Happy Hanukkah, The Festival of Lights

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Hanukkah, which is Hebrew for “dedication,” is the Festival of Lights.

It commemorates the victory of the Maccabees over the Syrian Greek army, and the subsequent miracle of rededicating the Holy Temple in Jerusalem and restoring its menorah, or lamp.

The miracle of Hanukkah is that only one vial of oil was found with just enough oil to illuminate the Temple lamp for one day, and yet it lasted for eight full days.

Those who observe this holiday, celebrate Hanukkah at home by lighting the menorah (each night we light one additional candle to the number from the previous night), playing dreidel, and eating special foods unique to Hanukkah. Some people also sing Hanukkah songs or exchange gifts after lighting the menorah, which is also called a hanukkiah.

Decolonizing Thanksgiving: The Truth from a Disenfranchised People

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The story of Thanksgiving has been passed down through generations in our families and school systems as a holiday of togetherness, peace and harmony. Many of you were taught that the first Thanksgiving was a peaceful meal shared between the Native Americans of the region and the first English settlers. Some may remember the typical school plays of Native Americans bringing the gift of a turkey to the pilgrims.

Fast forward to present day – a lot of you now know that this story is fabricated. Unfortunately, only some know the actual devastating history from the viewpoint of Native Americans and even fewer know that Native Americans actually consider mainstream Thanksgiving a Day of Mourning, due to the genocide and disease spread at the hands of white colonizers.

Thanks to the accessibility of the internet, the truth is finally spreading far and wide. We hope with the resources listed below – graciously shared by AJ, a member of our Indigenous Affinity group which meets every Tuesday at 3-4pm via Zoom here – we can uplift the stories and voices of our Native community and bring light to the myth that is the “First Thanksgiving”.

We invite you to learn in depth about the Wampanoag people and the tragedies that befell them as colonizers staked claim over a land that was not theirs to take, by watching the videos below and reading the links and book recommendations provided.

Only in learning our history can we begin to understand our role in reshaping the future and systems around us, and the importance of our awareness to the ongoing oppression since then. Such as the (historical and modern) suppression of BIPOC voices, the mass-spread misrepresentation of American history, and many other injustices.

How do we Decolonize such a popular holiday?
We understand that Thanksgiving is a family centered holiday with themes of thankfulness and love that many hold dear and have many fond memories of, AND giving thanks for what we have does not need to be reserved for only one day out of the year. (Which is ironically followed by a day of overindulgent consumerism.)

One of the actions we would like to invite you to take part in to decolonize this day, is to bring that energy of togetherness and center it in your everyday life instead of on a day associated with much grief and desperate survival. A minor step and change in our habits and way of thinking about being present and grateful that seems so simple, and can have an incredible impact over time individually and collectively.

You can practice giving thanks for your blessings daily and speaking them into existence and your space – especially after the year we have had. Voice your gratitude loudly and proudly with those you love and recognize that thankfulness is an action that can be practiced all year around.

If you feel called to support our Native community after learning about their history, we will be adding updates on funds and non-profits you can donate your time, money and resources to at the bottom of this post.

Notable Videos:

The Pilgrims: European Plague in Native New England, 1616-1619
https://kcts9.pbslearningmedia.org/resource/americanexperience27p-soc-plague/wgbh-americanexperience-the-pilgrims-european-plague-in-native-new-england-1616-1619/

Alliance with Massasoit’s People and the First Thanksgiving
https://kcts9.pbslearningmedia.org/resource/americanexperience27p-soc-alliance/wgbh-americanexperience-the-pilgrims-alliance-with-massasoits-people-and-the-first-thanksgiving/

Important References:

The Pilgrims: Alliance with Massasoit’s People and the First Thanksgiving
https://kcts9.pbslearningmedia.org/resource/americanexperience27p-soc-alliance/wgbh-americanexperience-the-pilgrims-alliance-with-massasoits-people-and-the-first-thanksgiving/

Thanksgiving Promotes Whitewashed History, So I Organized Truthsgiving Instead https://www.bustle.com/p/thanksgiving-promotes-whitewashed-history-so-i-organized-truthsgiving-instead-13154470

Here’s The Crazy Story About Thanksgiving You’ve Never Heard https://www.huffpost.com/entry/thanksgiving-squanto-tisquantum-true-history_n_565471e1e4b0d4093a5917bb

The Wampanoag Side of the First Thanksgiving Story https://indiancountrytoday.com/archive/the-wampanoag-side-of-the-first-thanksgiving-story-TmMLTgQs40aJT_n9T3RMIQ

6 Thanksgiving Myths and the Wampanoag Side of the Story https://indiancountrytoday.com/archive/6-thanksgiving-myths-and-the-wampanoag-side-of-the-story-roJhk2s_AkW9pkyjONXr-w

First “National Day of Mourning” Held in Plymouth https://www.massmoments.org/moment-details/first-national-day-of-mourning-held-in-plymouth.html

The Invention of Thanksgiving https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2019/11/25/the-invention-of-thanksgiving

THE SUPPRESSED SPEECH OF WAMSUTTA (FRANK B.) JAMES, WAMPANOAG www.UAINE.org/suppressed_speech.htm

A Few Things You (Probably) Don’t Know About Thanksgiving
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/news/2015/11/151121-first-thanksgiving-pilgrims-native-americans-wampanoag-saints-and-strangers/

Additional recommendations:

This Land Is Their Land: The Wampanoag Indians, Plymouth Colony, and The Troubled History of Thanksgiving by David J. Silverman, Native American Historian and Professor at George Washington University

Native/Indigenous Non-Profit Organizations and Funds to Donate to:

Urban Native Education Alliance (UNEA) is a Native/Indigenous Non-Profit Organization partnered with North Seattle College. They serve Native/Indigenous families in the Seattle Area, providing tutoring, cultural learning, and essential groceries for Native/Indigenous families. They also run the Seattle Clear Sky Native Youth program.

To learn more about them and to donate, click the link below:
https://urbannativeeducation.org/

Real Rent Duwamish is a grassroots movement calling on Seattleites to pay ‘rent’ to the Duwamish tribe, to acknowledge their stewardship of the land on which we prosper.

To learn more about this organization, and to donate, click the link below:
https://www.realrentduwamish.org/

Standing in Solidarity – Transgender Day of Remembrance 2020

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What is Transgender Day of Remembrance [TDOR] and what is its significance?

Trans Day of Remembrance began in 1999 by Transgender advocate Gwendolyn Ann Smith to honor the memory of Rita Hester, a Trans woman, who was killed in 1998. This continued on as a tradition since then and is now known as Transgender Day of Remembrance.

Rita Hester
Gwendolyn Ann

The day has evolved into a day of observance to honor the lives of all Transgender and Gender-Diverse folks who have lost their lives to anti-transgender violence and hate crimes each year. Overwhelmingly, Trans women of color – especially those who are black and indigenous – have been targeted and murdered.

We come together on this day to memorialize the lives lost and to state clearly and unapologetically that Trans Lives Matter.

Dr. Stephanie Dykes

Dr. Stephanie Dykes is the executive director of institutional effectiveness at North Seattle College. She has over 30 years of work experience in education and business. Dr. Dykes earned her Ph.D. in educational research from the University of South Carolina, where she also earned at Master of Arts in Teaching. Dr. Dykes completed her undergraduate work in history and business administration from Clemson University.

Dr. Dykes has spoken at gender and women’s studies conferences and institutional research conferences across the United States and in Canada. Dr. Dykes has spoken on transgender issues at colleges and universities across the United States. She sings bass with the Seattle Men’s Chorus, and she is the father of a 27 year old son.

Dr. Dykes’ performance with the Seattle Men’s Chorus


Check out our Spotify playlist highlighting Trans centered podcasts about trans experiences, healing and TDOR, as well as trans identifying artists and their music here.

Spotify Podcasts About TDOR:

Scan or click the code above to go to the podcast playlist on Spotify

Spotify Trans Musicians Playlist:

Scan or click the code above to go to the music playlist on Spotify

Live Zoom Performance By Dogwood (Zoom link below)

Who is Dogwood?

Dogwood (they/them) is a PNW-born queer nonbinary hedge witch, musician, and drag artist.
Hailing from the hedge and loam of Seattle’s undergrowth, Dogwood aims to weave historical and wax hysterical in the old-new traditions of mountain men, shantymen, and their fellow men as they tromp acro’st both ancient myth and accidental malady.
They have performed or had their work featured at such events as RAPTURE, Norwescon, Steamposium, FaerieWorlds, Clockwork Alchemy, PantheaCon, and DragonCon, as well as many local and national venues.

For additional information and to stream their latest album, head over here: https://dogwood.bandcamp.com/

Zoom Performance at 12pm-1pm PST: HERE

100 Years of Trans Awareness

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In honor of Trans Awareness Week, Student Leadership has put together a timeline to give context to the social and legal status of trans people in the US today. Trans and gender diverse people have existed in every society in the world since the beginning of time. While this timeline is not even close to a complete history, we hope you find it helpful and meaningful as a starting point.

1919: Magnus Hirschfeld opens the Institute for Sexual Science in Berlin. It becomes the first clinic to serve transgender people on a regular basis.

1931: German domestic worker Dora Richter and Danish painter Lili Elbe, both patients of Magnus Hirschfeld, are among the first documented recipients of gender-affirming surgery.

1945: Black trans woman and socialite Lucy Hicks Anderson is tried for perjury in California after listing her sex as female on a marriage license. Quoted as saying, “I defy any doctor in the world to prove that I am not a woman,” she is sentenced to 10 years’ probation.

1945: British aristocrat and physician Michael Dillon becomes the first documented trans man to undergo gender-affirming medical care.

1952: US Army veteran & photographer Christine Jorgensen is outed by the press after receiving gender-affirming care in Denmark. As one of the first widely-known trans women in the country, she goes on to become a celebrity, activist, and successful nightclub owner.

August 1966: Compton’s Cafeteria Riots are sparked when a trans woman throws a cup of coffee into the face of a police officer who is unlawfully harassing her. The first recorded trans riot in U.S. history marks a turning point in the LGBTQ movement. A network of transgender social, psychological, and medical support services is established in San Francisco as a result.

1968: National Transsexual Counseling Unit is created in San Francisco, becoming the world’s first trans peer-run support and advocacy.

June 1969: Black and brown trans and gender non-conforming people lead resistance to police in the raid on the Stonewall Inn, sparking the modern LGBTQ rights movement. Sylvia Rivera and Marsha P. Johnson emerge as heroes of the movement.

1972: Sweden becomes the first nation in the world to allow citizens to legally change their gender.

1975: Minneapolis becomes the first city to pass a law prohibiting discrimination against trans people.

1980: “Transsexualism” is officially listed in the American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual.

October 1980: Development of the Standards of Care which will go on to become the worldwide foundation for gender affirming medical care.

1993: Minnesota passes the first law in the US prohibiting discrimination against transgender people.

November 1999: First Trans Day of Remembrance (TDoR) is observed.

2002: Transgender Law Center, a civil rights organization that advocates for transgender communities, opens its first office in San Francisco.

February 2004: The Gender Recognition Act becomes law, allowing people to legally change their gender markers and be recognized for the purposes of marriage and other issues.

2005: California became the first state to mandate transgender health care coverage with the Insurance Gender Nondiscrimination Act.

2006: Gwen Araujo Justice for Victims Act becomes law in the US. The bill prevents defendants from using panic strategies and potential biases against the victim to minimize their actions.

2006: Kim Coco Iwamoto is elected to Hawaii Board of Education, becoming highest-elected trans official in the U.S.

2007: Spain passes world’s first gender identity laws which allow for the change of documented identity without requiring surgery.

2008: Stu Rassmussen of Silverton, Oregon becomes the first openly trans mayor in the U.S.

June 2010: It becomes legal to change the gender marker on a US passport with a letter from a doctor.

2010: Amanda Simpson is named senior technical adviser in the Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security, becoming the first transgender presidential appointee.

October 2010: Phyllis R. Frye, a lawyer since 1981, is sworn in as the nation’s first openly transgender judge.

2012: Kylar Broadus, Founder of the Trans People of Color Coalition, becomes the first trans person to testify before Congress. Testifies before the US Senate in support of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act.

June 2013: Obama administration makes it possible to change gender markers on Social Security cards.

2014: Department of Health and Human Services rules that Medicare must cover gender confirmation surgery.

2014: Laverne Cox, an actress in “Orange Is the New Black,” becomes first transgender person to appear on the cover of Time magazine. In July, she becomes the first transgender person to be nominated for an Emmy.

December 2014: Department of Justice rules that Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 applies to discrimination based on gender identity.

August 2015: White House hires an openly transgender staff member, Raffi Freedman-Gurspan, to serve as outreach and recruitment director on President Obama’s staff.

June 2016: Trans people allowed to serve openly in the U.S. military.

January 2017: Less than two hours after swearing-in, Trump administration removes all mentions of LGBTQ people and rights from the White House web page.

July 2017: Trump administration announces first attempt at banning transgender people from serving in the military.

October 2018: US representatives at the United Nations work to remove references to transgender people in UN human rights documents.

April 2019: Department of Defense puts ban on transgender service members into effect, putting service members at risk of discharge if they come out or are found out to be transgender.

May 2019: World Health Organization removes gender non-conformity from its list of mental disorders.

September 2019: Merriam-Webster dictionary adds non-binary “they” pronouns.  

October 2019: Supreme Court hears arguments over whether employees can legally be fired for their sexual orientation or gender identity.

November 2019: Department of Health and Human Services announces plans to repeal regulations prohibiting discrimination based on gender identity, sexual orientation, and religion in all HHS grant programs. These include programs to address the HIV, opioid, and youth homelessness epidemics.

November 2019: Washington allows residents to change the gender marker on state ID to M, F, or X for free, without documentation from doctor or court.

January 2020: COVID-19 begins spreading in the US. Lost income, social isolation, medical discrimination, and postponement of “elective” gender-affirming care take tolls on people’s mental and physical health. Trans Lifeline reports 4-5x the usual volume of calls on unemployment stress and workplace discrimination, and a 300% increase in calls about domestic violence and healthcare.

June 2020: Trump administration removes healthcare protections for LGBTQ people.

June 2020: US Supreme Court extends federal job protections to LGBTQ people.

July 2020: Department of Housing and Urban Development reverses a rule which had protected trans people from discrimination at homeless shelters and federally funded housing services.

November 2020: Voters elect or reelect seven trans candidates to state office, including Mauree Turner (first nonbinary person to serve in a state legislature & first Muslim lawmaker in Oklahoma); Sarah McBride (first openly trans state senator in the US, Delaware); Stephanie Byers (first openly trans Native state lawmaker, Kansas); Jill Rose Quinn (judge, & first openly trans official in Illinois); and Taylor Small (first openly trans person in Vermont state legislature).

All Things Scary: Movies, Shows and Podcasts

~ NSC Student Leadership ~ 3 Comments

WARNING: Due to the nature of these films, some may be triggering.

Child Friendly Movies:

WARNING: DUE TO THE NATURE OF THESE VIDEOS, THEY MAY BE TRIGGERING FOR SOME PEOPLE

WARNING: DUE TO THE NATURE OF THESE VIDEOS, THEY MAY BE TRIGGERING FOR SOME PEOPLE
WARNING: DUE TO THE NATURE OF THESE PODCASTS, THE CONTENTS MAY BE TRIGGERING TO SOME

Faculty Horror Stories | Halloween 2020

~ NSC Student Leadership ~ 3 Comments

Featuring: Jim Jewell (updated 10/29/2020)

Turn your lights off, and brace yourself for these thrilling short stories from our brilliant Faculty and Staff this Halloween! Stay tuned as this blog post will be updated frequently as new stories come in.

  1. Piggy Back Ride – Read by Prof. Jim Jewell

2. The White Lady – Read by Prof. Jim Jewell

3. Jim’s Scariest Halloween – Read by Prof. Jim Jewell

4. The Aswang (Filipino Folklore) – Read by Dr. Mari Acob-nash

Stay tuned for more!

Don’t miss out our other activities:

Halloween Events You Will Definitely Enjoy This Year!

~ NSC Student Leadership ~ 2 Comments

Planning out the week ahead and enjoy these family-friendly events happening around the area! Click on the events for more details.

  1. Movie Drive-In and enjoy The Addams Family!

Date: Saturday, Oct 31, 2020

Time: 6:30 PM – 9:30 PM PDT

Location: Vasa Park Resort, 3560 West Lake Sammamish Parkway Southeast, Bellevue, WA 98008

Tag: Family-friendly, Classic Movie, Pay-as-you-wish Admission, Drive In Theater

Click here for trailer!
  1. Haunted Factory Tour Express at Seattle Chocolate

Date:  Saturday, Oct 31, 2020

Time: 5:00 PM – 9:00 PM

Location: 1180 Andover Park W, Tukwila, WA 98188

Tag: Family-friendly, Free, Drive-thru, ChOcOlATe

About this event: Join us on Halloween evening from 5-9pm at our flagship store for a safe & family-friendly drive-through trick or treat experience, complete with a few familiar faces and chocolate to share. Costumes encouraged! Preview and brace yourself for the journey here!

  1. Museum of Fright (normally Museum of Flight)

Date: Saturday, October 31, 2020 

Time: 11:00 AM to 4:00 PM

Location: 9404 E. Marginal Way South, Seattle, WA 98108

Tag: Family-friendly, Museum, Educational

About this event: Join us for our annual transformation into The Museum of Fright! Things may look a little different this year, but across the Museum galleries, you’ll find safe, Halloween-themed games and activities to spark imagination, innovation, and get in the Halloween spirit. Keep your 6ft. distance for this will be a frightful extravaganza! Activities included in Museum Admission.

  1. Pumpkin Days at Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium Metro Parks Tacoma

Date: now until Saturday, October 31, 2020

Time: 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM

Location: 400 N Pearl St, Tacoma, WA 98407

Tag: Family-friendly, Free, Pumpkin Carving, Scavenger Hunt, Costume (optional)

About this event: Do you love pumpkins? Our animals do! We’ll give them unscheduled enrichments all week long. Plus we’re decorating the Zoo with all the pumpkins we can find! Carve your own animals with our new templates, on display in the plaza. Pumpkins, costumes, animals & scavenger hunt. Free with admission. All ages, all day. This is not everything (!!), check out here for more information about activities here!

  1. Creature of the Night Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium Metro Parks Tacoma

Date: Saturday,October 31, 2020

Time: 3:30 PM – 5:45 PM (45 mins each session)

Location: Online

Tag: Family-friendly, Virtual, Free, RSVP-required

About this event: Can’t make it to the Pumpkin Days above? Fret not! Welcome to our VIRTUAL ANIMAL MEET-UP! SPOOKY AND WICKED-COOL. What’s a bat’s favorite treat? How about a snake? Find out in Creatures of the Night, a virtual program where you meet Zoo staff and four fantastic animals, live from the Zoo. Wear costume and bring questions!  – online, on Halloween! Free, but registration required. 

  1. Seattle Aquarium Underwater Pumpkin Carving

Date: Friday, October 30, 2020

Time: Live from Facebook at 3:00 PM

Location: Online

Tag: Family-friendly, Virtual, Free, Pumpkin Carving, Aquarium

About this event: Halloween looks a little different at the Aquarium this year, but that doesn’t mean we are skipping out on carving pumpkins underwater! Mark your calendars for next Friday, October 30, at 3:00pm for the live reveal of this year’s creations. Live on our Facebook page. Preview here!

  1. Seattle Terrors

Date: Vary

Location: Four Seasons Hotel, 99 Union Street, Seattle WA, 98101

Tag: Group-friendly, Thrilling, Story Telling, Real Life Experience

About this event: This insightful, 60-minute or 90-minute exploration of Seattle’s wildest haunts will keep you hooked from the very first moment. Each ghost story is based on extensive historical research and authentic, verified ghost sightings. Seattle Ghosts tour starts from the Four Seasons Hotel and winds up back there after a mile and 8 spooky tales for the standard tour. The extended tour adds another 30 mins and around a half-mile of walking to 4 extra scares! We’ll cover the modern-day cult that started in Seattle, and left a tell-tale sign there, but ended with the largest mass suicide in US history, 39 people drunk applesauce and barbiturates believing it would allow them to hitch a ride aboard a comet to the promised land. Check out here!

  1. Ghostflix

Date: Vary

Time: Typical 7 PM local time zone

Location: Online

Tag: Virtual, Thrilling, Synchronous

About this event: Each week, we’ll feature a live ghost tour with one of our tour guides in two cities! In light of COVID-19, we decided to feature live video ghost tours through the streets of over 20 cities. Then, we loved the idea of allowing everyone anywhere to take a ghost tour without traveling, and decided to make this a normal part of our offering. Live events allow you to stream the ghost tour that’s happening live! You’ll be able to ask questions and interact with the guide. To do this, you must be available during the time of the event. If you can’t make it, that’s ok- just catch it on demand! Preview trailer here!

  1. Ride the Halloween Train with Northwest Railway Museum

Date: Saturday, October 31, 2020

Time: Depend on available time slots (90 minutes each)

Location: 38625 SE King Street, Snoqualmie WA 98065

Tag: Family-friendly, Historical Site, Train (Choo Choo!)

About this event: TRAIN RIDE, DEPARTING SNOQUALMIE DEPOT. Join us in costumes for a 90-minute fall decorated train excursion. Enjoy a socially-distanced, scenic train ride through the upper Snoqualmie Valley aboard historic rail equipment. Journey east to North Bend, and then travel west to the top of Snoqualmie Falls before returning to the historic Snoqualmie Depot.

  1. Haunted Hike at Northwest Trek

Date: Now until October 31, 2020

Time: All day

Location: 11610 Trek Dr E, Eatonville, WA 98328

Tag: Family-friend, Free, Outdoor, Mystery Solving

About this event: Get spooky – and solve the mystery of the forest! Something’s afoot at Northwest Trek. Weird noises. Odd footprints. Foul smells. Is it ghosts? Goblins? Bigfoot?? Walk our Wild Walk paths, do the online scavenger hunt and solve the mystery! (QR code at entrance.) Free with admission. Online tickets encouraged. 

  1. Halloween Beginner Dance Class

Date: Saturday, October 31, 2020

Time: 8:15 PM – 9:15 PM

Location: Arthur Murray Dance School of Federal Way, 32724 Pacific Hwy S, Federal Way, WA 98003

Tag: Free

About the event: Join us for a complementary Semi-Private Ballroom Dance Class the night before Halloween! Dress to impress in your best creature costume or human clothes! No experience necessary. Singles and couples are welcome! Due to Covid-19, Everyone is required to wear face masks. Disposable gloves are provided. We have a large scale air purifier on at all times in our spacious, well-ventilated ballroom. We will have a small number of guests in-studio for this socially distanced event!

  1. Scary Story Time 

Date: Thursday, October 29, 2020

Time: 4:00 PM – 4:45 PM

Location: Online

Tag: Kid-friendly (7 and above)


About this event: King County Library System (KCLS) is holding Story Time – Halloween Edition!  Enjoy some chills and thrills! We will be sharing some spooky stories that will have you on the edge of your seat! Preview a sample of a couple of the handful of stories we’ll be reading (Tailypo by Galdone,  The Green Ribbon). You know your child best with their scariness tolerance levels. We’re offering the 2pm registration program “Halloween Dress Your Pet” if you’d like a fun, silly story time as an alternative. Register at your own risk… Please feel free to dress-up in costume. You’ll have a chance to show your costume to the rest of the group.

Want more? Don’t miss out our other activities:

Movie & Kiki – National Coming Out Day

~ NSC Student Leadership ~ 5 Comments

Happy National Coming Out Day!

To honor, celebrate, learn about and uplift our LGBTQ+ community and their stories, we’d like to share with you a list of LGBTQ+ movies and shows you can stream in the comfort of your own homes!

Hopefully someday soon, we can share space and enjoy these movies together. Until then, we hope you enjoy!

Additionally, you are also invited to watch the documentary “Disclosure” this week to celebrate the holiday, which can be streamed on Netflix. On October 9th, we will be hosting a discussion to engage in conversation about this powerful and moving documentary right here – in the comment section of our North Seattle Blog! (Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ysbX6JUlaEc&t=18s)

“Disclosure” was executively produced by the one and only Laverne Cox (Three time Emmy nominated actress, and Emmy Award winning film producer, most known for her role in ”Orange is the New Black”), which highlights the representation of trans folx in media and Hollywood. The documentary has received numerous accolades and praise since its premier and presents an authentic and raw look at the experience of trans folx in America.

As we invite you to partake in a post-viewing discussion, keep the prompts below in mind as you watch the movie and share your thoughts in the comments section.

And of course, do not feel pressured to share more than you are comfortable. Our intent is to create a space of learning and understanding with our North Seattle Community and beyond!

Please observe proper netiquette as you participate, as this subject can be very personal and there are real individuals behind the keyboard! This conversation will be monitored by our Student Leadership board to keep the conversation on topic and appropriate.

  • What kind of thoughts and feelings does this documentary bring forward for you?
  • Did you learn anything new from this documentary? If so, what? Can you apply this new information into your day to day life? How?
  • If you could change one thing about LGBTQ+, BIPOC representation in the media, what would it be? What would that look like?

List of LGBTQIA+ Movies, Shows and Stories

Below is a list of movies and shows that you can stream through Netflix, the Seattle Public Library, Hulu, Amazon Prime and other popular streaming sites, or can be borrowed through our very own North Seattle Library. There are some movies with question marks by them, because we were unable to find a streaming site that housed these titles due to them being foreign, or independently produced.
We’ve included trailers of all movies in the links below.

This is a living document, and can be updated as we learn more about where movies can be streamed, or if other movies and shows come to our attention that encompass the many diverse voices and experiences of the LGBTQIA+ community! Please feel free to reach out to Nicola.Rigor@seattlecolleges.edu if you have any other titles you would like to add!

Movies:

Disclosure (2020) – Netflix

Moonlight (2016) – Netflix – TW: drug use, child neglect, bullying, some violence.

Gods Own Country (2017) – TW: sexual scenes, themes of xenophobia


Pride (2014)

Tangerine (2015) – TW: sexual themes, drug use, violence

Milk (2008) – Netflix

Pariah (2011) – TW: There is a scene of DV centered around homophobia

The Birdcage (1996) – Netflix

Ma Vie En Rose (1997) – Foreign Film: Belgian, French

Portrait of a Lady on Fire (2019) – Hulu – Foregin Film: French

Paris is Burning (1990) – Amazon Prime


Girl (2018) – Netflix – TW: Sexual violence, self harm. There is an in depth disclaimer at the beginning of the film on Netflix on what triggering scenes to expect.

Mosquita y Mari (2012)

Lingua Franca (2020) – Netflix

The Death and Life of Marsha P. Johnson (2017) – Netflix

TV Shows:

Euphoria (HBO) – TW: heavy drug use, some violence and graphic sexual content.

Pose (Netflix)