadia
It was in my early fifties when I came out as bisexual (or, pansexual if you prefer, though I like the definition of bisexuality as being attracted to people of the same or different genders as oneself).
When I first lived on Capitol Hill, the heart of Seattle's queer community, in the 1990s, I identified as heterosexual. I wasn't sure what to do with the feelings I felt for men and didn't have many masculine-identifying bisexual role models. I suppose there are handful more now, though really the most famous seem to be a pretty short list that includes Frank Ocean, David Bowie, and Alan Cumming.
I suspect many men, because of social stigma, don't want to admit attraction to other men. For me, coming out, even this late in life, allowed me to finally feel I was living as an authentic, playful version of myself.
Now, I'm living on Capitol Hill again for the first time in many years. And being here for Pride makes me feel at home in a way I haven't in a long time.
I feel safe to chat and make friends at bars like Pony and Union. Neighborhood bookstores such as Elliott Bay serve up all sorts of queer literature and trans-friendly graphic novels (though I do miss Bailey-Coy, the Hill's pioneering bookstore for LGBTQ folks). I can walk to shops like Queertique or Out of the Closet. And Gay City once provided me with a place to have an honest, practical conversation about sexual health with an empathetic medical professional.
Of course, Pride this year feels especially loaded. For Cascade PBS, I recently wrote about how Seattle's queer communities (especially trans people) are feeling fearful but empowered this year. In the past five months, the Trump administration and the GOP have ramped up anti-LGBTQ rhetoric and legislation. Another article today at Cascade PBS notes that, in just one example, trans people in Seattle can't currently get passports with their correct gender marker, despite a court ruling saying they should be able to.
Cascadia's LGBTQ community is on edge, and I'm feeling it too.
But I'm also grateful I live in a city that's welcoming to queer folks. I'm proud to be from a state that was one of the first of three to pass a statewide measure granting same-gender couples the right to marry (even if I personally don't want to be married).
It's a difficult time – Jim Obergefell, the plaintiff in the US Supreme Court ruling that legalized marriage equality in the US ten years ago today, said in an essay at the Advocate that our rights are in danger and are already being taken from us, especially trans people:
Bans on lifesaving gender-affirming care, military service, playing sports with friends, bathroom use, updates to government IDs, and other harmful policies make life impossible for the trans community. --Jim Obergefell
I'm proud of how Cascadia has been leader in LGBTQ rights, and as our region begins to consider whether independence is necessary, I will do everything in my power to ensure that human rights for queer people – and all people – will be guaranteed here in the Pacific Northwest.
--Andrew Engelson
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