Issue 48 Volume 39
Celebrating 38 Years!
FRIDAY December 2, 2011 FREE! 25¢ in bookstores & news stands
MARINE GENERAL p. 5
HIV NEWS p. 7
DRACONIAN LAW p. 17
Seattle Gay News SEATTLE’S LGBT NEWS & ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY
Gay Softball World Danny Vega’s unsolved Series case settled murder grips communities
announced on November 28 that they have negotiated a settlement in a case brought against NAThe National Center for Lesbian GAAA by three Bisexual softball Rights (NCLR), K&L Gates LLP, players whose team was disqualiand the North American Gay Amasee softball page 18 teur Athletic Alliance (NAGAAA) by Shaun Knittel SGN Associate Editor
courtesy seattle police department
by Shaun Knittel SGN Associate Editor On November 15, around 7:308:00 p.m., Rainier Valley resident Danny Vega was walking in the 4200 block of South Othello street in Seattle. The 58-year-old man was assaulted and robbed by three black teenagers. Twelve days later, Vega died at Harborview Medical Center. Those are the nuts and bolts of the case. That is what Seattle Police Department homicide detectives say they are working with to solve the seemingly unsolvable savage beating of a man who died before officers could question him. That is what is on the surface of this mess. But to find the truth, you must sometimes go beneath the surface of things. Members of the LGBT community say Danny Vega was more than just an openly out and flamboyant Gay man. Family and friends maintain he was much, Stills relased by the SPD showing persons of interest in the Danny Vega murder investigation.
see vega page 20
by Shaun Knittel SGN Associate Editor On December 1, community members came together to observe World AIDS Day 2011 at Stronger Together: The Eighth Annual World AIDS Day Breakfast at the Seattle Convention Center. The breakfast was presented by Multifaith Works, an organization that unites communities of compassionate care and inclusive spirituality with people living in isolation and loneliness; Seattle Area Support Groups, a non-profit organization that builds community and cultivates powerful, healthy lives by providing emotional support and personal development services to those affected by HIV/ AIDS, the Queer communities, and those who love them; Gay City Health Project, a multicultural Gay men’s health organization and the leading provider of HIV and STD testing in King County; and Seattle Counseling Service, which provides mental health and addiction services to LGBT communi-
ties of Seattle, King County, and AIDS Memorial Quilt. Bearse, the surrounding regions. who played Marcy D’Arcy World AIDS Day is on TV’s Married With observed DecemChildren, teared up as she ber 1 each year explained that one of the and is dedicatpanels on display behind ed to raising the speakers’ podium beawareness longed to a friend of hers of the AIDS who passed away from pandemic AIDS in the mid-1980s. caused by The highlight of the the spread breakfast came when acof HIV tivist Paul Kawata gave a infection. speech in which he recognized AIDS has how far we’ve come in the fight killed more against HIV/AIDS in 30 years and than 25 asked everyone to pledge 25 or million more years to ridding the world people of the disease. Kawata gave the speech after accepting the AIDS Service Award for worldwide, 2 0 1 1 . and more than Since 1989, 33 million people Kawata has served as executive live with HIV. director of the National MinorThe breakfast was a tre- ity AIDS Council (NMAC), the mendous success with Aman- premier organization dedicated to da Bearse, an out Lesbian actress, building leadership in communias emcee, who asked attendees to ties of color to address the chalsign messages of hope and love on pieces of fabric that will be woven together to make a panel for the see world aids day page 7
WDCpix
Barney Frank to Stronger together Seattle observes World AIDS Day retire in 2013
Representative Barney Frank
Congress. Predictably, those enemies greeted his November 29 retirement “I’ve always had a reputation for announcement with unrestrained honesty,” Barney Frank says, “not glee. always for tact or tolerance.” “Mr. Frank’s departure in JanuLong known for saying what was ary 2013 will remove from the on his mind – and not in the most diplomatic way – Frank made his share of enemies in his 31 years in see frank page 21 by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer
proud to Be Different
We are conveniently located on-site at Lifelong AIDS Alliance below the Thrift Store.
Call us at 206.568.2486
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Celebrating 38 Years!
Visit us online www.sgn.org
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Seattle Gay News FOUNDED 1973
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2011
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 Shaun Knittel 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
TASTE of GSBA breaks fundraising totals
George Bakan, Albert S. Rodriguez, Nick Ardizzone, Shaun Knittel, Miryam Gordon, Anthony Greer 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
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Nick Ardizzone, Nate Gowdy, Joseph P. Herron, Shaun Knittel National Advertising Rep. Rivendell Media (212) 242-6863
by Joshua Michael Rumley SGN Contributing Writer On November 19, the Greater Seattle Business Association (GSBA) held its annual fundraiser, the TASTE of GSBA Cinderella Ball: A Journey to Your Dreams, for its scholarship fund. The organization broke
Website Designer Barry Thorsness/Digital Team Works Seattle Gay News is published weekly by Frogs and Ink, Inc. © 2011, Frogs and Ink, 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.
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
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December 2, 2011
previous fundraising records by raising $366,000 for LGBT and allied students. “Meeting and actually surpassing our goal was incredible and is really a testament to how important the GSBA Scholarship Fund is to GSBA members and the LGBT and allied community,” said Louise Chernin, GSBA president and CEO.
The TASTE of GSBA event consisted of a silent and live auction and a wine and restaurant frenzy, with items and trips primarily provided by GSBA member businesses. Before the live auction, guests were treated to an amazing array of appetizers prepared by As You Like It Catering, Herban Feast/ Fresh Bistro, Hi Spot Café, Sazerac, The Space Needle, Tuxedos and Tennis Shoes, and Urbane. “The TASTE is known to be an amazing evening; attend once and you’ll want to go again,” said Chernin. “It is not just an auction or a dinner, but an event filled with an evening’s worth of fun, surprises, and amazing food. Just walking into the event is an experience, as folks are greeted by the Sisters and members of the Court.” The energy and excitement for the evening overflowed the confinements of the ballroom at the Sheraton Seattle (almost as much as the champagne). The TASTE is the biggest event that the GSBA produces. It attracted almost 650 guests and an additional 100 volunteers. Entertainment for the night consisted of performances from the 5th Avenue Theatre, enthusiastic drag performer Andrew Tasakos, appearances by the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence and members of the Imperial Court of Seattle, and auctioneer extraordinaire Laura Michalek. With tuition on the rise each year, events like the TASTE of GSBA have proven to be crucial for students in need of financial support. Just last year tuition spiked almost 14% in Washington universities, which continues to strain the pocketbooks of students. In some cases, LGBT students are in greater need of help because some have lost the support of their family due to their sexuality. “I also think that our members understand that especially during hard times, LGBT students need our support more than ever,” said Chernin. “We are the surrogate families of many of our students and they depend on us for support and encouragement.” Aysha Kloub, a GSBA scholar from Jordan, gave remarks about having her voice silenced first because of her Arab and Muslim identity, and again when she came out as a Lesbian. Tina Podlodowski announced the creation of the Chester Podlodowski Scholarship for a first-generation student. Tina created the scholarship in honor of her father, the struggles he faced coming from another country, and the support he unfailingly gave her during her own challenges. “Our scholar courageously shared what it’s like to be silenced. … The support of GSBA has played a part in her finding her voice. [Her story] was moving and inspiring and clearly demonstrates why we raise money for LGBT scholarships,” said Chernin.
Celebrating 38 Years!
Top Marine general – old fears about DADT repeal unfounded ALEX BRANDON / ASSOCIATED PRESS
Marine General James F. Amos
by Shaun Knittel SGN Associate Editor Once hailed as the face of opposition in the military to lifting the ban on Gays serving openly, Marine General James F. Amos has since changed his views. This week, Amos told the Associated Press that his concern over the repeal of DADT has proven unfounded, and that allowing Gays to serve openly has not had a negative impact on the war effort. In fact, he said, Marines have embraced the effort and went so far as to say that the repeal of the discriminatory law was “a nonevent.” Amos’ new stance is in sharp contrast to his admonitory words to Congress in December 2010, shortly before President Barack Obama signed the repeal legislation. The ban was not officially lifted until September 20 of this year to allow the Pentagon to prepare for the change. “Successfully implementing repeal and assimilating openly homosexual Marines into the tightly woven fabric of our combat units has strong potential for disruption at the small-unit level as it will no doubt divert leadership attention away from an almost singular focus on preparing units for combat,” Amos testified. Amos did say, however, that if the law were changed, Marines would faithfully follow it. Now, nearly three months since the repeal, Amos says he now sees no sign of disruption in the ranks – including on the front lines. “I’m very pleased with how it has gone,” Amos told the AP during a weeklong trip that included four days in Afghanistan, where he heard no opposition to Gays serving out in the open. Instead, during give-
and-take sessions with Marines serving in Helmand province, he was asked about a range of issues, including the future of the Corps – but not once about Gays. Amos told the AP about a female Marine who approached his wife, Bonnie, at the annual ball in Washington this month celebrating the birth of the Marine Corps. The Marine introduced herself and her Lesbian partner. “Bonnie just looked at them and said, ‘Happy birthday. … This is great. Nice to meet you,’” Amos said. “That is happening throughout the Marine Corps.” Amos says that, looking back, he has no regrets about publicly opposing repeal during wartime. He told the AP he felt obliged, as commandant of the Corps, to set aside his personal opinions and represent the views of the 56% of combat Marines who told a Defense Department survey last year that repeal could make them less effective and cohesive in combat. “I think I did exactly what I should have done,” Amos said. “I’ve never looked back on it and said it was misplaced.” Not only did Amos hear no talk about the repeal’s impact during his visit to Afghanistan, the subject also did not arise when he fielded questions from Marines on board the USS Bataan warship in the Gulf of Aden on November 26. In Bahrain on November 27, one Marine broached the topic. He asked Amos whether he planned to change the Marines’ policy of leaving it to the discretion of local commanders to decide how to handle complaints about “homosexual remarks or actions.” Amos said no. He said he is aware of only one reported incident in Afghanistan thus far, and that turned out to be a false alarm. He said a
blogger had written of a Gay Marine being harassed by fellow Marines for his sexual orientation. In an ensuing investigation, the Gay Marine denied he had been harassed. “We attribute this success to our comprehensive pre-repeal training program, combined with the continued close monitoring and enforcement of standards by our military leaders at all levels,” a Defense Department spokeswoman, Cynthia O. Smith, said of the implementation of the repeal and how it is proceeding smoothly across the military. In the months leading up to DADT repeal, there were indications that the change might not be embraced so voluntarily. During a visit to a Marine combat outpost in southern Afghanistan in June, an enlisted Marine who openly objected to the repeal confronted then-Defense Secretary Robert Gates. He told Gates that the Marine Corps had “a set of standards and values that is better than that of the civilian sector,” and that repeal of the Gay ban had “changed those values.” The Marine asked Gates whether Marines
who object to serving with Gays would be allowed to opt out of their enlistment. Gates said no and predicted that if pre-repeal training was done right, “nothing will change” with regard to rules of behavior and discipline. That Marine was not alone in making known his qualms about allowing Gays to serve overtly in uniform. In a survey of military members last year, 45% of Marines viewed repeal disapprovingly in terms of how it could affect combat readiness, effectiveness, and cohesion. Among those Marines who serve in combat roles, 56% expressed that view. The issue divided the military. Gates and other senior military leaders supported lifting the restrictions, pointing to a Pentagon study showing that most people in uniform don’t object to serving with Gays. But Amos and his Army counterpart bucked their bosses to recommend against lifting the ban during wartime. “I don’t want to lose any Marines to the distraction,” Amos said then. He is now a changed man.
“FISCAL IRRESPONSIBILITY” BROUGHT DOWN PREVIOUS COMMUNITY CENTER
was ultimately the final nail in their coffin. This kind of fiscal mismanagement was the reason they lost the support of the community, in addition to the divisiveness between our organization and SOAP over where the event should be held, and not simply because the center put all its resources into the parade on Broadway and the celebrations at Volunteer Park. As for the reformation of a new LGBT Community Center, it is certainly overdue and something our community needs, but the work to rebuild trust in the community will require a steadfast commitment from everyone involved. Ms. Van Cleve was on the mark when she stated, “The key to rebuilding trust and support for the new center will be a clear vision and mission statement and a strong board of directors who represent the community and who run the place with a firm hand.” I sincerely hope that she will be directly involved in that process, and look forward to the announcement of our community center’s rebirth.
I read the article by Shaun Knittel about Ms. Van Cleve and the newly proposed LGBT Center [Activist Van Cleve says proposed LGBT center should focus on seniors, issue 47, volume 39, 11/25/11], and want to make it clear about statements that the community withdrew their support for the Seattle LGBT Community Center, causing the organization to fall. This is only partially correct. I believe it is important to state, from the perspective of someone who was involved with the ill-fated Broadway Pride Parade committee, that it was not the parade that brought them down so much as fiscal irresponsibility and shortsightedness by the then-executive director and their board. There was already a significant budget deficit at the time of the decision to sponsor the parade, and everyone involved in the decision making was adamant that a Broadway event be self-funded if it was to occur. Every one of us on the volunteer pride committee was charged with obtaining sponsorship and donations enough to fund the event entirely, without impacting the Community Center’s budget and resources. We raised all of the money required to pay for the celebration, but that money was used to pay back wages for their executive director instead of the bills for the parade; a decision made without consent from the board or committee members and one that
Sincerely, D. M. Cavalier THANKS, SGN Thanks for supporting the Three Dollar Bill Cinema and the Seattle Lesbian and Gay Film Festival. The SGN is one of our most important community partners and I thank you for choosing to work with us. Ryan
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President Obama’s World AIDS Day address UPI/Roger L. Wollenberg
U.S. President Barack Obama makes remarks at a World AIDS Day event at George Washington University on December 1, 2011.
Courtesy of the White House, Office of the Press Secretary It is an honor to be with you today and to follow President Kikwete and President Bush. To Bono and Alicia, to the ONE campaign, thank you for bringing us together. Because of your work, all across Africa there are children who are no longer starving, mothers who are no longer dying of treatable diseases, fathers who are again providing for their families. And because of all of you, so many people are now blessed with hope. We’ve got members of Congress who have done so much for this cause who are here today, and we want to thank them. Let me also thank President Bush for joining us from Tanzania and for his bold leadership on this issue. I believe that history will record the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief as one of his greatest legacies. And that program – more ambitious than even the leading advocates thought was possible at the time – has saved thousands and thousands and thousands of lives, and spurred international action, and laid the foundation for a comprehensive global plan that will impact the lives of millions. And we are proud that we have the opportunity to carry that work forward. Today is a remarkable day. Today, we come together as a global community, across continents, across faiths and cultures, to renew our commitment to ending the AIDS pandemic once and for all. Now, if you go back and you look at the themes of past World AIDS Days, if you read them one after another, you’ll see the story of how the human race has confronted one of the most devastating pandemics in our history. You’ll see that in those early years – when we started losing good men and women to a disease that no one truly understood – it was about ringing the alarm, calling for global action, proving that this deadly disease was not isolated to one area or one group of people. And that’s part of what makes today so remarkable, because back in those early years, few could have imagined this day – that we would be looking ahead to “The Beginning of the End,” marking a World AIDS Day that has gone from that early beginning when people were still uncertain to now a
theme, “Getting to Zero.” Few could have imagined that we’d be talking about the real possibility of an AIDS-free generation. But that’s what we’re talking about. That’s why we’re here. And we arrived here because of all of you and your unwavering belief that we can – and we will – beat this disease. Because we invested in anti-retroviral treatment, people who would have died, some of whom are here today, are living full and vibrant lives. Because we developed new tools, more and more mothers are giving birth to children free from this disease. And because of a persistent focus on awareness, the global rate of new infections and deaths is declining. So make no mistake, we are going to win this fight. But the fight is not over – not by a long shot. The rate of new infections may be going down elsewhere, but it’s not going down here in America. The infection rate here has been holding steady for over a decade. There are communities in this country being devastated, still, by this disease. When new infections among young black Gay men increase by nearly 50% in three years, we need to do more to show them that their lives matter. When Latinos are dying sooner than other groups, and when black women feel forgotten, even though they account for most of the new cases among women, then we’ve got to do more. So this fight is not over. Not for the 1.2 million Americans who are living with HIV right now. Not for the Americans who are infected every day. This fight is not over for them, it’s not over for their families, and as a consequence, it can’t be over for anybody in this room – and it certainly isn’t over for your president. Since I took office, we’ve had a robust national dialogue on HIV/AIDS. Members of my administration have fanned out across the country to meet people living with HIV; to meet researchers, faith leaders, medical providers and private sector partners. We’ve spoken to over 4,000 people. And out of all those conversations, we drafted a new plan to combat this disease. Last year, we released that plan – a first-ever national HIV/ AIDS strategy. We went back to basics: prevention, treatment, and focusing our efforts where the need is greatest. And we laid out a vision
where every American, regardless of age, gender, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, or socioeconomic status, can get access to life-extending care. And I want to be clear about something else: Since taking office, we’ve increased overall funding to combat HIV/AIDS to record levels. With bipartisan support, we reauthorized the Ryan White Care Act. And as I signed that bill, I was so proud to also announce that my administration was ending the ban that prohibited people with HIV from entering America. [Applause.] Because of that step, next year, for the first time in two decades, we will host the international AIDS conference. [Applause.] So we’ve done a lot over the past three years, but we can do so much more. Today, I’m announcing some new commitments. We’re committing an additional $15 million for the Ryan White Program that supports care provided by HIV medical clinics across the country. We want to keep those doors open so they can keep saving lives. We’re committing an additional $35 million for state AIDS-drug assistance programs. The federal government can’t do this alone, so I’m also calling on state governments, and pharmaceutical companies, and private foundations to do their part to help Americans get access to all the life-saving treatments. This is a global fight, and it’s one that America must continue to lead. Looking back at the history of HIV/AIDS, you’ll see that no other country has done more than this country, and that’s testament to our leadership as a country. But we can’t be complacent. I think this is an area where we can also look back and take pride that both Republicans and Democrats in Congress have consistently come together to fund this fight – not just here, but around the world. And that’s a testament to the values that we share as Americans; a commitment that extends across party lines, that’s demonstrated by the fact that President Bush, President Clinton and I are joining you all today. Since I took office, we’ve increased support for the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria. We’ve launched a Global Health Initiative that has improved access to health care, helping bring down
the cost of vaccines, and over the next five years, will help save the lives of 4 million more children. And all along, we kept focusing on expanding our impact. Today, I’m proud to announce that as of September, the United States now supports anti-retroviral treatment for nearly 4 million people worldwide. [Applause.] Four million people. And in just the past year, we’ve provided 600,000 HIV-positive mothers with access to drugs so that 200,000 babies could be born HIV-free. [Applause.] And nearly 13 million people have received care and treatment, including more than 4 million children. So we’ve got some stuff to be proud of. But we’ve got to do more. We’re achieving these results not by acting alone, but by partnering with developing countries like Tanzania, and with leaders like President Kikwete. Now, as we go forward, we’ve got to keep refining our strategy so that we’re saving as many lives as possible. We need to listen when the scientific community focuses on prevention. That’s why, as a matter of policy, we’re now investing in what works – from medical procedures to promoting healthy behavior. And that’s why we’re setting a goal of providing anti-retroviral drugs to more than 1.5 million HIV-positive pregnant women over the next two years so that they have the chance to give birth to HIV-free babies. We’re not going to stop there. We know that treatment is also prevention. And today, we’re setting a new target of helping 6 million people get treatment by the end of 2013. [Applause.] That’s 2 million more people than our original goal. And on this World AIDS Day, here’s my message to everybody who is out there: To the global community – we ask you to join us. Countries that have committed to the Global Fund need to give the money that they promised. [Applause.] Countries that haven’t made a pledge, they need to do so. [Applause.] That includes countries that in the past might have been recipients, but now are in a position to step up as major donors. China and other major economies are in a position now to transition in a way that can help more people. To Congress – keep working together and keep the commitments you’ve made intact. At a time when so much in Washington divides us, the fight against this disease has united us across parties and across presidents. And it shows that we can do big things when Republicans and Democrats put their common humanity before politics. So we need to carry that spirit forward. And to all Americans – we’ve got to keep fighting. Fight for every person who needs our help today, but also fight for every person who didn’t live to see this moment; for the Rock Hudsons and the Arthur Ashes, and every person who woke us up to the reality of HIV/AIDS. We’ve got to fight for Ryan White and his mother Jeanne, and the Ray brothers, and every person who forced us to confront our destructive prejudices and our misguided fears. Fight for Magic Johnson and Mary Fisher, and every man, woman and child, who, when told they were going to die from this disease, they said, “No, we’re not. We’re going to live.” Keep fighting for all of them because we can end this pandemic. We can beat this disease. We can win this fight. We just have to keep at it, steady, persistent – today, tomorrow, every day until we get to zero. And as long as I have the honor of being your president, that’s what this administration is going to keep doing. That’s my pledge. That’s my commitment to all of you. And that’s got to be our promise to each other – because we’ve come so far and we’ve saved so many lives, we might as well finish the fight. Thank you for all you’ve done. God bless you. God bless America. Thank you.
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Celebrating 38 Years!
Only 28% of HIV-positive Americans have disease under control, CDC says by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer Almost three out of four Americans with HIV do not have their infection under control, even though anti-HIV drugs have been available for more than 15 years, according to a study released November 29 by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). “That’s a very poor rate. We have to do much better than that,” said Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, and one of the pioneers of HIV/AIDS treatment. Keeping HIV under control is crucial not only for the 1.2 million people in the United States who carry the infection, but also for their sexual partners. Suppressing the virus decreases the chances it will be transmitted to a sexual partner by more than 95%. “Treatment is one of the best ways to prevent the spread of HIV infection,” Fauci said. Of the 1.2 million people living with HIV in the United States, only an estimated 28% have a suppressed viral load, defined as less than 200 copies of the blood-borne virus per milliliter of blood, meaning that the virus is under control and at a level that helps keep them healthy and reduces the risk of transmitting the virus to others. The authors of the CDC study say that low percentage is because one in five people with HIV do not realize they are infected. Even more astonishing is the finding that for those who are aware, only 51% receive ongoing medical care and treatment. Men who have sex with men (MSM), the population most severely affected by HIV in the United States, are least likely to know they are infected, and less likely to receive
Health showed that consistently taking antiretroviral therapy, in combination with safer behaviors, can reduce the risk of spreading HIV by approximately 96%. “While we have known that viral suppression can be achieved with proper HIV treatment and care, today’s new Vital Signs data highlight the challenges our country faces in keeping HIV-positive Americans in the care they need to control the virus,” said CDC Director Thomas R. Frieden, M.D., M.P.H. prevention counseling. “By improving testing, linkage to care, Only 39% of MSM know their HIV status, and treatment services, we can help people the CDC says, compared with 50% of men living with HIV feel better and live longer,
who have sex with women and women who have sex with men. Of people living with HIV who actually are in ongoing care and on antiretroviral treatment, some 77% have suppressed levels of the virus. This is an encouraging finding because suppressed levels of the HIV virus dramatically decrease the chances of passing the virus to sex partners. Results from a recent study of heterosexual couples by the National Institutes of
Obama promises $50 million more for AIDS by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer Speaking at a World AIDS Day (December 1) event at George Washington University, President Obama committed $50 million of new funding for HIV/AIDS clinics and drug assistance programs. Obama also pledged to increase access to antiretrovirals in the hardest-hit countries by the end of 2013. “Today is a remarkable day,” Obama said in his speech. “Today, we come together, as a global community, across continents, faiths, and cultures, to renew our commitment to ending the AIDS pandemic – once and for all.” Noting that studies show that the number of new HIV infections is declining in many countries, Obama admitted that new infection rates in the United States are not encouraging. “The rate of new infections may be going down elsewhere, but it’s not going down here in America,” he said. “The infection rate here has been holding steady for over a decade. There are communities in this country being devastated still by this disease. When new infections among young, black, Gay men increase by nearly 50% in three years, we need to do more to show them that their lives matter. When Latinos are dying sooner than other
groups, when black women feel forgotten even though they account for most of the new cases among women, we need to do more,” he said. “This fight isn’t over. Not for the 1.2 million Americans who are living with HIV right now. Not for the Americans who are infected every day. This fight isn’t over for them. It isn’t over for their families. It isn’t over for anyone in this room. And it certainly isn’t over for your president,” Obama declared. Former Presidents George W. Bush and Bill Clinton also participated in the World AIDS Day event via satellite. Bush said World Aids Day was a time to “celebrate success,” but added that much more needed to be done. In 2003, then-President Bush launched PEPFAR – a $15 billion plan for AIDS relief – and in 2008 Congress tripled the budget to $48 billion over five years. Clinton said that he was also concerned about rising infection rates in the U.S. “I am very worried that the death rate is going to go up in America simply because of the budgetary constraints on the states,” he said. In part to offset declining state budgets, President Obama announced a realignment of existing federal funding to provide an additional $50 million to combat HIV/AIDS.
and can reduce the spread of HIV dramatically. This is not just an individual responsibility, but a responsibility for families, partners, communities, and health care providers.” Since testing is the first step in receiving proper care, the CDC has introduced a new “Testing Makes Us Stronger” program targeting high-risk groups like African-American Gay and Bi men. According to the CDC, their research shows that African-American Gay and Bi
men do not engage in riskier behaviors than other Gay men, but are at higher risk for HIV infection because of the high prevalence of HIV that already exists in many AfricanAmerican and Gay communities, increasing the likelihood of becoming infected with each sexual encounter. “Black Gay and Bisexual men across the country are already doing many of the right things to protect themselves, but more need to make HIV testing a regular part of their lives,” Dr. Kevin Fenton, director of CDC’s National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and Tuberculosis Prevention, said in a press release. According to Dr. Fenton, African-American men who have sex with men account for 22% of all current new infections in the United States. Nearly a third who were surveyed were infected with HIV, and nearly 60% living with HIV do not know they are infected. The website HIVtest.org has been created to help people find testing facilities – including free testing – close to their neighborhoods. The campaign, which will cost $2.4 million initially, will “ensure that we are getting the right messages out to Gay men, especially black Gay men,” Fenton said. Many different avenues including social media and disseminating information at Black Pride events will be used. Regular testing is only the first challenge in controlling HIV, however. Once identified, HIV-positive individuals still require access to effective treatments. Many can’t afford anti-retroviral treatment for their HIV, an expense which can come to $367,000 over a lifetime, according to the CDC. “Closing the gaps in testing, access to care and treatment will all be essential to slowing the U.S. HIV epidemic,” said Jonathan Mermin, M.D., director of CDC’s Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention. “HIV testing is the most important first step toward breaking the cycle of transmission. Combined with effective prevention services, linkage to care, and ongoing effective treatment, testing provides a gateway to the most effective prevention tools at our disposal.”
He also set a new goal to help six million people get on antiretroviral treatment by the end of 2013, two million more than the original target. The U.S.-based funding will include $35 million for state medication programs targeting people living with HIV/AIDS. According to the Obama administration, more than 6,500 Americans are on waiting lists for medication. The rest of the domestic funds – $15 million – will go to HIV/AIDS medical clinics, especially to areas where infections have increased and treatment is not readily available. International initiatives backed by the
U.S. plan to bring antiretroviral drugs to 1.5 million HIV-positive pregnant women to prevent them from passing the virus to their children, and to distribute more than one billion condoms in the developing world. Also included is funding for 4.7 million voluntary male circumcisions in eastern and southern Africa, which research has shown reduces the risk of female-to-male transmission by more than 60%. The total number of people worldwide with HIV has more than tripled over the last 20 years from 10 million to 33 million. Infection rates have declined internationally but have held steady in the U.S. Some 1.2 million Americans are HIV-positive.
world aids day
each year. Prevention and public education are still critical to stopping this disease, and Public Health – Seattle & King County is working to ensure there is easy access to HIV testing for all residents. Public Health – Seattle & King County recommends that all people between the ages of 13 and 64 receive at least one HIV test, with follow-up tests whenever they encounter new risks. People at higher risk for HIV infection should get an HIV test at least once each year, and as frequently as every three months for those at highest risk. Effective treatments are now widely available for people living with HIV, and more informed decisions about treatment can be made when an infection is detected early. More information on the HIV/AIDS care and prevention programs administered by Public Health – Seattle & King County can be found on the department’s HIV/AIDS website: www.kingcounty.gov/health/hiv.
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lenges of HIV/AIDS. Under Kawata’s direction, NMAC implemented the first HIV treatment education programs in the United States targeted at minorities, and increased membership from 300 agencies and groups to 3,000. At the conclusion of the event, participants were asked to make a donation to Multifaith Works, Seattle Area Support Groups, Gay City Health Project, and Seattle Counseling Service so that they may continue the important services they offer. In King County, more than 4,400 people have died from HIV. Approximately 7,600 people are now living with HIV, including an estimated 10% to 15% of infected individuals who are unaware of their HIV status. About 300 people are newly infected
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Gay clergy row threatens mass resignations from Church of Scotland The Church of Scotland anticipates mass resignations resulting from its decision to allow the ordination of Gay ministers. As many as 150 conservative and evangelical ministers are threatening to quit. The rebellion began after the Church of Scotland became the first major Presbyterian Church in the world to allow openly Gay and Lesbian ministers to take up parishes at its general assembly in May, despite evidence that 20% of its elders and office-bearers could leave in protest. The assembly also opened the way for the full ordination of Gay ministers within two years. At least six ministers have left since the assembly in May, with one minister and his entire congregation poised to leave as a
courtesy DNAINDIA
INTERNATIONAL by Scott Wittet Special to the SGN wanted to keep talking about a harmonious solution. Queer Pride celebrations in New Delhi, Bangalore On November 27, hundreds took to the streets for New Delhi’s fourth Queer pride parade. Under the watchful eye of the Delhi police, marchers distributed masks, whistles, candies, rainbow-colored scarves, and pamphlets articulating demands. “This is not a protest march, but a celebratory march,” Rahul Sharma, 25, a member of the Delhi Queer Pride Committee, said. “This march is to take ownership of the streets of Delhi and to walk on the street like a normal person, without fear of being harassed or made fun of.” In July 2009, Gay sex was decriminalized in New Delhi, but activists report that the community still faces many obstacles. Becourtesy care2
The fourth annual Delhi Queer Pride in New Delhi, November 27
group in the first large-scale protest. One obstacle to mass departures is that ministers who resign lose their home, income, and future pension payments. Congregations would lose their church and its buildings. The Rev. Peter Johnston, of the liberal One Kirk group which supports Gay ordination, said he believed some rebels were threatening to leave simply to put pressure on the church, but hoped most critics
ing Gay is still illegal under Indian national law. Sharma said the march was an attempt to influence legislation to end discrimination against the Gay community. Activists also want to end targeting of the community by the police and “hooligans.” A two-minute silence was observed at the conclusion of the parade to mourn for the 14 hijra (eunuchs) who lost their lives in an accidental fire in east Delhi last week. And in the southern “cyber city” of Bangalore – home to many local and multinational tech companies – 800 to 1,000 software professionals danced and sang their way across town accompanied by activists and corporate groups from other Indian cities.
Indian Transgender leader killed in drive-by shooting Sonia Masi, the face of the Transgender community in Gujarat, India, was shot dead by unidentified assailants in a car the evening of November 24. Police sources reported that there were four gunshot wounds. In 2008, an attempt was made on Sonia’s life, but she managed to survive. Sonia was
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Indian Transgender leader Sonia Masi was killed in a drive-by shooting on November 24.
“The two men must be released immediately and the Cameroonian authorities must repeal the country’s discriminatory anti-homosexuality laws.” Homosexuality remains banned in Cameroon and lawmakers have recently attempted to toughen legal sanctions against the LGBT community. Thirty-eight of Africa’s 53 countries currently have laws penalizing homosexuality. Amnesty says at least 10 individuals have been arrested under the country’s homophoVancouver man, 79, stabbed bic laws since March. 130 times for killer’s In September, Human Rights Watch sent a “fear of homosexuals” A man has told a Canadian court his “fear letter to Cameroon President Paul Biya exof homosexuals” led him to murder an el- pressing concern over the country’s desire derly man who he claims propositioned him, to introduce even tougher anti-Gay laws. the Vancouver Sun reports. High HIV rates Last week, George Phillip Holt was conin the Bahamas victed of stabbing 79-year-old Reginald blamed on homophobia Haynes 130 times. An HIV policy expert in the Bahamas Holt said: “I killed the guy by accident.” The murder occurred in August 2004, says the island’s high infection rate in Gay when Holt claims Haynes asked him to en- and Bisexual men is due to stigmatization and discrimination. gage in a sex act for $50. Director of the National HIV/AIDS ProHolt and Haynes had been living at the Columbia Hotel in Vancouver, but the crime gramme, Dr. Perry Gomez, was responding to comments made by the Baptist bishop went unsolved for some years. The defendant testified that he was high Simeon Hall. In a statement, last week, Hall on cocaine at the time Haynes asked him to declared that homosexuality is “anti-family” and also a “deadly practice.” perform oral sex. He made the comments after the island’s He said: “I started to lose it because I have Nassau Guardian newspaper reported that a fear of homosexuals.” A jury found him guilty of unpremedi- Gay and Bisexual men account for 14% of tated second-degree murder, which carries all HIV infections in the country’s population. a life sentence. According to a U.N. study, the figure has nearly doubled since 2008. Cameroon: Five-year In June of this year, the Bahamian Govprison sentence for Gay sex Last July in the West African country of ernment expressed support for a U.N. HuCameroon, three men were arrested after man Rights Council resolution promoting police alleged they were performing a sexu- equal rights for all, regardless of sexual orial act in a car. Last week, the men were sen- entation. However, same-sex marriages and tenced to five years in prison. The sentences civil unions remain illegal on the island. are believed to be the toughest prescribed by Mugabe has always been the country’s law. outspokenly critical Gay rights groups in Cameroon have reof Gays acted in horror. “It’s a shocking and unacPresident of Zimbabwe Robert Mugabe ceptable,” said Alice Nkom, president of the Gay advocacy group Adefho. She added: “It has described U.K. plans to divert aid away is not worthy of a country that speaks of hu- from governments that fail to recognize citizens’ human rights “satanic,” Zimbabwean man rights.” But Sismondi Barlev Bidjocka, head of an state media reports. Mugabe told a crowd: “Do not get temptumbrella youth organization that includes more than 400 associations, said that he was ed into that [homosexuality]. You are young “very pleased” by the ruling, adding that people. If you go that direction, we will punthe West was trying to impose its values on ish you severely.” “It is condemned by nature. It is conCameroon. “We are in a war against homodemned by insects and that is why I have sexuals,” he said. In a statement Amnesty International’s said they are worse than pigs and dogs.” This week, the U.K. government conAfrica Director Erwin van der Borght defirmed plans to redirect aid away from overmanded that: “The Yaoundé court must overturn this seas governments that fail to recognize hushocking sentence, which punishes these man rights, including Gay rights, but said it three men solely on the basis of their per- will still ensure aid reaches those in need. Earlier this month, a Ugandan presidenceived sexual orientation. “People accused of such crimes in Cam- tial official, John Nagenda, told the BBC eroon often face abuse and violence from his country was “tired of these lectures” and other detainees or prison officers in detention.” see INTERnational news page 18 Imran Ajmeri before she became a eunuch and changed her name. She rose to prominence five years ago when she ran for local office. She also frequently participated in national-level fashion events. Police said that Sonia had made a lot of enemies on her way to becoming the face of hijra in Gujarat. She also became a target for various gangs in the city, including gangs of rival eunuchs.
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compiled by Rick McKinnon SGN Staff Writer
“OUR FAMILIES, OUR CHILDREN” – BEAUTIFUL 2012 CALENDAR FEATURES LGBTQ PARENTED FAMILIES FROM THE SEATTLE AREA The Lesbian and Gay Child Care Task Force is excited to offer once again its beautiful calendar of LGBTQ parented families from the Seattle area. The task force has been producing the calendar for ten years with the mission of providing the visual reminder to children, teachers and families that families look different and that all families are welcome. Additionally, the calendar has been displayed in diverse work places and in colleges and universities with teacher preparation programs. The upcoming year is the tenth anniversary of the calendar. The task force revisited families from the “early years” and invited twelve (plus two more!) families to come back for another picture shoot. Each family picture has a small inset picture from the first time the family was in the calender. Many families have grown; others have changed their make-up, and the tragic loss of one dad illustrates that our families and our children experience life, death, and change just like other families. Proceeds from the calendar help the task force to produce the calendar for another year, onward to the twentieth year and beyond. An order form is online at www.safeschoolscoalition.org/ocof/OFOC_CalendarOrderForm2012.pdf or you can call Bill Sanders at 206-226-3352. Suggested donation is $15 which includes shipping and handling.
youth empowerment projects, and to give and receive support. Please come and bring a dish to share, if you are able. www.nwnetwork.org.
EMERALD CITY HOEDOWN EARLY-BIRD REGISTRATION The weekend of April 13-15, Rain Country Dance Association will be hosting the 5th annual Emerald City Hoedown. The Hoedown will feature three days of dancing, workshops, and social events. The weekend is open to all, regardless of sexual orientation, gender or gender identity, body type, and skill level, and no partner is required. Registration is now open with early registration at only $75 through December 4. Limited scholarships are available for those with financial need. More details are available at www.raincountrydance.org/ hoedown. Part of the proceeds from this coming year’s Hoedown will benefit Camp Ten Trees; during the 2011 Hoedown, $4,500 was raised for this charity. Camp Ten Trees is a nonprofit organization offering summer camp sessions in the Pacific Northwest, featuring a week for LGBTQA youth, and a week for children and youth of LGBTQ and/ or non-traditional families. Founded in 2006, Rain Country creates a friendly environment for LGBTQ people and friends to meet and dance in the Pacific Northwest by providing opportunities for this Country Western dance community to dance, learn, and perform. In addition to the Emerald City Hoedown, Rain Country produces “Cuff Country” dance nights on Fridays as well as some Wednesdays and Saturdays at the Cuff Complex, and regular GAY CITY ARTS PRESENTS skill building workshops at the Miller Com“THE INFECTION MONOLOGUES” munity Center. On Friday, December 2, and Saturday, December 3, from 7:30 p.m.-9:30 p.m., at the RADICAL WOMEN – Erickson Theatre Off-Broadway (1524 HarWEEKLY FEMINIST vard Ave.), Gay City Arts presents “The InREADING CIRCLE fection Monologues.” Written by Eric Rofes Radical Women hosts a weekly roundtaand Alex Garner, with additions by Vincent ble discussion of Frederick Engels’ classic Kovar, Chad Goller-Sojourner, and Cole work, Origin of the Family, Private PropArden Peake, this performance piece breaks erty and the State, on the persistent problem new ground on the way we understand HIV of women’s inequality and how it can be infection, HIV stigma, and living with HIV, overcome. The reading circle meets Monas well as challenges the way we think about day through December 12,, 7:30-9:30 p.m., the contemporary HIV experience. Tickets: at 3314 Wallingford Ave. N. #4, Seattle. $2 $15 general, $10-student/senior. www.gay- suggested donation per session. Everyone city.org/infection-monologues. welcome. For more information, call 206722-6057 or email RWseattle@mindspring. JET CITY HOOPS – com. SEATTLE’S CO-ED GLBTQ BASKETBALL LEAGUE INGERSOLL GENDER CENTER Jet City Hoops winter season games will PRESENTS be held on Sundays, November 6-Decem“SNOWBALL 2011 – ber 18, at Miller Community Center (330 THE SNOWBALL EFFECT” 19th Ave. E., just north of E. Thomas St.). On Saturday, December 3, at 6:30 p.m., Recreational division games will be held 9 at Seattle City Hall, Bertha Knight Landes a.m.-noon; competitive division games will Room (600 4th Ave.), join Ingersoll Gender be held noon-4 p.m. Spectators welcome. Center for a holiday celebration with cawww.jetcityhoops.org. tered buffet dinner, awards ceremony, entertainment by Ramoli Brennet, and dancing. COMMUNITY GATHERING & Tickets: $20. www.brownpapertickets.com/ POTLUCK IN THE WAKE event/205644. OF DANNY VEGA’S DEATH “Every year Ingersoll Gender Center On Sunday, December 4, from 2-4 p.m., throws a big party to bring the commuat Church of Hope (3818 S. Angeline St.), nity back together to celebrate and review the Northwest Network, in partnership with the year, to look forward and connect with the Asian Pacific Islander Women and Fam- friends old and new. ily Safety Center, Chaya, and the Capacity “This year ‘Snowball 2011 – The SnowProject, hosts a Community Gathering and ball Effect’ is all about the amazing momenPotluck in response to the vicious murder of tum building for justice and equality for our Danny Vega. communities. While there is still so much The Gathering will be an opportunity to to do, the velocity for change is undeniable acknowledge the profound loss and the on- and our community is on a roll. going toll of the violence in our commu“Come join us for good food and friends; nities. Folks will have the chance to share stay for the entertainment, schmooze and skills and strategies for safety, to take action celebration. We will be joined by many in support of racial and economic justice for friends including our gracious host City Seattle’s Southend, to express solidarity for Councilmember Sally Clark.”
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www.ingersollcenter.org NON-PROFIT COMEDY HOSTS BENEFIT FOR CAMP TEN TREES On Tuesday, December 6, at 8 p.m., at Comedy Underground (109 S. Washington St.), Non-Profit Comedy hosts a benefit for Camp Ten Trees. Tickets: $12 at the door. “After six years of supporting local nonprofit organizations, Non-Profit Comedy is coming to a close, and their final show will be a benefit for Camp Ten Trees. “We hope you’ll come out to support our campers and to say “thank you” to the comics of Non-Profit Comedy. Let’s pack the house that night and celebrate six years of laughter in support of local non-profits.” Camp Ten Trees sponsors summer camp experiences for LGBT youth and children of LGBT parents. 206-288-9568; www.camptentrees.org; www.comedyunderground.com
VOICES RISING – LGBTQ OF COLOR ARTS & CULTURE On Friday, December 9, 7 p.m.-door, 8 p.m.-show, at Washington Hall (153 14th Ave.), Voices Rising presents “2011 Best of the New,” a showcase of talent from the LGBTQ communities of color, featuring Dr. Jennifer Lisa Vest, with Henry Luke, Raven Taylor, and Donte Johnson. Tickets: $10-$25 sliding scale. www. brownpapertickets.com/event/214570; www.voicesrisingseattle.org.
“DRUMMING UP OSKAR” On Friday, December 9, at 8 p.m., and Saturday, December 10, at 8 p.m. and 10 p.m., at Freehold Theatre (2222 2nd Ave.) join Butoh artist Joan Laage, percussionist Samuel Yoder, and poet David Thornbrugh, for a multi-media performance piece inspired by The Tin Drum written by Nobel Laureate Gunther Grass. Tickets: 12/9 & 10 at 8 p.m. SEATTLE GAY & LESBIAN $15; 12/10 at 10 p.m. $10. Reservations recBOOK CLUB HOSTS ommended. Info/reservations: davidthornA MOVIE MONTH brugh@hotmail.com; www.brownpaperThe Seattle Gay & Lesbian Book Club tickets.com/event/266069. meets every Wednesday at 6 p.m. at Seattle Area Support Groups Community Center SEATTLE MEN IN LEATHER – (formerly Dunshee House) (303 17th Ave. “PICTURES WITH SANTA” E. & E. Thomas St.) TO BENEFIT Instead of book-reading, December will CHICKEN SOUP BRIGADE On Friday, December 9, and Saturday, be movie month and a different great Gay movie will be shown at each week’s meet- December 10, Seattle Men in Leather hosts ing. For December 7, the movie will be Vic- “Pictures with Santa.” Get your picture tim, with Dirk Bogarde, a 50-year-old clas- taken with a hunky Santa. Proceeds benefit sic film about the era when homosexuality Chicken Soup Brigade, Lifelong AIDS Alliwas a crime, and about a closeted married ance’s food program for people living with man who decides to risk everything to fight HIV/AIDS. www.seattlemeninleather.org. for justice. YWCA-LGBTQ HEALTH & All GLBTQ folks are welcome to particiSWEDISH BREAST CENTER – pate in this FREE book club. For more inMOBILE MAMMOGRAM formation, email nickdimartin@earthlink. net, visit http://faculty.washington.edu/ SCREENING On Saturday, December 10, from 9 a.m.-3 swittet/SGLBookClub/ or contact SASG at p.m., at the Wildrose (1021 E. Pike St.), the 206-322-2437. YWCA-LBTQ Health and Swedish Breast Center will conduct a mobile mammogram PRIDE SKATE SEATTLE On Wednesday, December 7, from 9-11 screening for people age 40 and over who p.m., at Southgate Roller Rink (9646 17th are un- or under-insured and income eligiAve. SW), join the LGBT community and ble. You will receive a pap test, breast exam, friends for their monthly skating party. mammogram and blood pressure check. Meets first Wednesday each month; must be Insurance is welcome and accepted. For an 18+ to attend. $7 admission includes skate appointment, please call 206-461-4493 or rental. Afterwards, meet at Company (9608 email lbthealth@ywcaworks.org. Check 16th Ave. SW), for drink specials and kara- out their blog at http://lbtqhealth-ywca. oke. www.southgaterollerrink.com. blogspot.com. NEXT FEST NW 12/8-12/12 This dynamic five days of dance performance, screenings, installations and roundtable conversations features some of the hottest voices coming out of the Pacific Northwest. 12/8: FREE John Boylan Conversation – “Do You Love Me” at 7 p.m., at Velocity Dance Center (1621 12th Ave.) New performances: 12/9, 10 & 11 at 8 p.m., at Velocity Dance Center. Tickets: $15-advance; $18 at the door; $12 student/senior. 12/10: FREE Performance/Lecture with Amy O’Neal at 5 p.m., at The Project Room (1315 E. Pine St.). Next Dance Cinema: 12/12 at 7 p.m., at Northwest Film Forum (1515 12th Ave.). Tickets: $10 general, $7 student/senior. 206-325-8773 or visit www.velocitydancecenter.org. EQUAL RIGHTS WASHINGTON – “TOASTING EQUALITY BREAKFAST: CHANGING HEARTS & MINDS FOR MARRIAGE EQUALITY” On Friday, December 9, 7 a.m. registration; 7:30 a.m. program and breakfast., at Westin Seattle (1900 Fifth Ave.), join Equal Rights Washington for a fundraising breakfast to discuss changing hearts and minds in support of marriage equality in Washington state to win marriage equality in WA in 2012. Tickets: $60; $500 for table of 10. www.equalrightswashington.org.
December 2, 2011
GLSEN WA & SEATTLE PARKS – GLBTQ TEEN SOCIAL On Saturday, December 10, from 8-11 p.m., at Yesler Community Center (917 E. Yesler Way, at Broadway), GLBTQ youth, friends and allies, ages 14-19, are invited to a GLBTQ teen social with live DJ, cosponsored by GLSEN WA Student Organizing Committee and Seattle Parks and Recreation. This event is FREE, but you will need a ticket, which you must get in advance online at www.brownpapertickets.com/ event/213017. MEN OF ALL COLORS & CULTURES TOGETHER – DECEMBER POTLUCK SOCIAL On Saturday, December 10, at 6 p.m., (call for Everett location), Men of All Colors & Cultures Together will be hosting their December Potluck Social. Please contact MACCT at 206-923-8313 or macctseattle@ yahoo.com for additional location information/directions. MACCT is a Gay/Bisexual multi-racial, multi-cultural organization committed to fostering supportive environments wherein racial and cultural barriers can be overcome and the goal of human equality can be realized.
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Russia’s “Don’t Say Gay” law provokes international incident
missing contributions,” the charity’s senior policy adviser, Mohga Kamal-Yanni, said. Oxfam said Italy, Germany, Japan, Spain, and the European Union have all either delayed or canceled promised payments to the Global Fund. “I am not only upset – I’m furious. Cutting funds is not acceptable,” said Prof. Franinto tackling AIDS and other key diseases, coise Barre-Sinoussi, Nobel Prize-winning announced last week that it will be unable to scientist and president-elect of the International AIDS Society. give any new grants before 2014. She pointed out that in Cambodia, 90% It blamed low interest rates and substanof people with HIV are on treattial budget problems in some doment, but all patients there nor countries. “This delay depend on the Global “This delay could keep countries from could keep countries from Fund. “If these people their efforts to their efforts to save lives at a don’t have access save lives at a time when the AIDS time when the AIDS response … to the Fund in the next five or 10 response has seen game-changing re- has seen game-changing years, the patients will have to stop their sults,” said Michel Sidibe, results.” treatment and they will start to executive director of UNAIDS. “We feel this is a decisive moment,” the die again,” Barre-Sinoussi said. “I don’t want to see that after such wondirector of WHO’s HIV department, Dr. Gottfried Hirnschall, said. “It’s so important derful effort by the politicians and the docat this time not to falter with committing the tors there, who have worked so hard to imresources that are needed, to further bring prove the health system by organizing rural networks.” down the level of new infections.” “How can we accept going back to zero? In a statement to mark World AIDS Day, the international charity Oxfam said the It’s impossible.” Citing trials which show antiretroviral pledge made by governments in June to increase the number of people receiving HIV drugs can cut the risk of transmitting HIV treatment to 15 million by 2015 would be by 96%, she added, “This demonstrates that we’re making very important progress on worthless without additional resources. “If world leaders are serious about elimi- all the basics.” This year, WHO reported that increased nating HIV and about preventing countless unnecessary deaths, they need to put their access to HIV services resulted in a 15% hands in their pockets and stump up the reduction of new infections over the past
decade and a 22% decline in AIDS-related deaths in the last five years. Barre-Sinoussi’s concern is that at a time when there have been real advances in treatment for HIV/AIDS, and actual declines in the number of new infections in many countries, loss of funding will undo all the progress that has been made. “If you stop treatment,” she explained, “you get a strain of the virus that becomes resistant. And viruses don’t have frontiers. And the scientific research will slow down. It’s not just a question of progress on HIV/ AIDS – the virus can teach us about abnormal inflammation and other chronic conditions, such as cancer.” “It’s not acceptable that the Global Fund has had to cancel its next round of grants.” “The scientists are taking responsibility – but the decision-makers aren’t. They’ll be responsible if the HIV epidemic re-emerges.” Sidibe was optimistic that new avenues of funding could be found, however. “The Global Fund’s new five-year strategy as well as its consolidated transformation plan are steps in the right direction. These plans should restore confidence and position the Global Fund as an important and effective financing mechanism for AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria,” Sidibe said in a UNAIDS statement. “We need new financial modalities and sources of funding such as the financial transaction tax to maintain the momentum of the AIDS response. Using the advances in science, we can help countries to use the new investment framework to optimize results for people and save lives.”
AP Photo
Gay rights,” Nuland said. “And so I don’t think the Russian Government could have any question about where we would stand on such an issue.” The State Department later issued a statement saying it was “deeply concerned” by the law. “Gay rights are human rights and human rights are Gay rights,” the State Department statement repeated. “We have called on Russian officials to safeguard these freedoms, and to foster an environment which promotes respect for the rights of all citizens.” On November 29, a top Russian diplomat sharply criticized the U.S. for those remarks. “We view with bewilderment the American side’s attempts to interfere, what’s more, publicly, in the lawmaking process,”
Russia’s foreign ministry representative for human rights, Konstantin Dolgov, told the Interfax news agency. Dolgov dismissed as “inappropriate” the U.S. State Department statement of concern. On November 30, the LGBT rights group GayRussia announced that the United Nations Human Rights Committee had agreed to hold hearings against the “Don’t Say Gay” law. “GayRussia has been informed today by the Human Rights Committee’s secretariat at the U.N. that the case of Irina Fedotova who is challenging her arrest for ‘propaganda of homosexuality to minors’ in Ryazan, against Russia will be considered during the Committee’s July 2012 session in Geneva,” GayRussia said in a statement. “In accordance with the rules of the Committee, there will be no public hearing,” the statement added. Fedotova is one of GayRussia’s “longstanding activists,” they said. She and her wife were the first couple to challenge Russia’s ban on same-sex marriage at the European Court. They were able to legally register their marriage in Toronto in October 2009 but were denied the right to do so in Moscow. The official registration of their marriage in Russia was GayRussia’s 2009 campaign. “We would like to express our deepest thanks and gratitude to all those who supported our campaign, asking the U.N.’s Human Rights Committee to consider the case of Irina Fedotova,” said Nikolai Bayev, acting head of GayRussia. “The fight continues, and we hope the European Court of Human Rights [will] follow the U.N. and open a similar case of Nikolai Bayev v. Russia, as this is technically the only way to reverse the decision of the Russian Constitutional Court which held the ban of homosexual propaganda to minors constitutional,” said Nikolai Alekseev, founder of GayRussia. On November 28, Human Rights Watch condemned the law as “draconian.” Same-sex relations were decriminalized in Russia in 1993, and by 1999 being Gay was no longer classified as a mental illness. Homophobia is still widespread, however, and permits to hold Pride marches have been routinely denied by Russian police.
Police interrupt a Gay rights protest in St Petersburg in June 2011.
by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer A new Russian law that would effectively forbid any public discussion of LGBT issues has provoked a diplomatic spat between Russia and the U.S. State Department. The United Nations also got into the act, announcing that its Human Rights Committee would hold hearings on the law in July 2012. The so-called “Don’t say Gay” law was sponsored by the United Russia party led by President Dmitri Medvedev and Prime Minister Vladimir Putin. It has already been enacted in the cities of Ryazan and Arkhangelsk and is due to be enacted in St. Petersburg. The law forbids all “public actions aimed at propaganda of pederasty, Lesbianism,
Bisexuality, and Transgenderism among minors.” Offenders may be fined as much as 50,000 rubles ($1,598). The measure has been challenged in Russian courts, but the country’s Constitutional Court ruled that it was lawful. LGBT activists warn that it could be used to ban campaigns for Gay rights, or any public discussion of LGBT issues. On November 25, U.S. State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland was asked about the law in a news conference. While she said she had not heard of the measure, she went on to reaffirm U.S. support for LGBT rights. “I think you know the principled stand that the United States Government takes on this issue and that the Secretary of State in particular takes on this issue, which is that gay rights are human rights and human rights are
WHO – International AIDS funding down by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer At just the time when AIDS research has brought the world to the brink of new breakthroughs in treatment, funding to fight the disease is dwindling, a new report says. A joint report by the World Health Organization (WHO), UNAIDS, and UNICEF shows that after years of considerable increases, international funding for HIV programs fell last year from $8.7 billion to $7.6 billion. And the Global Fund, which channels money from governments and other donors
16 Seattle Gay News
December 2, 2011
Celebrating 38 Years!
by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer The Nigerian Senate voted on November 29 to criminalize same-sex marriages and civil unions, with penalties of up to 14 years in jail for participants and 10 years for anyone who helps or witnesses such a marriage or union. In addition, the bill also criminalizes Gay organizations and advocacy groups, and public expressions of same-sex affection. These newly added offenses carry a maximum penalty of 10 years imprisonment. According to Reuters, the bill states: “Persons who entered into a same-sex marriage contract or civil union commit an offence and are each liable on conviction to a term of 14 years in prison.” “Any person who registers, operates or participates in Gay clubs, societies, and organizations or directly or indirectly makes public show of same-sex amorous relationship in Nigeria commits an offence and shall each be liable on conviction to a term of 10 years in prison.” The bill now goes to Nigeria’s House of Representatives for approval. If it is passed there, it must be signed into law by President Goodluck Jonathan. Same-sex marriages and civil unions were not previously legal in Nigeria, but the new law adds specific criminal penalties for participating in commitment ceremonies. Same-sex sexual activity is already punishable by up to 14 years in prison in most of Nigeria’s states, and by death by stoning in the northern states that have adopted Sharia law. Davis Mac-Iyalla, out Gay campaign director of Nigerian LGBTIs in the Diaspora
courtesy nigeria plus
Nigerian Senate passes draconian anti-Gay law Against Anti-Same-Sex Laws, called for a global campaign against the measure. “The Nigerian senators have today further demonstrated their discrimination and oppression of vulnerable LGBTI Nigerians. I urge human rights activists worldwide to join forces with us to fight the bill,” he said. “This vote demonstrates how the senators are ignorant of human sexuality. They are enforcing their religious beliefs in a secular country. Equality and human rights are for all, including Nigerian LGBTIs.” Yemisi Ilesanmi, Bisexual coordinator of Nigerian LGBTIs in the Diaspora Against Anti-Same-Sex Laws, said the law’s aim was much broader than just criminalizing same-sex marriage. “This legislation is a clear attempt to crush the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Inter-sex (LGBTI) community in Nigeria. The further criminalization of same-sex relations is hateful and a violation of human rights,” she said. “The bill will jail Nigerians who participate in LGBTI organizations and will make human rights advocacy by LGBTI groups impossible. “The new penalties for same-sex marriage are more than double what the bill originally demanded. The previous penalty of three years jail for same-sex couples who get married has been raised to 14 years. For witnesses and facilitators of such marriages the maximum jail term has been increased from five to 10 years. The decision to so substantially increase the punishments is particularly abhorrent.” “It is shameful that many Nigerian senators are so myopic that they compared homosexuality to pedophilia during the voting on the bill.”
The Nigerian Senate
“The action of further criminalizing an BTI campaigners and human rights defendoppressed minority because of their sexual ers,” Tatchell said. orientation is indeed an outrage, a gross violation of human rights. Nigeria is sliding fast into a despotic state.” British human rights campaigner Peter Tatchell said the new law violates Nigeria’s own constitution, and suggested LGBT Nigerians file suit to have it overturned. “This bill violates the equality and nondiscrimination guarantees of Article 42 of the Nigerian Constitution and Articles 2 and 3 of the African Charter on Human and People’s Rights, which Nigeria has signed and pledged to uphold. “There is a good chance that this bill, and Nigeria’s long-standing criminalization of same-sex relations, can be challenged in the courts. This could be a future option for LG-
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international news continued from page 8
that the Commonwealth nations should not be treated like “children.” In October, the Prime Minister of Zimbabwe Morgan Tsvangirai performed an apparent about-face on previous homophobic views, saying he believes Gay rights are “human rights.” Outcry forces Pakistan to hold back on “obscene” text message blocks The Pakistan Telecommunications Authority is reconsidering plans to block “obscene” words from text messages, including many Gay-related words. Following widespread offence and confusion caused by a leaked list of 1,600 words the Authority wanted blocked, a spokesman told AFP that it would be carrying out more consultations with various groups. They hope to produce a trimmed-down list of words to block. Words on the current list include “Gay,” “Lesbian,” “homosexual,” “fairy,” “condom,” and “back door.” Many common swear words were included, but other less obviously offensive phrases included “Jesus Christ,” “athlete’s foot,” and “flatulence.” The PTA had reportedly ordered mobile phone service providers to start blocking the offensive words by November 21. But a spokesman told AFP, “At the moment we are not blocking or filtering any word. No final decision has been taken in this regard.”
Vietnam stages first Gay drama A new play, called Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Turquoise, and Violet, is the culmination of hours of talking with a group of Gay men about the challenges they face in society. The work is the result of several months of hard work of G-link, a Gay support group in Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon), the largest city in the country. The group began thinking about the drama in June. The play depicts the life challenges of Gay men who are rejected by their families, isolated by friends and colleagues, and forced to maintain two identities to hide from the curious eyes of society. It revolves around the life of a Gay man who is forced to marry a girl to maintain his family line. During his marriage, he strives to maintain a relationship with a boyfriend, resulting in suffering for his family, wife, and boyfriend. Le Minh Thanh, head and founder of the G-link Group, said he and his friends developed the play with the aim of changing the public’s view of Gay men. The play received funding and technical support from the U.S. State Department’s President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief program. G-link has also completed a documentary on the life of a Gay man who has achieved success. It will be broadcast on Vietnamese TV through the end of the month. Jonathan Ross, public health office director for USAID Vietnam, praised the courage of the man who was willing to appear in the documentary. Discrimination against the LGBT community was in conflict with Vietnamese traditions, which essentially are gracious and show compassion, Ross added. Transgendered woman seeks Hong Kong court
ruling for right to marry A Transgendered woman will ask Hong Kong’s top court to affirm her right to marry her boyfriend. The lawyer of the 36-year-old said the case would go to the Court of Final Appeal after a lower court refused her. The plaintiff, identified only as W, had a male-to-female gender reassignment operation in 2008 and has successfully applied to change her name and gender on her identity card and school records. But city marriage registration officials have since 2008 denied her the right to marry, a stance backed first by the High Court in 2010 and on Friday by the Appeal Court. Lawyer Michael Vidler told the South China Morning Post that Hong Kong “stands as an island” among places such as mainland China, Taiwan, and Singapore, where Transgendered people can legally marry. “W looks like a woman and acts like a woman,” he said. “In all respects, other than the right to marry, she is treated as a woman.”
softball
continued from cover fied from competition following a protest hearing at the 2008 Gay Softball World Series in Seattle. The three plaintiffs had been playing together in the San Francisco Gay Softball League for years. Their team had gone to the Gay Softball World Series before, but had never finished better than fourth place. In 2008, the team made it all the way to the championship game, when they were shocked to learn that their eligibility to play was being challenged based on a NAGAAA rule limiting the number of non-Gay players who could play on a World Series team. The players were called into a conference room, where they were questioned in front of more than 25 people about their sexual orientations and private lives. The players were forced to answer whether they were “predominantly” interested in men or women, without being given the option of answering that they were Bisexual. In response to a player’s statement that he was attracted to both men and women, a NAGAAA member who was in the room stated, “this is not
a Bisexual world series – this is a Gay world series.” NAGAAA’s protest committee voted that the three plaintiffs were “believed to be heterosexual,” and their team was disqualified from its second-place finish. In the settlement, NAGAAA recognized that disqualifying the players from the 2008 tournament was not consistent with NAGAAA’s intention of being inclusive of Bisexual players. NAGAAA now recognizes the players’ team – D2 – as a second-place winner of the 2008 Gay Softball World Series, and will award the team a second-place trophy. In the settlement, NAGAAA also expressed regret at the impact the 2008 protest hearing process had on the players and their team. NAGAAA confirmed that its records will be amended to reflect the players’ participation in 2008, including the results of all games played by their team. The settlement may have ended the case, but the discussion continues. In the end, NAGAAA officials maintain they came out on top – and so do the plaintiffs. NAGAAA CLAIMS FIRST AMENDMENT NAGAAA officials, in an open letter from the executive board, said their mission is to serve the LGBT community and to send a message through the annual Gay Softball World Series that athletes can play competitive team sports as openly LGBT individuals. In order to fulfill that mission, NAGAAA officials say, they adopted a rule that the majority of players on teams competing at the annual Gay Softball World Series must be athletes who identify as members of the LGBT community. “Any individual player can play in the Gay Softball World Series, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity, but team rosters must comply with various eligibility rules, including rule 7.05 of the NAGAAA Softball Code, which limits the participation of non-LGBT players to only two per team,” NAGAAA officials explained. The timeline of events are as follows: In April 2010, the National Center for Lesbian Rights filed a lawsuit in federal court challenging the legality of rule 7.05, and asserting various discrimination and privacy claims against NAGAAA. Plaintiffs asked the Court to bar NAGAAA from enforcing rule 7.05 in any future Gay Softball World Series.
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On May 31, 2011, U.S. District Court Judge John Coughenour dismissed plaintiffs’ claim seeking to eliminate NAGAAA’s rule. The Court also found that NAGAAA is protected by the First Amendment, and that its expressed purpose would be burdened if it were prohibited from limiting its membership. On November 14, 2011, Judge Coughenour again ruled in favor of NAGAAA, and dismissed plaintiffs’ discrimination claims. The court found that “it is reasonable that an organization seeking to limit participation to Gay athletes would require members to express whether or not they are Gay athletes,” and ruled that “the First Amendment protects NAGAAA’s membership policy from Washington’s public-accommodation law.” Plaintiffs’ remaining individual claims, which sought damages for alleged invasion of privacy and emotional distress, were set for trial in December, but the parties have now reached a settlement agreement resolving the lawsuit. “The three plaintiffs did not identify themselves as Bisexual during the 2008 Protest Hearing, in their appeal to the NAGAAA commissioner, in their complaints to the Washington Human Rights Commission, or in their complaint suing NAGAAA,” officials maintain. “Nevertheless, all three players have now identified themselves as Bisexual. NAGAAA recognizes that some individuals who were present in the room during the 2008 protest hearing apparently did not have the same understanding of NAGAAA’s definitions, as they applied to Bisexual players, that NAGAAA’s leadership had.” As a result of the lawsuit, NAGAAA has been forced to vigorously defend not only its protest procedure, but also its First Amendment right to choose its own mission, without interference from outside groups. NAGAAA officials say they believe “it is important to encourage inclusion and diversity.” “It is one of our core values. It is also important to maintain the unique experience that LGBT players experience at the GSWS as a community of openly LGBT athletes. NAGAAA has determined that the best way to accomplish both of those goals is to welcome the participation of non-LGBT athletes, but to limit their numbers to two per team.” “We recognize some may question the rule’s continuing value, even within our own membership,” concluded NAGAAA officials. “However, we believe that NAGAAA has the right to define our organization’s mission and to determine for ourselves how best to fulfill that mission. We are pleased that the Court has recognized NAGAAA’s First Amendment rights, and that the parties have been able to resolve their remaining disputes and put this matter to rest.”
2008,” said LaRon Charles, one of the plaintiffs in the case. “I am happy NAGAAA has also made rule changes to let players like me know they are welcome. I look forward to continuing to play ball with my friends, teammates, and community in NAGAAA’s tournaments.” Suzanne Thomas was lead litigation counsel for the case, and personally devoted nearly 1,000 hours of legal time to it since 2009. Many additional K&L Gates attorneys and staff made significant contributions. “It has been a pleasure to partner with the lawyers and staff at the National Center for Lesbian Rights to spotlight the need to get rid of discrimination against the entire LGBT community,” Thomas told Seattle Gay News. “Together, we drove the case to be fully prepared for trial, which led to an ultimate fantastic settlement that both meets our clients’ goals and promotes the broader goal of eliminating discrimination.” “The case, and its settlement terms, is not just a major vindication for our players – it’s also an important step forward in making LGBT organizations more inclusive and welcoming for all members of our community, including all Bisexual players,” she said. According to Thomas, the lawsuit exposed negative stereotypes and perceptions about whether LGBT athletes are less able than straight athletes, and showed how exclusionary rules like NAGAAA’s can have a worse impact on men of color than on Caucasian athletes. “In this case, five men – two Caucasian and three of color – were protested against for allegedly not being Gay enough, although no one has ever been able to explain why those particular men were alleged to be heterosexual,” she explained. “They were playing competitive ball, just like the other A Division athletes. Only the men of color were deemed to be not Gay enough and excluded, which suggests racial stereotyping as well as sexual orientation discrimination.” “The litigation also put an international spotlight on the historic and continued discrimination against LGBT athletes from the time kids are chosen for teams on the playground through professional sports, and the destructive nature of discrimination against anyone,” said Thomas. “Russell K. Robinson, professor of law at the University of California Berkeley, wrote an expert report for this case which showed that Bisexuals and people of color tend to be relegated to the margins of LGBT communities – Bisexuals facing stigma from both Gay and heterosexual communities, LGBT people of color facing the ‘dual forces’ of homophobia coupled with exclusion from white LGBT spaces.” It is also notable that the lawsuit was brought by the NCLR and LGBT lawyers against an LGBT organization. DUAL FORCES OF HOMOPHOBIA “I strongly commend the NCLR for taking “It means a lot to me that NAGAAA is go- the important stance that all discrimination ing to recognize our second-place finish in is wrong, whether from inside or outside the
LGBT community,” Thomas said. “This was a phenomenal victory for our clients,” she continued. “More than anything, they are thrilled that they are being awarded the trophy that they worked so hard to win, and they will be restored to NAGAAA’s records as winners. We have also dispelled any notion that these players were somehow ‘ringers’ or cheaters, and in doing so, we exposed negative stereotypes and perceptions about LGBT athletes, even within the LGBT community. Our guys are very pleased that all LGBT athletes will be welcome by NAGAAA in the future.” EMERALD CITY SOFTBALL ASSOCIATION RESPONDS The incidents involved in this lawsuit took place when Seattle hosted the 2008 Gay Softball World Series (GSWS). Even though the GSWS took place in Seattle, the tournament was run entirely by NAGAAA, which includes establishment of all rules. Therefore, this lawsuit was filed against NAGAAA. The Seattle league, Emerald City Softball Association (ECSA), was not involved in the lawsuit at all. “Our local league [ECSA] does not have any restrictions on players related to sexual orientation,” Frank Pichinini, ECSA commissioner, told Seattle Gay News. “We have not experienced any adverse affects by not placing restrictions in regards to sexual orientation.” Pichinini said several of the non-LGBT players on ECSA teams are friends or family members of the LGBT players, and some non-LGBT players play on ECSA teams because they “like the environment our league provides.” “We do however, honor NAGAAA’s restriction related to limiting non-LGBT players at the Gay Softball World Series,” he said. “We do not allow more than two straight players on the roster of any of our teams going to the Gay Softball World Series. If a team has more than two straight players on their roster during the regular season, the team knows upfront that if they qualify for the World Series, they can only include two of them on their World Series roster.” “Personally, I have been a member of ECSA for 20 years and since the first year I played in the league, I was never supportive of this restriction – it just felt like reverse discrimination to me,” concluded Pichinini. “As commissioner of ECSA, I know there are others that feel the same way I do, but I also know there are members that support the restriction being in place. We, as a NAGAAA-member city, look forward to continuing to explore with NAGAAA and other member cities, the value of such a restriction. Realistically, sometime in the future I could see the restriction being removed.” Floyd Lovelady, who currently coaches the C-Division SIN and plays and manages the B-Division Dirty Dawgs, has been a member of the ECSA for 11 years. Before playing in Seattle, he played in Los Ange-
les. “I’ve attended about nine Gay Softball World Series,” he told Seattle Gay News. “In the past 14 years I have seen both the good and the bad. I’ve been to World Series where it’s obvious that teams were stacking their team with straight players. I understand that it is/was the intention of NAGAAA to provide a place where Gay athletes can feel safe on the field, away from the hate or name-calling you might find in other hetero leagues.” Lovelady says he understands why NAGAAA has the rule is in place, “but I ask myself, ‘If it’s equality that we want, then why do we still have this rule?’” “My Gay team has gone to several straight tournaments and beat teams with all straight players,” he said. “We’ve had players from teams come up to us afterwards and congratulate us and tell us that we’ve changed their mind on what they thought Gays were like. We’ve also had some mean and ugly things said to us, and that made beating them even more special.” “I don’t think that being straight makes you any better of a ball player than being Bisexual or Gay,” Lovelady stated. “On my Dirty Dawg team in the past, we’ve had three or four straight players. One guy’s dad was Gay, one guy’s best friend was Gay, one guy just liked us all and we liked him and his family, and one guy we all thought might be Gay or Bi but wasn’t ready.” “But they were all Gay friendly, and that’s my point,” he continued. “I don’t care if you’re Gay, Bi, or straight out there, as long as you treat each other with respect. What sucked for us is at the end of the season we could only choose two straight guys to go with us because of the NAGAAA rule, which isn’t a rule in the ECSA. So you gotta tell two of your teammates who got you to the Series that they can’t go because they like women.” Lovelady says it is his hope that NAGAAA officials open up the 80/20 rule to at least 60/40. “Just make it so that your team’s predominantly Gay,” he said. “As far as Bi, I’ve heard and read the arguments, and I just don’t agree with them. I don’t believe that if you are playing in the Gay Softball World Series you should be ashamed or embarrassed to speak about your sexuality.”
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continued from cover much more than just a nice guy. And members of the Filipino community – throughout the entire city – say that when Danny passed away November 27 after he was robbed and beaten by three young men, Seattle lost an icon. Danny Vega’s murder must be solved. The streets must be cleansed of this violence. Justice must be served. Recognizing that the public, as well as Danny’s friends and family, were left with more questions than answers, three days after the famed hairdresser died, Seattle police released a video and photo images of three “people of interest” and publicly declared they will do everything within their power to catch the man’s killers. Seattle Police Chief John Diaz is asking anyone with leads to call homicide detectives at (206) 233-5000. Diaz has said SPD is “aggressively investigating” the case. Crime Stoppers of Puget Sound are willing to pay up to $1,000, cash, for any information leading to the arrest and charge of anyone involved in this homicide. (call 1-800222-TIPS). The video and still photos released November 30 came from a surveillance camera near the scene of the crime, though police did not disclose the precise location. News of Vega’s death reached the highest levels of local government. Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn appeared with top police officials at the Filipino Community of Se-
attle Center for a public meeting Wednesday night at the request of the family of Vega and the Seattle Police Department Filipino Advisory Council. Members of the LGBT community as well as the City of Seattle LGBT Commission were in the crowd, which swelled to more than 300. “We grieve with you,” McGinn said. “This is a horrifying and tragic loss, and it is the highest priority of our Police Department to solve this crime with your help.” A number of SPD officials spoke, along with members of Danny’s family – but the real reason for the meeting came during the Q&A part of the evening. Right off the bat, this question was posed: “Why isn’t the Seattle Police Department investigating this as a hate crime?” Diaz answered, “Clearly this is something we’re going to be pursuing.” But for some in the room, that answer is simply not good enough. “DANNY WAS TARGETED BECAUSE HE WAS GAY” Local drag entertainer Aleksa Manila, who once competed with Vega in a drag pageant, learned of her friend’s death and felt compelled to write Mayor McGinn. She told the mayor that she was happy to learn that SPD were open to the idea that, in future investigation, they might find Vega’s attack and subsequent murder to have been motivated by hate. “With tragedies like this, people often search for imminent answers,” she wrote to McGinn. “However, when LGBTQ individuals hear the police do not have evidence
courtesy seattle police department
Vega
Still relased by the SPD showing a third person of interest in the Danny Vega murder investigation.
that it is a hate crime, it adds another layer of pain, of ignorance, of injustice. Unfortunately, I can not put into words – this indescribable feeling in one’s heart when an openly Gay man, well loved and adored, gets beat up to unrecognizable features and violently attacked to unconsciousness. This is beyond theft of his personal property. I cannot fathom how three young men felt the urge to beat up a 58-year-old man. Danny was a gentle and kind soul.” “I understand there are legal protocols to be followed,” she continued, “but one can not deny when a significant number of people and various groups, who respected and loved Danny – and continue to do so – are crying out for justice because what happened to Danny Vega was a violent and vicious hate crime.” Vega’s housemate and friend of over 20 years, James Saarenas, said outright to Seattle Gay News, “Danny was targeted because he was Gay.” James, a friend of Vega since they immigrated to the U.S. in 1982, said the police don’t seem to get it – what happened to Danny was motivated by hate. “Danny had mentioned to me before that he had been harassed by local teens in the neighborhood,” James told SGN. “You had to know Danny to understand just how openly Gay he was. He was flamboyant and very feminine … even more feminine than any female I know.” From Vega’s laugh to the way he walked, James said, there was “no question to anyone that he was visibly Gay.” According to James, anti-Gay sentiment has crept into the neighborhoods of Rainier Valley due to gang violence. Just two weeks before Vega was attacked, James told SGN, “I was in our front yard watering the lawn when an African-American teen came up to the fence with his fists clenched and said to me, ‘Fuck you, bitch. You faggot. I’m gonna kick your ass.’” James said he was frightened by the incident and was glad “that there was a fence between us because I really thought he was
going to come after me.” That’s when James said he noticed something peculiar. Vega had recently installed a sign on their fence advertising his hair salon. “The young man yelling at me thought I was Danny,” he said. Shaken, James said he asked Vega about the young male and what he thought about the whole thing. “I was really worried. We have three exchange students living with us and I didn’t want them, or Danny, to experience this hate,” James told SGN. “I asked him if these teens were threatening and bothering him and I also asked if he would take down the sign.” Vega admitted that, yes, these teens had bothered him before, but shrugged it off saying, “Just don’t mind them. They’re just a bunch of kids.” James says that when he pleaded with his friend to be careful on his twice-daily walks (one in the morning and one at night), he said Vega responded confidently, “I’ll be OK. I’ve been doing it for 20 years.” Weeks later, James’ fears came true. In the early evening of November 15, James was watching TV at the home he shared with Vega and the exchange students. That’s when James says he faintly heard someone calling, “James … open the door.” Then he heard a knock. It was Vega. When James opened the door, he had the porch light off. He could see that Vega was shaking but couldn’t see the extent of his injuries. “Danny muttered, ‘Am I upstairs or downstairs?’ and I said, ‘What are you saying? You are home,’” said James. Vega told James, “I got jumped by three black guys.” “He just kept repeating that and ‘Am I dreaming?’ over and over,” said James. “He said it again, ‘When I was walking three African-American high school kids jumped me from behind. They beat me with their fists and legs.’” Vega confessed to James that he’d lost consciousness and that, after waking up and walking home, he couldn’t breathe well and
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Celebrating 38 Years!
had chest pains. What James remembers most is that it was freezing and Danny, covered in blood, was wearing only a white T-shirt. “These guys took his sweater, jacket, cell phone, and keys,” said James. “This was no simple robbery. This wasn’t just an attack. This was hate.” James says he called 911 and the fire department arrived. But not one police officer questioned Vega. In fact, James says that while Vega was in the hospital – for over three hours before he entered surgery – not one police officer questioned him about what happened. Later that night, Vega slipped into a coma – and he would never wake up. The only known witness would die before the police could question him. The police have relied on information provided to them by Vega’s family and James. They are pleading that anyone who might know anything about what happened should give them a call immediately. “It hurts me to think of Danny, beaten and bloody, walking back home,” said James. “Every step must have felt like a mile walk. He was all alone even though there were other people around … nobody helped him.” THE PHONE CALL At 2 a.m., James decided to call his friend’s cell phone. The phone was brazenly answered by, James assumes, Vega’s attackers, who said “What’s up? Who is this?” Then, he said, they belched into the phone and held the receiver up to a speaker that was blasting rap music. James hung up and immediately called the police. “I spoke with an Officer J. Hudley, who had given me his card earlier,” James told SGN. “I asked him if they could trace the call. He told me that was against procedure.” “I was scared because the attackers were on the loose and they had taken Danny’s keys,” recalled James. “I asked if we could have surveillance protection from the police. Again, he said no and said to call 911 if I felt I was in danger.” Worrying about his friend, who lay dying in the hospital, the three foreign exchange students, and himself, James could not sleep. “IT WILL NEVER BRING BACK MY BROTHER” “I really hope they find these bastards,” James said. “What happened to him was
very bad. They took Danny from us, and now we can only live with the memory of him.” James says Vega was the Gene Juarez of the Filipino community. “He did all the hair and makeup for every major Filipino event. He was a part of so many people’s family.” According to James, his friend never held any “grudge or animosity towards anyone.” “He had no enemies and never meant to harm anyone,” he continued. “We need to clean up this area. We need to clean up these neighborhoods. Nobody deserves to get beat to death – especially Danny.” The victim’s sister, Valentina Vega, agrees. Even if Danny’s assailants are found and punished, she said, “It will never bring back my brother’s life. My brother was such a precious person to us, and to most of you – all of you. He was a very loving person and he didn’t deserve what happened.”
frank
continued from cover House one of its more offensive members,” Karl Rove wrote for Fox News. “Until then, this petulant, abrasive, and downright nasty Congressman will keep making his presence known.” “Mr. Frank is incapable of feeling shame, regret, or a sense of personal responsibility. These are emotions for lesser beings. He’s leaving because of redistricting or to avoid having to raise money or facing those nasty little voters every two years. The House will be a better place for his departure,” Rove continued. The Tennessee Tea Party was even blunter: “Good riddance you sodomite POS!” @ tnteaparty tweeted. Also predictably, Frank’s friends spoke of him in glowing terms. “Barney Frank is one of a kind,” NGLTF said, stating the obvious. “He has brought his own brand of brashness, boldness, unmatched wit, discipline, and skill to Capitol Hill, at times ingratiating and infuriating friend and foe alike. We thank him for his years of service.” President Obama and the HRC, both of whom worked closely – if not always smoothly – with Frank, spoke of his many legislative accomplishments. “For over 30 years, Barney has been a fierce advocate for the people of Massachusetts and Americans everywhere who needed a voice,” Obama said. “He has worked tirelessly on behalf of families and businesses and helped make
housing more affordable. He has stood up for the rights of LGBT Americans and fought to end discrimination against them. And it is only thanks to his leadership that we were able to pass the most sweeping financial reform in history designed to protect consumers and prevent the kind of excessive risk-taking that led to the financial crisis from ever happening again.” “As the first openly Gay Member of Congress, Barney defied stereotypes and kicked doors open for LGBT Americans,” HRC said in a statement. “Repeal of ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ and passage of the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act would never have happened without his leadership.” “His service as chairman of the House Financial Services Committee during a time of great economic upheaval made a Gay man one of the most powerful people in the country and he used that power for great good.” Frank represented the 4th Congressional district in southern Massachusetts, a seat which has been Democratic since 1947. He won the seat in 1981 after his predecessor, liberal Jesuit Fr. Robert Drinan, was ordered to retire from politics by Pope John Paul II. Frank became a protégé of Democratic Speaker Tip O’Neill, who also represented a Massachusetts district. His hard-driving style and party loyalty impressed O’Neill, who came to see him as a potential successor. In 1987 Frank came out, under dramatic circumstances. His roommate, escort Steve Gobie, whom Frank had hired and then befriended in 1985, had used Frank’s apartment for sex work, and was trying to sell his story to the Washington Post. Frank felt he had no choice but to make his relationship with Gobie public. The revelation changed his career. The first consequence was that Frank was reprimanded by the House for using his influence to fix 33 of Gobie’s parking tickets. Ironically, the move to get the House to discipline Frank was led by then-Congressman Larry Craig. Frank chastised Craig 20 years later, when Senator Craig was arrested for soliciting sex in an airport men’s room. The more lasting consequence was that Frank was no longer considered a suitable candidate for speaker of the house. Afterwards, Frank liked to tell the story about how he came out to Tip O’Neill. “Oh, Bah-ney,” he would say, imitating O’Neill’s South Boston accent, “I’m so
sad. I thought you could be the first Jewish speak-uh….” Although he was no longer thought of as a potential speaker, Frank was easily reelected in his district, and went on to become a fierce advocate for Gay rights. At that time, only Frank and Garry Studds, another Massachusetts Democrat, were openly Gay congressmen. Characteristically, Frank’s relationship with LGBT activists was not without its own stress and strains. In 2007, Frank got the House to pass the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA), but only by dropping protection for Transgender workers from the bill. Every national LGBT organization, except the HRC, called for Trans protections to be put back in the legislation. Ultimately, ENDA was not taken up in the Senate at that time because then-president George W. Bush promised to veto it if it came to his desk. When ENDA was reintroduced in 2009, it contained both sexual orientation and gender identity protections, but in spite of repeated assurances by Frank, Labor Committee chair Rep. George Miller, and Speaker Nancy Pelosi that a vote on the bill was imminent, the House never took it up. Frank also declined to co-sponsor Rep. Jerrold Nadler’s Respect for Marriage Act to repeal DOMA, because, he said, he thought it had no chance of actually passing. Frank believed strongly in the legislative process, slow and convoluted as it might be, and he was dismissive of mass demonstrations. When activists David Mixner and Cleve Jones organized the National Equality March on Washington, D.C., in 2009, Frank was openly hostile. “The only thing they’re putting pressure on is the grass on the Mall,” he said. Frank has always been a loyal Democrat, and like most Democrats, he is a centrist. When Republican Rep. John Hostettler accused him in 2006 of having a “radical homosexual agenda,” Frank responded: “I do have things I would like to see adopted on behalf of LGBT people: they include the right to marry the individual of our choice, the right to serve in the military to defend our country, and the right to a job based solely on our own qualifications. “I acknowledge that this is an agenda, but I do not think that any self-respecting radical in history would have considered advocating people’s rights to get married, join the Army, and earn a living as a terribly inspiring revolutionary platform.”
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