CITY OF SEATTLE
RESOLUTION __________________
title
A RESOLUTION reaffirming Seattle’s values of inclusion, respect, and justice, and the City’s commitment toward actions to reinforce these values; and calling on President-elect Donald Trump to condemn recent attacks and hate speech that perpetuate religious persecution, racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, and xenophobia.
body
WHEREAS, accounts of incidents of hate targeted at Muslims, Sikhs, Arabs, Jews, Latinos, African-Americans, Asians, women, people with disabilities, immigrants, refugees, and lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer community members have been reported to police, on social media, and to advocacy organizations across the nation; and
WHEREAS, local Seattle educators report children coming to school expressing grief that they believe that they will soon be separated from their families; and
WHEREAS, Trans Lifeline, a national hotline for transgender people in crisis, reports a significant increase in calls; and
WHEREAS, Ku Klux Klan members are reportedly engaged in ongoing recruitment activities and have recently held a public event celebrating President-elect Trump’s victory in the recent election opposing LGBTQ rights, interracial relationships, immigration, and religious freedom; and
WHEREAS, the United States was founded by immigrants, many fleeing religious persecution, who enshrined freedom of religion as one of our nation’s fundamental legal and ethical principles; and
WHEREAS, Arab and Muslim Americans, and those perceived as Muslim and Jewish, are increasingly the targets of discrimination and hatred; and
WHEREAS, Seattle is a diverse city: 34 percent of Seattle residents are persons of color, and 19 percent of Seattle residents are foreign-born, with 129 languages spoken in Seattle schools, and the 14 languages most frequently spoken other than English are Spanish, Vietnamese, Cantonese, Mandarin, Somali, Tagalog, Cambodian, Amharic, Oromo, Tigrinya, Laotian, Thai, and Russian; and
WHEREAS, The City of Seattle created the Race and Social Justice Initiative in 2004 to address institutional racism, and is working to achieve racial equity across the City; and
WHEREAS, The City of Seattle is uplifting important workers’ rights, including secure scheduling, wage theft, paid sick and safe time, and paid family leave and supporting women in their workplaces so they can be treated fairly, free from threats and demeaning treatment; and
WHEREAS, The City of Seattle is committed to 21st century policing, and will continue to reform our police department and work toward rebuilding trust between police and communities of color so all residents feel safe in their neighborhoods, and we support community-based organizations already supporting the safety of marginalized communities with community-led solutions around safety; and
WHEREAS, The City of Seattle’s Gender Justice Project is committed to ending gender-based wage gaps and promoting gender equity and diverse and inclusive family-friendly policies; and
WHEREAS, The City of Seattle supports the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer communities and is committed to upholding its ban on conversion therapy, supporting marriage equality, protecting the rights of LGBTQ families, and supporting measures to keep children safe; and
WHEREAS, The City of Seattle supports the elimination of violence and harassment against women and is committed to providing direct services, education, culturally competent policing practices, family law, and governance for the prevention of crimes against women; and
WHEREAS, the Council supports the Mayor’s creation of the Inclusive and Equitable City Cabinet, established by Executive Order 2016-08; and
WHEREAS, The City of Seattle has passed groundbreaking legislation to support the rights of people in this City to love whom they choose; to practice the religion of their choice; to support their families; to be free from discrimination in housing, employment, and public accommodations; and to be safe and secure in their homes and communities; and
WHEREAS, the results of the 2016 presidential election should not prompt or encourage any notion that the Constitutions and laws of the United States and the State of Washington, and the Charter and laws of The City of Seattle, would support in any way any acts of bigotry, sexism, racism, xenophobia, transphobia, or homophobia; and
WHEREAS, The City of Seattle supports the peaceful exercise of free speech for all people, NOW, THEREFORE,
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SEATTLE, THE MAYOR CONCURRING, THAT:
Section 1. The City Council and Mayor affirm that Seattle will continue to be an inclusive, respectful and just city that is proud of its mosaic of people of diverse cultures, faiths, beliefs, and identities, and to celebrate both our individuality and commonality.
Section 2. The City Council and Mayor condemn hateful speech and violent action, and call upon President-elect Donald Trump to publicly denounce recent incidents of Islamophobia, racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, xenophobia, and violence.
Section 3. The City Council and Mayor implore President-elect Trump to revoke any potential Cabinet appointment of individuals connected to advancing hate or who have a record of tolerating hate crime and hate speech; and petition the United States Senate, in its confirmation process, to oppose the nomination of those candidates that the Senate finds to have advanced racism, religious oppression, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, or bigotry.
Section 4. The City Council and Mayor resolve to implement measures to make it easier for people to report incidents of bias-motivated threats, harassment, and violence, such as dedicated hotlines, greater publicity for the Seattle Police Department’s Malicious Harassment/Bias Crimes website, and support to community-based organizations that support the safety of marginalized communities.
Adopted by the City Council the ________ day of _________________________, 2016, and signed by me in open session in authentication of its adoption this ________ day of _________________________, 2016.
____________________________________
President ____________ of the City Council
The Mayor concurred the ________ day of _________________________, 2016.
____________________________________
Edward B. Murray, Mayor
Filed by me this ________ day of _________________________, 2016.
____________________________________
Monica Martinez Simmons, City Clerk
(Seal)