Celebrating 41 Years! Issue 17 Volume 42
FRIDAY April 25, 2014 FREE!
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Section 2 Page 1
Seattle Gay News SEATTLE’S LGBT NEWS & ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY
Support pours in for Gay Scoutmaster after BSA revokes church’s charter Dru Dinero at visual affairs
Geoff McGrath
standing discriminatory ban on Gay adults in scouting and reinstate Rainier Beach United MethThe Human Rights Campaign odist Church’s charter. In March, BSA leaders fired (HRC) is calling on the Boy Geoff McGrath, 49, leader of Scouts of America to end its longby Shaun Knittel SGN Associate Editor
Troop 98 in Seattle’s Rainier Beach neighborhood after he came out as Gay in an NBC News report. McGrath’s troop’s meetings were held weekly at Rainier Beach United Methodist Church. After
“Your slave john” –
his firing, the church stood by him and McGrath continued to lead the troop. BSA leaders have revoked the church’s charter. “Banning a caring Scoutmaster who has dedicated his time and efforts to helping young men grow into adults of integrity is a moral outrage,” said Jeremy Pittman, HRC’s deputy field director and an Eagle Scout. “Leaders at Rainier Beach United Methodist Church put young people first and denounced discrimination. Now they are paying the price as BSA clings to its outdated policies.” In a letter to Mr. McGrath, BSA leaders rely on the same thinking behind the U.S. military’s now repealed “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy, writing, “If a volunteer makes an issue out of his or her sexual orientation – especially to the youth we serve – then that volunteer is no longer eligible to be a registered leader. That has been part of the adult leadership qualifications for many years.” Next month, former Defense Secretary Robert Gates, who
oversaw implementation of the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” will take the helm of BSA. Leaders at Rainier Beach UMC are hoping Gates will overturn BSA’s decision and reinstate both McGrath as a Scoutmaster and the church’s charter. The United Methodist Church
Dr. Reverend Monica Corsaro Courtesy of RMNetwork
see MCGRATH page 15
Harvey Milk stamp:
Taunting email sent to accused Neighbour’s arsonist Postal Service unveils final design Facebook
John Doe
by Shaun Knittel SGN Associate Editor Musab Musmari, the man accused of setting fire to a Neighbours nightclub on New Year’s Eve may have been provoked, according to KIRO 7. KIRO 7 uncovered new evidence against Musab Musmari, who told a friend about his “distaste for homosexuals” shortly before he was arrested and
charged in the New Year’s Eve fire at the Gay nightclub. KIRO reports that the email was sent by someone who signed it “Your slave john.” According to new police documents filed in King County Superior Court, “john” offered to polish Musmari’s shoes using his tongue. The sender also propositioned Musmari, writing, “You can order me to do what you want me to do,” and, “Can I have a chance?”
Here is the email in full: hey musab,
by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer
The U.S. Postal Service unveiled the final design of a new stamp honoring Gay activist and San Francisco Supervisor Harvey Milk and announced ceremonies honoring Milk and the stamp. The stamp image is based on a circa 1977 black and white photograph of Milk in front of his Castro see Musmari page 6 Street Camera store taken by Daniel
can I be your slave? Under your feet? i can serve your life privately, being your dog slave. I can lick your dirty feet and polish your dirty shoes using my tongue. You can also order me to do what you want me to do, any humiliation is
Nicoletta of Grants Pass, Oregon. Antonio Alcalá of Alexandria, Virginia, was art director for the stamp. Milk, who was assassinated in 1978, is the first openly Gay American honored with a stamp. Although he was only in office some 11 months, Milk introduced and passed a landmark civil rights ordinance banning discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation in San Francisco. see Milk page 17
2 Seattle Gay News
April 25, 2014
Celebrating 41 Years!
The Universe In Us by Richard J. Rosendall SGN Contributing Writer
Carl Sagan, host of the original 1980 Cosmos series, said we are made of star stuff, because our atoms were created billions of years ago inside a star. Sagan’s words are echoed by Neil deGrasse Tyson, the director of New York’s Hayden Planetarium who hosts the new Cosmos. Tyson’s enthusiasm for science is infectious. And he holds his ground. When creationists demanded equal time on Cosmos, he said, “You don’t talk about the spherical Earth with NASA, and then say let’s give equal time to the flat Earthers. Plus, science is not there for you to cherry pick.” The creation/evolution dispute is one of the fake controversies stoked by fundamentalists who are threatened by intellectual freedom and know nothing about the scientific method. Ignoring the fact that the overwhelming consensus of scientists is against them, they press school boards to “teach the controversy.” They perversely regard science as weak because it lacks their dogmatic and brittle certainty. Tyson counters, “My view is that if your philosophy is not unsettled daily then you are blind to all the universe has to offer.” Few outside the right-wingers’ hothouse are fooled by their propaganda. In his March 21 Michigan marriage ruling, U.S. District Judge Bernard A. Friedman rejected as “not worthy of serious consideration” widely criticized testimony by junk scientist Mark Regnerus suggesting that children raised by Gay parents suffer as a result. Our coming nationwide victory on marriage equality will be another milestone in a long struggle against religious coercion and obscurantism. The frontier spirit is part of America’s soul. We were born, after all, in revolution. In the long run, fear of change is no match for the power and possibility of disRichard J. Rosendall is a writer and accovery. Americans lately have been wit- tivist. He can be reached at rrosendall@ nessing Gay families’ joy on the steps of starpower.net. courthouses, and they are warming to it. Years ago, I stood in the Manassas BatCopyright © 2014 by Richard J. Rosentlefield on a wintry night to view a comet dall. All rights reserved.
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April 25, 2014
Related Links: Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey, http://www.cosmosontv.com “Creationists demand equal airtime on Neil deGrasse Tyson’s Cosmos to provide ‘balance’,” Travis Gettys, The Raw Story, March 21, 2014, http://tinyurl.com/pcdr5zo Opinion in DeBoer v. Snyder, Hon. Bernard A. Friedman, U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Michigan, Southern Division, March 21, 2014, http://big.assets.huffingtonpost.com/ Michigangaymarriage.pdf Pleiades, Digitized Sky Survey, NASA/ ESA/AURA/Caltech, h t t p : // e n .w i k i p e d i a . o r g / w i k i / File:Pleiades_large.jpg “Pale Blue Dot,” Djimon Hounsou, United Nations Summit on Climate Change, September 22, 2009, http://youtu.be/LPCClXH__aw Fox National Geographic Channel
with my friend and fellow activist Barrett Brick, who died last September. The comet’s tail stretched across half the sky, and the Pleiades star cluster rose behind the bare branches of a tree. Words fail at such a moment, as when sitting alone in a cathedral, awed by its commanding silence. It reminds us that we are small and the universe is great. The vault of heaven, and its exploration, provokes not emptiness but wonder. Religious bullies often equate lack of religion with nihilism. Tyson pokes them when he says, “The more I learn about the universe, the less convinced I am that there’s any sort of benevolent force that has anything to do with it, at all.” My friend Barrett, by contrast, often led services at Congregation Bet Mishpachah. But he was no bully. His drashim (Torah lessons) were invariably graceful, erudite, and persuasively connected to current challenges. Faith can be used to inspire rather than control, just as American Exceptionalism can be seen as an obligation to lead and not merely an entitlement to boss. You may prefer neither. Religiosity, like patriotism, lends itself to misuse. But given its gravitational pull, one gains greater leverage by guiding it in a more benign direction than trying to stop it. Tyson celebrates the cross-pollination of the sciences, and the way discoveries lead to unforeseen benefits decades later. The inventor of the laser, for example, was not thinking of barcode readers. In a similar fashion, the lived reality of social changes can dispel fears, as our fellow citizens at long last recognize the love that makes Gay families. With or without faith, all of us on this “pale blue dot,” as Sagan called Earth, can be uplifted by a recognition that, as Tyson puts it, “We are in the universe and the universe is in us.”
Neil deGrasse Tyson
Seattle Gay News 3
“REVEALING QUEER” – LGBT HISTORY AT MOHAI FEBRUARY 14-JULY 6 Seattle’s Museum of History and Industry (860 Terry Ave. N. in South Lake Union) presents “Revealing Queer,” a landmark exhibit on the history of the Puget Sound region’s LGBTQ community. Admission: $14 general; $12-student/senior/military/ teacher; children under 14 free when accompanied by an adult. Museum hours: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. daily, Thursdays until 8 p.m. First Thursdays FREE. www.mohai.org.
SEATTLE PRIDE IDOL On Sunday, April 27, Seattle Out & Proud (SO&P) hosts the 6th annual Seattle Pride Idol talent showcase and competition. The event will be held at Neighbours Nightclub (1509 Broadway) – with contestant registration beginning at 6:30 p.m., doors at 7 p.m. and contest at 8 p.m. Registration is free, and contestants may bring their own musical accompaniment. There is no cover charge. The amateur voice competition will feature up to 10 different competitors at each event through the June 8 finale. Each competition winner will advance to the Finale to compete for the title of 2014 Pride Idol, while the runners-up will face off in the Wild Card Night on June 1 for two cov-
SEATTLE GAY & LESBIAN BOOK CLUB – TELL THE WOLVES I’M HOME AND THE NORMAL HEART The Seattle Gay & Lesbian Book Club meets every Wednesday from 6-7:30 p.m., at Seattle Area Support Groups Community Center (303 17th Ave. E. at E. Thomas St.). In April, the club will discuss Tell the Wolves I’m Home by Carol Riftka Brunt. It’s 1986. The world is terrified of the new plague. We learn in the very first sentence that the fourteen year-old girl narrator loves more than any other person alive her Gay uncle who is dying of AIDS. Which is walloping in itself – but wait until Uncle Finn’s lover seeks her out as the only one who loved her uncle as much as he did. Get your handkerchiefs ready. As Gay literature enters the mainstream, let’s think about how we describe ourselves and how straight people describe us. We will be able to talk for hours about the way Brunt uses her Gay characters in her novel. DON’T read the back of the book – the blurb gives away half the surprises. Bring your opinions! [NOTE: The group will not be meeting on Wednesday, April 30. Instead, that week, the group will meet on Tuesday, April 29, at 7 p.m., at the University Bookstore (4326 University Way NE) for a book launch and book signing by book club group leader Nick DiMartino for his new novel, Student Union.] In May, the club will discuss Larry Kramer’s 1985 AIDS play, The Normal Heart. On May 7, the group will read aloud Act One; on May 14, the group will read aloud Act Two; on May 21, the group will discuss the play; on Sunday, May 25, HBO will telecast the made-for-television movie, The Normal Heart, with Julia Roberts and Mark Ruffalo; on May 28, the group will discuss the GAY CITY ARTS – made-for-television movie. CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS All GLBTQ folks are welcome to par2014-2015 SEASON: ticipate in this FREE book club. For more CROSSING THE LINE information, visit http://faculty.washington. The Gay City Arts Curating Council is edu/swittet/SGLBookClub/ seeking proposals for the 2014-2015 Season: Crossing the Line. We invite LGBTQ GAY CITY ARTS – artists to present the best of Queer perforMEET THE AUTHOR: mance art in Gay City’s 49-seat fringe theTHE QUEER DETECTIVE ater space, Calamus Auditorium. This is an On Wednesday, April 30, at 7 p.m., at opportunity to propose performances and Seattle Central Library’s Microsoft Auditoevents, which seek to push the boundaries, rium (1000 4th Ave.), discover LGBT mysperception and perspective of queer per- teries and suspense fiction. Murder, theft, formance. In order to express the LGBTQ cons and crimes shadow the streets within experience, what lines have been crossed in a mystery novel, but thankfully for its innothe past? What lines need to be crossed now cent denizens, there’s a hero or heroine on and in the future? Gay City Arts is commit- the case, striking fear into villains and solvted to bringing the Seattle community the ing the toughest of puzzles, all while alludbest of queer art and performance from a ing danger and living out of the closet. variety of disciplines. Theater, dance, mu“Queer” detectives, investigators, and sic, performance art, spoken word, film/ mysteries solvers are not new to the noir video, new media and interdisciplinary world. Protectors of its dark cityscapes inprojects are welcome. clude such literary LGBT luminaries as The Season Two guidelines and applica- Joseph Hansen’s dogged investigator Dave tion form are available at www.gaycity.org. Brandstetter, Nicola Griffith’s steely heroHave questions or need help with your ap- ine Aud Torvingen, and Josh Lanyon’s inplication? An informal workshop and a Gay quisitive bookseller Adrien English. City Arts Mixer will be held on Monday, Join Gay City, Gay Romance NW MeetApril 28, from 7 to 8:30 p.m. in the Cala- up, and the Seattle Central Public Library as mus Auditorium (1517 E. Pike St.). DEAD- Gay City Arts presents their latest Meet the LINE FOR SUBMISSION is Thursday, Author reading with three Northwest writMay 15. ers who spotlight crime solvers who find Art is the voice, spirit and conscience the culprit and celebrate LGBT love and of every community and is a vital tool for relationships. This reading event will incommunity reflection, dialogue and pride. clude Lambda Literary winner Nicole KimThrough Gay City Arts, Gay City collabo- berling (Bellingham Mysteries), Rainbow rates with local LGBT artists to galvanize Award winner Lori L. Lake (Gun Shy) and an audience for queer arts, foster the devel- Lou Sylvre (Loving Luki Vasquez). opment of LGBT artists, and facilitate arThis event is FREE and open to the pubtistic excellence that is accessible, including lic. www.gaycity.org/meet-the-author. the promotion of new works. Gay City Arts is committed to presenting challenging, dynamic and excellent queer art across a wide range of disciplines, including theater, music, dance, film, spoken word, literary and visual arts.
4 Seattle Gay News
April 25, 2014
2014 LANGSTON HUGHES AFRICAN AMERICAN FILM FESTIVAL APRIL 25-MAY 4 www.langstoninstitute.org “DINA MARTINA: HER GREATEST VIDEOS … AND MORE!” FINAL WEEKEND! On Fridays and Saturdays, at 8 p.m., and Sundays, at 2 p.m., through Sunday, April 27, at Re-bar (1114 Howell St.), this show, hosted by Miss Martina herself, celebrates Dina Martina’s legacy by featuring all her best film and video segments plus new video, live singing and dancing. Tickets: $20 in advance, $25 at the door. www.brownpapertickets.com/event/546683. GAY CITY ARTS – “KEEFEE’S HOUSE OF CARDS” APRIL 24-26 On Thursdays-Saturdays, April 24-26, at 8 p.m., Gay City Arts presents “Keefee’s House of Cards,” an improvisational, interactive, blackjack theater experience at Calamus Auditorium at Gay City (517 E. Pike St.) Come watch or play blackjack live with Keefee, your sassy, unpredictable and often intoxicated dealer. Tickets: $15. www.gaycity.org SEATTLE EROTIC ART FESTIVAL – LAUNCH PARTY On Friday, April 25, from 9 p.m.-1:30 a.m., at Within Sodo (2916 Utah Ave. S.), dance the night away to music by DJs Raymond Forbes, Jayson Spaceotter, and Ramaro of Uniting Souls. Enjoy amazing aerial bondage performances by Suspended Animation, sexy Go-Go Dancers, and a variety of delicious art from past Seattle Erotic Art Festivals. Tickets: $15 advance; $20 at the door. www.strangertickets.com. SEATTLE PET EXPO The Seattle Pet Expo will be held on Saturday, April 26, from 10 a.m.-6 p.m., at the Seattle Center Exhibition Hall (on Mercer St. between 3rd Ave. N. & 4th Ave. N.). Over 125 exhibitors, plus discount vaccinations and microchipping. FREE admission. Bring your pet. For more information, visit www.SeattlePetExpo.com.
eted spots at the Finale. A panel of three to four judges will rate the contestants weekly based on vocal ability, overall performance and stage presence. The first place winner each night will win $100, second place $50 and third place $25. Contestants may choose from over 10,000 songs (covering the 1950s to the present) from an extensive karaoke song list. Contestants may also bring their own music on audio compact disc (CD). Audio track must be instrumental without lead vocals. All accompanying music not selected from the karaoke music library must be submitted on CD at least 30 minutes prior to the beginning of the evening’s contest. The 2014 Pride Idol winner will perform in the Seattle Pride Parade on June 29, at the Pride Picnic on June 14, and potential performances at other events representing Pride Idol, and receive the grand prize of $1,000 and a vacation package from Alaska Airlines. The first runner-up will receive $500 and a T-Mobile iPad Mini, and the second runner-up will receive $250 and a Microsoft Surface Tablet. All competitions will be hosted by Miss Gay Seattle, Olivia LaGarce. Regular competitions will be held every Sunday, April 4-May 25 (except May 18) at Neighbours Nightclub. Regular competitions will also be held on Thursday, May 1 at Baltic Room (1207 Pine St.), Wednesday May 7 at The Lobby Bar (916 E. Pike St.), and Thursday May 22 at OutWest Bar (5401 California Ave. SW). The Wild Card Night will be held on Sunday, June 1 at Neighbours and the Finale on Sunday, June 8 at Neighbours. For more information, call 206-322-9561, email info@seattlepride.org, or visit www. seattlepride.org.
CAPITOL HILL GOODWILL STORE GRAND OPENING On Friday, May 2, at 9 a.m., Capitol Hill Goodwill (115 E. Belmont St.) will host their Grand Opening with prizes and giveaways. There will be a DJ with live music in the evening. JAKE TALKS On Saturday, May 3, from 10-3 p.m., at Calamus Auditorium (1517 E. Pike St.), join us for JAKE Talks – conceived to spotlight the voices of speakers and thought-leaders who are Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender that can intimately speak to the unique cultural experiences we celebrate as a community alongside our allies in an entertaining yet inspiring and accessible format. Tickets: $26. www.jake-talks.com. ENTRE HERMANOS – CINCO DE MAYO CHAMPAGNE BRUNCH On Sunday, May 4, at noon, at El Quetzal (3209 Beacon Ave. S.), join Entre Hermanos for their Cinco de Mayo Champagne Brunch. Enjoy delicious, authentic Mexican food and live music! Help Entre Hermanos continue their mission of promoting the health and well-being of the Latino LGBT community through health education, support groups, and referrals to services and advocacy. Tickets: $20 advance, $25 at the door. www.entrehermanos.org. THE GODDESS RAVENNA RAVINE – CELEBRATION OF SPRING On Sunday, May 4, at noon, the Goddess Ravenna Ravine cordially invites you to the twenty-sixth manifestation of Her Celebration of Spring. Celebrants assemble at Cowan Park (Brooklyn Ave. NE & NE Ravenna Blvd.). The jubilant procession will dance its way down the Ravenna Ravine with sumptuous feasting and revelry to follow on the South Bluff. The Goddess has ordained Celebrants to wear festive dress and mask. Bring musical and percussion instruments and provide divine picnic foods. All friends of the earth are welcome. SOUTHEAST LESBIAN EVENING GROUP – POTLUCK & LGBT HISTORY DISCUSSION On Wednesday, May 7, at 6 p.m., at Southeast Seattle Senior Center (4655 S. Holly St., upstairs meeting room), join the Southeast Lesbian Evening Group for a casual history discussion led by Golda and Diane using the “Revealing Queer: Discover 40 Years of LGBTQ History in Puget Sound” at MOHAI as inspiration for sharing your personal experiences in “making herstory.” Potluck dishes welcome. FREE. THREE DOLLAR BILL CINEMA – TRANSLATIONS: THE SEATTLE TRANSGENDER FILM FESTIVAL MAY 8-11 http://translations.strangertickets.com SEATTLE MEN’S CHORUS & SEATTLE WOMEN’S CHORUS – BLACK TIE & SEQUINS: “A VENETIAN BALL” GALA DINNER, DANCE & AUCTION MAY 10 www.flyinghouse.org
Celebrating 41 Years!
Grand Marshal announcements continue as the 40th anniversary of Seattle Pride approaches SEATTLE – Seattle Pride received over 60 nominees for Grand Marshals last December during a community meeting open to the public at Agnes Underground. Among the drafted honorees was George Takei who was announced in March as the Celebrity Grand Marshal to lead the parade. The list of nominees was narrowed down to a select few that represent the diversity of our community and highlight the various ways we come together to ensure equal rights and social justice for the LGBT community. Seattle Pride will honor eight community Grand Marshals this year. Five are individuals who have made significant contributions to the LGBT community and three are organizations working to educate and broaden our horizons. Seattle Pride is excited to announce her royal highness, Aleksa Manila, and the dedicated community activist, Zachary Pullin, as two of our Grand Marshals who will lead the Seattle Pride Parade on June 29 in downtown Seattle. Seattle Pride has been honored to work with Aleksa Manila throughout the years as an announcer at the Seattle Pride Parade and MC for many of our events. Drug counselor by day, drag diva by night, Aleksa is an LGBT advocate and performance artist. Her involvement has garnered multiple awards and the recognition as an inspirational community leader in Seattle and across North America.
A queen at heart, Aleksa holds the titles of Miss Gay Filipino, La Femme Magnifique Puget Sound, Miss Gay Seattle and Empress of Seattle. Her social and professional peers have honored her with many recognitions, like the International Court System’s Jose Sarria Honor for Exemplary Service to the Community, the Imperial Sovereign Court of Seattle’s Emperor Emeritus George Ray Award, the Seattle Men in Leather Organization’s Community Service Award, the Seattle LGBT Community Center’s Peach Award for Volunteerism, and in 2013 Aleksa received the Dr. Bob Wood Award for Excellence in HIV Prevention from Public Health – Seattle & King County. Aleksa is proud to have founded Pride ASIA whose mission is to celebrate, empower and nurture the multi-cultural diversity of the LGBTQ communities through the Asian Pacific Islander lens. Aleksa has been involved in many rallies and efforts for marriage equality and Trans inclusion. She has worked tirelessly with many organizations and institutions like the University of California – San Francisco, The Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, Gay City Health Project, Greater Seattle Business Association, Lifelong AIDS Alliance, Entre Hermanos, Ingersoll Gender Center, Gender Justice League, International Community Health Services, Chinatown International District Business Association, Saying It Out Loud Conference, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, HIV Vaccine Trials Unit, the Adrian Collier
Zachary Pullin
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by Jeff Cornejo Special to the SGN
Aleksa Manila
University of Washington, Seattle Counseling Service and, of course, Seattle Pride. Zachary Pullin is a community organizer in Seattle and is dedicated to serving LGBTQ, low-income, women and minority groups. Zachary serves with many organizations that seek social justice and empowerment of the LGBTQ community. An enrolled member of the Chippewa Cree Tribe of Rocky Boy, Montana and a former Peace Corps volunteer, he finds passion in service and illuminating how our myriad identities weave together. He is currently the Communications Coordinator at the Krista Foundation for Global Citizenship, and works with Gay City to host conversation events for the Seattle LGBTQ community. He serves as a member of the Capitol Hill Community Council and as a member of Gender Justice League, Northwest Two Spirits Society, and Native American Advisory Council for the Seattle Police Department. Zachary is a Fellow at the Pomegranate Center and owns his own communications and design consulting business, hwame creative. He also contributes his creativity as a freelance writer for local and national publications, including Sol&Res, Seattle Gay News and The Advocate. We are thrilled to celebrate Aleksa and Zachary’s contributions to the LGBT community and will announce the remaining honorees in the weeks to come.
bian is a daily online news magazine with readers across the world. The online magazine is Seattle’s only Lesbian-fronted news outlet. It breaks news across local, national and international fronts, and highlights issues that face the LGBTQ community at large. The online magazine has more than 180,000 readers weekly.
April 25, 2014
Seattle Gay News 5
Deadline for Seattle Pride Parade registration is approaching
Seattle Out & Proud, the non-profit organization that produces the Seattle Pride Parade is reporting that registration for the parade is open and filling fast for the 2014 Seattle Pride Parade, which will be held on Sunday, June 29, starting at 11:00 a.m. on 4th Avenue in downtown Seattle. To register your organization to march in the Parade, simply visit www.seattlepride.org, then select “Parade Registration” from the menu options. Registration will close on May 1st. The theme for the 40th anniversary of Seattle Pride is, “Generations of Pride.” With 2014 Pride, Seattle Out & Proud aims to celebrate the history of the Northwest’s LGBT rights movement and advance the ongoing progress the LGBT community has made since first coming out in 1974, the year of the first Seattle Pride celebration. In previous years, more than 200 marching contingents, representing commercial, Pride Parade announcers UPDATE civic and non-profit organizations from throughout the region, have participated in Last week Seattle Gay News published the march along 4th Avenue. Seattle Out & Proud’s announcement of this year’s Pride Parade announcers. Seattle Pride is a non-profit organization Sylvia O’Stayformore and Mama Tits will based in Seattle, WA focused on informing host Westlake Park’s Main Stage and Sarah and educating the community on LGBT isRudinoff and Cherry Sur Bête will greet the sues through community outreach and proparade at 4th and Bell. duced events, including the Seattle Pride The SGN inadvertently omitted the an- Picnic, the Seattle Pride Brunch, and the announcement that The Seattle Lesbian will nual Seattle Pride Parade. host the 4th and Denny Stage as the parade rolls into the homestretch. The Seattle LesCourtesy of Seattle Out & Proud
Agreement on minimum wage “close” Mayor says Labor rallies to demand $15 per hour Dave Westberg IUOE 609
April 23 labor rally at Seattle City Hall
by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer Seattle Mayor Ed Murray announced on April 24 that his Income Inequality Advisory Committee was “close” to reaching an agreement on how to raise the city’s minimum wage to $15 per hour. Accompanied by the co-chairs of the committee, David Rolf of SEIU 775NW (Service Employees International Union) and developer Howard Wright of the Seattle Hospitality Group, Murray told reporters that the committee was “working right now as we speak” to hammer out a deal. “A majority of the committee has agreed,” Murray said, but he was keeping negotiations open in hopes of getting unanimous agreement on a plan, or at least a “supermajority.” The main features that have been agreed to, Murray said, are: • A $15 per hour minimum “with no other additions.” • “Recognizing there are particular problems for small businesses” in reaching this wage. • The minimum wage will be phased in over a period of years. • After the first year, the minimum wage
will be linked to CPI (the Consumer Price Index), so that it will increase automatically as prices increase. • “There will be no exemptions” or carveouts for particular kinds of businesses. • The city will establish enforcement mechanisms. • Some benefits for some workers will be counted toward the minimum initially, but that system will be phased out as the minimum wage is phased in. The Mayor declined to offer more details, saying those are “still on the table.” “In general the issue is that folks are struggling with their own membership organizations,” Murray explained. Both labor and business leaders are working to get buyin from their own constituencies, he added. Negotiations have been hard-fought, Murray said, but all committee members remained committed to reaching agreement. “No one walked out – much to my surprise,” he grinned. “Some people walked out of the room, but they always walked back in.” In response to a question, Murray said he would not ask the City Council for an up-ordown vote on the final proposal. “They need to do their Council process,” he said.
Labor rallies for $15 The day before Murray’s press conference some 300 people, mobilized mainly by labor unions and their allies, formed a human chain around City Hall to dramatize their demands for a $15 an hour wages with no exceptions or carve-outs. At a brief rally before surrounding City Hall, several workers explained why a $15 wage would benefit them and their families. Tobias Bouchor, who works at Bartell’s, said his current wage of $13 per hour is not sufficient for him to “support my family and me.” “My mom and dad rely on me” for financial support, he explained. “My mom is on SSI, and she needed $300 for new glasses. That’s a huge amount of money for me. “[A minimum wage increase] needs to happen and it needs to happen now!” Julie Dipatha, a McDonald’s worker revealed she has been homeless for the past five years, even though she has been employed for the last three. Her wages simply are not enough to buy food for herself and her daughter and still put aside money to rent a small apartment. “My daughter doesn’t have any idea what it’s like to have her own bedroom,” she said. Christopher Moorehead added that he works for a downtown emergency shelter for $11.68 an hour, which “isn’t enough to provide stable housing for me and my family.” Union workers in the crowd told SGN that – contrary to popular belief – their unions had many members who made less than $15 per hour. David McDonald of ATU 587 (Amalgamated Transit Union) said that although bus drivers all make more than $15, “para-transit workers – not Metro employees – make only $13. And it’s tough, tough work. Their riders are often severely mentally ill. So it’s an immediate issue for us.” Robby Stern, president of PSARA (Puget Sound Advocates for Retirement Action) said retirees were interested in the minimum wage issue “for our children and grandchildren.” “There’s a devastating gap between the rich and the poor in this country, and it hurts everybody,” he added. “And many seniors work at minimum wage jobs,” PSARA vice president Susan
Levy added. “I don’t know how many of our members are working, but many people just don’t have enough retirement income. And with the decline of defined-benefits pensions, we’re probably going to see more and more of that.”
Musmari
mains behind bars, charged with arson. The new documents said additional evidence suggests the arson was also a hate crime. “The hate crime, if evidence were developed of that crime, would be based on the fact that Neighbours is primarily a business catering to LGBTQ clientele,” the court filings read. According to the documents, the informant contacted the FBI on January 7 after meeting with Musmari, who has also gone by the names Masmari and AlMesmari, at Fatima’s Cafe on E. Union St. On Wednesday, Ian Goodhew, with the King County Prosecutor’s Office, told KIRO 7, “If and when there’s evidence to support additional charges, they will be filed.” According to court documents the trial for Musmari is scheduled for May 29 in King County Superior Court. Musmari pleaded not guilty to the arson charge in February.
continued from cover preferred, like down on my knees to you, acting like your dog. can I have a chance? Your slave john Investigators with the Seattle Police Department believe the email was written by someone who knew about Musmari’s selfadmitted “distaste for homosexuals” and call the email “evidence pertinent to hate crime.” According to investigators, three days after the email was sent to Musmari, Neighbours Nightclub was set on fire with over 750 people inside the club on a busy New Year’s Eve night. Police and prosecutors believe it was Musmari who was captured on surveillance video the night of the fire carrying what appeared to be a gas can. Musmari was arrested in January and re-
6 Seattle Gay News
April 25, 2014
Small businesses debate At Murray’s April 24 press conference, about ten members of the Ethnic Community Coalition held signs saying “Our immigrant voices need to be heard” and “Save immigrant jobs and businesses.” The coalition says it is composed of the Greater Seattle Chinese Chamber of Commerce, the King County Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, the Greater Seattle Vietnamese Chamber of Commerce, and the Korean American Chamber of Commerce of Washington State. David Leong, a restaurant owner, told SGN that he employs five to fifteen people, with starting pay at $10 per hour. “If they turn out to be good, motivated employees, I raise that pretty quickly,” he explained, “to $11 or maybe $12 an hour.” “The process seems rushed,” he complained. “Why change everything right now? Things like this could take a couple of years to negotiate.” On the other hand, Bob Barnes, who operates a staging and sound company – he supplied mics and staging for the labor rally at City Hall – is strongly in support of a $15 minimum wage. “The impact for me will be nil,” he told SGN, “because we already pay our people significantly over $15. We have a commitment to pay our workers a living wage.” Barnes says he does not make as much money as some of his competitors, but he is able to pay his bills and has been in business for decades. “Focusing on small businesses and the potential impact of a higher minimum wage is not really looking in the right direction,” he explained. “To tell the truth, small businesses come and go, for many reasons – you don’t really know how to do the business you picked, you opened in a bad location, your grandma’s soup recipe isn’t really that good – it might have nothing to do with how much or how little you pay. “That sounds harsh, but that’s how I feel about,” he concluded.
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Houston mayor introduces LGBT civil rights ordinance Texas Liberal
Houston Mayor Annise Parker
by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer Houston’s Lesbian mayor Annise Parker introduced a sweeping civil rights ordinance on April 21, which would ban discrimination on a number of grounds including sexual orientation and gender identity. If passed, the new ordinance would cover discrimination in the workplace, housing and public accommodations, and would cover both public employees and workers in private industry. In addition to sexual orientation and gender identity, the ordinance would also prohibit discrimination on the basis of sex, race, color, ethnicity, national origin, age, familial status, marital status, military status, religion, disability, genetic information, and pregnancy. Complaints under the ordinance and decisions about prosecution would be handled by the Office of the Inspector General under the City Attorney. If the target of a complaint refuses to work with investigators, City Council could use its subpoena power to compel cooperation. “The Houston I know doesn’t discriminate. It really doesn’t matter in Houston, and it shouldn’t matter in Houston, your place of origin, your gender, your age, what physical limitations you may have or who you choose to love,” Parker said. “It’s time
to codify in ordinance that position.” Parker’s office says she intends to present the draft ordinance to the City Council’s Quality of Life Committee on April 30. Consideration by the full City Council is scheduled for May 7. A coalition of LGBT rights groups participated in drafting the ordinance and pressuring Parker and Houston City Council members to include private employees in the provisions. Among the groups participating were Equality Texas, HRC, Out and Equal Houston, Log Cabin Republicans, Stonewall Democrats, and the Houston LGBT Caucus. “We thank Mayor Parker for her leadership on this common sense legislation. It is far past time to protect the citizens of Houston from all forms of discrimination, including discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity,” HRC National Field Director Marty Rouse said in a statement. “As the nation’s fourth largest city, Houston is an epicenter for business and culture. Cities thrive when all citizens feel welcome and part of the cultural fabric. Today, Mayor Parker told every Houstonian that they are a valued part of the city’s future.” Parker, first elected in 2009, is now in her third term as Mayor. The new civil rights measure was one of her campaign promises in the 2013 election.
No need for trial in Pennsylvania marriage case both sides agree
Attorneys challenging Pennsylvania’s ban on same-sex marriage filed a motion April 21 asking Federal District Judge John E. Jones III to issue a summary judgment in the case on the basis of the briefs already filed rather than wait for a scheduled June trial. Along with that motion, plaintiffs’ filing included written testimony from six experts, including a report on the legal disadvantages that same-sex couples face in estate planning, taxes, health care, and family law in Pennsylvania, because they cannot marry or have their marriages from other states respected by Pennsylvania. The motion also includes another expert report about the economic harms to the state’s economy and businesses caused by the commonwealth’s failure to allow same-sex couples to marry or to recognize their marriages from other states. “In our filing, the court will have before it an overwhelming amount of evidence demonstrating that the freedom to marry in Pennsylvania is nothing to fear and everything to celebrate, and that there is no reason in law, logic, facts, and basic justice, to hesitate any longer in recognizing the plaintiffs’ fundamental rights,” said Mark Aronchick, of Hangley Aronchick Segal Pudlin and Schiller, co-counsel with the ACLU for the plaintiffs. Lawyers for the state said previously that they will not call any experts to argue that Pennsylvania’s marriage law has a rational basis, nor will they dispute the specific harms caused to the plaintiffs by
American Civil Liberties Union
by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer
Plaintiff David Palmer and his partner Ed Hill
the marriage ban. Consequently, plaintiffs’ attorneys said, there should not be a need to wait for trial. All legal papers in the case will be filed by May 12, meaning a ruling could come at any time after that date. The ACLU and Hangley Aronchik represent 11 couples who either want to marry in Pennsylvania, or want the state to recognize marriages performed in other jurisdictions, a widow who wants to be recognized as the survivor of her late wife, and two teenaged children who want their parents’ marriage recognized. The suit was originally filed on July 29 last year.
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“We are pleased that this case will be moving forward quickly. Our clients have waited long enough for the state to recognize the love and commitment that these couples have for each other,” said John S. Stapleton of Hangley Aronchick. “These plaintiffs are as devoted to each other as any other married couples and their families deserve the protections that come with marriage,” said Witold Walczak, the ACLU of Pennsylvania’s legal director. “Today we have provided the court with moving personal stories from all of our plaintiff families describing how this ban hurts them and their loved ones. We hope the judge will see the profound
harm caused by this law and strike it down.” “It’s difficult to explain to our five-yearold son why his parents are not married. I hope that we will be able to marry in Pennsylvania before our younger child is old enough to ask the same questions,” said Diana Polson, one of the plaintiffs. “Every single time we cross the Delaware River to come home, my heart drops a little as I remember that here, in our home, we are not married,” said Plaintiff David Palmer. Palmer and Ed Hill got married in Maine after 25 years together but are not recognized as married in Pennsylvania.
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Seattle Gay News 7
Texas state judge strikes down same-sex marriage ban Echoes federal ruling A Texas state judge presiding over a divorce case involving a Lesbian couple ruled on April 22 that the state’s ban on same-sex marriages is unconstitutional. Texas District Judge Barbara Nellermoe identified three portions of the Texas Family Code as unconstitutional, as well as Section 32 of the Texas Constitution. “By denying their parents the right to marry, Texas has created a suspect classification of children who are denied equal protection of the law under the Fourteenth Amendment,” Nellermoe wrote in her ruling. In February a Federal District Judge also ruled Texas’s ban on same-sex marriage unconstitutional, and Nellermoe cited his opinion in her decision. “[I]n a well-reasoned opinion by Judge Orlando Garcia, the federal district court found that a state cannot do what the federal government cannot – that is, it cannot discriminate against same-sex couples,” she wrote. Texas Attorney General and 2014 gubernatorial candidate Greg Abbott has appealed the federal ruling to the Fifth Circuit Court. The case before Nellermoe involves a Lesbian couple, Allison Leona Flood Lesh and Kristi Lyn Lesh, who were married in Washington, D.C., in August 2010. Kristi Lesh became pregnant through
artificial insemination during the marriage and gave birth on February 19, 2013. Her attorney argued that because Allison Flood Lesh is not the biological or adoptive parent, Kristi Lesh should retain sole custody of the child. Allison Flood Lesh is seeking to split custody of the child. Because Texas law refuses to recognize same-sex marriages, the Leshes have no legal avenue to pursue a divorce. Nellermoe’s ruling clears the way for the proceedings and subsequent custody fight to continue. According to the San Antonio ExpressNews, it was not immediately clear if Nellermoe’s ruling would be appealed, but observers said an appeal was likely. On April 23, the State Attorney General’s Office filed a motion to intervene in the case, saying: “The state of Texas seeks the opportunity to defend its laws and statutes before this court.” Nellermoe’s ruling does not have any broader effect for same-sex couples seeking to marry unless an appellate court makes a ruling on it, says Emily HechtMcGowan, director of public policy at the Family Equality Council. In a separate case involving couples from Austin and Dallas, attorney James J. “Jody” Scheske argued before the state Supreme Court in November that samesex divorces should be allowed. The court has yet to issue a ruling.
southernnatiolist.com
by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer
Federal judge won’t delay Oregon marriage suit for NOM: Hearing begins on schedule
Thomas Boyd / The Oregonian
Judge Michael McShane
NOM filed their motion on April 22, and McShane rejected their request the same day. Oral arguments began April 23 Federal District Judge Michael McShane as scheduled. McShane set May 14 as the turned down a motion by the National Or- date to consider NOM’s additional request ganization for Marriage (NOM) to delay the to intervene in the case. start of Oregon’s same-sex marriage lawsuit. At the April 23 hearing, McShane’s by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer
8 Seattle Gay News
April 25, 2014
questioning focused on how he should apply precedents from higher courts and whether he should delay implementation of his ruling until appeals courts sort out similar marriage cases pending around the country. McShane has consolidated two separate lawsuits, Geiger v. Kitzhaber and Rummell and West v. Kitzhaber. Together the cases involve four couples, some seeking to be married in Oregon, and some asking the state to recognize their marriages in other jurisdictions. The plaintiffs are making two arguments based on the U.S. Constitution’s equal protection and due process clauses. They say Oregon’s ban on same-sex marriage, known as Measure 36, is unconstitutionally discriminatory because it serves no legitimate government interest. They also argue that marriage is a fundamental right of all Americans, but Gay and Lesbian couples are being excluded. “Measure 36 has walled off an entire class of citizens,” said Lake Perriguey, a lawyer for two of the couples who filed suit. Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum told McShane’s court on February 20 that she believed “that performing same-sex marriages in Oregon would have no adverse effect on existing marriages, and that sexual orientation does not determine an individual’s capacity to establish a loving and enduring relationship.” She added that she believed that state law banning same-sex marriage would not stand up “under any standard of review” and her office would no longer defend the ban in court. In their motion to intervene, NOM argued that since Rosenblum was not par-
ticipating in the case, they could step in to provide someone with standing to appeal a ruling from the judge striking down Oregon’s ban on same-sex marriage. “Despite the [Oregon Attorney General’s] assertion that they have considered all these justifications and contemplated whether there might be others to defend the rationality of Oregon’s marriage law ‘and have found nothing to present to this Court,’ there are perfectly plausible, indeed persuasive, counterarguments on every single point addressed by the State Defendants,” NOM argued in its motion. “But this Court will never be presented with those arguments absent intervention by someone willing to make them.” NOM also argued that the state had a legitimate interest in protecting “family stability for procreative unions” and scoffed at several of Rosenblum’s arguments for accepting the legal arguments of same-sex marriage proponents. NOM’s brief was filed by John Eastman, a California law professor who is the group’s chairman, and their local counsel, Roger Harris. Harris is a partner in the same firm as Shawn Lindsay, a former legislator representing another anti-Gay group pushing a “religious freedom” initiative in Oregon that would allow individuals and businesses to refuse service to same-sex couples seeking to be married. Mike Marshall, the manager of Oregon United for Marriage, speculated that NOM’s brief might be a stratagem to publicize the Oregon initiative campaign. Marshall called the measure a “discrimination initiative that would allow businesses to turn people away because of who they are and whom they love.”
Celebrating 41 Years!
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April 25, 2014
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April 25, 2014
Celebrating 41 Years!
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April 25, 2014
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Celebrating 41 Years!
HRC defends its annual Corporate Equality Index amidst allegations of favoritism
by Shaun Knittel SGN Associate Editor Each year, the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) releases a Corporate Equality Index (CEI), which the organization claims is the “national benchmarking tool on corporate policies and practices pertinent to LGBT employees.” In a nutshell, HRC compiles, based on survey results, a list of the best places for LGBT people to work and points out some not so great places for us to work. It comes out every year and more often than not, there isn’t a big revelation that we didn’t all already know. In the 2014 CEI report, 304 major businesses – spanning nearly every industry and geography – earned a top score of 100 percent and the distinction of “Best Places to Work for LGBT Equality.” On April 1, HRC released the 2014 CEI report. On April 12, Emily Shire, a political writer for The Daily Beast penned a critique entitled “The Arbitrary Way Companies Are Labeled ‘Anti-Gay.’” In it, Shire argues that the Human Rights Campaign’s standards for corporate America’s Gay-friendliness have modernized – but its evaluation methods haven’t. Shire writes, “On April 1, the Human Rights Campaign Foundation honored more than 300 major employers at the 12th Annual LGBT Workplace Awards Reception. Some of the biggest names in corporate America were celebrated at the gala event, including AT&T, Viacom, Nike, and Boeing. Even companies that have recently faced criticism for ethically questionable business practices were honored, including Bank of America, Pfizer, Monsanto, and General Motors.” “All of these companies earned their spots at the dinner at the Time Warner Center in New York City by receiving a perfect score of 100 percent on HRC’s Corporate Equality Index,” she continued. “Absent from the night’s honorees was the Washington Post (which was evaluated by its 2013 record, before it was formally purchased by Amazon’s Jeff Bezos in October). In fact, not only was a publication of the so-called liberal media at the heart of the Beltway not invited to the reception, it received a lowly 20 percent in the CEI report. Its score was worse than Dominos, BJs, Autozone, and Dick’s Sporting Goods.” According to the HRC CEI, the newspaper received 15 points for offering health insurance to the same-sex partners of employees and an additional 5 for offering other, “soft” benefits to partners, though apparently not enough to earn the full 10 points. Shire asks, “What exactly did the former Washington Post Co. do that was so antago-
nistic to LGBT employees that it couldn’t scrape up a few more points? For that matter, how did Whole Foods, which rather surprisingly does not grant employees’ samesex partners health insurance, manage to score a far more respectable 75 on the CEI? (Whole Foods says, in contrast to the report, that it does provide health insurance coverage for same-sex and domestic partners.)” Shire says that it comes down to the fact that “the HRC’s system for evaluating work environments makes little sense.” In addition to the medical-insurance criteria, 15 points are awarded for “positively engag[ing] the External LGBT Community.” A company can only earn five of those points if it has made less than three efforts to do so in the past year. “That means guaranteeing same-sex partners health care is given equal value as doing LGBT outreach beyond the office space, such as specifically marketing to LGBT consumers,” reports Shire. “While such actions are commendable, they arguably do not have the same effect on an LGBT employee’s life as giving his or her partner insurance benefits.” Shire explains, “as the Whole Foods example shows, under HRC’s criteria and valuations, one company can easily earn a higher CEI rating than another without offering an essential employee benefit: partner health insurance.” Other criteria are nebulous, arbitrary, and excessive in their valuations when compared to something as central as health-care coverage, she said. Other findings by Shire include, “If a company doesn’t have a firm-wide diversity council that costs it 10 points on the CEI. It will lose another 10 if it doesn’t offer a ‘firm-wide organizational competency program,’ with at least three specific elements. For example, a company that mandates supervisors undergo training in sensitive gender-identity and sexual-orientation issues and clearly states a nondiscrimination policy to new employees would not earn those 10 points because it only hits up two required elements.” Additionally, Shire claims, “This is not to say the Washington Post lacks certain employee policies that makes it pale in comparison to its corporate peers. According to the CEI report, the company has no rules on the book prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity, each of which could have earned the company an additional 15 points.” And to be fair, and Shire was being just that – fair. “As confusing and poorly structured as some of the CEI criteria are, the 2014 report does reflect that the bar has thankfully been set much higher to be considered LGBT-friendly,” she said, showing that this was no hit piece. “When HRC started doing the report in 2002, many of the same basic values, such as non-discrimination policies for sexual orientation and gender identity, were factored into the CEI score. But a company had to do a lot less to fulfill the criteria.” In 2002, HRC tended to give companies the benefit of the doubt. As long as a company didn’t actively discriminate against LGBT employees, it earned at least some points. The 2002 CEI report stated that certain companies still received 14 points be-
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cause the HRC couldn’t “find any evidence that they had overtly resisted equal treatment for their LGBT employees, but neither had they taken any affirmative steps for LGBT employees, consumers, or investors.” By 2014, the burden was on companies to show that they were actively pursuing policies to protect LGBT members, rather than merely not discriminating against them. However, due to these tougher scores, some companies took hits in their CEI scores even though their LGBT policies may not have actually worsened over the years. Shire cites the following example: “Polaroid fell from 86 percent in 2002 to 30 percent in 2014. According to the current CEI report, the company prohibits discrimination based on sexual orientation, offers some benefits to same-sex partners, and has an employer-supported resource group or diversity council. Yet features like these just don’t buy a company as much LGBT credit in 2014 as it would have in 2002; employers need to do more to keep up with the times – and that’s a good thing.” Shire says that the 2014 CEI report rightfully reflects the ambitiousness of today’s LGBT movement, writing that “It should take a lot more in 2014 to earn a good CEI score than it did in 2002.” “But that doesn’t mean the HRC can avoid scrutinizing its own standards,” she concludes. ”If HRC doesn’t adequately prioritize and value essential needs, like health insurance for same-sex partners, before its more arbitrary specifications, the CEI scores simply lose their value.” And finally, Shire ends with, “And if HRC keeps celebrating companies that have quite literally been responsible for death and damages, like General Motors and Pfizer, the organization itself may start to lose its values.” Defending the organization, John K. Barry, a member of the HRC’s Business Advisory Council published a rebuttal to The Daily Beast report, saying that, as someone who has been involved with the CEI since it began in 2002, he does not think that favoritism is at play. “There are two main points that are lost in Ms. Shire’s piece: the CEI is not arbitrary by thoughtful design, and these CEI ratings are the end result of meaningful partnerships with the ranked companies,” said Barry. “It is important to note that the CEI does not exist as a mere evaluation tool,” he continued. “Rather, it came into existence in 2002 to fill a void left by a lack of important protections for LGBT employees. In 2002, it was legal to fire, refuse to hire, or otherwise discriminate against someone based on their sexual orientation in 38 states and 44 based on gender identity. Today, it is perfectly legal to do this in 29 and 33 states, respectively.” Stating that HRC and corporate America are ahead of the game, Barry writes, “While LGBT employees still lack these basic workplace protections, and the federal Employment Non-Discrimination Act continues to work its way through Congress, Corporate America has forged ahead by working with HRC through the CEI to significantly improve the workplace for LGBT employees.” Thanks to this design of transparent, achievable standards, the CEI has moved the needle for the LGBT community when it comes to policies that affect them
as employees, he said. “This fact is irrefutable, and one particularly illustrative example is that back in 2002, only 5% of those companies scored in the CEI included gender identity in their nondiscrimination policies,” Barry continued. “Over the years through education, increased engagement with HRC and the CEI, and the competitive nature of Corporate America, that number has grown to 86%.” According to Barry, “Aside from producing these incredibly positive changes for thousands of employees working at major corporations, one can easily determine how a final score is calculated for each company. Contrary to what Ms. Shire writes, the report does not evaluate work environments.” Barry says the CEI clearly indicate whether a company does or does not:
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Seattle Gay News 13
• have an inclusive non-discrimination policy (for 30 points), • offer inclusive benefits for Transgender employees and employees’ same-sex domestic partners (35 points), • engage in efforts to educate their workforce on issues of LGBT diversity (20 points), and • promote LGBT equality in a broader, public sense (15 points). Barry maintains that the CEI is neither prescriptive nor arbitrary. The criteria are purposeful in design to eliminate ambiguity and disallow arbitrary points. “While the criteria are flexible enough to award credit for how the more than 700 participating companies across industries and geographies ‘do’ diversity, it remains resolute in its core requirements of non-discrimination policies, equitable benefits, and inclusive practices,” he said. “Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, the CEI does not randomly recognize companies that meet all the requirements earning them a 100 in the report. Companies are scored where they stand each year,” said Barry. “The movement of companies from lower scores up to 100 show how a single company is making progress for their LGBT employees. “The CEI survey (upon which the report [Ms. Shire] references is based), is a carefully crafted audit and tool to help companies identify their blind spots and close their gaps when it comes to their employees who happen to be part of the LGBT community. The survey is completed by official company representatives, often hand-in-hand with HRC staff, LGBT employees and employee resource groups, working hard to improve their workplaces for LGBT employees. “CEI scores don’t just happen; they are the result of an investment by those employers and employees who recognize that equality is good for business,” Barry said. “As unfortunate and misrepresentative as Ms. Shire’s piece was, I am pleased to clarify that over the past 12 years the CEI has been the impetus of meaningful changes for LGBT workers,” he concludes. “I am proud of how far the CEI and Corporate America have come to recognize and embrace equality since 2002, and look forward to its future impact. I know that Corporate America would not be the effective ally of equality that it is today without the progress achieved by the CEI.”
Gay men warned about chemsex (aka PnP) Istock
by Shaun Knittel SGN Associate Editor A commissioned report into drug use during sex, dubbed “chemsex,” has highlighted significant risks to the sexual and mental health of Gay and Bisexual men. The findings of the report were produced by experts in HIV and sexual health at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine. Three south London boroughs – Lambeth, Southwark and Lewisham – have high populations of Gay men. Health experts there said they are determined to tackle the problem of chemsex, or sex under the influence of drugs such as crystal methamphetamine, GHB/GBL and mephedrone, because they are believed to be behind rising rates of HIV and STIs in Gay men in the area. Chemsex was most commonly reported to occur in private homes, as well as in saunas or other sex-on-premises venues. Researchers analysed survey data from 1,142 Gay and Bisexual men living in Lambeth, Southwark and Lewisham and conducted in-depth interviews with 30 Gay men from the area. They found that although chemsex was reported to increase sexual arousal and facilitate more adventurous sex, many men were using drugs to mask self-esteem or self-confidence issues. In other words, although seemingly contradictory with their actions, the majority of men were not happy with their sex lives and wanted a long-term partner for more inti-
mate and emotionally connected sex. Some other key findings were: • Around a third of men interviewed found it difficult to maintain control of their behavior or negotiate safe sex while under the influence of drugs, and had unprotected sex with high risk of HIV/STI transmission, which they regretted. • Overdosing, panic attacks, convulsions and sexual assault were all associated with chemsex. • Many men also felt that the large amount of time they spent engaging in chemsex was detrimental to their social relationships and career progression. According to the authors, visibility of drug use on social and sexual networking apps may be normalizing the injection of drugs such as crystal methamphetamine in a sexual setting, also known as “slamming.” According to David Stuart, substance abuse lead at London’s 56 Dean Street sexual health clinic, said, “The clinical term, which I hate, is sexualized drug use by men who have sex with men (MSM). Chemsex is a term that came from apps like Grindr, BBRT (Bareback Real Time) and others. Chemsex (chemical sex) is just the slang term for sexualised drug use by men who have sex with men.” Stuart contributed to the study. He says the problem of chemsex is growing. “… Sex and drugs have been going on in different populations going back hundreds and hundreds of years, so it’s not incredibly
new, but it has been growing recently. About ten years ago we really started to see it in an epidemiological way. It was mostly HIV positive older men, and that tells us something: why did this trend begin with HIV positive older men? It has something to do with their experience of living with HIV, their experience of sex, their experience of disclosure, their experience of what they felt in bed as sober and HIV positive, when these drugs seem to … they like these drugs very much.” Stuart says it’s not just older HIV positive men engaging in chemsex, it’s 15-year-olds. “The first time they have sex is on drugs,” he said. “I’m working with people like that in the clinic. It’s also about 50/50 HIV positive and HIV negative men; it’s across the board now and chemsex is a household name in the big cities that host big Gay communities across the world.” The report showed that 19% of clients had used GHB/GBL in the previous 6 months, 10% had taken crystal meth and 21% had taken mephedrone within the same period. All figures of drug use were significantly higher among men diagnosed with HIV. In addition, the Chemsex Study showed the use of crystal meth appears to be slowly increasing rather than rising exponentially. In 2007 a community survey of men who have sex with men in London estimated that 7.8% had used crystal meth in the last year. In this 2010 survey the figure was 8.7%. Alcohol by far remains the most commonly used drug and is the drug of largest concern for MSM. The rise of mephedrone over the past decade has been part of Britain’s ever-changing drugs landscape. Until April 2010 it was considered a legal high and could be sold as plant food or bath salts, but given its potency and powerful side effects the drug was reclassified. Stuart says that five Gay men are diagnosed with HIV in London every single day. “That’s a rise and it’s a rise that started happening about two or three years ago, at the same time as the rise in chemsex,” he said. Between 2011 and 2012, the number of men who have sex with men (MSM) taking an HIV test in London increased by 19%. An estimated 18% (7,300) of MSM in England who are HIV positive are unaware of their infection. New diagnoses in England reached a record high of 3,250 in 2012 but,
according to Stuart, the role of chemsex in this has yet to be established. “What we are trying to do is to find out: is there a connection or is it a myth, is it a scare?” “At the moment we have 100 people every month coming to one sexual health clinic, just one, disclosing that they are using drugs for sex and haven’t had sober sex in more than a year,” continued Stuart. “A hundred a month, so that just gives you a number.” Paul Steinberg, Lambeth’s HIV prevention and sexual health commissioning manager, said that the trend towards chemsex is being aided by a “perfect storm” of cheap, easily available drugs, but most importantly, a burgeoning number of social and sexual networking apps and websites that enable men to arrange to meet for sex at private parties. “There has been a change in Gay cultural, social and sexual networks. In the 1980s and 1990s Gay men would meet in bars, clubs and community centers. But with the rise of the Internet and social media apps, there has been a shift towards a technology- and homebased cultural scene”, said Steinberg. The Chemsex Study, published on March 28, is the first research of its kind in the UK to look at the complex relationship between drug use and sexual behavior and documents the harms that some Gay men experience. The Chemsex Study’s key recommendations include the production of resources that provide drug harm reduction information, access to Gay-friendly drug and sexual health services that understand the issues around chemsex, coordinated work with managers of commercial sex-on-premises venues to develop harm reduction policies and procedures, and engagement with commercial companies and Gay media / apps to provide harm reduction as part of a corporate responsibility to their users. Locally, chemsex happens without a doubt, but the slang term hasn’t really caught on. In Seattle and other American cities chemsex is more commonly known as “party and play” (PnP). The term is particularly prevalent on websites like Tribe.net, where a number of Seattle PnP “tribes” have been established. One of the larger tribes, Seattle PnP, has over 200 active members. Another tribe called “who p n p s” has over 300 members. There is no study about chemsex in Seattle.
Condom fatigue?
Ages 50+ account for nearly 25% of new HIV infections in U.S.
According to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Surveillance Report, 24% of new HIV/AIDS diagnoses in the U.S. are among people 50 years of age or older. Perhaps Viagra is to blame? Or is it that, after the end of a long term-relationship or loss of a loved one, the rules that applied around safer sex for the last three decades do not seem to apply? Whatever the reason, the uptick in HIV infections for those over 50 is part of a trend, which has HIV/AIDS researchers paying attention. Harborview’s Dr. Sheila Dunaway, MD gave a presentation on April 22 at the ACTU (AIDS Clinical Trials Unit) conference room attended by about 20 people who showed up to hear her speak at a seminar titled, “…When I’m 64? Talking About the Research into Getting Older with HIV.” Gay men who came of age in the 1980s remember when a diagnosis of HIV was equated with a death sentence from AIDS,
and the only medication available was a toxic AZT cocktail. Now some of the older generation are aware of more benign and effective treatments such as Truvada, and are engaging in riskier behavior with less frequent HIV testing. But for members of our youth obsessed culture who slavishly work to maintain muscled bodies, and slap on sunscreen to avoid wrinkles, that condom might want to stay part of a health and beauty regimen. The scientific explanation has to do with inflammation, a tool the body uses to fight infections. Fighting the HIV virus takes a toll on a cellular level, causing the DNA to unravel its molecular code more rapidly. The result is that people fighting a virus can look older than their age. A bit of good news for the older generation taking HIV meds daily and more regularly than the young ones, is a better outcome controlling the disease, sparing the body the roller coaster of fluctuating viral loads, and lessening the opportunity for the aging effects of inflammation.
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April 25, 2014
by Doug Hamilton SGN Contributing Writer
Seattle Gay News
Harborview is currently planning a study to see if a low-dose regimen of aspirin may be effective in dealing with the aging consequences of fighting HIV. Low doses of aspirin are currently prescribed to treat high blood pressure. According to the CDC, by the year 2015, 50% of those living with HIV will be 50+ years old. In a way, this is good news, since it indicates that people with HIV are living longer healthier lives with early detection and adherence to treatment for the virus. But as Dr. Dunaway indicated, the current crop of HIV medications can have side effects, which can result in a 10% more likely early death due to premature aging. If you are taking meds for HIV, be sure to ask these questions at your next medical check-up:
bone density or vitamin D levels. Vitamin D and calcium deficiency are key indicators you may be at risk for easily broken bones. A broken hip can have devastating consequences at any age. Steps you can take to avoid osteoporosis include consuming dairy products, drinking soy or almond milk with vitamin D and calcium, or taking supplements containing these nutrients. ð Am I at risk for diabetes mellitus (high blood sugar)? Ask the doc, “What is my blood sugar level?” ð Am I at risk for cardiovascular disease (heart disease, hardened arteries, hypertension, or high blood pressure)? Ask your physician, “What are my cholesterol levels? Is my blood pressure too high? Should I consider a low-dose aspirin regimen?”
Dr. Dunaway’s advice for those wishing to live a long and healthy life (and look ð Am I at risk for osteoporosis? Osteopogood while doing it) is to quit smoking, rosis (brittle bones) is a disease which is showing up in people as early as their 20s and 30s as a side-effect of anti-retroviral treatments. Ask if it possible to get a test for see 50+ HIV page 16
Celebrating 41 Years!
BSA
continued from cover is second only to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints for the number of scouting troops sponsored. “We applaud the steadfast way Rainer Beach UMC has stood behind its troop leadership,” said Dr. Sharon Groves, director of the HRC Religion and Faith Program. “In doing so, they have provided a profile in courage for faith communities around the country.” This is not the first time an openly Gay Scoutmaster has been banned by the organization. In April 2012, Ohio mom Jennifer Tyrrell launched a Change.org petition calling on the Boy Scouts of America to end its national ban on Gay scouts, parents, and scout leaders after she was ousted as her son’s den leader because she is Gay. She sparked a campaign led by GLAAD and Scouts for Equality to advocate for an inclusive BSA, which has resulted in several corporate sponsors withholding funds as well as hundreds of celebrities, elected officials, scouts and religious institutions speaking out against the ban. Last year, the Human Rights Campaign Foundation announced more stringent criteria for its Corporate Equality Index. To receive a perfect score in the future, companies would have to prohibit philanthropic giving to non-religious organizations that have a written policy of anti-Gay discrimination, or permit its chapters, affiliates, or troops to do so. GLAAD, the LGBT media advocacy organization, today responded to the Boy Scouts of America’s (BSA) decision
to revoke the charter of the Seattle-area church due to its continued support of the openly Gay Scoutmaster. “That the Boy Scouts of America would punish a church and the young people of Troop 98 because the church’s core values emphasize fairness and equality for all of God’s children is simply unconscionable,” said GLAAD President & CEO Sarah Kate Ellis. “The fact that the Boy Scouts of America chose Easter weekend to once again blatantly discriminate against Gay and Lesbian people, as well as the churches that support them, flies in the face of the values of Scouting and sends a hurtful message to youth.” Rainier Beach United Methodist Church is represented by Friedman | Rubin Law Offices. Thirty-nine Washington state legislators have signed a letter in support of Rainier Beach United Methodist Church’s decision to stand by McGrath, writing that they’re “deeply troubled” as “discrimination against Gay people is unacceptable.” More than 1.8 million people have joined Change.org petition campaigns since Tyrrell launched her first petition. Writes Kathleen Taylor, Executive Director, ACLU of Washington: “The ACLU-WA supports the Rainer Beach United Methodist Church’s efforts to maintain its Boy Scout troop without regard to the sexual orientation of its scouts or leaders. Boy Scouts is designed to provide boys and young men with the opportunity and support to build character, learn the responsibilities of participatory citizenship, and develop personal fitness. In our free nation, this mission should be met without engaging in unfair discrimination.” Dru Dinero at visual affairs
Geoff McGrath
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50+ HIV
continued from page 14 maintain a reasonable body weight, drink moderately, and realize you are never too old to talk to your physician about your sex life and HIV status. If you do not know your HIV status and have had unprotected sex, get tested either through your doctor, or at someplace like Seattle’s Gay City HIV/STD testing clinic, which offers free testing. Consider using the over-the-counter oral swab test Oraquick to get immediate results anonymously. Find out your Hepatitis C status. Many people have no idea they carry it, and may not feel its devastating effects for decades. If you do not know, get the Hep C vaccine. If you know you are likely to engage in unprotected sex, talk to your doctor about PrEP (Pre-exposure prophylaxis), an HIV
prevention pill taken daily to reduce the risk of infection. Some insurance companies now cover PrEP. If yours does not, Washington state can make it available to you free of charge. Be aware the same side effects for HIV medications apply to PrEP. In fact, they are the same medication. TO RECAP: People over 50 have sex, and are still at risk for HIV. Fighting HIV causes inflammation, which ages your body prematurely. To avoid early aging, avoid HIV and use condoms. Test regularly for early HIV detection and treatment. If you won’t always use condoms for sex, consider PrEP. If you are HIV positive, take your meds regularly as prescribed, and be on the look out for their premature aging side effects such as osteoporosis, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. Alright gorgeous, you are now ready to be sexy at 64!
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April 25, 2014
Celebrating 41 Years!
MILK
continued from cover Before being elected to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, Milk was a community activist in San Francisco’s Castro District, which was then emerging as the center of Gay life in the Bay Area. According to a press release, the White House will host the new Harvey Milk stamp’s official first-day-of-issue ceremony on May 22. Postal Service customers can order stamps now for delivery after the May 22 ceremony. On May 28 a special dedication ceremony will be held in San Francisco, although details on the time and exact location are not yet available. Milk was honored posthumously with a Medal of Freedom award by President Barack Obama in 2009.
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Seattle Gay News 17
Bozeman, Montana city commission to vote on LGBT anti-discrimination ordinance
by Victor Bogatko SGN Contributing Writer The arrival of spring brings with it much welcome signs of renewal and hope. This year, in addition to the wonderful array of flowers that grace every city block, the LGBT community has been showered with pro-Gay marriage rulings and protective laws around the country that are becoming as common as cherry blossoms. It seems on a weekly basis, like different plants taking turns to bloom, state laws banning Gay marriage are stuck down or a new city ordinance is passed in a remote part of the country. One such remote revival is occurring in the heart of Montana’s Big Sky Country, where activists have gathered enough support to put the issue in front of the city commission. In a small town of less than
40 thousand people, Bozeman is about to become the state’s fourth city with laws protecting the LGBT community. On Wednesday, the city of Bozeman released a draft of the proposed ordinance that would ban discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. The town’s deputy mayor wrote the ordinance based on similar laws now in effect in Montana’s capitol Helena, and two other progressive cities, Missoula and Butte. As in many cities, the proposed ordinance will include exemptions for religious schools, organizations, and institutions. Private businesses will be required to follow the ordinance. However, according to Deputy Mayor Carson Taylor, a loophole could be added that might make it easier for some businesses to get away with discrimination. The city commission scheduled to convene on Monday night at
City Hall could add wording that would allow “creative businesses” such as photographers, to be able to deny taking pictures of Gay couples’ weddings if it was against their religious beliefs. James Greer of the Montana Human Rights Network has been pushing for the ordinance and says it is a step in the right direction. However he expressed concern over the religious organizations exemption. “This is about simple fairness, and amendments like this have the potential to erode civil rights law, and not just for LGBT people, but even more broadly,” he explained. Since 2010, organizations and activists have been working diligently to pass an inclusive Montana Human Rights Act for the LGBT community. Since all of these efforts have been unsuccessful thus far, activists have taken a different approach and it seems to be working. Instead of dragging the entire state kicking and screaming, these groups have targeted local city governments. The first such city to pass an anti-discrimination ordinance was Missoula, in April of 2010. Helena followed next by passing its ordinance unanimously; but to the dismay of activists, included an amendment requiring Transgender people use their birth-assigned restrooms instead of the restroom of their choice. Monday night’s commission in Bozeman will also discuss how public accommodations will be handled, but this time it appears fully inclusive protections may prevail. The drafted ordinance would not allow businesses to prevent Transgender individuals from using the bathrooms or locker rooms
they are more comfortable with – a small but encouraging victory for Montana’s LGBT residents. Still, the ordinance is polarizing the community. Gerry Geote, an administrator at the Heritage Christian School expressed his opposition to the ordinance. “From a Christian school perspective, I have concerns with it that deal with the accommodations and hiring practices,” he said. “I think the city commission needs to consider something that won’t have lawsuits.” According to Rabbi Ed Stafman, however, a majority of Bozeman residents seem to be in favor of the ordinance. “Only a few motivated by hatred and bigotry seem to be opposed.” Rabbi Stafman is one of more than 30 local religious leaders who support a nondiscrimination ordinance in Bozeman. He says he believes “people who are different deserve to be treated with dignity and respect and not oppressed in any way.” A second meeting on the Bozeman antidiscrimination ordinance will be held on May 12th. Public comments will be heard at this time and a vote will take place. Montana is now only one of three states where a Gay marriage ban is not being challenged. If this spring has been any indication of the future of such a ban, it’s fair to say that its time is coming to an end and very soon. There is even talk of another non-discrimination ordinance in the works, in nearby Billings, Montana. Though a lot of work remains to be done for LGBT folks under Montana’s Big Sky, it is safe to say that spring has finally arrived, and that this year, the cherry blossoms will be especially fragrant.
India Supreme Court says Trans people are third gender In a landmark decision, a two-judge panel of India’s Supreme Court ruled on April 15 that Transgender people constitute a “third gender” which the Indian government must accommodate with quotas in hiring and education as it does with other minorities. According to one estimate, India has about two million Transgender people. The term “hijra” is often translated as “Transgender” in English, although it includes people who would not usually be considered Trans in the United States – crossdressers, drag performers, and eunuchs. Human rights groups say the hijra live on the fringes of society, often in poverty, ostracized because of their gender identity. Most make a living by singing and dancing or by begging and prostitution. Rights groups say they face discrimination so pervasive that hospitals sometimes refuse to admit them. Until the court’s ruling, they have been forced to choose either male or female genders for most legal purposes. “Recognition of transgenders as a third gender is not a social or medical issue but a human rights issue,” Justice K.S. Radhakrishnan said in his April 15 ruling.
“Transgenders are also citizens of India” and they must be “provided equal opportunity to grow,” the court said. “The spirit of the Constitution is to provide equal opportunity to every citizen to grow and attain their potential, irrespective of caste, religion or gender.” The court also established the principle that “It is the right of every human being to choose their gender,” meaning that hijra may identify in any way they please, without having their identities questioned by officials or doctors. According to the Times of India, the justices expressed concern over harassment and discrimination against Transgender Indians, and issued “a slew of directions” for their social welfare. For example, the court said that the state and national governments should implement social welfare plans for the hijra community, and begin a public awareness campaign to erase social stigma. India’s states must construct public toilets reserved for hijra, and establish public health departments to look into their special medical issues. The court added that if a person undergoes reassignment surgery, then he or she is entitled to a change of gender identity markers on official documents.
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by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer
Seattle Gay News
The court also noted that Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code – forbidding “unnatural offenses” – is being misused by police and other authorities against hijra, and consequently that their social and economic condition is far from satisfactory. “We are quite thrilled by the judgment,” Anita Shenoy, lawyer for the petitioner National Legal Services Authority (NALSA), told BBC News. “The court order gives legal sanctity to the third gender. The judges said the government must make sure that they have access to medical care and other facilities like separate wards in hospitals and separate toilets,” she said. Prominent Transgender activist Laxmi Narayan Tripathi, who was among the petitioners in the case, welcomed the judgment, saying the community had long suffered from discrimination and ignorance in the traditionally conservative country. “Today, for the first time I feel very proud to be an Indian,” she told Agence France Presse outside the court in Delhi. Nepal and Bangladesh also recognize “third gender” as a legal category. According to BBC News, hijra have played a prominent role in Indian culture and were once treated with great respect. They are mentioned in ancient Hindu scriptures and
epics like the Ramayana and Mahabharata. In medieval India they played a prominent role in the royal courts of the Mughal emperors and some Hindu rulers. Many of them rose to powerful positions. Under British colonial rule, however, the Criminal Tribes Act of 1871 categorized the entire hijra community as “criminals” who were “addicted” to committing serious crimes. They were arrested for dressing in women’s clothing, or dancing and playing music in public places, and for indulging in “unnatural” sex. This law was repealed in 1949 after independence, but discrimination against the hijra community has continued.
Celebrating 41 Years!
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