Celebrating 44 Years! Issue 51 Volume 46
FRIDAY December 21, 2018 FREE!
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Seattle Men’s Chorus’ “Jingle All the Way” one of the best in years SEC 2 PG 1
The Dina Martina Christmas Show arrives at ACT Theatre SEC 2 PG 1
Seattle Gay News S E AT T L E ’ S L G B T Q N E W S & E N T E R TA I N M E N T W E E K LY
New report documents Seattle AIDS Memorial horrific anti-LGBTQ crimes Pathway receives $50,000 against humanity in Chechnya grant from Pride Foundation
Ahead of the Trump-Putin summit in Helsinki, HRC projected an enormous message onto the Presidential Palace. – Photo courtesy of HRC
WASHINGTON, DC (December 20, 2018) – Today, the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), America’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) civil rights organization, responded to a new report released by the Organization
for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) documenting horrific anti-LGBTQ crimes against humanity in the Russian republic of Chechnya that first made head-
see CHECHNYA page 13
Gov. Inslee collects $552 million annually from tobacco taxes and fees Proposes spending less than 1% on prevention efforts
Photo courtesy of CNN
SEATTLE (December 18, 2018) – In a stunning move last week, Gov. Inslee released a budget that provides no additional funding for tobacco prevention efforts. “It is a fair assumption that some percentage of the revenue the state gener-
Image courtesy of Gerding Edlen Development
SEATTLE (September 21, 2018) – The AMP: AIDS Memorial Pathway is pleased to announce it has received a $50,000 grant from the Pride Foundation. “This extraordinary gift will enable us to move closer to realizing our goal of creating a physical place for remembrance
and reflection, education about how the crisis years affected our region, and calls to action to end HIV/AIDS, stigma, and discrimination,” said the AMP’s steering committee chair, Tom Rasmussen.
see AMP page 4
Murray, Cantwell call on Trump administration to protect rights of Transgender federal employees
U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell (l) and U.S. Sen. Patty Murray – Photo by David Ryder / Getty Images
ates from nicotine addiction would go toward helping users quit smoking or preventing tobacco use in the first place,” explains Fred Swanson, Gay City’s execu-
see TOBACCO page 4
WASHINGTON, DC (December 19, 2018) – This week, US Sens. Patty Murray (D-WA), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), and 27 of their Senate colleagues called on the Trump administration to restore guidelines for protecting the privacy and rights of
transgender federal employees. Last month, the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) replaced information on its website that provided supervi-
see TRANS EMPLOYEE page 5
Christmas Eve Worship at Northminster in Ballard
Monday, Dec. 24 at 8:00 pm Come celebrate Christmas at 8:00 pm in our familyand LGBTQ-friendly service of lessons and carols.
Come experience the fullness and joy of Christmas Eve at our 8:00 pm traditional candlelight service, with meaningful worship and readings, and with choral excerpts from Benjamin Britten’s ‘Ceremony of Carols’. A joyful fellowship experience!
7706 25th Ave NW, Seattle, 98117 ∙ 206-783-3402
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Celebrating 44 Years!
Seattle Gay News F O U N D ED 1974 MEMBER
2018
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Three Dollar Bill Cinema’s “An Evening with Auntie Mame” was a great community party
Cartoonist Ken Campbell Calendar Editor Rick McKinnon Classifieds Rick McKinnon Photographers Nate Gowdy • Joseph P. Herron MK Scott • James Whitely Production Mike Pham Website Designer Barry Thorsness / Digital Team Works Seattle Gay News is published by Frogs and Ink, Inc. © 2018. Frogs and Ink, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Reprints by permission. Publication of names, photographs, or likeness 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 ad. Credit will be given for the balance owed. No exceptions.
In Loving Memory Of Steve Foiles • Scott Roger Alpert Cookie Andrews-Hunt James Leland Moore Randy Peters • Lee Richeson Shaun Shelton • Jim Tully James Arnold
Photo courtesy of Three Dollar Bill Cinema
by Paul Torres SGN A&E Writer Have you ever wanted to spend the evening with your ol’ Auntie Mame? Well, I had that chance on December 12 courtesy of Three Dollar Bill Cinema. It was their annual holiday party appropriately titled “An Evening with Auntie Mame.” The celebration included a big screen viewing at AMC Pacific Place of the classic 1958 Technicolor film Auntie Mame starring Rosalind Russell. If you are not familiar with this movie – and you should be – it’s the tale of a young conservatively-raised boy, Patrick, who goes to live with his wild and free-spirited Auntie Mame in New York City after his father keels over of heart attack in a Chicago steam room. Her crazy-fun life
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includes a theatre queen who is hardly ever sober, an open-minded teacher, a rich oil sugar-daddy, and a shlump of a secretary. When Patrick’s executor, appointed by his late father, visits, everything changes and hilarious conflict ensues. The movie has snappy dialog, mid 50’s era double entendre, and a whole lot of heart. It was a big smash hit the year it came out and gave Ms. Russell an Oscar nomination for her comic, inimitable performance. Following the screening a festive afterparty at the Even Hotel in South Lake Union was enjoyed by well over 100 moviegoers with drinks and food sponsored by Tito’s Vodka and more. The courtyard was not only a celebration of the characters in Mame, but one for the holiday season as well. Three Dollar Bill Cinema knows how to throw a party!
And the events Three Dollar Bill Cinema sponsors every year including their Academy Awards Party coming up February 24, their 12th Annual Dinner & Auction at Block 41 in Belltown coming up April 13, their Translations: Seattle Transgender Film Festival coming up May 2-5, their Outdoor Cinema film series in Cal Anderson Park in August and their 11-day TWIST: Seattle Queer Film Festival every October are all annual highlights for the LGBTQI+ community. As Mame says, “Life is a banquet and most poor suckers are starving to death!” To support Three Dollar Bill Cinema’s contribution to the Seattle LGBTQ community’s banquet consider making a year-end donation to them through their “2018 Be A Queerstar Campaign” fundraising effort at www.threedollarbillcinema.org
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Image courtesy of Gerding Edlen Development
The memorial organizers anticipate dedicating the site, located in the plaza over Seattle’s Capitol Hill Light Rail Station, in early 2020.
nity,” explained Brandy Pirtle-Guiney, the Pride Foundation’s board vice president and longtime resident of Portland, OR. “Our investment in the AMP seeks to honor the substantial regional role that the city
held during the epidemic and continues to hold today.” In addition to using public art to create a physical place and technology to share the diverse regional responses to the crisis, “the Pride Foundation’s grant will further our work in collecting stories from all communities affected by the AIDS crisis,” said steering committee member Jeff Sakuma. “Our goals during the story collection include ensuring that the narrative of HIV/ AIDS is not just about its impact on gay, white, cisgender men but creating awareness of the disproportionate impact HIV continues to have on communities of color, transgender people, and cis women.” This gift, in concert with funds from the City of Seattle, Lucky Seven Foundation, the Seattle Department of Neighborhoods, the Seattle Parks Foundation Community Parks Fund, and individual donors, has helped AMP organizers reach 20% of the project’s $2.9 million goal. Individuals and business owners interested in contributing to the memorial are encouraged to learn more about the project at www.TheAMP.org.
taxes and fees, the state is spending less than 1% toward prevention efforts. According to a recent FDA report, high school e-cigarette use is at an epidemic level, increasing 78% year over year. Those most likely to be affected include youth of color and LGBTQ youth, whose rates of smoking far outpace any other groups. Tobacco use remains the leading cause of preventable death in the country. Annual healthcare costs directly attributable to smoking in Washington top $2.8 billion. A request for a meaningful investment in tobacco prevention and control was sent to Gov. Inslee in October by the American Cancer Society Cancer Action
Network, the American Heart Association, the American Indian Health Commission for Washington State, the American Lung Association, the Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids, the Center for Multicultural Health, El Centro de la Raza, the Foundation for Healthy Generations, Gay City: Seattle’s LGBTQ Center, Neighborhood House, and the Asian Pacific Islander Coalition Advocating Together for Healthy Communities. It is now up to the state legislature to address this oversight in the 2019 budget. To contact your legislator, go to gaycity.org/ contactyourlegislator. For more information and facts, please
visit https://www.gaycity.org/resources/ youth-tobacco-prevention.
AMP
continued from cover “We are pleased to support this project that is rooted in our journey and struggles,” shared Wakefield, the Pride Foundation’s board president. “We are confident that this project will serve as an important and enduring reminder that creating a more equitable world requires a vigilant look at both our history and ongoing efforts toward inclusion.” In 1985, the Pride Foundation’s visionary founders came together to create an organization focused on addressing the growing challenges facing the LGBTQ community, not the least of which was the new and frightening HIV/AIDS epidemic. Since then, the Pride Foundation has invested more than $70 million in grants, scholarships, and initiatives across the Northwest. “As the largest city in the Pride Foundation’s five-state region, Seattle was an epicenter of life and loss for our commu-
TOBACCO
continued from cover tive director. “To feed the state’s general fund with more than 99% of tobacco taxes and fees and ignore the epidemic of vaping among our youth is unconscionable.” In the governor’s recent $54.4 billion budget, the state is designating only $1.7 million annually toward the prevention of tobacco, e-cigarettes, and vaping, less than 3% of the $64 million recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). With more than $552 million in tax revenue received annually from tobacco
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The AMP: AIDS Memorial Pathway, community-driven and -funded, will use public art to create a physical place for remembrance and reflection; utilize technology to share stories about the epidemic and the diverse community responses to the crisis; and provide a call to action to end HIV/AIDS, stigma, and discrimination. Learn more at www.TheAMP.org The Pride Foundation is the only LGBTQ community foundation serving the Northwest region of Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and Washington. It inspires giving to expand opportunities and advance full equality for LGBTQ people across the Northwest. For more information, visit www.PrideFoundation.org. Courtesy of the Pride Foundation
Gay City: Seattle’s LGBTQ Center’s mission is to promote wellness in LGBTQ communities by providing health services, connecting people to resources, fostering arts, and building community. Its staff and volunteers, our programs and services, and its drive and spirit reflect the resilience and power of Seattle’s many LGBTQ communities. For more information, visit www. gaycity.org. Courtesy of Gay City
Celebrating 44 Years!
Report on the 2018 OutSummit Conference by Maridee Bonadea Special to the SGN OutRight, an LGBTI rights organization, just wrapped up its advocacy week with the OutSummit conference. I was privileged to be a part of this. After studying human rights in Thailand, my interest in international human rights has deepened. Volunteering with OutRight gave me an opportunity to meet LGBTI activists from all over the world, hear their stories of their work, and get to know them personally. It gave me an opportunity to be a part of the human rights movement at the United Nations level. Now that I’m back home, I’m processing this experience and looking at what I can do next to further LGBTI rights globally. The LGBTI activists started coming in on Monday; some were seasoned travelers, and others had never been out of their country. Meeting transwomen from Fiji and Turkey, lesbians from Kenya and Sri Lanka, and gay men from Russia and Indonesia at the airport was like a family reunion. We instantly bonded over who we are, as well as our goals for human rights. These bonds lasted for the rest of the time we were together. Through meetings and workshops, we learned how they counteract their daily struggles with activism, both in their community and in their country. Luckily, I got invited to several United Nations meetings: the EU Mission, the Equal Rights Committee, and the LGBTI Core Group. Of all these, I thought the Equal Rights Committee would cover LGBTI rights in depth and that information on the status of LGBTI people around the world would be extensive. I couldn’t have been more wrong. Instead, at the EU Mission meeting, the room was packed with LGBTI activists from many member states of the EU who engaged in conversations about the EU’s global human rights work. The EU Mission staff listened to the activists’ questions and suggestions and answered them in depth. I left this meeting inspired and full of hope for the work ahead. The Equal Rights Committee took place at the Canadian mission. They led us into a great conference room, with snacks laid out for us. At this meeting, only the two chairs of the committee attended, along with all of us activists. The dialogue couldn’t have been more different, leaving all of us confused
TRANS EMPLOYEE continued from cover
sors with guidelines regarding transgender federal employees with new guidance that omits essential information, including any reference to transgender individuals. “We write to express our serious concern that guidance meant to ensure transgender federal employees are treated with dignity and respect has been removed from the website of the US Office of Personnel Management,” the senators wrote in a letter to the acting director of the OPM. “We request that you immediately make the guidance available online, so that managers, supervisors, and employees are equipped with accurate information and fully understand their responsibilities in the federal workplace.” “The new guidance that replaced it omits essential information, including any reference to transgender individuals, greatly diminishing the OPM’s ability to educate federal agencies on anti-discrimination policies and retain a productive federal workforce as diverse as the people it serves,” the senators continued. The Trump administration has removed information about LGBTQ people from a variety of websites across federal agencies, including the White House website, the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Women’s Health website, and
Photo taken at the UN in a meeting of the LGBTI Core Group of the United Nations at the 2018 OutSummit Conference – Photo courtesy of OutRight International
when we left. We all went on to other meetings or training sessions, or took advantage of some free time. All we could do is move on and keep up with the work we came to New York and the United Nations to do. After these two meetings, I was invited to attend the LGBTI Core Group the next day. We met early in front of the UN, and were handed our visitor passes. When everyone arrived, we got in line. When I entered the halls of the UN, I became speechless, taking it all in, and looking at the history on the walls, including a picture of Eleanor Roosevelt holding the Universal Declaration of Human Rights –a moment that changed history. The LGBTI Core Group meeting reviewed the past weeks of meetings, reporting on a mix of positive and hard conversations. So glad the LGBTI Core Group at the UN exists! Karamo Brown of “Queer Eye,” a keynote speaker at the Out Summit conference, gave
the opening address. He summed up our role in the struggle for LGBTI human rights around the world. He said our stories are a gift to others who want to grow and build a better world, and a roadmap of courage for those who want to do this work. These words captured the essence of what we expressed in the past week and continued in the workshops. It didn’t matter whether you were a seasoned LGBTI activist like me, or someone new to the movement – the personal stories from activists gave us inspiration and the courage to carry on with the work of demanding freedom to live our lives with respect. These stories identified the common thread we have in our lives. We all are at some place on the continuum of the road to freedom. Those of us in the USA told stories of getting married; the LGBTI people from Egypt talked about being afraid for their lives every day. The gay man from Lebanon
shared a story of inroads in building a movement, and a transwoman from Turkey talked about how repressive acts make it hard to have a stable life. All of this confirms that LGBTI rights are now a global movement. A lot of the struggles don’t get into the media, partly for security reasons: people’s lives are in danger if their identities are revealed or their struggles become headline news anywhere in the world. For us in the US, it’s important to support international human rights movements and actions. OutRight an international LGBTI organization that sponsored the advocacy week, and the OutSummit conference is the only LGBTI organization that has a permanent presence to advocate at the United Nations. For more information, or if you want to donate and be a part of the global human rights movement for LGBTI rights, go to the website www.outrightinternational.org.
the Department of State website, and has aggressively taken anti-LGBTQ actions, which have been catalogued by the National Center for Transgender Equality and GLAAD. In addition to Murray and Cantwell, the letter was also signed by US Sens. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Ed Markey (D-MA), Chris Coons (D-DE), Pat Leahy (D-VT), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Jack Reed (D-RI), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Tina Smith (D-MN), Ben Cardin (D-MD), Kamala Harris (D-CA), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Chris Murphy (D-CT), Bob Menendez (D-NJ), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Bob Casey (D-PA), and Tom Carper (D-DE). The full text of the letter is below.
der federal employees are treated with dignity and respect has been removed from the website of the US Office of Personnel Management (OPM). We request that you immediately make the guidance available online, so that managers, supervisors, and employees are equipped with accurate information and fully understand their responsibilities in the federal workplace. The original guidance addressed common questions that agency managers and federal employees had raised with OPM, identifying issues and core concepts specific to understanding rights and fair treatment of transgender employees. The new guidance that replaced it omits essential information, including any reference to transgender individuals, greatly diminishing OPM’s ability to educate federal agencies on anti-discrimination policies and retain a productive federal workforce as diverse as the people it serves. In a statement last month, 178 companies, including Microsoft, IBM, Google, and many others, affirmed that diversity and inclusion are good for business, while discrimination significantly harms transgender people and imposes enormous productivity costs. In the Business Statement on Transgender Equality, business leaders noted the importance of guidance and other resources to support their transgender employees, citing that “more than 80 percent of the Fortune 500 have clear gender identity protections; two-thirds have
transgender-inclusive healthcare coverage; hundreds have LGBTQ+ and Allies business resource groups and internal training efforts.” On June 25, 2018, the OPM Director’s Blog issued a statement celebrating LGBT Pride Month 2018, which committed OPM to “human capital management strategies that attract, develop, and retain a high-performing, engaged, and diverse Federal workforce where each employee feels valued and respected as a member of the Federal family.” The statement also encouraged “all Federal employees to further commit themselves to the progress we’ve made in creating a culture that is aware, accepting, inclusive, and respectful of our diversity.” We hope that you will continue this commitment by making the original guidance supporting transgender employees available online in order to promote safe and positive workplace conditions across the federal government. We also request information on what further actions OPM will take under your leadership to ensure the privacy and rights of transgender federal employees. We appreciate your consideration and look forward to receiving your prompt response on this important issue.
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December 18, 2018 The Honorable Margaret Weichert Acting Director US Office of Personnel Management 1900 E Street, NW Washington, DC 20415 Dear Acting Director Weichert: We write to express our serious concern that guidance meant to ensure transgen-
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Courtesy of Sen. Maria Cantwell
Two US airmen sue Defense Secretary Jim Mattis They were illegally discharged because of their HIV status, they say by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer Two US airmen filed suit against Defense Secretary Jim Mattis on December 19, charging that they were illegally discharged from the service because they are HIV-positive. The discharge orders violate the US Constitution’s equal protection clause and federal law, the airmen say in court documents. They have asked a US District Court to reverse the Defense Department’s decision. Both active-duty airmen said they tested positive for HIV last year during Air Force screenings. After they started antiretroviral treatments, their doctors deemed them asymptomatic and physically fit to deploy, and their commanders backed their continued service, they said. Both added that they intended to pursue lengthy Air Force careers after serving for more than half a decade in logistics and maintenance roles. In November, however, the Defense Department notified the two that they had been deemed unfit for military service and would be discharged. The US military bans personnel with HIV from deploying to the Middle East,
Defense Secretary Jim Mattis (l) – Photo by Manuel Balce Ceneta / AP
where the majority of Air Force members are expected to go, and the pair were therefore judged “undeployable.” “Policies singling out service members living with HIV for starkly different treatment are an unfortunate vestige of a time when HIV was untreatable and invariably fatal,” the airmen argued in the complaint. “These anachronistic policies are no longer justified in light of modern medical science.” Scott Schoettes, a counsel at Lambda Legal representing the plaintiffs, said the ban is arbitrary and inconsistent with the current medical reality for those serving with HIV.
It is easy for such service members to bring sufficient supplies of medication on a deployment, Schoettes told the Washington Post. For most people living with HIV, medication renders the virus inconsequential to their daily lives, and the virus is suppressed to a degree that they no longer can transmit it to others, the complaint said. “What we’re really asking for here is that HIV be treated the same as any other medical condition in terms of evaluating whether or not you can deploy with it,” Schoettes said. “It shouldn’t be carved out and specifically categorized as ‘you are non-deployable once you have this.’” In an interview with the Washington Post, one of the two plaintiffs, a 26-yearold maintenance airman from California, said he had already deployed twice to the Middle East, and his job didn’t require him to leave the confines of a base where medical personnel were on hand. He expressed confidence that he would still be able to do his job there and elsewhere. “It’s disheartening to say the least,” the airman said. “I know for a fact that I am very good. I know I’m good at what I do, and I’m not being afforded the opportunity to give the Air Force what I know I’m capable of doing.” Since taking over at the Pentagon
almost two years ago, Mattis has made it a priority to discharge service members unable to deploy, regardless of the reasons. Known colloquially as “deploy or get out,” his policy came into effect this fall. Under its guidelines, any service member who is deemed unable to deploy for 12 consecutive months will be evaluated for separation. “You’re either deployable, or you need to find something else to do. I’m not going to have some people deploying constantly and then other people, who seem to not pay that price, in the US military,” Mattis told reporters in February. “If you can’t go overseas [and] carry a combat load, then obviously someone else has got to go. I want this spread fairly and expertly across the force.” A defense Department spokesperson said that “the Air Force does not find all airmen with asymptomatic HIV unfit, and has returned more than 150 such airmen to duty.” Airmen in career fields with a low possibility for deployment or who are unlikely to deploy because of rank or experience may be returned to duty, the spokesperson added, “whereas airmen in career fields with a high possibility for deployment may be found unfit.”
Arizona Gov. Ducey ignores voters, adds anti-LGBTQ activist Martha McSally to US Senate NEW YORK (December 18, 2018) – GLAAD, the world’s largest LGBTQ media advocacy organization, today issued the following statement criticizing Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey for selecting Rep. Martha McSally to fill the vacant Senate seat being left by Sen. Jon Kyl at the end of the year. In November, McSally lost a race for the US Senate to Rep. Kyrsten Sinema – who is [bisexual] – and McSally has a long history of anti-LGBTQ rhetoric and record. “Appointing someone who was rejected by Arizona voters just a month ago is not only a slap in the face to Arizonans but a deliberate and direct attack on LGBTQ people, who have been in Martha McSally’s crosshairs for years,” said Drew Anderson, Director of Campaigns and Rapid Response at GLAAD. “Arizonans will remember
step with the people of Arizona and have no place in the US Senate.”
Martha McSally – Photo by Matt York / AP
Martha McSally for a lot of things, and morphing herself to be a sheer clone of the anti-LGBTQ Donald Trump will be on the top of that list. Her extreme views are out of
Background on Rep. McSally’s anti-LGBTQ record: Championed an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act that permitted federal agencies to discriminate against LGBTQ people. Supported a federal constitutional ban on marriage equality. Voiced opposition to adding sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression to nondiscrimination protections. Opposed repealing the discriminatory Defense of Marriage Act. Voiced support for the Trump administration’s rescinding of guidance that allowed transgender public school students
to use bathrooms and facilities in accordance with their gender identities, saying that the Obama era policy was “federal overreach,” repeal “needed to be done,” and that “other children” needed protection from trans children. Voted for an unsuccessful amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act that “sought to prohibit funds for medical treatment (other than mental health treatment) related to gender transition to a person entitled to medical care under chapter 55 of title 10, United States Code.” Has never once criticized the Trump administration for its transgender military ban. Courtesy of GLAAD
Same face, new place: Mick Mulvaney brings more anti-LGBTQ activism to White House as new acting Chief of Staff NEW YORK (December 17, 2018) – GLAAD, the world’s largest LGBTQ media advocacy organization, today refurbished its profile on Mick Mulvaney after President Donald Trump announced the budget director as his new acting Chief of Staff for the White House. Like the rest of the Trump administration, Mulvaney has an anti-LGBTQ record that should be alarming for LGBTQ Americans. Just recently, Mulvaney said he was “stunned” the Obama administration threatened to withdraw federal aid from African countries for criminalizing homosexuality, citing the move as “religious persecution.” Mulvaney has also been a longtime opponent of marriage equality – even co-sponsoring the “First Amendment Defense Act” just after the historic ruling by the US Supreme Court that ushered in
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GLAAD’s Trump Accountability Project [https://www.glaad.org/trump] that highlights anti-LGBTQ members of the Trump administration.
Mick Mulvaney – Photo by Kevin Lamarque / Reuters
marriage equality nationwide. For more information about Mick Mulvaney, see below. Also, check out
December 21, 2018
Background Information: Mulvaney’s Anti-LGBTQ Record 2018: Said he was “stunned” that the Obama administration would deny African countries federal aid because of laws criminalizing LGBTQ people, calling the move “religious persecution.” 2016: Added his name to a letter questioning the Obama administration’s transgender guidance for public schools. 2015: Co-sponsored the so-called “First Amendment Defense Act,” designed to allow anti-LGBTQ people to discriminate for religious [reasons] without any recourse.
2011: Signed onto a letter that called on the Obama administration to enforce the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA). 2010: Wrote in a 2010 Christian Coalition survey that he is a supporter of a “Federal Marriage Amendment to prevent same-sex marriage.” 2008: His 2008 state senate race featured a robocall, purporting to be from a madeup group called the Alliance for the Advancement of Gays and Lesbians, which gay-baited his opponent for her support of “homosexual unions and abortion rights.” (Mulvaney later distanced himself from the call.) 2007: Co-sponsored a bill to ban marriage equality in South Carolina. Courtesy of GLAAD
Celebrating 44 Years!
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HRC responds to DeVos commission recommendation to rescind critical nondiscriminatory school discipline guidance
Photo courtesy of HRC
WASHINGTON, DC (December 18, 2018) – Today, the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), the nation’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) civil rights organization, responded to the Trump-Pence administration’s Federal Commission on School Safety’s recommendation to rescind vital nondiscriminatory school discipline guidance protecting students of color. The commission is chaired by US Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos. “From day one of her tenure, Betsy DeVos has sought to undermine the safety, dignity, and civil rights of students of color, LGBTQ students, students with disabilities, and survivors of sexual assault,” said David Stacy, the HRC’s Director of Government
Affairs. “While the revocation of this guidance would not change federal civil rights laws, this dangerous action would embolden discriminatory practices that push students of color, including LGBTQ students of color, out of the classroom. It is particularly outrageous to utilize a commission tasked with addressing gun violence in schools as a tool to undermine protections for students of color – and the HRC will continue to fight alongside civil rights and education advocates to stop this administration’s harmful agenda and protect the civil rights of all students.” Schools are prohibited from discriminating against students based on race, color, national origin, sex, religion, or disability. Despite these laws, discrimination is
rampant in the administration of school discipline. Data collected by the Department of Education clearly show that black students are suspended and expelled three times more often than white students, and students with disabilities are twice as likely to be suspended or expelled as students without disabilities. In 2014, the Obama administration’s Department of Education issued guidance reminding schools that they must administer discipline policies in a nondiscriminatory manner, and it provided resources to help schools ensure they are providing an equal opportunity for all students. In March, the HRC, along with other leading national LGBTQ organizations, sent a letter to DeVos urging her to keep the 2014 guidance in place. LGBTQ students also face disproportionate levels of unfairly harsh school discipline practices. According to a study from GLSEN, two-thirds of LGBTQ students have experienced some form of discipline, compared to less than half of non-LGBTQ students. Students with multiple marginalized identities, including LGBTQ students of color and LGBTQ students with disabilities, are particularly at risk for being subject to exclusionary school discipline. An HRC survey of more than 12,000 LGBTQ youth found that black and African-American, Native American and Alaska Native, and
multiracial respondents reported being expelled from school at more than twice the rate of white respondents. Black and African-American respondents also reported receiving out-of-school suspensions at three times the rate of white respondents. Although the guidance rescinded today does not explicitly talk about LGBTQ students, they are disproportionately impacted by these policies. The consequences of exclusionary school discipline can be devastating to young people, especially those who may already face marginalization in school, their communities and even at home. Students experiencing exclusionary school discipline lose critical instruction time and are often pushed out of school, which can lead to involvement with the juvenile justice system or homelessness. To learn more about the HRC’s efforts to build welcoming schools for all students, visit HRC.org. The Human Rights Campaign is America’s largest civil rights organization working to achieve equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer people. The HRC envisions a world where LGBTQ people are embraced as full members of society at home, at work, and in every community. Courtesy of the HRC
Lambda Legal joins Arnold & Porter in lawsuit brought against suburban DC school district on behalf of Transgender teacher BALTIMORE (December 20, 2018) – Today, Lambda Legal joined Arnold & Porter in a lawsuit filed against the Prince George’s County Public Schools and Board of Education on behalf of a transgender teacher who endured years of abuse, harassment, and retaliation at the hands of school administrators, fellow teachers, staff, parents, and students after she began to live authentically as the woman she is. The lawsuit was filed in the US District Court for the District of Maryland on behalf of Jennifer Eller, an English teacher who taught at three schools in the district from 2008 to 2017, when she was forced to resign. “For years, I was aggressively misgendered, attacked, and harassed in the hallways and even in my own classroom by students, peers, and supervisors,” Eller said. “I woke up each day afraid to go to work because I didn’t know where the next attack would come from, but I already knew full well that the school administrators would do nothing to support me. My pleas for help, for sensitivity training on LGBTQ issues for students and staff, fell on deaf ears. Finally, the harassment and the humiliation became unbearable, and I had no other alternative than to resign. No one – student or teacher – should go through the hell I was put through at school just for being who they are.” The lawsuit argues that the school district and its administrators violated Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, the Equal Protection Clause of the US Constitution, the Maryland Fair Employment Practices Act, and the Prince George’s County Code.
Jennifer Eller – Photo courtesy of Lambda Legal
“The level of verbal and even physical abuse Ms. Eller endured at school is horrifying, and the failure of school administrators to take the abuse seriously and to respect and protect Ms. Eller is not [just] inexcusable, it is unlawful,” said Omar Gonzalez-Pagan, senior attorney at Lambda Legal. “Ms. Eller even tried to work with school administrators by asking them to offer transgender awareness training for students, staff, and administrators, but [her] efforts were in vain. As a result, Ms. Eller was forced to leave a job she loved: teaching. The school district’s actions contravene everything our schools should foster: an inclusive and welcoming educational environment for all students and teachers. We look forward to vindicating Ms. Eller’s rights.” After graduating from college in South Dakota, Ms. Eller worked as a paraprofessional at a Sioux Falls middle school and as a tutor at a Christian adolescent counseling center. In 2006, while working on her master’s of fine arts at Minnesota State
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University, Ms. Eller discovered her passion for teaching children and instilling in them a love for literature. She applied for her teaching certification in Maryland, and in 2008, Ms. Eller started working as an English teacher at Kenmoor Middle School. Th ree years later, in March 2011, she informed the principal at Kenmoor Middle School that she would be transitioning to live authentically as the woman she is. When she began to present as a woman, she was subjected to verbal abuse from students and was instructed by school administrators to stop wearing skirts or dresses. Ms. Eller transferred to Friendly High School in 2011, but the abuse only escalated. She was the target of rampant verbal and physical harassment for wearing traditionally feminine attire, and staff demanded that she present as “male,” dismissing a therapist’s note as “garbage.” Students would shout transphobic slurs at her, and she was repeatedly misgendered and threatened. She reported all these incidents to school administrators, who took little to no action and ignored her. Finally, in June 2015, Ms. Eller filed a complaint with the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). After an extensive and thorough investigation, in September 2017, the EEOC issued a letter finding that there was reasonable cause to believe that Ms. Eller had been subject to unlawful treatment based on her sex and gender in violation of Title VII, in effect recognizing and confirming this discriminatory treatment on the part of students, parents, staff, and the administration. After she filed this discrimination charge, the school administration retaliated against Ms. Eller by taking
away her advanced-placement English class and opening a disciplinary hearing against her that ended with no sanctions. Paul Pompeo, a partner at Arnold & Porter, who is leading the case [said]: “We are pleased to have Lambda Legal join the team in our prosecution of Ms. Eller’s rights, to rectify the egregious acts of discrimination and retaliation she suffered during her employment at the hands of the Defendants. Lambda Legal adds unique experience involving civil rights of transgender Americans.” Lambda Legal senior attorney Omar Gonzalez-Pagan and staff attorney Puneet Cheema are working with Paul Pompeo, Christina Brenha, Elliott Mogul, and Michael Rodriguez from Arnold & Porter, who have represented Ms. Eller since May 2016. Read about that case at https://www. lambdalegal.org/in-court/cases/eller-vprince-georges-county-public-schools.
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Lambda Legal is a national organization committed to achieving full recognition of the civil rights of lesbians, gay men, bisexuals, transgender people, and everyone living with HIV through impact litigation, education, and public policy work. With nearly 1,000 lawyers practicing in 13 offices around the globe, Arnold & Porter serves clients across 40 distinct practice areas. The firm offers 100 years of renowned regulatory expertise, sophisticated litigation and transactional practices, and leading multidisciplinary offerings in the life sciences and financial services industries. Courtesy of Lambda Legal
Sen. Mike Lee’s anti-LGBTQ activism threatens safety & well-being of sexual harassment and discrimination survivors NEW YORK (December 17, 2018) – GLAAD, the world’s largest LGBTQ media advocacy organization, today emphatically condemned US Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) for putting the safety and well-being of many Americans – including numerous LGBTQ people – who experience sexual harassment or discrimination at the workplace on the back burner so he could pursue his anti-LGBTQ activism by threatening to block Chai Feldblum’s nomination to serve another term on the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). “Sen. Mike Lee’s opposition to Commissioner Feldblum is not based on merit, but rather an opposition based who she is and how she doesn’t align with the senator’s anti-LGBTQ beliefs. Sen. Lee’s open discrimination against Commissioner Feldblum is exactly why people like her belong on the EEOC,” said Sarah Kate Ellis, president and CEO of GLAAD. “With many Americans seeking justice after surviving discrimination and sexual harassment in the workplace, it’s imperative that Majority Leader Mitch McConnell force a Senate-wide vote and confirm Chai Feldblum. One anti-LGBTQ activist should not silence many people seeking justice under the law.” The EEOC is comprised of five individuals, three who represent the party of the White House and two who are in the minority, who issue guidance on workplace discrimination and help many people
decades of hard-fought acceptance. For more on Sen. Lee’s anti-LGBTQ activism, see below.
U.S. Sen. Mike Lee – Photo by Win McNamee / Getty Images
who experience discrimination (and even sexual harassment) seek justice by helping those individuals file complaints in court. According to Vox, nominees are typically lumped together and are agreed upon [on] a fast-track, bipartisan basis. Sen. Lee’s opposition not only bucks tradition but could grind all sexual harassment or discrimination complaints to a halt in 2019 should the nominations of Feldblum and two Republicans fall short.
Sen. Lee issued a statement earlier this year citing his opposition to Feldblum, saying the commissioner wants to “use the might of government to stamp out traditional marriage supporters.” However, Lee’s anti-LGBTQ activism runs years long. Between opposing historic LGBTQ moments like nationwide marriage equality and the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” Sen. Lee has made it clear he wants to silence LGBTQ Americans and roll back
Background Information: US Sen. Mike Lee’s Horrendous Anti-LGBTQ Record Extreme anti-LGBTQ politician who strongly opposed marriage equality, opposed repealing Don’t Ask Don’t Tell, voted against the Employment Nondiscrimination Act, and sponsored legislation allowing anti-LGBTQ people and organizations to deny goods and services to LGBTQ people without retaliation. Believed employers have right to fire employees because they are gay. Knocked Costa Rica’s efforts to legalize marriage equality. Reintroduced the so-called “First Amendment Defense Act” in the 2018 legislative session, yet another attempt to undermine marriage equality and provide a license to discriminate to those who oppose. Fearmongered on far-right media about the supposed threats that marriage equality would bring to churches and religious people. “Strongly disagreed” with the Supreme Court’s power to “change marriage,” calling it “a big problem.” Courtesy of GLAAD
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
Cuba eliminates same-sex marriage article from new constitution by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer The Cuban government announced on December 18 that it would drop language from the country’s new constitution that would have authorized same-sex marriage. Article 68 of the draft constitution defined marriage as “the consensual union of two people, regardless of gender, with absolutely equal rights and obligations.” The language, replacing an old provision defining marriage as a union of man and woman, was proposed in July 2018. The language authorizing same-sex marriage ran into vocal opposition from conservative elements in Cuban society, including the Catholic Church and evangelical Christian groups. Cuba’s National Assembly announced on Twitter that the commission responsible for revising the constitution has proposed eliminating the language from the new charter “as a way of respecting all opinions.” The constitutional commission is headed by Communist Party head and retired president Raúl Castro. His daughter, Mariela Castro, is a lawmaker known as Cuba’s highest-profile advocate for LGBT rights. Her advocacy has helped rehabilitate Cuba’s international image on LGBTQ rights after the Castroled communist government sent Gay men to “re-education” camps in the 1960s. The late Cuban leader Fidel Castro, Raúl’s older brother and Mariela’s uncle, apologized for the repression of LGBT
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Cuba – Photo by Ramon Espinosa / AP
rights in a 2010 newspaper interview. The new plan is to drop Article 68 altogether and have the Cuban constitution simply remain silent on the issue of who may marry, thus leaving open the possibility of a future legalization of same-sex marriage without specifically guaranteeing a right to it. Francisco Rodríguez, an out Gay Communist Party member and blogger known as “Paquito de Cuba,” said eliminating any reference to who may marry was an acceptable compromise that will allow activists to campaign for laws that would allow same-sex marriage. “This was a side step,” he said. “It’s a
December 21, 2018
solution. Not ‘between a man and a woman’ or ‘between two people.’ Now is when it all begins.” Havana and other large Cuban cities have flourishing LGBT communities, but anti-LGBT attitudes remain deeply rooted among much of the population. The Cuban government said that many citizens spoke out against the proposed Article 68 during public consultations on the draft constitution throughout the year. According to state-owned media, Cubans made 192,408 comments on Article 68, with the majority asking to eliminate it. The new constitution is expected to be
voted on in a public referendum in early 2019. Dropping Article 68 is the third dramatic reversal announced by the Cuban government in December. The government also eliminated some of the most disliked new restrictions on private entrepreneurs, and tough new limits on artistic expression were delayed after protests and complaints from Cuban artists. The new laws were announced in July, three months after Raúl Castro retired and current president Miguel Díaz-Canel took office. Díaz-Canel was born in 1960, the year after the Castro brothers led a successful revolution to power in Cuba.
Celebrating 44 Years!
HRC partners with Peru’s largest LGBTQ rights organization to promote workplace inclusion
Photo courtesy of HRC
Photo courtesy of Presente
LIMA, Peru (December 18, 2018) – Today, the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) Foundation, the educational arm of America’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) civil rights organization, announced a partnership with Presente, Peru’s largest LGBT advocacy group, to promote LGBT inclusion across workplaces in Peru. The HRC joined Presente and corporate partners in Lima to honor for the first time major employers, including American Airlines, Atento, Scotiabank, WeWork, and Techo Perú, for their growing commitment to greater LGBT equality and inclusion for workers across the country. At the event, the Lima-based organization Presente released the findings of Diagnóstico de Diversidad y Equidad, its recent survey evaluating LGBT-inclusion in more than 50 businesses and multinationals, using the HRC’s Spanish-language business toolkit to assess policies and practices. The five companies honored earned top ratings in the inaugural report, receiving Presente’s seal of recognition for their leadership in furthering LGBT-inclusive practices and ongoing commitment to foster welcoming working environments for all employees. “One of our key principles at American is to provide a safe and inclusive work environment to all our colleagues, embracing the unique talent that each one of us bring to the business, so that we may perform at our
highest capabilities,” said Mylene Flecha, base manager for American Airlines. “Peru is on the verge of greater societal progress on LGBT equality. We are proud to be part of this change that translates into better workplaces, more business opportunities, and optimal conditions where our employees can reach their full potential.” Deena Fidas, director of the HRC Foundation’s Workplace Equality Program and co-author of the HRC’s annual Corporate Equality Index (CEI) – the premier benchmarking tool for corporate LGBTQ-inclusive policies in the US – delivered opening remarks. She highlighted the success of the HRC’s two in-country programs that are already driving positive change in Mexico and Chile, where the HRC is working with major employers to advance LGBT-inclusive practices in workplaces across the region. “As the HRC expands its engagement across the Americas, we are excited to partner with Presente to increase LGBT workplace inclusion in Peru and develop actionable steps to create welcoming workplaces across the country,” said Fidas, who is also director of HRC Equidad MX and HRC Equidad CL. “As the Latin America region continues to experience significant progress in LGBT equality and inclusion, we are delighted to witness an increasing number of companies and multinationals that recognize the economic benefits and business opportunities generated by inclu-
sive corporate values.” “Working to achieve LGBT workplace inclusion is an intrinsic part of our broader fight for LGBT equality in Peru,” said Gabriel de la Cruz Soler, executive president of Presente. “We are excited to partner with the Human Rights Campaign to expand our mission and promote LGBT-inclusive practices among Peruvian workplaces. The HRC’s leadership on LGBTQ issues will help us to develop better tools to build a stronger economy and foster new methods [of] promoting and retaining diverse talent among Peruvian businesses.” As a proud HRC Global Innovator, de la Cruz Soler participated in the HRC’s 2017 Innovative Advocacy Summit in Washington, DC, where he joined 30 LGBTQ leaders and advocates from 28 countries and HRC Global experts to learn new methods to advance LGBT equality around the world. Since then, de la Cruz Soler has helped drive a national dialogue about LGBT equality and workplace inclusion in Peru, while leading efforts to establish Presente as the preeminent LGBT organization in Peru for cultural associations and businesses seeking to advance LGBT inclusion. As part of the visit, HRC Global will be convening an international group of LGBTQ activists for a Latin American and the Caribbean Regional Workshop, a two-day event focusing on the opportunities and challenges of advancing LGBT inclusion in the region.
The forum will bring together LGBTQ advocates from Argentina, Belize, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Jamaica, and Peru to explore the HRC’s new resource, Engaging Employers in Advancing Equality, and share strategic methods to engage businesses and allies in the global equality movement. Through its global workplace equality programs HRC Equidad MX and HRC Equidad CL, the HRC Foundation is leading efforts to advance LGBT workplace inclusion in workplaces across the US, Mexico, and Chile, potentially impacting more than 14.5 million employees worldwide. The HRC is proud to partner with Presente in its continuing efforts to promote diversity and LGBT workplace inclusion across Latin America. For more information on HRC Global programs, please visit hrc.im/GlobalWorkplacePrograms and hrc.org/global.
CHECHNYA
– welcome refugees escaping these gross human rights abuses.” The report also contained a number of recommendations for the Chechen government, including shutting down all unofficial detention facilities in the republic – where many LGBTQ victims were held and tortured for weeks – as well as ending the “climate of impunity by holding to account all perpetrators of human rights violations, including members of the police and other security forces.” There are also a number of recommendations for other OSCE nations, including the United States. In particular, it calls on those countries to welcome LGBTI refugees from the Chechen Republic and take into account the “special security needs” of these refugees by providing them with safe housing as well as medical and psychological support. Since news of the atrocities first broke more than 18 months ago, the HRC has worked to shine a spotlight on the dire situation unfolding in Chechnya through the organization’s #EyesOnChechnya campaign. In that time, the Trump-Pence White House has refused to publicly condemn the anti-LGBTQ attacks, even as Vladimir Putin licensed the violence to continue. While the US Treasury Department did place sanctions on certain Chechen officials in response to their human rights violations, and US diplomats supported the OSCE fact-finding mission, President Trump, Vice President Pence,
and Secretary [of State] Pompeo have never once spoken out publicly against what has taken place there. In July, on the eve of the Trump-Putin summit in Helsinki, the HRC projected an enormous message on the Presidential Palace demanding that Trump and Putin immediately condemn and investigate the ongoing anti-LGBTQ crimes against humanity occurring in Chechnya. On April 1, 2017, Novaya Gazeta, a independent Russian media outlet, first broke the news that Chechen authorities had rounded up and detained in secret prisons more than 100 men who were suspected of being gay or bisexual. Chechen leaders have denied these accusations, going so far as to deny the very existence of LGBTQ people in Chechnya, a claim the Russian government astonishingly repeated. Chechen officials have also reportedly encouraged families to murder relatives they suspect might be gay or bisexual. While the initial detentions and attacks targeted men suspected of being gay or bisexual, the campaign has also brought about a surge in lesbian women sharing stories about humiliation, abuse, and threats they have faced from male relatives or from others. Transgender Chechens have also fled violence. While former Secretary of State Rex Tillerson did reportedly write a private letter to Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov raising the human rights abuses, that letter was never released publicly nor
was it accompanied by any public statement on Chechnya. In October 2017, the HRC filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request with the US Department of State for all records regarding that letter – a request that has yet to be fulfilled. While the White House has remained silent, both the US House of Representatives and the US Senate have passed bipartisan resolutions condemning the atrocities. In March, the HRC also released a letter from HRC President Chad Griffin to Trump calling on him to end his deafening silence and publicly condemn the attacks as crimes against humanity. In June, a gay Chechen refugee joined the HRC in Washington for a series of meetings with US government officials, where he shared how he had been brutally tortured in Chechnya and managed to flee to safety in Canada with the help of the organization Rainbow Railroad. The HRC also shared the firsthand story of one of the Chechen survivors on World Refugee Day.
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continued from cover lines in April 2017. Refuting denials from Chechen and Russian authorities, the report details the systematic torture, abuse, and murder of LGBTQ people. The report was authorized by 16 OSCE countries last month in order to investigate the human rights abuses and the Russian government’s failure to respond. It clearly states that there is “overwhelming evidence that there have been grave violations of the rights of LGBTI persons in the Chechen Republic,” while also citing gruesome personal stories from victims of the Chechen regime’s cruelty. The report also calls on Russia to establish a special investigative committee to “undertake an effective, impartial, and transparent investigation of the allegations” and “bring to justice the alleged perpetrators.” “The Russian government can no longer deny the existence of these barbaric antiLGBTQ crimes against humanity in Chechnya,” said HRC Global Director Ty Cobb. “World leaders, including the Trump-Pence administration, must take action to hold Russia and those responsible for the crimes accountable and to ensure that these atrocious crimes have been stopped and never happen again. It’s crucial that Russia follow the report’s recommendations and launch a serious investigation, and that the world community – and especially the United States
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The Human Rights Campaign Foundation is the educational arm of America’s largest civil rights organization working to achieve equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer people. The HRC envisions a world where LGBTQ people are embraced as full members of society at home, at work, and in every community. Courtesy of the HRC
The Human Rights Campaign is America’s largest civil rights organization working to achieve equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer people. The HRC envisions a world where LGBTQ people are embraced as full members of society at home, at work, and in every community. Courtesy of the HRC
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December 21, 2018
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December 21, 2018
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