LGBTQ+ Texans escaped to Seattle. Now the city is overwhelmed

May 20, 2026

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Hey y’all,

It seems like we just can’t get rid of the rain and the sunny days of summer, let alone high temperatures, seem a little further away. About a month ago, I asked y’all when you thought we’d have our first 100-degree day, and a ton of you sent in your guesses. Well, we only have three of you left in the running.

🌡️ Virginia with May 23
🌡️ Martha with June 4
🌡️ & Lauren with June 23

Lauren, you might be on to something. It looks like we’ll still be in the 80s as we wrap up May, with rain threatening just about every day. Remember, last year we didn’t see 100 until July 29!

As your resident heat-loather (99 or higher), I appreciate this delay. As someone who feels like rainy, dark days make it hard to function, I’M OVER IT. And as the auntie I have for sure turned into—Lord knows we need that rain.

Joi Louviere

Senior Newsletter Editor, Courier DFW

They left Texas to survive. Now Seattle is scrambling to keep up

Members of the LGBTQIA+ community are moving out of Texas in droves. (Marek Studzinski/Unsplash)

By Sam Cohen

Seattle, Washington, is on the verge of declaring a civil emergency for an unexpected reason: The city has seen such a high influx of LGBTQIA+ community members moving to the area from Texas and other red states that it’s struggling to provide a consistent level of support for the recent transplants.

A letter drafted by the Seattle LGBTQ Commission stated, in part, “Many [internally displaced persons] have relocated from states such as Texas, Florida, Tennessee, Kansas, and Idaho due to anti-trans legislation, threats to personal safety, and barriers to healthcare and legal recognition.” It goes on to explain the myriad ways mutual aid networks and LGBTQIA+ organizations have helped these individuals get used to life in a new city, writing, “Community-based organizations are already responding to this crisis — These organizations provide critical services, including emergency financial assistance, transportation, housing navigation, legal support, safety planning, community connections, and access to gender-affirming healthcare.”

But those networks and organizations are now struggling to keep up with demands.

Factors in the Texas exodus

📍 Best places to live: Eleven North Texas cities have made the 2026 US News and World Report’s list of best places to live, including Rowlett, Wylie, and Allen. Tap here to see which city placed the highest. (Culture Map Dallas)

⚡ Better energy: Texas needs more diverse energy sources, and for those most impacted to be a part of the conversation, said an advocate with GreenLatinos. Latino and low-income communities see the brunt of the health effects from plant pollution.

🏀 Tough love? The Dallas Wings coach called out his team’s selfishness in a post-game interview last week, surprising many with his bluntness, but maybe it worked. The team came back with a 92-67 win over the Washington Mystics, with starting forward Paige Bueckers saying, “We played selfless tonight.” (USA Today)

Arlington’s National Medal of Honor Museum recognized among world’s most beautiful

(Daniel L. Locke/ Shutterstock)

Arlington’s National Medal of Honor Museum was recently named one of the most beautiful museums in the world by the Prix Versailles, a global design and architecture award program. Every year, Prix Versailles curates a list of the most visually striking museums, and this year, only seven made the cut. Yes, you heard that right: Only seven museums across the globe made the “World’s Most Beautiful Museums List 2026,” and the National Medal of Honor Museum was one of them.