The Seattle Gay News (SGN) was founded in 1976 to provide news coverage focusing on Seattle’s gay community; it is the third oldest LGBTQ+ newspaper in the US. Seattle Gay News started as a newsletter produced by the Gay Community Center. It provided news to a community that was largely ignored by mainstream newspapers and advocated for gay rights in numerous campaigns. Especially during the HIV/AIDS pandemic in the 1980s, it was an important source of information and helped members of the community to support each other. Since its founding, the SGN has widened its focus to Seattle’s LGBTQ+ community more broadly.

This issue was published November 7, 1997 and its headline reports on the failure of Initiative 677 in the recent election. I-677 would have prohibited discrimination in employment on the basis of sexual orientation across the state but it failed with a 60% “no” vote. Another front-page story is a report on public meetings to discuss proposed cuts to state-sponsored AIDS treatment and proposed changes to reporting on names of people testing positive for HIV. There is also a history of Seattle’s Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, a drag collective that advocates for gay rights and encourages safe sex among the gay community.