Former Seattle Council, School Board member Cheryl Chow dies
Mar 29, 2013, 5:32 PM | Updated: 5:43 pm
Longtime Seattle City Council and School Board member Cheryl Chow has died after a long struggle with cancer. (Image courtesy Cheryl Chow)
(Image courtesy Cheryl Chow)
Longtime Seattle City Council and School Board member Cheryl Chow has died after a long struggle with cancer, The Seattle Times reported Friday. She was 66.
Chow drew national attention last summer after coming out as a gay woman.
“Parents and kids, don’t be afraid of saying that you’re gay. I was afraid for over 60 years and those 60 years were wasted,” she told KING 5 in August.
The local leader decided to speak openly about her sexuality after learning she had terminal brain cancer, saying she wanted others to know it’s OK to be open about their sexuality.
Chow said she feared the reaction of the Chinese community and her mother, restaurateur and King County Councilmember, Ruby Chow, whom she wanted to please.
In addition to all of her other public service, she also coached the Seattle Chinese Community Girls Drill team.
On the drill team’s 60th Anniversary, she told the team about herself and her partner, school Assistant Principal Sarah Morningstar.
“I wanted them to feel good about themselves and I wanted them to have a role model that wasn’t afraid to say anymore ‘I’m gay and that’s OK’,” she said.
Chow says she no longer fears criticism from the close knit Chinese community. “No, they can’t do anything to me now. What are they going to do, kill me?”
Chow became a second adoptive parent with her partner last year. The couple had been together for over 10 years.
“If I can save one child from feeling bad or even committing suicide because they felt terrible because they were gay, then I would have succeeded in my last crusade,” said Chow.
A memorial is being planned for April 20 at Town Hall.
