The Coalition Ending Gender-Based Violence celebrated another year of Celebration for Change, on May 7, 2026 at the Mount Baker Community Club in South Seattle!
The event is both a fundraiser for the Coalition and an opportunity for the anti-violence community to connect, celebrate wins from the year, and feel renewed and inspired for the work ahead.
Over 130 people including 36 children attended and over $26k was raised towards the continued work of promoting equitable relationships and building safe and just communities where all people thrive. The vibe was relaxed, joyful, and had a steady hum of conversation and connection!
This year’s event focused on honoring heritage through local music and culinary traditions. The program included live music provided by The Rhapsody Project, a local youth program dedicated to celebrating heritage and building community through music and Off the Rez who shared their celebration of Indigenous heritage through nourishing food.
Board members of the Coalition kicked off the program by giving a warm welcome to guests, elected leaders and sharing appreciation to businesses and non-profits who sponsored the event. Additionally, speakers highlighted the movement to address Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and People and encouraged the audience to learn more about the work of Coalition member programs, Mother Nation, Seattle Indian Health Board, and Chief Seattle Club to learn more.
Co-Executive Directors of the Coalition, Lea Aromin and Amarinthia Torres, took to the stage to share their reflections on the importance of Coalition work, accomplishments from the year, and the surprising resonance they both found in a metaphor about salmon.
Salmon, apparently, when they make their way upstream, they bump repeatedly into blocked pathways until they find where the current is strongest, and so they go through, because even though it is where the current is strongest and the hardest going, they know the way is clear. The way is hard, but clear.
Lea asked,“So what is clear to us? It is clear to us, now more than ever, that strong coalitions like ours are critical. And it has always been clear to us that working in coalition can shift the conditions that allow abuses of power to flourish.”
In thinking about the role of advocacy and supporting survivors, Amarinthia shared, “The gender-based violence movement is made up of folks who see the profound impacts of rape, abuse, and violence and refuse to look away. We look deeply and consistently at harm that most people avert their eyes from, or minimize, or turn away because it hits too close to home, or have learned to say, that’s none of my business. A movement that doesn’t look away, that keeps facing the profound realities of trauma and violence, can be a powerful thing.”
The Co-ED’s then shared various highlights and accomplishments from the past year at the Coalition including:
- Partnering with elected leaders and other Coalitions to give input, support, and ultimately help pass the Seattle Shield Initiative, which created local progressive revenue to protect Seattle’s critical social and human services including gender-based violence programs.
- Convening and leading over 55 distinct events for membership and in collaboration with cross sector partners to problem solve, strategize, share info and disrupt silos.
- Developing the Trans Resource and Referral Guide, and leading a community advisory group of trans and gender diverse folks to ensure access to accurate local resources ‘by and for’ trans people.
- Welcoming 3 new programs to be members of the Coalition and deepening relationships with current member programs
Overall, this event was a beautiful opportunity to gather in-person, share in the enjoyment of live music, and connect with others who are committed to ending gender-based violence.
The evening came to a close with these words from the Co-ED’s:
“It is clear to us that there is much work to be done to fully realize our collective vision of equitable relationships, and an end to gender-based violence and that it will take all of us. We turn towards, we don’t look away. We face the current. And we do it together, in Coalition.”