Seattle, WA: Queen City Comes Out: Exploring Seattle's Lesbian and Gay History

1.0 Introduction

The Northwest Lesbian & Gay History Museum Project is a non-profit group founded in 1994 to research, interpret and communicate the history of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people in the Pacific Northwest for the purpose of study, education and enjoyment. Recognizing the need to document and preserve GLBT history, the History Project:

• Collects and records oral histories;
• Locates photographs, object and ephemera;
• Works with archives to insure the preservation of these materials;
• Communicates the local GLBT community history through public programs such as exhibits, publications, presentations, and walking tours.

The History Project is all volunteer group with members representing a wide variety of educational and professional backgrounds, such as: museum studies, education, history, anthropology, geography, and historic preservation.

The following provides highlights of GLBT history in Seattle drawn from the History Project members’ collective research conducted over the last 15 years. This is an overview of the early history of taverns in Pioneer Square, the formation of early organizations that led to the flourishing of lesbian and gay community in the 1970s, and the early responses to the challenges of the 1980s & 90s.