Celebrating 41 Years! Issue 17 Volume 43
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The hunt has ended: An interview with
Hunter Foster
Brett Morgen,
SEC 2 pg 1
director of new Kurt Cobain bio doc, discusses his HBO film
Seattle Gay News SEATTLE’S LGBT NEWS & ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY
Mayor announces new SCOTUS turns down anti-crime strategy for appeal on Oregon downtown marriages Are they tipping their hand?
Mayor Ed Murray – www.huffingtonpost.com
by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer Seattle Mayor Ed Murray has announced a joint SPD and FBI sweep of downtown drug dealers as part of a new anti-crime strategy for the area adjoining Pike Place Market. The April 23 press conference featured Murray, Acting U.S. Attorney Annette Hayes, SPD Chief Kathleen O’Toole, King County Prosecutor Dan Satterberg, FBI
Special Agent Frank Montoya Jr., and Craig Sims from City Attorney Pete Holmes’ office. Operation Crosstown Traffic, or the “nine-and-a-half block strategy,” as Murray called it, netted 95 arrests out of 186 identified suspects – 150 suspected drug dealers U.S. District Judge Michael McShane – Thomas Boyd/The Oregonian and another 36 suspected of selling stolen hear NOM’s last chance appeal to prevent merchandise in order to buy drugs. by Mike Andrew same-sex marriages in Oregon. Their deciAccording to Hayes, a federal grand jury SGN Staff Writer sion was announced April 20. The U.S. Supreme Court has refused to see murray page 4 see scotus page 12
Eat your generous heart Little Rock defies out at Dining Out For state, passes Life on Thursday, nondiscrimination April 30! ordinance breakfast, lunch, dinner, dessert, a cocktail, or all of the above (is your stomach growling yet?) at your favorite participating business. Dining Out For Life presented by BECU returns for its 22nd year next Thursday, April 30th. On this day, over 100 restaurants throughout the Seattle metropolitan area will donate 30-50% of their proceeds to Lifelong to feed those fighting hunger and illness in our community. “We are hoping for an incredible year because we have more restaurants donating 50% than ever before. Huge shout out to these Golden Fork restaurants including Lost Lake Café, Fogon Cocina Mexicana, Jules Maes Saloon, Mejari Fusion Sushi, McMenamins Six Arms in Queen Anne and Capitol Hill, and Witness,” says Sage Fitzpatrick, Director of Development. This also marks the first time a restaurant Little Rock City Director Kathy Webb – photo by Brian Chilson as far north as Everett – Major League Pizza – is participating. The restaurant, known for by Mike Andrew ple in hiring and city services. The vote by their homemade crust and gluten free piz- SGN Staff Writer the city’s Board was 7-2. za, comes highly rated (4.5 out of 5 stars on A number of Arkansas cities are considYelp). The City of Little Rock defied Arkansas ering similar measures, hoping to combat Dining Out For Life is that one day each state law on April 21, with a new ordinance the impression left by the state legislature’s year when giving back is as simple as having see lifelong page 7 banning discrimination against LGBT peosee little rock page 12
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Celebrating 41 Years!
Marriage Equality and the 2016 elections (Part 1) by Jesse Monteagudo SGN Contributing Writer On November 2, 2004, George W. Bush was re-elected President of the United States and voters in 11 states approved constitutional amendments that banned same-sex marriage. Many pundits believed that the ballot measures helped Bush, who during the campaign spoke in support of a U.S. constitutional amendment defining marriage as the union of one man and one woman. Bush’s support for a marriage ban helped him in Ohio, which carried him over the top. Karl Rove, Bush’s political adviser, told the New York Times that there was “a broad consensus” against same-sex marriage, which helped pass anti-Gay amendments in 11 states “by considerable margins.... People do not like the idea or the concept of marriage as being a union between a man and a woman being uprooted and overturned by a few activist judges or a couple of activist local officials.” “It was these value voters who ushered the president down the aisle for a second term,” crowed Tony Perkins, president of the religious right Family Research Council (FRC). More than a decade later, Karl Rove’s “consensus” on same-sex marriage seems to have shifted to the other direction. Barack Obama was elected President in 2008 while he was still “evolving” on the issue and reelected in 2012 after he made his support for marriage equality quite clear. The Democratic Party is firmly united in support of same-sex marriage rights, as is that party’s leading presidential candidate, Hillary Rodham Clinton. The Republicans, however, are in a quagmire. On the one hand, they realize that most Americans now support marriage equality. On the other hand, they do not want to alienate their base, mostly religious conservatives whose views have not changed since 2004. Texas Senator Ted Cruz, the first Repub-
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lican to declare his candidacy for President of the United States, has no doubts. On April 9 Cruz appeared before a presidential candidate forum in Iowa and expressed his support for “religious freedom” laws that allow businesses to discriminate against LGBT people and others who offend their faith. Cruz warned that a “jihad is being waged right now in Indiana and Arkansas, going after people of faith who respect the biblical teaching that marriage is the union of one man and one woman. ... We need to bring people together,” Cruz said, reminding his audience of the days when there was a bipartisan consensus in favor of “religious liberty” and against “Gay marriage.” “This election needs to be about bringing together that consensus again, and that’s got to come from the people.” I don’t blame the GOP for being bewildered. In 2004 marriage inequality was a sure road to victory. A decade later, according to a Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll, 59% of Americans support same-sex marriage. Even so, most GOP primary voters agree with Senator Cruz. “Any presidential candidate seeking the Republican Party nomination in 2016 has to very careful not
to poke a stick in the eye of that base vote in any state,” said Gary Marx, executive director of the Faith and Freedom Council. Meanwhile, the FRC’s Perkins, who was the cock of the walk right after the 2004 elections, now warns that if the Republican Party “abandons marriage evangelicals will either sit the elections out completely – or move to create a third party. ... Either opinion puts Republicans on the path to a permanent minority.” Not surprisingly, GOP hopefuls Mike Huckabee, Bobby Jindal and Marco Rubio, like Cruz, have toed the FRC party line. Even Kentucky’s “moderate” Senator Rand Paul said that same-couples should not describe their relationship as a “marriage,” because it “offends myself and a lot of people.” He and the equally “moderate” Jeb Bush firmly support “religious freedom” laws. There may be many reasons for a Lesbian, Gay man, Bisexual or Trans* person to vote Republican in 2016, but LGBT rights is not one of them. While the rest of us have moved on, GOP candidates remain stranded in 2004. While that might help them in their primaries, it will do them no good in November of 2016.
April 24, 2015
Seattle Gay News 3
What’s your story?
Courtesy of pridefoundation.org
by Kris Hermanns Pride Foundation Special to the SGN I am thrilled to announce that in our 30th year, Pride Foundation will be partnering with StoryCorps – an organization dedicated to providing people of all backgrounds and beliefs with the opportunity to record, share, and preserve the stories of their lives. Growing up Gay in the rural Midwest, moving through adolescence and into early adulthood, I, like so many others, saw the world around me as complicated, different, and sometimes even, unsafe. I have vivid memories of my childhood – of the moments, experiences, and relationships that defined my early years and shaped me into who I am today. We all have these stories. They’re what connect us to our loved ones and our communities. They help us make sense of the world and our place in it. And most importantly, they teach us – about ourselves and each other. For all these reasons and more, I am thrilled to announce that in our 30th year, Pride Foundation will be partnering with StoryCorps – an organization dedicated
murray
continued from cover has returned 37 indictments of “the most egregious offenders.” Fifteen of the 37 are now in custody, Harris added. Murray said that the targeted area adjoining Pike Place Market experienced “the highest concentration of crime” in the city.
to providing people of all backgrounds and beliefs with the opportunity to record, share, and preserve the stories of their lives. As StoryCorps documents the oral history of the LGBTQ community across the country through their OutLoud Initiative, we are celebrating three decades of inspiring hope across the Northwest. Through this partnership, we have an incredible opportunity to capture and document the rich oral history of LGBTQ people throughout our region – elevating the stories and experiences that often go untold. Our work with StoryCorps will include two components: an OutLoud Interview Collection Trip to Billings, Montana in early May and participation in StoryCorps’ Mobile Tour in Seattle in August (with one day reserved specifically for Pride Foundation). Given the rich organizing work happening in Billings, Montana around their local non-discrimination ordinance and the upsetting loss the community faced when the ordinance was voted down last August, we thought this would be a key moment to gather and archive the experiences of the Billings LGBTQ community. LGBTQ community members from Billings and Seattle will join with loved SPD said that they had received 10,000 calls for service in the area surrounding the 1500 block of Pine Street in the past year, “including frequent reports of drug dealing and property crimes, as well as violent brawls, shootings, and stabbings,” according to a statement distributed at the press conference. “Seattle residents and visitors should not
Mayor Ed Murray is targeting crime in Seattle – letterbalm.com
CORRECTION In last Friday’s Seattle Gay News (April 17, 2015) the photograph used to illustrate the front page story about the April 10 Take Back the Hill march led by homeless Queer youth was inadvertently of a previous march on Capitol Hill and not of the April
10 Take Back the Hill march. The Seattle Gay News apologizes to the organizers, participants and sponsoring organizations of this event, to the photographer and to our readers for this production error.
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ones to share their stories and reflect on their past, and we will be able to use their experiences, insights, and wisdom to chart a new course forward, together. All of the interviews will be archived at the Library of Congress, documenting our regional movement for equality for generations to come. By centering this work on those that remain marginalized within our community – including homeless LGBTQ youth, people of color, Transgender people, elders, and those living in rural areas – we will capture a diverse and holistic snapshot of what life is like for LGBTQ people across the Northwest. Sharing stories has been a critical component of our movement’s success and progress to date and is ultimately how we change hearts and minds. What does it feel like for a Transgender woman in Billings to drive hundreds of miles to see a doctor that treats her with care and compassion? For a homeless LGBTQ teen to find shelter at night? For a Queer man of color to simul-
taneously grapple with discrimination and prejudice based on the color of his skin and his sexual orientation? For an elderly Lesbian woman to have to go back in the closet because she fears being mistreated at her nursing home? These are the stories that we need to hear and share. They are stories of struggle and triumph. Of courage and love. And they’re the story of our community. That’s why this collaboration with StoryCorps is a perfect way for Pride Foundation to give back to our community during our 30th anniversary. It allows us to celebrate our shared history – including the leaders and organizations that have gotten us to where we are today – while also looking toward the future. We look forward to sharing them with you. Kris Hermanns is Pride Foundation’s Executive Director. www.pridefoundation.org
Courtesy of StoryCorps
be forced to navigate a dangerous open-air drug market between the downtown retail core and Pike Place Market,” Murray said in the same statement. “Our comprehensive nine-and-a-half block strategy will help break the cycle of addiction by expanding LEAD diversions, while removing violent repeat offenders from our streets.” LEAD (Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion Program) provides suspects in drug crimes with an opportunity to get treatment for substance abuse or addiction, housing, and other services. A UW study quoted by SPD’s press release shows that people who entered diversion programs were 60% less likely to reoffend. “We’re not going to arrest our way out of the drug addiction problem,” Hayes said at the press event. “Arresting people is not the answer, in itself. We’re trying to bring all our resources to bear on this problem.” The 37 suspects facing federal drug charges are not eligible for LEAD. “Our strategy is based on prevention, intervention, and enforcement,” Chief O’Toole told reporters. “We made 95 arrests – with zero use of force incidents. SPD is back in business, but we’re doing it right,” she added, referring to a 2011 U.S. Department of Justice finding that SPD was guilty of a “pattern and practice” of unconstitutional use of force.
In response to a question, O’Toole said police would monitor suspects and map offenses and crime “hotspots” to ensure that the drug trade does not simply move to other areas of the city. “Our undercover cops and bike cops – they know the players,” the Chief said. “They’re on the street with them everyday.” “Our aim,” the Mayor added, “is to use best practices, and we can apply them elsewhere. We’re also removing some of these people from circulation. They can’t move elsewhere.” Sims emphasized that City Attorney Pete Holmes was absent from the press event only because of a death in his family. Holmes, a supporter of legalized marijuana and harm reduction methods of dealing with drug offenses, fully supports the Mayor’s strategy Sims said. “Legalizing and regulating marijuana and using harm reduction tools to address hard drug addiction does not mean standing by as the heart of our downtown continues for years to house a large-scale, outdoor market for illegal drug sales,” Holmes said in a prepared statement. “The approach we’re taking today is an effort to strike the balance necessary to enforce the law and clean up downtown without falling back into the wasteful and counterproductive cycle of the War on Drugs.”
www.sgn.org Celebrating 41 Years!
Finalists for Sally Clark’s City Council seat announced by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer The Seattle City Council has announced the eight finalists for appointment to fill the Council seat vacated by Sally Clark. Clark, who will take a new job as a community relations officer at UW, announced her resignation April 12. The remaining City Council members interviewed 43 applicants for her seat, and will select one from among the eight finalists on April 27. The Council asked applicants to promise they would be caretaker Council members only, and would not run for the seat in the upcoming election. The eight finalists are: Jan Drago, a former City Council member (1994-2009) and unsuccessful candidate for mayor in the 2009 election. Drago filled a similar vacancy on the King County Council in 2010. Noel Frame, outgoing director of Progressive Majority Washington. Frame ran unsuccessfully for a seat in the state legislature in 2012. Sharon Lee, executive director of the Low Income Housing Institute. Lee served
on the Mayor’s Task Force on Unsheltered Homelessness. Sharon Maeda, the former director of 21 Progress. Maeda was a candidate for the same seat in 2006, but Clark was selected to replace Council member Jim Compton, who resigned. David Moseley, former assistant secretary of WSDOT’s ferries division, and the former city manager of Ellensburg and Federal Way. John Okamoto, former WEA (Washington Education Association) director. Okamoto served as interim head of the Seattle Human Services Department, as administrative officer at the Port of Seattle, and led Seattle’s human resources and engineering departments in the 1990s. Shelley Secrest, development chair of the Seattle-King County NAACP and policy analyst for the Urban League. Last year, Secrest was an unsuccessful candidate for the State Senate in the 37th District. Alec Stephens, retired civil rights attorney and former head of Sound Transit’s diversity programs (1997-2014). The City Council snubbed former Council member Heidi Wills, who was de-
8 finalists have been chosen as contenders to fill Sally Clark’s City Council seat – www.nogalesinternational.com
feated for reelection in 2003 after she was implicated in the notorious “Strippergate” scandal. They also passed on developer and Space Needle co-owner Howard S. Wright
III, who reportedly did not bother to register as a Seattle voter until after he had applied for the City Council seat.
SEAMEC announces early endorsements SEAMEC (Seattle Metropolitan Elections Committee) has announced three early endorsements for the 2015 election. Those endorsed are: • Lloyd Hara for King County Assessor. • Larry Gossett for King County Council, District 2. • Joe McDermott for King County Council District 8. SEAMEC has been interviewing, researching and rating candidates for public office on issues of importance to the LGBT
community since 1977. SEAMEC issues early endorsements only for candidates who have been interviewed by the organization in the past, and who have exceptional records of support for the LGBT community. Lloyd Hara has been King County Assessor since 2009. He has also served as a Port Commissioner (2006-2009) and three terms as Seattle City Treasurer. Larry Gossett has served on the King County Council since 1994, and has always
received SEAMEC’s highest rating and its endorsement. Prior to running for the Council, Gossett was executive director of CAMP (Central Area Motivation Project). Joe McDermott, one of two openly Gay members of the County Council, has served since 2010. He was previously in the state Senate (2007-2010) and the House (20002007). SEAMEC also considered endorsing in the 3rd District City Council race, but because only the incumbent Council member
had been interviewed by SEAMEC in the past, the organization’s Steering Committee decided to interview all four candidates before issuing an endorsement in the race. The new Seattle City Council 3rd District includes Capitol Hill, Montlake, Broadmoor, Madison Park, Madrona, and Leschi. Courtesy of SEAMEC
Right-wing Christians call for anti-Gay witchhunt in GOP
Anti-Gay activist David Lane – rightwingwatch.org
by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer Right-wing Christian activists are calling on pastors to “investigate” the family and staff of Republican presidential candidates in order to identify and expose closeted Gays and their supporters. Veteran anti-Gay activist David Lane and his American Renewal Project told the Washington Examiner that they have asked “100,000 pastors” in their circle to dig into
the private lives of people connected to GOP presidential candidates. “As the race begins in the 2016 Republican Presidential Primary, Evangelicals have no choice but to investigate which consultants and operatives are behind each of the candidates; decisions about personnel provide evidences about policy,” Lane wrote in the conservative Western Journalism magazine. Lane said that evangelical Christians were disappointed when former Republi-
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can National Committee chair and George W. Bush operative Ken Mehlman revealed he was Gay. Lane added that George W. Bush himself could never have gotten evangelical support if voters had known that his wife Laura would one day hint that she supports same-sex marriage and reproductive choice. “A former White House political director, who also served as a Presidential campaign manager and Republican Party Chairman, announced (after he left Washington) that he is a homosexual and an advocate for homosexual marriage,” Lane noted. “Why didn’t he say that when he depicted himself as a ‘family values’ conservative to win an election?” Republican attempts to appeal to centrist independent voters had been “disastrous for the Republican Party and America,” Lane claimed. “Moderates flushed the legacy – and branding – of limited government, lower taxes, deregulation of business, and the attitude of ‘the-one-thing-that-governmentcan-do-for-me-is-leave-me-alone’ bequeathed to the Grand Old Party by President Reagan,” he wrote. “Moderates have sown the wind and reaped the whirlwind for Republicans, winning the presidency only 8 of the last 24 years… “For the last quarter century, Evan-
gelicals have been discipled by the likes of Karl Rove, Steve Schmidt, Ken Mehlman, and Meghan McCain. Haven’t they done enough damage?” Lane asked. While all major Republican presidential hopefuls oppose marriage equality, Ohio Governor John Kasich has announced that he is attending the wedding of a Gay friend. Senator Marco Rubio said he would attend a same-sex wedding if asked, and Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker said he would skip a same-sex wedding but attend the reception. Lane was the main backer of California’s Prop 22, which outlawed same-sex marriage in 2000. The California Supreme Court decision striking down that law led directly to Prop 8, and eventually to a federal court decision establishing marriage equality in the state. Lane then worked to pass constitutional amendments banning same-sex marriage in Ohio (2004), Texas (2005), and Florida (2006). According to the New York Times, Lane was also the “unheralded mastermind” of the successful 2010 attempt to remove three of the five Iowa Supreme Court judges who ruled in favor of marriage equality in that state.
April 24, 2015
Seattle Gay News 5
East Precinct Commander to Capitol Hill nightclubs/bars: “I don’t like overserving” by Shaun Knittel SGN Associate Editor Seattle Police Department’s East Precinct commander Capt. Paul McDonagh has a message that he wants heard loud and clear: “I don’t like overserving. I don’t like underage drinking. And I don’t like overcrowding.” McDonagh spoke directly to nightlife security personnel on April 15 at Q Nightclub and business and bar/nightclub owners April 17 at the East Precinct. And I can tell you that he is a breath of fresh air. He speaks from experience and from a genuine concern for the public’s safety. He’s also shown truthfulness in the way he does not sugarcoat anything when giving answers to questions asked by media and citizens alike. According to McDonagh, who recently returned to the command post he operated for two and a half years starting in 2009, emphasis patrols are already underway on Capitol Hill. Because of the strain put on the department by not having the resources that are necessary to police Capitol Hill, McDonagh has done something that I think needed to be done a long time ago – he’s challenged neighborhood stakeholders to be more responsible when owning or oper-
ating a nightlife business. At the same time (and this is really important) he isn’t saying this is anyone’s fault or using any excuse to not police the neighborhood, which has become known as the city’s nightlife hub. Instead, he says they will do their part to turn things around. When it comes to crime prevention and policing actions certainly speak louder than words. In this case, so far so good. McDonagh and his precinct leadership have gone around during peak hours of business for nightlife and met with bar patrons and management, shook hands with them, talked to them about their concerns and asked if they needed anything. Anyone can tell you that this is an important part of the way we can begin to repair the damage done by criminals and eroded trust by the public when it comes to the motives in which SPD operates. It is critical that the officers and command staff know who the security personnel are, bar managers and staff. It’s a respect thing and unfortunately in the past, that respect hasn’t always been given. Now, through direct action, McDonagh is working to earn that respect back. McDonagh says that detectives are working and investigations are already making a difference. But he does caution
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the folks that can’t understand there will never be a cop on any corner. On busy nights you may not see the police every five minutes because they are responding to 911 calls. It is important to be realistic when looking at the fact that only six to eight officers are typically on patrol at any given time. Emphasis patrols essentially double the police force on the streets. “There will be nights where I put even more out,” McDonagh said. But he cautions, “You’re not going to see officers on every block. That doesn’t mean that we’re not working.” What is evident about Capitol Hill on Friday and Saturday nights is the sheer amount of people inside and outside of the bars. The neighborhood is literally bursting at the seams over the weekend. According to The Seattle Times, when added together, there is an estimated 19,000 capacity of people in bar/nightclub venues on the Hill. Think about that for a moment because it is an important piece to this mess. SPD, because of training and budget cuts and the fact that there isn’t anyone knocking down their door to become a cop, has only six to eight officers on patrol on Capitol Hill to deal with the issues that arise from a young, drunk, and brazen crowd of 19,000. Bottom line is if you care about neighbor-
hood safety then it is time to ask City Hall to fund this precinct and the department. Because 8 versus 19,000 aren’t good odds for us. It is also important to understand that when new officers do come online, they are competent, diverse, and actually know the neighborhood in which they work. McDonagh says that there isn’t any way around that. He understands that Capitol Hill culturally belongs to the LGBTQ Community and acknowledges that a culture war of sorts is going on. McDonagh has suggested that nightlife crime meetings be piggybacked on to an existing recurring community meeting around LGTBQ crimes. He said he’s aware that the “differences between cultures” can sometimes manifest in hate crimes, fights, and assaults. McDonagh believes that part of making the neighborhood work is making sure people who come to Pike/Pine recognize the neighborhood’s LGBTQ tolerant culture. “They need to be taught that. Then they need to be held accountable to that,” McDonagh said.
Celebrating 41 Years!
lifelong
continued from cover During the day-long fundraiser, restaurant patrons have a chance to win two domestic round trip tickets courtesy of Delta Airlines. Lifelong is also encouraging patrons to tweet photos of themselves using #DOFLSeattle. Dining Out For Life is sponsored by BECU, The Stranger, C89.5, Nyhus Communications, Titan Outdoor, Seattle Met, Delta, Titan Outdoor, and the GSBA. To begin planning your dining out extravaganza, visit www.diningoutforlife. com/seattle for the most updated and complete list of restaurants. About Dining Out For Life Dining Out For Life is an annual fundraising event involving the generous participation of volunteers, corporate sponsors and restaurants. The event is produced in
60 cities throughout the United States and Canada. Together, AIDS service organizations raise more than $3 million to fight illness and hunger across the country. About Lifelong Lifelong is the leading community health organization serving people with chronic illnesses, including HIV/AIDS, in Washington state. We believe all people have a right to a place to live, healthy food to eat, and access to affordable, quality healthcare. Lifelong delivers food, housing, and health services to people living with chronic illnesses, including HIV/AIDS, in 18 counties throughout Western Washington; collaborates with community organizations on the prevention and care of chronic disease; and advocates for effective HIV/AIDS policy. Simply put – we make health work. Learn more at lifelong.org.
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Courtesy of Lifelong
April 24, 2015
Seattle Gay News 7
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Celebrating 41 Years!
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April 24, 2015
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Celebrating 41 Years!
Efforts to pass SB 5870 to ban conversion therapy in Washington state fail Dear ERW Supporter, Some of you may have already heard, but very unfortunately, the bill to ban conversion therapy for minors (SB 5870) was killed Tuesday afternoon by the Senate Majority Coalition/Republicans. Senator Marko Liias attempted to add the bill to the schedule for consideration before the end of session, but in a “procedural” vote the Majority Coalition voted not to allow it on the schedule, essentially killing the bill. Although we likely had our votes to pass the bill if it was brought for a vote on topic/ substance, the Majority Coalition has been able to stay strong and maintain their hold on our State Government by voting together on what they call “procedural” votes. So although they didn’t technically vote on the bill itself, voting on whether or not the bill gets heard is/was considered procedural.
I cannot tell you all how heart broken and disappointed our legislative team is in this outcome. We fought very hard this year, on many different levels and in many different arenas. We’ve had these setbacks before, but it always hurts more when our children and their lives and wellbeing are at stake. We’ll regroup and come back stronger than ever [next year]. “The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends towards justice.” – Martin Luther King Jr. Thank you all for your work in this fight to protect our youth from abuse and injustice. We will continue to work for dignity, safety, justice and equality for all. Best, Monisha Equal Rights Washington
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Seattle Gay News 11
Of Iran, Gay Pride and Rick Santorum by Mark Segal Philadephia Gay News June will soon be upon us and when many of us think of June, we think of Gay Pride. Most places in the nation celebrate Gay Pride, many in mid-to-late June with the largest celebrations in New York City, San Francisco and Los Angeles. But guess what is waiting in the wings for us to celebrate this Pride season? The Supreme Court. The Supreme Court of the United States will rule on marriage equality sometime between mid-to-late June. Most legal scholars believe the court will make marriage equality the law of the land; but me, I’ve watched as Chief Justice John Roberts has put a few glitches in his rulings, so while I’d agree with those scholars, look for some kind of a
surprise. And with a hint of history will come mass celebration – and what better time to celebrate but at Gay Pride? But if the justices rule late in the month, they run across another deadline that might give us reason to understand our struggle. June 30 is to be the day the Iranian nuclear talks should result in an agreement. Aside from pushing marriage equality off the front pages of our newspapers and broad/podcasts, the situation in Iran should make all of us in the LGBT community realize the work we still have to do. Since, if there is an agreement, and I am one who hopes there is, we will be signing a document with a nation that still to this date kills LGBT people. And, for a message to those in the United States who support discrimination against the LGBT community on the
basis of their religious beliefs … Iran kills LGBT people for their religious beliefs. Which brings us back to the United States, where we still have to contend with phrases such as “God Hates Fags,” made famous by the Westboro Baptist Church. Former Sen. Rick Santorum has now started using the term to explain religious freedom, in reference to the ongoing debate centered on Indiana. Ricky, that you feel free to use the phrase tells us all we need to know about you. And, elsewhere in the United States, while you might have thought we won Indiana, the reality is that what Gov. Pence signed was legislation stating that you can’t be discriminated against on religious grounds for being LGBT. But, Indianans, you can still be discriminated against for being plain-old LGBT.
Mark Segal, PGN publisher, is the nation’s most-award-winning commentator in LGBT media. You can follow him on Facebook at www.facebook.com/MarkSegalPGN or Twitter at https://twitter.com/PhilaGayNews. Courtesy of Mark Segal and Philadelphia Gay News
No transfer for Georgia Trans inmate, judge rules Prisoner sought to escape rape, extortion by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer
filed a lawsuit against the Georgia Department of Corrections (GDC) in February, asking for transfer to another prison. Diamond has charged that her recent transfer to Georgia State Prison, a prison that used to house the state’s most dangerous inmates, was retaliation for her lawsuit. Diamond is housed in the men’s unit of the prison, and Georgia state attorneys insisted on referring to her as “Mr. Diamond” during the hearing. “If I wasn’t so feminine, maybe if I didn’t talk the way I talked or move the way I moved, I would be less of a victim that way,” Diamond told the judge. “I also feel a little less human because when I did report things, the very people I wanted help from, Your Honor, would tell me things like, ‘You brought this on yourself.’”
Earlier this month, Georgia prison officials responded to part of Diamond’s complaint, stating they would revise state policy to provide such prisoners with “constitutionally appropriate medical and mental health treatment.” Prison officials put Diamond back on hormone therapy in March, but her Southern Poverty Law Center lawyers say the dose appears too low to be therapeutic. Judge Treadwell denied Diamond’s request to be transferred to a lower-security prison, however. While that might be “the optimum solution,” the judge said, higher courts have warned district judges “not to secondguess prison authorities.” Diamond had not proved officials’ “deliberate indifference” to her fear of sexual assault and harassment, he added.
The judge said he had “lingering concerns” over the fact the prison psychologist who had been subpoenaed to testify in Diamond’s behalf did not appear in court. Diamond testified that the psychologist had told her that he was afraid he would lose his job if he testified “truthfully.” Nevertheless, the judge said that the state had made a “persuasive argument” that it had transferred her as a “positive” reaction to the lawsuit. Diamond is now housed in the system’s smallest unit, which has 11 inmates, all with individual cells. It is a supported living unit for rape victims and for inmates with special mental health needs, state officials said, and they testified that they had increased security there over the past couple of weeks.
– where district courts ruled for marriage equality, but the Sixth Circuit Court overruled them. Some activists hope that the Supreme Court is tipping its hand in the Oregon case. Why, they ask, would the justices allow same-sex marriage to stand in Oregon if they are going to rule against it later? On the other hand, there is one important difference between the Oregon case and the situation in the Sixth Circuit appeals – in Oregon, no one had legal standing to bring the case to the Supreme Court. As the high court ruled in the Prop 8 case in 2013, in a case where state laws have been overruled by a district court, only state law enforcement officers may bring an appeal to the court. Ordinary citizens cannot, unless they are able to show they will be
harmed if the district court ruling goes into effect. In Oregon, state Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum agreed with Judge McShane that Oregon’s law unconstitutionally discriminated against Gay and Lesbian couples and she declined to defend the law in court. NOM could present no credible evidence that it, or any of its members, would be harmed if same-sex couples married. Consequently, NOM lacked standing to bring the appeal, and the Supreme Court had to reject it, regardless of what they might do in other states. In Michigan, Ohio, Kentucky, and Tennessee, in contrast, state officials are standing by their laws against same-sex marriage and same-sex couples are claiming they would be harmed by being denied the right
to marry. According to lawyers contacted by The Associated Press, even if the Supreme Court decides to uphold the Sixth Circuit and deny marriage rights in the four states involved in the appeals they are hearing, McShane’s ruling may still stand because state officials have concluded it is correct. Thirty-six states and the District of Columbia now allow same-sex marriage, mostly following court orders relying on the Supreme Court’s 2013 ruling in USA v. Windsor striking down DOMA. In addition, a federal judge struck down Alabama’s ban and the U.S. Supreme Court allowed same-sex marriages to proceed there, but the Alabama Supreme Court has ordered local officials to stop issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples.
passage of a so-called “religious freedom law” permitting anti-LGBT discrimination when it is justified by religious beliefs. Earlier this year the Arkansas legislature explicitly forbade municipalities from including sexual orientation and gender identity in local anti-discrimination ordinances. The new Little Rock ordinance may set the stage to challenge state law in court. “I think we’re sending a message that we’re a welcoming community, that we’re diverse, that we realize that’s good for busi-
ness, that we value all of our citizens,” said City Director Kathy Webb, the sponsor of the proposal. “I think that’s very important to make that kind of statement for Little Rock.” After the vote, ACLU staff attorney Holly Dickson said that the measure, while not as broad as the LGBT protection ordinance in Eureka Springs, is a positive step toward a better Little Rock. “It’s a great day for Little Rock,” Dickson said. “We’re sending the right message to the people who live here, to the people in our state and to people around the world: that we welcome everyone and we want to
treat everyone fairly and equally.” A similar ordinance in Fayetteville, Arkansas, was repealed by voters in December. Dickson said she did not foresee the Little Rock law being brought to the ballot as the Fayetteville measure was. “We’ll have to wait and see,” she said. “It’s hard to see how somebody could really take issue, but there again, anything is possible.” Barbara Mariani of the Stonewall Democrats agreed that the Little Rock measure is not open to a ballot challenge like the one in Fayetteville was. “I think the wording of this ordinance is very different, and so the legal issues are dif-
ferent and the arguments are different,” she said. “It’s a little bit harder to argue against this one. The Fayetteville ordinance was very hard to understand. This one is very clean, and I think it’ll help a lot of people understand it better. So hopefully you won’t get as many objections.”
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A U.S. District Judge has turned down a request by a Transgender Georgia inmate for transfer to a low-security prison to escape repeated abuse by other inmates and prison officials. Ashley Diamond says she has been raped at least seven times by other inmates, harassed, and forced to pay protection money. When she declined to be put in protective custody, prison officials coerced her into signing affidavits saying she was doing well, she added. She also charges that Georgia prison officials have withheld her hormone treatments. After years of failing to obtain protection and appropriate medical treatment, she
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continued from cover U.S. District Judge Michael McShane struck down Oregon’s constitutional amendment barring same-sex marriages on May 19, 2014. A month later, the Supreme Court refused to stay McShane’s ruling, clearing the way for Gay and Lesbian couples to marry. “It’s a good day,” said Portland attorney Lake Perriguey, who brought one of the two lawsuits that led to McShane’s ruling. “It’s a distraction we don’t have to worry about anymore.” The Supreme Court has set April 28 for oral arguments in appeals from four states – Michigan, Ohio, Kentucky, and Tennessee
little rock continued from cover
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Opus Dei sues Chilean LGBT organization by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer The conservative Roman Catholic organization Opus Dei is suing a Chilean LGBT rights organization for what amounts to copyright infringement. Court papers were filed April 20. MOVILH (the Movement for Homosexual Integration and Liberation) runs a website called “Opus Gay,” and the Catholic group says the similarity in name “creates confusion in the consuming public” and might suggest that MOVILH “is supported and sponsored by the [Opus Dei] Prelature, which obviously is not true.” Opus Dei’s court filing argues that “the term Opus is inextricably linked to the prelature,” adding that this “pun” creates confusion because of the similarity in pronunciation between the names “Opus Dei” and “Opus Gay.” Opus Dei was founded in Spain in 1928 by the controversial priest – and now saint – Josemaria Escriva. The name is Latin for “God’s work.” MOVILH acquired the Opus Gay domain name in 2002 and operated it for several years as an online newspaper reporting on LGBT and sexual diversity issues. It now just redirects the user to the main MOVILH website. In 2002, Opus Dei asked the Department of Industrial Property to prohibit
registration of the name “Opus Gay” for the newspaper. The Catholic organization obtained a favorable ruling in 2007, but the publication had already gone bankrupt. In their 2002 petition, Opus Dei argued that “hardly anyone feels exalted to be related to homosexuality. In general, it is a social affront or at least mockery, to question or challenge the femininity or masculinity of a person.” “Opus Dei and Opus Gay have very public different goals,” said MOVILH attorney Roberto Jorquera. He added that “there are many domains that start with the word Opus, without generating any confusion.” For MOVILH, “what makes Opus Dei so irrational is its totalitarian homophobia, that seeks to prevent anyone from registering names with the word ‘Opus.’ “They arrive at the absurd to argument that someone would really think that the information disseminated by Opus Gay is funded by the prelature. This is the most emblematic case of irrationality and hatred,” Jorquera said. Opus Dei has perhaps 100,000 members, most of them lay people, in some 90 countries. Escriva, who was proclaimed a saint by Pope John Paul II in 2002, was a supporter of the fascist Franco dictatorship in his native Spain and reportedly an admirer of Hitler. According to journalist Kenneth Wood-
Opus Dei logo – www.theclinic.cl
ward, allegations of Escriva’s “vanity, venality, temper tantrums, harshness toward subordinates, and criticism of popes and other
churchmen” were suppressed by Vatican officials so that the priest could be canonized.
Genetically engineered HIV used to treat another disease by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer
A genetically engineered type of HIV has been used successfully to treat WiskottAldrich syndrome, a genetic disease that leaves patients vulnerable to infections and bleeding. A joint British-French scientific study, published in JAMA, the Journal of the American Medical Association, documents the use of “tamed” HIV to cure six boys who suffered from Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome. The syndrome affects up to 10 children in every million born and almost exclusively affects boys. Even tiny bumps and scrapes can lead to wounds that are slow to heal. Eczema is common, and patients face repeat infections including pneumonia, some cancers, and auto-immune diseases. The syndrome stems from an error in the genetic code that contains the building instructions for a key element in the immune system – a protein called WAS. The standard treatment for the disease is bone marrow transplant, but that requires a donor who is a close tissue match to the patient, such as a sibling. The alternative therapy developed by the British-French team used a genetically modified, non-infectious – therefore “tamed” – form of HIV as a vehicle to carry new DNA into the patients’ defective cells. Researchers first removed part of the children’s bone marrow. They then selected out the cells that regenerate the immune system and used the “tamed” version of HIV to “infect” the cells with corrected DNA. The newly corrected bone marrow cells were then put back into the children. In six out of seven boys, the therapy was a success. It reversed their symptoms and
reduced the number of nights they needed to spend in a hospital. One French child with severe auto-immune disease no longer needs a wheelchair. The one patient who was not helped by the new therapy died from a drug-resistant herpes infection acquired before the therapy started. “I think it is very significant, it is another clear and powerful demonstration that a gene therapy approach is an effective one,” Prof. Adrian Thrasher, one of the researchers, told BBC News. “And that we can begin to think of these, alongside conventional transplantation, as alternative options particularly where
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transplant is going to be complicated. “What we hope, and the evidence is certainly suggestive of this, is that the therapeutic effect will last for a very substantial amount of time, such that the patients should not need another treatment and so therefore we hope that it will be lifelong.” Prof. Ian Alexander from the Gene Therapy Research Unit at Sydney’s Children’s Medical Research Institute in Australia warned that while the research is promising, it was “still in its early days.” “The gene therapy field remains in its infancy, with the vast majority of its genuine promise yet to be realized,” he added. For the mother of one of the British pa-
tients, however, the success achieved so far has been very welcome. “Daniel was in and out of hospital, he had frequent infections of ear, chest, flareups and bruised joints, lots of operations,” Sarah Wheeler told BBC. “He was in education as much as we could, we didn’t wrap him in cotton wool, but his sickness rate was very high. “We were anxious. We never knew what would happen in the long-term, we still don’t really but, touch wood, it has been a success.” Daniel’s older brother died of the same disease when he was only two-and-a-half.
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