The day after Trump was elected, Seattle mayor Ed Murray (an openly gay white man) said: "Seattle remains a city guided by our values of equality, inclusion, openness, and equity. We continue to be a city that supports women. We will continue to be a city that welcomes as neighbors our Muslim brothers and sisters. And today, black lives matter. Black lives will still matter and continue to matter."
In order for Seattle, the blue heart of an otherwise purplish Washington State and your new home, to remain a bastion of progressive ideals, we need you to join the resistance. Rather than retreat to your liberal echo chamber, learn how to talk to your conservative family members. Instead of quietly sticking a safety pin on your lapel, channel your Trump despair into donating your time and money to support organizations working to ensure black lives matter, provide abortion access, and protect people who face hate crimes and possible deportation. It's time to get involved. Here are some local events this week to help you get started. See Stranger Things To Do's complete resistance calendar for events happening beyond January 16-22.
TUESDAY
The Stranger's Blabbermouth Podcast Live
Well, it happened. Hillary Clinton won the popular vote by nearly three million, but the Electoral College failed. The Hamilton Electors failed. The Democrats failed. The Never-Trumpers failed. The pollsters failed. Cable news peddled false equivalency after false equivalency, and now Trump is going to be sworn in as president in a matter of days. WHAT WILL WE DO? What can be done? And what should our theme song be? The Stranger's Pulitzer Prize–winning Eli Sanders, celebrity-prize-winning Dan Savage, non-prize-winning Rich Smith, and a bunch of guests will tell you at this live recording session of the Blabbermouth podcast. RICH SMITH
THURSDAY
J19 Guerrilla Art School: Night of Resistance
People of all ages and skill levels are invited to this first-ever event focusing on "artful resistance." There will be sign-making for the Womxn's March Seattle, button making, legal advice, music, discussions, and more.
What a Joke
To mark Inauguration Day, venues around the country will be hosting iterations of What a Joke: a comedy festival benefiting the ACLU. Local stars include Love Snack, Feelings, Elicia Sanchez, Wilfred Padua, and Nick Sahoyah—in addition to the comedy, you can look forward to inauguration-themed drink specials, raffles, and the warm fuzzy feeling you get knowing your bucks will go towards the ACLU.
FRIDAY
Anti-Inauguration Open Studios and Celebration
Project-106 Artist Studios and METHOD Gallery will host this day of open studios, to celebrate art and community while resisting Trump's inauguration. They add: "We all feel that this is a time in our history desperate for community and inclusion instead of isolation!"
Beer Trumps Hate: Hopvine's Un-Inauguration Party!
Most things are better than hate, really. Hangnails, the Millennial Whoop, cigarette butts floating in a puddle... Yeah, even these are better than a nasty ol' wad of festerin' hate. It's just that love and beer are ESPECIALLY better, and both will be in supply at Hopvine—notably Rooftop Brewing's Love Trumps Hate IPA. Raise money for the ACLU, don't look at the TV, and have a good time.
Beer Trumps Hate: Inauguration Day
The Red Door will pour Rooftop Brewing's Beer Trumps Hate IPA—made with symbolically significant mosaic hops to represent "the notion that beer can be a common bond between a mosaic of different people"—and donate your beery dollars to the ACLU of Western Washington.
Inauguration Day SYA Benefit Show with Tacocat, Wimps, and The Black Tones
Local Stranger favorites Tacocat will be playing Barboza on Inauguration Day with Wimps and The Black Tones in an effort to make this day palatable in the slightest. All proceeds from the door will go to pro-abortion nonprofit #ShoutYourAbortion, with "super-special limited-edition" SYA merch sales going to #BlackLivesMatter.
Inauguration Day With Interesting People
On the day that Trump will be officially inaugurated, take your mind off the (too-real) issues by watching this production of The Taming by Lauren Gunderson, directed by Erin Murray. It sounds a bit like a political version of Miss Congeniality, though that's probably only because it's about Miss Georgia "taking on the American political system" the night before the Miss America Pageant.
Inauguration Night: Reflect, Be Heard, Take Action
The Evergrey (a new daily email newsletter created by Seattle journalists Mónica Guzmán and Anika Anand) will host this Inauguration Day event to chat and reflect on the fact that "a new U.S. president will take the oath of office whom 92 percent of Seattle did not vote for." Make connections and steel yourself for four years of hard work, but don't get too gloomy—this event is also your last chance to try Molly Moon's "Baracky Road" ice cream, so the evening will at least be bittersweet.
KEXP Bed-In for Peace
KEXP will mark Inauguration Day with a bed-in inspired by John Lennon and Yoko Ono's famous supine protest of the Vietnam War. They will invite celebrated local artists like DoNormaal and wimps to inspire you with live music MC'ed by DJ Riz, plus a sing-along with our own Sean Nelson of "Give Peace a Chance." You can also meet with local representatives of Planned Parenthood, the Vera Project, ACLU of Washington, TeenTix, Gender Justice League, and Office of Arts and Culture.
National Student Strike #J20
On Trump's inauguration day, a coalition of UW students, faculty and community members will host this rally and student walkout to fight against the exclusionary ideology of our soon-to-be President. They say: "We say no to racism, sexism, xenophobia, islamophobia! We say no to Trump! Walk out! Resist! Fight Back!"
Pink Carpet Project
On Trump's inauguration day, revel in music, food, art, and performance while raising money for (and celebrating the existence of) Planned Parenthood. The Pink Carpet Project promises "burlesque performance by the inimitable J Von Stratton, inspirational words from our keynote speaker, Amelia Bonow from #ShoutYourAbortion, music by DJ Lady Coco, delicious appetizers from Madres Kitchen, cocktails by The Rhino Room, and booth installations of art, fashion, conversation curated by BadWill Market, featuring various woman owned businesses and artists. There will also be a silent auction where participating vendors will create and donate a one of a kind piece towards the cause." All proceeds from ticket sales and the silent auction, plus a portion of bar profits, will go towards Planned Parenthood of the Great Northwest.
Race for our Rights 5K
This privately organized 5K fun run/walk was set up immediately after Trump's election, in order to reiterate the (physical, social, and political) power of women and to communicate their impassioned response to their new president-to-be. All proceeds will go to Planned Parenthood.
Rainier Beach Flashmob for Love & Diversity
Survive Inauguration Day through dance and community. Either attend rehearsals beforehand (Sunday the 15th and/or Wednesday the 18th) or learn the dance via video. Then, on day one of our brave new world, wear bright colors and boogie with your fellow Rainier Beach resistants.
Resist Trump: Occupy Inauguration!
Seattle citizens are planning a mass demonstration to protest Trump's "racism, sexism, and Islamophobia."
Rough Draft #5 Inauguration Day
I don't need to explain why Rough Draft is awesome, because I've been big-upping them since I went to the first one and was bowled over by the ambitious, adventurous 12-course tasting menu—and the venue and the genuine festivity and the eclectic mix of guests and so on ad infinitum. Every subsequent Rough Draft I've been to has been similarly boundary pushing, delicious, and, most importantly, fun as fuck. This one, however, is special. That it falls on Inauguration Day is no accident—the Rough Draft crew is donating all proceeds from the event to the ACLU as a big "fuck you" to Trump. A big, six-course, boozy fuck you that culminates in a "drink till it's gone" after-party. It's also at LoveCityLove, which only furthers the theme of exuberant cultural expression in the face of our nation's dangerous flirtation with fascism. Maybe I'm not the most ardent activist, but if I can protest Cheeto Jesus with guava pork cheek and elderflower cured salmon, followed by a Bacchanalian art dance party, that's how I'm going to do it. Two birds, one stone, and all that. TOBIAS COUGHLIN-BOGUE
Salon de la Résistance: An Anti-Inaugural Ball
Fight despair with fellow resistants on Inauguration Day! Buy some cool posters at the pop-up shop: All proceeds from the shop and the bar will benefit the ACLU and El Centro de la Raza. Dress fancy ("whatever whatever that means to you") and prepare to be enlightened by activist Elmer Dixon and poet Elisa Chavez. Featuring DJ Gene Balk of the Emerald City Soul Club and other DJs TBA.
Seattle Has A Ball: A Benefit for Our Friends and Community
The crowd at Conor Byrne will spurn the coverage of the presidential inauguration in favor of live music and hits from the 1990s and aughts. This night's proceeds will benefit the local chapters of the NAACP's ACT-SO youth program and Planned Parenthood.
Seattle United for Immigrant and Refugee Families
We're going to go out on a limb and guess that if you're an immigrant in America, Inauguration Day might not be an occasion for joyous festivities. The City of Seattle is here with a day-long workshop to help you apply for citizenship (noon-3 pm) and "Know Your Rights" through training sessions (3, 5, and 7 pm). Immigration attorneys will be available for free aid (3–6 pm). If you just want to be of service to immigrants and refugees, register to volunteer at the event.
STILL HERE.
On Inauguration Day, gather with organizers, artists, and community members to reaffirm everyone's basic human dignity, and warm your cold heart in an atmosphere of respect and hope. They'll have three rooms—for entertainers, accomplices, and collaborators—and you'll have a chance to donate to local non-profit groups. They ask just one thing of attendees: "Please acknowledge and commit to demonstrating respect for the groups of people this event is designed for - women, PoC, undocumented and documented immigrants, LGB/Trans/Queer, disabled and differently abled people, and all marginalized, disenfranchised peoples and communities. We will have designated people at the event ensuring respectful behavior, but your help as a participant goes a long way in creating and ensuring a safe space."
Student Walkout on Trump's Inauguration
High-school and college students will walk out of class on Trump's Inauguration Day to protest bigotry and stand up for the various marginalized groups he has attacked. Their demands: "No deportations of undocumented immigrants! Black lives matter! End police brutality and mass incarceration! Unite against Islamophobia! Fight Trump's sexism! Defend and extend reproductive rights! Tax the rich! Make college free and cancel student debt! Stop the Dakota Access Pipeline! Green jobs now! Fight discrimination and violence against the LGBTQ community!"
Voices of a People's History of the United States
Donald Trump and his cretinous cabinet aren't the first authoritarian administration to occupy this country's highest executive offices. One good way to remember that, and to resist its coming, is to focus your attention not on Trump but on the stories from US history your textbooks may have neglected, unless your history teacher (aka Matt Damon) somehow slipped Howard Zinn's brick into your locker. Ha, gross. Anyway, some of Seattle's most passionate, powerful, and gallant readers will give voice to these stories of colonial terror and humanitarian triumph, including comedian Brett Hamil, South Seattle Emerald's Marcus Harrison Green, Jarrell Davis, Seattle civic poet Claudia Castro Luna, Stranger Genius Award winner Valerie Curtis-Newton, Carlynne Newhouse, Shontina Vernon, and others. It will be a bracing reminder of the events that led up to this moment, as well as a road map for resistance. RICH SMITH
We Defy: Voices and Stories From Our Progressive Community
On Inauguration Day, Planned Parenthood will present a panel discussion on the new administration and its effect on the community going forward. Featured presenters include Sherman Alexie, Ijeoma Oluo, Sonya Renee, the ACLU, Casa Latina, One America, and the Washington Conservation Voters.
FRIDAY-SUNDAY
Weekend Wake
Capitol Cider will host a wake this weekend, presumably for the Obama administration and the values it represented, with food and drink specials, and appropriate melancholy.
SATURDAY
Benefit Breakfast
Before heading to Judkins Park for the Seattle Womxn's March on Saturday, stop by Super Six for breakfast. They will be donating all sales to Planned Parenthood of the Great Northwest, and will be offering food and drink specials as well as some pre-march community bonding. Limited quantities of sign-making supplies will be available.
Pussy Grabs Back 5k
Need to relieve your stress from Inauguration Day? Run in this 5K to "practice the stamina you’ll need to evade any area pussy-grabbers" and take comfort in the fact that all proceeds will go to Planned Parenthood (in the form of a donation made in Mike Pence's name). Top male and female finishers will win prizes from Babeland and Central Cinema and everyone will get a "delicious buttery dessert courtesy of area amateurs."
Rock the Status Quo!
Angry feminist punk and blues for your post-Inauguration Day weekend. Heart Shaped Boxes, an all-woman Nirvana tribute band, will headline. Thursday Night Book Club's "gritty blues" and The Morning After's ferocious punk beats to follow.
Womxn's March Seattle: Washington State
The day after the inauguration of Donald Trump, "ALL women, femme, trans, gender non-conforming, and feminist people (including men and boys) are invited to march... [in] support for the community members who have been marginalized by the recent election." This event will take place in solidarity with the Million Women March being planned for the same day in Washington, DC.
SUNDAY
Pantsuit 5k Run/Walk
This post-inauguration 5K has a purpose: "the unification of the Pantsuit community." Everyone (seriously, everyone—also dogs) is invited to don some very professional outfits and get moving.
Get all this and more on the free Stranger Things To Do mobile app—available now on the App Store and Google Play.
