How the QT+ Committee Helps Make the Invisible Visible

New Supreme Court subcommittee seeks members

BY MEHERA NORI

In 1990, the Washington Supreme Court created the Minority and Justice Commission in an effort to identify and eliminate racial, ethnic, and cultural bias within all Washington state courts. The Commission was tasked with analyzing state court systems and developing creative solutions to address racial inequity. Since its inception, the Commission has played an active role in examining how the legal system impacts communities of color statewide, publishing research reports and bench guides that offer data-driven proposals to reduce racial inequity in the judicial system. In 2025, the Minority and Justice Commission became a standing commission, underscoring the need for continuous reflection and assessment to ensure the Washington state justice system remains accessible and equitable as it continues to grow.

To further this mission, the Minority and Justice Commission has launched a new standing subcommittee, the QT+ Committee, to focus specifically on the intersectional experiences of Two Spirit, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex, Asexual, and other (2SLGBTQIA+) users of the Washington state legal system. The subcommittee centers the complex realities of individuals whose racial, ethnic, and cultural identities overlap with their 2SLGBTQIA+ identities.

Historically, and continuing today, the experiences of queer and trans people of color have been overlooked or erased due to the compounding impacts of racism, homophobia, and transphobia within and beyond the legal system. When legal institutions fail to recognize these intersecting identities, the policies and practices developed are often designed around incomplete or inaccurate assumptions about who court users are and what they need. This invisibility can result in disproportionate harm, ranging from limited accessibility to legal support and decreased credibility in court proceedings to increased surveillance, punishment, and mistrust of the legal system. Queer and trans people of color face heightened discrimination within the legal system, which creates barriers to justice across civil and criminal courts and contributes to the disproportionate involvement of 2SLGBTQIA+ individuals in the court.

The QT+ Committee will support long-term projects that address these inequities by gathering and analyzing information, data, and lived experiences specific to Black, Indigenous, and other people of color (BIPOC) within the broader 2SLGBTQIA+ umbrella. Planned efforts may include developing judicial and legal education programs, producing research and data reports, analyzing the impact of existing laws and policies on court users, presenting an educational symposium to the Washington Supreme Court and to the public, and providing expertise and information to legislative, executive, and other groups who seek to improve equity and access to justice.

As the QT+ Committee begins its work, the Minority and Justice Commission invites any interested individuals to join as members to help shape its work. The QT+ Committee seeks a wide range of members with lived experience navigating the Washington state court system, whether that be as a person with direct experience navigating the legal system or an advocate offering legal support. People of color who identify as part of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community are strongly encouraged to join and participate in leadership roles. By building a diverse membership, the QT+ Committee hopes to create a collaborative, community-driven body capable of advancing meaningful changes in our state’s judicial system.  

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LEARN MORE > To learn more about the QT+ Committee and to nominate  someone or yourself for membership, visit the “News and Events” page of the Minority and Justice Commission website at www.courts.wa.gov/?fa=home.sub&org=mjc.

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