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 special issue was published on July 23, 2007. It is a photo album of some of the first same-sex couples to register for domestic partnerships in Washington. The domestic partnership law went into effect that day and extended some rights and protections of marriage to registered same-sex couples. Many of the couples registered on the first day had already been committed to each other for decades. Over the next few years, domestic partnerships would be expanded to include more rights and protections and in 2012, Washington allowed full marriage equality for same-sex couples.