Celebrating 39 Years!
Issue 32 Volume 40
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GAY BINGO p. 5
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Seattle Gay News SEATTLE’S LGBT NEWS & ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY
Participants in Uganda’s first-ever Pride Parade
by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, in Uganda for an official visit, presented Ugandan LGBT rights activists with the State Department’s 2011 Human Rights Defender Award on August 5. The next day, activists celebrated with the country’s first-ever Pride Parade in the resort city of
Entebbe. “You are a model for others and an inspiration for the world,” Clinton said to representatives of the coalition formed in 2009 to combat Uganda’s infamous “Kill the Gays” bill, which prescribed the death penalty for anyone convicted of “aggravated homosexuality.” “It is critical for all Ugandans – see uganda page 19
Here are seven races to watch in November by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer
AP
Anne Ackermann
Pride in Uganda Primary results look good Nation holds its first LGBT parade; Sec. of State Clinton honors activists for Democrats, LGBTs If the results of the August 7 primary election are any indication, Democrats and LGBT folks of whatever party affiliation should be optimistic about the outcome of the November election. In spite of the fact that people who vote in primary elections – especially in low-turnout primary elections like this one – trend more Republican than voters in general elections do, pro-LGBT Democratic candidates emerged from the primary looking like winners. The November ballot will feature the presidential race, a U.S. Senate race, all the statewide officers, half of the state’s senators, and all the state representatives. However, there are seven races that may have special interest for LGBT voters. see election page 20
Gubernatorial candidate Jay Inslee
We have Queer youth space! LGBT candidates smiling Multi-year campaign for a community center succeeds Three Wings, the nonprofit organization behind the long-running “We Need Queer Youth Space” campaign in Seattle, has signed a lease for a 1,750-square-foot space on Capitol Hill. Located near Broadway at 911 E. Pike St., Suite 208, the space is intended as a “cultural arts center” for Queer young people. Three Wings hopes the youth-led center will serve as a catalyst for change in Seattle and beyond. Three Wings has striven for the past two years to create and sustain temporary spaces, workshops, and programming for Queer young people in and around Seattle. However, finding a permanent home was always on the group’s agenda. According to Three Wings, the acquisition of the space is a “major milestone” and is the product of over two years of work in pursuit of a permanent home for Queer young people. “There will always be people who doubt what young people can do,” Genna Watson, a Queer Youth Space organizer, told SGN while the group was still looking for a see queer youth page 20
Despite threats, NOM was not a factor leg.wa.gov
william creswell
911 E. Pike St.
by James Whitely SGN Staff Writer
after primary election
Representative Jamie Pedersen
by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer Most Gay and Lesbian candidates had reason to smile after the August 7 primary. Some might have cheered. State Representatives Marko Liias (D-21) and Dave Upthegrove (D-33) were unopposed in the pri-
proud to Be Different
We are conveniently located on-site at Lifelong AIDS Alliance below the Thrift Store.
mary. Their names will appear on the November ballot, but they will be re-elected. Rep. Jamie Pedersen (D-43) might as well have been unopposed. He took more than 91% of the vote against Trotskyist Kshama Sawant. Since the top two see primary page 21
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Seattle Gay News
Broadway Video has new location Store moves out of Broadway Market building, holds marriage equality fundraiser by James Whitely SGN Staff Writer
james whitely / seattle gay news
Editor In Chief George Bakan Associate Editor Shaun Knittel Production William Creswell Calendar Editors Mike Andrew and Rick McKinnon Travel Editor George Bakan Advertising Manager Marty Weisbrod Advertising Department Maggie Bloodstone Executive Assistant Mike Andrew Staff Writers
Broadway Video, the long-lasting video rental business on Capitol Hill, held an open house August 8 to show off its new space on Broadway, just across the street from the old one. The event was also a fundraiser for Washington United for Marriage. “We were across the street for 26 years,” Broadway Video owner Paul Dwoskin told the group of about 40 people who attended. “It would be nice if we could be in this space for another 26 years.” Dwoskin said the new layout is much more conducive to the way he wants the store organized and that he’s happy to be out of the Broadway Market building, because now he actually has an on-Broadway storefront. It’s interesting to note that Broadway Video, a locally owned small business, has survived while both Blockbuster and Hollywood Video have closed. (Capitol Hill’s Hollywood Video actually closed before its parent company went bankrupt.) Dwoskin said there are many reasons he’s outlasted the big competition. “We offer service that the mainstream places didn’t,” Dwoskin told SGN. “We buy for our neighborhood.” And they do. There aren’t many places where one can find the newest edition of Guys Gone Wild right next to the most recent Angelina Jolie flick. Dwoskin said another draw is that his customers know his employees. “One of my employees has been here since 1984,” Dwoskin told SGN. Several others have been at the store for more than 10 years. The open house was a fundraiser for Washington United for Marriage, the coalition working to Approve Referendum 74 in November. Lennon Bronsema, Washington United’s campaign finance director, said Senator Ed Murray speaking at Broadway Video that during the Prop 8 fight in California, a Murray said that Broadway Video’s move the discrimination that the older generations family actually emptied their children’s college fund, donating approximately $50,000 is representative of a resurgence of success- have seen. ful locally based retail on Broadway. to stop same-sex marriage. “This will be the most expensive camMurray then spoke of the Approve Refer- paign in Washington state history,” said “That is what we’re up against – this inendum 74 campaign, reminding attendees Murray of the necessity of fundraising. credible fear,” said Bronsema. that every time same-sex marriage has gone Broadway Video is now located at 512 MURRAY SEES REVITALIZATION to a popular vote, “our side” has lost. Broadway E., across the street and about He told attendees that winning same-sex half a block north of the old location. The A special guest at the event, State Sen. Ed Murray (D–43rd Dist.), congratulated marriage isn’t just for coupled 30-some- video rental store carries lots of foreign and Dwoskin on the move. He reminisced that things or older couples who have been to- obscure titles and features an extensive Brithe first started coming to Broadway Video gether for decades, but for kids who will ish TV section, as well as adult videos. Visit when it was located next to Bailey/Coy, a grow up in a state where same-sex marriage Broadway Video online at www.broadwayis a reality and who will never have to face marketvideo.com. now-defunct LGBT bookstore.
August 10, 2012
Celebrating 39 Years!
by James Whitely SGN Staff Writer Approximately 900 people gathered August 4 at Seattle Center’s Exhibition Hall for the long-awaited return of Gay Bingo, a popular Lifelong AIDS Alliance fundraising event that was last held two years ago. Seattle drag superstar Gaysha Starr served as emcee. “We hosted Gay Bingo to a sold-out crowd,” Randy Russell, CEO of Lifelong AIDS Alliance, told SGN. “We were thrilled to see the community come together in support of Lifelong and the fight against HIV/ AIDS. The partnership with the Seattle Center and the 50th anniversary of the Seattle World’s Fair was perfect. Go Bingo!” “Gay Bingo brings people together from all walks of life for a few hours for a good time and to raise money for Lifelong,” said Starr. “I know a lot of people were disappointed” when Lifelong ended it, she said, “but I think that they are the only organization that can put together the event to this scale and fun.” Lifelong officials, who announced in 2010 that they would no longer host Gay Bingo, promoted the August 4 event as a “one night only” reprise. Gay Bingo has a signature rowdiness of sorts that bingo players just won’t find anywhere else and is a 21+ event. One of Gay
james whitely / seattle gay news
Lifelong’s new ‘Gay Bingo’ draws enthusiastic crowd Bingo’s traditions is to have the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence from the Abbey of St. Joan check a player’s cards meticulously once they call “Bingo” – and if they’ve made a mistake, they pay! But all in good fun, of course. This time, the Sisters weren’t the only volunteers. Many players from Seattle Quake Rugby, which began its season this week, helped out by selling cards for games with special prizes. Representatives from Washington United for Marriage also were present, urging everyone to help Approve Referendum 74 in November for marriage equality. WHERE WERE YOU IN ’62? In keeping with the salute to the 1962 World’s Fair, the evening’s theme was “Mod Men,” and Lifelong encouraged participants to dress accordingly. It’s important to note that Gay Bingo players aren’t all Gay, organizers say. Many are straights who just love a good bingo game. While Lifelong hasn’t yet tabulated how much the event raised, Gay Bingo has been a tremendously successful fundraiser for the organization for almost 20 years. “Raising money for Lifelong, especially in [these] tough economic times, is important because Lifelong, like so many nonprofits, depends on donations and sponsor-
Sister Paddlemé Tooshie (l) and Gaysha Starr at Lifelong’s Gay Bingo
ships to run their programs and support their clients,” Starr told SGN. “With Gay Bingo you get a chance to help Lifelong and at the same time have a great time.” “Hosting Gay Bingo is fun because it challenges me with being quick on my feet with the mic – gives me a chance to run with the themes, costuming, and performances –
but most importantly [gives me] a chance to see a lot of familiar faces that I often don’t,” said Starr. Lifelong AIDS Alliance is dedicated to empowering people living with or at risk of HIV/AIDS and other chronic conditions to lead healthier lives. Learn more at www. llaa.org.
pride foundation
New Pride Foundation ad ‘Parent ambassadors’ wanted for marriage equality focused on love and commitment SCS and GSBA team up to host workshop on outreach and education
Beth Rossing (l) and Reverend Gib Rossing
by Christina Rocks Special to the SGN
by Shaun Knittel SGN Associate Editor On August 27, Seattle Counseling Service (SCS) and the Greater Seattle Business Association (GSBA), in cooperation with the Pride Foundation, will co-host a “parent ambassador workshop” for marriage equality from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at SCS (1216 Pine St.) in Seattle’s Capitol Hill neighborhood. In an effort to reach out to parents and families and address their concerns about marriage equality, the Pride Foundation (www.pridefoundation.org) is looking for “parent ambassadors” to facilitate conversations with members of their communities, such as fellow parents in their kids’ schools and sports teams and their neighbors, family members, and friends. Pride Foundation has created a conversation guide that aims to help ambassadors reach their community in a way that works best for them, and the group will be conducting workshops on a regular basis. This is a chance for people who are look-
ing to make a positive difference in the future of marriage equality to learn how they can help change hearts and minds around this issue. According to Laurie Carlsson, family outreach specialist for Pride Foundation, participants need not be parents to be effective ambassadors. “We know that everyone is busy and the guide has been designed with that in mind,” said Carlsson. “We’re not looking for a huge commitment from any one person. A simple gathering of neighbors, a post on your neighborhood blog, or a letter to the editor goes a long way.” Whether you’re a Gay or Lesbian parent, a straight ally, or you would just like to help the people in your life on their journey toward acceptance, this is an opportunity to explore how to communicate with people in a way that creates room for change. Those interested in taking part in this effort may contact Carlsson at laurie@pridefoundation.org or call (206) 323-3318.
so many parents and will help expand our conversations with Washingtonians about the importance of marriage for all loving and committed couples.” The Rossing ad follows another that debuted during the telecast of the Olympics opening ceremonies and features Cheryl Pflug, a Republican former Washington state senator. The ad campaign is an extension of Pride Foundation’s effort to reach and educate the public on the impact that the freedom to marry will have on real Washingtonians’ lives. Pride Foundation has done comparable education efforts for years in Washington and across the Northwest on critical issues facing the LGBTQ community. You can watch the ad at http://whymarriagematterswashington.org/journey. Pride Foundation is a donor-supported community foundation providing grants, scholarships, and community leadership in Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and Washington. As a catalyst for change, Pride Foundation supports transformative philanthropy, programs, and individuals who advance equality for the LGBTQ community.
The Rev. Gib Rossing of Olympia and his wife, Beth, who have been married for 52 years, talk about the importance of marriage for their four children, including their Gay son and his partner, in a new TV ad by the Pride Foundation. This is the second statewide ad released by the nonprofit Seattle-based community foundation, which has led the ongoing public education campaign on the freedom to marry. The ad focuses on the Rossings’ son Jonathan and their hopes for him to be able to marry his long-term partner, Ryan. It emphasizes that all loving and committed couples, both Gay and straight, hope to marry for the same reasons – to make a lifetime promise to another person and to share the joys and challenges that life brings. “We believe this spot will resonate with so many families in Washington who don’t distinguish between one child or another, and simply want the very best for all their children, including being able to one day marry the person they love,” said Kris HerChristina Rocks is the Pride Foundation’s manns, executive director of Pride Foundation. “Reverend and Mrs. Rossing speak for communications manager.
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david green
Sister Boom Boom becomes a ‘Nun of the Above’
On August 5, 2012, at 9:30 p.m., Jack Fertig, aka Sister Boom Boom, age 57, died of liver cancer in the loving presence of his partner, Elias Trevino. His weekly astrological column, “Q Scopes,” distributed by Q Syndicate, has run in SGN for several years. As Sister Boom Boom of the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence of San Francisco, Fertig was an early AIDS and Queer rights activist. In 1982, Boom Boom nearly won a seat on the city Board of Supervisors, receiving 23,124 votes. A year later, she ran for mayor against incumbent Dianne Feinstein. Subsequently, San Francisco passed a law requiring candidates to use their legal names on the ballot. This is often referred to as the “Sister Boom Boom Law.” Due to internal disputes, Fertig broke with the Sisters in 1985. He became a leading astrologer, teaching classes and giving personal and business consultations as well as writing for numerous publications, including the San Francisco Bay Times and the San Francisco Spectrum. Fertig was a member of the San Francisco Astrological Society steering committee and the International Society for Astrological Research,
Jack Fertig, aka Sister Boom Boom
among other professional groups. His principal interest was in outer planet motions and their correlations to social and historical changes. Fertig was also an avid organizer in the leather and recovery communities. Cleve Jones, AIDS activist and creator of the NAMES Project AIDS Quilt, remembers Sister Boom Boom as a “dear friend” and a “fierce advocate for the poor and immigrant communities.” Fertig reconciled with the Sisters in 2009 and, in what would be her last public appearance in habit, spoke on a “Sister Spirituality” panel for San Francisco’s Gay Buddhist Fellowship. Said the Sisters on their website, “Sister Boom Boom XXX, legendary changemaker and hot ginger, joins our Nuns of the Above. We honor the amazing Queer power that manifested as Sister Boom Boom and we will ensure our Sister’s legacy is not forgotten. A public memorial is being planned by the Sisters and will be announced soon. In lieu of gifts or flowers, please donate to Grateful Dogs Rescue or LYRIC for LGBTQ Youth.” Michael E. Macmillan
Federal judge says legislatures must decide on marriage equality Lesbian couple denied right to marry in Hawaii, a ‘civil union’ state by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer A federal district judge in Hawaii has ruled against a Lesbian couple who wish to marry instead of entering into a civil union, which is the legal form for recognizing same-sex relationships in Hawaii. In a decision announced August 8, Judge Alan C. Kay said that legislatures, not courts, should decide how to recognize relationships. “Hawaii’s marriage laws are not unconstitutional,” Kay wrote. “Nationwide, citizens are engaged in a robust debate over this divisive social issue. If the traditional institution of marriage is to be reconstructed, as sought by the plaintiffs, it should be done by a democratically elected legislature or the people through a constitutional amendment,” and not through the courts. The lawsuit by Natasha Jackson and Janin Kleid argued that the two need to be married in order to get certain federal benefits. Coplaintiff Gary Bradley wants to marry his foreign national partner to help him change his immigration status. Their attorney, John D’Amato, said they would appeal. Hawaii Health Director Loretta Fuddy, the named defendant in the suit, heads the state agency that denied the plaintiffs marriage licenses in accordance with existing Hawaiian law. Hawaiian Gov. Neil Abercrombie was in the odd position of being a defendant in the lawsuit, as the state executive officer, while supporting the plaintiffs’ claims, saying the state’s ban on same-sex marriage is unconstitutional.
Abercrombie signed Hawaii’s civil union legislation into law last year, while saying that he ultimately favors marriage equality. The new law allows both same-sex and opposite-sex couples to enter into a civil union with the same state rights and responsibilities as traditional marriage. The state attorney general’s office had to send two legal teams to the courtroom – one to represent Fuddy and uphold the state civil union law, and the other to represent the governor. James Walther, spokesman for the attorney general’s office, said both teams would review the decision. The Hawaii Family Forum was allowed to intervene in the case to argue that same-sex couples do not enjoy a constitutional right to marry. The group’s attorneys also moved to dismiss Gov. Abercrombie from the case, but the court denied that motion. GOVERNOR DENOUNCES RULING Abercrombie said in a statement that he disagreed with the ruling upholding existing Hawaiian law, and would join with the couples if they decide to appeal. “To refuse individuals the right to marry on the basis of sexual orientation or gender is discrimination in light of our civil unions law,” he said. “For me, this is about fairness and equality.” While this ruling seems to fly in the face of a string of federal court rulings that DOMA is unconstitutional, in fact this case involves a different legal issue, and it could be compatible with at least some antiDOMA arguments. The Hawaiian plaintiffs are claiming an affirmative right to marry so they and their partners can obtain specific benefits.
Hawaii Governor Neil Abercrombie
The DOMA cases that have been adjudicated so far have said that the federal government may not prevent same-sex couples from marrying or enjoying the rights and benefits of marriage when competent state authorities have already conferred those rights. In other words, if the state of Massachusetts, for example, allows same-sex couples to be married, the federal government may
not deny them the rights and benefits of marriage merely because they are same-sex, rather than opposite-sex, couples. That claim is compatible with Kay’s ruling that legislative action is the correct method to establish marriage rights, and it means that even if DOMA is ultimately overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court, same-sex couples may still face a state-bystate fight for equal marriage rights.
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Seattle Gay News
August 10, 2012
Celebrating 39 Years!
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HRC gives Murray and McDermott perfect score on LGBT issues
Republicans score consistently low in new ratings by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer U.S. Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) and Seattle’s veteran congressman, Rep. Jim McDermott (D-7th Dist.), both earned a 100% rating on HRC’s new congressional scorecard. The ratings were released August 3. HRC rated members of Congress based on their votes, sponsorship, or co-sponsorship of 13 key bills affecting the LGBT community. In July Murray tied for first place with Sen. Daniel Akaka (D-Hawaii) and Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) in a list of pro-LGBT Senators released by ThinkProgress.org. As part of the Senate’s Democratic leadership team and chair of the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, Murray played a key role in repealing the Pentagon’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” rule. In April she met with local Gay and Lesbian veterans to discuss ongoing problems in dealing with the Department of Veterans Affairs after repeal of DADT.
“I am very proud to be an advocate and supporter in the fight for equal rights,” Murray told SGN in an e-mail. “We’ve had some important victories in Congress for the LGBT community, but we all know there is much more work ahead both here at home and across the country. I look forward to continuing to build on this progress and am grateful for the tireless work of those who have dedicated their lives to this cause.” McDermott has been a co-sponsor of every important piece of pro-LGBT legislation to be introduced in recent years, including DADT repeal and a bill to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA). He was also prime sponsor of a bill to equalize the federal tax burden for same-sex couples. Washington’s other U.S. Senator, Democrat Maria Cantwell, earned a 96% rating. Democratic Rep. Adam Smith, whose 9th District now includes most of Seattle south of Madison Street, got 97%. Reps. Rick Larson (D-2nd Dist.) and Norm Dicks (D-6th Dist.) both earned 94% ratings.
Transgenderism more likely in military, study finds
by Shaun Knittel SGN Associate Editor Last month, a writer at Courthouse News Service, a nationwide news service for lawyers and the news media based in Pasadena, California, wrote a controversial report saying biologically male U.S. veterans were twice as likely as their civilian counterparts to identify as female. Adam Klasfeld spoke with George Brown, a former military psychologist, about the soon-to-be published study of more than five million service members. No information has been released indicating whether the subjects of the study sought sex-reassignment surgery or more generally disassociate with the sex of their birth. The study is a follow-up to Brown’s 1988 paper, “Transsexuals in the Military: Flight
Into Hypermasculinity,” which relied on interviews with 11 service members who identify as male-to-female Transgender. “A striking similarity was noted in the histories of nearly all of the military gender dysphorics,” the 1988 study states. “They joined the service, in their words, ‘to become a real man.’” “Flight Into Hypermasculinity” speculated that enlistment statistics could bear out the theory that male-to-female Transgender persons might enlist as a way of “purging the feminine self.” “Current military policies, in association with the proposed hypermasculine phase of Transsexual development, may actually result in a higher prevalence of Transsexualism in the military than in the civilian population,” the 1988 study theorized. Brown, a veteran himself with 12 years of
Representative Jim McDermott (l) and Senator Patty Murray
LOW MARKS FOR GOP Washington’s Republican members of Congress did not fare so well, however. Rep. Dave Reichert (R-8th Dist.) scored a 40% rating. Reichert follows the Republican Party line on most social issues, but he did vote for DADT repeal. He has not revealed how he might vote on other pro-LGBT legislation if Republican House leaders were to allow it to come to the floor. Reps. Doc Hastings (R-4th Dist.) and
Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-5th Dist.), on the other hand, have been quite open about their hostility to the LGBT community. Both earned HRC ratings of zero. Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler (R-3rd Dist.), who was first elected in 2010, was not rated. The First Congressional District currently does not have a congressional representative, since Jay Inslee resigned to run for governor. The scorecard can be accessed online at www.hrc.org.
service in the U.S. Air Force and 13 years in the Department of Veterans Affairs, told CNS that his new research backs his 24-year-old hypothesis. “I have data from a study I did in VA that demonstrates a prevalence double that in the nonmilitary population,” Brown wrote CNS in an email. “It is unpublished data, pending presentation in San Francisco in the fall. It totally supports my 1988 work. The denominator in the study is over five million veterans. So, I am now confident that my early theory was correct.” Brown, who has 118 scientific papers and abstracts under his belt, added that professional ethics prevent him from describing the study’s data in further detail before its public presentation. In his 1988 research, Brown cited figures from Laura Giat Roberto in Archives of Sexual Behavior that said Transsexualism among males has an incidence of between one in 37,000 and one in 100,000. It is unclear at this point in time where Brown compiled his latest data. Brown currently sits on the board of the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH), which publishes the Standards of Care for Gender Identity Disorders recommended by the American Psychological Association. Aaron Belkin, director of the Palm Center, a UCLA-affiliated research institute studying sexual minorities in the military, said he believes Brown’s new study could make Transgender soldiers more visible to the public. “People who oppose Transgender rights and LGBT rights more broadly would have you believe that there’s no such thing as Transgender troops,” Belkin said. Belkin added that he was struck in particular by the fact that Brown’s “path-breaking” study revealed that Transgender soldiers often volunteer for the most dangerous missions. “Warrior identity and military masculinity are so revered in this society that people will do whatever it takes, including dying, to prove that they are ‘real men,’” he said. “The fact that many [male-to-female] Transgender individuals join the military to prove that they are ‘real men’ is a sad testament to the culture’s idealization of warrior
masculinity.” Belkin advocates for the military to repeal its ban on Transgender enlistment based on principle, not numbers. “Transgender troops should be allowed to serve because that’s what’s good for the military, and that’s what’s democratic, not because they join at higher or lower rates,” Belkin said. Eileen Lainez, a spokeswoman for the Pentagon, declined to comment on the findings of the unreleased study or speculate about how it could affect military policy. Instead, she stated the Department of Defense’s position on Transgender service members. “DoD regulations don’t allow Transgender individuals to serve in the military, based upon medical standards for military service,” Lainez said. Scientists outside the United States are studying how Transgender individuals have acclimated to militaries that no longer ban sexual and gender minorities, such as those in Canada, Israel, Spain, and Thailand. A Canadian court struck down all military barriers against sexual and gender minorities in 1992 when challenged by intelligence officer Michelle Douglas, who was fired from the Special Investigations Unit for being a Lesbian. Defense attorneys for Bradley Manning, the suspected source of the biggest intelligence leak in U.S. history, have argued that policies barring Transgender troops took a toll on their client’s mental health. At the Article 32 hearing, the military equivalent of a grand jury, an army investigator said Manning read about female facial reconstructive surgery and explored a female persona, “Breanna,” on the Internet. Defense attorneys say that the military’s isolating policies led Manning to attack a superior officer and destroy military property. Despite this line of argument, Manning’s lawyers frame his alleged decision to disclose classified information as a matter of conscience, in informing the public about U.S. diplomacy and warfare through WikiLeaks. For now, Manning reportedly has told his lawyers and the public to refer to him as male.
Come meet Tim and Matt and join the family.
Go 1605 12th Avenue at Pine, Seattle (In liquor store parking garage.) Seattle Storm! 206-838-6027 or 206-898-4306
Visit us online www.sgn.org
August 10, 2012
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Goodwill ambassadors
Matthew Shepard’s parents to visit six European embassies and consulates by Shaun Knittel SGN Associate Editor The Matthew Shepard Foundation announced this week that Judy and Dennis Shepard, Matthew’s parents, will visit U.S. embassies and consulates in six European countries beginning later this month. The upcoming trip is a unique opportunity for the Shepards to share the story of Matthew’s murder, their tireless advocacy for the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act, and the continued work of the Foundation to promote acceptance and encourage respect for human dignity for all. It has been a priority of the U.S. State Department under the leadership of Secretary Hillary Clinton to advocate for greater LGBT dignity and equality around the globe. “Judy and Dennis will advance that work as they meet local LGBT leaders to help build a core group of parents and families of LGBT individuals to act as straight allies,” said Matthew Shepard Foundation officials in an August 9 media release. “They will also meet with local press, government
officials, Foreign Service Officers, and educators in the cities with embassies or consulates, as well as smaller surrounding communities.” The Shepards will begin their trip in late August in Brussels, Belgium. They will then travel to Warsaw, Poland, a country that, unlike the U.S., allows Gay and Bisexual men to donate blood. Judy and Dennis will also visit Riga, Latvia, where LGBT people do not enjoy protection from discrimination in any aspect of life other than employment. Tallinn, Estonia, is the next planned stop. Estonia’s first LGBT center, where the couple will be speaking, opened only last year. The Shepards will also speak at Tallinn University, where they plan to discuss cooperation between LGBT activists and academic researchers, a topic of special interest to the university. From there, they will travel to Budapest, Hungary, where a newly adopted national constitution includes a ban on marriage equality. Judy Shepard The 27-day tour will end in Munich, Germany, where the Constitutional Court Judy and Dennis say they are excited to might never have heard Matthew’s story. By has just ordered that same-sex couples be communicate the foundation’s message of sharing it, they hope to help energize LGBT treated the same under tax law as married “Replacing Hate with Understanding, Com- leaders in countries where the struggle for straight couples. passion, and Acceptance” with people who equality is just beginning.
Defining domestic violence Researchers develop new metric, explore possible link to HIV infection by Shaun Knittel SGN Associate Editor Gay and Bisexual men who experienced domestic violence were twice as likely to not use condoms during their last sexual encounter, according to research presented July 27 at the 19th International AIDS Conference in Washington, D.C. “What’s more,” wrote Trenton Straube in a August 1 editorial that appeared in various publications, including POZ magazine, “the research claims to provide for the first time a definition of domestic violence that is specific to Gay and Bisexual men, and this definition does include HIV-related violence.” Previous research has suggested a link between domestic violence and unprotected sex in the general population, but much of the literature – information produced by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), for example – ignores a
population at high risk for HIV: men who have sex with men (MSM). “We’re normally taking [research and data] derived from assumingly heterosexual women and applying it post hoc to MSM without any indication that it’s valid,” said Catherine Finneran, M.P.H., of Rollins School of Public Health at Emory University in Atlanta. According to Straube, “the definitions and prevalence of domestic violence among MSM vary from study to study, which makes it difficult to explore HIV risk in this context.” Finneran and her colleagues, notably Rob Stephenson, Ph.D., set out to answer the question, “What do Gay and Bisexual men conceptualize as intimate partner violence?” Specifically, the researchers created the IPV-GBM Scale, which measures intimate partner violence among Gay and Bisexual men. To create the scale, researchers held focus groups with a total of 83 MSM in Atlanta.
The men were presented with a list of actions – such as “hit you,” “damage your property,” and “call you fat” – and were asked, “Would you consider it violent if it happened to you from a male partner?” Many of the items came directly from the widely accepted Conflict Tactic Scale (CTS), but participants added other items, compiling a total of 30. Of note, participants added five HIV-related items – the standardized CTS and the CDC scale did not include HIV items. Next, researchers surveyed 1,074 Gay and Bisexual men in Atlanta (51% were nonwhite, 51% were college-educated, 27% were HIV-positive, and 10% identified as Bisexual). The survey asked the men, “If each of these 30 items happened to you from a male partner, would you consider it violence?” Researchers applied other analyses to their data to look for underlying patterns. The result, wrote Straube, was “an IPVGBM Scale of 23 items.” The items can be broken down to five unique categories (in order of prevalence): * Physical and sexual violence, such as hitting and raping, but also damaging property. This accounted for 32% of violence. * Monitoring, such as demanding access to your cell phone or repeatedly posting on your social networking pages. This accounted for 14% of violence. * Controlling, such as preventing you from seeing friends. This accounted for 5% of violence. * HIV-related violence. This included three items: “Lie to you about his status,” “Not tell you he had HIV before you had sex,” and “Intentionally transmit HIV to you.” This also accounted for 5% of violence. * Emotional violence, such as calling you fat or telling you to “act straight.” This accounted for 4% of violence. SURPRISING RESULTS To explore how the new scale compared with the standardized CTS and CDC models, researchers asked survey participants if they had experienced or perpetuated each of the 23 items in the past year. “It turns out that the CDC model captured 14% of those instances, the CTS captured 28%, and the IPV-GBM Scale captured 46%,” reported Straube. Finally, the researchers looked at the link between IPV and HIV risk, which they
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measured as having unprotected anal intercourse. “We found that men who reported any experience of IPV in the last year were about twice as likely to have not used a condom the last time they had sex,” Finneran said. She noted that the CTS and CDC definitions of IPV were not associated with unsafe sex among MSM and that, based on other research, such an association is expected to exist. “The new scale,” Finneran concluded, captures a higher prevalence of domestic violence and “reflects the lived realities of Gay and Bisexual men.” “But questions remain,” said Straube. After the AIDS 2012 presentation, someone inquired whether researchers asked if the condomless sex occurred between main partners or casual partners – the underlying idea being that unsafe sex between longterm partners isn’t as risky. According to Straube, Finneran said they did distinguish between the two but that the results were the same for both categories. Finneran also pointed out that about 60% of HIV infections occur from main partners, a statistic that raises questions about the true level of HIV risk among long-term couples. Another concern voiced from the audience was that defining items such as “calls me fat” as violence would pathologize Gay relationships and also maximize the research findings. In response, Finneran stressed that Gay men, not the researchers, created the definitions. But, she said, “We wanted to demonstrate that there are multiple forms of violence.” However, Straube said the biggest issue brought up “was the fact that the category of HIV-related violence only included acts that were perpetuated by HIV-positive men, and none that were done to HIV-positive men.” In other words, people with HIV were always the aggressors, never the victims. “I share that concern,” Finneran said. “I am uncomfortable with that aspect of the report’s conclusions, but I have to respect what the data says.” Other areas of HIV-related violence were brought up but not maintained in the final analysis, she said, adding that perhaps a subanalysis could shed light on the topic, as would surveying MSM outside the Atlanta area. “In short,” concluded Straube, “more research is needed.”
Celebrating 39 Years!
NORTHWEST
NEWS
compiled by Rick McKinnon SGN Staff Writer
REGISTER TO VOTE Register to vote at myvote.wa.gov. Mail-in voter registration forms can also be obtained in person at city and county public libraries and county election offices around the state. For more information on the 2012 election, visit www.vote.wa.gov. The deadline for online and mail-in voter registration as well as CHANGES OF ADDRESS and other updates is Monday, October 8. (Because Monday, October 8, is a federal holiday, if you are planning to mail in your voter registration, you are advised to mail it in no later than Saturday, October 6, before the last mailbox pick up time that day, because the post office will not be processing mail on October 8.) Because Washington State has a voteby-mail system, it is important to submit changes of address to ensure you receive your ballot in the mail. If you have not submitted a change of address by October 8, you can still vote, but you will need to pick up your ballot from your previous address or contact your county elections office for information on other voting options.) The FINAL deadline for NEW (in person only) Washington State voter registration is Monday, October 29. After October 8, the only option to register to vote in Washington State is to go in person to your county elections office. The King County Elections Office is located at 919 SW Grady Way, Renton, WA 98057. The Snohomish County Elections Office is located at 3000 Rockefeller Ave. #505, Everett, WA 98201. The Pierce County Elections Office is located at 2501 S. 35th St., Tacoma, WA 98409. For other county locations contact the Washington State Elections Office, 360902-4180. The 18-day mail-in voting period for the 2012 General Election is October 19-November 6. Ballots must be postmarked no later than Tuesday, November 6. If you mail your ballot on Tuesday, November 6, be sure to put your ballot in the mail box before that mail box’s last scheduled pick up of the day so that it is postmarked November 6. (Earlier voting is recommended.) Your county elections office can also provide you with locations where you can drop off your ballot in person. The November 6 General Election has several important candidates and issues on the ballot – including President of the United States, Governor of the State of Washington, Attorney General of the State of Washington, Referendum 74 to APPROVE Marriage Equality (LGBTQ Marriage) in Washington State, and Initiative 502 to Decriminalize Marijuana in Washington State. For more information, contact the Washington State Elections Office, 360-9024180; 800-448-4881 (voter hotline). “BOYZ IN THE WOODS” – Q-SQUARED MEN SEEKING CAMPERS LABOR DAY WEEKEND Q-Squared Men has been hosting their beloved annual Labor Day Weekend CAMP event for several years now. This year preregistration is down and they are concerned that if they don’t get enough pre-registrations by August 12, they may need to cancel this year’s event. If you’re interested in attending this year’s CAMP, please RSVP and register as soon as possible, so the QSquared Men can move forward with planning this year’s CAMP. For more information, visit www.QCamp.com. MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS OF INDIA From August 10-17, 11 a.m.-8 p.m., the Bellevue Bahai Center (16007 NE 8th St., Bellevue) presents a traveling exhibition displaying 48 musical instruments of India, with artistic interpretations of 44 instruments in a slide show format along with video of the instruments being played.
Tickets: $8 advance at brownpapertickets. com/event/258708; $10 at the door. THREE DOLLAR BILL CINEMA OUTDOOR MOVIE SERIES – “ROAD TRIP” Celebrate summer nights with four irresistible on-screen adventures at Cal Anderson Park (11th Ave. & E. Olive St., just north of E. Pine St.). Movies start at sunset (approximately 8:30 p.m.) and admission is FREE. The movies: The Wizard of Oz (August 10) The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert (August 17) Bring lawn chairs or a blanket to sit on. Hot popcorn, cold drinks, candy and other concessions will be for sale and a limited number of lawn chairs will be available for rent. Donations to Three Dollar Bill Cinema will be happily accepted. Come early to enjoy music with 12HR NOTICE DJs and the Shopping Cart Soundsystem. www.threedollarbillcinema.org.
ZOO TUNES OUTDOOR CONCERT SERIES PRESENTS MELISSA ETHERIDGE On Sunday, August 12, doors at 5 p.m., show at 6 p.m., Zoo Tunes presents An Evening With Melissa Etheridge. For more information, visit www.zoo.org/zootunes. DOG HOUSE LEATHERS HOSTS SALE TO BENEFIT WASHINGTON UNITED FOR MARRIAGE On Monday, August 13, in celebration of their 20 years together, Jeff “Daddy” Henness and Dan “Puppy” Daniels will donate 100% of today’s sales at Dog House Leathers (1312 E. Pike St.) to support Washington United for Marriage and the APPROVE Referendum 74 campaign. JEWISH FAMILY SERVICE – “THREE FLAVORS OF MARRIAGE EQUALITY: SPIRITUAL, LEGAL & PSYCHOLOGICAL” On Tuesday, August 14, from 7-8:30 p.m., Jewish Family Service (1601 16th Ave.) presents “Three Flavors of Marriage Equality: Spiritual, Legal & Psychologial.” What does the Bible say about same sex marriages? What legal rights might LGBTQ couples gain after saying their vows? What are some of the emotional benefits (and challenges) of Gay marriage? Get the scoop from Rabbi Aaron Meyer, attorney Shelly Crocker and therapist Larry Nicholas while enjoying delicious Kosher ice cream right here on Capitol Hill. RSVP to Leonid Orlov, 206-861-8784 or familylife@jfsseattle.org.
NATE GOWDY – PHOTO EXHIBITS AROUND TOWN Celebrated SGN photographer Nate Gowdy is displaying and selling his photographs around town at two locations in August! His work can be seen at The Grill on Broadway (314 Broadway E.) and Frame Central (901 E. Pike St.) in the upstairs galSEATTLE GAY & LESBIAN lery. His work “Elderly Drag Queen” was BOOK CLUB – recently selected to be published in the GOODBYE TO BERLIN leading juried photography annual in North The Seattle Gay & Lesbian Book Club America. For inquiries regarding Nate’s event and wedding photo services, he can be meets every Wednesday from 6-7:15 p.m., reached at nate.gowdy@gmail.com or 206- at Seattle Area Support Groups Community Center (303 17th Ave. E. at E. Thomas St.). 992-5857. Goodbye to Berlin by Christopher IsherTRIANGLE RECREATION CAMP – wood is the August selection. All GLBTQ folks are welcome to partici“BEACH BALL: pate in this free book club. For more inforTHE FOAM PARTY” & mation email nickdimartin@earthlink.net, “MARDI GRAS WEEKEND” Triangle Recreation Camp at Bender visit http://faculty.washington.edu/swittet/ Creek hosts LGBTQ camping all summer SGLBookClub/ or contact SASG at 206long. On Saturday, August 11, TRC hosts 322-2437; www.sasgcc.org. For discount on “Beach Ball: The Foam Party.” Labor Day cost of books, email Nick. Weekend, August 31-September 3, TRC BORDER RIDERS hosts Mardi Gras Weekend. www.camptrc. MOTORCYCLE CLUB org or on Facebook. SUMMER CAMPING The Border Riders Motorcycle Club is the NIHONMACHI NITE largest and one of the oldest Gay motorcycle IN SEATTLE On Saturday, August 11, from 4-9 p.m., clubs in North America. Founded in 1969, celebrate summer in Japantown’s shops, BRMC currently has over 70 members prirestaurants, and galleries with special marily from Washington, Oregon and Britevents, activities, and performances. Join us ish Columbia. The club provides social and on the corner of 6th Ave. S. and S. Main St. educational opportunities for our members For a list of participating business and ac- and guests interested in recreational motivities, visit www.NihonmachiNites.com. torcycle touring. Our diverse, international membership is composed of both seasoned riders and beginners, and we come from all “RING MY BELL: walks of life and professions. QUEER ARTISTS EXPLORE Border Riders hosts a short monthly Meet MARRIAGE, RELATIONSHIPS and Greet gathering on the Wednesday beAND LOVE” On Saturday, August 11, doors at 7:30 fore the third weekend of each month at p.m., show at 8 p.m., at Re-bar (1114 How- 7 p.m., at The Cuff Complex (1533 13th ell St.), The Producers’ Collective presents Ave.). The next Meet and Greet will be held a fundraising show for LGBTQ Allyship, on Wednesday, August 15. From May through October, BRMC hosts featuring a full range of artistic responses to the political climate of Marriage Equal- monthly weekend camping trips – May 18ity, relationships and love in the LGBTQ 21, June 15-17, July 20-22, August 24-26, community! Poetry, music, burlesque and September 21-23, and October 19-21. For more information, visit www.bordermore! MC’d by Aleksa Manila and starring: Laurie Cox, Cedar Adison Smith, Renten, riders.com. Cass Hodges, Yee-Shin Huang, Jack Mozie, BLACK NAIL KARAOKE Patch Avery, Jacque Larrianzar, Casey WEDNESDAY EVENINGS Connelly, Paige Rustles, Scandal from BoAT JULIA’S ON BROADWAY hemia, Betty Fish and more! Tickets: $10Black Nail Karaoke is now hosting kara$20 sliding scale. Proceeds benefit LGBTQ Allyship, a social and economic organiza- oke at Julia’s on Broadway (Broadway E. & tion in the Northwest. Allyship works on E. Thomas St.), Wednesdays, 9 p.m.-1 a.m. economic justice, family diverse policies, SEATTLE GAELS homeless youth issues and access to affordANNUAL FUNDRAISING AUCTION able health care. There will be raffle prizes On Friday, August 17, from 6:30-10:30 from local businesses supporting social justice in the LGBTQ community. Please come p.m., at Kangaroo and Kiwi Pub (2026 NW out and support social and economic justice Market St.), come join the Seattle Gaels, Seorganizing in the LGBTQ community. The attle’s only Gaelic sports club, as they raise event is wheelchair accessible. Must be 21 funds for their upcoming National Tournaand over, ID required. www.theproducer- ment trip to Philadelphia. Enjoy good company and bid on some great auction items, scollective.weebly.com
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August 10, 2012
including whitewater kayaking lessons, a cute 2-night Seattle cottage stay, and a gourmet dinner for 4. Tickets: $10-advance and $15 at the door. www.seattlegaels.com/ new/2012-seattle-gaels-auction. MEN OF ALL COLORS & CULTURES TOGETHER (MACCT) AUGUST POTLUCK SOCIAL On Saturday, August 18, starting at 4 p.m., Men of All Colors & Cultures Together will be hosting their August Potluck Social. Please call 206-923-8313 or email macctseattle@yahoo.com for more information, including location/directions. MACCT is a Gay/Bisexual multi-racial, multi-cultural organization commited to fostering supportive environments wherein racial and cultural barriers can be overcome and the goal of human equality realized. SEATTLE MEN IN LEATHER – 3RD SUNDAY BRUNCH On Sunday, August 19, at 11 a.m., at C.C. Attle’s (1701 E. Olive Way), Seattle Men in Leather invites all members of the leather community to their monthly brunch. www. seattlemeninleather.org. IMPERIAL COURT OF SEATTLE – “CAR WASH 2012” On Sunday, August 19, from noon-4 p.m., Imperial Prince 38 David Link Lake and the Imperial Court of Seattle will host “Car Wash 2012” at The Cuff (13th Ave. & E. Pine St.). This will be a very festive car wash event as only the Court of Seattle can organize, with the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, the Abbey of St. Joan, adding to the fun. Suggested donation: $10-cars. $15 trucks. LES FAERIES VERTES & GAY CITY HEALTH PROJECT – CAJUN COOKOUT FUNDRAISER On Sunday, August 19, from 2-5 p.m., on the Rooftop of the Legacy at Pratt Park Apartments (1800 S. Jackson St., just buzz “Cookie” on the call box), join Les Faeries Vertes and Gay City Health Project in celebration of summertime with Les Faeries Vertes’ annual Cajun Summer Cook Out. Enjoy Southern-style food (with vegetarian options), drinks (alcoholic and non-alcoholic), meet new people and support Gay City Health Project. Suggested donation: $15 per person. www.lesfaeriesvertes.org. SEATTLE PRIME TIMERS ANNUAL PICNIC On Sunday, August 19, at 3 p.m., at Woodland Park Shelter #5, join Seattle Prime Timers for their annual picnic. The club provides grill items, bun, condiments and soft drinks. Members bring a potluck side dish. RSVP a must by Thursday, August 16. Please indicate your preference for meat or vegetarian grill items. Call Gregry at 206-789-6778 or email info@seattleprimetimers.org. RAINBOW CITY ORCHESTRA – “SOUNDS OF THE SUMMER SEASON” On Thursday, August 23, at 7 p.m., at Wedgwood Community Church (8201 30th Ave. NE), Rainbow City Orchestra performs “Sounds of the Summer Season,” with music by Mascagni, Dvorak, Debussy, with the orchestra’s own concertmaster, Caleb Tizon, featured as a soloist in Vivaldi’s “Spring” from the Four Seasons. Tickets: FREE admission, no tickets required, but there will be a special offering taken to benefit the Wedgwood Church and their music/ piano fund. A reception with refreshments follows at 8 p.m. JAPANESE CULTURAL & COMMUNITY CENTER OF WA – “ALL THINGS JAPANESE SALE!” AUGUST 24-26 On Saturday and Sunday, August 25-26, from 10 a.m.-3 p.m., the Japanese Cultural & Community Center of Washington (1414 S. Weller St., at Rainier Ave. S.), presents their annual “All Things Japanese Sale!,” featuring an eclectic variety of quality new and used Japanese goods. A $25-$50 sneak preview will be held on Friday, August 24, from 6:30-8:30 p.m. For more information, call 206-568-7114; www.jcccw.org.
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e t o v o t RegisteR
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10 Seattle Gay News
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Celebrating 39 Years!
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August 10, 2012
Seattle Gay News 11
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Seattle Gay News 13
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Celebrating 39 Years!
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Seattle Gay News 15
NEWS
PUTIN URGES LENIENCY IN PUSSY RIOT PROTEST Russian president Vladimir Putin says Russian punk trio Pussy Riot should not face tough sentencing for their pro-Gay protest in Moscow. According to Gay Star News, the three female musicians are on trial for “hooliganism” after a video of their anti-Putin song appeared online. The women could face up to seven years in prison if they are found guilty. Maria Alekhina, Ekaterina Samutsevich, and Nadezhda Tolokonnikova were accused of “religious hatred” for singing a protest song in Moscow’s main Orthodox church. Russian authorities arrested Alekhina and Tolokonnikova on March 4 and Samutsevich on March 15, alleging they were the masked singers in the video. Putin told reporters in London on August 2, “There is nothing good in what they did [but] I don’t think they should be judged too severely.” Alekhina, Samutsevich, and Tolokonnikova performed the song “Virgin Mary Redeem Us From Putin,” which includes references to the country’s persecuted LGBT community such as “Gay pride sent to Siberia in chains.” It was one of a number of performances intended as a protest against Putin in the run-up to Russia’s presidential elections in March. The song outraged the Russian Orthodox Church in Russia, which accused Pussy Riot of blasphemy and asked for severe
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INTERNATIONAL by Scott Wittet SGN Contributing Writer AUSSIE PRIEST WANTS TO ELIMINATE ‘GAY PANIC DEFENSE’ An Australian Catholic priest’s online campaign to close a controversial legal loophole in the state of Queensland’s criminal code has received a massive boost with nearly 160,000 people signing his petition – more than 100,000 in just the last week. Father Paul Kelly began campaigning on the issue after a man was killed on the grounds of his church in 2008. The killers were acquitted of murder after one of the men claimed he had been reacting to a nonviolent sexual advance, reports Gay Star News. Using the so-called “Gay panic defense,” the offenders argued that they were so provoked by an unwanted same-sex advance that they were not in control of themselves, and should thus have murder charges downgraded to manslaughter. “I’m utterly appalled that a law that so revoltingly and openly discriminates against Gay people is still tolerated in a modern society,” Father Kelly said when launching the campaign. “While almost all other state governments have abolished similar laws, and refuse to admit evidence of nonviolent homosexual advances in murder trials, nothing has changed here.” The campaign has attracted celebrity endorsements, including from actor and comedian Stephen Fry, author Neil Gaiman, and One Tree Hill actress Sophia Bush. Malaysia Chronicle
Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak
judgment. British musicians Jarvis Cocker, Pete Townshend, Martha Wainwright, and Neil Tennant have written a public letter demanding a fair hearing for the three women. Pussy Riot has also received support from Madonna, Danny DeVito, Sting, Patti Smith, and the Red Hot Chili Peppers, among others. To see the video, search YouTube for “pussy riot punk prayer.”
MALAYSIA: LGBTs ARE ENEMIES OF ISLAM Malaysia’s LGBT community, along with “liberalism” and “pluralism,” was branded as an “enemy of Islam” by Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, speaking recently before a crowd of more than 11,000 imams and mosque committee members. “We do support human rights, but we must do so within the boundaries set by Islam,” Razak told the Malaysian Insider newspaper.
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Nadezhda Tolokonnikova of the punk band Pussy Riot gestures before a court hearing in Moscow, Russia.
Opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim agreed, noting that he did not support the rights of LGBTs and that he advocates the sanctity of marriage between a man and a woman. Many conservative Muslims are opposed to religious pluralism because of fears it could lead to other religions being given the same standing as Islam.
avoid subjectivity when deciding whether an entry or new definition deserves to be listed in accordance with linguistic standards. “But for a linguist, it’s wrong to cite personal feelings as the reason for their choices,” Yu said. Guo Yan, a 24-year-old postgraduate student in Beijing, said the Gay meaning of “tongzhi” has reached outside the sexual minority and is popular enough to be includCHINESE DICTIONARY IGNORES ed in the dictionary. COMMON WORD FOR “GAY” “The term is a smart, indigenous expresThe China Daily reports that the compil- sion to describe same-sex love in China and ers of a newly revised, authoritative Chinese it is not used in a vulgar and offensive way,” dictionary have come under fire for exclud- Guo said. ing a word commonly used to refer to the country’s growing Gay community. OXFORD CHANGES DRESS CODE The Chinese term “tongzhi,” which literTO ACCOMMODATE ally translates as “comrade” in English, has TRANS STUDENTS been widely used by Chinese LGBT to reOxford University has revised its strict acfer to themselves since the 1970s. The term ademic dress code following concerns that gained immense popularity in the 1990s it was unfair toward Transgender students, after an influential Hong Kong film direc- according to the U.K. Guardian newspaper. tor vigorously promoted its use. Now it has Under the old rules, male students were entered the popular lexicon as well. required to wear a dark suit and socks, black However, the word failed to find its way shoes, a white bow tie, and a plain white into the sixth edition of the Contemporary shirt and collar under their black gowns. Chinese Dictionary. Female students had to wear a dark skirt “We know homosexuals call each other or trousers, a white blouse, black stockings ‘tongzhi.’ But a normative dictionary won’t and shoes, and a black ribbon tied in a bow include that meaning, no matter how the at the neck. term has been informally used. That is to Under the new rules, which take effect say, we don’t want to advocate or bring at- next week, male students will be able to tention to such things,” Jiang Lansheng, a attend exams in skirts and stockings, and linguist who leads the work to revise the dic- women will have the option of wearing suits tionary, said when the book was published. and ties. Jiang’s remarks raised the eyebrows of the The revision follows a motion put forward LGBT community and activists. by the university’s Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, “‘Tongzhi’ is the most common, non- Trans, and Queer Society (LGBTQsoc) and offensive term used by our circle to refer to subsequently passed by the student union. homosexuals,” said “Nan Feng,” who has been working on an anti-AIDS campaign in NEW UGANDA LGBTI CLINIC the southwestern metropolis of Chongqing FACES OPPOSITION for 12 years. “We hope the compilers can Gay rights activists have opened Uganview the word from an impartial standpoint. da’s first clinic for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, “It’s unacceptable that the ‘Gay’ meaning Transgender, and Intersex (LGBTI) people. of ‘tongzhi’ was excluded from the dictionThe clinic, in the capital city of Kamary, a reference book written for all, simply pala, will provide testing, counseling, because of the compilers’ own preferences and treatment for HIV and other sexuand values.” ally transmitted infections. But the gov“Lin Huai,” a 22-year-old Lesbian college ernment is threatening to shut it down. student in Beijing, described Jiang’s expla“We need our own clinic because we nation as “lame.” have had health service providers, and in Although homosexuality has been in- some cases other clients at the health cencreasingly discussed by mass media in tre, attack us either because they suspect us China, the voice of the official side is rarely to be Gay or know that we are Gay,” said heard, she added. Pepe Julian Onziema, program director and Yu Haitao, an associate professor of lin- acting advocacy officer at Sexual Minoriguistics at Beijing Language and Culture ties Uganda (SMUG), a local rights group. University, said compilers cannot totally He continued, “When I was about 16,
Celebrating 39 Years!
GAY MAN RAPED IN COPENHAGEN PARK On August 2, a 22-year-old Gay man was raped while cruising in a park in Copenhagen, Denmark. The victim reported that he flirted with one of the two alleged offenders and had agreed to have sex with him in Ørstedsparken (Orsted Park) before the assault. The park is a popular cruising ground for Gay men in the Danish capital. However, he said, the men became violent and tried to strangle him, ripping off his pants and raping him, Homotropolis reports. After the assault the victim walked to a nearby store, where he contacted police and reported the rape. Police have arrested two Iranian men, aged 23 and 25, whom they believe are the perpetrators. “They were arrested after we received a tip from a witness,” Danny Rise, head of investigations, told Danish newspaper B.T. “During the preliminary interrogation they admitted having been present in the park at the time of the offense and have as such also acknowledged that the event took place.” THOUSANDS MARCH IN JERUSALEM PRIDE Up 5,000 people marched in central Jerusalem on August 2 for the city’s 10th annual LGBT Pride and Tolerance parade. Participants marched through Jerusalem’s city center without any major incidents, holding banners reading “A Decade of Marching in Jerusalem” and “Love Thy Neighbor.” The route took marchers past the spot where an ultra-Orthodox Jew stabbed three Pride participants in 2005. Speaking with Gay Star News, Elinor Sidi, director of the Jerusalem Open House NGO, said, “We had quite a typical Jerusalem mix – to our delight some brave ultraOrthodox Jews joined our march, as well as some of members of the Palestinian LGBT community of East Jerusalem.” Sidi stressed that “this was an opportunity for us to reflect on the changes that Jerusalem has undergone in the past decade. But there is still a lot of work to be done to make Jerusalem a more tolerant place for all.” Despite the fact that the march was routed away from religious areas, ultra-Orthodox Jews protested against it, albeit peacefully.
Baruch Marzel, an extreme right-wing activist, planned to march live donkeys along the parade route to draw a “connection” between LGBT people and bestiality. Organizers, however, informed the Israeli Ministry of Agriculture about the planned animal abuse, and officials prevented the donkeys from being used in the protest. The city’s “Welcome to Jerusalem” sign was painted in rainbow colors the night before the march by undercover activists. Police are investigating that incident. RUSSIAN SOCIAL NETWORK BANS GAY PARTNER STATUS Russian social network VKontakte has sparked fury after it banned a user from stating he was in a Gay relationship. A male user known only as Oleg allegedly wrote to the network’s administrators for help after being unable to select the “boyfriend” option under his relationship status. Oleg was outraged after the site refused to help him change his status. “It’s interesting to attract attention to this issue but I don’t think it will influence in any way the decision of the owners of the social network,” Russian LGBT activist Nikolai Alekseev told Gay Star News. “Russia is such a homophobic country in many ways that even the commercial companies don’t really need to become Gayfriendly to attract new users.” VKontakte press secretary Vladislav Tsypluhin has confirmed that the site is not planning to introduce same-sex relationship status. Although it is not illegal to be Gay in Russia, the country has become increasingly hostile to homosexuality, passing anti-Gay laws in several districts. Facebook launched a Gay marriage icon in July for users who have indicated that they have wed a person of the same sex. NOVEL EXPLORES GROWING UP GAY IN INDIA My Magical Palace, the debut novel by Indian-born author Kunal Mukherjee, recreates in sensuous detail the southern Indian world of 13-year-old Rahul Chatterjee, circa 1973. Rahul grows up amongst the decrepit buildings and expansive grounds of a wealthy family’s former home. The novel chronicles the year when Rahul becomes aware of his forbidden sexuality, in a society where his classmate is zapped brain-dead by electroshock therapy for sending a love letter to another boy. In a Gay Star News interview from his home in San Francisco, Mukherjee said that despite his and Rahul’s similar backgrounds, the story is not autobiographical. The only similarity, he said, is that he did grow up in a “palace” that ended up being demolished. “I wanted to bring up the theme of the loss of habitat,” he says. However, the loss of home is just one element of the book. The main theme is the loss of innocence as children grow up and start to understand the adult world and what is expected of them. “I wanted to write about the process that all children go through when they start shutting down to conform so they don’t get ostracized and bullied,” said Mukherjee. “That whole loss of innocence that happens when everyone around the child is driven by fear of disgrace.” Despite the deeply entrenched homophobia that the book describes in Indian society in the 1970s, the India of today has been very receptive to My Magical Palace. “There have been reviews or mentions in some of the most widely read newspapers,” Mukherjee said. “I had some really beautiful reviews in the Indian Express, Asian Age, and the Deccan Chronicle. They’ve been incredibly supportive for the most part and they actually got the story. “That’s the part that delighted me so much – that the mainstream media picked up this book and read it and they got it.”
Chavela Vargas, Latina Lesbian singer, dies at 93
which became her trademark. She also smoked cigars, drank heavily, and carried a pistol to her performances. “I was never afraid of anything because I never hurt anyone,” Vargas told the audience at a Mexico City tribute concert in June 2011. “I was always an old drunk.” Vargas recorded more than 80 albums, becoming a major figure in Mexico City’s mid20th century music scene. She was honored as a “distinguished citizen” of Mexico City and was awarded Spain’s Grand Cross of Isabella the Catholic. In 2007 the Latin Recording Academy gave her its lifetime achievement award. Although her favorite genre was ranchera, a folk tradition with origins in the Mexican Chavela Vargas Revolution, she performed in a number of styles. by Mike Andrew Vargas was never secretive about her afSGN Staff Writer fairs with women, but she never publicly acknowledged that she was a Lesbian until she Chavela Vargas, an open Lesbian who de- published her autobiography, Y Si Quieres fied gender stereotypes and still became one Saber de Mi Pasado (“If You Want to Know of Mexico’s most famous ranchera singers, About My Past”) at age 81. died August 5. She was 93. According to her friend and biographer, A STORIED LIFE Maria Cortina, Vargas died at a hospital in Although she had little formal education, Cuernavaca, where she had been admitted Vargas was a friend of many of Mexico’s for heart and respiratory problems. most prominent intellectuals. She was a freThousands of people turned out for her quent houseguest of painters Frida Kahlo funeral in Mexico City on August 6. Vargas’ and Diego Rivera, and was rumored to have coffin was on display in Plaza Garibaldi, had an affair with Kahlo. where she liked to drink. The coffin was Vargas was also close to the Spanish Gay draped with Vargas’ trademark red poncho. poet Federico Garcia Lorca, who was murAccording to CNN, mourners wept open- dered by fascist troops during the Spanish ly, sang her songs, and drank tequila, her fa- Civil War. Last year she released a new alvorite beverage. bum of Lorca’s poems and songs. “Not even the rain forced people to stop Vargas also became close friends with singing as they approached the coffin cov- filmmaker Pedro Almodovar, who featured ered in [Vargas’] typical red poncho,” Cor- her music in many of his films. tina said. “I don’t think there is a stage big enough “I never thought Chavela would die and in this world for Chavela,” Almodovar once when she died I was deeply saddened. But, wrote. today, I proved that Chavela will never die She also appeared in Julie Taymor’s 2002 and I am comforted.” film Frida, about her old friend, singing the eerie song “La Llorona,” (“The Weeper”) in CROSSING BOUNDARIES a hoarse but haunting voice. Vargas was born in San Joaquin de Flores, Characteristically, she wrote her own epiCosta Rica, on April 17, 1919, and emi- taph. grated to Mexico at age 14. She sang in the “Each of you remember me as you like, streets as a teenager, becoming a profes- each one say what they feel and what sional singer only when she was well into they lived with me,” she said. “I ask God her thirties. that wherever I am going, someday, you As a young woman, Vargas liked to wear will come to greet me, and I will greet all men’s clothes, including the red poncho, of you.” AFP PHOTO/STR
I went to test for HIV and I was asked to bring my partner so we could be tested and counseled together. I brought someone of my sex but we were sent away. At this clinic, we want to protect our community from such humiliation and promote health and wellness.” But Richard Nduhura, Uganda’s Minister for Health (General Duties), doesn’t agree that there is a problem. He told IRIN PlusNews that the clinic is unnecessary because despite the government’s anti-Gay stance, “We don’t discriminate and marginalize when it comes to offering health services. When people come for treatment at our health facilities, we can’t ask for their sexual orientation.” Uganda’s Minister for Ethics and Integrity, Samuel Lokodo, wants to take action against the clinic, saying that he intends to investigate the group for promoting homosexuality. “If we find out that [the clinic is] related to promoting the culture which doesn’t conform to our morals as a country, we shall instantly ban and close it,” he said. “These people are doing their operations under cover – it’s not easy to track them. However, we shall not allow any social gathering, association, infrastructure or any activities that exist to promote homosexuality.” Onziema is concerned. “Our community members know about the clinic and they access it. The media have written about it too. ... Of course we are afraid. We live in fear daily about the public because it acts ignorantly,” he said.
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Seattle Gay News 17
I’m a Patches Pal, aren’t you?
out magazine
jppatches.com
wake up to water spilling on him, courtesy of his Grandfather Clock. J.P. took delight in advising us all to say our prayers and follow the Golden Rule as if it were a shining sword. J.P. had a few cohorts. He had a girlfriend named Gertrude, as played by local actor Bob Newman. This gentleman also played Ketchikan the animal man, who would always do a do-si-do with J.P. to the strains of marching music. My mother once cornered Newman in McDonald’s. They both laughed and exchanged jokes as the day giggled around them. He towered over my five-foot, seven-inch mother. Another cool cohort of J.P.’s was Professor Weiner Van Braun. He was a short man with a goatee. His presence was announced by a million seagulls. J.P. Patches, aka Chris Wedes Another of my favorite J.P. characters was by Susan, aka Sugie I.M. Rags, a convict clad in black and white Special to the SGN stripes. I dressed up as him for Halloween in first grade. My dress was tucked into a As the morning light squeaked through black and white suit. I had a plastic baseball my “Sugar Shack,” I gazed at the television. attached to a chain on my ankle to simulate It showed the dates “1928–2012” with a my prisoner status. picture of my hero, J.P. Patches, in the back“The world is full of a thousand clowns!” ground. “Oh no, not this,” I thought. “The noted actor Jason Robards in the 1960s. world now has one less clown.” How true, I can only dreamily agree. And I grew up with J.P., a clown who lived “in now, there are only 999 clowns left. Thank the little old shack by the railroad track.” you, J.P. Patches, for making my growingJ.P. Patches was a Pacific Northwest icon. up days a little more cheery. Oh, and about His show ran from 1958 to 1981. He had that time you pulled my second-grade ponya morning show and an afternoon show. tail in the Mercer Island Tradewell parking I woke up to J.P. while he was stretched lot: How can I ever forget such a beaming across a couple of boxes. He would always time in the history of this Daily Planet?
Hudson Taylor: The power of an athlete ally
Hudson Taylor
by Dan Woog SGN Contributing Writer Hudson Taylor is not Gay. Not that there’s anything wrong with that. But three years ago, when the University of Maryland wrestler put a Human Rights Campaign sticker on his headgear, some people wondered about his sexuality. Taylor didn’t care. He was more concerned about sending a strong show of support to the Gay community. For him, the medium – sports – was an appropriate means for an important message. Taylor admits he had “zero exposure” to Gay people growing up. “I started wrestling when I was 6,” he recalls. “All my friends were other wrestlers. I didn’t think the LGBT world pertained to me.”
But in middle school he sang in a choir. At Blair Academy in New Jersey he performed in musicals and plays. “No one was out when I was there, but homophobic comments of my friends – and me – always got corrected,” he says. He lived in two worlds – “jock and thespian” – and his horizons broadened. The HRC sticker was his first act of public advocacy. It attracted plenty of attention, and in February of his senior year the Outsports website interviewed him. To Taylor’s surprise, 2,000 e-mails poured in. Many came from closeted young athletes. “It was jaw-dropping,” Taylor says. “About half of them made me cry.” For the first time, he realized the power of allies to make a difference. “If a college wrestler could get that re-
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August 10, 2012
Celebrating 39 Years!
sponse, imagine if a football coach or ath- politically and socially aware than their letic director spoke out,” he said. “They high school counterparts. It’s easier to be “active and aggressive” at the college level. could change the world.” And, he explains, the Gay, Lesbian, and Deferring law school, Taylor and his girlfriend, Lia – “my partner in everything” and Straight Education Network (GLSEN) now his wife – began planning an organi- sponsors a “Changing the Game” project at zation called Athlete Ally. Taylor accepted the K-12 level. “Pat Griffin and her group attorney Fred Raffetto’s offer of help, and have done a fantastic job,” he says. In the coming year, Taylor hopes to enasked if he could do the work pro bono. Hesitantly, Raffetto approached his firm, courage teams to wear an ally symbol when Ansell Grimm & Aaron. They agreed. (Raf- they compete. The design is still in the works. He envisions something instantly fetto is now a partner there.) Taylor initially planned to create a place recognizable, like the pink ribbon that symfor allies to sign a pledge, which would give bolizes breast cancer awareness. “I come at this conversation from a very LGBT athletes hope and encouragement. The website (www.athleteally.com) does safe place,” Taylor notes. “I’m part of the that, while also offering a place for allies to athletic culture. I said stupid things when I was younger. By telling my story, I allow post personal stories. But Athlete Ally has evolved into some- others to tell theirs.” It helps that he is still involved in sports. thing far more: a resource to help allies speak out publicly and encourage others to Taylor is an assistant wrestling coach at Columbia University. He is once again living do the same. Today there are several dozen college in two worlds – this time, athletics and Gay Athlete Ally Ambassadors. They talk to advocacy. Thanks to Hudson Taylor and Athlete teams and athletic departments at their universities, asking them to sign the Athlete Ally, those two worlds are no longer mutuAlly pledge. It says: “I pledge to lead my ally exclusive. athletic community to respect and welcome Dan Woog is a journalist, educator, socall persons, regardless of their perceived or actual sexual orientation, gender identity, or cer coach, Gay activist, and author of the gender expression. Beginning right now, I Jocks series of books on Gay male athletes. will do my part to promote the best of ath- Visit his website at www.danwoog.com. He letics by making all players feel respected can be reached in care of SGN or at OutField@qsyndicate.com. on and off the field.” School newspapers, broadcast stations, and blogs cover those pledge signings, creating a snowball effect for the cause. continued from cover “Lots of student-athletes want to take a stand,” Taylor said. “They just haven’t had the government and citizens alike – to speak the tools to do it before.” So far, more than out against discrimination, harassment, and 5,000 athletes and coaches have signed the intimidation of anyone. That’s true no matAthlete Ally pledge. ter where they come from, what they beOne of the group’s biggest success sto- lieve, or whom they love,” Clinton said. ries is the University of Cincinnati, where The bill, which spurred a global outcry, 10 teams signed the pledge. Suddenly, the stalled in Parliament but has been reintroissue of LGBT athletes was in the news on duced in a watered-down form by a member campus. of Ugandan president Yoweri Museveni’s Sometimes, Taylor notes, “we get pledges party. from schools we hadn’t even reached out to. According to Reuters, the latest version This is definitely something that people are does not include the death penalty (some actalking about now.” tivists dispute this assertion), but would still There has been “literally no pushback,” outlaw the “promotion” of Gay rights and Taylor says. However, he admits, “most of would punish anyone who “funds, sponsors, the schools we’ve reached out to are in the or abets homosexuality.” Northeast.” In an effort to broaden Athlete Clinton said she raised the issue in faceAlly’s scope, he will head south – to schools to-face talks with Museveni on August 3. like Rhodes College in Memphis – this fall. Before the meeting, Clinton seemed to He’s on the road often, usually every other hint it was time for Museveni, who has been week. president of Uganda since 1986, to retire. Taylor concentrates on colleges because, “It is important for leaders to make judghe says, those athletes and coaches are more ments about how they can best support the
institutionalization of democracy,” she told the Pride event, claiming they were told an reporters. “It’s not about strong men, it’s illegal same-sex wedding was taking place. Three people were arrested, Okeowo said, about strong institutions.” including a photographer. AFRICAN GAYS: ‘WE ARE HERE’ “Can you imagine that the worst place in the world to be Gay is having Gay Pride?” activist Kasha Jacqueline Nabagesera asked an enthusiastic pre-parade rally in Entebbe. According to New Yorker reporter Alexis Okeowo, a convoy of marchers and cars adorned with rainbow flags and signs that said “African and Gay, Not a Choice” left the rally area for a parade around a lakeside park. The marchers danced, sang, and chanted “We are here,” taunting government officials who have claimed there are no Gays in Africa. “I just wish I had a switch to turn on that would make everyone who’s Gay say they are Gay,” activist Frank Mugisha told Okeowo. “Then everyone who is homophobic can realize their brothers, their sisters, and their aunts are Gay.” Okeowo reports that a woman named Claire told him, “Even if [Ethics and Integrity Minister Simon] Lokodo came today, he could not stop us.” Lokodo, a former Catholic priest, is the Ugandan official charged with suppressing LGBT rights groups. In fact, police raided
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Seattle Gay News 19
queer youth continued from cover
permanent space. “But we’re here to prove them all wrong. Together, we have already built something incredible.” ACCESSIBILITY WAS KEY From the start, organizers say, Three Wings was committed to finding a space that was fully accessible, despite the difficulty of finding such a space at an affordable rent on Capitol Hill. “Many of the potential spaces were limited by the Americans With Disabilities Act,” said Three Wings board member Emma Petersky. But the Pike and Broadway space, she said, “has a large elevator and plenty of room for people of all abilities to build a community together.” Three Wings held an open house on August 3 to show the new space to the larger community. The “We Need Queer Youth Space” campaign began in February 2010 follow-
ing Queer Youth Mutiny, a public forum in which young Queer people from the greater Seattle area identified two central needs: community organizing that is youth-positive and youth-led, and a cultural gathering space created by and for Queer youth. To help further these goals, Three Wings received a grant of $100,000 from the city of Seattle in July 2011. Three Wings is led entirely by young people from the greater Seattle area. The group’s three-pronged vision comprises cultural arts and activism; health and wellness; and research, education, and employment for Queer youth.
election
continued from cover INSLEE VS. McKENNA (GOVERNOR) Even though Democrats will probably retain control of both houses of the state legislature, they will not have the two-thirds majority necessary to override the veto of
a Republican governor. Past history has shown that having a friendly Democrat in the governor’s mansion is critical to enacting pro-LGBT legislation. Passing the Anderson-Murray LGBT Civil Rights Act in 2006, a succession of antibullying bills, and the Marriage Equality Act would not have been possible without the active support of Gov. Christine Gregoire. Democrat Jay Inslee endorsed equal marriage rights for Gay and Lesbian couples even before the state legislature passed the Marriage Equality Act. His Republican opponent does not support equality. As a congressman representing the 1st District, Inslee cosponsored all the key proLGBT legislation introduced in the House. Inslee was also a supporter of President Obama’s health care reform, which – among other advantages – allows people with preexisting conditions like HIV to get affordable insurance coverage. McKenna used his position as the state’s attorney general to join a Republican-inspired and ultimately unsuccessful lawsuit to get the new law declared unconstitutional. Despite lagging behind McKenna in early polling, Inslee picked up momentum as the primary election neared, and ultimately came out on top with 47% of the vote to McKenna’s 43%. In King County, where McKenna was a three-term County Council member, Inslee beat McKenna by 23 points, winning more than 58% of the vote to McKenna’s 35%. While Inslee’s four-point statewide advantage is not enough for him to relax and coast to November, it is significant. More Democratic-leaning voters are expected to vote in the November general election, and Obama – who remains very popular in this state – will also be on the ballot, potentially bringing even more votes to Democratic candidates. FERGUSON VS. DUNN (ATTORNEY GENERAL) In the race for attorney general, Democrat Bob Ferguson will face off against fellow King County Council member Reagan Dunn. Dunn’s mother, Jennifer (who named him in honor of Ronald Reagan) was a longtime Republican congresswoman from Bellevue. Ferguson has been a vocal supporter of LGBT rights throughout his political career. Like Ferguson, Dunn voted for a County Council resolution supporting the Marriage Equality Act, but he also offered an amend-
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ment, ultimately unsuccessful, that called for putting the issue to a statewide vote. In other words, Dunn backed the rationale behind the right-wing petition campaign challenging marriage equality, even if he did not back the petition campaign itself. Dunn has also said that pharmacists should not be required to sell so-called “morning after” contraceptives to patients with prescriptions for them. This is significant because if he is elected, he would have to pursue a case now being heard by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in which the state government argues that pharmacists must provide women equal access to contraceptives. Ferguson won almost 52% of the vote to Dunn’s 38%, with about 10% going to right-wing Christian attorney and conspiracy theorist Stephen Pidgeon. In King County, where both Ferguson and Dunn are best known, Ferguson won by 27 points, 61% to 34%. DELBENE VS. KOSTER (1ST CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT) In the dogfight to fill an open Congressional seat in the 1st District, Democrat Susan DelBene beat five other Democrats and an Independent to win a chance to face Republican John Koster in November. This is DelBene’s second run for Congress. In 2010, before district boundaries were redrawn, she lost to Dave Reichert in the 8th Congressional District. Koster is making his third run for Congress. In 2000 and 2010 he lost to Rick Larson in the old 2nd Congressional District. He has also been a Snohomish County Council member and a state legislator. In those positions Koster was uniformly hostile to the LGBT community. His 2010 campaign manger was none other than Larry Stickney, the author of Referendum 71 and the campaign manager for the losing effort to reverse the state’s domestic partnership laws. Koster also opposes abortion under any circumstances, and has advocated abolishing the federal Department of Education. The old 1st Congressional District was the seat Democrat Jay Inslee vacated to run for governor. The newly redrawn 1st District is said to lean slightly Republican. If this is true, the fact that Koster – the only Republican running in the primary – won only 44% of the vote means that he is vulnerable in November. MCCLOUD VS. SANDERS (SUPREME COURT, POSITION 9) In the race for an open seat on the state Supreme Court, judicial retread Richard Sanders – who served on the court from 1995 until he was defeated in 2010 – won
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Celebrating 39 Years!
HILTON VS. ZEIGER (25TH DISTRICT, POSITION 2) Hans Zeiger was notorious in the 2010 election, in which he won his seat in the state House, as a “reformed” homophobic blogger. An aspiring pundit, Zeiger first posted a number of anti-Gay rants on right-wing blogs like WorldNetDaily and Intellectual Conservative, and then deleted all of them when they became an issue in the campaign. At the time, he told SGN that he wrote the offensive posts when he was young and stupid, and had outgrown using such extreme language. He did not retract the political essence of the posts, however, and he would not explicitly commit to upholding existing state laws against anti-Gay discrimination. In an undistinguished first term in the legislature, Zeiger voted against marriage HAUGEN VS. BAILEY equality. (10TH DISTRICT, SENATE) His Democratic opponent, retired State Sen. Mary Margaret Haugen is in the fight Patrol officer Bill Hilton, won 43% of the of her life to keep the Senate seat she has vote to Zeiger’s 57% in a district that is held for nearly 20 years. She won only 49% thought to lean somewhat Republican. of the vote against her Republican challenger, Barbara Bailey. WALTERS VS. SCOTT Bailey is not, of course, the former Broad(39TH DISTRICT, POSITION 2) way bookstore owner of the same name, but Elizabeth Scott, the NRA and Tea Party a one-term Republican state representative. favorite who lost to openly Gay Rep. Marko The Gun Owners Action League and the Liias in the 21st District in 2010, won a spot NRA have endorsed her. on the November ballot for an open seat in While she was not in the legislature when the 39th. most of the state’s signature LGBT rights In 2010, Scott was endorsed by John laws came up for votes, Bailey was there for Koster, who has endorsed her again this the Marriage Equality Act – and voted No. year, right-wing DJ and Koch brothers opHaugen, on the other hand, voted Yes. If erative Kirby Wilbur, and Christian Right she is defeated for another term, the state’s pastor Wayne Perryman. Republicans will be one seat closer to their This year Scott has been endorsed by the goal of capturing control of the Senate and NRA, the Gun Owners Action League, the obstructing any progressive legislation. Citizens Alliance for Property Rights, Hua place on the November ballot with almost 28% of the vote. Sanders finished second to attorney Sheryl Gordon McCloud, who took almost 31% of the vote. McCloud is unusual for a Supreme Court candidate in being a former public defender rather than a prosecutor. Sanders is unusual in being a self-proclaimed libertarian with a strong aversion to individual rights – at least where the LGBT community is concerned. In the 2006 Andersen case, in which the state Supreme Court ruled that the legislature was within its rights to prohibit samesex marriage, Sanders and his colleague James Johnson wrote a concurring opinion that was even more extreme and anti-Gay than the majority opinion, authored by Justice Barbara Madsen.
man Life PAC (an anti-choice organization), and right-wing Republican state Sen. Val Stevens, also of the 39th District. Scott will face attorney Eleanor Walters, who came first in the six-person primary with about 31% of the vote. She has been endorsed by the Washington State Labor Council, a number of union locals, and Rep. Liias.
primary
continued from cover vote-getters advance to the general election (even if one wins a majority), Sawant will have an opportunity to increase her vote total in November. Pedersen’s 43rd District Senate colleague, Ed Murray, was not up for re-election this year. Rep. Laurie Jinkins (D-29) took almost 75% of the vote in her first re-election campaign, and will face Republican Steven T. Cook in November. Rep. Jim Moeller (D-49) won almost 58% of the vote against Republican Carolyn Crain, and will face her again on the November ballot. As this newspaper goes to press, Elizabeth Berns, a candidate for King County Superior Court position 25, is falling just short of the majority she needs to win election in the primary, with 49.73% of the vote in a field of three candidates. Unless her proportion of the vote increases as late ballots are counted, she will face Roger Davidheiser in November. Only Port Commissioner Rob Holland failed to advance to the November ballot in his first try for a legislative seat. Holland took less than 10% of the vote in his race for 11th District position 2.
PRO-LGBT REPUBLICANS SURVIVE In spite of threats by NOM to pour money into primary challenges against Republicans who support marriage equality, the two GOP legislators who voted for the Marriage Equality Act and were up for re-election both survived their primaries and will move on to the general election in November. Rep. Maureen Walsh (R-16) won 63.15% of the vote against fellow Republican – and equality opponent – Mary Ruth Edwards. There were no Democratic candidates for this position, so she will face Edwards again in November. Sen. Steve Litzow (D-41) had no Republican challenger, and will face off against Democrat Maureen Judge in November. Rep. Glenn Anderson (R-5), who joined Walsh in voting for marriage equality, ran for lieutenant governor as an “Independent Republican” and came in third, with almost 18% of the vote. Senators Andy Hill (R-45) and Joe Fain (R-47) were not up for re-election this year. Sen. Cheryl Pflug (R-5), the one proequality Republican who was considered vulnerable this year, decided to accept appointment to the Washington Growth Management Hearings Board rather than run for re-election. Her decision may give Democrats an opportunity to capture a long-time Republican Senate seat – Democrat Mark Mullet took almost 53% of the vote against Republican Brad Toft. Mullet and Toft will appear again on the November ballot. Pflug recently starred in a pro-marriage TV commercial sponsored by the Pride Foundation. “As a Republican, I believe in freedom,” she says in the ad, “including the freedom to marry.”
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August 10, 2012
Celebrating 39 Years!
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Seattle Gay News 23