This Halloween, Stand Against Bigotry – Just Like Seattle ’78

Tensions are extremely high for the 2024 election - there's no denying that politics and rhetoric have gotten beyond "heated." With moral accusations thrown around, and some plans to roll back protections, it's hard for many minority groups to feel safe in the current atmosphere.

That's why this "Halloween Against 13" flyer in the Seattle Municipal Archives caught my eye - and launched a history lesson from the past that feels painfully familiar to the present day.

Halloween Against 13: A Costumed Fundraiser For LGBTQIA+ and Women's Rights

The bright orange flyer, and playful art of three masked fish hanging out in a jack-o-lantern, really catches your eye. "HALLOWEEN" in big bold letters follows, along with "against 13." What exactly was this about?

This flyer from 1978 was promoting a Halloween, costumed party and fundraiser held by Seattle Committee Against Thirteen, or SCAT (perhaps a bit of a humorous acronym to us today). This organization was put together by multiple concerned groups to lobby and fight against Seattle's Initiative 13. While we're all used to campaigns for or against measures and initiatives, this one was an important part of the history of LGBTQIA+ and women's rights.

What was Seattle Initiative 13?

Initiative 13 was put on the 1978 ballot by two Seattle Police officers, who called their organization SOME (Save Our Moral Ethics). It was sparked by the "Save Our Children" campaign of Anita Bryant, which was an effort to repeat recent efforts across the United States to offer rights protection for sexual orientation and gender identity. (The Seattle Socialist Workers Campaign called Bryant a "human rights molester.")

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Seattle had affirmed the employment rights of sexual minorities just five years prior in 1973. In 1975, the city's housing laws had been extended to protect these groups. Initiative 13 wanted to reverse those protections, and prevent city officials in the future from enacting such policies.

Initiative 13 also wished to take away the Office of Women's Rights (OWR) power to enforce the law when it came to discrimination, moving those rights instead to Seattle's Human Rights Department.

Seattle's community response against Initiative 13

The majority of Seattle was repulsed by Initiative 13, and saw many organizations take up the fight. In addition to SCAT, and opposition by the Office of Women's Rights, there was also the Citizens to Retain Fair Employment (which focused on privacy rights), Women Against Thirteen (WAT), and the Washington Coalition for Sexual Minority Rights. Numerous rallies, fundraisers, and meetings were held.

Seattle's mayor, Charles Royer, also stood against Initiative 13. In the letter (below) to the City Council, Mayor Royer wrote "I am committed to preserving the integrity of our human rights laws, and to preserving Seattle as a place where all people can live and contribute."

Seattle's citizens spoke with their vote - defeating the initiative on a 2:1 margin (63% to 37%). The battle against bigotry was won - although the war is still ongoing.

Note: if you'd like a deep dive and to hear voices that lived through the 1978 "Save Our Children" campaign, check out this wonderful webinar by MOHAI.

Looking back: it's the same BS on a different day.

As I was looking through the archives of documents, I was struck by the "Facts About Homosexuals" portion of the media packet produced by the Citizens to Retain Fair Employment. Written there are these quotes:

• "... homosexuals live exemplary lives as doctors, lawyers, business people, factory workers and government employees."
• "Homosexuals are not child molesters. . . Child molesting is a neurotic behavior known as pedophilia, which has nothing to do with sexual orientation."
• "Homosexuality is a sin for some. But whether homosexuality is a sin or not, the Constitution prevents religious beliefs from being the basis for legal discrimination."

I'm not shocked by these words in a historical document almost a decade after the Stonewall Riots. But it turns my stomach that over 40 years later, these facts (now backed up with more evidence and research) are still having to be repeated in order to protect the rights of people to exist and live their lives without fear or legalized prejudice.

In talking points saved by Mayor Royer and his wife, Royer noted, "Our law doesn't give anyone any rights."

The problem is, because of bigotry and hatred, there are many people still in Washington and the United States who don't believe every person deserves equal rights. They equate unchangeable aspects of a person's identity as morally deficient, and therefore, lessen a person's rights as a result - in the same way society strips rights from convicted criminals.

Battling Bigotry in 2024

With the election rapidly approaching, Halloween feels particularly terrifying this year. Many people of all age groups and backgrounds are still thinking about not voting, or performative voting, because their vote's power feels incapable of turning the tide.

If you don't think your vote matters in Washington - you're wrong. Look at this moment of history from 1978. Seattle made their voice count on a local level, and stood for the rights of all even when the entire nation was being swept over by a moral panic. We're facing a similar moral panic today, targeting not just LBGTQIA+ people, but people of color, immigrants, and differing religions.

Defeating bigotry at the local level and state level - and standing against the tide - is the only way we can defend ourselves, our neighbors, and our future.

So please - vote, and make your voice against bigotry heard.