Seattle Hires Transgender Stripper To Perform At Homeless Strategy Conference (VIDEO)
Someone in King County’s Department of Community and Human Services thought it would be a fabulous idea to blow taxpayer money on hiring a transgender stripper to perform at the agency’s annual conference that usually centers around homelessness.
Watch: (at your own risk)
Last week, Seattle and King County leaders hired transgender stripper Beyoncé Black St. James to perform at their annual conference on solving homelessness.— Christopher F. Rufo (@realchrisrufo) December 15, 2019
Here's how they're using taxpayer money: pic.twitter.com/J0lCKVVfgO
It's not a lack of resources that prevents Seattle from solving homelessness; it's a lack of leadership. According to the Puget Sound Business Journal, King County spends more than $1 billion a year on homelessness programs—but have failed to deliver results for decades.— Christopher F. Rufo (@realchrisrufo) December 15, 2019
The director of King County’s coordinating agency for homelessness is on paid leave following a dancer’s strip show at the agency’s annual conference on Monday.Performer Beyoncé Black St. James danced topless in a sheer bodysuit, gave lap dances and kissed attendees, according to a staffer at a local housing nonprofit who attended the conference in South Seattle.Kira Zylstra, organizer of the conference at South Seattle College, has been placed on leave as of Thursday, according to Denise Rothleutner, chief of staff for the King County Department of Community and Human Services.The department declined to comment further because of the active investigation, Rothleutner said in the email. Zylstra was not available for comment. Her suspension was first reported by journalist Erica C. Barnett on her website.Zylstra has led All Home, King County’s coordinating agency homeless services, since January 2018. But her job could soon become obsolete as Seattle and King County prepare to replace All Home, which has been criticized as weak and ineffective, with a new regional authority on homelessness. Zylstra was paid about $123,000 a year, according to a county spokesperson.The performance was in the same room as a catered lunch at All Home’s annual conference, this year at South Seattle College with the theme of “Decolonizing our Collective Work.”The only note on the agenda was “Lunch with Cultural Presentation,” and there was no other warning or announcement about the nature of the performance, according to the staffer, who was surprised but not uncomfortable with the performance.
That’s right, the theme of this year’s conference was “Decolonizing Our Collective Work,” because that’s exactly what will solve the homeless epidemic. I’m sure the guy with a needle stuck in his arm, sleeping in a tent, wearing the same clothes for 2 weeks, in need of food and a shower, really gives a hoot about “colonization.”
You can learn more about Beyoncé Black St. James on her Instagram and YouTube, where you can also see the full video of this performance.
Note how they refer to the strip routine as a “cultural presentation.” No word yet on what St. James’s fee was.
Denise Rothleutner, deputy director of King County’s Department of Community and Human Services, said in an email: “The department is aware of an event that occurred during the All Home annual conference on December 9, 2019. We have placed the director of All Home on administrative leave pending the results of an investigation into the event and the leadership of All Home. Because there is an active investigation underway, I am unable to respond to specific questions about the event.”Besides funders and city and county employees, the crowd included representatives from groups like Mary’s Place, Neighborhood House, Catholic Community Services, and other religiously affiliated organizations.The controversy comes at a critical time for homelessness agencies, as the city and county prepare to merge their homelessness agencies into a single regional authority. As part of that process, All Home would be replaced by a new advisory board that would make recommendations to the new authority.
And you wonder why these west coast cities have descended into chaos? Surprisingly they didn’t give the bureaucrat a promotion and raise.
