Structural Harm Starts with Absence: Council Inaction Hurts Us All
Seattle City Council Members Saka and Nelson failed renters by not showing up for their responsibilities on Wednesday, July 23—effectively halting progress for the Seattle Renters’ Commission.
When elected officials don’t show up, tenants pay the price. This wasn’t just an empty seat—it was a deliberate stall on advancing tenant protections and uplifting renter voices. Time and again, we see whose interests are prioritized. It’s not renters, queer and trans people, or people of color. It’s big business.
More and more trans people and families with trans children are fleeing hostile states, escaping laws that strip away access to affirming healthcare, inclusive education, and basic civil rights. Of the 120 anti-trans bills passed across the country this year, 116 have been signed into law. Many of those fleeing are coming to Washington—especially Seattle—in search of safety, stability, and dignity. But what message does it send when our city leaders can’t show up to defend the most basic right: housing?
Even as Seattle claims to be a sanctuary for queer and trans people, we know that promises mean nothing without action. At the federal level, attacks are escalating— dismantling DEI programs and “gender ideology” funding, to deep cuts to Medicaid, Medicare, and SNAP through the so-called “One Big B* Bill.” These are not symbolic moves. They are structural assaults on our survival.
People are losing their jobs, their safety nets, and their dignity simply for working to make this country more just. In this moment of intensified threat, absence is not neutral—it is harm. Now is not the time to disappear. Now is the time to be vigilant, to fight for housing, and to show up for the communities being pushed out and pushed down.
We also need to be honest: this wasn’t a one-time failure. The Seattle Renters’ Commission has been stalled for over 13 months due to consistent failures to appoint or confirm members. This is not a fluke—it’s a year of purposeful inaction. A year of silencing tenants. A year of delaying accountability and representation.
This isn’t just about tenant rights. It’s a broader message: if you are trans, an immigrant, a person of color, disabled, or working class—if you fall outside the elite—you are being told you will not be represented, heard, or protected.
But our communities know better than to wait for change. We build it. With just over a week until elections, we remember who showed up—and who didn’t. A meek apology won’t cut it. If we want leadership that reflects our values, we must demand it—and take action:
That means voting for City Council members who will fight for renters, not corporate interests. Ballots are due August 5—make a plan, vote early, and vote for those who stand with your community.
It means speaking out—at Council meetings, in public comment, in your neighborhood. Share your story. If you can, apply to serve on boards and commissions like the Seattle Renters’ Commission. Our lived experience is not just valid—it’s necessary.
And it means supporting the organizations doing the work every day. Whether it’s volunteering your time or making a financial contribution, our collective power is what keeps this movement going.
Tenant protections are queer and trans protections. When our leaders fail, we organize. When they stall, we build power. Because no one is disposable—and housing justice is for all of us.
