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Finding Community

Finding a community in a new place, it can be hard to know where to start. Online communities can be helpful, but getting up and meeting people and going to events will be the #1 thing to make it a lot easier to feel less isolated and build community in a new place, and that does more than you’d think.

Cal.Pink is a calendar for some great queer events and programming in the area!

TRACTION and the folks at Project Open Arms invite new trans+ folks and their families to share a monthly meal with local volunteers, housing hosts, and community members. Come as you are, no cost.
Fourth Tuesday of every month, 6:30-8:30 pm
Capitol Hill location - RSVP for details

Traction also runs an events calendar for the broader Seattle area.

Seattle’s big enough that just “being transgender” is not a single community, but you will likely find other trans people in any activities you do. A few places to start:

Walk around in your neighborhood! (Or Capitol Hill / the International District / Central District / wherever is appealing to you!) Look at posters and find events that sound appealing to you, put them in your calendar and go! Try and strike up conversations with people there!

If you’re able to, finding orgs you like and volunteering there can also be a great way to get your bearings in the city and meet cool people while supporting stuff you care about!

capitol hill volunteering opportunities:

  • community lunch: serving hot meals to anyone experiencing homelessness/economic hardship
  • genpride: supporting queer/trans older adults

If you like:

  • Tabletop or board games, check out events at a gaming shop near you (or Phoenix in Capitol Hill is great and you can pop in). Seattle Gaymers has a rarely-updated Instagram, but they hold board game and video game nights each week at local Capitol Hill bars (see link for more info).

  • Electronic music or are curious: Impact is trans-run and throws awesome events several times every month.

  • Punk stuff / mutual aid / leftism: Check Pipsqueak and Left Bank Books (I don’t think their calendar is up-to-date, might help to go in-person and ask)

  • Movies: check out local screenings at Northwest Film Forum (Capitol Hill), Central Cinema (Central District), The Beacon (Columbia City) or another cinema near you. Scarecrow Video is based in the north Seattle Roosevelt neighborhood and has both common and rare DVDs + Blu Rays available to rent.

  • Books: Join a book club or go to events! Check Charlie’s (expressly queer), events at the library (ton of Seattle librarians are queer), Ada’s technical books runs a lot of events, including a monthly silent queer book club

  • Running: Seattle Frontrunners is a locally based LGBTQ+ running organization that holds multiple events each week, including a Wednesday run based out of Volunteer Park (opposite the Asian Art Museum), and (as of May 2026) a twice-monthly Gender Diverse run that takes off from Cal Anderson Park.

  • Singing: STANCE (Seattle Trans and Nonbinary Choral Ensemble) is an all trans and non-binary choir, with auditions that are typically held in August and January.

  • Queer Scouts does all kinds of events somewhat-infrequently, mostly virtually. Lots of crafts and stuff.

  • Crafts/creativity: seattle recreative holds a free masked monthly trans crafting social at their space in georgetown (accessible by bus)

There’s also a trans-run Telegram channel where people post Seattle events at https://t.me/g5f3ICKVONmOTJ that can be great to find out what’s going on. Many events in town are free, cheap, or NOTAFLOF (you’ll still be let in if you say you can’t pay).

Look for events in Seattle Gay News: local gay newspaper that’s been around since the 70s, currently run by a trans woman! Physical copies throughout the city, and they have a website

If you’re in the Seattle area and under the age of 22, check out Lambert House. They are a social agency specifically focused on LGTBTQ youth, and run a very useful resources page

Pride Across the Bridge (PAB) is an organization focused on staging events and building community for 2SLGBTQIA+ folks living on the east side of Lake Washington. See this calendar page for upcoming events. A few examples of regular events they hold are Trans/Non-Binary Swims, D&D one-shots, and open social nights.

Rainbow Center - host organization of Tacoma Pride (held in July of each year). Events calendar page can be found at this link. Common events at the time of this writing include twice-monthly Trans Social Drop-In, Queer Prom for local youth, and frequent open community hours for folks to drop in.

Oasis Center - focused on LGBTQ youth in the Tacoma / Pierce County area. Their events page can be found here.

Stonewall Youth - General youth support for Olympia area youth, up to age 21 generally.

Globe NW - Combined organization in Snohomish County from the merger of Everett-Snohomish PFLAG and the Globe Youth Program.