Celebrating 41 Years! Issue 51 Volume 43
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Seattle Gay News
Seattle is one of HRC’s perfect cities 2015 Municipal Equality Index released
SEATTLE’S LGBT NEWS & ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY
SGN exclusive interview:
State Rep. Brady Walkinshaw, candidate for Congress
City skyline – kirklandspecialist.com
by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer
Seattle has been “leading the way on equality for decades,” HRC President Chad Griffin said in a media conference call. “SeSeattle is one of 47 cities earning a per- attle has truly blazed the trail and set an exfect score of 100 points on HRC’s latest Mu- ample for the nation.” by Mike Andrew nicipal Equality Index (MEI), the group anIn his conference call report, Griffin cit- SGN Staff Writer nounced December 17. see perfect cities page 4
Seattle Pride names DonnaTella Howe and Cherry Sur Bête as 2016 Westlake stage announcers for the 42nd Annual Seattle Pride Parade
DonnaTella Howe
Seattle Pride has chosen their announcers for the Westlake stage at the 42nd annual Seattle Pride Parade; they are performers DonnaTella Howe and Cherry Sur Bête. Cherry Sur Bête (French for “Cherry on Beast”) is a high-concept, performance and makeup artist with a flair for post-modern drag. Her devotion to artistry and entertainment is rivaled only be a commitment to
Brady Walkinshaw – Deborah Wang/KUOW
Everything you need to know about Brady Walkinshaw is summed up in a brief see walkinshaw page 6
11 years in prison for man convicted in Miami Gay Hungarian sexslave ring
Cherry Sur Bête
community, education, and charity – making her a phenomenal choice to represent Andras Vass – www.inside.com the Westlake stage at the 2016 Seattle Pride Parade. Some of Cherry’s past achievements Gay sex slave ring in Florida. The ring had by Shaun Knittel include raising funds for Seattle Counseloriginally been set up in New York and later SGN Associate Editor ing Services, Gay City, Camp Ten Trees, and moved to Miami. speaking to body diversity at the University Andras Vass, 25, was convicted of human of Washington, as well as Trans Awareness A Hungarian man was sentenced Tues- trafficking and racketeering in April. He day to 11 years in prison for running a see seattle pride page 5
see TraffickING page 6
2 Seattle Gay News
December 18, 2015
Celebrating 41 Years!
Chely Wright, Richard Blanco & Seattle Mayor Ed Murray to bring hope to LGBTQ+ youth at Pizza Klatch’s “A Slice of the Good Life” Gayla on Jan. 23 OLYMPIA, WA – Pizza Klatch, a youthfocused LGBTQ+ nonprofit in Olympia and Thurston County, will host their 2nd Annual Fundraising Gayla: “A Slice of the Good Life” on Saturday, January 23 at 7 p.m. at The Washington Center for the Performing Arts (512 Washington St. SE, Olympia). “As a member of the LGBTQ+ community for over 40 years, I am delighted to see changes that have led to marriage equality and advancements in Transgender healthcare. However, more than ever LGBTQ+ youth need a supportive environment where they can explore who they are and to begin to understand how essential they are to a rich and diverse society,” said Kathy Kravit-Smith, Pizza Klatch Board President. “The 2nd annual Gayla is the single most important fundraiser for Pizza Klatch. It encourages us to rally around our LGBTQ+ youth and demonstrate the incredible support that exists in the greater Thurston County community. This is a “command performance” for all of us who want to send a message of support and acknowledgement to Thurston County LGBTQ+ and allied youth.” “A Slice of the Good Life” will raise much needed funds and awareness to continue Pizza Klatch’s weekly lunchtime support groups in 11 Thurston County area high schools, serving pizza and support to nearly 250 LGBTQ+ youth and allies each week. Support groups meet during high school lunch period with free pizza, two trained facilitators, and a convenient and safe forum for support, discussion and education. Pizza Klatch aims to eliminate suicide and reduce bullying, with the mission to foster resiliency in LGBTQ+ youth and create a safe and positive school experience through support, education and empowerment. “We are dedicated to supporting Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer and Questioning, Intersex, Two-Spirit, Pansexual, Asexual, Gender-fluid, and Gen-
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derqueer Youth (LGBTQ+) and their allies. Since 2007, we have been building community and promoting self-love for LGBTQ+ youth while preventing suicide, reducing self-harm, and keeping teens on track to graduate high school.” What does “Pizza Klatch” mean? Pizza – A favorite food among high school students. Italian in origin, made of thin bread dough with a spiced mixture of tomato sauce and cheese and various toppings. Klatch – A Yiddish word for informal social gathering, especially for means of conversation. GAYLA EVENT DETAILS: The VIP Reception (6:00-7:00 p.m.) will feature keynote speaker Ed Murray, Seattle’s openly Gay Mayor and other special guest speakers plus catering and wine from Swing Wine Bar. VIPs will also enjoy the best seats in the house. Main Event (6:30-7:30 p.m.) Silent auction and plenty of networking with LGBTQ+ and allied professionals, Pizza Klatch youth participants, dignitaries, and public elected officials. A sponsored Panowicz Jewelry RING EVENT provides guests with a chance to win jewelry worth over $1500. Mainstage Performances (7:30-10 p.m.) include the talents of: • Student speakers from two Thurston County high schools to share how Pizza Klatch has helped them build community and simply survive the challenging experience of being an LGBTQ+ teen. • Richard Blanco, Poet Laureate at President Obama’s second inauguration, writer, storyteller, multi-winner of the Maine Literary Award for poetry, and winner of the Paterson Poetry Prize and Thom Gunn Award for his 2012 book of poetry Looking for the Gulf Motel, “which related Blanco’s complex navigation through his cultural, sexual, and artistic identities.” • Chely Wright, first popular country musician to come out as Lesbian, star of
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auto-biographical documentary “Wish Me Away,” Author of Like Me, and founder of The Like Me Foundation, a LGBTQ+ community center and scholarship foundation in Kansas City, MO. TICKETS: VIP Tickets: $107-$117; Reserved Seating: $67-$77; $47-$57; $27-$37; Student: $7-$17. Call 360-339-7574 or visit http:// pizzaklatch.org/ to order tickets. EVENT SPONSORS include: AFSCME Local 443, South Puget Sound Community College (SPSCC) and the SPSCC Foundation, Chehalis Confederated Tribe of Indians, City of Tumwater, Karen Valenzuela, Robert and Sue Quillian, Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd, Kathryn & Susan Kravit-Smith, Rep. Sam Hunt, NOVA School, Beyond the Bridge Foundation, Paul Battan Law, Pride Foundation, Phoenix Offices, Mary Hall, Shawn Myers, Jonathan Lack and more. ABOUT PIZZA KLATCH: Pizza Klatch helps some of the most vulnerable youth in Thurston County. A Pizza Klatch 2014-2015 survey of high school students who participated in Pizza Klatch revealed 91% of students hear LQBTQ+ slurs used in a derogatory way, 70% of youth attendees had attempted to harm themselves in the past, and 34% of youth surveyed had tried at least once to end their life prior to attending Pizza Klatch. The support groups are truly working. 64% of participants feel less isolated at school, 45% use less alcohol and/or drugs, 71% feel more supported and listened to, and 63% think less frequently about suicide since attending Pizza Klatch. For more information, please contact Executive Director Jessica McKimmie at jessica@pizzaklatch.org, Board President Kathy Kravit-Smith at kathy@pizzaklatch. org, call 360-339-7574 or visit http://pizzaklatch.org/
Seattle Gay News 3
New Pierce-Kitsap YMCA policy change for Transgender members goes into effect Dec. 21 by Shaun Knittel SGN Associate Editor The YMCA in Tacoma on Tuesday announced plans to spend $1 million to improve privacy in its locker rooms and showers, and a change in policy that will allow Transgender people to use those facilities without discrimination. The $1 million investment will “enhance privacy” in locker rooms, showers and changing facilities, as well as add private locker rooms. The renovations are scheduled to begin early next year, the YMCA said. YMCA officials have spent the last several months talking to “leaders of LGBTQ advocacy groups, representatives of the faith community, those opposed to accommodating Transgender people, representatives from public agencies, elected officials, donors, members, and others,” YMCA of Pierce and Kitsap Counties officials said in a statement to media. “I want all our members, donors and members of the public to be assured: We will serve all – regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity – and we want anyone who comes to us to feel welcomed and included,” YMCA of Pierce and Kitsap Counties President Bob Ecklund wrote in a release announcing the new plan. “Harassment and discrimination of our members, staff, donors, and volunteers will not be tolerated.” The YMCA bore criticism from people who confuse the issue of public safety with nondiscrimination policies that are inclusive of the Transgender community. In April, the YMCA attempted to set a policy for the use of bathrooms, locker rooms and showers for Transgender people. That policy, say YMCA officials, allowed members to use the facility of the gender they identified with. But when news of the policy spread a backlash of the new rules began and a second policy was put in place with more complex rules resulting in the Transgender community rejecting it by saying the new policy tied the revision to fears of child abuse. Under the revised policy at family Y fa-
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ed Seattle Mayor Ed Murray’s hate crimes task force, the City’s commitment to housing homeless youth, and the designation of gender-neutral restrooms in City facilities. Murray, who joined Griffin on the call, noted that his city “has one of the strongest economies in America.” “When you have a welcoming city, creative people come, and creative people create jobs,” Murray noted. Equal Rights Washington’s Monisha Harrell also participated in the call. “We have strong state [nondiscrimination] laws,” Harrell said, “but not everything can be done at the state level. That’s why we need leaders like Ed [Murray]. Our constituents can’t wait for the state to act.” In a statement accompanying the conference call, Griffin said that municipal governments are increasingly becoming lead-
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cilities, Transgender members in transition must use private locker rooms for dressing and showering, and use standalone restrooms that align with their gender identification at those facilities. At adult facilities, Transgender members and those in transition can use locker rooms and restrooms that align with their gender identification. Some Transgender Y members said the policy was made out of unfounded fears and prejudice. “To tell people that they have to be separated because of who they are is discrimination,” said Seth Kirby, a Transgender man and a Y member. Kirby, who is the director of Oasis Youth Center, a Tacoma drop-in facility for LGBTQ youth said, “Confusing child abuse prevention response with Transgender people is really uninformed at best and discriminatory.” Y member Aaron Stevens, whose son is Transgender, told media the policy re-
write was “something that should have been looked at and vetted by community leaders, people like Oasis Center and Rainbow Center.” The policy does not recognize the complexity of transitioning, Kirby pointed out. “Transitioning is a medical, social, legal, and spiritual process,” he said. Kirby and other leaders of the LGBTQ community said they were willing to work with the Y to reformulate its policies. And that is exactly what they began to do over the last few weeks leading up to the announcement of the current policy and $1 million remodel on Tuesday. In short, the new policy allows people to use locker rooms consistent with their gender identity. “So what we’re saying is that we’re not discriminating against anyone and that includes gender identity,” said YMCA of Pierce and Kitsap Counties spokesperson Michelle LaRue.
ers for LGBT equality. “Across the nation, cities and towns are leading the way on equality for millions of LGBT Americans,” Griffin said. “This year, a record number of communities have earned top scores in our Municipal Equality Index because they’ve extended fully inclusive benefits and protections to LGBT people and their families. What makes this progress especially remarkable is that these cities and towns are often going above and beyond state and federal laws to ensure LGBT residents and visitors are protected and treated equally.” Since the MEI debuted in 2012, the number of cities earning perfect scores has more than quadrupled, and today at least 32 million people live in cities with fully inclusive local protections that are not guaranteed by the states in which they live. Nineteen “All-Star” cities in states that lack LGBT legal protections scored a per-
fect 100, up from 15 last year, eight in 2013, and just two in 2012. New to the All-Star list in 2015 are Louisville, Ky.; Detroit, Mich.; and Bloomington, Ind. The average city score was 56 points, with half of the cities researched scoring over 59 points. Eleven percent scored 100 points, 25% scored over 78 points, 25% scored under 31 points, and 5% scored fewer than 10 points. Cities with a higher proportion of samesex couples tended to score better, and the presence of openly LGBT city officials and LGBT police liaisons also correlated with higher scores. HRC researched 408 cities for the 2015 MEI, including all 50 state capitals, the nation’s 200 most populous cities, the five largest cities in every state, the cities containing each state’s two largest public universities, and an equal mix of 75 of the nation’s large, mid-size, and small municipalities with the
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Of course, it is important to note that the announcement has already been met with opposition. This week Autumn Bennett plans to cancel her family’s YMCA membership. She told Q13 FOX News that she can’t “give my money to an organization that prides itself on honesty and integrity and say they want to protect children, that’s going to do something like this.” Bennett is referring to the new policy allowing people to use locker rooms consistent with their gender identity and doesn’t realize that she is confusing the issue entirely, alleging that because Transgender people are being treated with dignity and fairness that will somehow lead to her children being harmed. In fact, she believes that her comments aren’t hurtful and misguided in the least. “This for me has nothing to do with discrimination against any other sort of groups, it has everything to do with the safety of children,” said Bennett. “Any pedophile, potential pedophile, rapist can pose and say ‘Hey, I identify as this particular sex, and I can go in there and take pictures or assault someone.’” Unfortunately for Bennett and those who misunderstand the issue like she does, there hasn’t been a single reported incident of anything like that happening at the YMCA of Pierce and Kitsap Counties. Alleging that something could happen is not the same as it is having actually happened. Not to mention that her fears still have nothing to do with Transgender people and has everything to do with people who are pedophiles – the two are not one in the same. LaRue admits that some people have already cancelled memberships. However, leaders stress there’s no reason for anyone to fear. “We do have some procedures in place that staff are equipped and empowered,” LaRue said. “Our heart goes out to anyone who feels they can’t continue their membership at the Y, but I believe the Y is one of the safest places to be, and I don’t think this changes that.”
highest proportion of same-sex couples. The MEI rates cities based on 41 criteria that fall into five broad categories: 1. Nondiscrimination laws 2. Municipal employment policies, including Transgender-inclusive insurance coverage and nondiscrimination requirements for contractors 3. Inclusiveness of city services 4. Law enforcement, including hate crimes reporting 5. Municipal leadership on matters of equality. In response to a question from the SGN, MEI lead author Cathryn Oakley said the study did not take into account economic policies like Seattle’s $15 per hour minimum wage, which would benefit lowerwage LGBT workers. The full MEI report can be found at www.hrc.org/mei.
Celebrating 41 Years!
Gay rights Festivus pole headed to Olympia Capitol by Shaun Knittel SGN Associate Editor The Humanity Fund, an organization supporting LGBT rights, won a spot for a Gay Rights Festivus Pole to be displayed along with a nativity scene and other religious displays on the Olympia State Capitol grounds. The Humanity Fund works to get a “Festivus pole” into state capitols to represent an alternative viewpoint to the typical nativities and menorahs.
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at Jake Talks. Seattle Pride President Eric Bennett said, “After her hosting the Fourth and Bell stage at the 2014 and 2015 Seattle Pride Parades, bringing Cherry back to host the Westlake stage was an easy and obvious choice for us. We are thrilled that she is returning as an announcer for a third year.” DonnaTella Howe is an active member of the LGBT community in her performances, from Bacon Strip to Rainbow Bingo and eXposed, to playing hostess for Don-
It started with the Tallahassee, Florida Capitol in 2013. News of the Festivus Pole’s arrival at the Florida Capitol went viral and got featured on “The Daily Show,” “The Colbert Report” and Fox News. Festivus is a fictitious holiday invented by the character Frank Costanza on “Seinfeld,” which introduces an antidote to Christmas consumerism with a spare aluminum pole as its decorative symbol. It’s celebrated with the airing of grievances and feats of strength. The Humanity Fund’s Festivus Pole dif-
fers from the original version. The Festivus Pole that will be on display in Olympia is painted with purple glitter, covered in the colors of the rainbow and topped with an 8-inch disco ball. It’s about 6-feet-6-inches tall. The Humanity Fund’s Festivus Pole has made its way into Springfield, Illinois; Lansing, Michigan; and Washington, D.C., and is awaiting approval from the Oklahoma and Missouri state capitols. The Festivus pole will be located by the Tivoli Fountain on the Capitol Campus in
Olympia, about 25 feet from the nativity. “Three displays have been approved on the Capitol grounds this year: a Christmas nativity, a Winter Solstice display and the Gay Rights Festivus Pole,” said Curt Hart, spokesman for the state Department of Enterprise Services. A Menorah was also approved for Sylvester Park, a nearby park in downtown Olympia. It was set up December 4 and is scheduled to come down December 18.
naTella vs. Humanity at 500 East and events with Team Diva Real Estate including Divas Take The Hill. Having completed her reign as Miss Gay Seattle XLVIII in January 2013, she currently represents her community as the Czarina of Capitol Hill throughout Western Washington, Oregon, Alaska and Canada. “With her involvement in the community, there was no hesitation in bringing DonnaTella to co-host the Westlake stage at the 2016 Seattle Pride Parade. We are excited to welcome her to the announcing team and trust her professional performance exper-
tise!” said Bennett. Seattle Pride is looking forward to these Westlake stage announcers, and also thanks Mama Tits, who hosted the Westlake stage during the 2014 and 2015 Seattle Pride Parades. The Seattle Pride Parade takes place annually on the last Sunday in June. The 2016 Parade will be held on Sunday, June 26th. Visit SeattlePride.org to register your group or find out how you can participate in creating a successful day by becoming a valued volunteer.
ABOUT SEATTLE PRIDE Seattle Pride is a non-profit organization based in Seattle, WA, whose purpose is to create unity, honor diversity, and achieve equal human rights throughout our region and the world. Seattle Pride is focused on informing and educating the community on LGBT issues through community outreach and produced events, including the annual Seattle Pride Parade, Pride Idol, Pride Brunch, and the Seattle Pride Picnic. Courtesy of Seattle Pride
SGN exclusive interview:
Trans activist Willy Wilkinson by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer “I decided at four that I wanted to be white and male,” Willy Wilkinson said with a laugh. Instead, he had been identified at birth as a girl born to a white and Chinese couple. What followed from that contradiction is the subject of his new book, Born on the Edge of Race and Gender: A Voice for Cultural Competency. Wilkinson told the SGN that he had rejected female identity from a very early age. “Even preverbal,” he said. “I just wasn’t interested in the dresses and dolls that were thrown at me.” At age nine, he announced that his name was Willy. This was in the early ’70s, when gender issues were not part of public consciousness. “People were not aware of gender identity,” he recalls, “at least not in a good way. There was no support, no resources. So there was a process to get the school system and my family to accept my identity. “Some people were very resistant. Some teachers emphatically used my girl name.” His mother took 15 years to finally come to terms with her son, Willy. “Some people had difficulties because of the era in which they presented their identity,” Wilkinson explained, “when it wasn’t really possible to present as who you are. “When I turned 18, it was not an option to come out as Trans, so I came out first as a Lesbian, and then as a Lesbian of color.” In the mid-’90s, Wilkinson came out as a Trans man. In the course of negotiating his identity, he sought out like-minded and likegendered people, and became a community
Willy Wilkinson – www.laurelbookstore.com
activist. “For me activism was a long process of finding my voice,” he says. “I was raised to believe my voice didn’t matter. “It was a process of advocating for causes that were important. Cultural competency is an issue throughout society. I began to think, ‘How would it be if there were policies in place that affirmed gender?’ “The more conversations I had with groups that were interested, the more I came into my voice.” Wilkinson recounts this process in his book, sometimes with funny anecdotes,
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sometimes with deeply touching ones, but always with what he calls his “larger purpose” in mind. “I wanted to use my story as an accessible way to talk about larger issues,” he tells the SGN. “It’s more than a memoir. I wanted to illuminate larger issues that resonate within the LGBT community. “I hope people find the book accessible and entertaining, an intimate picture, a picture we don’t often talk about.” One of the big issues Wilkinson cares about is race, and he uses his book to illustrate the privilege white and light-skinned
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people enjoy. “For me as a light-skinned person, I was not targeted as much as some Trans men of color are,” he notes. “People of color suffer extreme stress, to be targeted for their color as well as for gender. “For example, I have a Chicano friend who was strip-searched at the Mexican border, because he was a brown man. And he was terrified. He was naked and exposed as a Trans person. “He ended up so stressed out, he had to call off his vacation. He thought that on his way back the security person would tell all the others, and he might be victimized.” Wilkinson expands on this observation in his book. In a passage reflecting on the simple act of walking down the street as a light-skinned man, Wilkinson writes: “I learned a long time ago that the streets were owned by dudes who never had to think about the war on women or Trans people. I wanted to be one of them… “And I think: This is privilege. How many black Trans men do I know who would feel comfortable walking in a middle-class neighborhood at night…?” Wilkinson concludes his book with a checklist to assess the cultural competency of a business or nonprofit organization. Asked what cisgender people can do to be good allies to their Trans neighbors, Wilkinson replies, “Stand up for Trans folks if you see people mistreated, or even misgendered. Lives are on the line. Twenty-one Trans women have been murdered so far this year. “I wish the larger community cared about Trans issues as much as they did about marriage.”
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exchange from a much longer conversation I recently had with him. Walkinshaw is the young 43rd District representative who is challenging long-time incumbent Jim McDermott for his congressional seat. “You must have made a good impression on your colleagues in Olympia,” I said. “Thirteen of them have already endorsed you. Why do you think they like you so much?” Walkinshaw smiled. “That question doesn’t lend itself to a very self-effacing answer,” he said. “Congressmen aren’t usually self-effacing,” I replied. “Maybe they should be!” he exclaimed. “Congress needs to be a place for self-effacing people. A good politician is someone who is a good partner. I don’t like to go off and do things on my own. I like to build coalitions.” Walkinshaw came to the State House in 2013, after then-Sen. Ed Murray was elected mayor of Seattle and Jamie Pedersen took Murray’s Senate seat, leaving a vacancy in the House. Walkinshaw quickly established himself as a trusted member of the Democratic caucus and scored a major triumph in February when he put together a bipartisan coalition to pass “Joel’s Law.”
Named for Joel Reuter, killed by a police sniper during a manic episode in 2013, the law makes it easier for family members to intervene and seek care for a mentally ill person. The shooting took place in Walkinshaw’s Capitol Hill district, and he made the measure a priority for the 2015 session. While Joel’s Law illustrates Walkinshaw’s ability to build coalitions, even with political rivals, he says he has no illusions that all progressive legislation can be passed on a bipartisan basis. “There are two tracks to making progressive changes,” he told me. “With some bills – mental health issues, even criminal justice reform – you can work on a bipartisan basis. “But with other issues – a fair tax system or income inequality – you just have to win a majority and beat them. No Republican is going to be there for those things.” Walkinshaw believes that Democrats can recapture a majority in the U.S. Congress, but not soon. “It might take five or ten years,” he said. And that’s why he decided to take on the venerable Jim McDermott in 2016. Now 78, McDermott will be out of the picture by the time Democrats take back Congress, Walkinshaw argues. A younger candidate replacing McDermott now will have accumulated all-important seniority – maybe even a leadership position – in ten years, he says.
“Here’s what excites me,” he says, leaning forward across the café table. “Our LGBT representation in Congress is up to six or seven seats. But a lot of them are not deeply safe seats – like this one is. This seat is safe. “So someone in this seat could be at the forefront of so many progressive issues. Trans health issues. Gender identity is one of the most important conversations at the federal level. Or youth suicide and homelessness. “I’m committed heart and soul to this,” he added. McDermott was one of only a handful of congressmembers to vote against the U.S. invasion of Iraq in 2003. Walkinshaw says he “respects,” even “admires,” McDermott for his stand, and he pledges to be equally steadfast in opposing new calls for military action in the region. “My grandparents were Quakers,” he told me. “My father missed the Vietnam draft by just a few weeks, but had he been drafted he told me he would have been a conscientious objector. I remember going to antiwar rallies when I was quite young. I’m there.” “If you’re elected, and in your first week on the job, President Hillary Clinton calls you and asks you to vote for an AUMF [authorization of the use of military force] to go after ISIS, how do you say no?” I asked. “No,” Walkinshaw said simply, “that’s
not where the district is.” Another contentious federal issue is trade policy. As a Fulbright scholar and former Gates Foundation officer specializing in international food programs, Walkinshaw has a special interest in U.S. trade policy. He is opposed to the giant Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade deal negotiated by the Obama administration. “I spent time in urban slums in Honduras with communities that had been negatively impacted by [previous trade deals] NAFTA and CAFTA,” Walkinshaw explained. “They cultivate conditions of instability. They enable drug gangs, and they lead to what we saw recently – the mass immigration of young people seeking safety in the U.S. “Labor and environmental protections are not in place in the TPP. My professional life has been spent on economic development issues. I’d hate to see trade treaties sparking a race to the bottom.” “It’s time for the next progressive leader,” Walkinshaw said, summing up. “Democrats win when we lead on issues, but the Democratic Party hasn’t put forward a strong economic policy since the Reagan era. “Our strategy should be to put out a compelling vision that people want, a vision of a society that we all want to live in.”
Profiteering pharma CEO arrested by FBI
Martin Shkreli – www.popularresistance.org
by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer Pharmaceutical CEO Martin Shkreli was arrested by FBI agents at his Midtown Manhattan apartment December 17 and led away in handcuffs. He has been charged
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faced a maximum sentence of 155 years after he and two others lured three Hungarian men, aged 20-22, to work for their company – Never Sleep Inc – with promises of $3,500 to $5,000 a month for legal escort work. When the men arrived, they were imprisoned in a one-bedroom apartment in Miami-Dade County and forced to have sex with customers or with each other on webcam for 18-20 hours a day, according to court papers. The victims “believed they would only be in New York for a few months to make tens of thousands of dollars before returning to their homeland and their families,” Homeland Security Investigations agent Melissa Pavlikowski wrote in an arrest war-
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with security fraud. Shkreli rocketed to notoriety in September when his pharmaceutical firm acquired rights to the drug Daraprim – a potentially life-saving antiparasitic medication used by some HIV patients – and jacked up the price more than 5,000%. rant, according to the Miami Herald and Miami TV station WPLG. The other two men, Viktor Berki and Gabor Acs, are still awaiting trial. At least eight men were forced to live in a cramped one-bedroom New York apartment. To keep the men from fleeing, their documents were seized by Berki who frequently reminded the men that he was a police officer in Hungary, the Miami Herald reported. The men could not speak English and were rarely allowed to leave the apartment. Vass and his accomplices kept all the money their captives earned. “I was under their control, all day, all night,” one victim said, in a statement reportedly read to the court. “They used me like I was a machine. They sold me to strangers. I was not allowed to be tired. I
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At the time, he was already under investigation for fraud in connection with a previous business venture. According to the federal indictment, Shkreli made false representations to investors in one of his previous businesses, MSMB Capital, bilking them of $3 million. After MSMB suffered devastating trading losses in 2011, the company ceased trading, but Shkreli sent fabricated updates to investors touting profits of as high as 40%, the indictment said. He also solicited $5 million from investors for another fund, MSMB Healthcare Management LP, while concealing his disastrous performance managing MSMB Capital, the indictment charges. Shkreli and a co-conspirator, attorney Evan Greebal, then acquired Retrophin pharmaceutical company and illegally misappropriated $11 million in Retrophin assets through settlement agreements and sham consulting deals, the indictment continues.
The federal fraud charges mirror allegations made against Shkreli in a lawsuit filed by the Retrophin board of directors in August. That suit asks for $65 million in damages, claiming that Shkreli used his control over the company to enrich himself and pay off MSMB investors’ claims. At least two separate Congressional probes have been launched since September on the pricing issues of Daraprim, which had long been available as a generic drug used to treat toxoplasmosis in AIDS patients. Shkreli’s current drug company is also under investigation by the New York state attorney general on antitrust charges. At a Senate hearing on drug pricing, a doctor who treats babies with life-threatening toxoplasmosis testified that a course of treatment with Daraprim went from about $1,200 to no less than $69,000. On Twitter, the top hashtag and keyword related to Shkreli’s arrest was #Karma.
was not allowed to be sad.” A 24-year-old victim said his captors raped him, wielded a sword and threatened his family in Hungary, giving him extra cigarettes if he slept with more men. “It’s really hard for me to socialize, to mingle with people,” he testified through an interpreter. “I started drinking heavily to try and forget. I lost all my friends.” The man returned to Hungary but was flown back to Miami by a charity that supports male sex-trafficking victims, where he testified along with two other men. He plans to stay in Miami and start a new life with help from the charity, Ark of Freedom. Before becoming an accomplice, Vass was himself a victim and forced to marry one of the other men. “I know very well that I am culpable,” he told the court. “After I do my time, I would
like to start a new clean life and I’m asking for God’s help and I pray every day for forgiveness.” “He wasn’t the one who committed the violence,” his defense lawyer Adam Goodman claimed. The court hearing drew supporters from several South Florida LGBT groups. “All of them are survivors of different crimes for being Gay or Transgender, said Francesco Duberli of Miami’s Survivors Pathway organization. “We’re honored to be here.” If you or someone you know is the victim of human trafficking, call the National Human Trafficking Resource Center for help at 1-888-373-7888. Victims of trafficking may be granted asylum in the United States regardless of immigration status.
Celebrating 41 Years!
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December 18, 2015
Celebrating 41 Years!
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December 18, 2015
Celebrating 41 Years!
Hillary Clinton lays out agenda to promote equality and end discrimination against the LGBT community Hillary Clinton announced on Thursday new proposals that would promote equality and protect the LGBT community from discrimination. While the Supreme Court recognized that under the Constitution every person has the right to marry whomever they love, many LGBT individuals face discrimination in the workplace, at their places of worship, and in their daily lives. In order to advance equality, as President, Clinton will pursue policies that include
fighting for passage of the Equality Act; supporting efforts to end LGBT conversion therapy for minors; ending discriminatory treatment of LGBT families; and protecting transgender individuals from violence. “America is better when we are inclusive, open, and striving towards full equality. The Supreme Court’s ruling on marriage equality was a watershed moment in this fight, but our work to reach the promise of full equality remains unfinished,” said Hill-
ary Clinton. “As President, I will continue to fight so that LGBT Americans and families can live, work, and pray free of discrimination. I will not settle for anything less. It is unacceptable that LGBT kids continue to be discriminated against and bullied at school, a restaurant can refuse to serve a transgender person, and a same-sex couple is at risk of being evicted from their home. We have to do better. And it’s why I will continue to fight so every person and every family is
treated with respect and dignity no matter who they are or who they love.” To view the full fact sheet, visit https:// www.hillaryclinton.com/briefing/factsheets/2015/12/17/fighting-for-full-equality/ Courtesy of Hillary for America
Bill Kennedy, one of the NBA’s top referees, comes out as Gay by Shaun Knittel SGN Associate Editor On December 3 the National Basketball Association suspended Sacramento Kings point guard Rajon Rondo for one game for derogatory comments directed at referee Bill Kennedy during a game against the Celtics. “I am proud to be an NBA referee and I am proud to be a Gay man,” Bill Kennedy told Yahoo Sports December 6. “I am following in the footsteps of others who have self-identified in the hopes that will send a message to young men and women in sports that you must allow no one to make you feel ashamed of who you are,” Kennedy said. According to an NBA statement, Rondo was ejected for “directing a derogatory and offensive term towards a game official” and not leaving the court in a timely manner upon his ejection. Kennedy and fellow referee Ben Taylor described Rondo as saying, “You’re a motherf***ing faggot” and “You’re a f***ing faggot, Billy.” There is a sense that Rondo was among those in the league that guessed or knew that Kennedy was Gay, and that his remark was purposefully hateful. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said in a statement that he “wholeheartedly support Bill’s decision to live his life proudly and openly.” “Throughout his 18-year career with the league, Bill has excelled as a referee because of his passion, dedication and courage,” Silver said. “Those qualities will continue to serve him well both as a game official and as a positive influence for others. While our league has made great progress, our work continues to ensure that everyone is treated with respect and dignity.” Following Kennedy’s announcement that he is Gay, Rondo took to Twitter to offer somewhat of an apology. One tweet by Rondo said, “My actions during the game were out of frustration and emotion, period!” Followed by “They abso-
Bill Kennedy – Kyle Terada/USA Today Sports
lutely do not reflect my feelings toward the LGBT community. I did not mean to offend or disrespect anyone.” Critics expressed frustration saying he should have offered a full apology for his actions. Then on December 8 Rondo released an official statement about the incident saying, “Yesterday I said that my words toward Bill Kennedy were unacceptable and did not reflect my feelings towards the LGBT community. Some have interpreted my comments as a non-apology. I want to say, from the bottom of my heart, that I am truly sorry for what I said to Bill. There is no place on or off the court for language that disrespects anyone’s sexual orientation. That is not who I am or what I believe and I will strive every day to be a better person.” The issue, for most people, might be put to sleep after the apology was given by Rondo, however, according to some NBA
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officials, Rondo is far from being the only person to use homophobic slurs on or off the court. The NBA does not openly discriminate against players due to their sexual orientation but if what some officials say is true, the players definitely do. San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said as such to reporters on December 7, “Why would I be surprised? You see it all the time.” Popovich said “It’s unfortunate, it’s disgusting, because Billy is a great guy, and has been a class act on and off the court. “As far as anybody’s sexual orientation is concerned, it’s nobody’s business,” he said. “It just shows ignorance to act in a derogatory way toward anybody in the LGBT community. It doesn’t make sense. But surprised, of course not.” Popovich says that Kennedy “showed a lot of courage” by coming out as Gay.
Although some progress has been made, amateur and professional sports leagues continue to be challenging, whether inadvertently or not, to Gay athletes and personnel. According to a study titled “Out on the Fields,” 83 percent of American Gay identified youth and 63 percent of American Lesbian identified youth surveyed were still “completely or partially” in the closet. The study also found that “73 percent of all those surveyed said youth sports is not a safe or welcoming place for the LGB community.” This type of rhetoric appears to be present in levels of sports from high school on to the professionals.
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Stonewall Inn should be a National Historic Site, New York lawmakers say by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer Three New York lawmakers have introduced legislation to make the Stonewall Inn a National Historic Site. Rep. Jerrold Nadler, whose district includes the Greenwich Village site, and New York’s two senators, Charles Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand, submitted the bill December 10. If passed, the historic birthplace of the modern LGBT rights movement would become part of the National Park System. “Creation of the Stonewall National Historic Site will add to our historic understanding of the discrimination faced by
LGBT individuals, as well as the ongoing struggle to achieve civil rights for LGBT persons,” the lawmakers said in a statement. “Uniquely and importantly, a national park in Greenwich Village would invigorate historic preservation of LGBT history in the neighborhood, where the modern LGBT equal rights movement began in the summer of 1969.” According to Theresa Pierno, president and CEO of the National Parks Conservation Association, two-thirds of the country’s national parks are set up on historical or cultural sites, but none currently honor the LGBT rights movement. “At the end of this momentous year for gay rights in America, I am proud to in-
troduce legislation that would establish a Stonewall National Historic Site,” Gillibrand said. “The events at Stonewall in 1969 were a turning point for the LGBT rights movement in America – a critical chapter, alongside Selma and Seneca Falls, in the long history of America’s quest for equal rights. I look forward to working with my colleagues in Congress to pass this bill and designate Stonewall a National Historic Site.” “Independence Hall, the Gettysburg Address, Seneca Falls, Rosa Parks, and the Montgomery Bus Boycott: It’s time for the Stonewall Inn to take its place in the panoply of sites and events that were sparks in the march to the kind of freedom and
equality that is the very wellspring of the American Dream,” Schumer added. “The summer of 1969 kicked off a long and uphill struggle for LGBT equality. And it was a movement that changed the country for the better.” “The story of Stonewall and those who participated in it are American stories that deserve to be recognized and preserved,” Nadler said. “Expanding our National Park System to include the location of the spark that launched the LGBT civil rights movement will protect it for future generations to reflect on and learn from.”
SCOTUS overrules Alabama Supreme Court, orders visitation rights for divorced Lesbian mom by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer The U.S. Supreme Court has ordered emergency visitation rights for a divorced Lesbian mother, reversing a decision by the Alabama Supreme Court. The woman, identified only as “VL,” married her now-ex-wife, “EL,” and had three children with her. EL was the biological birth mother, but VL shared responsibility for raising their children, who are now 13, 11, and 11. To get adoption rights for VL, the couple established a temporary residence in Georgia. When they subsequently divorced, a Georgia court granted VL joint custody of the children. EL sued in Alabama, their permanent
residence, to retain sole custody of the children, arguing that she alone was their biological mother. EL also wants to deny visitation rights to VL. Ultimately the Alabama Supreme Court ruled in the case, deciding that the Georgia court was in error in giving VL joint custody because VL’s adoption of the three children was invalid. “The Georgia court had no authority under Georgia law to award such an adoption, which is therefore void and not entitled to full faith and credit,” EL’s lawyers argued, and the Alabama high court agreed. VL appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court, asking for a restoration of joint custody. That case is still pending. However she also filed an emergency request for visitation rights, since she hasn’t
seen the children since April. In respect to visitation rights, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that she should be able to visit the children, despite EL’s objections. VL was represented by the National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR). “I’m overjoyed that my children and I will be able to be together again,” VL said in a statement. “It’s been so long – more time that I ever thought I could bear – since we have been able to be together and just do the everyday things that parents do with their children, like having dinner together and helping them with their homework. I adopted my children more than eight years ago to be sure that I could always be there to protect them. This terrible Alabama decision has hurt my family and will hurt so many other
families if it is not corrected.” Adoption rights for same-sex couples is one of the issues remaining in the wake of the high court’s June decision legalizing same-sex marriage. More than 20 states allow Gay and Lesbian couples to make “second-parent adoptions.” In other words, the spouse of the biological parent may adopt their spouse’s children, and the children thereby acquire two legal parents. In the event of divorce, spouses who had undertaken second-parent adoptions would qualify for joint custody of their children, while spouses who had not done so would have a lesser legal claim on their exspouse’s children.
Hillary wins a poll, Bernie wins a big union endorsement by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer Although Hillary Clinton holds a 33-point lead in the latest national opinion poll, Bernie Sanders, her rival for the Democratic presidential nomination, has won the endorsement of a major private-sector union. On December 17, the 700,000-member Communications Workers of America (CWA) announced its support for Sanders. In a press conference at the union’s D.C. headquarters, Sanders said workers were falling even further behind despite gains in productivity. “Workers all around the country, they’re producing more,” Sanders said. “But are they gaining the benefits of that increased productivity? The answer is no.” Sanders said that if he were president, he would push for a law to make it easier to unionize, raise the minimum wage, and fight trade deals like the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP). “Everybody in this room knows the American people are angry and frustrated, and they have every reason in the world,” he
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said. CWA President Chris Shelton said his executive board had polled the union membership, who voted “decisively” for Sanders. “An endorsement coming from me or our executive board alone would have been an empty endorsement,” Shelton said. According to Reuters, Sanders was asked if his campaign would have more labor endorsements if other unions had a similar process to CWA’s. “I think the answer is yes,” he replied. “What we are seeing is a lot of grassroots support in union after union throughout this country. What I would have hoped is that unions that believe in democracy would have done what CWA has done.” Retired CWA President Larry Cohen has been working on the Sanders campaign for the past six months. Meanwhile, a Monmouth University poll released December 16 shows Sanders’ rival Hillary Clinton with a commanding lead. Fifty-nine percent of respondents in the nationwide poll said they backed Clinton, with 26% supporting Sanders and 4% for Martin O’Malley. The results are similar to a previous
December 18, 2015
Hillary Clinton – maguzz.com
Monmouth poll released in October. A CNN poll released earlier this month had Clinton leading Sanders by 58% to 30%. “Clinton successfully ran the gauntlet this fall, appearing before the Benghazi Committee and outlasting the specter of a Biden candidacy. She really hasn’t lost ground since then,” Monmouth University polling director Patrick Murray said in a
statement. Clinton has also won major union endorsements, including the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) and American Federation of Teachers (AFT). Sanders has won the backing of the American Postal Workers Union.
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Celebrating 41 Years!