Issue 16 Volume 38
FRIDAY April 16, 2010 FREE! 25¢ in bookstores & news stands
Celebrating 37 Years!
GAY WA PAGEANT p. 5
constance mCMILLEN p. 17
PRIDE IDOL p. 25
Seattle Gay News SEATTLE’S LGBT NEWS & ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY
Obama memo: hospital SGN INTERVIEW: Queer visitation rights for Youth Space in Seattle same-sex couples UPI
Pink stickers that read “WE NEED QUEER YOUTH SPACE” can be seen everywhere on Capitol Hill. Queer Youth Space (QYS) volunteers have put them on telephone polls, street signs – even bus stops – to declare that a safe space that is led, owned, and organized by Queer youth, for Queer youth is a need, not a luxury. The radical and revolutionary nature of QYS has drawn collective criticism from the very LGBT community they represent. The group has been accused of reverse ageism, whining and bitching, and intra-community segregation. SGN spoke with QYS officials to address these accusations (which they claim stem from a misunderstanding of the organization’s goals), planned events, and their hopes of receiving a $100,000 grant from Seattle Neighborhood Marching Fund as a non-profit THREE WINGS.
Mario Lemafa
and Lesbian patients. Obama also instructed healthcare facilities to work with individuals in establishing medical power of attorney. “There are few moments in our lives that call for greater compassion and companionship than when a loved one is admitted to the hospital,” Obama’s memo began. “In these hours of need and President Barack Obama moments of pain by Nick Ardizzone and anxiety, all of us would hope SGN Staff Writer to have a hand to hold, a shoulder on which to lean – a loved one to Late on April 15, President be there for us, as we would be Obama issued an unexpected there for them.” memo which commanded hospi“Yet every day, all across Amertals to extend full visitation rights see hospital page 18 to the same-sex partners of Gay
by Shaun Knittel SGN Staff Writer
Volunteers for Queer Youth Space help get the word out.
when a couple Queer youth activities started challenging the assumption you have to be 21-plus to enter Queer spaces,” Kyle Rapinan, QYS/THREE WINGS orgaWE NEED nizer, told SGN. “We began to orQUEER YOUTH SPACE ganize late last year, and it’s been “The beginning of QYS started an amazing experience. We held
the Queer Youth Mutiny event where over 100 young people came and voiced how to make Seattle more Queer youth-friendly.” Since then, Rapinan says that about 20 youth have been meeting see queer youth page 17
Federal Prop 8 trial remains paused
Rex Wockner
Activists in San Diego kicked off the local effort to repeal Prop 8 in 2010 last November 18. On April 12, statewide leaders of the campaign said it had failed to collect enough voter signatures to qualify the initiative for the ballot
c-span
Effort to repeal Prop 8 fails to Justice Stevens collect enough signatures signals retirement by Rex Wockner SGN Contributing Writer
A grassroots effort to force a November 2010 ballot-box vote on repealing Proposition 8 failed to collect enough voter signatures by the April 12 deadline to get the measure on the ballot. Groups pushing the 2010 repeal effort faced an uphill battle from the get-go because California’s Gay-rights leadership refused to support the project, believing that 2012 will be a better year to return to the ballot. The lead 2010 organization, Love Honor Cherish, did not say how many signatures it did manage to collect. Just under 700,000 valid signatures would have been needed. “This is a heartbreaking moment,” said LHC Executive Director John Henning. “Despite the United States Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens dogged efforts of hundreds of volunteers across California, we did by Mike Andrew He said he hopes his successor is not get the signatures we needed SGN Staff Writer confirmed “well in advance of the within the 150-day window set by commencement of the court’s next the state. Regrettably, Prop 8 will U.S. Supreme Court Justice John term.” remain as a stain on our constitu- Paul Stevens confirmed last week Stevens’ retirement will give that he will retire from the court when it has finished its current sessee stevens page 20 see Prop 8 page 20 sion, probably in June or July.
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Deadlines Classifieds - Thursday at noon Calendar - Tuesday 6pm Display Ads: Space Reservation - Monday 5pm Ad copy (non-camera ready) - Tues. 5pm Ad copy (camera ready) - Wed. 5pm Letters to the Editor - Tuesday 5pm Obituaries - Call the SGN office All others - Tuesday 5pm
Editor In Chief George Bakan Associate Editor Tom Flint (retired) Editorial Assistant Nick Ardizzone Production William Creswell Calender Editors Mike Andrew and Rick McKinnon Travel Editor George Bakan Advertising Manager Marty Weisbrod Advertising Department Maggie Bloodstone Executive Assistant Mike Andrew Staff Writers George Bakan, Albert S. Rodriguez, Nick Ardizzone, Shaun Knittel Miryam Gordon, James Whitely, Tim Peter Contributing Writers Rev. Barbara Allen, Mike Andrew, Eric Andrews-Katz, Madelyn Arnold, Maggie Bloodstone, Beau Burriola, Jessica Davis, Ron Anders, Jessica Price, Milton W. Hamlin, Nevin Jefferson, Keen News Service, Jason A. Miller, Liz Meyer, Rod Parke, Don Paulson, Scott Rice, Leslie Robinson, Richard Kennedy, Romeo San Vicente, Rex Wockner Classifieds Mike Andrew and Rick McKinnon Photographers Nick Ardizzone, Joseph P. Herron, Shaun Knittel, James Whitely National Advertising Rep. Rivendell Media (212) 242-6863 Website Designer Barry Thorsness/Digital Team Works Seattle Gay News is published weekly by JT&A, Inc. © 2010, JT&A, Inc., all rights reserved. Reprints by permission.
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Tour de Life: The past imperfect of the Vatican
by Beau Burriola SGN European Correspondent
I feel like such an imposter when I step into the centuries-old churches scattered around Brussels. I’m not Catholic, or even religious, but I always walk into them when I go near one because I love seeing the manifested internal philosophical battle of humankind given form and shape and persona, carved, painted, and sculpted into a building whose every detail represents some aspect of that struggle. That casual affection for old buildings is where my association with the Vatican begins and ends, so I was surprised this week to learn that I, along with all Gay folks, am the real reason for the Vatican’s child sex scandal. Most Gay folks – myself included – had never heard of Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone until this week, when he made this highly learned and deeply thought-provoking contribution to the discussion about the Vatican’s child sex scandal: “Many psychologists and psychiatrists have shown that there is no link between celibacy and paedophilia, but many others have shown, and I’ve been told recently, that there is a relationship between homosexual-
In Loving Memory Of Steve Foiles, Scott Roger Alpert, Cookie Andrews-Hunt, James Leland Moore, Randy Peters, Lee Richeson, Shaun Shelton, Jim Tully, James Arnold
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ity and paedophilia. That is the truth. I read it in a document written by psychologists, so that is the problem.” Ouch. Is it me, or is the Vatican steadily disproving the timeless notion that a good defense is a good offense? Every time they send a church official to speak to the press, they end up with exactly what you might expect when you take a man who looks like he is from the Counter-Reformation and put him in front of a microphone and an audience from the modern world. While it is greatly entertaining to see the Church try to deflect criticism with the same grace Pope Benedict himself might have on Dancing With the Stars, I’m a little disappointed that thousands of years of personal insight, revelation, and instruction have given the Vatican no better argument than, “That is the truth. I read it in a document written by psychologists.” Just once, I would like to imagine that the people speaking on behalf of the anti-Gay crowd would be able to help me at least understand why they believe a certain way, but all we seem to get are religious zealots whose answer to every rational point on fairness and equality sounds like the adult equivalent of a first-grader putting his fingers in his ears and mumbling, “Nuh-uh, not
listening, la-la-la-la.” If you’re going to have someone you don’t know morally denounce everything you are in a reality you don’t even imagine yourself existing in, you’d at least like to think they could work up a bit of moving eloquence or stirring emotion – maybe muster up a story or two and close with a rousing rendition of any of the zillions of years of hymns they’ve collected. But no, none of that. Just, “I read it somewhere.” Could it be that the reason Cardinal Bertone believes that Gay people are pedos is because the only Gay men he ever sees are priests whose sex crimes the Vatican has to cover up? I mean, I’m sure one trip to the Folsom Street fair will convince him for certain that Gay is no more related to pedophilia than he is to a Sister of Perpetual Indulgence. For being a group of people who know so little about me, the Vatican has a surprising impact on my life. To lead the very belief of a billion people is no small thing, and this whole saga would be comedy only if it weren’t for the billion Catholics in the world today. It’s those billion people that make any of this worth talking about at all. And that’s why I hope that the Catholic folks out there can see the scandal for what it really is (the Vatican not reporting child sex abuse) and for what it really isn’t about (Gay people). Because while I would like to imagine the people of the world have enough sense and reason to tell when they are being point-blank lied to, it’s never really that simple. Gay people have no more to do with the Church’s scandal than we do when Fred Phelps says we are the reason for dead soldiers. We are the old, reliable phantom to conjure up and then shoot down in a big show of holiness – a useful thing when you’ve got a Bible in your hand and something to cover up. In the case of Phelps, it’s probably closet homosexuality, but in the case of the Vatican, it’s trying to get away with a crime. Perhaps I’ll never live to see a day where the moral decisions of mankind are made from the goodness of our being and content of our character, but if I can’t have that, I’m sure tickled to bits to have people like Fred Phelps, Pat Robertson, and Cardinal Bertone who entertainingly remind us that the world is changing simply by being such contrasting relics of the past. “Stupidity is also a gift of God, but one mustn’t misuse it.” – Pope John Paul II Beau Burriola is a Queer writer and blogger who wonders what life as a Vatican fashion writer must be like. beaubrent@ gmail.com
April 16, 2010
Celebrating 37 Years!
The 40th Annual Mr., Miss, & Ms. Gay Washington Pageant by Gaysha Starr Special to the SGN
glamazonia
The Imperial Sovereign Court of Tacoma hosted the 40th Annual Mr., Miss, & Ms. Gay Washington Pageant last Saturday night at the La Quinta Tacoma. Stepping down was Mr. Gay Washington 2009 from Everett, Matt Surreal Caché, and from Pasco, Miss Gay Washington 2009, Roxanne Von Cummins. The pageant was attended by a little over 100 guests and was co-hosted by Mr. Gay Washington 1996 Rob Surreal, Miss Gay Washington 1985 Marcy Kraft, and Miss Gay Washington 1994 Madison Lane. Having attended this pageant since 1995 and being a former Miss Gay Washington in 1996, it was very interesting to see how much has changed in even 15 years. Aside from the obvious in the drag artistry and performance numbers, what struck me is how much the social issues and causes have changed with the Gay Washington titleholders. Last year, when Roxanne stepped up as Miss Gay Washington 2009, her platform was marriage equality. Out of drag, Roxanne is also known as Brian Griffith, and he was able to spend part of his year working with the Referendum 71 campaign for protecting domestic partnership laws in Washington state. He served as the Tri-Cities contact and organized the weekly phone bank campaigns in his area. When asked about how she felt about her reign, Roxanne commented, “2009 was an amazing year. I’m proud of our state and I’m proud of our community. We re-affirmed the
rights of ALL families to be safe and protected, and I was proud to have been a part of that.” There were three contestants that ran for this year’s title. Competition for Miss Gay Washington was between Seattle’s Ifeelya Cummins and Vancouver’s Rhea Range. Running unopposed for the Ms. Gay Washington was Tacoma’s Sir Awesome. There was no one who ran for the title of Mr. Gay Washington. There were five competition categories, with the first starting the night before with a judge’s interview. The night of the actual pageant, the three contestants participated in an All-White After Six Presentation, Evening Wear, Talent, and Impromptu Questions competitions. The five judges ranged from business owners to leather titleholders. In between each category there were special guest spots from across the state and Oregon, and anniversary performances from former Gay Washington titleholders. Some of the best performances were from Miss Gay Washington 1984 Coco Vaughn, Miss Gay Washington 2006 Athena Kiss, Imperial Princess 13 of Tacoma, Divonne Lexington, and the reigning Miss Gay Oregon, Adrienne Alexander. A few other highlights of the evening were when Mr. Gay Washington 2008 Ryan Surreal presented two checks totaling over $3,200 to two nonprofits in Spokane and Tacoma on behalf of his continued fundraising, The New Gay Washington’s Ifeelya Cummins and Sir Awesome the banter between the three emcees – especially when I got Mr. Gay Washington Rob At the end of the five-hour pageant, If- Ms. Gay Washington. They will spend their Surreal to buy $100 worth of drinks for the eelya Cummins was crowned Miss Gay reign making public appearances, fundraisthirsty crowd – and an impressive buffet. Washington and Sir Awesome was crowned ing, and performing community service. James whitely
The Barista Boyz of Broadway by James Whitely SGN Staff Writer Gangway! The Barista Boyz of Broadway are here. Barista Boyz is the new coffee and espresso stop where, after 3:30 p.m., the shirts come off and you’ll have your coffee served to you by the shirtless and sexy Barista Boyz. “It’s gourmet coffee with a kick,” Barista Boyz owner Dave Ray told SGN. “Really, it’s just about having fun.” And why shouldn’t they have fun and take their shirts off? Seattle is arguably the coffee capitol of the world, and Capitol Hill is the biggest Gayborhood north of San Francisco and west of Chicago. Barista Boyz is a perfect fit. “You’ve got to have something different from every corner on every block in Seattle,” Ray told SGN. Barista Boyz celebrated their grand opening on March 19, and already appear to have a loyal group of regulars. The grand opening will continue until next weekend. Including Ray, there are currently four Barista Boyz, and they’ll bring you your coffee with a different theme six days out of the week. You’ll be satisfied whether you
show up on Macho Monday, Trouser Tuesday, Customer’s Choice Wednesday, Greaser Thursday, Fireman Friday, or Barista’s Choice Saturday. Once Barista Boyz has the manpower, Ray says he’ll open up for business on Sundays. So what makes a good cup of coffee, according to the Barista Boyz? Ray says, “Not too bitter, smooth, and … a vibrant flavor.” Of course, having a shirtless barista give it to you will help with the taste, as well. Barista Boyz serves Fidalgo Bay Coffee, an earth-friendly, fair trade, small roasting company from Burlington, WA. They also sell baked goods, soft drinks, candy, etc. According to Ray, people come to the Hill because it’s a unique place, just as people come to Seattle because it’s a unique place. Ray sees certain places as part of the local flavor, like Dick’s Drive-In. Ray envisions that one day, Barista Boyz will be a reason to visit Capitol Hill. While barraged by customers on multiple sides – along with a Barista Boyz hopeful dropping off his application – Ray said, “We’re here to have a lot of fun and give people gourmet coffee and a nice experience.”
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INTERNATIONAL
NEWS
by Rex Wockner SGN Contributing Writer
rent situation in many European countries for LGBT people and will surely serve as a blueprint for our members in working with their national governments.” Freimane said ILGA-Europe will “follow closely the three-year review mechanism agreed by the Committee of Ministers to ensure the full implementation” of the recommendations and will encourage the Council of Europe “to organize a campaign among its member states to promote these recommendations.” Council of Europe Secretary General Thorbjørn Jagland called the development “an important achievement, being the first legal instrument in the world dealing specifically with one of the most long-lasting and difficult forms of discrimination to combat.” “The recommendation is an expression of the Council of Europe’s commitment to equality for all and respect for the dignity of all,” Jagland said. “I invite all member states to make all the necessary efforts to implement this recommendation.”
European Parliament
the president said. “They are things given by God and we simply have to evolve and accept them. ... The [Catholic] Church will have to evolve.” The president of the LGBT group Movimiento Diversidad, Abelardo Araya, called Arias’ statement “bold” but “a little late.” He said the remarks are a “symbol” and can help Euro Parliament LGBT group “establish a bridge” denounces Cotonou with President-elect Agreement Laura Chinchilla. The European Parliament’s Intergroup Lesbian activist Emma Chacón add- on LGBT Rights has denounced the newed: “He could have est Cotonou Agreement, which delineates done it a year or two political and trade relations between the Euago [but it] is posi- ropean Union and African, Caribbean and tive for the new gov- Pacific states. European Commissioner Andris Piebalgs ernment. It’s a legacy that he is leaving had vowed to include nondiscrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation in the Chinchilla.” A bill to grant Gay agreement’s revised terms, as demanded by couples pension, in- the European Parliament, but he then failed heritance, immigra- to do so “despite blatant increases in statetion, social security, supported violence against Lesbian, Gay, and other rights is Bisexual, and Transgender people in the Ulrike Lunacek, co-president of the European Parliament’s languishing in the ACP region,” the Intergroup said. Intergroup on LGBT Rights Forty-nine of the 79 African, Caribbean Legislative Assembly, and Chinchilla has expressed no interest and Pacific nations that are parties to the agreement criminalize Gay sex with up to in making its passage a priority. Eighty-eight Gay couples During the campaign, Chinchilla said: 14 years in prison. Five punish Gay sex with have married in Mexico City A month after Mexico City’s law legaliz- “We defend the right of all Costa Ricans, in- the death penalty. “This is unacceptable for the European ing same-sex marriage came into force, 88 dependently of their sexual preferences, to Gay and Lesbian couples have gotten mar- have the protection of the state and of the Parliament,” said Intergroup Co-President institutions, and to have access to the dif- Michael Cashman. “The [European] Comried, El Universal reported April 5. Fifty male couples and 38 Lesbian cou- ferent opportunities that Costa Rican sociples tied the knot. An additional 37 couples ety offers. Nevertheless, there are different applied for licenses and will marry in April, ways other than marriage to guarantee homosexual couples the right to the patrimony May or June, the report said. Five Gay foreigners applied to marry of their partner, to patrimonial rights, to poMexican citizens – two Italians, two French litical rights, to civil rights. We are working on this and I hope that we certainly can get people and one Briton. The federal government is challenging ourselves in agreement without needing to Human Rights Campaign Mexico City’s legalization of Gay marriage, touch an institution like marriage, which staffers depart but the case likely will not see any action by also has been conceived by so many Costa The two top people in the Human Rights Rican families within a different concept.” Campaign’s communications department the Supreme Court for more than a year. have left the nation’s biggest Gay rights Council of Europe passes Inter-American rights body group. “historic” LGBT rules against Chile Communications Director Brad Luna’s recommendations in custody case job was eliminated in a reorganization. The Committee of Ministers of the Coun- Shortly thereafter, Deputy Communications The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights has ruled that the Chilean gov- cil of Europe, representing the national Director Trevor Thomas announced his deernment discriminated against a Lesbian governments of its 47 member countries, parture to take up a similar position with judge, Karen Atala, when it deprived her of unanimously adopted “historic” recom- Servicemembers Legal Defense Network. custody of her daughters because she is Gay mendations March 31 to combat anti-LGBT The two will be replaced by Fred Sainz, and was living with a partner, La Tercera re- discrimination, reported ILGA-Europe, the who starts work May 10 as vice president European Region of the International Les- of communications and marketing, and by ported April 5. The commission recommended “full bian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex As- a new hire who will carry the title of press reparation” to Atala for the violation of her sociation. secretary. The recommendations cover hate crimes family rights, and urged Chile to adopt legSainz is currently in a similar job at the islation, public policies, programs and di- and speech, employment, education, health Gill Foundation. Prior to that he was press rectives to eradicate discrimination based care, housing, asylum, sports, and freedom secretary to pro-Gay San Diego Republican on sexual orientation in all areas of govern- of association, expression, and assembly, Mayor Jerry Sanders. among other areas. They also instruct memment jurisdiction. Insiders insist that Luna’s and Thomas’ Chile now will respond to the commis- ber states to order national human rights departures were unrelated to the recent desion’s findings, and the nature of the re- bodies to address anti-LGBT discrimina- bacle that resulted when HRC staged a rally sponse will determine whether the commis- tion. against “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” with come“This is the world’s first intergovernmen- dian Kathy Griffin. sion goes on to pursue a case against Chile in the Inter-American Court of Human Rights. tal agreement codifying the application of The rally was crashed by DADT activist human rights standards to LGBT people,” Lt. Dan Choi, who says Griffin and HRC ILGA-Europe said. “The recommendations President Joe Solmonese told him they Costa Rican president establish how international human rights would accompany him on a march to the supports standards should be applied to LGBT peo- White House at the rally’s conclusion. same-sex partnerships Costa Rican President Óscar Arias said ple and contain specific measures for memSolmonese and Griffin then did not march April 5 that he supports legal recognition of ber states on how they should improve their with Choi, who made headlines when he and legislation, policies and practices.” same-sex couples, La Nación reported. former Capt. Jim Pietrangelo handcuffed Martin K.I. Christensen, co-chair of themselves to the White House fence and The comment came in response to a quesILGA-Europe’s board, called the move “a were arrested. tion from the newspaper. “Yes, there should be legal recognition,” truly historical development.” HRC suffered stronger-than-usual criti“For the first time in history, the European cism for apparently not keeping its word to Arias said. “One doesn’t choose sexual inclination. It is given by nature or God. One continent came together to codify human Choi, for using a comedian to address a seridoesn’t choose it, neither men nor women.” rights’ applications to LGBT people,” he ous issue, and for purportedly again being “It goes against nature to believe that said. out of touch with rank-and-file activists. Co-Chair Linda Freimane added, “These someone stops to think at age 14 whether After Choi’s civil disobedience action and they will be heterosexual or homosexual,” recommendations go well beyond the cur- the media coverage it garnered, the White
mission backed down in the face of governments that increasingly discriminate, imprison, torture, and kill people because of their sexual orientation. It is a dangerous signal that there is a hierarchy of rights: some will be defended, but others will not. This matter will not be left to rest here.” Intergroup Co-President Ulrike Lunacek added: “I would have expected Commissioner Piebalgs not to give in to pressure from ACP governments. ... The European Parliament will confront the Commission with this decision.” The Cotonou Agreement will be signed in June in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. Portuguese same-sex marriage bill advances Portugal should see legalization of samesex marriage one way or the other in a matter of weeks. Parliament passed a law legalizing samesex marriage in February and sent it to President Aníbal Cavaco Silva in March. The president then sent it to the Constitutional Court for review. On April 8, the court said there are no problems with the law and returned it to Cavaco Silva, who has 20 days to sign or veto it. If he signs it, it becomes law. If he vetoes it, Parliament is expected to pass it again, which would force Cavaco Silva to sign it. The law specifically excludes access to adoption for married same-sex couples. Socialist Prime Minister José Sócrates has said legalizing same-sex marriage “rights a wrong” and increases freedom and equality. The European Region of ILGA – the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association – called the law’s passage “fantastic” and said, “It is clear that a European consensus is fast emerging on marriage equality.” Same-sex marriage is legal in Belgium, Canada, the Netherlands, Norway, South Africa, Spain and Sweden; in Mexico City and Argentina’s Tierra del Fuego province; and in Washington, D.C., and the states of Connecticut, Iowa, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Vermont. With assistance from Bill Kelley
NATIONAL
NEWS
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Seattle Gay News
April 16, 2010
by Rex Wockner SGN Contributing Writer House and Congress stepped up activity aimed at ending the military’s ban on open Gays. Asked via e-mail for comment, Luna responded by requesting the reporter’s phone number but did not call before deadline. Thomas, informed of the gist of this report, e-mailed: “Thank you for reaching out. I think that sounds good. I don’t have anything to add.” Martina has breast cancer Lesbian tennis legend Martina Navratilova told People magazine April 7 that she has breast cancer. The ductal carcinoma was discovered early and is expected to be fully curable. “I cried,” Navratilova said. “It knocked me on my ass, really. I feel so in control of my life and my body, and then this comes, and it’s completely out of my hands.” “I went four years between mammograms,” she added. “I let it slide. Everyone gets busy, but don’t make excuses. I stay in shape and eat right, and it happened to me. Another year and I could have been in big trouble.” Navratilova will undergo six weeks of radiation treatment starting in May. Gay man elected mayor of small Colorado town An openly Gay man, Ron Holland, was elected mayor of Dillon, Colorado, on April 6. He received 90 votes to an opponent’s 72 in the mountain town of about 800 people. Holland, who is serving his first term on the City Council, told the Summit Daily News he was “ecstatic” over his victory. With assistance from Bill Kelley
Celebrating 37 Years!
NORTHWEST
NEWS
compiled by Rick McKinnon SGN Staff Writer
REGISTRATION UNDERWAY FOR SEATTLE PRIDE PARADE Registration is underway for the 2010 Seattle Pride Parade and March. The theme this year is “Over the Rainbow – Be Seen, Be Heard, Be There.” The event will be held on Sunday, June 27, starting at 11 a.m. on 4th Ave. between Union St. and Denny Way. For complete details, visit www.seattlepride.org. AN EVENING WITH DINA MARTINA The incomparable Dina Martina presents a new evening (or matinee, if you prefer) of hilarious songs, stories, videos and audience gifts that will knock your socks off. Because Dina Martina’s performances have been described as “totally fresh” and “unlike anything you’ve ever seen,” it’s next to impossible to effectively describe what a Dina Martina show is like. It is, however, easy to list some things the show IS: hysterically funny, surprisingly smart, hilariously stupid, occasionally obscure, surreal, sweet, full of pathos. The show runs March 5-April 18 on Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. Doors open one hour prior to show time. Tickets are $20 in advance and $25 at the door. 1-800-838-3006 or www.brownpapertickets.com/event/93619. NOTE: No one under 21 years old will be admitted.
MUSIC OF REMEMBRANCE SPARKS OF GLORY: RODAS RECORDADA On Saturday, April 17, at 2 p.m., at the Seattle Art Museum, Plestcheeff Auditorium, 1300 First Ave., MOR’s popular outreach series concludes this season with Canadian composer Sid Robinovitch’s Rodas Recordada. This work relates a story that the Spanish poet Guillermo Diaz-Plaja told about his encounters with the Sephardic community of Rhodes before and after its destruction by the Nazis. The moving ballad has revealed an unexpected arc of history reaching from Greece to Seattle. Lior Navok’s Found in a Train Station is based on a note that a mother pinned to her child before she boarded a train to a concentration camp. You’ll also hear the haunting sounds of Simon Sargon’s Before the Ark for violin and piano, and the ethereal, poignant beauty of Osvaldo Golijob’s Tenebrae. This concert if FREE to the public. www.musicofremembrance.org.
Q-SQUARED BOOK GROUP On Saturday, April 17, at 2 p.m., at the Capitol Hill Branch Library, 425 Harvard Ave. E., the Q-Squared Book Group will discuss the novel The Death of Friends by Michael Nava. Possibly the best of the Henry Rios mystery novels by Lambda awardwinning author Michael Nave, People magazine called it “a brave, ambitious and THE VAGINA MONOLOGUES highly impressive work.” Q-Squared Book AT STONE SOUP THEATRE Group is open to men who are interested in Stone Soup Theatre presents an accom- Gay literature and always welcomes new plished production of the 10th anniversary members. For more information, visit www. edition of Eve Ensler’s The Vagina Mono- qsquared.org. logues featuring five new monologues. Performances run Thursday-Saturday at THREE DOLLAR BILL 8 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. through April CINEMA PRESENTS 25. General admission is $16-$20 and $13 “INNOCENCE LOST” for those under 30. Advance tickets can be SPRING FILM SERIES purchased at www.brownpapertickets.com/ Three Dollar Bill Cinema’s film series event/99179 or by calling 800-838-3006 continues at the Northwest Film Forum, or 206-633-1883. No one under 10 will be 1515 12th Ave., at 7 p.m., with the followadmitted. Stone Soup Theatre is located at ing two films: 4035 Stone Way N. www.stonesouptheatre. Mädchen in Uniform (1958) will be preorg. sented on Saturday, April 17. An orphaned teenager (the legendary Romy Schneider) is EMERALD CITY sent to an oppressive boarding school and SOFTBALL ASSOCIATION’S soon falls madly in love with her sympaSPRING SEASON thetic teacher (Lilli Palmer) whose tender Visit www.emeraldcitysoftball.org for in- loving care is misunderstood with tragic formation about the Emerald City Softball results. The story of their passionate and Association’s Open League for Gay and scandalous affair unfolds in artful, glorious non-Gay men and women. color and remains one of the most unusual Visit www.eteamz.com/womensecsa for and bold films to emerge from post-war information about the Emerald City Soft- Germany. This is the first U.S. screening of ball Association’s Women’s League for Gay the newly restored Mädchen in Uniform in and non-Gay women only. 20 years. The film is not available on DVD. Lastly, movie-goers will learn how to NORTHWEST BEARS Score (1974) on Thursday, April 22. A HOST SPRING THAW swinging married couple with an appetite APRIL 15-18 for same-sex fresh meat set their sights on a www.springthaw.org. pair of naïve newlyweds, showing them the kinky ropes in an erotic contest of seducSEATTLE CHERRY BLOSSOM tion. Prepare for plenty of flesh and hilari& JAPANESE CULTURAL ous dialogue. Directed with wild abandon FESTIVAL from sexploitation auteur Radley Metzger. Seattle’s annual Cherry Blossom & Japa- This is the unrated version of Score. nese Cultural Festival will be held April 16Tickets are $9 for Three Dollar Bill Cin18, 10 a.m.-6 p.m., at the Seattle Center’s ema members and $9.99 for general audiCenter House and Fisher Pavilion. Part of ence. Seattle Center’s 22 Festal cultural celebrawww.threedollarbillcinema.org. tions, the festival celebrates the culture of Japan in all its facets. www.seattlecenter. 2010 EARTH GAY com. On Sunday, April 18, from 1-4 p.m., join OUT for Sustainability for an afternoon of LANGSTON HUGHES community environmental service projects. AFRICAN-AMERICAN For information and to sign up for projects, FILM FESTIVAL email info@outforsustainability.org or visit APRIL 17-25 www.outforsustainability.org. An after party Two LGBT interest films will be screened for the whole community follows at 5 p.m., on April 18. Call or check website for film at Havana, 1010 E. Pike St. – FREE for serschedule and new venues. 206-326-1088, vice project volunteers or $5 donation. www.langstonblackfilmfest.org. GAY SKATE PARTY AT BELLEVUE SKATE KING – On Monday, April 19, from 7-10 p.m., enjoy an evening of roller-skating at Bellevue Skate King, 2301 140th Ave. NE, Bellevue, at this LGBTQ community social event for
Visit us online www.sgn.org
friends and family. Cost is $10 at the door; $7 under 18 (a portion of proceeds benefit Dunshee House). Regular skate rentals: FREE. Inline skate rentals: $4 or bring your own skates. For more information and directions, call 425-458-4707. Next Gay Skate Party is Monday, May 17. www.GaySkateSeattle.com; info@gayskateseattle. com.
TRANNY ROADSHOW On Thursday, April 22, the Tranny Roadshow comes to Kane Hall, University of Washington, at 7:30 p.m., with a multimedia performance extravaganza. The cast includes an eclectic group of artists, each one self-identified as Transgender, and includes musicians, poets, filmmakers, storytellers, jugglers, comedians, puppeteers, and more. Photography and sculpture will also be displayed. The Tranny Roadshow presents Transpeople as whole, multi-faceted people, whose art expresses many things, of which gender is only one. People of all backgrounds will find the content engaging, thought-provoking, and comprehensible. This event is FREE and open to all-ages. www.trannyroadshow.com.
GAY CITY UNIVERSITY NIGHT SCHOOL On Monday, April 19, join Reiki master Travis Taylor for a multisensory experience, and learn to connect with your own spiritual energy sources. Explore the metaphors of the film Avatar as you expand your consciousness and heal your spirit. On Monday, April 26, learn about Rain RAIN COUNTRY DANCE – City Jacks, Seattle’s renowned JO club! “EMERALD CITY HOEDOWN” RCJ offers community, healing, friendship, On April 23-25, Rain Country Dance hosts self-acceptance and an unfettered, joyful a 3-day weekend gathering of dance classes experience of male sexuality. Both evening classes meet at Gay City, (two-step, line, swing, waltz and lindy hop), workshops and social events, culminating 511 E. Pike St., at 7 p.m. in the Rain City Hoedown Ball on Saturday, April 24, at Polish Hall, 1714 18th Ave. at E. GSBA PRIME TIME MIXER: Olive St., 7 p.m.-midnight. $20 at the door. SPECIAL ARGOSY CRUISE For complete information, visit www.rainTO WELCOME NEW MEMBERS countrydance.org. AND THANK VOLUNTEERS On Wednesday, April 21, from 5:30-7:30 Q-SQUARED MEN PRESENTS p.m., join GSBA members and friends “Q-SPRING” APRIL 23-25 for an Argosy Cruise around Elliott Bay “Q-Spring” is a weekend gathering for to welcome new GSBA members and thank GSBA volunteers. Meet at Pier 55, Gay and Bi men to play, reflect, dine and ex1201 Alaskan Way. $10-GSBA members; plore their lives in a communal setting. The $15-non-members; new members and event weekend includes structured workshops volunteers are free. To RSVP call 206-363- presented by talented, skilled and all-around great guys. “Q-Spring” will be held at a 9188; www.thegsba.org. comfortable retreat center on Vashon Island and includes towels, linen and delicious and SEATTLE GAY & LESBIAN BOOK CLUB AT DUNSHEE HOUSE varied menu options. Visit www.qsquared. The Seattle Gay & Lesbian Book Club org for details. Registration is close to bemeets every Wednesday at 6 p.m. at Dun- ing full. shee House, 303 17th Ave. E. at E. Thomas MEN OF ALL COLORS & St. The club is pleased to announce the folCULTURES TOGETHER lowing title to be discussed in their ongoAPRIL “EARTH DAY” POTLUCK ing reading and discussion series: April – On Saturday, April 24, Men of All Colors The Last of the Wine by Mary Renault. All GLBTQ folks in the community are wel- & Cultures Together (MACCT) will be hostcome to participate in this free book club. ing their April “Earth Day” Potluck from The reading list is chosen and the discus- 6-10 p.m. in Seattle (98115 zip code area). sion facilitated by Nick DiMartino, pub- Please call 206-923-8313 or email macctselished novelist and playwright, currently attle@yahoo.com for additional information a book reviewer for ShelfAwareness.com, and location. www.macctsea.org. and a 30-year employee of University Book “IDENTITY THIEVES” – Store. For more information, email nickdiSURVIVING martin@earthlink.net or contact Dunshee THE “EX-GAY” MOVEMENT House at 206-322-2437. On Sunday, April 25, at 6 p.m., the Living Water Fellowship, 7204 NE 175th St., KenGLORIA STEINEM more, WA (across the street from St. VinFEATURED SPEAKER cent de Paul in the yellow metal building), AT YWCA GALA LUNCHEON The YWCA Seattle Inspire Luncheon on presents Oregon songwriter/film maker JaThursday, April 22, features women’s activ- son T. Ingram’s “Identity Thieves: Survivist, lecturer and author Gloria Steinem. The ing the ‘Ex-Gay’ Movement” – a journey event takes place from noon-1:30 p.m. at the through art and music of one man’s story to Washington State Convention & Trade Cen- find truth, authenticity, faith and identity. Inter, 8th Ave. & Pike St. Steinem is listed in gram brings his world premiere multi-media Biography magazine as one of the 25 most work-in-progress performance piece to the influential women in America for her books, Seattle area FREE of charge. magazine career and life’s work advancing LAFEMME MAGNIFIQUE and empowering women and girls. She’s WASHINGTON PAGEANT currently at work on a book, Road to the SEEKING CONTESTANTS Heart: America as If Everyone Mattered, On Sunday, May 23, Gaysha Starr Proabout her more than 30 years as a feminist organizer. Luncheon guests will make a do- ductions presents the LaFemme Magnifique nation of $150 or more to benefit the efforts Washington Pageant, at Neighbours, 1509 of the YWCA Seattle-King-Snohomish to Broadway, entrance in alley between Haradvance the lives of women and families. vard and Broadway off E. Pike St., door at 6 For information or to register, go to www. p.m., show at 7 p.m. The pageant will be hosted by pageant ywcaworks.org or call 206-490-4378. founder and Portland legend, Darcelle XV. Competition categories are: Evening Gown, PRIDE IDOL CONTEST Theme Wear: “The Garden of Eden,” Talent AT R-PLACE Seattle Out and Proud (SOaP), produc- Presentation, and Las Vegas Showgirl. $12 ers of the annual Seattle Pride Parade, in admission at the door, with partial proceeds association with Esurance, presents Pride to GLSEN Washington State. The winner and first runner-up of both Idol 2010, Seattle’s talent search contest to find the best vocalists in the area. The con- LaFemme Magnifique Washington and test will be held at R-Place, 619 E. Pine St., LaFemme Magnifique PLUS Washington door at 7 p.m., contest at 8 p.m. The next will go to the International Pageant Labor Pride Idol preliminary audition will be held Day Weekend at the Oregon State ConvenSunday, April 18. The Pride Idol contest tion Center for a $1,000 cash prize, crown, will run from Sundays, May 2 through June sash, jewelry and the title in both catego20. Winners of the talent search contest will ries. For complete information, contact pageant be awarded cash and additional prizes and get to ride on the official Seattle Pride Idol coordinator Gaysha Starr at gaysha.starr@ float in the Seattle Pride Parade on Sunday, gmail.com. June 27. For more information, visit www. seattlepride.org, call the Pride office at 206322-9561 or email info@seattlepride.org.
April 16, 2010
Seattle Gay News
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by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer The Missoula, Montana, City Council passed a new anti-discrimination ordinance in the early hours of April 13. The ordinance forbids housing and employment discrimination based on “actual or perceived sexual orientation, gender identity or expression.” The council voted 10-2 to pass the measure after a tense seven-hour meeting. The final vote did not come until 1:45 on Tuesday morning. The council’s vote capped weeks of raucous debate on the measure, including hysterical claims that the proposed ordinance would entitle men in dresses to invade women’s restrooms. Missoula’s chief of police issued a public warning to maintain order during the council meeting. “For security reasons, I’m not going to spell out everything that we’re going to do,” Police Chief Mark Muir said. “We don’t anticipate a huge problem, although we do anticipate large crowds. We’re used to dealing with that and we anticipate that people will be well behaved, and we will be in place to reacquaint them with civility if they decide they’re not going to behave properly.” The Diversity Day Committee brought hundreds of ordinance supporters to the city council chambers. Police then set up an auxiliary overflow room with a live feed of the proceedings. As the anti-discrimination ordinance came up for debate, Missoula Mayor John Engen
warned that he would recess the meeting if the audience clapped for any speaker – for or against the proposal. “This will be like every other City Council meeting,” Engen said. “I will expect that folks are respectful of one another and their different viewpoints.” After public testimony each of the 12 council members took the microphone to explain their votes. When the final vote was taken, the pent-up applause erupted and ordinance supporters gave the council a standing ovation. “Most of us can’t remember civil rights in action,” said Council member and ordinance sponsor Stacy Rye. “This is it for us. This is our lifetimes.” “Hopefully our actions tonight will ripple through Montana from Libby to Billings, from Dillon to Wolf Point, and eventually to the capital in Helena,” said Council member Dave Strohmaier, another sponsor of the ordinance. The controversy over the ordinance featured dueling websites naming themselves after the fictitious men-in-the-restroom issue. NotMyBathroom.com opposed what it called the “Peeping Tom Protection Ordinance.” FlushTheFear.com – created by local religious leaders – supported the anti-discrimination measure. In a dramatic moment in the public hearing, ordinance supporter Taryn Nash confronted NotMyBathroom.com creator Tei Nash, her own father. “Dad, I strongly disagree with the way
Greg Lindstrom/Montana Kaimin
Missoula passes antidiscrimination ordinance
Proponents of the city’s anti-discrimination ordinance leave a rally in Caras Park yesterday before the Missoula City Council meeting to vote on the proposal. After a long and spirited public debate, the council voted 10-2 early Tuesday morning to pass the ordinance.
you have been portraying the LGBT community,” Taryn said. “You have gone too far. I will not sit back any more and be quiet. I love you because you are my dad, but I have lost respect for you.” “You need to realize this crusade you are on is wrong, and it affects me personally,” Taryn continued, coming out to her father in a very public venue. “Right now I am ashamed to call you my father,” she added. He reportedly left the council chambers before she spoke. NotMyBathroom.com claimed that the ordinance would protect men who wanted to put on women’s clothes and harass them in restrooms. It also falsely asserted that “it could also force ministers to perform homosexual mar-
riages … [and] could also force the Boy Scouts of America to have homosexual Boy Scout leaders and force them to allow girls to be part of the troops.” FlushTheFear.com described itself as “a group composed of people of faith, including various denominations of the Christian faith, the Jewish faith, and a number of other faith traditions, who live and work in the Missoula area.” “Our group will be a leader in articulating God’s justice and ministry of inclusion and hospitality,” they promised on their website. Missoula is a town of some 107,000 people, the second-largest city in Montana. It is the site of the University of Montana and is considered more diverse and more liberal than most areas of the state.
Elliott Bay Book Company OUT Sustainability holds grand opening holds second annual james whitely
and a ribbon-cutting ceremony. “The past two years have been a difficult, painful period of exploring and evaluating possibilities in an attempt to determine what would be best – and necessary – to ensure the long-term health and vitality of the store,” said Peter Aaron, owner of Elliott Bay. The new location is nestled right in between Basic Plumbing and the OddFellows building. The building, built in 1918, was the original Ford truck service center for Seattle. The store is now a bit larger and features high wood ceilings and skylights. “It was hard to come to the realization that we weren’t going to survive in Pioneer Square,” said Tracey Taylor, general manager of Elliott Bay. Elliott Bay has alCustomers peruse the shelves at the new ways been known by Elliott Bay Book Store on Capitol Hill Seattleites as the big loby James Whitely cal bookstore with creaky floors, high ceilSGN Staff Writer ings, and old brick walls, but the staff of Elliott Bay assures its book-loving public that The Elliott Bay Book Company (1521 the new space will have its own “distinct 10th Ave.) celebrated it grand opening at charms.” its new Capitol Hill location on April 15. Even at the grand opening, Taylor is alLocal businesses shut down 10th Avenue ready adjusting to the new space with the between E. Pike and E. Pine Streets block help of familiar faces. “We see a lot of peoparty-style, as they came out in droves to ple that live up here and work in Pioneer welcome the bookstore – formerly of Pio- Square, so we’ve kept a lot of our regulars,” neer Square since June 29, 1973 – to its new Taylor told SGN. neighborhood. The Elliott Bay Café will be re-opening The grand opening, sponsored by the in the new location in early May. For more Capitol Hill Chamber of Commerce, fea- information on Elliott Bay Book Company, tured both a live local band, Let’s Get Lost, check out www.elliottbaybook.com. 8
Seattle Gay News
April 16, 2010
Earth Gay
by James Whitely SGN Staff Writer Earth Gay April 18 Various Seattle locations On April 18, OUT for Sustainability, a local environmental organization dedicated to engaging members of the LGBT community, will hold its second annual “Earth Gay.” The celebration will entail multiple volunteer service project opportunities and an afterparty at Havana on Capitol Hill, featuring DJ Lady Jane. “Earth Gay is an opportunity to raise the visibility of the importance of environmentalism in the LGBT community,” said Gerod Rody, executive director of OUT for Sustainability. “Earth Gay is also an opportunity for the environmental community to see the leadership and commitment to environmentalism that comes from the LGBT community, but often goes unrecognized.” Service projects include “Urban Farming” on Beacon Hill, a neighborhood cleanup in South Park, gardening in Rainier Valley, and habitat restoration with the Nature Consortium at Pigeon Point Park in West Seattle. OUT for Sustainability is the brainchild of Rody, who started the organization in January of 2009.
“I had a lot of Gay friends and a lot of sustainable friends, but I really didn’t have crossover,” Rody told SGN. “So I started asking around.” “The original concept was focused more around social events. Since then, it’s grown into a much more focused organization,” said Rody. Currently, OUT for Sustainability has a variety of functions, including programming, consulting, events, and advocacy. OUT for Sustainability will be coordinating two panels at Seattle’s June 5-6 Greenfest. Earth Gay is sponsored primarily by the Environmental Coalition of South Seattle, Equal Rights Washington, and the Greater Seattle Business Association. Service projects take place from 1-4 p.m. on Sunday, April 18. The afterparty begins at 5 p.m. and is free for service project volunteers, or a $5 donation. Refreshments will be provided to service project volunteers. Refreshments include organic donuts from Mighty-O and coffee from Fuel. To learn more about Out for Sustainability, Earth Gay, or to register for one of the service projects, visit www.outforsustainability.org. Earth Day is celebrated on April 22. This year marks the 40 anniversary of Earth Day.
Celebrating 37 Years!
Uganda “kill the Gays” Argentine court annuls bill loses momentum first Gay marriage
Uganda’s Anti-Homosexuality Bill – which would impose the death penalty on “serial offender” Gays and people with HIV who have sex, Gay or straight – is being held up in a parliamentary committee, and is not likely to be brought out for a vote. The bill was introduced with fanfare last fall, and sent to two legislative committees for review: the Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Committee and the Presidential Affairs Committee. Late last year, Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni urged parliament to “go slow” on the bill, citing the international outrage it had stirred up. President Obama, Secretary of State Clinton, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, the Archbishop of Canterbury, South African Archbishop Desmond Tutu, the European Union, and the Commonwealth all condemned the measure.
Mercopress/Santiago Times
by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer
Brown reportedly told Museveni he risked losing international aid to his country if he went ahead with the legislation. The U.S. State Department confirmed that Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Johnny Carson met personally with Museveni and extracted a promise that it would not be enacted. Even Museveni’s American evangelical allies eventually turned against the law. When Uganda’s parliament returned from Easter recess recently, the measure was off the agenda. “I think it is useless and will not achieve what it intends to achieve,” said Alex Ndeezi, a member of the Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Committee. Committee Chairman Stephen Tashyoba said the draft law was not a priority. “As far as I am concerned, we really have more urgent matters to discuss like electoral reforms, which are already behind schedule,” he said.
Malawi Gay prisoner seriously ill
Claire Ngozo/IPS
Norma Castillo (l) and Ramona Arevalo were married in Buenos Aires on March 12
by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer
Chimbalanga (l) and Monjeza have been charged under colonial-era laws against homosexuality that are in direct conflict with the constitution.
by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer Steven Monjeza, husband of Transgender Tiwonge Chimbalanga, has fallen seriously ill in prison, according to British Gay activist Peter Tatchell. Monjeza and Chimbalanga have been held in Malawi’s notorious Chichili prison since they were arrested the day after their wedding in December. Tatchell, who has followed their case from the beginning, said on April 12 that Monjeza has been vomiting, coughing, and suffering from pain and pressure in his chest for the last 11 days. “He looks very ill and has lost weight,” Tatchell said. He also reported that his Malawi sources believe that Monjeza needs urgent hospital care. “The prison authorities have failed to give Steven proper treatment, or even sufficient painkillers. His painkillers ran out on 10 April,” said Tatchell. “My informant says Mr. Monjeza urgently needs to go to hospital for a full medical examination and treatment. His health is likely to deteriorate further unless he gets swift medical care,” Tatchell added. “He has been held on remand in an overcrowded, squalid cell for over three months,
without proper food, sanitation, or medical care.” According to Tatchell, Chichili prison was built to house 800 inmates, but now holds 2,000. “Toilet and shower facilities are deficient. Mr. Monjeza receives only two meals a day. It is always the same maize porridge with beans, which has low nutritional value,” Tatchell said. “Requests by Mr. Monjeza and Mr. Chimbalanga for bail have been turned down, even though people convicted of violent assaults, even murder, have been previously granted bail. It looks like they are being singled out for special victimization,” Tatchell concluded. The law under which they have been charged with “gross indecency” dates to the colonial period, when Malawi was under British rule. If convicted, they could be sentenced to 14 years in prison. Amnesty International considers the pair prisoners of conscience and has called for their unconditional release. Tatchell issued an international call for concerned people to call the Malawian embassies in their countries to demand immediate medical care for Monjeza. Malawi’s embassy in Washington, D.C. can be reached at 202-721-0270.
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Only two days after Argentina’s first Lesbian marriage, a court annulled the first Gay marriage in the South American country. Alex Freyre and Jose Maria Di Bello were married in Ushuaia, Tierra del Fuego, on December 28 last year. On April 14, Ushuaia Children and Family Court Judge Marcos Meillien ruled that their marriage is “non-existent” under the Argentine constitution and ordered it annulled. The marriage had been challenged by local district attorney Karina Echazú on the grounds that Argentina’s constitution does not explicitly permit same-sex marriages. Tierra del Fuego Governor Fabiana Rios allowed the couple to marry in her province because the constitution also does not explicitly forbid same-sex marriage. Freyre and Di Bello reside in Argentina’s capitol, Buenos Aires, but conflicting court rulings blocked their marriage in their hometown. Gay couple Damian Bernath and Jorge Esteban Salazar were married March 3 in Buenos Aires, but their marriage was annulled by a federal court judge on March 10. The blog Blabbeando reports that Martin Canevaro and Carlos Alvarez have received legal clearance to marry in Buenos Aires, but have not yet been wed. Lesbians Norma Castillo and Ramona Arevalo were married in Buenos Aires on March 12. The latest legal action involved local
April 16, 2010
courts in Tierra del Fuego province, so it does not affect couples in Buenos Aires. The Argentine Supreme Court has indicated it would decide whether same-sex marriages are constitutional, and in the wake of the Freyre-Di Bello marriage it reaffirmed its intention to decide the question before the end of the year. Blabbeando reports that Pagina/12 reporter Mario Wainfeld spoke with an unidentified Argentine Supreme Court judge about the case. “[I]t would be better to wait for the topic to be aired through society and through the Parliament,” the judge told Wainfeld. “Of course, if the bill doesn’t advance or it’s delayed, the Tribunal would have to decide.” “In that case, would it be that easily resolved?” Wainfeld asked. “The file would have to be passed around, there are some strong individuals here, each one will want to establish their position, it’s a historic decision. But it is almost certain that there will be majority support,” the judge replied. There is currently a bill in the Argentine parliament to definitively legalize same-sex marriages, but a vote on it was delayed at the request of Argentine President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner. Her husband, former President Nestor Kirchner, has announced that he favors marriage equality. The Kirchner administration is reportedly in trouble with progressives in the centerleft coalition that governs the country, and may support marriage equality to shore up its left-wing support.
Seattle Gay News
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Seattle Gay News 15
Camp Ten Trees celebrates 10 years by James Whitely SGN Staff Writer Camp Ten Trees “We’ve Got Friends ‘Round Here” fundraiser
April 10 Westin Hotel On April 10, over 300 people gathered in the Westin Hotel in downtown Seattle to attend the annual Camp Ten Trees fundraising dinner, auction and 10th anniversaty cel-
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ebration. Magic was truly in the air as the “We’ve Got Friends ‘Round Here” fundraising dinner and auction immediately became something altogether more than a charity auction – it became like camp itself, as the sense of community was there, the experience felt new and unique, and the air itself began to taste sweet. According to Airen Lydick, the program director for Camp Ten Trees, the numbers are still being crunched, but Airen is confident that they raised more than last year’s $83,000 total. The fundraiser opened with the Camp Ten Trees Summer Camp director Kerb Lydick singing a traditional Camp Ten Trees campfire song and inviting all former and current Camp Ten Trees campers to come on stage. The stage quickly became packed with young people, who flanked Kerb on all sides. Right there before everyone’s eyes were the actual lives that have been touched by this wonderful and unique program. Camp Ten Trees is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that offers yearly summer camp sessions, one for LGBTQ youth and their allies, and another for children of LGBTQ and/or non-traditional families. “We’ve Got Friends ‘Round Here” featured an excellent selection of silent auction items; more than 20 high-priced live auction items; relaxing ambient music courtesy of the Purple Passion Swing Band, the swing ensemble of Rainbow City Band; spoken word poetry; a touching story from Camp Ten Trees board member Robert Beatty; a special appearance by Shannel, who offered up six tickets for auction to her show, Le Faux, at Julia’s on Broadway; and a fundraising dog sock puppet. There was truly something for everyone. The Camp Ten Trees campers and counselors may be the core of the community, but the former campers and volunteers, the donors, and the board are also part of the Camp Ten Trees community on a profound level, and it was wholly felt by anyone at the auction. “It’s a celebration more than a fundraiser,” Airen told SGN. “The first thing I think about when I think of the fact that it’s the 10-year anniversary is talking to the folks that were around from the beginning and that ‘wow’ feeling I get,” Airen told SGN. “I first got involved [as a volunteer] in October 2006, and I think of these folks that laid the groundwork that let it be possible.” Fundraising is an integral part of Camp Ten Trees in order to maintain its philosophy that every child, regardless of income, should be able to attend camp. The 10th anniversary marks the first complete transition of campers, as the youngest age group in the initial year will be “graduating” this year. For more information on Camp Ten Trees, visit them online at www.camptentrees.org.
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Seattle WA, 98109
16 Seattle Gay News
gsarozek@comcast.net www.garysarozek.com
April 16, 2010
Celebrating 37 Years!
networks, positive youth identities, and ing and revolutionary ways,” states QYS/ community pride by providing a space THREE WINGS. “We are truly the comcontinued from cover where Queer youth could socialize, work, munity, those who are experiencing hetand create together. The Cultural Activism erosexist oppression and the struggles that Lab will include a café, arts and cultural gal- accompany that, and we are organizing to regularly to organize events that are youth- lery, performance/class space, and commu- challenge it.” led, adult-supported, and that would benefit nity organizing spaces. The lab would serve as the face of THREE WINGS, and the pri- DEFENDING the LGBT community. QUEER YOUTH SPACE QYS officials say they have applied for mary function of its physical space would be a $100,000 grant which, if awarded, would so that young people could utilize the open “We have been accused of reverse ageism, create Queer Youth Space in the Capitol format to make media, socialize, and get en- which is a common misconception, just like reverse homophobia,” explained Rapinan. Hill neighborhood which would be “led and gaged with local activism. WING 2, the Wellness Collaborative, “Adults have the power, the money, the reorganized by the constituency.” According to Rapinan, the money has to be matched would provide critical education and men- sources, the time, and the established Queer by 100,000 community dollars and would tal health services to address the disparities spaces to take advantage of. Adults find be used for the 2011 program. “This space for health and wellbeing experienced by community in spaces, whereas Queer youth would be radical and revolutionary in that it Queer youth. QYS officials say, “WING 2 operate online and in the parks of Capitol would be youth-led and services would be will address disparities in the quality of life Hill. Queer youth have a few services that provided, but the space would also operate of Queer people, and other compounding were set up by adults, but in the end our isas a cultural/artist space in which arts, ac- factors, through holistic counseling, coach- sues are not represented to the mainstream tivism, wellness, and education coexist and ing and goal-attainment partnerships, peer – like money for the same-sex marriage mediation, health/legal information and fight in place of homeless shelters for Queer flourish,” he said. Rapinan says that the assumptions that referral, academic support, classes/groups youth.” QYS has not reached out to the LGBT com- aimed at personal healing, and community Rapinan says that it is important to note munity at large and is operating completely wellness.” THREE WINGS would offer that QYS is a collective of adults and youth on their own are not accurate. “QYS has these services in a non-confrontational and who donate their time and energy to this endeavor and because of this, Queer youth are been critically analyzing the process of confidential way. WING 3, the Research & Education Insti- finding mentors – and “adults are, also.” ‘partnering’ with any youth-serving organizations because a core value of QYS and tute wing, would work to positively impact “QYS is an inter-generational community THREE WINGS is a model to work ‘with’ the policies and cultural practices that nega- initiative, and if some adults are saying we youth rather than ‘for’ young people,” Rapi- tively impact the community by developing aren’t paying the proper respect to the work nan told SGN. “One strategic partner has a “think tank” to build leadership and pro- and time they spent for our liberation, then been Seattle Young People’s Project, an es- mote policy and community change through I am sorry for the misconception,” he said. tablished youth-led, adult-supported orga- research, education, and advocacy. The in- “Queer youth are organizing, and we have nization that was the fiscal sponsor for the stitute would also produce alternative media years left in our struggle for liberation. If Pride Foundation grant we were awarded and web resources, research-based resourc- adults stand with us, anything is possible es, and educational materials. It would pro- … but if not, there is always another grant earlier this year.” In the short time QYS has existed, the or- vide technical assistance and consultation to Queer youth could apply for, which coincidentally, was set up by adults to improve our ganization’s officials say there has been a schools and agencies. According to Rapinan, the steering com- community and find space for diverse populearning curve. “I would say that some lessons learned so far include how to operate mittee is a diverse group of individuals who lations.” as a collective, how to distribute informa- identify as members of the Queer commu- Another point of contention that QYS tion, and how to have fun while you work,” nity. Members range from 16 to 31 years of wanted to clear up is its relationship with said Rapinan. “Personally, I have learned age, and the vast majority skew younger. Ed- Lambert House. Rapinan maintains that that you are never too young to start making ucational backgrounds vary, and nearly 75% QYS has not, and will not, say that the sera difference. Just because you are 15 years are current high school or college students. vices provided by Lambert House are unold doesn’t mean you can’t organize a proj- In addition, members come from a variety of necessary. He says that the two organizafamilial backgrounds, including foster care, tions can and should coexist. ect binder.” The first pilot program, post-Mutiny, for single-parent households, and the majority “Some of our members feel like they have youth-led Queer organizing happens this have experienced homelessness or unstable outgrown Lambert House because they weekend. “QYS will present ‘Still Scream- housing at some point in their lives. None want something to be in the hands of the ing,’ an all-ages open mic art night on April of the members own housing, and most live constituents,” he said. “Lambert House pro17,” said Rapinan. “The event is free, and with their families, in student dormitories, vides a valuable service, but we want to go beyond offering direct service. We want to should be a great chance for Queer youth to or rent their living space. “Every member of the steering committee have a space that is youth-led and directed find a sense of community in a anti-ageist space. All the information is on our web- has experienced verbal or physical harass- space for education, the arts, and commusite, www.queeryouthspace.com.” (“Still ment, and the majority have also experi- nity health.” Screaming” will be held April 17, 7:10 to enced violence due to their perceived or ac- Rapinan says that Seattle’s status as “su10:10 pm at Club Diamond, 332 5th Ave. tual gender identity or sexual orientation,” per Gay-friendly” is still in flux. “Most of said Rapinan. N.) Collectively affiliated with over 40 Queer youth serving organizations around the THREE WINGS So what, exactly, would a $100,000 Seattle area, Rapinan says QYS/THREE matching fund grant get Seattle’s Queer WINGS are “truly members of our commuyouth? Rapinan says it would gain them a nity, those who have sought out support, as physical Queer Youth Space that would sup- well as contributed to existing resources.” QYS officials say that it is the intimate port their constituency with “three wings” of services. QYS applied for the grant under familiarity and involvement with Seattle’s the non-profit moniker “THREE WINGS” current offerings for Queer youth – and lack thereof – which creates their effectiveness as their ticket to legitimacy. According to QYS/THREE WINGS of- in forming an organization and conducting ficials, WING 1 would consist of a Cultural outreach and fundraising for it. “We are fulActivism Lab to build Queer peer support filling the needs of the community in excit-
queer youth
our members have been kicked out for being Queer,” he said. “That is why we need safe space. A QYS would be a space that is against all forms of oppression, collectively run, and in the hands of Queer youth. We love businesses that support the LGBT community, as we frequently choose to meet at Kaladi rather than, say, Starbucks. But the difference is that if we want to paint the walls of Kaladi into a big rainbow, that would not be possible. In a space dedicated to Queer youth, that is totally possible, or if we want to have a weekly dance party in a QYS, or a poetry slam, that could happen. … Safe space means directed space, in the hands of young people. That is why we can’t just ‘take over’ space.” Rapinan says that benefits held for Queer youth usually occur in bars or bowling allies, which cater to the adult population with money. “These spaces do not allow Queer youth to participate. It feels strange when we have a ‘community benefit’ but Queer youth aren’t allowed to come,” he said. “Not to mention that gala and ticket prices for such Queer events that have something to do with Queer youth are too expensive for Queer youth. Why not have staggered prices? I don’t need a fancy dinner to be able to come to a benefit; give me a peanut butter sandwich and let me join the LGBT community.” “Queer youth are members of this community. This is especially visible when the only chance Queer youth have to come to a benefit is to be the volunteers and show dogs,” Rapinan said. “If a benefit is for Queer youth, let them in and watch the dollars flow even more as adults connect and hear the stories from our population. Direct constituent voices are the soul of the event, like the Pride Foundation/GSBA awards.” Although a big part of the QYS dynamic is education and safety, some members say that the general population may also have misjudged the character of their events. “I think there is definitely a tendency for organizations that work for youth to become overbearing and inextricably ‘adult.’ Being both heteronormative and ageist, such organizations become ‘parents,’ committed to reproduction of certain forms: the sexless, innocent, and undeveloped child; the irrational, work-in-progress youth; and the to-betreated, fixed, brought back to the fold deviant,” QYS volunteer Kyle Croft told SGN. see queer youth page 18
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April 16, 2010
Seattle Gay News 17
Constance McMillen invited to be NYC LGBT Pride Parade grand marshal file photo
among the stars coming together and joining the American Humanist Association in hosting a Gay-friendly prom in Downtown Tupelo, Mississippi. The prom, which is open to everyone but geared towards LGBT youth, was made possible with the help of the stars, who may also appear at the event. The prom is in response to the story of McMillen being sent to a “fake” prom, which angered millions around the country. The annual Second Chance Prom, now in its second year, is set to take place on May 8 and will feature dinner, live entertainment, and some celebrity guests. Openly Gay Bass is planning to attend. The American Humanist Association is also donating $20,000 to the event. “We are very pleased to be able to support and promote LGBT equality alongside other sponsors,” said Roy Speckhardt, executive director of the American Humanist Association. “We’re proud to be standing on the side of love and acceptance instead of fear and prejudice, and we hope that the event will bring appreciation of the diversity within our society and encourage others to embrace it as a positive value that can continue to forge progress for all Americans.”
exist … and people will see that we’re about more than just ‘bitching.’” “The thing I want to stress is it is not the community versus QYS, but some folks versus QYS and the community,” Rapinan told SGN. “Queer youth are a community, and it is QYS. Nothing will change that – not even if we do not get the grant, or if mainstream Queer adults turn against Queer youth. There is nothing wrong with Queer youth organizing, because the very act of organizing constituents is good for the Queer community in Seattle.” QYS is looking for pledges for their grant. QYS officials say they need people to donate professional services like legal, accounting, or grant-writing experience, as well as skill shares, workshops, food, art, furniture, computers, or cash. To donate, volunteer, or learn more about QYS, visit the organization online at www.queeryouthspace.com.
hospital
continued from cover
ica, patients are denied the kindnesses and caring of a loved one at their sides – whether in a sudden medical emergency or a procontinued from page 17 longed hospital stay. Often, a widow or widower with no children is denied the support and comfort of a good friend. Members of religious orders are sometimes unable to “They begin to prescribe and normalize choose someone other than an immediate Constance McMillen behaviors (like no kissing!). This is exactly family member to visit them and make medwhat QYS is working against. As an orga- ical decisions on their behalf. Also uniquely by Shaun Knittel nization, we work as youth, not ‘for’ them. affected are Gay and Lesbian Americans Pride March, and the Mississippi Safe SGN Staff Writer School Coalition (with the help of some We don’t want to help ‘guide’ Queer youth who are often barred from the bedsides For the past few weeks, bizarre and of- very popular and influential entertainers) along a certain approach to being a Queer of the partners with whom they may have spent decades of their lives – unable to be ten hurtful news has come creeping out of plans to throw a Gay-friendly prom that will youth; we want to celebrate difference.” “What occurs to me is that QYS is beginthere for the person they love, and unable to be open to all Mississippi high schoolers, Itawamba, Mississippi. Openly Lesbian high school senior Constance McMillen proving that some good can still come out ning to emerge as more than a set of ques- act as a legal surrogate if their partner is intions or a group of committed people,” capacitated.” was told she could not wear a tuxedo to her of all of this. On April 13, NYC Pride announced that said Croft. “We’ve been criticized a lot for The president’s memo directs the Secreprom, then she couldn’t take her sophomore girlfriend to the prom, then the prom was McMillen was named as one of the Pride ‘whining and bitching’ because we haven’t tary of Health and Human Services (HHS) cancelled, and then she won a court case. Parade’s grand marshals. The parade is set presented any events except for the Mutiny. to create a regulation which requires all hosPeople who encounter our website or Face- pitals receiving federal Medicare and MedThis controversy finally culminated into to occur on June 27. “I never dreamed so many people would book don’t see the hours of discussion and icaid funding – the vast majority of hospitals McMillen and six other students (including two special-needs students) being duped – support my fight to take my girlfriend to planning that we’ve put in because that be- in America – to allow patients to designate by parents and peers alike – into going to a the prom – much less that I’d end up being hind-the-scene work is not relevant to them. who may visit them and prohibit discrimiasked to be a grand marshal at NYC Pride,” Starting with a free open mic next week, nation in visitation based on several factors, “fake” prom. This week, however, the SGN is happy to McMillen, 18, said. “I’m really honored and we’ll be launching at least one QYS event a including sexual orientation and gender report that two pieces of good news have touched to be asked to be part of this cel- month. Hopefully, as people begin to associ- identity. The memo also instructs the HHS ate our name with events and entertainment, to provide assistance to hospitals in helpcome to light: McMillen is set to make her ebration.” Also announced this week, Green Day, we’ll be able to distinguish ourselves from ing them comply with regulations requirfirst Pride appearance and serve as grand marshal of the 41st Annual NYC LGBT Lance Bass, and celebrity chef Cat Cora are the problematic organizations that actually ing them to respect individuals’ healthcare directives and other documents establishing who should make healthcare decisions for patients when they are unable to do so. The memo closes by requesting HHS to conduct a larger study of the barriers LGBT people and their families face in accessing healthcare. Last September, a federal district court rejected a Lambda Legal lawsuit filed against Kennedy Painting and Design Miami’s Jackson Memorial Hospital on beinteriors/exteriors/color consultations half of Janice Langbehn, ruling that no law required the hospital to allow her and their three children to see her partner. Langbehn Richard Kennedy and the children were kept apart from Lisa 206-683-9666 Pond, Langbehn’s partner, by hospital staff rkennedypainting@yahoo.com for eight hours as Pond slipped into a coma and later died. licensed bonded insured lic #kennedpd924bw After signing the memo, Obama called Langbehn and expressed his sympathies for the tragic loss of her partner. “It was very rewarding to hear ‘I’m sorry,’ from the president, because that’s what I have wanted to hear from Jackson Memorial since the night Lisa died,” said Janice Langbehn in a statement issued by Lambda Legal. “I hope that taking these steps makes sure that no family ever has to experience Major Credit Cards Accepted the nightmare that my family has gone through.” (206) 784-0313
queer youth
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18 Seattle Gay News
April 16, 2010
Celebrating 37 Years!
Elena Kagan - A Lesbian on the Supreme Court? Gay news that’s fit to print by Leslie Robinson SGN Contributing Writer
was more ahead. She highlighted the “Week in Review” story about President Obama building on the legacy of President Clinton. DADT figured prominently. She pointed to the front page of the paper and the news that a sequel to “The Official Preppy Handbook” is forthcoming, this time with an essay by Edmund White on Gay prepsters. Your evidence is getting thinner, I warned. She heaved a sigh, muttered something rude about my ceaseless need for proof, and waved The New York Times Magazine in my face. On the cover sat two bunnies and the words “They Gay?” I now owe Anne dinner. The cover story with the marvelous title “The Love that Dare Not Squawk its Name” tackled how scientifically and socially complicated same-sex animal couplings are. Anne hadn’t read the rest of the paper. “Shall we see if we show up in the book review?” she asked very rhetorically. She spotted a novel about a Bisexual young woman, and on the next page a history of disco, which, the reviewer said, traces “how disco helped groom and commercialize a formidable new Gay identity.” Now Anne was possessed. She even combed the “Sunday Business” section. Her eureka moment came when she saw that an essay on sabbaticals had been written by a professor working on a book about Oscar Wilde. “Close enough,” she pronounced. She looked through the sports but couldn’t find anything Gay. “You’re in here! We just don’t know it yet!” I pried what little of the paper remained from her hands. After she calmed down, Anne said, “I don’t know if this is just our week, or we’ve actually become mainstream.” We won’t know till our next vacation, when, if The Times has a repeat performance, so will she.
“I’m doing your research for you.” Anne was all smiles, but her words had made me all nervous. Someone choosing a topic for me to write about is often as welcome as someone choosing my clothes for the day. I could wind up in paisley. My partner’s enthusiasm was undeniable. Each time she finished a section of the Sunday New York Times she uttered something between an exclamation and a squeak. We were on vacation in Florida, so for the first time in ages she’d been able to read the whole paper. “There is something Gay in every section,” she announced. “A plethora of poofters in the paper!” That did it. I was hooked. Paisley, here I come. Anne pointed to the lead story in “Arts & Leisure” about Ellen DeGeneres holding her own as the newest judge on American Idol. Ellen’s efforts on the nation’s most popular program, according to the story, show “how determined she is to be openly but unthreateningly Gay.” In the same section, Anne spotted something threateningly Gay. The headline for a round-up of new albums read “Country Grief, Soulful Gospel and Gay Lust.” The latter referred to the group Hunx and His Punx and its man-obsessed lyrics. This is not your father’s New York Times – it’s not even your older brother’s New York Times. “Sunday Styles” led with a piece on Alexander McQueen, the Gay British designer who recently took his own life. The section also examined Ricky Martin’s coming out on his website rather than in a magazine like People. On the local gala page, a third of the photos came from the Imperial Court of New York’s benefit drag ball. And in the wedding pages, a couple of fellas got hitched. The only thing that would’ve made the section Gayer was rainbow-colored ink. Okay, I said to Anne, but that’s all the arty, Leslie Robinson lives in Seattle. E-mail style-y stuff. You expect to find us there. her at lesarobinson@gmail.com, and read Anne, giddy with Gayness, declared there more columns at www.generalgayety.com.
Ellen’s efforts on [American Idol], according to the story, show “how determined she is to be openly but unthreateningly Gay.”
by Jennifer Vanasco SGN Contributing Writer
Her record as a Dean and a professor are more indicative of her liberal leanings than is the (possible) fact of her Lesbianism. Though, interestingly, because she hasn’t served as a judge or a legislator, her on-therecord views of most issues that might come up before the Court is non-existent. But yes, in terms of visibility and representation, it would matter, especially (and perhaps only if) she came out. Having an open Lesbian serve on the Supreme Court would mean that young Gays and Lesbians would have a significant role model and would solidify our place as a minority that deserves representation in our political system. Perhaps more importantly, though, we could be secure in knowing that there was at least one justice who started with the baseline understanding that Gays and Lesbians are fully human and should be treated like the full citizens we are. It also is likely that having her as a close colleague will gently shift the perspective of even the most conservative members of the court (Does Antonin Scalia have any close Gay friends? He may, but I think it’s unlikely) and make them less afraid of the lavender menace. I wonder, too, if lawyers who come before the Supreme Court will argue differently. Most cases are not Gay cases, of course, but a few important ones – marriage, military – are likely to come up in the next few years, and it would be interesting to see if the lawyers for the anti-Gay side modify their arguments to make them more palatable to a Gay justice. For example, I imagine that there would be no labeling Gay people as being bad for children, or of Gayness being immoral. But all of that is speculation. We need to wait and see who the actual nominee is. In the meantime, we can hope. A Lesbian on the Supreme Court. Twenty-five years ago, who dreamed that might happen?
Suddenly, it seems possible that the next Supreme Court pick might be a Lesbian. Surprise! Solicitor General Elena Kagan is not openly Gay at the moment – which, of course, may mean she’s not Gay at all. But persistent rumors, an absence of denial, and some assurances from people I trust make me think that, yeah, she probably is. And she’s right now on the short list of potential Supreme Court nominees to replace Justice John Paul Stevens on his retirement this summer, along with appellate judges Diane Wood and Merrick Garland. Kagan would be a good choice. Though she hasn’t won the love of people who worked for her, she is known for reaching out (and hiring) more conservative faculty and diplomatically increasing the range of viewpoints when she served as Dean of Harvard Law School. Diplomacy is good – and undervalued – on the Supreme Court. A liberal position on a case helps no one if a justice can’t get four other justices to side with her. The short list is no guarantee, of course. This could be a list of names being floated by the White House; it could be names they’ve already discarded; it could be a list someone in the blogosphere made up. The Wall Street Journal is already warning that conservatives are against her, because she spoke out against the Solomon Amendment, which forbids federal funds to be distributed to law schools (like Harvard) that did not allow the military to recruit on campus because of its discriminatory policies. The idea that she herself may be a Lesbian – and the conservative stand against that – is buried in the subtext. Would it matter if the next Supreme Court Justice was a Lesbian? Well, yes and no. No, because we all know that our sexual orientation doesn’t dictate how we feel about any issue. Some of us are Democrats, Jennifer Vanasco is an award-winning, some Republicans – and I bet some of us are even Tea Partiers. We fall on different sides syndicated columnist. E-mail her at Jenon hate crimes, military service, and even nifer.Vanasco@gmail.com; Follow her at Twitter.com/JenniferVanasco. Gay marriage.
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April 16, 2010
Seattle Gay News 19
prop 8
continued from cover tion until at least 2012, and perhaps later.” Love Honor Cherish was one of 40 mostly grassroots groups working for a 2010 vote within a coalition called Restore Equality 2010. “Our signature-collection effort may have fallen short, but we stand tall as being the only statewide campaign that fought for repealing Proposition 8 in 2010,” said Sean Bohac, chair of the Restore Equality 2010 Statewide Advisory Panel. “Our campaigners carried the torch of Harvey Milk, who showed that change only happens when we get out of the bars and into the streets. And our efforts are reflected in the new polls that show increased support for extending marriage to all Californians.” Bohac told The San Diego Union-Tribune that the number of signatures collected “was not particularly close” to the 694,354 needed. “We won’t be making it public,” he said. Recent polls by the Public Policy Institute of California and by the Los Angeles Times/ University of Southern California have shown that, for the first time, a majority of Californians now support same-sex marriage – suggesting that top Gay rights groups Equality California and Courage Campaign may have made a misstep in refusing to support the 2010 effort. EQCA and Courage expressed fears that voters would not be ready
to reverse themselves just two years after re-banning same-sex marriage. But EQCA Executive Director Geoff Kors said the poll results haven’t caused the group to second-guess its decision. “Equality California still believes 2012 is the right time to go to the ballot,” Kors said. “Those polls were not of likely voters for the 2010 election. When you dig deeper into those polls – and our internal polls during the same time period – what’s clear is young voters are the ones who move the most. And young voters make up a much larger percentage of the electorate in a presidential race [2012] than a gubernatorial race [2010], which is why the L.A. Times said, after looking at their poll numbers in the article, it’s clear why Gay rights groups wanted to wait until 2012, because 2010 doesn’t provide us the best opportunity to win due to voter turnout.” Restore Equality 2010 said it now will join up with the 2012 effort. Signature collecting for that project is expected to begin in the summer of 2011. A California Supreme Court ruling legalized same-sex marriage in May 2008 and weddings began June 16, 2008. The court said preventing Gay couples from marrying violated the state constitution. Even more groundbreaking, the court also ruled that sexual orientation is a “suspect classification” – which made any type of discrimination based on sexual orientation constitutionally subject to the strictest level of scrutiny by California courts. California governmental entities now
have to prove they have a specific “compelling interest” – rather than a mere “rational basis” – when they treat GLB people differently in any way. The change made it dramatically harder for any level of government to defend itself in any arena where Gays, Lesbians and Bisexuals are not treated the same as heterosexuals. Some 18,000 same-sex couples married in California before voters amended the state constitution to re-ban same-sex marriage in November 2008. The California Supreme Court later ruled that Prop 8 was a valid amendment to the constitution. A federal lawsuit led by famous attorneys David Boies and Ted Olson to overturn Prop 8 as a violation of the U.S. Constitution is ongoing in San Francisco. The trial paused on January 27 after all testimony had been heard but before closing arguments because Judge Vaughn Walker said he wanted to review the testimony before hearing the attorneys’ final statements. The conclusion of the trial apparently has been further delayed while Gay groups that ran the ballot campaign against Prop 8, who are not parties to the federal lawsuit, fight an order to turn over some of their e-mails from the campaign period. With assistance from Bill Kelley
stevens
continued from cover President Obama his second opportunity to nominate a Supreme Court Justice. He named Justice Sonia Sotormayor to replace Justice David Souter last year. Stevens was appointed to the Supreme Court by Pres. Gerald Ford in 1975. He will turn 90 years old on April 20. Stevens is often described as a “liberal” by conservatives, but he described himself as a “judicial conservative” in a 2007 interview with ABC News. Stevens has always insisted that he was not moving left, but the court was moving right. “Every justice nominated has been more conservative than the one they replaced, except maybe for Justice Ginsberg,” he said in a recent ABC News interview. Due process Stevens is perhaps best known to the
LGBT community for his dissent in Bowers v. Hardwick (1986), in which the majority of the court upheld a Georgia law prohibiting oral and anal sex. In his dissent Stevens wrote “the fact that the governing majority in a State has traditionally viewed a particular practice as immoral is not a sufficient reason for upholding a law prohibiting the practice.” Stevens argued that the operative legal principle in the case was the due process clause of the 14th Amendment, a view which was later adopted by the majority of his Supreme Court colleagues in a number of personal liberty cases. “[I]ndividual decisions by married persons, concerning the intimacies of their physical relationship, even when not intended to produce offspring,” Stevens wrote, “are a form of ‘liberty’ protected by the Due Process Clause of the 14th Amendment. Moreover, this protection extends to intimate choices by unmarried as well as married persons.” Stevens then argued that state intrusions are equally burdensome regardless of an individual’s marital status or sexual orientation, and therefore the due process clause must apply equally, “regardless of whether the parties who engage in it are married or unmarried, or are of the same or different sexes.” In 2003, the court majority in Lawrence v. Texas, which reversed the Bowers decision and struck down sodomy laws, relied heavily on Stevens’ reasoning in his Bowers dissent. “Justice Stevens’ analysis, in our view, should have been controlling in Bowers and should control here. Bowers was not correct when it was decided, and it is not correct today,” Justice Anthony Kennedy wrote for the majority. The court also applied similar reasoning in Romer v. Evans (1996) when it struck down a Colorado constitutional amendment prohibiting local anti-discrimination ordinances protecting sexual orientation. In that case, Stevens joined a decision written by Justice Kennedy arguing that anti-discrimination ordinances do not create “special rights” for LGBT persons. “To the contrary,” the court said, “the amendment imposes a special disability upon those persons alone. Homosexuals are forbidden the safeguards that others enjoy or may seek without constraint.” The 14th Amendment’s due process clause is also at the heart of three pending cases which could define LGBT rights for generations: • Perry v Schwarzenegger, the case led by Ted Olson and David Boies challenging California’s Prop 8, which overturned marriage equality in that state. • Gill et al. v. Office of Personnel Management et al., the Massachusetts case challenging the federal DOMA, which prohibits recognition of same-sex marriages. • Log Cabin Republicans v the USA, aimed at striking down “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.”
Legal Services
www.sgn.org 20 Seattle Gay News
April 16, 2010
Celebrating 37 Years!
Bush v. Gore and other dissents Stevens wrote a stinging dissent in Bush v. Gore (2000), in which the court majority halted a recount ordered by Florida state courts, thereby giving Florida’s electoral votes – and the presidential election – to George W. Bush. Stevens argued that the Supreme Court’s intervention in the Florida recount gave the appearance of partisan politics and damaged the credibility of federal courts. “Although we may never know with complete certainty the identity of the winner of this year’s presidential election, the identity of the loser is perfectly clear. It is the Nation’s confidence in the judge as an impartial guardian of the rule of law,” he wrote. Stevens also wrote a dissent in Van Orden v. Perry (2005), in which the majority voted to allow a Ten Commandments display at the Texas state capitol. The 1st Amendment, he wrote, “has creat-
ed a strong presumption against the display of religious symbols on public property”, and it “demands religious neutrality – Government may not exercise preference for one religious faith over another.” Stevens was the lone dissenter in Scott v. Harris (2007), an 8–1 ruling holding that high-speed police chases resulting in death or serious injury do not violate the 4th Amendment. Stevens argued that a jury should determine when deadly force is justified, not “a group of elderly appellate judges.” In the majority Although Stevens is best known for his dissents, he also wrote significant majority opinions for the court. In Wallace v. Jaffree (1985), the court struck down an Alabama statute mandating a minute of silence in public schools for “meditation or prayer.” In his opinion, Stevens argued that the
non-establishment-of-religion clause of the 1st Amendment became binding on state governments with the ratification of the 14th Amendment. “Just as the right to speak and the right to refrain from speaking are complementary components of a broader concept of individual freedom of mind, so also the individual’s freedom to choose his own creed is the counterpart of his right to refrain from accepting the creed of the majority,” he wrote. “[T]he Court has unambiguously concluded that the individual freedom of conscience protected by the 1st Amendment embraces the right to select any religious faith or none at all.” In Arizona v. Gant, Stevens authored the majority opinion which restricted police stop-and-search powers. “[P]olice may search a vehicle incident to a recent occupant’s arrest only if the arrestee is within reaching distance of the
compartment at the time of the search or it is reasonable to believe the vehicle contains evidence of the offense of arrest,” he wrote. Stevens also wrote the majority opinion in Hamdan v Rumsfeld (2006), in which he held that the military tribunals set up by the Bush administration to try suspected terrorists had to comply with both U.S. and international law. Defendant Hamdan’s exclusion from parts of his trial containing what the military judges deemed classified information violated both of these, Stevens said, and the trial was therefore illegal. Not all of Stevens’ majority opinions tended toward the “liberal” side, however. In Crawford v. Marion County Election Board (2007) he held that states may require official photo ID cards to ensure that only citizens vote. He was joined by Justices Roberts, Kennedy, Scalia, Thomas, and Alito.
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Seattle Gay News 21
City Council
Transportation Committee
holds public hearing
on the future First Hill Streetcar
Who: Seattle City Council Transportation Committee What: Special meeting, in the community When: Thursday, April 22 at 5:30 p.m.
Where: Seattle First Baptist Church, 1111 Harvard Avenue
The community is encouraged to attend and give input on the “Two-Way Broadway” route before the Council makes a final determination on the alignment in early May. THIS AD IS DONATED BY THE SEATTLE GAY NEWS TO SUPPORT THE COMPLETE STREETCAR PROJECT 22 Seattle Gay News
April 16, 2010
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April 16, 2010
Seattle Gay News 23