VALENTINE’S NAY

ally raised to $15 an hour.

On July 6, 2020, SCC adopted a tax on Amazon and other big businesses, esti mated to bring in $214 million dollars a year. Sawant proposed an amendment to the bill, stating that a portion would go to building affordable housing in the Central District (CD), resulting in about $18 million per year being set aside for that purpose. She also proposed a stipulation that the es built in the CD other neighbor hoods had to built with union labor and be up to standard of the Green New Deal (a series of proj ects aimed at fighting climate change).

Rent-control, while not accomplished in the literal sense, made significant headway on September 27, 2021, when SCC passed

Can you feel the love?

By S. Avalon Leonard

It is no secret that a staple of high school culture in general, but particularly around Valentine’s day, is love. Dramas such as “Who is dating who?” and “Who has a crush on who?” are whispered through the hallways. Well, for many it is a time of alienation and isolation from their peers. Amatonormativity. Try saying that five times fast. The term was originally coined by Elizabeth Brake, a philosopher at Rice University, to describe the “widespread assumption that everyone is better off in an exclusive, romantic, long-term coupled relationship, and that everyone is seeking such a relationship.” What many fail to consider as the “season of love” approaches is that there are people not seeking anything of the sort at all. In comes the Asexual/Aromantic Spectrum, community A-Spec for short.

Ben Fleishman, a recent Garfield alum, came to an understanding with his identity semi-recently, and shared some of his thoughts on Valentine’s Day. “People sometimes assume [that] you either love it or you hate it. And I’m just like ‘this holiday doesn’t really apply to me other than that I like eating candy hearts.’” The sentiment of finding joy mostly in the candy aspect of the holiday, was shared by Nicholas Bertolet, a senior. “I’ve never really taken a lot of joy in celebrating it before. But it’s like, fine? I don’t really care much about it… Except for when people give me candy. Then I’m positive about it,” they said. So if it’s not the existence of the holiday itself, then what is it that makes this time of year a difficult one? Some would say it is an attitude of expectancy. “I feel like the stereotype of being alone on Valentine’s Day or whatever is thought of as a sad thing and it’s kind of annoying, because what if you just want to be alone on Valentine’s Day?” Bertolet said. It’s true, one of the most common gripes around Valentine’s Day from people outside of the A-Spec community is the prospect of not having a significant other. Of course, people are entitled to their emotions around feeling lonely, but it’s important to acknowledge that there may be a cultural explanation for this. People who aren’t A-Spec can feel the pressure to be coupled up too and this could be argued to be the result of a culture-wide fixation an eviction defense package proposed by Sawant. The legislation includes a 180 day notice for eviction, when Seattle’s eviction notice deadline was previously 60 days, and a relocation fee from landlords to ease the transition of

Sawant does not intend to let her last year on city council go by idly. Currently, she is proposing an anti-caste discrimination bill, the first in the US. The bill is primarily focused on citizens of South Asian descent in Washington and Seattle area. Seattle City Coun cil describes caste as “a system of rigid social stratification characterized by hereditary status, endogamy on not being alone. This obsession with relationships is likely caused by society conflating being alone with being lonely. Thanks for that, amatonormativity. But why is this something people should care about?

(completely closed categories), and social barriers based on birth and descent” (South Seattle Emerald). Caste discrimination is present at work, in education, and in housing. The bill is inspired by the 2020 California case against Cisco Systems Inc., where the defendant was accused of discriminating against an Indian employee in a lower caste than his managers.

Sawant’s future plans include the start of an initiative called Workers Strike Back (WSB), which will have its launch rally on March 4, 2023. WSB demands raises for workers, good union jobs for everybody, the overthrow of racism, sexism, and all oppression, quality affordable housing and free healthcare for all, and a new party. Detailed demands can be viewed at their site, workersstrikeback.org/demands.

Bertolet was concise, stating, “Because A-Spec people exist…”

What many around this time of year fail to understand is that Valentine’s day just doesn’t do it for some people. And that doesn’t mean they hate it and hate ev eryone who celebrates it. Really all it means is that the attitude of expec tation can create an alienating and isolating experience for members of the A-Spec community. “Just try to be careful about doing things that could be potentially alienating and listen to people if they say that that’s how you make them feel.”

But it doesn’t have to be all bad. “A lot of the time, [with] good communication, it can end up just being something that gets laughed off.” Fleishman added.Valentine’s Day can be a day of love for some, but mutual respect is arguably the most important part of the holiday. So whether you celebrate it or not, listen and acknowledge the feelings of others with thoughtfulness.

Art by Una Nei Art by S. Avalon Leonard