SGN Feb 9, 2018 - Part 1

Seattle Gay News

Mayor Durkan and City Attorney Holmes announce that City of Seattle will move to vacate misdemeanor

marijuana cases

Seattle stands united

by Jenny Durkan

Mayor of Seattle and Lorena González

Seattle City Councilmember

This past weekend, the City of Seattle, in partnership with dozens of communitybased organizations and coalitions, hosted Seattle United for Immigrants and Refugees Mega-Workshop where 491 legal

permanent residents received citizenship assistance and 535 people received immigration legal consultations. The event brought together 800 volunteers to provide a meaningful service for many of our neighbors pursuing their American Dream. The efforts and outcomes that went into Saturday’s mega-workshop are Seattle values in action as a welcoming, inclusive, see UNITED page 5

California court rules for anti-Gay baker

by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer

A California trial court ruled on February 6 that a cake shop in Bakersfield can

legally refuse to make cakes for same-sex weddings.

Kern County Superior Court Judge David Lampe said that baker Cathy Miller see ANTI-GAY BAKER page 11

Jayapal, Nadler lead House Judiciary Democrats

in calling for emergency hearings after administration officials reveal hacked U.S. voter rolls in 2016 Democratic members call for hearings to investigate threat to U.S. voting infrastructure in order to secure future elections and protect the vote

see HEARINGS page 12

OBITUARY IN MEMORIAM – KEN FOWLER

We lost our friend Ken Fowler on January 23, as a result of a stroke he suffered two weeks earlier. Ken was a friend to many in the Seattle gay community, and was a familiar sight on the streets of Capitol Hill as he took his daily exercise walks. He was born in Rossland, British Columbia, Canada. The son of a mining engineer, he also lived in Colorado, Nevada, California, Hawaii, and India. After university graduation and two years as an officer in Naval intelligence, Ken moved to San Francisco, started a new life, and earned a PhD in Forestry from the University of California, at Berkeley. He then taught Forest Conservation at the University of Toronto, worked for the California Dept. of Forestry, and then joined Weyerhaeuser Corporation to develop computer models for sustain-

able forestry practices. Following that, he set up his own consulting business in Seattle – Customized Computing Services.

In the 1980’s Ken began volunteering for the Seattle Gay Clinic, where he was president of its Board when the clinic’s volunteers launched the Chicken Soup Brigade. He then went to work for the Seattle-King County Public Health Department’s AIDS Prevention Project, where he served as a data specialist.

Ken was actively involved in many causes, including the Washington State Bar Association’s Drug Reform Task Force, and in collecting signatures for Washington’s Death with Dignity Law. He was a member of the Group Health (now Kaiser) Capitol Hill Advisory Committee and Senior Caucus. In addition, he was often

president or treasurer of his condo association. Ken enjoyed the Seattle Symphony, as well as gay hiking, square dancing, and skiing groups with friends. For years he coordinated Page Boyz, a monthly book discussion group for gay men. Friends described him as quiet, interested in others, and intellectual – doing linear algebra and Sudoku to keep his mind nimble. People still wonder about Ken’s age, which he consistently declined to disclose.

He is survived by his sister Helen and nephew Eric in Oakland, California, niece Sonya in Edmonds, and by many loving friends.

Ken’s friends and associates are invited to a gathering on Sunday, March 4th, 2-4 pm at the Miller Community Center, 330 19th Avenue East.

2018 Black History Month gathering to be held Feb. 24

“Resilience in the Black Community: What Gives Us Strength?”

On Saturday, February 24, from 10am-3pm, Mount Zion Baptist Church hosts a 2018 Black History Month gathering – “Resilience in the Black Community: What Gives Us Strength?” – with keynote speakers Police Chief Carmen Best, renown historian Quintard Taylor, and Dr. Michele Andrasik, known for her advocacy work on behalf of women with HIV.

Police Chief Carmen Best is Seattle’s first female African American to hold this position; historian Quintard Taylor is an expert on black settlement in the Pacific Northwest and King County; Dr. Michele Andrasik is a social scientist at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center who is known for her work on behalf of women with HIV.

Other speakers include Dr. Bessie Young, Christopher Moore, George Dicks, Linda Chastine, Mattie Taplin and Louis Shackelford.

In addition to the featured presentations, FREE HIV and Hepatitis C and other health screenings will be offered. Information will also be provided on diabetes and other health-related issues.

The program includes a free lunch catered by “Satisfied Palate.”

Mount Zion Baptist Church is located at 1634 19th Ave. just south of E. Madison St. Everyone is welcome to attend this FREE community gathering. For more information, please call 206-6670-6360.

Courtesy of Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center

MARIJUANA

continued from cover

On Thursday, February 8, former U.S. Attorney and Seattle Mayor Jenny A. Durkan and City Attorney Pete Holmes announced plans for the City to move to vacate misdemeanor marijuana possession convictions prosecuted by the City before marijuana was legalized in Washington. The announcement was made at the Rainier Community Center at 10am. Passed in 2012, I-502 legalized the possession and recreational use of marijuana for adults ages 21 years or older. The Seattle City Attorney’s Office will be asking Seattle’s municipal court to vacate convictions and dismiss charges for misdemeanor marijuana possession prosecuted by the City, which helps to bring restorative justice for the communities who have been disproportionately targeted by the criminal justice system and furthers the City’s commitment to eliminate racial disparities. Marijuana possession arrests in Washington rose sharply in the 25-year period from 4,000 in 1986 to 11,000 in 2010, totaling 240,000 arrests according to the Drug Policy Alliance. In Washington state, African Americans were arrested at 2.9 times the rate of whites. Latinos and Native Americans were arrested at 1.6 times the rate of whites.

Courtesy of the Seattle Office of the Mayor

follow federal law, as the Department of Justice has already ruled that our actions as a Welcoming City is in compliance with federal laws.

and safe City against a backdrop of unprecedented and troubling changes in immigration enforcement by the federal administration’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency. From multiple “Muslim Bans” to revoking protected status for DREAMers or individuals from TPS countries like El Salvador and Haiti; this administration continues to abuse its power to make immigrants and refugees feel like targets, unwelcomed, and unwanted.

The increase in ICE threats, activities, arrests, and raids is deeply concerning. This direction by ICE undermines the public safety of our City by undermining trust between community and all law enforcement. We have a duty to ensure public safety and protect all of our residents and workers in Seattle from increased, unjust enforcement actions. We believe it is possible to prioritize public safety and

In the few weeks of 2018 thus far, we have already seen stories of both sensitive data of immigrant residents being shared with ICE and increased ICE enforcement activity across the country. This has created an urgency that we, as a City, must be more pro-active and add another layer of protection for our immigrant residents and workers. We are working to create robust protocols for all City departments because not only will this bolster public safety but we believe every resident, regardless of their status, should be able to do everyday activities like call 9-1-1, visit the library, or access our City’s services knowing that they are protected.

Seattle’s laws are clear that no City employee is permitted to ask the immigration status of our residents or of those accessing City services. To strengthen this law, today a Mayoral directive was

issued to create a clear process for any and all requests by ICE authorities to the City of Seattle. All requests from ICE to any City Department must be directed to the Mayor’s Office legal counsel in coordination with the City Attorney’s office for further assessment on the merit of the request. This includes access to non-public areas in City buildings and venues as well as data or information requests about City employees, residents, or workers.

In addition, the City of Seattle, in coordination with City Council, is conducting an assessment of City policies and practices – including but not limited to employment, law enforcement, public safety, IT, and social service delivery. The purpose of this assessment is to ensure compliance with our City’s current laws. This will also help us gain a better understanding of procedures or best practices by departments to ensure interaction with this administration’s federal immigration enforcement keep our residents and workers safe.

The changing direction of ICE enforce-

ment is designed to distract and drain resources from real public safety threats with an explicit outcome of causing widespread fear and uncertainty for all immigrants in their daily lives. Let’s be clear: we won’t be bullied and we stand with our immigrant communities because it is who we are as a City. Together, we will keep working to fight injustice and ensure that immigrants and refugees feel welcome in Seattle.

Mayor Jenny Durkan is the 56th Mayor of Seattle and Councilmember M. Lorena González is a nationally-recognized civil rights leader who represents District 9 in Seattle.

Courtesy of the City of Seattle

Seattle Rainbow Housing Survey

In 2017 Allyship conducted LGBTQ Senior Listening Sessions of low-income and people of color. Here are some of the findings:

• There are not enough LGBTQ direct services geared towards seniors

• It is not safe for LGBTQ, transgender and gender non-conforming seniors/older adults to be out in public housing

• Senior Centers are too heteronormative

Check out our Senior Listening Survey report at http://allyship.org/wp-content/ uploads/Senior-Listening-Session-2017-3. pdf – to learn more about challenges and solutions!

AND we need more information to fully understand and address the diversity of challenges and solutions for LGBTQ older adults/seniors/elders.

We want to hear from you if you are over 50 and LGBTQ!

Take the Seattle Rainbow Housing Survey! Make a difference in housing for LGBTQ older adults. Enter a raffle to win a $200.00 QFC or Fred Meyer Gift Card. We need your help with a survey sponsored by the City of Seattle Office of Housing.

Are you: LGBTQ or non-binary, age 50 or older, and living in the Seattle area?

For a survey visit https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/WV986TZ or contact us at SeattleRainbowHousing@gmail.com or call 206-739-7498.

Si desea recibir esta en español, contáctanos a SeattleRainbowHousing@gmail.com

Your participation will make a difference for generations to come!

Courtesy of LGBTQ Allyship

One Love Wedding Showcase Seattle coming up February 18

One Love Wedding Showcase Seattle celebrates equality and all couples in love during our seventh showcase on Sunday, February 18, 2018 at the gorgeous, newly remodeled Metropolitan Ballroom at the Sheraton Seattle Hotel from 12-4pm!

Couples newly engaged and married can meet with the best local wedding industry professionals and lifestyle experts to plan their big day and build a life together. An inviting and lively event, One Love provides couples with a friendly environment to learn about wedding services provided by LGBTQ owned and allied businesses.

POZSeattle and Living Positively February 2018 Valentine’s Social & Potluck

Meet dozens of knowledgeable, quality wedding experts hand-selected by One Love, from planners to photographers, bakers, florists, jewelers, venues, caterers and so much more!

Expect drag queens, cocktails, delicious bites, upbeat music, giveaways, surprises, and plenty of gorgeous inspiration!!

Price: FREE ADMISSION with preregistration, or $15.00 at the door.

For more details, visit oneloveseattle.com!

Courtesy of One Love Wedding Showcase Seattle

POZSeattle and Living Positively are proud to present their combined 2018 Valentine’s Social & Potluck Wednesday, February 14th from 6-8:15pm at the Cuff (13th Ave & E Pine St). Meet us in the downstairs bar for food, socializing, to catch-up with old friends, to make new ones, and a whole lot of fun. (Living Positively is a weekly social group sponsored by Lifelong for individuals affected by and living with HIV & AIDS. Living Positively offers a safe space for support, education and community.)

This being a potluck, please bring an entrée/main dish, side dish, salad, or a dessert – enough for 8-10 folks. Non-alcoholic beverages provided by The Cuff.

This event is free as always (except for the cost of adult beverages from the bar), but a suggested donation of $5 would be gladly accepted to offset the cost. This event is supported from your donations. No one is ever turned away due to lack of funds.

This event, and all others that we offer are for all HIV-Positive men and our friends, family, and support networks, (HIV-Positive

or not), regardless of age, shape, size, origin, citizenship, color, sexual orientation, gender expression or identity or any other protected characteristic protected under applicable federal, state or local laws.

POZSeattle is a social organization run by and for Seattle-area HIV-positive guys that is committed to planning and promoting fun, social activities.

For questions or more information about this event, to plan your own social event through the group, to be added to our event promotions email list, or to be added to our Facebook private group, email contactpozseattle@gmail.com.

For information re: the Living Positively group, which meets Wednesdays from 5-7pm at Lifelong, 1016 E Pike St., 3rd Fl., Seattle, WA 98122, contact Lifelong at 206-957-1600.

Courtesy of POZSeattle and Living Positively

Help create a social and support network for LGBT veterans

Hello,

My name is Johnnie Hawkins, the LGBT Coordinator for the Veterans Benefits Administration. My colleague Josh Wheeldon and I are looking to connect with community providers, veterans, and LGBT allies in the Puget Sound area to discuss creating a network that helps LGBT veterans. Our goal is to increase awareness and provide education and support around issues faced by LGBT veterans in the community. If you are interested, there will be a meet and greet on Friday, February 23, from 10am-12noon at the Wounded Warrior Project, 2200 Alaskan Way, Ste 130 along the waterfront in downtown Seattle (in the Belltown neighborhood).

Sincerely,

(206) 341-8593

Ninth Circuit nominee Bounds has history of racist statements

WASHINGTON, DC – [On Friday, February 2] Alliance for Justice released a preliminary “Snapshot” report on the record of Ryan Bounds, whom Donald Trump has nominated for a seat on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. Alliance for Justice (AFJ) President Nan Aron released the following statement:

“Once again the Trump Administration has given us a nominee for the federal bench, Ryan Bounds, who has made intolerant and outrageous remarks about people

with backgrounds and beliefs different from his. The pattern of racist, sexist and homophobic remarks by these nominees is unacceptable, and we urge the Senate to treat this behavior as disqualifying for a federal judgeship.”

Under President Obama, Republican members of the Senate Judiciary Committee made clear that a nominee’s writings, including those dating back to the nominee’s time in college, were grounds to oppose confirmation.

celebration of a marriage,” Lampe wrote.

For example, Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee, including Senators Mike Lee and Jon Kyle, pressed Jesse Furman, a former Assistant United States Attorney in New York, about an article he wrote as an undergraduate critical of the National Rifle Association. As Senator Chuck Grassley said in opposing Furman, “When we considered his nomination last year, a few items of concern were raised. These issues included writings he made while in college on gun control.”

AFJ’s review finds that while at Stanford University:

Bounds wrote critically about “strident racial factions in the student body” and their work to “build tolerance” and “promote diversity.” He went on to claim that the efforts of these students “seem always to contribute more to restricting consciousness, aggravating intolerance, and pigeonholing cultural identities than many a Nazi bookburning.”

Bounds complained about multicultural organizations at the university who “divide up by race for their feel-good ethnic hoedowns.”

Bounds wrote that “race-focused groups” should not continue on campus, claiming that the “existence of ethnic organizations is no inevitable prerequisite to maintaining a diverse community – white students, after all, seem to be doing all right without an Aryan Student Union.”

Using racist and offensive language, Bounds claimed that there were communities on campus who believed that the “opponent is the white male and his coterie of meanspirited lackeys: ‘oreos,’ ‘twinkies,’ ‘coconuts,’ and the like.”

Similarly, Bounds accused campus “race-thinkers” of denigrating AfricanAmericans as “oreos,” “Uncle Toms” or “sell-outs” if they rejected “victimhood status.”

Bounds wrote condescendingly and dismissively about sexual assault on campus and argued that to identify and punish alleged perpetrators, the university

should maintain the ironclad “beyond a reasonable doubt” standard of proof used by law enforcement. He wrote: “Expelling students is probably not going to contribute a great deal toward a rape victim’s recovery; there is no moral imperative to risk egregious error in doing so.”

Bounds decried “sensitivity” towards racial minorities and the LGBTQ community, and activism by those communities as a “pestilence” that “stalks us” and “threatens to corrupt our scholastic experience.”

Bounds served as opinion editor of The Stanford Review, and during his tenure a feature of the opinion page, “Smoke Signals,” began using a crude caricature of a Native American figure even though the university had discontinued using the “Indians” mascot more than twenty years earlier in response to complaints from Native American groups. Stanford University President Gerhard Casper and Provost Condoleezza Rice both criticized the Review for using the image.

AFJ continues to research Bounds’s full record. The Snapshot can be found online here: https://afj.org/our-work/nominees/afjsnapshot-ryan-bounds

About Alliance for Justice Alliance for Justice believes that all Americans have the right to secure justice in the courts and to have their voices heard when government makes decisions that affect their lives. We are a national association of over 120 organizations, representing a broad array of groups committed to progressive values and the creation of an equitable, just, and free society. Through our justice programs, we lead the progressive community in the fight for a fair judiciary, and through Bolder Advocacy, we help nonprofits and foundations to realize their advocacy potential.

Courtesy of Alliance for Justice

was likely to prevail in her claims of First Amendment religious privilege should her case proceed to trial, and therefore she can continue to refuse to make wedding cakes for same-sex couples.

“The State cannot succeed on the facts presented as a matter of law. The right to freedom of speech under the First Amendment outweighs the State’s interest in ensuring a freely accessible marketplace,” Lampe wrote in his ruling.

“The right of freedom of thought guaranteed by the First Amendment includes the right to speak, and the right to refrain from speaking. Sometimes the most profound protest is silence.”

In August 2017, Miller refused to make a cake for the wedding of Mireya and Eileen Rodriguez-Del Rio, citing her religious conviction that same-sex weddings are invalid. The couple then complained to the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing that Miller had violated the Unruh Civil Rights Act.

Lampe wrote that his ruling was based on the fact that Miller was being asked to create a cake especially for wedding, not merely to sell a stock cake to a random customer.

“A wedding cake is not just a cake in a Free Speech analysis. It is an artistic expression by the person making it that is to be used traditionally as a centerpiece in the

“There could not be a greater form of expressive conduct. Here, Rodriguez-Del Rios plan to engage in speech. They plan a celebration to declare the validity of their marital union and their enduring love for one another. The State asks this court to compel Miller against her will and religion to allow her artistic expression in celebration of marriage to be co-opted to promote the message desired by same-sex marital partners, and with which Miller disagrees.”

Although Miller’s attorneys called Lampe’s ruling “a significant victory for faith and freedom,” the judge cautioned that the First Amendment does not give businesses an unrestricted right to refuse service to groups protected by the Unruh Act.

“A retail tire shop may not refuse to sell a tire because the owner does not want to sell tires to same-sex couples. There is nothing sacred or expressive about a tire. No artist, having placed their work for public sale, may refuse to sell for an unlawful discriminatory purpose. No baker may place their wares in a public display case, open their shop, and then refuse to sell because of race, religion, gender, or gender identification,” Lampe wrote.

Patricia Ziegler-Lopez, the attorney for the Rodriguez-Del Rioses said their fight is not over.

“We are disappointed but not surprised by [the] ruling against the preliminary injunction. Bakersfield and Kern County in general [are] very conservative, and that unfortunately includes some of the judges.

But it’s not over. Our fight against bigotry and discrimination is only beginning,” she told the Bakersfield Californian newspaper in an email.

HEARINGS

WASHINGTON, D.C. – [On Thursday, February 8], Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal and Ranking Member Jerrold Nadler (D-NY) led Democratic members of the House Judiciary Committee in sending a letter to Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-VA) calling for immediate hearings examining the U.S. election infrastructure after a senior U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) official revealed that Russia hacked U.S. voter rolls. The letter asks the majority for emergency hearings to look into potential vulnerabilities of our election infrastructure, foreign threats posed, and steps the Department of Justice, DHS, and the State Department may or

February 8, 2018

The Honorable Bob Goodlatte

Chairman House Judiciary Committee

2138 Rayburn House Office Building Washington, D.C. 20515

Dear Chairman Goodlatte:

We write to request that the Committee hold immediate hearings to examine vulnerabilities in our election infrastructure, threats posed to that infrastructure by foreign actors, and what steps the Trump Administration may or may not be taking to ensure the integrity of our state and federal elections. We believe the threat is urgent. The leadership of the Department of Justice, the Department of Homeland Security, and the Department of State should come before our Committee to inform us of their plans to protect the integrity of our election systems.

In February of 2017, you offered an amendment to our oversight plan that, as subsequently amended by Representative David Cicilline (D-RI), stated our intention to conduct oversight into allegations of foreign interference with federal elections. [1] Unfortunately, since then, we have not held a single hearing on the topic.

We have, however, heard alarming testimony on this front from the leadership of the Department of Justice and the FBI. Other high-ranking Administration officials have also made similar statements. CIA Director Pompeo and Secretary of State Tillerson both recently confirmed that Russia is already targeting the 2018 elections. Yesterday, Jeanette Manfra, DHS’s leading cybersecurity official, admitted that the Russian government penetrated our election systems in 2016. [2] Even former President George W. Bush has acknowledged that there is “pretty clear evidence that the Russians meddled” in the last election. [3]

may not be taking to ensure the integrity of future state and federal elections.

In their letter, the members wrote, “It is our Committee’s responsibility to examine the vulnerabilities and risks facing our election processes and infrastructure in order to protect the right to vote for every American – a right that includes not just equal voting rights and access to the polls, but also confidence in the accuracy and security of our election systems. For these reasons, we urge you to hold immediate hearings on this fundamental issue.”

Yesterday, DHS confirmed that not only did the Russians attempt to hack at least 21 states, but they were successful in actually penetrating some of those systems. CIA Director Mike Pompeo and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson both admitted the Russians never ceased their cyber opera-

To be clear, every official to speak on this topic so far – including Attorney General Jeff Sessions, Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, and FBI Director Christopher Wray – has stood by the intelligence community’s January 2017 assessment that the Russian government interfered with the 2016 presidential election. The Department of Homeland Security has recognized the gravity of the threat and classified America’s election infrastructure as critical infrastructure under the Critical Infrastructures Protection Act of 2001. The FBI has since created a “Foreign Influence Election Taskforce” to help prepare for any future attacks.

Unfortunately, the Department of Justice appears to have taken little – if any – action to secure our election systems going forward. When he appeared before our Committee, Attorney General Sessions was asked if the Department is at least reviewing the laws on the books to see what additional authority he might need to secure our election infrastructure. He gave a completely unsatisfactory answer: “We have discussed those matters, but no completion has been done. ... We are not anywhere near where I would like us to be, yet.” He later agreed he had not, in fact, ordered any review of relevant federal law [4] – ignoring President Trump’s executive order to strengthen federal networks and infrastructure. [5] Although the Attorney General promised our members a briefing on the topic, but that was more than nine weeks ago. The Department of Justice has not yet responded to the request we sent him on December 1, 2017. [6]

We cannot afford to ignore the mounting evidence of a coordinated effort to undermine the most basic and essential aspects of democratic process. In addition to the alarming disclosures that came to light this week:

§ The Department of Homeland Security notified at least 21 states that the Russian

tions from 2016 and will continue their attacks during the 2018 midterm elections. Secretary Tillerson seems to believe that there is nothing the government can do to curb these attacks, although experts and lawmakers agree that sanctions and deterrence would help to hold the Russian government accountable.

With the first primary election in March 2018, Judiciary Republicans have taken no action to address the ongoing threat Russia poses to the U.S. federal election systems – despite pledging to do so when adopting the committee’s oversight plan in February 2017.

Today’s letter was signed by every Democrat on the U.S. House Judiciary Committee, including: Representatives Jerrold Nadler (D-NY), Zoe Lofgren (D-CA), Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX), Steve

government targeted and, in some cases, successfully penetrated their election infrastructure. [7]

§ Illinois officials found 90,000 voter files were stolen – more than 75,000 containing personal data such as driver’s license and social security numbers. Officials found evidence of an additional attempt to download the state’s entire voter roll of 15 million people. [8]

§ Foreign actors are believed to have infiltrated Florida, Colorado, New Mexico, South Carolina, and Arizona’s electoral systems, as well as an election software/ device provider. [9]

§ Sensitive data on Georgia’s 6.7 million voters, passwords used by county officials to access elections management files, and the critical e-pollbooks used to verify registered votes on Election Day were exposed by significant election infrastructure security gaps. [10] In addition, key electronic voter logs were stolen prior to the Georgia special election [11] and entire election servers had their data wiped clean. [12]

§ The Russian cutout known as “Fancy Bear,” which was responsible for hacking the Democratic National Committee, continues to target political organizations in various countries – including the U.S. Senate, in a recently reported operation. [13]

§ Computer security experts have uncovered potential points of infiltration of the “voting infrastructure at any point in the supply chain process [allowing for] the ability to synchronize and inflict largescale damage” particular in foreign-manufactured parts. [14]

§ A study found consolidation in the voting machine and software industry – where the number of voting machine companies has dropped from nineteen to three [15] – and the resulting market structure, coupled with ineffective government action, has limited growth, stagnated innovation, and contributed to a crisis in America’s election technology sector. [16]

Eric Swalwell (D-CA), Ted Lieu (D-CA), Jamie Raskin (D-MD), Pramila Jayapal (D-WA), Brad Schneider (D-IL) and Val Demings (D-FL).

Full text of this letter from the House Judiciary Committee Democrats is below and also at https://democrats-judiciary. house.gov/sites/democrats.judiciary. house.gov/files/documents/FINAL%20 DRAFT%20-%20Letter%20to%20Goodlatte%20re%20Election%20Security%20 %282%29.pdf which displays a copy of the actual letter with signatures and the footnote citations.

It is our Committee’s responsibility to examine the vulnerabilities and risks facing our election processes and infrastructure in order to protect the right to vote for every American – a right that includes not just equal voting rights and access to the polls, but also confidence in the accuracy and security of our election systems.

For these reasons, we urge you to hold immediate hearings on this fundamental issue.

BACKGROUND:

On January 9, 2018, House Democratic Ranking Members Eliot Engel, Maxine Waters, Jerrold Nadler, Bennie Thompson, Elijah Cummings and Robert Brady sent a letter to Speaker Ryan today urging House Republicans to join Democrats to fully investigate and address Russia’s threat to our democracy and national security.

On December 1, 2017, the Democratic Members of the House Committee on the Judiciary wrote to U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions to request a briefing on any efforts by the Department of Justice to secure the next cycle of federal elections. To date there has been no response.

At the Committee’s oversight hearing with Attorney General Jeff Sessions, Rep. Brad Schneider asked the Attorney General about the efforts of the Department to protect our elections from foreign interference in the future. Attorney General Sessions responded: “I have not followed through to see where we are on that.”

The House Committee on the Judiciary has not held a single hearing on efforts by the Trump Administration and its Republican supporters in Congress to undermine the Special Counsel’s investigation into connections between the Trump campaign and the Russian government.

Courtesy of U.S. Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal’s Congressional Office

About 3 percent of US teens may be gender nonconforming, new study shows

by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer

Some 2.7 percent of US teens may be gender nonconforming, according to a new study published in the journal Pediatrics. The term “gender nonconforming” includes teens who identified as Transgender, genderfluid, and nonbinary.

The study was based on a 2016 survey of nearly 81,000 teens in Minnesota. Of those included in the survey, some 2,200 reported that they were gender nonconforming, about four times the figure reported in a similar study conducted by UCLA last year.

Nic Rider, a University of Minnesota postdoctoral fellow who is the new study’s lead author, said that the results can be used to estimate numbers across the US.

“Diverse gender identities are more prevalent than people would expect,” he added.

The higher number of teens willing to self-identify as gender nonconforming could be explained by changing attitudes, according to Rider.

“With growing trans visibility in the United States, some youth might find it safer to come out and talk about gender exploration,” he said.

Dr. Daniel Shumer, a specialist in Trans medicine at Michigan University, wrote in an accompanying Pediatrics article that the study supported other research.

He said that when put together, all the findings suggest that the Trans teen population has previously been “underestimated by orders of magnitude.”

“Youth are rejecting this binary thinking and are asking adults to keep up,” Shumer added.

The study also found that Trans teens report worse mental and physical health than other children. This conclusion is also supported by other research. A 2016 study,

for example, found that 40 percent of Trans people in the US have attempted suicide. In 2017 at least 25 Trans people were

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Australia commits to increase access to PrEP for key populations

other men who have sex with men. MSMGF has been a long-time advocate for the timely roll-out and scale-up of PrEP, a pill that has been proven to work with great efficacy in preventing HIV infection.

The move follows a positive recommendation from a government advisory committee to subsidise PrEP. A listing date is yet to be confirmed, but is expected within months.

The Australian government’s move to scale-up HIV prevention initiatives should be seen as a model for many countries around the world that are still behind in bringing necessary and optimal access to critical HIV prevention tools such as PrEP and even condoms and lubricants. Recently in Tanzania, for example, the distribution of free lubricants was banned from community HIV programs that were eventually suspended based on absurd assumptions that HIV prevention efforts inadvertently promoted homosexuality.

The Australian government’s commitment to make PrEP more broadly available is a result of tireless community-led advocacy and demand mobilization. Australian LGBT advocates were unwavering in their calls for a broader range of evidenceinformed HIV prevention options for gay and bisexual men. The upcoming roll-out of PrEP in Australia is a successful example of how to integrate interventions with community effort and within the larger context of comprehensive sexual health programs.

“PrEP is a powerful HIV prevention

tool and should be made available for all gay and bisexual men who need and demand it. There is no silver bullet that will put an end to HIV. PrEP must be delivered in the context of comprehensive, holistic, and community-centered programs that openly affirm gay and bisexual men’s sex, sexuality and sexual health,” said George Ayala, MSMGF Executive Director.

Read MSMGF’s public statement here: http://msmgf.org/msmgf-applauds-australian-governments-new-policy-prep/

Read the AFAO media release here: https://www.afao.org.au/media-release/ hiv-prevention-pill-approved-by-pbac/

Read the MSMGF’s recent publication on the importance of Primary Prevention: http://msmgf.org/wp-content/ uploads/2017/10/Reconsidering-PrimaryPrevention.pdf

About MSMGF

MSMGF is an expanding network of advocates and other experts in sexual health, LGBT/human rights, research, and policy, working to ensure an effective response to HIV among gay men and other men who have sex with men. We are directly linked with more than 120 communitybased organizations, across 62 countries. Learn more at www.msmgf.org

Courtesy of MSMGF – The Global Forum on MSM & HIV