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 on February 29, 2008 and its headline reports on Ric Weiland’s posthumous gift of $65 million to the Pride Foundation. This was the largest donation ever made to the LGBTQ+ movement. The other headline story describes an open letter by then presidential candidate Barack Obama to the LGBTQ+ community encouraging them to support his campaign, and another article reports on Rev. Dr. Brent Hawkes receiving honors for his long work in gay rights activism.