Dear friends and neighbors,

Happy Pride Month! Pride has always been a time to celebrate community and reflect on the progress we have made here in Washington to advance LGBTQ+ rights. This year, it is also a time to find unity and strength as we work to defend those rights against the unlawful aggression of the Trump administration.

House Speaker Laurie Jinkins and I released this statement in support of Attorney General Nick Brown’s lawsuit, filed in February in US District Court to challenge President Trump’s executive order banning gender-affirming care.  The court has already ruled in our favor.  Washington has long been a leader in protecting trans youth and their access to gender-affirming care, and we will fight to maintain those protections.

This year’s legislative session produced several additional advances for our state’s LGBTQ+ community.

  • HB 1971 requires health plans to cover a 12-month refill of prescription hormone therapy at one time, improving access to treatment while allowing exceptions for medical necessity and supply shortages.
  • SB 5577 requires Medicaid to cover all FDA-approved HIV antiviral drugs without prior authorization or step therapy, ensuring uninterrupted access to treatment for Apple Health enrollees.
  • HB 1052 clarifies the definition of a hate crime offense by specifying that bias must be a substantial factor in the crime, even if other motives are present.
  • SB 5101 expands access to leave and workplace safety accommodations for employees who are victims of hate crimes, ensuring they can recover without fear of job loss or retaliation.
  • SB 5632 strengthens Washington’s Shield Law by ensuring state and local agencies do not cooperate with out-of-state investigations related to protected health care services and requiring businesses to notify the attorney general if they receive incomplete or missing legal requests for such information.
  • HB 1296  promotes a safe and supportive public education system. It updates Washington’s anti-discrimination laws to ensure all students are protected in public schools, creates additional protections from retaliation for teachers, gives parents and students the ability to hold school districts accountable if they intentionally violate state law, and aligns the 2024 parental rights in public education bill with other current state laws.

Cal Anderson Memorial

I’m excited to share that the Legislature approved funding this session to build a permanent memorial on the Capitol Campus in Olympia to honor Senator Cal Anderson. He 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. He was a skilled statesman who worked to advance LGBTQ+ rights in the face of bigotry and harassment. 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.

Over the last few years, I have had the opportunity to assist in efforts to design a permanent tribute to Cal on the Capitol Campus. The final design honors Cal’s legacy as a beacon for civil rights legislation, his service to our country in Vietnam, and the uplifting work and hope that he offered. It will be located near the Sunken Garden across the street from the Temple of Justice. Our hope is the memorial will create a quiet, contemplative space that is inclusive and accessible, so all users feel safe.

I’m excited to see this project take shape in the coming years to give Cal the recognition he deserves.

I feel fortunate to live in and represent a community committed to advancing civil rights and providing hope for LGBTQ+ people across the country. Thank you for taking the time to read this newsletter. If you missed my newsletters on public education, housing, community projects, transportation, or environmental protections, they are available on my website. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to me with any questions at Jamie.Pedersen@leg.wa.gov.

Best wishes,

Jamie