Author: seattleaceadmin

Seattle Pride Weekend 2024!

We’re just a week away from Pride Weekend! We hope you’ll be able to join us (and bring your friends!) to all the things we have planned. You can find more details and optionally RSVP on our Meetup or Facebook groups.

Friday, 6/28:

To kick it off, Pride Weekend starts with Karaoke at the Shanghai Room in Greenwood, at 8:30 PM. Come out and sing, or just hang out without singing if that’s more your speed.

Saturday, 6/29:

An image of the Seattle Aces & Aros tent at Pride with the overlaid text "Free Swag at PrideFest" and the location of "Broadway Between John + Thomas, Capitol Hill, 6/29/24, 11-7 PM"

We’re going to have a booth at PrideFest Capitol Hill all day. We’ll be located in a double tent on the west side of Broadway, mid-block between John and Thomas, in front of Sumo and The Alley. Stop by for some free aro and ace related swag (Some things will have price tags to discourage the street fair lookee-looters from grabbing it all, but it’s free if you’re under the ace or aro umbrellas. Just tell them you’re with the band.) and a craft table, or just duck into the tent to get out of the crowds and chill with us for a bit.

Two ginormous pride flags being flown, one trans, one rainbow, with the overlaid text "Giant Flags In The Park", and a location of "Cal Anderson Park, 6/29/24, 1:30 PM, Weather Permitting"

At 1:30 PM, we’re hoping to take the ginormous flags (As Seen On Tumblr™) over to Cal Anderson Park for a bit of a photo op with Flying Gigantic Flags In The Park! If you’ve ever wanted to fly what are likely the world’s largest aro and ace flags (and if they’re not the largest, they’re still pretty danged big), this is your chance. We’ll also have ginormous rainbow and trans flags, a non-binary flag will be making its debut, and we’ll likely have some not-ginormous-but-still-big flags for many more identities.

Sunday, 6/30:

An image of the Seattle Aces & Aros marching in the Pride Parade, with the overlaid text "Pride Parade", and a location of "4th Ave Between Union and University, Downtown Seattle, 6/30/24, 10:30 AM"

The main event: March in the Seattle Pride Parade! We’ll be staging for the parade on 4th Ave between Union and University, starting at around 10:30 AM. There will also be a pre-game breakfast starting at 9:30, gathering about a block away in a plaza in front of Purple Wine Bar. We’re one of the earliest contingents in the parade again this year, so be sure to get there by 11! You can bring your own flags or signs, or we’ll have plenty for you if you just show up.

Looking forward to seeing you all there, and if you have any questions about any of these events, please feel free to ask! And again, check out our Meetup or Facebook groups for more details about these (and other!) events!

Seattle Pride 2023

We’re participating in two events this year!

On June 24th, we will have a booth at PrideFest on Capitol Hill. We’ll be booth O-29, on the east side of the street between Thomas and John, in front of 8 To 8 Dental. It’s about a block from the Capitol Hill Light Rail station and about two blocks from Cal Anderson Park or the end of the Streetcar line. We’ll be the booth with the purple top and ginormous aro and ace flags. Drop by for some swag or to say hi!

Then on the 25th, we’re marching in the Seattle Pride Parade for the fourth time! Bring your signs, flags, and other Aro and Ace Pride gear and come join us!

It’s free and doesn’t require any commitment other than time.

The parade is on Sunday, June 25th, starting around 11 AM.  The Parade runs through downtown Seattle on the mostly flat 4th Ave, from around Westlake Center to Seattle Center. Distance is about a mile.

We are Contingent #11 on Block 2, between Union and University. This is several blocks south of Westlake Center, and only about a block away from the University St. Light Rail station. Our staging time is 10:30 to 11 AM. We are very early in the parade, so we will have to be ready to move shortly after the start of the parade at 11.

We will be staged between Gay City and the Space Needle, and alongside Pokemon. Look for the ace and aro flags and the sea of green and purple somewhere on the west side of the street.

You are more than welcome to make signs or wear aro and ace themed costumes. We’ll have flags for people to wave.

Check out the Facebook and Meetup Events for more details:

Meetup Event: https://www.meetup.com/seattle-and-surrounding-area-asexuals-seattle-aces/events/293070142/

Facebook Event: https://fb.me/e/6q24TEzbb

(RSVPing is encouraged, but not required. You can just show up on the day of the event and we’d love to have you!)

The Seattle Pride Parade Returns

After two years off, the Seattle Pride Parade is returning in 2022! The Seattle Aces & Aros are planning to march for the third time. Bring your signs, flags, and other Aro and Ace Pride gear and come join us!

It’s free and doesn’t require any commitment other than time.

The Pride Parade will be on Sunday, June 26th, starting around 11AM . The Parade runs through downtown Seattle on the mostly flat 4th Ave, from around Westlake Center to Seattle Center. Distance is about a mile.

We are Contingent #40, with a scheduled arrival time of between 10:45 and 11:30 AM. Our staging zone is located on 4th Avenue, between University and Seneca. This is several blocks south of Westlake Center, and only about a block away from the University St. Light Rail station. They have us set to line up in the middle of the street. It appears that there is a small plaza between Purple and The Financial Center, so if you don’t see us, hang around that area until the flags show up.

We will be staged between Code.org and the King County Democrats and next to the Righteously Outrageous Twirling Corps, and will be marching between Salesforce and the KC Dems. One thing to note is that the staging map shows us in close proximity to the “Body Pride Ride”, which is a group of nude cyclists who may or may not be covered in body paint. (If this makes you uncomfortable, you can wait further north in the staging area along 4th Ave and join us when we pass.)

It is impossible to know exactly when we’ll start marching, so we should expect to move any time after 11:30. I would estimate our arrival at the end of the parade at Seattle Center to be sometime between 12:30 and 1:30.

Important! Seattle Pride requires that all marchers provide proof of vaccination or negative PCR test within 48 hrs. (PCR tests are the lab test, not the home rapid tests), and they are requiring that all groups verify. They will be spot checking contingents for compliance. Any contingents that are not in compliance will be kicked out of the parade, so be sure to bring your proof! (Physical card, photo of card, phone app, etc. are all valid forms of proof.) Masks are not required, but you are encouraged to wear one in the crowded staging area and welcome to wear one for the rest of the parade.

Facebook Event: https://fb.me/e/4IIg2M8Hv

Meetup Event: https://www.meetup.com/Seattle-and-Surrounding-Area-Asexuals-Seattle-Aces/events/284274387/

(RSVPing is encouraged, but not required. You can just show up on the day of the event and we’d love to have you!)

There are three other events around the march, and you don’t have to be marching to attend any of them.

First is a Pre-Parade Meetup, a couple of blocks from the staging area:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/734861714230254
Meetup: https://www.meetup.com/seattle-and-surrounding-area-asexuals-seattle-aces/events/286714509/

There will be an Informal Watching Group along the route, in case you want to hang out with other aces and aros to watch the parade, but don’t want to march yourselves:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/1414072005723902
Meetup: https://www.meetup.com/seattle-and-surrounding-area-asexuals-seattle-aces/events/286653385/

And finally, after the marching group gets to Seattle Center, there will be a Post-Parade Hangout:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/367533058699392
Meetup: https://www.meetup.com/seattle-and-surrounding-area-asexuals-seattle-aces/events/286715087/

Washington Becomes 5th State To Recognize Aro Week

This year, Washington has recognized Aromantic Spectrum Awareness Week for the first time! We are the fifth state to do so, after Colorado, Virginia, Michigan, and Minnesota, and after the District of Columbia and the city of Denver, CO.

Here is the full proclamation (click to zoom):

Full Text:

The State of Washington

Proclamation

WHEREAS aromanticism is a generally unknown and misunderstood romantic orientation; and

WHEREAS people who are aromantic often feel isolated and confused, and lack access to resources and support networks; and

WHEREAS discovering aromanticism can be an affirming and positive personal experience; and

WHEREAS having peers and family know of and understand aromanticism can provide safety, support, and comfort to aromantic people; and

WHEREAS Aromantic Spectrum Awareness Week aims to spread awareness and acceptance of aromantic spectrum identities and the issues faced by the aromantic community; and

WHEREAS Washington is proud of and made stronger by the vast diversity of its residents;

THEREFORE, I, Jay Inslee, Governor of the state of Washington, do hereby proclaim the period between February 21st and February 27th, 2021, as AROMANTIC SPECTRUM AWARENESS WEEK in Washington, and I encourage all people in our state to join me in this special observance.

Signed this 24th day of February, 2021

Governor Jay Inslee

A-Spec and Media Webinar

Seattle Aces and Aros is putting on a free webinar called “A-Spec and Media”.

The webinar will feature four panelists from our community, who will be discussing a wide range of topics about the intersection of A-Spec identities and the media. The panel will include Kelsey, the writer for BIFL, Julia, YA author and organizer for New England Aces and returning from our previous panel, PJ and John! This webinar will be open to the public. You can register here:
https://tinyurl.com/ybblhg66

The event will take place on Saturday, January 16th, at 1pm PT.

All are welcome to join, just know that this group’s goal is to be a comfortable space to share and discuss asexuality, aromanticism and related topics. We will strictly enforce a code of conduct to protect the panelists, moderators, and attendees. (No hate speech or bullying. Be kind and courteous. Respect pronouns and avoid gendered language. Refrain from using ableist language. Respect everyone’s privacy.)

Meet the Panelists!

John is a teacher in Seattle who identifies as queer, transmasculine, and aromantic. He is a founder of the femslash convention TGIF/F (tgifemslash.com) and has been active in fandom for almost 20 years writing fanfic, editing fanvids, and attending cons. He is a diehard shipper who also longs for more [queer]platonic partnerships in media, because containing multitudes is gay.

PJ is an aroace aspiring screenwriter who was born and raised in Seattle. She developed a love for filmmaking in high school, and strives to increase queer representation and social progress throughout the film industry. PJ uses she/her pronouns.

Julia is the Lead Organizer for New England Aces and a member of the group’s outreach team, which hosts panels and workshops on asexuality. She formerly served as Pride Activities Coordinator and has participated in several panel discussions on asexuality, ace visibility, and ace representation in media outside the group, as well. A member of the Boston Speculative Fiction Writing Group, Julia particularly enjoys writing YA fantasy. Follow Julia on Twitter @JGilstein.

Kelsey (they/them) is a queer, asexual, non-binary New Hampshire native currently living in Chicago. They have been writing fanfiction for more than a decade, but the last few years their main project has been an original scripted LGBTQIA+ comedy series “BIFL”. Kelsey can be found on Twitter @goneawayawhile talking about TV, Taylor Swift, and making pretty much everything about asexuality.

Meet the Moderator

Ashley is an Aro-Ace in aerospace. When she is not working as an engineer, she spends her free time doing a multitude of hobbies, some of the current being mixed martial arts, tabletop roleplaying games, and cooking. She has been one of the organizers for Seattle Aces and Aros for the last two years, and has lately been running far too many quarantine TTRPGs.

Washington Again Recognizes Ace Week in 2020

Asexual Awareness Week has again been recognized by the State of Washington this year!

We were the first state in the country to recognize it (possibly the first place anywhere!) last year in 2019. This year, we have been joined by Colorado, Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Oregon! 5 down, 45 to go!

Here is the full proclamation (click to zoom):

All About the A: Meet The Panelists!

On Saturday, July 18, at 1pm PT, we’re hosting a webinar All About the A!

The webinar will feature five panelists from our community, who will be covering an introduction to asexual and aromantic orientations, as well as other experiences about what it means to identify on the ace and/or aro spectrums. It’s free and open the the public, and non-ace or aro people are encouraged to attend! Register here:  https://tinyurl.com/yd4cvrds .

Now let’s meet our panelists!

Alexis

Alexis is a gray-ace, bi-romantic, and cis-gendered. She grew up in a very queer-friendly city: San Francisco, but was a late bloomer and only came out within the last few years. She loves dogs, dancing, and knitting (as you can see in her picture, she’s wearing a sweater she made with UV-reactive yarn. It changes color under the sun so she calls it her bi-invisibility sweater!) She’s proud and happy she can bring both herself and her sweaters out of the closet.

Danika

Danika (she/they) is a bi aroace arogender woman who has been out and proud since 2017. When she’s not saving lives as a not-for-profit financial consultant, she is a writer, musician, and full-time cat mom. Her blog, Sea of Sunlight, explores forming identity and relationships in an amatonormative world.

Val

Val grew up in the Silicon Valley, after college they started their career in logistics and have advanced in the field of Autonomous Vehicle Development. They currently reside in the Greater Seattle Area and very much enjoy their place here. Val grew up knowing they were Queer even before they knew what that really meant. They just knew they were missing a piece that the vast majority seemed to have an understanding. Their journey is a slow one, which should be expected given Asexuality was virtually invisible the majority of their life. Val finally came to terms with their true identity as a Grey Asexual in their early 30s.

John

John is a 2nd grade teacher in Seattle who identifies as queer, transmasculine, and aromantic, and has been in the LGBTQ+ community for 25 years. In his free time, he enjoys playing poker, marathoning TV shows, and leading the drumline for the OL Reign soccer team.

PJ

PJ is an aroace aspiring screenwriter who was born and raised in Seattle. She developed a love for filmmaking in high school, and strives to increase queer representation and social progress throughout the film industry.

And the moderator:

Ashley

Ashley is an Aro-Ace in aerospace. When she is not working as an engineer, she spends her free time doing a multitude of hobbies, some of the current being mixed martial arts, tabletop roleplaying games, and cooking. She has been one of the organizers for Seattle Aces and Aros for the last year and a half, lately running far too many quarantine TTRPGs.

All About the A (in LGBTQIA+) Webinar

Seattle Aces & Aros presents a free webinar, “All About the A (in LGBTQIA+)”.

The webinar will feature five panelists from our community, who will be covering an introduction to Asexual and Aromantic orientations, as well as other experiences about what it means to identify on the Ace and/or Aro Spectrums.

This webinar will be open to the public. You can register here: https://tinyurl.com/yd4cvrds .

The event will take place on Saturday, July 18, at 1pm PT.

Meet the panelists here!

You are also invited to join our group’s monthly (virtual) Roundtable Discussion at 11:30am PT (on the topic “Demi and Gray Aces and Aros”) and Discussion Group at 1pm PT, on Saturday, July 11. You can register here: https://tinyurl.com/y7smtzuq. 

All are welcome to join, whether or not you identify on the Ace and/or Aro Spectrums. Just know that this group’s goal is to be a comfortable space to share and discuss asexuality, aromanticism, and our experiences and questions. 

We will strictly enforce a code of conduct to protect the panelists, moderators, and attendees. (No hate speech or bullying. Be kind and courteous. Respect pronouns and avoid gendered language. Refrain from using ableist language. Respect everyone’s privacy.)