Keep SAM's Unhoused Neighbors Safe

Shame on SAM

As a former resident and SAM fan who worked with the unhoused population, I'm appalled at the action of the museum's administration.

People deserve respect

just because they're homeless doesnt mean they're not still people

More museums who take money from the richest, and don't care about the poorest. Support from a worker at Guggenheim.

Has compassion left our society?

I will boycott SAM until the hostile archictecture elements and security guards are gone.

Many policies in Seattle disenfranchise homeless people. The addition of SAM implementing these policies do not improve the livelihood of downtown Seattle. As mentioned before in the solutions in the petition there are stronger solutions such as a community liaison or doing further on what the homeless population needs in the area would serve a more equitable approach.

How ridiculous. I wonder how many of those who claim to be members really are. The museum is not a social service organization and many of the homeless are parasites on our community, migrating to our area in large numbers because of the idiocy reflected in this effort. Until every signer personally invites one of these “neighbors” to share their space, they ring false. If everyone who supports this withdrew their membership or job at the museum, the economic impact would likely be nil. Folks like me who give big to the arts laugh at this petty crusade. As to the “collective” of anonymous employee(s), I can’t help but think it is one or two cowards who won’t share their names, though they claim to lead a movement.

A core value of SAM’s is accessibility and in the museum’s strategic plan it says, “We work to lower economic and physical barriers as well as barriers to understanding.” Installing hostile architecture, however, is erecting a physical barrier. It’s disappointing that the museum’s leadership and board failed to think critically about the role art and architecture plays in a community. This is as out-of-touch with our current moment as charging $25,000 for a table at an event to play mini-golf under an Alexander Calder sculpture during a global pandemic.

There is a tent city at my kids' school (Broadview Thompson) so I'd like SAM leadership to grapple with the reality that their hostility impacts our entire community. Your intention to "sweep" your property just sends unhoused people to our neighborhoods, parks, and schools. A waste of money and an example of poor civic leadership. I won't take my kids to SAM until the policy changes.

Move the homeless to your homes and tell us how that goes.

this is a terrible way to behave while we're all undergoing a global pandemic in a city with major inequity. SAM should do better

It's disgusting for SAM to promote exhibits with black artists at the same time as they're attacking our black unhoused neighbors. I work in the area. I see the black unhoused people who sleep near SAM. They need support, not police or rentacop terror.

Unacceptable.

I think if SAM has the resources to follow the listed recommendations they could be a great example to other organizations, businesses, and the city on how to compassionately handle the crisis at their doorstep, without the same old techniques of just sweeping the problem under the rug and making it their neighbors problem by forcing people out.

This chutiyapa has to end now.

This petition is stupid and so is anyone who signs it.

Housing is a human right as well as public safety. Our city is displacing people without giving them an alternative space to live. How is that helpful?

Unhoused people are our neighbors and community members and should be treated as such. These new policies are disgusting.