Seattle Pride is hosting our second annual “REAL TALK: LGBTQ Conversations for Change” – a 2.5 hour town hall, developed by SocialScope Productions.

REAL TALK will focus on critical, frank discussions of Seattle’s community perspectives, including conversations about pride, racism, and nationalism in LGBTQ communities, access to safety and spaces and LGBTQ experiences with local law enforcement. This town hall will include both experiential activities, small and large group conversations.

This town hall will be introduced and moderated by Randall Jenson, Director of SocialScope Productions and nationally recognized LGBTQ anti-violence and hate crime advocate, and feature local LGBTQ community organizers and leaders as facilitators.

Thursday, June 21st

5:30-8pm

Casa Latina, 317 17th Ave S, Seattle, Washington 98144

FREE TO ATTEND, but RSPVs STRONGLY ENCOURAGED and given priority

Seattle Pride is hosting “REAL TALK: LGBTQ Conversations for Change” – a 2.5 hour town hall, developed by SocialScope Productions and moderated by nationally recognized LGBTQ anti-violence advocate, Randall Jenson.

REAL TALK will focus on critical, frank discussions of Seattle’s community perspectives, including conversations about pride, racism, and nationalism in LGBTQ communities, access to safety and spaces and LGBTQ experiences with local law enforcement. This town hall will include both experiential activities, small and large group conversations. This town hall will be introduced and moderated by Randall Jenson, Director of SocialScope Productions and nationally recognized LGBTQ anti-violence and hate crime advocate, and feature local LGBTQ community organizers and leaders as facilitators.

This REAL TALK will focus on community conversations surrounding

– sexual exploitation in our lgbtq communities

– violence against LGBTQ people of color, specifically particularly trans women of color

– reflections on the consumerism and commercialization of Seattle Pride

– LGBTQ communities experiences with law enforcement

Join board members of Seattle Pride, local community leaders, and Randall Jenson of SocialScope Productions in conversations pertaining to the Seattle QPOC community.

More about the MODERATOR:

RANDALL JENSON (aka DJ STUNT QUEEN) is a queer, multiracial anti-violence advocate and artist of color. For the past 16 years, he has worked closely with street-based youth, youth of color and LGBTQ youth and in the fields of youth programming and anti-violence advocacy. Randall is the Director of SocialScope Productions, a consulting and coaching company focused on LGBTQ multimedia projects, community storytelling and building innovative youth program design models. He also serves as the Producer for the #GetWoke event and web series, focused on uplifting and affirming queer and trans communities of color, and the Program Director for Transformations, a KC transgender and gender expansive youth group.

Randall’s intersectional media projects have received multiple awards, including “outstanding anthropological work” by the Association for Queer Anthropology (2010) and the Third Wave Mobilize Power Fund (2016) and Kansas City Rocket Grant (2016). These recent grants helped fund the startup of both the KC transgender and gender non-conforming (TGNC) youth group and KC TGNC Summit: building a leadership fountain for TGNC youth and TGNC people of color. Randall is a published writer, having been featured in “BOYS: An Anthology,” and a blogger for The Huffington Post, Out Magazine, Bitch Media, The Advocate. In 2015, Randall was appointed as the lead advocate to help loved ones and their communities cope and heal from 3 LGBTQ homicides in Kansas City. He previously worked as the Manager of Youth Services for the Kansas City Anti­-Violence Project, providing multi-­state advocacy directly to LGBTQ youth affected by trauma and violence, as well as the LGBTQ Youth Advocate at Safe Connections in St. Louis, helping build the first regional LGBTQ youth anti­-violence program.

Randall has received national awards for his leadership and work with young people and homeless and vulnerable youth, racial justice advocacy, addressing the juvenile legal system and media’s impact on queer lives. Through his work as an anti-violence advocate, has keynoted Yale University’s “Pride Month” series in 2016, “Sexual Assault Awareness Month” for University of Iowa in 2015, as well as “Take Back the Night” at Southern Oregon University in 2015. Randall’s work as an artist and documentary filmmaker has allowed been featured at The Nelson Museum of Art, Missouri History Museum, MIX: New York’s Queer Experimental Film Festival, and have headlined Seattle Pride in 2017 and the 2010 and 2012 Midwest Bisexual Lesbian Gay Transgender and Ally Collegiate Conferences (MBLGTACC). He was awarded the 2003 Jim Hoefer Community Service award for creating the “Youth Advisory Board” – the first ever LGBTQ youth teen social justice group – by St. Louis Pride, a featured speaker at the 2003 National ACLU Membership Conference in Washington D.C., featured in 2006 on The Oprah Show and awarded the “Youth Impact Award” by the National Youth Advocacy Coalition.

Learn more about the Seattle community oraaganizers who will be TOPIC FACILITATORS:

ALANNA FRANCIS (she/her) is a queer woman of color living in Kent, WA. She has an unshakeable passion for community engagement, equity, and a fierce commitment to her communities. Raised between the Pacific Northwest and Southern California, Alanna brings diverse perspective and a sharp social justice lens. Her inclusive thinking and creative spirit are critical in her coalition and community-building work. Alanna proudly works for the Greater Seattle Business Association, breaking down systemic barriers while building up efforts for inclusive, equitable, and thoughtful professional leadership development and support. Alanna is thrilled to be a part of this event and brings her warmth and passion with her!

ERIK GRAY (they/them) is a queer Filipinx born in Subic Bay, Philippines to a U.S. Navy Chief family with 25+ years of tradition in public service. They attended Olympic College where they were popularly elected the Associated Students of Olympic College President and The Evergreen State College where they continue their studies. Moving forward, they hope to obtain a Juris Doctor from Seattle University with a focus on combatting sex trafficking. They are survivor leader for sex work as a local victim of sex trafficking. They have dedicated their life to public service and held foundational roles in projects such as YouthCares Jackson Street Shelter, expansion of sex worker services to all genders in our city, with contributions to HIV/AIDS work. In their spare time they enjoy engaging with their spiritual community, cycling, and public speaking engagements. They live in the Capitol Hill neighborhood. They have been an active volunteer in the city volunteering with organizations such as Bailey-Boushay House, YouthCare, Virginia Mason, Swedish Hospital, and Plymouth Church.

JEFF CORNEJO (he/him) has been a Seattle Pride board member since 2012 and acts as the Grand Marshal Liaison to the Board of Directors. He graduated from the University of Washington with a degree in Sociology and conducted research on how vulnerable communities create resiliency. In 2015 he developed his first racial equity and social justice program for the Phinney Neighborhood Association, facilitating community conversations about the social construction of race, Islamophobia, and white fragility. In 2016, after a gas leak destroyed a city block in his neighborhood, he managed over $320K in funding to help the neighborhood recover and was awarded a $35K Office of Economic Development grant to conduct a retail study for small-businesses growth. In 2017, he developed activation booths for the Equality March in Seattle, which included a Trump letter-writing campaign and How to be an Ally materials. His most recent accomplishments include developing Seattle Pride’s Community Grants & Sponsorship Program and calling for an end to HIV-stigma in an article for the 2018 Seattle Pride Guide.

MONISHA HARRELL (she/her) owns and operates a small marketing firm, Rule Seven, focused on community outreach, brand development and market research. She has a passion for entrepreneurial projects, and building equity and opportunity for underserved communities. Monisha currently serves as the Board Chair for Equal Rights Washington, and as a board member for the National LGBTQ Task Force.

TRISTEN PAMPHLET GARDNER (he/him) is a community organizer who works with the Greater Seattle Business Associations (GSBA) Scholarship Program. In addition to organizing Seattle’s black pride for the last few years, in 2016 he started Black Family Reunion, a community group of more than 500 Black and African-American LGBTQ people who live in the Seattle area that meet monthly. Last year at the Volunteer Park Pride Fest he spoke about racism within the LGBTQ community and he is currently finishing up his capstone which details why Seattle should conduct a needs assessment on the state of LGBTQ youth, people of color and the transgender community. When he isn’t falling asleep at his desk, he spends time with his husband, Michael Pamphlet-Gardner, and is attempting to learn how to box without messing up his face. You can reach him at tristen@thegsba.org

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