Dear friends and neighbors,

Happy Pride Month! As we take time to celebrate and reflect on our long march toward equity and justice, I am deeply grateful to represent a community that is a beacon of hope for LGBTQ+ people across the country. Later this month, we will mark Seattle’s 50th Pride celebration.  It is therefore an appropriate time to reflect on the legacy of a leader who helped bend the arc of history toward justice in our state.

Cal Anderson became our state’s first openly gay legislator in 1987 when he was appointed to represent the 43rd Legislative District in the state House of Representatives. Cal was a decorated Vietnam veteran who had years of experience working in local Seattle politics. In fact, his political instincts were honed early as a teenager working on his father’s campaign for Tukwila City Council.

Once in Olympia, Cal quickly introduced a bill to extend the state civil rights law to include the LGBTQ+ community. In the face of bigotry and harassment, he introduced more legislation that would lay the groundwork for the eventual passage of hate crimes protections, domestic partnership and marriage equality, and equal parentage rights. He also championed bills to reduce gun violence and increase affordable housing, among others.

When Cal died from complications of AIDS in August 1995, shortly after winning a seat in the state Senate, nearly 2,000 people attended his funeral. In 2003, Capitol Hill’s central park was named in his honor. If you want to learn more about Cal’s life and service to our state, I encourage you to visit the Love Equally online exhibit created by the Secretary of State’s office last year.

I came home to Seattle in October 1995 and never had the chance to meet Cal. But my seatmates who did serve with him, Frank Chopp and Ed Murray, shared many stories of his service in the Legislature:  how members would refuse to shake his hand; how his home was vandalized; and how in the face of it all, he continued to advocate for fair treatment of LGBTQ+ people.  Nearly 30 years after his death, his memory is fresh for many people in Olympia and continues to inspire me and younger generations of LGBTQ+ people.  I am proud to stand on his shoulders and serve in the seat that he once held.

A new tribute on the horizon

We were shocked and saddened last year when a capitol campus grounds crew in Olympia accidentally removed a tree that had been planted to honor Cal. Although a new tree was planted, future construction will require its removal as well. To make sure that Cal is properly honored, the legislature approved funding to design and eventually build a permanent tribute on the capitol campus. We are proud to know that Cal will receive the recognition he deserves and that his work will continue to inspire future generations of leaders and activists for justice.

Thanks for taking the time to read my newsletter. If you missed my previous updates on gun safety, K-12 education, environmental protections, affordable housing, LGBTQ+ rights, public safety, transportation, health care, higher education, community projects, worker protections, or bills inspired by community, they are available on my website. Please reach out with any questions at Jamie.Pedersen@leg.wa.gov.

Best wishes,

Jamie