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Seattle Gay News S E AT T L E ’ S L G B T Q N E W S & E N T E R TA I N M E N T W E E K LY

COVID-19: Trump blew it, Seattle Pride, Seattle PrideFest and TransPride Patty Murray says Seattle announce changes Calls for massive testing for 2020 Pride celebrations

Photo courtesy of Seattle Pride

To our Seattle Pride family, we want to share with you that Seattle Pride, Seattle PrideFest and Trans Pride Seattle have made the collective decision to shift this year’s annual Pride celebrations to a series

of virtual events. The decision was made out of an abundance of caution – and concern for our community’s health – after

see SEATTLE PRIDE page 5

HRC celebrates historic pro-equality wins in Milwaukee

President Trump, flanked by administration officials at CDC headquarters, holds a picture of the coronavirus. – Photo by Jim Watson / AFP / Getty Images

by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer In a nine-page white paper on the COVID-19 pandemic, US Sen. Patty Mur-

“Despite efforts to limit turnout, Milwaukee has made history,” said HRC President Alphonso David. “The city re-elected a strongly pro-equality mayor in Tom Barrett and elected its first LGBTQ member of the Common Council. Throughout his tenure,

see MILWAUKEE page 16

see MURRAY page 5

President Barack Obama endorses Joe Biden

Tom Barrett (l) and JoCasta Zamarripa – Photos courtesy of HRC

MILWAUKEE (April 13, 2020) – Today, the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), the nation’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) civil rights organization, celebrated Mayor Tom Barrett’s re-election and Assemblywoman JoCasta Zamarripa’s historic win in her race for Milwaukee alderwoman.

ray has called for a massive federally funded testing program. “Health experts have made clear if we

Photo by Pete Souza / White House

Hi George: Let me start by saying the obvious – these aren’t normal times. As we all manage our way through a pandemic unlike anything we’ve seen in a century, Michelle and I hope that you and your families are safe and well.

Over the past weeks, we’ve seen plenty of examples of the kind of courage, kindness, and selflessness that we’re going to need to get through one of the most difficult times in our history. We have been amazed at the incredible bravery of our medical

see OBAMA page 17

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Celebrating 46 Years!

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Editor in Chief George Bakan Copy Editor Rick McKinnon (since Dec 2013) Advertising George Bakan • Maggie Bloodstone MK Scott National Advertising Rep. Rivendell Media (212) 242-6863 Staff Writers Mike Andrew • Sara Michelle Fetters Miryam Gordon • Albert Rodriguez Contributing Writers Rev. Barbara Allen • Ron Anders Madelyn Arnold • Alice Bloch Maggie Bloodstone • Beau Burriola Sharon Cumberland • Jessica Davis Tina Gianoulis • Anthony Greer Milton W. Hamlin • Nevin Jefferson Richard Kennedy • Shaun Knittel Liz Meyer • Jason A. Miller Jesse Monteagudo David Nguyen aka Teriyaki Temple Rod Parke • Don Paulson Jerry Peerson • Tim Peter • Jessica Price Scott Rice • Leslie Robinson MK Scott • Mark Segal • Gaysha Starr Sarah Toce • Paul Torres • Janice Van Cleve Ed Walsh • James Whitely Scott Wittet • Rex Wockner Cartoonist Ken Campbell Calendar Editor Rick McKinnon Classifieds Rick McKinnon Photographers Nate Gowdy • Joseph P. Herron MK Scott • James Whitely Production Mike Pham Website Designer Barry Thorsness / Digital Team Works Seattle Gay News is published by Frogs and Ink, Inc. © 2018. Frogs and Ink, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Reprints by permission. Publication of names, photographs, or likeness of any person, organization, event or business in this publication cannot be taken as any indication of the sexual orientation of the person, organization, event or business. Opinions expressed in bylined articles, columns, and letters are those of the authors only and do not necessarily reflect the views of the staff or management of this paper. Seattle Gay News welcomes unsolicited material, including letters to the editor, but reserves the right to edit or reject material. All rights revert to authors upon publication. We assume no liability for loss or damage of materials, solicited or not. We invite feedback, please write. And please play safe. It is our policy that no money shall be refunded if you choose to cancel your ad. Credit will be given for the balance owed. No exceptions.

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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BOOK BINGO

Seattle Public Library’s popular reading program for adults returns for the sixth year in early May This year’s Book Bingo, an adult summer reading program co-presented by Seattle Arts & Lectures and The Seattle Public Library, will launch online – and a bit earlier! – making it Spring/Summer Book Bingo. Now in its sixth year, our annual Book Bingo offers a fun way for Seattle readers to expand their reading selections. Each square on the bingo card presents a reading challenge, where you read and record a book title that fits the challenge. This year’s bingo card is designed by Susanna Ryan, the comic artist behind the book “Seattle Walk Report” and the popular Instagram account. HOW TO PLAY Readers will be able to download a card from www.spl.org/BookBingo or lectures. org in early May, two weeks earlier than previous years. We will have print cards available at a later date, once our libraries are open again. In the meantime, please use our enhanced online card, where each challenge square will lead you to a list of reading suggestions that fit the category. Fill in the card with titles and authors of the books you read from now until Sept. 8. Want to get a head start? Here’s your first sneak peek at the 2020 squares: UPLIFTING. Each Thursday a new bingo square will be released on social media, with the tag #BookBingoNW2020. Librarians have prepared suggested reading lists for each bingo square, see their recommendations for Uplifting books. HOW TO ENTER When you’ve marked out an entire row or all 25 squares, post a photo of your completed Book Bingo card using #BookBingoNW2020 via Facebook (@SeattlePublicLibrary), Instagram (@seattleartsandlectures @SeattlePublicLibrary) or Twitter (@ SeaArtsLectures @SPLBuzz). You can also mail your card to Seattle Arts & Lectures, 340 15th Ave. E., Suite 301, Seattle, WA 98112. Entries must be received by 6pm. Tuesday, Sept. 8, 2020. This contest is for readers ages 18 and up.

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brief form at www.spl.org/YourNext5. One of Seattle’s expert librarians will recommend a personalized list of five books. You can also check the hashtag #BookBingoNW2020 on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook to get ideas from fellow readers. TWO WAYS TO WIN Blackout Card Complete all 25 squares to be entered in the drawing for one of three grand prizes, including a subscription to the 2020/21 SAL series of your choice. Blackout cards will also be automatically entered in the bingo drawing (see below). Bingo Complete a horizontal, vertical or diagonal line to be entered into a drawing to win a gift card from one of Seattle’s independent bookstores. Winning entries will be selected at random. Prizes may be collected at the Library location of your choice. WHAT TO READ NEXT? For custom-crafted reading recommendations, visit a Library branch or fill out a

PARTNERSHIP INFO Founded in 1987, Seattle Arts & Lectures champions the literary arts by engaging and inspiring readers and writers of all generations in the Puget Sound region. SAL’s programs include the Literary Arts Series, Journalism Series, Women You Need to Know, Poetry Series, Hinge, SAL Presents, and Writers in the Schools, an awardwinning reading and writing program that places professional writers in public elementary, middle and high schools. For more information about Spring/Summer Book Bingo, visit www.spl.org/BookBingo, call The Seattle Public Library at 206386-4636 or Ask Us. For ADA accommodations, please contact: leap@spl.org. Courtesy of Seattle Public Library

LGBTQ free youth social support groups online with Lambert House This time of social isolation can be particularly challenging for LGBTQ youth. Lambert House now has free confidential online groups available 7 days a week for LGBTQ+ youth ages 12-22. For more information, please email Laurie@Lamberthouse.org. Courtesy of Lambert House

Celebrating 46 Years!

Union grocery workers to get extra “hero bonus” Stores take measures to reduce risks by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer Grocery workers – now on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic – who are members of UFCW 21 will get an extra $2 per hour “hero bonus” in their paychecks. The union successfully pressured employers to reward workers who are remaining on the job, often with only makeshift protections, to ensure that the city’s food supply is available for shoppers. Meanwhile, the state Department of Labor and Industries issued new guidelines for grocery store safety. The L&I guidance requires stores to have a social distancing plan, ensure frequent hand-washing, and provide basic education to staff about how to prevent the spread of coronavirus. To protect workers, L&I strongly recommends steps like installing hand sanitizer dispensers for customers, ensuring people handling money and retrieving carts are wearing gloves, and marking on the floor and enforcing six-foot increments at checkout stands. QFC and Safeway stores will be limiting the number of customers allowed to shop at any particular time. Safeway is reportedly limiting shoppers to only 30% of its normal capacity. While this practice helps reduce the chances of contagion within the store, it has also led to lines outside, as shoppers have to wait to enter. Some stores have also implemented one-way aisles, to discourage shoppers from passing each other within the recommended six feet.

MURRAY

continued from cover want to end social distancing & safely get people back to work, back to school, & back to some semblance of normal life—we will need hundreds of millions of tests. We need to make sure testing is fast, free, & everywhere,” the senator said in an April 15 tweet introducing her white paper. The document is sharply critical of the Trump administration. “The Trump administration has repeatedly failed to recognize the need for extensive testing to fight COVID-19,” she writes. “The current national surge in COVID-

Photo by Jason Redmond / Reuters

At the QFC in the Broadway Market, employees shut down every other self-scan machine in order to help customers maintain their distance. They were subsequently reprimanded by management, who told workers that “our best defense is to try to get the customers through our front ends as quick as possible… if we only open every other u-scan, then that means that all of those customers are bottlenecked on the back end and still not six feet apart from each other.” What should you do when you need groceries? According to state health officials, these are best practices for shoppers: Limit the number of times you go to a grocery store to once a week or even less frequently. Shop with a list and don’t browse. The less time you spend in public places the better. • Shop by yourself, if possible, to help limit the number of people in the aisles. You can also volunteer to shop for neigh-

bors and limit the number of people in the store even more. • Shop at less popular times when the stores will be less crowded.

19 cases could and should have been prevented. With accurate, expansive, early testing, the US could have better contained early case clusters and significantly mitigated the widespread community transmission that has overwhelmed the health care system and resulted in tens of thousands of deaths.” According to Murray, a plan to move forward must include several components: • A strategic plan to leverage a “whole of society” response • Emergency funding to enable rapid scaling of testing and the full range of activities that support testing and maximize its impact • A pipeline to develop, validate, and allocate accurate, reliable tests to ensure ade-

quate supply • Structures to administer tests in every community across the country • Robust public health infrastructure to respond to results and better contain COVID-19 • Transparency and accountability across the testing system This will require large-scale federal funding, she says. “Congress should designate $30 billion in new emergency funding to support the rapid expansion and optimization of testing for COVID-19 in the United States” but should also tie funding to transparency requirements. Federal agencies should also be directed

SEATTLE PRIDE continued from cover

conferring with local public health officials and the City of Seattle. Although we are all disappointed that we won’t be together at this year’s Seattle Pride Parade and Seattle Pride in the Park, we will have the opportunity to celebrate during a series of virtual events this June (to be announced early next month). In the meantime, we’re asking for your help in taking a Trans Pride Seattle survey [https://bit. ly/2Vcxmj2], which will help us determine which virtual events would be most beneficial and enjoyable for our community.

• Mask up. • If you use the self-checkout stands, be sure to stand apart from other customers and from staff who may need to approach your station to help you. • Wash your hands or use sanitizer after handling money. • Don’t touch your face, use your phone, put on chapstick, scratch your beard, or do anything else that would bring your hands into contact with your face. • Use hand sanitizer when you get in the car. • Wash your hands thoroughly when you get home. • You can toss packaging and wipe down bottles when you get home, but do not put disinfectants like bleach or cleaning products on your produce or directly onto your food. That could poison you. But wait, there’s more! We’re also working together with our friends Seattle PrideFest and Trans Pride Seattle on in-person Pride events to be held in late-summer, when it may be safer to resume community festivals. We’ll be sure to share these details with you too, as soon as they are available. We are so thankful for our Pride family and partners, and for your continued support as we now shift towards creating a different kind of Pride celebration – but one which continues to celebrate diversity and bring us together when we need it most. Courtesy of Seattle Pride by Congress to take actions that Trump might not otherwise direct them to do. For example, Congress could “require the FDA to communicate to the public which available tests, including RNA tests, antigen tests, and serological tests, deliver reliable results,” Murray says. Only with such a testing regimen would it be safe to end the “aggressive social distancing that [has] upended the economy and American life,” she warns. Murray is Washington state’s senior senator and ranking member of the Senate’s Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, but there is little chance the Senate will take up her recommendations while it remains in Republican control.

United Health Foundation pledges $1 million to support vulnerable Seattle residents amid COVID-19 emergency MINNETONKA, Minn. (April 14, 2020) – The United Health Foundation has committed $1 million to provide urgent assistance to Seattle residents experiencing homelessness as they face unprecedented hardships during the COVID-19 pandemic. The partnership with the Downtown Emergency Service Center (DESC) is part of UnitedHealth Group’s previously announced initial $50 million commitment to fight COVID-19 and support those most directly impacted, including health care workers, hard-hit communities, seniors, and people experiencing homelessness and food insecurity. “Ever since the first US COVID-19 case was diagnosed in Washington state, we have been concerned about the potential impact on the people in Seattle’s homeless community, who are disproportionately at risk,” said Doug Bowes, CEO of UnitedHealthcare

Community Plan of Washington. “Joining forces with the DESC will help ensure Seattle’s homeless residents continue to get the care and resources they need.” The $1 million donation to the DESC will help address workforce challenges, including purchasing personal protective equipment, hiring relief workers, and supporting ill employees, as well as helping the DESC safely provide food and temporary housing to many of the 8,000 homeless and formerly homeless individuals it serves. “The DESC is committed to adapting to the pandemic to continue serving the homeless and formerly homeless people of Seattle,” said Daniel Malone, executive director of the DESC. “This partnership with the United Health Foundation will allow us to concurrently support our health workforce as well as safely serve the needs of our clients.”

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UnitedHealth Group, including UnitedHealthcare, Optum, and the United Health Foundation, has a long history of addressing homelessness and food insecurity – key determinants of health among vulnerable populations in Seattle and across the country. The United Health Foundation recently announced $5 million in national partnerships with the National Health Care for the Homeless Council, the Feeding America network of member food banks, and Meals on Wheels America as part of its commitment to fight COVID-19 and support impacted communities. The Downtown Emergency Service Center (DESC) provides integrated services, including housing, emergency shelter, crisis intervention, and health care, to approximately 8,000 homeless and formerly homeless people in Seattle. Its mission is to end

April 17, 2020

homelessness of vulnerable people, particularly those living with serious mental illness or substance use disorders. UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH) is a diversified health care company dedicated to helping people live healthier lives and helping to make the health system work better for everyone. UnitedHealth Group offers a broad spectrum of products and services through two distinct platforms: UnitedHealthcare, which provides health care coverage and benefits services; and Optum, which provides information and technology-enabled health services. For more information, visit UnitedHealth Group at www.unitedhealthgroup.com or follow @UnitedHealthGrp on Twitter. Courtesy of Business Wire

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Gilead announces $20 million philanthropic fund to support nonprofit organizations impacted by the COVID-19 crisis FOSTER CITY, Calif. (April 8, 2020) – Gilead Sciences, Inc. (Nasdaq: GILD) announced the creation of the global Gilead CARES (COVID-19 Acute Relief and Emergency Support) Grantee Fund to provide financial support to current grantees facing an imminent closure or termination of vital services due to losses attributable to the COVID-19 pandemic. The fund will provide up to $20 million in donations to these nonprofit groups. Gilead will also make two significant community donations: $1 million to the San Mateo County Strong Fund, which is providing financial support to individuals, small businesses, and nonprofit organizations in San Mateo County where Gilead is based; and $1 million to the Mayor’s Fund for Los Angeles, which is providing support for families and small businesses, and relief for health care workers and other ser-

vices in response to the COVID-19 crisis. Kite, Gilead’s operating company, which is focused on cell therapy, is headquartered in the Los Angeles area. Additionally, Gilead will match employee donations to three global relief organizations through the company’s Giving Together corporate match program as part of a special campaign. Proceeds will be split equally between Direct Relief, the UN Foundation’s COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund, and the International Medical Corps. “Around the world, we are hearing from nonprofit organizations that they are struggling to meet the needs of the communities they serve during the COVID-19 crisis,” said Brett Pletcher, general counsel and executive vice president for corporate affairs. “For many years, we have stood with community-based organizations that

provide critical support to people living with HIV, viral hepatitis, cancer, and other illnesses. It is in recognition of the importance of their work that we are launching this fund to help these groups remain financially sustainable for the long term.” As part of Gilead’s broader commitment to communities around the world, the company provided almost $400 million in cash donations globally last year to not-forprofit organizations. Gilead’s long-standing approach has been that it takes more than medicine to address challenges patients and communities face in accessing the best possible care, and that scientific discovery alone – and Gilead alone – cannot solve these challenges. Gilead applies the same values of partnership, integrity, and dedication to its work tackling the social and structural challenges as the company does to scientific research.

The Gilead CARES Grantee Fund was established to support organizations that already receive grant support from Gilead. Organizations may be eligible to receive up to $100,000 in emergency assistance. Existing grantees that wish to request support should submit funding requests using Gilead’s online grants management system. Gilead Sciences, Inc. is a research-based biopharmaceutical company that discovers, develops, and commercializes innovative medicines in areas of unmet medical need. The company strives to transform and simplify care for people with lifethreatening illnesses around the world. Gilead has operations in more than 35 countries worldwide, with headquarters in Foster City, California. Courtesy of Gilead

COVID-19: AHF signs on to compulsory licensing effort for key drugs

AHF joins the call to demand that countries use compulsory licenses to make COVID-19 medicines available to everyone who needs them WASHINGTON, DC (April 13, 2020) – According to the World Trade Organization (WTO), compulsory licensing is when a government allows someone else to produce a patented product or process without the consent of the patent owner or plans to use the patent-protected invention itself. Several member states of the WTO agreed not to use compulsory licensing under pressure from drug company lobbyists. The AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) joins the signers of this letter to demand that governments reverse this policy in order to fight the global COVID-19 pandemic. In the rush to cash in on the current COVID-19 crisis, drug companies are clam-

oring for their governments to patent yet-tobe approved COVID-19 vaccines and medications, creating monopoly powers for drug companies to charge whatever price they want. “In every case, taxpayers have paid for the basic scientific research for these medicines at public universities and the National Institutes of Health. Governments shouldn’t allow drug companies to charge taxpayers for the use of publicly financed research and development,” said AHF President Michael Weinstein. “We’re not going to beat this virus if only people with money can get potential vaccines and treatments.” “The US government is the largest buyer of patented medications and should

start negotiating now for lower drug prices. If parties can’t agree on a reasonable price with a reasonable profit for the manufacturer, then governments have an obligation to protect public health by using the compulsory licensing process,” said Tom Myers, AHF chief of public affairs and general counsel. “The shortages we face now with personal protective equipment for health care providers and ventilators to treat the sick will pale compared to the shortages we will face for COVID-19 medicines and vaccines if we allow drug companies to have their way,” added Weinstein.

The AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), the largest global AIDS organization, currently provides medical care and/ or services to over 1.4 million people in 45 countries worldwide in the US, Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, the Asia/Pacific region, and Eastern Europe. To learn more about AHF, please visit www.aidshealth.org and www.facebook. com/aidshealth and follow us on Twitter: and Instagram: @aidshealthcare. Courtesy of the AHF

HRC and GLSEN to host virtual graduation ceremony to honor the LGBTQ+ graduating class of 2020 amid COVID-19 WASHINGTON, DC (April 10, 2020) – Today, the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) Foundation, the educational arm of America’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) civil rights organization, and GLSEN, the leading national organization focused on LGBTQ issues in K-12 education, announced [they] will hold a virtual graduation ceremony to honor the LGBTQ+ high school and college class of 2020 on Friday, May 8 at 4 p.m. ET. As the country is encouraged to practice social distancing, many institutions are canceling or postponing their graduation ceremonies; this effort will honor the nearly half a million LGBTQ+ students the HRC estimates are graduating this spring, who may be impacted by these cancellations and disproportionately impacted by COVID-19. Those interested can register for the event [at https://bit.ly/3b5H1xf]. “Leaning into and creating community spaces is as important as ever during this global public health crisis. LGBTQ+ students who have been asked to leave college campuses or to take classes from home may not have a supportive environment to return to – and some may even be forced to go back into the closet as a means of safety during these trying times. Some students may even face homelessness or housing insecurity as a result of simply living as

their authentic selves,” said HRC President Alphonso David. “Through this event, we want to send a message to the LGBTQ+ Class of 2020 that we are proud of you and have your backs. This moment is for every LGBTQ+ graduate yearning for community and love during this difficult time.” “Generations of LGBTQ+ student advocates have fought to be included in the big events of school life, and every LGBTQ+ senior deserves to be celebrated for having made it through high school, given the barriers in their way,” said GLSEN Executive Director Eliza Byard. “Even in the midst of this crisis, as schools are closed and communities scattered, we see LGBTQ+ students reaching out to connect [with], advocate [for], and support each other at a frightening and uncertain time. We cannot wait to applaud their accomplishments, cheer their resilience, and express our love and admiration for each and every member of the LGBTQ+ class of 2020.” The event will include many traditional elements of a graduation ceremony, including an official welcome from David and Byard; a commencement address; valedictorians for exceptional, dynamic LGBTQ+ students; and music. It will also highlight the HRC Foundation’s Historically Black College and Universities (HBCU) Program, the only national project that

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partners with HBCUs on establishing an LGBTQ+ inclusive campus climate and leadership convening. Following the event, HRC Youth Ambassador Nhandi, also known as dj young 1, will perform to honor the graduates. For decades, graduates around the country have been celebrating both their academic achievements and their cultural heritages at specialized commencement events. LGBTQ+ advocates began their celebrations as “lavender graduation” ceremonies that recognize LGBTQ+ students of all backgrounds and acknowledge their achievements and contributions as students who have completed the college or high school experience. You can learn more about the history of Lavender Graduations [at www.hrc.org/resources/lavender-graduation]. Further, given the severity of this pandemic, the HRC has taken steps to protect the health and safety of our staff, members, volunteers, supporters, and all those who are fighting so hard to advance equality and build a better world for all of us. Find a full list of all of the HRC’s efforts and resources at [www.hrc.org/campaigns/covid-19]. Read the HRC’s brief on how COVID-19 disproportionately affects the LGBTQ+ community [at https://bit.ly/2ySlSsc]. For more information on GLSEN’s

student leadership initiatives, professional development for educators, policy advocacy, research, international partnerships, and network of local GLSEN chapters, visit www.glsen.org. The Human Rights Campaign Foundation is the educational arm of America’s largest civil rights organization working to achieve equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer people. The HRC envisions a world where LGBTQ people are embraced as full members of society at home, at work, and in every community. GLSEN works to create safe and inclusive schools for all. It envisions a world in which every child learns to respect and accept all people, regardless of sexual orientation, gender identity, and/or gender expression. Each year, GLSEN programs and resources reach millions of students and educators in K-12 schools, via action at the national, state, and local levels. Since 1990, GLSEN has improved conditions for LGBTQ students across the United States and helped launch an international movement to address LGBTQ issues in education. Courtesy of the HRC

Celebrating 46 Years!

IRS launches website to speed relief payments to some low-income Americans who don’t file taxes by Sarah D. Wire Los Angeles Times Many Americans who didn’t file taxes in 2018 or 2019 because they earned less than $12,000 a year can now provide the IRS with direct deposit information in order to more quickly receive their up to $1,200 economic stimulus payout, the IRS announced Friday. The new site – largely targeted at lowincome people, the homeless and others who it is feared may fall through the cracks in distributing the money – is for people who: had gross income that did not exceed $12,200 for an individual or $24,400 for married couples for 2019; were not otherwise required to file a federal income tax return for 2019; and didn’t plan to, the IRS said. Using the portal [https://www.irs. gov/coronavirus/non-filers-enter-payment-info-here], people can submit basic personal information to the IRS, including full names and Social Security numbers for themselves and any spouse or children in the home, mailing address and bank account information for direct deposit. New America Foundation, a Washington, DC, think tank, estimates that 12 million non-filers may fall into that category. The portal is separate from the soonto-be-launched “Get My Payment” por-

Photo by Win McNamee / Getty Images

tal that the IRS is creating for people who filed their taxes but did not get a tax refund through direct deposit. That portal – which will also allow people to track the status of their payout – is expected to be ready as soon as next week. [NOTE: For more information visit https://www.irs.gov/coronavirus/economic-impact-payment-informationcenter and https://www.irs.gov/coronavirus/economic-impact-payments.] Congress approved the up to $1,200 payouts in the $2-trillion economic bailout it passed last month in an effort to help Americans harmed by the coronavirusrelated shutdowns pay their bills. An estimated 110 million Americans, including Social Security recipients, will begin seeing the money in their bank accounts next week, but some of the payments have been

delayed as the Treasury Department races to create new systems to reach the approximately 101 million tax filers who do not already have direct deposit information on file with the IRS. The government doesn’t routinely print and mail millions of paper checks anymore, and some estimates are that it would take four months or more to get paper checks to everyone if the government cannot obtain more direct deposit information. All U.S. residents are eligible for a payment as long as they have a work-eligible Social Security number, cannot be claimed as a dependent on another person’s taxes and meet the income requirements. Those with an adjusted gross income below $75,000 (or $150,000 for a married couple) would receive the full amount: $1,200 per adult or $2,400 for a married couple. In

addition, they are eligible for an additional $500 per child under 17. Americans who make between $75,000 and $99,000 (or married couples making between $150,000 and $198,000) are eligible for a portion of the payment. Many in Congress have pushed the Treasury Department to ensure millions of Americans who don’t earn enough to file a yearly tax return – and who may not have a bank account – also get their payout. Social Security recipients who did not file a tax return in 2018 or 2019 do not need to use the new portal or take any action. They will receive their payment in the same way that they receive their Social Security payments. Congress specifically instructed the Treasury Department to use direct deposit data that the government already has to give the payout to Social Security recipients, but it didn’t order the department to do the same for other groups it has direct deposit information for including the estimated 3 million SSI – also known as disability – recipients and disabled veterans. SSI recipients and disabled veterans can give the department their direct deposit information using the new portal. Courtesy of the Los Angeles Times

HIV leadership informs people living with HIV about the impact of COVID-19 WASHINGTON, DC (April 9, 2020) – In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, ten national, community-centered HIV service and advocacy organizations partnered to create a resource guide focused on supporting people living with HIV (PLHIV). The “COVID-19 and People Living with HIV: Frequently Asked Questions” document [https://bit.ly/2RzraPL] provides clear and culturally responsive information to ensure [that people living with HIV (PLHIV)] and communities disproportionately impacted by HIV have a reliable resource for the latest information to help them protect and take care of themselves. The resource guide reflects the clinical practices and information currently avail-

able put forth by the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC), the World Health Organization (WHO), the Infectious Diseases Society (IDSA), the HIV Medicine Association (HIVMA), health departments, and other local, national, and global public health entities. The document will be updated regularly as more information is learned about COVID-19, the impact of co-infection of COVID-19 and HIV on PLHIV, and the development of available vaccines and treatments for this coronavirus. “Our organizations agreed it was critical to develop a well-informed resource for people with HIV about COVID-19, and we therefore are pleased to release this docu-

ment today,” remarked Murray Penner, executive director, North America, for the Prevention Access Campaign/U=U. “People living with HIV have specific health care needs and are understandably anxious about our own health and that of our loved ones. We hope that this factsheet will be helpful in providing accurate, up-to-date information about how the COVID-19 pandemic may affect our communities – and in sharing resources for support,” said Naina Khanna, executive director of Positive Women’s Network – USA. “The organizations creating this muchneeded resource bring critical perspectives and expertise about the health and wellbeing of people living with HIV in this pan-

demic, and our partnership on it is a model for how our community can support each other in surviving the COVID-19 crisis,” said Jesse Milan, Jr., president and CEO of AIDS United. The list of collaborating HIV Service/ Advocacy Organizations who created [the document] is (in alphabetical order): AIDS United, the HIV Medicine Association, the Latino Commission on AIDS, NASTAD, NMAC, the Positive Women’s Network – USA, the Prevention Access Campaign, the TransLatin@ Coalition, the US PLHIV Caucus, and the Well Project. Courtesy of NMAC

LGBTQ+ people with disabilities and the COVID-19 crisis WASHINGTON, DC (April 14, 2020) – People with disabilities are at particularly high risk during the COVID-19 crisis. According to the CDC, approximately 90% of hospitalized patients had one or more underlying conditions. Millions of people with disabilities are unable to get food and medicine. And there are widespread fears in the community about medical rationing. Especially in a time of crisis like this, it is critically important that people with disabilities are accurately portrayed in film and television and that the public sees their lives as valuable. To address this, RespectAbility is hosting a new series of virtual workshops for people with disabilities in the entertainment industry. The first workshop will take place Wednesday evening and will feature a conversation with Ryan O’Connell. O’Connell, who is openly gay and has cerebral palsy, broke new ground for representation of LGBTQ+ people with disabilities with his Netflix series “Special.” Learn more and RSVP here: www.respectability. org/2020/02/ryan-oconnell-webinar. The intersection between the disability community and the LGBTQ+ community is large. According to a study published in 2012, fully 36% of women in the LGBTQ+ community and 30% of men in the community also self-identify as persons with dis-

abilities. Digging deeper, 26% of gay men and 40% of bisexual men disclosed having a disability, as did 36% of lesbians and 36% of bisexual women. The best available estimates put the total number of LGBTQ+ Americans at around 11 million individuals. Extrapolating from there, RespectAbility estimates that there are roughly 2.3 million women and 1.4 million men with disabilities in the LGBTQ+ community. According to GLAAD’s “Where We Are on TV” report, while the 2019–20 television season includes 27 characters with disabilities, versus 18 in 2018–19, that number still vastly underrepresents the actual number of people with disabilities, representing less than one-sixth. Furthermore, while more than one-third of LGBTQ+ adults have a disability, GLAAD’s report found there are too few LGBTQ+ characters with disabilities. “When you don’t see yourself being reflected back at you, you’re implicitly told that you don’t matter,” O’Connell said in an interview with Vulture. “That your life does not matter, it’s not worth being told, it’s not worth being discussed.” “In this time of crisis, it is important that shows like ‘Special’ exist to show everyone that our lives are just as valuable as everyone else’s,” said Eric Ascher, RespectAbility’s communications associate, who is both

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openly gay and on the autism spectrum. Netflix has renewed “Special” for a second season, and season 1 is available to watch now [www.netflix.com/title/80987458]. RespectAbility previously profiled Ryan O’Connell for Pride Month 2019, along with several other successful LGBTQ+ people with disabilities. • Lenny Larsen: Globetrotting Entertainment Executive Refuses to Be Defined by His Disability [www.respectability.org/2019/06/ lenny-larsen-profile-pride/] • Frida Kahlo: Role Model for Artists, People with Disabilities and Bisexual Women [www.respectability.org/2018/06/fridakahlo-lgbt-pride-month/] • Josh Feldman, Deaf Gay Trailblazer in Hollywood, Discusses the Importance of Representation [www.respectability. org/2018/06/josh-feldman-lgbt-pride-month/] • Justin Chappell: Advocate for LGBTQ and Disability Rights Sees Politics as Avenue for Change [www.respectability.org/2018/06/ justin-chappell-lgbt-pride-month/] Additionally, several LGBTQ+ RespectAbility staff and fellows have written personal reflections for Pride Month: • Gay and on the Autism Spectrum: My Experience Growing Up in the Closet, by Eric, communications associate [www. respectability.org/2018/06/ericascherlgbtq/]

• Learning About Myself and Coming Into My Own, by Lily, summer 2018 communications fellow [www.respectability. org/2018/06/learning-about-myself-andcoming-into-my-own/] • A Reflection on Truth and Acceptance: When Fear Finds a Home, by Daniel, summer 2018 communications fellow [www.respectability.org/2018/06/a-reflection-on-truth-andacceptance-when-fear-finds-a-home/] • At the Intersection of Deafness, Queerness and Being an Asian-American Woman, by Kaity, summer 2018 communications fellow [www.respectability.org/2018/06/deafness-queerness-asian-american-woman/] • Having a Visible Disability While Coming Out as Gay, by Ben, National Leadership Director [www.respectability.org/2018/06/ having-a-visible-disability-while-comingout-as-gay/] Find more resources for LGBTQ+ people with disabilities in our Solutions Center [www.respectability.org/resources/lgbtq/]. RespectAbility has been on the frontlines during the COVID-19 crisis, and you can find more coverage of COVID-19’s impact on the disability community at www.RespectAbility.org/COVID-19.

April 17, 2020

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Courtesy of RespectAbilitys

GLSEN condemns Idaho Gov. Little for signing HB 500 into law NEW YORK (March 30, 2020) – Today, Idaho Gov. Brad Little signed House Bill 500, titled the “Fairness in Women’s Sports Act,” a law that prohibits transgender students from participating in athletic programs in the state’s K-12 schools and colleges. The law will also set forth a policy that would allow other students to dispute their peers’ gender. The denigrating protocol for processing such a dispute includes being forced to undergo a traumatizing and intrusive physical exam. In response to this egregious violation of the rights of Idaho’s transgender and gendernonconforming/nonbinary students, GLSEN executive director Eliza Byard issued the following statement: “In the dark of night, and at a time when our entire nation is already in crisis, Gov. Little decided to discriminate against some

of his state’ s most vulnerable students. We know [that] 84% of transgender students have experienced harassment or assault in their schools, and nearly four out of five experience discriminatory school policies and practices. We know that nearly half of transgender students report having seriously considered committing suicide within the past year. Above all, we know that transgender students need stronger connections to their teachers, classmates, and school communities – exactly the kind of connections that school athletics can provide.” “This law must not stand, because of the danger it poses to transgender students, and the harm it will do to any athlete whose gender is called into question by their peers. Idaho’s HB 500 is just one of many iterations of an insidious coordinated national strategy

organized by the Alliance Defending Freedom, a far-right legal group determined to undermine the rights and full citizenship of LGBTQ people. That this is all transpiring during an election year is no accident, and the LGBTQ+ community has seen the far-right use this tactic before. But this current attack, in this moment when we all contemplate an uncertain future, is a new low. “Public officials must not allow transgender students to be targeted for political gain or in the service of a radical anti-LGBTQ agenda. In this time of national trauma and crisis, we need them to pursue policies that increase connection and community, and support all students.” GLSEN works to create safe and inclusive schools for all. It envisions a world in which

every child learns to respect and accept all people, regardless of sexual orientation, gender identity, and/or gender expression. Each year, GLSEN programs and resources reach millions of students and educators in K-12 schools, via action at the national, state, and local levels. Over nearly three decades of work, GLSEN has improved conditions for LGBTQ students across the United States and launched an international movement to address LGBTQ issues in education and promote respect for all in schools. Find more information on GLSEN’s policy advocacy, student leadership initiatives, school-based programs, research, and professional development for educators at www.glsen.org. Courtesy of GLSEN

ACLU, Legal Voice file lawsuit challenging Idaho’s law targeting Transgender student athletes BOISE, Idaho (April 15, 2020) – A lawsuit was filed today challenging Idaho’s recently passed law that bans women and girls who are transgender and many women and girls who are intersex from participating in school sports. Gov. Brad Little signed the law, HB 500, making Idaho the first state to impose an outright ban on participation of transgender athletes and the only with a statewide law regulating transgender and intersex athletes in the country. Today’s lawsuit was filed on behalf of a track athlete at Boise State University who is transgender and a junior at Boise High School who is cisgender and concerned about being subjected to invasive “sex verification” testing under the new law. “We’re suing because HB 500 illegally targets women and girls who are transgender and intersex and subjects all female athletes to the possibility of invasive genital and genetic screenings,” said Gabriel Arkles, senior staff attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union’s LGBT & HIV Project. “In Idaho and around the country, transgender people of all ages have been participating in

sports consistent with their gender identity for years. Inclusive teams support all athletes and encourage participation – this should be the standard for all school sports.” In 2020, over 200 anti-LGBTQ laws were active in state legislatures, including dozens targeting transgender youth. Idaho already has one of the most restrictive policies in the country regulating participation of transgender athletes in high school athletics. This restrictive policy, which will be replaced by HB 500’s outright ban on participation, required girls who are transgender to complete one year of hormone therapy as part of gender transition before competing in girls’ sports. This is the same rule that exists in the NCAA and elite international competition. While activities associations in other states have enacted a range of policies on the inclusion of transgender student athletes, Idaho is the first state to pass a state law governing athletic participation. “I just want to run with other girls on the team,” said Lindsay Hecox, who moved to Idaho in the hopes of one day joining the track team and cross-country teams at [Boise

State University]. “I run for myself, but part of what I enjoy about the sport is building the relationships with a team. I’m a girl, and the right team for me is the girls’ team.” “Alongside Idahoans throughout the state, we have been fighting this hateful, unconstitutional legislation since it was introduced,” said ACLU of Idaho Legal Director Ritchie Eppink. “Businesses, major employers, schools, doctors, and counselors have all warned that this law is terrible for Idaho.” “Embedding this discrimination into Idaho law is unnecessary and harmful to all,” said Legal Voice’s Catherine West. “Female athletes deserve to play, not endure invasive testing or internal and external exams.” “Gov. Little claims he is not a ‘discrimination guy,’ but signing this misguided bill proves otherwise,” says Chelsea GaonaLincoln of Legal Voice. “We stand with our transgender siblings and community members impacted by this harmful bill.” “By discriminating and invading privacy, HB 500 violates the US Constitution and Title IX, and we look forward to presenting our arguments to the court,” said Kathleen

Hartnett of Cooley, LLP. The lawsuit was filed in federal district court by the ACLU and the ACLU of Idaho, Legal Voice, and Cooley LLP. Legal documents are available at www. aclu.org/cases/hecox-v-little. Legal Voice is a progressive feminist organization using the power of the law to make positive change for women, girls, and LGBTQ people in the Northwest. Legal Voice uses groundbreaking litigation, legislative advocacy, and community education to fight gender oppression and injustice. More at legalvoice.org. The ACLU of Idaho is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to the preservation and enhancement of civil liberties and civil rights. The ACLU of Idaho strives to advance civil liberties and civil rights through activities that include litigation, education, and lobbying. Learn more at acluidaho.org. Courtesy of the ACLU

Lambda Legal asks court to confirm Idaho anti-Transgender birth certificate law violates ruling BOISE, Idaho (April 16, 2020) – Lambda Legal today filed a motion with the US District Court to confirm that its March 5, 2018, ruling, which ordered Idaho state officials to allow transgender people born in Idaho to correct the gender markers on their birth certificates to match their gender identity, bars enforcement of the recent bill signed into law by Gov. Brad Little, which reinstates a ban against such corrections by transgender people. “Two years ago, the court determined that the state’s ban against transgender people correcting their birth certificates was dangerous, discriminatory, and indefensible. That is why the court permanently barred Idaho from automatically turning away transgender people seeking birth certificates that match their gender identity. Permanent means permanent,” Lambda Legal counsel Peter Renn said. “It is shocking that state lawmakers would be so brazenly lawless as to defy a federal court ruling. The rule of law collapses if we refuse to abide by the outcome of who wins and who loses in our system of justice. HB

509, which reinstates a ban that the court already declared unconstitutional, is a naked flouting of the rule of law.” Lambda Legal staff attorney Kara Ingelhart added, “It is incredible that Idaho, in the midst of a health pandemic, would push through this discriminatory law that jeopardizes the health and well-being of transgender people and clearly and explicitly violates a court order. Essential identity documents should accurately reflect who you are. The court recognized that two years ago, and we ask only that it confirm what it already said.”

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Background Lambda Legal filed the original lawsuit, F.V. v. Barron, in 2017. The lawsuit argued that denying transgender people born in Idaho the ability to obtain accurate birth certificates discriminates against them and invades their privacy, liberty, and freedom from compelled speech under US Constitution. For example, after one plaintiff, who is a transgender woman, displayed her birth certificate at a Social Security office,

she was subjected to verbal harassment for being transgender. In March 2018, the US District Court for the District of Idaho ruled that the government unconstitutionally discriminated against transgender people, and it issued a permanent injunction against state officials. According to the 2015 US Transgender Survey, almost one-third of transgender individuals who showed an identity document with a name or gender marker that conflicted with their perceived gender were harassed, denied benefits or services, discriminated against, or assaulted. Transgender individuals also are disproportionately targeted for hate crimes. Forty-seven other states currently provide a process for transgender people to change the gender marker on their birth certificates. Read the motion filed today at www. lambdalegal.org/in-court/legal-docs/fv_ id_20200416_plaintiffs-memorandum. Lambda Legal’s successful lawsuit is F.V. v. Barron. You can read the ruling and more about the case at www.lambdalegal. org/in-court/legal-docs/fv_id_20180305_

decision. Transgender individuals seeking accurate birth certificates from Idaho can contact our Help Desk at www.lambdalegal. org/helpdesk. Read about birth certificate policies across the United States at www.lambdalegal.org/know-your-rights/article/transchanging-birth-certificate-sex-designations. Handling the case on behalf of Lambda Legal are Peter Renn, Kara Ingelhart, and Nora Huppert. They are joined by co-counsel Monica G. Cockerille of Cockerille Law Office in Boise, Idaho. Lambda Legal is a national organization committed to achieving full recognition of the civil rights of lesbians, gay men, bisexuals, transgender people, and everyone living with HIV through impact litigation, education, and public policy work. www. lambdalegal.org Courtesy of Lambda Legal

Celebrating 46 Years!

NEON powered by GLAAD partners with Queer Quarantine to present “Alone Together,” a YouTube video highlighting the perspectives of LGBTQ people of color during the COVID-19 pandemic NEON powered by GLAAD has partnered with the creative agency Queer Quarantine to release its new project “Alone Together,” which highlights how LGBTQ people of color are coping during the COVID-19 pandemic. “Alone Together” aims to express solidarity and document the times, ultimately recognizing that maintaining a sense of community and connectivity is necessary now more than ever. COVID-19 can make LGBTQ people feel lonely, scared and paranoid, but sharing our stories is the best way to counter that. Check out the full video here: https://bit. ly/2VwRn2U More about the project on GLAAD’s Instagram here: https://bit.ly/3beKZ75 In the “Alone Together” project, several LGBTQ people of color share their answers to questions about being in quarantine, ranging from “What has been a positive/beneficial habit that you’ve picked up since the quarantine?” to “What has this made you grateful for that maybe you’ve overlooked prior to this quarantine?” The

Photo courtesy of GLAAD

goal of the project is to remind the LGBTQ community that our beauty has always been the product of resilience. Created in 2019 by Myles E. Johnson, Queer Quarantine is a creative agency that creates content to empower and engage

Black and of color Gen Z and Millennial LGBTQIA+ people. Launched by GLAAD in February 2020, NEON is an ongoing digital content series that aims to increase the visibility of Black LGBTQ people.

More information about the project can be found here at GLAAD.org: https://www. glaad.org/blog/neon-partners-queer-quarantine-present-alone-together. Courtesy of GLAAD

GLAAD to present “Together in Pride: You Are Not Alone,” a star-studded livestream event highlighting the LGBTQ response to COVID-19 LOS ANGELES (April 16, 2020) – GLAAD, the world’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) media advocacy organization, today announced that it will host “Together in Pride: You Are Not Alone,” a livestream event on Sunday, April 26 at 8 p.m. ET on GLAAD’s YouTube channel and Facebook Live. The event will highlight the LGBTQ response to COVID-19 and amplify messages of acceptance and affirmation to the LGBTQ community and people living with HIV during this unprecedented time. The livestream will raise funds for LGBTQ community centers that are members of CenterLink. Follow GLAAD on Twitter and Facebook for links to watch the event. GLAAD announced that Kesha and Melissa Etheridge will perform during the event, with special guests Billy Eichner, Matt Bomer, Lilly Singh, Adam Lambert, Bebe Rexha, Dan Levy, Mj Rodriguez, Wilson Cruz, Kathy Griffin, Gigi Gorgeous, Nats Getty, Michelle Visage, Javier Muñoz, Sean Hayes, Sharon Stone, and Tatiana Maslany. The livestream event will feature performances, interviews, and video messages. More guests will be announced soon. Actor and producer Erich Bergen is creating the event with GLAAD. The “Together in Pride: You Are Not Alone” livestream will also raise critical funds for CenterLink, a coalition of more than 250 LGBTQ community centers from 45 states, Puerto Rico, the District of Columbia, Canada, China, Mexico, and Australia. CenterLink strengthens, supports, and connects LGBTQ community centers, which serve over two million people each year. Participating community centers will also share the livestream on their social platforms. “At a time when some LGBTQ people could be isolating in homes that are not affirming, GLAAD is bringing together the biggest LGBTQ stars and allies to send messages of love, support, and acceptance,” said GLAAD president and CEO Sarah Kate Ellis. “So many LGBTQ people, especially our youth, depend on support from local community centers around the country, and during this time of financial distress, we must come together as a com-

Image courtesy of GLAAD

munity to ensure that all LGBTQ organizations can continue their lifesaving work.” “LGBTQ centers are the heart of the community, and throughout the COVID19 pandemic these centers have continued to provide vital connectivity and services, pivoting to virtual programming, modifying in-person services when possible, and ensuring that their communities have resources and support when they need it the most,” said Denise Spivak, interim CEO of CenterLink. The impact of COVID-19 on LGBTQ people has been far-reaching. In March, GLAAD joined over 100 LGBTQ organizations in an open letter calling on US public health officials and media to address the heightened vulnerability of LGBTQ people

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to COVID-19. Among other factors, the LGBTQ community experiences higher rates of cancer, HIV, and tobacco use – all which factor into higher susceptibility to negative outcomes from COVID-19. Additionally, LGBTQ people continue to experience discrimination and unwelcoming attitudes in medical settings, and as a result, many are reluctant to seek medical care. GLAAD also joined AIDS United and over 90 organizations in calling on Congress to recognize the increased vulnerability of people living with HIV to COVID-19. Prior to the livestream, GLAAD will also launch a storytelling campaign on its site to spotlight LGBTQ people responding to COVID-19 and to remember community members lost in the pandemic.

April 17, 2020

On April 15, CenterLink released a letter signed by over 160 LGBTQ community centers to House and Senate leaders, asking them to include nonprofits who serve the LGBTQ population in future relief packages. The letter states: “The reality is more assistance is needed for LGBT community centers. They are providing critical services such as medical care, mental health counseling, virtual support groups, filling prescriptions, providing hot meals and check-in phone calls for older adults, serving as shelters for homeless youth, distributing nonperishable food items and hygiene products, case management, HIV testing, and hosting virtual engagement activities to decrease social isolation. Given the current financial crisis and loss of revenue, LGBT community centers could be forced to shrink their services, meaning tens of thousands could go without care.” The letter continues, “We urge Congress to expand the eligibility for nonprofits to participate in future stimulus packages. LGBT community centers are relying on you so that we can continue to provide critical and essentially needed services in response to the COVID-19 crisis.” Sarah Kate Ellis will serve as an executive producer of the “Together in Pride: You Are Not Alone” livestream along with Erich Bergen, as well as GLAAD Media Award producers and staff members Anthony Ramos, Bill McDermott, Mark Hartnett, and Rich Ferraro. GLAAD previously announced the cancellations of the 31st Annual GLAAD Media Awards in New York and in Los Angeles. GLAAD is working to reschedule the event[s] to later in the year. GLAAD rewrites the script for LGBTQ acceptance. As a dynamic media force, GLAAD tackles tough issues to shape the narrative and provoke dialogue that leads to cultural change. GLAAD protects all that has been accomplished and creates a world where everyone can live the life they love. For more information, please visit www.glaad.org or connect with GLAAD on Facebook and Twitter. Courtesy of GLAAD

Seattle Gay News 9

Photos by Ernie Lou

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Celebrating 46 Years!

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April 17, 2020

Seattle Gay News 11

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Celebrating 46 Years!

, n e g Bin ington! h s Wa

Reasons to Visit

Enjoy the beautiful, Columbia Gorge SCENIC DRIVE! DISCOVER “The Wind Surfing Capital of the World”! Visit the West coast’s first legal pot shop, MARGIE’S POT SHOP and stock up for the holidays! Medical cards welcome.

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THIS PRODUCT HAS INTOXICATING EFFECTS AND MAY BE HABIT FORMING. MARIJUANA CAN IMPAIR CONCENTRATION, COORDINATION, AND JUDGMENT. DO NOT OPERATE A VEHICLE OR MACHINERY UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF THIS DRUG. THERE MAY BE HEALTH RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH CONSUMPTION OF THIS PRODUCT. FOR USE ONLY BY ADULTS TWENTY-ONE AND OLDER. KEEP OUT OF THE REACH OF CHILDREN.

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April 17, 2020

Seattle Gay News 13

WE NEED YOU! The San Juan Islands Museum of Art its supporters, board and volunteers THANK YOU - the medical community, drug & grocery store employees, public employees, other hard working, courageous people we rely upon for their extraordinary support of this community. THANK YOU to the many, many non-profits, friends and neighbors doing all they can to keep us all safe, protected, uplifted and fed.

SJIMA will be here for you when this time is over, offering peace, beauty, wonder and joy. 14 Seattle Gay News

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Celebrating 46 Years!

Photos by Ernie Lou

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April 17, 2020

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Virginia Values Act signed into law, extending long-delayed, critical protections to LGBTQ Virginians & others RICHMOND, Va. (April 11, 2020) – Today, the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), the nation’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) civil rights organization, celebrated the signing into law of the Virginia Values Act by Gov. Ralph Northam. The law will extend existing state nondiscrimination protections in public employment, housing, and credit to Virginians on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity, and several other characteristics. Similar legislation passed through the Virginia Senate several times in recent years but was blocked by anti-equality lawmakers in the House of Delegates. In the 2019 election, voters in the commonwealth elected pro-equality majorities to both houses of the General Assembly, making this victory possible. In addition to sexual orientation and gender identity, the law also creates allnew protections for Virginians in private employment and places of public accommodation on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions, age, marital status, disability, and status as a veteran. Virginia is the first state in the South to have nondiscrimination protections for LGBTQ people, the first state in over a decade to add both sexual orientation and gender identity to existing nondiscrimination law, and the first state since 1993 to add a prohibition on discrimination in public accommodations (protecting all Virginians) where none existed before. “When this law goes into effect on July 1, LGBTQ people in Virginia – and people of color, people of faith, immigrants, women and more – are at last protected from discrimination at work and in their communities,” said Alphonso David, president of the HRC. “No one should be discriminated against simply because of who they are or whom they love. Right now, as the country and the world deal with

MILWAUKEE continued from cover

Mayor Barrett has prioritized inclusiveness and equality, and Assemblywoman Zamarripa has been one of Wisconsin’s fiercest advocates for LGBTQ people and communities of color in the state legislature. We were proud to stand with Mayor Barrett and Assemblywoman Zamarripa throughout this election, and look forward to working with them both to move Milwaukee forward.”

Photo courtesy of HRC

an unprecedented pandemic, it is more important than ever to ensure that leaders are looking out for all of us. In this period of uncertainty, it is vital that we are all protected from bias as we earn a living, access housing and health care, and seek goods and services. We have arrived at this moment today because of years and years of tireless work from advocates across the commonwealth, and the Virginia voters that filled the halls of the General Assembly with pro-equality champions who fulfilled their promises to their constituents. The HRC worked to elect pro-equality lawmakers across Virginia in 2019, and we are proud to see that effort culminate with the signing of this vital law. We want to thank all who helped make this day possible.” “Equality Virginia has been working with lawmakers on both sides of the aisle

for years to create a safer and more welcoming commonwealth for LGBTQ people,” said Vee Lamneck, executive director of Equality Virginia. “This law will have a transformative and positive impact on the lives of LGBTQ Virginians and bring Virginia into alignment with its voters.” Virginia is home to 257,400 LGBTQ adults. Under prior Virginia law, LGBTQ people were not explicitly protected from discrimination, meaning they were at risk of being fired, evicted, or denied service in restaurants or stores. Virginia was one of only five states without protections in public accommodations for any protected class. The new law brings Virginia into the 21st century, and into alignment with Virginia voters, by modernizing and expanding existing human rights law. Over the past several elections, the

Last week, David condemned the partisan process that forced Wisconsinites to go to the polls despite the ongoing pandemic. Despite the efforts of Wisconsin and national Republicans to limit access to the ballot, the HRC worked to make sure as many Equality Voters as possible across the state had the resources and tools to vote safely from home. Mayor Barrett has made Milwaukee one of the most LGBTQ inclusive cities nationwide. In 2018, for the first time, Milwaukee earned a top score on the HRC’s Municipal

Equality Index and earned that top score again in 2019. Elected in 2010, Zamarripa has been integral to the progress LGBTQ people have made in Wisconsin. Upon her inauguration, Zamarripa will become the first openly LGBTQ member of the Milwaukee Common Council. The HRC has prioritized investments and organizing in Wisconsin since 2017. This spring election, the HRC contacted over 22,000 members and supporters to boost pro-equality turnout.

HRC has successfully elected pro-equality champions at every level of Virginia’s state government. In August 2019, the HRC endorsed 27 candidates and invested over $250,000 to elect pro-equality candidates across Virginia. The endorsements marked the beginning of HRC’s largest-ever field, digital, and direct-mail program in the Commonwealth of Virginia. From Northern Virginia to Hampton Roads, HRC field organizers were deployed to mobilize 1.2 million Equality Voters across the commonwealth. In 2018, the HRC used sophisticated analytics to identify and mobilize 57 million “Equality Voters” nationwide who prioritize LGBTQinclusive policies including marriage equality, equitable family law, and laws that would prohibit discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity. In Virginia’s 2019 state legislative elections, the HRC targeted and turned out these voters in the 27 districts where the HRC made an endorsement. The HRC is a proud member of the Virginia Values Coalition. The Virginia Values Coalition was founded on the shared belief that discrimination is wrong and that we are called to treat others as we want to be treated. Members include national and regional organizations, along with faith leaders, parents, law enforcement officers, veterans, and people of all political ideologies committed to protecting their LGBTQ neighbors from discrimination. The Human Rights Campaign is America’s largest civil rights organization working to achieve equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer people. The HRC envisions a world where LGBTQ people are embraced as full members of society at home, at work, and in every community. Courtesy of the HRC The Human Rights Campaign is America’s largest civil rights organizations working to achieve equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer people. The HRC envisions a world where LGBTQ people are embraced as full members of society at home, at work, and in every community. Courtesy of the HRC

Fair and Equal Michigan to collect electronic signatures to keep safe from COVID-19 LANSING, MI (April 13, 2020) – Fair and Equal Michigan announced today it will keep its campaign moving forward by transitioning to an electronic signaturecollection strategy. Supporters in favor of introducing a citizens’ bill to amend the Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act to protect lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people from discrimination may now sign a petition electronically via the campaign website, FairAndEqualMichigan.com. “To keep our supporters safe and to recognize the stay-at-home orders by the state, we are encouraging people to sign the petition for LGBTQ equality electronically during this unique moment,” said Fair and Equal Michigan co-chair Trevor Thomas. “This transition to electronic signature collection will ensure that Michigan voters can continue to participate in the democratic process and exercise their reserved constitutional right to initiate legislation while doing

their part to stop the spread of coronavirus.” To electronically sign the Fair and Equal Michigan petition, supporters who are registered to vote in Michigan must go to the campaign website www.FairAndEqualMichigan. com. The process will take approximately three minutes and includes two-factor authentication, which requires users to enter a valid Michigan driver’s license or state identification card number. Information provided will be cross-referenced with Michigan’s list of registered voters. Use of electronic signatures on petition signatures is legally permitted under both the Uniform Electronic Transactions Act (UETA) and Executive Order 2020-41, both of which provide that a signature will not be denied legal effect or enforceability solely because it is in electronic form and that if a law requires a signature, an electronic signature satisfies the law. DocuSign, the company contracted to

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process electronic petition signatures, is the most trusted and widely used electronic signature vendor, with more than 200+ million [signatures] processed. DocuSign meets and exceeds some of the most stringent US, EU, and global security standards, including the requirements of the federal ESIGN Act and the UETA as adopted in Michigan. The company pioneered the development of e-signature technology and now has more than 500,000 customers and hundreds of millions of users across the world. The company’s technology is already used by more than 800 federal, state, and local government agencies throughout the United States. Fair and Equal Michigan has until May 27, the state-mandated deadline, to turn in 340,047 valid signatures required by the state. The campaign launched on January 7, has already collected more than 150,000 signatures and built a risk-mitigation plan

to collect 542,000 signatures. Upon the submission of signatures, the legislature will then have 40 days to adopt the initiative as written or send it for voters to decide in the November election. Previously announced companies supporting Fair and Equal Michigan include DTE Energy, Consumers Energy, Apple, Dow, Rock Holdings, and Herman Miller. It has been endorsed by the Ann Arbor-Ypsilanti Chamber, Michigan Dental Association, League of Women Voters, American Association of University Women, and State Employees Retiree Association. Social handles [are as follows]: Hashtag: #FairAndEqualMI; Facebook : @FairAndEqualMI; Twitter: @FairandEqualMI; Instagram : @fairandequalmi; website: www. FairAndEqualMichigan.com. Courtesy of Fair and Equal Michigan

Celebrating 46 Years!

GLAD and NCLR statement on the one-year anniversary of Trump’s Transgender military ban

WASHINGTON, DC (April 11, 2020) – The US Department of Defense began enforcing the transgender military ban proposed by President Trump one year ago, on April 12, 2019. Five legal cases challenging the policy are currently pending in the federal courts. GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders (GLAD) and the National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR) represent active servicemembers, students in ROTC and military academy programs, and aspiring recruits in Doe v. Trump (US District Court for the District of Columbia, filed August 2017) and Stockman v. Trump (Central District of California, filed September 2017). Last month the organizations filed a third challenge to the ban, Doe v. Esper (US District Court for the District of Massachusetts), on behalf of a successful US Navy officer who has served two extended tours of duty over nine years and is now facing involuntary discharge because she is

transgender. Doe v. Esper is the first case brought against the ban since it went into effect last year. Attorneys from GLAD and the NCLR issued the following statements on the oneyear anniversary of implementation of the ban: “It is a stain on the character of our nation that this ban has been in effect for a full year,” said Jennifer Levi, Transgender Rights Project director at GLAD. “It weakens and debases our military to threaten discharge of highly trained, dedicated servicemembers under a politically motivated policy with no basis in anything but bias. And in the midst of the current national health crisis, when we need all hands on deck, it puts our nation at risk to deprive our military of valuable, highly needed resources.” “This is a shameful anniversary for our country. One year in, we are seeing the damage this unconscionable policy

is wreaking, not only on transgender service members and their families but on the military itself,” said Shannon Minter, legal director at the NCLR. “Until this ban is overturned, transgender individuals are barred from service regardless of their qualifications and ability to meet military standards. As the multiple legal challenges to the ban proceed to trial, we are confident the courts will recognize that there is no justification for excluding an entire group of people for reasons that have nothing to do with their ability to serve.” Polls have shown that 71% of Americans, including a growing percentage of the president’s own party, agree that transgender individuals who meet military standards should be able to serve openly. A recent poll conducted by the Department of Defense found that 66% of active-duty servicemembers across all four branches support the service of transgender people. For more information on the legal time-

line and ongoing developments in the legal cases challenging the ban, please visit notransmilitaryban.org.

OBAMA

Choosing Joe to be my Vice President was one of the best decisions I ever made, and he became a close friend. And I believe Joe has all the qualities we need in a President right now. He’s someone whose own life has taught him how to persevere; how to bounce back when you’ve been knocked down. When Joe talks with parents who’ve lost their jobs, we hear the son of a man who once knew the pain of having to tell his children that he’d lost his. When Joe talks about opportunity for our kids, we hear the young father who took the train home each night so he could tuck his children into bed – and we hear the influence of Jill, a life-long teacher. When Joe talks to families who’ve lost a hero, we hear another parent of an American veteran; a kindred spirit; somebody whose faith has endured the hardest loss there is. That’s Joe. Through all his trials, he’s never once forgotten the values or the moral fiber that his parents passed on to him, and

that made him who he is. That’s what steels his faith – in God, in America, and in all of us. That steel made him an incredible partner when I needed one the most. Our country’s future hangs on this election. And it won’t be easy. The other side has a massive war chest. The other side has a propaganda network with little regard for the truth. On the other hand, pandemics have a way of cutting through a lot of noise and spin to remind us of what is real, and what is important. This crisis has reminded us that government matters. It’s reminded us that good government matters. That facts and science matter. That the rule of law matters. That having leaders who are informed, and honest, and seek to bring people together rather than drive them apart – those kind of leaders matter. In other words, elections matter. Right now, we need Americans of goodwill to unite in a great awakening against a politics that too often has been characterized by corruption, carelessness, self-dealing,

disinformation, ignorance, and just plain meanness. And to change that, we need Americans of all political stripes to get involved in our politics and our public life like never before. For those of us who believe in building a more just, more generous, more democratic America where everybody has a fair shot at opportunity. For those of us who believe in a government that cares about the many, and not just the few. For those of us who love this country and are willing to do our part to make sure it lives up to its highest ideals – now’s the time to fight for what we believe in. So join us. Keep taking care of yourself, and your families, and each other. Keep believing in the possibilities of a better world. And I will see you on the campaign trail as soon as I can.

continued from cover professionals who are putting their lives on the line to save others. The public servants and health officials battling this disease. The workers taking risks every day to keep our economy running. And everyone who’s making their own sacrifice at home with their families, all for the greater good. But if there’s one thing we’ve learned as a country from moments of great crisis, it’s that the spirit of looking out for one another can’t be restricted to our homes, or our workplaces, or our neighborhoods, or our houses of worship. It also has to be reflected in our national government. The kind of leadership that’s guided by knowledge and experience; honesty and humility; empathy and grace – that kind of leadership doesn’t just belong in our state capitols and mayors’ offices. It belongs in the White House. And that’s why I’m so proud to endorse Joe Biden for President of the United States.

Through strategic litigation, public policy advocacy, and education, GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders works in New England and nationally to create a just society free of discrimination based on gender identity and expression, HIV status, and sexual orientation. www.GLAD. org The National Center for Lesbian Rights is a national legal organization committed to advancing the human and civil rights of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community through litigation, public policy advocacy, and public education. www. NCLRights.org Courtesy of GLAD

Thanks, President Barack Obama

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Human rights group sues Ukrainian church leader COVID-19 is divine punishment for same-sex marriage, he claims by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer

Patriarch Filaret – Photo by Цетињанин / Wikipedia

Visit us online www.sgn.org

Patriarch Filaret, the founder and leader of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, is being sued by the human rights group Insight for a statement blaming the COVID-19 pandemic on same-sex marriage. In an interview on Ukraine’s TV Channel 4, the churchman said that coronavirus was “God’s punishment for the sins of men, the sinfulness of humanity.” “First of all, I mean same-sex marriage,” he added. Filaret’s church, sometimes called the “Ukrainian Orthodox Church – Kiev Patriarchate” to distinguish it from the “Ukrainian Orthodox Church,” which is still linked to Moscow, came into being after Ukraine declared its independence in 1992. It claims the allegiance of 25% of the Ukrainian population. Most of the rest are Roman Catholics or Orthodox affiliated with Moscow. Filaret adopted the title “patriarch” to assert equal status with the Patriarch of Moscow, the head of the Russian Orthodox Church. Like the Russian church, the Ukrainian Orthodox Church is militantly anti-LGBT. Human rights groups labeled Filaret’s statement “dangerous,” warning that blaming the COVID-19 pandemic on Gays and Lesbians is an incitement to violence.

April 17, 2020

“Such statements,” said Maria Guryeva of Amnesty International Ukraine, “are very harmful because they could lead to increased attacks, aggression, discrimination, and acceptance of violence against certain groups.” The Ukrainian LGBT organization Insight has filed suit against Filaret, accusing him of disseminating false information on television. “Our aim is to show people that there is no longer place for such statements from church leaders in Ukraine,” Insight’s leader Olena Shevchenko told Reuters. She said that the group is asking for an apology and for the TV channel to run a correction. “We just want them to be more responsible the next time,” Shevchenko said. In a statement responding to the suit, the patriarch’s office said, “As the head of the church and as a man, the patriarch has the freedom to express his views, which are based on morality.” Hate speech against LGBTQ people is not illegal in Ukraine, where LGBTQ people have few legal protections. The country passed a law that bans job discrimination on the basis of gender identity and sexual orientation, but that was only passed because it was required for Ukraine to access the European Union’s open-borders system.

Seattle Gay News 17

#ThePlateFund to provide immediate, one-time payments to the hardest-hit restaurant workers in King County SEATTLE (April 7, 2020) – A coalition of greater Seattle restaurants, foundations, organizations and individuals announced today the creation of #ThePlateFund, an initiative to provide emergency financial assistance to restaurant and food-service workers who have lost jobs and income due to business disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The fund, created by the Schultz Family Foundation in partnership with #allinseattle, Seattle Foundation and UpTogether, launches with $4 million in seed funding and has a goal to reach as many in-need restaurant workers as possible in King County. Members of the community are encouraged to join the effort and help their neighbors in need by donating at www.theplatefund.com. #ThePlateFund will provide immediate, one-time payments of $500 to restaurant workers hardest hit by the COVID-19 crisis, prioritizing the most vulnerable and in-need individuals in the restaurant community so they can quickly pay for essentials such as food, medicine, transportation, baby products, and other expenses. Individuals may apply for assistance from #ThePlateFund via a mobile-enabled website, without having to leave their homes. When COVID-19 hit the Seattle area, more than 100,000 people were employed at some 5,000 food establishments in King County. Most restaurants have been forced to close or reduce operations, laying off some or all of their employees. A vast majority of line cooks, wait staff, dishwashers, bartenders, and other restaurant and food-service industry employees rely on every paycheck, as well as tips, to support themselves and their families. Many have already depleted their savings and find themselves without money as they wait for federal stimulus payments and unemployment insurance benefits, which may not arrive for several weeks or months. The fund is also intended to assist restaurant workers who will not qualify for unemployment insurance or the federal stimulus payment because of immigration status or other issues. While most restaurant owners are doing everything they can to help their people through the crisis, the situation is especially challenging for single-location establishments and smaller businesses. Any restaurant or food-service worker that has experienced a reduction in hours or been laid off as a result of the COVID19 crisis can apply for assistance from #ThePlateFund. To qualify, applicants are required to provide proof that they live in King County; confirm that they have experienced a reduction of hours or been laid off; and upload a recent pay stub via photo or other means, showing they have an annual gross pay of less than $62,000, inclusive of tips. #ThePlateFund will also provide electronic codes for restaurant owners to distribute directly to workers who are in the greatest need. Workers who want to apply to receive payments can do so [at www.theplatefund. com/apply]. Donors who want to contribute to the fund can do so [at https://bit.ly/2V9LwS6]. For more information about the fund, please visit www.theplatefund.com. The need is enormous. While the fund will not be able to assist all workers who have been negatively affected by this crisis, it will continue to raise money to broaden its reach as the crisis continues. The fund is designed to provide emergency bridge payments to cash-strapped restaurant workers until they are able to receive unemployment

18 Seattle Gay News

Image courtesy of The Plate Fund

insurance and/or federal stimulus payments, if they are eligible. The fund is also intended to serve as a complement to other community-led COVID-19 relief initiatives in King County. “We can help bridge the gap between the time workers received their last paychecks and the time they access government-provided payments and benefits. For some, this may be the only assistance they receive,” said Sheri Schultz, president of the Schultz Family Foundation. “All of us have a responsibility to help those in need during this unprecedented crisis. With #ThePlateFund, we have an opportunity to serve those who contribute to the vibrancy of our community and now need a lifeline. We are grateful that so many are coming forward to help.” The application process and electronic payments for #ThePlateFund are being administered by UpTogether, a digital capital exchange platform created by the Family Independence Initiative and made available through the #GiveTogetherNow campaign. In addition to the Schultz Family Foundation, partners and supporters of #ThePlateFund currently include these organizations and restaurant owners: Seattle Foundation; Charlie’s Produce; the Ellison Foundation; The Prado Group; Patty and Steve Fleischmann; Sid Lee (formerly Hornall Anderson); UpTogether; #allinseattle; Amperity; Seattle Restaurants United; Washington Hospitality Association; Seattle Restaurant Alliance; Starbucks Foundation; Aakanksha Sinha and Uttam Mukherjee (Spice Waala); Aaron Verzosa and Amber Manuguid (Archipelago); Alex Prindle (Bok a Bok, The Skillet Group); Alison Soike (Alison’s Coastal Cafe and Bakery); Alyssa Anderson (Piroshki on 3rd); Alysson Wilson and Kevin Burzell (Kedai Makan); Anais Custer (La Dive); Art Stone (Honest Biscuits); Bianca Szyperski (Jujubeet); Blaine Wetzel (The Willows Inn); Brandon Barnato (Bar Cotto); Brandon Petit (Delancey, Dino’s); Brendan McGill (Hitchcock Restaurant Group); Brian Canlis (Canlis); Brian Claudio Smith (Baker’s); Brian Clevenger (Vendemmia, East Anchor Seafood, Raccolto, Le Messe, G.H. Pasta Co., Haymaker); B-side; Cameron Hanin (Guerrilla Pizza Kitchen); Carla Leonardi (Cafe Lago); Chera Amlag and Geo Quibuyen (Hood Famous Bakeshop, Hood Famous Cafe + Bar); Chris and Anu Elford (Rob Roy, Navy Strength No Anchor, Vinnie’s Raw Bar); Christopher Poetter (Katsu Burger); Christy Donnelly

April 17, 2020

(RockCreek Seafood & Spirits, FlintCreek Cattle Co.); Cody Westerfield (De La Soil Catering and Events); Colleen Schroeder (BZs Sports Bar); Cynthia Burke (Cynthia’s); Daisley Gordon (Cafe Campagne); Dan Bugge (Matt’s in The Market, Radiator Whiskey, White Swan Public House); Dan Crookston (Mean Sandwich); Dan Olsby, Hannes Schindler, Matt Greenup and Rory McCormick (re:public, El Grito); Dani Cone (Fuel Coffee); Dave (Screwdriver Bar); David Butler (Le Caviste); David Nichols and Ian Nichols (Eight Row); Davide Macchi and Filippo Fiori (Dué Cucina Italiana); Debra Russell and Jill Buchanan (Eve); DeVeaux Hill, James Weinman and Deming Mclise (Beer Star USA); Doh Driver (Wayward Vegan Café); Donna Moodie (Marjorie’s); Doug Sowers and Joel Wood (Cafe Solstice); Dustin Ronspies (Art of the Table); Edouardo Jordan (JuneBaby, Salare, Lucinda); Efrem Fesaha (Boon Boona Coffee); Eric Fisher (Copal, Pacifica); Eric Johnson and Seth Hammond (Stateside, Foreign National); Erik Hakkinen (Roquette); Erika White (Fat’s Chicken and Waffles); Ethan Stowell (Ethan Stowell Restaurants); Garrett Doherty (Lionhead); Gina Tolentino and Jerry Corso (Bar del Corso); Graham Graham (Mezcaleria Oaxaca); Guitar Srisuthiamorn (Sugar Hill, Ayutthaya Thai); Heather Chitty (Madres Kitchen); Heather Earnhardt (The Wandering Goose); Henri Schock and Soni Davè-Schock (Bottlehouse, Mr. West Cafe Bar); Heong Soon Park (Meet Korean BBQ, Chan Seattle, Bacco Café); Jaime Duggan (Gracia); James Lim (Watson’s Counter); James Snyder (Sam’s Tavern); James Weimann, Deming Maclise and Rich Fox (Bastille, Poquitos, Macleod’s, Rhein Haus, Stoneburner, Seaplane); Jan Parker (Jan Parker Cookery); Jay Blackinton (Hogstone); Jen and Max Petty (Eden Hill Restaurant, Eden Hill Provisions); Jenessa Sneva (Taurus Ox); Jeremy Hardy (Mioposto); Jerry Patty (Taylor Shellfish); Jiaxin Wang and Chong Boon Ooi (Ooink Ramen); Joanne Herron (Cafe Presse, Le Pichet); Joe & Ashley Russell (Russell’s); Joey Burgess (Cupcake Royale); John Howie (Seastar, John Howie Steak); John Rogers (Bar Sue); John Sundstrom, Kelly Ronan and JM Enos (Chef Lark, Slab Sandwich, Southpaw Pizza); Jonah Bergman and Mike Leifur (Bait Shop); Jonathan Fleming (Pioneer Square D&E); Jonathan Silverberg (Schmaltzy’s Deli, Napkin Friends); Jose Luis Rodriguez (The Station); Josh Grunig (Zylberschtein’s Delicatessen and Bakery); Joshua

Delgado and Jordan Melnikoff (Le Coin); Julian and Lucas Lorenzo (Un Bien); Julian Hagood (Harry’s Fine Foods, Harry’s Beach House); Kari Brunson (Frankie & Jo’s, Juicebox Café); Karuna Long (Oliver’s Twist); Keasa Jones (Uncle Eddie’s Public House); Kelley Kieser (Serafina, Cicchetti); Kevin Smith and Polly Yakovich (Beast & Cleaver); Kristi Brown (That Brown Girl Cooks); Larry Kurofsky (Heavy Restaurant Group); Lauren Garventa (The Ruby Brink Bar & Butcher); Linda Derschang (The Derschang Group); Linda Di Lello Morton & Tamara Murphy (Terra Plata); Lluvia Walker (Place Pigalle); MacKenzie DeVito (No Bones Beach Club); Marcus Lalario (Lil Woodys Burgers and Shakes, Fats Chicken and Waffles, Ciudad, Bar Ciudad); Maretta DeLaCruz (Wink Doughnuts); Mark Shroder (Opus Co); Matt and Emily Dann (The Corson Building); Matt Janke and Jill Buchanan (Lecosho); Matthew Powell (The Doctor’s Office); Max Heigh (Poke To The Max, The Stone House Café); Megan James (Seattle Pops); Meghan Seale (Canon, Ocho); Melissa Miranda (Musang); Michael Maione and Jean Wallace (Some Random Bar); Michael Seale (Bar Harbor Bar); Mike Walker (Hi-Spot Café); Monica Dimas (Little Neon Taco, Westman’s Bagel & Coffee); Mutsuko Soma (Kamonegi); Nancy Kelly (Good Bar); Nat Stratton (Clarke, Cafe Flora, Floret, The Flora Bakehouse); Newbies; Osiris Navarro (Golas Kitchen); Paul Osher (Pork Chop & Co); Pepa Brower and Dre Neeley (Gravy); Perfecte and Alia Rocher (Tarsan i Jane); Quentin Ertel (Havana, Havana Hospitality Group); Rachel Antalek (Byen Bakeri); Rachel Marshall (Rachel’s Ginger Beer); Rachel Yang and Seif Cherchi (Relay Restaurant Group); Trey Lamont (Jerk Shack); Renee Erickson (Bateau, The Whale Wins, The Walrus and the Carpenter); Rod Gambassi & Marc Adams (R&M Dessert Bar); Rodney Hines (Metier Brewing Company); Rory McCormick and Rachel Dlugolecki (Single Shot); Rumi Ohnui and Charlie Anthe (Moshi Moshi Sushi, Izakaya); Ryan Donaldson (Gather Kitchen and Bar); Ryan Lengle (Slicebox Pizza); Ryan Suddendorf (Arriba Cantina); Sam Thompson (Seattle Biscuit Company); Sara Knowles (Restaurant Homer); Sarah Penn (Frank’s Oyster House & Champagne Parlor); Seamus Platt (The Shambles); Sean McAteer Alexis Folse (Hillside Bar); Shawn Nickerson (Cafe Cesura); Shota Nakajima (Adana); Steve Nyman, Nathan Benedict and Greg Schaeffer (Union Bar); Stuart Lane and Angela Lopez (Spinasse, Artusi); Sun and Erin Hong (ByTae); Suzette Jarding (Ristorante Machiavelli); Tamara Murphy and Linda Di Lello Morton (Terra Plata); Taylor Hoang (Taylor Hoang Restaurants Inc., Seatac Airport Restaurants, Pho Cyclo Cafe, District One Saigon); Teferi Abay (Wonder Ehiopia Restaurant and Sport Bar); Theo Martin (Island Soul Rum Bar & Soul Shack); Tiana Garrett (Taproot Cafe & Bar); Tilikum Place Cafe; Todd Carden (Elliott Bay Brewing); Tom Douglas and Eric Tanaka (Tom Douglas Restaurants); Tony Lombardi (North Star Diner, Shanghai Room); Trevor Greenwood (Cantinetta); Vivienne Tran (The Moo Bar Seattle); Wassef Haroun (Mamnoon); William Belickis and Michael Hy (Violet); Wylie Bush (Joe Bar, Barjot); Yasuaki Saito (London Plane); Yenvy Pham (Pho Bac Sup Shop); Zachary Pacleb (Brothers & Co); and Zak and Renessa Melang (Matador Restaurants, Ballard Annex). Courtesy of Business Wire

Celebrating 46 Years!

2020 MEN IN DANCE FESTIVAL announces selection of Featured Choreographer

Micaela Taylor – Photo by Jayme Thornton, courtesy of Dance Magazine

As we continue preparing for the 2020 MEN IN DANCE FESTIVAL to be held the first two weekends of October we are happy to announce our selection for this year’s Featured Choreographer. Introducing Micaela Taylor, Cornish College of the Arts alumna and founder of The TL Collective. Exactly one week ago today Micaela was featured as the cover story for Dance Magazine with the headline “Don’t Even Try to Deny the Groovy Appeal of Micaela Taylor”: “While it is difficult to categorize Taylor’s evolving and funky mix of styles – she once defined it as “contemporary/pop” but no longer finds that apt – it is hard to deny its groovy appeal. Her movement vocabulary feels fresh and alive, full of contrasts and idiosyncrasies. While her professional start was steeped in Ohad Naharin’s Gaga movement, she cites Crystal Pite and Hofesh Shechter as reference points for her intense use of the face as much as the body.”

(Read the full article on DANCE MAGAZINE) [https://bit.ly/3bgpuTg] Along with a commissioned work from her we look forward to bringing you yet another diverse mix of local and out-oftown choreographers as we aim to do every Festival. This year we have extended our application process in light of recent events and are accepting applications through May 15. Should you wish to pass our application details on to a choreographer in your life, look no further than the following link: Visit https://www.menindance.org/ opportunities-for-artists for More on Our Application Process We are excited to see what this year’s Festival brings, as we always do! A cheers to looking onward, looking forward, and to the dances that are to come. Yours in Dance, The MEN IN DANCE Board of Producers

ART

Gage Academy of Art launches Gage 360 online program with free weekly workshops SEATTLE (April 8, 2020) – This spring marks one of the most exciting moments in the Gage Academy of Art 30 year history: the beloved academy is going online starting April 20 with a new program called Gage 360, offering unprecedented access to top tier instructors, guest lectures and printmaking, as well as drawing, painting, print making, sculpting and youth art programs. As part of this initiative and in the face of crisis, Gage as a public service has created a new program, Art to Go which is a free online art program with classes, demos and tutorials available to anyone interested in learning. Over the past several months, greater Seattle has embraced social distancing in response to the Covid-19 pandemic. During that time the Gage community has come together stronger than ever to honor their desire for connection and therapy through art. Beginning on April 8, the Art to Go program allows artists and families across the US to discover the magic of Gage Academy and gives the public a creative outlet during this uncertain time. The free classes will be held twice a week, on Wednesdays and Fridays, and are filled on a first-come, first-served basis. The program is for all levels of art and is the perfect stay-at-home pastime for ages 8+. “Going digital not only helps students stay connected during this crisis, but it also allows quality courses to be accessed by individuals around the world who long for a fine arts program that will take them to the next level within the industry,” remarked executive director Stefano Catalani. “Gage 360 has the potential to reach artists who wanted to train at the academy but did not have the resources to move to Seattle.” Students can expect the same level of excellence, which has been associated with the academy since its inception 30 years ago. The Gage 360 program will offer children, teens and adults the opportunity to study with renowned master teachers from the safety of their home. Whether it’s still-life painting, live model drawing or sculpture, the academy’s nationally recognized programs hold something for everyone. Charles Emerson, Juliet Aristides, Tom Hoffmann, Aron Hart, and

Image courtesy of Gage Academy of Art

Kai Carpenter are some of the top instructors currently available for this upcoming Spring Quarter. The Gage 360 Team strives to continue to serve the community by offering access to quality art courses. Students will receive expert core class instruction and learn the skills of perception and observation using online tools that include Zoom and Google suites while the Facebook group allows for peers to communicate amongst each other. With “Awesome Gage”, students have full access to available staff members via the online hotline at 206-222-GAGE (4243). The Gage 360 Team will answer questions during normal business hours within 24 hours, allowing individuals to receive timely support at home.

Visit us online www.sgn.org

For three decades, Gage Academy of Art has groomed hundreds of art enthusiasts into expert artists, entrepreneurs, instructors and Ateliers. Art to Go is now live. To access the free classes go to https://www. gageacademy.org/arttogo/ . The academy’s core class schedule for the Gage 360 Spring Quarter starts the week of April 20 and ends the week of June 8. The first 100 people to purchase online classes will receive 10% off using the promo code “GAGE360”. To learn more about the classes offered, please visit www.gageacademy.org/adult-programs.

About Gage Academy of Art Gage Academy of Art (www.gageacademy.org), a 501(c)(3) non-profit in Seattle, is celebrating 30 years as a vibrant extendedlearning and contemporary art center, providing community-based artistic development for students of all ages and abilities. Guided by the belief that artists are made, not born, Gage educates, enriches, and transforms the community through the visual arts. Gage offers instruction in the principles of drawing, painting, sculpting and printmaking through classes, workshops, and seven unique Atelier programs of national renown. The school is home to art lectures, exhibitions and community events. Courtesy of Gage Academy of Art

April 17, 2020

Seattle Gay News 19

Allyship - an organization of LGBTQ individuals fighting for economic and social justice. www.LGBTQAllyship. org, allyship@yahoo.com, (206) 279-8169. American Veterans for Equal Rights - www.aver.us Another Gay Social Club! - www.meetup.com/AnotherGay-Social-Club/ Bellingham/Whatcom County - www.theslowlane. com/guide.html BiNet Seattle is a mixed gender, social group for Bisexuals, their partners & other Bi-friendly folks - www. binetseattle.org. Bremerton/Kitsap County - www.outwestsound.org Capitol Hill Alano Club - www.chacseattle.org Cascade Rainbow Community Center (Mount Vernon) - (360) 840-8499 and on Facebook. Central Washington University GALA Hotline: (509) 963-1994. Channel Q 103.3 FM - LGBTQ+ Talk Radio Network News and information, pop culture and music. radio.com COLAGE unites people with LGBTQ parents and caregivers into a network of peers and supports them as they nurture and empower each other to be skilled, self-confident, and just leaders in our collective communities - www.colage.org DIFFA/Northwest (Design Industries Foundation Fighting AIDS). (206) 763-8885; www.diffanorthwest. org DOMESTIC VIOLENCE & SEXUAL ASSAULT: Crisis Clinic, (206) 461-3222 (24 hour line); King County Sexual Assault Resource Center (KCSARC) - 24-hour crisis line for information, support, & medical & legal assistance: 1-888-99-VOICE; Northwest Network support & advocacy for Bisexual, Trans, Lesbian & Gay Survivors of Abuse & Dating Violence, (206) 568-7777 (voice), 517-9670 (tty), www.nwnetwork.org; Pierce County Domestic Violence Helpline: Teresa, (253) 798-4166; Seattle Counseling Service for Sexual Minorities - offers on-going support groups for men: 323-1768; Seattle Police Dept Domestic Violence Unit, (206) 684-0330; State Wide Domestic Violence Hot Line, 1-800-562-6025. In an emergency call 911. Report domestic violence and sexual assault. Equal Rights Washington - (206) 324-2570; www. equalrightswashington.org Everett/Snohomish Cty - www.gaysnohomish.org Freely Speaking Toastmasters - www.freelyspeaking.org Gay City promotes wellness in LGBTQ communities by providing health services, connecting people to resources, fostering arts, and building community. Gay City Health Project’s Wellness Center provides anonymous & confidential HIV/STD testing. 517 E Pike St. More info or to schedule an appointment, (206) 860-6969. www.gaycity.org Gay & Lesbian National Hotline (GLNH): 1-888-THEGLNH (1-888-843-4564). Non-profit, peer-counseling, information & local resources telephone hotline for GLBT people across the country. Generations Aging With Pride empowers elder LGBTQ adults to live with pride and dignity by promoting, connecting, and developing innovative programs and services that enhance belonging and support, eliminate discrimination, and honor the lives of older members of our community - (206) 393-3400; info@gapseattle.org; gapseattle.org GLSEN/WA - Gay, Lesbian, Straight Education Network - (206) 330-2099; www.glsenwa.org Greater Seattle Business Association (GSBA) - (206) 363-9188; www.thegsba.org HIV/AIDS Program, Seattle/King County Dept of Public Health, provides confidential/anonymous information about & testing for HIV/AIDS. (206) 205-7837. For a comprehensive list of HIV/AIDS service organizations see the GSBA Guide or visit www.thegsba.org or call Lifelong AIDS Alliance, (206) 328-8979. Imperial Sovereign Court of Seattle & the Olympic & Rainier Empire - www.facebook.com/ISCSORE; www. imperialcourtofseattle.com Lambert House - (206) 322-2515; www.lamberthouse. org LGBT Library - 517 E Pike St. Open Mon-Fri 2-8pm; Sat 2-5pm. A wide range of fiction and non-fiction for the LGBT community and allies can be borrowed free of charge. LGBT MS Connection - (425) 785-8593; lgbtmsconnections@comcast.net. Support group for LGBT persons with MS and their partners and their caregivers. Sponsored by the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. Lifelong AIDS Alliance - (206) 328-8979, www.lifelongaids alliance.org Lion’s Main Art Collective - www.lionsmain.org MEN: Gay City: (206) 860-6969, www.gaycity.org; Knights of Mantra: (206) 329-0886, www.jetchapterkofm.com; Mature Friends: Gay men & women 40 & over, www.maturefriends.org; Northwest Bears: www. nwbears.com; The Olympians: www.TheOlympians. net; POZSeattle: www.pozseattle.com; Q-Squared: www.qsquared.org; Rain City Jacks: www.raincityjacks. org; Seattle Gay Couples: www. seattlegaycouples.org; Seattle Men in Leather: www.seattlemeninleather. org; Seattle Prime Timers: Gay & Bi men 40 & over, www. seattle primetimers.org; Tacoma Older LGBT: www. tacomaolderlgbt.org. (See also listings under Bisexual, Parenthood, People of Color, Transgender.) MUSIC: Diverse Harmony: www.diverseharmony. org; Rainbow City Band: 1-866-841-9139 ext 2126; rainbowcityband@onebox.com; www.rainbowcity band. com; Seattle Men’s Chorus and Seattle Women’s Chorus: (206) 388-1408, (206) 323-0750. www.seattlechoruses.org. Northwest Lesbian & Gay History Museum Project - gayhistnw@aol.com

20 Seattle Gay News

community resources Northwest Rainbow Alliance for the Deaf - www. nwrad.org Olympia/Thurston County - www.RainbowCenterOly. org Out & Equal Workplace Advocates/Seattle Regional Affiliate supports the work of LGBT employees and the growing number of ERGs (Employee Resource Groups) making a difference within local companies, including Alaska Airlines, Amazon.com, Amgen, AT&T, Bank of America, Deloitte, Macy’s, Microsoft, Russell Investments, Safeco Insurance, Starbucks Coffee, Xerox. www.outandequal.org/affiliates/seattle Out & Proud Grays Harbor Coalition - http://outandproudgh.org PARENTHOOD: Families Like Ours provides a gateway for LGBT families interested in adoption & provides a network of safe placement agencies, training, support & resources: (206) 441-7602, www.familieslikeours. org; Family Works offers support, information & activities for LGBT families: (206) 694-6727, www.familyworksseattle. org; Gay Fathers’ Association of Seattle offers support groups & social activities: www.gfas. org; Proud & Loud Families - Northwest, www.meetup.com/proudand-loud-families-northwest, plfnorthwest@aol.com; Queer Parent Networking Dinners: (206) 568-7777, qpnd@nwnetwork.org, www.nwnetwork.org; Rainbow Families of Puget Sound: www.rainbowfamiliesps.org PFLAG is the national organization for parents, families, allies, and LGBTQ people united for equality with chapters in Seattle, Bellevue/Eastside, the Puget Sound region and across Washington state. PFLAG Seattle: (206) 325-7724, info@pflagseattle.org, and www.pflagseattle.org; PFLAG Bellevue/Eastside: (425) 483-6642, info@bellevue-pflag.org, http://community. pflag.org/PFLAGBellevue; PFLAG Pacific Northwest: www.pnwpflag.org; PFLAG Washington State Council: www.pflagwsc.org. Peer Seattle (formerly Seattle Area Support Groups) is a non-profit organization that builds community and cultivates powerful, healthy lives by providing emotional support and personal development services to those affected by HIV/AIDS, the Queer communities, and those who love them. Our work is done in a spirit of safety, trust, inclusiveness, and celebration of individual differences. (206) 322-2437; www.peerseattle.org PEOPLE OF COLOR: AARTH (African American Reach & Teach Health Ministry), (206) 850-2070, www.aarth.org; Asian/Pacific Islander Queer Network Program at API Chaya, (206) 467-9976; Center for MultiCultural Health, (206) 461-6910, www.multiculturalhealth.org; Entre Hermanos, GLBT Latinos/as, (206) 322-7700, www.entrehermanos.org; Ile LaiLai, (206) 781-3565, iya@ilelailai.org; Men of All Colors & Cultures Together (MACCT), (206) 923-8313, macctseattle@yahoo.com, www.macctsea.org; Northwest Two Spirit Society, https://www.facebook.com/ groups/nw2spiritsociety/, Nubian Pride Productions, nubianpride@gmail.com; People of Color Against AIDS Network (POCAAN) offers rapid HIV testing, M-F, 10am-5pm, (206) 322-7061, www.pocaan.org and on Facebook; QBASS - Queer Black Alliance of the South Sound, (253) 256-1846, weareqbass@gmail. com; Sistah 2 Sistah, LBT women of African descent, (206) 322-7061, (206) 255-8951; Somos Seattle, somosseattle.org; Trikone-Northwest, GLBT South Asians, (425) 985-4376, www.trikonenw.org; Two-Spirit Honor Project, 1-866-685-0164; U.T.O.P.I.A. Seattle, www.utopiaseattlewa.org; VietQ Greater Seattle, vietqorganization@gmail.com Pierce County AIDS Foundation - (253) 383-2565; www.piercecountyaids.org Pride Foundation - (206) 323-3318; www.pridefoundation. org Pride Lives - www.facebook.com/PrideLives/ Pride Radio 93.3 HD2 Project NEON is a program of Seattle Counseling Service providing FREE information & services to Gay & Bi men to reduce health risks associated with methamphetamine use. (206) 323-1768. www.crystalneon.org Public Health-Seattle & King County Online Comprehensive Health Information for Sexual Minorities: www.kingcounty.gov/healthservices/health/personal/ glbt.aspx Q Law: The GLBT Bar Association of WA - (206) 682-6711; www.q-law.org Q Law GLBT Legal Clinic - (206) 235-7235. Queer Geek! - queergeekseattle.org Rainbow Center - Resource Center for Tacoma/Pierce County LGBTIQA community. Through education, advocacy and celebration, the Rainbow Center expands resources, and safe space for the LGBTQIA community.

April 17, 2020

Sponsors Tacoma Pride Festival. (253) 383-2318, www. rainbowcntr.org SEAMEC interviews, researches & rates candidates for public office on issues of concern to the LGBT community. www.voteseamec.org Seattle Area Support Groups & Community Center (SASG) i- SEE LISTING for Peer Seattle. Seattle Bisexual Women’s Network - BiSeattle.wixsite. com/SBWN and on Facebook. Seattle Counseling Service for Sexual Minorities is a community mental health service for GLBT persons & their families providing comprehensive mental health services on a sliding scale. (206) 323-1768. Seattle LGBTQ Commission - (206) 684-4503. www/ seattle.gov/lgbtq Seattle Out & Proud - (206) 322-9561; www.seattlepride.org Seattle Police Department Sexual Minorities Community Advisory Council: kim.bogucki@seattle.gov Seattle PrideFest - www.seattlepridefest.org Servicemembers Legal Defense Network - (202) 328-3244; www.sldn.org Sex Workers Outreach Project - https://seattle. swopusa.org Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, The Abbey of St. Joan - (206) 860-3666; www.theabbey.org Snohomish Health District HIV/AIDS Program provides free confidential/anonymous HIV counseling & testing 9am-5pm Monday-Friday, until 7pm Tuesdays. (425) 339-5298. South Sound Q Calendar - LGBTQ events in Tacoma, Olympia & Sound Puget Sound area; www.SouthSoundQCal.com Spokane/Inland Northwest - www.outspokane.com; www.stonewallnews.net SPORTS & RECREATION: Bent Car Guys: www. bentcarguys.org; Border Riders Motorcycle Club: www.borderriders.com; Bottom Dwellers Scuba Club: www.bottomdwellers.org; Capitol Hill Cyclers: join their Facebook group or email capitolhillcycling@ groups.facebook.com or jordan.l.simonson@gmail.com; Cascade Flag Football: www.cascadeflagfootball.org; Cascade Flyers: www.cascadeflyers.org; Emerald City Mudhen Rugby: www.mudhenrugby.com; Emerald City Softball Association: www.emeraldcitysoftball. org, www.eteamz.com/womensecsa; Ethyl Forever Car Club: ethylforever@hotmail.com; Festival of the Babes: www.festivalofthebabes.com; Olympic Yacht Club: www.oycnw.org; OutVentures: outdoor education & recreation activities, www.outventures.org; Pacific Northwest Gay Rodeo Association: www.pacificnwgra.org; Puddletown Squares: www.puddletownsquares.org; Rain City Soccer: www.raincitysoccer.org; Rain Country Dance Association: a country-western dance organization catering to the LGBTQ community but open to all, www.raincountrydance.org; Sea Dawgs: LGBT ice hockey - SkateSeaDawgs@gmail.com and on Facebook; Seattle Frontrunners: www.seattlefrontrunners.org; Seattle Gay Basketball Association: www. seattlegaybasketballassociation.com; Seattle Orca Swim Team: www.orcaswimteam.org; Seattle Otters Water Polo: www.otterpolo.com; Seattle Quake Rugby: www.quakerugby.com; Seattle Tennis Alliance: www. seattletennisalliance.org; Seattle Unified Bowling Association (SUBA): magee98106@aol.com, www. teamseattle.org/bowling.htm, www.theprideleague. com, Century 21 League; Seattle Volleyball Club: www.seattlevolleyballclub.com; Ski Buddies: www. skibuddies.org; Team Seattle Gay Sports Network is an umbrella organization for a wide range of local GLBT sports activities, (206) 367-4064, www.teamseattle.org (see website for comprehensive list of sports clubs); Triangle Recreation Camp at Bender Creek: recreational camping for GLBT folks. Must be 21; ID required. trc@ camptrc.org, www.camptrc.org, 1122 E Pike St #1069, Seattle 98122-3934. Strength Over Speed - www.strengthoverspeed.org Tacoma/Pierce County - Rainbow Center, 2215 Pacific Ave, Tacoma, a resource center for the LGBTIQA community of Pierce County, (253) 383-2318, www. rainbowcntr.org Three Dollar Bill Cinema - TWIST: Seattle Queer Film Festival; Translations: Seattle Transgender Film Festival; Outdoor Cinema at Cal Anderson Park. www. threedollarbillcinema.org TRANSGENDER: Emerald City Social Club: (425) 827-9494; Gender Alliance of the South Sound: www. SouthSoundGender.com; Gender Diversity: www. genderdiversity.org; Gender Justice League: www.genderjusticeleague.org; Gender Odyssey: www.genderodyssey.com; Hermanos Trans Latino & Foreign-Born

Support Group: (206) 322-7700; Ingersoll Gender Center: (206) 329-6651, www.ingersollcenter.org; Lion’s Main Art Collective: www.lionsmain.org; The New BoyZ Club: www.olympiaftmgroup.webs.com; Olympia Trans Discussion Group: www.facebook.com/pages/ Olympia-Trans-Discussion-Group/262449878114; [trans] ACTION: Trans* & Gender Non-Conforming Sex Workers’ Support Group - a safe, peer-led space. mail@utopiaseattle.org; TRANSform Washington: transformwashington.com; Trans Resource & Referral Guide: kctransguide.org; Trans Women of Color Solidarity Network: Funding the collective liberation of Trans women of color – https://m.facebook.com/ TWOCSolidarityNW/; Washington Gender Alliance: (360) 445-2411, www.washington genderalliance.com WOMEN: Aging Ballard Lesbian Exchange (A.B.L.E.): We are Lesbians 60 years (generally) and up, living (mostly) in the north half of Seattle. The purpose of the group is to connect, socialize and support each other. ruthemilyvogel@gmail.com; Aging Lesbians in South Seattle (ALISS) - Lesbian Group at the Southeast Seattle Senior Center. This is a gathering primarily for Lesbians but all are welcome to attend. Kate, (206) 722-0317; www.sessc.org; BABES: support groups for HIV+ women. (206) 720-5566, 1-888-292-1912; Coming Out Women Support Group of Tacoma: www. comingoutwomen.org; Festival of the Babes: www. festivalofthebabes.com; Mature Friends: Gay men & women 40 & over, www.maturefriends.org; Puget Sound Old Lesbian Organizing for Change: http:// psoloc.org, (253) 777-3357; Older Lesbians Organizing for Change/WA State Chapter: gloria@oloc.org, mary@oloc.org, www.oloc.org; Pacific Northwest Lesbian Archives: www.pnwlesbianarchives.org; RainshadowWomen: RainshadowWomen@aol. com; Seattle Bisexual Women’s Network: BiSeattle. wixsite.com/SBWN; Seattle Girls of Leather: www. sgol.org; Tacoma Lesbian Concern (TLC): www.tacomalesbianconcern.org; Tacoma Older LGBT: www. tacomaolderlgbt.org; Women of West Seattle (WOWS): a fun, member-driven social group for Lesbians, http:// groups.yahoo.com/group/womenofwestseattle; YWCA Women’s Health Outreach: providing low or no-cost mammograms for income eligible 40+ LBTQ individuals. Follow us at http://lbtqhealth-ywca.blogspot.com, twitter.com/ingridWHO or email lbthealth@ywcaworks. org, (206) 461-4493. (See also listings under Bisexual, Parenthood, People of Color, Transgender.) YOUTH: B-GLAD (Bisexual, Gay, Lesbian, Trans & Questioning Adolescent Drop-In Group): Youth Eastside Services offers many programs for GLBT youth, including B-GLAD, (425) 747-4937; Coyote Central: www.coyotecentral.org; Diverse Harmony: www.diverseharmony. org; GLSEN/Washington State (Gay, Lesbian, Straight Education Network) & Washington State GSA (Gay-Straight Alliance) Network: GLSEN works to create safe schools for LGBT students. WA GSA Network supports youth-led GSA’s to fight harassment & homophobia in Washington state schools. (206) 330-2099; www.glsenwa. org; www.wagsa.org. GLOBE (GLBTQ Loving Ourselves, Becoming Empowered): a support group & HIV/STD prevention program for GLBTQ youth, 14-20, in Everett, (425) 263-2908, www. globeyouth.org; It Gets Better Project: www.itgetsbetter.org; Lambert House: an activities & resource center for LGBT youth, 14-22, 1818 15th Ave @ E Denny Way, with additional support groups organized in smaller towns throughout King County, (206) 322-2515, www. lamberthouse.org; Lifelong HEYO (Health Education Youth Outreach): for LGBTQ youth, ages 16-24: (206) 957-1665; www.llaa.org/HEYO; www.MatthewsPlace. com; The Mockingbird Society: (206) 323-KIDS (5437), www.mockingbirdsociety.org; New Horizons: social services and shelter for homeless youth, 2708 3rd Ave (in Belltown), (206) 374-0866, http://namin.org; Oasis Youth Center: for GLBTQ youth, ages 14-25, in Tacoma, (253) 671-2838, www.oasisyouthcenter. org; OKAY! LGBTQ+ Outreach for Kent Area Youth: (253) 859-0699 ext 3034. OKAY! is an open support group for youth ages 13-19 who identify as LGBTQ+. A program of Kent Youth & Family Services; OUT There Adventures: www.outthereadventures.org; Parents, Family & Friends of Lesbians & Gays (PFLAG)/ Puget Sound: (206) 325-7724, www.seattle-pflag.org; Pizza Klatch: weekly lunchtime support groups for LGBTQ youth in Thurston County, www.pizzaklatch. org; Prism: for LGBTQ youth, 14-21, in Puyallup Cherise.Alexander@ multicare.org; www.facebook. com/PuyallupPrism; Proud Out Wonderful (POW!): for LGBTQ youth, 13-21, in South King County, (206) 326-9112, www.facebook.com/proudoutwonderful; Q Youth Resources: in Kitsap County - (360) 698-3335; www.kchaf.org; Roots Young Adult Shelter: 1415 NE 43rd St., (206) 632-1635; www.rootsinfo.org; Safe Schools Coalition: www.safeschoolscoalition.org; (206) 451-SAFE, (206) 451-7233 (non-emergency), 1-877-SAFE-SAFE (1-877-723-3723) (crisis line); Seattle Young People’s Project (Queer Youth Resource Board): (206) 860-9606, www.sypp.org; Street Youth Ministries (SYM): (206) 524-7301 ext 111; www. streetyouthministries.org; Teen Link: (206) 461-4922, 1-888-431-TEEN; The Trevor Project: 866-4-U-Trevor; www.thetrevorproject.org; True Colors - Connecting LGBTQ Teens: in Shoreline, (206) 362-7282 x 8018, lbagley@chs-nw.org; The Vera Project: fuels personal & community transformation through collaborative youthdriven engagement in music and art. (206) 956-8372; theveraproject.org; Vista Youth Center: for LGBTQ, questioning and allied youth, ages 14-21, in Kennewick, (509) 396-5198, www.vistayouthcenter.org; YouthCare/ Isis Program (Transitional Living Home for LGBTQ Young Adults, 18-22): (206) 522-8412; YouthCare/ Orion Center Young Adult Shelter: 1828 Yale Ave @ Stewart St. (206) 622-5555; Youth in Focus: (206) 723-1479; www.youthinfocus.org; Youth Suicide Prevention Program (OUTLoud-GLBTQ): (206) 297-5922, ext 116, 1-800-273-TALK, www.yspp.org

Celebrating 46 Years!

20 [HEALTH & WELL-BEING] ENERGY/BODYWORK

Therapeutic massage. 30 years experience. Relaxation, major/minor injuries, chronic muscle pain. Small Ballard home office/studio. Massage table or massage chair. Convenient parking. (I’m a Gay-friendly straight male graphic artist, web author.) First session 50% off = $45/1.5 hours (travel extra). By appointment only. References available. Chris Pringer, Reiki Master, 206-286-0899. If you get a voice message mentioning “extension #,” please hang up and call back again; otherwise, please leave a message. Brochure, testimonials, etc. via chalicebridge.com/BMI-Brochure. html. 44/21

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10 [HOUSEMATES] RENTON AREA ROOMMATE WANTED

Looking for a roommate to share a quiet, one-story CLASSY, 1800 square-foot home, off the Renton/ Maple Valley Hghwy with an active and professional male. When quarantine reduces. Landlord/owner will be traveling Mon-Thursday for work. Rent: $800; Utilities and Garage: $100; Dog (OPTIONAL): $100; Deposit: $350 or $600 (Dog). Remodeled house is 18-20 minutes from Airport, Bellevue, and Kent. Owner open to a WELL-MANNERED & HOUSE TRAINED Dog! Interested parties should contact Darryl via email: dthomas2914@hotmail.com. 16/3

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24 [TRAVEL]

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April 17, 2020

Seattle Gay News 21

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22 Seattle Gay News

April 17, 2020

Celebrating 46 Years!

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April 17, 2020

Seattle Gay News 23