I am a spiritual leader, community organizer, Democratic Socialist, and the Executive Director of the Lavender Rights Project, a national black trans feminist advocacy organization advancing justice for gender diverse communities.
Guided by my faith and informed by my lived experiences, I have dedicated my life to building a community where all can live in freedom, dignity, and belonging.
About
Jaelynn
From Lived Experience
to Legislative Solutions
As a Black trans woman, I’ve faced many of the same challenges others in QT2BIPOC and marginalized communities face — unstable housing, barriers to employment, addiction, and ideologically motivated violence and threats to our civil liberties.
Through that experience, I saw clearly that our so-called social safety nets were riddled with holes.
And, it didn’t just test me — it gave me the pragmatic expertise to repair the very systems that fail us.
So, when I say it’s difficult to survive in systems that were never designed for us, it is an embodied understanding.
And, that deep knowledge shapes how I design policy, with urgency, precision, and a focus on prevention.
While I was able to rebuild my life through faith, community, and a commitment to service, I know not everyone has that same access to support and that truth anchors my work.
Before stepping into my current role as Executive Director of the Lavender Rights Project, I spent years working in community, organizing, responding to crisis calls, helping people find sanctuary, and trying to help folks navigate the confusing, frustrating, broken system of social services. And it was clear, this alone would never be enough.
Inspired by the legacy of Black and Brown leadership in the 37th like the “Gang of Four,” as well as community leaders like Peggy Joan Maxie, Marjorie Pitter King, I brought together a coalition strong enough to demand real, structural level change.
Together, we redirected $16 million in public dollars from jail expansion into permanent supportive housing and services for queer and trans BIPOC communities, including gender-affirming care, community-led programming, fresh food access, safe space for rest, and care grounded in Black trans leadership.
And, we proved something powerful: when public investment follows community wisdom, real system level support is possible.
That’s what standing on business looks like and I am ready to bring that same discipline, clarity, and results-driven leadership to Olympia.
Jaelynn is a proven coalition-builder across nonprofit, government, and community sectors, delivering measurable public policy outcomes that strengthen housing stability, public safety, and civil rights.
Experience & Leadership
Executive Director, Lavender Rights Project — Leads a nationally recognized model advancing Permanent Supportive Housing and civil rights protections for Black gender diverse communities.
Coalition Leadership — Helped redirect $16 million from jail expansion into Permanent Supportive Housing and wraparound services in partnership with Chief Seattle Club.
Housing & Public Safety Policy — Advanced Housing First solutions and prevention-based public safety strategies that reduce crisis and strengthen community stability.
Care-Based Crisis Response — Championed upstream investments in behavioral health and community violence prevention.
Progressive Revenue & Civil Liberties Advocacy — Supported and protected the Millionaires Tax, Capital Gains Tax, and Keep Washington Working protections.
Ordained Minister & Community Leader — Reimagined and led inclusive worship and education spaces centered on multigenerational, LGBTQIA+, and communities of color perspectives.
Master of Divinity, Naropa University — Studied Black theology, engaged Buddhism, and social activism, and the role of spiritual leadership in structural reform.
Arts Corps — Led organizational restructuring and strengthened operational systems during a period of transition.
Nonprofit Organizational Leadership, Public Policy, and Equity & Inclusion Consulting — Advising nonprofit and social justice leaders on policy strategy, organizational effectiveness, and intersectional governance.
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Jaelynn Scott is a housing and civil rights leader running for Washington State House of Representatives in the 37th Legislative District, Position 2.
She is also the Executive Director of the Lavender Rights Project and an ordained minister with a Master’s of Divinity (MDiv) from Naropa University.
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The Washington State 37th Legislative District includes the Central District, Rainier Valley, the Chinatown-International District, Columbia City, Beacon Hill, and Skyway.
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Washington’s 37th Legislative District has a powerful history of Black political leadership and grassroots organizing playing a critical role in the Pacific Northwest civil rights movement and helped shape statewide conversations around housing equity, voting rights, and police accountability.
The district has produced trailblazing elected officials and community leaders who have advanced policies on education funding, labor protections, criminal justice reform, and housing justice.
Just as important as its elected leadership is its deep tradition of community-based organizing — from faith institutions and tenant unions to immigrant rights coalitions and youth advocates.
The 37th remains the most diverse legislative district in Washington State and continues to lead with a legacy rooted in accountability, resilience, and the belief that government should serve the people.