City of Seattle to Celebrate the 14th Annual LGBTQ+ Pride Flag Raising at City Hall

Ceremony will celebrate Seattle’s LGBTQ+ community and reaffirm the City’s commitment to building a safe and welcoming Seattle

On June 1, the City of Seattle will kick off Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer (LGBTQ+) Pride Month with a flag raising at City Hall. The event will celebrate Seattle’s LGBTQ+ community and reaffirm the City’s commitment to building a safe and welcoming city amid escalating attacks on LGBTQ rights.

“Everyone in our city deserves to be safe and supported regardless of who they love or how they identify,” said Mayor Katie Wilson. “I’m committed to working with LGBTQ+ community leaders to ensure our city lives up to its values as a welcoming city where everyone, particularly our transgender and gender non-conforming community members, is safe and feels like they belong.” 

Legislation that restricts LGBTQ+ rights, particularly for transgender and gender non-conforming people, is increasing in the United States. The American Civil Liberties Union is currently tracking 529 anti-LGBTQ bills that impose barriers to LGBTQ+ educational curriculum, school sports, public restroom access, and more.¹

Seattle has strong civil rights laws which protect everyone from discrimination and harassment based on sexual orientation, gender identity, race, and many other protected classes. The City of Seattle also enforces the all-gender restroom law, which provides greater restroom access for transgender and gender diverse individuals. Anyone who thinks they have experienced discrimination in housing, employment, or public places is encouraged to contact the Seattle Office for Civil Rights.

Expanding LGBTQ+ Protections and Community-Centered Responses  

In partnership with the Seattle LGBTQ Commission, the City of Seattle continues to expand protections for current and newly arrived LGBTQ+ individuals. In 2025, Seattle passed legislation to extend Washington State’s “Shield Law” into municipal code, which protects people seeking reproductive or gender-affirming care in Seattle from arrest or prosecution.² Now, the City is forming a new workgroup to evaluate and respond to immediate and long-term community needs. This group—comprised of representatives from the Office of Mayor Katie Wilson, the Seattle Office for Civil Rights, Seattle LGBTQ Commission, City Council, City agencies, community organizations, and regional partners—will focus on coordinating housing, behavioral health, food access, transportation, legal support, and survivor-centered violence prevention services with an emphasis on the intersectional experiences of LGBTQ+, Black, Indigenous, and people of color communities.  

“It’s important to honor history and come together to celebrate LGBTQ+ communities, especially as hard-fought civil rights protections are being rolled back,” said Erika Pablo, Interim Director of the Seattle Office for Civil Rights. “We’re energized to partner with Mayor Wilson, the LGBTQ Commission, and City Council on this work group to address urgent community needs while establishing a long-term structure for stronger protections and support for Seattle’s LGBTQ+ community.” 

About the Flag Raising 

The LGBTQ+ Pride Flag raising is a public event, and everyone is welcome to attend. The ceremony will feature remarks from the Mayor Katie Wilson, the Seattle LGBTQ Commission, City Councilmembers, and community activists Deaunte Damper and Danni Askini. There will also be community impact awards, performances by Rainbow City Performing Arts, a City Council proclamation recognizing June as Pride Month, and a reception with free food and time to connect with one another.  

City of Seattle’s 14th Annual LGBTQ+ Pride Flag Raising 

• Date and time: Monday June 1, 2026 at 12:00 PM 
• Location: Bertha Knight Landes Room, Seattle City Hall, 600 4th Ave, Seattle, WA 98104 

What People are Saying  

Joy Hollingsworth, President, Seattle City Council   

“Pride isn’t about one day or one month, it’s about uplifting 2SLGBTQIA+ voices and experiences year-round. This Pride month it is important to celebrate our joy and resilience, especially in the face of adversity. As a Black and Gay person, it often feels like I need to choose which group I belong to—a reality I know many Seattleites relate to. Today’s celebration is a beautiful moment, and it is just one step in a continuous journey toward building a Seattle with progressive outcomes.”

Dionne Foster, Councilmember, Seattle City Council  

“Visibility is a form of power. Seattle’s 2SLGBTQIA+ community has helped define our city’s creative life, civic movements, and commitment to justice. Raising the Pride flag is a celebration of that legacy, and a reminder that our work is not finished. We must continue defending the rights, safety, and dignity of 2SLGBTQIA+ residents especially those most targeted by discrimination and erasure including trans and gender-nonconforming people, queer and trans people of color, immigrants, and disabled community members.” 

Jessa Davis, Co-Chair, Seattle LGBTQ Commission 

“Raising the Pride flag at City Hall is more than a symbolic act. At a time when transgender people and their families are being forced to leave their homes in search of safety, it is a clear statement that Seattle is committed to being a Welcoming City in practice, not just in name. That means standing firm in our values and ensuring that everyone who comes here has the ability to live with dignity, safety, and belonging.” 

Chris Curia, Co-Chair, Seattle LGBTQ Commission 

“This year’s pride flag raising serves as both a celebration of identity and an act of resistance against escalating attacks on 2SLGBTQIA+ community members, locally and nationwide. Visibility, safety, and belonging are deeply important values for our community and reaffirm our commitment to being a Welcoming City for all. Raising the Pride Flag is a pledge to uphold policies, protections, and community support systems that allow each of us, all of us, to live openly, with safety, dignity, and pride.” 

Danni Askini, Executive Director, Gender Justice League and Trans Pride Seattle 

“Raising this flag at City Hall is a public declaration that Seattle sees its transgender community, stands with us, and refuses to let our families be erased at a moment of sustained political attack. Gender Justice League is proud of the partnership between our community and a City government that has matched its values with action: protective legislation, inclusive health policy, and direct investment in the people most under threat. That partnership is the work this flag represents.” 

Deaunte Damper, LGBTQ Chair, NAACP Alaska Oregon Washington State Area Conference  

“I’m honored to join this year’s Pride Flag Raising in recognition of the ongoing work needed to ensure LGBTQ+ communities are safe, visible, and supported. Pride is both celebration and a continued call to action for equity, justice, and accountability in our city systems.” 

The Seattle Office for Civil Rights’ mission is to provide leadership in upholding civil rights and advance racial equity in the City of Seattle. 

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1. American Civil Liberties Union. (2026, May 15). Mapping Attacks on LGBTQ Rights in U.S. State Legislatures in 2026. www.aclu.org/legislative-attacks-on-lgbtq-rights-2026 ↩︎
2. Seattle Office of the Mayor. (2025, March 31). Mayor Harrell signs legislation fortifying local protections for people seeking gender‑affirming and reproductive health care. harrell.seattle.gov/2025/03/31/mayor-harrell-signs-legislation-fortifying-local-protections-for-people-seeking-gender-affirming-and-reproductive-health-care/ ↩︎