Team Diva Decides To “Take America” With This Year’s Big Fundraiser

Proceeds from the event hosted by Seattle Drag Divas, DonnaTella Howe and Sylvia O’Stayformore will help support Washington’s Paramount Duty and Seattle Indivisible.

The powerhouse TEAM DIVA REAL ESTATE family is back in action for Summer of 2017 but instead of their annual Seattle Pride Season event in June, they’ve moved this year’s party to July and given it a strong progressive focus with two political action groups as this year’s beneficiaries.

Once again hosted by DonnaTella Howe (a member of Team Diva Real Estate) and the one and only Sylvia O’Stayformore (who bought her gracious Holiday House through Team Diva), this year’s event will have a Carnival theme and take place in a new venue: the Centilia Cultural Center, 1660 S. Roberto Maestas Festival Street on Beacon Hill. It’s a family friendly event in the late afternoon/early evening of Sunday, July 16th. Snag your tickets HERE and check out more info down below including other performers and info on the two groups they are supporting this year. Note that the event will start with carnival games at 4 pm with performances starting at 6 pm.

Team Diva Real Estate is revamping its annual summer Pride fundraiser into a new, family friendly experience, DIVAS TAKE AMERICA on July 16th. Each year, Team Diva, hosts a big drag/burlesque event to bring attention to local arts and nonprofits and to raise funds to support the work of these organizations. In the past Divas Take the Hill has raised in upwards of $10,000 to support local non-profits, such as PSKS. This year proceeds from Divas Take America will go to two grassroots organizations working for progressive policy: Washington’s Paramount Duty and Seattle Indivisible.

The event is co-organized by Drag to the Rescue, and will feature some of this region’s most outrageous and talented queens. Hosts DonnaTella Howe and Sylvia O’Stayformore will be joined by Kara Sutra, Mackenzie Miller, Stacey Starstruck and Strawberry Shartcake. There will also be a professional clown, stilt-walker and face painter, plus games such as Pin the Toupee on the Trump. Between performances and games, guests will also be able to check out the Activism Tent, where they can learn more about how to get involved and support progressive policy in our region and meet a few of Seattle’s Top Mayoral candidates; Jenny Durkan and Jessyn Farrell.

Washington’s Paramount Duty is a grassroots organization that has been vital in the push for equitable education funding in Olympia, after years of deadlock following the McCleary decision. The recently passed budget has helped to increased funds, but the fight is far from over. WPD continues to push for policy that equitably distributes the tax burden, unlike the new budget, which critics argue will put unfair stress on middle- and lower-income families, especially in the Puget Sound region.

Seattle Indivisible is working in Washington’s 7th and 9th congressional districts to “stop the Trump Agenda in its tracks.” By holding Washington’s elected officials accountable, citizens can limit and halt the implementation of many of Trump’s policies in our state, our natural environment and our communities. Seattle Indivisible helps mobilize and educate people on how to do just that.

For anyone who loves a summer carnival, Divas Take America is a can’t miss event. And for those who want to be more involved in resisting regressive authoritarian policies in our region, this event will be a fun way to flex your activist muscle while seeing some of Seattle’s best drag performers. Don’t miss out!

Tickets can be purchased on Brown Paper Tickets: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/2977313

More about Paramount Duty:

Who We Are
Washington’s Paramount Duty is a non-partisan, grassroots group of parents and allies working to compel the state to amply fund basic education and swiftly fulfill its paramount duty. We envision a future where every child has equitable access to an amply funded basic education.

Why We Care
Because Washington hasn’t met its constitutional duty to fully fund basic education, school districts and parents have worked to fill the financial shortfall through local levies and PTA fundraisers. Poorer areas are not able to fill the state’s shortfall, leading to further educational inequities. An amply funded, high-quality education can help each child build a better life and contribute to society.

What We Believe
Washington needs new revenue to ensure our schools are providing students with an excellent education. In a state that is home to world-class companies, we have the wealth to ensure every Washington student receives a world-class education. Every child in Washington has the right to:

● An amply funded, basic, K-12 education that is equitable, culturally sensitive and non-biased.
● A healthy and safe school, with qualified teachers, smaller class sizes and nutritious meals.
● A supportive environment that breaks down barriers for every student, regardless of situation or ability, including children of color, low-income families, immigrant families and LGBTQ students.
● A well-rounded curriculum, including art, music, drama, languages, technology and sports.
● The knowledge, skills and technology necessary for each child to thrive in the 21st Century.

What We Want
Washington has the most unfair tax system in the United States. Our tax system places a disproportionate burden on those with the lowest incomes. Our wealthiest individuals and largest corporations take home huge profits while we critically underfund education. We need dependable and regular revenue sources to fund our schools. Our new school funding needs to be:

● Ample – Sufficient to fund education and shustainable in economic upswings and downturns.
● Enough to safeguard important state priorities – We cannot fund K-12 education through cuts to other essential state services such as early learning, higher education, mental health care, etc.
● Equitable – While all schools need more funding, some need more than others. We need to invest in and expand upon existing legislation to close the opportunity gap for every child.
● Fair and reasonable – New revenue must be progressive—meaning the revenue must come primarily from the wealthiest individuals and largest corporations, who have not been paying their fair share.
● Transparent and accountable – Voters must be able to see that the funds designated for education go to schools and classrooms and are spent as promised.

More about Seattle Indivisible:

This group is focused on blocking the agenda of Trump and Republicans at the Federal level, following the template laid out in the Indivisible document (https://www.indivisibleguide.com/).

Group organizing principles:

1. Focus – We resist the actions of the Trump Administration and their Republicans enablers. We are against all of it, period, because any support or compromise will be used against us in the future. Any action we take must directly oppose actions by the Trump administration. We have no other agenda, no other goals other than protecting our country and our neighbors from this threat.

2. Action – Participation matters! Whether it means organizing, calling MoCs, showing up at townhalls, or reaching out to others. The Indivisible Guide demonstrates how powerful a small group of focused citizens can be, and it’s already working. We will be better organized and more broadly based than the Tea Party, and therefore more influential – only if we commit to action. Each of us can find a way to participate that’s appropriate for our skills and values.

3. Facts – People come here looking for ways to act, not ways to whip each other into a frenzy. We will verify truth and understand issues before acting on them. This means no posting of memes or click-bait, no ranting, etc.

4. Cohesion – We want to act as one and remember that _we are all on the same team_. We will be Indivisible: respectful, inclusive, fair, and focused. Voice disagreement, but disrespectful behavior will result in a warning and then ejection from the group. Cohesion is the main reason for keeping our focus narrow – advocating policy or individual issues risks breeding division within the group.