Keep SAM's Unhoused Neighbors Safe

SAM may not be a social service organisation, but it still has a moral obligation to the community to show that it cares. SAM could partner with homeless outreach organisations, and donate a percentage of its admission fees to help ease this crisis - especially since many of their wealthy donors benefit from unearned tax breaks, and actively resist contributing to the society that has favoured them disproportionately. Or why not feature the work of impoverished and houseless local artists, and help them auction their work? It's astonishing how the simplest gestures of kindness nowadays are seen as wasteful folly, and how many seem unable to understand how close they are themselves to living on the street.

As a local tour guide who tells the story of SAM to hundreds of tourists each week, I am extremely disappointed to hear that SAM management has chosen brute force over compassion for our neighbors in crisis. Choosing an option that is both more expensive and less humane is just heartbreaking and cruel.

Absolutely

Helping and not hurting the unhoused is a duty all civic organizations should strive towards.

Do the right thing

The alternative solutions in this petition quite obviously should have been the first course of action, and that would have been clear to upper management had they deigned to collaborate with the frontline staff on a course of action that directly affects them. This already horrible situation is made increasingly worse by Amada continually sending ALL STAFF embarrassing, egotistical emails about her frustration with this petition. She keeps saying "her door is always open" but literally refuses to take questions during staff meetings.

We will cancel our membership over this and tell everyone else we know to do the same. Shame shame shame on you SAM

Thank you for putting together this beautifully nod compassionately written petition during such an unsafe time at SAM.

Consider our core values of equity and accessibility when implementing new policies.

Protect our unhoused neighbors!!

I’m a former employee who quit after dealing w transphobia & elitism from mgmt, I listened to SAM’s leadership whine about not being able to pay staff a living wage for two years, & now they’re spending part of their budget on this? Abhorrent.

Do better! This is one of the best petitions I've seen as it offers very tangible alternatives. Do them instead!!

seattle’s unhoused population should be housed, not brutally thrown out of encampments by SPD and denied places to sleep elsewhere by the building of hostile architecture.

Hostile architecture towards homeless people is a moral abomination. The implementation of this will be another stain on the conscience of everybody in this city.

Art is for everyone, and so is safety, so is community, so is shelter, so is food. It’s time we start acting like it.

I am against all forms of hostile architecture, as well as the active discrimination against the unhoused ongoing in the city of seattle. Housing access is no more a basis for discrimination than race, gender, class, or ability. All people deserve access to public space and the right to stay in the city, period.

I will not be renewing my membership until SAM changes their approach to help and not hurt our houseless neighbors.

The arts must not uphold white supremacy. Please respond with care rather than punitive measures.

Art is for everyone. This PUBLIC gallery must serve and embrace ALL citizens.

Why not spend this money on things that will help our unhoused neighbors and keep them safe, instead of just chasing them away to be someone else’s problem? Shameful and I will not go to SAM until you reverse these policies.