Can I Get a Witness?

by Rachael Brister, GSBA Deputy Directory

You have picked the venue, figured out what to wear, purchased the rings and then you realize you need two witnesses. One problem…you are getting married hundreds of miles away from your home. Who you gonna call? GSBA! 

At the recommendation of Judge Eileen Kato that is exactly what multiple same-sex couples have been doing when traveling to Seattle to take advantage of our newly and fabulously legal same-sex marriage. When I received the first call requesting wedding witnesses, I was a little surprised, but could not help smiling from ear to ear. Since that first call, GSBA staff has been witness to ceremonies at the King County Courthouse for couples hailing from California, Texas, Oklahoma, Georgia and Montana. And that is just in the last month. They have aged in range from 20-somethings to couples in their 60s. 

At first this may sound odd or intrusive. We are strangers to these couples and they strangers to us. But these ceremonies are not the lavish events that take months to plan. They are the ceremonies so many in our community never thought we would see…legal marriages performed by a judge in a courtroom. But they are also not the stereotypical sterile image conjured when thinking of a courtroom wedding. Judge Kato takes the time to meet with the couple in private and discuss their vows and thoughtfully places the couple in a bright spot by the windows in her courtroom. “People seem to like this spot, especially for photographs.” Judge Kato offers. Then the ceremony begins and we sit quietly in the second row pew officially witnessing the nuptials. And we are not just witnesses, but also double as wedding photographer and videographer… one instance with an iPad firmly balanced on the back of the pew in front of us. Then about 10 minutes later, vows and rings have been exchanged and we clap and say congratulations as Judge Kato pronounces the couple married. The pertinent paperwork is then signed and we say goodbye to the happy couple. But not before recommending at least 5 GSBA member bars and restaurants they should visit during the rest of their stay in Seattle. From wedding witness to photographer to concierge…...just doing my gay civic duty and enjoying every minute of it. 

Witnessing the marriage of Lois & Karen from Montana

Seattle LGBT Non-Profit Leaders Meet with Executive Directors of Israel Gay Youth and Hoshen

by Zach Carstensen, Dir. of Governmental Relations & Public Affairs, Jewish Federation of Seattle

On Wednesday, March 14th, leaders from Seattle’s LGBT nonprofit community joined Irit Zviely-Efrat and Avner Dafi. Irit and Avner are the executive directors of Hoshen and Israel Gay Youth respectively.  They are two of the Israeli nonprofit organizations which comprise the Alliance of Israeli LGBTQ Educational Organizations. The lunch meeting was convened by the Greater Seattle Business Association and the Jewish Federation of Greater Seattle. It was organized by A Wider Bridge, an organization whose mission is to build stronger connections between the LGBT communities in Israel and North America.

IGY - Israel Gay Youth

During the lunch meeting, Avner and Irit described the present conditions for LGBT people living in Israel and the challenges and opportunities for nonprofits seeking to serve the LGBT community. The group also opened a productive dialog on the future opportunities between the two communities including visitor exchanges, capacity building to help strengthen and enhance the Israeli LGBT and LGBT nonprofit communities. By sharing knowledge and expertise organizations like the GSBA, Jewish Federation, Hoshen and Israel Gay Youth will continue making progress for gay and lesbian people wherever they might live.    

Hoshen

The Greater Seattle Business Association and the Jewish Federation will be developing a road map for future activities to bring the two communities closer together for learning, deeper understanding and future action.

Taking Action to Make Sure Youth Thrive

By Stacey Prince, Beyond the Bridge

Three years ago on a rainy October day, my wife, Teri Mayo and I, took a long walk across the Aurora Bridge. The events of that day evolved into us starting a nonprofit that has become one of the biggest priorities and greatest joys of our professional lives.

That October walk was a vigil and march designed to bring community awareness to suicide and the need for greater prevention efforts.  There were a startling number of LGBTQ youth suicides in the news and I had seen the devastating effects of bullying, family rejection, homophobia and transphobia in my clinical practice.  Teri and I organized about 40 friends and colleagues, printed t-shirts and information cards on the risks of suicide among LGBTQ youth and marched alongside the original event participants. 

After the march we wanted to galvanize the energy, support and enthusiasm it had generated and to create a sustained effort to address the challenges facing LGBTQ youth.  We decided to build a fundraising organization that could provide support to the many great community organizations already working on these issues.  Partnering with The Pride Foundation, we established an Area of Interest fund and Beyond the Bridge (BTB) was founded.

In just two years, Beyond the Bridge has raised over $25,000, mostly from individual donors, and has made grants to 11 local organizations working to reduce risk factors and increase resilience among LGBTQ youth.  In addition to direct suicide prevention efforts, these organizations focus on some of the most significant risk factors that contribute to LGBTQ youth suicidality, including bias based bullying, family rejection, homelessness, messages of intolerance from faith communities and the  homophobia and transphobia that fuel these issues.

While fundraising and grant making are BTB’s primary goals, we also focus on community awareness and education through a resource-filled monthly e-newsletter, social media postings and face to face events.  BTB also acts as a clearinghouse, connecting people to organizations and organizations to each other. 

Teri and I are looking to build a community of supporters and increase our grant making capacity by expanding fundraising efforts to foundations that are committed to supporting LGBTQ youth.  Even in the face of great advances like marriage equality, there is still so much work to be done. LGBTQ youth still experience suicidality and associated risk factors at disproportionate and alarming rates.  The vision of Beyond the Bridge is a world in which all youth can not only survive but thrive, regardless of their sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression.   We continue to raise funds and awareness, in the hope that some day organizations like ours will be unnecessary.

We were honored to be spotlighted at the GSBA "Women on Top" event at Safeco Field!  What a unique opportunity to take in the sweeping views of the field and mingle with old and new friends.  We so appreciated getting to speak to the 100 plus women in attendance about the work Beyond the Bridge has accomplished in our first two years and plans for the future.  Thank you, GSBA, for supporting local non-profits in such a creative and fun way!  - Stacey Prince, Beyond the Bridge

Editor’s Note: Stacey Prince is a psychologist and part of a large group practice on Capitol Hill and Teri Mayo is a massage therapist and owner of a busy clinic.  You can learn more about Beyond the Bridge on their website, www.beyond-the-bridge.org.  BTB was also spotlighted during GSBA’s Women on Top event at Safeco Field on April 4.