The board president of Tacoma’s LGBTQ+ community center announced she would resign after serving on the board for six years amid recent turmoil and restructuring at the Rainbow Center .
The Rainbow Center confirmed Jayla Watje’s resignation in an emailed announcement in late September. At a special meeting Sept. 23, the board of directors also voted to re-establish the board following the recommendation of a community panel, according to the email. A new community advisory panel will recruit the first three members of the new board, and those members will continue the recruitment process “with a commitment to ensure the new board reflects the diversity of our community,” the email said.
“This transition will take time and cannot happen overnight,” the Rainbow Center said in the announcement Sept. 29. “However, we are committed to open and transparent communication throughout this process.”
The Rainbow Center, 2215 Pacific Ave., provides direct services to about 1,000 people and serves nearly 4,000 in Tacoma each year, according to the organization’s website. In addition to offering a community space downtown with a library, the center provides advocacy and educational services, as well as holding social events, including Tacoma Pride and an annual Gayla.
As previously reported by The News Tribune , it’s been a tumultuous year for the center. In February the center closed for about a month following the resignation of executive director Quincy Tyson and the resignation of most of its staff, five of whom told The News Tribune they left due to a toxic workplace environment and because they believed the Rainbow Center wasn’t living up to its mission to serve the most marginalized people in society. Watje took over as interim executive director in February until she was replaced as interim by Mary Eversole in March.
The board of directors , composed of eight members, is responsible for providing strategic oversight to the Rainbow Center, including financial oversight, governance, policy-making, supporting fundraising efforts and overseeing the executive transition process.
In Watje’s letter of resignation dated Sept. 29, which she shared with The News Tribune, despite many board members’ dedication and “inspirational commitment to the mission of the Rainbow Center,” divisiveness and an “increasingly toxic environment” on the board ultimately “undermined the collaborative spirit that once defined our work.”
Despite years of service to the Tacoma LGBTQ community and the center, Watje said her judgment was questioned and several board members’ “egos and paternalistic attitudes … overshadowed the needs of the community,” causing “great harm” and a “significant” toll on her mental health.
“In addition, it has become increasingly disheartening to witness the Rainbow Center being used by some as a tool for politicians, board members and community figures to virtue signal or elevate their own reputations. When it comes time for real action and meaningful work, these individuals are absent, leaving the burden on the dedicated staff and volunteers who truly embody the Center’s values,” Watje wrote in her resignation letter. “I can no longer stand beside these empty promises, the gaslighting and the social leveraging that diminishes our true mission of serving the community.”
In an emailed response to The News Tribune on Sunday, Eversole said under the current bylaws board vice president Jason Hixenbaugh would step in to fulfill the board president’s duties. There will be an open call for board openings and applications, and current board members who wish to serve are invited to apply during the nomination process, she said.
On Sept. 23, Eversole said the board discussed strategic direction for the future of the Rainbow Center but did not answer a question from The News Tribune about which board members voted for or against re-establishing the board. Eversole said she would share the Sept. 23 board meeting minutes with the newspaper next week after they are approved at the next board meeting.
In response to Watje’s allegations of a toxic work environment, Eversole pointed The News Tribune to Watje’s resignation letter as an explanation to why she resigned. Eversole included a quote from new education manager Mary Woodard who said in her five months working for the Rainbow Center, she has not witnessed a toxic work environment and felt that management is “supportive, respectful and encourages a healthy work-life balance.”
Eversole said Rainbow Center staff connects people with affordable-housing resources, health care and job assistance during weekly community hours. The center responded to more than 1,000 calls for housing, drug recovery, HIV/STI testing, rental assistance and social connection from April to July this year. The Rainbow Center also hosts DEI education programs and events, she said.
Last year the nonprofit received 31% of its funding from its annual Gayla, 20% from grants, 17% from its annual Tacoma Pride celebration, 16% from government contracts and 16% from individual and business contributions, Eversole said in her email. She declined to answer a question about the Rainbow Center’s current financial status and how many grants the center applied for and received this year.
In an interview last week, Watje said on Sept. 23 most Rainbow Center board members voted to explore the possibility of a merger with the Oasis Youth Center , which shares a building with the Rainbow Center and offers LGBTQ youth a place to gather and find resources and mentors in Pierce County. Watje said she thought a merger would be a good idea and reset for the organization given its wrap-around services, “stability, strong leadership and stable culture.”
Matthew Wilson, executive director of Oasis Youth Center, said as of Tuesday there were no plans to merge with the Rainbow Center, but he would be open to discussing it further. Eversole declined to answer a question about if a merger was being considered.
Another point of contention for the Rainbow Center is this year’s theme of the annual Gayla , an event with dinner, dancing and auctions that is a significant fundraiser for the center. Initially the center announced the Nov. 16 theme was “Havana Nights,” but after receiving push-back about cultural insensitivity, the center announced its new “Sequins and Stardust” theme last week, encouraging patrons to show up dressed in celebrity glamour. Eversole declined to comment on the controversy of the previous theme.
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