Seattle Gay News
Issue 25, Volume 45, June 23, 2017
Cleve Jones is a living icon in LGBTQ activism by Neil Powers Special to the SGN Cleve Jones is a living icon in LGBTQ activism. His talk at the PrideFest Sunday night film screening of Milk at Seattle’s Egyptian Theatre June 18 shows how he continues to inspire. His life of activism was chronicled in the recent TV mini-series “When We Rise.” The series was based on his book When We Rise: My Life in the Movement. After turning 18, he hitchhiked from his Arizona childhoo home to San Francisco in 1973. He became an activist and assistant to an early gay politician, Harvey Milk of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors (similar to a city councilmember). He is a founder of the AIDS Memorial Quilt. He continues to work for LGBTQ rights and with a labor union, UNITE-HERE. He had insights for the audience of several hundred people and those who live in “very fortunate privileged liberal bubbles.” Jones talked of seeing Milk, who was assassinated in November 1978, dead on the floor in San Francisco’s city hall. Thousands of people gathered in the streets that evening in an impromptu memorial for Milk and Mayor George Moscone who was also assassinated by former Board Supervisor Dan White. “And then the sun went down and the people began to gather in Castro Street and Market…gay and straight, black and brown and white, young and old, immigrant and native born,” he said. “We marched in the procession…and we filled Civic Center Plaza and I stood there in that lake of candle light and I knew it wasn’t over, it was just beginning!” He talked about many friends dying early in the AIDS pandemic and of getting sick himself, but later getting healthy with medication. He feels urgency about the aftermath of the 2016 federal election, addressing racism, homophobia and misogyny. He spoke with passion on the need to address what he sees as the decline of gayborhoods due to gentrification and the need for community beyond social media and Grindr. He pointed to his union efforts with hotel and restaurant workers.
Cleve Jones - Photo courtesy of myprideonline.com
“We are part of a global struggle for peace and for social justice and we take our rightful place among the ranks of all those people, all those ordinary people, so many different backgrounds...,” Jones said. “That’s what Harvey Milk was always about, I know that’s what all of you are about.” Jones has much to say for today and the future of the LGBTQ community. PrEP He urged people to consider taking PrEP (Pre Exposure Prophylaxis) for HIV prevention. “What I say to young people in particular, anybody, if you…are engaging in behavior that could possibly put you at risk for contracting HIV, then go to your doctor and get on PrEP,” he said. “For those who may not know…one drug take one pill a day, as long as you are taking it you are (at very low risk of) not able to get HIV.”
On Losing Gayborhoods and Gentrification Jones wants people to look seriously at ways for LGBTQ communities to be in close proximity to each other. “If we lose the geographic concentration that’s happening, then we lose obviously political power, the ability to elect our own, to defeat enemies, to pass legislation,” he said. “We also lose the cultural vitality that happens when we are in the city space.” He talked of how he has seen the African American community decline from 16 percent of San Francisco’s population in the ’70s to about three percent of the city’s population. He described living in a rent-controlled apartment in the Castro neighborhood as among the most expensive neighborhoods in North America. Young People Jones was straight to the point on encouraging a younger generation. “We need to say to our young people, that we love them, that they are beautiful, that their lives matter and how can we help them move forward,” he urged. The 2016 Federal Election and What to Do “We are in deep shit, so when young people ask me what should they do,” Jones says. “My advice is to find something, some way of contributing that you really enjoy, that you can get some pleasure out of it.” Questions from the Audience: 62 and Going Strong, 1978 Seattle Activism, and King County loses Domestic Partner Benefits
Egan Orion interviews Cleve Jones at PrideFest - Photo courtesy of Neil Powers
Asked how he keeps going, Jones talked of having community: “I have been through some terrible times, just awful, awful loss, but I never ever felt I was experiencing that
by myself.” He added, “I am surrounded by love. That’s the most important thing.” A longtime Seattle activist reminded Jones and the audience that in 1978 the LGBTQ community defeated a voter initiative to take away City of Seattle sanctioned gay rights for housing and employment. One audience member alerted people to the fact that “domestic partnerships are being gutted for non-traditional families” at King County. Apparently, the King County Coalition of Unions recently bargained away domestic partner health benefits. An exception allows benefits, if a partner is 62 years old or older. In response, Jones talked about equal marriage and recognizing rights of domestic partners. “We need those rights to be able to take care of the people we love whatever those families look like.” “I think the focus on marriage equality was rooted in the darkest day of the pandemic,” he said. “But during that epidemic we understood that little piece of (marriage) paper could mean life or death … the people who pushed for marriage equality were working class people, middle class people who understood in a really brutal way how much that piece of paper mattered.” You are Not Powerless and Finding a Way to (happily) Contribute “You are not powerless,” Jones says. There are many people out there that really want you to believe that you are powerless and this isn’t just (for the) young. This is for all of us, what you do matters … don’t let anyone persuade you to the contrary.” “So my hope for each one of you is that you find what I found – a way to contribute, a way to move the ball forward, that also brings you joy and satisfaction,” he urges. “We want you to be happy, you deserve to be happy…that’s what will keep you going.”
HAVE A VERY
HAPPY PRIDE SEATTLE CITY COUNCIL
SALLY BAGSHAW • KSHAMA SAWANT • MIKE O’BRIEN ROB JOHNSON • LORENA GONZÁLEZ
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•
•
BRUCE HARRELL •
DEBORA JUAREZ
•
TIM BURGESS
LISA HERBOLD
Celebrating 43 Years!
Visit us online www.sgn.org
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Seattle Gay News 3
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Celebrating 43 Years!
Greetings from the Governor June 25, 2017
I am pleased to extend warm greetings to all of those attending Seattle Pride Parade 2017, themed Indivisible. Washington has a long history of embracing diversity, and I am proud that our state has been a leader in advancing equality for the LGBTQ+ community, including marriage equality and transgender rights. As you know, we have seen a disturbing increase in damaging rhetoric and hate activity over the last number of months, both in our state and across the country, and it is more important than ever that we work together to ensure that Washington remains a place of dignity, inclusion and respect – for the LGBTQ+ community, women, immigrants, refugees, communities of color, people of all faiths and people of all abilities. In a time when many are hurting and discouraged, I want to share a message of hope and optimism. We have much to be thankful for in the great state of Washington. I am thankful for each of you and for the progressive values we share, and I promise you that we will stay on the path of progress. We are a diverse and welcoming state that values the perspective and contributions of all of our communities, and as long as I’m governor, I’ll defend the values and policies that ensure Washington remains a beacon of opportunity for every Washingtonian, as we stand strong together against those emboldened to act out of hate, fear and division. Very truly yours,
Jay Inslee Governor
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June 23, 2017
Seattle Gay News 5
Are you a local service provider in Seattle, WA? Does your organization work with LGBTQ asylum seekers?
Use the AsylumConnect catalog: A free online connector that can help you gather quick, high-quality local resource referrals for your LGBTQ asylum seeker clients.
Learn more today: http://www. asylumconnectcatalog.org/
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Celebrating 43 Years!
King County Celebrates With You!
The Metropolitan King County Council proclaims June 2017 as LGBTQ Pride Month in King County and presents the proclamation to the Greater Seattle Business Association.
Now, therefore, we, the Metropolitan King County Council, proclaim June 2017 as LGBTQ PRIDE MONTH
in King County and encourage all county residents to honor the march toward equality for LGBTQ individuals. For more information about the King County Council, the legislative branch of our county government, please visit: www.kingcounty.gov/council For more information about King County programs and services, please visit: www.kingcounty.gov
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June 23, 2017
Seattle Gay News 7
2017 PRIDE events calendar Prom Dress Rugby exhibition match, taking place June 24 at Bobby Morris Playfield at Cal Anderson Park (11th Ave/Nagle Place & E Howell St/E Pine St) in Seattle’s Capitol Hill neighborhood. We’re looking at a 2pm kickoff on Saturday, June 24 (Pride Weekend). We are honored to welcome back Seattle Drag Personality, the incomparable Aleksa Manila as our announcer and referee; she will be working the crowd to sell penalties, changes of possession, tries (similar to a touchdown) and everyone’s favorite, COSTUME CHANGES! Proceeds from this year’s Prom Dress Rugby will go to benefit Gay City! Seattle’s LGBTQ Center promotes wellness in LGBTQ communities by providing health services, connecting people to resources, fostering arts, and building community. Gay City is the leading provider of HIV and STI testing in King County. Why Prom Dress Rugby? Because the members of the Emerald City Mudhens will be suiting up and Seattle Quake RFC will be wearing dresses. Due to the limitations – and the overall fun nature of this exhibition match, we will not be playing full tackle rugby, but will be playing “light wrap” or “team tackle”. Rugby League rather than Rugby Union. This is a FREE EVENT, open to the public. Please encourage your friends and family to attend, and support a great cause this Pride weekend. Be sure to join us at the Cuff after the game for post-match shenanigans!
Compiled by Justin Craig SGN Contributing Writer & Rick McKinnon SGN Staff Writer HAPPY LGBTQ PRIDE MONTH FROM SEATTLE GAY NEWS! THURSDAY, JUNE 1 SUNDAY, JUNE 25 Dine With Pride http://seattlepride.org/events/dinewithpride/ THURSDAY, JUNE 1 City of Seattle Pride Flag Raising 5th Annual Pride Flag Raising event at Seattle City Hall. Each year we proudly raise and display the Pride flag outside City Hall to demonstrate Seattle’s commitment to inclusion and to honor our LGBTQ residents and visitors. This month-long display signals to all that they are welcome in our city and that they will be accepted for who they are. FRIDAY, JUNE 23 Trans* Pride Seattle The annual celebration of the Seattlearea Transgender community, Trans* Pride Seattle will be taking place on Capitol Hill on Friday, June 23 in and around Cal Anderson Park. The assembly and line-up to march will begin at 5pm on Nagle Pl. The march will step off at 6pm sharp from Broadway E & E John St, and travel east to 12th Ave, south on 12th Ave to E Olive St, and west to Cal Anderson Park, arriving at approximately 6:30pm. The Trans* Pride Seattle celebration will begin at 7pm. Trans* Pride Seattle is proud to curate a diverse and powerful group of speakers and performers from around the United States. A few speakers from select local organizations will also be taking the stage to discuss their work and the services and opportunities they offer. In addition, there will be an information and resource fair with a wide variety of community groups and organizations doing outreach. There will also be food trucks and our beloved community out in full force! Organized by Gender Justice League in association with local organizations who support the Seattle-area Trans* and gender non-conforming community. More information at www.transprideseattle.org. FRIDAY, JUNE 23 Seattle Storm Pride Tip-Off Game Seattle Storm vs. Phoenix Mercury – 7pm at Key Arena Tip off Seattle Pride weekend on Friday, June 23 as the Storm welcomes Diana Taurasi, Brittney Griner and the Phoenix Mercury. http://storm.wnba.com/ FRIDAY, JUNE 23 (& Saturday, June 24) Seattle Men’s Chorus – “Bette, Babs, & Beyonce” 8pm. McCaw Hall (321 Mercer St). Our divalicious playlist highlights the iconic performers whose powerhouse vocals and outsized personas have thrilled us for decades from the concert stage to the dance floor. Revel in the timeless hits from the Divine Miss M and our favorite Funny Girl, plus get (Sasha) fierce with Beyoncé, Cher, and today’s most sensational female superstars. Celebrate Pride like the diva you are (or want to be)!
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Tickets: $25-$75 at http://www.seattlechoruses.org and (206) 388-1400. SATURDAY, JUNE 24 Dignity/Seattle 29th Annual Pride Pancake Breakfast From 9am-noon. Dignity/Seattle hosts their annual Pride Pancake Breakfast at Central Lutheran Church Social Hall (1710 11th Ave @ E Olive St across from Cal Anderson Park). Proceeds will benefit CareTeams (an HIV/AIDS support program of Samaritan Center), Lambert House (LGBTQ Youth Center) and Dignity/Seattle. Dignity/Seattle has been a faith community of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Catholics and their families and friends in Seattle since 1973. www.dignityseattle.org. SATURDAY, JUNE 24 Capitol Hill Pride Festival – Bite of Pride 10am-10pm. Annual street festival in the Broadway business district on Broadway E between E John St and E Roy St. Join us for food and fun with local restaurants, businesses, street vendors and community organizations taking a Bite of Pride! http:// capitolhillpridefestival.info/ SATURDAY, JUNE 24 PrideFest Capitol Hill – “Come Together” 12-8pm. Sound Transit Station at Broadway & E Denny Way and Cal Anderson Park. Featuring national and local talent, beer garden, food trucks, and Capitol Hill businesses, non-profits, and arts & crafts
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vendors. Gay City will be partnering with AHF Pharmacy to provide free HIV testing! www.seattlepridefest.org SATURDAY, JUNE 24 Rainbow Women’s Health Fair – SEE SPECIAL NOTE NOTE: The Rainbow Women’s Health Fair usually scheduled for this day has been rescheduled this year to SATURDAY, JULY 8, 12-4pm at Gay City Health Project, 517 E Pike St. Free health services for queer women and trans people of all genders. SATURDAY, JUNE 24 Purr Pride Block Party Purr Cocktail Lounge (1518 11th Ave) – DJ Dana Dub, DJ Jeremy Blacklow, and featuring LA DJs The Perry Twins. 21+ ID required. $25 cover. (Purr is also hosting Pride parties Wed 6/21 with RPDR season 7 winner Violet Chachki, no cover; Thurs 6/22 with RPDR sensation Katya, $7 cover; Fri 6/23 with DJ Bret Law, $5 cover; Sun 6/25 with resident VJ Brandon Rust) SATURDAY, JUNE 24 Wildrose Block Party Wildrose (1021 E Pike St) – http://www. thewildrosebar.com/ SATURDAY, JUNE 24 8th Annual Prom Dress Rugby Seattle Quake RFC and the Emerald City Mudhens RFC are extremely excited to invite the Community to our 8th Annual
SATURDAY, JUNE 24 Seattle Pride 2017 Interfaith Celebration Service – “Holy Resistance” 2pm. All Pilgrims Christian Church (500 Broadway E). Every year during LGBTQ Pride, people of many different faiths come together to celebrate diversity. This year we will have speakers from Christian, Jewish, Sufi, Buddhist, New Thought and Pagan traditions. We will also be blessed by the SpiritVision Mass Choir! You are welcome just as you are! FREE admission. More info, 206-325-2421. SATURDAY, JUNE 24 Queer Youth Pride 4-7pm. Cal Anderson Park (11th Ave & E Olive St.) Gay City and Seattle PrideFest proudly present Queer Youth Pride at Cal Anderson Park on Seattle’s Capitol Hill. This will be an afternoon of welcoming fun featuring performances, music, and fun, along with information on queer youth programs and GSAs. SATURDAY, JUNE 24 23rd Annual Seattle Dyke March Rally at 5pm. Seattle Central College South Plaza at Broadway & E Pine St. The March steps off at 7pm to go around Capitol Hill and end in Cal Anderson Park with a rocking after-party. http://seattledykemarch.com/ Since 1994, every year on Pride weekend the Dyke March has gathered thousands of supporters at the corner of Broadway and Pine, fighting for the visibility, inclusion, and survival of queer women in Seattle and around the world. The voices of the LGBTQ community and Pride weekend events have always been CONTINUED ON PAGE 14
Celebrating 43 Years!
Join Macy’s as we celebrate Family + Friends + Love + Life + Equality + Respect We are proud to join the parade across America in honor of National Pride Month. We think it’s really something to celebrate. Plus, join us in our continued support of The Trevor Project! The Trevor Project provides life-saving crisis intervention for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning (LGBTQ) youth.
FOR MORE DETAILS VISIT
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macys.com/celebrate
June 23, 2017
Seattle Gay News 9
ble Resource ta Queer Youth s, PrEP info, etc.
y: Hosted b
anila Aleksa M GLSEN Washington presents
with condom
FREE ADMISSIO
Youth Pride Dance
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HEYO/Lifelong Presents
Queer and allied youth variety show + Youth Pride Dance + Queer Youth Resource Fair
June 24th, 2017 | Doors open at 7 pm – 12 am Fred Wildlife Refuge (127 Boylston Ave E, Seattle, WA 98102) HEYO is Lifelong’s Youth Outreach Program
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Celebrating 43 Years!
¿Qué tiene que ver lo que hoy conocemos por Pride (desfile del orgullo) con la lucha por los derechos civiles de la comunidad LGBTQ iniciada en la redada de Stonewall?
por Joel Aguirre Outreach Coordinator Entre Hermanos
¡Cuando los pioneros de la lucha por los derechos de la comunidad LGBTQ tomaron las calles se dio inicio a el “desfile del orgullo” ¡Hoy por hoy la celebración se ha convertido en un rio de marcas corporativas, cuerpos semidesnudos y música estridente donde las razones que tuvieron quienes iniciaron estas marchas no están presentes, olvidamos que esa libertad de mostrarnos libremente es debido a la valentía de unos cuantos que dijeron basta! Para continuar la lucha necesitamos un esfuerzo concertado para animar a nuestra comunidad a aprender e involucrarse en causas sociales, como lo hicieron los pioneros de Stonewall. Históricamente, las personas de color y los miembros de grupos no dominantes han sido eliminados de la lucha y/o de las conquistas sociales. Cuando se habla de orgullo y progreso se nos ignora como Sylvia
Rivera y su papel relevante en el movimiento. Nuestras imágenes no están pegadas en tarjetas postales, carteles, programas de televisión o películas. Por primera vez en la historia de las celebraciones del orgullo en Seattle un grupo étnico estará al frente del desfile. Siendo ENTRE HERMANOS el depositario de este honor queremos aprovechar este evento especial e histórico. Esta será una oportunidad para nosotros, gente de color, de mostrar un frente UNIDO, sin importar RELIGIÓN, AUTO-IDENTIDAD, ORIGEN O FONDO. Invitamos a todos los grupos organizaciones y miembros de comunidades de color a que se unan a nuestro contingente en esta única ocasión. Bajo el tema “LA MIGRACIÓN ES HERMOSA”. utilizando la imagen de la MARIPOSA MONARCA como como símbolo del peregrinar humano
y de las causas de los grupos vulnerables. La mariposa monarca representa la dignidad y la resistencia de los migrantes, el derecho que todos los seres vivos tenemos de movernos libremente. Nuestra identidad no puede ni debe ser definida por nuestro dolor si no por la lucha constante, mucho menos por las acciones agresivas que otros han tomado para devaluar nuestras familias, nuestro trabajo. Nuestra identidad debe ser celebrada por nuestra belleza, orgullo y la resistencia frente a la desigualdad y la injusticia. ¡De alguna manera, todos somos monarcas! ¿Quieres participar? Crea tus alas y vuela con nosotros.
What does modern Pride have to do with celebrating the Stonewall Rebellion? What does “pride” have to do with civil rights? by Joel Aguirre Outreach Coordinator Entre Hermanos What is now known as Pride has nothing to do with demanding our total equality. What we really need is a concerted effort to encourage our community to learn and get involved in social causes – the way activist Stonewall did. Enough was enough and they ignited a movement. Historically, people of color and members of non-dominant groups have been removed from the vision of “progress.” We are aware that many do not associate our communities with pride and advancement. Our images are not projected in our media or social muses that promotes this association. This year, ENTRE HERMANOS will be the event’s opener, providing a historical and unique opportunity. For the first time in our 30-year span, Entre Hermanos is both honored and humbled to lead the parade, during a pivotally historical time. The opportunity lends a platform to put our communities in the center demonstrating a UNITED front, regardless of RELIGION, SELF-IDENTITY, ORIGIN OR BACKGROUND. Please regard our comments and gratitude as a call to join us as part of the Entre Hermanos float during this year’s parade. Our theme of 2017 is “MIGRATION IS BEAUTIFUL,” using the symbolic representation of the Monarch Butterfly. The monarch butterfly represents the dignity and resilience of migrants, and the right that all living beings, have the ability to move freely. We believe that our identity is not defined by our suffering, nor by the actions that others have taken to devalue our families and our labor – rather, let us celebrate our beauty, pride, and resilience in the face of inequality and injustice.
In many ways, we are all MONARCHS! ¿Como Es El Asunto? / How Do We Do It? We have been invited to lead this year’s parade. Like any other event, there are rules and regulations set forth by the event. If you are going to march with us, you can’t bring your organization’s banner. Everyone participating will be marching under the “Entre Hermanos” banner. The set-up: People who are wearing Monarch butterflies will be at the front. Followed by people who are wearing other type of wings. Those who aren’t wearing any wings but are carrying political signs will follow them. Lastly, those who wish to participate but aren’t carrying anything. If you wish to participate alongside Entre Hermanos, make your statement by bringing the following: • Monarch butterfly wings • Strong political statements • We Support Dreamers • No Travel Ban • We Support Refugees • No Hate • We Support Immigrant Rights • Queers Orlando • Workers Rights • Black Lives Matter • Resistance • No Wall • Gender Justice • Housing • Stonewall • AIDS quilts • Indigenous People • Trans Rights AND ANY OTHER SIGN YOU CAN COME UP WITH! ALIGNED WITH ALL PRIDE EVENTS, HATE IS STRICTLY NOT TOLERATED OR PERPETUATED!
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LIFE AFTER METH: A personal path to recovery by David Fawcett PhD, LCSW Special to the SGN We have much to celebrate during this pride month, but we also have a pressing problem that threatens our LGBT communities and which needs discussion: methamphetamine. The drug, also known as tina or crystal, is back with a vengeance and, because of higher purity, it is more dangerous and addictive than ever before. Meth has long been used to instill feelings of confidence and strength, from soldiers in World War II to individuals seeking to bolster their self-esteem. Chronic meth use often brings personal devastation and a host of physical consequences, but we now have a much better understanding of the drug and how to treat it. The impact of meth and a comprehensive guide to treatment are described in my book Lust, Men, and Meth: A Gay Man’s Guide to Sex and Recovery, which draws from over a decade of patient sessions and personal research. I will share some key points of the book here. Gay men have discovered meth’s ability to heighten sexual desire resulting in high-risk behavior often accompanied by elevated rates of HIV, hepatitis, and other sexually-transmitted infections. Meth flushes dopamine out of neurons while blocking receptors, resulting in a flood of euphoric feelings that instantly eliminate self-doubt, sadness, and unworthiness. But with chronic use, meth also literally destroys the dopamine transport system, creating long-term brain impairment that requires up to 18 months to heal. While the brain “rewires” the dopamine transport system, a person can totally abstain from the drug, but continue to experience muddled thinking, hopeless moods and, consequently, frequent relapses. Meth throws the body into “fight or
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David Fawcett PhD – Courtesy of David Fawcett
flight” mode, increasing heart rate, blood pressure, respiration, energy, and sensory acuity. Psychologically, it increases confidence and sex drive while decreasing boredom and timidity. Over time meth users experience tremors, dry mouth, weight loss, si-
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nus infections and skin problems, as well as confusion, insomnia, depression, irritability, paranoia, and even full-blown psychosis. Even worse, when consistently used to enhance sex, meth commandeers sexual desire and ultimately results in arousal being only achieved by using the drug, a condition that persists well into abstinence. Users quickly spiral downward while partners, friends, and families distance themselves due to erratic behavior. Narcotics Anonymous and Crystal Meth Anonymous provide a safe harbor for those seeking help, although the physical and sexual effects of meth create a difficult recovery marked by frequent relapses. This dynamic has resulted in the erroneous belief that meth recovery is impossible. This is false. People recover from methamphetamine, but it is a long process that requires support groups combined with in-depth psychological reflection that may require professional assistance. When used for sex, methamphetamine quickly fuses with sexual desire, resulting in high-risk behavior indistinguishable from sex and porn addiction. Sex-drug episodes usually last several days and typically involve sexual contact with a number of individuals as well as the use of meth and other drugs such as GHB (gamma-Hydroxibutyric acid). These long drug runs are followed by days dominated by extreme depression and hopelessness (“Suicide Tuesdays) resulting from the depletion of dopamine. Because of the long period of brain recovery, meth users may not achieve full benefit from traditional inpatient programs. Although the drug doesn’t have the acute physical detox of opioids, meth users experience tremors, temperature fluctuations, and persistent low mood. Meth has other unique properties, as well. Meth users become highly sensitive to visual images, which can trigger drug cravings. Inadvertently seeing images of meth or a syringe, or simply walking into a CMA meeting and seeing other users, can be extremely triggering. Once abstinent from the drug a person may experience mental fog, triggers
and cravings, indecision, and the distressing experience of an emotional roller coaster. These will subside, but that process takes time, patience, and support. Recovery from meth’s damage to sexual functioning is more complicated; it requires a gradual process of eliminating compulsive use of sex or pornography, coupled with the development of a healthy sense of self. These become the foundation for both healthy sex and intimacy. This process for reclaiming health sexuality in sobriety is fully explained in my book Lust, Men, and Meth. The return of meth has created serious havoc in the lives of many Americans. Because of its unique characteristics, meth treatment and recovery require special knowledge and sensitivity, but with a greater understanding, we can assist meth users along the path of recovery. As thousands of men and women know, there is indeed life after meth. David Fawcett PhD, LCSW is a psychotherapist and sex therapist in Fort Lauderdale. He is the author of Lust, Men, and Meth: A Gay Man’s Guide to Sex and Recovery and is a highly-acclaimed trainer on addictions, mental health, and co-occurring HIV and mental health. For more information, visit www.david-fawcett.com LGBTQ resources in Seattle include: Crystal Meth Anonymous (www.crystalmeth.org) meets at Capitol Hill Presbyterian Church, 1729 Harvard Ave. on Saturday @ 10:30am, Sun @ 6:30pm, Mon @ 6:30pm, Thurs @ 6:30pm; Project NEON (www.projectNEON.org) a program of Seattle Counseling Service – call Aleks for a FREE assessment, 206-323-1768 Ext 123; Strength Over Speed (www.strengthoverspeed.org) meets at SASG, 115 15th Ave. E., Suite 201 on Monday @ 2-3:30pm, Tues @ 6-7:30pm, Fri @ 6-7:30pm.
Celebrating 43 Years!
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HIV alone didn’t cause the clogged artery in my neck. Smoking with HIV did. Brian, age 45, California
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Seattle Gay News 13
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 8
2017 PRIDE events calendar
overwhelmingly male, and so we reserve our stage to shine a spotlight on the experiences, pleasures, activism, and identities of queer women and dyke-identified people across the gender spectrum. The Seattle Dyke March is not a parade; it is a solidarity demonstration in support of dyke voices and experiences, and focuses on our community’s wants, needs, and demands. www.seattledykemarch.com SATURDAY, JUNE 24 (& Sunday, June 25) Queer Geeks and Games Convention 5-9pm; Pink Party 9pm-midnight. Seattle Center Fisher Pavilion. Our first annual! Board games, console games, arcade games, cosplay contest, vendors, bar for 21+. FREE entry. Co-sponsored by Seattle PrideFest and Jetspace Magazine. (& Sun 6/25 noon-8pm.) http://pridefest.org/qgg
Allied Youth Variety Show starts at 8pm. Hosted by Aleksa Manila. This event is open to ALL youth ages 16 to 24. Admission is FREE. Sponsored by HEYO/Lifelong and GLSEN/WA. https://m.facebook. com/glsenwa/ Questions? Email: HEYO at: heyo@lifelong.org or GLSEN Washington at: mail@ glsenwa.org SATURDAY, JUNE 24 Seattle Reign FC Pride Night Seattle Reign FC vs FC Kansas City at Memorial Stadium (Seattle Center). 7pm. https://www.reignfc.com
SATURDAY, JUNE 24 Dapper Down’s Pride Takeover Meet & Greet: 6-8pm; Dance Party: 9pm-2am. Neumos (925 E Pike St). Featuring Buck Angel, Laith Ashley and Arice Wanzer with Spikey van Dykey, Tucker Noir, Skylar Armstrong, Miss Petite Coquette, Group Combos, and Cut the Line. Meet & Greet (18+) $30 advance, $40 at the door. Dance Party (21+) $20 advance, $25 at the door. http://dapperdownkings.com/
SATURDAY, JUNE 24 (& Friday, June 23) Seattle Men’s Chorus – “Bette, Babs, & Beyonce” 8pm. McCaw Hall (321 Mercer St.) Our divalicious playlist highlights the iconic performers whose powerhouse vocals and outsized personas have thrilled us for decades from the concert stage to the dance floor. Revel in the timeless hits from the Divine Miss M and our favorite Funny Girl, plus get (Sasha) fierce with Beyoncé, Cher, and today’s most sensational female superstars. Celebrate Pride like the diva you are (or want to be)! Tickets: $25-$75 at http://www.seattlechoruses.org and (206) 388-1400.
SATURDAY, JUNE 24 Gender*Fierce – Queer & Allied Youth Variety Show – Youth Pride Dance – Queer Youth Resource Fair 7pm-12 midnight at Fred Wildlife Sanctuary (128 Boylston Ave E). The Queer and
SUNDAY, JUNE 25 Seattle Pride Parade Starting at 11 a.m., the parade kicks off at 4th Ave. & Union St., and will proceed north down 4th Ave. to Denny Way and Seattle Center. It will last approximately two
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and a half hours and will be held rain or shine. www.seattlepride.org/pride-parade/ SUNDAY, JUNE 25 Seattle PrideFest – “Fight Together” Noon-8pm. Seattle Center. Seattle PrideFest 2017 will be more fabulous than ever. Featuring Mary Lambert, Deven Green, Joey Arias, Ultra Nate, DJ Sammy Jo, Dai Burger and over 100 other artists! www.seattlepridefest.org/ SUNDAY, JUNE 25 (& Saturday, June 24) Queer Geeks and Games Convention Noon-8pm. Seattle Center Fisher Pavilion. Our first annual! Board games, console games, arcade games, cosplay contest, vendors, bar for 21+. FREE entry. Co-sponsored by Seattle PrideFest and Jetspace Magazine. (& Sat 6/24 5pm-midnight.) http://pridefest.org/qgg SUNDAY, JUNE 25 The Cuff Pride Street Party The Cuff (1533 13th Ave) – Berlin featuring Terri Nunn, Melanie Amaro, Miss MeMe, Disco Vinnie, Vicci Martinez, Sabrina Johnston, DJ Matt Stands. Doors at noon. 21+ ID required. $25 cover. www. cuffcomplex.com TUESDAY, JUNE 27 Tacoma LGBTQ Proclamation and City Council Meeting 5-7pm at Tacoma Municipal Building (747 Market Street, Tacoma). Join Mayor Marilyn Strickland and the Tacoma City Council in City Council Chambers on June
27 to declare July Gay Pride Month in the City of Tacoma. The reading of the Official Proclamation makes a very public statement of the celebration and appreciation of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender community in the City of Tacoma. FRIDAY, JUNE 30 SUNDAY, JULY 2 Emerald City Softball Association – 2017 Emerald City Classic www.emeraldcitysoftball.org (See details under TOURNAMENT menu) FRIDAY, JUNE 30 & SATURDAY, JULY 1 Diverse Harmony – “Musicians of Color” 7:30pm at Broadway Performance Hall (Broadway & E Pine St off Seattle Community College South Plaza) Diverse Harmony is the nation’s first Queer-straight alliance youth chorus. Our 58-member chorus presents music that opens the hearts and minds of communities and provides a safe environment for youth of diverse backgrounds to share their love of music and be accepted for who they are. www.diverseharmony.org FRIDAY, JULY 7 - SUNDAY, JULY 9 Seattle Tennis Alliance – 2017 Seattle Classic www.seattletennisalliance.org (See details under EVENTS menu)
CONTINUED ON PAGE 19
Celebrating 43 Years!
Visit us online www.sgn.org
June 23, 2017
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16 Seattle Gay News
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Celebrating 43 Years!
Visit us online www.sgn.org
June 23, 2017
Seattle Gay News 17
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Celebrating 43 Years!
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 14
2017 PRIDE events calendar
SATURDAY, JULY 8 Rainbow Women’s Health Fair 12-4pm at Gay City Health Project clinic, 517 E Pike St Free health services for queer women and trans people of all genders. SUNDAY, JULY 16 Gay Day at Wild Waves 11am-7pm. Wild Waves Theme Park, 36201 Enchanted Parkway S, Federal Way. The Imperial Sovereign Court of Seattle and the Olympic & Rainier Empire presents the 3rd Annual Gay Day at Wild Waves! This is a family friendly event that takes place in the picnic area at Wild Waves and Enchanted Village, but you get access to the entire park! Watch for more information, but save the date and come join the fun! https://m.facebook.com/ISCSORE SUNDAY, JULY 30 Emerald City Black Pride 1-6pm. More details to come. www.pocaan.org.
OUT-OF-TOWN (July & August)
SATURDAY, JULY 1 SUNDAY, JULY 9 Victoria, BC Pride A week of events and activities culminating in the annual Pride Parade and Festival on Sunday, July 10. www.victoriapridesociety.org FRIDAY, JULY 7 SUNDAY, JULY 15 Tacoma Pride Festival The Tacoma Pride Festival honors the LGBTQA community by fostering pride in
who we are as valuable, creative members of a diverse population in the South Puget Sound region by curating cultural events, establishing partnerships, and hosting Tacoma Pride, formerly Out in the Park, an outdoor festival (see details below). For a complete schedule of events, visit http://tacomapride.org/ SATURDAY, JULY 8 Tacoma Pride – Rainbow Center’s Annual LGBTQA Pride Event Noon-5pm at S 9th St & Pacific Avenue. Formerly known as “Out in the Park,” Tacoma Pride is a family-friendly event that features over 100 street vendors, live performances by musicians, cirque performers, vaudeville and drag acts, as well as guest speakers and dignitaries.www.rainbowcntr.org. SUNDAY, JULY 9 Bellingham Pride Parade & Festival Pride Parade starts at noon at the corner of Halleck St & Ohio St, travels along Cornwall Ave and ends at Depot Market Square (1100 Railroad Ave) which runs until 4pm. Featuring vendors, children’s activities and appearances by local and state dignitaries. Come join the fun! http://www. bellinghampride.org SATURDAY, JULY 15 Kitsap Pride The Kitsap Pride Network invites you to participate in the 2017 Kitsap Pride event at Evergreen Rotary Park (1500 Park Ave) in Bremerton. This year’s theme is Viva la Vida which encourages everyone to live their authentic life. For more information, visit https://www.facebook.com/ events/139559479886267/ Recent year’s
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have had over 2,000 people attending this exciting event and this year is already looking to be our biggest yet. http://kitsappride. org/ SUNDAY, JULY 16 Tri-Cities 2017 Pride Festival – “It’s Just Love” Pride March 1:30pm. Pride Festival 2-6pm at John Dam Plaza in Richland. Celebrate equality and acceptance in our local community. Live entertainment, booths, games and prizes! This year we are once again partnering up with Club Out and About (327 W Lewis St, Pasco; www.cluboutandabout.com); our local & only gay bar to turn up the volume on our celebration! we are going to get our pride on! Out and About has been here for 20+ years and they will continue to support our community. Funds raised will be going towards the cost of our events throughout the week along with a return of our pride parade and daytime fun for all ages. Tri-Cities Pride is the setting for a vibrant, pedestrian-friendly Pride Festival, unique to Eastern Washington. A diverse array of artists, entertainers, and more! This unique pride festival is the largest LGBT gathering in the Mid-Columbia. Beautiful Richland will serve as the gathering spot for friends, family and visitors from around the land to celebrate the diversity and unity of our community. The festival includes a music stage, dancing, food vendors, exhibits and non-profit organizations. https://www.gofundme.com/tricitiespride SUNDAY, JULY 23
June 23, 2017
First Annual SnoHomo Pride Festival for all LGBTQ & Allies 11am-5pm. Legion Memorial Park (145 Alverson Blvd, Everett). Our first Pride celebration for Snohomish County. We are moving forward to support our LGBTQ+ & Allies community for a family friendly event. Join us for a great day of entertainment, guest speakers, music, food, face painting, community booths and FUN! https://www.facebook.com/SnohomishPride/ SUNDAY, AUGUST 6 Vancouver, BC Pride http://www.vancouverpride.ca FRIDAY-SUNDAY, AUGUST 11-13 4th Annual Queer Pride on Whidbey Every August, the queer community of Whidbey Island comes together in a celebration of difference in the streets of Langley, WA with a focus on the LGBTQIA community. To include people of all genders and orientations, it is called Queer Pride Parade, where queer means outside society’s binary prescriptions, and is part of Queer Pride on Whidbey. “Diversity is fundamental to the health and well-being of every community. To include people of all genders and orientations, it is called the Queer Pride Parade.” The Parade is open to all queer and allied people, organizations, and businesses on and off Whidbey Island, including Seattle. Each year, a new local artist designs the annual t-shirt, and timely community engagement events are held. For opportunities to volunteer, participate, sponsor, register for the parade, or simply find current information, please go to www.queerparade.com.
Seattle Gay News 19
Capitol Hill Housing wishes everyone a safe and happy Pride! www.capitolhillhousing.org 1620 12th Avenue Avenue 20 Seattle Gay News
June 23, 2017
Rainbow City Performing Arts, a non-profit organization providing opportunities for LGBTQ musicians and allies to share their musical talents through performance, is proud to be celebrating our
20th marching season!
See us! Hear us! Join us! June 17 – Fremont Solstice Parade June 25 – Seattle Pride Parade July 9 – Bellingham Pride Parade July 21 – Purple Passion Swing Band at Crossroads July 22 – Vashon Island Strawberry Fest July 23 – The Saxodies at Snohomish Pride July 28 – Band Jam August 6 – Vancouver, BC More information and concert tickets at rainbowcityband.com & facebook.com/rainbowcityband
Photo Credit Cindy Braunheim
Celebrating 43 Years!
Island Consort Presents the 3rd Annual …
Luise Greger Women in Music Celebration 2017 Aug 25 ~ 7 pm Noorlag Salon, Oak Harbor, WA Aug 26 ~ 7 pm Henny Home, Langley, WA Aug 27 ~ 2 pm Ballard Homestead, Seattle, WA Tickets $20 Adult/$10 Youth 18 & Under Reservations Required for Salon Concerts (Not for Seattle Performance) RSVP: sweidendorf@whidbey.com or call 360-320-2362
With
Gloria Ferry-Brennan, Violin Eleni Matos, Mezzo Soprano Cynthia Morrow, Viola Roxanna Patterson, Viola Fumi Tagata, Soprano Sheila Weidendorf, Piano Rebecca Wilt, Piano Performing works by Amy Beach, Nadia Boulanger, Lillian Fuchs, Lori Laitman, Angelique Poteat & of course, Luise Greger
Island Consort is an umbrella partner of Whidbey Island Arts Council, A 501C3, not-for-profit organization.
www.islandconsort.org
Love your (LGBTQ) Neighbor as yourself. PlymouthChurchSeattle.org
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June 23, 2017
Seattle Gay News 21
Speech from Louise Chernin, GSBA President & CEO, at Seattle March for Equality, June 11, 2017
Louise Chernin – Photo courtesy Puget Sound Business Journal
Thank you, I always feel really good when I’m with all of you out there. We were saying a few minutes ago, all these amazing people. We said no, all these badass people. So, thank you for standing up and speaking out, always. We are so proud to be part of a community like this. So, interestingly enough, we’re trying to think, this is about love and unity and hope, And, it’s very hard to feel that right now. It’s hard to feel it when you’re torn between never wanting to open the paper or turn on the news again, and being addicted to it. That’s me, like, “Oh, I have to see it.” My partner walks in, and she goes, “Shut that off, I can’t stand hearing it anymore.” So, you know, that’s where we are. But I really thought about it last night, and I decided I am hopeful. I have been marching for 34 years, on Capitol Hill or downtown. [applause] And I remember when we were just a march, like this. Not “just a,” because we were about passion and
issues and individuals and our rights, and we were fighting so hard to just have our humanity recognized in any way, shape, or form. And so we’ve made a lot of progress, but we see it being attacked. But one thing I feel very hopeful about is – well, a few things. One is, we’ve taken off the veneer of thinking that all is OK, “We have marriage equality and all is OK.” No. What was right below the surface is incredible racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, and xenophobia. And it was always there. And those who have been the targets have known we were fooling ourselves. We have changed laws – and they’re very important – but we have not done enough to change hearts and minds. Because if we did, we wouldn’t be where we are. So I really, really think that having that out in the open is important. Because you cannot fight what you fool yourself about or what you don’t see. So I hope that we say this is a good thing and now we can start
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working to change it. The other thing that’s different, for those of us who are part of the ’60s and the ’70s and the ’80s movements, is that they were very siloed movements. You had the women’s liberation movement, which I’m proud to say I’m a part of. and a proud feminist, [applause] we had the gay liberation movement, we had the black power movement, the civil rights movement, the anti-Vietnam movement, and they were very, very separate. And I can see wherever I go now that everyone is recognizing all the movements. You know, we used to say “oppression against one is oppression against all,” but now we know it is true. It is out there. You cannot even distinguish the amount of harassment, discrimination, bullying, prejudice, and bigotry that every marginalized community is feeling at the same time. And it is unifying us. So that is a very positive thing, to be out there and to be unified. And so I think our greatest challenge
now is what are we going to do. One thing I do challenge us, which I think movements in the past didn’t do enough of, is [to] stop talking to ourselves. I encourage us to start talking to people who do not look like us, do not think like us, do not feel like us. Because we have got to change those hearts and minds. We’ve got the laws in place – we’ve got to maintain them, we’ve got to fight I-1552 – but we also have to talk to other people. Because we will not change that until we start changing the people who we can’t even understand what they feel – and they feel the same about us. So I think that’s a really big challenge for us. I ask you to become activists if you’re not. I ask you to join the activists who are, and I ask you to say, what am I going to do, not just to come to marches – which are important to galvanize us and to feel good and to gain momentum – but what am I going to do at work, in my child’s school, when I go into the supermarket? How am I going to challenge those homophobic remarks, those transphobic remarks, the racism I see around me every day? And if every one of us takes that personal pledge to challenge what we see that is unfair, to speak out for other people, I think we will continue to change the hearts and minds, which will ensure that we can all live to our full humanity. We did it before. We did it when our families weren’t recognized, we did it when our burials weren’t allowed, we did it when we had to feed each other and care for each other, when nobody stood with us. So we are resilient! We are strong! We are powerful! One administration will never take down a movement! Thank you. Happy Pride! To hear this speech on youtube, visit https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DoJi9JsGSs Courtesy of the Greater Seattle Business Association
Celebrating 43 Years!
206-786-1789
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www.YouTube.com/MichaelCornellRE
June 23, 2017
Seattle Gay News 23
PRIDE and influence: from the wife of a transgender candidate by Dawn Celeste McGregor Mac McGregor for City Council We are influenced by the city we live in, our climate, our friends/family/workplace, our President, the governmental policies and the extremes in our culture that surround us. If we look back at the social movements that took hold and really changed the ways in which we live in the world, we can see that many of them come from drastic and terrifying times. Movements happen when it becomes impossible to sit on the fence any longer. We are inside one of these pieces of history right now, just as we were when PRIDE came into existence. We have PRIDE because it simply wasn’t possible to sit still and take the bigotry. And after years of gradually stepping forward, today there is no comfort for those who watch what is happening. There is no slow movement forward. We have gone backwards, like we hit a brick wall at 60 mph and are now recoiling. Too many of us in the queer community have had family who voted for the man in orange. People we love that say that they support us as individuals; that they really don’t have anything against the LGBT community. They only wanted change, someone who puts America first. Someone who isn’t a politician. They say it had nothing to do with denying civil rights. It had nothing to do with us at all. The pain I have experienced over this within the queer community is extreme. One out Lesbian couple that my husband and I are close to, found out that their own children voted for a government that does not respect their rights. The agony they faced when they held themselves responsible for not wanting to be “in their faces” about their lifestyle and their struggles was tremendous and infuriating to them. They assumed that the people they love just “got
24 Seattle Gay News
it.” They never educated them on the history, the fear and the lack of dignity they experienced throughout their lives. The people who knew them, didn’t grasp that making a simple political choice would affect the human rights of so many individuals. We all assumed it was just common sense. I remember, less than 15 years ago in Colorado, showing concern for my friend and his boyfriend walking down the street being affectionate towards one another. I hated myself for stopping them from showing their love. I was afraid for their safety but understood that things would never change if people hid because of that fear? My response to them was against everything I stand for. My mentality did not influence progression. It wasn’t that long ago that “don’t ask, don’t tell” was the closest thing to acceptance that was available, and it created the mentality that we will accept you as long as we don’t have to think about who you are. Chew on that for a moment. Then come back to today; our government is attempting to make it “normal” and “acceptable” to be prejudiced and intolerant of people’s differences. Our country’s leaders have stated that discrimination is a civil right and included in religious freedom. And that they will stand up for the right to discriminate at all costs. This is terrifying. The moment I saw that this administration had made this a concrete stance, I realized that they just started a civil war. As the people who don’t fit into the “social norm,” the ones who have been forgotten, pushed aside, stepped on and persecuted for simply being who they are, we have seen movements forward that bring us hope. We have seen that there have been people, even presidents and attorney generals, that want to support us. People who refuse to vilify us. It had made us comfortable with the pending changes. These steps
June 23, 2017
forward have brought us a peace of mind that eventually we would ALL have a voice and we would ALL be heard. We could see a light at the end of a very long tunnel. Yet no-one and I mean NO-ONE expected to be where we are at now. And where we are now has established an uprising. They didn’t realize that by pushing harder to hold us down we would fight that much harder to get up. That treading lightly with our lifestyles is no longer an option. That now that we have seen the light ahead, it isn’t possible to go back into the dark. They didn’t realize that we have tasted equality and will now do ANYTHING to save it. And the scales have tipped with our allies that had always figured we could fight our own battle and thought being accepting is all that mattered to show their support. They have figured out that in-action is allowing bigotry. We are ready to stand strong; we are ready to fight. It is time for our allies to stand with us. We have an army. And we are recruiting every day. We are bigger and more powerful than them. We are the influence and we are changing the world, faster and more directly than we ever have before. We were a peaceful people and they made us warriors. We won’t stand down, we won’t be quiet, and we will change the world into an inclusive place for all people. ALL people. It’s a revolution. Many want to fight, but not everyone is capable of being on the front line. Smart strategists use people’s assets to win the war. One thing everyone can do now is support and vote for those from marginalized communities. Fight for the long haul by putting people in power that will represent diversity. This works in conjunction with this immediate fight. Get involved with civil unrest. It’s important to be out, be strong, even when it puts you at risk. Surround yourself with influences who support
your strength. Surround yourself with allies, build bridges with the people who you are afraid will turn you away. Tell your stories. Be out, be proud and find supporters that will have your back when you are. Be an influence in other people’s lives. Be an example of inclusion and acceptance. It is up to us what kind of example we want to be to the rest of the world. Influence from certainly not doubt. We will win this. Don’t forget what PRIDE is truly about. Don’t forget what we have fought for, achieved and are at risk of losing again. Be the friend, the coworker, the neighbor who doesn’t leave room for bigotry. Be an activist in every interaction you have, changing hearts and minds without judgment for those who want to learn. I utilize empathetic education for my transgender husband’s campaign running for Seattle City Council, realizing that there is a lot of work to be done to get people to understand the importance of getting trans people in office. But he needs more than me. And so do all the other people standing up for all of us. We may not all be the one who can put their neck on the chopping block. Some of us, like Mac McGregor, can speak louder than others and the rest of us can have the backs of those who take the risks. Live the change you wish to see in the world and it will begin to reflect it back for everyone. Take action and join the revolution. Take PRIDE in our strength and unity. It is time to topple the tower and build an inclusive and undivided society. https://www.votemacmcgregor.com/
Celebrating 43 Years!
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June 23, 2017
Seattle Gay News 25
Join End AIDS Washington at Seattle PrideFest! Sunday | June 25 12:00-8:00 PM Fisher Pavilion Seattle Center
When it’s all about health care delivery,
WE’RE ALL ABOUT YOU.
Choose your health care TEAM with PRIDE. At PacMedtm, we’re making health care easy for our patients. From online access to your care team to a patient-centered approach and flexible appointments, we deliver high-quality outcomes that help you stay healthy. We work every day to give you the conveniences and the excellent care you deserve. Close to work. Close to home. All about you. Visit www.PacMed.org/GSBA or call 206.621.4060. Clinic Locations: Beacon Hill Canyon Park Federal Way First Hill
Lacey Lakewood Lynnwood Northgate
Puyallup Renton Totem Lake
We are proud to be a Gold Sponsor of the GSBA. PacMed is a trademark of Pacific Medical Centers.
26 Seattle Gay News
June 23, 2017
Celebrating 43 Years!
UNDERWEAR THAT’S NOT FOR EVERYBODY, BUT IS FOR ANY BODY.
TOMBOYX.COM
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June 23, 2017
Seattle Gay News 27
We will NOT be unseen by Jonathan Shuffield Special to the SGN As Pride month is upon us I was recently asked to make a speech at our local Pride Day (June 10) in Spokane, WA. As I contemplated why we celebrate this day and why it still matters, I am reminded of the importance to stop, remember our past, celebrate our future, and boldly head into tomorrow. With all of this in mind the following is my message for us all! Do you know your history? I don’t mean the history from books or Google, and definitely not from school. I mean the history that runs through your veins, it is in your DNA, it’s in your innate quality of just being human. It is why this day has always been and remains YOUR day. Forty-eight years ago in the early morning hours of June 28th in an unassuming bar in New York City, we stood up. We emerged from the shadows and we refused to remain unseen. The light hit our faces and the sun felt good. We found what makes us strong, we found our common humanity and we needed it. For soon we would find ourselves holding the hands of our brothers as they
died, for so long not knowing why. Just whispers in hallways and hurried glances, in a world that would not speak our names. Our LGBT brothers and sisters held strong together, our allies bridged our worlds, and we found our voices. Stand Up!, Fight Back! Fight AIDS! We took to the streets, we took over news stations, we took care of our own until the leaders and the doctors would claim us again. We would NOT be unseen. It’s true we were dying once, but now we LIVE! And we learned! We learned how to fight, for our strength has been born in the trenches, our determination hardened by resistance, our love ignited by a hate! On a fateful day in 2015 our love was acknowledged, not because love can be legislated or that love has ever needed permission to exist, but because we demanded our equal respect, our shared rights, our common humanity! Our fight has not ended; it has only intensified as we were sadly reminded last year. As we celebrated our Pride in Spokane, WA, the Pulse massacre in Orlando shook us to our knees. But fear will never silence us, our hope has held us strong for decades upon decades and will continue to light our way into the future. Even as some
The Spokane Pride Parade and Festival – Photo courtesy of The Inlander
want us to go away, as they put fingers in their ears and close their eyes, but when they open them, we are still here, we still stand, we still love, we...still…..fight! We will NOT be unseen! Do not mistake me for wanting this day to be somber, to turn our party down. On the contrary, let our history remind you why we celebrate! Let it make you dance longer, scream louder and love harder! Let it inspire you to embody your Pride, to let it
sweat from your pores! This day is my day, it’s your day, it belongs to all our LGBT people and our allies, it belongs to ALL of us. And we know better than most how to fight and we remember that the fight is not over when we are tired; it is over when it is done. We have only begun to fight, but for today we stand, we dance, we rise! Today is ours and we CELEBRATE! Happy Pride!
7th Annual South Park Queer Pride Picnic a huge success
The 7th Annual South Park Queer Pride Picnic was held Sunday, June 4, on the banks of the Duwamish River at the Duwamish Waterway Park in the South Park neighborhood of Seattle. Thanks to the generosity of numerous sponsors, the picnic was able to offer free tamales and entertainment for over 200 people who attended from South Park and Georgetown neighborhoods, as well as Tukwila, White Center, and West Seattle. The South Park Gay Pride Picnic continues to be the longestrunning and largest Seattle neighborhood pride event that is held outside of Capitol Hill. The picnic is organized in partnership with Entre Hermanos, the leading Latino LGBTQ health and leadership organization in the Puget Sound region for nearly 25 years. Isabella of Noche Latina club night at Neighbours emceed the day’s entertainment, which included Aunt Betty Malone who hosts the Rainbow Bingo games at the South Park Senior Center, as well as singersongwriter Jacque Larrainzar, and male belly dancer Jesús. The picnic was thrilled to have the live salsa band Carlos Cascante y su Tumbao complete the day with many people dancing to their sultry sounds of Latin Jazz and Modern Timba. DJ Luis V of Noche Latina opened the day. The picnic organizers would especially like to thank the Duwamish River Youth Corp whose enthusiasm shone through as
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Gay City, Seattle Gay News and the Lumber Yard Bar (opening in White Center fall 2017) celebrated the day with resources and information. The Sisters of the Mother House of Washington graciously and flamboyantly greeted everyone with their colorful and imaginative nun’s habits. Event organizer Randy on Rose Street is deeply appreciative of the many local South Park and Queer community businesses and organizations that helped make the picnic happen. For more information or to help with next year’s event should e-mail to: gaypridesouthpark@hotmail.com.
2017 Sponsors Entre Hermanos; Pride Foundation; Plumb Level and Square Fund; Carniceria El Paisano; Duwamish River Youth Corps; South Park Senior Center; Lumber Yard Bar; South Park Arts; Sisters of the Mother House of Washington; Seattle Gay News; AIDS Healthcare Foundation; Central Coop; Rose Street Garden Society and Gardenwalk (July 16) Courtesy of South Park Queer Pride Picnic
they helped set up and clean up the picnic site. They also went door-to-door earlier in the week passing out flyers to over 500 homes in the neighborhood. Carniceria El Paisano Deli in White Center provided the delicious tamales, which were served with chips, fresh fruit and bottled water. The South Park Arts Council hosted a kids’ art table, the South Park Branch Library kept everyone’s summer reading list stocked, and local community organizations LGBTQ Allyship, SOMOS Seattle, the Duwamish River Clean-Up Coalition, Environmental Coalition of South Seattle,
June 23, 2017
Celebrating 43 Years!
NEW DATE & LOCATION! Saturday, July 8th 12-4pm Gay City, 517 E Pike St ENTERTAINMENT INCLUDES
Trans Knowledgeable Doctors
Free Massage and Acupuncture
Informed Consent HRT Clinic
Mammograms
Sponsors:
YOGA
CENTERS
Visit us at gaycity.org/RainbowHealth Visit us online www.sgn.org
June 23, 2017
Seattle Gay News 29
Faith in America strives to raise awareness about Saving yOur Kids at Southern Baptist Convention’s recent Annual Meeting Medical professionals, clergy and volunteers arrived in Phoenix to ask Southern Baptist Messengers to Save yOur Kids!
brace these children with unconditional love.”
PHOENIX, AZ – In conjunction with the Southern Baptist Convention’s June 13-14 Annual Meeting in Phoenix, Faith in America recently organized medical professionals, clergy, and a coalition of volunteers in Phoenix in an unprecedented effort to focus the nation’s largest Protestant denomination on what they must be doing to not harm and, instead, protect America’s teens and kids who are LGBT. America’s LGBT teens and kids are in crisis. For example: LGBT kids raised in non-affirming religious families are 8 times more likely to attempt suicide than their LGBT peers from accepting homes. Nearly half of America’s homeless youth are LGBT. More than a quarter of LGBT youth say they have been personally bullied or harassed since the 2016 presidential campaign began, compared to 14 percent of non-LGBTQ youth. Faith in America (FIA), an organization that exists to end religious-based harm to the LGBT community, realizes Americans can no longer sit by while our children and teenagers are being hurt. FIA has launched a 3-year program called “Save yOur Kids!” (SYK). The SYK project is developed to address religious-based practices that condemn our teens and youth, creating hostile environments both at church and home, places most needed by our youth. “This is an historic moment and we, at Faith in America, are taking action,” says Mitchell Gold, FIA co-founder. “We ask the media to cover this with the seriousness this deserves. This is not about conflict and division. It is about speaking the truth, and standing up for our kids and teens being hurt. It is also about finding common ground around our children and youth.” Faith in America is in communication with Southern Baptist Convention leadership and a meeting is pending scheduling. They are aware of our presence beginning on June 13 at their Phoenix meeting of SBC Messengers. While the SBC has initially articulated their disagreement with FIA regarding homosexuality as a sin, they also offered their desire to meet and find initiatives and ways forward that do not harm our youth. We find the potential progress here and look forward to soon meeting with SBC leadership.
30 Seattle Gay News
FIA ACTIVITIES AT SOUTHERN BAPTIST PHOENIX CONVENTION: Medical Professionals engaged Southern Baptist Messengers and talked to the media about the health crisis our LGBT teens and kids are living through: Jack Drescher, M.D. – Professor Psychiatry, New York Medical College. Past President of the Group for Advancement of Psychiatry, and a Distinguished Life Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association, Dr. Drescher is an expert media spokesperson on issues related to gender and sexuality. He has published and teaches extensively around this subject at New York Medical College and New York University. Joshua Wolff, Ph.D. – Assistant Professor, Adler University. Dr. Wolff is a professor of psychology with significant published work on the role social stigma on LGBT hostile religious campuses plays in the attendant mental health and substance abuse challenges afflicting the college students. Robert Hoffman – Co-Chair and acting Executive Director for Faith in America. A former Fortune 500 Apparel Executive, Hoffman now works professionally as Managing Partner of Piedmont Counseling and Development Group and is an MPH candidate at Dartmouth’s Geisel School of Medicine. Clergy with Open Affirming Churches sought to engage Southern Baptist Messengers and talk to the media about their theologically based decisions to open their doors, affirm all believers, and support who God made them to be: Pastor Stan Mitchell, GracePointe Church, Nashville; Pastor Aaron Sprietzel, One Church, Phoenix; Pastor T. Anthony Spearman, Greensboro, NC; Pastor Lara Forbes, Faith Evangelical Lutheran, Phoenix; Pastor James Pennington, First Congregational UCC. Thirteen coalition groups joined Faith in America to add their direct experience working with and supporting LGBT children who have been forced out of their homes and onto the streets and who are at the greatest risk of trafficking and suicide: The Trevor Project; Nomad Partnerships; Matthew Shepard Foundation; Tyler Cle-
June 23, 2017
menti Foundation; Soulforce; The Reformation Project; Campus Pride; Equality California; Association of Welcoming and Affirming Baptists; Auburn Seminary; PFLAG; Faith Evangelical Lutheran Church, Phoenix; First Congregational United Church of Christ. Jane Clementi co-founded the Tyler Clementi Foundation alongside her husband Joe because she wants to make sure that our society learns the consequences of discrimination and bullying, as she learned all too personally through the loss of her son, Tyler. Jane speaks passionately to parents and community leaders about the need to not merely “accept” or “tolerate” children who come out as LGBT, but to embrace them as wondrous creations of God. Jane, a registered nurse, speaks on the need for parents of LGBT children to come out and speak openly of the love they have for their children, and in doing so each one of us can impact the world around us and create accepting environments. Billboards, static and roving, were present throughout Phoenix reminding Southern Baptists that all our children matter and we must stop harming them. Volunteers had handouts and kind words for the Southern Baptist Messengers and were on the streets and visible throughout the entire Southern Baptist Convention meeting. A robust social media campaign incorporating real time updates and videos, facts, and photos took place, as well, throughout the SBC event. “Science is clear: LGBTQ youth are at risk and need our help. People of faith unhappy about these findings may deny them, and some may even distort them. Unfortunately, denial and distortion of science can expose their LGBTQ children to potentially harmful practices and interventions,” according to Jack Drescher, M.D., of New York Medical College. “We know parents love their children and want to keep them safe, regardless of religious beliefs. We join FIA in formally calling upon SBC’s leadership to alter its course of religionbased harm to one of religion-based help. Faith communities can be sources of great support to LGBTQ youth if they stop condemning them and begin instead to em-
WHAT DO WE WANT: Ultimately, we at FIA believe LGBT people should be removed from the sin list. We know interpretations and new revelations come to light. We believe the Church will one day stop diminishing the lives of those who are LGBT and we strive to help this come to pass. We are optimistic people and see the glass 75% full! We appreciate and respect how the SBC has changed teachings and interpretations based on new, important information. We applaud how in 1995 the SBC issued a formal apology to People of Color for their role in the inhuman practices of slavery and segregation. We also have a simpler, direct request: Let’s stop hurting yOur kids and teens. We can’t deny the impact condemning religious teachings have had on people’s beliefs toward those who are LGBT. If we deny the Church has had any influence, we would be kidding ourselves. This means negative as well as positive impacts must be claimed. We know Baptists care about yOur kids and we believe we can start a conversation and find common ground and common purpose. No one wants these LGBT SBC kids to feel they’d be better off dead or on the streets than with their family and community. And, we would like to discuss what we might do to help ensure no child ever has to feel that way. “The level of depression and anxiety existing in the lives of LGBT teens and kids is sadly outpacing those maladies in other groups,” says Rev. Stan Mitchell. “We use the word “condemning” to describe the churches that are bad players and hurt LGBT teens and kids with harsh messages that alienate, diminish, and stigmatize. This hurts youth and creates animosity within the hearts of parents, siblings, and other kin that, in turn, also serves to abandon our youth, leaving them feeling alone in a cold world. These teachings create bullies.” “Faith in America believes there is a great work to be done through us,” added Robert Hoffman, FIA Executive Director. “We have made ourselves available to grasp and follow our calling, to go and join in the work where it’s most needed. Along the way, we hope to build new bridges, make new friends, and serve a purpose higher than us all.” Faith in America website: www. faithinamerica.org Faith in America on Twitter: @faithinamerica Faith in America on Facebook: www. facebook.com/faithinamerica Save yOur Kids website: www.saveyOur-kids.org Courtesy of Faith in America
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Faith In America billboards at recent Southern Baptist Convention highlighted impact of religious condemnation on kids During recent SBC, most billboards surrounding the Convention sought to educate on dramatically higher suicide and homeless rates among LGBT kids in non-affirming families PHOENIX, AZ – Faith in America unveiled its campaign of digital and truck billboards that will surround the Southern Baptists Convention this week, highlighting the impact of religious condemnation on LGBT kids. The two key messages of the billboards center around the fact that LGBT kids in condemning households are 8 times more likely to try to kill themselves, and that 40% of all homeless teens are LGBT. “We have pastors, parents, and counselors from all over America joining Faith In America in Phoenix because of the crisis our children are facing,” said Robert Hoffman, FIA co-chair. “We know the Baptist pastors, parents, and counselors attending the SBC care just as deeply about their kids and we hope that a conversation about how to end this harm to children can open new doors for dialogue.”
Along with billboards surrounding the Convention Center, Faith in America’s Save yOur Kids campaign will have pastors, doctors and leaders seeking meetings with SBC leadership and volunteers handing out information and opening dialogue with convention attendees. Faith in America (FIA), an organization that exists to end religious-based harm to our LGBT community, realizes Americans can no longer sit by while our children and teenagers are being hurt. FIA has launched a 3-year program called “Save yOur Kids!” (SYK). Our SYK project is developed to address religious-base practices that condemn our teens and youth, creating hostile environments both at church and home, places most needed by our youth, as well as in schools and society at large.
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