Written by FODB Team
SEATTLE, WA — Every generation deserves proof that people like them survived, created, and
built community before them. Public recognition of queer history matters because it reminds
people that LGBTQ+ communities have always existed and always will.
As Pride Month approaches, Friends of Denny Blaine is urging the Seattle City Council to adopt
a proposed resolution recognizing the historic LGBTQ+ legacy of Denny Blaine Park. The call
comes at a time when that history is increasingly being erased across the country and state,
making public recognition and preservation more urgent than ever.
The resolution, first presented to the LGBTQ Commission in December and later transmitted
through the Mayor’s Office to the City Council in February, acknowledges what generations of
Seattleites already know, that Denny Blaine has long been a gathering place for the LGBTQ+
community, body positivity, and public expression. While the park is already listed on the
Washington State Register of Historic Places, official recognition from the city would provide
additional local protections and support preservation efforts beyond what state designation
offers. The resolution asks the City to recognize the LGBTQ+ history that has shaped the space
for decades.
The past has already happened. The question now is whether the city chooses to recognize it
publicly.
If LGBTQ+ history is not preserved publicly, it becomes easier for people with power to rewrite it
privately. When that history disappears, future generations begin believing those communities
never existed in the first place.
This resolution, which was submitted to the City Council, represents an opportunity for Seattle to
affirm a living piece of the city’s history during Pride Month while honoring the generations of
people who built community there long before today.
Denny Blaine is not simply a historic place. It remains a joyful gathering place with a diverse
community focused on inclusion, body positivity, and a future where every body has access.
For media inquiries, please contact: media@dennyblaine.org
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