Issue 09 Volume 38
Celebrating 37 Years!
FRIDAY February 28, 2010 FREE! 25¢ in bookstores & news stands
out to quit p. 4
legally blonde p. 25
shawn thomas p. 30
Seattle Gay News SEATTLE’S LGBT NEWS & ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY
ENDA vote in March, Navy lieutenant breaks says Barney Frank silence to fight DADT file photo
by Shaun Knittel SGN Staff Writer
Uganda activists stand up to hate
Two human rights gatherings in Kampala University of Buffalo
Human rights law expert and law professor Makau W. Mutua
by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer In spite of a proposed law that would sentence them to death, Uganda’s LGBT community struck back at homophobia at a pair of conferences held this month. At a human rights forum held February 19 in the Ugandan capital of Kampala, Makau Mutua – chair
of the Human Rights Commission in neighboring Kenya – challenged Ugandan legislators over their proposed Anti-Homosexual Bill. The forum, entitled “Human Rights and Sexual Orientation,” was organized by students and staff from Kampala University in Uganda’s capital. It was sponsored by the Ford Foundation. The invitation-only audience of
80 was made up of students, academics, NGO officials, and politicians. Uganda parliament member Otto Odonga told the gathering that human rights are secondary to public order. “Human rights are not sacrosanct,” Odonga said. “Private parts do not belong in the anus. We will not accept this kind of deviant behavior in our society.” Mutua immediately challenged him. “I am baffled by the kind of hatred you spew against Gay people,” Mutua said, “including your desire to be a hangman. Would you apply to be a hangman if the person to be hanged were your son?” When Odonga nodded yes, Mutua said, “There is something deeply wrong with you.” Mutua, a Harvard-educated lawyer, went on to compare Odonga’s arguments against Gay rights to those made by racists in the American South. “The kind of speech you made against Gay people was the kind of speech that white segregationists were making all over America,” he said. “Those arguments are classic. They have been reproduced in every era by every segment of society. You didn’t invent them.” “It’s important that we all try to expose ourselves to knowledge, to keep on growing,” Mutua added. “People who express extremist views are, in my view, always the
courtesy of Michael Knipp
Everett Earl Morrow, a Gay former submariner who left the U.S. Navy in 2008 because of the military’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” (DADT) policy, has had enough. “The time has come to speak out against this immoral, outdated policy,” said Morrow, who recently participated in an off-camera interview for Out of Annapolis, a forthcoming documentary about LGBT alumni of the United States Naval Academy. “DADT is a policy of discrimination which Gay and Lesbian servicemembers must suffer through if they want to serve their country,” Morrow told SGN during a phone interview from New York City. “The premise of the policy is maintaining military readiness and Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.) unit cohesion, which couldn’t be by Mike Andrew The good news is that the mea- further from reality. As someone sure could pass the House of Rep- who has served on a submarine in SGN Staff Writer resentatives in March. an all-male environment, my sexuThe bad news is that it will then ality didn’t jeopardize our preRep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.) has good news and bad news for supporters of ENDA, the Employsee enda page 16 see dadt page 18 ment Non-Discrimination Act.
Michael Knipp (l) and Everett Earl Morrow
SOaP board changes 2010 Seattle Pride Parade theme Over the Rainbow Pride in Seattle 2010
Seattle’s LGBT News & Entertainment Weekly
www.sgn.org For the pink sheep in the family.
by Shaun Knittel SGN Staff Writer
On June 27, Seattle Out and Proud (SOaP) will present the 36th LGBT Seattle Pride Parade. With the second-largest number of LGBT residents by percentage of population in the country – an estimated 57,900 in Seattle and almost triple that metro-wide – Seattle is home to a wide variety of LGBT political points of view. So it should come as no surprise that the controversy surrounding the 2010 Seattle Pride theme was intense. Letting bygones be bygones, SOaP see uganda page 20 has announced the official theme
proud to Be Different
We are conveniently located on-site at Lifelong AIDS Alliance below the Thrift Store.
change from “We Are All American” to the national Pride theme “Over The Rainbow – be seen, be heard, be there.” Seattle Pride is a month-long celebration held in June. Seattle Pride is one of the largest Pride events in the country, has no paid staff, and an all-volunteer board of directors. Each year, record numbers turn out for the parade. As throngs of people line the 4th Avenue sidewalk in downtown Seattle, each contingent honors the theme in their own unique way. Recently, see soap page 20
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Seattle Gay News
February 28, 2010
Celebrating 37 Years!
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Deadlines Classifieds - Thursday at noon Calendar - Tuesday 6pm Display Ads: Space Reservation - Monday 5pm Ad copy (non-camera ready) - Tues. 5pm Ad copy (camera ready) - Wed. 5pm Letters to the Editor - Tuesday 5pm Obituaries - Call the SGn office All others - Tuesday 5pm
Editor In Chief George Bakan Associate Editor Tom Flint (retired) Editorial Assistant Nick Ardizzone Production William Creswell Calender Editors Mike Andrew and Rick McKinnon Travel Editor George Bakan Advertising Manager Marty Weisbrod Advertising Department Maggie Bloodstone Executive Assistant Mike Andrew Staff Writers George Bakan, Albert S. Rodriguez, Nick Ardizzone, Shaun Knittel Miryam Gordon, James Whitely, Tim Peter Contributing Writers Rev. Barbara Allen, Mike Andrew, Eric Andrews-Katz, Madelyn Arnold, Maggie Bloodstone, Beau Burriola, Jessica Davis, Ron Anders, Jessica Price, Milton W. Hamlin, Nevin Jefferson, Keen News Service, Jason A. Miller, Liz Meyer, Rod Parke, Don Paulson, Scott Rice, Leslie Robinson, Richard Kennedy, Romeo San Vicente, Rex Wockner Classifieds Mike Andrew and Rick McKinnon Photographers Nick Ardizzone, Joseph P. Herron, Shaun Knittel, James Whitely National Advertising Rep. Rivendell Media (212) 242-6863 Website Designer Barry Thorsness/Digital Team Works Seattle Gay News is published weekly by JT&A, Inc. © 2010, JT&A, Inc., all rights reserved. Reprints by permission.
FINAL WRAP-UP – Going through “The Program” by James Whitely SGN Staff Writer So here it is, the wrap-up. I guess I’d consider myself a nonsmoker now. It’s been over two weeks since I drowned my cigarettes in the kitchen sink, and I feel good. The cravings are not only getting easier, but fewer and far between. Some of them can still be overwhelming, but my family is still coming through for me, answering my phone calls during my fits of desperation. We had our “reward dinner” this week. Only about half the group could make it, but it was truly a delight. We’ve all become friends, and even though we’ve only been seeing each other for about an hour and a half, one night a week, we’ve all bonded because of our journey. We gathered at a Thai restraint on the north end of Broadway. We mentioned to
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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Seattle Gay News
February 28, 2010
our server that we were celebrating our quitting smoking and she admitted that she had once quit smoking and had since started again. Lark promptly went in to his nowfamiliar routine, and before she could even take our drink order, the poor girl was being given advice by every non-smoker at the table – clearly the program made an impact on all of us. I confessed to the table that I had smoked part of a cigarette on Saturday. Physically, the cigarette gave me the desired effect; I immediately got dizzy and lightheaded, and had to lean on a rail to regain my composure. Although my body got what it wanted out of the cigarette, I didn’t feel better afterwards. The night before, a member of the group sent me an email over Facebook asking for advice on dealing with cravings. I gave him a few tips, but one of the things I wrote stood out in particular for me. “The thing that’s really hard to hold onto is why I quit, just because cigarettes are so tempting, and they seem like they can just make everything better when I’m panicking, but they never did. I still had relationship stresses, work stresses, all of it, and cigarettes never did anything.” Now clearly, I didn’t take my own advice, but I have to say that I’m glad I did what I did. Smoking that cigarette on Saturday reminded me of why I quit, and I’ve had barely any desire to smoke since. I feel as if it gave me the perspective I needed, and now I feel like I’ve quit smoking. I’ve come a long way in the past two months. Consequently, I decided to look back at each one of my columns and find a few selections that made me smile or were particularly interesting. Week 1: “This program is completely
free. I know I’ll leave tonight feeling grateful towards Gay City, with a stronger desire to quit. … I get the impression that Out to Quit is a quality program, but do I think I’m actually going to quit smoking because of it? Let’s just say I’d certainly like to.” Week 2: “So why do we love smoking? To take a break, to relieve stress, to wake ourselves up, to connect to our heritage, to reward ourselves, to get high, to be creative and connect with the muse, to be sexy, to suppress our appetite, to meet new people, to connect with the people we already know, to relieve boredom, or just for the hell of it.” Week 3: “I cough during sex, and hate myself for it. I hate waking up in the mornings with my lungs still full of smoke.” Week 4: “It is absolutely inconceivable to me how I would cope with stress without cigarettes. … It [quitting] is equivalent to making any huge life change, like ending a relationship or taking a new job far away from home. Both of which I have done, and both of which have left me changed forever.” Week 6: “I realized how much control I’d let tobacco have over me. I realized why I was really out there, and it became clear to me that if I didn’t stop then, I was never going to.” Week 7: “These are not only the people who have been helping me cease my tobacco use; these were the people I quit for, because quitting for myself simply wasn’t good enough.” The advice that I’ve got to give to anyone potentially quitting is pretty simple: Gay City Health Project. Additionally, I’d refer you to the Week 7 quote above. I’d also say this: once you’re no longer smoking, just keep counting the days. The more time you have behind you, the more motivation you’ll have to keep going. As the group discussed early on, I’ve let smoking fill certain needs, needs that everyone has, and I guess I’ve still got some work to do in finding other alternatives to smoking. It will take time to connect certain activities and certain memories with things other than smoking, but I know I’ll get there. All in all, things are looking up. I’ve had significantly less trouble getting to sleep each night, and concentration is coming easier to me. Our new cat Osito is warming up to us, and I’ve got that feeling back now, the feeling I had when I first resolved not to light up again, that a new day is dawning, that a new me is emerging. Here’s to my health, to yours, and sticking it to the major tobacco corporations. Thanks for reading.
The more time you have behind you, the more motivation you’ll have to keep going.
Celebrating 37 Years!
GAY TEACHERS In my opinion, many Gay men can be excellent teachers of children. Why? Because
Maryland now recognizes out-of-state Gay marriages by Shaun Knittel SGN Staff Writer
they are people of the gentle heart. Leland Mellott Mount Vernon, Washington
Outrage in Fort Worth City prosecutes victims of police abuse
file photo
Chad Gibson showing bruises received from police officers after the June 28 raid
by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer City prosecutors in Fort Worth, Texas, announced on February 24 that they would press charges against two patrons of the Rainbow Lounge Gay bar who were injured in a police raid last June. Chad Gibson suffered a severe brain injury while in police custody that kept him hospitalized for a week. Officers said he fell and hit his head while handcuffed. He said he was injured when officers slammed him against a wall inside the bar. Gibson is being charged with “public intoxication” and “assaulting a state agent.” George Armstrong suffered severe bruising and muscle strain while being arrested. He is charged with “public intoxication.” Adam Seidel, the attorney for both men, said his clients are not willing to accept a plea bargain and asked that a date be set for the trial. He declined to state categorically if prosecutors offered a deal, but said he was surprised they did not drop the charges entirely. “The city’s message has been, ‘Let’s learn from this and move forward and get past it,’” Seidel said. “That doesn’t seem to be consistent with prosecuting these two victims.” City prosecutor Saleemah Jones declined
to comment. The June 28 raid on the Rainbow Lounge – ironically, 40 years almost to the minute after the raid on the Stonewall Inn in Greenwich Village – drew immediate protests from Gay activists and led to internal investigations by Fort Worth police and the Texas Alcohol Beverage Commission (TABC). TABC ultimately fired three agents for multiple violations. Fort Worth police chief Jeff Halstead apologized repeatedly to the LGBT community, acknowledged his officers were disrespectful to bar patrons and overly aggressive, and that they raided the bar without probable cause. Three officers, including veteran Sgt. Richard Morris who led the operation, received short suspensions. Police investigations found that officers did not use excessive force, however. Gibson’s “assault” charge comes from police allegations that he “groped” the arresting officer, former TABC Agent Chris Aller. Gibson denies the charge, but Aller told reporters that he stands by his account of the incident. Aller was fired by TABC for failing to report that he used force in the Rainbow Lounge raid, participating in the raid without a supervisor’s approval, disrupting a lawful business, and wearing riot gear rather than a street uniform.
Jay Allan Schutter 1952-2010 Born on October 2, 1952, in Everett, WA, Jay Allan Shutter studied Interior Design at the Cornish Institute of Art and practiced his craft working as a “fine” materials wallpaper hanger, painter and decorator. Jay will be interred with his parent at Cypress Lawn in Everett, WA. He worked as a designer in Portland, San Francisco and Seattle. Jay loved his dogs Andy (who has passed away) and Levi. He also loved to cook, sew, decorate, and was an avid collector. Jay also had a wicked tongue, and at times a personality to match. He had a passion for embarrassing people (no matter who they were) who never really exhibited an exuberance for life. He passed surrounded by friends and family at Bailey Boushay House, after a fight with cancer. He is survived by his good best friends Jim, Pat, Catherine, Tigra the Pomeranian, brother Dick, sister Shari, and a slew of nieces and nephews. You are invited to join us for a passing memorial/roast, soon to be disclosed.
State agencies in Maryland must now recognize out-of-state Gay marriages until the Legislature or courts decided otherwise, Maryland’s attorney general said on February 22 after issuing a long-awaited 45-page legal opinion. “This will be ultimately resolved in the courts,” Maryland Attorney General Doug Gansler told reporters. He said that the state’s highest court would likely rule that legal Gay marriages in other states are valid in Maryland, but says the matter “is not free from all doubt.” “There are five states that recognize marriages as far as Gay marriage, and what the opinion says is that if the court were to look at that and say how should those be treated in Maryland, then we would recognize those marriages,” said Gansler. Maryland law defines marriage as between a man and a woman, but Gansler, a Democrat, wrote that the state generally acknowledges couples married elsewhere. Maryland is one of six states that does not specifically address the validity of same-sex marriages from other states. While Gansler’s opinion doesn’t change the law, it represents an interpretation that can guide a state agency. In other words, the attorney general’s office would defend a state agency in court for recognizing a same-sex marriage from another state.
Gay rights advocates say it’s a step in the right direction. “The favorable opinion, it affirms that the law in the state of Maryland recognizes valid marriages of same-gender couples, and this really increases the statewide momentum for full marriage equality for LGBT Marylanders,” said Morgan MenesesSheets, executive director Equality Maryland. Some lawmakers say the attorney general’s opinion undermines the authority of the Maryland General Assembly. Delegate Don Dwyer, a Republican, is calling for Gansler’s impeachment. “He stepped over the line; he’s violated his authority, and as a result, he’s going to face the consequences. Will I be successful in removing him? I don’t know. That’s up to the members of the assembly,” said Dwyer. “We don’t make policy. All we do in this case [is] we look at the law and how we believe a court would interpret that law,” said Gansler. “It seems very clear to us that the law is actually quite unambiguous here, that Maryland always recognizes out-of-state valid marriages in the state of Maryland. It’s been done since the inception of the state.” Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley issued a statement regarding Gansler’s opinion, saying he is confident the attorney general “will provide all necessary advice to state agencies on how to comply with the law.”
“We don’t make policy. All we do in this case [is] we look at the law and how we believe a court would interpret that law.”
Changes celebrates 21st anniversary all year long by James Whitely SGN Staff Writer Since 1989, going to Changes (2103 N. 45th St.) has been like walking into a Gay episode of Cheers. Not a whole lot has changed for the friendly neighborhood former beer bar in 21 years. They added liquor to the bar in ‘01, but otherwise the regulars are getting older, the Gay UW students come and go, and time just keeps rolling on by. Nestled in the heart of Wallingford, the bar that used to be called the Bus Stop recently celebrated its 21-year anniversary under the name Changes. To celebrate, they’re offering special prices to anyone else who’s turning 21 this year – very, very special prices – on your birthday (we’re talking nearly free.) According to the owner, Floyd, the Bus Stop “was supposed to be a Gay bar – it kind of was, kind of wasn’t.” It was owned by two women that he was friends with. One night, in casual conversation with the two
while he was sitting at the bar, he offered to buy the place. “Are you serious?” they replied. The next day, the three met for lunch, and Changes was born. “There’s nothing on the Hill that compares with this friendly, charming place,” said one patron in a message on the bar’s website. “When we first opened, anyone Gay in North Seattle would come here. We were just a dark black tunnel, but we’d pack ‘em in here every night,” Floyd told SGN. “For a lot of customers, this is the only bar they come to.” Changes is one of the longest-running Gay bars in Seattle. The bar sponsors and has sponsored local Gay softball, soccer, and basketball teams. Happy hour runs all day and night Saturdays, Sundays and Mondays, with $2.75 wells and $3 microbrews. Changes offers karaoke on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Sundays. For more information, visit www.changesinwallingford.com.
GayLiberation.net photo
Around 100 Gays and Lesbians picketed Chicago’s Holy Name Cathedral on Valentine’s Day
NATIONAL
NEWS
Gays picket Chicago’s Holy Name Cathedral Around 100 Gays and Lesbians picketed Chicago’s Holy Name Cathedral on Valentine’s Day. Members of the Gay Liberation Network protested the Roman Catholic Church’s opposition to same-sex marriage and its hostility to LGBT people in general. They chanted, “Holy Name, holy shame!” “Most present-day Gay leaders ... have taken a pass on highlighting and demonstrating against religious leaders’ opposition to our equality,” said GLN’s Andy Thayer. “In doing so, they ignore the lessons of how we have won LGBT victories in the past, and why we suffered critical defeats like California’s Proposition 8 and Maine’s Question 1.” Thayer said past LGBT wins against people such as Anita Bryant and Dr. Laura Schlessinger involved “relentlessly pounding them for their anti-Gay bigotry, quoting their hateful statements, labeling them as vile bigots, and thus ‘peeling off’ their soft supporters.” “In contrast,” he said, “when anti-Gay
by Rex Wockner SGN Contributing Writer campaigners, including Catholic leaders, successfully promoted Proposition 8 and Question 1, they took the battle to us, relentlessly labeling us as child molesters in a manner very reminiscent of Anita Bryant. And we remained punching bags. Our ‘leaders’ didn’t strike back, labeling the anti-Gay leaders as bigots and haters. And we lost.” The Catholic Church teaches its members that Gay sex is a mortal sin. A spokeswoman for the archdiocese said Chicago churchgoers have no ability to alter Vatican teaching. Fresno Gays protest at county clerk’s office Same-sex couples protested at the county clerk’s office in Fresno, Calif., on Valentine’s Day, requesting marriage licenses, which were denied. Same-sex marriage was legal in California for 4 1/2 months in 2008 until voters amended the state constitution to re-ban it. “We’re very much in love and we would like to make it legal for everybody to know,” Jason Garrigus, who applied to marry David Zandt, told County Clerk Victor Salazar. Salazar explained the constitutional
INTERNATIONAL
amendment, Proposition 8, to the couple and said, “We are not able to assist you.” Dozens of opposite-sex couples got married on Valentine’s Day at the Fresno office. Gays arrested at NYC marriage license bureau Four members of a new ACT UP-like group known as Queer Rising were arrested in Manhattan on February 12 after chaining themselves to the entrance of the New York City Marriage Bureau. Alan Bounville, Jake Goodman, Justin Elzie and Gabriel Yuri Bollag sought equal marriage rights for same-sex couples. Dozens of Gay marriage supporters cheered them on. Twenty same-sex couples went inside and tried to obtain marriage licenses. They were rebuffed. A Gay man and a Lesbian then presented themselves as a faux couple, asked for a license and were given one. “New York City is home to the Stonewall Riots and in that tradition we are here to say that equality doesn’t arrive through the ballot box,” said Queer Rising spokesperson Spring Super. “The bankrupt strategy of putting all efforts into electing so-called friendly officials has failed,” Super said. “We must shift to building a grassroots, national movement that demands full equality by any means necessary.” The four activists were charged with obstructing government administration and
Tasmanian Gay and Lesbian Rights Group activist Rodney Croome said Mardi Gras “interpreted its sponsorship contract with Events NSW [New South Wales] to preclude the promotion of any other state as a tourist by Rex Wockner destination at any Mardi Gras event.” SGN Contributing Writer “Whether a ban is motivated by hate or, Sydney Mardi Gras bans extravaganza banned Tourism Tasma- in the case of the Mardi Gras, by money, Tasmanian Gay nia from Mardi Gras’ Fair Day because it censorship is censorship and should be revacation material planned to promote Tasmania as a Gay- sisted,” Croome said. “Mardi Gras seems Officials of Sydney’s LGBT Mardi Gras friendly holiday destination. blind to the fact that the cost of exclusive contracts in terms of community ill-will far outweighs whatever short-term financial benefit they may have.” Gay-owned Tasmanian travel operators, who usually promote themselves from Tourism Tasmania’s stall, reportedly were given refuge by other stallholders but still were prohibited from distributing material promoting Tasmania as a state. Fair Day, held February 21 this year, is a huge festival of exhibits, information, food, booze, entertainment, contests, music, dancing and other merrymaking.
NEWS
disorderly conduct. On February 20, they agreed to “adjournment contemplating dismissal,” which will occur in six months if they are not arrested again before then. “As long as the state of New York maintains a policy which codifies that the love between two men or two women is inferior to the love between a man and a woman, these actions will continue,” said the activists’ lawyer, Ted Bohn. “This was only the beginning,” he said. “We are grateful, however, to [New York County District Attorney] Cy Vance for recognizing that those arrested in furtherance of civil rights should not be treated like criminals.” New York state recognizes same-sex marriages from other jurisdictions but does not allow them itself. Same-sex marriage is legal in Connecticut, Iowa, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Vermont. It also is legal in Belgium, Canada, the Netherlands, Norway, South Africa, Spain and Sweden, and in Argentina’s Tierra del Fuego province. It will become legal in Washington, D.C., in March and in Portugal later this year. Same-sex couples were able to marry in California for 4 1/2 months in 2008 until voters amended the state constitution to put a stop to it. Maine legalized same-sex marriage in 2009 but voters repealed the new law before it took effect. With assistance from Bill Kelley lishing and distributing [material] about LGBT people can be negatively perceived by the majority as the promotion to the public of sexual and gender minorities.” Equality spokeswoman Maria Efremenkova called the rejection un-European. “St. Petersburg, which aims to show itself as the most European city in Russia, acts in contradiction to most European cities, which sponsor large-scale campaigns against homophobia and Transphobia,” she said. Efremenkova’s group is planning the city’s first Gay pride parade on June 26. Attempts to stage pride parades in Moscow over the past four years have been banned by that city’s mayor, Yuri Luzhkov. Small groups of activists who ignored the bans have been violently attacked by riot police and anti-Gay thugs. Costa Rica may see same-sexmarriage referendum Ten Costa Ricans have turned in more than 130,000 signatures of registered voters requesting a popular referendum on a bill introduced in the Legislative Assembly to legalize same-sex marriage. The Supreme Tribunal of Elections will determine if a minimum of 130,751 signatures, representing 5 percent of registered voters, are valid. If they are, the referendum could appear on the ballot in December’s mayoral elections.
St. Petersburg refuses to fund anti-homophobia campaign Officials in St. Petersburg, Russia, have refused to include funding to fight homophobia in the city’s Program for Tolerance. A funding request for posters, a film festival and other actions had been submitted by the LGBT group Equality. The chairman of the city’s Committee on With assistance from Bill Kelley, Andrés Culture, Anton Gubankov, agreed that homophobia is a problem but said that “pub- Duque 6
Seattle Gay News
February 28, 2010
Celebrating 37 Years!
On Friday, March 5, the Imperial Sovereign Court of Snohomish County – Empire of Dreams presents the “Out of Town Show” at Twisted, 1212 California St., Everett, door at 7 p.m., show at 8 p.m. The show will compiled by Rick McKinnon feature performances by out-of-town digniSGN Staff Writer taries who are in-town for the ball on Saturday. Cost is $10 at the door. SEATTLE QUAKE RUGBY On Saturday, March 6, join the Empire of more information, visit www.thegsba.org or HOME GAMES Dreams for “Dreams Come True,” the Imcall 206-363-9188. The Seattle Quake Rugby hosts next perial Prince & Princess Ball XXI, at the homes games this season on Saturdays, Sons of Norway Normanna Hall, 2705 Oaks “ENDA NOW” – February 27 (vs. Orsu), and April 3 (vs. CorAve., Everett, door at 5 p.m., show at 6 p.m. AN INTERACTIVE FORUM vallis). All games are played at Magnuson Cost is $25.00. FOR EQUALITY! Park, Field #5, 7400 Sand Point Way NE. On Tuesday, March 2, Seattle OUT ProKickoff at 1 p.m. www.quakerugby.org. “AN EVENING WITH test hosts “ENDA Now – Fighting for LGBT DINA MARTINA” Justice in the Workplace Nationally,” an inSEATTLE GAY FLAG FOOTBALL The incomparable Dina Martina presents teractive forum for equality, at Seattle Labor LEAGUE SEEKING PLAYERS Temple, 2800 1st Ave., 7-9 p.m. The Em- a new evening (or matinee, if you prefer) Seattle Gay Flag Football League seeks ployment Non-Discrimination Act would of hilarious songs, stories, videos and auplayers of all skill levels for weekly Satur- prohibit employment discrimination on the dience gifts that will knock your socks off. day practices and games. Upcoming prac- basis of sexual orientation and gender iden- Because Dina Martina’s performances have tices on February 27, 4:30 p.m., at Bobby tity across the U.S. In 29 states it is legal to been described as “totally fresh” and “unMorris Playfield, 11th Ave. & E. Pine St. be fired or not be hired for being Gay or Les- like anything you’ve ever seen,” it’s next (just south of Cal Anderson Park), and bian. In 38 states it is legal to be fired or not to impossible to effectively describe what March 6, 1 p.m., at Miller Playfield, 19th be hired for being Transgender. For more a Dina Martina show is like. It is, however, Ave. E. & E. Thomas St. The complete information, contact Seattle OUT Protest at easy to list some things the show IS: hysterigame schedule will be out soon. Games are seattleoutprotest@yahoo.com. cally funny, surprisingly smart, hilariously currently scheduled for Saturdays March stupid, occasionally obscure, surreal, sweet, 13, 20, 27 and April 3 – time and location full of pathos. The show runs March 5-April SEATTLE GAY & LESBIAN to be determined. Practices and games are BOOK CLUB AT DUNSHEE HOUSE 18 on Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and open to spectators. There will be a summer The Seattle Gay & Lesbian Book Club Sundays at 2 p.m. Doors open one hour prior break with pick-up games scheduled dur- meets every Wednesday at 6 p.m. at Dun- to show. Tickets are $20 in advance and $25 ing the summer. League practice and play shee House, 303 17th Ave. E. at E. Thomas at the door. 1-800-838-3006 or www.brownwill return in the fall. For more information, St. The club is pleased to announce the fol- papertickets.com/event/93619. NOTE: No contact Manager Rich at atlasrich@hotmail. lowing title to be discussed in their ongoing one under 21 years old will be admitted. com or join the Seattle Gay Flag Football reading and discussion series: March – The League group on Facebook. NORTHWEST SASH BASH 2010 Pure and the Impure by Colette. All GLBTQ Generic Leather Productions present folks in the community are welcome to parNIGHT FANTASIA RETURNS ticipate in this free book club. The reading “Northwest Sash Bash 2010” the weekend On Saturday, February 27, Kwanchai list is chosen and the discussion facilitated of March 5-7. On Friday, March 5, “Meet & presents “Night FantAsia 2010 – Anniver- by Nick DiMartino, published novelist and Greet” from 9-11 p.m. at The Cuff Complex, sary 11,” a celebration of the GLBT Asian playwright, currently a book reviewer for 13th Ave. & E. Pike St. On Saturday, March community, at the Nijo Sushi Bar & Grill, ShelfAwareness.com, and a 30-year em- 6, “Brunch” from 11 a.m.-noon at The Cen83 Spring St., from 9 p.m.-1 a.m. “Join us ployee of University Book Store. For more ter for Sex Positive Culture (CSPC), 1602 for great entertainment, with a live DJ and information, email nickdimartin@earthlink. 15th Ave. W., “Workshops” from 12-3 your host Aleksa Manila! Enjoy great food net or contact Dunshee House at 206-322- p.m. at the CSPC, “Fantasies/Leather and and drink amongst friends and guests.” 2437. Lace Auction” from 7-9 p.m. at The Cuff Raffle drawing. Happy Hour menu availComplex, “Play Party” from 9 p.m.-2 a.m. able throughout the event. All are welcome at CSPC. On Sunday, March 7, “Farewell MOHAI PRESENTS (21+). www.kwanchai.net. Brunch” from noon-2 p.m. at The Rosebud FREE PROGRAM Restaurant & Bar, 719 E. Pike St. For more ON JAPANESE INTERNMENT GAY OL’ PURIM PARTY On Thursday, March 4, the Museum of information, email nwsashbash2010@ On Sunday, February 28, Kolenu hosts History & Industry presents a FREE eve- gmail.com. Seattle’s annual GLBTQ Purim Party at ning program focusing on the Japanese InPravda Studios, 1406 10th Ave. E. With DJ ternment during World War II. From 6:30-9 SEATTLE INTERNATIONAL Mathematix, Purim Burlesque by Honey- p.m., MOHAI will present a theatrical perWOMEN’S DAY MARCH & RALLY suckle, singer-songwriter Moorea Malatt, formance, a short film and a Q&A session. On Saturday, March 6, join a broad coalicostume contest with prizes, dancing, drinks Admission to the museum is free from 10 tion of Seattle area women’s organizations and more. Doors at 7 p.m., admission is $5 a.m.-8 p.m., as is customary the first Thurs- for Seattle’s International Women’s Day at the door. day of every month. The program is pre- March and Rally focusing on poverty, mili“Don’t miss the biggest GLBTQ Purim sented in conjunction with the exhibit “The tarization, and violence against women and Party that Seattle has ever seen! Purim is of- Enemy Within: Terror in America 1776 to children. The March begins at noon at Powten viewed as the Jewish coming out story, Today” that runs through May 2. ell Barnett Park, MLK Jr. Way & E. Alder and to honor Esther’s “coming out” as a Jew, St., and travels to Occidental Park, Occidenwe will be throwing a huge bash. There will UW’S QUEER PEOPLE OF COLOR tal Ave. S. & S. Washington St. for a Rally be plenty of pink hamantaschen, drinks and at 2 p.m. Additional events will be held later (AND ALLIES) ALLIANCE HOSTS dancing. Don’t forget that Purim is a holiday “(RE)VISITING QUEER HISTORY” in the day. On Monday, March 8, the Seattle to dress up on, so come in costume ‘cause On Friday, March 5, from 3:30-5:30 p.m., International Women’s Day Celebration will we’re giving out some fabulous prizes!” The University of Washington’s Queer be held from 7-9 p.m., at POCAAN, 1609 People of Color (and Allies) Alliance hosts 19th Ave. For more information, 206-722TACOMA RAINBOW CENTER “(Re)Visiting Queer History” at the UW Q 0729; inter.womensday2010@gmail.com; COMMUNITY SURVEY 2010 Center, Schmitz Hall, 4th Floor, NE 41st St. or visit Seattle International Women’s Day The Tacoma Rainbow Center throughout & 15th Ave. NE. “We hope to spark interest, on facebook.com. the month of March is conducting a popula- strengthen identity, create and maintain a tion survey for LGBTQ people in the gen- more inclusive community, and understand EQUAL RIGHTS WASHINGTON eral Pierce County area. The survey results our past. We will be examining NON-MAIN HOSTS FOURTH ANNUAL GALA – will provide a more detailed and compre- stream Queer history, exploring communi“THE POWER OF US” hensive view of the LGBTQ community ties, people, and events that have been unOn Saturday, March 6, join ERW at the W in the region. Data from the survey will be der-represented.” FREE. Hotel, 1112 Fourth Ave., for a celebration used to help get funding for programs aimed of the amazing work of the past year, with at the LGBTQ community, and will have many surprises, live and silent auction, with PUDDLETOWN SQUARES the potential for other positive political and entertainment by Emmy award-winning PRESENTS social implications for LGBTQ people. comedienne and actress, Judy Gold. Enjoy “RAIN FESTIVAL 2010 – A summary of survey results will be cocktails and silent auction, 6-7:30 p.m.; FORBIDDEN ISLAND” shared. The survey is anonymous and takes On the weekend of March 5-7, Puddle- seated dinner, live auction and entertainabout ten minutes to fill out. The survey town Squares, Seattle’s LGBT square danc- ment, 7:30-10 p.m.; after party 10 p.m. to can be accessed March 1-31 through a link ing club, presents “Rain Festival 2010 – For- late. Tickets: $200 per person; $2000 table. (“Rainbow Center Community Survey”) at bidden Island,” their annual square dancing Dress: Feel free to define where fancy meets the Tacoma Rainbow Center website, www. convention hosting LGBT square danc- expressive: black tie and denim, cocktail rainbowcntr.org, or call the Center, 253- ers and LGBT square dancing clubs from chic, fashionably classy but comfortable. 383-2318 for other ways to access the sur- around the U.S. and Canada for a weekend vey. “We want the participation of everyone of festivities and square dancing in Seattle. AARON’S RAINBOW PROJECT in the community, and we will accomodate The event will be held at Miller CommuPRESENTS “OUT” CHRISTIAN participants with no computer access.” SINGER/SONGWRITER nity Center, 330 19th Ave., just north of E. SHAWN THOMAS AT Thomas St. www.iagsdc.org/puddletown. GSBA HOSTS GRACE GOSPEL AND MCC PRIME TIME EAST On Saturday, March 6, at 7 p.m., Grace “DREAMS COME TRUE” – On Tuesday, March 2, from 5:30-7 p.m., Gospel Chapel, 2052 NW 64th St., presents THE IMPERIAL PRINCE GSBA hosts a Prime Time Mixer on the Gay Christian musician, Shawn Thomas, & PRINCESS BALL XXI Eastside at Grand Cru Wine Bar, 1020 108th in concert. On Sunday, March 7, at 1 p.m., IN EVERETT Ave. NE, Bellevue. This event is FREE. For MCC Seattle, in the Chapel at Temple de
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NEWS
Visit us online www.sgn.org
February 28, 2010
Hirsch Sinai, 1441 16th Ave., between E. Union & E. Pike Sts., hosts a worship service featuring Shawn Thomas and his music. www.shawnthomasonline.com. GAY CITY & THREE DOLLAR BILL CINEMA’S 5TH ANNUAL ACADEMY AWARDS PARTY On Sunday, March 7, starting at 4:30 p.m. (VIP champagne and wine reception, premium seating and Oscar gift bag at 3:30 p.m.), join Gay City Health Project and Three Dollar Bill Cinema for their Fifth Annual Academy Awards Party at SoDo Park, 3200 First Ave. S. Watch the Oscars on big screens, enjoy hors d’oeuvres all evening, and win some fantastic prizes – including tickets to see legendary comic Lily Tomlin at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. Tickets: $25-general & $40-VIP in advance; $5 more at the door. www.gaycity.org. LIFELONG AIDS ALLIANCE “CARING FOR OUR COMMUNITY BREAKFAST” On Tuesday, March 9, from 7:30-9 a.m., join Lifelong AIDS Alliance at the Sheraton Seattle Hotel, 6th Ave. & Pike St., for their inaugural “Caring for Our Community” Benefit Breakfast in support of Lifelong AIDS Alliance. Help make a difference in the lives of people living with HIV/AIDS. Suggested minimum donation is $125. Please email Sage Marts at sagem@llaa.org or call 206-957-1742 or visit www.llaa.org for more information. WILLAMETTE VALLEY WINERIES HOST BLOCK PARTY WINE TASTING EVENT On Thursday, March 11, from 5:30-8:30 p.m., the Willamette Valley Wineries Association hosts a block party wine-tasting event at Sodo Park by Herban Feast, 3200 1st Ave. S., featuring over 50 Oregon wineries representing all viticultural areas of the Valley. The block party will be an opportunity to tell the rich story of Willamette Valley wine and “invite our neighbors from the north to pay us a future visit.” The Willamette Valley’s prized Pinot noir will headline the event, but other coolclimate varieties such as Pinot Gris, Chardonnay and Riesling will also be poured. “Guests will have the unique opportunity to pair wines with Oregon and Pacific Northwest food including Carlton Farm’s pork, Willamette Valley Cheese Company cheeses, Grand Central Bakery’s bread and Oregon hazelnuts followed by Stumptown coffee.” Tickets for the event are $45 before March 1st and $55 after March 1st. Visit www.willamettewines.com for event information and event tickets. A luxury Wine Country Getaway will be raffled off as part of the event. A maximum of 2,000 raffle tickets will be sold. To purchase raffle tickets in advance, email info@ willamettewine.com or call 503-646-2985. To request a wine touring map, visit website or phone. SEATTLE ECSA OPEN & WOMEN’S LEAGUES SEEKING SOFTBALL PLAYERS FOR UPCOMING SEASON The Emerald City Softball Association’s Open League for Gay and non-Gay men and women is holding a New Player Skills Assessment on Sunday, March 14, 11 a.m., at Rainier Playfield, 3700 S. Alaska St. (at Rainier Ave. S.) to meet and evaluate new players who are interested in joining one of 4 skill levels baseball teams in the ECSA Open League. You can also sign-up on the ECSA Open League “New Player Matchmaker” roster by creating a new player profile on the ECSA Open League website – www.emeraldcitysoftball.org. The Emerald City Softball Association’s Women’s League for Gay and non-Gay women only is hosting a Play Day on Sunday, March 28, from 9:30 a.m.-noon, for players who are looking to be picked up on a team. Players will run through 3 drills – hitting, fielding and throwing. The Play Day will be held at Lower Woodland Ball Field #4, off Green Lake Way N. & N. 50th St. www.seattlewomensecsa.com.
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by Shaun Knittel SGN Staff Writer
The 8th Annual Bowled and the Beautiful Bowl-A-Thon February 20 West Seattle Bowl On February 20, The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) Seattle held their 8th Annual Bowled and the Beautiful Bowl-A-Thon at West Seattle Bowl (4505 39th Ave SW). The event is HRC Seattle’s second-largest fundraising event and was a complete success – HRC Seattle officials told SGN that nearly 400 people attended the Bowled and the Beautiful. “Bowled and the Beautiful is a fundraising event where folks in the community come together and support HRC and the work that we do,” HRC Seattle’s Kevin Moser told SGN. “It’s a great way to network while kicking back and having a great time!” For $35, guests enjoyed two hours of bowling, pizza, soda, and a one-year membership to HRC. The Bowl-A-Thon was set for three sessions, with six people per lane. The first session was geared towards families, the second towards everyone, and the
last session was for the party crowd. According to HRC Seattle officials, the event was sold out. “Events like Bowled and the Beautiful are important because it affords us the opportunity to educate the public about the issues facing the LGBT community,” Moser told SGN. According to Moser, HRC Seattle’s political team, lead by Steve Gibbs and Scott Martin, had attendees fill out cards asking their political leaders to overturn the Defense of Marriage Act, pass a Trans-inclusive Employment Non Discrimination Act, and repeal “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” Moser says HRC Seattle steering committee and board members will take the cards to Washington, D.C. when they attend the organization’s annual lobby day and spring convention. The successful fundraiser and community event was organized by HRC Seattle Membership and Community Event co-chairs Josh Nelson, Ken Krupp, and Corinnalyn Guyette, as well as HRC board member Chris Boone. Bowled and the Beautiful was sponsored by Baltic Room, Red Dress Party, Starbucks, Bank of America, Queen
Jet Chapter K of M changes name after 38 years by Shaun Knittel SGN Staff Writer
“The men and women who are members of the Jet Chapter Knights of Mantra are proud to go forward with the new name following the customs and ideals we have developed over 38 years.”
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HRC members and supporters at bowling fundraiser
Anne & Magnolia Paint and Interiors, Swank, Volunteer Park Café, Argosy University Seattle, Healeo, Now and Zen Spa, One Degree Events, Purr Cocktail Lounge, and Table 219. The next major HRC Seattle event – and the organization’s biggest fundraiser – will
be the 11th Annual Pacific Northwest HRC Dinner on September 25. For more information about HRC Seattle, including upcoming events, volunteer and donation opportunities, and latest news, visit the organization online at www.seattle. hrc.org.
“The men and women who are members of the Jet Chapter Knights of Mantra are proud to go forward with the new name following the customs and ideals we have developed over 38 years,” Jet Chapter K of M said. “Our mission statement says it all: ‘The Jet Chapter’s purpose is to serve as a
community support group and fundraising entity. The Jet Chapter focuses on helping and caring for those that may be in need.’” Jet Chapter K of M says they plan to continue to support the Seattle LGBT community in every way possible and “have fun doing it.”
Gay City revives LGBT phone line, library project by Shaun Knittel SGN Staff Writer
social organizations. In addition, the Seattle LGBT Resource and Referral Line can also be used for special-interest needs within the On February 18, Gay City Health Project community, such as Bisexual, deaf and hard began staffing the revived Seattle LGBT of hearing, Intersex, people of color, TransResource and Regender, youth, ferral Line (206spirituality, reli323-LGBT), and gion, and sports the new LGBT and recreation. Library. From 6-8 Gay City officials p.m., members of say community the LGBT commumembers can also nity were invited to count on the line have some refreshfor support in arments and meet eas like emotional Gay City’s staff support, crisis supand volunteers. port, and domestic In the past, the violence. Resource and Re“Anyone who ferral Line and calls the phone LGBT Library were line will be rerun by the Seattle ferred to the propPatron at the LGBT Library LGBT Community er resource, acCenter, which closed its doors in 2008. cording to their needs,” Gay City resource The LGBT Library is a collection of about coordinator Susan Rees told SGN. “All of 2,000 books, and includes fiction, poetry, our trained volunteers know that we do not memoirs, Queer and Transgender studies, provide services over the phone; we are here law and civil rights books, HIV/AIDS stud- to help provide access to the services the ies, and more. The library provides a space caller may need.” for people to sit, read, discuss, and learn more In addition to the Seattle LGBT Resource about the LGBT community. The library is and Referral Line, Gay City officials say located behind the Kaladi Brothers Café (511 that if you are in crisis, you can call the E. Pike St.) and is open Monday through Fri- Crisis Clinic’s 24-hour Crisis Line at (206) day 3-7 p.m., and Saturday 3-5 p.m. 461-3222. “Each book is available for checkout,” “Part of building a healthy community is Gay City volunteer Jeffrey Campbell told connecting LGBT people to the incredible SGN. “We don’t have a library card. Instead, resources available in Seattle, and beyond,” we create a user account for someone using Gay City officials told SGN. an e-mail account. Once you have an acGay City Health Project is a multicultural count with us, you can check out a book for Gay men’s health organization located in up to two weeks.” Seattle, Washington. Gay City is the leadTrained Gay City volunteers staff the re- ing provider of HIV and STD testing in vived Seattle LGBT Resource and Referral King County. Gay City’s mission is to proLine. mote the health of Gay and Bisexual men Members of the community can call the and prevent HIV transmission by building line when looking for referrals from a range community, fostering communication, and of topics, including advocacy, arts and mu- nurturing self-esteem. For more information sic, drugs and alcohol, education, family, about Gay City Health Project, the Seattle health, HIV/STD information and testing, LGBT Resource and Referral Line, and the HIV vaccines, hepatitis, quitting smoking, LGBT Library, visit the organization online clinics, cancer, housing, legal, sexuality, and at www.gaycity.org. shaun knittel
The Knights of Malta (K of M) Jet Chapter has officially changed their name to “Knights of Mantra.” The name change, which occurred at the end of January, was a compromise between Jet Chapter K of M and a religious organization over the use of the title, according to local K of M officials. Thirty-eight years ago, the Jet Chapter of Seattle began as the Knights of Malta in May of 1972. At that time, the o rg a n i z a t i o n ’s founders were aware that there were other groups in the U.S. and around the world with the same name, but since there were no other clubs or organizations west of the Mississippi and the name was not incorporated on a national level, the group’s founders were advised that there was no problem with adopting the name. “In 1973, we were advised by our lawyer that we should incorporate and register the name with the Washington Secretary of State to prevent anyone else from using the name in Washington state,” Jet Chapter K of M officials told SGN in a written statement. “We were incorporated in Washington, and the name was registered in April 1974.” Over the next few years, “Knights of Malta” was registered and clubs were legally incorporated in Oregon, Utah, Alaska, Nevada, Colorado, California, and British Colombia. According to Jet Chapter officials, today only two other Knights of Malta clubs still exist – one in Fresno, California and one in Vancouver, B.C. Jet Chapter told SGN that for 38 years, their club and the Knights of Malta clubs affiliated with the Seattle chapter operated within communities with no conflict or problem with any other outside organizations with the same namesake, including one religious group which claims it has been around for 600 years. “But the world gets smaller, and sometimes progress catches up with you,” Jet Chapter explained. “Along came the internet with its websites, Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, and Google.”
The shrinking world meant that K of M started getting e-mails, phone calls and messages meant for a religious group, and that same group started getting messages meant for Jet Chapter. To keep things calm, Jet Chapter told SGN they would simply forward the messages to the rightful inbox. However, in October 2009, the religious Knights of Malta demanded that Jet Chapter cease and desist using the name under threat of a Federal Court lawsuit. According to Seattle K of M officials, the Fresno, California chapter has already been sued in California Federal District Court, and the Vancouver chapter is next on the lawsuit list by the religious organization. Unfortunately for the K of M clubs, the religious group has actually copyrighted some of the Knights of Malta symbols, names, and other accoutrements as late as 2003. Lawyers advised Jet Chapter that they might have a case against the religious organization, but after discovering their challengers had large law firms on retainer in New York and California with lots of money to back them up, they decided not to fight them. Still, the religious Knights of Malta decided to proceed with a lawsuit in the Washington District Federal Court to get an injunction against Jet Chapter to prevent them from ever using the name in the future. Faced with high court costs and other legal fees, Jet City told SGN, “At that point we had a decision to make.” Jet Chapter says they felt that putting their efforts, money, time, and energy into supporting the causes and organizations they have been supporting for 38 years was the best use of their time and resources. “Causes like the fight for Gay rights and organizations like Lambert House, Lifelong AIDS Alliance, Bailey-Boushay House, Alano Club, and many others,” they said. It was decided that they would alter their name slightly, dropping Malta for “Mantra,” and keep the Jet Chapter K of M symbol, “which everybody knows us by,” the organization told SGN.
courtesy HRC Seattle
HRC Seattle holds bowling event and fundraiser
Celebrating 37 Years!
by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer Malawi’s Constitutional Court has declined to hear the appeal of Steven Monjeza and his Transgender wife Tiwonge Chimbalanga, and they will be sentenced on charges of “gross indecency” next month. The couple was arrested shortly after their December 26 wedding, and have been held in jail ever since. They were reportedly beaten in jail and forced to undergo rectal examinations to establish if they had had sex. The two will face prison sentences of up to 14 years when sentenced on March 22. The couple’s attorney, Mauya Msuku, argued that they were protected by anti-discrimination language in Malawi’s constitution. Msuku appealed to the Constitutional Court in January, saying that the law on homosexuality violated his clients’ constitutional rights to privacy, belief, and selfexpression. Chief Justice Lovemore Munlo said on
February 22 that the case was a simple criminal proceeding without any constitutional implications. ”There are no elements in the case that relate to the interpretation or application of the constitution,” Munlo said in his ruling. The proceedings “deal with criminal offences under the penal code, namely the offence of buggery [anal sex] and indecent practices,” he stated. Chimbalanga was born biologically male, but has always identified as a woman, according to her relatives. She met Monjeza at the church they both attend. Her pastor testified in court that he has accepted her as a member in good standing of the church’s women’s group. Amnesty International called the couple “prisoners of conscience” and called for Steven Monjeza (l) and Tiwonge Chimbalanga their release. after being arrested for conducting a Gay wedding “Amnesty International considers individuals imprisoned solely for their consensual Police in Malawi have recently arrested at Some police officials in the African counsexual relationship in private as prisoners of least two other men on charges of sodomy, try have indicated they believe there is an inconscience and calls for their immediate and and one additional man for putting up Gay ternational Gay conspiracy at work in their unconditional release,” the group said. rights posters. country.
Anti-Gay sentiment grows in Kenya LGBT community appeals to government for protection LABAN WALLOGA
Mtwapa police boss K.K.Mutegi (l) rescues a man from an angry mob after they attempted to attack him claiming he was Gay
by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer The wave of anti-Gay sentiment in Kenya continues to grow. Mob violence on February 12 occasioned by reports of a same-sex wedding in the town of Mtwapa has lead to house-to-house searches, attacks on Gay men in the street, and the sacking of an AIDS clinic. Both Human Rights Watch and the LGBT rights organization Gay and Lesbian Coalition of Kenya have called on the Kenyan government to protect its LGBT citizens. Gay Kenyan activist Denis Nzioka told a Gay City News reporter that conditions are now very dangerous for LGBT Kenyans. “Ever since the outburst of violence in Mtwapa, Gay people have had to fear for their lives,” he said. “Vigilante groups are hunting down Gay men, going door to door, and anyone who is overly flamboyant is attacked in the street.” The KEMRI HIV/AIDS clinic, whose employees were assaulted and arrested on February 12, was reportedly damaged by a mob and is now closed. “Kenya’s government should act quickly to protect people accused of homosexual
Eldson Chagara/Reuters
Malawi couple lose appeal, to be sentenced March 22
conduct and groups offering HIV/AIDS services from vigilante attacks,” Human Rights Watch said in a statement issued February 17. The organization has sent a letter of protest to the Kenyan government urging them to act against anti-Gay rioters. Meanwhile, Kenyan activists accused government authorities of failure to respond appropriately to anti-Gay violence. Police reportedly arrested five Gay men who were victims of mob violence, but none of their attackers. Activists also suggested that reports of a same-sex wedding might have been fabricated as a pretext for attacks on the LGBT community. GLBT COALITION ISSUES STATEMENT The statement from GALCK – the Gay and Lesbian Coalition of Kenya – says in part: “The members of the Gay and Lesbian Coalition of Kenya are appalled at the behavior of the people of Mtwapa, Kilifi, but more especially by that of the provincial administration and the police. The five arrested people committed no crime, and we
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demand their immediate release. “We are also concerned that the media in Kenya continues to play a big role in inciting the public to take matters in their own hands. We understand the media especially in Mombasa called upon residents to ‘stand against the pollution of culture.’ In the supposed Gay wedding publicized in the media, there are glaring inconsistencies that the media should have investigated before broadcasting the news. “The Action by the Kilifi District Commissioner and the heavy contingent of the police makes one wonder about the government priorities. This is a district drowning in drugs and the large number of drug-addicted youths accompanying the police is proof enough. Yet instead of arresting the drug lords and drug pushers the police chose to arrest five hapless youths engaged in [an] HIV vaccine research project. “The Gay and Lesbian Coalition members, including the membership from Mombasa, call on the government to give protection to all Kenyans including the sexual minorities, and to prevent State agents and third parties from meting violence on minority populations. “We therefore call on the government to move with speed to decriminalize homosexuality so that we can begin to educate the society on the evils of discrimination against sexual minorities. “We urge the media to desist from making
inflammatory statements that may put the lives of Gay people at risk. “We also call upon the religious leaders in Kenya to appreciate that compulsory heterosexuality is not the way to enforce their religion.” The full statement is available on the website GayKenya.com. BBC News has reported that the five arrestees have been released and warned to leave town by police. The Mtwapa bar that was rumored to be the venue for the supposed same-sex wedding has been ordered closed by authorities. Club California was raided by the Kenyan Department of Public Health on February 12, and subsequently served with demands that the owners correct a long list of “public health violations.” The bar has not reopened. “Though it’s by no means a Gay club, the owner has not discriminated against Gays who regularly hold events at the club,” Gaykenya.com says. The Kenyan national government may be unable to act against anti-Gay violence, even if its leaders wished to do so. It has been paralyzed by a dispute between Kenya’s President Mwai Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila Odinga. The two formed an uneasy coalition government after inter-ethnic rioting killed 1300 Kenyans following disputed national elections in 2007.
Argentine judge OKs second Gay marriage by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer A judge in Buenos Aires ruled on February 23 that two men in Argentina’s capital may legally marry. Judge Elena Liberatori said the couple would be exercising their rights even if current laws “are not in line with the times.” The couple, whose names were not released, are expected to set a date for their wedding ceremony at the Buenos Aires Civil Registry. Theirs will be the second same-sex marriage in Argentina and in all of Latin America. Jose Maria di Bello and Alex Freyre were married on December 28 in Argentina’s Tierra del Fuego province. Di Bello and Freyre had also secured judicial approval to marry in Buenos Aires, and Mayor Mauricio Macri promised that his administration would not appeal that decision. Another judge intervened, however, and issued an injunction preventing their wed-
February 28, 2010
ding. They ultimately traveled to the remote southern province of Tierra del Fuego, where a sympathetic governor ordered officials to perform the wedding ceremony. Buenos Aires Mayor Macri is not expected to challenge the February 23 ruling. It remains to be seen whether there will be other court challenges to the wedding. The only other jurisdiction in Latin America where same-sex marriage is legal is Mexico City, which enacted a marriage equality bill in December 2009. That law becomes effective on March 4 this year. A bill that would legalize same-sex marriage was introduced in Argentina’s Congress in October 2009, but it has stalled without a vote. Argentina became the first Latin American country to allow same-sex civil unions in 2002. Uruguay also allows same-sex civil unions, as do some states of Mexico and Brazil. Brazil, Colombia, and Ecuador have same-sex civil union bills pending at the national level.
Seattle Gay News
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February 28, 2010
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Seattle Gay News 11
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February 28, 2010
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14 Seattle Gay News
February 28, 2010
Celebrating 37 Years!
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February 28, 2010
Call us at 206.568.2486 Seattle Gay News 15
enda
continued from cover
possible. “The speaker has stated over and over her desire to move on it,” Hammill said. “When depends on when it’s reported out of committee. We try to follow the ‘regular order’ – in other words, committee first, then floor.” Hammill also denied rumors that the House leadership might delay action on ENDA until they were certain that enough senators had signed on to make passage certain. “I think you’re referring to a Hill story in December,” Hammill said. “But she was talking about immigration reform. She doesn’t want to hold up ENDA.”
go to the Senate, where rules require the consent of a supermajority of 60 senators to bring any measure to a vote. ENDA would expand the protections of Title VII of the federal Civil Rights Act to prohibit discrimination in the workplace on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity, and disability. Speaking to DC Agenda newspaper, Frank said he expects ENDA to come to a vote on the floor of the House in March. “The speaker has promised me that as Trans Issues soon as it passes the committee, she’ll bring According to Frank, the House Education it up to the floor of the House,” he said. and Labor Committee – which has jurisdicDrew Hammill, a spokesperson for Speak- tion over the bill – was close to reporting out er Nancy Pelosi, confirmed to SGN that she a compromise version for a floor vote. wanted to bring ENDA to a vote as soon as “We were very close just before we were
snowed out to basically coming to an agreement on a bill that would get a majority vote in the Education & Labor Committee,” he said. One of the sticking points, Frank said, was the language on Transgender protections. “There has always been a problem with the question of people who are Transgender in situations where people are totally or partially unclothed,” he noted. Mara Keisling, executive director of the National Center for Transgender Equality, indicated that her organization is open to a “fair and reasonable compromise” on language that would cover Trans workers in locker rooms, restrooms, and other workplace situations where they might typically be unclothed. The version of ENDA passed by the House of Representatives in 2007 excluded Trans workers from federal protection. It was roundly criticized by national LGBT
organizations, and the current version includes protections for gender identity. While ENDA passed the House in 2007, it never came to a vote in the Senate, because then-President George W. Bush promised to veto it should it pass. President Obama has promised to sign ENDA if it comes to his desk. House easy, Senate hard Frank expects ENDA to pass the U.S. House easily, even with the language protecting gender identity, but the Senate may pose a problem. Rep. Jim McDermott, who represents Seattle’s 7th Congressional District, is an ENDA co-sponsor. His office told SGN this week that passage in the House is very likely, but reaching 60 votes in the Senate will be difficult. McDermott’s Legislative Aide Toby Whitney told the Martin Luther King County Labor Council in a briefing on February 17 that he could not be certain that ENDA will pass in this session of Congress. Whitney told labor leaders that the obstacle to passage was the 60-vote threshold in the U.S. Senate. McDermott staffer Ed Shelleby confirmed to SGN that ENDA is on track for an affirmative vote in the House in March. “Every indication we have from leadership is that it is [on track],” he said. “Chairman Frank is absolutely right, from everything we know. Rep. McDermott is confident ENDA will pass the House.” “After that,” Shelleby added, “it becomes much more nebulous.” Depending on the source, between 223 and 254 Representatives are considered likely Yes votes, far more than the 218 required to pass ENDA. All six Washington state Democratic Representatives are committed to vote Yes. Republicans Doc Hastings and Cathy McMorris-Rodgers are committed to vote No. Republican Dave Reichert is thought to be leaning towards a Yes vote. He voted for ENDA the last time it came up for consideration in 2007. Getting to 60 On the Senate side, both of Washington’s senators – Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell – are co-sponsors of ENDA. Again depending on the source, between 55 and 61 senators are considered likely Yes votes. Sixty-one would be barely enough to get the measure to a vote. Fifty-five would not, even though it is a majority of the 100
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senators. When asked for his count, Murray staffer Eli Zupnick told SGN, “I can’t give you exact numbers. Sen. Murray supports ENDA and will continue to support it.” “Chairman Harkin has said he will push for passage in this Congress,” Zupnick added. Sen. Tom Harkin (D-IA) is Chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee and an ENDA co-sponsor. John Diamond, Sen. Maria Cantwell’s communications director, confirmed to SGN that “Sen. Harkin wants to move the bill this year.” “The house will move the legislation out of committee and on to the floor for a vote this spring, and the Senate will act after the House,” Diamond predicted. While the national LGBT organizations remain publicly optimistic that the Senate will pass ENDA, DC Agenda reports that some activists are saying privately they fear the Senate votes simply are not there. “What we’re hearing is there is just no clear path to pass ENDA in the Senate,” said one activist. “They don’t think they have 60 votes to pass it.” Another source with ties to Capitol Hill and national LGBT political groups based in Washington was more definitive. “ENDA has been off the agenda since before the Massachusetts election because they couldn’t secure the votes in the Senate,” the source told DC Agenda. March 16 Lobby Day Meanwhile, other activists are taking a more pro-active approach. Law professor Dr. Jillian T. Weiss has called for the annual March 16 Transgender Lobby Day to target senators from Alaska, Arkansas, Florida, Indiana, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, and West Virginia. One or both of the senators from those states are identified as “on the fence” – in other words, not yet committed to vote Yes, but persuadable based on their past records on LGBT issues. Weiss has also committed to provide financial assistance to get constituents from those states to DC. “If you are from one of these eight states, and you are a currently-unemployed LGBT person who is unemployed because of job discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity, I would like to help you get there,” she says on her blog. She can be contacted at jillian@bilerico. com.
British Anglicans OK church ceremonies for same-sex couples by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer Anglican bishops in Britain’s House of Lords told The Times newspaper that they will support a proposal to allow same-sex civil union ceremonies in British churches. While it stops short of calling such unions “marriages,” the amendment to the Labor Party’s Equality Bill removes one of the last remaining differences between civil unions and marriages in British law. The House of Lords is the upper house of Britain’s parliament. Church of England bishops are members by virtue of their church offices. Unlike the US Senate, the Lords can delay legislation proposed by the governing political party, but cannot kill it. The amendment on same-sex unions was proposed by British Quakers and is strongly supported by Unitarians and Liberal Jewish congregations. Openly Gay Labor peer Lord Alli is expected to reintroduce the amendment in the coming week. When he originally proposed it in January, it was opposed by the Anglican Bishops of Winchester and Chichester, and Lord Alli withdrew it from consideration. In the intervening time, the Church of England held a General Synod at which the Archbishop of Canterbury apologized to LGBT Anglicans for seeming to devalue their contributions to the church. The synod also voted to give equal pension benefits to same-sex partners of Gay and Lesbian clergy. Lord Alli’s amendment now seems likely to be backed by Conservative Lords and – significantly – by Bishop of Leicester Timothy Stevens, who chairs the bishops’ caucus in the House of Lords. The bishops’ announcement came in the form of a letter to The Times signed by senior church officials including the Bishop of Salisbury, the Dean of Southwark, and four retired bishops. While the support of senior Church of
England bishops makes passage of the amendment seem very likely, it continues to be opposed by many religious people, including conservative Anglicans. Andrea Williams, of the Christian Legal Centre, told The Times, “Homosexual activists have made clear that this is not the end. It is a step towards forcing churches to conduct same-sex unions that would go against their beliefs.” “Changing the law will further blur the distinction between marriage and what the Government put forward as a purely secular ceremony,” she said. Passage of Lord Alli’s amendment would be a significant change in British law, but religious denominations would be allowed
to offer civil union ceremonies only if they wish to do so. Each denomination would retain the right to choose whether or not to perform such ceremonies. The Equality Bill now being debated in parliament requires equal treatment in employment as well as private and public services, regardless of gender, race, sexual orientation, religious affiliation, age, or disability. The bill is intended to codify and update existing British civil rights laws, and to bring them in line with European Union Equal Treatment Directives. It goes beyond ENDA and other similar civil rights legislation in the US, in that it aims at wage equality, and allows for preferences and quotas in public contracts. The Equality Bill was introduced by Labor Party Deputy Leader and noted British feminist Harriet Harmon. Anglican leaders had expressed reservations about the bill because they feared it would require their churches to hire Gay and Lesbian clergy and perform same-sex marriages. Ordination of Gay and Lesbian clergy remains controversial in the Anglican church, and very conservative Anglicans even oppose ordination of women.
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Seattle Gay News 17
dadt
continued from cover paredness for battle or our overall solidarity. My crew was confident in my competence to get the job done. The only effect the policy did have, however, was that I couldn’t be open or honest enough to facilitate a true camaraderie with my shipmates.” The Gay military ban DADT requires the Defense Department to separate from the armed services members who engage in or attempt to engage in homosexual acts; state they are homosexual or Bisexual; or marry or attempt to marry a person of the same biological sex. Nearly 14,000 otherwise qualified men and women have been discharged from the military under DADT, and many thousands more, like Morrow, have chosen to not re-enlist because of the policy. Enforcing and implementing the policy has cost U.S. taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars. It is estimated that 65,000 Gay and Lesbian people currently serve in the military. Morrow says Army National Guard Lieutenant Dan Choi’s courageous coming out last year inspired him to break his silence. Choi, an Iraq war veteran and Arabic linguist who has been recommended for discharge under the military’s DADT policy, came out on the nationally televised MSNBC Rachael Maddow Show. Almost overnight, Choi’s bombshell confession thrust him into the mainstream media where he has used his position to become the poster boy for a DADT repeal, speaking at LGBT equality rallies around the country and recently returning to weekend drill exercises with his New York National Guard unit. “As someone who has dutifully and willingly served my country, I can no longer stand quietly by as Gay and Lesbian servicemen and women continue to be at risk of losing their jobs because of their sexuality,” said Morrow. Last month, President Obama pledged to
end the discriminatory ban on Gays in the military during his State of the Union address. For Morrow, the president’s pledge has come too late; he left military service in 2008 for fear of losing his career to DADT. Still, Morrow told SGN that a repeal is indeed necessary – and inevitable, for that matter. The American public rightly believes that now – with the country engaged in two wars – is the time to repeal DADT and make military service contingent on skills and abilities, and not factors immaterial to the job at hand. “How can a nation that prides itself on freedom and justice for all uphold such contradictory policies?” said Morrow. “Gays and Lesbians can’t marry in most states, domestic partners are still denied many of the benefits that heterosexual couples enjoy, and we can’t serve openly in the military.” “Tell me, exactly, what rights do we have?” he asks.
well I was Gay. But at 17 years old, we don’t have a full appreciation for what we are getting ourselves into.” While it may be true that Uncle Sam is looking for “a few good men,” Morrow would soon learn that what Uncle Sam was really looking for were a few good straight men. “I remained in the closet through high school and the naval academy,” he said. In 2003, Morrow was commissioned as a Navy officer and entered the submarine community where he spent the duration of his naval career. As a junior officer, Morrow spent a number of years aboard the Los Angeles class submarine USS Memphis (SSN691), where he eventually qualified as a nuclear engineer in 2007. For all intents and purposes, he was the perfect sailor. “My military career went great, as long as you put DADT aside,” he told SGN. “I excelled and did well overall. I was an above-average contributor to the team, and I received several awards. I really enjoyed my time in the service.” Morrow says he doesn’t buy into the blanket argument that repealing DADT will make heterosexual servicemembers uncomfortable. In fact, he said that during his tour of duty he observed the open-mindedness of several of his fellow servicemembers with regards to homosexuality. Currently, the U.S. service chiefs are in deep debate with Obama and Defense Secretary Robert Gates over whether or not a repeal would hurt the already stressed armed forces. Gates wants to move on a repeal slowly and has ordered a lengthy assessment on how to lift the ban without affecting troops and their families. Officials
“How can a nation that prides itself on freedom and justice for all uphold such contradictory policies?”
FROM MIDSHIPMAN TO GAY NAVY LIEUTENANT Morrow’s journey from a suburban Guilford, Connecticut high school jock to closeted Gay Naval officer is easy to trace, partly because it is the story of many a Gay boy who dreams of adventure on the high seas. With the promise of career, travel, and service to country beckoning him, Morrow says he filled out applications to all of the major service academies.he United States Naval Academy at Annapolis, Maryland answered. Growing up in a relatively small town where everyone knows everyone, Morrow says, “I was not out at the time. I knew full
expect the study to be complete be the end of the year, but warn that it could be several more years before the repeal is fully implemented. Testimony by the service chiefs is considered crucial to the debate. As the top uniformed officials in each service, the chief is in charge of recruitment and preparing troops for deployments. If the policy on Gays is overturned, they would have to decided how to implement the changes. As it stands, a majority of the service chiefs are against lifting the ban. “I do have serious concerns about the impact of a repeal of the law on a force that is fully engaged in two wars and has been at war for eight and a half years,” Army Chief of Staff General George Casey told Congress on February 24. “We just don’t know the impacts on readiness and military effectiveness.” Servicemembers like Morrow and Choi, who’ve served under DADT, say that the fears of a mass exodus of straight troops in the event of a repeal are unfounded. In fact, they say that all you need do is look at foreign militaries who successfully lifted their anti-Gay service bans with little to no consequences. A comprehensive new study on foreign militaries that have made transitions to allowing openly Gay service members concludes that a speedy implementation of the change is not disruptive. The finding is in direct opposition to the stated views of Pentagon leaders, who say repealing a ban on openly Gay men and women in the U.S. armed forces should take a year or more. The study, “Gays in Foreign Militaries 2010: A Global Primer,” was released on February 24 by the Palm Center, a research group at the University of California, Santa Barbara. The 151-page study, which updates existing studies on Gay service members in Britain, Canada, Australia, South Africa and other countries, offers the first broad look at the issue in foreign militaries since
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Gates and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Admiral Mike Mullen, called for an end to DADT earlier this month. The report concludes that in foreign militaries, openly Gay servicemembers did not undermine morale, cause large resignations, or mass “coming out.” The report found that “there were no instance of increased harassment” as a result of lifting bans in any of the countries studied. In addition, the report says that none of the countries studied installed separate facilities for Gay troops, and benefits for Gay partners were generally in accordance with a country’s existing benefits for Gay and Lesbian couples. On implementation, the study said that most countries adopted the new policy swiftly, within a matter of months, and with what it termed “little disruption” accepted Gays and Lesbians into their armed forces. Morrow told SGN that DADT is a policy that may not affect heterosexual servicemembers, but undoubtedly has a large influence on Gays and Lesbians serving, primarily because of the lies and stress that go along with being in the closet. Even with a successful career and the seemingly perfect heterosexual life, Morrow could not take the deception any longer. While still on active duty, he met his current partner, came out to family and friends, and left military service, breaking free of the policy’s confines and becoming an outspoken advocate for repeal. COMING OUT OF THE CLOSET AND THE UNIFORM “Three years ago, I came out. It was more stressful on me, I think. I just didn’t know what to expect. I wanted my friends and family to know the real me, the full me – not just a part of me,” Morrow said. “I haven’t had any negative response from my family, friends, or former military coworkers.” Morrow says the decision to come out and leave military service was in direct relation with DADT. “My partner Michael and I had been dating for months and nobody knew about my relationship. It just became too stressful keeping my story straight about where I went that weekend and who I was seeing. It all begins to take its toll,” he said. Morrow said he met his partner, Michael Knipp, in Baltimore, Maryland when he was on leave from military service. He was able to go to Gay bars and be around the community without having to keep looking over his shoulder, like he had to do at his duty station. Morrow and Knipp hit it off and began a long-distance relationship. Eventually, dating grew into love, and the two became inseparable. Still, Morrow says the stress of “being found out” was always present. “When Michael would come visit me in Groton, Connecticut, we couldn’t hold hands, embrace or show any type of public display of affection,” he recalled. “Michael was great. He understood and recognized that I had to fulfill my military obligation and didn’t want to see me kicked out under DADT. So, we just did what we could to
make it work.” When it came time for Morrow to decide whether he wanted to stay in the Navy or get out, he says his newfound love was more important to him than living a lie. “Although DADT wasn’t the only reason I left, it certainly was the number one contributor,” he told SGN. “As much as I liked the job, I couldn’t go on living a double life.” Morrow isn’t alone; poll after poll indicate that Americans are fed up with Gay and Lesbian servicemembers being forced to lie in order to keep their careers intact. A new poll from the Center of American Progress (CAP) shows that a majority of American voters support a repeal of DADT. The poll is the most extensive of a number of recent surveys tracking public opinions on this issue, and undeniably shows that the American public has become increasingly supportive of open service. CAP’s poll, fielded by Greenberg, Quinlan, Rosner Research, finds that 54% of those surveyed support repealing the current ban on open service, with just 35% opposed to repeal. These numbers demonstrate a massive change in public opinion on this issue since 1994, when polls showed that majorities of Americans opposed Gays and Lesbians serving in the military. The poll also shows that voters value skills over sexual orientation, a DADT repeal is not a politically polarizing issue, voters do not want to defer to the military on DADT, and that voters are becoming more accepting of Gays and Lesbians overall. The Palm Center recently released eight key recommendations to the Pentagon Working Group on Gays in the military. These recommendations are intended as a first step in providing full support to the Working Group. The key recommendations include consulting existing literature as a roadmap, assessing the impact on unit cohesion properly, consulting troops for relevant information about implementing the change rather than asking their permission to reform, sending study teams to Britain, Israel, Australia, and Canada, using an appropriate standard for assessing the likely impact of change, consulting research on the timing of implementation, noting that leadership and consistency are more important than second-order effects, and correcting for biases introduced by DADT. Sentiment has changed among the Reserve Officers Association (ROA), a 63,000-member professional association for all uniformed services of the United States. The organization voted on February 24 to rescind its previous call for complete exclusion of Gays and Lesbians serving in the U.S. military. The association also rejected by a two-thirds vote a proposal to endorse the current DADT law. Previously, ROA had urged Congress “to exclude homosexuals from induction, enlistment, commissioning, and continued service in the Armed Forces of the United States.” This was U.S. government policy before DADT went into law in 1993. For Morrow, DADT is flawed in many
ways, but specifically because its implementation is subjective. In order for a repeal to work, he said, it would ultimately come down to leadership. “The leadership has to be on-board with it,” he said. “I served under a Navy Captain who was a bigot more than anything else. From my own impression, if any of our crew had been openly Gay, he would have kicked them out. He made it very clear that he did not approve of homosexuality. Yet in other commands, this is certainly not the case. You even hear stories of sailors dating each other – so it varies drastically.” “I certainly think that we’ve established a good start with Mullen calling for a repeal,” he said, “but leadership will have to change or a repeal will get left behind.” FROM NAVAL OFFICER TO ACTIVIST These days, Morrow, 28, lives his life as an openly Gay civilian with his partner Michael in Manhattan, New York. Morrow is on “Inactive Reserve Status,” meaning he could be recalled to duty if need be. Although he says a recall would be highly unlikely, it is not an impossibility. “I am completely out at my current job,” he told SGN. “My co-workers are fully accepting, and I feel like a positive contributor to the work team. My life is 100 times less stressful, and my relationship with Michael is much better as a result.” Although Morrow is convinced he made the right decision, he says his mind drifts back to those who are still serving in the military and being forced to live a double life. “There was a shift in my mind, and I become motivated about speaking out about DADT,” he said. “When the president said he would repeal the policy and I watched the recent Senate hearings regarding DADT, I promised myself I would do whatever I could to help put a face on the issue. DADT affects real people. Gays and Lesbians serving in the military aren’t just a number.” Morrow says he became offended when he heard the things that those who oppose a repeal were saying about servicemembers. “A breakdown in unit cohesion and military readiness couldn’t be farther from the truth,” he said. “That cohesion isn’t just built on the battlefield. It happens at events outside the military environment. It’s those traditional ceremonies and unit get-togethers where people really get to know each other. For
me, DADT acted as a catapult for stopping unit cohesion because, as a Gay sailor, I could not fully partake.” Morrow says he had to isolate himself, couldn’t invite Michael to events, and people never really had the opportunity to really get to know him. “DADT breaks down unit cohesion,” he said, “and I am offended that anyone would think that my being Gay made my unit less ready for war.” “Gay servicemembers need to speak up and put a face on this. I am ready to do my part,” he told SGN. Morrow said it is hard to break down stereotypes without putting a face on them. “If you ask some straight people about LGBT people, they may not know what to say,” he said. “But if you ask those same people, ‘What do you think about Earl?’ they will say they like him, and hopefully that helps them make the connection.” Morrow says that most stereotypes don’t hold true when they are put to the test. When DADT is repealed, he says that anti-Gay violence is “unlikely.” “I don’t propose that there aren’t bigots in the military,” he explained. “But the military doesn’t tolerate racism or sexism. When those prejudices rear their ugly head, there are rules in place to properly deal with them. That is how it will be for anti-Gay slurs, threats, and violence.” “I am open and available to speak when and where I can about repealing DADT,” he told SGN. “I feel like ultimately, when this issue is over, it wouldn’t be because just one of us tried to overturn it. This is a group effort and we have to keep going while we have the momentum. The realization needs to be made that this is the path that we should take.”
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Seattle Gay News 19
soap
continued from cover when the first 2010 theme surfaced, it set off a social networking and media firestorm. The internet was ablaze with members of the community demanding the theme be changed. That change came this week, as it was out with the old and in with the new. The theme has changed, but the event is still the same: lots of fun, important issues, and brimming with pride. “At first, we were very excited to announce the theme ‘We are ALL American.’ It was a metaphor representing equal rights for all, a march for full equality if you will,” SOaP President Eric Albert-Gauthier told SGN. “Some time went by and it became apparent that there were many among us, as
well as many community partners, receiving negative feedback on the theme.” Eric says that although SOaP is not opposed to controversy or lively discussions surrounding LGBT rights and initiatives, the organization felt it best to change the theme and “find one that was more inclusive to the community we serve.” He said the new theme is about belonging, freedom of expression, and obtaining equal rights for all. “Over the Rainbow” has a double meaning, Eric told SGN. “‘Over the Rainbow’ means ‘I am super happy’ and is quite relevant as we just passed Referendum 71 in Washington state. Also, there is the obvious reference to the Gay community rainbow.” Eric says The Wizard of Oz is like going on a journey to find yourself “which also fits the LGBT community. The Emerald City
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is directly relational to Seattle, as well. The Wizard of Oz is also about facing challenges and coming out on top.” Aesthetically, Eric says The Wizard of Oz characters are outrageous and in line with traditional Gay pride festivities and costumes. “The movie is a classic in the Gay community because of Judy Garland and her roles and status as a Gay icon,” said Eric. “Plus, who doesn’t love red sequins?” Whether or not people care to make The Wizard of Oz connection or not, one thing is for sure: “Over The Rainbow – be seen, be heard, be there” is Gay camp to the max and sets the stage for a lively, fun, and rainbowcolored 2010 Seattle Pride Parade. For more information about 2010 Seattle Pride, visit SOaP online at www.seattlepride.org.
uganda
continued from cover ones who have read the least.” Another Ugandan politico, MP Christopher Kibanzanga, angrily spoke out against Bisexuals. “Who are Bisexuals?” he exclaimed. “What do they do? Has it just been imported into Africa?” Rubaramira Ruranga, director of NGENT, a local HIV/AIDS organization, disputed the idea that homosexuality and Bisexuality are somehow un-African. “When I was young,” he told the gathering, “I saw men having sex with men in my small village, out in the bush, as we went hunting.” “Anal sex is not only practiced by homosexuals but also by heterosexuals,” he added. Solome Nakawesi-Kimbugwe, director of the feminist organization Akina Mama wa Africa Foundation, said that Uganda – one of the world’s poorest countries – should prioritize economic issues. “Let’s put our priorities where our problems are,” she said. “As Ugandans, what we want are laws that are relevant. Homosexuality is not a problem for us.”
At another conference on Valentine’s Day, more than 100 LGBT Ugandans packed a hotel conference room in Kampala to talk about the anti-Gay legislation that threatens them. The conference, titled “Standing on the Side of Love: Re-imagining Valentine’s Day,” was organized under tight security because organizers feared it might be infiltrated and disrupted by anti-Gay thugs or government agents. The time and location were announced only at the last minute, and only by word of mouth. Since Gays in Uganda are often accused of trying to seduce minors, organizers also tried to keep out anyone under the age of 18. Most of the 100 people in attendance were Gay men in their 20s, though there were also about 20 young women. Everyone who came was offered a red Tshirt with a rainbow heart on the front, and rainbow flags were displayed prominently around the room. Attendance was free. The event was sponsored by the Austria Foundation, the Unitarian Universalist Association of Uganda, and Spectrum Uganda, a local LGBT organization. Many of the speakers at the one-day event were pastors, including an Anglican bishop from Uganda, and two Unitarian ministers from the United States. The biggest cheer of the afternoon came when Rev. Marlin Lavanhar, a Unitarian preacher from Oklahoma, said, “You can be a good person and be a Gay or Lesbian person. Please know you will reach the promised land. God bless Uganda!” Activists encouraged the group to become politically active. ”Let’s resist bad laws being propagated,” Spectrum Uganda President Sam Ganaafa told the crowd. “If it passes, our lives will never be the same again. I encourage you all to talk, raise issues and be courageous.” A petition was passed around the room for people to sign. “There were many people I didn’t know here,” said Lesbian Warry Ssenfuka, “many people I’ve never seen. It takes time to collect all these people together like this, and it encourages unity.”
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February 28, 2010
Seattle Gay News 21
Over the Rainbow Pride in Seattle 2010
Seattle’s LGBT News & Entertainment Weekly
www.sgn.org For the pink sheep in the family.
proud to Be Different
We are conveniently located on-site at Lifelong AIDS Alliance below the Thrift Store.
22 Seattle Gay News
February 28, 2010
Call us at 206.568.2486 Celebrating 37 Years!
DENTIST SEEKING PATIENT
TALENTED DENTIST IN SEARCH OF . . . Highly skilled, very sensitive dentist located in the Madison Park neighborhood of Seattle is looking for patients who would appreciate being pampered and respected. If you are looking for a dentist who will listen to you, never judge or put you down and will always be there for you then please respond. I love all aspects of general dentistry including cosmetic dentistry, periodontal teeth cleanings, implants (dental implants, of course) and SEDATION dentistry. I am one of only 1% of dentists qualified to administer “Sedation Dentistry” in the entire country. I am open to having you come in for a complete examination or we could just meet for a short chat to get to know each other a little better first if you prefer. Just give me a call at (206) 323-7877 or visit me on-line at seattlesbestsmiles.com. Who knows, it might just be the perfect fit. Visit us online www.sgn.org
February 28, 2010
Seattle Gay News 23