In the wake of a contentious event in Seattle, elected officials, political candidates, and LGBTQ+ community leaders are grappling with the implications of an anti-trans, anti-abortion rally that recently took place.
The event, organized by Mayday USA, was part of a five-city tour featuring evangelical Christian preachers and musical performances. It took place on Saturday, May 24, in Cal Anderson Park, situated in Seattle’s Capitol Hill neighborhood, recognized as a historic area for the LGBTQ+ community.
Initially, the group sought to hold their event near Pike Place Market but was denied a permit due to insufficient space to accommodate anticipated attendees safely while maintaining public access. Instead, Mayday USA applied to conduct the rally in Cal Anderson Park, a location that city officials deemed suitable based on size and logistical needs.
Cal Anderson Park holds significant meaning within Seattle’s LGBTQ+ history, named after the state’s first openly gay member of the legislature. The park being described as “sacred ground for 2SLGBTQIA+ Seattleites” heightened the stakes of the ensuing events.
Securing a permit for the Mayday USA event drew a considerable counterprotest under the banner “Keep Your Bibles Off Our Bodies,” resulting in a large police presence to manage the situation.
As tensions escalated, police reported that counterprotesters directed water bottles and other items toward their officers and attendees of Mayday USA. The department responded with force, leading to the arrest of 23 individuals from the counterprotest. In contrast, attendees from Mayday USA did not face any arrests, prompting allegations from counterprotesters that police were the ones who escalated the situation, utilizing pepper spray and batons.
In the aftermath, Seattle’s Mayor Bruce Harrell criticized Mayday USA for inciting tensions within the community. He emphasized Seattle’s commitment to inclusion, stating, “Seattle is proud of our reputation as a welcoming, inclusive city for LGBTQ+ communities, and we stand with our trans neighbors when they face bigotry and injustice.”
Following Harrell’s condemnation, Mayday USA organizers staged a rally at City Hall, demanding an apology from the mayor or his resignation, asserting their rights to religious expression in the public square.
Once again, counterprotesters gathered, leading to the arrest of eight more individuals.
Councilmember Alexis Mercedes Rinck condemned the Mayday USA event organizers, labeling them as “far-right, anti-trans extremists who attempted to intimidate our community.” She expressed her commitment to ensuring such confrontations do not occur in the future, emphasizing the need for answers to prevent similar events from taking place.
While acknowledging First Amendment rights, Rinck noted the harmful presence of hate groups in spaces designed to support vulnerable communities. Mayor Harrell, in his statement, directed the Parks Department to reevaluate the permitting process, asking for a review of the specific circumstances surrounding the Mayday USA application.
The Seattle LGBTQ+ Commission echoed these concerns, condemning the event and describing the police response to counterprotesters as violent. They called for a comprehensive investigation into the actions of the Seattle Police Department (SPD), a review of the permitting process, and meaningful reforms centered on community safety.
Despite public outcry, Seattle’s laws do not permit the city to deny event requests based solely on the beliefs of the organization. The First Amendment rights encompassed in the U.S. Constitution and reinforced by Seattle’s municipal codes ensure protections for free speech and assembly.
Seattle’s parks permit ordinance does grant authority to the Parks Superintendent, allowing them to impose conditions on permits to ensure public safety, yet significant limitations remain. Additional insurance or security requirements may be suggested, but these can hardly infringe on constitutional rights.
The ACLU of Washington previously raised concerns over the stipulations allowing financial guarantees from applicants, indicating that such provisions could impede citizens’ rights to assembly and free expression. The city’s Special Events Committee was formed in 2001, providing it more discretion over event requests, focusing on factors like crowd control and public safety, without infringing upon the events’ messages.
Questions remain regarding whether to adapt the location of controversial events to minimize conflict. Recent inquiries to the mayor’s office highlighted doubts about whether the Mayday USA rally could have been moved to a more neutral site, with the City Attorney’s Office asserting that they acted within legal bounds in permitting the event.
Legal expert Erin Carr noted that the Constitution allows for reasonable restrictions on the time, place, and manner of public demonstrations. She argued that prioritizing public safety and community welfare may warrant imposing sensible restrictions on the locations for certain gatherings.
“It is not unreasonable to anticipate that an anti-LGBTQ+ event in a public space meant to celebrate the community could compromise safety,” Carr stated, suggesting that the city should have the capacity to navigate such controversies more effectively.
The conversation around these events is not speculative; another evangelical group has secured a permit for a similar event in Cal Anderson on August 30. In response, former co-director of the Gender Justice League, Elayne Wylie, initiated a petition urging local authorities to relocate the upcoming event to Magnuson Park, seeking a safer environment for the LGBTQ+ community.
This ongoing debate underlines the tension surrounding free speech, community safety, and the logistical challenges posed by public events. As Seattle’s LGBTQ+ stakeholders push for change, local officials face the complex task of navigating these intricacies while upholding constitutional rights and community values.
With the aim of fostering more inclusive measures and ensuring protection for marginalized communities, it remains to be seen how Seattle will respond in the future.
image source from：https://www.cascadepbs.org/news/2025/05/after-anti-lgbtq-rally-questions-linger-about-seattles-response
