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.