Cyndi Lauper on Trump, #MeToo and opening for Rod Stewart on Saturday, Sept. 1st in Auburn
by MK Scott
SGN Contributing Writer
ROD STEWART WITH CYNDI LAUPER WHITE RIVER AMPHITHEATRE
September 1
Cyndi Lauper is still a legend after 35 years since her breakthrough album, She so Unusual. I last communicated with her four years ago, while she was on tour with Cher’s Dressed to Kill Tour. Now Lauper, 65 (yes,
3
First annual North Bend Film Festival preview
Programmer Jess Byers on pushing cinematic boundaries in the heart of the Pacific Northwest
by Sara Michelle Fetters
NORTH BEND FILM FESTIVAL
NORTH BEND THEATRE
August 23-26
In the shadow of Mount Rainier and deep in the heart of “Twin Peaks” country, the first-ever North Bend Film Festival opened with the West Coast Premiere
Representation matters
“Superstore” actor Nico Santos on getting to celebrate his sexuality and his culture in hit Rom-Com Crazy Rich Asians
by Sara Michelle Fetters SGN A&E Writer
Now playing
Nico Santos is having a moment. He’s about to start filming the fourth season of the hit NBC sitcom “Superstore,” his role as openly gay Asian-American employee Mateo Liwanag one of the more ground-
Kelly Macdonald pieces together a perfect performance in emotionally lithe Puzzle
It begins with a gift. For her birthday suburban housewife and mom Agnes (Kelly Macdonald) is given a 1,000 piece jigsaw puzzle, mainly because her husband Louie
see PUZZLE page 7
see NICO SANTOS page 9 see NORTH BEND page 5
by Sara Michelle Fetters SGN A&E Writer
SGN A&E Writer
CRAZY RICH ASIANS
Nico Santos in Crazy Rich Asians – Photo courtesy of Warner Bros.
Cyndi Lauper – Photo by Amber Sterling
Shirkers – Photo courtesy of North Bend Film Festival
Kelly Macdonald in Puzzle – Photo courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics
Sister Act Aug 17
The Devil Wears Prada Aug 24
To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar Aug 31
Erasure at Moore Theatre: The gayest party of the year
by MK Scott
SGN Contributing Writer
ERASURE
WORLD BE GONE TOUR
MOORE THEATRE
August 14
On Tuesday, August 14, a sold out Moore Theatre, welcomed the iconic ’80s Synthpop duo of Andy Bell and Vince Clarke, Erasure, back in Seattle after seven years. It was in October 2011, when I attended their Tomor-
row’s World Tour and met Andy Bell backstage after the show.
For the World Be Gone Tour the opening act was the duo of Reed and Caroline’s Dance/Electronic who were a perfect match for Erasure’s Synthpop style. The mostly gay, audience was instantly smitten with this duo, while I became a fan.
With a neon-lit set Bell was flanked by backup singers while Clarke was perched above him with his keyboards and occasional guitar. The neon lights would change color(s) throughout the concert for an
incredible light show.
The concert featured classic songs like “Oh L’Amour,” “Breathe,” and “Chains of Love” and new songs including “World Be Gone” and “Just a Little Love.”
More classic hits followed with “Ship of Fools,” “Victim of Love,” and “Blue Savannah.” The audience roared during the 1991 dance hit, “Love to Hate You.”
Then they performed a cover of Blondie’s “Atomic” followed by their 2009 remix version of their own “Phantom Bride.”
The finale included classics like
“Drama!,” “Sometimes,” and “Always” plus the recent, “Love You to the Sky.” “Stop!” was the last song of the concert before their encore of “A Little Respect.” Bell at 54, and Clarke (young at 58) still look good for their age with youthful energy. Seeing Erasure once will make you a fan and seeing them again will solidfy it.
MK Scott is a Seattle-based arts blogger. Check out his site at uniteseattlemag. com.
really) is teaming up with Rod Stewart and hitting the Seattle area on September 1st at the White River Amphitheatre in Auburn. After four years, Lauper opened Kinky Boots in London, and is currently writing another Broadway show. Lately Lauper has been active with the #MeToo movement and has opened up about a personal issue. I chatted with her this week by email.
MK Scott: Had the pleasure of chatting with you over 4 years ago, just before you came to town with Cher. Now you will be back with Rod Stewart. How did that come about?
Cyndi Lauper: We had a really good time that summer and when Live Nation came back to us this year and offered us another run, we both thought why not. Rod and I have so much fun touring together. We actually have a great deal in common. So that helps and we both love to perform. Our bands and crews get on great so it’s just a very positive tour and that energy is shared with audiences every night.
MK: I am shocked that you and Rod have never collaborated in music together. Is that a possibility in the future?
CL: Yea, it’s funny! We met a few times in the ’80s but really didn’t see each other again until 2016. But ya never know. Rod has a new album coming out next month called
Blood Red Roses and its really great. But maybe one day. We are just so busy with our own projects and the tour right now.
MK: You are also celebrating the 35th anniversary of your debut album, She’s So Unusual. Are you More Unusual or Less?
CL: Am I unusual?
MK: When you were here in 2014, it made our Pride so memorable with you singing “True Colors” draped in a rainbow flag. Lately you have been very vocal about the #MeToo movement and everyone was
moved by your “United” performance of “Praying” at the Grammys.
CL: It was really special to be part of Kesha’s performance at the Grammy’s and to share the stage with Andra, Bebe & Camilla. They are all amazing artists and I think for all of us to stand tall behind Kesha to show our support shows where we all are where it comes to Times Up and Me Too. We support our sisters. I support all of my sisters. Times Up!! Until we are all equal regardless of gender, race, religion we will always have strife
and chaos. I know I am sick of the cruelty and immorality and prejudice.
MK: Kinky Boots was a smash in London and now we hear you are working on the music for Working Girl – the musical. What is up with that?
CL: We are in the middle of it. Sorry, but I can’t share too much at the moment. The piece is in great shape and [I’m] super excited about it. I’m taking a break to be on the road with Rod right now, but will be back in the studio by Fall & Winter. It’s going to have it all – heart, a message, and uplifting music to make you cry, laugh and dance.
MK: As a psoriasis sufferer myself, I thank you for being a familiar face on those COSENTYX commercials. Does it work?
CL: Of course! I would not be a supporter if I didn’t believe in it. Cosentyx allows me to work. I really really suffered and since I have been on it I have been clear for 3 years.
MK: BURNING QUESTION: Trump “fired” you when you were on “Celebrity Apprentice” in 2010. What would you say to him today?
CL: Your turn’s next!
Look for Cyndi Lauper to open for Rod Stewart on Saturday, Sept. 1st at 7:30pm at the White River Amphitheatre in Auburn. Go to amphitheatreauburn.com for tickets.
MK Scott is a Seattle-based arts blogger. Check out his site at uniteseattlemag.com.
Erasure at the Moore Theatre – Photo by MK Scott
Cyndi Lauper – Photo by Amber Sterling
NORTH BEND
from cover
of Wanted director Timur Bekmambetov’s experimental social media-based dramatic thriller Profile. It concludes this Sunday night, August 26, with another West Coast Premiere, this time British filmmaker John McPhail’s lauded Christmas-themed, high school set zombie-apocalypse musical Anna and the Apocalypse. In between will be a weekend of wild cinematic events featuring shorts and features from around the globe along with a groundbreaking virtual reality experience, an outdoor hike to Rattlesnake Ridge and a “Damn Fine Coffee” Hour for festival goers to congregate and discuss everything they’ve watched (as well as all they still hope to see). Also, there will be the requisite “Twin Peaks” Tour departing the North Bend Theatre bright and early at 10am Saturday morning, host David Israel leading participants on a wild ride that will include many of these iconic hotspots brought to life in David Lynch and Mark Frost’s iconic television series.
A member of the Ridley Scott Creative Group working on virtual reality and production projects, Jess Byers is a Northwest native who also happens to moonlight as a film festival programmer who most recently helped make the Brooklyn Horror Film Festival a reality while also assisting to set the lineups for both the Hamptons International Film Festival and Nantucket Film Festival. He’s one of three programmers who helped bring the North Bend Film Festival to life. More importantly, he’s the one who decided doing so would be a terrific idea. I had the pleasure to speak briefly with Byers about this year’s festival, an event he hopes will become an annual tradition. Here are some of the highlights from our conversation:
Sara Michelle Fetters: Tell me a little bit about the impetus that got the North Bend Film Festival started this year. What was it that brought you all together to program this, work with the local community and make it a reality?
Jess Byers: So, we are a group, I guess
a collective, of festival folks and production folks based all around the U.S. and Canada. A few of us launched a film festival in Brooklyn called the Brooklyn Horror Film Festival, and that was obviously mainly based around horror films. [laughs]
About a couple years ago, or a year-anda-half ago or so, we were all just kind of sitting around and we were like, we would love to do a destination film festival. Where could we do that? Where has the best infrastructure for one? Those were the initial questions.
I’m actually from the Pacific Northwest and I was like, “Guys, there’s this amazing town. Google it.” I mean, North Bend has this amazing art-deco theater that the community supports. I knew we had to start talking to the people in the town and see if [a festival] could become a reality. That’s sort of how it started. It sort of snowballed into what it is now, which is just terrific.
Sara Michelle Fetters: It’s really great to have this kind of fun, fast film festival right in the shadow of Mount Rainier and right where “Twin Peaks” is filmed.
Jess Byers: Exactly! That is exactly what I was thinking, too.
Sara Michelle Fetters: Did you find that this ambiance made it easier to draw films, to draw filmmakers and studios to want to be a part of your fledgling festival?
Jess Byers: I definitely think that that history of such memorable shooting loca-
tions ended up being a big draw for people that don’t necessarily know Washington and all the Pacific Northwest has to offer. It certainly didn’t hurt. [laughs]
Not to sound too political, but we sort of went on a listening tour of a sort around North Bend to scope out what people thought of our idea. We went around town and talked to the folks. We got a mixture of “We love ‘Twin Peaks’” and “We hate ‘Twin Peaks’,” which we kind of anticipated. But people honestly seemed really excited about the idea of a festival. It wasn’t a tough sell at all.
Putting together this program, it was never our intention to create a David Lynch festival. Instead, it was like, why did this place inspire someone to come and shoot something so memorable Here? That was the central question. That’s what we want to tap into. We sort of built this program around what those inspirations were, what the sort of mysticism of the town already had with Mount Si, Snoqualmie Falls, all of that. We built a program around that, one that sort of reflects that mentality of the town.
But we also wanted to plug into the larger cinema community that the Northwest has to offer. Case in point, we’ve always partnered with local queer organizations, and LGBT organizations, and I’m a queer person, and I was lucky enough to be able to partner this year with Three Dollar Bill Cinema on one feature screening and
on one VR short. That was important to me. So they’re coming on board, and that’s really awesome, to be able to get into Seattle a little bit, only 40 minutes away, and try to work with the larger cinema community.
Sara Michelle Fetters: That’s fantastic. So great to hear.
When you were trying to figure out what to actually program for the festival, I think it’s interesting that there’s really only one overlap from the recent Seattle International Film Festival (the terrific My Name Is Myeisha), and the rest of these are all premieres of one sort or another, whether they be a Washington premiere or a Pacific Northwest premiere. And you’ve got some pretty big titles like the West Coast premiere of Sarah Plays a Werewolf
What was the thought process as far as trying to piece together this schedule was concerned?
Jess Byers: Well, all of us have this interest in genre film in general. So, looking through other film festival programs, and whether they’re your Sundances or Tribecas or Cannes, we were looking through those programs and looking for films that might not have been purchased right away and might not be the films that were in the dramatic competition section of those festivals. We were more concerned with looking at the films that were outside of that. What’s coming from Sundance Next or some other sort of adjacent programs hoping to find films that we wanted to build an audience around.
Having that personal interest in those sorts of genre films, I think that that’s how we were able to put together this program. Because we were reaching out to these films, and we were like, we’re putting together a program where that’s unlike any program in the country, and your film is perfect for it. It’s fun because we get to work with a few programmers at other festivals behind the curtains that would have loved to program some of these films for their festivals but knew that they didn’t have the audience for them. Because they were passing up these amazing titles we thought they would work perfectly for the audience that we’re trying to cultivate. It’s been fun.
see NORTH BEND page 13
Twede's Cafe in North Bend – Photo courtesy of North Bend Film Festival
Director Marc Turtletaub puts the dramatic pieces together with the emotionally perceptive Puzzle
by Sara Michelle Fetters
SGN A&E Writer
PUZZLE
Now playing
Marc Turtletaub is a veteran, Academy Award-nominated producer known for shepherding films as diverse as Little Miss Sunshine, Loving, Sherrybaby, Safety Not Guaranteed, Sunshine Cleaning and Louder than Bombs across the finish line. He steps behind the camera as director for the second time with Sundance Film Festival sensation Puzzle, the story of forty-something housewife and mother Agnes (Kelly Macdonald) who discovers she has a knack for putting together jigsaw puzzles. While searching for new jigsaws to challenge herself with she makes the acquaintance of championship puzzler Robert (Irrfan Khan), the pair deciding to enter into a partnership in order to compete in an upcoming competition.
Based on the Spanish film Rompecabezas and featuring a screenplay written by Owen Moverman and Polly Mann, Puzzle is a masterfully multifaceted melodrama, a coming of age tale about a woman discovering who she is and what she wants from life right at the moment she’s supposed to be on the wrong side of 40. Featuring a magnificent performance from veteran character actress Macdonald that might just be the best of her career, Turtletaub does a fine job of keeping the central narrative focused entirely on Agnes no matter what else might be happening. Perceptive and thought-provoking, this is a sublime dramatic achievement, one I’m quite likely to get a second, and maybe even a third, look at before the end of the year.
I had the pleasure to sit down with Turtletaub during his visit to the Emerald City in order to present his film to a sold-out audience during this past summer’s Seattle International Film Festival. Here are some of the highlights from our all-too-brief conversation:
Sara Michelle Fetters: Were you familiar with the Spanish film Rompecabezas before you got involved here as director?
Marc Turtletaub: No. I wasn’t. A friend sent the script for Puzzle to me after it had been adapted by Oren Moverman, but I had never seen the original. In fact, I intentionally didn’t watch the original all the way through shooting through editing, and only when I finished the film did I say, “Okay. I’ll watch it.”
Sara Michelle Fetters: I want to ask you about your reaction to the film but I have to enquire about working with Moverman. He’s such an acclaimed screenwriter and director in his own right. What was it about this script that got you excited and, at the same time, were you at all surprised he wasn’t going to direct it himself?
Marc Turtletaub: I don’t know that Oren ever thought about directing it. He adapted it, he and Polly Mann had worked [the script] long before I knew anything about it. We did some minor additional work on the screenplay after I received it, but I honestly don’t think he ever intended to direct it. So I guess that’s my way of saying I wasn’t surprised.
What drew me to it? You know, great writing is great writing, and I never thought I would want to do a movie about a woman who gets involved in jigsaw puzzles, but the script really stirred something inside of me. Of course, the movie is not just about jigsaw puzzles, it’s about Agnes and the relationships that she has. The writing was extraordinary. A story about a woman of a certain age is rare, especially for one who finds herself after the age of 40. I call [Puzzle] a coming of age story for a woman over the age of
40; I don’t say that in front of Kelly because she’s already giving me the eye when I say that. Truly, though, a story about a woman over the age of 40, who finds herself later in life, it’s so rare. One this beautifully written? About how her change ripples through the whole family? That is even more rare. It was really lovely to read.
Sara Michelle Fetters: I love that you brought that up because that was actually one of the things I was going to talk to you about. To see cinematic stories about women over 40, one that doesn’t deal with explosions or action or heists or something vaguely supernatural, it’s obscenely rare.
Marc Turtletaub: I’m not sure in our society why that is. I’m always drawn to stories about people who find their authentic self, but I think there are so few of them about complex, interesting women. There are always plenty of roles for men over the age of 40. But to find one like this, which is so well wrought for a woman over 40, it is so rare. Even last year, Three Billboards was another drama primarily centered on a woman that was a very different story, and also really powerful. But those are few and far between.
Sara Michelle Fetters: Then there is that puzzle aspect.
Marc Turtletaub: There is indeed.
Sara Michelle Fetters: You movie is titled Puzzle
Marc Turtletaub: It is.
Sara Michelle Fetters: It is about a woman who discovers she’s exceptionally good at putting together jigsaw puzzles.
Marc Turtletaub: Right.
Sara Michelle Fetters: She’s going to go to a puzzle championship. There’s all of these things happening that have to do with the puzzles. The trailer is all about the puzzles.
Marc Turtletaub: I see where this is going. [laugh]
Sara Michelle Fetters: As you’re watching the movie, though, you realize that these puzzles have just been a gigantic metaphor the whole time for what she’s going through in her life and what she’s discovering about herself. I don’t want to call it a bait and switch, but in some ways it is almost as if you set up the film as this empowering kind of puzzle sports melodrama only to discover you’ve been watching a rather intimate relationship movie
instead. As the director, how do you balance these various components so that audiences don’t feel duped?
Marc Turtletaub: Great question. I don’t think anyone has asked that before. I personally didn’t think of it as a bait and switch. The film is a character study and is about relationships. It’s just that this woman finds she has an ability to do one thing and she follows the string of that talent from her little world in Bridgeport, Connecticut all the way into Grand Central Station. Suddenly her life begins to open up. Her eyes are opened.
For me, that’s what the story’s about. It’s not a Rocky story for puzzlers. It just isn’t. That’s never what it was on the page. Then when we shot it, we didn’t feel like we needed to put our emphasis on the actual tournament itself. Yes, it’s a piece of this story, but what’s really important is what’s happening with Agnes, what’s happening with her relationship to her family and what’s going on with this new man that she’s met.
Sara Michelle Fetters: We were joking a little earlier about Kelly Macdonald, but in all seriousness I think anyone who has followed her career even in passing would recognize just how talented she is. But she’s stunning in this. It’s so refreshing to see a veteran character actress like Kelly not only get a role like this one, but in the same breath knock it so clearly out of the park. For you, as the director and as a veteran producer, to see her so at the top of her game, I would imagine there were days on the set where you just had to be beaming watching her work.
Marc Turtletaub: It makes a director’s job so much easier when you have someone like Kelly. I fell in love with her as an actress with a movie called The Girl in the Café, a small movie with Bill Nighy. I was like, who is this woman? She’s extraordinary.
I honestly didn’t remember her from Trainspotting. But you watch her in movies like No Country for Old Men and in “Boardwalk Empire” you start to connect the dots and she’s appeared in so many diverse roles. Like you said, she’s one of our great talents. I have always wanted to work with Kelly, and when I read this script it was so obviously right for her. I was fortunate to get Kelly, and also Irrfan Khan, who is another one of our great actors.
Sara Michelle Fetters: No question. He is. And both actors have such amazing
chemistry. When did you know their pairing was going to work?
Marc Turtletaub: You don’t know beforehand. For one thing, Irrfan and I had only communicated over the Internet. He lives in India, in Mumbai, of course, so while we chatted and talked and messaged about the movie he and Kelly did not work together beforehand.
But I don’t rehearse beforehand. I like to keep it alive and fresh. So we talk instead. I talk with the actors about the role, about key scenes. But Kelly and Irrfan were not in a room together but for a couple hours before we started filming. You have to trust in the quality of the performers and in the massive talent that they have. The results are on the screen.
Sara Michelle Fetters: I can see how that sort of approach could work really well as it pertains to material like this. Agnes and Robert’s initial meeting is so spontaneous. If you had rehearsed it too much, if you had spent too much time working on it, you wouldn’t feel that spontaneity. It wouldn’t feel so natural.
Marc Turtletaub: Exactly. Smart. It’s smart. That’s what it is. The very first day working with Irrfan, I looked at the way he was playing Robert. It was so interesting. I never expected that that’s how he would play the character. But that’s his genius, and one of the real gifts of being a director is you have an idea of how something will play, and then once it’s embodied by a wonderful actor, it suddenly has a life all of its own.
Sara Michelle Fetters: Both actors really do things here that I found continually surprising.
Marc Turtletaub: Nice! I’m glad you think that because it’s true. It really is.
Sara Michelle Fetters: We would be remiss if we didn’t talk about David Denman.
Marc Turtletaub: Thank you! It amazes me more people don’t ask me about him, because he’s great here as well. I love David.
Sara Michelle Fetters: That is a character that so easily could just drop into cliché or stereotype. He could have become a melodramatic drag on Agnes’ journey. What was the process like for you all to make sure that did not happen with this character, so that we understood what Agnes was going through and why she would be feeling about this as
Actors Kelly Macdonald and Irrfan Khan with Director Marc Turtletaub on the set of Puzzle – Photo courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics
she does? We don’t hate David’s character, which in many ways I find quite surprising when it comes to a story such as this one.
Marc Turtletaub: That’s lovely. Well put. I never want to demonize anyone. Louie, David’s character, is a product of the environment he grew up in. We know a little bit, we get hints about what his father was like, but it’s – the way you avoid a cliché or a stickfigure character is to begin with the casting. When I met with David and talked with him about the role it was clear that neither one of us wanted to have the husband by the heavy. We wanted to have somebody who was challenging, yes, but at the same time you also needed to feel for him. It’s like real life. The character becomes real and becomes alive. David did a beautiful job.
Sara Michelle Fetters: You have spent so much time behind the scenes as a highprofile producer of some pretty terrific films. Little Miss Sunshine Loving Safety Not Guaranteed Jack Goes Boating Sherrybaby. Not that I need to list the films you’ve worked on to you, but that’s just a handful of the notable titles you’ve had a hand in seeing complete their productions and make their way into theatres.
While this isn’t your first directorial outing, you’ve certainly spent more time as a producer than you have sitting behind a camera instruction actors and tossing back and forth ideas with the cinematographer. How do things change when you take off that producer hat and exchange it for a directorial one?
Marc Turtletaub: As a producer, there are all kinds of producers, but my producing partner, Peter Saraf and I, are creative producers. We’re very much involved in every stage of the process. From finding the original idea or material or book, whatever that might be, and being there right through the editing process. So we’re always very involved.
But the vision has to come from the director, and so you mediate your thoughts through the director. We’ve worked with a lot of great first-time directors. Safety Not Guaranteed with Colin Trevorrow is an example. Little Miss Sunshine with Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris is another. And we’ve worked with some who have far more experience, like in Loving with Jeff Nichols. A lot of the first time directors we play a much larger role in the casting and crewing, even in some of the editing process. But it’s always the director’s vision. Always.
When you direct yourself, you’re on the line. For me, the biggest thing to learn was how to stay open to good ideas from everyone because there are so many people who are so smart on a movie set. From being around movies you tend to have very smart cinematographers, script supervisor and editors, all who also own the process. So you have to be open to listening to good ideas while not losing your vision of the movie. It’s a tricky line to walk.
Sara Michelle Fetters: It seems to me that you are drawn to stories that ooze authenticity. Stories about the human experience.
Marc Turtletaub: Yes. Exactly.
Sara Michelle Fetters: Why is that? What is it about these stories that excite you?
Marc Turtletaub: It’s what draws me, stories that are grounded. I just find those the most interesting. They seem to have the most depth for me. We’ve worked on stories, which are either life-affirming in some way, or life-revealing. These stories can go to a dark place, like Sherrybaby, with Maggie Gyllenhaal, which goes to a dark place, but it’s always for a purpose. That movie, at the end of the day, it’s about a woman who is not capable of love, who has had sex abuse in her family, and it’s done in a really subtle way. We see all that was in her background. Then you realize that she can’t raise a child unless she heals herself first. It was worth going to that dark place because there’s ultimately something redeeming about it.
With these stories, I just follow in my heart. I follow in my instincts. But those are the kinds of stories that I grew up watching and that I love. Those are the stories that inspire me.
Sara Michelle Fetters: The other thing I’ve noticed, and Sherrybaby is a perfect example of this, as are Little Miss Sunshine and Loving, is that you are drawn to stories featuring strong, complicated women.
Marc Turtletaub: That’s very true. I think that’s because these stories are so underrepresented. I think I’m interested in strong people. When Kelly and I talked about [Puzzle], we both said we didn’t want to dumb Agnes down. We want to make her bright as a character, but also unaware. Just like her husband, her life has been circumscribed by her family, her church, her friends and her husband’s business. It’s all very small. She doesn’t know anything different. But just because she doesn’t know anything different, I still want to see the intelligence and the humor and the wit. It’s in the script, but it’s the way Kelly plays it. The way she described it initially, and how we talked about the character, Kelly said, “I want to let that leak out.” What she meant by that was that intelligence and humor and wit, it’s there, buried inside Agnes, and we get to see it little by little. But it’s always been there.
Sara Michelle Fetters: I wanted to just circle back around to this, and now that we’re running out of time this seems like the perfect moment. When you were finished with the film, what did you think when you watched the Spanish version?
Marc Turtletaub: It’s different. Very different. And yet it’s very good. It does its own thing. So I think it is very good in its own way. But I’m also really glad I didn’t see it beforehand. I’m glad we made a point of making our own motion picture. I wouldn’t have wanted it to cloud my process.
Sara Michelle Fetters: At the end of the day, what do you want people talking about as they exit the theatre? What do you hope is on an audience member’s mind?
Marc Turtletaub: That’s a great question. I try not to think about how people will react. I just hope that they’re touched by the film, that they laugh because there’s humor in it and they are moved by the drama. But that’s one of the things that we couldn’t anticipate is how people would be laughing out loud during the movie. We knew it was emotional and touching, that it was a great story about one woman’s journey to find herself, but we were surprised to see how people appreciated the humor. I just hope people enjoy the movie and take what they can from it.
Sara Michelle Fetters: And will you direct again?
Marc Turtletaub: I hope to. I’ve been reading nonstop. I’m not going to write my next film, but I’ve been reading nonstop and looking for just that perfect project. Hopefully, I’ll find it sometime soon.
PUZZLE continued from cover
Denman) and children Gabe (Austin Abrams) and Ziggy (Bubba Weiler) can’t think of anything better to give her. Turns out, she’s got a knack for puzzling. In fact, completing puzzles, sometimes multiple times, becomes Agnes’ passion, the pride she feels knowing she’s the best at something planting a smile on her face and putting a spring in her step neither of which have been there for quite some time.
While out searching for more puzzles she makes the acquaintance of champion puzzler Robert (Irfan Khan). He introduces her to a whole new world of competitive puzzling, instilling in her the desire to join him as his partner in a pursuit of tournament jigsaw championships. Agnes begins to come into her own like she never has before, speaking her mind to her family and forcing them to recognize her intelligence and talent whether they want to or not. For maybe the first time in her life she knows she is capable of greatness. Whether or not she and Robert end up winning a trophy, Agnes knows she can demand more from life. More importantly, she’s starting to piece together the confidence to be able to go out and get it all on her own.
A rare starring role for Macdonald, the emotionally lithe Puzzle is a fantastic showcase for the veteran character actress. She’s dazzling as Agnes, underplaying her part magnificently, allowing all of the delicate nuances of Oren Moverman (Time Out of Mind, Love & Mercy) and Polly Mann’s screenplay to come to heartbreakingly brittle life with astonishing ease. Macdonald walks through the film as if she were a caterpillar gently spinning her cocoon as she prepares to begin anew as a strong, powerfully assertive butterfly, the emotional complexities lurking at the heart of her performance simply incredible.
The rest of the movie is pretty darn good, too, director Marc Turtletaub (Gods Behaving Badly) handling things with a perceptive authority that rarely feels forced or heavyhanded. While the inherent melodrama lurking at the heart of the picture is obvious, and while not all of the pieces of this story fit nearly as well as the jigsaws Agnes and Robert put together so effortlessly, overall the emotions running through the center of this narrative are consistently pure. I found it impossible not to be caught up in this story,
especially considering just how rare it is to see a film about a forty-something woman like this one told with such restraint and attention to detail.
I think what I like most about what Turtletaub, Moverman and Mann have done is that they subtly and slyly subvert convention. The actual puzzle tournaments, while important, aren’t really what the movie is about. Those expecting some Hoosiers or Rocky -type moment of underdog euphoria have another thing coming their way. Instead, the filmmakers make certain that they are following Agnes from start to finish, reveling in her story as she learns to take charge of the moment while also coming to profound realizations in regards to her marriage to Louie. The stuff with the puzzles, it’s almost a red herring, her ability to put them together with such precision and speed entirely secondary to the massive psychological transformation that takes place with every jigsaw piece she fits into its proper place.
It must be said that Robert’s tale is entirely too obvious, and if not for Khan’s immense talent the character could have flirted with becoming insufferable. There’s a moment where he delivers a monologue that’s frustratingly unnecessary, the character spelling out for Agnes a bunch of simple truths that she and the audience have already begun to figure out without him feeling the need to mansplain them for her. Yet the heartbreaking depth of Khan’s introspective performance still resonates, the gifted actor manufacturing a threedimensional portrait of romantic loss and personal tragedy that’s breathtaking.
But this is Macdonald’s film and she is outstanding. Whether discovering ways to intellectually blossom sitting alongside Khan or verbally jousting with newfound confidence with a dumbfounded Denman, the actress delivers one of the finest performances of her career. It’s a show-stopping turn that ranks right up there with Charlize Theron (Tully), Chloë Grace Moretz (The Miseducation of Cameron Post), Matilda Lutz (Revenge), Emily Blunt (A Quiet Place), Toni Collette (Hereditary), Thomasin McKenzie (Leave No Trace), Andie MacDowell (Love After Love), Claire Foy (Unsane), Jennifer Lawrence (Red Sparrow), Juliette Binoche (Let the Sunshine In), Zoey Deutch (Flower) and Marine Vacth (Double Lover) as being one of 2018’s best, Macdonald making Puzzle a heartfelt drama worth seeing all by herself.
Kelly Macdonald in Puzzle – Photo courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics
(David
Colorfully energetic Crazy Rich Asians a charming romantic comedy
by Sara Michelle Fetters
SGN A&E Writer
CRAZY RICH ASIANS
Now
playing
New Yorker Rachel Chu (Constance Wu), a respected economics professor, has been dating the dashing Nick Young (Henry Golding) for a little over a year. With his best friend Colin (Chris Pang) about to get married to his longtime sweetheart Araminta (Sonoya Mizuno) in Singapore, Nick asks Rachel to join him, thinking this will be a perfect time to introduce her to his family, especially his overprotective mother Eleanor (Michelle Yeoh). It will also be a great opportunity for her to reconnect with her former college roommate and friend Peik Lin Goh (Awkwafina) who currently lives in Singapore, the two of them having not seen one another in ages.
As this adventure begins, turns out Nick has been keeping a giant secret from Rachel. His family is one of the richest in the world and is treated like royalty in Singapore, making him one of the most eligible bachelors on the face of the planet. Rachel is being dropped right into the center of a cultural and familial maelstrom unlike any she’s ever known before, and she’s immediately taken aback when practically every person she encounters is either judging her for being too American, showing her fake kindness because they think doing so will appease Nick or outright attempting to bust up their relationship thinking that is what Eleanor wants them to do. Through it all, the young woman goes out of her way to remain true to the values her own mother instilled in her growing up, knowing that in the end remaining her own independent woman is more important than anything else.
Based on the best-selling novel by Kevin Kwan, Crazy Rich Asians is a throwback romantic comedy featuring an eclectic mix of veteran superstars, rising young talents and recognizable character actors, all of whom are at the top of their respective games as they work in melodious tandem to bring this story to life. Directed by Step Up 2: The Streets, G.I. Joe: Retaliation and Now You See Me 2 veteran Jon M. Chu and featuring a script written by Peter Chiarelli (The Proposal ) and Adele Lim (“Life Unexpected”), the movie is a breezy good time overflowing in genuine heart and emotional vivacity. It’s a heck of a lot of fun to watch, sending me out of the theatre with a spring to my step and a grin on my face neither of which vanished until a couple of days after the screening.
This is kind of surprising considering just how predictable everything honestly is. Having never read any of Kwan’s books I can’t say how closely Chiarelli and Lim’s script sticks to the source material. What I can say is that this is as tried and true a romantic plot as any in the history of cinema. Rich man conceals his identity in order to win the love of an honest woman who loves him for who is and not because of his money, as scenarios go this isn’t a fresh one. Recalling the likes of Pretty Woman, Coming to America and, forgive me for saying this, Fifty Shades of Grey, it’s not like anything that happens will be startling to a single viewer sitting in the audience. This is a movie that does exactly what it sets out to do and does so in ways that are easy to anticipate, none of the plot’s twists and turns coming close to resembling anything remotely resembling a surprise.
Thankfully, Chu and the screenwriters put the emphasis on the characters, most specifically Rachel Chu and Eleanor Young. They are opposite ends of the same spectrum, each a confident, intelligent woman driven to do what they think is best for their respective families as well
as the people that they love yet doing so in ways that couldn’t be more different. Wu and Yeoh play these two characters magnificently, each adding layers of complexity and introspective analysis that’s superb. Golding is also wonderful, dashingly masculine in a Cary Grant meets Chow YunFat sort of way that had me swooning in my theatre seat. There’s also a wonderful supporting turn by Gemma Chan as Nick’s favorite cousin Astrid Young Teo, the multifaceted specificity of her performance achieving a heartbreaking eloquence that rises far above the maudlin inanity of the melodrama her character is unfortunately forced to deal with.
An international icon whose memorable films include the likes of Supercop with Jackie Chan, The Heroic Trio with Anita Mui and Maggie Cheung, the James Bond thriller Tomorrow Never Dies, the martial arts classic Wing Chun and the Oscar-winning sensation Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Yeoh is mesmerizing, taking what could have been a cliché and stereotypical role and transforming it into something
movingly authentic and emotionally pure. Eleanor easily could have been the villain. Instead, she’s something far more important, this eagle-eyed mother making a number of decisions, both horrible and heartfelt, in regards to her son that somehow never end up feeling callous and cruel even if their impact upon Rachel is consistently debilitating. Yeoh navigates her way through things with a determined concentration that is thrilling, the actress refusing to apologize for her character’s actions while at the same time making clear every move she makes come from a place of deep, unapologetic love for a son she only wants the best for.
The subplot involving Chan would be an aggressively insulting waste of time if not for her effectively passionate performance, and it’s the best of the various side pieces of the narrative that have precious little to do with Rachel and Nick’s romance or Eleanor’s efforts to stop it in its tracks. Most of these extraneous plot strands sadly don’t go anywhere of interest, rarely fleshing out their characters in ways that are noteworthy. All they really do is pad out the running
time and take the focus away from Rachel and Nick, and I do wish the film would have just cut most of them out entirely instead of just letting them sit there aimlessly taking up precious narrative space.
Even so, the film’s requisite makeover montage, anchored by Awkwafina and “Superstore” star Nico Santos, portraying another of Nick’s many cousins, vigorously mugging shamelessly for the camera while Wu gets to try on a series of fabulously creative ensembles, is a total hoot, while the wedding everyone is in Singapore to attend is itself an eye-popping marvel of visually imaginative excess that’s downright spectacular. Cinematographer Vanja Cernjul (Violet & Daisy) shoots things with a colorful eye for detail, things achieving an almost Technicolor-like splendor that reminded me of Douglas Sirk classics like Written on the Wind and Magnificent Obsession
A lot will be made about this being one of the few major Hollywood studioproduced films to ever receive a wide theatrical release and feature an exclusive all-Asian cast, the last motion picture to fit that description being Wayne Wang’s adaptation of Amy Tan’s The Joy Luck Club released a quarter century ago in 1993. This is a discussion that needs to be had, and much like Wonder Woman, Coco, Black Panther and A Fantastic Woman have already shown, representation both in front of and behind the camera matters. Having a movie out in the multiplex that illustrates even a small piece of the abundant diversity of the human condition is worthy of applause, and no matter what its quality the fact Crazy Rich Asians even exists in the first place is still a step in the right direction. Thankfully, Chu’s romantic comedy is a good one, and even with little nitpicks sprinkled here and there this remains one entertaining night out at the multiplex viewers of all stripes owe it to themselves to go out and see.
Michelle Yeoh, Henry Golding, and Constance Wu in Crazy Rich Asians – Photo courtesy of Warner Bros.
Constance Wu and Henry Golding in Crazy Rich Asians – Photo courtesy of Warner Bros.
breaking, and unheralded, characterizations currently to be found on network television.
Now Santos has a primary supporting role in Crazy Rich Asians, director Jon M. Chu’s (Step Up 2: The Streets) hit adaptation of Kevin Kwan’s best-selling novel. The charming romantic comedy follows AsianAmerican economics professor Rachel Chu (Constance Wu) as she journeys to Singapore with her charismatic boyfriend Nick Young (Henry Golding) only to discover he’s the child of an exceedingly wealthy family lorded over by his ferociously domineering mother Eleanor (Michelle Yeoh). Soon Rachel finds herself at the center of a gigantic media circus as all of Singapore rushes to discover who it is who has stolen Nick’s heart, all the while his mother keeps her knowing eye planted squarely upon the young woman as she tries to ascertain whether she’ll be a suitable bride for her beloved son.
Santos plays Oliver T’sien, one of Nick’s many cousins as well as someone Eleanor trusts to help ensure the Young family is seen in the best possible light. Openly gay and unapologetically flamboyant, in his limited screen time the actor is able to craft a three-dimensional character with far more depth and nuance than is initially expected. I had the pleasure of sitting down with Santos less than 24-hours before Crazy Rich Asians went into its record-breaking theatrical release and just a few days after the review embargo was lifted and critics started pumping out one ecstatically positive review after another. To say the actor was still excited and surprised by these reactions was a decided understatement.
“It is absolutely fantastic,” he happily proclaims. “This past 10, 12 days have been completely emotional and overwhelming. I wanted to be a part of this movie in any way that I could; even if I was just an extra, I would have totally done this movie. But the fact that I get to be featured in this movie in such a wonderful character, and Oliver is just such a fun character, and I get to play another sort of great queer Asian character, I’m speechless. I never thought I would have a career like this where I get to play complex, threedimensional queer Asian characters. I always thought that when I got into this business that I would have to either butch it up, which listen, I cannot do, or like play silly sidekick roles, and the fact that I’m now portraying two really great queer Asian characters is mindblowing to me.
“And this movie! It is so surreal to be part of any movie; and being at the whole premiere thing was so crazy because I watched these events growing up, right? Movie premieres. Watching people walk the red carpet. And the fact that here I was walking
that red carpet, not only for any movie, but for a movie that means so much for the culture, with all these other great Asian stars, all of this was very, very emotional. I’ve had several pinch-me moments all week. It’s just been crazy.”
It’s interesting that Santos brings up the fact that Oliver could have been relegated to being a background cartoon character, nothing more than a gay Asian stereotype utilized for cheap laughs and nothing more. But much like Mateo in “Superstore,” thanks to solid direction, some sharp writing and his authentic, emotionally astute performance, this simply does not happen. Oliver might be a supporting character, but he’s still a vital part of Rachel’s journey, the significance of that not something the actor takes for granted.
“I was a little bit surprised,” Santos admits candidly. “I guess that’s also my knee-jerk reaction or my automatic thinking. You know, when you’re a person of color or when you’re queer in this industry, it’s sort of automatic. You’ve been brainwashed to think, any role I get, or any role that I get to play or audition for are going to be these sorts of one-dimensional sidekick throwaway roles. Because we’ve all been lead to believe that that’s our lot in life or our place in the industry.
“And so to be part of this project where that isn’t the case? That’s the great thing about doing this film. Everybody is Asian. That it kind of leveled out the playing field. We get to play these characters as three-dimensional, as complex and as complete human beings. It’s so rare that we get that chance as people of color and as queer people. I was just really happy that the film turned out the way it did because it’s just a certain privilege that my two queer Asian characters that are kind of like, I don’t know, real. They’re real. I don’t take that fact lightly. I feel very lucky in my place in life right now.”
Making Oliver authentic started with the freedom director Jon M. Chu gave the actor to make the character his own. “Jon really allowed me a lot of freedom with the portrayal of the character,” he explains. “He wanted all of us [the cast] to be as comfortable in our character’s skin as we could, so for me he didn’t even really request that Oliver have a British accent. But to me, it was really important that I stayed close to the source material. I did want to portray Oliver with an accent because people of his status did – do – go to British boarding schools. Also, just the fact that Oliver is sort of like an outsider in his own family, I wanted him to sort of sound a little snobbier and posher than the rest of them because he’s always putting on airs. He’s a little pretentious.
“But we were all given a lot of freedom and that was the joy of working with Jon. He really places his trust in us and we did a lot of improvisation. Like Awkwafina and I. Those makeover scenes. He just let us go. He just let us do whatever we wanted. I’m just really happy about the process and that he placed his trust in us.”
The makeover montage in Crazy Rich Asians could have been a disaster. It could have been a cliché, an overly edited mess of schmaltzy excess and dubious stereotypes. Instead, it’s a sweet, tenderly silly marvel of a sequence, Wu, Awkwafina and Santos having an obvious blast as they each work together in tandem to give this moment its energetic life.
“It’s really about how well we all gelled off-screen,” says Santos nonchalantly. “Everybody in this movie, who’s involved in this movie, from the minute we met, we all really just bonded. I mean, not only did I bond with everybody, like all of us became one big happy family. So doing these scenes like the makeover, they came very naturally. The flow and the energy of it, everything just clicked. I honestly liked doing the makeover scene. I don’t remember most of it because I was so jet-lagged, but it didn’t matter because we were all just having so much fun. It makes a real difference when you are in a work environment or working on a set where you trust everybody, where you feel comfortable in front of everybody, and we were just able to breathe and sort of let go. I think that was the best part of being on the team.”
Part of that team was Michelle Yeoh, one of the iconic giants of Asian cinema. After all, this is a woman who stole an entire film from Jackie Chan in Supercop, at one point jumping a motorcycle onto the roof of a railcar while the train itself was speeding down the track. Couple that with memorable turns in films as diverse as The Heroic Trio, Tomorrow Never Dies, Wing Chun and the Oscar-winning classic Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, it’s impossible not to think the actor was at least initially intimidated when he first stepped onto the set with the legendary movie star.
“It was definitely intimidating at first,” he admits, “but she is the nicest, most gracious, most elegant woman I’ve ever met in my entire life. I’ve said this on several interviews, I want to be Michelle Yeoh when I grow up. She’s just amazing. The way she carries herself. It’s stunning!
“Did you see her on the red carpet for the premiere? I was like so blown away by the way she looked. She hadn’t aged a day. That Armani gown she was wearing, her hair, she’s like, not a real person. She’s a real movie star. She’s so crazy amazing.
“But she’s also such a great person. She’s so caring. I remember when we were filming the dumpling-making scene in the movie. She could tell I was a little bit nervous because I was acting alongside of her. She kind of just sort of whispered into my ear at one point and was like, just relax, just relax, you’re going to be fine. You’re doing great. I was like, oh my God! She didn’t have to do that. But that’s who she is. She’s so caring and so gracious. Just an amazing human being.
“And she’s so flawless in this movie! I love her in this movie so much. It’s so refreshing to see her in this different light, seeing her so
vulnerable in this movie. It broke my heart. She’s such an amazing actress.”
As for himself, it isn’t lost on Santos just how great a moment he is having right now. Starring in NBC’s successful sitcom “Superstar.” Playing such a vital and memorable supporting role in Crazy Rich Asians. Getting to celebrate his Asian heritage and his queer identity with such confident exuberance in both roles. The actor almost can’t help but get emotional when he takes a step back and allows himself to look at the bigger picture.
“It feels incredible,” he states bluntly, choking back tears in the process. “It feels unreal at the moment because I know we’ve been doing “Superstore” for, let’s see, we just started filming our fourth season, can you believe that? There’s not a day that goes by where I really take a moment to sort of look around and catch myself asking, ‘How did I end up here?’ It’s insane. Making it in this business is hard enough, but being able to represent the Asian and the queer community by portraying two roles that are complex queer Asian characters; people don’t get to have that! People don’t get that chance.
“After playing Mateo and after playing Oliver, I really feel like I don’t have an interest in playing straight roles now. I feel like it’s my duty to really seek out interesting queer Asian characters to be able to represent the community because you just don’t see them. You just don’t see them. I never saw myself growing up on screen. If I did, it was very stereotypical. Like I said earlier, sort of the one-dimensional throwaway roles, and it’s been such a privilege just to play these two characters because I’m able to show the rest of the world that there’s this wide spectrum to the queer community, that we’re not all the same cookie-cutter type of gay person or Asian person or gay Asian person.
“I mean, this movie has everything. It’s just a really great Rom-Com. You could really take this movie and be like ‘Crazy Rich Latinos’ or ‘Crazy Rich Black People.’ It’s just a great Rom-Com in and of itself and it just happens to be about Asians. I’m so glad that we’re getting this chance to make this movie. It’s been 25 years since The Joy Luck Club, which just seems so wild to me.
“I know that there has been a little bit of criticism for our film, that this is a movie just about Singapore or sort of like it’s perpetuating that wealthy superior minority myth. But the whole thing for me is I feel like rising tides lift all ships. This movie is going to be great for everybody. This movie is going to open up the floodgates for more stories to be told about LGBTQ people and about other Asian groups. With this movie I hope that we’re finally able to tell the Taiwanese stories and the Korean stories and the Japanese stories because there’s so much within the Asian community and within the queer community begging to be told. There are so many more stories that we could tell. This is just the beginning.”
NICO SANTOS
continued from cover
Nico Santos (l) stars in Crazy Rich Asians – Photo courtesy of Warner Bros.
NORTH BEND
Sara Michelle Fetters: Why Profile as the opening night film? What was it that attracted you to Timur Bekmambetov’s film that made you think it would make a good opener?
Jess Byers: I don’t want to speak totally on behalf of my fellow programmers, but I think all of us walking into this festival kind of sat around and were like, we want to program films that are pushing the boundaries of filmmaking. And that is a very broad spectrum, right? It could have to do with a certain type of coloring. It could have to do with a certain type of editing. It could mean just about anything. There aren’t any boundaries.
how you managed to score Anna and the Apocalypse as your closing night film. I mean, that is such a buzzy title right now, and I can’t tell you how many critics in our area are just going crazy wanting to go watch that one.
Jess Byers: Well, I’m not going to give too much away, but we are very close with the Fantastic Fest crowd, and also very close with people in the genre film industry. So we were very excited to get that one. That was one that was like, this is perfect. This is fun. It’s lighter. It’s a fun subject. I think that the audience is just going to love it.
Sara Michelle Fetters: It’s only a few days, but there’s still a lot to sift through for the average festivalgoer over these four days. For you, what are some of the under-theradar programs or titles that you’re really excited for people to get a chance to see?
Jess Byers: We partnered with local tour runner David Israel who just knows his stuff. It’s a perfect thing for us. Everyone wants to come out to North Bend and they want to see everything, especially everything “Twin Peaks,” but we aren’t from the area. I didn’t grow up there. I grew up in the Pacific Northwest, but not in North Bend. So partnering with a preexisting tour was just the right thing to do. We wanted to reach out to a local organization and work with them, people who are used to doing this tour, who are very experienced with it, who live it day-to-day. And so this is something that I think is also going to be really cool for people to experience.
Sara Michelle Fetters: The Annabel Lee Immersive Experience, which I believe you were just talking about a little bit in
With Profile, it obviously has this new way of showcasing a story. While other filmmakers are taking off with this type of format as well, which is great, I think what is especially enticing about this story justifies the techniques he utilizes to capture it is that the story he is telling is so authentically emotional. It’s based in reality. This was really fascinating for us. I think that’s why we felt like this would be a really great film to open with, because it’s serious and I think people are going to walk out of the theater feeling like their eyes have been opened to a new type of filmmaking. A new type of filmmaking.
Sara Michelle Fetters: I gotta ask about
Jess Byers: I actually work in virtual reality full-time in my day job, and I’m really excited about the virtual reality program we put together. The program is actually included for anyone who purchases a badge. And that’s awesome.
I’m also really, really looking forward to Shirkers on Saturday night. I’m curious to see how audiences take to it. But it’s just such a fascinating documentary study that’s played some other film fests. It also has an online VOD debut in fall. But I think it’s going to be a really cool one for people to see in a theater. I think they’ll love it.
Sara Michelle Fetters: And I mean, again, you’re in North Bend. It wouldn’t be
regards to VR, that just sounds fascinating to me. And then, of course, you’ve also got that Rattlesnake Ridge wilderness hike.
Jess Byers: Pretty terrific, right?
So, Annabel Lee, that experience is very close to my heart. I programmed that one personally, and it is going to be done by a performer from Sleep No More. Annabel was in Sleep No More in New York for about eight years. If you’re not familiar with it, that’s the immersive show blueprint, or at least the foundation, for a lot of immersive shows that have been created since. So with her, Annabel Lee, it’s a little complicated to explain, but basically, she’s going to be meeting people in a virtual
world called “AltspaceVR.” It’s this really cool platform where you can go in and meet other people and it’s very “Black Mirror;” very freaky but very cool.
Audience members will have the opportunity to actually go in and meet her, or her virtual avatar, in person. It’s live theater and VR. After that they’ll potentially have another experience, one that I’m not going to give too much away on. But it’s going to be really cool. They’re going to really love it.
Sara Michelle Fetters: And then the ridge hike?
Jess Byers: Well, as you know, I grew up in the Pacific Northwest, where Christmas, every day, you’re getting up and you’re going on a hike somewhere. Putting on your REI boots and whatnot. Working with North Bend, the town expressed to us that they really wanted to support our event. That they would love to have a member of the town be on the board. But what they’re really trying to promote is outdoor recreation.
Now, that’s a little bit of the opposite of being in a dark movie theater. [laughs] So what could we do to work something like that into the schedule? I think that having a hike was just a no-brainer. The Rattlesnake Ridge is a really fun hike. It’s short, and I think that everyone’s going to have a blast.
Sara Michelle Fetters: Is this a festival that you see continuing in the future? As you said, you program a number of cool film festivals around the country. But is this one that you can foresee maybe becoming an annual tradition in North Bend?
Jess Byers: Definitely. This one feels like my baby. We have to see how it goes, of course, but I think we’re going to see this one explode. I’m not letting this festival go anywhere. I think it’s going to evolve, for sure, but the bottom line is that the first year we wanted to present a program that pushes the limits of filmmaking, that pushes the limits of storytelling, and I think we’ve done that. This is something I can see evolving over time. So, yeah, I foresee this festival becoming an annual North Bend event.
Sara Michelle Fetters: You grew up in the Pacific Northwest. You know how much of a film-going community this region is. At the end of the day, what do you hope attendees take away from this experience? What do you want them to be talking about when this weekend concludes?
Jess Byers: I think that at the end of the day I really want people to feel like their creative juices are flowing. I think that every time someone makes a new film that pushes the boundaries of filmmaking, or pushes the boundaries of art, they need an audience to witness that, and they need an audience to participate as well. That’s what this festival is all about. So I think that I really, really want people to walk away saying, “I’ve never seen that before.” I want them to think that maybe what they saw was absolutely crazy. Maybe what they saw was nothing short of awesome. Most of all I want them to want to come back next year and bring back new people to experience all of this crazy awesomeness with them.
North Bend without this “Twin Peaks” tour.
Anna and the Apocalypse – Photo courtesy of North Bend Film Festival
Profile – Photo courtesy of North Bend Film Festival
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NOTE: 10-digit dialing has come to the Seattle area. The (206) area code must now be used to dial local calls. Location of meetings/events is in Seattle unless otherwise noted.
SATURDAY - August 25
Seattle Frontrunners Fun Run. 9am. Greenlake (outside Evans Pool). Every Saturday. GLBT running & walking club sponsors weekly runs, monthly potlucks, track & field activity, annual Run With Pride. (206) 4488518. www.seattlefrontrunners.org.
Positively Living Coffee Social. 9:30am-12 noon. Cupcake Royale, 1111 E Pike St. Every Saturday. Casual social get-together for the HIV community. Anthony, 206-957-1600. Sponsored by LIfelong. Rainbow Walk for LGBTQ Elders 50+ - Green Lake Walk. 12 noon-1pm. 7201 E Green Lake Dr. N. Every Saturday - Come Rain or Shine! - Meet at the Wading Pool (along the north end of the lake). Hot coffee and beautiful Rainbow umbrellas to use “just in case.” For info, call (206) 393-3400;. Wheelchair-friendly walk. Sponsored by Generations Aging With Pride. Oasis Youth Center in Tacoma - For Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender & Questioning Youth, Ages 14-25. 6pm-12 midnight. Call for location & details. Every Saturday. (253) 671-2838. www.oasisyouthcenter.org. (Also Thursdays & Fridays 4-10pm.)
Cue the Blue Democractic Candidates Fundraising Party. 7pm-midnight. Washington Hall, 153 14th Ave. Meet Dr. Kim Schrier running again Dino Rossi in the 8th District, Debra Entenman in the 47th Legislative District, Claire Wilson in the 30th Legislative District, Mona Das in the 47th Legislative District. Open bar, tray-passed appetizers, DJ until midnight AND the candidates. Cresting the blue is not for the faint of heart. Dig deep and think about who you can bring with you. Remember the feeling of waking up on November 9, 2016? Now is the time to prevent another nightmare. We have a lot of work ahead and this is a great opportunity to introduce people to the fun side of politics. Bring your lover, your mother, your houseboy, your house cat. Just get them in the door! #BLUEWAVE; #MeetTheCandidates; #PartyDown.
SUNDAY - August 26
community calendar
Center for Spiritual Living. 8:25, 9:45, 11:30am. 5801 Sand Point Way NE. Blessings & we hope to see you soon! (206) 527-8801 ext 203, www.cslseattle.org
Ravenna United Methodist Church. 8:30am “Seattle’s most dangerous Sunday school” - 9:45am Worship. 5751 33rd Ave NE. A reconciling congregation, fully inclusive and affirming of LGBTQ persons. (206) 525-7988. Seattle Unity Church. 9am & 11am Sunday Services. 200 8th Ave N. “Come join our Gay & Lesbian-friendly, spiritual family at Seattle Unity Church. Our mission is to bring love, miracles & spiritual awakening into everyday life!” (206) 622-8475; www.seattleunity.org.
Seattle Soto Zen. 9:15am Zazen Instruction, 9:30am Zazen. 101 Nickerson St, Lower Level. Follow the traditional forms of the Soto school of Zen in a spirit of warmth & inclusion. Anyone interested in meditation, whether new or experienced in Zen practice or other traditions, is welcome. (206) 323-1659, www.seattlesotozen.org Gay Men’s Bowling in Everett. 9:30am. Glacier Lanes, 9630 Evergreen Way, Everett. Every Sunday. Spectators welcome. Join us for lunch afterwards! Sponsored by the Snohomish County Gay Men’s Task Force. For info email John at johndmarsh@mac.com; www.gaysnohomish.org Tacoma First United Methodist Church. 9:30am Worship, 11am Adult Education. 423 Martin Luther King Way, Tacoma. This reconciling congregation welcomes with warm hands, warm hearts & open minds GLBT persons seeking a spiritual home. (253) 627-0129, www. fumctacoma.org
University Lutheran Church. 9:30am Worship, 10:30am Coffee Fellowship, 11am Adult Forum & Education Hour. 1604 NE 50th St. All are welcome. We choose love. (206) 525-7074. universitylutheranseattle.org
University Unitarian Church. 9:30am & 11:15am Sunday Services. (Late June-Aug 9:30am only.) 6556 35th Ave NE. Interweave is the official name for LGBTQ groups in the Unitarian-Universalist family as a common thread of identification. UUC’s Interweave group meets the first Friday every other month (Oct, Dec, Feb, April & June) usually at UUC for a potluck, a summer picnic or whatever else we might dream up. Drop in & join us. www.uuchurch.org for details.
Central Lutheran Church. 10am Worship. 1710 11th Ave (just north of E Pine St). An open & affirming church, which in Lutheran churches is called “Reconciled in Christ.” “We seek to share God’s love with all people regardless of race, age, gender or sexual orientation.” All are welcome. (206) 322-7500.
East Shore Unitarian Church. 10am Sunday Service. 12700 SE 32nd St, Bellevue. An open & affirming congregation. (425) 747-3780.
Gethsemane Lutheran Church. 10am Worship. 911
Stewart St. A downtown faith community centered in justice. An open & affirming congregation. (206) 682-3620.
Plymouth Church United Church of Christ. 10am Workship. 1217 6th Ave. Love your (LGBTQ) neighbor as yourself. (206) 622-4865, plymouthchurchseattle.org
Queen Anne United Methodist Church. 10am Worship. 1606 5th Ave W. (206) 282-4307.
Unity Church of Kent. 10am. 218 State Ave S, Kent. A welcoming congregation open to people of all races, religions, creeds & lifestyles. Join us any Sunday for an inspirational message, joyful fellowship & a fresh spiritual outlook. (253) 854-9747.
University Congregational United Church of Christ. 9am all ages education; 10am Worship. 4515 16th Ave NE. UCUCC is an open & affirming congregation. (206) 524-2322; www.universityucc.org.
Wallingford United Methodist Church. 10am Worship. 2115 N 42nd St. A progressive congregation. In 1984 Wallingford UMC became the 9th reconciling Methodist church in the U.S. (206) 547-6945 (office); (206) 2855077 (George).
All Pilgrims Christian Church. 10:30am Worship. 500 Broadway E. Come as you are. All are welcome.
A congregation of the Disciples of Christ & the United Church of Christ. (206) 322-0487, www.allpilgrims.org
St. Clement’s Episcopal Church. 10:30am Worship. 1501 32nd Ave S. Great music. Dynamic preaching. Holy communion. Encountering the transformative and unconditional love of God in Christ. Join us! www. stclementseattle.org
Seattle Sunday Bowling. 10:30am. West Seattle Bowl, 4505 39th Ave SW (at SW Oregon St). Open bowl every Sunday for the GLBT community & friends. You don’t have to worry about how you bowl! $6.50 + $3 shoe rental. (425) 785-4729.
S Bayview St. Where people of all genders and sexualities, and families of all shapes & sizes are welcome and celebrated. A welcoming and affirming community since 1987. welcometablecc.org
Emerald City Metropolitan Community Church Seattle. 11am Worship. Chapel at University Temple United Methodist Church, 1415 NE 43rd St. MCC is a progressive Christ-centered faith community committed to providing a nurturing environment for individual & community growth thru Jesus Christ while celebrating unity in diversity. MCC is Seattle’s oldest Gay-friendly church. (206) 325-2421, www.mccseattle.org.
Meditation for GBT Men. 11am-1pm. Cal Anderson House, 400 Broadway. Suitable for beginning & experienced meditators. Sponsored by Dharma Buddies. Contact Forrest Rode, (206) 920-6117, or Doug Allison, doug.l.allison@gmail.com. Find us under “Dharma Buddies” under Meetup.com or DharmaBuddies.org. (Women are invited to contact our sister meditation group at www.LotusSisters.org.)
St. Paul’s United Church of Christ. 11am Worship. 6512 12th Ave NW. An “open & affirming” congregation. “We celebrate our diversity in religious background, sexual orientation, race, age & abilities.” (206) 783-6733; www.stpauluccseattle.com.
St. Paul’s Episcopal Church. 11:15am (also 7:30am, 9am, 5pm). 15 W Roy St. We are an accepting, progressive, Anglo-Catholic parish, renewing its people for their Christian lives in today’s world through worship, spiritual formation, engagement in the arts, and acts of compassion. www.stpaulseattle.com
Holy Covenant International Christian Community Church. 12 noon. 4525 19th Ave NE. Outreach to the LGBT community. holycovenantccc@gmail.com
Just for Today (NA). 12-1:15pm. SASG, 115 15th Ave E, Suite 201. Every Sunday. Drop-in 12-step Narcotics Anonymous group open to anyone in recovery. (206) 322-2437; www.sasgcc.org
New Beginnings (SLAA). 12 noon-1pm. SASG, 115 15th Ave E #201, O’Neil Room. MEETS DAILY (except Saturday). Sex and Love Addicts Anonymous is a 12-step/12- tradition-oriented fellowship of men and women who share their experience, strength and hope to overcome sex and love patterns of addiction. (206) 322-2437; www.sasgcc.org
Paths to Recovery Al-Anon Family Group. 12-1:30pm. Seattle University Student Center, 901 12th Ave, Room 122. Every Sunday. LGBTQ supported. The Al-Anon Family Groups are a fellowship of relatives & friends of alcoholics who share their experience, strength & hope in order to solve their common problems. We believe alcoholism is a family illness & that changed attitudes can aid recovery. Greater Seattle AIS 24-hour number (206) 625-0000; www.seattle-al-anon.org
Rainbow Walk for LGBTQ Elders 50+ - Green Lake Walk. 12 noon-1pm. 7201 E Green Lake Dr. N. Every Sunday - Come Rain or Shine! - Meet at the Wading Pool (along the north end of the lake). Hot coffee and beautiful Rainbow umbrellas to use “just in case.” For info, call (206) 393-3400;. Wheelchair-friendly walk. Sponsored by Generations Aging With Pride.
No Safeword Writers Group. 1pm. See website for location. Meets 2nd & 4th Sunday each month. NSWG exists to provide mutual support for members’ efforts. Support is in the form of critique & commentary on each other’s work, information about publishing opportunities, & discussion of issues facing writers. NSWG’s primary focus is erotic writing - but they welcome anyone who writes. The only requirements are to write, to attend, & to be respectful. For info & location, www.nosafewordwritersgroup.org
Seattle Prime Timers Rap Group. 1:30-3pm. SASG, 115 15th Ave E #201. Meets 4th Sunday each month in the Ian MacKintosh Room. This month’s topic: What is the Key to Your Survival? www.seattleprimetimers.org Rain City Soccer Club - Kickabout. Sunday afternoon usually at 3pm. Location varies. Join us for Seattle’s mostly-weekly mostly-LGBTQ pickup soccer game. We play an organized, 2-hour scrimmage on nice fieldturf surface. Sometimes there is a brief training/practice session before we play. Usually there is a “one-beer” after the scrimmage. To sign up visit www.raincitysoccer.org Shame to Grace (SAA). 6-7:30pm. SASG, 115 15th Ave E, Suite 201. Every Sunday. Sex Addicts Anonymous is a fellowship of men & women who share their experience, strength & hope with each other so they may overcome their sexual addiction & help others recover from sexual addiction or dependency. Seattle SAA helpline (206) 237-8828, SAA International Service Organization 1-800-477-8191. (206) 322-2437; www.sasgcc.org Integrity/Puget Sound. 7pm Worship & Fellowship. St. Mark’s Cathedral, Thomson Chapel, 1245 10th Ave E. Integrity is an international ministry of Gay & Lesbian Episcopalians, their friends & families, dedicated to education, support & service within the Church & the GLBT community. (425) 226-2746. Noche Latina - Latino Night. 10pm. Capitol Lounge, 916 E Pike St. Every Sunday. Go-go dancers at 10:30pm; drag show at midnight. 21+ ID required. $10 cover. Co-sponsored by Entre Hermanos.
MONDAY - August 27
Rainbow Walk for LGBTQ Elders 50+ - Volunteer Park Walk. 12 noon-1pm. 14th Ave E & E Prospect St. Every Monday - Come Rain or Shine! - Meet at Black Sun sculpture across from museum. Hot coffee and beautiful Rainbow umbrellas to use “just in case.” For info, call (206) 393-3400;. Sponsored by Generations Aging With Pride.
SLAA New Beginnings: 12 Steps of SLAA. 12-1pm. SASG, 115 15th Ave E, Suite 201, in the O’Neill Room. Every Monday. SLAA step-study meeting starting with Step One in “A Gentle Path.” The meeting is open to anyone interested in doing 12-step work. No matter where you are in the steps, or if you haven’t begun, feel free to join us. Books, paper, and pens provided. You need only bring your willingness to grow!
SOBER On Meds. 1-2pm. SASG, 115 15th Ave E, Suite 201. Every Monday. 12-step group open to anyone in recovery & living on a medicine regimen. (206) 3222437; www.sasgcc.org Strength Over Speed (SOS). 2-3:30pm. SASG, 115 15th Ave E, Suite 201. Peer support for Gay and Bisexual men recovering from crystal meth addiction. www.strengthoverspeed.org. (206) 322-2437; www. sasgcc.org
Freely Speaking Toastmasters. 7pm. Seattle Unity Church, 200 8th Ave N. Every Monday (except holidays & the last Mondays in August & December). Seattle’s only LGBT speaking club. www.FreelySpeaking.org Lotus Sisters South Seattle/Columbia City Meditation & Dharma Discussion. Gather at 6:45pm; sit at 7pm. Meets 4th Monday each month. Short presentation with discussion to follow. Oriented to LBTQ sisters. Email us or call (206) 550-5587 for details and location; www. LotusSisters.org. (Wheelchair accessible.)
PFLAG/South King County Monthly Meeting. 7pm. Unitarian Universalist Church, 25701 14th Pl S, Kent Meets 4th Monday each month. Parents & Friends of Lesbians & Gays is a national support organization for parents, spouses & families of GLBT persons, as well as those sexual minorities. PFLAG/Puget Sound: (206) 325-7724.
Trans Youth Group. 7-8:30pm. Lambert House, 1818 15th Ave. Every Monday. A chance for youth to talk with others about their experiences & concerns related to identifying as Transgender. www.lamberthouse.org Lambert House Art Night. 7:30-9:30pm. 1818 15th Ave. Every Monday. Bring your ideas & let’s have some fun. (206) 322-2515, www.lamberthouse.org
Destiny/Unity AA Meeting in Tacoma 7:30-8:30pm. Christ Episcopal Church, 310 N “K” St, Tacoma. Every Monday. LGBTQ-friendly AA meeting. (253) 474-8897. (Also meets Fridays.)
Washington Gender Alliance Support Group Meeting in Shoreline 7:30pm. Center for Human Services, 17018 15th Ave NE, Shoreline. Every Monday. www. washingtongenderalliance.com
TUESDAY - August 28
LGBTQ+ Group. 1:15-2:15pm. Orion Center, 1828 Yale Ave. Every Tuesday. A group for LGBTQ youth ages 13-24 & their allies. Sponsored by Youthcare. (206) 622-5555.
Rainbow Walk for LGBTQ Elders 50+ - Alki Beach Walk. 2-3pm. 61st Ave SW & Alki Ave SW. Every Tuesday - Come Rain or Shine! - Meet at Statue of Liberty statue. Hot coffee and beautiful Rainbow umbrellas to use “just in case.” For info, call ((206) 393-3400;. Wheelchair-friendly walk. Sponsored by Generations Aging With Pride.
1963 March On Washington Commemoration. 5:30pm March; 6pm Rally and Bell Tolling; 7pm Program. Stand in solidarity with communities of color on the 55th anniversary of this historic event. March begins at E Union & Rev. Dr. S. McKinney Ave (formerly 19th Ave), proceeding north to Mt. Zion Baptist Church, where a ceremony and program will call attention to issues that affect African Americans and other people of color in our community, including the restoration of affirmative action in Washington via I-1000 and support for protesting NFL players. The Seattle City Council will issue a proclamation that MLK Jr. Park will be renamed the MLK Jr. Civil Rights Memorial Park, to honor deceased local, national, and international civil rights leaders. For more information visit the Church Council of Greater Seattle website, www.thechurchcouncil.org.
LGBTQ Questioning & Allied Youth Drop-in Group in Renton 6-8pm. Renton Area Youth Services (RAYS), 1025 S 3rd St, Renton. Every Tuesday. Confidential. Snacks provided. Bring friends or come alone - anyone 12-18 is welcome. Questions? Call Sarah Hardin, (425) 271-5600 ext 155, or email sarahh@rays.org
Strength Over Speed (SOS). 6-7:30pm. SASG, 115 15th Ave E, Suite 201. Peer support for Gay and Bisexual men recovering from crystal meth addiction. www.strengthoverspeed.org. (206) 322-2437; www. sasgcc.org
ALISS - Aging Lesbians in South Seattle Evening Gathering. 6:30-8pm. Southeast Seattle Senior Center, 4655 S Holly St, Rainier Ave S & S Holly St., Social Hall. Meets 2nd & 4th Tuesday each month. This is a group primarily for Lesbians but all are welcome to attend.
Facilitator: Fai Coffin; Cost: FREE. Metro route 7. Wheelchair accessible. Kate, (206) 722-0317; www.sessc.org.
Diverse Harmony. 6:30-9pm. Seattle First Baptist Church, 1111 Harvard Ave. Every Tuesday. Diverse Harmony is the nation’s first Gay/Straight Alliance Youth Chorus. Youth ages 13-22 are welcome regardless of sexual orientation. www.diverseharmony.org
LGBTQ MS Connection/National MS Society. 6:308pm. Swedish Conference Center, Cherry Hill Campus, James Tower, 550 17th Avenue, Room E, 1st Floor. Meets 2nd & 4th Tuesday each month. MS Connection is a support group with the goal of providing a safe environment for the LGBT community to express their experiences and the impact of MS on their lives and the lives of their loved ones, as well as provide support for one another. Contact Shelly at (206) 250-5002 or LGBTMSConnection@gmail.com.
PFLAG/North Seattle Monthly Meeting. 7-9pm. Haller Lake United Methodist Church, 13055 1st Ave NE. Meets 4th Tuesday each month. (206) 325-7724 or northseattle@pflagseattle.org. PFLAG, a national organization founded in 1972, provides support, education and advocacy for families and friends of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer persons and is committed to moving LGBTQ equality forward.
Seattle Tennis Alliance Summer Social Doubles. 6:30-8:30pm. Lower Woodland Tennis Courts, 5773 W Green Lake Way N. Most Tuesdays & Thursdays. Courts #5, 6, 7 & 8. June-August. Weather permitting. Pre-pay online if possible. seattletennisalliance.org
No Man’s Land - For Female-Identified Youth, Ages 22 & Under. 7-8:30pm. Lambert House, 1818 15th Ave. Every Tuesday. Topics range from family issues to school happenings to like/lust/love relationships. All Queer females welcome. Come discuss how smart. strong Queer women live their lives. (206) 322-2515, www.lamberthouse.org
Tuesday Night Sex Addicts Anonymous (GLBTQI). 7-8:30pm. All Pilgrims Christian Church, 500 Broadway E (enter at 509 10th Ave E; buzz in, Colonial room). Every Tuesday. SAA is a fellowship of men & women whose primary purpose is to stop addictive sexual behavior & help others recover from sexual addiction. Seattle SAA helpline (206) 237-8828. SAA International Service Organization 1-800-477-8191. Different Drummers. 7:15-8:30pm. Every Tuesday. Hand drumming classes for Gay men. It’s easy, it’s fun & anyone can do it! Learn traditional African & AfroCaribbean rhythms & basic hand drumming techniques. Experience connection, community & spirituality. Drums are provided. For info & location call Dennis at (206) 363-4500 or www.outdrum.com
Men’s Discussion Group. 7:30-9pm. SASG, 115 15th Ave E, Suite 201. Every Tuesday. Peer group for Gay & Bi men. (206) 322-2437; www.sasgcc.org Here & Now Gay & Lesbian AA Meeting in Tacoma 7:30pm. Christ Episcopal Church, 310 N “K” St, Tacoma. Every Tuesday. Spiritual Empowerment. 7:30-9pm. SASG, 115 15th Ave E, Suite 201. A vibrant drop-in workshop for those of any spiritual belief. (206) 322-2437; www.sasgcc.org
Washington Gender Alliance Open Support Meeting in Bellingham 7:30-9pm. St James Presbyterian Church, 910 14th St., Bellingham. Every Tuesday. (360) 445-2411; www.washingtongenderalliance.com. (See Wednesday listing at 7:30pm for details.) Seattle Poetry Slam. Doors 8pm, Show 8:30pm. Rebar, 1114 Howell St. Every Tuesday. A spoken word poetry event that features a weekly open mic, feature poet, and
community calendar
slam (poetry competition). Come out and express yourself. LGBTQ- & QTPOC-friendly; all genders welcome. $5. 21+. seattlepoetryslam.org
WEDNESDAY - August 29
Mature Friends Walk Around Greenlake. 11am. Meet up at 10:50am with a group of older men gathered at the north end of the parking lot that is next to the boathouse along the southwest side of Greenlake. Every Wednesday. Walk around Greenlake followed by lunch at a local restaurant. www.maturefriends.org
Rainbow Walk for LGBTQ Elders 50+ - Volunteer Park Walk. 12 noon-1pm. 14th Ave E & E Prospect St. Every Wednesday - Come Rain or Shine! - Meet at Black Sun sculpture across from museum. Hot coffee and beautiful Rainbow umbrellas to use “just in case.” For info, call (206) 393-3400;. Sponsored by Generations Aging With Pride.
True Colors: Connecting LGBTQ Teens in Shoreline 4-5pm. Every Wednesday. Discussing your important issues, building a supportive community. For information, location & to REGISTER call Lindsay Bagley (206) 362-7282 x 8018 or email lbagley@chs-nw.org
Positively Living. 5-7pm. Lifelong, 1016 E Pike St., 3rd Fl. Every Wednesday. Social and support group for the HIV community with various topics for discussion and conversation. Anthony, 206-957-1600. Sponsored by Lifelong.
GLOBE (GLBTQ Loving Ourselves, Becoming Empowered): A Support Group for GLBTQ+ Youth (14-20) serving Snohomish County & surrounding communities. 6-8pm. Phone or email for location. Every Wednesday. Sponsored by PFLAG Everett. Brenda, (425) 263-2908. globeleaders@hotmail.com
Queer Seattle Book Club. 6pm. SASG, 115 15th Ave E (upstairs). Every Wednesday. This month’s title is “My Ex-Life: A Novel” by Stephen McCauley. https://faculty. washington.edu/swittet/SGLBookClub/ Lotus Sisters Meditation & Dharma DiscussionNorth. 6:15-8pm. Ravenna Bryant neighborhood. Every Wednesday. Call (206) 525-7295 for location. www. LotusSisters.org.
Center for Spiritual Living. 6:30pm-Meditation, 7pmService. 5801 Sand Point Way NE. Blessings & we hope to see you soon! Info (206) 527-8801 ext 203, www.cslseattle.org
Seattle Frontrunners Fun Run. 6:30pm. Volunteer Park, 14th Ave E & E Prospect St. Every Wednesday. Meet at Black Sun sculpture across for museum. (See Saturday at 9am.)
Ingersoll All-Trans Drop-In Support Group. 7-9pm. Seattle Counseling Services, 1216 Pine St, Suite 300. Every Wednesday. All Transgender, Gender Variant, Gender Queer, Gender Questioning, allies, family & friends are welcome. This is a drop in group to get & give support, social interaction & information for the whole Gender community. No fee, donations welcome. www. ingersollcenter.org
Mature Friends Weekly Bridge Group. 7pm. Wallingford Community Senior Center, lower level of Good Shepherd Center, 4649 Sunnywide Ave N. Every Wednesday. All levels welcome. MF is a social organization for Gay men & women, 40 years & over. www. maturefriends.org
Washington Gender Alliance Open Support Meeting in Everett 7:30-9pm. Everett United Church of Christ, 2624 Rockefeller Ave, Everett. Every Wednesday. Trained peer facilitators lead a structured support meeting helping people deal with issues of gender identity & expression. All adults are welcomed, including those who are questioning, allies, or identify as FTM, MTF, Transgender, Queer, or Intersex, among others. (360) 445-2411; www.washingtongenderalliance.com.
THURSDAY - August 30
Safe and Sober (AA). 12 noon-1pm. SASG, 115 15th Ave E, Suite 201. Open meeting of Alcoholics Anonymous. (206) 322-2437; www.sasgcc.org
BABES Women’s Support Group/Lunch Meeting. 12 noon-2pm. Call for location. Every Thursday. The BABES Network is a peer led agency; a sisterhood of women facing HIV together. (206) 720-5566 or 888-2921912; www.babesnetwork.org.
Rainbow Walk for LGBTQ Elders 50+ - Green Lake Walk. 12 noon-1pm. 7201 E Green Lake Dr. N. Every Thursday - Come Rain or Shine! - Meet at the Wading Pool (along the north end of the lake). Hot coffee and beautiful Rainbow umbrellas to use “just in case.” For info, call (206) 393-3400;. Wheelchair-friendly walk. Sponsored by Generations Aging With Pride. Oasis Youth Center in Tacoma - For Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender & Questioning Youth, Ages 14-25. 4-10pm. Call for location & details. Every Thursday. (253) 671-2838, www.oasisyouthcenter.org (Also Fridays 4-10pm & Saturdays 6pm-12 midnight.)
Everett-Snohomish County Friendship Dinner for persons living with HIV/AIDS, their friends, and for those who want to support them. 6pm. Trinity Lutheran Church, 2324 Lombard Ave, Everett. Meets last Thursday each month. For further information, please call 360-202-3978. Sponsored by AIDS Project Snohomish County (APSC) and Gay Men’s Task Force.
B-GLAD (Bisexual, Gay, Lesbian, Trans & Questioning Adolescent Drop-In Group). 6:30-8pm. Call for location. Every Thursday. Sponsored by Youth Eastside Services, which offers many programs for GLBT youth.
(425) 747-4937. Seattle Tennis Alliance Summer Social Doubles. 6:30-8:30pm. Lower Woodland Tennis Courts, 5773 W Green Lake Way N. Most Tuesdays & Thursdays. Courts #5, 6, 7 & 8. June-August. Weather permitting. Pre-pay online if possible. seattletennisalliance.org
Boys Group - For Male-Identified Youth, Ages 1422. 7-8:30pm. Lambert House, 1818 15th Ave. Every Thursday. Youth take the opportunity to talk about issues that relate to their everyday lives, with the facilitation of a male volunteer. (206) 322-2515 ext 16. www. lamberthouse.org
Buddhism & Recovery. 7:30-9pm. SASG, 115 15th Ave E, Suite 201. Every Thursday. A meditation/recovery group. (206) 322-2437; www.sasgcc.org
Gay Fathers Association of Seattle. 7:30-9pm. Group Health, 201 16th Ave E, Central Bldg, Lower Atrium. Every Thursday. Support meetings for Gay fathers & Gay men who are currently or previously married. Safe, anonymous, non-judgmental environment of caring fathers & friends. You are not alone. For information, community events & “questioning” visit www.gfas.org or our message board at http://groups.yahoo.com/groups/ gayfathersseattle
Gay Male Sexuality & Relationships. 7:30-9pm. SASG, 115 15th Ave E, Suite 201. Every Thursday. Ongoing support group open to Gay and Bisexual men. (206) 322-2437; www.sasgcc.org [NOTE: Please contact the facilitator prior to attending.]
FRIDAY
- August 31
Ageless in Recovery (AA). 12 noon-1pm. SASG, 115 15th Ave E, Suite 201. Every Friday. A drop-in AA group for 55+. (206) 322-2437; www.sasgcc.org
Rainbow Walk for LGBTQ Elders 50+ - Kubota Gardens Walk. 12 noon-1pm. 9817 55th Ave S. Every Friday - Come Rain or Shine! - Meet at the corner of 55th Ave S and Renton Ave S. Hot coffee and beautiful Rainbow umbrellas to use “just in case.” For info, call (206) 393-3400;. Wheelchair-friendly walk. Sponsored by Generations Aging With Pride. Road to Recovery (SLAA). 12 noon-1:30pm. SASG, 115 15th Ave E, Suite 201. Every Friday. Ongoing 12step group for sex and love addicts. (206) 322-2437; www.sasgcc.org
Oasis Youth Center in Tacoma - For Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender & Questioning Youth, Ages 14-25. 4-10pm. Call for location & details. Every Friday. (253) 671-2838, www.oasisyouthcenter.org (Also Thursdays 4-10pm & Saturdays 6pm-12 midnight.)
LGBTQ & Allies 18+ Free Friday Night Drop-In Volleyball. 6-7:45pm. Miller Community Center, 330 19th Ave E. Every Friday. 206-684-4753.
Strength Over Speed (SOS). 6-7:30pm. SASG, 115 15th Ave E, Suite 201. Peer support for Gay and Bisexual men recovering from crystal meth addiction. www.strengthoverspeed.org. (206) 322-2437; www. sasgcc.org
Game Night. 7pm-11pm. SASG, 115 15th Ave E, Suite 201. Every Friday. Card games, board games and fellowship. (206) 322-2437; www.sasgcc.org
Lambert House Queer Movie Night. 7-9:30pm. Lambert House, 1818 15th Ave. Every Friday. Lambert House is a nationally-recognized activities & resource center for GLBT & questioning youth, ages 14-22. (206) 322-2515, www.lamberthouse.org
Rain Country Dance Night. 7-11pm, lessons at 7:15pm. The Cuff, 1533 13th Ave. An evening of country-western dancing for the LGBTQ community. FREE. www.raincountrydance.org.
Destiny/Unity AA Meeting in Tacoma 7:30-8:30pm. Christ Episcopal Church, 310 N “K” St, Tacoma. Every Friday. LGBTQ-friendly AA meeting. (253) 474-8897. (Also meets Mondays.)
LGBT Friday Night Al-Anon Family Group. 8-9pm. SASG, 115 15th Ave E, Suite 201 - in the O’Neill Room. Every Friday. The Al-Anon Family Groups are a fellowship of relatives & friends of alcoholics who share their experience, strength & hope in order to solve their common problems. We believe alcoholism is a family illness & that changed attitudes can aid recovery. Greater Seattle AIS 24-hour number (206) 625-0000; www. seattle-al-anon.org; (206) 322-2437; www.sasgcc.org
Outdoor Cinema: “To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar.” 8:40pm (time approximate), Cal Anderson Park, 11th Ave & E Olive St (SE corner of park). Three glittery drag queens (Patrick Swayze, Wesley Snipes, John Leguizamo), en route to a big competition, find themselves in a rustic small town where they help the locals rediscover their joie de vivre. Subtitled. Free; arrive early to get a good spot. Blankets and low-back chairs welcome; refreshments available. FREE. www.threedollarbillcinema.org.
SATURDAY - September 1
(See previous Saturday for ongoing activities.) Northwest Bears Potluck and Meet & Greet Beer Bust. 6pm. The Cuff, 1533 13th Ave at E. Pine St. Meets 1st Saturday moar montha. Northwest Bears is a Gay men’s social and service organization providing a focal point within the Gay community for Bears and Bear admirers. www.nwbears.com. [NOTE: Please doublecheck website to confirm this event as it currently is not appearing on their website.]
SUNDAY - September 2
(See previous Sunday for ongoing activities.) Border Riders Motorcycle Club First Sunday Ride. Contact Border Riders for details and rendezvous point. Meets 1st Sunday most months. BRMC provides a social & educational fraternity for individuals interested in recreational motorcycle touring. www.borderriders.com Knights of Mantra Monthly Meeting. 3pm. The Cuff, 1533 13th Ave. Meets 1st Sunday each month. K of M/ Jet Chapter is a fun-loving leather/Levi social & charitable organization that raises money for various causes & organizations. (206) 329-0886. www.facebook.com/ kofmjetchapter/ PFLAG/Whatcom County (Bellingham) Monthly Meeting. 5pm. Community Food Co-op Bakery, 405 E Holly St, Bellingham. Meets 1st Sunday each month. Parents & Friends of Lesbians & Gays is a national support organization for parents, spouses, & families of GLBT persons, as well as those minorities. www.whatcompflag.org; PFLAG/Puget Sound: (206) 325-7724.
COMMUNITY RESOURCES
Allyship - an organization of LGBTQ individuals fighting for economic and social justice. www.LGBTQAllyship. org, allyship@yahoo.com, (206) 279-8169. American Veterans for Equal Rights - www.aver.us Another Gay Social Club! - www.meetup.com/AnotherGay-Social-Club/ Bellingham/Whatcom County - www.theslowlane. com/guide.html
BiNet Seattle is a mixed gender, social group for Bisexuals, their partners & other Bi-friendly folks - www. binetseattle.org.
Bremerton/Kitsap County - www.outwestsound.org Capitol Hill Alano Club - www.chacseattle.org
Cascade Rainbow Community Center (Mount Vernon) - (360) 840-8499 and on Facebook.
COLAGE unites people with LGBTQ parents and caregivers into a network of peers and supports them as they nurture and empower each other to be skilled, self-confident, and just leaders in our collective communities - www.colage.org
Central Washington University GALA Hotline: (509) 963-1994.
DIFFA/Northwest (Design Industries Foundation Fighting AIDS). (206) 763-8885; www.diffanorthwest. org
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE & SEXUAL ASSAULT: Crisis Clinic, (206) 461-3222 (24 hour line); King County Sexual Assault Resource Center (KCSARC) - 24-hour crisis line for information, support, & medical & legal assistance: 1-888-99-VOICE; Northwest Networksupport & advocacy for Bisexual, Trans, Lesbian & Gay Survivors of Abuse & Dating Violence, (206) 568-7777 (voice), 517-9670 (tty), www.nwnetwork.org; Pierce County Domestic Violence Helpline: Teresa, (253) 798-4166; Seattle Counseling Service for Sexual Minorities - offers on-going support groups for men: 323-1768; Seattle Police Dept Domestic Violence Unit, (206) 684-0330; State Wide Domestic Violence Hot Line, 1-800-562-6025. In an emergency call 911 Report domestic violence and sexual assault. Equal Rights Washington - (206) 324-2570; www. equalrightswashington.org Everett/Snohomish Cty - www.gaysnohomish.org Freely Speaking Toastmasters - www.freelyspeaking.org
Gay City promotes wellness in LGBTQ communities by providing health services, connecting people to resources, fostering arts, and building community. Gay City Health Project’s Wellness Center provides anonymous & confidential HIV/STD testing. 517 E Pike St. More info or to schedule an appointment, (206) 860-6969. www.gaycity.org
Gay & Lesbian National Hotline (GLNH): 1-888-THEGLNH (1-888-843-4564). Non-profit, peer-counseling, information & local resources telephone hotline for GLBT people across the country.
Generations Aging With Pride empowers elder LGBTQ adults to live with pride and dignity by promoting, connecting, and developing innovative programs and services that enhance belonging and support, eliminate discrimination, and honor the lives of older members of our community - (206) 393-3400; info@gapseattle.org; gapseattle.org
Greater Seattle Business Association (GSBA) - (206) 363-9188; www.thegsba.org
HIV/AIDS Program, Seattle/King County Dept of Public Health, provides confidential/anonymous information about & testing for HIV/AIDS. (206) 205-7837. For a comprehensive list of HIV/AIDS service organizations see the GSBA Guide or visit www.thegsba.org or call Lifelong AIDS Alliance, (206) 328-8979.
Imperial Sovereign Court of Seattle & the Olympic & Rainier Empire - www.facebook.com/ISCSORE; www. imperialcourtofseattle.com
Lambert House - (206) 322-2515; www.lamberthouse. org
LGBT Library - 517 E Pike St. Open Mon-Fri 2-8pm; Sat 2-5pm. A wide range of fiction and non-fiction for the LGBT community and allies can be borrowed free of charge.
LGBT MS Connection - (206) 250-5002; LGBTMSConnection@gmail.com. Support group for LGBT persons with MS and their partners and their caregivers. Sponsored by the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. Lifelong AIDS Alliance - (206) 328-8979, www.lifelongaids alliance.org
Lion’s Main Art Collective - www.lionsmain.org
MEN: Gay City: (206) 860-6969, www.gaycity.org; Knights of Mantra: (206) 329-0886, www.jetchapterkofm.com; Mature Friends: Gay men & women 40 & over, www.maturefriends.org; Northwest Bears: www. nwbears.com; The Olympians: www.TheOlympians. net; POZSeattle: www.pozseattle.com; Q-Squared: www.qsquared.org; Rain City Jacks: www.raincityjacks. org; Seattle Gay Couples: www. seattlegaycouples. org; Seattle Men in Leather: www.seattlemeninleather. org; Seattle Prime Timers: Gay & Bi men 40 & over, www.seattle primetimers.org; Tacoma Older LGBT: www.tacomaolderlgbt.org. (See also listings under Bisexual, Parenthood, People of Color, Transgender.)
MUSIC: Diverse Harmony: www.diverseharmony. org; Rainbow City Band: 1-866-841-9139 ext 2126; rainbowcityband@onebox.com; www.rainbowcity band. com; Seattle Men’s Chorus and Seattle Women’s Chorus: (206) 388-1408, (206) 323-0750. www.seattlechoruses.org.
Northwest Lesbian & Gay History Museum Project - gayhistnw@aol.com
Northwest Rainbow Alliance for the Deaf - www. nwrad.org Olympia/Thurston County - www.RainbowCenterOly. org
Out & Equal Workplace Advocates/Seattle Regional Affiliate supports the work of LGBT employees and the growing number of ERGs (Employee Resource Groups) making a difference within local companies, including Alaska Airlines, Amazon.com, Amgen, AT&T, Bank of America, Deloitte, Macy’s, Microsoft, Russell Investments, Safeco Insurance, Starbucks Coffee, Xerox. www.outandequal.org/affiliates/seattle Out & Proud Grays Harbor Coalition - http://outandproudgh.org
PARENTHOOD: Families Like Ours provides a gateway for LGBT families interested in adoption & provides a network of safe placement agencies, training, support & resources: (206) 441-7602, www.familieslikeours. org; Family Works offers support, information & activities for LGBT families: (206) 694-6727, www.familyworksseattle. org; Gay Fathers’ Association of Seattle offers support groups & social activities: www.gfas. org; Proud & Loud Families - Northwest, www.meetup.com/proudand-loud-families-northwest, plfnorthwest@aol.com; Queer Parent Networking Dinners: (206) 568-7777, qpnd@nwnetwork.org, www.nwnetwork.org; Rainbow Families of Puget Sound: www.rainbowfamiliesps.org PFLAG is the national organization for parents, families, allies, and LGBTQ people united for equality with chapters in Seattle, Bellevue/Eastside, the Puget Sound region and across Washington state. PFLAG Seattle: (206) 325-7724, info@pflagseattle.org, and www.pflagseattle.org; PFLAG Bellevue/Eastside: (425) 483-6642, info@bellevue-pflag.org, http://community. pflag.org/PFLAGBellevue; PFLAG Pacific Northwest: www.pnwpflag.org; PFLAG Washington State: www. pflagwsc.org.
PEOPLE OF COLOR: AARTH (African American Reach & Teach Health Ministry), (206) 850-2070, www.aarth.org; Asian/Pacific Islander Queer Network Program at API Chaya, (206) 467-9976; Center for MultiCultural Health, (206) 461-6910, www.multiculturalhealth.org; Entre Hermanos, GLBT Latinos/as, (206) 322-7700, www.entrehermanos.org; Ile LaiLai, (206) 781-3565, iya@ilelailai.org; Men of All Colors & Cultures Together (MACCT), (206) 923-8313, macctseattle@yahoo.com, www.macctsea.org; Northwest Two Spirit Society, https://www.facebook.com/ groups/nw2spiritsociety/, Nubian Pride Productions, nubianpride@gmail.com; People of Color Against AIDS Network (POCAAN) offers rapid HIV testing, M-F, 10am-5pm, (206) 322-7061, www.pocaan.org and on Facebook; QBASS - Queer Black Alliance of the South Sound, (253) 256-1846, weareqbass@gmail. com; Sistah 2 Sistah, LBT women of African descent, (206) 322-7061, (206) 255-8951; Somos Seattle, somosseattle.org; Trikone-Northwest, GLBT South Asians, (425) 985-4376, www.trikonenw.org; Two-Spirit Honor Project, 1-866-685-0164; U.T.O.P.I.A. Seattle, www.utopiaseattlewa.org; VietQ Greater Seattle, vietqorganization@gmail.com Pierce County AIDS Foundation - (253) 383-2565; www.piercecountyaids.org Pride Foundation - (206) 323-3318; www.pridefoundation. org Pride Lives - www.facebook.com/PrideLives/ Project NEON is a program of Seattle Counseling Service providing FREE information & services to Gay & Bi men to reduce health risks associated with methamphetamine use. (206) 323-1768. www.crystalneon.org Public Health-Seattle & King County Online Comprehensive Health Information for Sexual Minorities: www.kingcounty.gov/healthservices/health/personal/ glbt.aspx
Q Law: The GLBT Bar Association of WA - (206) 682-6711; www.q-law.org
Rainbow Center - Resource Center for Tacoma/Pierce County LGBTIQA community. Through education, advocacy and celebration, the Rainbow Center expands resources, and safe space for the LGBTQIA community. Sponsors Tacoma Pride Festival. (253) 383-2318, www. rainbowcntr.org
Resource & Referral Line can connect you to LGBTfriendly resources throughout Puget Sound and beyond. Call (206) 323-LGBT Mon-Fri 2-8pm; Sat 2-5pm. At other times leave voice mail and your call will be returned. Or visit www.gaycity.org to view list of resources online or through Facebook. Safe Schools Coalition - www.safeschoolscoalition. org; (206) 451-SAFE; (206) 451-7233.
community calendar
SEAMEC interviews, researches & rates candidates for public office on issues of concern to the LGBT community. www.voteseamec.org
Seattle Area Support Groups & Community Center (SASG) is a non-profit organization that builds community and cultivates powerful, healthy lives by providing emotional support and personal development services to those affected by HIV/AIDS, the Queer communities, and those who love them. Our work is done in a spirit of safety, trust, inclusiveness, and celebration of individual differences. (206) 322-2437; www.sasgcc.org
Seattle Bisexual Women’s Network - BiSeattle.wixsite. com/SBWN and on Facebook.
Seattle Counseling Service for Sexual Minorities is a community mental health service for GLBT persons & their families providing comprehensive mental health services on a sliding scale. (206) 323-1768.
Seattle Police Department Sexual Minorities Community Advisory Council: kim.bogucki@seattle.gov
Seattle PrideFest - www.seattlepridefest.org
Seattle Treatment Education Project (STEP) E-zine is an electronic resource distributed to people affected by HIV/AIDS, case managers, front line workers & other health professionals. Now a part of Lifelong AIDS Alliance, (206) 328-8979, www.thebody.com/step/ steppage.html
Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, The Abbey of St. Joan - (206) 860-3666; www.theabbey.org
Snohomish Health District HIV/AIDS Program provides free confidential/anonymous HIV counseling & testing 9am-5pm Monday-Friday, until 7pm Tuesdays. (425) 339-5298.
South Sound Q Calendar - LGBTQ events in Tacoma, Olympia & Sound Puget Sound area; www.SouthSoundQCal.com Spokane/Inland Northwest - www.outspokane.com; www.stonewallnews.net
SPORTS & RECREATION: Bent Car Guys: www. bentcarguys.org; Border Riders Motorcycle Club: www.borderriders.com; Bottom Dwellers Scuba Club: www.bottomdwellers.org; Capitol Hill Cyclers: join their Facebook group or email capitolhillcycling@ groups.facebook.com or jordan.l.simonson@gmail.com;
Cascade Flag Football: www.cascadeflagfootball.org; Cascade Flyers: www.cascadeflyers.org; Emerald City Mudhen Rugby: www.mudhenrugby.com; Emerald City Softball Association: www.emeraldcitysoftball. org, www.eteamz.com/womensecsa; Ethyl Forever Car Club: ethylforever@hotmail.com; Festival of the Babes: www.festivalofthebabes.com; Olympic Yacht Club: www.oycnw.org; OutVentures: outdoor education & recreation activities, www.outventures.org; Pacific Northwest Gay Rodeo Association: www.pacificnwgra.org; Puddletown Squares: www.puddletownsquares.org; Rain City Soccer: www.raincitysoccer.org; Rain Country Dance Association: a country-western dance organization catering to the LGBTQ community but open to all, www.raincountrydance.org; Sea Dawgs: LGBT ice hockey - SkateSeaDawgs@gmail.com and on Facebook; Seattle Frontrunners: www.seattlefrontrunners.org; Seattle Gay Basketball Association: www. seattlegaybasketballassociation.com; Seattle Orca Swim Team: www.orcaswimteam.org; Seattle Otters Water Polo: www.otterpolo.com; Seattle Quake Rugby: www.quakerugby.com; Seattle Tennis Alliance: www. seattletennisalliance.org; Seattle Unified Bowling Association (SUBA): magee98106@aol.com, www. teamseattle.org/bowling.htm, www.theprideleague. com, Century 21 League; Seattle Volleyball Club: www.seattlevolleyballclub.com; Ski Buddies: www. skibuddies.org; Team Seattle Gay Sports Network is an umbrella organization for a wide range of local GLBT sports activities, (206) 367-4064, www.teamseattle.org (see website for comprehensive list of sports clubs); Triangle Recreation Camp at Bender Creek: recreational camping for GLBT folks. Must be 21; ID required. trc@ camptrc.org, www.camptrc.org, 1122 E Pike St #1069, Seattle 98122-3934. Strength Over Speed - www.strengthoverspeed.org Tacoma/Pierce County - Rainbow Center, 2215 Pacific Ave, Tacoma, a resource center for the LGBTIQA community of Pierce County, (253) 383-2318, www. rainbowcntr.org
TRANSGENDER: Emerald City Social Club: (425) 827-9494; Gender Alliance of the South Sound: www.SouthSoundGender.com; Gender Diversity: www.genderdiversity.org; Gender Justice League: www.genderjusticeleague.org; Gender Odyssey: www.genderodyssey.com; Hermanos Trans Latino & Foreign-Born Support Group: (206) 322-7700; Ingersoll Gender Center: (206) 329-6651, www. ingersollcenter.org; Lion’s Main Art Collective: www. lionsmain.org; The New BoyZ Club: www.olympiaftmgroup.webs.com; Olympia Trans Discussion Group:
www.facebook.com/pages/Olympia-Trans-DiscussionGroup/262449878114; [trans] ACTION: Trans* & Gender Non-Conforming Sex Workers’ Support Group - a safe, peer-led space. mail@utopiaseattle.org; TRANSform Washington: transformwashington.com; Trans Resource & Referral Guide: kctransguide.org; Washington Gender Alliance: (360) 445-2411, www. washington genderalliance.com
WOMEN: Aging Ballard Lesbian Exchange (A.B.L.E.): We are Lesbians 60 years (generally) and up, living (mostly) in the north half of Seattle. The purpose of the group is to connect, socialize and support each other. ruthemilyvogel@gmail.com; Aging Lesbians in South Seattle (ALISS) - Lesbian Group at the Southeast Seattle Senior Center. This is a gathering primarily for Lesbians but all are welcome to attend. Kate, (206) 722-0317; www.sessc.org; BABES: support groups for HIV+ women. (206) 720-5566, 1-888-292-1912; Coming Out Women Support Group of Tacoma: www. comingoutwomen.org; Festival of the Babes: www. festivalofthebabes.com; Mature Friends: Gay men & women 40 & over, www.maturefriends.org; Puget Sound Old Lesbian Organizing for Change: http:// psoloc.org, (253) 777-3357; Older Lesbians Organizing for Change/WA State Chapter: gloria@oloc.org, mary@oloc.org, www.oloc.org; Pacific Northwest Lesbian Archives: www.pnwlesbianarchives.org; RainshadowWomen: RainshadowWomen@aol. com; Seattle Bisexual Women’s Network: BiSeattle. wixsite.com/SBWN; Seattle Girls of Leather: www. sgol.org; Tacoma Lesbian Concern (TLC): www.tacomalesbianconcern.org; Tacoma Older LGBT: www. tacomaolderlgbt.org; Women of West Seattle (WOWS): a fun, member-driven social group for Lesbians, http:// groups.yahoo.com/group/womenofwestseattle; YWCA Women’s Health Outreach: providing low or no-cost mammograms for income eligible 40+ LBTQ individuals. Follow us at http://lbtqhealth-ywca.blogspot.com, twitter.com/ingridWHO or email lbthealth@ywcaworks. org, (206) 461-4493. (See also listings under Bisexual, Parenthood, People of Color, Transgender.) YOUTH: B-GLAD (Bisexual, Gay, Lesbian, Trans & Questioning Adolescent Drop-In Group): Youth Eastside Services offers many programs for GLBT youth, including B-GLAD, (425) 747-4937; Coyote Central: www.coyotecentral.org; Diverse Harmony: www.diverseharmony. org; GLSEN/Washington State (Gay, Lesbian, Straight Education Network) & Washington State GSA (Gay-Straight Alliance) Network: GLSEN works to create safe schools for LGBT students. WA GSA Network supports youth-led GSA’s to fight harassment & homophobia in Washington state schools. (206) 330-2099; www.glsenwa. org; www.wagsa.org. GLOBE (GLBTQ Loving Ourselves, Becoming Empowered): a support group & HIV/STD prevention program for GLBTQ youth, 14-20, in Everett, (425) 263-2908, www. globeyouth.org; It Gets Better Project: www.itgetsbetter.org; Lambert House: an activities & resource center for LGBT youth, 14-22, in Seattle, 1818 15th Ave @ E Denny Way; (206) 322-2515, www.lamberthouse.org; Lifelong HEYO (Health Education Youth Outreach): for LGBTQ youth, ages 16-24: (206) 957-1665; www. llaa.org/HEYO; www.MatthewsPlace.com; The Mockingbird Society: (206) 323-KIDS (5437), www.mockingbirdsociety.org; Oasis Youth Center: for GLBTQ youth, ages 14-25, in Tacoma, (253) 671-2838, www. oasisyouthcenter.org; OUT There Adventures: www. outthereadventures.org; Parents, Family & Friends of Lesbians & Gays (PFLAG)/Puget Sound: (206) 3257724, www.seattle-pflag.org; Peace for the Streets by Kids from the Streets (PSKS) Drop-In Center & Young Adult Shelter: 1609 19th Ave @ E Pine St., (206) 7268500; www.psks.org; Pizza Klatch: weekly lunchtime support groups for LGBTQ youth in Thurston County, www.pizzaklatch.org; Prism: for LGBTQ youth, 14-21, in Puyallup - Cherise.Alexander@ multicare.org; www. facebook.com/PuyallupPrism; Proud Out Wonderful (POW!): for LGBTQ youth, 13-21, in South King County, (206) 326-9112, www.facebook.com/proudoutwonderful; Q Youth Resources: in Kitsap County - (360) 698-3335; www.kchaf.org; Renton Area Youth Services (RAYS): LGBTQ, questioning and allied youth drop-in group, ages 12-18 - Sarah Hardin, (425) 271-5600, ext 155; sarahh@rays.org; Roots Young Adult Shelter: 1415 NE 43rd St., (206) 632-1635; www.rootsinfo.org; Safe Schools Coalition: www.safeschoolscoalition.org; (206) 451-SAFE, (206) 451-7233 (non-emergency), 1-877-SAFE-SAFE (1-877-723-3723) (crisis line); Seattle Young People’s Project (Queer Youth Resource Board): (206) 860-9606, www.sypp.org; Street Youth Ministries (SYM): (206) 524-7301 ext 111; www. streetyouthministries.org; Teen Link: (206) 461-4922, 1-888-431-TEEN; The Trevor Project: 866-4-U-Trevor; www.thetrevorproject.org; True Colors - Connecting LGBTQ Teens: in Shoreline, (206) 362-7282 x 8018, lbagley@chs-nw.org; Vista Youth Center: for LGBTQ, questioning and allied youth, ages 14-21, in Kennewick, (509) 396-5198, www.vistayouthcenter.org; YouthCare/ Isis Program (Transitional Living Home for LGBTQ Young Adults, 18-22): (206) 522-8412; YouthCare/ Orion Center Young Adult Shelter: 1828 Yale Ave @ Stewart St. (206) 622-5555; Youth in Focus: (206) 723-1479; www.youthinfocus.org; Youth Suicide Prevention Program (OUTLoud-GLBTQ): (206) 297-5922, ext 116, 1-800-273-TALK, www.yspp.org
20 [HEALTH & WELL-BEING]
ENERGY/BODYWORK
TIDY'S LANDSCAPING & HAULING
We Do - All Types of Yard Work, Hauling, Gutter Cleaning, Demolition, Etc....Free Estimates. Call 206-3548949 For More Info & To Schedule Appointment. 34/3.
Therapeutic massage. 30 years experience. Relaxation, major/minor injuries, chronic muscle pain. Small Ballard home office/studio. Massage table or massage chair. Convenient parking. (I’m a Gay-friendly straight male graphic artist, web author.) First session 50% off = $45/1.5 hours (travel extra). By appointment only. References available. Chris Pringer, Reiki Master, 206-286-0899. If you get a voice message mentioning “extension #,” please hang up and call back again; otherwise, please leave a message. Brochure, testimonials, etc. via chalicebridge.com/BMI-Brochure. html. 44/21
21 [LICENSED MASSAGE - NON-SEXUAL]
ENJOY A SOOTHING MASSAGE
Swedish, Deep Tissue, Sports, and Hot Stone Massage on Capitol Hill. $65 an hour. Jeff, LMP. 206-6500542; rjeffa@hotmail.com; www.broadwaymassage. com. 29/3
PETS OF THE WEEK
Adoption Center
Sunday – Wednesday | 11 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Thursday – Saturday | 11 a.m. – 8 p.m.
13212 SE Eastgate Wy, Bellevue, WA 98005 (425) 649-7563 | adoption@seattlehumane.org
Is your life missing a furry friend? Now is the perfect time to open your world to a pet in need. Coldwell Banker’s Homes for Dogs program with Adopt-a-pet.com has helped place 20,000 dogs into homes across the country. Could your place be the next happy ending for a pet in need? Make your house a home by visiting the shelter and bringing back the pet of your dreams.
National Senior Citizens Day Aug. 20-26
Do you need a mature, easy-going pet to match your lifestyle? In honor of Senior Citizens Day, Seattle Humane is waiving adoption fees on all senior pets ages 7 and up, just for our awesome senior citizens. While senior pets may not be as active as their younger counterparts, they still offer plenty of love and appreciation! With their relaxed temperament, senior pets make perfect relaxation buddies! Come by Seattle Humane August 20-26 to find your perfect match. See adoptable pets at Seattle Humane dot o-r-g.
EXCEPTIONAL BODYWORK
Given by highly trained LMP. I specialize in injury treatment, acute, chronic, and repetitive stress motion. I have a studio on CapHill, and one just north of the UW. Insurance accepted. Matt Shafer, LMP, 206-2357766. 41/12
EROTICALLY CHARGED nude full body rubdown from playful top, stimulating the senses. Get seduced. Incalls in Renton area. Scott, 206-355-4469. 33/3
GREAT MASSAGE
Given by highly-trained, clean-cut, handsome guy. I have two private studios, one on CapHill, and one just north of the UW. Call/text Matt, 206-235-7766. In/ out calls. 41/12
Aria
Meet Aria, a 2-year-old brown domestic shorthair. She’s the type of cat who loves to see you come in the door and will greet you before you even sit down. Aria may be a bit reserved, but gives her affection freely to those she loves. Meet Aria today at Seattle Humane!! You'll be glad you did!!
As with all of our cats, Aria has been spayed, microchipped, vaccinated, and behavior tested. She will go home with a certificate for a complimentary veterinary examination and an identification tag. PLUS, most cat adoptions include 30 days of pet insurance from Trupanion -- a great way to start off on the right paw!!
Stratus
Stratus is an utterly adorable, 4-year-old American Pit Bull Terrier. She has the best smile, and you can't help but smile yourself when you look at her. This petite petunia is bouncy and playful and raring to have a good time. Belly rubs send her delight-o-meter soaring straight up into the 'Stratussphere'! She also enjoys pouncing after treats, wrestling with rope toys, giving slurpy kisses, and cuddling close by your side. Stratus seems to enjoy other dogs although her rambunctious play-style is probably best-received by equally boisterous playmates. Come meet her today at Seattle Humane!
As with all of our dogs, Stratus has been spayed, microchipped, vaccinated and behavior-tested. She will go home with a certificate for a veterinary examination and an identification tag. PLUS, most dog adoptions include six weeks of training in one of our on-campus dog behavior courses - a great way to start off on the right paw!
Introduce to dog-experienced, fun-loving children. Introduce to resident dogs. Cat-free home.
RAIN CITY JACKS
RCJ is Seattle’s private club hosting hundreds of group jack-off events since 2005. Hot, friendly, and genuine male bonding for men 18+ only. Email or visit our web site for information. info@raincityjacks.org; www. raincityjacks.org. 30/12
FREE & ANONYMOUS HIV & STD COUNSELING/TESTING Walk-In or by Appt GAY CITY HEALTH PROJECT 517 E. Pike St. M-F: 3pm-8pm; SAT: 12:30pm-5pm More Info & to Schedule Appt 206-860-6969
