Celebrating 37 Years!
Issue 03 Volume 38
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Seattle pride 2010 p. 6
enda p. 9
queer youth SPACE p. 19
Seattle Gay News SEATTLE’S LGBT NEWS & ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY
Fight the Fear Campaign SGN REPORTER AT TRIAL bolsters community Prop. 8 trial begins in SFO defense, spirit by Ryan Burr Special to the SGN
by Shaun Knittel SGN Staff Writer
shop on January 10 at the Century Ballroom in Seattle’s Capitol Hill neighborhood. Born of the afterYou are worth defending. Each math of one woman’s tragic death and another’s courageous survival, one of us is worth defending. That was the mantra of over Fight the Fear Campaign is an ef100 LGBT community members fort to turn a senseless, violent act that participated in Fight the Fear Campaign, a two-hour violence prevention and self-defense work- see fight the fear page 20
INSIDE COURTROOM 6 the plaintiffs’ families. Courtroom No. 6 on the 17th After opening arguments by the floor of San Francisco’s federal high-profile attorneys – Ted Olson courthouse is quite small. On the and David Boies for the plaintiffs first day of the trial, only 15 seats were open to the public as considerable space had been reserved for see prop 8 page 16
Portugal passes marriage equality bill
nick ardizzone
2010 agenda. It is no secret that the reality of the perilous fiscal situation Washington lawmakers face is the dominating issue in Olympia. It should come as no surprise that, although a same-sex marriage bill has been filed, it is more ceremonial than moveable. Still, ERW Political Director Josh Friedes says that, by filing the bill, it makes clear the LGBT community’s resolve on continuing to discuss and ultimately secure marriage equality in Washington State. To that end, Friedes says the primary mission for ERW in 2010 will be an education campaign. “We are committed to educating the electorate and legislature on the importance of marriage equality. The Approve Referendum 71 Campaign helped voters understand the difference between marriage and domestic partnership. Those efforts, coupled with a statewide education campaign, will help bring Equal Rights Washington Political Director Josh Friedes domestic partnership supporters to by Shaun Knittel cacy organization credited with support marriage equality.” Friedes says the 2010 Gay marSGN Staff Writer laying the groundwork for the successful Approve Referendum 71 Equal Rights Washington Campaign, recently spoke with (ERW), the state’s LGBT advo- Seattle Gay News to outline their see ERW page 18
About 60 Gay-rights supporters convened in front of the federal courthouse in San Francisco around dawn on Monday, Jan. 11 to hold a vigil and wish the plaintiffs well in their fight to overturn Proposition 8.
PortugalGay.pt
Equal Rights Washington lays groundwork for 2010
Ryan Burr
shaun knittel
Participants at the Fight the Fear Campaign workshop were instructed in proper self-defense techniques
Since California Attorney General Jerry Brown has stated publicly that he finds Proposition 8 unconstitutional, how was it allowed to proceed to the ballot in November 2008? This was one of the more pointed questions Chief U.S. District Judge Vaughn Walker raised during the first day’s trial involving two same-sex couples suing the state in federal court on the grounds the Prop 8 violates their U.S. constitutional rights of equal protection and due process. Seattle Gay News was present in San Francisco for the first two days’ proceedings, which began January 11 and may never be seen by the public. Walker had ordered delayed release of the trial via YouTube and live broadcasting at numerous other federal courthouses, including Seattle’s. U.S. Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy, however, issued a temporary stay of that order, and on January 13 the full court, ruling 5-4, issued a permanent stay of any live broadcast to remote locations.
Couple Teresa Pires (r) and Helena Paixão, who lost a same-sex marriage case before Portugal’s Constitutional Court last July, celebrate Portugal’s January 8 legalization of same-sex marriage.
by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer
it was hailed by LGBT activists in Portugal as an important step toward full equality. Supporters of On January 8 the Portuguese par- the measure applauded from the liament approved a bill to legalize galleries, and then served wedding same-sex marriage. The vote was cake outside the parliament build123-99. The bill would not allow samesex couples to adopt children, but see portugal page 17
proud to Be Different
We are conveniently located on-site at Lifelong AIDS Alliance below the Thrift Store.
Call us at 206.568.2486
WHEN IT COMES TO UNDERSTANDING HIV
MOMS KNOWS BEST Wishing you a Happy New Year!
Proudly Presenting Lifelong AIDS Alliance 2010 Gay Bingo Season, visit www.llaa.org for tickets. We are conveniently located on-site at Lifelong AIDS Alliance below the Thrift Store.
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January 15, 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
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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
Out to Quit by James Whitely SGN Contributing Writer
Going through “The Program” – Week 2
I arrived at Gay City about 10 minutes early. I made a point of not being late this time. I stopped in Kaladi Brothers, got a drink, and waited in the short line for the door to the upstairs to open. At 7:00 p.m. we were promptly welcomed in by the smiling faces of the Gay City staff and all seated at the large table where we all met for the first time last week. Altogether there were 13 of us, staff included. The staff of Gay City began filming us for Gay City TV this week. Our group’s videos will eventually be posted at www.youtube. com/gaycitytv. The cameraman moved all around the room for the duration of the meeting like a sly voyeur. Every five minutes, I found myself taking quick 360s around the room each time I lost track of him. We were also given our personal video cameras this week. It’s a neat, easy-to-use little piece of technology. Only five members of the group volunteered to keep video logs, myself included. (I’m a total publicity whore; it’s why I’m in the news business in the first place.) I’ll likely post a video log sometime this week on SGN’s Facebook page. We kicked off the meeting by simply sharing stories of our week. Not everyone’s were related to smoking. Someone was pickpocketed at R Place. Lark, the facilitator of the group, was ill all week, and read several dystopic science fiction novels (or something to that effect) while he was bedridden. I hadn’t anything to say about my habit, but I told the group that I had moved over the weekend, and helped a friend move on Sunday. This particular friend is a smoker, and in the two hours I helped him move I smoked maybe four cigarettes. Like I said last week, I’m a social smoker. After the reports were over, Lark announced the topic of the meeting: Why we love smoking. Well, I could just go on and on now, couldn’t I? As a group, we threw out the obvious reasons we, and people in general, enjoy smoking, and we began listing them on a whiteboard. We separated everything into three categories: biological and physical, psychological and emotional, and social and
January 15, 2010
environmental. Naturally, some overlapped into more than one category. 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. We were told that these were all needs, needs that are supposed to be satisfied in every human being. The trouble is, we’ve let smoking fill those needs, rather than letting non-self-destructive behaviors fill them. We then shared stories of why we started smoking in the first place. I was the third person in the group to be asked. I prefaced my tale with the decree that I had begun smoking two years ago this month. With a surprised look on his face, Lark immediately asked me how old I was. “Twenty-three,” I replied. He then promptly took a poll of the room. “How many of you started smoking before you were 21?” he asked. Everyone in the room raised their hand except for me. Needless to say, I was taken aback a bit. Bear in mind that this is a group of people of all ages. I had no idea that according to the American Lung Association, 90% of American smokers begin smoking before the age of 21. I then went on to tell my story. I began smoking in January of 2008. I was enlisted in the United States Marine Corps at the time. I was being forced out of military service for a diagnosis of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). The Marine Corps, unlike other branches of the US military, does not have medics or doctors of any sort. It falls under the department of the Navy and the Navy takes care of those duties for us. In my case, what this meant was that I was being seen for a psychological disorder, and even though I was a Marine, I was being evaluated by Navy personnel. Herein laid the problem. The Navy doctors wanted me out of the military altogether, and the Marine Corps didn’t – it was really that simple. I was a good Marine, a motivated Marine. I got shit done and I
didn’t ask questions. My commanding officers knew me personally, having served with them in Iraq, and they weren’t keen on the idea of signing off the forms to let me go home. So there I was, stuck in an eight-month, heavily bureaucratic back-and-forth between the Navy and The Marine Corps. One day I would be told one thing by the Navy, the next day another by the Marine Corps. It simply became too much. I’d never been the kind of person to drown my problems in alcohol, and smoking had been this ohso glamorous thing for just too long. One night, I bought a pack of unfiltered Lucky Strike cigarettes, and the rest is history. For some, our stories were related to our Queer identities. Rebellion was also a common theme. Members of the group recalled when they were given their first cigarettes as minors, when they were too young to buy tobacco themselves. One member of the group smoked his first cigarette to strike up a conversation with a boy he had a crush on, and has been hooked ever since. After we shared our stories, we began to wrap up and Lark gave us our first homework assignment. It’s a log called a STAND (Situation, Time, Attitude, Need, Doing) worksheet. We write down the situation we find ourselves in, the time, our attitude, our need level on a one to three scale, and what we’re doing, every time we feel like we want a cigarette, whether we smoke one or not. Now, since I think about cigarettes about as much as the average man thinks about sex, I have resolved to fill it out every time I actually have a cigarette. The worksheet is supposed to detail patterns, and frankly, I’m already surprised with some of the results. Like I said last week, I feel as if I know my triggers, and they certainly are there in front of me on paper, but some of the patterns that have already emerged have revealed things I wasn’t expecting. I’ll go into greater detail next week, when the worksheet is completely filled out with a week of nicotine-filled escapades. This is Part Two of a multi-week series about going through Gay City Health Project’s “Out To Quit” program.
Celebrating 37 Years!
First same-sex wedding in China gets major coverage in state-run press
for Gay Chinese. days. Finally, she agreed to set me free.” The couple divorced in February 2009. Zeng told China Daily he discovered at Zeng met Pan at a bar. They fell in love the age of 20 that he was not attracted to women. with each other at first sight, he said. “What could I do at that time? I felt em“His bright and enchanting smile almost barrassed to think of that tendency,” he said. blinded me. And I am so addicted to his genZeng married in 1983 and had a daughter, tle and soft voice.” He added that Pan is tall and masculine. but said he could not feel attracted to his China has some 20 million Gay men and wife. “I felt I was embracing a lifeless tree while holding a woman,” he said. 10 million Lesbians, according to estimates Same-sex marWhen their daughter grew up and found a by Zhang Beichuan, a professor at Qingdao riages are not legally decent job, Zeng came out to his wife. “She University and an expert on homosexuality recognized in China, was shocked and kept crying for several and HIV/AIDS prevention. and the couple told reporters they regret they cannot receive a marriage certificate from the Chinese government. “Thousands of Gays and Lesbians get married in France, by Mike Andrew In a stinging rejection of Madsen’s arguFinland, the UK. Why ment, Fairhurst wrote that the justices in SGN Staff Writer couldn’t we?” Zeng the majority “condone blatant discriminaasked. tion against Washington’s Gay and Lesbian Barbara Madsen, the author of the WashThe government citizens in the name of ington Supreme Court opinhad no official reencouraging procreation, ion upholding the state’s ban sponse to the wedmarriage for individuals in on same-sex marriages, was ding, but its approval relationships that result in sworn in as chief justice of would normally be Gay couple Zeng and Pan wed in a Gay bar in Chengdu children, and the raising of the court on January 11. required for articles of southwest China’s Sichuan Province on January 3. children in homes headed In her decision in Anderto appear in China by opposite-sex parents, son v King County, Madsen by Mike Andrew Daily. The English-language newspaper is while ignoring the fact that put forward the controverconsidered a reliable guide to Chinese govSGN Staff Writer denying same-sex couples sial claim that the state may ernment policy. the right to marry has no prohibit same-sex marriages Homosexuality in China used to be both On January 13, China’s government-run prospect of furthering any because it has an interest in newspaper China Daily gave front-page illegal and classified as a mental disorder. of those interests.” fostering procreation. She In 1997, however, the crime of “hoolicoverage to a Gay wedding in the country’s Joining Fairhurst in her also asserted that children ganism” was deleted from China’s criminal Sichuan Province. dissent were Justice Tom are best raised by their bioZeng Anquan, 45, and Pan Wenjie, 27, code, in effect decriminalizing homosexualChambers, and the two relogical parents. were married at a Gay bar in Sichuan’s cap- ity. maining women justices, “The Legislature was enOn April 20, 2001, the Chinese Classificaital city of Chendu on January 3. Susan Owens and Bobbe titled to believe that limitBarbara Madsen Pan’s former girlfriend volunteered to be tion of Mental Disorders formally removed Bridge. ing marriage to opposite-sex his bridesmaid at the wedding. Zeng was homosexuality from its list of mental illAmong Madsen’s other notable cases, the couples furthers procreation, essential to previously married to a woman, but is di- nesses. most notorious is perhaps State of WashingIn December 2009, China’s first govern- the survival of the human race and furthers vorced. ton v Bryan Montez James (2007), in which the well-being of children by encouraging “We are no longer hiding any more. The ment-backed Gay bar opened in the tourist she joined four other justices in ruling that families where children are reared in homes wedding is our happiest and most precious town of Dali in southwestern Yunnan provpolice may impersonate attorneys in order headed by children’s biological parents,” moment,” Zeng told the China Daily. “We ince, in a bid to boost HIV/AIDS prevention to obtain evidence from defendants which she wrote. don’t care how others consider us, as long efforts. they would be encouraged to believe was Madsen also publicly questioned whether On January 15, China’s first Gay pageant as we are together.” privileged. homosexuality is an immutable trait like While they were surrounded by Gay will be held in Beijing to choose the counMadsen is married and has procreated. race or sex. “Laws challenged on the basis friends, the families of the two men boycot- try’s candidate for the Mr. Gay World conShe has four children. of race or sex discrimination are generally test in Norway next month. ted the wedding. Madsen replaces Gerry Alexander, who According to China’s Xinhua news agen- subjected to more searching review,” stated “My sister warned me she would never stepped down as chief justice prior to retirJustice Madsen. call me her brother unless I break up with cy, the country’s top state-run radio network A majority of her colleagues agreed with ing from the Supreme Court next year. AlPan, and I have answered hundreds of plans to launch a new program about AIDS Madsen as to the outcome, but not with her exander was re-elected to a six-year term in phone calls from friends and relatives who that features an HIV-positive host, although legal reasoning. The 5-4 split decision fea- 2006, but is required to retire at the age of 75 the report did not mention the host’s sexual say they feel ashamed of me,” said Zeng. before the end of his term. Alexander voted tured six separate written opinions. “But we are deeply in love and will never orientation. with Madsen in the Anderson case. The most-signed opinion was Justice While the Chinese government is becomdesert each other,” he said of his relationNew chief justices are elected by their colMary Fairhurst’s dissent. It was signed by ing more tolerant of its LGBT community, ship with Pan. leagues on the court. all four dissenting justices. social pressures can still make life difficult
Pro-DOMA judge becomes WA Chief Justice file photo
cfp
Uganda might not kill Gays, Museveni says by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer
The worst provisions of Uganda’s proposed anti-Gay bill may not be enacted. Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni has reportedly told colleagues the bill is “too harsh,” and has recommended they remove the death penalty from the legislation. As originally written, the bill provided execution for “repeat offender” Gays, and for those having sex while HIV-positive. It also specified life in prison for even one sexual act between persons of the same sex, and prison terms for failure to inform on Gay relatives or neighbors. It is unclear whether Museveni supports these provisions. Information Minister Kabakumba Matsiko told reporters that the bill’s harsh penalties were not necessary. “The government’s position is that the existing provisions in our penal code against homosexuality are strong enough and that this new bill is not necessary,” he said. He added that the cabinet has not yet discussed the measure formally. Minister for Investments Aston Kajara reminded the Ugandan Daily Monitor newspaper that the bill was introduced by an individual member of parliament, not by the
government. “We may talk to the honorable MP to consider withdrawing it,” he suggested. James Nsaba Buturo, Uganda’s minister of ethics and integrity and one of the bill’s original supporters, suggested scrapping the death penalty in favor of counseling after talking with Museveni. “The president doesn’t believe in killing Gays,” he said. “I also don’t believe in it. I think Gays can be counseled and they stop the bad habit.” Museveni spokeswoman Mary Karoro Okurut said she agreed with the president that some punishments in the bill should be dropped. She said she would still push for a modified version of the bill when it goes to parliament in late February or early March. Homosexuality “is not allowed in African culture,” she said. “We have to protect the children in schools who are being recruited into homosexual activities.” Museveni has been under considerable international pressure to scrap the proposed bill. According to the US State Department, Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Johnnie Carson met with Museveni and extracted a promise from him that the anti-Gay law will not be enacted. British Prime Minister Gordon Brown,
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who was assigned a seat next to Museveni at the November 2009 Commonwealth meeting, reportedly took the opportunity to tell him in strong terms that the UK could not accept the law. Sweden has also threatened to cut its aid to Uganda if the law is enacted. Even Museveni’s allies among the Christian right in the US have distanced themselves from the new law. The powerful Fellowship (sometimes known as the Family or the C Street Group) – a secretive group of powerful politicians who have adopted Museveni as their point man in Africa – made clear that it opposes the bill. Meanwhile, Museveni is getting praise from unexpected quarters. Frank Mugisha, leader of Sex Minorities Uganda (SMUG), said the LGBT-rights
group would campaign for Museveni in the 2011 election because of his opposition to the bill’s harsher provisions. “If one scratches your back, you also scratch his back,” Mugisha said. Museveni is not considered in danger of losing the election. While Uganda is nominally a democracy where all offices are nonpartisan, the president’s National Resistance Movement dominates the country’s political life. Museveni was elected to a third presidential term in 2006 with 59% of the vote. The Supreme Court of Uganda later ruled that the election was marred by intimidation, violence, voter suppression, fraud, and other irregularities, but allowed the results to stand.
Leslie Rado 1945-2010 Leslie Rado, longtime resident of Ballard and recently of Bailey-Boushay house, passed away on January 2 after a three-year fight with ALS. Leslie was an academic, a teacher, and a therapist. She was a lover of music, dance, and dogs (and women). There will be a memorial celebration of her life on Saturday, January 23 at the University Friends Meeting House, 4001 Ninth Avenue NE, from 4:30-7:30 p.m.
January 15, 2010
Seattle Gay News
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Seattle Pride 2010 planning in progress by Shaun Knittel SGN Staff Writer On June 27, Seattle Out and Proud (SOaP) will present the 36th Seattle Pride Parade. According to SOaP officials, preparations for the 2010 parade are in full swing. “I expect the celebratory atmosphere surrounding our Referendum 71 success to be a keystone of the parade,” Jon Mejia, SOaP secretary, told SGN. “Based on initial buzz, coupled with the fact that we have a larger volunteer base than ever before, I think we’ll see a bigger crowd than last year with approximately 200 contingents marching in the parade.” Mejia says that SOaP plans to present a thematic and visually arresting parade this year. Due to the Referendum 71 victory, the parade will also be a it more politically charged. In the months leading up to the parade, he said, SOaP will work closely with a number of community groups to present events that better encompass and represent LGBT families, women and those under 21 years old. With the second largest number of LGBT residents by percentage of population in the country – estimated around 57,900 in Seattle and almost triple that metro-wide – the city is home to a wide variety of LGBT political points of view. To that end, SOaP officials say it’s not surprising that this year’s Seattle Pride theme, “We Are ALL American,” has ignited early fireworks within the community. “I’ve had several lively and worthwhile email exchanges on the subject of our theme,” said Mejia. “In case there are any doubts, our Pride parade is always a celebration of the uniqueness of the LGBT population while simultaneously a demand for our humans rights to be recognized. The theme’s emphasis is on the capitalized word ‘ALL,’ the meaning being that everyone who lives in America, regardless of race, religion, nationality gender, or sexual orientation deserves equal treatment under our Constitution.” SOaP’s main focus will be the passage of Referendum 71 by Washington State voters during the 2009 General Election (which marked the first time in American history
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Seattle Gay News
that an LGBT civil rights issue was approved at a state ballot box), which granted Washingtonian LGBT residents the same rights and responsibilities as married heterosexual couples. Still, Mejia says, a faction within the community feel that the theme is offensive and are charging that it attempts to normalize the LGBT community. “The theme is a call to return to the founding ideals of this nation and serves as a reminder that everyone who came to this land – be it on the Mayflower hundreds of years ago or as a new arrival just last week – did so because of America’s promise to provide ALL of its citizens equal justice, a level playing field, and liberty to pursue happiness,” Mejia said in a SOaP press release last week. In addition to the parade, SOaP will also present several similarly-themed events leading up to the big day. Confirmed events include bowling, a comedy show and a Pride picnic where kids and families will enjoy a soapbox derby, an apple pie eating contest, music and games. Potential sites for this year’s picnic are Myrtle Edwards Park, Denny Park and Volunteer Park. SOaP has announced the return of one of last year’s most successful events: “Pride Idol.” This year, “Pride Idol” will have an expanded format with auditions held in Seattle and surrounding areas to select 1012 contestants who will then compete over eight weeks at R Place. Grand marshals for this year’s parade include decorated Marine Eric Alva, Iraq military hero; Greta Cammermeyer, LGBT icon who was expelled from the military under “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy and later reinstated by the U.S. Supreme Court; and former UW Husky and retired National Football League player Dave Kopay. Also being honored for their contribution to the Referendum 71 victory are Washington Families Standing Together, Equal Rights Washington, The Greater Seattle Business Association, PFLAG (Parents, Families & Friends of Lesbians and Gays), and Seattle Gay News. “Each played an important role in rallying LGBT and allied voters,” said Mejia. SOaP is actively recruiting new board
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members and volunteers who wish to help make the Pride celebrations more relevant and meaningful. To learn more about service opportunities and upcoming events, visit the organization online at www.seattlepride. org, or at the SOaP Facebook page.
“All are welcome and invited to come out and join the hundreds of thousands of neighbors, friends and family on 4th Avenue in downtown Seattle for one of the oldest and largest Pride Parades in the nation,” said Mejia.
Pride Foundation scholarship deadline is Jan. 31 by Shaun Knittel SGN Staff Writer The deadline for anyone interested in applying for a Pride Foundation scholarship is January 31. Go to www.pridefoundation.org and fill out an application before it’s too late. Each year, Pride Foundation provides educational scholarships to current and future LGBT and straight-ally leaders and role models from Alaska, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, and Washington. According to Pride Foundation officials, the deadline for applications is set by their organization and through a partnership with the Greater Seattle Business Association. The two organizations have been awarding scholarships together since 1993. Since the Pride Foundation’s inception, the organization has awarded $1.65 million to nearly 900 scholars. “It is incredibly motivating and inspiring to know that our communities are investing in leadership by supporting access to education,” Anthony Papini, the Pride Foundation’s director of scholarship programs, told SGN. “A scholarship is so much more than financial support; for many of our scholars, it is knowing that someone believes in them and wants them to succeed. Some of these students never hear that until they come for a Pride Foundation scholarship interview.” Zan McColloch-Lussier, Pride Foundation director of communications, told SGN that the scholarships are important because students who have been stigmatized or isolated because of their sexual orientation or
gender identity often lack critical family, financial, and community support. “Encouraging them to continue their education can be very challenging. Too often, individuals of great promise give up because they don’t think anyone believes in them or cares what they have to contribute,” he said. Pride Foundation also recognizes students who may not be LGBT, but who have contributed to the LGBT community. These may be the children of LGBT parents, or just friends of the Gay community whose leadership skills they want to foster. “Often times people assume that our scholarship program only benefits young people,” McColloch-Lussier told SGN. “We would like people to know that students of all ages are welcome to apply for scholarships.” Last year, he said, Pride Foundation awarded a scholarship to a woman in her 60s. According to Pride Foundation officials, the organization has over 50 different types of scholarships available, but students only need to fill out one application. Interested individuals submit one application and the scholarship review committee determines which scholarships the applicant is eligible for. Most Pride Foundation scholarships cover any accredited post-secondary school, which includes community colleges, fouryear public or private colleges and universities, trade or vocational training, creative studies programs, certificate programs, medical or law schools, or other accredited degree programs.
Estate gift benefits local HIV/AIDS organizations by Shaun Knittel SGN Staff Writer Last November, Pride Foundation received a significant bequest of $300,000 from the estate of Richard Cornwell. Cornwell, a pianist and KOMO4 broadcaster, had passed away at 75. He dedicated one fifth of his estate to Pride Foundation with the request that the money be given to HIV/AIDS organizations. “Mr. Cornwell heard about Pride Foundation through his estate planning attorney,” Zan McColloch-Lussier, Pride Foundation director of communications, told SGN. “After Mr. Cornwell passed away, his attorney contacted us to let us know of his bequest.” Pride Foundation officials say the organization’s board of directors and staff were honored by Cornwell’s trust and inspired by his generosity. “Mr. Cornwell’s estate gift is an amazing example of an authentic legacy gift,” said Audrey Haberman, executive director of Pride Foundation. “We are honored to be a part of his charitable wishes and we are fortunate to be able to fulfill his specific request to support critical HIV/AIDS services.” Eager to put his funding right to work, Pride Foundation board of directors got together and selected 27 organizations to benefit from Cornwell’s gift. In December, they awarded approximately $250,000 to the different HIV/AIDS organizations throughout Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon and Washington. The remaining funds will be distributed in 2010. According to McColloch-Lussier, the 27 HIV/AIDS organizations received varying amounts based on the size of their current expense budgets.
“I was ecstatic,” said Liz Murphy, executive director of the Missoula AIDS Council. “The news came right before World AIDS Day, at a time when we were spending money and wising we had more to spend on a great cause.” During these tough economic times, many organizations have been forced to lay off staff members or offer fewer services to their clients. In many ways, Cornwall’s gift gave a boost to these organizations when they really needed it. “We are so thankful to have a truly working relationship with the Pride Foundation,” said Scott Bertani, assistant director of Evergreen AIDS Foundation (EAF) of Bellingham. “So often, in rural communities like ours, there is a scarcity of openly LGBTQ-supportive agencies around, and to find both Pride and EAF in the same region – working in tandem on similar issues – is not only encouraging, but instrumental towards fulfilling the promises we made to our communities so long ago. Promises like solving stigma, discriminations and inequality.” McColloch-Lussier said the Pride Foundation’s only wish was that they had gotten to know Cornwell before he died. “Right now, Pride Foundation knows about hundreds of people who have left us in their estate plans,” he said, “We really like to have conversations with people to find out what their charitable goals are and to figure out the best ways to meet those goals.” Anyone can make an estate gift to Pride Foundation, and it is much easier than many people assume it is, McColloch-Lussier said. “Our staff is happy to talk with people about how they, too, can make a gift to our community.”
Celebrating 37 Years!
NORTHWEST
NEWS
compiled by Rick McKinnon SGN Staff Writer
SAFE SCHOOLS COALITION “SEVEN DEADLY SINS” LGBT SCHOLARSHIP RESOURCES “LUST” DANCE PARTY www.safeschoolscoalition.org/RG-scholOn Saturday, January 16, from 9 p.m.-2 arships.html a.m., Two Knights Event and Colt Studio present “Lust” - with DJ Ted Eiel and Colt POZ SEATTLE Man Darin Hawk at Neumos, 925 E. Pike GAYME NIGHT St. Tickets are $12 advance & at the door AT DUNSHEE HOUSE before 10 p.m.; $15 at the door after 10 On Friday, January 15, from 8 p.m. to 1 p.m. and can be purchased at Purr Cocktail a.m., POZ Seattle will host a Gayme Night Lounge, The Seattle Eagle (with no service at Dunshee House, 303 17th Ave. E., at E. charge fee) and at Mo Bar, Rudy’s BarberThomas St. Dunshee House has many board shops and at www.ticketswest.com (with games on hand, but if you have a favorite additional service charge fee). A portion you want to bring, please do so. This event of proceeds benefit Gay City. www.twokis FREE and for all HIV-positive men and nightsevent.com. their friends, regardless of age, shape, size or color. SUNDAY DISCUSSION SERIES AT REVOLUTION BOOKS CITY YEAR & Revolution Books, 89 S. Washington St., SEATTLE/KING COUNTY’S will host a 3-part Sunday discussion series, DAY OF SERVICE TO HONOR January 10, 17 & 24, from 3-5 p.m., on a DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. new talk by Bob Avakian, Chairman of the On Saturday, January 16, from 8 a.m. to 3 Revolutionary Communist Party, USA, p.m., join City Year and more than 400 Se- titled: “Unresolved Contradictions, Driving attle area community members for a day of Forces for Revolution,” available to read at transformative community service projects www.revcom.us. in the Central District to build community Topics are: January 10, Part I: “Once More and honor the life and legacy of Dr. Martin on the Coming Civil War… and RepolarizaLuther King, Jr. Meet at Washington Middle tion for Revolution;” January 17, Part II: School, 2101 S. Jackson St. – registration “(Some Observations on) The International from 8-8:30 a.m., with coffee and pastries; Movement;” January 24, Part III: “The New kickoff event from 9-10 a.m., with the Eri- Synthesis and the Woman Question: The am Sisters from America’s Got Talent; ser- Emancipation of Women and the Commuvice projects (including painting, landscap- nist Revolution – Further Leaps and Radical ing and community mural projects) from 10 Ruptures.” a.m.-3 p.m. Lace up your boots and make a difference by joining us in a powerful day BAILEY-BOUSHAY HOUSE’S of service. To pre-register, contact Lauren at ANNUAL CHEF’S DINNER 206-219-5008 or emal Lguzauskas@cityAT BELL HARBOR year.org. INT’L CONFERENCE CENTER On Sunday, January 17, Virginia Mason Q-SQUARE BOOK GROUP hosts their annual Chef’s Dinner, a culinary TO DISCUSS extravaganza to benefit Bailey-Boushay IN A SHALLOW GRAVE House. Guests will enjoy the best that SeOn Saturday, January 16, at 1 p.m., at attle chefs have to offer at an hors d’oeuvres the Capitol Hill Branch Library, 425 Har- reception and silent auction. Then 300 vard Ave. E., the Q-Squared Book Group guests will go on to an exclusive multiwill discuss the novel In a Shallow Grave course dinner prepared by more than a dozen by James Purdy. Publisher’s Weekly called celebrated area chefs. The event will be held the book, “A marvelous tour-de-force. A at the Bell Harbor International Conference novel that engages as it entertains, draws the Center, beautifully situated on Elliott Bay at reader in as it draws something out of him. Pier 66, 2211 Alaskan Way, with reception In other words, a very impressive book.” and wine auction at 5 p.m. ($75 per person); Tennessee Williams had this praise for the dinner at 7 p.m. ($300 or $600 per person, author: “Purdy may shock and offend some which includes reception, wine auction and partisans of the well-trodden paths in fic- dinner). For more information and to make tion, but he will surely enchant the reader reservations, call 206-223-7504 or visit who values a new expression of new feel- www.ChefsDinner.org. ing and experience in our very new times.” Q-Squared Book Group is open to men who GAY-STRAIGHT ALLIANCE (GSA) are interested in Gay literature and always SEVENTH ANNUAL welcomes new members. For more inforLEADERSHIP SUMMIT mation, visit www.qsquared.org. On Monday, January 18, from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., GLSEN Washington State/WashGAY BINGO ington GSA Network invites all educators, RETURNS JANUARY 16 students, advisors and interested adults TO BENEFIT to the Seventh Annual Washington State LIFELONG AIDS ALLIANCE Gay-Straight Alliance (GSA) Leadership Lifelong AIDS Alliance’s long running Summit, presented by the Gay, Lesbian Gay Bingo season returns on Saturday, and Straight Education Network (GLSEN) January 16 with “Boot Camp Gay Bingo” Washington State. The event will be held at a NEW VENUE – Fremont Studios, 155 at the Kirkland Teen Union Building, 348 N. 35th St. – doors at 6 p.m., game starts Kirkland Ave., Kirkland. promptly at 7 p.m. The season continues on “You are a vital part of the LGBTQA February 20 with “Racy and Lacy Bingo,” community! Educate yourself on new and March 20 is “When in Rome Gay Bingo,” interesting ideas that can help you work April 17 is “Biker Babe Gay Bingo,” May with your school, community, or those you 22 is “Blue Hair Gay Bingo,” and June 19 come in contact with. GLSEN provides curis “Beach Blanket Gay Bingo.” Tickets are riculum ideas, sensitivity trainings, and re$25 and a full bar will be available. Due to sources for all educators, students, advisors Washington State Liquor Control regula- and interested adults. tions, all guests must be 21 years of age or “Learn about opportunities for your GSA, older. hear new ideas and meet other students in Visit the NEW Lifelong AIDS Alliance GSA’s across Washington State. Clock Gay Bingo website at www.gaybingose- hours available for certified educators!” attle.com for more information and to buy Cost is $15, which includes lunch with your tickets. Or contact Gay Bingo at 206- advance registration. (If students can’t pay 323-0069 or gaybingo@llaa.org. the full amount, they can pay what they can at the door.) For more information, contact joe@glsenwa.org or call 206-330-2099 or 877-220-4213. To register, visit www. brownpapertickets.com/event/89894 or www.glsenwa.org. To help underwrite this event, donations can be sent to GLSEN WA,
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1605 12th Ave., Ste 35, Seattle, WA 98102. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR., DAY CELEBRATION IN SEATTLE On Monday, January 18, the Martin Luther King, Jr., Celebration Committee hosts the annual region-wide Martin Luther King, Jr., Day Celebration in Seattle with workshops, rally and march. This year’s theme is “Justice Now! Healthcare, Housing, Jobs & Education.” The day’s event will begin at Garfield High School, 400 23rd Ave. E., with workshops, including several geared toward youth, from 9:30-10:45 a.m. The rally with speakers, poetry and music follows at 11 a.m. At noon, the march steps off from Garfield to the Jackson Federal Building, 2nd Ave. & Marion St., in downtown Seattle, for a brief outdoor rally. The day’s events are FREE and a collection will be taken to cover the cost of the event. “Seattle has one of the largest annual Martin Luther King, Jr., Day Celebrations in the U.S. We honor the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., for his work toward racial equality and toward economic justice for all people, for his commitment to non-violence, and for his stand against war and militarism.” www. MLKseattle.org. “RE-ENVISION THE DREAM” – DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. HOLIDAY CELEBRATION AT SEATTLE CENTER On Monday, January 18, from noon to 5 p.m., the Center House at Seattle Center hosts an afternoon of entertainment and reflection on how we uphold the dream now that we have our first African-American president of the United States. The celebration takes on a youth focus this year with presentation of the MLK Youth Peace Awards, the MLK Seattle Youth Violence Prevention Awards and a full afternoon of activities in honor of Dr. Martin Luther, Jr. The Legacy of Leadership Exhibit in Harrison Street Gallery features visual art work by MLK award recipients of the past nine years. For a complete schedule of events, visit www.seattlecenter.com. GAY SKATE PARTY AT BELLEVUE SKATE KING On Monday, January 18, from 7-10 p.m., enjoy an evening of roller skating at Bellevue Skate King, 2301 140th Ave. NE, Bellevue, at this LGBTQ community social event for friends and family. Cost is $8 at the door; $5 under 18. Regular skate rentals: FREE. Inline skate rentals: $4 or bring your own skates. For more information and directions, call 425-458-4707. CAPITOL HILL EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS KICK-OFF MEETING On Monday, January 18, at 7 p.m., come meet your Capitol Hill neighbors at Bluebird Homemade Ice Cream and Tea Shop, 1205 E. Pike St., and learn what emergency preparedness is all about, get empowered and organize with your neighbors. GAY CITY HOSTS CHATROOM ON “OPEN TO BEING OPEN” On Monday, January 18, at 7 p.m., Kaijson and Leon Nolimar reprise their popular Gay City University class on negotiating open relationships at Gay City, 511 E. Pike St. FREE. For more information, call 206860-6969 or visit www.gaycity.org. SEATTLE GAY & LESBIAN BOOK CLUB AT DUNSHEE HOUSE The Seattle Gay & Lesbian Book Club meets every Wednesday at 6 p.m. at Dunshee House, 303 17th Ave. E. at E. Thomas St. The club is pleased to announce the following titles to be discussed in their ongoing reading and discussion series: January – The Immoralist by Andre Gide; February – A Single Man by Christopher Isherwood. All GLBTQ folks in the community are welcome to participate in this free book club. The reading list is chosen and the discussion facilitated by Nick DiMartino, published novelist and playwright, currently a book reviewer for ShelfAwareness.com, and a 30-year employee of University Book Store. For more information, email nickdimartin@ earthlink.net or contact Dunshee House at 206-322-2437.
January 15, 2010
TWISTED! COMEDY SHOW AT THE COMEDY UNDERGROUND On Wednesday, January 20, at 8 p.m., TK Kasnick hosts “TWISTED!,” a “Sex Positive Community” Comedy Show, at the Comedy Underground, 109 S. Washington St., featuring Toby Ro berts. Tickets are $10 at the door. Must be 18+ and 21+ to purchase alcohol. Wear something sexy! “TWISTED!,” a sex positive event, questions and stretches the 1950’s sex/sexuality morals prevalent in America. Comedians and variety acts from the LGBTQA and BDSM communities sizzle with suggestability and laughter. TK Kasnick, a Bisexual comedienne from both communities, hosts the show with a hot sensuality that must be experienced. Every month, a different theme and a different experience from BSDM play will be demonstrated, courtesy of the Center for Sex Positive Culture – www.sexpositiveculture.org. Upcoming performances at Comedy Underground on 2/17 and 3/24. www.comedyunderground.com. COUNTRY DOCTOR COMMUNITY HEALTH CLINIC OFFERS HEALTH CARE NIGHT FOR LGBTQ COMMUNITY Spectrum Natural Health at Country Doctor Community Health Clinic, 500 19th Ave. E., offers primary and naturopathic care for the LGBTQ community every Thursday, from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Providers have been serving the LGBTQ community for many years. Cost is sliding scale – no one turned away for lack of funds. For information and to make an appointment, call 206299-1600. KNIGHTS OF MALTA HOSTS BEGGARS FEAST 2010 On Saturday, January 23 – 5 p.m. doors, 6 p.m. feast – the Knights of Malta, Jet Chapter, presents the K of M Beggars Feast 2010 – “The Renaissance Knight” – at Russian Hall, 704 19th Ave. E., featuring a traditional five-course meal. The menu will feature Vatican Meatball Soup, Queen Maud’s Salad with Fennel and Orange Shrimp, Sir Lance-A-Lot Chicken Breast, with veggies and bread, Drawn-and-Quartered Pork Ribs, with potatoes and bread, and Jester’s Delight Cheesecake, plus beverages. The cost of the feast is $35. For more information and to RSVP, visit http://jetchapterkofm.com. GAYSHA STARR PRESENTS “BEDAZZLED” – A BENEFIT FOR GLSEN AT NEIGHBOURS On Saturday, January 23 - door at 6 p.m., cabaret at 7 p.m. – Gaysha Starr presents “Bedazzled,” at Neighbours, 1509 Broadway – entrance in alley off E. Pike St. Over 15 of Seattle’s finest drag entertainers will be appearing on one stage for one night to dazzle and delight you with their extraordinary talent at this benefit for GLSEN Washington, the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network. A minimum $5 donation will be requested at the door at this 21 & over event. Enjoy a special auction and raffle and BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION for Gaysha Starr! www.gayshastarr.com. PRIDE FOUNDATION & GSBA OFFERING $300,000 IN SCHOLARSHIPS FOR 2010-11 Pride Foundation and the Greater Seattle Business Association (GSBA) are accepting applications for 2010-11 scholarships to eligible LGBT students and straight allies. Currently, $300,000 in scholarship money is available during this cycle. Pride Foundation along with the GSBA offers 50 different scholarships, all through a single streamlined application. For more information on previous scholars, the scholarship process, or how to start a scholarship fund, visit www.pridefoundation.org/scholarships/ or www.PrideFoundationScholar.org or thegsbascholarship.org. Applications must be submitted by January 31, 2010 at 5 p.m. PST.
Seattle Gay News
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Pat Robertson: Haiti had it coming!
REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz
And you know, Christy, something happened a long time ago in Haiti and people might not want to talk about it. They were under the heel of the French, uh, you know, Napoleon the third and whatever. And they got together and swore a pact to the Devil. They said, ‘We will serve you if you’ll get us free from the French.’ True story, and so the Devil said, ‘OK, it’s a deal.’ And they kicked the French out. You know, the Haitians revolted and got themselves free. But ever since they’ve been cursed by one thing after the other desperately poor. That island is Hispanola is one island. It’s cut down the middle. On one side is Haiti on the other side is the Dominican Republic. Dominican Republic is prosperous, healthy, full of resorts, etc. Haiti is in desperate poverty. Same island. Uh, they need Residents pass by collapsed buildings to have, and we need to in Port-au-Prince on January 13 pray for them a great by Mike Andrew turning to God and out of this tragedy. I’m SGN Staff Writer optimistic something good may come but right now we’re helping the suffering people Less than 24 hours after a devastating and the suffering is unimaginable. earthquake hit Port-au-Prince, Haiti, causing widespread destruction and loss of life, This is not the first time Robertson has attelevangelist Pat Robertson checked in with tributed natural disasters to God’s wrath. He his verdict on the tragedy: Haiti had it com- has linked Hurricane Katrina and terrorist ing! attacks to legalized abortion, for example. The magnitude 7.0 quake – the most pow“I was reading, yesterday, a book that was erful to hit Haiti in a century – struck shortly very interesting about what God has to say before 5 p.m. on Tuesday, January 12. It was in the Old Testament about those who shed centered about 10 miles southwest of Hai- innocent blood. … But have we found we ti’s capital and largest city, Port-au-Prince. are unable somehow to defend ourselves The quake was powerful enough to be felt against some of the attacks that are comstrongly in eastern Cuba, more than 200 ing against us, either by terrorists or now by miles away, witnesses said. natural disaster? Could they be connected in Haitian Prime Minister Jean-Max Bel- some way?” Robertson said in a September lerive told reporters that “well over 100,000 12, 2005 broadcast of The 700 Club. people” may have died in the national diOn his January 2, 2007 700 Club broadsaster. Water, electricity, and phone service cast, Robertson reported that God had inwere reported disrupted all over the capital, formed him that “mass killings” were to and many buildings have collapsed, includ- come during 2007, due to a terrorist attack ing the UN Relief Agency headquarters and on the United States. He added, “The Lord Haiti’s Presidential Palace. didn’t say nuclear. But I do believe it will be On his The 700 Club broadcast, Robertson something like that.” first suggested that the devastating earthIn late 1976, Robertson predicted that the quake might actually be “a blessing in dis- end of the world was coming in November guise,” because it could hasten the modern- or October 1982. ization of Haiti. He ran for the Republican presidential He then launched into this idiosyncratic nomination against then-Vice President interpretation of Haitian history: George H.W. Bush in 1988, but was unsuccessful.
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Seattle Gay News
January 15, 2010
Suspect in Puerto Rico Gay murder fit to stand trial by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer Court psychiatrist Rafael Cabrera reversed his previous findings and declared Juan Jose Martinez Matos fit to stand trial for the murder of Gay teenager Jorge Steven Lopez Mercado. Cabrera announced his finding at a January 13 hearing before Judge Miriam Camila Justino in Caguas, Puerto Rico. At a hearing last December, Cabrera found Martinez “psychotic” and asked that he be held in a psychiatric hospital for observation. “The quest for justice has begun,” Pedro Julio Serrano of the National Gay & Lesbian Task Force texted reporters from inside the courthouse. Martinez is charged with murdering Lopez on November 15, decapitating and dismembering him, and partially burning his remains. When arrested, Martinez readily confessed to the killing but claimed extenuating circumstances. He picked up Lopez thinking he was a female prostitute, Martinez told police, and became angry when he realized his error. In the ensuing scuffle, Martinez claimed, Lopez pulled a knife and he killed Lopez in self-defense. Puerto Rican authorities have rejected Martinez’s claims and promised to prosecute him under Puerto Rico’s hate crimes law. The FBI’s San Juan office has also been monitoring the case, to determine if Martinez should be prosecuted under federal hate crimes laws.
Assistant Attorney General Thomas Perez, head of the Justice Department’s civil rights division, told reporters in December that he is keeping a close eye on the case. “That case is being investigated and prosecuted right now by the state of Puerto Rico as both a murder, and they do have a hate crimes law in Puerto Rico, so we’re closely monitoring that case, as we do all cases, and we continue to follow that case very closely,” he said. In contrast to the US government, Puerto Rico’s Governor Luis Fortuno has remained silent on the case, to the outrage of both local activists and US political leaders of Puerto Rican descent. “There are a lot of people who are extremely angry about how the governor has responded to this situation,” New York City Council Speaker Christine Quinn said as she spoke at a fundraiser for Lopez’s family at the Nuyorican Poets Café on Manhattan’s Lower East Side this week. Quinn will travel with New York City Council members Rosie Mendez (D-Lower East Side) and Melissa Mark-Viverito (DEast Harlem), and other New York political leaders to meet with Lopez’s family and LGBT activists in Puerto Rico. “Never doubt that the support from New York and from the community in New York enhances the struggle in Puerto Rico; we saw this with Vieques and we will do it for justice for Jorge Steven López Mercado,” Mendez said, referencing the decades-long struggle to get the US Navy to abandon its weapons-testing facility on the Puerto Rican island of Vieques.
DC court rejects antimarriage referendum by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer A DC superior court judge ruled on January 14 that opponents of the city’s new same-sex marriage law do not have a right to hold a referendum on the issue. In her ruling, Judge Judith N. Macaluso said that the DC Board of Elections and Ethics “properly rejected the proposed initiative” because of the Human Rights Act. The board twice rejected a proposed referendum or initiative on same-sex marriage because city law prohibits a public vote on any matter covered by the Human Rights Act. That law outlaws discrimination against Gay men and Lesbians, and other minority groups. “[I]t is clear that a community cannot by initiative authorize discrimination as a matter of government policy,” Macaluso wrote. Bishop Harry Jackson of Hope Christian Church, an outspoken opponent of marriage equality, had appealed the board’s ruling in superior court. Judge Macaluso also rejected arguments that same-sex marriage should be illegal in the District because of the 1995 Dean v. District of Columbia decision. In that case, the Court of Appeals ruled that the city did not have to recognize samesex marriage because the intent of the government opposing such marriages was clear. Now, Macaluso ruled, the intent of the government in favor of allowing two men or two women to marry is clear.
“These clear manifestations of intent to alter the traditional definition of marriage did not exist when Dean was decided,” the judge wrote. “Dean expressly relied upon the absence of such indications in concluding that the Council intended to retain the definition of marriage as occurring only between a man and a woman. Under these circumstances, Dean’s holding is no longer controlling.” As required by law, the DC City Council passed the new same-sex marriage law twice, on December 1 and December 15, 2009. It was signed by Mayor Adrian Fenty on December 18. Congress has 30 days from the beginning of its 2010 session to overturn the new law if it chooses to do so. If Congress does not overturn it, and if anti-marriage forces cannot get the courts to allow a referendum, the law will stand. Thirty-nine Republican members of Congress filed an amicus brief in support of Jackson’s appeal, arguing that the elections board overstepped its authority in denying a public vote on the definition of marriage. Congressional Republicans have little prospect of overturning the new law however, since Democrats, who make up the majority in both houses, have shown no interest in intervening. City officials say that absent Congressional intervention, marriage licenses will be available to same-sex couples around the first week of March. Jackson is thought likely to appeal Macaluso’s ruling to an appellate court.
Celebrating 37 Years!
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ENDA markup in February, vote in March, says Barney Frank by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer
the room and Chairman [George] Miller is deeply involved in those discussions,” Albright said. “But the chairman said it is a Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.), prime priority and he’s committed to doing it early sponsor of the Employment Non-Discrimi- this year.” nation Act (ENDA) in the US House of Representatives, told The Advocate on January Transgender language 12 that he expected a committee markup of being reworked the bill next month, followed soon after by a In his Advocate interview, Frank also revote in the full House. vealed that House members were reworking “I expect the committee to vote on it in language relating to Transgender workers. February and I think it will pass the House “There continue to be concerns on the part in March,” he said. of many members about the Transgender isENDA would expand the protections sue, particularly about the question of placof Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act – es where people are without their clothes which prohibits discrimination by employ- – showers, bathrooms, locker rooms, etc.,” ers based on race, gender and religion – by Frank said. “We still have this issue about extending similar protections to sexual ori- what happens when people who present entation and gender identity. themselves as one sex but have the physiThe House Education and Labor Com- cal characteristics of the other sex, what mittee had originally scheduled its ENDA rules govern what happens in locker rooms, markup in November, but abruptly cancelled showers, etc.” it without explanation. While the committee Mara Keisling, executive director of the still has not released an official hearing date, National Center for Transgender Equality, committee member Rep. Jared Polis (D-Co- said she did not believe it was necessary to lo.) confirmed Frank’s projection. address situations where people might be Polis told the DC Agenda newspaper that partially unclothed in the bill. he expected a committee markup this month “But if members say we need bathroom or next, with passage by the House soon af- language, we are prepared to talk about how ter. you do that in ways that are fair and reason“Once it’s been marked up in committee, able,” she said. it’s simply a matter of scheduling it for the In 2007, the House passed a version of floor, and that of course depends on what ENDA that excluded Transgender workers. else is coming to the floor, whether it’s Because then-President George Bush promhealth care or whatever it is, but it shouldn’t ised to veto it, it was never voted on in the take very long,” he said. Senate. HRC Legislative Director Allison Herwitt The current version of ENDA protects is also expecting committee action within gender identity as well as sexual orientathe next month. tion. “We’re hopeful that it will be either JanuPolis said House members expect to pass ary or February, and we’re pushing for that,” “an inclusive ENDA that includes protecshe told reporters. tions based on gender identity.” Nevertheless, committee spokesperson Herwitt also expressed optimism that the Aaron Albright told reporters that “nothing House would be able to pass an inclusive has been scheduled yet.” ENDA. Albright indicated that the committee’s “I think that we’re in a really strong place other legislative responsibilities, including in the House,” she said. “I think that, again, the yet-to-be-concluded health care debate, when we look at our vote count for final might delay action on ENDA. passage, it looks good for a fully inclusive “Health care is the 800-pound gorilla in bill.”
King County Labor Council takes up ENDA by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer
On January 6, the Martin Luther King County Labor Council (MLKCLC) committed itself to advocate for “speedy passage of ENDA legislation including both sexual orientation and gender identity.” The resolution to do so passed the MLKCLC Executive Board unanimously. On January 8, the MLKCLC resolution was distributed to its 150 affiliated unions with a recommendation that they do likewise. The MLKCLC’s action came at the request of Pride At Work – the LGBT labor organization. Pride At Work is affiliated with the AFL-CIO, but includes members of Change To Win and independent unions, as well as non-union allies. In the resolution, the MLKCLC recognized that “LGBT workers still suffer discrimination in hiring and advancement, harassment in the workplace, exclusion of their partners from health and other benefits, and on average earn lower wages than their straight counterparts,” and that “this discrimination is especially pronounced for Lesbians, LGBT people of color, and Transgender workers.…” The resolution also noted that “federal employees have no statutory protections against sexual orientation or gender identity
discrimination in the workplace,” and that “only 12 states currently have statutory protections against both sexual orientation and gender identity discrimination in the workplace.…” The MLKCLC promised to contact US Senators Maria Cantwell and Patty Murray, and members of Congress who represent King County to lobby for ENDA. The MLKCLC will also bring up the resolution at the Washington State Labor Council’s February 10 Executive Board meeting. ENDA – the federal Employment NonDiscrimination Act – would expand the protections of Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, which prohibits discrimination by em-
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Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.)
Senate may be an obstacle Frank reiterated, as he has said all along, that the biggest hurdle would be the Senate. “Getting 60 votes for it is going to be tough,” he said, “so people need to focus on lobbying Senators.” Keisling expressed cautious optimism about prospects for passage in the Senate. “Could I name you 60 for the Senate right now, that would be a stretch,” she said. “But the most important way we can put pressure on the Senate is by passing this in the House.” The HRC’s Herwitt said the schedule in the Senate “is a little less clear” than in the House. “I think that we’re going to talk to [Health Education Labor and Pensions Committee Chair Tom] Harkin’s staff people, committee staff and try to figure all of that out. What’s the timeframe that they’re looking at, how will we envision the bill moving forward in the Senate?” she said. “I mean, obviously, the Senate provides us more challenges in moving legislation, especially when it is freestanding,” she
added. Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), ENDA prime sponsor in the Senate, has said the HELP Committee will take up ENDA “in the spring.” Herwitt also said that inclusion of Transgender workers is more problematic on the Senate side than in the House. “We have education that we need to do and have conversations,” she said. “I know that Sen. Merkley and his staff have been really on top of this, and having those conversations staff-to-staff – and the senator is having colleague-to-colleague conversations. And we just need to continue some of that process and then see where we are with the vote count.” Asked whether the gender identity provisions could be a sticking point in the Senate, Herwitt replied, “I think what I’m saying is we’re still in the process of figuring all of that out. The conversations are still happening, the education process is still ongoing and obviously we want to make sure that the bill moves forward when it can move forward as a fully inclusive bill.”
ployers based on race, gender and religion, by extending similar protections to sexual orientation and gender identity. The current ENDA bill was introduced in the US House in June 2009, and in the Senate the following August. Unlike the 2007 version, it includes protections for Transgender workers. All six of Washington’s Democratic Congress members are co-sponsors of ENDA, as are its two senators. Two of Washington’s three Republican Congress members have already stated they will vote against ENDA. Republican Dave Reichert, who represents King County’s Eastside, has not stated a position, but is thought to be leaning towards a Yes vote. He voted Yes in 2007, the last time ENDA came up for a vote in Congress. Consideration of ENDA has been delayed because of the Senate’s protracted debate on health care. Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.), ENDA’s
prime sponsor in the US House, predicted in the summer of 2009 that ENDA would pass the House in December 2009 or February 2010, with the Senate voting on it in spring 2010. However, the House Education and Labor Committee’s markup of the bill, scheduled for November 18, 2009, was abruptly cancelled with no new date set for a hearing. Pride At Work activists have been concerned that if ENDA does not pass by the time Congressional election campaigns get under way this fall, the bill may have no chance of passage till 2013. Republicans, who by and large oppose ENDA, are expected to make gains in the 2010 elections. A gain of even one seat in the Senate would effectively kill Democrats’ chances of passing their favored legislation, since 60 votes are required to bring measures to a vote in the Senate. The current balance is 58 Democrats, 2 Independents who caucus with the Democrats, and 40 Republicans.
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tion before declaring his personal opinion. He also insisted that, regardless of what is continued from cover taught in schools, parents have the freedom and a greater responsibility to influence their and Charles Cooper for the defense – the children’s thoughts and behavior. two same-sex couples took the stand, deMEET THE PLAINTIFFS scribing their lives and, particularly, the inKristin Perry is the title name in the lawferiority they feel in being unable to wed. The male couple, Paul Katami and Jeff Za- suit, Perry v. Schwarzenegger. She and her rillo of Burbank, are registered domestic partner, Sandra Stier, who reside in Berkepartners in California, but they testified that ley, had a longer history to explain on the it fails to fulfill all rights enjoyed by married stand. Sandra was married to a man previpersons. Plus, Frank said, “It’s demoraliz- ously. But she and Perry now have four ing and humiliating” for their relationship to boys. They were married in 2004, when the City of San Francisco briefly issued marbear an alternative name. The defense only cross-examined the riage licenses to same-sex couples, but then male couple in the case. The hot topic at had to void them after the California Suthat point, and through much of the first few preme Court intervened. “I’d feel more secure and more protective days of the trial, centered on the “protect the children” aspect of the Yes on 8 campaign. of my children if I were allowed to marry,” Cooper, who showed taped testimony from Stier said. The plaintiffs are very youthful, especialtwo Massachusetts parents who said their child was taught about two princes marry- ly Katami and Zarillo, who are in their miding each other after the state legalized same- 30s. Perry is 45, Stier is 47. And they apsex marriage, asked Katami if he thought pear tightly bonded as friends, not just joint sex education should be taught to second- plaintiffs. Katami and Zarillo embraced and graders if illustrating different marital rela- kissed the ladies after they each testified and returned to their seats next to them. tions was also acceptable. Judge Walker is an inquisitive man, and Katami only replied that “children are growing up faster than they used to,” and known for being unpredictable and an indethat he would have to see details on how a pendent thinker. Some of his questions may school was preparing to teach sex educa- have been rhetorical, as they didn’t always receive clear answers. He asked Olson, for instance, if state action or society was to blame for the alleged inferior status of domestic partnerships. And could the federal Defense of Marriage Act be constitutional, yet Prop 8 not be? To the plaintiffs, he solicited their thoughts on relegating every couple’s relationship to something “other than marriage.” After contemplating a moment, the plaintiffs agreed that would probably be acceptable, since then everyone would be on the same ground. When Cooper, as some politicians have done recently, pointed out that President
Ryan Burr
prop 8
Longtime Gay-rights supporters and friends Gene Blossom (l) and Paul Matzner in front of the federal courthouse in San Francisco after Tuesday’s session of the Prop 8 trial
Obama is not supportive of same-sex marriage, Walker couldn’t resist stating that, if the president’s parents were living in Virginia at the time he was born, they would not have been permitted to marry due to an interracial marriage ban that remained on the books and enforced until the late 1960s. “Doesn’t that indicate there’s been quite a change in our understanding of what people are entitled to marry?” he asked. “Couldn’t an argument be made that there’s been a similar evolution with respect to same-sex marriage?”
CASE BUILDS AGAINST PROP 8 The City of San Francisco was allowed to intervene in this case to show that it and the county have suffered economically as a result of Prop 8’s passage. San Francisco ’s Chief Deputy City Attorney Therese Stewart claimed that allowing same-sex marriage licensing would create a $35 million surplus for the city. Expert testimony began late in the first day, with Harvard history professor Nancy Cott sharing how drastically marriage has changed, which she learned while researching for a book on the history of marriage. Debunking Cooper’s repeated worry that
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marriage always has been and must continue to be an entirely “pro-child institution,” Cott said that procreation has never been the central purpose of marriage in the United States. She noted that George Washington, the father of the nation, was sterile. Procreation was one of the purposes of marriage, but the larger purpose was to create stable households, she said. She predicted a more stable society if all groups of people are permitted to marry, harkening back to days when slaves, once emancipated, immediately began marrying in droves. George Chauncey, a professor at Yale University who has studied gender and sexuality, was on the stand for several hours, describing the “widespread and acute” discrimination Gays and Lesbians have experienced in public and private life for the last 100-plus years. Examples included sodomy laws, entrapment by police and discrimination in public accommodations, employment, hate crimes, violence, and stereotypes. Although these comments generally kept the audience stoic, there were plenty of moments of laughter from the courtroom. For instance, Chauncey said when police went to bars to search for homosexuals – who were not permitted in such establishments
after the repeal of Prohibition in 1933 – police would look for “signs” that a Gay person was in their presence. One give-away: “two men talking about the opera.” Olson and Boies will try to show that Prop 8 was motivated by anti-Gay bias, in addition to the other constitutional claims. Cooper, meanwhile, asserted in his opening remarks that same-sex marriage is “too novel a social experiment,” and states like California are entitled to adopt a wait-andsee approach to the results such laws have elsewhere, like in The Netherlands. Cooper is trying to show that allowing same-sex marriage has a detrimental impact on opposite-sex marriage and society at large. He furnished numbers that showed The Netherlands has seen increased divorce and more non-married couples living together since same-sex couples were granted marriage rights. THE TRIAL CONTINUES “It Feels Better When You’re Married” signs were numerous outside San Francisco’s federal courtroom as the trial recessed for the day. A lone man with a “Yes On 8 Forever” sign could be seen in the area before those on both sides of the issue went home to prepare for court the next day.
Recording blocked indefinitely at Prop 8 trial by James Whitely SGN Contributing Writer Two hours before the Proposition 8 trial, Perry v. Schwarzenegger, was scheduled to start on January 11, the U.S. Supreme Court blocked video recording of the proceedings from being posted on internet video site YouTube. The court stated that justices needed more time to review the issue, and therefore tabled the discussion until January 13. Proposition 8 supporters have sought to block footage of the trial from being uploaded to YouTube after it had already been approved. Chief U.S. District Judge Vaughn R. Walker stated that the case was appropriate for wide dissemination because it dealt with an issue of wide interest and importance. However, in a rare rebuke to a trial judge,
the Supreme Court voted 5-4 to block the planned telecasting of the trial over the constitutionality of Proposition 8. The court ruled that Chief U.S. District Judge Walker had not given the public enough time to comment on the telecasting before issuing his order. “The Supreme Court just struck a huge blow against transparency and accountability. The five conservative justices are enabling the Prop 8 supporters to mask their radical views, preventing the transparency that an effective court system needs. This historic trial will remain largely hidden from public view, despite its historic potential to challenge and change the minds of Americans,” said Rick Jacobs, chair of the Los Angeles-based, 700,000-member Courage Campaign in a statement regarding the Supreme Court’s decision.
portugal
continued from cover ing. For Socialist Prime Minister Jose Socrates, it was the fulfillment of his January 2009 campaign promise to legalize samesex marriages if he were reelected. All the left-wing parties joined the governing Socialists in voting Yes. The centerright Social Democratic deputies all voted No. The bill must now be reviewed by a parliamentary committee before coming back for a final vote in parliament. It must then be ratified by the president, and formally entered in the Diario da Republica official gazette. If all goes as planned, the first same-sex wedding could take place in April – ironically, just a month before an official visit by Pope Benedict XVI. Portugal’s President Anibal Cavaco Silva is a rightist, but he is expected to ratify the measure. Portugal is a parliamentary democracy, in which the president is a largely ceremonial figure. Even if the president vetoes the bill, parliament can re-pass it over his objections and order it entered into the Diario. Prime Minister Jose Socrates took the floor in person to introduce the bill, saying it would put right an injustice that had caused unnecessary pain. The opposition Social Democrats introduced a counter-proposal for expanded civil unions, but this was rejected as discriminatory by the Socialists. Portugal first approved limited civil unions in 2001 under a previous Socialist government. The new law has been fiercely opposed by Roman Catholic conservatives. Rightist parties wanted a national referendum on the issue and circulated a petition that collected
more than 90,000 signatures, but their proposal was rejected. Marriage equality first became a national political issue in Portugal’s 2005 elections. At that time, the Socialists failed to take a clear position on the proposal, although the Socialist Party’s youth organization came out strongly in favor. In 2008, the Left Bloc in the Portuguese parliament introduced a bill to legalize same-sex marriage, but it was opposed by both the Socialists and the right, and failed 202-28. The next year, Jose Socrates made passing the bill one of his campaign planks. If and when the bill is ratified, Portugal will be the sixth country in Europe to allow same-sex marriages after Belgium, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden and Norway. Portugal’s Socialist Party has its origins in the 1974 “Carnation Revolution” which overthrew the previous rightist dictatorship. On April 25, 1975, it formed Portugal’s first democratically elected government in almost 50 years. The Socialists have since formed three other governments, alternating with their right-wing opponents. Jose Socrates Carvalho Pinto de Sousa – usually known simply as Jose Socrates – has been prime minister since 2005. He is divorced from his wife, under Portugal’s civil divorce law passed on May 27, 1975, one of the first acts of the new democratically elected Socialist government. Long-standing laws against homosexuality were repealed by a center-right government in 1982. Jose Socrates’ government legalized abortions in 2008. While 84.5% of Portugal’s people are Roman Catholic, the church has been somewhat discredited by its association with the series of dictators who ruled Portugal from 1926-1974. The constitution of 1975 specifies that Portugal is a secular state.
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Seattle Gay News 17
ERW
continued from cover riage bill is not expected to pass the current session in Olympia because ERW and the bill’s supporters will press forward only when they believe a win is possible, both legislatively and at the ballot box. “We aren’t there yet,” Friedes admits, “but we are getting closer with each passing day.” THE IMPORTANCE OF VOTER EDUCATION “Voters remain ambivalent about marriage equality. As it stands, there just isn’t a full understanding as to why domestic partnerships do not meet the needs of Gay families,” he told SGN. “An education campaign is important because some of our would-be supporters have a lot of unanswered questions.” For example, he said, a lot of voters who care about LGBT rights still have concerns about whether or not kids of Gay and Lesbian couples grow up well-adjusted. Voters still don’t understand that if same-sex marriage were legal, churches would not be forced to marry Gay couples. In addition,
Friedes says there is a lot of work to be done with people of faith. Part of the education process, according to Friedes, will be devoted to talking openly about what comes with a marriage license. “Most legally married couples don’t understand the depth of protection they get through legal marriage,” he told SGN. “They fail to understand those protections are important to families in times of crisis. There are intangible rights associated with marriage that we are not getting with domestic partnerships.” “Marriage is about love, commitment, and concern – legal marriage is the structure by which we support those values,” he said. “Most people are unaware of the comprehensive legal protections, responsibilities and benefits that you get with a marriage license.” With domestic partnerships, Gay and Lesbian couples get the same legal rights as married couples in Washington State, but those rights evaporate at the state’s borders. “When you get a marriage license, the state asks the federal government to give the federal protections that goes along with the nuptials. This is not done with domestic partnerships,” Friedes told SGN. “The Federal Defense of Marriage Act blocks the recognition of couples of the same sex. In states that have Gay marriage, a Gay or Lesbian couple with a marriage license may not be getting the federal protections, but at least the states are asking the federal government for them. Washington State does not do this for domestic partnerships.” ADDING TO FOUR YEARS OF SUCCESS Friedes says that LGBT Washingtonians have had four incredible years of legislative success. The economic downturn has had a dramatic effect on state revenue. As the legislature grapples with the budget crisis, Friedes said ERW will work with coalition
partners to ensure that budget cuts are as humane as possible. Additionally, the organization will work to find new sources of revenue because “an all-cuts budget will simply leave Washington’s most vulnerable unprotected” and every Washingtonian “will see cuts in services that are unacceptable.” He said ERW is particularly concerned about possible budget cuts to HIV prevention programs and other health care services. As one would expect, a number of bills have grown out of the passage of Referendum 71. “ERW is seeking to ensure the integrity of the ballot initiative process,” said Friedes. “There are a number of bills being filed, that address the problems that we encountered during the signature verification process.” Friedes says that ERW is behind a bill that would fix a technical flaw in the state’s hate crimes law. According to Friedes, the law – as it stands – applies to future threats, not present threats. The bill is a technical one, but Friedes says ERW believes it is important that the problem be fixed. “The scope of the law has been limited by a court case,” he told SGN. “We need to restore the law to what its original intent was.” Another bill ERW has its eye on is the state’s anti-bullying law. Washington State has what is considered a model anti-bullying law, but results from a study the legislation commissioned found that the law needs to be strengthened. According to Friedes, lawmakers found that although the law is respected nationally, there has not been a reduction of bullying in Washington schools. Rep. Marko Liias will be leading this effort. Washington State Rep. Jamie Pedersen has introduced a bill that would ensure that individuals would recognize legal unions of same-sex couples from other states as stateregistered domestic partnerships in Washington. The measure would ensure that married couples from out of state would have basic protections while they were in Washington, and it would also mean that couples in Washington would not have to register if they had legally married in another jurisdiction. Friedes says the bill had a January 13 hearing in the House Judiciary Committee with some very compelling testimony from a surviving partner whose spouse died while on a family vacation in Florida. Friedes says the legislature clearly understood not to harm families, as was done by a Florida law which refused to recognize the family. Testimony such as this, Friedes says, is an important part of the education process. “Personal stories really illustrate the need
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ERW BACKS NATIONAL ISSUES, LOOKS TO THE FUTURE “There are a number of laws that, over the course of time, will have to be amended to make sure they dovetail with the domestic partnership law,” Friedes told SGN. “We have a very full plate with the short, 60-day legal session. As we send out action alerts to our members, we hope that people will rapidly respond to them. When people in our community are called upon to testify, we hope they will accept the offer.” In addition to the work ERW is involved with at the state level, he said the organization is behind a number of national issues that affect the LGBT community at large. In particular, he said they are behind the passing of a Trans-inclusive Employment Non Discrimination Act. “It is important to remember that 2010 is an election year, and it is vitally important that we support the legislators who supported the domestic partnership law,” he said. “ERW will be doing a great deal of fundraising for candidates who support marriage equality.” Friedes says ERW is looking to identify candidates to run for open seats, and in some cases challenge incumbents who are not good on LGBT issues. Currently, ERW has yet to elect a new executive director. Friedes says the process is continuing. “The application date closed on January 11, and the board is reviewing applicants.” Friedes said that the organization is looking forward to working with newly elected officials, such as Mayor Mike McGinn, as well as politicians like King County Executive Dow Constantine, a longtime supporter of LGBT civil rights.
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for this bill, because it puts a human face on the problem,” he said. “This is a simple, technical fix to a very real problem.” Another bill, heard on January 13 in Olympia, involved third-party visitation rights. Friedes says ERW supports the bill because they feel that very often there are children who have a very significant relationship with non-biological parents. He said that while ERW recognizes the importance of protecting the rights of biological parents, the bill would provide visitation rights to a third party when in the best interest of the child. Friedes said that a bill was introduced that would “clean up” the Uniform Parentage Act. He says that the new measure would help normalize it with the domestic partnership law, making it easier for Gay and Lesbian couples to form families. He said there are issues surrounding surrogacy and other matters that would be addressed in the legislation filed by Representative Kessler.
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The need for Queer youth space in Seattle by Shaun Knittel SGN Staff Writer
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Kyle Rapinan, 19, would like to ask the Seattle Gay community a question: “What is being provided for Queer youth, and what is not being provided?” Rapinan, a University of Washington student, says he knows what Seattle Queer youth need: more space. Not just any space, but Queer space – a space for LGBT youth that is organized by Queer young people and their allies. During the last half of 2009, Rapinan and other like-minded youth got together to discuss issues their age demographic face. After volleying ideas, they came to the conclusion that many of them feel that if you are under 21 years old, you are on the outside of the community looking in. “Currently, if you are under 21, you cannot enter many Queer spaces in Seattle, and those that are open have a host of systemic problems,” Rapinan told SGN. “There is a disengagement occurring with Queer youth and the established LGBT presence in Seattle. Queer Youth Space (QYS) believe that the lack of connectedness of Queer youth is due in large part to the lack of dedicated space and also the widespread marginalization of young people in LGBT spaces due to ageism and capitalism.” Rapinan and his cohorts at QYS have put together a coalition of youth and adult community organizers, including past and present Pride Foundation scholars, to help create space for Queer youth in Seattle that is sustainable, productive, organic, progressive, educated, safe and dynamic. Rapinan says that he is well aware of the current misunderstanding that QYS is trying to be separatist or point fingers at existing organizations. He says that misunderstanding is ill-founded, because he has had plenty of contact with community organizations; in fact, he has been the beneficiary of their services in the past. When he came out as Gay, his family disowned him. Lambert House helped him out and he excelled in school and received a scholarship from Pride Foundation. “This is not an ‘us’ versus ‘them’ situation,” he told SGN. “We are saying we want
to be a part of the community, but have little chances to do so. For one reason or another, when you start talking about Queer space dedicated to youth, then people get defensive.” He said QYS acknowledges the meaningful role of existing LGBT spaces, but says that there is a cultural shift among young people which seeks to involve all people who want to eliminate heterosexism. The main problem, Rapinan says, is that the existing organizations rarely have any youth on their board of directors. “How can you effectively talk about youth projects or organize LGBT youth events without consulting them and allowing them to be a part of the process?” Rapinan asks. Rapinan points out that many fundraisers, benefits, and other LGBT community events have ticket prices that range from $60-$200. He said he understands the need to raise money, as he is an activist as well, but asks, “Why not have a youth table or a sliding scale for ticket prices?” The answer, he says, is because no one has challenged these organizations or presented them with the idea. That is where QYS comes in. The biggest misconception about QYS, according to Rapinan, is that people think they are looking for a dedicated space. “We are not looking for any one location in particular,” he explained to SGN. “We are looking for a network of places that set aside time for Queer youth to feel welcome – space that does not try to ‘fix’ or ‘help’ young people, but instead views young people as the primary actors in our own personal and community growth.” QYS officials say their only requirement is that potential Queer youth space must be youth-driven. The idea has caught on, and QYS has over 1,000 supporters of the cause on Facebook, and the website www.queeryouthspace.com receives heavy traffic. QYS has sent out an invitation to Queer youth to join them on February 20 at Seattle Central Community College, Room BE1110, from 3-6 p.m. to figure out what Queer youth in Seattle want. The event, entitled “Mutiny,” is designed for youth to take control of the conversation and ask themselves about services that are being provided. Dur-
Kyle Rapinan (r) and friend
ing Mutiny, Rapinan and QYS hope to get information for a blueprint that will allow them to create spaces which Queer youth can galvanize around and feel safe as they organize. “Adults should not feel threatened or angry about these conversations,” Rapi-
nan told SGN. “This is positive dialogue in which we are finding out how to become more involved with the LGBT community. Organizations that currently work with youth should understand that. We are their constituents, we are the people they are supposed to be serving.”
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Seattle Gay News 19
fight the fear continued from cover
into a positive agent of growth and change. “On July 19, 2009, two women were assaulted in their home in Seattle’s South Park neighborhood. One was murdered. This tragic event inspired a group of people to come together to help a community foster confidence,” campaign officials said in a statement posted on the organization’s website. “Fight the Fear Campaign, an initiative that arose from this, provides self-defense and violence-prevention classes to women at community centers, homeless shelters, and other gathering places. Fight the Fear Campaign is supported by the survivor to honor the memory of her partner, Teresa Butz.” The campaign is led by an affiliation of highly experienced women martial artists and self-defense trainers who offer free classes and violence-prevention education for women in underserved and at-risk populations. The organization’s leadership believes that self-defense training should be easily accessible to everyone, “because the skills and confidence that it builds are a proven deterrent to violence.” The classes, taught by instructors from Seattle Kajukenbo and Seven Star Women’s Kung Fu, provide training in basic selfdefense skills, including awareness, deescalation, boundary setting, and fighting techniques. Participants also have access to resources for survivors of abuse.
The January 10 workshop served as the kickoff event for Fight the Fear Campaign. The organization extended an invitation to the LGBTQ community, of which Teresa Butz was a member, for the initial self-defense class at Century Ballroom. The community responded with an immense turnout. The ballroom’s dance floor became a training ground for empowerment and situational awareness for over 100 LGBTQ members – mostly women aged anywhere from 18 to senior citizens – and their allies. To show solidarity for the campaign and to donate money to the organization, participants bought black T-shirts that had the logo and campaign namesake printed on them. What began as a sea of differently colored blouses turned into a sea of black as nearly everyone donned the Campaign’s T-shirts. “A key part of self-defense is building confidence,” Melinda Johnson, head instructor of Seattle Kajukenbo & Kung Fu Kids, told the workshop’s participants. Johnson holds the rank of fifth-degree black belt in Kajukenbo, a black belt in Aikido, and has over 30 years’ experience in martial arts. “If you don’t believe you are worth defending, you won’t defend yourself.” Johnson and her co-instructor Michelle McVadon, a fifth-degree black belt in Kajukenbo, Sandan in Aikido and Shodan in Seido Jujitsu, walked the participants through a series of self-defense exercises and scenarios. The students were put into small groups and paired with an assistant instructor who helped facilitate each exercise or scenario. Johnson said that it is beneficial
for a person to “own your space, but not be aggressive until you need to be.” Johnson also talked about the need to trust your intuition. She asked each group to talk amongst themselves and relay stories about a time when they had a bad feeling about something, and how and why they listened to that feeling. “Intuition is real,” she said. “It could save your life.” The workshop was not based on panic or anxiety. Instead, Johnson and McVadon enlightened people on how to handle situations such as being verbally harassed; what do if you are being followed and you are alone; how to react when you are harassed on the street by someone who is asking menial questions in order to size you up as a potential target; how you should handle a coworker that is invading your space and making you feel threatened; and how to thwart a potential attack in a parking garage. In a particularly poignant moment, Johnson advised the LGBTQ participants on ways to verbally and physically handle would-be Gay bashers. “It is your right to protect yourself,” she said. “A ‘No!’ means no. Nobody has the right to go past someone’s ‘No!’” After the workshop, participants were invited to socialize and snack on healthy foods catered by The Tin Table. COMMUNITY RESPONDS WITH COURAGE Hallie Kuperman, Century Ballroom’s owner, donated the space for the event. “I believe that to live fully in this world is to live without fear, and Fight the Fear is about empowering women in an effort to prevent violence,” Kuperman said. “For the past 13 years, we at Century Ballroom have made it a goal to create safe spaces for women and we do not tolerate any form of harassment. We are proud to help foster awareness in our community through this event.” The management and staff of Wildrose,
a popular women’s bar on the Hill, participated in the workshop. “It’s nice to see the community support this vision,” Cara Schwartz, a Wildrose employee, told SGN. “I came here today to honor Teresa [Butz]. This is a great turnout, but I figured it would be, because Teresa was an amazing part of our community.” Interim Chief of Police for the Seattle Police Department (SPD) John Diaz attended the event, along with SPD Assistant Chief Dick Reed. Fight the Fear Campaign is funded, in part, by the Seattle Police Foundation and community outreach is conducted in partnership with SPD. “I am energized to see something positive come out of the tragic loss of Teresa Butz,” Reed told SGN. “When people feel unsafe, that’s not good. Fight the Fear Campaign is working to give people the confidence and knowledge to feel safe. It’s a great thing and we support it.” In a moment of triumph and courage, Jen (whose last name is redacted to protect her privacy) spoke to the audience about Butz and how the Fight the Fear Campaign is helping her heal. Jen was able to escape her attacker because Butz bravely fought him off, giving Jen time to flee. Butz paid the ultimate price in an attack that shook the LGBT community and the city of Seattle to its core. “This campaign is not just about kicking and screaming,” Jen said, “it’s about creating awareness. Awareness is so important, and it leads to confidence that you may one day need to save your life. Being involved with this campaign is helping me heal.” Fighting back tears, Jen said that she and Butz never had the chance to exchange nuptials, but she wears a ring in her honor. She explained that it is her hope that this campaign encourages women to know that they have the right to protect themselves. “In her last moments on earth, Teresa’s brave actions said to me, ‘You are worth defending. We are worth defending.’” she said.
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January 15, 2010
Celebrating 37 Years!
After the workshop, speeches, and a question-and-answer session with the campaign’s officials, local musician Brandi Carlile and Amy Ray of the Indigo Girls performed an acoustic show to celebrate the
campaign’s kickoff. At one point, Jen joined Carlile onstage to sing harmony. Some funding for Fight the Fear Campaign comes from Carlile’s Looking Out Foundation and the Indigo Girls.
Fight the Fear Campaign officials announced they will host four confirmed workshops this year, open to all women, regardless of sexual orientation. If you are interested in attending one of the work-
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Seattle Volleyball Club’s awards & new season
courtesy Seattle Volleyball Club
courtesy Seattle Volleyball Club
Defensive Award: Vuong Vu – ThunderAll-Star: Todd Bullock – Kitty Scratchers cats II All-Star: James Guzman – Full Servicers All-Star: Tom Grechis – Ween Warriors All-Star: Glenn Bafia – Block ‘n’ Roll All-Star: Paul McWilliams – Thundercats II SVC offers four levels of volleyball comAll-Star: Kevin Niuvela – The Other petition ranging from recreational to power, Team as well as skills clinics and open gyms. SVC All-Star: Edgar Longoria – Bend ‘n’ Snap teams also compete in volleyball competitions in other parts of the U.S. The club ofDIVISION 4 ALL LEAGUE TEAM fers great opportunities to socialize, exerMost Valuable Player: Jimmy Simmons – cise, and hone volleyball skills. Sexy Sideouts SVC will be starting its Winter League Defensive Award: Robert Fan – Sexy Season on January 12. There are still openSideouts ings for players in all divisions. For further All-Star: Beau Johnston – Kitty Scratch- information, visit the SVC website at www. ers seattlevolleyballclub.
First place Division 3 team, the “Ween Warriors.” (l to r) Tom Grechis, Ben Nakamura, Erik Langhofer, Katrina Beckman, JoshHall, Colt Tipton, Travis Taylor
The Seattle Volleyball Club recently conducted its Fall 2009 Season awards ceremony at the Purr Cocktail Lounge on Thursday, January 7. The awards ceremony was the culmination of 10 weeks of league play followed by a grueling daylong tournament. The Division 3 teams that earned awards were the 1st-place Ween Warriors, 2ndplace Thundercats II, and the 3rd-place The Other Team. The Division 4 teams that earned awards
were the 1st-place Sexy Sideouts, 2nd-place Kitty Scratchers, and the 3rd-place Full Servicers. In addition to team awards, Seattle Volleyball Club recognized those players that had standout performances and led their teams throughout competition. DIVISION 3 ALL LEAGUE TEAM Most Valuable Player: Katrina Beckman – Ween Warriors
First Place Division 4 team, “The Sexy Sideouts.” (l to r) William Yee, Michael Alto, Jimmy Simmons, Clarence Chiu, Kellan Martz, Robert Fan, Deanna Holmquist, Coleman Frostaad
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January 15, 2010
Celebrating 37 Years!
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Seattle Gay News 23