Friday, October 30, 2026
The 40th anniversary of Olympia's first gay rights law was recognized with a proclamation honoring a 1986 ordinance that protected gay and lesbian people in city services and employment.
The proclamation described Ordinance 4692 as the first small town gay rights law in Washington. It said the measure was an early step toward equal treatment in city services.
The Olympia City Council issued the proclamation at a meeting on Tuesday, Oct. 27.
Anna Schlecht, a community organizer, said the ordinance was important because local governments were stepping in at a time when state and federal protections were lacking.
“It was scary,” recalled Schlecht of the years when there was no law that protected gays and lesbians. “I was a very closeted city employee. … I could not be out because I could be fired.”
Schlecht said Ordinance 4692, signed by then-Mayor William Daley in 1986, made Olympia “a safe place, where people could live, work, do business.”
The ordinance established protections against discrimination in the delivery of city services and resources.
It prohibits city officers, officials, employees, agents, contractors from discriminating against individuals, firms or organizations based on age, sex, race, creed, color, sexual orientation, national origin, or the presence of a physical, mental, or sensory disability.
Schlecht described Olympia’s ordinance as part of a broader movement for LGBTQ+ rights, saying 26 other laws and local regulations followed. She said local efforts helped advance civil rights protections at state and federal levels.
She pointed to the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2013 and 2015 rulings as major milestones for the movement. The 2013 United States v. Windsor ruling struck down a federal provision that denied recognition to legally married same-sex couples. The 2015 Obergefell v. Hodges ruling established the constitutional right to same-sex marriage nationwide.
However, Schlecht urged city officials to continue defending LGBTQ+ residents through local policies, state-level advocacy, and resistance to measures that weaken civil rights protections.
“There is a very intense backlash. We are living through a time with a president that has erased DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion) words like woman and gay from any kinds of federal documents, erased any mention of slavery from Smithsonian Institute,” Schlecht said.
She warned actions by the federal administration threatened to reverse the progress and push the country back to a time when segregation was legal, women had no rights, and people feared for their lives.
Council member Clark Gilman stressed the need to defend rights and protections that are being challenged. He assured the community that he will “continue to stand together with this body and the city to advocate for all in the city.”
Mayor Dontae Payne thanked Schlecht for her leadership and contributions to Olympia, recognizing her role in bringing the anniversary proclamation forward and for supporting the community over the years.
Payne credited earlier generations of advocates and community members with helping make greater representation in local government possible.
“I would not be sitting here as the city’s first openly gay mayor if it wasn’t for people like Anna Schlecht and all of you who were here at that time,” Payne said.
He also acknowledged discrimination remains a reality even in a city with a long history of LGBTQ+ protections.
“It has been 40 years since we passed our first gay rights law, but that does not mean that people don’t still have experiences that are negative in our community," Payne said.
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KatAshe
As the favorite aunt to my nephew and his husband, it makes me proud to be living in an inclusive and supportive community. My own homeowners association, here in Olympia has always been inclusive, not just with lgbtq + but all religions and races. Even as a straight woman, I can’t imagine living somewhere where a segment my community has to live in fear, and with employment and housing discrimination.
6 hours ago Report this
WillyZ
Thanks Anna for your steadfast activism and persistence in making Olympia a bright spot on the map for safety and quality.
5 hours ago Report this
Wesley
Embarrassing.
5 hours ago Report this
Snevets
Bravo! I'm so glad to live in an all inclusive community striving every day to make it better and better even when we have such adversity in the current political environment.
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3 hours ago Report this
Carolyn Byerly
What an important commemoration! So much has changed for the good in this city over the last 40 years to make it more inclusive and welcoming to me and others in the LGBTQ family. I appreciate Anna's and the other leaders who originally worked for this law, and I so greatly appreciate Mayor Payne and the other council members who continue to stand behind it.
19 minutes ago Report this