Senator Clair Wilson, and Executive
Assistant Omar Santana
A Brief History
After many years of grassroots advocacy, the Washington State LGBTQ Commission was established by the Washington Legislature through SB5356, with Senator Claire Wilson, the first openly lesbian Senator in Washington, as the primary sponsor. Governor Inslee signed the bill into law in May 13, 2019.
The LGBTQ Commission is a state agency with an advisory board of 15 commissioners who identify as part of the LGBTQ community in the state. Each commissioner is appointed by the Governor and serves a three-year term. Commissioners represent the wealth of experiences and diversity of the LGBTQ community in Washington and come from different parts of the state. Four members of the State Legislature, one from each chamber and each political caucus also serve as as legislative advisors. (Currently, the Commission counts with one Senator and two Representatives.)
Our mission is to improve the government's interface with the LGBTQ community, identifying the needs of its members, and ensuring that there is an effective means of advocating for LGBTQ equity in all aspects of state government (RCW 43.114).
Foundation Documents of the LGBTQ Commission
- An Act Relating to Establishing the Washington State LGBTQ Commission
- Operating Agreements of the LGBTQ Commission
- Guidelines for Public Comments During Regular Commission Meetings