SGN Jan 1, 2021

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Seattle Gay News

by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer

While scientific opinion seems to say that COVID-19 vaccines are safe for people living with HIV, it’s not clear when vaccines will be available to that population.

If many HIV/AIDS advocates have their way, HIV-positive people – regardless of their degree of viral suppression – will be among the first groups to be immunized.

But where everyone falls in line is not at all right now, given the complex calculations involving age, job risks, and under-

lying health conditions. Adding to the uncertainty is the fact that decisions will ultimately be left to individual states and county health departments.

It is not even clear how many doses of the vaccine will be available and when.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) has been developing guidelines for state and county health departments on which groups should be prioritized for the COVID-19 vaccines.

2020. I’m eager to turn the page not because I believe all the hype that 2021 will make everything better for my community or myself, but because with the new year comes new hope.

Here, I reflect back on 2020. I don’t intend to cover everything that happened and, clearly, I’m going to miss a lot. I don’t even care to talk about the very thing that I have become known for writing about, the

protests. Nor, do I wish to reflect on the COVID-19 pandemic. These are two topics that bring me great anxiety and, honestly, I could write small books about.

The Black Lives Matter movement in the wake of the death of George Floyd last May was the largest in United States history and included protests in every state, including the District of Columbia. Here in Seattle, we remember the dates that resulted in violence, property damage and police abuses. I myself was attacked by a Seattle Police Department officer on July 25, 2020. I now

by Tom Orr SGN Contributing Writer

Oh, There’s No Place Like Home For The Holidays! I’ll Be Home For Christmas. Home Sweet Home.

From Homer’s The Odyssey to Voltaire’s Candide, from L. Frank Baum’s The Wonderful Wizard of Oz to Steven Spielberg’s E.T., the concept of Home – as an ideal destination, an inspirational goal, an impossible dream or an insurmountable quest – has informed our lore, our literature and our lives. Even in Baseball, where there are four bags In a diamond shape that the players must step on with their foot to score the points needed to win the game, has 1st, 2nd and 3rd Base; but 4th Base is called Home Plate.

Home On The Range. Home Is Where The Heart Is. The Land of the Free and The Home of the Brave.

Home itself is a loaded word, packed with feelings of nostalgia and normalcy, of family and familiarity, of safety and security, but most importantly: of shelter. In 1943, Abraham Maslow published his paper “A Theory of Human Motivation” in Psychological Review, presenting the first look at his eponymous theoretical ideas, “Maslow’s Hierarchy of Need,” which he would later go on to finesse and refine over the ensuing decades. The pyramid of abstracts used as both graphic illustration and metaphoric imagery details a list of the myriad things a human requires for a satisfying and fulfilling life, from the simplest and most basic necessities of survival at the bottom to more intellectual and spiritual pursuits at the top. One cannot find success in the upper echelons without the lower needs firmly and securely in place, and the two tiers at the pyramid’s base are The Essentials: food, water, warmth, sex, security & shelter.

Home is also a catch-all term for places where certain things truly belong: family home, funeral home, convalescent home. It’s that sense of belonging mixed with feelings of safety and security that roots Home in its raw emotional and instinctively primal place

in our shared lexicon, hard-wired into our brains as a trigger to deeply personal memories that in turn serve as catalysts for key physiological responses, with specific corresponding chemical neurotransmitters that release into the nervous system. Like Parent, Patriot, or Piety, Home is more than a word, concept or meme. It’s a Human Right.

Better Homes & Gardens. Gee, It’s Good To Be Back Home Again. Gee, Your Home Smells Terrific!

Okay, I made that last one up. But it may as well have been an actual merchandise brand or advertising slogan, as Madison Avenue long ago discovered the effectiveness of certain terms used in cunning and clever ways to manipulate consumers through repetition and association. Home is particularly strong in its position in our minds, so much so that it has become a part of the so-called American Dream: that all individuals should aspire to have their own Home, whether it’s a little white house with a picket fence, an elegant urban apartment with a penthouse view, or a suburban bungalow somewhere that’s green.

Anywhere I Hang My Hat Is Home. Take Me Home, Country Road. Show Me The Way To Go Home.

It comes as no surprise then that society attaches such value and importance to the notion of Home that there is absolute intolerance for those who do not have one, whether by design or circumstance. In every Generalization there is Truth, and with that conceit I state from both personal observation and experience: Some people Hate The Homeless. It’s not just a casual discomfort or odd benign annoyance, but an automatic, vehement, self-righteous and indignant disdain that borders on the pathological. These folks don’t just dislike the Homeless, or distrust the Homeless, they loathe, detest and despise the Homeless.

There’s No Place Like Home … There’s No Place Like Home … There’s No Place Like Home ...

In February 2019, I was living in a small community on the Russian River in Northern California, and one day – after five years living in the same studio during which, for the first and only time in my life, I had never once been late in paying rent – unrelenting torrential rains followed catastrophic forest fires in Sonoma County and the quaint town of Guerneville, founded in the 1800s and built on a flood plain, was ten feet underwater. My apartment, my furniture and many of my prized possessions and personal treasures were submerged in toxic sludge, and by an Act of God (a natural disaster, which the soonto-be impeached President did not declare a Federal Emergency, to perhaps punish Blue State voters and ensure there would be no FEMA aid for 1000s of displaced Californians), I was instantly Homeless.

Ironically, it was maybe The Best Thing That Ever Happened To Me. For reasons I won’t list here, I was miserable in Guerneville: sad, depressed, lonely, overweight, unhealthy, pseudo-celibate and suicidal. I had given up on Life and Love and Happiness and contemplated Ending It All every day.

Miraculously, I’d been granted a reprieve: Family, Friends and Fans helped me relocate to Seattle. Re-establishing myself in a familiar city after a 20-year absence – finding sufficient work, rebuilding a support network, creating A New Home – was a challenge. But Crisis Mode led to Crisis Thinking, and hastily jumping at seemingly ideal first offers led to a string of unhappy housing situations and a chain reaction of less-than-optimal life choices. In September 2020, after a series of miscommunications and irrational behavior by both parties involved, an illegal eviction left me once again Homeless. During the Winter of Our Latest Discontent. Amidst a Global Pandemic. Under Quarantine.

It is maybe The Second Best Thing That Ever Happened To Me. No, I’m not Homeless. I’m Home Free!

To be continued …

“Am I a Thembo?” and other 2020 questions

by A.V. Eichenbaum SGN Contributing Writer

I, like many Americans, unexpectedly found myself with a lot of extra time on my hands last year. Between the sweet summer paranoia of whether or not I’d be snatched up again by the SPD for political dissidence; the constant, creeping anxiety of finding ways to pay rent; and the day-to-day struggle that comes with bipolar depression, I found it more than a little difficult to focus on the novel I was reading. Baking wasn’t really an option for me, either – for personal reasons – and so I did something I never thought I’d do: I downloaded TikTok.

Yes, TikTok, the app originally known for teen dance crazes and free Gen Z therapy evolved over the course of 2020 into something politically dangerous enough for the Trump administration to consider banning it. So, out of curiosity and a need for easy dopamine, I jumped down the rabbit hole. At the bottom, I was introduced to “Femboy Hooters.”

The concept of the joke was simple enough. It’s a POV shot of a cute femboy taking your order in a Hooters T-shirt. The meme started on Twitter in October 2019, but the denizens of TikTok took the idea and sprinted with it, leading to such hits as “Goth IHOP” and “Himbo Home Depot,” among others.

Now, if you’re anything like I was at the beginning of this, you’re wondering, “What the hell is a himbo?”

A himbo is, essentially, a good-looking, often muscular man who is kind and respectful toward all genders, and sweet but a little bit dumb or naive. Think the MCU’s Steve Rogers or Dean Winchester from Super-

natural (If you haven’t guessed, the word’s a playful portmanteau of “him” and “bimbo.”)

I couldn’t relate, being a scrawny nonbinary who’s been described on more than one occasion as “rodent-like,” so I catalogued this information and went on with my life. But the term kept creeping into videos I saw and conversations I had, until eventually the world did as it’s wont to do and filled the lexical gap that met my needs.

A Tinder date called me a “thembo.”

Feel free to chastise me for going on a date with a stranger in the middle of a pandemic. My exposure to the virus didn’t matter to most people when I was a frontline worker, so I’m choosing to wrestle with something else entirely.

Am I a thembo?

I have to say, after some digging, the answer is no. Reasons: I’m not cute enough, alas, and my vibe is more manic-therapistgremlin than naive-sweet-puppy.

But this led me to wonder: how is the internet, and TikTok specifically, changing the way the LGBTQ community views itself? How is it changing how other people view the community? Is a platform that spreads new, often inclusive labels teaching a younger generation to be more inclusive and accepting?

TikTok, like every social media platform, operates on an algorithm that shows you things it thinks you want to see. It wants to keep you engaged, keep you involved. This means that there is an incredibly wide variety of pockets you can fall into while scrolling through, like Alt TikTok, Frog TikTok, or Wholesome Irish Country Emo TikTok, to name a few. There’s also Straight TikTok, which – you guessed it – panders to straight folks and their partners and continues to baffle me every time I accidentally end up there after liking a wholesome Guy Fieri meme. Because of these pockets, finding objective answers to my questions proved difficult.

But from my observation, TikTok has created a safer space online for queer and trans folks than anything I’ve seen in my 25 years as a digital native.

Sites I frequented in high school, like Tumblr and DeviantArt, generally leaned toward toxic gatekeeping and exclusionary culture to combat the pain of loneliness and the general confusion of growing up different from the rest of whichever small town we were from.

I don’t see that as much on TikTok,

even from its older users, and when I do, it appears to get called out almost immediately, whether by creators or commenters. There’s a comfortable confidence projected in these videos from burgeoning members of the LGBTQ community that I didn’t have at their age – and, if I’m being honest, still don’t have.

Some of the top TikTok stars are openly nonbinary, gay, or trans and make videos providing positive affirmations for their viewers and supporting their journeys of self-discovery. They’ve made a space that lifts them up and teaches etiquette through shared experience and absurd humor that, plainly, I envy a little, even if it’s that same community that has encouraged me to be more open and honest with myself in my mid-twenties.

I wish I’d found it sooner, but I’m glad to be a part of it now.

With all that said, my own experience is incredibly biased. There are literal Nazis waiting in the folds of the internet – and TikTok is no exception. The dangers of the social media echo chamber are real, and if 2020 taught us anything, creating an identity based on hate is easy to do. All it takes is one bad apple, as it were.

My hope for 2021 is that we all learn from the weird kids on this dumb app. I hope we support one another and approach new identities, words, and ideas with open minds. People have a tendency to resist change, and Seattle’s LGBTQ community is no different. But whether you call it “Cap Hill” or “Capitol Hill,” life goes on, times and terms change, and one day, you might find yourself wondering with the rest of us, “Am I a thembo?”

Queen Elizabeth II delivers annual Christmas speech amid COVID-19 crisis

“Every year we herald the coming of Christmas by turning on the lights. And light does more than create a festive mood. Light brings hope. For Christians, Jesus is the Light of the World, but we can’t celebrate his birth today in quite the usual way.

“People of all faiths have been unable to gather as they would wish for their festivals, such as Passover, Easter, Eid, and Vaisakhi. But we need life to go on. Last month, fireworks lit up the sky around Windsor, as Hindus, Sikhs and Jains celebrated Diwali, the festival of lights, providing joyous moments of hope and unity – despite social distancing.

“Remarkably, a year that has necessarily kept people apart has, in many ways, brought us closer. Across the Commonwealth, my family and I have been inspired by stories of people volunteering in their communities, helping those in need,

“In the United Kingdom and around the world, people have risen magnificently to the challenges of the year, and I am so proud and moved by this quiet, indomitable spirit. To our young people in particular, I say thank you for the part you have played.

“This year, we celebrated International Nurses’ Day, on the 200th anniversary of the birth of Florence Nightingale. As with other nursing pioneers like Mary Seacole, Florence Nightingale shone a lamp of hope across the world.

”Today, our front-line services still shine that lamp for us – supported by the amazing achievements of modern science – and we owe them a debt of gratitude. We continue to be inspired by the kindness of strangers and draw comfort that – even on the darkest nights – there is hope in the new dawn.

“Jesus touched on this with the parable of the Good Samaritan. The man who is robbed and left at the roadside is saved by someone who did not share his religion or culture.

“This wonderful story of kindness is still as relevant today. Good Samaritans have emerged across society sharing care and respect for all regardless of gender, race and background, reminding us that each one of us is special and equal in the eyes of God.

“The teachings of Christ have served as my inner light, as has the sense of purpose we can find in coming together to worship.”

“In November, we commemorated another hero. Though nobody knows his name. The tomb of the unknown warrior

isn’t a large memorial. But everyone entering Westminster Abbey has to walk around his resting place. Honoring this unnamed combatant of the First World War – a symbol of selfless duty and ultimate sacrifice.

“The unknown warrior was not exceptional. That’s the point; he represents millions like him who throughout our history have put the lives of others above their own and will be doing so today. For me this is a source of enduring hope in difficult and unpredictable times.

“Of course, for many, this time of year will be tinged with sadness; some mourning the loss of those dear to them, and others missing friends and family members distanced for safety, when all they’d

really want for Christmas is a simple hug or a squeeze of the hand. If you are among them, you are not alone, and let me assure you of my thoughts and prayers.

“The Bible tells how a star appeared in the sky, its light guiding the shepherds and wise men to the scene of Jesus’s birth. Let the light of Christmas – the spirit of selflessness, love and above all hope – guide us in the times ahead. It is in that spirit that I wish you a very Happy Christmas.”

https://www.bbcamerica.com/blogs/ watch-queen-elizabeth-iis-2020-christmas-message--52375

Courtesy of BBC America

COVID-19 vaccines: safe for people living with HIV?

by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer

As the first COVID-19 vaccines are rolled out around the world, HIV-positive people may wonder whether the vaccines are safe for them to take.

The answer seems to be a qualified yes.

Neither Pfizer nor the CDC has stated that its vaccine is unsafe for people with HIV. On the other hand, neither has affirmed that it is safe, either.

The inconclusive statements arise from the fact that 120 people with HIV participated in the Phase 2 and Phase 3 trials, but Pfizer did not present separate data for them, stating that the sample population was too small to draw conclusions.

In a December 10 meeting, the FDA’s Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee said the Pfizer vaccine was safe but declined to say it would

COVID-19 & HIV

continued from cover

In guidelines released in December, the ACIP said that nursing home residents and healthcare workers should get first priority, followed by people over the age of 65 or with underlying medical conditions that put them at high risk of complications from COVID-19.

The ACIP didn’t specify which medical conditions put people at risk of COVID-19 complications, however. It might provide more clarity in its January meetings. Until then, advocates for people with chronic health concerns, including HIV, have begun lobbying to move as close to the front of the line as possible.

be effective for people living with HIV.

“Although the proportion of participants at high risk of severe COVID-19 is adequate for the overall evaluation of safety in the available follow-up period, the subset of certain groups, such as immunocompromised individuals (e.g., those with HIV/ AIDS), is too small to evaluate efficacy outcomes,” their report said.

The official Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) allowing the vaccine to be distributed does not list HIV as one of the contraindications. In other words, being HIV-positive is not a reason to avoid taking the vaccine.

On the other hand, the EUA contains the warning that “immunocompromised persons, including individuals receiving immunosuppressant therapy, may have a diminished immune response to the PfizerBioNTech COVID-19 vaccine.”

In FDA communications, the term “immunocompromised” is used to describe

Activists push to prioritize HIV-positive people

Just after the FDA issued its emergency authorization for the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, a coalition of HIV advocacy organizations sent a letter to the CDC and congressional leaders asking that people living with HIV be considered a priority group for COVID-19 vaccination.

The letter, initiated by AIDS Action Baltimore and signed by more than a dozen groups, including the Latino Commission on AIDS, NASTAD, and the Treatment Action Group, said that recent studies “suggest approximately a doubling risk of hospitalization and death from COVID-19 among people living with HIV compared to HIV-negative counterparts.”

Even with some evidence suggesting that people with HIV – including those

people living with HIV but not for people with an undetectable viral load or high CD4 count.

That caveat does not exempt immunocompromised people from getting the vaccine, according to both the CDC and Pfizer.

In a meeting of the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) on December 12, CDC medical officer Dr. Sarah Mbaeyi stated that, unless there is a contraindication, people living with HIV should get the COVID19 vaccine, especially given that “people with HIV infection, or other immunocompromising conditions, or who take immunocompromising medications or therapies, might be at increased risk for severe COVID-19.”

Both Mbaeyi and Pfizer stated that the EUA warning should not be considered as a contraindication.

Although the FDA is requiring followup studies to collect more data about the

with an undetectable viral load and absent comorbidities, such as diabetes – may be at a heightened risk of worse COVID-19 outcomes, the fact remains there is no scientific consensus, in part because several other studies have shown no increased risk caused by HIV.

Lynda Dee, executive director of AIDS Action Baltimore, says she doesn’t want to risk the health of any HIV-positive people and feels it’s inappropriate to distinguish between people with or without an undetectable viral load during a deadly global pandemic.

“People with HIV have done so much and worked so hard to be undetectable and stay there,” said Dee. “They need to be included in the CDC’s prioritization.”

Dee, who fought to get people with HIV included in the Pfizer-BioNTech trials, added that her intent is not to compete

effect of the COVID-19 vaccine on people with HIV, it did not say that this additional research is required to ensure safety in people living with HIV.

Tim Horn, a longtime HIV advocate who is the director of medication access and pricing at NASTAD, recommends accepting the safety of the vaccine.

“While there’s no indication of any safety signals involving people living with HIV and certainly no contraindication that would stand in the way of people living with HIV from getting the Pfizer vaccine, we just don’t know if there are any efficacy differences compared with those without HIV,” he said.

“We will need to live with this unknown, at least until Pfizer provides an analysis of the HIV-positive individuals that participated in their phase 3 trial and additional, population-level data are available.”

with other groups who are advocating for their own community but “to do what we’ve been doing: knock on the door and let them know we’re here.”

Murray Penner, the US executive director of the Prevention Access Campaign, agrees that even though the verdict is still out on whether HIV itself is a marker for COVID-19 complications, the ACIP and state health departments should prioritize all people with HIV.

“I don’t believe there is definitive research about whether having an undetectable viral load reduces that risk, and so, therefore, we are advocating that everyone living with HIV be prioritized – but those with comorbidities be stratified higher, if that’s possible,” he said.

Creating Change announces program line-up, award recipients for first-ever virtual conference

WASHINGTON, DC (December 9, 2020) – Community leaders Gloria Allen, Lisbeth Melendez Rivera, Javier Hernandez, and Gayle Rubin will all be honored at the 33rd annual Creating Change Conference. Held virtually from January 28 through January 31, 2021, the conference will include four plenary sessions, 16 daylong institutes, and 48 workshop and caucus sessions.

The four-day event, run by the National LGBTQ Task Force, is a space for learning, connecting, and growing as LGBTQ activists, leaders, allies, and changemakers from across the nation join together. For the first time in its 33-year history, the Creating Change Conference will hold daylong institutes, workshops, keynotes, and caucus sessions online.

Each year, several coveted awards are presented to a diverse group of individuals making a difference for the LGBTQ+ community. This year is no exception.

Gloria Allen, known as “Mama Gloria”, is the 74-year-old transgender advocate, activist, and community leader who will be awarded the SAGE Advocacy Award for Excellence in Leadership on Aging Issues. Having grown up in Chicago, immersed in the drag ball scene of the city’s South Side, Allen went on to found and run a charm school for homeless transgender youth at Chicago’s Center on Halsted. Her work and life at the charm school has been adapted in the play Charm, which first premiered at the Steppenwolf Garage Theater before making runs in Minneapolis, Washington, DC, Los Angeles, and New York. Now retired from a career as a licensed practi-

cal nurse, Allen continues to speak to youth and others about the transgender community. She is the subject of the recently released award-winning film Mama Gloria.

Lisbeth Melendez Rivera, grassroots organizer and self-described Puerto Rican butch dyke, will be awarded the Susan J. Hyde Award for Longevity in the Movement. [She] is a 30+-year veteran of the LGBTQ and labor movements. Lisbeth has extensive experience organizing and training at the intersections of sexual orientation, gender identity, racial/ethnic identity, and culture related explicitly to communities of color in the United States.

Javier Hernandez, an immigrant and queer leader fighting for immigrant rights in the Inland Empire, is to be awarded the Haas, Jr. Fund Award for Outstanding LGBT Leadership on behalf of Immigrant Rights. Since 2015, Javier has been the director of the Inland Coalition for Immigrant Justice (IC4U), a coalition of over 40 organizations, unions, legal service providers, and congregations that advocate for immigrant justice in the Inland Empire.

Anthropologist, theorist, and writer Gayle Rubin will be honored with the Leather Leadership Award for her work and studies within the leather community.

For the full program schedule, including all daylong institutes, workshops, and caucus sessions, go to www.creatingchange. org, where is a working summary of institutes and workshops. More will be announced closer to the conference.

Daylong Institutes [on] Thursday, January 28 include: Indigeneous Fortitude and Brilliance, Queer and Trans API Institute,

The Black Institute: the State of the Black LGBTQ Movement, Unión=Forza Latinx Institute, and White People’s Institute for Ending Racism: What Kind of Ancestors Shall We Be?

General schedule (as of Dec. 8, 2020): January 28, 2021

• Noon to 1:00 pm ET / 9:00 to 10:00 am

PT: Opening Plenary

• 1:15 to 6:15 pm ET / 10:15 am to 3:15 pm

PT: Daylong Institutes, Part 1

• Evening events include the Opening Cruise and other activities.

January 29, 2021

• Noon to 5:00 pm ET / 9:00 am to 2:00

pm PT: Daylong Institutes, Part 2

• 5:15 to 7:00 pm ET / 2:15 to 4:00 pm PT: Keynote Plenary with Dominique Jackson and performances by Big Freedia

• Evening events include the Agents of Change Ball and other activities.

January 30, 2021

• Noon to 1:00 pm ET / 9:00 to 10:00 am

PT: Workshop Sessions, Block 1

• 1:15 to 2:15 pm ET / 10:15 to 11:15 am

PT: Workshop Sessions, Block 2

• 2:30 to 3:45 pm ET / 11:30 am to 12:45

pm PT: State of the Movement Plenary with Rea Carey and Kierra Johnson

• 4:15 to 5:30 pm ET / 1:15 to 2:30 pm PT: Caucus Sessions, Round 1

• Evening events may include an open mic night, game night, and other activities.

January 31, 2021

• Noon to 1:00 pm ET / 9:00 to 10:00 am

PT: Workshop Sessions, Block 3

• 1:15 to 2:15 pm ET / 10:15 to 11:15 am

PT: Workshop Sessions, Block 4

• 2:30 to 4:00 pm ET / 11:30 am to 1:00 pm PT: Caucus Sessions, Round 2

• 4:15 to 5:45 pm ET / 1:15 to 2:45 pm

PT: Closing Plenary with adrienne marie brown and performances by Big Freedia

Accessibility

The Creating Change Conference is committed to radical accessibility. Everyone benefits when everyone participates fully and equitably in every aspect of the conference. ASL and Spanish interpretation of individual workshop and caucus sessions will be provided if requested in advance. Further, no one will be turned away for financial reasons. Anyone may contact creatingchange@thetaskforce.org for additional information.

The National LGBTQ Task Force advances full freedom, justice, and equity for LGBTQ people. It is building a future where everyone can be free to be their entire selves in every aspect of their lives. Today, despite all the progress we’ve made to end discrimination, millions of LGBTQ people face barriers in every aspect of their lives: in housing, employment, healthcare, retirement, and basic human rights. More at www.thetaskforce.org.

Courtesy of the National LGBTQ Task Force

Creating Change 2021 workshops and events announced:

politics, religion, sexuality, and more

WASHINGTON, DC (December 28, 2020 – The organizers of the Creating Change Conference today announced the full slate of workshop and other sessions organized for the 33rd annual conference. From activism to faith to fundraising, with some timely twists on popular workshops like “Sex in the Times of COVID,” the conference will have programs of interest to diverse activists and cover a lot of ground in this unique time for LGBTQ+ communities.

Every year the Creating Change team has curated a diverse, timely, and provocative set of workshops – and this year is no exception, despite the challenges of having the conference convert to online.

Held virtually from January 28 through January 31, 2021, the conference will include four plenary sessions, 16 daylong institutes, and 48 workshop and caucus sessions. The four-day event, run by the National LGBTQ Task Force, is a space for learning, connecting, and growing, as LGBTQ activists, leaders, allies, and changemakers from across the nation join together.

For the first time in its 33-year history, the Creating Change Conference will hold all daylong institutes, workshops, keynotes, and caucus sessions online.

“Creating Change has a diverse and powerful lineup of workshops at this year’s conference,” said conference director Andy Garcia, “We will offer an opportunity to discuss all those things you are told to never bring up at the holiday table: politics, religion, and sex! But seriously, from the hard

conversations about the issues we face to organizing strategies in these challenging times to the chance to enjoy each other in community, we are doing our best to create an amazing experience for all who join us.”

Some of the workshops include the following:

Politics:

• Hopes and Dreams: Reaching High on Policy Advocacy in 2021

• Vice President Auntie? Organizing Friendly Administrations for Systemic Change

• Let’s Break The Binary and the Carceral State: Queers Abolishing Prisons and Policing

• Queering the Census Today and Tomorrow

Religion:

• An Exploration of Queer and Trans Ministry, where members of the Trans Seminarian Leadership Cohort will share their own calling and experience in religious formation, and share how the state of the world, including continued anti-Black racism and COVID-19, has disproportionately impacted BIPOC, transgender, and nonbinary communities.

• Turning Your Sermon into a Soundbite, a training for all interested parties to build and sharpen your communication skills in engaging with elected officials on advocating for such nondiscrimination protections.

• Liberating Your Divine Identity: A Spiritual Conversation, a workshop that

will help you gain a better understanding of your sacred worth and divine identity while exploring tools that support liberating your divine spirit.

• “Wonderfully Made,” Yuval David Film Preview and Discussion on our Understanding of Jesus, a documentary film exploring the challenges and aspirations of LGBTQ+ persons of faith in how they powerfully embrace their beliefs despite institutionalized religion’s historic and ongoing rejection and persecution of LGBTQ+ people.

Sex:

In addition to Mapping Your Desire: The Sexual Liberation Institute, Creating Change will also feature these four sexy workshops:

• These Are a Few of My Favorite Things, featuring a continually shifting group of sexy storytellers to excite and inspire everyone to explore their own favorite things!

• Sex in the Time of COVID, an interactive discussion with four long-time activists on our struggles and successes in navigating life in quarantine in terms of both masturbation and negotiated safety.

• Decolonizing Desire, a workshop examining what’s required to decolonize and reclaim our bodies, desires, and sexualities as an act of resistance that allows us to reenergize our activism and holistically heal our systems.

• Sexy Survivors, a creative, interactive, and empowering dialogue on surviving sexual abuse and how we have navigated

safe and fulfilling sexual lives.

There will of course also be opportunities to have fun and celebrate our community and each other. Our iconic Agents of Change House Ball – organized by WC Father Angel Revlon (CA), Lady Penelope (NYC), and Legendary Oso Milan (Miami) with national judges and benefitting the House Lives Matter Mutual Aid Fund –will be a highlight of the conference.

There will also be a game night, an open mic night, and the always popular opening “cruise” – all virtual but bringing you Creating Change’s spirit of connection and tradition of gathering in community in a new way.

Accessibility

The Creating Change Conference is committed to radical accessibility. Everyone benefits when everyone participates fully and equitably in every aspect of the conference. ASL and Spanish interpretation of individual workshop and caucus sessions will be provided if requested in advance. Furthermore, no one will be turned away for financial reasons. Anyone may contact creatingchange@thetaskforce. org for additional information.

For more information go to www.thetaskforce.org.

of the National LGBTQ Task Force

Sexual and gender orientation data is needed to measure COVID-19 impact on LGBTQ communities

(December 9, 2020) – States need to implement a uniform system of collecting sexual orientation and gender identity demographic data to better understand the implications of the COVID-19 pandemic on LGBTQ communities, according to a new Rutgers School of Public Health Center for Health, Identity, Behavior and Prevention Studies (CHIBPS) paper.

The commentary, published in the Journal of Public Health Management and Practice, was part of a special issue on COVID-19 and public health that examines the short and long-term impact of the pandemic on LGBTQ communities.

Since the onset of the pandemic in early 2020, researchers have begun to delineate the myriad economic, racial, and geographic health disparities associated with the overall risk for contracting COVID-19. The pandemic has also affected LGBTQ individuals and communities, who are more likely to struggle financially, have complex health needs, and face physical violence.

The true impact of the pandemic on LGBTQ people and populations is

unknown due to the lack of sexual orientation and gender identity demographic data.

“In the case of the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently forced to make educated assumptions on how the virus will disproportionately impact LGBTQ communities, because the necessary data on sexual orientation or gender identity are not regularly being collected on COVID testing forms,” said Kristen Krause, deputy director of CHIBPS and the commentary’s author.

Without critical demographic data, scientists, researchers, and public officials lack information that can help protect and serve the most vulnerable populations and communities.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, 30.2% of LGBTQ Americans [reported] losing their jobs and 17.9% reporting reduced wages. In addition, in 2018, 17% of LGBTQ adults did not have any kind of health insurance coverage, compared with 12% of the general population. This disparity is even greater among LGBTQ adults of color and transgender adults, with 23% and 22%, respectively, reporting lack of health care

coverage. LGBTQ people are also at a higher risk for different chronic illnesses, including various respiratory conditions, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease, all of which are risk factors for COVID-19. Given that 37% of LGBTQ adults smoke compared with 27% of the general population, this is particularly concerning, because COVID19 spreads primarily through the transfer of respiratory droplets from person to person and can cause significant lung damage.

While COVID-19 is currently at the forefront of most public health initiatives and programming, it is not the only pressing health concern, especially for LGBTQ individuals. Mental health burdens in LGBTQ persons are likely to be intensified by COVID-19, and while physical and social distancing measures are important, they can have detrimental effect on the mental health and well-being in LGBTQ communities that already face structural and systemic vulnerabilities.

“It is critically important to continually raise concerns on the disproportionate impact that COVID-19 will have on LGBTQ

communities who continually face systemic and structural barriers to attaining quality healthcare and services,” added Krause. “This is especially true since so many LGBTQ people work in industries that often has them on the front line and interacting with other people on a frequent basis.”

The Rutgers School of Public Health –New Jersey’s leading academic institution in public health – is committed to advancing health and well-being and preventing disease throughout New Jersey, the United States, and the world, by preparing students as public health leaders, scholars, and practitioners; conducting public health research and scholarship; engaging collaboratively with communities and populations; and actively advocating for policies, programs, and services through the lens of equity and social justice. More at https://sph.rutgers.edu.

Courtesy of the Rutgers School of Public Health

Reps. Jayapal, García, Escobar, Ocasio-Cortez,

Chu,

and Clarke join FIRM Action in announcing Roadmap to Freedom Resolution

WASHINGTON, DC (December 11, 2020) – Reps. Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), Jesús “Chuy” García (IL-04), Veronica Escobar (TX-16), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY-14), Judy Chu (CA-27), and Yvette Clarke (NY-09) joined FIRM Action – the nation’s largest immigrant-rights network –today in announcing the Roadmap to Freedom Resolution as a progressive vision to transform the immigration system to one that is focused on dignity and rooted in the needs and lives of impacted people.

This immigration reform proposal develops and implements a Roadmap to Freedom by promoting citizenship, protecting and strengthening a fair process centered on family unity, promoting and preserving diversity, and establishing a just, humane immigration system. Additionally, it ensures that federal immigration agencies are fair and accountable, establishes a humane and effective border policy, recognizes the value of all work, and promotes healthy communities. The resolution also promotes social, civil, and economic integration while modernizing and strengthening humanitarian pathways to the United States. The resolution addresses root causes of migration as well.

“As a lifelong immigrant rights organizer and one of only 14 naturalized citizens serving in Congress, I know that we must do far more than simply reverse the harmful, xenophobic policies of the Trump administration that inflicted maximum cruelty on immigrants and families. Our immigration system has been broken for decades, and we must finally reform it in a humane way that focuses on respect, dignity, family unity, and real opportunity for all immigrants,” said Rep. Jayapal. “I’m proud to work alongside FIRM Action and my colleagues in the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, Congressional Black Caucus, and Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus to put forth the Roadmap to Freedom as a bold, progressive vision for immigration reform that is fair, equitable,

understand the need for police reform and accountability. However, the reality is that the local events, which drew the ire of President Donald J. Trump and Fox News, were mostly peaceful transformative experiences for most Seattlites.

COVID-19 also upended everything about our world as we know it here in Seattle. In addition to the lock-downs and economic ramifications, we had to confront the growing issues of health and social inequalities. We watched as the SPD swept unhoused individuals from Cal Anderson Park on multiple occasions. Where do they go when shelters are closed to new admissions. However, the presence of the unhoused and the impact of the ongoing pandemic have brought some Capitol Hill businesses and residents to a breaking point.

These are issues well known to all of us.

Instead, I intend to focus on the moments that affected the local LGBTQIA+ community and myself. I begin with the most hopeful development this year, which also came at the tail end of 2020. Who can forget the Pike and Pine corridor on Capitol Hill after the news networks finally called the election for Joe Biden. The streets turned into a block party all day. The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender community came out strong during the election. The National Election Pool exit poll conducted by Edison Research shows that we accounted for 7% of the total electorate despite making up only 4.5% of the general population. Locally, Seattle Pride and Drag Out The Vote helped to drive up participation while the Seattle Metropolitan Elections Committee (SEAMEC) provided rankings of the candidates for the LGBTQIA+ community.

The dark days of the Trump administration will soon be behind us. The last four years saw a dramatic expansion of discriminatory anti-LGBTQIA+ policies that targeted us. Sexual orientation and gender identity nondiscrimination provisions in health care, employment, and housing. Gone. “Religious discrimination” policies arrived and with it… a license to discriminate against us. Even restrictions on asylum seekers in the U.S. resulted in too many fleeing anti-LGBTQIA+ violence to be left at the border gate.

2020 also introduced us to presidential candidate Mayor Pete Buttigieg from South Bend, Indiana. The Rhodes scholar who had gone to Harvard and Oxford, and spoke too many languages for me to recall, helped to “normalize” the idea of a presidential candidate who just so happened to be gay. Now, his profile will continue to rise as the Secretary of Transportation in the Biden administration. He will be the first out Gay cabinet member in U.S. history.

In Olympia, it was a great year for the LGBTQIA+ community. Laurie Jinkins became the first out Lesbian to become Speaker of the House last January.

The Nikki Kuhnhausen Act, banning the use of the panic defenses to justify violent assaults against LGBTQIA+ people became law. The bill was named after a young transwoman murdered in Clark County and in a year that saw the most violent deaths recorded of transgender individuals – according to the Human Rights Campaign.

Likewise, a bill mandating comprehensive and inclusive sex education in public schools was passed by both the Legislature and Washington voters. It took effect earlier this month.

To top it all off, Governor Jay Inslee appointed Justice Helen Whitener, the first black LGBTQIA+ judge in Washington state, to the Washington State Supreme Court. She won election to retain her position in November.

In Seattle, the news was equally good for students. The Seattle School Board voted unanimously to enact a resolution

“Affirming Inclusion of Our LGBTQIA+ Students, Staff and Community.” The resolution would affect everything from new construction, classroom curriculum and result in the renaming of a school in honor of an LGBTQIA+ individual in the state’s largest school district. The district also released a first-of-its-kind photobook by acclaimed photographer Nate Gowdy, entitled: “Our Students, Their Stories.” It highlights the stories of LGBTQIA+ students and school staff.

Despite the occasional rumors about how fragmented the LGBTQIA+ community has become, 2020 was another example of how our community comes together.

A GoFundMe campaign saved the popular Lesbian bar, Wild Rose, from closure and similar efforts have sprung up to help the Seattle Gay News and Neighbours Nightclub. Of course, there was no greater example of the unity of the LGBTQIA+ community than all the virtual events that sprang up during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Seattle’s “Together for Pride” virtual Pride weekend drew 3,300 average viewers per day over the three-day event and included Trans Pride on Friday, PrideFest on Saturday and Seattle Pride on Sunday. The producers of the three events, Gender Justice League, PrideFest and Seattle Out and Proud combined their efforts this year to bring the workshops, performances and presentations to the local LGBTQIA+ masses. The Dyke March also held its March and Rally online. Even the Seattle Queer Film Festival celebrated its 25th anniversary virtually, delivering 40+ programs over 11 days online.

We even helped to “Queer the Census,” with local LGBTQIA+ enumerators canvassing all over the city. LGBTQIA+ Allyship, Equal Rights Washington and Seattle Gay News were among the organizations leading to get every individual in the LGBTQIA+ community counted. The Census determines funding, the allocation of congressional seats, and gathers household demographics.

The community also rallied in support of Kennedy Catholic High School teachers Paul Danforth and Michelle Beattie, who were forced to resign their positions after becoming engaged to their respective part-

ners. The LGBTQIA+ community, students and faculty as well as many residents of Burien, WA, protested outside the Catholic Archdiocese of Seattle and joined students who held walk-outs and sit-ins.

Seattle LGBTQIA+ organizations and individuals opened their wallets this year… big time. The Seattle Foundation and Seattle Out & Proud (also known as “Seattle Pride”) also gave money to Lambert House, a drop-in center for LGBTQIA+ youth. The organization successfully took its efforts online – providing a lifeline to LGBTQIA+ youth through virtual support groups and a list of resources.

Seattle Out & Proud also assisted other organizations in the region who provided on-the-ground COVID-19 support services. Twice each year, Seattle Pride awards grants to charitable organizations that support the local LGBTQIA+ community, since 2017.

A pandemic couldn’t keep Gay City from celebrating its 25th anniversary. Gay City was born at the height of the HIV/ AIDS crisis and started as a series of public forums. Today, Gay City has its own community center, library and coffee shop. The “Gay City model” has been replicated in more than 80 cities around the world.

COVID-19 initially brought the arts and entertainment scene to a halt, but it bounced back albeit mostly online. Seattle Men’s Chorus and Seattle Women’s Chorus were among those to suspend their 20192020 Season. The University Bookstore and Elliott Bay Book Company, home to many LGBTQIA+ book readings, had to temporarily close their doors and are now operating under limited capacity. The much beloved Seattle Opera had to cancel its La Bohème performances in May and announced employee furloughs in March. However, the Seattle Opera caught a break in the form of a $2.3 million loan under the federal Payroll Protection Program. Unfortunately, the popular watering hole and arts venue, The Palace Theater & Art Bar, did not survive the pandemic.

The end of 2020 will bring many transitions, too. GSBA President & CEO Louise Chernin, who has held the position for 19 years, announced she is retiring after 28 years of service to the organization. The Greater

Seattle Business Association is Seattle’s LGBTQIA+ chamber of commerce.

Seattle also lost many pioneers and community leaders this year. 2020 was particularly hard on the SGN staff, who mourned the loss of three colleagues and friends.

The community began the year mourning the loss of former Seattle Gay News Associate Editor Shaun Knittel who passed on December 30, 2019. He was 39 years old.

In addition, SGN publisher and LGBTQIA+ civil rights leader, George Bakan, passed away on June 7, 2020. He was 78 years old.

Finally, columnist and LGBTQIA+ civil rights pioneer, Roger Winters, passed away on November 15, 2020. He was 75-years-old.

Notable LGBTQIA+ deaths in Seattle include Martin Gouterman, a beloved University of Washingont professor who is best known for his contributions to science, including his “four-orbital model.” He was openly gay in an era when few scientists were. He died on Feb. 22 at the age of 88.

Jack Anderson, a psychologist and former board member of the Dorian Group, an early LGBTQIA+ rights organization in Seattle, passed away at age 84. He also was a leader in the effort to address the growing HIV/AIDS crisis, holding a first-of-its-kind public presentation and providing consultation services to the King County AIDS Prevention Project. He even worked with Country Doctor to buy one of his buildings for the expansion of their Dental Clinic, serving a low-income population.

Personally, I will not forget Summer Taylor who was killed in the early morning hours of July 4, during a Black Femme March while it stopped on lanes of I-5. They were only 24. A driver, later identified as Dawit Kelete, plowed through the demonstrators as they were dancing the Cupid Shuffle on the roadway. I covered the Washington State Patrol press conference and photographed the scene for the SGN only hours after the incident.

While COVID-19 and the Black Lives Matter movement – their impact on Seattle – will likely eclipse the events I have written about above. I wish to enter this into the official record as being among the other events that should not be forgotten.

IN MEMORY OF GEORGE BAKAN

Shaun Knittel’s The Legacy Project features interviews with SGN Editor-in-Chief/Publisher George Bakan

by Dru Dinero Special to the SGN

I first met Shaun Knittel when I was 8 years old. One of my older brother’s best friends, Shaun had recently come out of the closet at 16. Shaun was young, Gay, and – since coming out – homeless. My parents, although Evangelical Christians, welcomed Shaun into our home, when my older brother, Alex, asked if Shaun could stay with us for a while.

Shaun was a very intriguing and intrigued young man. I would always see him reading something, deeply concentrated into whatever he had in his hands. I used to sneak into my brother’s room, where Shaun slept on the floor, to use my brother’s super-computer at the time. Always a bit reserved myself, I would only greet Shaun and play games on my brother’s computer – never striking up any conversation. Being the biggest Elvis Presley fan I’ve ever met, Shaun was one day reading a coffee table-style book of The King himself. The flashy pictures of this man intrigued me and I asked him about what he was reading. That began one of the most ed-ucative, inspiring and fun friendships I will ever have.

Shaun taught me about Elvis. But he didn’t stop there. We began having long conversations about life and the world. Already at 16, Shaun’s mind was expanded way beyond his age, his struggles and the Eastside of Las Vegas where we grew up. At some point, Shaun got an apartment with some roommates and got a job at Glamour Shots inside of the Boulevard Mall. He got Alex a job at the same location and although I didn’t see Shaun as much, I would hear the crazy, funny stories of Shaun, Alex and their friends causing mayhem as only a group of teenagers who grew up in Las Vegas could.

At some point, Shaun decided to join the U.S. Navy to do PR work for the government and I didn’t see him for approximately 10 years. Shaun would, of course, write us; his stories about living in Japan, being shipped off to the Middle East after 9/11, living in Italy and getting to see a number of countries in the double digits fascinated me. Shaun was a great writer. Throughout this time, Shaun and I would speak over MySpace and eventually Facebook. He mentored me through my adolescence and early teenage years by reminding me of the importance of

educa-tion, self-esteem, and would push me to achieve my goals and to dream big; a constant theme amongst his friends.

When I was 17, Shaun returned to Las Vegas after finishing his duty. We celebrated Shaun’s homecoming, admiring his stories of service for our country. At this time, one thing was for certain, Shaun’s solidified world view and his experiences during wartime had flipped a switch inside of him. Shaun served under Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell (DADT) and although he was able to navigate the system, Shaun having to go back in the closet lit a fire under him to want to live his most authentic self again. He told us he could’ve renewed his contract with the U.S. Navy, stay living in Naples, Italy and have a fairly perfect life for all intents and purposes, but he was tired of “telling the military story”. Shaun had a yearning to “report on Gay issues and tell the Gay story”, as he would often say.

After a few months of catching up with his old friends and partying, Shaun left Las Vegas to begin his civilian career as a journalist writing for the Seattle Gay News He had never even visited Seattle before. Keeping up with his tradition of writing his friends, Shaun would tell us about this new world he’d discovered in Seattle, WA. Shaun hit the ground running, involving

himself in issues and circles he cared about. For his 30th birthday a few of us decided to join him in Seattle for a celebration. It was here that I met the legendary Gaysha Starr, one of Shaun’s best friends in Seattle. Gaysha fascinated me – actually all of the queens that performed at Shaun’s birthday party fascinated me. Being a young filmmaker, I told Shaun I would love to make a documentary on some of the drag queens he knew. Always encouraging, Shaun told me he would help me out.

I moved to Seattle, WA in August of 2011. Upon getting to Seattle, however, it wasn’t just drag queens that fascinated me, but the political movement Shaun was getting involved in for Marriage Equality. Shaun would lament that there wasn’t enough grassroots excitement for what he deemed as the ultimate fight for LGBTQ rights. He recruited me and a group of his friends to start Social Outreach Seattle (SOSea), a non-profit organization with the purpose of raising awareness of LGBTQ issues in Seattle. Our first goal, help Washington state introduce Marriage Equality through the ballot box. Through Shaun’s leadership, we rallied, produced con-tent and events to help bring awareness at the grassroots level – and we won.

This was just the beginning of Shaun’s leadership and community activism. Through his efforts, SOSea set up free selfdefense classes, a safety shuttle to get partygoers on Capitol Hill home safe, worked with SPD to help bring crime on the Hill down, helped get the rainbow crosswalks painted around the Hill and other countless acts of community building and activism.

Shaun did all of this because of his love for community; wanting to build a safer world for not just himself but his husband, YeeShin, along with all of their friends.

In 2013, immediately after the win for Marriage Equality, Shaun brought up the idea of making a documentary on LGBTQ history and the movement in Seattle. Using his contacts of policy makers and cultural leaders around the Hill, we began filming extensive interviews for content on what would eventually be called The Legacy Project.

A few years into the project, I had to head back to Las Vegas to look after my aging parents. Looking for a new breadth of life, Shaun and Yee-Shin also moved to Las Vegas. Both Shaun and Yee-Shin took up

jobs educating mentally disabled individuals with Yee-Shin teaching in a wood shop and Shaun helping the individuals publish a quarterly magazine. Unfortunately, Shaun’s health began to have complications and Shaun passed away in December of 2019, just shy of the new decade.

I miss my good friend, mentor, and chosen brother. Through his mischievous style Shaun had the ability to make you laugh until you were in tears and your stomach hurt. He also had the ability to bring you to his level of problem solving and look at the world with a sobering and methodical view. I’ve often thought of how comforting it would be to have Shaun around during these uncertain times; just to hear his viewpoint and rely on his leadership.

Shaun would’ve turned 40 on March 25th, 2020. In remembrance of Shaun, I’ve decided to bring The Legacy Project to life. I know that Shaun’s main purpose in filming these interviews was to bring LGBTQ youth, as he once was, a sense of pride in their own history. This is a culmination of everything Shaun stood for and his work, which he held dear.

Interviews for The Legacy Project can now be found on YouTube. We filmed quite a bit, having in mind that we would make a feature out of them. In the spirit of the times, I’ve decided to release the interviews wholly. Shaun and I believed the entirety of these interviews should be seen and were having a hard time deciding what to cut out and what to leave in for a feature. Due to the number of them, I will be releasing interviews as fast as I can edit them in a digestible format. Please look up The Legacy Project on YouTube and subscribe to the channel for notifications about new interviews.

Here are the links to 5 interview videos with George:

https://youtu.be/RBJsbZYIsEc

https://youtu.be/4Gu8QOdtOr0

https://youtu.be/METh2XigrEE

https://youtu.be/_7sSrnpXhbM

https://youtu.be/Uid1yRg-77E

GOFUNDME THANK YOUS FROM SGN STAFF

Thank You to all of our SGN GoFundMe campaign donors

(as of December 30, 2020)

With a special acknowledgment to our Premier Donors: Anonymous (3), Jenny Durkan, Luke Gutzwiller, Mature Friends, Michael Weidemann, Sherry Harris.

And a special acknowledgment to our Prime Donors: Anonymous (9), Steve Ash, James Braden, Katherine A Brands, Lorraine Cannon, Stephen Carstens, Joe Cowan Jr, Richard Ellison, Robin Garrett, Gay Fathers of Seattle, Georg Hawked, Cyril Hegel, Drew Hellman, Bryan Hillmer, Bill Lancaster, Cynthia Lewis, Dan Oban, Roger Meers, Robert Moritz, Mary Nichols, Curt Pavola, Mike Payne, Ruth Pettis, Amy Richards, Gary Richardson, Susanna Smith, Carol Sterling, Alison Warp, Natalie Weizenbaum, Scott Willet.

Thank you for your generous financial support during this critical time for the SGN and for your vote of confidence in the work we do. – Rick McKinnon

HUGE thanks to all our donors. (And I think I can speak for George, as well.)

– Maggie Bloodstone

After 5 years occupying a space that was literally an office above a garage in the Central District, with these funds we were able to find a new smaller and cheaper space back in the heart of Capitol Hill. This has jump started us with contemporary format and now we are back in the neighborhood where it all began. – MK Scott

It has been a very good feeling to know that the SGN is greatly valued. Not only has everyone’s contribution helped the SGN through some tough times, it has also ensured that 10’s of thousands of international readers have access to LGBTQ infor-

GOFUND ME

continued from cover

Venturing forward into this new year, we thank every individual donor for giving us the ability to continue the voice of the Seattle Gay News. A voice that has been resilient for over 45 years. This paper has a spirit that cannot be broken. The spirit is YOU, our readers. You have allowed us to continue to tell the sad stories of 2020, as well as the hopeful ones as we move forward, and for that we are most grateful.

We will continue our GoFundMe campaign to sustain our production as we weather what we hope is the last of the COVID storm. Stay tuned to see what is happening next at the SGN

mation, from places such as Yemen, Saudi Arabia, Mozambique to Egypt. What we have achieved in rights in the USA is often used as a model for others. Over 16 years of the SGN available to anyone around the world! You as a donor, have ensured we can continue in this very important role. I greatly thank you. – Barry Thorsness, SGN Webmaster

What a hard year it’s been, between the pandemic, the fight for racial justice, a grueling election campaign, and of course, losing George Bakan. Thank you, though, for one bright spot: helping to sustain a unique and long-lasting Seattle institution, the Seattle Gay News, in an already difficult media environment. – Richard Isaac

If it truly takes a Village, I’ll happily be The Village Idiot. Thank you all for keeping George Bakan’s vision alive! – Tom Orr

In conjunction with our existing staff, we will be introducing a team of Next Generation writers who will share fresh perspectives and insight into the modern-day LGBTQIA+ experience. Thank you again, SGN friends and family. We would not be here without YOU. We wish you a heartfelt salutation of gratitude; that you may be able to see the blessings within the losses for this New Year’s Day 2021.

All My Best,

Angela Cragin SGN Publisher

George Bakan’s daughter

SEPTEMBER 2020

Richard Isaac

JUNE 2020

Darcy Harrison

Elise Power

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Scott Brown

Anonymous

Marshall Brown

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Anonymous

Anonymous

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Anonymous

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Mature Friends

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Anonymous

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Gay Fathers Association

of Seattle

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Anonymous

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Anonymous

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Anonymous

David Biviano

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A M Chamberlin

Anonymous

Lucy Cragin

Jamie Nelson

OCTOBER 2020

Anonymous

Anonymous

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Anonymous

Chad Brown

NOVEMBER 2020

Susanna Smith

Anonymous

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DECEMBER 2020

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Anonymous

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Anonymous

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Anonymous Anonymous

GenPRIDE’s UNMUTED celebrates connection and healing BOOKS

by Alice Bloch SGN Contributing Writer

UNMUTED: Stories of Courage and Resilience from the GenPRIDE Community

Published by GenPRIDE, 2020

For some books, context is irrelevant; for others, it’s absolutely necessary. UNMUTED is in the second category. This slim volume is the result of a writing workshop taught by Ingrid Ricks under the sponsorship of GenPRIDE, a Seattle nonprofit dedicated to improving the well-being of older LGBTQIA adults in this region. Workshop participants wrote and shared personal narratives about their most important life experiences, many of them difficult and painful, some joyous, some both. The feeling of a supportive community permeates the stories and makes the book greater than the sum of its parts.

A few of the narratives are about turning points in partner relationships. The one that stands out in my memory is the heartbreaking description by Steven Knipp (now Executive Director of GenPRIDE) of finding the body of his longtime partner, who had decided to end his own life before AIDS could rob him of control over his own destiny, in the bad old days when an HIV-positive diagnosis meant great suffering and imminent death. With devastating simplicity, Knipp writes, “Tom was everything to me; he was my first love and the man I trusted with my life. Now he was gone and I was next.”

Some of the most moving narratives are not really about queer life. Amy D. Rubin’s “Blood Sisters” is about her loving friendship with her straight “soul sister” Sooze, whom she met while both were steeling themselves to attend a meeting of a sup -

port group for people with ET, a rare blood cancer. Rubin’s tale is full of humor and warmth, and like many of the stories in the collection, it is unflinching in its honesty. Eric Pierre Carter’s narrative “The Long Goodbye,” about helping his mother live with Alzheimer’s, is similarly big-hearted, mixing laughter and tears. Carter describes an incident in which his mother gets lost in a mall, and he is afraid to ask for help:

Maybe she went to the restroom…. When you’re a large middle-aged black man, you don’t blithely approach some unknown woman as she is coming out of a public bathroom, even to ask about someone fitting your mother’s description.

And who can resist a story like Nancy Kiefer’s “Twenty-Third Street,” with a second paragraph like this one?

I was seventeen years old when I was put on a train. I took with me my teenaged husband of two days, my daisy-flowered luggage, my hipster trench coat, my morning sickness, my cigarettes, a neatly packed shoebox of sandwiches and cookies my mother put together, my Illinois driver’s license, and the linen dress with the Nehru collar I had worn to the chapel where the family had reluctantly gathered to endure the wedding ceremony.

The reader is right there with the narrator, in a specific place and time, along for the ride, bumpy though it may be. Bravo to all of the courageous community members who decided to share their stories, and to GenPRIDE for supporting and publishing those stories. To learn more about GenPRIDE and about UNMUTED, visit genprideseattle.org.

SPL offers virtual arts programs for older adults in January

SEATTLE (December 28, 2020) – This winter, the Seattle Public Library and Silver Kite Community Arts have partnered to offering online intergenerational workshops, talks, social hours, and performances for the community. These opportunities provide stimulating and creative engagement opportunities, as well as social connection.

“Older adults are facing unprecedented challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Nancy Slote. “We are working with community partners to offer virtual programs to help older adults navigate important decisions with physical and mental health, as well as fun programs that help them connect and learn.”

Arts schedule

Visit the Library’s calendar at spl.org/fiftyplus to find and register for these upcoming events:

• 1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m., Monday, Jan. 4

- Making Indian Sweets Travel to South India for a sweet taste of traditional semiya paysam, a rich noodle pudding that is a favorite on special occasions and can be served either warm or cold. Learn how to make this tasty treat that involves very little prep!

• 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., Wednesday, Jan. 6 - Senior Social Hour Join us for an hour of conversation, play, and connection.

• 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., Friday, Jan. 8

- Writing a Personal Essay. In this workshop, we’ll explore personal essay writing, look at a few short and different examples, brainstorm ideas for your own piece, and get started on your own personal essay.

• 1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m., Saturday, Jan. 9 - Introduction to Pastels. During this hands-on workshop, we’ll learn how to use pastels to draw a simple still life.

• 1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m., Monday, Jan. 11 - Mindfulness and Creativity. In this workshop, participants are guided through a series of mindful creative prompts. During the hour, we’ll draw, move, and write.

• 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., Wednesday, Jan. 13 - Bollywood Dance Learn dances featured in films from Bollywood in Mumbai, the largest movie-making capital in the world.

• 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., Friday, Jan. 15

- Introduction to Knitting. Beginners are invited to this intergenerational class where you will learn how to cast on, do the knit stitch, and cast off.

• 1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m., Saturday, Jan. 16 - Paper Sculptures. Learn how to turn flat pieces of paper into three-dimensional shapes. We’ll cut, bend, fold, and attach paper to create art from your recycling bin.

• 1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m., Monday, Jan. 18

- Dancing New Beginnings. Celebrate a new year and a fresh start with traditional dances from around the world. We’ll have a

gentle workout using the stability of a chair, with an optional get-on-your-feet section.

• 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., Wednesday, Jan. 20 - Senior Social Hour Join us for an hour of conversation, play, and connection.

• 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., Friday, Jan. 22 - Introduction to Acting. During this interactive session, learn some of the basic principles of acting using the actor’s tools of body, voice, and space. You’ll then have a chance to try a few acting exercises.

• 1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m., Saturday, Jan. 23

- Sip and Paint Watercolors Join us for a step-by-step watercolor painting workshop. Grab a beverage of choice and spend an hour talking and make art together.

• 1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m., Monday, Jan. 25 - Writing Poetry. Do you like writing poetry? During this session, try some writing exercises focused on crafting poems reflective of your life experiences.

• 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., Wednesday, Jan. 27 - Bollywood Dance Learn dances featured in films from Bollywood in Mumbai, the largest movie-making capital in the world.

• 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., Friday, Jan. 29

- Sip and Paint Acrylics Join us for a stepby-step painting workshop. Grab a beverage of your choice and spend an hour with us talking and making art together.

• 1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m., Saturday, Jan. 30 - Visual Journaling Explore ways to

record daily experiences and memories by creating a visual journal in this hands-on workshop. Learn basic drawing and watercolor skills to create a journal.

More information

The Library brings people, information, and ideas together to enrich lives and build community. We support universal access to information and ideas, and form strong partnerships with community organizations to offer classes and workshops that are accessible to all.

Visit the Library’s Road to Reopening page [www.spl.org/hours-and-locations/ road-to-reopening] for more information about Library services, such as book returns and free printing. Find out how to schedule an appointment for a holds pickup at spl.org/ curbside.

The Seattle Public Library also has many free online services, resources, and programs available while its physical buildings remain closed. You can find out more [at www.spl.org/using-the-library/ask-us] or by contacting the Library by phone at 206386-4636. Staff are ready to answer questions and direct you to helpful resources and information during this challenging time.

Courtesy of the Seattle Public Library

Rep. Smith introduces bill to provide automatic rental assistance to families in response to recessions and natural disasters

WASHINGTON, DC (December 29, 2020)

– Rep. Adam Smith (D-Wash.) introduced the Crisis Housing Act, which would establish a new automatic housing assistance program to provide emergency rental assistance vouchers to households during natural disasters or economic recessions.

“When responding to an unforeseen disaster like a pandemic, hurricane, or economic recession, families cannot wait in uncertainty for a relief bill to pass in Congress,” said Rep. Smith. “As we have seen with the COVID-19 pandemic, the need for rental assistance skyrockets in times of economic downturns, and we need a system that can rapidly deploy support to ensure vulnerable families at risk of displacement continue to have access to stable housing. Housing insecurity affects far too many families as is, and this bill would provide

Rep.

an automatic safety net to those most in need during a crisis.”

Even before the COVID-19 outbreak, the United States had an affordable housing crisis, which puts more families on the brink of displacement. The pandemic has further highlighted the heightened vulnerability of families in the case of economic crises in the future. There is currently no housing support program that is automatically triggered when a natural or economic disaster occurs, and this bill would remedy that gap.

The Crisis Housing Act would automatically provide low-income families and individuals with rental assistance from the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) when either the Stafford Act is invoked during a natural disaster, or when the state unemployment rate suddenly increases by a specific amount.

This legislation is the House companion bill to the Crisis Housing Act introduced in the Senate by US Sens. Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) and Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.). You can read a one-pager of the bill [at https://bit.ly/3pAFR3H] and the full bill text [at https://bit.ly/38FPreI].

Statements of support

“One of the fundamental lessons of this pandemic is how important housing assistance is in a crisis or disaster,” said Stephen Norman, executive director of the King County Housing Authority. “The speed at which aid can be provided is critical. Rep. Smith’s bill is a common sense approach that lays the groundwork, before a crisis, for the government to respond quickly. He should be commended for paying attention to a nuts-and-bolts issue in federal policy

that will make a real difference in people’s lives when assistance is needed.”

“Disasters often hit the lowest income households hardest, yet these same families struggle to receive the housing assistance they need afterwards. The result is often a predictable and entirely preventable rise in eviction and homelessness rates,” said Diane Yentel, president and CEO of the National Low Income Housing Coalition. “If passed, the Crisis Housing Act would play a critical role in providing safe, accessible, and affordable homes to individuals with the greatest needs after a disaster by providing longer-term, flexible, rental assistance – helping them safely recover without the fear of being rendered homeless.”

Courtesy of Rep. Adam Smith

Smith applauds House passage of the National Apprenticeship Act Reauthorization

WASHINGTON, DC (November 20, 2020) – Rep. Adam Smith (D-WA) released the following statement following House passage of the reauthorization of the National Apprenticeship Act, which would invest in increasing access to registered apprenticeships (RAs), codify and streamline existing standards that are vital to support RAs, and invest and expand the successful RA model to youth apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship programs:

“Our nation is in the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression, and

JAYAPAL

continued from page 8

magine what immigration in our country should and shouldn’t be, especially after watching the callousness and disregard for human life of the Trump administration,” said Lawrence Benito, FIRM Action co-chair and executive director of ICIRR Action. “Rep. Jayapal has been a champion of immigrant families and progressive values since before taking office, and we are honored to have worked with her on the Roadmap to Freedom Resolution. Immigrant families can’t wait any longer and solutions need to be rooted in our lived experience.”

“The introduction of the resolution takes us one step closer to our vision of an immigration system that respects immigrant families and embodies our best values as a country,” added Lorella Praeli, president of Community Change Action. “Beyond undoing the harm of the Trump era, the incoming Biden-Harris administration must take aggressive action to reverse the brutality of the enforcement system and work with Congress to pass legislation that creates a path to citizenship for the 11 million. The Resolution will remain our north star as we fight for our communities alongside our champions on the Hill.” “US immigration policies are profoundly broken, and the Roadmap to Freedom lays out a clear vision for a more fair and humane immigration system,” said Rep. Jesús “Chuy” García. “We must reckon with our nation’s darkest chapter of

the economic hardships and inequities impacting jobless workers and families are continuing to worsen due to the COVID-19 pandemic. With so many out of work, now is the time to invest in registered apprenticeships – some of the most successful workforce training programs in the country – which provide paid, on-the-job learning opportunities and a pathway to quality, family-sustaining jobs.

“The National Apprenticeship Act would invest more than $3.5 billion over five years to create nearly one million

separating families and caging children, and instead return to our roots as a country that welcomes and embraces immigrants. I’ve watched too many families to count, ripped and torn apart in my very own neighborhood and throughout the streets of Chicago. At this moment in history, we are called to restore compassion and dignity in our immigration system, and this resolution serves as a roadmap to that brighter, more just future for all.”

“Communities like El Paso have been on the receiving end of inconceivable cruelty and inhumanity,” said Rep. Veronica Escobar. “As the Trump era finally comes to an end, we have an obligation to work together to right the wrongs of the past and create solutions that reflect our shared commitment to dignity and justice.”

“Our immigration system is broken. Dreamers who have known no other home are at risk of deportation. Hundreds of migrant children are now permanently separated from their parents. Asylum seekers are being revictimized in refugee camps at the border,” said Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. “The Roadmap to Freedom outlines a set of principles for creating an immigration system that is just, empathetic, effective and fair. ”

“It’s time for an immigration system that works for our country, one that rewards those who come and contribute instead of punishing them for trying. That is why I am proud to be an original cosponsor of Rep. Jayapal’s Roadmap to Freedom,” said Rep. Judy Chu. “One of the most important things we can do for our economy and the future of our country is to encourage more

additional apprenticeship opportunities in existing and emerging industry sectors. Expanding access to apprenticeships ensures more workers have a pathway to stable, lifelong careers and accelerates our nation’s economic recovery. Additionally, I successfully included an amendment that would enable pre-apprenticeship programs to offer stipends to pre-apprentices to assist with the financial costs of participating in these programs such as housing, childcare, transportation, and more. This financial assistance will ensure both pre-appren-

family immigration. Immigrants who come with family are far less likely to rely on government aid, have an easier time starting businesses, and contribute to the vibrancy of our communities. By ending family separation and improving the visa backlog –which disproportionately impacts AAPIs –we can also encourage more immigrants by no longer forcing them to choose between staying with their families or pursuing the American Dream. America has always depended on immigrants, and we will continue to in the future. I’m glad to be supporting legislation that treats immigrants as an asset, not a political tool for stoking xenophobia.”

“Reversing the policies of the last four years is not enough,” said Rep. Yvette Clarke. “We must reimagine the immigration system in a manner that is humane, just and fair. The time has come for the values of our nation to be reflected in our immigration policies.”

The Roadmap to Freedom Resolution will be introduced at the beginning of the 117th Congress. This comprehensive proposal was developed in close consultation with grassroots groups, immigration organizers, labor advocates, civil rights leaders, and racial justice activists. The members of Congress who are co-leading the resolution represent the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, Congressional Black Caucus, and the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, as the Roadmap works to address the diverse needs of every community while reflecting the diversity of America’s immigrant community. Ultimately, it reestablishes the United States as a beacon of

ticeship programs and apprenticeship programs are more widely accessible for those who may face financial hardship.

“While workers and families continue to struggle with economic hardships amidst the pandemic, we must do all we can to help people obtain the education and skills needed to succeed and get through this crisis, and help build an economic recovery for a better future.”

Courtesy of Rep. Adam Smith

hope and humanitarian protection for those seeking safety on our shores and achieves a vision of an immigration system that works for all by:

• Ensuring a fair immigration process that establishes a roadmap to citizenship for 11 million people while centering family unity and promoting and preserves diversity

• Welcoming immigrants by supporting integration efforts and ensuring access to critical public services

• Creating a just, humane way to uphold immigration laws, including by investing in humane, community-based alternatives to detention and creating scalable consequences for enforcement. This is possible by modernizing the system, ensuring judges have the ability to exercise discretion, and having reasonable, more humane options on the table.

• Investing in border policy that protects the rights of communities in the borderlands and ends the mass militarization of the region

• Understanding that we must uphold the rights of all workers and that increasing protections for immigrant workers will lift up all workers – immigrant and Americanborn alike

The full Roadmap to Freedom Resolution is available [at http://jayapal.house.gov/ wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Roadmap-toFreedom-Resolution_Final.pdf].

Courtesy of Rep. Pramila Jayapal

San Francisco launches effort to designate longtime home of LGBTQ icons

Phyllis

Lyon

SAN FRANCISCO (October 22, 2020)

– On Tuesday, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to approve a resolution authored by District 8 Supervisor Rafael Mandelman to nominate the former home of pioneering LGBTQ and civil rights activists Phyllis Lyon and Del Martin for designation as a local historic landmark.

“Phyllis Lyon and Del Martin were pioneers of the LGBTQ rights movement,” said Mandelman, who is the only LGBTQ member of the Board of Supervisors and represents the Noe Valley neighborhood where the home is located. “They cofounded the first lesbian political organization in the country in the 1950s and became the first same-sex couple legally wed in San Francisco. The home they shared for more than half a century was the site of many community gatherings and has clear historic value that needs to be preserved and memorialized.”

The resolution was prompted by the recent sale of the property where Martin and Lyon lived together and nurtured a movement from 1955 until Martin’s death in 2008, and where Lyon remained until her death this April. The home, a 750-squarefoot cottage atop a steep hill in San Francisco’s Noe Valley neighborhood, sold for $2.25 million in September. The property, a double lot that remains mostly undeveloped, offers a stunning view of the city skyline and was advertised as “the very last parcel of land atop Noe Valley” and “truly the last of its kind.” Noe Valley has seen a rash of redevelopment in recent years, with large, luxury homes that routinely sell for $6 million and above often replacing modest homes originally built in the early parts of the 20th century, like the Lyon Martin house.

The sale caught the attention of Shayne Watson, a historian who co-wrote San Francisco’s LGBTQ Historic Context Statement in 2016. “I was alarmed when I saw an article about the sale touting how profitable it would be to redevelop the property,” said Watson. “The Lyon-Martin house is not only one of the most significant queer sites in the city but a place of international importance – truly a birthplace of LGBTQ rights movements worldwide.”

“The home of Lesbian icons and human rights leaders Phyllis Lyon and Del Martin

and

Del Martin as a landmark

in San Francisco is vital to LGBTQ as well as San Francisco and American history,” said Dr. Marcia Gallo, professor emerita at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, and author of Different Daughters: A History of the Daughters of Bilitis and the Rise of the Lesbian Rights Movements “From the mid1950s to 2020, with its large open living room windows looking out on the city they loved so dearly, the Lyon-Martin house not only sheltered them and their family and friends but also welcomed activists, journalists, politicians, and other change-makers throughout the nation and the world.”

Lyon and Martin, journalists who met when they were living in Seattle before moving back to San Francisco to live together in 1953, would continue as trailblazers across many social issues. This included the founding of the Daughters of Bilitis, the first les-

bian rights organization in the United States, which published the nationally distributed newsletter The Ladder, hosted national conventions, and organized private social gatherings that were the only places for lesbians to gather freely at the time.

In 1964, they helped found Citizen Alert, an early policy watchdog program focused on police brutality and unequal law enforcement. In 1976, Martin published Battered Wives, one of the earliest books on domestic violence published in the United States. In 1995, they were appointed to the White House Conference on Aging by Sen. Dianne Feinstein and Rep. Nancy Pelosi.

In 2004, they became the first same-sex couple to legally wed in San Francisco when then-mayor Gavin Newsom ordered the city clerk to grant marriage licenses to same-sex couples.

“Whether it was as godmothers of the lesbian rights movement, the NCLR’s lead plaintiffs in the California marriage equality case, or role models to multiple generations of queer kids, Del and Phyllis embodied the integrity and courage our country needs,” said Imani Rupert Gordon, executive director of the National Center for Lesbian Rights.

That preservation effort was spearheaded by Watson, who brought together historians, friends, and former caregivers of Lyon and Martin, and members of the broader queer community to establish the Friends of the Lyon-Martin House in partnership with the GLBT Historical Society, and now with the backing of Mandelman, who introduced the resolution in late September after a community meeting organized by the group.

“Phyllis Lyon and Del Martin’s papers are among the largest and most important collections in the GLBT Historical Society archives, and clearly document the historic significance of the Lyon-Martin House,” said Terry Beswick, executive director of the Historical Society. “It’s simply a cultural treasure for San Franciscans and for all LGBTQ people, and I applaud my colleague Shayne Watson for calling attention to this timely issue, and Supervisor Rafael Mandelman for leading the charge to landmark the site.”

The vote begins the formal designation process, which gives the City’s Planning Department and Historic Preservation Commission 90 days to issue a recommendation to the Board, which would then take final action to designate the landmark. The historic status would mean that future development and uses of the property would be subject to review by the Historic Preservation Commission.

“I’m proud of our action today, and will continue to do everything I can to ensure that our LGBTQ landmarks are recognized,” said Mandelman. “I look forward to working with community leaders and those who knew Phyllis, Del, and their home firsthand to honor their legacy and this special piece of San Francisco.”

Courtesy of the Office of Supervisor Rafael Mandelman

2020 film recap In a movie year like no other, cinematic greatness was still easy to find

by Sara Michelle Fetters

SGN A&E Writer

In a 2020 unlike anything I could have imagined beforehand, writing about the year in film feels understandably strange. Considering all that has transpired, talking about how COVID-19 has likely transformed the motion picture industry forever from a distribution and exhibition standpoint seems rather minor as far as the grand scheme of things is concerned.

But here we still are. Just because most movie theaters closed their doors in March that does not mean movies stopped being released. While several high-profile pictures jumped around the 2020 calendar before bolting entirely for next year (including highly anticipated titles like the latest James Bond adventure No Time to Die, the next installment in the Fast and Furious franchise F9, Marvel’s Black Window and Steven Spielberg’s musical extravaganza West Side Story), there was still plenty for audiences to choose from to hopefully distract from the self-isolating tedium.

This was the year major Hollywood studios embraced the concept of streaming, Universal going so far as to make a deal with theater chains to reduce the theatrical window for major releases down to a meager 17 days from the formerly agreed upon 60 to 90 (depending on the title). It was a time when Disney and Warner, in particular, went to war over their own streaming platforms, Disney+ and HBO Max, both debuting $200 million epics like Mulan and Wonder Woman 1984 for home consumption in large part to expand their respective subscriber bases.

Audiences learned what “PVOD” stood for (premium video on demand), while streaming services Netflix, Amazon Prime, Apple TV, Hulu and even Shudder gobbled up as many pictures as they could get their

hands on, delivering new titles every week with as much fanfare as they could afford to muster. Even the stodgy Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences had to amend their eligibility rules as it pertained to the Academy Awards, opening the door to countless independent productions that normally wouldn’t have had even a passing chance to be nominated for an Oscar.

I’m not sure what all of this adds up to. I have no idea what it all means going forward. While I’m sure the theatrical experience will remain as vital and as important as ever, it is equally clear the landscape for distribution has fundamentally changed forever. Warner Bros has already announced all of its 2021 titles will debut in theaters and on HBO Max day-and-date, while Disney told their investors they intend to prioritize streaming going forward.

One of the issues I do foresee is an inability for titles to make a lasting impression. Netflix, in particular, has an awesomely difficult time keeping any of their films in the spotlight, the streamer allowing even their biggest pictures to vanish into a bottomless pit of content almost immediately. There’s also the ways viewers react and comment on new releases, doing so all at once over a single weekend and not an extended period as they would if a film had received traditional theatrical exhibition.

At the same time, never have I seen so many motion pictures from female and minority filmmakers released with such consistency. Critics and potential audiences have been able to focus on them as they never have before, the intensity of this spotlight hopefully signaling a new dawn of inclusive storytelling the likes of which will become the norm and not an exception to it.

Personally, I saw over 100 motion pictures I’d happily recommend and only 50 or so I’d urge viewers to stay far away from, and that’s still only scratching the surface

of every title which received some sort of release. I had the good fortune to see a trio of films, Lingua Franca, Bit and The Craft: Legacy which showcased transgender representation in groundbreaking fashion, and selfishly this warmed my heart more than almost anything else that happened throughout 2020.

In the end, these were ten of the films that moved me the most, all of which I cannot wait to sit down and watch again as soon as the opportunity to do so arises.

TOP TEN

1. Nomadland

(D. Chloé Zhao)

Lyrical. Haunting. Profound. Masterful. Chloé Zhao’s Nomadland is an existential delight that drips in knowingly humanist atmosphere, stunningly literate character development and introspectively incisive atmosphere. It is the quintessential American road trip drama that feels more alive and of the moment than any other motion picture I was lucky enough to watch in 2020. Two-time Academy Award-winner Frances McDormand gives one of the best performances of her career, while a supporting cast made up of familiar veterans (like David Strathairn) and real life selfdescribed “nomads” is nothing short of spectacular. (In Theaters Feb. 19)

2. Never Rarely Sometimes Always

(D. Eliza Hittman)

There is something about Eliza Hittman’s devastatingly naturalistic drama Never Rarely Sometimes Always I have not been able to shake all year. This marvelous miracle of a motion picture never turns preachy, refuses to wallow in sanctimonious treacle. Instead, this hard-hitting journey of a small town teenage girl having to travel from Pennsylvania to New York to receive an abortion is a life-affirming marvel that refuses to pull

a single punch as it builds to its heartrending, if still hopeful, conclusion. Young actresses Sidney Flanigan and Talia Ryder are magnificent. (Streaming on HBO Max)

3. Shirley

(D. Josephine Decker)

Director Josephine Decker’s and screenwriter Sarah Gubbins’ adaptation of Susan Scarf Merrell’s best-selling book is a monumental what-if achievement that captured my imagination whole. A character study of a quartet of disparate individuals centered on author Shirley Jackson, this wispy dream of a motion picture digs deep and refuses to offer up any easy answers or conclusions. Featuring a tour-de-force performance from star Elisabeth Moss and superlative supporting turns from Michael Stuhlbarg and Odessa Young, this is a ferociously unnerving masterwork of intelligence, companionship, love and so many fascinatingly human emotional disasters listing them all here is next to impossible. (Streaming on Hulu)

4. Promising Young Woman

(D. Emerald Fennell)

Wow. That was my initial wide-eyed reaction after watching writer/director Emerald Fennell’s spellbindingly cutthroat debut for the first time. A maelstrom of sound, fury, compassion, vindication and sacrifice, this astonishing mixture of pitch-black satire, tragic romance and coldblooded revenge must be seen to be believed. Not an easy sit, and its controversial ending will undoubtedly spawn all types of reactions that crisscross the emotional spectrum, this mind-bending social commentary is unlike anything I ever could have anticipated beforehand. Carey Mulligan delivers the performance of a lifetime. (In Theaters / Streaming PVOD in January (TBD))

see FILM 2020 page 21

Clooney’s Midnight Sky achieves emotionally cathartic liftoff

by Sara Michelle Fetters

SGN A&E Writer

THE MIDNIGHT SKY

Netflix

As a young man, astronomer Augustine (George Clooney) discovered K23, a distant planet similar to Earth he believes could sustain human life. Decades later, the greying scientist is stationed at a remote Arctic research station. Radiation is poisoning the planet; in a few short months it will be uninhabitable. With the remainder of the staff leaving to be with their loved ones, Augustine stays behind, monitoring the cataclysmic situation spreading across the globe by himself.

Led by their commander Adewole (David Oyelowo), the crew of the exploratory spaceship Aether is returning to Earth. They were sent to investigate K23 and find out if it is fit for human habitation. Their mission a success, the crack scientific team of Sully (Felicity Jones), Mitchell (Kyle Chan-

Sanchez (Demian Bichir) and Maya (Tiffany Boone) is eager to report their findings. But they have no idea how dire the situation is on Earth, NASA strangely unresponsive to all their attempts at communication.

Based on the book Good Morning, Midnight by Lily Brooks-Dalton, Clooney’s latest directorial effort The Midnight Sky is an ambitious end-of-the-world science fiction fantasy that will undoubtedly rub some the wrong way. It is a blatantly melodramatic saga of survival that wears its heart on its frozen sleeve, everything centered around a weary man’s last days hoping to right the one wrong he’s never been able to forgive himself for.

As moderately patriarchal as that all sounds, for some strange reason this film worked for me. Not every piece. Not every moment. But the ones that matter? The scenes most important to the outcome of the story? These noticeably moved me. I was caught up in what Augustine was attempting to accomplish and curious to learn if the crew of the Aether would sur-

vive. These storylines satisfyingly converged, and for the most part Clooney kept an excessive amount of treacle from smothering his motion picture.

The central engine propelling things onward is Augustine’s quest to contact the Aether to warn them about conditions on Earth and to urge them to turn the ship around and head back to K23 so humanity will survive. He’s joined in his mission by a mute girl named Iris (Caoilinn Springall) who appears to have been inadvertently left behind when their Arctic station was evacuated. Augustine becomes strangely protective of the child in a fatherly way even though he knows the world is ending, the two battling the elements as they struggle to stay alive until they’ve restored communication with the Aether.

The pair soon realize their radio transmitter isn’t powerful enough to reach the spaceship. There is a second Arctic station that does have the necessary capabilities, but to get to it they will have to cross the frozen tundra and risk exposure to both the sub-

Exciting Shadow in the Cloud a monstrously silly flight of fancy

by Sara Michelle Fetters

SGN A&E Writer

SHADOW IN THE CLOUD

Theatres / VOD (Amazon Prime, iTunes, Apple TV, Xfinity, etc.)

Flight Officer Maude Garrett (Chloë Grace Moretz) is on a top-secret mission carrying a mysterious package. Much to the consternation of the all-male B-17 Bomber crew of the aptly named “The Fool’s Errand,” she is to join them on their resupply mission. Ordered by the ship’s Captain Walter Quaid (Taylor John Smith) to ride out the trip in the Sperry, the electrically powered dorsal gun turret, everyone buckles in for what will hopefully be a quiet flight.

If only The Fool’s Errand was that lucky. Maude spies a Japanese fighter and quickly blows it to bits, but it’s still safe to say where there’s one enemy plane there’s likely going to be two or three more. But that’s the least of their problems. There’s

zero temperatures as well as an encroaching cloud of radiation. They encounter numerous obstacles during their journey, including a pack of hungry wolves as well as the wreckage of a downed cargo plane.

On the Aether, the tireless crew face their own obstacles. A meteor field has taken out their communication equipment and Adewole, Sully and Maya will have to spacewalk to repair the damage. It’s a dangerous operation, and there’s the potential for a second round of meteors. But the crew needs to get in contact with the Earth, the continued radio silence an all-too-obvious sign that something is wrong.

Clooney has directed one perfect movie, Good Night, and Good Luck., back in 2005. His track record behind the camera since that Oscar-nominated gem, Leatherheads, Monuments Men, Suburbicon and now this, has been spotty at best. There is an over-reliance on coincidence as far as the plotting of this tale is concerned, and having things revolve almost entirely upon an older white man trying to redeem himself for foolish choices made during his youth doesn’t play nearly as well as I’m sure Clooney was hoping it would.

But the spectacle is spot-on. Whether it be the interstellar actions of the Aether crew during their dangerous spacewalk, or Augustine and Iris hoofing it across the Artic without knowing if their labors will pay any dividends, Clooney does a wonderful job of generating tension and excitement. Featuring strong visual effects, exceptional cinematography from Martin Ruhe (Run All Night) and a suitably stirring score composed by the great Alexandre Desplat (Little Women), the technical facets are strong. The director’s handling of these aspects is impressive, and I imagine this all would have played exceptionally well theatrically, if only there were open venues to showcase it.

The central twist that connects Augustine to the Aether isn’t difficult to figure out, and the climactic reveal as it pertains to Iris and why she was left behind isn’t altogether shocking. But my heartstrings were still tugged, and even if the contrivances required to bring things to a conclusion are a little obnoxious, I can’t work up the energy to get bent out of shape about it. If The Midnight Sky doesn’t shine as bright as maybe it could have, there was just enough sparkle to put a happy twinkle in my eye, and even with a noted absence of fuel Clooney’s latest still achieves emotionally cathartic liftoff.

Allyship - an organization of LGBTQ individuals fighting for economic and social justice. www.LGBTQAllyship. org, allyship@yahoo.com, (206) 279-8169. American Veterans for Equal Rights - www.aver.us

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Cascade Rainbow Community Center (Mount Vernon) - (360) 840-8499 and on Facebook. Central Washington University GALA Hotline: (509) 963-1994.

Channel Q 103.3 FM - LGBTQ+ Talk Radio NetworkNews and information, pop culture and music. radio.com COLAGE unites people with LGBTQ parents and caregivers into a network of peers and supports them as they nurture and empower each other to be skilled, self-confident, and just leaders in our collective communities - www.colage.org

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DOMESTIC VIOLENCE & SEXUAL ASSAULT: Crisis Clinic, (206) 461-3222 (24 hour line); King County Sexual Assault Resource Center (KCSARC) - 24-hour crisis line for information, support, & medical & legal assistance: 1-888-99-VOICE; Northwest Networksupport & advocacy for Bisexual, Trans, Lesbian & Gay Survivors of Abuse & Dating Violence, (206) 568-7777 (voice), 517-9670 (tty), www.nwnetwork.org; Pierce County Domestic Violence Helpline: Teresa, (253) 798-4166; Seattle Counseling Service for Sexual Minorities - offers on-going support groups for men: 323-1768; Seattle Police Dept Domestic Violence Unit, (206) 684-0330; State Wide Domestic Violence Hot Line, 1-800-562-6025. In an emergency call 911 Report domestic violence and sexual assault. Equal Rights Washington - (206) 324-2570; www. equalrightswashington.org

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Gay & Lesbian National Hotline (GLNH): 1-888-THEGLNH (1-888-843-4564). Non-profit, peer-counseling, information & local resources telephone hotline for GLBT people across the country.

Generations Aging With Pride empowers elder LGBTQ adults to live with pride and dignity by promoting, connecting, and developing innovative programs and services that enhance belonging and support, eliminate discrimination, and honor the lives of older members of our community - (206) 393-3400; info@gapseattle.org; gapseattle.org

GLSEN/WA - Gay, Lesbian, Straight Education Network - (206) 330-2099; www.glsenwa.org

Greater Seattle Business Association (GSBA) - (206) 363-9188; www.thegsba.org

HIV/AIDS Program, Seattle/King County Dept of Public Health, provides confidential/anonymous information about & testing for HIV/AIDS. (206) 205-7837. For a comprehensive list of HIV/AIDS service organizations see the GSBA Guide or visit www.thegsba.org or call Lifelong AIDS Alliance, (206) 328-8979.

Imperial Sovereign Court of Seattle & the Olympic & Rainier Empire - www.facebook.com/ISCSORE; www. imperialcourtofseattle.com

Lambert House - (206) 322-2515; www.lamberthouse. org

LGBT Library - 517 E Pike St. Open Mon-Fri 2-8pm; Sat 2-5pm. A wide range of fiction and non-fiction for the LGBT community and allies can be borrowed free of charge.

LGBT MS Connection - (425) 785-8593; lgbtmsconnections@comcast.net. Support group for LGBT persons with MS and their partners and their caregivers. Sponsored by the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. Lifelong AIDS Alliance - (206) 328-8979, www.lifelongaids alliance.org Lion’s Main Art Collective - www.lionsmain.org

MEN: Gay City: (206) 860-6969, www.gaycity.org; Knights of Mantra: (206) 329-0886, www.jetchapterkofm.com; Mature Friends: Gay men & women 40 & over, www.maturefriends.org; Northwest Bears: www. nwbears.com; The Olympians: www.TheOlympians. net; POZSeattle: www.pozseattle.com; Q-Squared: www.qsquared.org; Rain City Jacks: www.raincityjacks. org; Seattle Gay Couples: www. seattlegaycouples.org; Seattle Men in Leather: www.seattlemeninleather. org; Seattle Prime Timers: Gay & Bi men 40 & over, www. seattle primetimers.org; Tacoma Older LGBT: www. tacomaolderlgbt.org. (See also listings under Bisexual, Parenthood, People of Color, Transgender.)

MUSIC: Diverse Harmony: www.diverseharmony. org; Rainbow City Band: 1-866-841-9139 ext 2126; rainbowcityband@onebox.com; www.rainbowcity band. com; Seattle Men’s Chorus and Seattle Women’s Chorus: (206) 388-1408, (206) 323-0750. www.seattlechoruses.org.

Northwest Lesbian & Gay History Museum Project - gayhistnw@aol.com

community resources

Northwest Rainbow Alliance for the Deaf - www. nwrad.org

Olympia/Thurston County - www.RainbowCenterOly. org

Out & Equal Workplace Advocates/Seattle Regional Affiliate supports the work of LGBT employees and the growing number of ERGs (Employee Resource Groups) making a difference within local companies, including Alaska Airlines, Amazon.com, Amgen, AT&T, Bank of America, Deloitte, Macy’s, Microsoft, Russell Investments, Safeco Insurance, Starbucks Coffee, Xerox. www.outandequal.org/affiliates/seattle

Out & Proud Grays Harbor Coalition - http://outandproudgh.org

PARENTHOOD: Families Like Ours provides a gateway for LGBT families interested in adoption & provides a network of safe placement agencies, training, support & resources: (206) 441-7602, www.familieslikeours. org; Family Works offers support, information & activities for LGBT families: (206) 694-6727, www.familyworksseattle. org; Gay Fathers’ Association of Seattle offers support groups & social activities: www.gfas. org; Proud & Loud Families - Northwest, www.meetup.com/proudand-loud-families-northwest, plfnorthwest@aol.com; Queer Parent Networking Dinners: (206) 568-7777, qpnd@nwnetwork.org, www.nwnetwork.org; Rainbow Families of Puget Sound: www.rainbowfamiliesps.org PFLAG is the national organization for parents, families, allies, and LGBTQ people united for equality with chapters in Seattle, Bellevue/Eastside, the Puget Sound region and across Washington state. PFLAG Seattle: (206) 325-7724, info@pflagseattle.org, and www.pflagseattle.org; PFLAG Bellevue/Eastside: (425) 483-6642, info@bellevue-pflag.org, http://community. pflag.org/PFLAGBellevue; PFLAG Pacific Northwest: www.pnwpflag.org; PFLAG Washington State Council: www.pflagwsc.org.

Peer Seattle (formerly Seattle Area Support Groups) is a non-profit organization that builds community and cultivates powerful, healthy lives by providing emotional support and personal development services to those affected by HIV/AIDS, the Queer communities, and those who love them. Our work is done in a spirit of safety, trust, inclusiveness, and celebration of individual differences. (206) 322-2437; www.peerseattle.org

PEOPLE OF COLOR: AARTH (African American Reach & Teach Health Ministry), (206) 850-2070, www.aarth.org; Asian/Pacific Islander Queer Network Program at API Chaya, (206) 467-9976; Center for MultiCultural Health, (206) 461-6910, www.multiculturalhealth.org; Entre Hermanos, GLBT Latinos/as, (206) 322-7700, www.entrehermanos.org; Ile LaiLai, (206) 781-3565, iya@ilelailai.org; Men of All Colors & Cultures Together (MACCT), (206) 923-8313, macctseattle@yahoo.com, www.macctsea.org; Northwest Two Spirit Society, https://www.facebook.com/ groups/nw2spiritsociety/, Nubian Pride Productions, nubianpride@gmail.com; People of Color Against AIDS Network (POCAAN) offers rapid HIV testing, M-F, 10am-5pm, (206) 322-7061, www.pocaan.org and on Facebook; QBASS - Queer Black Alliance of the South Sound, (253) 256-1846, weareqbass@gmail. com; Sistah 2 Sistah, LBT women of African descent, (206) 322-7061, (206) 255-8951; Somos Seattle, somosseattle.org; Trikone-Northwest, GLBT South Asians, (425) 985-4376, www.trikonenw.org; Two-Spirit Honor Project, 1-866-685-0164; U.T.O.P.I.A. Seattle, www.utopiaseattlewa.org; VietQ Greater Seattle, vietqorganization@gmail.com

Pierce County AIDS Foundation - (253) 383-2565; www.piercecountyaids.org

Pride Foundation - (206) 323-3318; www.pridefoundation. org

Pride Lives - www.facebook.com/PrideLives/ Pride Radio 93.3 HD2

Project NEON is a program of Seattle Counseling Service providing FREE information & services to Gay & Bi men to reduce health risks associated with methamphetamine use. (206) 323-1768. www.crystalneon.org

Public Health-Seattle & King County Online Comprehensive Health Information for Sexual Minorities: www.kingcounty.gov/healthservices/health/personal/ glbt.aspx

Q Law: The GLBT Bar Association of WA - (206) 682-6711; www.q-law.org

Q Law GLBT Legal Clinic - (206) 235-7235. Queer Geek! - queergeekseattle.org

Rainbow Center - Resource Center for Tacoma/Pierce County LGBTIQA community. Through education, advocacy and celebration, the Rainbow Center expands resources, and safe space for the LGBTQIA community.

Sponsors Tacoma Pride Festival. (253) 383-2318, www. rainbowcntr.org

SEAMEC interviews, researches & rates candidates for public office on issues of concern to the LGBT community. www.voteseamec.org

Seattle Area Support Groups & Community Center (SASG) i- SEE LISTING for Peer Seattle. Seattle Bisexual Women’s Network - BiSeattle.wixsite. com/SBWN and on Facebook.

Seattle Counseling Service for Sexual Minorities is a community mental health service for GLBT persons & their families providing comprehensive mental health services on a sliding scale. (206) 323-1768.

Seattle LGBTQ Commission - (206) 684-4503. www/ seattle.gov/lgbtq

Seattle Out & Proud - (206) 322-9561; www.seattlepride.org

Seattle Police Department Sexual Minorities Community Advisory Council: kim.bogucki@seattle.gov

Seattle PrideFest - www.seattlepridefest.org Servicemembers Legal Defense Network - (202) 328-3244; www.sldn.org

Sex Workers Outreach Project - https://seattle. swopusa.org

Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, The Abbey of St. Joan - (206) 860-3666; www.theabbey.org Snohomish Health District HIV/AIDS Program provides free confidential/anonymous HIV counseling & testing 9am-5pm Monday-Friday, until 7pm Tuesdays. (425) 339-5298.

South Sound Q Calendar - LGBTQ events in Tacoma, Olympia & Sound Puget Sound area; www.SouthSoundQCal.com Spokane/Inland Northwest - www.outspokane.com; www.stonewallnews.net

SPORTS & RECREATION: Bent Car Guys: www. bentcarguys.org; Border Riders Motorcycle Club: www.borderriders.com; Bottom Dwellers Scuba Club: www.bottomdwellers.org; Capitol Hill Cyclers: join their Facebook group or email capitolhillcycling@ groups.facebook.com or jordan.l.simonson@gmail.com; Cascade Flag Football: www.cascadeflagfootball.org; Cascade Flyers: www.cascadeflyers.org; Emerald City Mudhen Rugby: www.mudhenrugby.com; Emerald City Softball Association: www.emeraldcitysoftball. org, www.eteamz.com/womensecsa; Ethyl Forever Car Club: ethylforever@hotmail.com; Festival of the Babes: www.festivalofthebabes.com; Olympic Yacht Club: www.oycnw.org; OutVentures: outdoor education & recreation activities, www.outventures.org; Pacific Northwest Gay Rodeo Association: www.pacificnwgra.org; Puddletown Squares: www.puddletownsquares.org; Rain City Soccer: www.raincitysoccer.org; Rain Country Dance Association: a country-western dance organization catering to the LGBTQ community but open to all, www.raincountrydance.org; Sea Dawgs: LGBT ice hockey - SkateSeaDawgs@gmail.com and on Facebook; Seattle Frontrunners: www.seattlefrontrunners.org; Seattle Gay Basketball Association: www. seattlegaybasketballassociation.com; Seattle Orca Swim Team: www.orcaswimteam.org; Seattle Otters Water Polo: www.otterpolo.com; Seattle Quake Rugby: www.quakerugby.com; Seattle Tennis Alliance: www. seattletennisalliance.org; Seattle Unified Bowling Association (SUBA): magee98106@aol.com, www. teamseattle.org/bowling.htm, www.theprideleague. com, Century 21 League; Seattle Volleyball Club: www.seattlevolleyballclub.com; Ski Buddies: www. skibuddies.org; Team Seattle Gay Sports Network is an umbrella organization for a wide range of local GLBT sports activities, (206) 367-4064, www.teamseattle.org (see website for comprehensive list of sports clubs); Triangle Recreation Camp at Bender Creek: recreational camping for GLBT folks. Must be 21; ID required. trc@ camptrc.org, www.camptrc.org, 1122 E Pike St #1069, Seattle 98122-3934. Strength Over Speed - www.strengthoverspeed.org Tacoma/Pierce County - Rainbow Center, 2215 Pacific Ave, Tacoma, a resource center for the LGBTIQA community of Pierce County, (253) 383-2318, www. rainbowcntr.org

Three Dollar Bill Cinema - TWIST: Seattle Queer Film Festival; Translations: Seattle Transgender Film Festival; Outdoor Cinema at Cal Anderson Park. www. threedollarbillcinema.org

TRANSGENDER: Emerald City Social Club: (425) 827-9494; Gender Alliance of the South Sound: www. SouthSoundGender.com; Gender Diversity: www. genderdiversity.org; Gender Justice League: www.genderjusticeleague.org; Gender Odyssey: www.genderodyssey.com; Hermanos Trans Latino & Foreign-Born

Support Group: (206) 322-7700; Ingersoll Gender Center: (206) 329-6651, www.ingersollcenter.org; Lion’s Main Art Collective: www.lionsmain.org; The New BoyZ Club: www.olympiaftmgroup.webs.com; Olympia Trans Discussion Group: www.facebook.com/pages/ Olympia-Trans-Discussion-Group/262449878114; [trans] ACTION: Trans* & Gender Non-Conforming Sex Workers’ Support Group - a safe, peer-led space. mail@utopiaseattle.org; TRANSform Washington: transformwashington.com; Trans Resource & Referral Guide: kctransguide.org; Trans Women of Color Solidarity Network: Funding the collective liberation of Trans women of color – https://m.facebook.com/ TWOCSolidarityNW/; Washington Gender Alliance: (360) 445-2411, www.washington genderalliance.com

WOMEN: Aging Ballard Lesbian Exchange (A.B.L.E.): We are Lesbians 60 years (generally) and up, living (mostly) in the north half of Seattle. The purpose of the group is to connect, socialize and support each other. ruthemilyvogel@gmail.com; Aging Lesbians in South Seattle (ALISS) - Lesbian Group at the Southeast Seattle Senior Center. This is a gathering primarily for Lesbians but all are welcome to attend. Kate, (206) 722-0317; www.sessc.org; BABES: support groups for HIV+ women. (206) 720-5566, 1-888-292-1912; Coming Out Women Support Group of Tacoma: www. comingoutwomen.org; Festival of the Babes: www. festivalofthebabes.com; Mature Friends: Gay men & women 40 & over, www.maturefriends.org; Puget Sound Old Lesbian Organizing for Change: http:// psoloc.org, (253) 777-3357; Older Lesbians Organizing for Change/WA State Chapter: gloria@oloc.org, mary@oloc.org, www.oloc.org; Pacific Northwest Lesbian Archives: www.pnwlesbianarchives.org; RainshadowWomen: RainshadowWomen@aol. com; Seattle Bisexual Women’s Network: BiSeattle. wixsite.com/SBWN; Seattle Girls of Leather: www. sgol.org; Tacoma Lesbian Concern (TLC): www.tacomalesbianconcern.org; Tacoma Older LGBT: www. tacomaolderlgbt.org; Women of West Seattle (WOWS): a fun, member-driven social group for Lesbians, http:// groups.yahoo.com/group/womenofwestseattle; YWCA Women’s Health Outreach: providing low or no-cost mammograms for income eligible 40+ LBTQ individuals. Follow us at http://lbtqhealth-ywca.blogspot.com, twitter.com/ingridWHO or email lbthealth@ywcaworks. org, (206) 461-4493. (See also listings under Bisexual, Parenthood, People of Color, Transgender.)

YOUTH: B-GLAD (Bisexual, Gay, Lesbian, Trans & Questioning Adolescent Drop-In Group): Youth Eastside Services offers many programs for GLBT youth, including B-GLAD, (425) 747-4937; Coyote Central: www.coyotecentral.org; Diverse Harmony: www.diverseharmony. org; GLSEN/Washington State (Gay, Lesbian, Straight Education Network) & Washington State GSA (Gay-Straight Alliance) Network: GLSEN works to create safe schools for LGBT students. WA GSA Network supports youth-led GSA’s to fight harassment & homophobia in Washington state schools. (206) 330-2099; www.glsenwa. org; www.wagsa.org. GLOBE (GLBTQ Loving Ourselves, Becoming Empowered): a support group & HIV/STD prevention program for GLBTQ youth, 14-20, in Everett, (425) 263-2908, www. globeyouth.org; It Gets Better Project: www.itgetsbetter.org; Lambert House: an activities & resource center for LGBT youth, 14-22, 1818 15th Ave @ E Denny Way, with additional support groups organized in smaller towns throughout King County, (206) 322-2515, www. lamberthouse.org; Lifelong HEYO (Health Education Youth Outreach): for LGBTQ youth, ages 16-24: (206) 957-1665; www.llaa.org/HEYO; www.MatthewsPlace. com ; The Mockingbird Society: (206) 323-KIDS (5437), www.mockingbirdsociety.org; New Horizons: social services and shelter for homeless youth, 2708 3rd Ave (in Belltown), (206) 374-0866, http://namin.org; Oasis Youth Center: for GLBTQ youth, ages 14-25, in Tacoma, (253) 671-2838, www.oasisyouthcenter. org; OKAY! LGBTQ+ Outreach for Kent Area Youth: (253) 859-0699 ext 3034. OKAY! is an open support group for youth ages 13-19 who identify as LGBTQ+. A program of Kent Youth & Family Services; OUT There Adventures: www.outthereadventures.org; Parents, Family & Friends of Lesbians & Gays (PFLAG)/ Puget Sound: (206) 325-7724, www.seattle-pflag.org; Pizza Klatch: weekly lunchtime support groups for LGBTQ youth in Thurston County, www.pizzaklatch. org; Prism: for LGBTQ youth, 14-21, in PuyallupCherise.Alexander@ multicare.org; www.facebook. com/PuyallupPrism; Proud Out Wonderful (POW!): for LGBTQ youth, 13-21, in South King County, (206) 326-9112, www.facebook.com/proudoutwonderful; Q Youth Resources: in Kitsap County - (360) 698-3335; www.kchaf.org; Roots Young Adult Shelter: 1415 NE 43rd St., (206) 632-1635; www.rootsinfo.org; Safe Schools Coalition: www.safeschoolscoalition.org; (206) 451-SAFE, (206) 451-7233 (non-emergency), 1-877-SAFE-SAFE (1-877-723-3723) (crisis line); Seattle Young People’s Project (Queer Youth Resource Board): (206) 860-9606, www.sypp.org; Street Youth Ministries (SYM): (206) 524-7301 ext 111; www. streetyouthministries.org; Teen Link: (206) 461-4922, 1-888-431-TEEN; The Trevor Project: 866-4-U-Trevor; www.thetrevorproject.org; True Colors - Connecting LGBTQ Teens: in Shoreline, (206) 362-7282 x 8018, lbagley@chs-nw.org; The Vera Project: fuels personal & community transformation through collaborative youthdriven engagement in music and art. (206) 956-8372; theveraproject.org; Vista Youth Center: for LGBTQ, questioning and allied youth, ages 14-21, in Kennewick, (509) 396-5198, www.vistayouthcenter.org; YouthCare/ Isis Program (Transitional Living Home for LGBTQ Young Adults, 18-22): (206) 522-8412; YouthCare/ Orion Center Young Adult Shelter: 1828 Yale Ave @ Stewart St. (206) 622-5555; Youth in Focus: (206) 723-1479; www.youthinfocus.org; Youth Suicide Prevention Program (OUTLoud-GLBTQ): (206) 297-5922, ext 116, 1-800-273-TALK, www.yspp.org

continued from page 18

5. One Night in Miami…

(D. Regina King)

What if, on the night he defeated Sonny Liston (still under the name Cassius Clay), Muhammad Ali joined Malcolm X, Sam Cooke and Jim Brown in a hotel room for an evening none of them would ever forget? This is the question powering screenwriter Kemp Powers’ (adapting his own hit play) and director Regina King’s One Night in Miami…, and it all leads to two hours of mesmerizing greatness I found positively delightful. Featuring superb performances from Kingsley Ben-Adir, Eli Goree, Aldis Hodge and Leslie Odom Jr., while watching this one play out there were multiple moments where I wanted to stand up and cheer. This film is an absolute knockout. (In Theaters / Streaming Amazon Prime Jan. 15)

6. Swallow

(D. Carlo Mirabella-Davis)

There are those who get scared off by the initial one-line premise of writer/director Carlo Mirabella-Davis’ magnificent Swallow (young newlywed woman develops Pica and begins swallowing a variety of household items including earrings, marbles, pushpins and even a battery). They shouldn’t be. Davis delivers a masterfully modulated character study of abuse, isolation, depression and obsession that grows in intensely eerie complexity as it moves along, revealing its true colors only as events progress towards a conclusion. Haley Bennett is extraordinary, delivering a performance of such staggering specificity I’m shaking thinking about it again right now. (Available on Blu-ray, DVD and for digital purchase on Amazon, iTunes, Vudu, etc.)

7. The Invisible Man

(D. Leigh Whannell)

Featuring another excellent performance from Elisabeth Moss (her second of 2020), director Leigh Whannell updates and transforms the iconic H.G. Wells’ story with magnificently discomforting precision, delivering a tale of suspense and tension that should be taught about in film schools. The filmmaker tackles a bevy of topical hot-button issues with intelligence, respecting that the audience can put one and one together on their own so he can focus on the characters, their journey and scaring the bejesus out of every viewer who

SHADOW

continued from page 19

something on one of the wings, and it’s not a bird. Even though the rest of the crew openly scoffs at the idea, Maude’s pretty sure it’s a gremlin, and if they don’t do something about the creature fast, not only will her mission be a failure, their B-17 will likely be plummeting out of the sky sooner rather than later.

At a brisk 83 minutes, Shadow in the Cloud is a fun little creature feature that’s one part a riff on a classic “Twilight Zone” scenario and another part straightforward WWII aerial thriller only with an unsubtle feminist twist. Writer/director Roseanne Liang, who reportedly altered Max Landis’ original screenplay significantly before shooting began, delivers a sturdy B-grade bullet-riddled trifle I found awfully easy to enjoy. It’s an efficient piece of escapist entertainment that gets better as it goes along, everything building to a satisfying

might be watching. An almost instant classic. (Streaming on HBO Max)

8. Lingua Franca

(D. Isabel Sandoval)

One of the year’s most unanticipated surprises, writer/director/star Isabel Sandoval’s Lingua Franca is as topically resonant and as bracingly vital as they come. The story of a transgender undocumented immigrant fighting to remain in the United States no matter what the cost and the young man, the grandson of the elderly Russian woman she works as a caregiver for, who finds himself inexplicably drawn to her, this is a powerfully intimate melodrama overflowing in haunting truth. Packs a mightily unforgettable wallop. (Streaming on Netflix)

9. A Good Woman is Hard to Find

(D. Abner Pastoll)

One of the best hard-boiled crime-thrillers of recent memory, Abner Pastoll crafts a crackerjack tale of a recently widowed single mother who finds herself forced to do whatever it takes to protect her two small children from harm. Sarah Bolger gives a titanic central performance where she dismembers all attempts to pigeonhole or easily classify her character’s intentions

finale that had me almost wanting to give the filmmaker an appreciative high-five as soon as the credits began to roll.

It helps that a game Moretz gives herself over to the production completely. She treats everything with total seriousness, never winking back at the audience even when events are at the most goofily absurd. The actress brings a level of sternly focused gravitas that’s similar to what Kurt Russell brought to many of his most memorable roles working with John Carpenter. As facelessly nondescript as the remainder of the ensemble is for the majority of the running time this is a good thing indeed, Moretz cutting loose in a fashion similar to her iconic turn as Hit-Girl in Kick-Ass roughly a decade ago.

Goofy is a great word to describe all of this nonsense. There are moments where Maude is forced to climb upside down across the undercarriage of the B-17 as if she were auditioning to be a part of the upcoming Uncharted video game adaptation, and it’s all as delightfully silly as

with bloodily volatile relish. (Streaming on Shudder)

10. Gretel & Hansel

(D. Osgood Perkins)

Osgood Perkins, the malevolently clever mind behind The Blackcoat’s Daughter and I Am the Pretty Thing That Lives in the House, does it again, updating the wellknown fairy tale with screenwriter Rob Hayes that continually amazes, startles and surprises. Alice Krige is villainous perfection as the witch who convinces the titular sister and brother to dine with her, while Sophia Lillis is a mesmerizing revelation as the teenage girl who must decide whether or not she wants to hold their seductively sinister benefactor accountable for her crimes. A triumph of atmosphere, production design, costumes and score, it is this central battle of feminine wills that makes Perkins’ gothic fable essential. (Available on Blu-ray, DVD and for digital purchase on Amazon, iTunes, Vudu, etc.)

Twenty-Five More (Because I Can)

The Assistant (D. Kitty Green); Bacurau (D. Kleber Mendonça Filho, Juliano Dornelles); Beanpole (D. Kantemir Balagov); Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) (D.

it sounds. There are also multiple scenes featuring the fearsome gremlin that come perilously close to bordering on camp, and frequently I began to wonder just how seriously I was supposed to take everything that was going on.

Some of the dialogue is too on-the-nose for my taste. Although the uncouth sexism of the bomber’s crew is mostly periodappropriate, the modern idiomatic spin put on some of the back-and-forth verbal smackdowns between Maude and the men still doesn’t work very well. Instead of being empowering, hopefully showing the heroine standing up for herself with wit and intelligence, oftentimes these scenes come across as being more offensively juvenile than they do anything vaguely positive. It’s annoying, ugly and obnoxious, and while I get what Liang was trying to do I still felt that most of these early conversations rubbed me the wrong way.

Nonetheless, the filmmaker still manages to make the most of what had to be a rather limited budget, her crack technical

Cathy Yan); Color Out of Space (D. Richard Stanley); Da 5 Bloods (D. Spike Lee); First Cow (D. Kelly Reichardt); His House (D. Remi Weekes); I’m Your Woman (D. Julia Hart); The Lodge (D. Veronika Franz, Severin Fiala); Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom (D. George C. Wolfe); Mangrove (D. Steve McQueen); Minari (D. Lee Isaac Chung); The Nest (D. Sean Durkin); News of the World (D. Paul Greengrass); The Outpost (D. Rod Lurie); Palm Springs (D. Max Barbakow); Possessor (D. Brandon Cronenberg); Proxima (D. Alice Winocour); Relic (D. Natalie Erika James); Sound of Metal (D. Darius Marder); Summerland (D. Jessica Swale); Sylvie’s Love (D. Eugene Ashe); Underwater (D. William Eubank); The Vast of Night (D. Andrew Patterson).

Favorite Documentaries

Born to Be (D. Tania Cypriano); John Lewis: Big Trouble (D. Dawn Porter); Natalie Wood: What Remains Behind (D. Laurent Bouzereau); Queer Japan (D. Graham Kolbeins); Scream, Queen! My Nightmare on Elm Street (D. Roman Chimienti, Tyler Jensen); The Way I See It (D. Dawn Porter); You Don’t Nomi (D. Jeffrey McHale); Zappa (D. Alex Winter).

team, which includes Academy Awardnominated editor Tom Eagles (Jojo Rabbit), production designer Gary Mackay (Crazy Rich Asians), costume designer Kristin Seth (Hunt for the Wilderpeople) and especially cinematographer Kit Fraser (Under the Shadow), doing exemplary work to bring all of this insanity to life. There’s also a rambunctious 1980s-style score courtesy composer Mahuia Bridgman-Cooper (Housebound ), and while I can’t say it exactly fits the WWII time period, I still got a massive kick out of it all the same. There’s not a lot more to add. Moretz is excellent, and Liang confidently orchestrates much of the nonstop action with energetic aplomb. For my first 2021 viewing experience, Shadow in the Cloud was a surprisingly enjoyable flight of monstrous fancy that helped me start the year off with a happy smile. Considering all we’ve endured during these last 12 months, I’m going to take this as a positive harbinger of the hopefully good things to come.

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