Experience Unstoppable Joy: Louder Than Hate - A Celebration of Trans & Queer Resistance
In a powerful display of solidarity and resilience, the Lavender Rights Project is spearheading a community celebration this weekend in Seattle's Central District. The event, titled "Louder Than Hate: Trans & Queer Joy as Resistance," is a collective effort by a group of community members and partners to "center joy, safety, [and] collective resistance in the face of really hateful rhetoric, really hateful tone."
Moni Tep, Decrim Director at Lavender Rights Project, emphasized the event's core message in a recent interview on Almost The Weekend: "Joy is the strategy. We’re creating space to celebrate our existence and support one another."
The evening will feature performances from Ebo Barton, Ariyah Jané, and community voices like Randy Ford, plus music from DJ collective Sway & Swoon. Local favorite Wally’s Soul Food will also be on site. Beyond the performances, attendees will connect with organizations providing resources on harm reduction, housing, safe use, and legal rights.
Moni shared her hope for what people take away: "I want people to feel full when they leave. To see themselves recognized in a space where they’re valued… brave spaces, where people can show up, encourage, and empower."
Mataoe Nevils, the Communications Manager at the Lavender Rights Project, also highlighted the event's importance during a phone interview this week, stating that it’s a response to rising anti-trans and anti-LBGTQIA rhetoric and violence, which has become "deeply entrenched inside of the area." Nevils noted that while Seattle is often seen as progressive, the city is not immune to these challenges.
More than just a gathering for the LGBTQIA community, Nevils described the event as "a call for everyone who believes that there are basic human rights and just existing." It aims to be a space for all allies, including "black people, brown people, immigrants, queer people, trans people, disabled folks, neurodivergent folks, houseless people, formerly incarcerated folks" to come together and declare that "enough is enough." The goal is to show what it looks like "when we stand together in unity and in community."
Saturday, August 30th - Washington Hall, at 153 14th Avenue in Seattle. Doors will open at 4:00 p.m., with programming starting at 5:00 p.m. The Lavender Rights Project is collaborating with numerous organizations, including Seattle's LGBTQ+ Center, the Seattle LGBTQ Commission, BUILD 206, the NAACP state area conference, CD Forum, UTOPIA, and more—with support from Seattle Pride Foundation, Build 206, and the Urban League. The event is free and open to the public. While it centers transgender, queer, and gender-expansive Black communities, allies are encouraged to attend.
Nevils hopes attendees will leave with the understanding that "our liberation is linked" and that collective action is a powerful force. In Nevils’ words, it only takes "one person to stand up and say enough is enough for a revolution to be started and for people to feel protected and cared for." As Moni emphasized, "We should be celebrating our joy. That is the strategy for us in this moment."
For updates, follow Lavender Rights Project on Instagram.
