SGN Apr 20, 2018 - Part 2

MAP’s Year of the Rooster a strong production worth taking a chance on

by Miryam Gordon SGN A&E Writer

YEAR OF THE ROOSTER MAP THEATRE

(AT 18TH & UNION)

Through May 5

The thought of cockfighting or dog fighting turns my stomach. Those activities are emblematic to me of how low human activities can get. I’ll admit, however, that I have zero knowledge about the people who might be involved in such “sports” and why they might get involved in them. So, it was with a bit of trepidation that I sat down to experience MAP Theatre’s current show, Year of the Rooster

It’s said to be a “dark comedy” and some moments might be said to be funny… The cast list is certainly solid and the crew included the talented set designer Suzy Tucker, deftly rendering three very different locations in the very tiny room at 18th & Union to become a tarpaper house, a McDonald’s counter and a circle on the floor where said cock-fighting takes place.

The play is about a small town loser named Gil (Brandon Ryan). We don’t know how far he got in school, but we first see him doing a clearly customary job taking a drive-up order at McDonald’s and we learn he’s been there five years. We also find out he lives with his disabled mother (Mia Morris) and has been raising a young chicken with steroids and Chicken McNuggets so it will be fierce and angry.

We meet the personification of this angry young rooster, too. Played with panache and intensity by Shane Regan, we get to hear all of Odysseus Rex’s thoughts and feelings as he trains and eats and gets ready for he-knows-not-what. But we know he’s to fight for his life, soon.

Gil is goaded and bullied and abused by the town cock-fighting master, Dickie Thimble (Lantz Wagner) who also came

from a nothing, poverty-ridden beginning, but has succeeded in becoming a very big bully-man in a small town. Dickie is Gil’s ticket to getting in the big fight and it is no sure thing to get there.

In this short play, the fact that Rex actually defeats Dickie’s prize rooster is not the surprise and happens before intermission. It’s essentially what Gil does with the win that seems to be the point of playwright Olivia Dufault’s play. While the second act is not as effectively written as the first, we see Gil lose and then lose some more. It gets darker and darker. Even so, the play is compellingly acted and intrigues because these are not characters you see every day on Seattle’s stages.

Ryan is a past master of strange and unlucky oddfellows. He gives these char-

acters, and Gil in this production, layers of heart and drive and always must be watched at all times. There is never a dull moment when he is on stage.

Wagner surprises with the confidence and braggadocio of Dickie, who is pretty much just bad all the way through. It’s a very strong performance.

Morris uses a lot of levels in her portrayal of Gil’s confused, manipulative, benighted mother. She’s sort of funny and all pitiful. Dufault has her do some unjustified things, and her character is underwritten, but Morris does a great job.

The small role of the McDonald’s young manager is played by Zenaida Smith, whose character, Philipa, seems to have a bit of a liking for Gil, but Gil misplays it, of course. Smith lets us peek into her feelings

while she gives a side-eye to him and she’s very enjoyable to watch, too.

Director Peggy Gannon has a firm idea of what she wants and gets it. It’s not a play that will appeal to everyone, but it doesn’t have to. It’s still worth taking a chance on for the solid acting and a little exposure to folks who don’t live in your neighborhood. For more information, go to www.maptheatre.com or https://roostermap.brownpapertickets.com/ or call 800-838-3006.

Discuss your opinions with SGNCritic@ gmail.com or go to www.facebook.com/ SeattleTheaterWriters. More articles can be found at MiryamsTheaterMusings. blogspot.com.

couple in Shakespeare’s famous play. Couldn’t that make a fun and funny musical? He asked writing couple Bella and Samuel Spewack to come up with a script (the “book”) and they asked Cole Porter to compose and Kiss Me, Kate was born. If you look too closely at that script, there are moments that really don’t work, but the songs are glorious and the aspects of slapstick farce are numerous and funny. So, just don’t look too hard! It’s more fun that way.

The current production at The 5th Avenue Theatre is a joyous and raucous affair, gleefully helmed by Alan Paul, who ekes out every funny moment he can, both from the book and the score, and the dazzling choreography of Michele Lynch and a nimble cast. Paul, working with music director Joel Fram, puts new spins on classic songs like I Hate Men (with saucy Cayman Ilika wielding a wicked banana!), clearly meaning to slow songs down for emphasis, mostly on the jokes.

You might know that The Taming of the Shrew is about an older sister, Katherine or Kate, who is so “shrewish” that men don’t want to marry her even with a fortune in her dowry, and her younger sister, Bianca, who is ready to marry but frustrated that her father won’t let her until her older sister has a husband. Petruchio shows up, ready to marry a rich woman, even if she’s a shrew, and sets out to “tame” her. These days, we squint hard at some of the messages of Shrew, though sometimes clever directors find ways of justifying a very old play with a newer aesthetic.

Similarly, the script of the “modern” feuding couple, from 1949, also includes areas we might squint pretty hard at, as far as equality of the sexes goes. Paul does his best to imbue Lilli Vanessi (Ilika) with as much spunk and independence as he can to keep her her “own woman.” Vanessi is divorced from her husband, acting partner, Fred Graham (Ben Davis), the producer of Shrew, who has agreed to star again with him because she’s really still in love with him.

While Lilli and Fred fight their love and each other, Fred has been flirting with a pretty new star, Lois Lane (Robyn Hurder), even though she has a boyfriend of sorts, Bill (Clyde Alves). Lois is not exactly a one-man woman, as she makes clear in the classic song, “Always True To You In My Fashion,” “Yes, I’m always true to you, darlin’, in my way.”

However, Bill is also not the best guy. He skips rehearsals to gamble and he signs a debt marker with Fred’s name. So, along come First and Second Man (Richard Ziman and Allen Galli, who are the most adorable gangstahs Seattle can muster in a musical) to collect the debt. To distract them, Fred puts them on stage! (OK, just go with it, folks! I promise, it pays off!)

This production is full of swirls of color, in costuming – both 1940s styles and Elizabethan styles – by Alejo Vietti, and a deceivingly “simple” set design by James Noone. The set seems to change effortlessly, and perfectly captures dressing rooms and back stage and on stage and outside areas without calling attention to itself, yet also bringing all kinds of colors into play.

Davis is everything you want in a leading man here, with a round, smooth voice, and the capacity to carry off the boor with a twinkle in his eye. Ilika matches him with her creamy vocals (as always I wish I could bottle her voice and smooth it on as a softener at night) and more feisty spirit and takecharge attitude than I’ve ever seen from her.

Alves is the quintessential dance-andsong man, most useful in the great tap and dancing sequence with Richard Peacock and Con O’Shea-Creal that can’t be beat. Hurder is the break-out revelation here, with terrific vocals, and a great old-style Hollywood movie-musical manner in every dance and every “bit.” She creates a new stereotype: the wise-cracking ditz.

Some other local musical performers are also great in key moments. Sarah Russell opens the entire musical, a hard spot to manage, with panache in “Another Op’nin, Another Show” and with a featured dance with Ty Willis in “Too Darn Hot.” Jeff Steitzer is fun to see when he “becomes” Kate and Bianca’s father. Matt Wolfe is funny as the beleaguered stage manager.

It’s a rather complex show to pull off credibly. This production manages both the 1940s moments and the Shakespearean ones with equal ability and becomes a delightful affair. For more information, call 206-6251900 or go to www.5thavenue.org.

Discuss your opinions with SGNCritic@ gmail.com or go to www.facebook.com/ SeattleTheaterWriters. More articles can be found at MiryamsTheaterMusings. blogspot.com.

Staying true to the story

Stuntman turned director Lin Oeding combines emotion with action with Braven

by Sara Michelle Fetters SGN A&E Writer

BRAVEN Blu-Ray and DVD

The minimalist outdoor action-thriller Braven concerns a logging supervisor named Joe Braven (Jason Mamoa) who, urged on by his devoted wife Stephanie (Jill Wagner), decides to take his proud but slowly mentally deteriorating father Linden (Stephen Lang) out to the family’s secluded mountain cabin to discuss medical and healthcare options as his illness progresses. Once they get there, however, things take a turn for the unexpectedly violent, a murderous drug dealer (Garret Dillahunt) showing up to recover a large cache of cocaine one of Joe’s truck drivers had secretly hidden in the shed at the back of the house. The two have to fight for their lives, a situation made even more dangerous and tense when it’s discovered youngster Charlotte (Sasha Rossof) has secretly joined her father and grandfather on the trip, hoping her perky, youthful presence will alleviate anxiety between the pair.

The feature-length directorial debut for veteran stuntman and stunt coordinator Lin Oeding, this B-grade action thriller is one heck of an entertaining ride. Overflowing in spectacular action set pieces anchored in character and motivated by authentic human emotions, the film is a surprisingly terrific small-scale gem that had me grinning earto-ear for every single one of its breathless 94 minutes. I had the pleasure to chat with Oeding about his film a few days before its limited theatrical release. Here are some of the highlights from our conversation:

Sara Michelle Fetters: I’m curious. How is it that this project came your way? When did you know that this was the one that you wanted to make your jump from doing short films and television work into directing features?

Lin Oeding: I was stunt coordinating at the time and I’d just finished Straight Outta Compton, and when that was over, I decided to take a break from stunt coordinating to shoot some more short films. The next short film I did was called Lifted starring Joel Edgerton. It’s on IMDb to view.

Sara Michelle Fetters: Yes. It is. It’s outstanding, by the way. Congrats on that one. I think it’s my favorite of your short films that I was able to view before this interview.

Lin Oeding: Thank you so much! Yeah. It’s so funny that [Lifted ] has no action in it, and people like that one the most. [laughs] But anyway, I did that short film with Joel, it went on the Internet and a lot of people saw it. Jason had been looking for a director for this movie and after watching it he called me. It was the right fit, with somebody who has the experience of moving at a television pace but also knows how to design action that rivals that of a typical theatrical release.

Sara Michelle Fetters: Well, and that’s the thing about this movie, right? It’s obvious that you were working with a budget that is probably significantly less than the movies that you’ve done your stunt coordinating and spectacular stunt work on. Logan or The Fate of the Furious this one most certainly is not.

Lin Oeding: Exactly. I always say the budget of our entire film was less than the craft services’ budget on most of the films I’ve worked on in my career.

Sara Michelle Fetters: But the action sequences here, I think it makes them better because you know that these guys are out there doing them. If it’s not the actors, it’s your stunt people, and they really know what they’re doing. I was wowed. I was not

necessarily sure what I was going to think of this film, if I’m being honest, but once Jason and Stephen got to that cabin I was on the edge of my seat the entire time.

Lin Oeding: That’s awesome. That’s the plan. It’s so great to hear that.

Sara Michelle Fetters: How hard is it to do this, though? To make all of these practical stunts believable, especially when you’re on location for so much of the film. I mean, you’re obviously outdoors. You’re obviously in these environments. How difficult is it to orchestrate these events and yet also stay true to the character dynamics that have to fuel the emotion that is essential to keep the audience interested?

Lin Oeding: Myself and the stunt coordinator, Robert Alanzo, we would just sit and have brainstorm sessions on different ways to kill people using things you would find in a cabin, just different ways to kill people using items in a cabin and in the woods, always trying to utilize the surrounding environment. Jason had his thoughts on weapons that he’s just a fan of in movies as well. Stuff like axes, bow and arrows, bear traps, stuff like that. So, it was a, like all movies, a collaborative effort.

But it was also imperative that the action stay true to the story. The action had to be character-driven, not just there to be a spectacular set piece. The action had to feel authentic.

Sara Michelle Fetters: Talk about that. How do you stay true to the characters amidst all this eye-popping carnage and violence? Because, I think one of the things that most impressed me here, was that the action is always organic to the situation Joe Braven and his father suddenly find themselves in.

Lin Oeding: I think it’s like when you work on stunts for two decades on a variety of films, you see on so many sets ranging from episodic to big budget features to lower budget features how everything is done. You discover what works and what doesn’t. You see what looks spectacular but doesn’t add anything to the story. You see what does. You see what works and what doesn’t work. My repertoire of ideas for action is going to be different than somebody who has a different background. I just try to keep all the action inventive, fresh, and, if nothing else, honest. That’s what we were all going for.

Sara Michelle Fetters: I like that you

say “honest” because that was one of the other things that struck me about the film. Early on I was thinking things were going to go in a certain direction. That characters were going to do certain things. That we were going to follow some of the usual outdoor action movie clichés. Instead you mostly chose to subvert those and to do so in an honest, authentic way. People actually call the police in this movie. People do what they’re told to do by their parents. It’s a very odd movie where people actually act like they would in real life, more or less.

Lin Oeding: For sure! That was the idea. Jason and I, we wanted to make sure that when you’re watching [Braven], the audience doesn’t feel like anything is gratuitous or campy. He and I have both seen so many action films over the years that we just wanted to do a simple, well-told thriller; make something that entertains moviegoers.

Sara Michelle Fetters: I think you pull that off. One of the nice things about the movie is you spend so much time on Joe and Linden’s relationship that, by the time our villains show up, we feel for these two guys. We understand what they’re going through and what the complexities are that drive their relationship forward. How fun was that for you as a director? The nonaction elements? The pieces that were nothing more than subtly personal moments between Jason and Stephen?

Lin Oeding: Yeah. In the infancy stage of my career, transitioning out of stunt coordinating into directing, of course a lot of the offers for movies and what not have an action component to them because people know that that’s my specialty and I can do that sort of stuff in a short period of time. However, as we mentioned with Lifted, and a lot of TV shows I’ve directed, my last short film and many of these episodes have zero action. I feel just as confident and as well-versed directing story and actors as I do in handling action sequences. I just look at the macro view and try to make sure each part of the movie scene-byscene works in the most truthful way possible. That’s always the goal.

Sara Michelle Fetters: Do you think Jason gets enough credit for being a good actor? We know what kind of physical presence he brings to a movie. We know he’s great at action. But do you think people actually give him credit for being a good dramatic actor?

Lin Oeding: I don’t know the answer to that, but I do know he is fantastic. As with all talented actors, the more good work they put out there, the more people’s opinions shift more favorably over time. I think he’s extremely talented and extremely strong. To have the physical ability to do what he can in the movie, all his action and stunts, and to have the emotional depth in the dramatic scenes, that’s extremely difficult. He pulls all of it off very well.

Sara Michelle Fetters: Turning back to you, I was interested reading your biography that you go to the University of Texas and you get a BFA in screenwriting and film directing, but then you end up becoming one of the most sought after stunt coordinators and stuntmen in Hollywood. How does that happen?

Lin Oeding: [laughs] Yeah. That’s pretty crazy, right?

When I was in film school there was only one TV show in Texas filming, and it was “Walker, Texas Ranger.” I was competing in mixed martial arts at the time and I sent in one of my videos. It was a combination of MMA fights and homemade stunts with friends. “Backyard Stunts,” we called it. And Chuck Norris’s son, Eric Norris, was the stunt coordinator on the show. He watched my demo reel and asked me if I’d like to do fights with his father. Of course I was ecstatic, and I spent my last two years of film school driving up to Dallas to do fight scenes with Chuck Norris! One week they would dress me up as an Asian with tattoos on my face. The next week they would put a wig and a mustache on me and I’d play a Mexican gang-banger. They would recycle me over and over, because there wasn’t that many stuntmen in Texas, and using me was easier than flying people back and forth out from LA.

So I cut my teeth doing that. Through that show, I met choreographers for Jet Li and Steven Seagal, and next thing I knew I was branching out even more because of my martial arts reputation. Suddenly I’m working for Marvel and doing stunt choreography with Denzel Washington.

Sara Michelle Fetters: Yes. I was going to say, suddenly you end up working on films with the likes of JJ Abrams and Christopher Nolan. Is stepping on those sets like going to a second film school?

Lin Oeding: 100%. Absolutely. I feel fortunate. At film school you learn so many things that you would never learn on a movie set, and on a movie set you learn so many things that you would never learn in film school. So having the combination of both, I feel that really helped me understand how this business works. In film school, everyone thinks they’re a talented screenwriter, and it’s not until you are hanging out and working side-by-side with A-list writers that you realize there’s just tier upon tier upon tier in every department on a movie set. It takes being a part of that environment to realize just how little you know in the early part of your career. But I also think the same could be said for a lot of industries.

Sara Michelle Fetters: With that in mind, what inspires you as a filmmaker? What gets you excited about continuing to evolve and hone your craft?

Lin Oeding: I think the most important thing for me is being associated with material that is compelling and working with actors who I respect. That’s where I think inspiration for me comes from. When I’m in a room with talented and creative people, the ideas just begin to blossom one after the other.

Sara Michelle Fetters: Back to Braven, how much fun was it watching Jason do some of these crazy things you have him do? Like suddenly breaking that axe handle over his knee like it was a twig. Was that real? I have no idea if he really did that or if you tricked it somehow. Either way, that, him shimmying up a tree using a coat, stuff like that, all of it is just plain cool.

Lin Oeding: No. We didn’t trick it. He really did that. Broke it right over his knee.

Sara Michelle Fetters: How much fun is it to stand behind the camera and watch stuff like that?

Lin Oeding: It’s pretty great. Can’t lie. There was a lot of fun stuff making this movie. The stunt on the cliff with the ATV. That was pretty crazy. The gag at the end of the movie, which I’m obviously not going to talk much about, that’s was incredible.

Sara Michelle Fetters: Yes. No spoilers, please. But I loved both of those, too.

Lin Oeding: Yeah. No spoilers. But there were honestly a lot of sequences that it made me excited while watching them on the set. Jason being able to do his own stunts makes it all the more fun because you’re not having to spend time figuring out ways to hide a stunt double. That certainly helped.

Sara Michelle Fetters: At the end of the day, while this movie is getting to get a theatrical release, it’s sadly a rather limited one, and most people are probably going to end up watching it on VOD and at home. When they do, what do you hope that they do take away from Braven? What do you hope they’re talking about?

Lin Oeding: I hope that viewers that watch the movie just have an enjoyable experience. I think it’s a fun ride. It’s a great action film and a solid family drama. I think that’s a great entertainment combination.

But also, what we talked about earlier, when you’re making a movie for only a couple million dollars and doing it in only 22 days, to pull off the amount of things we did, I don’t think anyone will ever truly appreciate that. Only people who maybe understand the film business. The amount we accomplished on nine hours of daylight in 22 days, with no money, so much of it outdoors in the snow, I think industry insiders will hopefully look at that and be like, “Wow. I want to see what he can do with a big budget film.” I’d be okay with that. [laughs]

BRAVEN

continued from cover

situation, logging supervisor Joe Braven (Jason Momoa) takes him up to the family’s secluded mountain hunting cabin to discuss the situation in private. But before the two can really come up with a plan of action, a violent drug dealer (Garret Dillahunt) shows up on their snow-covered front porch along with a cadre of his hired killers. Turns out, one of Joe’s underlings has secretly hidden a massive cache of product inside the cabin’s shed, and they don’t want any witnesses to report back to the authorities what it is they’re up to.

But these two men aren’t going to go down without a fight, especially after they discover Joe’s adolescent daughter Charlotte (Sasha Rossof) has secretly joined them on their weekend excursion into the mountains. Father and son are going to do whatever they can to make it out of the cabin alive, and if that means they’ll have to get a little blood on their hands then by golly that’s exactly what it is they are going to do.

The feature-length directorial debut for veteran stuntman and stunt coordinator Lin Oeding (Straight Outta Compton, The Equalizer), the minimalist, existential thriller Braven is one heck of an entertaining ride. Made on a tiny budget, Oeding’s opus is overflowing in eye-popping practical stunt work that had my eyes frequently popping right out of my head. More importantly, he consistently grounds Michael Nilon and Thomas Pa’a Sibbett’s overly familiar script in a sense of authentic realism that allows the action theatrics to come from a place of real character-driven emotion that helps make these sequences all the more effective. It’s a fun ride that only gets better as it goes along, the film’s brief 94-minutes passing in the proverbial blink of an eye.

I think what I liked most about the movie is that it is completely unafraid to take its time. Almost the entire first half hour of the picture is made up of showcasing what life is for the Braven clan. We get a real sense of who Joe is, how much Stephanie loves him and why the relationship between father and son is as strong as it undeniably proves to be. Oeding presents these introductory moments with a refreshingly stripped-down immediacy that’s consistently interesting, and while not every second works (a bar fight where Joe is forced to give the momentarily mentally unbalanced Linden a helping hand is needlessly overwrought), the quiet moments between family members is so spot-on I almost felt I was watching some indie drama instead of a B-grade action flick. By doing this, Oeding allows the characters to take center stage. I cared for Joe and Linden. I wanted to see them survive

their ordeal. More than that, it allowed for insight into these men that made their reaction to the dealer and his henchmen showing up on their doorstep all the more believable. As such, each action sequence, no matter how spectacular, is characterdriven, giving each one an emotional vivacity I couldn’t help but be drawn to.

The other thing I liked is that people don’t act like genre clichés. Children obey their parents when they’re ordered to do certain tasks in order to hopefully save their own lives and get help for their parents. When others learn something strange is happening at the cabin, instead of heading into the middle of the mess like a big old idiot they instead call the police and let them know what they think might be going on. Instead of laughing at the strange, almost comical story, said law enforcement treats this information seriously, choosing to investigate instead of sitting idly on their hands like they could care less about the lives of those they’re supposedly sworn to protect.

Not that this is some outdoors backwoods drama overflowing in emotional Sturm und Drang. When Oeding wants to get crazy, he does so on a scale befitting Momoa’s Aquaman and Khal Drogo reputation. There’s an entire bit inside the cabin that reminded me of a more realistic, decidedly grounded variation on Arnold Schwarzenegger’s iconic tool shed Commando moment, the bloody brutality of it all virtually beyond compare. As for the outdoor stunts, they just get better and better as things move along, one set piece involving a cliff, an ATV and a bloodthirsty killer reaching for his gun while Joe tries to stop him practically having me leap out of my seat in excitement the moment it came to its blood-curdling conclusion.

It’s thin stuff to be sure, and Dillahunt’s villain is so one-dimensionally over-the-top he’s almost too comical to take seriously. Also, as stripped-down and barebones as all of this might prove to be, there was still never a moment where I didn’t really not know what was going to happen next, and while Oeding manages to avoid cliché the majority of the time, there are still a handful sprinkled here and there I couldn’t help but make note of.

Even so, I had a blast watching Braven From cinematographer Brian Andrew Mendoza’s suitably frigid visuals, to Rob Bonz’s crisply kinetic editing, to the unexpectedly rich, complexly three-dimensional performances from Momoa and Lang, there’s plenty about this tiny action effort to stand up and cheer. Oeding’s freshman outing is a strong one, and like a crafty hunter excitedly scaling a tall tree to get a better look at his unsuspecting prey, I’m eagerly anticipating whatever it is the talented director chooses to send my way next.

Amusingly vulgar Lowlife a suitably pulpy debut

by Sara Michelle Fetters

SGN A&E Writer

LOWLIFE

Now playing

It’s hard not to feel that co-writer/director Ryan Prows’ low budget crime comedythriller debut Lowlife wasn’t heavily inspired by Quentin Tarantino’s 1990’s output (Reservoir Dogs, Pulp Fiction, Jackie Brown). Split into three distinct chapters entitled “Monsters,” “Fiends” and “Thugs,” featuring overlapping storylines where a group of disparate characters are all brought together through circumstance and coincidence to be part of a larger narrative endeavor, the film is overflowing in racially-charged outbursts, shocking displays of ultra-violence, bleakly uncomfortable bits of pitch-black comedy and a flurry of four-letter expletives that would make even a hardened sailor sitting in a bar swilling rum uncomfortably blush.

Crazy thing, for the most part Prows’ feature-length debut doesn’t end up feeling like some sort of Tarantino knockoff, especially once it gets rolling and the film’s sec-

ond chapter, “Fiends,” kicks into high gear. There’s some decent character development, some even better shocks and a couple of strong performances that are far more emotionally compelling than at first blush they looked like they were going to be. All-in-all, the movie is very easy to watch, everything building to a suitably blood-soaked climax that works a heck of a lot better than it maybe has any right to.

As stated, there are a number of storylines and characters at play here. Budget hotel owner and recovering junkie Crystal (Nicki Micheaux) makes a deal with local crime lord Teddy “Bear” Haynes (Mark Burnham) for a kidney to save her husband’s life. Accountant and family man Keith (Shaye Ogbonna) picks up his former best friend Randy (Jon Oswald) when he gets out of prison only to see he has a giant swastika tattooed across his entire face. Disgraced former Mexican wrestler El Monstrou (Ricardo Adam Zarate) finds himself battling anger management issues while working as an enforcer for a local loan shark. When his pregnant wife Kaylee (Santana Dempsey) goes missing, he drops everything in a mad quest to find her. Agent Fowler (Jose Rosete), a crooked ICE officer, kidnaps illegal aliens and undocumented workers so Teddy can turn out the teenage girls as prostitutes and sell the organs of the others on the medical black market.

The opening scene is sensational, a solo Agent Fowler breaking into a room at Crystal’s hotel to roust a number of illegal migrant workers. He lines them all up outside and it’s a genuine question what it is he’s about to do. Micheaux’s performance during this sequence is a quick punch to the gut, the actress battling an emotional tsunami as she wrestles with whether or not to say anything to the obviously rogue ICE officer working well outside his mandate. Crystal waffles back and forth before finally, almost begrudgingly, putting herself right in the middle of harm’s way as she calls out Agent Fowler for his actions, his response a terrifying threat of looming death that chilled me to the bone.

I can’t say the movie elevates to that level again, and there are certainly some lumpy sequences that tend to run aimlessly in circles before lackadaisically finding their way back to the central plot. The “Monsters” section is particularly troublesome, this segment feeling the most self-indulgent and directionless. As clever as some of the dialogue here might be, most notably a conversation between El Monstrou and a 15-yearold girl about to celebrate her Quinceañera, it’s also where the film feels the most like a thinly veiled Tarantino knockoff. But there is an still urgent energy to Prows’ film that kept me watching, and by the time Crystal, El Monstrou, Keith and Randy finally found themselves together standing in the same room I was more than ready to discover where things were going to go to next.

The “Fiends” section is the film at its most consistent. Not only do we get fairly good insight into who Crystal is, what she has dealt with in her life and why she is so

determined to do what she feels is the right thing, even better is the back and forth banter happening between Keith and Randy as they drive back into town from the prison. Most of it has to do with the gigantic swastika on the latter’s face, of course, the former beside himself that his best friend would allow a bunch of white supremacists to do that to him, even if his survival behind bars required he get it. Their conversations have a surprisingly complex depth I wasn’t expecting. Better, they’re also genuinely funny, varying aspects of each man’s character coming to the forefront as the two unwittingly descend further and further into the morally repugnant muck and mire their association with Teddy has tragically produced.

The climax is suitably violent, and I honestly love the fact that Prows keeps the blood and gore to a minimum, the visceral impact of my imagination running amok far more unnervingly effective in the long run than anything he could have splashed across the screen could have been. He also does a nice job of bringing all his different storylines and characters together into one place with believable coherence. Finally, even if it isn’t unexpected, El Monstrou’s transformation from belligerent thug to potential selfless superhero is still extremely well executed, the character quietly becoming the heart and soul of the entire opus. Lowlife might be a little derivative of the myriad of low budget crime thrillers that became so popular during the 1990s, but that doesn’t make the film itself any less enjoyable, Prows crafting an exhilarating debut that’s got me genuinely excited to see what he’ll get up to next.

Monstrously forgettable Rampage an absurdly juvenile lark

by Sara Michelle Fetters

SGN A&E Writer

RAMPAGE

Now playing

After a privately owned space station mysteriously explodes, a fleeing astronaut trying to get back to Earth safely inadvertently puts all of humanity in danger. Three mysterious canisters plummet from the sky, each landing in a different corner of the United States and all of them sniffed at, and in some cases even eaten, by a trio of creatures indigenous to those regions of the country. At the San Diego Zoo, a rare, unusually sociable albino silverback gorilla named George encounters one of these pieces of space debris and in the process finds himself infected by a strange green mist. Strength, agility, size and aggression begin to increase by incredible leaps and bounds, respected primatologist Davis Okoye (Dwayne Johnson) understandably worried about his simian friend. Enter disgraced geneticist Kate Caldwell (Naomie Harris). She was one of the scientists whose work was vital in being able to put the pieces of this DNA serum together. For a variety of ethical and moral reasons, Kate’s turned against her former

employers, cutthroat corporate pharmaceutical and genetics titans Claire (Malin Akerman) and Brett Wyden (Jake Lacy), and she needs Davis’ help in order to show just how crooked the siblings are. Also involved in all this craziness is a shadowy government operative named Russell (Jeffrey Dean Morgan), and it’s initially unclear if he’s friend or foe. But when George starts destroying Chicago with two other gigantic mutated creatures, Davis, Kate and Russell are forced to work together to save the city, the obsessed primatologist also hopeful he’ll be able to convince the formerly friendly gorilla to fight alongside them against the other beasts.

For a movie inspired by an old school arcade video game, Rampage is far more convoluted than anticipated. The plot, credited to four different writers (but one only imagines how many uncredited ghostwriters likely put in their own 25-cents, too) is insanely obnoxious. Director Brad Peyton, reuniting with Johnson for the third time after Journey2: The Mysterious Island and San Andreas, goes out of his way to emphasize the many characters inhabiting this story as best he can, trying to give everyone in the cast their own individual moment. The reality, however, is that this is still nothing more than a big-budget Hollywood studio disaster flick about gargantuan genetically mutated animals destroying Chicago, and trying to say the picture is more than that would just be a waste of breath.

Not only does Johnson portray one of the most respected primatologists in the country, but Davis also just so happens to

be an ex-Special Forces operative for the U.S. military with a redacted file filled with top secret exploits throughout Africa and Asia battling big game poachers. He’s a one-man force of nature who can stand toe-to-toe with a five-story ape, a flying 300-foot wolf and a massive alligator so large measuring it head to tail is practically impossible. This is a guy who can do alone what the Army, Navy, Marines and Air Force cannot accomplish all combined, and the movie asks the viewer to take all of this as an indisputable fact no matter how absurd a statement all of that proves to be. It only gets sillier from there. Thankfully, most of the key cast members are in on the gag. Johnson could do this sort of thing in his sleep. Akerman vamps it up gleefully as the most sadistic and heinous corporate villain in recent memory. Lacy is all jittery over-caffeinated nonsense as he utilizes a variety of one-liners and clownish body movements in order to try and make his character relevant. As for Morgan, I have no idea what the heck he is doing but I absolutely adored every single solitary second of his performance, the actor sauntering through the picture with a takeno-prisoners, I-don’t-give-a-single-WTFwhat-anyone-else-thinks attitude that’s ridiculously magnificent.

I love Harris. She’s a spectacular actor, her turns in films as diverse as 28 Days Later, Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom and especially Moonlight all things of absolute, unparalleled beauty. Yet I’m not sure she’s a good fit for this. Harris is treating things with a level of seriousness that none of her castmates are even making the faintest attempts to emulate. She isn’t bad. She isn’t giving a poor performance. It’s just a different take on the material and one, sad to say, I didn’t think worked particularly well, and for Harris I’m modestly certain this isn’t a

role she’s going to be placing all that high on her resume anytime soon.

Not that anyone else will likely be doing so, either. For all its visual ingenuity, for as many clever in-jokes referring to the original 1986 arcade game as there might be, this is an unrelentingly stupid creature feature, and I can’t exactly say I was as overjoyed watching it for the entirety of its reasonably well-paced 107 minutes. As much as I adore old school Toho Studio Godzilla films, there is only so much inanity I can take before my eyes start glazing over and I no longer care about a single solitary thing happening from a story perspective. On that front, Peyton’s latest had me heading in that direction fairly early on only to vault past that point the moment the heroes and the rampaging monsters all met up in Chicago. As great as some of the scenes of destruction and mayhem were I just wasn’t invested in seeing how things were going to turn out emotionally, finding out if Davis and George’s friendship was going to endure after all this carnage and madness not exactly holding my interest.

It’s still a hard film to hate. The picture embraces its preposterousness in a manner that’s oddly endearing; the majority of the cast going right along with what Peyton has concocted almost as if their very careers depended upon them doing so. But even I can only take so much when it comes to this sort of lunacy, and there were times where I felt the filmmakers were going out of their way to work every one of my last nerves almost as if I’d personally wronged them all somehow. While much better than it has any actual right to be, Rampage is still hardly the city-destroying monster smash it maybe could have been, and as such I have trouble believing I’ll be taking the time to reevaluate my opinion anytime soon.

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Well-intentioned Pretty an unfocused comedic misfire

by Sara Michelle Fetters

SGN A&E Writer

I FEEL PRETTY

Now playing

New Yorker Renee Bennett (Amy Schumer) isn’t doing so well. She’s insecure about her looks. She has very little in the way of confidence. Other than spending time with her best friends Jane (Busy Philipps) and Vivian (Aidy Bryant) she doesn’t interact with others well. Renee has always dreamed of being more than who she is, of being wanted. Maybe it’s because she helps run the website for cosmetics giant Lily LeClaire and thus her views on beauty are slightly skewed, or maybe it’s because it’s just been hammered into her since elementary school that women are valued more for their looks than they are their compassion, ability or heaven forbid their brain, but she really is in a rut. It would take a bona fide miracle for Renee to break out of these doldrums in order for her to make any substantive change in her life, and as magic doesn’t exist it isn’t like this is going to happen anytime soon.

Or is it? After hitting her head twice during a rather energetic spin class, Renee awakens believing the woman she suddenly sees in the mirror is the gorgeous supermodel she always wanted to be. Now over-

flowing in confidence and determination, she applies for a new job at Lily LeClaire that makes her the very first face newcomers to the company’s Fifth Avenue headquarters see as they get off the elevator. Additionally, she catches the eye of CEO Avery LeClaire (Michelle Williams). Trying to get out of the shadow of her grand-

mother Lily’s (Lauren Hutton) shadow, she feels Renee might be the perfect person to assist with their new diffusion line to be sold at stores like Target, her understanding of the common everyday shopper superior to that of all of those currently in the company’s upper management.

I Feel Pretty means well. It has a lot to say about gender equality and social concepts of beauty and intelligence, almost all of the ideas it has on that front the opening salvo in a vitally important discussion. The idea that Renee only believes others will see her value and her worth if she fits the beauty stereotype and suddenly overflows in self-belief when she thinks that transformation has magically taken place is an intriguing starting point for a romantic comedy with grander social commentary aspirations. That she’s the only one that sees herself this way? That others come to adore, value and fall in love with her seeing Renee for how she actually looks and not how she believes herself to appear? That only augments those themes even more.

But screenwriters Abby Kohn and Marc Silverstein, the minds behind scripts for films like Never Been Kissed, The Vow and How to Be Single making their featurelength directorial debut, can’t seem to get beyond sitcom platitudes. Worse, they frequently undercut their own thematic

TRAVEL

Spring is busting out all over the north Olympic Peninsula, including inside the region’s nine artisan wineries and cideries! Come and taste the flavors of the season during the Northwest Wine, Cider & Cheese Tour, Saturday, April 28 and Sunday, April 29 from 11am-5pm.

Spring wine and cider releases will be paired with fresh, locally-made cheeses to enjoy as you travel at your own pace from Chimacum and Marrowstone Island to Port Townsend, Sequim and Port Angeles. Live music, art and beautiful scenery will round out your celebration of spring!

Advance tickets are available online for $35.00 or $40.00 at the door of participating wineries. Tour tickets include wine and cheese tasting at all nine wineries and cideries plus a commemorative wine glass. Independently, each venue charges a $10.00 tasting fee. Visit www.olympicpeninsulawineries.org.

Here is a sampling of what you will encounter along the wine trail:

Chimacum

Stop at Finnriver Farm & Cidery to taste life on the land and enjoy the signs of spring on the farm – young lambs, nesting geese and new buds on the apple trees! We are pleased to welcome our friends and neighbors from Mt. Townsend Creamery, to showcase the beauty of cider and

cheese pairings. Finnriver will feature our spring botanical cider, Honey Meadow, and our newly released 2018 homegrown Fire Barrel Cider and Orchard Perry. We will continue our annual tradition of Pane d’Amore’s delectable cheesy breadsticks. We serve local brats and crepes on weekends, and host live music on Saturday nights and Sunday afternoons. http://www. finnriver.com/

Sequim

Wind Rose Cellars will pour some of our special award-winning wines, plus our new release 2017 Rosato (dry rose wine),

aspirations, bringing up one idea only to make others feel insignificant to a point they become frustratingly inconsequential. They build up one character only to tear down others, show the universality of what it is they are talking about only to make another woman’s experiences trivial when compared to what their main character is going through. It’s frustrating to an almost indescribable degree, the constant seesawing of narrative focus enough to give the casual viewer whiplash as they sit in their theatre seat trying to keep track of all that’s happening at any singular moment.

Which is too bad because there’s so much to adore, not the least of which is Schumer’s fearless, sincerely genuine performance that pulls heartstrings and provokes numerous outbursts of uncontrolled laughter in almost equal measure. The actress has marvelous chemistry with Rory Scovel, the actor portraying her potential romantic love interest who Renee all but throws herself at while standing in line at the dry cleaners. They have an easygoing and relaxed banter that’s utterly genuine, and had the movie been able to spend more time on them and their blossoming relationship it’s possible Kohn and Silverstein might have been able to take things into some sort of 21st century When Harry Met Sally… terrain that would have been downright lovely.

Even better is the stupendous performance from four-time Academy Award nominee Michelle Williams. In a year that’s already seen Jesse Plemons swipe Game Night out from underneath co-stars like Jason Bateman and Rachel McAdams, one that has experienced John Cena showing Oscar-worthy comedic chops in Blockers, Williams surpasses them all with mesmerizing, consistently hysterical ease. Her Avery, even in limited screen time, is a fully-formed human being with her own set of anxieties and hiccups, a talented woman who feels those around her see her success given to her by her grandmother and not earned via hard

work and determination, that she is treated as nothing more than a fluffy airheaded Barbie Doll thanks to her high-pitched voice and delicately feminine features.

Williams takes this character and does spectacular things with her. This is as multifaceted a performance as any she has ever given, and that includes dynamic, magnetically captivating turns in films like A Week with Marilyn, Brokeback Mountain and Manchester by the Sea. Williams makes Avery a tragically compelling figure who battles society’s conventions and perceptions in her own way, allowing the intuitive and thoughtful CEO to see Renee in a way no one else at her company is seemingly initially capable of doing themselves. I found it impossible to take my eyes off of the actor anytime the film took the opportunity to shine the spotlight her direction, part of me feeling slightly disappointed anytime she wasn’t around.

All of which makes the moment when Kohn and Silverstein sideline Avery in a manner that goes against everything they’ve been talking about throughout the film all the more regrettable. I can’t really go into detail as the most egregious missteps all take place during the film’s climactic sequences, but not only is Avery put into a corner and seemingly forgotten, the same could be said for Jane and Vivian as well. As glorious as Renee’s moment might be, as substantive as the life lessons she’s learned unquestionably are, the fact the other women who are all essential parts of her journey aren’t given similar treatment is troublesome. I Feel Pretty might have a lot to say, but that doesn’t mean it does so as clearly or as well as it wants to. While not without its merits and its laudable aspects, this socially conscious comedy is a strange, unfocused misfire I almost wish I could somehow forget.

Olympic Peninsula!

paired with cheeses from Black Sheep Creamery. On Friday and Saturday nights we will host live music from 7-9pm. Friday night we’ll host the “Hot Llamas,” a local bluegrass band that also plays a mixture of modern songs in the bluegrass fashion. Saturday night we’ll host the “Mike Klinger B3 Organ Band,” a local jazz group that performs a mixture of jazz and blues mixed with a little funk. Our bistro menu features small plates and local treats; two rotating beer taps, cider and kombucha on draft. http://www.windrosecellars.com/

Port Angeles

Camaraderie Cellars will visit some of our favorite things for the annual Wine, Cider & Cheese event: Willapa Hills Creamery cheeses made near Chehalis, Uli cheddar bratwurst made in Seattle, and award-winning wines that we make right here! We will pour some outstanding award winners such as Tempranillo and Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon and some local favorites as well. Our favorite season, spring, is busting out all over our gardens. And our new Ridge Room is complete and ready for your visit. https://camaraderiecellars.com/ Olympic Cellars is celebrating some big wins! Our 2014 Syrah won a Gold Medal at the 2018 San Francisco Chronicle Competition. We also won Gold and Best of Columbia Valley at the 2018 Toast of the Coast Competition in Del Mar. Our

2015 Dungeness Red Lemberger won a Silver Medal at the San Francisco Chronicle Competition. It also won Double Gold, Best of Horse Heaven Hills and Best Lemberger in Show at the Toast of the Coast Competition in Del Mar.

You will have the opportunity to sample both the Syrah and the Dungeness Red. We will have 10 wines available for sampling and you choose the five that you want to taste. For pairing, we will feature lovely, small batch, all-natural cheeses from Golden Glen Creamery. Expect their traditional flavored cheddars and yummy cheese curds. http://www.olympiccellars.com/

Also participating

Eaglemount Wine & Cider (Port Townsend) – https://eaglemountwinery.com/; FairWinds Winery (Port Townsend) – http://www.fairwindswinery. com/; Harbinger Winery (Port Angeles) –https://www.harbingerwinery.com/; Marrowstone Vineyards (Nordland) – http:// www.marrowstonevineyards.com/; Port Townsend Vineyards (Port Townsend) –https://www.porttownsendvineyards.com/.

For more information and tickets, visit www.olympicpeninsulawineries.org.

Courtesy of Olympic Peninsula Wineries

1533 13th Ave. - 323-1525

SEATTLE

BATHS

SEATTLE

BATHS

CLUB Z - (men)

1117 Pike near Boren - 622-9958

HOT HOUSE SPA & SAUNA - (women)

CLUB Z - (men)

SW corner of Pike & 11th

1117 Pike near Boren - 622-9958

(stairs behind Wildrose) - 568-3240

HOT HOUSE SPA & SAUNA - (women)

STEAM WORKS - (men)

SW corner of Pike & 11th

1520 Summit - 388-4818

(stairs behind Wildrose) - 568-3240

STEAM WORKS - (men)

RESTAURANTS & BARS

1520 Summit Ave - 388-4818

88 KEYS - 315 2nd Ave. S. - 839-1300

BALTIC ROOM - 1207 Pine St. - 625-4444

RESTAURANTS & BARS

THE BOTTLENECK LOUNGE

2328 E. Madison St. - 323-1098

88 KEYS - 315 2nd Ave. S - 839-1300

C.C. ATTLE’S BAR & GRILLE

BALTIC ROOM - 1207 Pine St. - 625-4444

1701 E. Olive Way - 726-0565

THE BOTTLENECK LOUNGE

RETAIL SHOPS

DIESEL BAR - 1413 14th Ave. - 322-1080

GLO’S - 1621 E. Olive Way - 324-2577

BABELAND - 707 E. Pike St. - 328-2914

HOT MAMA’S PIZZA - 700 E. Pine St. - 322-6444

JAZZ ALLEY - 2033 6th Ave. E. - 441-9729

CASTLE SUPERSTORE #17

1017 E. Pike St - 204-0126

JULIA’S - 300 Broadway Ave. E. - 860-1818

KREMWERK - 1809 Minor Ave. #10 - 682-2935

DOGHOUSE LEATHERS

MADISON PUB - 1315 E. Madison - 325-6537

1312 E. Pike St. - 257-0231

EMERSON SALON - 909 E. Pike St. - 323-7437

NEIGHBOURS - 1509 Broadway - 324-5358

OUT WEST - 5401California Ave. SW

FANTASY UNLIMITED

THE PINE BOX - 1600 Melrose Ave - 588-0375

POCO WINE ROOM

2027 Westlake Ave. - (206) 682-0167

1408 E. Pine St. - 322-9463

1510 1st Ave - (206) 624-1784

HASHTAG - 3540 Stone Way N - 946-8157

POKE BAR - 1542 12th Ave - 402-5178

PONY - 1221 E. Madison St. - 324-2854

HERBAN LEGENDS - 55 Bell St - 849-5596

HERB(N) ELEMENTS

PURR - 1518 11th Ave. - 325-3112

R PLACE - 619 E. Pine - 322-8828

11013 Lake City Way NE - 535-8769

LAUGHING BUDDHA TATTOO

RE-BAR - 1114 Howell at Boren - 233-9873

ROOT TABLE 2213 NW Market St. - 420-3214

1534 Broadway - 329-8274

THE CANTERBURY - 534 15th Ave. E. - 322-3130

CHANGES IN WALLINGFORD

2328 E. Madison St. - 323-1098

2103 N. 45th - 545-8363

C.C. ATTLE’S BAR & GRILLE

1701 E. Olive Way - 726-0565

SEATTLE EAGLE - 314 E. Pike - 621-7591

NEW YORK EXCHANGE

SHORTY’S 2222 2nd Ave - 441-5449

225 Broadway E. - 726-3300

STOUT -1530 11th Ave - 397-3825

TOULOUSE PETIT

ONYX LEATHER - 1605 12th Ave. #8 - 328-1965

THE CRESCENT - 1413 E. Olive Way - 720-8188

THE CUFF COMPLEX

THE CANTERBURY - 534 15th Ave. E - 322-3130

CHANGES IN WALLINGFORD

2103 N. 45th - 545-8363

THE CRESCENT - 1413 E. Olive Way - 720-8188

THE CUFF COMPLEX - 1533 13th Ave. - 323-1525

DIESEL BAR - 1413 14th Ave. - 322-1080

GLO’S - 1621 E. Olive Way - 324-2577

HOT MAMA’S PIZZA - 700 E. Pine St. - 322-6444

JAZZ ALLEY - 2033 6th Ave. E - 441-9729

JULIA’S - 300 Broadway Ave. E - 860-1818

KREMWERK - 1809 Minor Ave. #10 - 682-2935

THE LUMBER YARD - 9619 16th Ave. SW - 695-2007

MADISON PUB - 1315 E. Madison - 325-6537

NEIGHBOURS - 1509 Broadway - 324-5358

OUT WEST - 5401California Ave. SW

THE PINE BOX - 1600 Melrose Ave - 588-0375

POCO WINE ROOM - 1408 E. Pine St. - 322-9463

POKE BAR - 1542 12th Ave - 402-5178

PONY - 1221 E. Madison St. - 324-2854

PURR - 2307 24th Ave E - 325-3112

QUEER BAR - 1518 11th Ave - 687-7491

R PLACE - 619 E. Pine - 322-8828

RE-BAR - 1114 Howell at Boren - 233-9873

ROOT TABLE 2213 NW Market St. - 420-3214

SEATTLE EAGLE - 314 E. Pike - 621-7591

SHORTY’S 2222 2nd Ave - 441-5449

STOUT -1530 11th Ave - 397-3825

TOULOUSE PETIT

601 Queen Anne Ave N - 432-9069

UNICORN - 1118 E Pike - 325-6492

WILDROSE - 1021 E Pike - 324-9210

ZIPPY’S GIANT BURGERS

5633 Airport Way S - 466-5954

9614 14th Ave SW - 763-1347

OZ - 3831 Stone Way N - 251-0630

601 Queen Anne Ave N - 432-9069

UNICORN - 1118 E Pike - 325-6492

PANACHE - 225 Broadway E. - 726-3300

RUCKUS - 1465 E Republican St - 257-4805

THE FANTASY SHOP

9630 16th Ave. SW - 762-3299

TABOO ADULT VIDEO

9813 16th Ave SW - 767-4855

TRUE LOVE ART GALLERY & TATTOO

1525 Summit Ave - 227-3572

UNDER U 4 MEN

709 Broadway Ave. E - 324-6446

UNCLE IKE’S

2310 E Union St - 1-800-GET-DRUGS

501 15th Ave E - 1-800-GET-DRUGS

9822 15th Ave SW - 1-800-GET-DRUGS

WILD AT HEART

1111 NW Leary Way - 782-5538

BELLINGHAM

LOVER’S

193 Telegraph Road - (360) 752-1862

RUMORS CABARET

1119 Railroad - (360) 671-1849

DES MOINES

ADULT AIRPORT VIDEO 2

21635 Pacific Hwy S - 206-878-7780

SECRETS 22862 Pacific Hwy S - 206-878-8480

EVERETT

ADULT AIRPORT VIDEO

11732 Airport Road - (425) 290-7555

LOVER’S - 112 SE Everett - (425) 353-3607

LOVER’S - 3402 Broadway - (425) 252-8754

KENT

WILDROSE - 1021 E. Pike - 324-9210

ZIPPY’S GIANT BURGERS

5633 Airport Way S - 466-5954

9614 14th Ave SW - 763-1347

OVER’S - 25801 104th Ave. SE - (253) 852-1720

RETAIL

SHOPS

THE FANTASY SHOP 604 Central Ave. S - (253) 850-8428

CASTLE SUPERSTORE #17

1017 E. Pike St - 204-0126

NASHVILLE’S SPORTS BAR (Drag Shows) 114 - Railroad Ave. N - (253) 852-0909

DOGHOUSE LEATHERS

LA CONNER

1312 E. Pike St. - 257-0231

EMERSON SALON - 909 E. Pike St. - 323-7437

HASHTAG - 3540 Stone Way N - 946-8157

NEW YORK EXCHANGE

225 Broadway E. - 726-3300

THE HERON INN & WATERGRASS DAY SPA 117 Maple Ave. - (877) 883-8899 info@theheron.com

ONYX LEATHER - 1605 12th Ave. #8 - 328-1965

OZ - 3831 Stone Way N - 251-0630

PANACHE

OLYMPIA

225 Broadway E. - 726-3300

RUCKUS 1465 E Republican St. - 257-4805

DARBY’S CAFE 211 5th Ave. SE - (360) 357-6229

THE FANTASY SHOP 9630 16th Ave. SW - 762-3299

LOVER’S 3959 Martin Way E, Suite D - (360) 456-7300

TABOO ADULT VIDEO 9813 16th Ave SW - 767-4855

JAKES - 311 4th Ave. E - (360) 956-3247

TOYS IN BABELAND - 707 E. Pike St. - 328-2914

UNDER U 4 MEN

709 Broadway Ave. E. - 324-6446

PORT ANGELES

UNCLE IKE’S

MAPLE ROSE INN 112 Reservoir Rd - (800) 570-2007

2310 E Union St - 1-800-GET-DRUGS 501 15th Ave E - 1-800-GET-DRUGS 9822 15th Ave SW - 1-800-GET-DRUGS

SPOKANE

WILD AT HEART 1111 NW Leary Way - 782-5538

ANDY’S - 1401 W. 1st Ave. - (509) 747 - 0304

BELLINGHAM

LOVER’S 193 Telegraph Road - (360) 752-1862

STRAY NIGHTCLUB 415 W. Sprague Ave. - (509) 624 - 4450

NYNE BAR AND BISTRO 232 W. Sprague Ave. - (509) 474 -1621

RUMORS CABARET 1119 Railroad - (306) 671-1849

DES MOINES

ADULT AIRPORT VIDEO 2 21635 Pacific Hwy S - 878-7780

EVERETT

ADULT

KENT

TACOMA

LA CONNER

CASTLE SUPERSTORE 6015 Tacoma Mall Blvd. - (253) 471-0391

OLYMPIA

CLUB SILVERSTONE 739½ St. Helens Ave. - (253) 404-0273

THE FANTASY SHOP 2301 6th Ave. - (253) 272-6640 LOVER’S 7002 Tacoma Mall Blvd., #F - (253) 475-2271 THE MIX - 635 St. Helens Ave. - (253)

PORT ANGELES

RAINBOW CENTER 2215 Pacific Ave. - (253) 383-2318

SPOKANE

TRI-CITIES

TUKWILA

TACOMA

Meetings

Activities

TO GET A CALENDAR LISTING: To have your meeting or event considered for the Community Calendar, please mail, fax, or drop off details to: SGN, Attn: Community Calendar, 1707 23rd Ave., Seattle, WA 98122. SGN phone: (206) 324-4297. E-mail: sgn2@sgn.org.

INCLUDE: Date, time, location, contact phone # for publication (if possible), brief description of event & sponsoring organization. DEADLINE: Tuesday 5pm. ACCESSIBILITY: Is your event accessible to LGBTQ people with visible or hidden disabilities? See Jean’s List webpage www.scn.org/activism/calendar/disabilities. html for Marla Nonken’s disabilities accommodations lists.

NOTE: 10-digit dialing has come to the Seattle area. The (206) area code must now be used to dial local calls. Location of meetings/events is in Seattle unless otherwise noted.

SATURDAY - April 21

Seattle Frontrunners Fun Run. 9am. Greenlake (outside Evans Pool). Every Saturday. GLBT running & walking club sponsors weekly runs, monthly potlucks, track & field activity, annual Run With Pride. (206) 4488518. www.seattlefrontrunners.org.

Positively Living Coffee Social. 9:30am-12 noon. Cupcake Royale, 1111 E Pike St. Every Saturday. Casual social get-together for the HIV community. Anthony, 206-957-1600. Sponsored by LIfelong. Rainbow Walk for LGBTQ Elders 50+ - Green Lake Walk. 12 noon-1pm. 7201 E Green Lake Dr. N. Every Saturday starting 3/31 - Come Rain or Shine! - Meet at the Wading Pool (along the north end of the lake). Hot coffee and beautiful Rainbow umbrellas to use “just in case.” For info, call (206) 393-3400;. Wheelchair-friendly walk. Sponsored by Generations Aging With Pride. Tasveer South Asian International DocuFest (4/214/22). Seattle University, Wyckoff Auditorium. SAID offers thought-provoking documentaries that shed light on a number of issues relevant to South Asia and its diaspora. The full schedule and tickets are available at said.tasveer.org

Lambert House Queer Rec. 1pm. 1818 15th Ave. Meets 3rd Saturday each month. Outdoor & indoor adventures for youth ages 22 & under. www.lamberthouse.org

Seattle Prime Timers Monthly Potluck. 2pm. (Doors at 1:30pm.) Capitol Hill Presbyterian Church, 1729 Harvard Ave (behind Seattle Central College). Enter via the north parking lot and get a permit for free parking. Meets 3rd Saturday most months. Cost: $4 per person (please try to bring exact change) to help pay for the meeting room rental. Please bring a dish that will serve eight or more to share. Within walking distance of Metro routes 8, 10, 11, 49, 60, Capitol Hill LINK Light Rail station, Capitol Hill streetcar. www.seattleprimetimers.org

Oasis Youth Center in Tacoma - For Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender & Questioning Youth, Ages 14-25. 6pm-12 midnight. Call for location & details. Every Saturday. (253) 671-2838. www.oasisyouthcenter.org. (Also Thursdays & Fridays 4-10pm.)

SUNDAY - April 22

Center for Spiritual Living. 8:25, 9:45, 11:30am. 5801 Sand Point Way NE. Blessings & we hope to see you soon! (206) 527-8801 ext 203, www.cslseattle.org

Ravenna United Methodist Church. 8:30am “Seattle’s most dangerous Sunday school” - 9:45am Worship. 5751 33rd Ave NE. A reconciling congregation, fully inclusive and affirming of LGBTQ persons. (206) 525-7988. Seattle Unity Church. 9am & 11am Sunday Services. 200 8th Ave N. “Come join our Gay & Lesbian-friendly, spiritual family at Seattle Unity Church. Our mission is to bring love, miracles & spiritual awakening into everyday life!” (206) 622-8475; www.seattleunity.org. Seattle Soto Zen. 9:15am Zazen Instruction, 9:30am Zazen. 101 Nickerson St, Lower Level. Follow the traditional forms of the Soto school of Zen in a spirit of warmth & inclusion. Anyone interested in meditation, whether new or experienced in Zen practice or other traditions, is welcome. (206) 323-1659, www.seattlesotozen.org

Gay Men’s Bowling in Everett 9:30am. Glacier Lanes, 9630 Evergreen Way, Everett. Every Sunday. Spectators welcome. Join us for lunch afterwards! Sponsored by the Snohomish County Gay Men’s Task Force. For info email John at johndmarsh@mac.com; www.gaysnohomish.org Tacoma First United Methodist Church. 9:30am Worship, 11am Adult Education. 423 Martin Luther King Way, Tacoma. This reconciling congregation welcomes with warm hands, warm hearts & open minds GLBT persons seeking a spiritual home. (253) 627-0129, www. fumctacoma.org

University Lutheran Church. 9:30am Worship, 10:30am Coffee Fellowship, 11am Adult Forum & Education Hour. 1604 NE 50th St. All are welcome. We choose love. (206) 525-7074. universitylutheranseattle.org

University Unitarian Church. 9:30am & 11:15am Sunday Services. (Late June-Aug 9:30am only.) 6556 35th Ave NE. Interweave is the official name for LGBTQ groups in the Unitarian-Universalist family as a common thread of identification. UUC’s Interweave group meets the first Friday every other month (Oct, Dec, Feb, April & June) usually at UUC for a potluck, a summer picnic or whatever else we might dream up. Drop in & join us. www.uuchurch.org for details. Central Lutheran Church. 10am Worship. 1710 11th Ave (just north of E Pine St). An open & affirming church, which in Lutheran churches is called “Reconciled in

community calendar

Christ.” “We seek to share God’s love with all people regardless of race, age, gender or sexual orientation.”

All are welcome. (206) 322-7500.

East Shore Unitarian Church. 10am Sunday Service. 12700 SE 32nd St, Bellevue. An open & affirming congregation. (425) 747-3780.

Gethsemane Lutheran Church. 10am Worship. 911

Stewart St. A downtown faith community centered in justice. An open & affirming congregation. (206) 682-3620.

Plymouth Church United Church of Christ. 10am Workship. 1217 6th Ave. Love your (LGBTQ) neighbor as yourself. (206) 622-4865, plymouthchurchseattle.org

Queen Anne United Methodist Church. 10am Worship. 1606 5th Ave W. (206) 282-4307.

Unity Church of Kent. 10am. 218 State Ave S, Kent. A welcoming congregation open to people of all races, religions, creeds & lifestyles. Join us any Sunday for an inspirational message, joyful fellowship & a fresh spiritual outlook. (253) 854-9747.

University Congregational United Church of Christ. 9am all ages education; 10am Worship. 4515 16th Ave NE. UCUCC is an open & affirming congregation. (206) 524-2322; www.universityucc.org.

Wallingford United Methodist Church. 10am Worship. 2115 N 42nd St. A progressive congregation. In 1984

Wallingford UMC became the 9th reconciling Methodist church in the U.S. (206) 547-6945 (office); (206) 2855077 (George).

All Pilgrims Christian Church. 10:30am Worship. 500 Broadway E. Come as you are. All are welcome. A congregation of the Disciples of Christ & the United Church of Christ. (206) 322-0487, www.allpilgrims.org

St. Clement’s Episcopal Church. 10:30am Worship. 1501 32nd Ave S. Great music. Dynamic preaching. Holy communion. Encountering the transformative and unconditional love of God in Christ. Join us! www. stclementseattle.org

Seattle Sunday Bowling. 10:30am. West Seattle Bowl, 4505 39th Ave SW (at SW Oregon St). Open bowl every Sunday for the GLBT community & friends. You don’t have to worry about how you bowl! $6.50 + $3 shoe rental. (425) 785-4729.

Welcome Table Christian Church. 9:45am Meditation; 10:30am Worship; Labyrinth 2nd Sundays 1-4pm. 1322 S Bayview St. Where people of all genders and sexualities, and families of all shapes & sizes are welcome and celebrated. A welcoming and affirming community since 1987. welcometablecc.org

Westside Unitarian Universalist Congregation. 10:30am. 7141 California Ave SW. (206) 935-0418, office@wsuu.org, www.wsuu.org

Emerald City Metropolitan Community Church Seattle. 11am Worship. Chapel at University Temple United Methodist Church, 1415 NE 43rd St. MCC is a progressive Christ-centered faith community committed to providing a nurturing environment for individual & community growth thru Jesus Christ while celebrating unity in diversity. MCC is Seattle’s oldest Gay-friendly church. (206) 325-2421, www.mccseattle.org. Meditation for GBT Men. 11am-1pm. Cal Anderson House, 400 Broadway. Suitable for beginning & experienced meditators. Sponsored by Dharma Buddies. Contact Forrest Rode, (206) 920-6117, or Doug Allison, doug.l.allison@gmail.com. Find us under “Dharma Buddies” under Meetup.com or DharmaBuddies.org. (Women may wish to contact our sister meditation group at www.LotusSisters.org.)

St Paul’s United Church of Christ. 11am Worship. 6512 12th Ave NW. An “open & affirming” congregation. “We celebrate our diversity in religious background, sexual orientation, race, age & abilities.” (206) 783-6733; www.stpauluccseattle.com.

St Paul’s Episcopal Church. 11:15am (also 7:30am, 9am, 5pm). 15 W Roy St. We are an accepting, progressive, Anglo-Catholic parish, renewing its people for their Christian lives in today’s world through worship, spiritual formation, engagement in the arts, and acts of compassion. www.stpaulseattle.com

Holy Covenant International Christian Community Church. 12pm. 4525 19th Ave NE. Outreach to the LGBT community. holycovenantccc@gmail.com

Just for Today (NA). 12-1:15pm. SASG, 115 15th Ave E, Suite 201. Every Sunday. Drop-in 12-step Narcotics Anonymous group open to anyone in recovery. (206) 322-2437; www.sasgcc.org

New Beginnings (SLAA). 12 noon-1pm. SASG, 115 15th Ave E #201, O’Neil Room. MEETS DAILY (except Saturday). Sex and Love Addicts Anonymous is a 12-step/12- tradition-oriented fellowship of men and women who share their experience, strength and hope to overcome sex and love patterns of addiction. (206) 322-2437; www.sasgcc.org

Paths to Recovery Al-Anon Family Group. 12-1:30pm. Seattle University Student Center, 901 12th Ave, Room 122. Every Sunday. LGBTQ supported. The Al-Anon Family Groups are a fellowship of relatives & friends of alcoholics who share their experience, strength & hope in order to solve their common problems. We believe

alcoholism is a family illness & that changed attitudes can aid recovery. Greater Seattle AIS 24-hour number (206) 625-0000; www.seattle-al-anon.org

Rainbow Walk for LGBTQ Elders 50+ - Green Lake Walk. 12 noon-1pm. 7201 E Green Lake Dr. N. Every Sunday starting 3/25 - Come Rain or Shine! - Meet at the Wading Pool (along the north end of the lake). Hot coffee and beautiful Rainbow umbrellas to use “just in case.” For info, call (206) 393-3400;. Wheelchair-friendly walk. Sponsored by Generations Aging With Pride. Tasveer South Asian International DocuFest (4/214/22). Seattle University, Wyckoff Auditorium. SAID offers thought-provoking documentaries that shed light on a number of issues relevant to South Asia and its diaspora. The full schedule and tickets are available at said.tasveer.org

No Safeword Writers Group. 1pm. See website for location. Meets 2nd & 4th Sunday each month. NSWG exists to provide mutual support for members’ efforts. Support is in the form of critique & commentary on each other’s work, information about publishing opportunities, & discussion of issues facing writers. NSWG’s primary focus is erotic writing - but they welcome anyone who writes. The only requirements are to write, to attend, & to be respectful. For info & location, www.nosafewordwritersgroup.org

Seattle Prime Timers Rap Group. 1:30-3pm. SASG, 115 15th Ave E #201. Meets 4th Sunday each month in the Ian MacKintosh Room. This month’s topic: “Open Mic/Anything Goes.” www.seattleprimetimers.org

Orca Swim Team Workout. Sun: Afternoon; Mon/Weds/ Fri: Evenings; Tues/Thurs: Mornings. Seattle University, Connolly Athletic Center, 14th Ave & E Cherry St. Preregistration required. Orca Swim Team workouts are for both competitive & recreational swimmers. www. orcaswimteam.org

Rain City Soccer Club - Kickabout. Sunday afternoon usually at 3pm. Location varies. Join us for Seattle’s mostly-weekly mostly-LGBTQ pickup soccer game. We play an organized, 2-hour scrimmage on nice fieldturf surface. Sometimes there is a brief training/practice session before we play. Usually there is a “one-beer” after the scrimmage. To sign up visit www.raincitysoccer.org Shame to Grace (SAA). 6-7:30pm. SASG, 115 15th Ave E, Suite 201. Every Sunday. Sex Addicts Anonymous is a fellowship of men & women who share their experience, strength & hope with each other so they may overcome their sexual addiction & help others recover from sexual addiction or dependency. Seattle SAA helpline (206) 237-8828, SAA International Service Organization 1-800-477-8191. (206) 322-2437; www.sasgcc.org Pride League Bowling. 6:30pm. West Seattle Bowl, 4505 39th Ave SW. Every Sunday. Regular league bowling. Jeff, (206) 932-3731; leagues@wsbowl.com. [EXCEPT no bowling June, July & August.]

Integrity/Puget Sound. 7pm Worship & Fellowship. St. Mark’s Cathedral, Thomson Chapel, 1245 10th Ave E. Integrity is an international ministry of Gay & Lesbian Episcopalians, their friends & families, dedicated to education, support & service within the Church & the GLBT community. (425) 226-2746. Noche Latina - Latino Night. 10pm. Neighbours, 1509 Broadway. Every Sunday.

MONDAY - April 23

Rainbow Walk for LGBTQ Elders 50+ - Volunteer Park Walk. 12 noon-1pm. 14th Ave E & E Prospect St. Every Monday starting 3/26 - Come Rain or Shine! - Meet at Black Sun sculpture across from museum. Hot coffee and beautiful Rainbow umbrellas to use “just in case.” For info, call (206) 393-3400;. Sponsored by Generations Aging With Pride.

SOBER On Meds. 1-2pm. SASG, 115 15th Ave E, Suite 201. Every Monday. 12-step group open to anyone in recovery & living on a medicine regimen. (206) 3222437; www.sasgcc.org Strength Over Speed (SOS). 2-3:30pm. SASG, 115 15th Ave E, Suite 201. Peer support for Gay and Bisexual men recovering from crystal meth addiction. www.strengthoverspeed.org. (206) 322-2437; www. sasgcc.org

Orca Swim Team Workout. Evening. Seattle University, Connolly Athletic Center, 14th Ave & E Cherry St. (See Sunday afternoon listing.)

Freely Speaking Toastmasters. 7pm. Seattle Unity Church, 200 8th Ave N. Every Monday (except holidays & the last Mondays in August & December). Seattle’s only LGBT speaking club. www.FreelySpeaking.org

Lotus Sisters South Seattle/Columbia City Meditation & Dharma Discussion. Gather at 6:45pm; sit at 7pm. Meets 4th Monday each month. Short presentation with discussion to follow. Oriented to LBTQ sisters. Email us or call (206) 550-5587 for details and location; www. LotusSisters.org. (Wheelchair accessible.)

PFLAG/South King County Monthly Meeting. 7pm. Unitarian Universalist Church, 25701 14th Pl S, Kent Meets 4th Monday each month. Parents & Friends of Lesbians & Gays is a national support organization for parents, spouses & families of GLBT persons, as well as those sexual minorities. PFLAG/Puget Sound: (206) 325-7724.

Trans Youth Group. 7-8:30pm. Lambert House, 1818 15th Ave. Every Monday. A chance for youth to talk with others about their experiences & concerns related to identifying as Transgender. www.lamberthouse.org

Lambert House Art Night. 7:30-9:30pm. 1818 15th Ave. Every Monday. Bring your ideas & let’s have some fun. (206) 322-2515, www.lamberthouse.org

Destiny/Unity AA Meeting in Tacoma 7:30-8:30pm. Christ Episcopal Church, 310 N “K” St, Tacoma. Every Monday. LGBTQ-friendly AA meeting. (253) 474-8897. (Also meets Fridays.)

Washington Gender Alliance Support Group Meeting in Shoreline 7:30pm. Center for Human Services, 17018 15th Ave NE, Shoreline. Every Monday. www. washingtongenderalliance.com

TUESDAY - April 24

Orca Swim Team Workout. Morning. Seattle University, Connolly Athletic Center, 14th Ave & E Cherry St. (See Sunday afternoon listing.)

LGBTQ+ Group. 1:15-2:15pm. Orion Center, 1828 Yale Ave. Every Tuesday. A group for LGBTQ youth ages 13-24 & their allies. Sponsored by Youthcare. (206) 622-5555.

Rainbow Walk for LGBTQ Elders 50+ - Alki Beach Walk. 2-3pm. 61st Ave SW & Alki Ave SW. Tuesday starting 3/27 - Come Rain or Shine! - Meet at Statue of Liberty statue. Hot coffee and beautiful Rainbow umbrellas to use “just in case.” For info, call ((206) 393-3400;. Wheelchair-friendly walk. Sponsored by Generations Aging With Pride.

LGBTQ Questioning & Allied Youth Drop-in Group in Renton 6-8pm. Renton Area Youth Services (RAYS), 1025 S 3rd St, Renton. Every Tuesday. Confidential. Snacks provided. Bring friends or come alone - anyone 12-18 is welcome. Questions? Call Sarah Hardin, (425) 271-5600 ext 155, or email sarahh@rays.org

Strength Over Speed (SOS). 6-7:30pm. SASG, 115 15th Ave E, Suite 201. Peer support for Gay and Bisexual men recovering from crystal meth addiction. www.strengthoverspeed.org. (206) 322-2437; www. sasgcc.org

ALISS - Aging Lesbians in South Seattle Evening Gathering. 6:30-8pm. Southeast Seattle Senior Center, 4655 S Holly St, Rainier Ave S & S Holly St., Social Hall. Meets 2nd & 4th Tuesday each month. This is a group primarily for Lesbians but all are welcome to attend.

Facilitator: Fai Coffin; Cost: FREE. Metro route 7. Wheelchair accessible. Kate, (206) 722-0317; www.sessc.org. Diverse Harmony. 6:30-9pm. Seattle First Baptist Church, 1111 Harvard Ave. Every Tuesday. Diverse Harmony is the nation’s first Gay/Straight Alliance Youth Chorus. Youths ages 13-22 are welcome regardless of sexual orientation. www.diverseharmony.org

LGBTQ MS Connection/National MS Society. 6:308pm. Swedish Conference Center, Cherry Hill Campus, James Tower, 550 17th Avenue, Room E, 1st Floor. Meets 2nd & 4th Tuesday each month. MS Connection is a support group with the goal of providing a safe environment for the LGBT community to express their experiences and the impact of MS on their lives and the lives of their loved ones, as well as provide support for one another. Contact Shelly at (206) 250-5002 or LGBTMSConnection@gmail.com.

No Man’s Land - For Female-Identified Youth, Ages 22 & Under. 7-8:30pm. Lambert House, 1818 15th Ave. Every Tuesday. Topics range from family issues to school happenings to like/lust/love relationships. All Queer females welcome. Come discuss how smart. strong Queer women live their lives. (206) 322-2515, www.lamberthouse.org

PFLAG/North Seattle Monthly Meeting. 7-9pm. Haller Lake United Methodist Church, 13055 1st Ave NE. Meets 4th Tuesday each month. (206) 325-7724 or northseattle@pflagseattle.org. PFLAG, a national organization founded in 1972, provides support, education and advocacy for families and friends of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer persons and is committed to moving LGBTQ equality forward.

Tuesday Night Sex Addicts Anonymous (GLBTQI). 7-8:30pm. All Pilgrims Christian Church, 500 Broadway E (enter at 509 10th Ave E; buzz in, Dickson room). Every Tuesday. SAA is a fellowship of men & women whose primary purpose is to stop addictive sexual behavior & help others recover from sexual addiction. Seattle SAA helpline (206) 237-8828. SAA International Service Organization 1-800-477-8191. Different Drummers. 7:15-8:30pm. Every Tuesday. Hand drumming classes for Gay men. It’s easy, it’s fun & anyone can do it! Learn traditional African & AfroCaribbean rhythms & basic hand drumming techniques. Experience connection, community & spirituality. Drums are provided. For info & location call Dennis at (206) 363-4500 or www.outdrum.com

Men’s Discussion Group. 7:30-9pm. SASG, 115 15th Ave E, Suite 201. Every Tuesday. Peer group for Gay & Bi men. (206) 322-2437; www.sasgcc.org Here & Now Gay & Lesbian AA Meeting in Tacoma 7:30pm. Christ Episcopal Church, 310 N “K” St, Tacoma. Every Tuesday.

Spiritual Empowerment. 7:30-9pm. SASG, 115 15th Ave E, Suite 201. A vibrant drop-in workshop for those of any spiritual belief. (206) 322-2437; www.sasgcc.org

Seattle Otters Water Polo Team. 8-9:30pm. Medgar Evers Pool, 500 23rd Ave E (at E Cherry St). Every Tuesday & Thursday. GLBT & GLBT-friendly co-ed water polo team is open to all who want to play. Beginners & experienced players welcome. Check our website for up to the minute details, or call the Otter Hotline (206) 414-8797. www.otterpolo.com. [EXCEPT no water polo mid-June through Labor Day Weekend.]

Seattle Poetry Slam. Doors 8pm, Show 8:30pm. Rebar, 1114 Howell St. Every Tuesday. A spoken word poetry event that features a weekly open mic, feature poet, and slam (poetry competition). Come out and express yourself. LGBTQ- & QTPOC-friendly; all genders welcome. $5. 21+. seattlepoetryslam.org

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WEDNESDAY - April 25

Mature Friends Walk Around Greenlake. 11am. Meet up at 10:50am with a group of older men gathered at the north end of the parking lot that is next to the boathouse along the southwest side of Greenlake. Every Wednesday. Walk around Greenlake followed by lunch at a local restaurant. www.maturefriends.org

Mature Friends Dining Out Luncheon. 12 noon. Roosters Restaurant, 611 Broadway E. Meets 2nd & 4th Wednesday each month. Just drop in - no RSVP required. MF is a social organization for Gay men & women, 40 years & over. www.maturefriends.org

Rainbow Walk for LGBTQ Elders 50+ - Volunteer Park Walk. 12 noon-1pm. 14th Ave E & E Prospect St. Every Wednesday starting 3/28 - Come Rain or Shine! - Meet at Black Sun sculpture across from museum. Hot coffee and beautiful Rainbow umbrellas to use “just in case.” For info, call (206) 393-3400;. Sponsored by Generations Aging With Pride.

True Colors: Connecting LGBTQ Teens in Shoreline 4-5pm. Every Wednesday. Discussing your important issues, building a supportive community. For information, location & to REGISTER call Lindsay Bagley (206) 362-7282 x 8018 or email lbagley@chs-nw.org

Positively Living. 5-7pm. Lifelong, 1016 E Pike St., 3rd Fl. Every Wednesday. Social and support group for the HIV community with various topics for discussion and conversation. Anthony, 206-957-1600. Sponsored by Lifelong.

GLOBE (GLBTQ Loving Ourselves, Becoming Empowered): A Support Group for GLBTQ+Youth (14-20) serving Snohomish County & surrounding communities. 6-8pm. Phone or email for location. Every Wednesday. Sponsored by PFLAG Everett. Brenda, (425) 263-2908. globeleaders@hotmail.com

Queer Seattle Book Club. 6pm. SASG, 115 15th Ave E (upstairs). Every Wednesday. This month’s title is The Sparsholt Affair by Alan Hollinghurst. https://faculty. washington.edu/swittet/SGLBookClub/ Lotus Sisters Meditation & Dharma DiscussionNorth. 6:15-8pm. Ravenna Bryant neighborhood. Every Wednesday. Call (206) 525-7295 for location. www. LotusSisters.org.

Center for Spiritual Living. 6:30pm-Meditation, 7pmService. 5801 Sand Point Way NE. Blessings & we hope to see you soon! Info (206) 527-8801 ext 203, www.cslseattle.org Orca Swim Team Workout. Evening. Seattle University, Connolly Athletic Center, 14th Ave & E Cherry St. (See Sunday afternoon listing.)

Seattle Frontrunners Fun Run. 6:30pm. Volunteer Park, 14th Ave E & E Prospect St. Every Wednesday. Meet at Black Sun sculpture across for museum. (See Saturday at 9am.)

Ingersoll All-Trans Drop-In Support Group. 7-9pm. Seattle Counseling Services, 1216 Pine St, Suite 300. Every Wednesday. All Transgender, Gender Variant, Gender Queer, Gender Questioning, allies, family & friends are welcome. This is a drop in group to get & give support, social interaction & information for the whole Gender community. No fee, donations welcome. www. ingersollcenter.org

Mature Friends Weekly Bridge Group. 7pm. Wallingford Community Senior Center, lower level of Good Shepherd Center, 4649 Sunnywide Ave N. Every Wednesday. All levels welcome. MF is a social organization for Gay men & women, 40 years & over. www. maturefriends.org

SEAMEC Monthly Meeting. 7pm. 1605 12th Ave, Suite 21. Meets 4th Wednesday each month. SEAMEC interviews, researches & rates candidates for public office on issues of concern to the LGBT community. www. voteseamec.org

Washington Gender Alliance Open Support Meeting in Everett 7:30-9pm. Everett United Church of Christ, 2624 Rockefeller Ave, Everett. Every Wednesday. Trained peer facilitators lead a structured support meeting helping people deal with issues of gender identity & expression. All adults are welcomed, including those who are questioning, allies, or identify as FTM, MTF, Transgender, Queer, or Intersex, among others. (360) 445-2411; www.washingtongenderalliance.com.

THURSDAY - April 26

Orca Swim Team Workout. Morning. Seattle University, Connolly Athletic Center, 14th Ave & E Cherry St. (See Sunday afternoon listing.)

Seattle Black Panther Party 50th Anniversary Conference (4/26-4/28). https://www.seattlebpp50.com Aging Ballard Lesbian Exchange (A.B.L.E.) Monthly Lunch Get-Together. 12 noon. Ballard NW Senior Center, 5429 32nd Ave NW. Meets 4th Thursday each month. Look for the A.B.L.E. sign on the table. We are Lesbians, 60 years (generally) and up, living (mostly) in the north half of Seattle. The purpose of this group is to connect, socialize, and support each other. We have been meeting since 2015. The purpose of this group is to connect, socialize, and support each other. The group hosts evening potlucks, outings and get-togethers. Cosponsored by Puget Sound Old Lesbians Organizing for Change. (PSOLOC). Safe and Sober (AA). 12noon-1pm. SASG, 115 15th Ave E, Suite 201. Open meeting of Alcoholics Anonymous. (206) 322-2437; www.sasgcc.org

BABES Women’s Support Group/Lunch Meeting. 12 noon-2pm. Call for location. Every Thursday. The BABES Network is a peer led agency; a sisterhood of women facing HIV together. (206) 720-5566 or 888-2921912; www.babesnetwork.org. Rainbow Walk for LGBTQ Elders 50+ - Green Lake Walk. 12 noon-1pm. 7201 E Green Lake Dr. N. Every Thursday starting 3/29 - Come Rain or Shine! - Meet at the Wading Pool (along the north end of the lake). Hot coffee and beautiful Rainbow umbrellas to use “just in case.” For info, call (206) 393-3400;. Wheelchair-friendly walk. Sponsored by Generations Aging With Pride. Oasis Youth Center in Tacoma - For Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender & Questioning Youth, Ages 14-25. 4-10pm. Call for location & details. Every Thursday. (253) 671-2838, www.oasisyouthcenter.org

Everett-Snohomish County Friendship Dinner for persons living with HIV/AIDS, their friends, and for those who want to support them. 6pm. Trinity Lutheran Church, 2324 Lombard Ave, Everett. Meets last Thursday each month. For further information, please call 360-202-3978. Sponsored by AIDS Project Snohomish County (APSC) and Gay Men’s Task Force. B-GLAD (Bisexual, Gay, Lesbian, Trans & Questioning Adolescent Drop-In Group). 6:30-8pm. Call for location. Every Thursday. Sponsored by Youth Eastside Services, which offers many programs for GLBT youth. (425) 747-4937.

Chicago Spoken Word Artist Avery R. Young at Central Library. 6:30-8:30pm. 1000 Fourth Ave., Level 1, Microsoft Auditorium. Young uses his talents to speak stories of turmoil turned to triumph. By examining Black American history and culture, his artistry celebrates social justice, equity, queer identity, and body consciousness while challenging misogyny, racism and homophobia. Young melds history, culture and art, blending phonetics, linguistics, hymns, jazz and hip hop in his work. His influences include James Brown, Nina Simone, and Gil Scott Heron.

Boys Group - For Male-Identified Youth, Ages 1422. 7-8:30pm. Lambert House, 1818 15th Ave. Every Thursday. Youth take the opportunity to talk about issues that relate to their everyday lives, with the facilitation of a male volunteer. (206) 322-2515 ext 16. www. lamberthouse.org

21st Century Bowling. 7pm. West Seattle Bowl, 4505 39th Ave SW. Every Thursday. Regular league bowling. Jeff, (206) 932-3731; leagues@wsbowl.com. [EXCEPT no bowling June, July, August.]

Buddhism & Recovery. 7:30-9pm. SASG, 115 15th Ave E, Suite 201. Every Thursday. A meditation/recovery group. (206) 322-2437; www.sasgcc.org

Gay Fathers Association of Seattle. 7:30-9pm. Group Health, 201 16th Ave E, Central Bldg, Lower Atrium. Every Thursday. Support meetings for Gay fathers & Gay men who are currently or previously married. Safe, anonymous, non-judgmental environment of caring fathers & friends. You are not alone. For information, community events & “questioning” visit www.gfas.org or our message board at http://groups.yahoo.com/groups/ gayfathersseattle

Gay Male Sexuality & Relationships. 7:30-9pm. SASG, 115 15th Ave E, Suite 201. Every Thursday. Ongoing support group open to Gay and Bisexual men. (206) 322-2437; www.sasgcc.org [NOTE: Please contact the facilitator prior to attending.]

Seattle Otters Water Polo Team. 8-9:30pm. Medgar Evers Pool, 500 23rd Ave E (at E Cherry St). Every Tuesday & Thursday. (See Tuesday listing at 8pm.) [EXCEPT no water polo mid-June through Labor Day Weekend.]

FRIDAY - April 27

Seattle Black Panther Party 50th Anniversary Conference (4/26-4/28). https://www.seattlebpp50.com

Ageless in Recovery (AA). 12noon-1pm. SASG, 115 15th Ave E, Suite 201. Every Friday. A drop-in AA group for 55+. (206) 322-2437; www.sasgcc.org

Rainbow Walk for LGBTQ Elders 50+ - Kubota Gardens Walk. 12 noon-1pm. 9817 55th Ave S. Every Friday starting 3/30 - Come Rain or Shine! - Meet at the corner of 55th Ave S and Renton Ave S. Hot coffee and beautiful Rainbow umbrellas to use “just in case.” For info, call (206) 393-3400;. Wheelchair-friendly walk. Sponsored by Generations Aging With Pride. Road to Recovery (SLAA). 12noon-1:30pm. SASG, 115 15th Ave E, Suite 201. Every Friday. Ongoing 12step group for sex and love addicts. (206) 322-2437; www.sasgcc.org

Oasis Youth Center in Tacoma - For Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender & Questioning Youth, Ages 14-25. 4-10pm. Call for location & details. Every Friday. (253) 671-2838, www.oasisyouthcenter.org

Strength Over Speed (SOS). 6-7:30pm. SASG, 115 15th Ave E, Suite 201. Peer support for Gay and Bisexual men recovering from crystal meth addiction. www.strengthoverspeed.org. (206) 322-2437; www. sasgcc.org

Orca Swim Team Workout. Evening. Seattle University, Connolly Athletic Center, 14th Ave & E Cherry St. (See Sunday afternoon listing.)

Game Night. 7pm-11pm. SASG, 115 15th Ave E, Suite 201. Every Friday. Card games, board games and fellowship. (206) 322-2437; www.sasgcc.org

Lambert House Queer Movie Night. 7-9:30pm. Lambert House, 1818 15th Ave. Every Friday. Lambert House is a nationally-recognized activities & resource center for

GLBT & questioning youth, ages 14-22. (206) 322-2515, www.lamberthouse.org

Rain Country Dance Night. 7-11pm, lessons at 7:15pm. The Cuff, 1533 13th Ave. An evening of country-western dancing for the LGBTQ community. FREE. www.raincountrydance.org.

Seattle Queer Urbanist StoryTellers Fundraiser for LGBTQ Allyship. 6:30-8:30pm. Location in private home provided upon registration. SQUS is forming to celebrate being LGBTQ in cities. Enjoy great food including vegan and gluten free options. Bring stories and poems to share. Suggested donation $10-$50. Goal is $1,000. For complete details and to RSVP visit http://allyship.org.

Destiny/Unity AA Meeting in Tacoma 7:30-8:30pm. Christ Episcopal Church, 310 N “K” St, Tacoma. Every Friday. LGBTQ-friendly AA meeting. (253) 474-8897. (Also meets Mondays.)

LGBT Friday Night Al-Anon Family Group. 8-9pm. SASG, 115 15th Ave E, Suite 201 - in the O’Neill Room. Every Friday. (See related listing Sunday at noon for details.) Greater Seattle AIS 24-hour number (206) 625-0000; www.seattle-al-anon.org; (206) 322-2437 SATURDAY - April 28

(See previous Saturday for ongoing activities.) Market Street Singers Annual Rummage Sale. 9am4pm. St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, 5710 22nd Ave NW. Huge sale held in basement of St. Luke’s old chapel. St. Luke’s is located just north of the Ballard Branch Library and across the street from the Ballard Commons Park. http://marketstreetsingers.org

Seattle Black Panther Party 50th Anniversary Conference (4/26-4/28). https://www.seattlebpp50.com Native Plant Sale. 10am-4pm. Mercerdale Park, 3009 77th Ave SE / SE 32nd St & 77th Ave SE, Mercer Island. Huge Native Plant selection. Sponsored by Central Puget Sound Chapter Washngton Native Plant Society. Western Washington University Queer Con - in Bellingham 10am-5pm. Academic West building on WWU campus. WWU Queer Con will include an artist alley featuring professional and student creators, vendors offering all sorts of queer and geek related items, and panels focusing on queer stories and experiences. Cosplay is welcomed and encouraged. WWUQueerCon.com. Mature Friends Monthly Potluck. 6pm. Wallingford Community Senior Center, Good Shepherd Center, 4649 Sunnyside Ave N, Suite 140. Monthly potluck meets last Saturday most months. MF is a social organization for Gay men & women, 40 years & over. www. maturefriends.org

SUNDAY - April 29

(See previous Sunday for ongoing activities.)

COMMUNITY RESOURCES

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.

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

Central Washington University GALA Hotline: (509) 963-1994.

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 Networksupport & 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; 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 - (206) 250-5002; LGBTMSConnection@gmail.com. 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.org; 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

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: www. pflagwsc.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

community calendar

Pierce County AIDS Foundation - (253) 383-2565; www.piercecountyaids.org

Pride Foundation - (206) 323-3318; www.pridefoundation. org

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

Safe Schools Coalition - www.safeschoolscoalition. org; (206) 451-SAFE; (206) 451-7233. 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) 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.sasgcc.org

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.orgl Servicemembers Legal Defense Network - (202) 328-3244; www.sldn.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 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-DiscussionGroup/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; 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, in Seattle, 1818 15th Ave @ E Denny Way; (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; Oasis Youth Center: for GLBTQ youth, ages 14-25, in Tacoma, (253) 671-2838, www. oasisyouthcenter.org; OUT There Adventures: www. outthereadventures.org; Parents, Family & Friends of Lesbians & Gays (PFLAG)/Puget Sound: (206) 3257724, www.seattle-pflag.org; Peace for the Streets by Kids from the Streets (PSKS) Drop-In Center & Young Adult Shelter: 1609 19th Ave @ E Pine St., (206) 7268500; www.psks.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; Renton Area Youth Services (RAYS): LGBTQ, questioning and allied youth drop-in group, ages 12-18 - Sarah Hardin, (425) 271-5600, ext 155; sarahh@rays.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; 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

20 [HEALTH & WELL-BEING]

ENERGY/BODYWORK

21 [LICENSED MASSAGE - NON-SEXUAL]

ENJOY A SOOTHING MASSAGE

Swedish, Deep Tissue, Sports, and Hot Stone Massage on Capitol Hill. $65 an hour. Jeff, LMP. 206-6500542; rjeffa@hotmail.com; www.broadwaymassage. com. 17/3

EXCEPTIONAL BODYWORK

38 [MEN]

RAIN CITY JACKS

RCJ is Seattle’s private club hosting hundreds of group jack-off events since 2005. Hot, friendly, and genuine male bonding for men 18+ only. Email or visit our web site for information. info@raincityjacks.org; www. raincityjacks.org. 18/12

TIDY'S LANDSCAPING & HAULING

Shrubs, Blackberry & Ivy Removals * Dump Runs, Evictions, Basements & Garage Clean Outs * Bi-Weekly, Monthly & All Year-Round Yard Maintenance. Free Estimates. 206-354-8949. 21/6

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

PETS OF THE WEEK

649-7563 | adoption@seattlehumane.org

Is your life missing a furry friend? Now is the perfect time to open your world to a pet in need. Coldwell Banker’s Homes for Dogs program with Adopt-a-pet.com has helped place 20,000 dogs into homes across the

Given by highly trained LMP. I specialize in injury treatment, acute, chronic, and repetitive stress motion. I have a studio on CapHill, and one just north of the UW. Insurance accepted. Matt Shafer, LMP, 206-2357766. 27/12

37 [BODYWORK]

EROTICALLY CHARGED nude full body rubdown from playful top, stimulating the senses. Get seduced. Incalls in Renton area. Scott, 206-355-4469. 09/3

GREAT MASSAGE

Given by highly-trained, clean-cut, handsome guy. I have two private studios, one on CapHill, and one just north of the UW. Call/text Matt, 206-235-7766. In/ out calls. 27/12

FREE & ANONYMOUS HIV & STD COUNSELING/TESTING Walk-In or by Appt GAY CITY HEALTH PROJECT 517 E. Pike St. M-F: 3pm-8pm; SAT: 12:30pm-5pm More Info & to Schedule Appt 206-860-6969

Boots

Meet Boots, a quiet 15-year-old black and white longhair tabby. She's a friendly gal who likes to spend her time licking back, taking it easy. Stop by Seattle Humane today if you're looking for a friend to relax with and spend some time with Boots.

As with all of our cats, Boots has been spayed, microchipped, vaccinated and behavior tested. She will go home with a certificate for an examination by a King County veterinarian and an identification tag. PLUS, most dog adoptions include six weeks of training in one of our on-campus dog behavior courses - a great way to start off on the right paw!

Broccoli

Broccoli is an 8-year-old Short Coat Terrier/Chihuahua mix who knows that what makes us different, makes us extra special. This sweet boy doesn't let anything slow him down and loves to spend time both playing outside and snuggling inside. Broccoli would do well with a patient owner who can make his cute smile really come to life. Do drop in and visit Broccoli and you may fall in love.

As with all of our wonderful dogs, Broccoli is neutered, microchipped, vaccinated, and behavior-tested. He will go home with a certificate for a complimentary veterinary examination and an identification tag. PLUS, most dog adoptions include 30 days of pet insurance from Trupanion and a training rebate when you complete a dog behavior course - a great way to start off on the right paw!

Introduce to teenagers. Resident dogs are required to visit Broccoli prior to adoption. No history with cats.