SGN Aug 28, 2009 - Section 1

Issue 35 Volume 37

Celebrating 36 Years!

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Seattle Gay News SEATTLE’S LGBT NEWS & ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY

SGN exclusive interview Lawsuit filed to prevent certification, Lt. Dan Choi speaks out on donor names subject to disclosure “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” Referendum 71

by Shaun Knittel SGN Staff Writer On August 27, Washington Families Standing Together WAFST filed a lawsuit in King County Superior Court requesting a Temporary Restraining Order to prevent the Secretary of State from certifying Referendum 71 to the ballot. If R-71 is placed on the ballot, voters will be asked to approve or disapprove of Senate Bill 5688, which grants registered same-sex domestic partners the same rights and responsibilities as married couples

in Washington State. “We respect the referendum process and the public’s right to vote, but we have been increasingly concerned that, along with other issues our observers have noted with signatures being accepted that, in the view of observers, should have been rejected, the Secretary of State has accepted thousands of signatures that were not in compliance with State laws related to fraud in the signature-gathering see ref. 71 page 16

On August 18, Army Lieutenant Dan Choi added his voice to those calling for Gays and Lesbians to march on Washington this October. Choi, a founding member of Knights Out, the group of LGBT alumni of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, and an active duty Infantry officer, Iraq veteran, and Arabic speaker, has been notified that he will be discharged under the military’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell Policy” (DADT) for coming out as Gay on the Rachel Maddow Show. With the debate raging over the repeal of DADT, the U.S. military’s policy prohibiting Gays and Lesbians from serving openly, and the October 11 National Equality March less than 60 days away, SGN spoke with the soldierturned-activist about his views on former President Bill Clinton, repealing DADT, and the state of the Gay movement.

courtesy Dan Choi

by Shaun Knittel SGN Staff Writer

Lt. Dan Choi

our nation’s capitol [at the National Equality March] and claim our place as a part of this magnificent national movement,” Choi told SGN during an August 24 phone interview from New York. The march is sponsored by a new grassroots organization called Equality Across America and is scheduled for October 11, the 30th A CALL TO DUTY “We need to stand together in anniversary of the first national

march on Washington for LGBT Rights. “I took former President Bill Clinton’s words as an insult,” Choi said, referring to Clinton’s August 13 comments that the Gay community did not deliver the political support needed in 1993 to prevent see choi page 19

Senator Ted Kennedy Ed Murray – Seattle’s next dead at 77 mayor? Possible write-in?

by Lisa Keen Keen News Service The man whom many in the LGBT community consider their greatest friend in the U.S. Senate has died. Senator Edward Kennedy (DMass.), who fought for equal rights for Gays on many fronts and was an early defender of people with HIV, died Tuesday night, August 25. He had been suffering from brain cancer. “Our community has had no greater champion in Congress,”

said David Smith, who worked as the senator’s Director of Communication from late 2003 to early 2005. Smith, vice president for programs at the Human Rights Campaign, credited Kennedy with taking on some of the community’s worst adversaries, including the late Senator Jesse Helms, during its toughest battles. “From early days of AIDS crisis, he was there for us,” recalled Smith. “He was battling for us, see kennedy page 17

Will Senator Ed Murray be the next mayor of Seattle? Rumors began to circulate this week that Murray – a veteran state legislator representing the 43rd District – was interested in running for the job. In an exclusive interview with SGN on Wednesday, Murray insisted that he was not the source of the rumors. “I’m surprised and flattered that people who know me started all this on their own,” he said. “It didn’t come from me.” Murray did not file for the primary election, so his name will not appear on the November 3 general election ballot. If he intends to run, he will have to wage a write-in campaign, a much harder way to win an election. “I need some time to figure out if a write-in campaign is doable,” he said. “I will have a decision by Labor Day.” Write-in campaigns present several challenges. First, write-ins require the voter to take an extra step: to actually write down a candidate’s name rather than just fill-

Official Photo

by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer

Sen. Ed Murray

ing in the appropriate circle on the ty Elections, if Murray formally files as a write-in candidate, any ballot. The rules for write-ins are not as spelling of his name that can be stringent as some might assume, see murray page 16 however. According to King Coun-

Volunteers needed we need your help. Washington Families Standing Together is hosting phone banks out of the Equal Rights Washington Office in Seattle, every Monday thru Thursday. Many shifts are available, so please consider donating your time to make a difference in the lives of thousands of families across the state. Log on to: www.approve71.org for more details.

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Deadlines Classifieds - Thursday at noon Calendar - Tuesday 6pm Display Ads: Space Reservation - Monday 5pm Ad copy (non-camera ready) - Tues. 5pm Ad copy (camera ready) - Wed. 5pm Letters to the Editor - Tuesday 5pm Obituaries - Call the Sgn office All others - Tuesday 5pm

Editor In Chief George Bakan Associate Editor Tom Flint (retired) Editorial Assistant Nick Ardizzone Production William Creswell Calender Editors Mike Andrew and Rick McKinnon Travel Editor George Bakan Advertising Manager Marty Weisbrod Advertising Department Maggie Bloodstone Executive Assistant Mike Andrew Staff Writers George Bakan, Albert S. Rodriguez, Rajket Dirzhud-Rashid, Nick Ardizzone, Shaun Knittel Miryam Gordon, Tim Peter Contributing Writers

Rev. Barbara Allen, Mike Andrew, Eric Andrews-Katz, Madelyn Arnold, Maggie Bloodstone, Beau Burriola, Jessica Davis, Ron Anders, Jessica Price, Milton W. Hamlin, Nevin Jefferson, Keen News Service, Jason A. Miller, Liz Meyer, Rod Parke, Don Paulson, Scott Rice, Leslie Robinson, Richard Kennedy, Romeo San Vicente, Rex Wockner

A tale of two obituaries by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer Two politicians died this week, within hours of each other. One was very well known to Americans, one far less so. They had several things in common, and a few things not. Each of them had a profound effect on the country he helped to govern. Ted Kennedy died of cancer on August 25. He lived a complicated life. Like his brothers Jack and Bobby, he used his considerable oratorical gifts in the service of the Democratic Party and progressive political causes. His “concession” speech at the 1980 Democratic Convention upstaged incum-

Classifieds Mike Andrew and Rick McKinnon Photographers Nick Ardizzone, Joseph P. Herron, Shaun Knittel, Rajket Dirzhud-Rashid National Advertising Rep. Rivendell Media (212) 242-6863 Website Designer Barry Thorsness/Digital Team Works Seattle Gay News is published weekly by JT&A, Inc. © 2008, JT&A, Inc., all rights reserved. Reprints by permission.

Publication of names, photographs or likenesses of any person, organization, event or business in this publication cannot be taken as any indication of the sexual orientation of the person, organization, event or business. Opinions expressed in bylined articles, columns, and letters are those of the authors only and do not necessarily reflect the views of the staff or management of this paper. Seattle Gay News welcomes unsolicited material, including letters to the editor, but reserves the right to edit or reject material. All rights revert to authors upon publication. We assume no liability for loss or damage of materials, solicited or not. We invite feedback, please write. And please play safe. It is our policy that no money shall be refunded if you choose to cancel your subscription or ad. However, credit towards any size ad will be given for the balance owed. No exceptions.

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bent President Jimmy Carter. He shredded Supreme Court nominee Robert Bork in a speech on the Senate floor in 1987. His speech at the 2008 Democratic Convention, with its echoes of the 1980 speech, electrified the country. Like Jack and Bobby, Ted also had a selfdestructive taste for alcohol, women, and reckless entertainments. The whole family left a trail of scandals in their wake. But unlike his brothers, who cultivated a tough-guy approach to life and politics, Ted was also kind. He was very rich, and like the very rich, he was very careless sometimes. But he had an affinity for ordinary people and for the most part he understood them. His own losses and griefs – of which there were many – seemed to make him want to help other people. He was the driving force behind much of the legislation that shaped contemporary America – the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965, the Comprehensive AntiApartheid Act of 1986, the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, the Ryan White AIDS Care Act of 1990, the Civil Rights Act of 1991, SCHIP in 1997, and the No Child Left Behind Act of 2002. Ted was one of only 14 Senators to vote against DOMA in 1996. He was one of 23 Senators who voted not to authorize the invasion of Iraq. He was the chief Senate sponsor of ENDA, of hate crimes legislation, and health care reform.

Democrats and Republicans alike admired Jack and feared Bobby, but they liked Ted, and he used the friendships he’d cultivated with Republican Senators to move legislation that would otherwise have gone nowhere. He spent 44 years in the Senate, and was perhaps the most important Senator of modern times. Abdul Aziz al Hakim died a few hours later, on August 26, also of cancer. He lived an uncomplicated life. Like Ted Kennedy, he was the offspring of a powerful family. His father was Grand Ayatollah Muhsin al Hakim, until his death in 1970 the leading Shia religious scholar in Iraq. Abdul Aziz was also a religious scholar of some standing, and had he lived he would one day have been recognized as an Ayatollah like his father. Like the Kennedys, his family suffered for their political commitments. All seven of his brothers were assassinated. Unlike Ted Kennedy, he never drank a drop of alcohol, nor so much as looked at a woman besides his wife. As far as anyone knows, he never once strayed from the simple commandments of his faith – not that he had much temptation in the mosques and madrassas where he spent most of his time. Also unlike Ted Kennedy, he was not kind. Abdul Aziz al Hakim was the commander of the Badr Brigade militia. He spent 30 years assassinating Baathists in retaliation for their assassinations of the members of his family. Since the fall of his enemy Saddam Hussein, he organized gunmen to back up the coalition of Shia parties that now control the Iraqi government. Along with the rival Mahdi Army militia, the Badr Brigades have been accused of torturing and murdering scores of Gay Iraqis. No one knows how history will ultimately judge Ted Kennedy or Abdul Aziz al Hakim. Maybe in the end it will depend on what happens to their countries. But it’s interesting to note when and where parallel lives diverge.

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August 28, 2009

Celebrating 36 Years!

Barack Obama remembers Ted Kennedy

Michelle and I were heartbroken to learn this morning of the death of our dear friend, Senator Ted Kennedy. For nearly five decades, virtually every major piece of legislation to advance the civil rights, health and economic well-being of the American people bore his name and resulted from his efforts. His ideas and ideals are stamped on scores of laws and reflected in millions of lives – in seniors who know new dignity; in families that know new opportunity; in children who know education’s promise; and in all who can pursue their dream in an America that is more equal and more just, including me. In the United States Senate, I can think of no one who engendered greater respect or affection from members of both sides of the aisle. His seriousness of purpose was perpetually matched by humility, warmth and good cheer. He battled passionately on the Senate floor for the causes that he held dear, and yet still maintained warm friendships across party lines. And that’s one reason he became not only one of the greatest senators of our time, but one of the most accomplished Americans ever to serve our democracy. I personally valued his wise

counsel in the Senate, where, regardless of the swirl of events, he always had time for a new colleague. I cherished his confidence and momentous support in my race for the presidency. And even as he waged a valiant struggle with a mortal illness, I’ve benefited as president from his encouragement and wisdom. His fight gave us the opportunity we were denied when his brothers John and Robert were taken from us: the blessing of time to say thank you and goodbye. The outpouring of love, gratitude and fond memories to which we’ve all borne witness is a testament to the way this singular figure in American history touched so many lives. For America, he was a defender of a dream. For his family, he was a guardian. Our hearts and prayers go out to them today – to his wonderful wife, Vicki, his children Ted Jr., Patrick and Kara, his grandchildren and his extended family. Today, our country mourns. We say goodbye to a friend and a true leader who challenged us all to live out our noblest values. And we give thanks for his memory, which inspires us still. Sincerely, President Barack Obama

Seattle forms Gay Flag Football Club by Shaun Knittel SGN Staff Writer The Seattle LGBT community’s sports clubs are alive and well. We’ve got everything from runners to softball and soccer players. In fact, the clubs and leagues in our local community don’t just play; they win. Rich Anaya wants to add a Gay flag football club to the proud roster of Seattle LGBT champs. “Seattle Gay Flag Football Club is a local club,” said Anaya, the club manager. “We will soon be part of the National Gay Flag Football League. Seattle softball teams have established national respect, and we hope to obtain that same respect playing flag football.” According to Anaya, flag football has found a home with the Gay community. He said the national league started with three city teams that played the first “Gay Bowl” nine seasons ago in Los Angeles, California. Word of the league began to spread, and the organization has grown every year since. He said there are currently 18 cities involved, with over 100 teams competing for the title. “Earlier this year, I met with someone who wanted to start a Gay tackle football league,” Anaya told SGN, “but the expense of equipment was a major deterrent. We encountered a Gay Flag Football League official and decided that this was a better way to go instead of tackle.” Anaya said he had to set the club aside until the popular LGBT softball season was done, but says the club is now “off and running.” “The first season is all about recruiting and getting things structured so that next year we can start early and really kick up the competition,” he told SGN. “We plan to attend out-of-state tournaments and, yes, the Gay Bowl.” Although Seattle is still forming its club and teams, he said the league has potential to get “pretty big, pretty fast.” “We already have 115 members on our

Facebook group, and 25 attendees showed up for the first practice,” Anaya said. “Our goal is to have four to six teams playing organized games in October.” He said that future planning will make it so no scheduling conflict between the softball and flag football leagues exists. Seattle Flag Football Club officials say they want to keep the games close to Capitol Hill, but that depends on field availability; practices and games require a 35x80-yard field. Currently, Anaya said Purr and R Place are league sponsors, and the club plans on utilizing the popular Capitol Hill bars by having recruitment nights there. He said, “We also make it a point to bring our business to these very supportive bars and hope to send love back to them.” Anaya says flag football isn’t about brute strength; it’s about being able to work as a team and use the skills that you have. “It really is about fun, and it’s a great way to socialize and meet new people,” he said. “At the end of the day, we are all friends and go out and celebrate together. We want to continue to gain support and players and make it a community-based organization.” According to the club officials, in order to be eligible, players must be over 18 years old and able to keep up with the physical demands of the game. They said you do not have to have any football experience to play because the fundamentals and rules are taught during practice. The rules are a little different from tackle football, as the safety of the players is greatly emphasized. To contact the Seattle Gay Football Club or to sign up, call (206) 276-1649 or e-mail the club at AtlasRich@hotmail.com for more information. “We encourage anyone to join our Facebook group so they can come and watch the games,” Anaya told SGN. “You can participate in a number of ways – as a player or a fan.”

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discussing my work, and signing books, SGN Staff, along with three other writers. Your review Thank you for your gift in support of the means a lot to me. Seattle AIDS Walk. Your generous donation Best, will help make a positive difference for the lives of people in need. Michael Carosone If you would like to participate or learn more about our cause and other opportuniRun, Ed, Run ties to support us, please visit our website at www.seattleaidswalk.org. Dear Senator Murray: Sincerely, Now isn't the time for Hamlet; now is the time for Profiles in Courage. Both Seattle Lifelong AIDS Alliance mayoral nominees, Mallahan and McGinn, Seattle AIDS Walk Staff are political unknowns who have never held public office; you are neither. Thank You from As President John F. Kennedy once said, Three Dollar Bill Cinema "We do these things not because they are easy, but because they are hard." Write-in I wanted to thank the SGN for being a campaigns are difficult, but not impossible. sponsor of Three Dollar Bill Outdoor Cin- You have city-wide name recognition, and ema. We had almost 2,000 people over the an impressive legislative record. You aren't three nights of films. It was our most well- the Gay senator; you are the senator who attended outdoor cinema series ever! happens to be Gay. Your extensive experiThank you for your support and for help- ence in both the House and the Senate will ing us advertise this fun community event. put you on firm footing in dealing with the Best, Seattle City Council. Sincerely, Rachael Steven L. Kendall, PCO Thank You Mr. Knittel 43rd District Democrats Mr. Shaun Knittel, I simply want to thank you for the wonderful review of my poetry, which you wrote for The Seattle Gay News, Issue 31, Volume 37, July 31, 2009. My four poems – “Back,” “Gay 101,” “Wedding,” and “My Laundromat” – were published in Gay City: Volume 2. I stumbled upon your review when I conducted a Google search of myself. I will be participating in an event on Gay Italian American writers at the Barnes and Noble Bookstore on the Upper West Side of Manhattan on October 12, reading my poetry,

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by Shaun Knittel SGN Staff Writer On August 25 at approximately 1 a.m., independent freelance artist Sean B. was attacked outside of the QFC on Broadway near E. Harrison St. According to Sean, who moved to Seattle from Los Angeles, California three years ago, the attack was completely unprovoked. The 26-year-old said he and a female friend exited the QFC and began walking towards E. Olive St. to go back to Sean’s house. Within seconds, he said, a man around the same age as him, also walking with a female friend, walked towards them. “He flashed a very intimidating look as he got closer,” Sean told SGN. “As he walked past me, we brushed shoulders. That’s when he attacked me.” Sean said the man called him a “faggot” and hit him in the face, leaving Sean with a black eye. The attack happened so quickly that he mistakenly thought the man had punched him, but the friend who witnessed the attack told him he’d been elbowed. He said his attacker appeared to be high on crystal meth. The two men began to scuffle in front of the store. Sean said he flagged down an SPD car so they could arrest the man, who began to walk away as the police arrived. That’s when, according to Sean, the situation became strange. “I pointed out my attacker to the police officers,” Sean said. “The man and his friend had crossed the street so the cop had to yell at him to come back over to the scene.”

Sean said what was disturbing is the police officer knew the man by name, saying, “Ramon, get over here!” Then the officer said, “The last time I arrested you, you were throwing people into the street. What did you do this time?” Sean said the police treated the situation like “a fight between two people, when the truth is I was called a name and attacked.” He admits that he was intoxicated, but not drunk enough to say that alcohol was to blame for the attack. Sean maintains he said nothing to the man until after he was hit. “The police kept talking down to me, like I was a child,” he told SGN. “Then the man’s friend told the police that Ramon attacked me because I threw a bottle at him.” The officer told Sean that since there were no witnesses, it was his word against that of the attacker and his friend. At that point, he said, he realized his attacker was going to get away with it. Sean did not file a police report. He said he became overly emotional and just wanted an apology. “The officers told me they could not force anyone to apologize and were very uncaring,” he said. “I was obviously assaulted, and the fact that the word ‘faggot’ had been used made it even more demeaning.” He said the man the police called Ramon offered an insincere apology and simply walked away. After they let the man go, Sean said, he and his friend went around the corner and he sat down and began to cry. “A man who lives in an apartment building nearby heard me crying and came outside to sympathize with me,” he said. “My

Federal judge dismisses DOMA suit, Smelt v. US by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer

A federal judge has dismissed Smelt v. United States – the case in which President Obama’s Justice Department filed two controversial briefs defending DOMA. The ruling was handed down on Monday, August 24. US District Judge David O. Carter ruled the case – the first of several pending challenges to DOMA – must be refiled. Three other marriage cases remain active in federal courts. Arthur Smelt and Christopher Hammer were legally married in California prior to passage of Prop 8. They filed suit on March 9 this year to have DOMA and Prop 8 declared unconstitutional. The suit was first

filed in a California State Superior Court and then removed to federal court. Carter dismissed the case without ruling on the constitutional merits of DOMA. “Because Plaintiffs’ claims against the United States must be dismissed on jurisdictional grounds, the court need not address arguments asserted as to Plaintiffs’ standing to pursue this case against the United States,” he wrote. Carter’s reasoning followed one of the arguments set out by the Justice Department in its brief of August 17 defending DOMA. In that brief, the administration admits that DOMA “is discriminatory,” but lays out several reasons the suit should be dismissed. Carter agreed with the administration’s first contention, that the federal court lacks jurisdiction over the case because the state

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August 28, 2009

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Violent attacks continue on Capitol Hill

Sean B.

eye had begun to swell so the man went inside and got some ice for me to put on it.” He said the man told him that attacks are on the rise around Capitol Hill, and said someone who thought he was Gay had recently attacked him. The man, according to Sean, is heterosexual. “Nothing is happening to stop the rise in violence on Capitol Hill,” Sean said. “The attacks are escalating and the police are doing nothing.” He said he doesn’t understand why, especially during times when the bars are closing, there aren’t more police patrols visible on the streets. He said some of his friends who have grown up in Seattle have told him that they’ve seen or heard about “more attacks during the last three years than that’s

happened in 20 years.” “I think that everyone needs to be aware,” he said. “When something like this happens in our community, people need to come forward.” He added that he recommends people walk home in groups whenever possible and that, unfortunately, he no longer views Seattle as being as safe a place for Gay people to live as he had previously. Still, he says, he believes he was attacked because he is Gay, but is worried for everyone’s safety on Capitol Hill, not just the LGBT community. “This is not a Gay issue; it is a human issue,” Sean said. “It’s become obvious that on Capitol Hill, anyone can be attacked at any time.”

court in which it was originally filed lacked jurisdiction. “In this case, the California Superior Court, in which this case was originally filed, did not have jurisdiction over this lawsuit due to United States sovereign immunity in state court where there is no waiver of immunity. As follows, this court does not have jurisdiction,” Carter wrote. Lack of jurisdiction is the narrowest ground on which the court could have ruled, and it leaves open the other contentions the Justice Department advanced in its briefs. The administration also argued that Smelt and Hammer lack standing to sue because they have not suffered any harm as a result of the admittedly discriminatory provisions of DOMA. “Plaintiffs are married under the laws of California, but they are residents of California and do not allege that any other state has refused to recognize their marriage,” the brief says. The Justice Department also argued that the federal government’s interest in supporting the existing law passes the “rational basis” test. “Congress could reasonably have concluded that there is a legitimate government interest in maintaining the status quo regarding the distribution of federal benefits in the face of serious and fluid policy differences in and among the states,” the administration’s brief said.

Monday’s action was the latest round in a five-year legal battle for Smelt and Hammer. Because Smelt centers on contentions regarding interstate travel, it was considered the weakest of the marriage cases pending. Nevertheless, Smelt’s attorney, Richard Gilbert, said he would accept Carter’s invitation to refile the suit. Gill v. Office of Personnel Management et al. is a Massachusetts case challenging only Section 3 of DOMA, which prohibits federal recognition of same-sex marriages legally conducted in a state where they are permitted. Gay and Lesbian Advocates and Defenders has filed an amended complaint in this case, and the Justice Department’s Answer or Motion to Dismiss is due in midSeptember. Massachusetts v. United States also challenges Section 3 of DOMA on the grounds that Congress “overstepped its authority, undermined states’ efforts to recognize marriages between same-sex couples, and codified an animus towards Gay and Lesbian people.” Perry v. Schwarzenegger is technically a challenge only to California’s Prop 8, but it could have very far-reaching effects because it is based on the Equal Protection and Due Process clauses of the 14th Amendment. Should the court agree with Plaintiff in this case, that finding would presumably invalidate both Section 2 and 3 of DOMA as well. Perry is controversial because it is brought by two private attorneys, Ted Olson and David Boies, on behalf of the American Foundation for Equal Rights, and they have so far prevented national LGBT organizations from taking part in the suit. Trial date for Perry has been set for January 11, 2010.

Celebrating 36 Years!

NATIONAL

NEWS

INTERNATIONAL

by Rex Wockner SGN Contributing Writer rex wockner

NEWS

New arrests for same-sex relations in Senegal There have been new arrests and convictions for same-sex relations in Senegal, the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission reported August 20. Two men from the town of Darou Mousty were convicted in mid-August of illegal sexual acts “against nature” and jailed for two and five years respectively, IGLHRC said. A third man, age 17, arrested at the same time faced trial August 24. The situation of a fourth man arrested at the same time is unknown. IGLHRC said “denunciations from neighbors were the only evidence against the men.” There has been a series of anti-Gay arrests in Senegal since early 2008 for such “crimes” as “homosexuality,” “incitement to debauchery,” “corruption of good behavior,” “acts against the order of nature,” “indecent conduct” and “homosexual marriage,” IGLHRC said. The group also reported recent incidents of desecration of Gay men’s graves and exhumation of their bodies. “In May 2009, the body of 30-year old Madièye Diallo was dug up from his grave in the town of Thiès,” IGLHRC said. “After his family re-buried him, his body was exhumed again and dumped outside the family’s home. Finally, family members buried the body in the grounds of their own house.” Prime Minister Souleymane Ndéné Ndiaye said in May that “homosexuality ... is a sign of a crisis of values,” ILGHRC said. Senegal’s penal code punishes Gay sex with up to five years in prison and a $3,000 fine.

by Rex Wockner SGN Contributing Writer Argentine govt. agency rules against “Gay cure” event The Argentine Justice Ministry’s National Institute Against Discrimination, Xenophobia and Racism (INADI) has ruled that a “Gay cure” conference in Córdoba engaged in prohibited discrimination by implying that Gays are sick. Acting on a complaint filed by Gay activist Víctor Bracuto against the Integra Group Foundation, INADI determined that “holding a conference on sexual health, which has among its objectives ‘curing the homosexual,’ is discriminatory in terms of article 1 of Law 23,592.” INADI interpreted that law’s ban on discrimination based on sex as including sexual orientation and explained: “Homophobia is defined as intolerance or scorn toward Gays and Lesbians. That is to say, discrimination, hate, fear, prejudice or aversion against homosexual persons.” The law states in part, “Anyone who arbitrarily impedes, obstructs, restricts or otherwise impairs the full exercise on an equal basis of the fundamental rights and guarantees recognized in the National Constitution will be compelled, at the request of the victim, to nullify the discriminatory act or cease its execution and to repair the moral injury and material damage.” INADI’s determination in the case is nonbinding and Bracuto said he plans no further legal moves. The ruling by itself, he said, was “a historical development not only in Argentina but perhaps also in Latin America and the world.” With assistance from Bill Kelley

David Mixner

GLBT march on Washington, DC, planned for October 11 A grassroots GLBT network called Equality Across America will stage “a massive national day of action” October 11 in Washington, D.C. According to organizers, the National Equality March has been endorsed by the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, the Universal Fellowship of Metropolitan Community Churches and Join The Impact, among other groups. October 11 also is National Coming Out Day, and 2009 marks the 30th anniversary of the first Gay march on Washington. “We’re marching this October to demand action from the federal government to protect our rights in all 50 states,” said co-organizer Kip Williams. “Real equality can only come from the president, the Congress and the Supreme Court.” Organizers said the march also is supported by veteran national GLBT activists David Mixner, Torie Osborn, Cleve Jones, Ann Northrop, Nicole Murray-Ramirez and Nadine Smith, along with newer activists such as Dustin Lance Black, Lt. Dan Choi, Corey Johnson and “Meet in the Middle” organizer Robin McGehee. “We’ve got people from the Stonewall generation to the Facebook generation working together to win real equality,” said McGehee. “We’re tired of compromises and delays.” Black said the march will refocus attention on the federal government following decades of Gay activists’ working more on state and local issues. “The 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution guarantees equal protection under the law, but LGBT Americans are still denied that protection – now is the time to push for real equality, in all matters governed by civil law,” Black said. Organizers say they are “recruiting volun-

teers in all 435 U.S. congressional districts to pressure members of the House of Representatives.” “We want every member of Congress to know that there are LGBT people and our allies in every single district,” said Johnson. On August 12, the Human Rights Campaign issued a “statement” on the march, calling it “a starting point – not a destination.” “I’ve heard criticism about this gathering diverting resources from existing goals such as marriage equality in Maine and New Jersey,” said HRC President Joe Solmonese. “It’s our intention and our obligation to ensure that in October, we amplify our energy not divert it. ... With thousands of LGBT people and allies coming to Washington to make a difference, it’s our mission to help them become the citizen lobbyists that they want and need to be.” A list of large, mainstream GLBT organizations that do not appear to have endorsed the march would be lengthy. However, the post-Prop-8, “Stonewall 2.0” era also is one in which grassroots activists have achieved a prominence and visibility not seen since the days of ACT UP. The weekend also will feature workshops, trainings, seminars and teach-ins, but no officially sanctioned parties, concerts or other entertainment. Nonpolitical events “are being actively discouraged,” the 60-member steering committee said. “It’s not about another party, it’s about getting to work,” said Williams. The march route remains to be finalized. For more information, see nationalequalitymarch.com.

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August 28, 2009

Seattle Gay News

7

ion, sport coupes are just a little more fun to drive with a manual. Out on the interstate, the tC is a lot of fun to drive. The standard panoramic sunroof adds to the experience, and it gets fairly decent gas mileage at 21mpg city and 29mpg highway. The ride is a bit rough, though, with the big 18” wheels and lowering springs. I think it’s great that for a car of its size, interior room was generous. I’m over six feet tall, and there was plenty of leg and headroom. The fit and finish of the tC is also beautifully done, with a high-grade use of materials. The interior ergonomics are wellthought-out, simple and not overly complicated. Climate control and stereo functions are all intuitive and within easy reach. I like the tC. It’s sexy and smart. The overall design is getting a little long in the tooth, but I wouldn’t let that get in the way of buying one. Plus, you can easily customize it any way you want.

2009 Scion tC Release Series 5.0 by J.T. Hills SGN Contributing Writer

Top • Roomy interior with high-quality fit and finish • Excellent handling • Great overall value Bottom • Sporty design in need of a facelift • Automatic transmission nice in traffic, but car screams for a manual transmission on the highway First debuting as a 2005 model, the tC sport coupe is the third vehicle introduced from Toyota’s Scion brand, and is the first vehicle designed exclusively and strategi-

cally for the brand. Scion offers affordable, generously equipped vehicles geared toward the youth market. For the 2009 model yea,r there were no significant changes to the tC coupe. After spending a week with the 2009 Scion tC Release Series 5.0, I’ve assimilated, corrugated, encapsulated, conjugated, and insinuated my own observations, and here they are: When did RuPaul get into cars? As a nifty way to launch the 2009 Scion tC Release Series 5.0 (tC RS 5.0), Scion and Nitto 1320 Legends, the free online drag racing game, offered 2,000 virtual Toyota Racing Development-themed Release Series TC’s through a hidden link to have the opportunity to win a virtual tC RS 5.0 to

Okay, for an MSRP of $22,225, what do you get? The 2009 Scion tC RS 5.9 is well equipped race against other online players. Which is, and popular optional equipment is reasonum, virtually cool. Kids these days! If you’re one of the actual carbon-based ably priced. Here’s a look at some of my faautomotive enthusiasts who purchases an vorites: actual limited edition (only 2,000 are proTechnical Features duced) 2009 tC RS 5.0, you receive a lim• 2.4-liter, four-cylinder DOHC ited-run collector’s edition poster featuring 16-valve VVT-i 161hp engine TRD-themed vehicle and its unique perfor• Four-speed ECT-I mance accessories. automatic transmission For a extremely reasonably priced pack• Power-assisted rack and pinion steering age upgrade of $2,320, the 2009 tC RS 5.0 • Four-wheel disc brakes features glossy black exterior paint, TRD • Sports-tuned independent MacPherson edition 18-inch multi-spoke alloy wheels in strut front and double wishbone matte black with red trim, red TRD lowering rear suspension springs, red TRD rear sway bar, TRD sport muffler, TRD exterior badge, black leatherSafety Features trimmed steering wheel featuring red stitch• Anti-lock four-wheel disc brakes ing, black seats with red accents, floor mats • Driver and front passenger with the TRD logo, and a cargo mat individdual stage air bags ually numbered badging. • Knee airbag So, for a youth-marketed car, I decided • Front and rear side airbags to go and take my grandmother to dinner – • Tire pressure monitoring system mainly because she’s old enough to make me feel youthful. The glossy back paint on Interior Features the Scion tC RS 5.0 is really quite striking. • Panoramic glass moonroof What’s also quite striking is the exhaust note • Pioneer 160 watt AM/FM/CD with when you start it up. Grandma loved it! seven-speaker sound system with What’s also great about the Scion tC is iPod and auxiliary jack connector that it’s so affordable. For a base price of • Power windows and door locks $17,800, you get a generously equipped • Auto-off headlamps sport coupe. Features include a 2.4 4-cylin• Remote keyless entry der DOHC 16-valve VVT-I 161-hp engine with a four-speed automatic transmission. Although the four-speed automatic comes Optional Features standard (and is typically an upgrade on • Scion Release Series 5.0: glossy black most cars) the tC really calls for the optional exterior paint, TRD edition 18-inch five-speed manual transmission. In my opinmulti-spoke alloy wheels, in matte black with red trim, red TRD lowering springs, red TRD rear sway bar, TRD sport muffler, TRD exterior badge, black leather-trimmed steering wheel Servicing featuring red stitching, black seats with all brands, red accents, floor mats with the TRD logo, and a cargo mat individually MMI & Factory numbered badging ($2,320) trained techs • Rear bumper protector ($58) • Pioneer Premium Audio System ($389) p. 206-244-4111 • Scion security ($469) 20+ years experience f. 206-244-4110 • Shift knob/speed star mesh 10840 Myers Way S, Seattle, WA 98168 by OBX ($65) southendmotorcycle.com • Paint protector film ($395) • Sport pedal covers brushed stainless steel ($79) • Destination charge ($670)

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August 28, 2009

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compiled by Rick McKinnon SGN Staff Writer

EMERALD CITY SOFTBALL ASSOCIATION FALL BALL LEAGUE Emerald City Softball Association is sponsoring Fallball ’09, an ECSA Open Division softball league for men and women of all skill levels. Play dates will be August 9 and 23, September 13, 20 and 27, and October 4. For complete details, visit www. emeraldcitysoftball.org. QUEER ALLY COALITION HOSTS BIWEEKLY LGBT HISTORY STUDY GROUP As part of their ongoing efforts to educate the LGBT and allied community about the history of the LGBT struggle in this country, the Queer Ally Coalition is hosting a series of study groups around the book, Gay Power: An American Revolution by David Eisenbach. The group will meet Sundays, August 9 and 23 and September 6 at 7 p.m., at Kaladi Brothers, 511 E. Pike St. The group will adopt the following format: 10 minute summary, 10 questions, then discussion. The explosion of Gay visibility following the street rebellion at the Stonewall Inn in 1969 brought tens of thousands of Lesbians and Gay men out of the closets and into headline news around the world for the first time. Never before had so many Gay people at one time stepped into the spotlight of mainstream American politics, culture, and entertainment. More than any city, New York became the center of the new “Gay Power” movement, and served as the focal point for Gay protest and politics for the next decade. Gay Power chronicles the tumultuous first wave of the modern Gay rights movement. From the first ever Gay student group launched at Columbia University in 1965 to the Gay Liberation Front, the Gay Activist Alliance, and the vanguard organizations that emerged from the Stonewall Riots, the author draws on archival material and firsthand accounts from individuals who built the movement. Unlike their predecessors, this new generation of Lesbians and Gay men spoke as a community, established political clout with elected officials, appeared openly in the media, demanded equal rights with heterosexuals, and pioneered protest tactics. This book presents a complex portrait of the birth of the modern Gay rights movement. For more information on the study group, call 206-612-6139 or email queerallycoalition@gmail.com or visit www.queerallycoalition.org.

should come ready to play. Team Captains will be on-site to assist with drills and will also be looking for additional players to round out their League Rosters. An additional Skills Clinic is scheduled for Tuesday, September 8. The Fall 2009 League Season will run from Monday, September 21 to Monday, December 7. (The Winter 2010 League Season will run from Monday, January 25 to Monday, March 31.) Seattle Volleyball Club is an organization for Gay volleyball players and their friends. For complete details, visit www.seattlevolleyball.com. QUEER ALLY COALITION SPONSORS WEEKLY COMMUNITY ORGANIZING MEETINGS The Queer Ally Coalition sponsors weekly Community Organizing Meetings on Tuesdays, at 7:30 p.m., at Cascade People’s Center, 309 Pontius Ave. N. The Queer Ally Coalition is a grassroots democratic alliance of LGBT people and allies committed to the fight for Queer rights, culture, and liberation. Any questions, call 206-612-6139 or email queerallycoalition@gmail.com or visit www.queerallycoalition.org. SEATTLE GAY & LESBIAN BOOK CLUB AT DUNSHEE HOUSE The Seattle Gay & Lesbian Book Club meets every Wednesday at 6 p.m. at Dunshee House, 303 17th Ave. E. at E. Thomas St. The club is pleased to announce the following titles to be discussed in their ongoing reading and discussion series: September – The Thief’s Journal by Jean Genet; October – Wild Dogs by Helen Humphreys; November – The Gifts of the Body by Rebecca Brown; December – Death in Venice by Thomas Mann. All GLBTQ folks in the community are welcome to participate in this free book club. The reading list is chosen and the discussion facilitated by Nick DiMartino, published novelist and playwright, currently a book reviewer for ShelfAwareness.com, and a 30-year employee of University Book Store. For more information, email nickdimartin@earthlink.net or contact Dunshee House at 206-322-2437.

COUNTRY DOCTOR COMMUNITY HEALTH CLINIC OFFERS HEALTH CARE NIGHT FOR LGBTQ COMMUNITY Spectrum Natural Health at Country Doctor Community Health Clinic, 500 19th Ave. E., offers primary and naturopathic care for the LGBTQ community every Thursday, THE ELITE HOSTS from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Providers have FREE ASL LESSONS been serving the LGBTQ community for FOR BEGINNERS many years. Cost is sliding scale – no one Have you ever wanted to learn basic turned away for lack of funds. For informaAmerican Sign Language? If so, you can tion and to make an appointment, call 206get a some beginning ASL instruction at the 299-1600. Elite, 1520 E. Olive Way. The FREE lessons will be held every Tuesday at 7 p.m. in the SEATTLE COMMISSION FOR loft. SEXUAL MINORITIES HOSTS COMMUNITY POTLUCK PICNIC REP. JIM MCDERMOTT On Saturday, August 29, from 11 a.m. to TO HOST TOWN HALL ON 3 p.m., the Seattle Commission for Sexual HEALTH CARE REFORM Minorities will hold a community potluck On Tuesday, September 1, from 7-8:30 picnic, resource fair and forum on healthy p.m., (doors open at 6:15 p.m.), at Meany LGBT families. The forum will be held at Hall on the University of Washington Cam- the Columbia City Library, 4721 Rainier pus (near 15th Ave. NE & NE Campus Park- Ave. S. from 1-3 p.m. The potluck picnic way), Rep. Jim McDermott (D-Washington and resource fair will be held at the adjacent State's 7th Congressional District) will host Columbia Park from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. a Town Hall discussion on health care reform. The public is invited. THE SISTERS OF PERPETUAL INDULGENCE, SEATTLE VOLLEYBALL CLUB ABBEY OF ST. JOAN HOST HOSTS SKILLS CLINIC FOR “CRAPTACULAR!” – FALL 2009 LEAGUE SEASON WEEKEND BIG-ASS On Tuesday, September 1, from 7-9 p.m., RUMMAGE SALE & the Seattle Volleyball Club will host a Skills “BALLS OF FURY” – Clinic at Rainier Community Center, 4600 AN EVENING OF BOWLING, 38th Ave. S., for new players and returnBILLIARDS AND SISTERLY FUN ing Division 3 & 4 players who have not On Saturday, August 29 and Sunday, Auyet found a team. SVC will be instructing gust 30, from noon to 6 p.m., at Pilgrim Conon core volleyball skills and all participants gregational Church, 500 Broadway E., it’s

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the return of the Big-Ass Rummage Sale, the Sisters’ annual yard sale extravaganza. Yes, it’s more crap than you can shake off your stick – so much you’ll probably need two shovels. (No early birds!) On Saturday, August 29, from 3:30 to 6:30 p.m., join the Sisters at Garage Billiards, 1130 Broadway, for an afternoon of bowling and billiards. Your $10 donation will raise money for the Sisters’ Charity Grant Fund. Go retro and enjoy cocktails at this 21 and over event. GAY PIONEER SQUARE: COMING OUT FROM UNDERGROUND – AN HISTORIC TOUR On Saturday, August 29, explore Pioneer Square’s past as a center of LGBT life in Seattle. This walking tour begins at 2 p.m. at the Greg Kucera Gallery, 212 3rd Ave. S., and lasts approximately three hours. $25 registration on-line at www.seattlearchitecture.org or call 800-838-3006. $30 day-oftour registration, if space available. IN THE LIFE TV CONCLUDES SUMMER OF STONEWALL SERIES On Sunday, August 30, at midnight, KCTS-TV broadcasts In The Life TV, which concludes its Summer of Stonewall series, celebrating the 40th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots, with “Coming Together,” a look at how LGBT art and culture has shaped and inspired the movement. Credited as the first Off-Off-Broadway theatre, Caffe Cino began in 1958 as a Greenwich Village coffee house with a tiny makeshift stage. This Bohemian refuge was home to burgeoning Gay playwrights and performers, who, inspired by its owner, Joe Cino, were liberated to create their most experimental and daring works of self-expression. In A Conversation With... writers Edmund White and Doric Wilson share firsthand accounts of the Stonewall Riots, and discuss how bearing witness to the uprising impacted their work and shaped their politics. Capping off the Summer of Stonewall series, this episode’s REAL TO REEL highlights Crayton Robey’s 2009 documentary Making the Boys, a tribute to Mark Crowley’s 1968 play, Boys in the Band, and William Friedkin’s subsequent film adaptation that swept Gay and straight audiences alike. This and other In The Life TV episodes can also be viewed online at www.inthelifetv. org. GAY SKATE PARTY IS BACK AT SKATE KING On Monday, August 31, from 7-10 p.m., come out for an evening of roller skating at Skate King Bellevue, 2301 140th Ave. N.E. It’s a community event for friends and family, fun and games for all ages. Cost is $8.00 ($5.00 under 18). Regular skate rental included in cost of admission. Inline skate rental: $4.00 or bring your own skates. For more information, call 425-458-4707.

NW LEATHER SIR/BOY AND COMMUNITY BOOT BLACK CONTEST On Friday, September 4, an informal Meet-and-Greet will be held at the Cuff Complex, 1533 13th Ave. at E. Pine St., to meet the contestants for the Northwest LeatherSir/Leatherboy & Community Bookblack Contest starting at 9 p.m. The Community Bootblack Contest will also be held at the Cuff on Friday, September 4, starting at 8 p.m. On Saturday, September 5, the Cuff will host the Northwest LeatherSir/Leatherboy Contest, doors at 6 p.m., contest at 7 p.m. Contestants will compete in the categories of: Interview, Leather Image and Speech, Physique and Fantasy The Victory Brunch will be held at Lydia’s Dungeon on Sunday, September 6, at noon. The Northwest LeatherSir/Leatherboy & Community Bootblack Contest is produced by Generic Leather Productions of Washington. www.glpw.org. GENDER SPECTRUM GENDER ODYSSEY CONFERENCE LABOR DAY WEEKEND 2009 will be Gender Odyssey’s 7th conference. The conference takes place each year in Seattle over Labor Day Weekend. This year’s conference will be held September 5-7. The conference will feature more than 75 workshops and facilitated discussions, exclusive programming for people of color, teens and partners, gender spectrum education and trainings, health screenings, health care provider seminar, social events, entertainment, receptions and BBQ. Gender Odyssey is an international conference focused on the thoughtful exploration of gender. We strive to create an empowering environment where people of all genders can share their experiences and learn from the experiences of others. Through dialogue, peer-led presentations, and sharing skills and expertise, we work to create broader and evolving language, social support, and life pathways that support all gender identities. By doing so, we hope to strengthen ourselves and develop communities that celebrate all experiences of gender at any age. Gender Odyssey is open to all. We embrace the presence and participation of traditionally gendered and gender variant people: Transmen, Transwomen, GenderQueers, Intersex people, our families, partners, and allies. It is a place for us and those we love to gather together, share our lives, and learn from one another. It is also a great place for those who serve this community to expand their knowledge and understanding of transgender and gender variant issues. For more information, visit www.genderodyssey.org. GAY CITY UNIVERSITY IS BACK IN SESSION On Saturday, September 12, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., join other Gay, Bi and Trans guys for a day of learning and fun at Gay City University 2009. This year’s edition brings brand-new offerings, plus some returning favorites. Choose from a wide variety of fascinating classes on sexuality, health, relationships, history, culture, finances and more! The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence will graciously serve as your cafeteria ladies, and GCU even has a Head Mistress ... so be on your best behavior! GCU is only $25 and includes lunch! Scholarships are available to those in need. So sharpen your pencils, get out your backpacks, and choose your best back-to-school outfit, because Gay City University is back in session! If this is your first time attending Gay City University, bring a friend and experience the day together. For a complete schedule of class offerings and to register – www.gaycity.org.

Q-SQUARED HOSTS LABOR DAY WEEKEND CAMP (COME AND MEET PEOPLE) FOR GAY, BI & TRANS MEN This coming Labor Day Weekend (Sept. 4-7), Q-Squared, a Seattle-based non-profit organization, is hosting its annual CAMP (Come And Meet People) getaway at the Gifford Pinchot National Forest in southwest Washington State. Celebrating its 14th year, CAMP provides camp-goers with a unique opportunity to enjoy the great outdoors and connect with fellow GBT men in a healthy, fun-filled environment. Like traditional summer camps, the weekend event will offer a wide variety of fun-filled activities, including campfire sing-alongs, hiking trips, a talent show, a dance, and a variety of workshops and outdoor games. CAMPers will have the choice PRISM COMICS SEEKING of staying in a modern cabin or roughing it SUBMISSIONS FOR in their own tent. Early registration is availFIFTH ANNUAL able until June 28. After June 28 the cost for QUEER PRESS GRANT the weekend will be $175. Scholarships are Prism Comics is seeking submissions for available. For more information and to regits fifth annual Queer Press Grant, estabister, visit www.qcamp.org. lished to support and encourage new LGBT comics creators. Application guidelines are available at www.prismcomics.org/grant. Deadline for application is October 1, 2009.

August 28, 2009

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ref. 71

continued from cover process,” WAFST Chair Anne Levinson said in a statement to SGN. “Because of the limited number of signatures turned in, failure to enforce these laws could well lead to a measure being qualified for the ballot that should not be, and that measure has the potential to strip away important protections from thousands of families across the state.” Levinson said WAFST waited to file the lawsuit because they wanted to give the process a chance to work, but did not want to wait so long as to interfere with the Secretary of State’s ability to produce election materials in a timely manner. She said those trying to qualify R-71 for the ballot do not think that families different than theirs should have basic rights and protections, so they are trying to overturn the law. “We expect a strong vote in support of the domestic partnership law if it is on the ballot, be we should not put people through the hardship of a statewide campaign and have them go through months of additional worry needlessly,” Levinson said. She said R-71 should only be on the ballot if it has qualified based on legally valid signatures. “In order to ensure that it is not put on the ballot in error,” she added, “we need to file a legal challenge at this point.” The Secretary of State is the defendant in the lawsuit. The Attorney General’s of-

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fice and Deputy Solicitor General Jeff Even will represent the Secretary of State in the lawsuit. The case has been assigned to King County Superior Court Judge Julie Spector, who will hear the motion on an expedited basis early next week. The filing comes amidst a heated battle over the way signatures have been accepted. State officials admit that the scrutiny over the process has been the toughest in the state history. Both sides of the issue continue to send teams of verifiers to watch the state workers check the petition signatures. According to state elections officials, only three observers from each side are allowed in the counting room at one time. Typically, only two are allowed in, but state officials have allowed each side to bring an additional observer into the room. If an observer has a concern about a signature, they can note where the signature appears on the petition. Protect Marriage Washington have alluded that the elections workers and Washington Families Standing Together observers have become too friendly. Additional complaints from the R-71 backers include signaturecheckers listening to music, speeding up the count, and supervisors who do not see their concerns as valid. “I’m not personally interested in going to court against a Republican Secretary of State,” said Gary Randall, speaking on behalf of Protect Marriage Washington, “but we will if we’re not satisfied with this.” State Elections Director Nick Handy said in a statement, “We are proceeding with the Referendum 71 signature check. We also will deal with two lawsuits regarding the referendum. One is in federal court over

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R-71 NAMES AND ADDRESSES NOT EXEMPT FROM PUBLIC DISCLOSURE On August 27, the Washington State Public Disclosure Commission (PDC) decided the names and addresses of donors to Referendum 71 would not be exempt from public disclosure. The commission received a request earlier this month by Protect Marriage Washington to remove the names. In a written request, attorneys representing Protect Marriage Washington asked that the names, addresses and occupations of donors be sealed because of threats of violence made against R-71 supporters and churches. At the time of the request, donors’ information had already been public since June, in accordance with state law. The PDC said Protect Marriage Washington had not proved that disclosure of donors’ names would result in “manifestly unreasonable hardship” to contributors. The PDC went on to say that they felt “Protect Marriage Washington provided no evidence from or about donors that have demonstrated that they have received threats of violence against their lives or property.” Most importantly, the PDC said removing the names would hinder the purpose of the public disclosure law. BY THE NUMBERS The signature verification of the 137,689 signatures turned in to the Washington Secretary of State’s office by Protect Marriage Washington is now in its fifth week. State Elections Director Nick Handy said the final signatures should be checked by Tuesday. Protect Marriage Washington need 120,577 valid signatures in order for R-71 to make the November General Election ballot. The bill would have taken effect July 26, but is now on hold while the R-71 signatureby-signature check is under way. As of August 27, the Secretary of State’s office reports that out of 125,631 signatures, Ad#:0001659527-01 110,797 have been accepted and 14,834 rejected, 11,798 are not registered, Date:08/23/09 Day:SUN 50 areSize:1X4 pending verification, 1,256 are a no Cust:SAINT match and 1,730 are duplicates. PAUL UMC That brings the margin of error to 11.81%. In order for Salesperson:KERI R-71 to qualify, the sponsor’s margin of erMURPHY Last Edited ror cannot exceed 12.4%. Unless the margin By:SSCHULTZ of error dramatically jumps, it would appear Pub:HERALD RETAIL the fate of registered same-sex domestic Tag Line: partners will rest in theColor hands ofInfo: the general

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the release of the signatures, and the sec- public come November. ond lawsuit will be in King County over the A daily update is available on the R-71 plaintiffs’ Temporary Restraining Order. homepage at www.vote.wa.gov. The focus of our office continues to be on completing this signature check in a fair and accurate manner, and to facilitate our state’s important initiative and referendum process continued from cover as well as we can.”

16 Seattle Gay News

August 28, 2009

“construed” as a match will count as a vote. If there are questions, the County Elections Canvass Board would then make a ruling on a case-by-case basis. Write-in campaigns also give the candidate far less time to raise money and get his or her message to potential voters. “If people remember, after Cal [Anderson] died, there was a short campaign for his Senate seat, which I lost. So I’m well aware of the practical problems involved in a short campaign,” Murray told SGN. “The only winning one was in 1994,” Murray noted. “Linda Smith in the Republican primary. That’s it. Not much to go on.” The failure of incumbent Mayor Greg Nickels to advance to the general election created space for Murray to jump into the race if he chooses. Nickels fell some 2,200 votes short of a spot on the general election ballot. Neither Mike McGinn nor Joe Mallahan – the successful candidates – has any experience in government, or much appeal for the coalition of labor unions, Democratic Party regulars, and Downtown interests who supported Nickels. “If I run, I expect I’d get the support of people who voted for Greg Nickels, plus many who didn’t,” Murray told SGN. Murray’s popularity in his own 43rd District, which he has represented for 14 years in both the state House and Senate, would create problems for McGinn, who carried only the 43rd and 34th Districts in the primary. Murray has also enjoyed friendly relationships with many of the labor unions who endorsed Nickels in the primary. SEAMEC, which has interviewed, researched, and rated candidates on LGBT issues since 1977, did not rate any of the primary candidates for mayor very highly. McGinn and Mallahan merely “meet expectations,” according to SEAMEC. In contrast, Murray has always received SEAMEC’s highest rating and its endorsement. Murray also has new polling data from the weekend of August 22-23, which suggests he could be a credible candidate. “The polling shows about what you’d expect,” Murray said. “After 14 years I have high name recognition. It doesn’t say that I’d win or lose – or if you can win a write-in campaign.” Murray denies he had anything to do with commissioning the poll. While he would not say who did, it has been reported that polling was paid for by the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), one of the area’s largest labor organizations. Murray is taking a cautious approach, talking to both longtime friends and potential new supporters before making a final decision. “I’m talking to advisors I’ve worked with over the past 14 years,” he told SGN. “I’m talking to leaders of labor, business, communities of color … I want to know if the support is real and if it’s going to last, or if it’s just the people who like me, just talking….” Murray is quite clear about what he sees as issues in the race. “Transportation will be a big issue,” he says. “People have framed that mainly as viaduct replacement, but what we really need to be talking about is 520 replacement. How do we mitigate the problems that will be caused?” “Housing is not affordable,” Murray continued, “not just for the homeless but for just average people making average salaries.” “And while education is not up to the city,” he adds, “we should talk about how to partner with the school district to improve our schools.” “This is the last interview I’ll be doing for a few days,” Murray concluded, “out of respect for Sen. Kennedy. We need to recognize his passing.”

Celebrating 36 Years!

kennedy

continued from cover

taking on a then very powerful Jesse Helms, who wanted to see us in concentration camps. God only knows what would have happened if Senator Kennedy hadn’t been there.” Elizabeth Birch, who was HRC president during many of those battles, recalled a “very intense” meeting with Kennedy and staff in which LGBT leaders “talked about the importance of having Transgenders included” in the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA). “He said, ‘We never intended to leave anyone behind, and we won’t leave anyone behind’,” said Birch. “The other hallmark of who he was,” said Birch, “was he supported Gay marriage ahead of any of his peers – and, frankly, ahead of people a generation or two behind him in Congress. He was a man who, whenever he hit the limits of something, he would just keep trying.” Kennedy was one of only 14 senators

who voted against the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) in 1996. He did not argue for same-sex marriage, but rather against the attack on same-sex marriage. “We all know what is going on here,” said Kennedy on the Senate floor during the DOMA debate. “I regard this bill as a mean-spirited form of Republican legislative Gay-bashing, cynically calculated to try to inflame the public eight weeks before the November 5 election.” “This bill is designed to divide Americans, to drive a wedge between one group of citizens and the rest of the country, solely for partisan advantage,” said Kennedy. “It is a cynical election-year gimmick, and it deserves to be rejected by all who deplore the intolerance and incivility that have come to dominate our national debate.” As author of ENDA, he led the debate in 1996 when the Senate came within one vote of passing the bill. “We know that discrimination against Gay men and Lesbian women exists in this country today, number one,” said Kennedy. “Number two, we know that there are no laws to protect them. Number three, we know that the whole issue of Gay men and Lesbian women is an immutable condition. It is a condition of life.

“What we are trying to say is when Americans want to work and can work and do a job, they ought to be able to be judged on the job that they are going to do and not on one of these other factors,” said Kennedy. “We can free ourselves from discrimination against those Gay men and Lesbian women in the employment place.” Chai Feldblum worked closely with Kennedy on ENDA, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), to prohibit discrimination against people with HIV, and the Ryan White CARE Act, to provide needed care to people with HIV. Feldblum recalled that, during the work on ADA, he held a meeting at his house with several of the key people working on the legislation and said he was “very focused on protection for people with HIV.” “The bottom line,” said Feldblum, “was that he was our ‘go-to person’ with anything to do with Gay rights. He was that person both because of who he was and the position he held.” Current HRC President Joe Solmonese released a statement calling Kennedy the “greatest champion and strongest voice for justice, fairness, and compassion.” “The loss to our community is immeasurable,” he said. “There was no greater hero

for advocates of LGBT equality than Senator Ted Kennedy.” A number of Gay leaders said it would be difficult to fill the void in leadership on LGBT-related issues that has been left by Kennedy’s loss. “We have our work cut out for us in terms of working with other [members of Congress], nurturing relationships with other champions,” said HRC’s Smith. Even as recently as the current fight to pass the Matthew Shepard hate crimes measure as part of the defense authorization bill, said Smith, Kennedy’s efforts have been critical. “When it passes,” he says, “it will be because of Senator Edward Kennedy that for the first time, sexual orientation and gender identity will be part of a U.S. Civil Rights Code.” © 2009 Keen News Service

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Seattle Gay News 17

courtesy Don Paulson

922 Tavern (center of photo)

The 922

by Don Paulson SGN Contributing Writer

922 Madison Tavern from 1970 to 1976. It was owned by Mac and John, who changed the bar’s name to the 922. They also owned Bill Parkin, owner of the 1960s Pike Street the Gay 614 First Ave. and the 611 Second Tavern and who still knows everyone on the Ave. and were whistleblowers that brought planet (and then some), was bartender at the down the infamous police payoff system.

The 922 represents the movement of Gay bars from Pioneer Square to midtown, and eventually to Capitol Hill. Bill Parkin remembers: “The 922 was a straight tavern that became a women’s bar circa 1960, the first of its four incarnations. Gay men then never called Gay women Lesbians; we called them dykes and the butch ones bull dykes that you never messed with. “The owner of the 922 would get impatient with the women because they’d order a beer and nurse it all evening. One night a woman got mad, grabbed the jukebox and slung it across the room where it rolled and hit the wall. The owner got so mad he turned on the lights and closed the tavern. “When I was hired on, me and my big

mouth got to working and the guys started coming in and the women gradually stopped. It became kind of a leather/biker/ pool/pinball bar, but it was a comfortable place, not raw edge. I wore my Wellington leather pants. The biker club the Border Riders made the 922 their home base. If you had a bike, you got a beer stein with your patch on it. I let them park their bikes inside the tavern because they would be stolen by roving guys in trucks. They even had ramps on their trucks. There were never more than two bikes inside but I never let them start their engines inside.” Rose Bohanan remembers: “The men and women had a good relationship at the Madison/922, the only place we could meet as equals, not like Madame Peabody’s Dancing Academy where we preferred to separate. Same-sex clientele could not dance with each other – we still did but when a cop came in we’d quickly switch partners. This straight guy kept asking this Lesbian sitting at a table next to me to dance but she refused every time. A guy sitting at her table finally said, ‘Maybe you’d rather dance with me?’ The straight guy flew into a rage and a fistfight began, but the bouncer put a stop to it. In 1968, one of the biggest knock-down, drag-out fights occurred at the tavern. It had been a women’s bar for quite some time when they started building the First National Bank across the street. Quite often sailors came up from First Avenue and tried to crash this ‘bar for women.’ One night they all arrived at the same time as well as hardhat workers next door. We had a room full of tough Lesbians and women in high heels. They all came in at once and before the night was over the fight had begun. The women were not going to be pushed or talked back to, so all hell broke loose. The fixtures were torn off the walls and women were dragging these men out on the sidewalk just beating them to death. It was a grand and glorious evening. We made a statement, it was our Stonewall.”

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Celebrating 36 Years!

choi

continued from cover DADT and DOMA. “The lawmakers enacted rules that said we [LGBT servicemembers] have to be silent. It would be easier to offer support if we were actually allowed to speak.” Choi wants to turn the insult into action. “I’m marching on Washington,” he said. THE ROAD TO WASHINGTON Choi, a 2003 West Point graduate with degrees in Arabic and environmental engineering, appeared on The Rachel Maddow Show to talk about Knights Out in March, 2009. “The Rachel Maddow Show chose me,” Choi told SGN. “Knights Out didn’t think we would get that kind of publicity. At first we were just blogged about, but then the Army Times picked up the story and before I knew it, Maddow’s producers called and asked me to do the show.” Knights Out officials and Choi decided the time to be silent was over, and in front of millions of viewers the military officer declared he was Gay and was thrust into the role of activist almost overnight. “The timeline was intense,” Choi recalled. “In March I said publicly ‘I’m Gay,’ and on May 6 I got a letter saying I was going to be discharged unless I put up a fight. I asked to stay, and on June 28 a board of four officers wrote that they are recommending a discharge.” Currently, Choi has not been technically discharged from the United States Army. It is a waiting game; he said his official discharge from the service could happen today, tomorrow, or even months from now. “We are just waiting to see what kind of discharge they recommend,” he told SGN. The type of discharge is of utmost importance when a servicemember is booted out under DADT. Choi said if you are asked to leave under “other than honorable” circumstances, then you lose all benefits, including the Montgomery G.I. college fund, home loan, and other important VA benefits – including medical coverage a servicemember may need due to injuries suffered in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. He said although it is unlikely he would receive an “other than honorable” discharge, “thousands of people have gotten that.” In the fallout from his nationally televised coming out, Knights Out has seen a dramatic influx of support and membership numbers

are rising. “We started out with 23 members, and now we have 79,” Choi said. “People are very supportive and you start to realize why it is important to speak out. I personally have received e-mails from people telling me their real stories and saying ‘thank you for what you do.’ When you get those messages, the mission changes and you realize that what you are doing is needed.” Choi said, “By and large the most important element is for people to come out.” In the end, he said, that is what is going to be what we have to fight: people who “are afraid to come out.” As for DADT, he believes a repeal is the honorable thing for our Congress to do, saying, “Nobody is saying it is illegal to be silent. But, there is a branch of the government that says you cannot come out of the closet. Our country’s servicemembers are forced into silence.” THE NATIONAL EQUALITY MARCH Choi told SGN he endorses the National Equality March because it is a grassroots event and a call to action. “Maybe it’s an Army philosophy,” he said, “but you cannot get anything done without boots on the ground.” He said the current generation of LGBT activists needs to claim its place in the movement, and now is as good a time as any. “What happened with DADT and DOMA in the 1990s was before some of us had even hit puberty. We didn’t even understand what the words Gay and Lesbian were, let alone identify as such,” Choi said. “We need to meet each other, be trained and see what we can do. Our movement has older leaders who are willing to offer support and training; it’s time to pick their brains and move forward using some of their lessons learned.” Education, he said, is key. People need to learn how to successfully lobby Congress, how to get there foot in the door and “come together nationally to meet each other.” “In today’s society, there are a lot of people who exist as Gay only on the internet,” Choi told SGN. “This generation hasn’t really had our marches and rallies. The National Equality March will show people they are physically not alone.” “This is our time and it is critical that we, as a movement, get together and share skill sets,” Choi added. “We’ll get to shake hands with each other, then join hands and march together as a community.” Choi said a national showing is important

A MOVEMENT WITH HONOR Choi will soon be stripped of his rank and join over 250 servicemembers discharged from the military since Obama and the 111th Congress was sworn in. Still, he told SGN, he believes DADT will be repealed. “Integration is not the right word, ‘integrity’ is the word,” Choi said, pointing out that you cannot integrate a community that is already there. It is estimated that over 65,000 Gays and Lesbians serve silently under DADT. “We all know the truth; everyone in the military knows someone who is serving and is Gay. It is largely a non-issue.” Choi, who is Asian American, said he knows more openly Gay servicemembers than Asian ones. When a repeal happens, he said, he doesn’t think that “all of a sudden one day, all of the servicemembers who are Gay will come out all at once.” If a soldier or sailor is comfortable with telling the truth, he said, then they will. The most significant change you will see,

according to Choi, is servicemembers not being afraid to come out. “The biggest impact a repeal will have on the military is a positive one. Repealing the law will allow people to serve instead of being kicked out,” he said. Besides the National Equality March, Choi said October will also serve as a time when the U.S. Senate will hold a hearing about DADT. He will not be present at the hearing, but said Knights Out is putting together written stories from members which include testimony on their struggles serving under DADT. He said high-ranking generals and admirals who have experience working in coalition with foreign militaries such as Israel, the U.K., and Italy which include Gays and Lesbian servicemembers, will attend the hearing. For Choi, it all boils down to honor and integrity. “Various communities, be they religious or cultural, have taken the sense of honor and diluted it with what makes you popular or what makes them look good. True honor belongs to people who tell the truth,” he said. “Not lying isn’t a conservative or liberal view, it’s an honorable view. We [out LGBT servicemembers] are picking up the banner of integrity. The truth strengthens every bit of everything we do.”

August 28, 2009

Seattle Gay News 19

because, “Our struggles are at a federal level. You can’t repeal DADT state-by-state. … Discrimination is out there no matter what state you live in. Marriage equality is not the only issue; we deserve equality across the board.”

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administration, and I think we are going forward in the right direction now for federal employees.” –Bill Clinton speaking at the Netroots Nation conference August 13 in Pittsburgh. by Rex Wockner SGN Contributing Writer “When Gen. Colin Powell came up with this Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, it was defined while he was chairman much differently than it was implemented. He said: ‘If you will accept this, here’s what we’ll do. We will not pursue anyone. Any military members out of uniform will be free to march in Gay rights parades, go to Gay bars, go to political meetings. Whatever mailings they get, whatever they do in their private lives, none of this will be a basis for dismissal.’ It all turned out to be a fraud because of the enormous reaction against it among the middle-level officers and down after it was promulgated and Colin was gone. So nobody regrets how this was implemented any more than I do.” –Bill Clinton speaking at the Netroots Nation conference August 13 in Pittsburgh. “Look, I think it’s [Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell] ridiculous. Can you believe they spent – whatever they spent – $150,000 to get rid of a valued Arabic speaker recently? And, you know, the thing that changed me forever on Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell was when I learned that 130 Gay service people were allowed to serve and risk their lives in the first Gulf War, and all their commanders knew they were Gay; they let them go out there and risk

their lives because they needed them, and then as soon as the first Gulf War was over, they kicked them out. That’s all I needed to know, that’s all anybody needs to know, to know that this policy should be changed.” –Bill Clinton speaking at the Netroots Nation conference August 13 in Pittsburgh. “The reason I signed DOMA was – and I said when I signed it – that I thought the question of whether Gays should marry should be left up to states and to religious organizations, and if any church or other religious body wanted to recognize Gay marriage, they ought to. We were attempting at the time, in a very reactionary Congress, to head off an attempt to send a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage to the states. And if you look at the 11 referenda much later – in 2004, in the election – which the Republicans put on the ballot to try to get the base vote for President Bush up, I think it’s obvious that something had to be done to try to keep the Republican Congress from presenting that. The president doesn’t even get to veto that. The Congress can refer constitutional amendments to the states. I didn’t like signing DOMA and I certainly didn’t like the constraints that were put on benefits, and I’ve done everything I could – and I am proud to say that the State Department was the first federal department to restore benefits to Gay partners in the Obama

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“I’m running on the Gay marriage, no religion, legalization and taxation of marijuana platform. I don’t have a chance [at becoming mayor of New Orleans]. I don’t have a chance. ... That’s my answer. I don’t have a chance. That’s not what I do best.” –Actor Brad Pitt on TV’s Today Show, August 13. “His name was Harvey Milk and he was here to recruit us – all of us – to join a movement and change a nation. For much of his early life, he had silenced himself. In the prime of his life, he was silenced by the act of another. But in the brief time in which he spoke – and ran and led – his voice stirred the aspirations of millions of people. He would become, after several attempts, one of the first openly Gay Americans elected to public office. And his message of hope – hope unashamed, hope unafraid – could not ever be silenced. It was Harvey who said it best: ‘You gotta give ‘em hope.’” –President Barack Obama awarding the Presidential Medal of Freedom to the late Gay activist Harvey Milk, August 12.

been made as clear to them.” –Human Rights Campaign President Joe Solmonese to U.S. News & World Report, August 7. “Any closeted Gay person who votes against the interests of Gay people and is outed because of it is getting what they deserve. My only concern is that sometimes the sensational aspect of outing somebody gets us to lose sight of just what it is that was so bad about them. And they get drummed out of office and are replaced by somebody who is just as bad.” –Human Rights Campaign President Joe Solmonese to U.S. News & World Report, August 7.

“I think that [the campaign against] Prop 8 ignored the basics. They did not let the voters know who would be hurt by passage of the bill and how they would be hurt. The campaign against Prop 8 talked about human rights [but didn’t] put a face on the campaign. ... Harvey [Milk] understood that you had to show who exactly would be hurt if Proposition 6 (or in this case Prop 8) passed. Everybody knows somebody who is Gay. It might be your neighbor, someone you work with, a relative or even a friend of a friend. These relationships make the difference. The voters can understand if you are talking about taking rights away from “After purchasing an $8 racquet with someone they personally know but if they money earned from chores, 11-year-old can’t see the impact, if it is too abstract, Billie Jean declared a goal to be the No. then it is easy to vote for or against a mea1 tennis player in the world. Yet, what we sure. Ultimately, I think this is why Prop 8 honor are not simply her 12 Grand Slam passed. ... The campaign was not made pertitles, 101 doubles titles and 67 singles titles sonal and didn’t put a face on the men and – pretty good, Billie Jean – we honor what women whose rights were revoked. A lot of she calls ‘all the off-the-court stuff’ – what money was raised, lots of money was spent she did to broaden the reach of the game, and we lost Prop 8. I think we were missing to change how women athletes and women a focus. ... Personally, I believe if Harvey everywhere view themselves, and to give had been alive we could have won.” everyone – regardless of gender or sexual –Anne Kronenberg, who was Harvey orientation – including my two daughters – Milk’s campaign manager, in an interview a chance to compete both on the court and with GayRussia.ru, August 13. in life. As Billie Jean once said, we should ‘never, ever underestimate the human spir“Though this page will back same-sex it.’ Nor should we underestimate Billie Jean marriage no matter what the year, we hope King’s spirit.” the Courage Campaign will rethink its tim–President Barack Obama awarding the ing. Gay-rights activists must recognize that Presidential Medal of Freedom to Billie their lackluster campaign did little to sway Jean King, August 12. the public, especially considering the misleading ads by Gay-marriage opponents. So “They [the White House] didn’t get any far, the Courage Campaign has not articulatof my facts right. Did you see all the – how ed a sophisticated strategy for changing this. many titles I won? I was cracking up. Not Without other Gay-rights groups by its side, even in the ballpark. I thought it was ador- its low chances are further weakened.” able. ... The Grand Slam’s at 39, not at 12.” –The Los Angeles Times editorial page –Billie Jean King to Politico.com, August weighs in August 17 on the battle between 13. Gay rights groups over when to attempt to repeal Proposition 8 – in 2010 (the Courage “I see a road map (with Obama) of six- Campaign’s plan) or 2012 (Equality Calimonth windows: the hate crimes bill, then fornia’s plan). the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, then Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell. And the admin“The [Olson/Boies federal] lawsuit comes istration is building a case in the military as societal views on same-sex marriage are leadership and Congress and the rank-and- rapidly evolving. Six states have now authofile members of the military. ... I don’t see rized Gay couples to marry, and the politics them dragging their feet. But where the of the issue increasingly defy convention. LGBT community is feeling frustration is President Obama, for example, has said he that the road map and timetable have not opposes same-sex marriage, while former Vice President Dick Cheney, whose daughter is a Lesbian, supports it.” –The New York Times, August 18. With assistance from Bill Kelley

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Celebrating 36 Years!

Drama at home during “monkey month” by Rajkhet Dirzhud-Rashid SGN A&E Writer Okay, as I sit here with yet another pile of paper I’ve spilled something on today, I have to wonder: Is there something wonky going on in the universe besides the usual wackiness, astrology-wise, or what? Ah, but according to my honey bunny, who’s a topnotch astrologer in Chinese and Vedic astrology (yes, it’s a shameless plug to try and get him some business, but, hey, that’s what sweeties are for, yes, yes!), it’s “monkey month,” so things aren’t too bad for yours truly, and even my own tarot business recently got a major (and much-needed) shot in the arm as a regular client brought three friends into my life to enrich my cash flow. Praise be to Lakshmi, The Great Wow, and all deities I know and love for this boon. So, what has this one been up to, besides having wacky times spilling things and getting more cash toward those new winter boots I’m ordering this week (so this one’s feet are not cold and wet all winter like last year, honey)? Well, I did attend, though not vend, at the Central Area Community Festival last weekend and snapped up a gawgeous bracelet for my sweet one, as well as tried out the best chicken wings this one has put in her mouth (check them out for your next party by e-mailing those lovely ladies at dezi@hotmail.com) and listened to some groovy soul sounds from one of this year’s artists. Also entered several contests includ-

ing one to win a sweet necklace that this one will grace my slave/love’s neck with, should I win. Also, there has been major drama at The Digs, and this one even got to wave at one of the hot firemen who showed up for some unknown emergency last week and to a couple of SPD officers (who didn’t notice, but hey, I did, so that’s what matters). Who knows what was up, but one can surely say “monkey month” is not only a challenge for this one’s baby, but also for some of my neighbors (but, chile, that’s true of my neighbors all the time, so it doesn’t matter what Chinese astrology animal holds sway). Maybe next month, “rooster month” (which’ll be good for sweetie, I’m told), will be better for them. Let’s hope! On the letting-you-know-about-it front, this one is thrilled beyond joy that hizzoner the (soon-to-be former) mayor was kicked to the curb, and we hope the next one is a heckuva lot more qualified and works on having buses show up on time and making the city more pedestrian-friendly. More parking over two hours on Capitol Hill would be nice, so my babe doesn’t keep getting tickets when that one spends the night pleasing yours truly. Also, if you’ve been paying attention to the healthcare debate (and who hasn’t, eh?), another option is something a certain Representative Weiner from New York has put forth: single-payer healthcare, the same type folks benefit from in our neighbor to the north, Canada. Call

your reps and let them know this is what you want at 1-866-338-1015, and let’s hope this one is able to maintain the healthcare she has and thus take care of some critical issues in the very near future. Down with spendown crap, and up with healthcare for all now! Oh, and hey, we support First Lady Michelle Obama’s shorts choice, which apparently caused a frenzy of late. Give the woman a break, folks; she’s got the legs for shorts, and hey, isn’t that worlds above anything Laura Bush or Mrs. Cheney ever wore, dahlings? You’re damn right it is! And as for that whole gender flap over South African runner Castor Semenya, give it a rest, people, and let the grrl be herself and keep on winning. I mean, is this Salem, and are we going after a new class of “witches,” or what?! ‘Nuff said there. Oh, and viva Les Paul, inventor of the best ever guitar. Have fun wherever you went, dude. So what has this one tried and loved in the past two weeks, besides those yummy chicken wings and Trader Joe’s Lemon Sorbet (since this one is trying to lose a few pounds, dahling, so ice cream’s out for now)? Well, I did get samples of Caudalie’s Vinoperfect Day Perfecting Cream and their Vinexpert Night Infusion Cream the last time me and my sweetie’s grrl self wandered into Sephora for a makeover for that one. Great stuff, and I do hope to get more in the future for la face to look even yummier come fall. Also, do try The Body Shoppe’s new Colorglide Lipcolor in Pink Ginger (just perfect for the “nude lip” look for fall) and Berry Shimmer (my new fave go-to lipstick). You’ll look divine, and maybe someone as delicious as my own love will kiss you,

hopefully make your toes curl like my baby does mine when our lips lock. Oh yeah! So, that’s it for now, my little falling leaves, and remember: the earth is everyone’s planet, and we should love her as she loves us by not throwing trash everywhere and cleaning up after ourselves, whether at the gym or out and about. And, Metro drivers, particularly my black sisters, honeys, do yourselves and your passengers a favor and smile more. After all, whatever is going on, a smile and one back always improves things, trust me on that one. Good luck to the challengers in both the mayoral race and that of the King County exec, ‘cause I don’t wanna see Ms. Hutchinson there after November. And write your state and federal representatives and thank them for working so damned hard to fix the mess Bush left and get us all decent healthcare, and continue speaking out in favor of a more equal healthcare system. No peace until it’s better for all of us for all time! And, hey, have an opinion, want to contact my sweetie for an astrology reading, or hell, me too? E-mail me at ijanaral@yahoo.com. Peace out, kiss kiss, buhbye, and treat each other with mucho respect, love, and like we are all children of a higher being.

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Visit us online www.sgn.org

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Seattle Gay News 21

p r e s e n t s

S E A T T L E

A I D S

5K WALK & RUN

www.SeattleAIDSWalk.org

Saturday, September 26, 2009 TOGETHER WE CAN END THE AIDS EPIDEMIC WALK, EDUCATE, & FUNDRAISE TO CHANGE THE FUTURE Benefitting

Text GIVE to 90999 to make a $5 donation to Seattle AIDS Walk.

*

*A one-time donation of $5 will be added to your mobile phone bill or deducted from your prepaid balance. Standard messaging rates and additional fees may apply. All charges are billed by and payable to your mobile service provider. Service is available on most carriers. Donations are collected for the benefit of the Lifelong AIDS Alliance by the Mobile Giving Foundation and subject to the terms found at www.mGive.com/A. You can unsubscribe at any time by texting STOP to 90999. Lifelong AIDS Alliance is committed to preventing the spread of HIV, and to providing practical support services and advocating for those whose lives are affected by HIV and AIDS. LLAA is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Photo courtesy of: www.SeattlePaparazzi.com. Graphics by

22 Seattle Gay News

August 28, 2009

Celebrating 36 Years!

Prepare to play.

COACHING... If you are feeling stuck, out of sync, or in the doldrums...and want to rediscover "Flow and On-Purpose Living"...give me a call. For individuals and small businesses/teams who want to engage and move forward with intention, purpose, and impact.

Sharpen your pencils, get out your backpacks, & choose your best back-toschool outfit, because Gay City University is back in session!

GCU Gay City University

Join other gay, bi and trans guys on September 12th from 9am-4pm at the Northwest School (1415 Summit Ave in Seattle)

It's a day of learning and fun at Gay City University 2009! This year’s edition brings brand new offerings, plus some returning favorites. Choose from a wide variety of fascinating classes on sexuality, health, relationships, history, culture, finances and more! GCU is only $25 and includes lunch! Scholarships are available - to find our more, email info@gaycity.org If this is your first Gay City University, bring a friend and experience the day together! Register at:

WWW.GAYCITY.ORG Visit us online www.sgn.org

August 28, 2009

Seattle Gay News 23