Economic Justice
LGBTQIA+ People Deserve Dignity at Work
LGBTQIA+ low-income and working-class workers face systemic barriers rooted in gender identity, sexual orientation, race, disability, age, and class. Many queer and trans people are denied fair treatment, job security, and wages that meet the cost of living. We believe LGBTQIA+ workers deserve dignity, safety, and a living wage.
Our lives as queer and trans people are deeply connected to our realities as workers. Economic policy shapes whether we are protected, valued, and able to build stable lives. Queer Power Alliance works to change economic policies, develop leadership, and expand the collective power of LGBTQIA+ workers in the workplace and across our broader economy.
We stand in solidarity with all workers and laborers. Through education, leadership development, and worker-led organizing, we create spaces for LGBTQIA+ workers to learn their rights, build community, and advocate for equitable labor practices. We equip our communities with the tools, knowledge, and collective power to support one another and push for lasting change.
Economic Justice Programs and Support
Strippers are Workers (SAW) - L&I Advocacy
SAW Workers’ Rights Education
Labor Rights Advocacy
Economic Leadership Cohort
Strippers are Workers (SAW) - L&I Advocacy
The Civic Leadership Cohort comprises LGBTQIA+ grassroots leaders from underrepresented communities. We provide stipends to ensure accessibility and equity. We cover eight topics: queer movement history, government systems, policy tools, organizing, testimony, media strategy, and voter engagement, with support from guest experts and community partners.
The cohort strengthened the region’s civic infrastructure, expanded the pipeline of LGBTQIA+ leaders, and built a foundation for long-term advocacy in housing justice, LGBTQIA+ protections, and economic equity.
SAW Workers Rights Education
Strippers Are Workers (SAW) is a dancer-led campaign working to raise standards in Washington’s strip club industry and build a strong, dancer-centered community.
Launched in 2018 by a group of dancers, SAW successfully organized to pass Washington’s first stripper-led law, HB 1756, which established Know Your Rights trainings for dancers and introduced critical safety standards in clubs, including panic buttons and customer blacklists.
In 2025, SAW merged with Queer Power Alliance as a program, strengthening the infrastructure needed to sustain dancer-led organizing and advocacy. Together, SAW and QPA received funding from the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries (L&I) to develop and expand dancer-led Know Your Rights education and safety training resources for workers statewide.
SAW continues to advance worker-led organizing, legal advocacy, and community care. The program has filed wage theft appeals with L&I, expanded outreach through community events, and strengthened organizing both inside clubs and across the broader sex work community. SAW has supported dancers navigating labor claims, mobilized partners to stop harmful legislation, and launched mutual aid efforts to respond to urgent community needs.
Through this work, SAW is building a powerful movement that advances safety, labor rights, and dignity for dancers and sex workers across Washington.
Labor Rights Advocacy
Queer Power Alliance has been an active advocate for worker protections in Seattle, supporting efforts to pass policies such as the minimum wage increase, paid sick and safe time, the Hotel Workers Health and Safety Initiative, and secure scheduling ordinances. Alongside coalition partners, we mobilized community members to collect postcards for elected officials, hosted educational events, testified before the Seattle City Council, and participated in direct actions to advance these protections. Throughout this work, we pushed to ensure that the language in these policies reflected the realities and economic needs of LGBTQIA+ communities. By working closely with labor and community partners, we also helped highlight an essential truth: worker rights are queer rights, and strong labor protections are critical to the safety, stability, and dignity of LGBTQIA+ people.
Economic Leadership Cohort
The Economic Leadership Cohort brings LGBTQIA+ workers together to build collective power around worker rights, economic empowerment, and labor advocacy. This cohort creates space for community members to learn about workplace rights, share experiences, and develop leadership in addressing economic justice issues that impact LGBTQIA+ communities.
Through discussion, education, and community organizing, participants explore how LGBTQIA+ workers are shaping industries across Washington while building stronger connections, leadership skills, and pathways for collective action. The cohort supports workers in stepping into leadership roles, strengthening networks, and advancing economic justice for LGBTQIA+ communities statewide.