By FāVS Staff
Anti-LGBTQ groups plan Aug. 30 rally
Anti-LGBTQ Christian groups have secured a permit to hold a “Revive in 25” rally on Aug. 30, in Cal Anderson Park on Capitol Hill. The event is being organized by On Fire Ministries, a Spokane-based church led by Christian fundamentalist pastor and former state representative Matt Shea, with support from religious activist Sean Feucht. Feucht previously held a controversial “Let Us Worship” concert in the same park during the COVID-19 pandemic in summer 2020, which combined evangelical revival elements with protests against mask mandates and included anti-LGBTQ rhetoric.
The planned August rally comes amid ongoing tensions following a recent anti-trans “#DontMessWithOurKids” gathering in Cal Anderson Park that resulted in more than 20 arrests during clashes between police and counter-protesters. Mayor Bruce Harrell has called such events part of “an extreme right-wing national effort to attack our trans and LGBTQ+ communities” and said the city is reviewing the permit process. The choice of Cal Anderson Park, located in the heart of Seattle’s LGBTQ community, has raised questions about why the parks department is directing these groups to hold events in an area central to the city’s queer communities.
New Book Chronicles 50 Years of Southeast Asian Refugees in Washington
Fifty years after Washington welcomed its first Southeast Asian refugees, a new book documents the journeys of families who fled war and rebuilt their lives in the Pacific Northwest. “New Land: Southeast Asian Refugees Finding Home in Washington,” written by state historians John C. Hughes and Edward Echtle Jr., captures 15 stories of first-generation refugees and their descendants, exploring the challenges of displacement and the process of creating new communities in Washington state.
YWCA Spokane CEO Jeanette Hauck to Retire at End of 2025
YWCA Spokane announced today that Chief Executive Officer Jeanette Hauck will retire at the end of 2025 after nearly 15 years with the organization. Hauck joined YWCA Spokane in 2011 as director of finance, was promoted to chief financial officer in 2014, and became interim CEO during the COVID-19 pandemic before being confirmed as CEO in March 2021. Board Chair Linda Hendricksen praised Hauck as “a champion of YWCA Spokane’s work and mission” who leaves “a true legacy.”
Under Hauck’s leadership, the organization has grown significantly, with staff increasing from 60 to 95 employees and the budget more than tripling from $3 million to $10.1 million. During her tenure, YWCA Spokane expanded services including mental health therapy, legal advocacy and free preschool while dedicating additional resources to community education, violence prevention and racial justice efforts. The board has launched a local and nationwide search for Hauck’s replacement, seeking what Selection Committee Chair Beth Kennar describes as “a strategic thinker, collaborative community partner, and equity-focused leader” to lead the 122-year-old organization.
Spokane Public Library to Screen PBS Documentary on Library History
The Spokane Public Library will host a screening of the PBS Independent Lens documentary “Free for All: The Public Library” on Wednesday, June 4, at 5:30 p.m. at Central Library, followed by a panel discussion. KSPS PBS Director of Development Skyler Reep will moderate a conversation with Spokane Public Library Youth Services Manager Denise Neujahr and Youth Environmental Specialist Mason Neil about the film, which chronicles the history of America’s public library system from its founding pioneers to today’s librarians facing book bans and funding challenges.
The documentary tells the story of the “quiet revolutionaries” who created public libraries, from the women behind the “Free Library Movement” to contemporary librarians serving communities despite censorship efforts and library closures. The free screening is open to the public.
Some summaries created with help of AI. Staff still carefully edited material for content quality and publication standards.
