Window Seat launches a new branch of Community Roots Oral History Project: The Pride Storytelling Project

We are excited to welcome our 2024-25 cohort this fall to grow the archive of LGBTQIAA2S+ history and experience in Thurston County in partnership with Capital City Pride! We selected 7 new cohort members (one member not pictured below) from an overwhelmingly skillful candidate pool. Meg, Window Seat's Community Weaver, will also be learning alongside our cohort this year to deepen their skills in our oral history work.

Cohort members meet monthly between October and June and will visit archives, design projects, and record and transcribe interviews. In year 2, (Oct 2025 - June 2026), we will invite new and continuing cohort members to design a creative project from the materials gathered for public presentation in the spring of 2026. Capital City Pride, our 2024-26 Community Roots project partner, initiated the Pride Storytelling Project with us because they identified a lack of historical accounts of LGBTQIAA2S+ history in local library and archival collections. We look forward to taking steps to address this gap within community partnership.

Love this project? Want our work to continue? Please donate to support the continuation of this project.

Welcome 2024-25 Pride Storytelling Project Cohort!

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CK Combs (He/Him) is a trans nonbinary writer, parent, and activist living in Olympia, Washington. Combs has been part of the queer history of Olympia since the 90s when he was a writer and editor for Sound Out, an Olympia-based, monthly queer magazine. He volunteered with Pizza Klatch for 10 years and served as a facilitator and Board member. Capital City Pride recognized him as Activist of the Year in 2019. Currently finishing his debut novel — a YA murder mystery featuring a nonbinary protagonist with a queer friend group — he believes in the power of storytelling to empower, teach and transform.

Daniel Garcia (He/Him) recently completed his Master of Public Administration after a capstone project on the challenges and opportunities facing downtown Olympia, exploring strategies to enhance urban development and community engagement. Currently, he works as a legislative analyst where he is responsible for researching and analyzing bills, developing one-pagers, and engaging in cross-agency workgroups. Beyond his professional role, Daniel serves as a commissioner on the Olympia Planning Commission (OPC), providing recommendations to the city council on matters related to land use, urban development, and regulatory changes. In 2024, he chaired the Capital Facilities Plan (CFP) subcommittee, leading efforts to prioritize long-term infrastructure investments for the city. His diverse background in public administration, policy analysis, and urban planning reflects his commitment to improving community connectedness, good governance, and public service.

Jonah Barnett (They/Them) is a disabled genderqueer author, ex-filmmaker, art archivist, and multimedia-ish artist from the forests of Tenino, Washington. Their debut book, Moss-Covered Claws, came out from Blue Cactus Press in 2021. Jonah has directed three feature films and four web series, as well as a dozen short films–often dealing with subjects such as queer fantasy, the natural world, prehistory, and a love of books. They currently work at the Washington State Arts Commission; before that, they worked at the Olympia Film Society and helped establish Orca Books as a cooperative.

Lucas Claussen (He/Him) a Queer Olympia resident, educator, historian, and social justice activist living on the lands of the Squaxin Island and Nisqually people and is originally from western Iowa and the stolen lands of the Očhéthi Šakówiŋ and other Indigenous peoples. A graduate of The Evergreen State College (BA) and Eastern Washington University (MA History) he earned his teaching certification at Seattle Pacific University. Lucas' activism has ranged from work around Palestinian solidarity, union organizing, and political and legislative advocacy work at the local and state levels. His historical work focuses primarily on uncovering and highlighting silenced histories. He also has over 20 years of experience in food service at several local historic spaces. You will likely find him searching out Pacific Northwest hot springs or one of Olympia's bakery spots.

Natalie “WildTiny” Coblentz (They/Them) is a Queer Latinx Native artist, published poet, and local leader based in Olympia. With a BA in Fine Arts from Seattle University, they are a passionate advocate for creativity, community, philanthropy, and environmental causes. Wild’s work embodies their roles as an activist, family member, friend, and dedicated community member. Since joining Capital City Pride in 2019, they have expanded their impact within the organization, beginning as a Stage Manager and eventually stepping into key roles as Event Producer, President, and Festival Director. Known for their dedication to training and supporting the Pride Team, Wild brings vision and heart to every project they undertake. Currently, they channel their artistic vision into immersive lighting design and fabrication. When not working, you’ll likely find them savoring coffee, kale, and the company of kittens.

Sami Helsley (She/They) is a dedicated change-maker with a master’s degree in social work and significant experience working directly with community members and organizations alike. Currently, they work for the Washington Association for Community Health expanding healthcare workforce training programs. Sami also volunteers with a hospice organization and a local free healthcare clinic. They are committed to amplifying diverse voices, fostering understanding and connection, and holding space for people’s lived experiences, perspectives, and stories. As a member of the LGBTQIA+ community, Sami is especially passionate about uplifting the voices and histories of other Queer folks and their intersecting identities.

Meg Rosenberg (She/They), Window Seat Community Weaver and Co-Director is excited to participate as a cohort member in our Pride Storytelling Project to engage in an ethical oral history process, share in the act of interviewing community members, and amplify local Queer history. Meg is a Queer public servant and theatre artist deeply invested in the South Sound and building dialogue that sparks equitable social change.

Project Facilitator

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Elaine Vradenburgh (She/her), is an oral historian, folklorist, and educator and Window Seat's Memory Activist. She has worked with communities for the past 20 years to support their efforts to document and share their own histories. She is excited and honored to help to grow the local LGBTQIAA2S+ archive and engage the community in this rich and important history. Elaine came to Olympia in 1998 from Connecticut to attend The Evergreen State College and has lived and served the South Sound community since 2008.