If Seattle was bracing for a sequel to the anti-LGBTQ+ rally debacle in May that led to the arrest of 23 people, what ended up happening on Aug. 30 at Gas Works Park was a different story.
Sure, a crowd showed up at a concert organized to sing the praises of Sean Feucht — a man who called Pride month “demonic” — but about an equal number showed up in opposition playing Chappell Roan music on kazoos.
Unlike the previous event on Capitol Hill, there was no dramatic recorded confrontation at the Gas Works event to become social media fodder to fuel the culture wars, as the concert organizers might have hoped.
At the same time, across town at Washington Hall, I attended a very different event, designed to reclaim agency, safety, self determination and joy for transgender and queer community members as the Gas Works event unfolded.
Called “Louder Than Hate: Trans and Queer Joy as Resistance,” the event was put on by Lavender Rights Project, a Black and trans-led advocacy organization. While the event was celebratory, tight security and a row of allies and supporters standing outside signaled the seriousness of the moment.
So are people in Seattle generally cool? Is coolness in Seattle above average for the USA?
Generally, yes. The everyday people are more than great. I’ve seen people give the shirt off their back to someone, it isn’t a cliche here. But, there really is the Seattle freeze. My guess is because of the tourists and transient nature of the tech work force. It’s hard to build bonds over and over.
For our police, your experience can be about 50/50 positive. I recently had a great experience with the police dispatch though.
The wealthy here are silent, but deadly. They have so much power and you’ll never know what kicked you in the side of the head.
Sounds nice as a tourist. I think I’m gonna visit Seattle, then.
Well sounds nice except for the bit with the rich people…
You’ll want to move here as a tourist. This state has got the best of every world. We’ve got rain forests, alps, skiing, waterfalls, mountain climbing and old city vibes. It’s ridiculously expensive to live here, but if you’re coming from California, it’s not bad.
Sounds like a deal. I’m from Zürich, so I’m accustomed to ridiculous costs of living.
