What’s with the ainbows ?
The history of the Rainbow Flag
C140 S. Arthur, Suite 690
Spokane, WA 99202-2260
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olor has long played an important role in our community’s expression of pride. In Victorian England, for example, the color green was associated with homosexuality.
The color purple (or, more accurately, lavender) became popularized as a symbol for pride in the late 1960s - a frequent post-Stonewall catchword for the gay community was “Purple Power”. And, of course, there’s the pink triangle. Although it was first used in Nazi Germany to identify gay males in concentration camps, the pink triangle only received widespread use as a gay pop icon in the early 1980s. But the most colorful of our symbols is the Rainbow Flag, and its rainbow of colors - red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple - represents the diversity of our community.
The first Rainbow Flag was designed in 1978 by Gilbert Baker, a San Francisco artist, who created the flag in response to a local activist’s call for the need of a community symbol. (This was before the pink triangle was popularly used as a symbol of pride.) Using the five-striped “Flag of the Race” as his inspiration, Baker designed a flag with eight stripes: pink, red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet. According to Baker, those colors represented, respectively: sexuality, life, healing, sun, nature, art, harmony, and spirit. Baker dyed and sewed the material for the first flag himself - in the true spirit of Betsy Ross.
Baker soon approached San Francisco’s Paramount Flag Company about mass producing and selling his “gay flag”. Unfortunately, Baker had hand-dyed all the colors, and since the color “hot pink” was not commercially available, mass production of his eightstriped version became impossible. The flag was thus reduced to seven stripes.
In November 1978, San Francisco’s gay community was stunned when the city’s first openly gay supervisor, Harvey Milk, was assassinated. Wishing to demonstrate the gay community’s strength and solidarity in the aftermath of this tragedy, the 1979 Pride Parade Committee decided to use Baker’s flag. The committee eliminated the indigo stripe so they could divide the colors evenly along the parade route - three colors on one side of the street and three on the other. Soon the six colors were incorporated into a six-striped version that became popularized and that, today, is recognized by the International Congress of Flag Makers. Q
JD - From Page 7
“Then we thought, well, why aren’t we?” he explained.
Sounds beautiful and simple. The two did become a couple, but kept it on the down low within their circle. JD realized immediately that he was self-conscious, worried about what other people would think and didn’t want to disappoint his family. Simple is not nearly as easy as it sounds.
Eventually, his closest friends began to clue in and when asked directly if he were gay, JD never denied it. The two broke up in time, and he questioned his sexuality, seemingly with patience and understanding, always coming back to the knowledge that he was attracted to guys. By all appearances, his coming out to his mom last month was a solidification, a celebration even of his arrival into the gay community. By bringing the best of all his friends, his mom, into his
March - From Page 9
So as I march my introverted self down the street, besides alternately holding my wife’s hand, helping to carry our church’s banner, and practicing my best “Miss America” wave, I steady my nerves by reminding myself of those for whom I march. It is not a short list. I call to mind the faces of friends, like Dale, who died without ever finding a spiritual home to embrace them. And the faces of others who are still wrestling to find peace with their twin impulses of sexual and spiritual longing. And the children of same-sex couples that I’ve taught in Sunday School. And the many friends who share the pews with me at church on Sunday mornings. And the college students I’ve met through my teaching and work in campus ministry. When I march I hold lots of faces in my mind and heart.
innermost circle, JD could finally be fully himself.
Once settled into their seats, with a glass of wine ordered, JD presented his mom with a necklace he’d recently purchased in Albuquerque. He’d flown south to visit his boyfriend, an architecture student at the University of New Mexico, on a long weekend in which he’d told his mom he was visiting friends in San Francisco.
In one quick breath he confessed he’d been with his boyfriend, then whipped his phone out of his pocket and presented a picture of Tomas to his mom.
“He’s a very nice looking young man,” JD reported her as saying.
The woman to whom he finally acknowledged he owed the truth, not only because of their friendship, but because of her gentle and kind parenting for 15 years as a single mom, said every
encouraging thing JD could have hoped to hear.
“I tell my mom everything,” he said. “Not telling her this part of my life felt like lying.”
Even as he talked a mile a minute about the Mother’s Day dinner, the sparkle that lit up his face was the best indication of all that he is a young man come into his own.
But this is what I learned from Claire on that day in September 2007. I also march for persons I don’t know. I march to be seen by someone like Claire, whom I’d never met at the time, but whose journey became a little easier and whose day became a little brighter because she saw me.
Marching in our pride parade is hardly the biggest thing I do as an Ally, but for Claire, in June of 2007, it was pretty significant. And this year, when I march again, Claire’s shining smile will be one of the faces I have before me. But thanks to her, I will also be a little more comfortable marching my introverted self down that street, because I will remember that maybe this year, too, there will be someone watching that I’m not even thinking of yet, who will be happy to see me there.
David R. Weiss is a theologian, writer, poet and hymnist committed to doing “public theology” around issues of sexuality, justice, diversity, and peace. His first book is To the Tune of a Welcoming God: Lyrical reflections on sexuality, spirituality and the wideness of God’s welcome (2008 / www.davidrweiss.com). A lifelong Lutheran, David is a graduate of Wartburg College, Wartburg Seminary, and the University of Notre Dame. He has taught religion and theology at the University of Notre Dame, Luther College, Augsburg College, and Hamline University. Beyond his professional work, David has been active in local peace work and both locally and nationally as an ally for GLBT persons in faith communities. He lives with his wife and children in St. Paul, MN.
Jill Wagner is a freelance writer and columnist. She holds an MFA in creative writing from the Eastern Washington University Inland Northwest Center for Writers.
Wedding Announcements
Ronnie Rae & Trevor Werttemberger
Following eight years together, Ronnie Rae & Trevor Werttemberger were married
Classifieds
May 23, 2009, in Victoria, British Columbia. The wedding and reception were held at Hatley Castle and attended by family and friends.
Rae, an attorney and graduate of Gonzaga Unviersity, is the son of Nancy and Ron Rae of Helena, MT. Werttemberger, a corporate marketing manager and also a graduate of Gonzaga University, is the son of John and Mary Werttemberger and step-father Rick Lint.
The newlyweds honeymooned in Puerto Vallarta before returning to Spokane, WA where they reside.
Jobs/Volunteers
Victim Advocates
The Sexual Assault & Crime Victims Center is seeking individuals who want to make a difference in their community by becoming Victim Advocates. Volunteers provide medical and legal advocacy, crisis intervention, and information referral to victims of sexual assault and other crimes. Commitment of two evening or weekend shifts per month required, stipends available. For more information, please contact Mandy Iverson at 343-5005.
Foster Parents Needed (non-traditional homes welcome)
Lutheran Community Services is currently seeking potential foster parents for children ages 6 and up. Generous compensation and support package provided. Please call Azra at: (509) 343-5035.
Announcements: Up to 75 words and photo FREE, 20 cents/word thereafter.
Other Categories: 25 cents/word. Deadline: Payment and content must be received by the 15th of the month for the following issue. Contact: mail@qviewnorthwest. com or 509.570.8768
Giuliani - From Page 13
of her girlfriend being anything but, well, her girlfriend. As a newly-out lesbian, she was not sure she wanted to return to being in a relationship with a man. But Giuliani is the person she is in love with, she says, so she chose to support him as he transforms into a happier, more authentic version of himself.
The pair is now engaged to be married and parent Dawson’s two children together. Dawson says being involved with the kids’ lives and communicating openly has helped them adjust to Giuliani’s physical changes. “They knew ahead of time what was going to be going on,” she says, as they have during each step of the process.
Dawson believes her children benefit from being exposed to adults who embrace openmindedness. “They’re both very accepting and don’t like for anybody to get picked on,” she says, adding that to her knowledge, her children are not teased by their peers for having a non-traditional family.
Spokane is an ideal city in which to raise children, says Dawson, but not yet an easy place to be transgender. Whether because they do not know where to look or because it is nonexistent, the couple has not found a community of families and resources specific to their situation in Spokane. Giuliani’s transition process did not begin until he began to search online and discovered others with similar stories.
Because Spokane’s community of openly transgender people is small, says Dawson, transitioning is riskier socially, professionally, and in terms of physical safety. “I think pretty much, if you’re ‘out,’ you get ‘outed,’” says Giuliani. As a result, many people keep their gender identity to themselves and difficult even for other transgender people to discover.
“Lesbian” no longer feels quite fitting a term for their relationship, says Dawson, and she is not sure how they will now fit into the lesbian community. Together, they have transitioned to being a straight couple, she says, but many straight couples may not be open-minded enough to accept them.
Giuliani and Dawson have decided to join an LGBT-friendly church to find a community where they belong, but they say moving to a larger or more politically progressive city may be the only way they will find themselves among more couples with whom they can relate.
“I think it’s just the numbers,” says Giuliani. He speculates Spokane simply does not have enough female-to-male transgender people for a strong support network to have formed.
and
marathon
She is a recent graduate of Whitworth University, where she tirelessly advocated for chartering a Gay-Straight Alliance club, sometimes instead of doing her homework.
Erika Prins is a writer, local small business manager
novice
runner.
NIAC – (Updated Oct 2008)
North Idaho AIDS Coalition
HIV/AIDS prevention, education and assistance for people infected with, affected by HIV.
410 Sherman Avenue Suite 215, Coeur d’Alene, ID Call: (208) 665-1448 or (866) 609-1774
Web site: www.northidahoaidscoalition.org
NIGMA -
North Idaho Gay Men’s Association
Creating community by providing real time social activities for gay men in the Moscow/Pullman area, visitors, and allies.
E-mail: NIGMA@yahoogroups.com
Panhandle Health District
STD/HIV testing, condoms, and other methods of birth control, physical exams, shots, cancer screening, resource nurse voucher program, referrals to area resources and education. All services are confidential.
• Kootenai County Call: (208) 667-3481
• Boundary County Call: (208) 267-5558
• Shoshone County Call: (208) 786-7474
• Bonner County Call: (208) 263-5159
• Benewah County Call: (208) 245-4556
PFLAG - Sandpoint
Support, education and advocacy group for Sandpoint gay people, parents, family and friends. Call: (208) 263-6699
Planned Parenthood of The Inland Northwest HIV antibody testing and counseling. Call: Clinic for Appt.: (800) 788-9128 Administration: (509) 326-6292
LEWISTON/CLARKSTON
PFLAG - Lewis-Clark
Support, education and advocacy group for Lewis-Clark gay people, parents, family and friends. Meets in Lewiston. Call: (509) 758-6437
MOSES LAKE
AACW –Alternative Alliance of Central Washington
A social and support group to help bring together people in the GLBT community.
Write: P.O. Box 1282, Moses Lake, WA 98837
PULLMAN/MOSCOW
Associated Students of (Updated Oct 2008) Washington State University GLBTA Socializing and educational outreach for WSU students.
Call: (509) 335-4311
E-mail: glbta.aswsu@wsu.edu
Web site: http://glbta.wsu.edu
Inland Oasis (Updated Dec 2008)
Inland Oasis organizes many social events on the Palouse including such as Palouse Pride and Community Thanksgiving. Inland Oasis provides free HIV testing on a regular basis, and is working to form a community center in Moscow’s 1912 Center. 1912 Center: Friendship Hall, 412 East 3rd Street Moscow, ID 83843
E-mail: Info@InlandOasis.org
Web site: www.inlandoasis.org
Out There (Updated Oct 2008)
Sponsored by Whitman County Health and WSU, Out There is a social and educational program for college-aged men who have sex with men.
Call: (509) 335-6428
University of Idaho
Gay-Straight Alliance
Promoting a fabulous, positive and inclusive environment for all people on campus and encouraging individual growth and understanding by developing outreach programs, improving visibility and recognition of queer issues and history.
Call: (208) 885-2691
Washington State University (Updated Oct 2008)
Gender Identity/Expression and Sexual Orientation Resource Center
Provides education, advocacy, and support for the WSU community. Call: (509)335-6388
E-mail: giesorc@wsu.edu
Web site: www.thecenter.wsu.edu
TRI-CITIES
Benton-Franklin
District Health Department
Confidential and anonymous HIV testing, case management, educational and referral services. Call: (Pasco) (509) 547-9737, ext. 234
Confidential voice mail also.
River of Life (Updated Oct 2008)
Metropolitan Community Church
Christian church celebrating diversity and affirming GLBTQ people. Sunday services at 10:00 a.m. and 11:30 a.m.
2625 W Bruneau Pl, Kennewick, WA
Call: (509) 628-4047
E-mail: info@riveroflifemcc.org
Web site: www.riveroflifemcc.org
Tri-Cities Chaplaincy/ Tri-Cities CARES
Columbia AIDS relief, education and support. Survivor support group and HIV/PWA support group. Call: (509) 783-7416
Vista Youth Center (Added April 2009)
LGBTIQQ Drop-In Center
Hours: Tue 3-8, Thurs 3-8, & Fri 3-9
2625 W. Clearwater Ave, Ste E., Kennewick, WA 99336
Website URL: www.vistayouthcenter.org
Myspace: www.myspace.com/vistayouthcenter Facebook: vistayouthcenter
WALLA WALLA
Blue Mountain Heart to Heart AIDS prevention education, support and services. Call: (509) 529-4744
Toll Free: (888) 875-2233 (pin #4744) Spanish: (509) 529-2174
PFLAG – Walla Walla
Support, education and advocacy group for parents, family, friends and members of the GLBTQ community.
Call: (509) 529-5320
Write: 527 E. Oak
Walla Walla, WA 99362-1248
E-mail: pflag_walla2wash@hotmail.com
WENATCHEE
SHYNE (Added Jan 2009)
An organization that strives to eliminate all forms of prejudice and discrimination by promoting awareness, education and self-empowerment through the use of the arts.
Call: (509) 860-7354
1250 N Wenatchee Ave, Ste H-131, Wenatchee, WA 98801
Web site: www.hatefreeworld.org
YAKIMA
PFLAG - Yakima/Yakima Valley
Promotes the health and well-being of GLBT individuals, their families and friends.
Call: (509) 576-9625
Rainbow Cathedral Metropolitan Community Church
An MCC Seattle parish extension.
Call: (509) 457-6454
MONTANA
Flathead Valley Alliance (Updated Oct 2008) Northwest Montana information and referral services.
PO Box 2815, Kalispell MT
Call: (406) 758-6707
Web site: www.flatheadvalleyalliance.org
Lesbian Avengers
A direct action group focused on issues vital to lesbian survival and visibility. Call: (406) 523-6608
Pacific NW Gay Rodeo Association (Updated Oct 2008)
For people who enjoy the country & western lifestyle.
1012 Four Mile Road • St. Regis, MT
Call: (206) 428-7104
E-mail: info@PNWGRA.org
Web site: www.pacificnwgra.org
PFLAG Billings
Meets monthly Sept. - May. Call: (406) 255-7609
Western Montana Gay & Lesbian Community Center (Updated Oct 2008) 127 North Higgins, Suite 202 Missoula, MT 59802 (406) 543-2224
E-mail: wmglcc@gaymontana.org
Web: www.gaymontana.org
WASHINGTON
Bi MEN Group
Bi and bi-curious men and gay men who enjoy and support bisexual men.
Web site: www.egroups.com/group/bi-men-west
Equal Rights Washington
Fighting for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender equality.
Call: (206) 324-2570
Web site: www.equalrightswashington.org
GLSEN Washington State
The Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network
E-mail: mail@glsenwa.org
Web site: www.glsenwa.org
Legal Marriage Alliance
Working to achieve the right of same-sex couples to marry legally in Washington.
Web site: www.lmaw.org
Washington State GSA Network
The Washington State Gay-Straight Alliance Network is a youth-led organization created to help connect public and private GSA-based clubs and other community groups throughout Washington State. Call: (206) 330-2099
Web site: www.wagsa.org
