October 28, 2025
October is LGBTQ+ History Month, a time to honor the stories, struggles, and triumphs that have shaped the path forward for the LGBTQ+ community. In recognition of this month, Bayview resident Cherry shares a reflection on her experiences:
As a lesbian elder, I have seen a lot of change over the course of my life. I came out when I was young, but most LGBTQ+ (queer) people then were closeted and living in fear of exposure. My fellow activists and I wanted to change that. But we were not alone. There were many who paved the way long before us.
From women who disguised themselves as men to serve in the Union Army to the many gay authors of the Harlem Renaissance, our history runs deep. In Seattle, early gathering spots for gay men and women like the Casino, Doubleheader, Hub, and Garden of Allah were faced with police raids resulting in participants being hauled off to jail – their names published in the paper – jobs, families, and dignity quickly stripped away.
The Stonewall uprising in 1969 ignited a national movement. The 1970s brought new activism, lesbian feminism, and local centers like Seattle Gay Clinic, the Ingersoll Gender Center, and the Lesbian Resource Center. The 1980s were marked by the AIDS crisis, which took so many lives.
In the 1990s “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” and DOMA legalized discrimination – stating marriage was only between one man and one woman. Ellen DeGeneres came out. The brutal murder of Matthew Shepard shook the nation. Here in Seattle, Lambert House for queer youth opened, and two anti-gay ballot initiatives were defeated. Marriage equality in the 2000s was a milestone, but discrimination especially against transgender people continues.
When I was young, I had no queer role models in the generations above me. This year I walked with Bayview at the Pride Parade. Having been at the very early Pride Marches in Seattle where hecklers stood on the sidelines to shout hateful comments and insults, I could not help but make comparisons. I carried a small homemade sign that read “Ancient Dyke.” And I could not believe the response. Young people all along the route cheered and wanted to shake my hand or take a selfie with me. I was astonished and humbled, and so proud … that I could be a role model for them when I had had none.
I survived those years of diehard discrimination and fear. There is still plenty of work to do. I cannot keep up the pace I kept years ago, but I do what I can, and I trust younger generations to continue the work.
I am so grateful that in the latter part of my life I live in a place where being queer is not only accepted but embraced, where there are many others like me and even more allies. I am glad to have been a part of LGBTQ+ history and grateful for the life that I have had and still have – content with who I am and surrounded by those who support me.
