Celebrating 43 Years! Issue 3 Volume 45
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Seattle’s first openly Transgender cop
Tori Newburn – Photo courtesy of thenewstribune.com
by Shaun Knittel SGN Associate Editor Last year, the Seattle Police Department (SPD) issued new policies on officers’ interactions with Transgender people, and Mayor
Ed Murray signed an executive order mandating “culturally responsive” training for city staff to improve their relations with the Transgender community. As the chair of the see TORI NEWBURN page 7
“Tough battles” ahead for LGBT community, Obama warns
Obama during his last press confrence – Photo courtesy of nbcnews.com
by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer The LGBT community faces “tough battles” ahead, President Obama warned in his final press conference.
Meeting with reporters on January 18, Obama was asked if he thinks the progress his administration made toward LGBT equality “will endure or continue under the see “TOUGH BATTLES” page 6
175 mayors from 42 states Thousands turn out for launch coalition for LGBT MLK Day, thousands more protections expected on Jan. 20 & 21
Mayors from 42 states come together to defend LGBT protections – Photo courtesy of San Francisco Mayor’s office
Mayors Against LGBT Discrimination kicks off with pre-inauguration briefing in DC WASHINGTON, DC – On January 18, in advance of the presidential inaugura-
tion, 175 mayors across the country from cities large and small announced “Mayors Against LGBT Discrimination,” a broad-based, nonpartisan coalition comsee 175 MAYORS page 6
Thousands marched from Garfield High School to downtown Seattle on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day – Photo by Grant Hindsley/seattlepi.com
by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer Ten thousand marchers turned out for Seattle’s annual Martin Luther King Day march and rally on January 16, one of the largest
marches in the event’s 35-year history. The previous day, January 15, 2,000 people packed Westlake Park for a rally to protect the Affordable Care Act (ACA, see MLK DAY MARCH page 5
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Celebrating 41 Years!
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January 20, 2017
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South Florida Gay News at seven by Jesse Monteagudo SGN Contributing Writer Much has been written lately about the “death of the LGBT press” as more queer newspapers bite the dust and more queer people get our news and information from the Internet. In fact, LGBT papers are very resilient. Not counting the Advocate, which only survives as an magazine adjunct to Out, there are many LGBT papers which have survived years, even decades: Bay Area Reporter, Philadelphia Gay News, Seattle Gay News and Washington Blade, just to name a few. Even last year’s big casualty, Los Angeles’s Frontiers news magazine, was a victim of business malpractice, not changing tastes. To the previously-named successes we should add South Florida Gay News (SFGN), now celebrating its seventh anniversary serving this area’s LGBT community. Though it will be a while before SFGN matches the endurance of Miami’s the weekly news (twn), which survived for 29 years (1977-2006), it is surely heading in the right direction. For its success we should give credit where credit is due: to publisher Norm Kent and to the staff members, writers, advertisers and the community that it serves. I did not have the opportunity to write for Norm’s first journal, the Express Gay News, because I was writing for twn during the years of the Express’s success. But I was without a local outlet in late 2009 when Norm announced his new paper, to be named South Florida Gay News. I immediately jumped at Norm’s offer to write for SFGN, with the title of Senior Features Correspondent, an honor that I share with my friend Tony Adams. Though my life has had its ups and downs during the past seven years, my work for SFGN has been an almost-constant high. Under the leadership of Norm and brilliant editors like Joey Amato and Jason Parsley, SFGN is a welcoming
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Philadelphia Gay News, Seattle Gay News, Washington Blade and Bay Area Reporter – Photos courtesy of nlgjareact.wordpress.com, mediacontactslist.com, washington.cbslocal.com and ggba.chambermaster.com
forum for freelancers, even for those who, like me, have written for other publications throughout the years. Though I regularly contribute to special issues of SFGN, like the annual “Out 50” or “Best of” issues, most readers know me for my “Jesse’s Journal” columns, a series that began in twn back in the year 1980. My editors have kindly allowed me to write about anything I want, with the condition that it be something that appeals to our mostlyLGBT readers. During my seven years with SFGN I have written about accordions (my partner was an accordionist), Juan Ahonen-Jover, AIDS books, AIDS day, the Ali Forney Center, the LGBT “alphabet soup,” animals, Argentina and astrology – and that is just the A’s! I seldom write about personal topics, though I had to write about my parents when I covered the recent death of the former Cuban dictator Fidel Castro.
Four years ago, when my partner Michael Greenspan developed dementia – an increasingly common condition as members of our community get older – I wrote about it as a form of catharsis. Today Michael lives in a nursing home, unaware of the world around him, but I think I will show him a copy of this issue, just to remind him and me of days gone by. Where do we go from here? Doomsayers promise disaster with the rise of Donald Trump and his cadre of homophobic billionaires, but I do not despair. We survived Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush and I am certain we will survive the Age of Trump. Meanwhile, the “tabloid president” and his entourage are sure to give us writers something to squawk about, even as we reach for our blood pressure medicine. And SFGN will be there to cover it all. I can hardly wait.
Celebrating 41 Years!
OBITUARY
IN MEMORIAM: Yvonne Marguerite Ogden (Eldresse) 1936-2016 by Tina Gianoulis Special to the SGN Born in East St. Louis, Illinois on November 1, 1936, Yvonne Eldresse became a member of Seattle’s thriving lesbian community during the 1980s. With her long white hair, flamboyantly graceful style, and candidly erotic poetry, she forged an inspiring identity as a unique and memorable lesbian. Growing up in southern Illinois, Yvonne often felt that she did not fit into her conservative family. However, her indomitable and colorful personality shone through at an early age as she earned the “royal” titles of Cookie Queen and Princess of Job’s Daughters. She majored in journalism at the University of Illinois where she was named Miss Photojournalist. In 1957 she married a Navy officer and began the migratory life of a military family, raising her three children in such widely varied locations as the Philippines, Midway Island, Rhode Island, California, and North Carolina. Yvonne always followed her own heart rather than convention, and no one in her family was surprised when she came out as a lesbian in 1983. As she developed her new women-centered identity, her relationships with her children and her ex-husband remained warm over the years. Shortly after the end of her marriage, Yvonne and her first woman partner moved to Seattle. At 47, Yvonne was older than many of the other Seattle dykes working to build women’s culture, and, as a pioneer in confronting ageism, she chose the name Eldresse to reflect the pride she took in her years. Yvonne became involved in the Lesbian Resource Center where she became an active member of Lesbians Over Forty, an ongoing support and discussion group. During the 1990s, she also helped to found the Crones, a more intimate sisterhood of friends negotiating the challenges and liberation of aging. Like many lesbians, Yvonne’s love of women was closely bound to a love of nature. She was a passionate gardener who
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or Obamacare). It was the second-largest health care rally in the country – only the one in Warren, Michigan, featuring Bernie Sanders drew more people. The big numbers were motivated in large part by dread of the incoming Trump regime and anger at the prospect of a government run by billionaires slashing the social safety net. Inauguration Day, January 20, and the following day, January 21, will also see massive protests. The January 15 health care rally was part of a national day of action called by Sanders and his ongoing Our Revolution campaign. The Seattle event featured newly elected Rep. Pramila Jayapal and a number of health care providers and recipients. Speakers included Service Employees International Union (SEIU) 775 President David Rolf, Puget Sound Advocates for Retirement Action (PSARA) President Robby Stern, and Sea Mar Community Health Centers’ Dr. Julian Perez. An estimated 750,000 people in Washington would lose health insurance if the ACA is repealed. The Martin Luther King Day event fea-
Yvonne Marguerite Ogden (Eldresse) 1936-2016 – Photo courtesy of Tina Gianoulis
tured keynote speaker Rob Sims, former King County executive and Deputy Secretary of HUD during President Obama’s first term. Sims gave a rousing speech to cheers from the huge crowd packed into the Garfield High School gym. Rep. Jayapal and Seattle Mayor Ed Murray also spoke at Garfield, with Murray promising to defy the Trump administration and continue Seattle’s tradition as a safe city for immigrants and other marginalized groups. “Our city will remain diligent in dismantling structural barriers and ending racial disparities in employment, education, and the criminal justice system,” Murray said in a Martin Luther King Day statement. “We are addressing disparities in employment and education through the Youth Employment Program and the My Brother’s Keeper mentoring program; decreasing youth detention and violence through investments in programs like King County’s Family Intervention and Restorative Services; and ending racial bias in policing and fully training officers in de-escalation techniques. “As we say goodbye to a presidency absolutely committed to civil rights, criminal justice reform, and equity for all people throughout this country, we must remain united against the rhetoric and actions that seek to undermine our nation’s values.”
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found a way to create beauty wherever she lived, including the rooftop of the apartment above the Belltown Senior Center that was her home during the last years of her life. She loved to walk, often pointing out elements of natural beauty to her companions, and once, when a beloved tree in her neighborhood was being cut down without a permit, she climbed up and occupied its branches for hours in an attempt to prevent its removal. Unfortunately, too much damage had already been done for the tree to be saved. Yvonne’s creativity also expressed itself in poetry that resisted society’s tendency to de-sexualize old age. She read her work frequently at open-mic’s, and once won first prize at the Wild Rose Tavern’s talent show for a reading of her erotic verse. She was a lover of the expressive art of film, and, when the Seattle International Film Festival started each year, friends and family knew to expect to find Yvonne immersed in the movies. Yvonne died in Seattle on December 6, 2016, following a series of strokes. She is survived by her son Eric Earnst, her daughters Kristin Earnst and Karin Earnst, her grandchildren Brienne Earnst, Jennifer Reno, Sadie Smith, Thomas Earnst, and Zoltan Earnst, her two great-grandchildren, Ella Moore and Gunnar Bell, her sister Karen Sheppard, and her brother Dwain Ogden. Her many friends in the Seattle lesbian community will miss her deeply and treasure her memory, especially her surviving sisters in the Crones group. Although she returned to her maiden name, Ogden, during her later years, for many of those in the Seattle community, she will always be an honored Eldresse. Donations in Yvonne’s memory may be sent to Seattle Tilth, SAGE USA (Support and Advocacy for Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Elders), or Lesbian Connection Magazine. A memorial and celebration of Yvonne’s life is planned on Saturday, February 25, 2017 from 12:30 to 3:30 pm at the Ballard Senior Center, 5249 32nd Avenue NW. Friends are welcome.
Protests expected to greet Trump inauguration Inauguration Day, January 20, will be the occasion for nationwide protests against Trump. In Seattle, several events are planned. Students are expected to walk out of most, if not all, Seattle high schools. Seattle City Councilmember Kshama Sawant called on the Seattle School District to commit in advance not to pursue disciplinary procedures against students who participate, but district officials were noncommittal. At 1:00 p.m. on January 20, the immigrant rights group El Comité will sponsor a rally at Judkins Park, followed by a 2:30 p.m. march to Westlake Park. “The effect of the 2016 electoral campaign, and specifically the Trump candidacy, has led to an uptick in harassment, xenophobia, and violence,” El Comité says on its website. “It is also clear that this administration has shown a predilection toward neo-fascist policy and has shown favor for hard-right adherents, such as Jeff Sessions, among others. As workers, as community members, we invite all our sisters and brothers in labor, faith, and social justice to join us once again.” El Comité plans a 4:00 p.m. rally at Westlake, and then their action will merge into the 5:00 p.m. “Resist Trump: Occupy
Inauguration” event organized by City Councilmember Sawant. The Seattle rally corresponds to the massive Occupy Inauguration event called for Washington DC. The next day, January 21, the Seattle Womxn’s March will also take off from Judkins Park at 10:00 a.m. The Seattle march is in solidarity with the national Women’s March taking place the same day in DC. Seattle organizers said they added the “x” to emphasize “intersectionality within our movement” and bring “people of all gender identities, ethnicities, ages, abilities, religions, and sexual orientations” into action. “In response to the election many of us have felt scared, angry, or sad, but most importantly, this election has ignited the fire in many of us to stand up for human rights and get involved in our community,” Womxn’s March organizers wrote on their website. “We recognize that this is a continuation of the work marginalized groups have been fighting for decades, and this march will serve as a catalyst for people to get more involved with those communities. It is our goal to provide the resources necessary for people to connect with one another, become accomplices, and work towards equity and social justice in this country.”
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Thank-you note from President Obama Courtesy of the White House Press Office My fellow Americans, It’s a long-standing tradition for the sitting president of the United States to leave a parting letter in the Oval Office for the American elected to take his or her place. It’s a letter meant to share what we know, what we’ve learned, and what small wisdom may help our successor bear the great responsibility that comes with the highest office in our land, and the leadership of the free world. But before I leave my note for our 45th president, I wanted to say one final thank you for the honor of serving as your 44th. Because all that I’ve learned in my time in office, I’ve learned from you. You made me a better president, and you made me a better man. Throughout these eight years, you have been the source of goodness, resilience, and hope from which I’ve pulled strength. I’ve seen neighbors and communities take care of each other during the worst economic crisis of our lifetimes. I have mourned with grieving families searching for answers – and found grace in a Charleston church. I’ve taken heart from the hope of young graduates and our newest military officers. I’ve seen our scientists help a paralyzed
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president-elect.” “I’m proud that in certain places we maybe provided a good block downfield to help the movement advance,” he answered. “I don’t think it is something that will be reversible, because American society has changed; the attitudes of young people, in particular, have changed. “That doesn’t mean there aren’t going to be some fights that are important – legal issues, issues surrounding transgender persons – there are still going to be some battles that need to take place. “But if you talk to young people of Malia [and] Sasha’s generation, even if they’re Republicans, even if they’re conservative, many of them would tell you, ‘I don’t understand how you would discriminate
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continued from cover prised of local officials who support equal protections and fair treatment for all LGBT people. The launch was announced at a breakfast roundtable briefing and discussion among LGBT policy experts and dozens of mayors – including co-chairs of the coalition – at the Holland & Knight law offices in Washington, DC. The discussion centered on what mayors and local officials can do to support their LGBT constituents and advance equal protections at home, and took place alongside Freedom for All Americans and the Center for American Progress. 175 mayors from 42 states and the District of Columbia have joined the coalition to date. The co-chairs include San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee; Seattle Mayor Ed Murray; DC Mayor Muriel Bowser; and Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney. The full list of current Mayors Against LGBT Discrimination can be found at www.mayorsagainstlgbtdiscrimination.org. “I’m proud of San Francisco’s long-
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President Barack Obama – Photo courtesy of al.com
man regain his sense of touch, and wounded warriors once given up for dead walk again. I’ve seen Americans whose lives have been saved because they finally have access to medical care, and families whose lives have been changed because their marriages are recognized as equal to our own. I’ve seen the youngest of children remind us through their actions and through their generosity of our obligations to care for refugees, or work for peace, and, above all, to look out for each other. I’ve seen you, the American people, in all your decency, determination, good humor, and kindness. And in your daily acts of citizenship, I’ve seen our future unfolding. All of us, regardless of party, should throw ourselves into that work – the joyous work of citizenship. Not just when there’s an election, not just when our own narrow interest is at stake, but over the full span of a lifetime. I’ll be right there with you every step of the way. And when the arc of progress seems slow, remember: America is not the project of any one person. The single most powerful word in our democracy is the word “we.” “We the People.” “We shall overcome.” Yes, we can.
against somebody because of sexual orientation.’ That’s just sort of burned into them in pretty powerful ways.” Incoming Vice President Mike Pence has already floated plans to rescind Obama’s executive orders that provide “crucial protections for LGBT workers, including one that states federal contractors can’t be fired on the basis of gender identity or sexual orientation,” Obama noted. And one of President-elect Trump’s policy pledges is to sign the First Amendment Defense Act, which would permit businesses to discriminate against LGBT people on the grounds of religion. Reflecting on his own legacy, President Obama said he was proud to have helped bring about change but insisted on the role of activists in transforming society. “I could not be prouder of the transformation that’s taken place in our society just in the last decade,” he said.
“And I’ve said before, I think we made some useful contributions to it, but the primary heroes in this stage of our growth as a democracy and a society are all the individual activists, and sons and daughters and couples who courageously said, ‘this is who I am and I’m proud of it.’ “And that opened people’s minds and opened their hearts. And eventually, laws caught up. But I don’t think any of that would have happened without the activism – in some cases, loud and noisy, but in some cases, just quiet and very personal. “And I think that what we did as an administration was to help the society to move in a better direction, but to do so in a way that didn’t create an enormous backlash, and was systematic and respectful of the fact that, in some cases, these issues were controversial. “I think the way we handled, for example, ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ – being methodi-
cal about it, working with the Joint Chiefs, making sure that we showed this would not have an impact on the effectiveness of the greatest military on earth – and then to have Defense Secretary Bob Gates and Chairman Mike Mullen and a Joint Chiefs who were open to evidence and ultimately worked with me to do the right thing – I am proud of that. But, again, none of that would have happened without this incredible transformation that was happening in society out there. “You know, when I gave Ellen the Presidential Medal of Freedom, I meant what I said. I think somebody that kind and likeable projecting into living rooms around the country – that changed attitudes. And that wasn’t easy to do for her. And that’s just one small example of what was happening in countless communities all across the country.”
standing commitment to advancing and protecting the rights of our LGBT community, and of the tremendous contributions we’ve made to LGBT culture, history, and advocacy in America,” said Mayor Ed Lee of San Francisco, founder and co-chair of Mayors Against LGBT Discrimination. “By opening our arms and welcoming everyone, San Francisco is a safer, more diverse and stronger city in part due to the invaluable members of our LGBT community. The vision for Mayors Against LGBT Discrimination seeks to take the very best of the advancements for equality that have been made in cities such as San Francisco and provide a template to support mayors across the country who want to do what’s right for their constituents, and join the efforts at the national level. We need all cities to stand together, in solidarity, to continue the progress towards equality, justice and opportunity. This coalition is committed to doing the hard work of education and advocacy until we achieve a society that ensures equal treatment for all.” “I am committed to Mayors Against LGBT Discrimination because Seattle has long ensured full protections of our LGBT friends, family members, neighbors, and
colleagues – which makes our community strong, diverse, and economically vibrant,” said Seattle Mayor Ed Murray. “As a longtime state legislator and Seattle’s first openly gay mayor, it has been a priority of mine to fight for inclusion and LGBT equality. During a time when LGBT rights are again under attack nationally, we must stand up against discrimination and fight for equal treatment of all people in every community, town, and city in America.” “When the District of Columbia passed an ordinance prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity, our city again stood up for fairness, equality, and dignity for all of our residents,” said Washington DC Mayor Muriel Bowser. “But when members of our community travel outside of Washington, DC on vacation or on business, they continue to face potential discrimination and a patchwork of unequal laws. It’s time now for other cities, states, and the entire country to embrace LGBT nondiscrimination protections so no one faces unfair treatment simply because of who they are.” “The city of Philadelphia is committed to being a fair and inclusive place where all people feel welcome, and this includes pass-
ing equal protections for gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people,” said Mayor Jim Kenney of Philadelphia. “Full equality – no matter who you are or who you love – is not only good for our community; it’s the right thing to do. Mayors Against LGBT Discrimination will work to make fairness and inclusion a reality everywhere.” 32 states still lack comprehensive protections for LGBT people and the new administration brings increasing uncertainty surrounding federal policies. Mayors Against LGBT Discrimination will provide support and resources that can be implemented immediately at the local level in order to advance equality and affirm the dignity of all. To learn more about the project, visit www. mayorsagainstlgbtdiscrimination.org.
January 20, 2017
Freedom for All Americans is the bipartisan campaign to secure full nondiscrimination protections for LGBT people nationwide. Our work brings together Republicans and Democrats, businesses large and small, people of faith, and allies from all walks of life to make the case for comprehensive nondiscrimination protections that ensure everyone is treated fairly and equally.
Celebrating 41 Years!
Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal opens district office by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer A standing-room-only crowd of some 100 people helped newly elected Rep. Pramila Jayapal launch her in-district office at a January 17 open house. Jayapal was elected to succeed retiring Rep. Jim McDermott in the 7th District, which includes most of Seattle and runs north to Edmonds and south to Normandy Park. Her new office is at 1904 Third Avenue, Suite 504, just across Stewart Street from Macy’s. As her guests enjoyed coffee and bagels and her staff roamed the office greeting constituents, Jayapal jumped up on a chair so she could be seen over the crowd and gave a brief speech. “This is not the Congress we wanted to go back to,” she said, to murmurs of agreement. “This is not the presidency we wanted to go back to. But representing the 7th District is the most important thing to me. “This office belongs to you,” she continued. “The DC office belongs to you. If you come to visit us, I want you to think of the offices as your home.” Jayapal said she planned to have more people stationed in her district office than in DC, to handle constituent services and to
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LGBTQ Advisory Council to the SPD, I was involved with both efforts, and continue to monitor the implementation of the trainings and observe their impact. The reality is that the impact has been huge. In its effort to foster a relationship with the Transgender community (which is disproportionately victimized), SPD has seen an increase in crimes against Transgender people being reported, whereas such incidents used to go underreported. While I would much rather report that these crimes no longer happen, the fact that Transgender people are coming forward to report is a positive step toward eliminating these crimes from happening to others, helping victims receive justice, and continuing to build on a relationship that for many years was broken, if existent at all. Recently it has come to public knowledge that SPD has its first openly Transgender officer. Tori Newburn, a Transgender man, works out of Capitol Hill’s East precinct. He is proof that the change Mayor Ed Murray is looking to see happen at the department under the command of SPD Chief of Police Kathleen O’Toole is beginning to take place.
Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal in her new Seattle office – Photo courtesy of japantimes.co.jp
mobilize constituents to support a progressive political agenda. “The House has fewer resources and fewer opportunities to act than Senate,” she noted. “If we’re going to win on the big issues, we can only win by winning in the court of public opinion.”
Jayapal was one of the first Democratic members of Congress to announce that they would skip the Trump inauguration. Some 40 of her fellow House members are now following her lead. “I didn’t think I was organizing a boycott,” she explained. “I personally felt that I
Newburn transitioned from female to male five years ago and explained to HBO’s “Vice News” that he was fortunate enough to live life as “stealth.” Newburn explains that that is a term the Transgender community uses to describe those that transition without being suspected of being Transgender. In other words, they “pass” in everyday society as the gender they display. So when Newburn joined the police force – and as he patrolled the streets of Seattle – neither his coworkers nor anyone he comes into contact with had the slightest idea that he is in fact a Transgender man. Newburn says he did not always want to be a cop and described himself as “kind of a hippie.” He told “Vice News” that he would have laughed at anyone who said to him he would end up a cop. But things change, and as Newburn navigated life as a Transgender man, a change of career was in the works and he joined the force. He says he hopes that people see his joining the force as a way to rebuild trust between the department and his community and that it brings about some good in this world. Newburn was presenting as male before he entered the police academy in 2014. When “Vice News” showed up to do a story about the department’s first Transgender of-
ficer, his partner, Officer Yusif Jibril (the department’s only East African police officer) found out that Newburn was Transgender. According to Jibril, the news doesn’t change how he views Newburn, and he is happy his patrol partner could be honest about himself. “I was kind of happy, because I’ve known him and consider him a friend,” Jibril told “Vice News,” adding, “He is somebody who actually reflects the community we serve.” Marsha Botzer, longtime Transgender advocate and founder of the Ingersoll Gender Center, said that having a Transgender officer on the force could lead to not only better relations between the department and the community but to safer streets for Transgender people as well. “As far as violence towards Transgender people, it absolutely will help to have Transgender folks in the police department,” said Botzer. “And to have the entire department understand what is Transgender and what it is not. That will help.” “Violence, I think, will decrease,” said Botzer. “How could it not if there’s that kind of understanding?” “It’s a long process to earn trust back when trust has been broken in the past,” Newburn said. “My hope is that me coming out as a Transgender police officer will be another layer of building that bridge.”
couldn’t attend at a time when I was getting hundreds of emails from people telling me how terrified they are. “We can’t normalize the situation. I’d much rather be in a situation where I could attend the inauguration of the President of the United States, but that’s not where we are.” Jayapal plans to attend a Seattle-area immigration round table on the morning of the inauguration, and then fly to DC for the women’s march the next day, she said to applause. Jayapal will serve on the House Judiciary Committee, “one of the battlegrounds for immigration and civil rights,” she noted. “Also impeachment,” she added with a grin, “not that I think there will or should be impeachment proceedings.” Jayapal has hardly taken a breath since winning the 7th District seat by more than 12 points in November. She is now a senior whip on the House Democratic leadership team and was elected vice chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus. She also organized the January 15 health care rally in Westlake Park, where she gave a rousing speech, following it up with another at the January 16 Martin Luther King Day rally at Garfield High School. News of Newburn’s coming out as Transgender has gained national attention. SPD officials tell the SGN that aside from local coverage and the first airing of the “Vice News” piece, other national and cable news companies are interested in showcasing Newburn and SPD’s story. The Seattle Gay News has also learned that Deputy Jamie Deer of the King County Sheriff’s Office has also come out as Transgender. Unlike Newburn, Deer joined the Sheriff’s Office before he transitioned from female to male. However, like Newburn, Deer also was living and working “stealth” and recently came out as Transgender during the same time “Vice News” was producing its story about the SPD. Also, SPD officials tell the SGN that a Transgender recruit is currently training at its academy to become an officer with Seattle Police Department. Change might not come as quickly as we would like sometimes, but there is no way around it. The coming out of openly Transgender police officers and the fact that the Seattle Police Department and the King County Sheriff’s Office is accepting of them are signs of change indeed.
GOP congresswoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers booed off stage at MLK Day event in Spokane “Save our health care!” crowd chants by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer Republican congresswoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers was booed off the stage at a Martin Luther King Day event in Spokane. McMorris Rodgers, who represents Washington’s 5th Congressional District, is number four in the GOP’s chain of command in the US House of Representatives. In that role, McMorris Rodgers has been a cheerleader for repealing the Affordable Care Act (ACA). She appeared at a rally honoring Dr. King before a march scheduled to go through downtown Spokane, but the thousands of people attending the event soon
“turned on” her, KXLY radio reported. The crowd broke out in boos and shouts of “Liar! Liar!” before beginning to chant “Save our health care! Save our health care!” McMorris soon left the stage and did not go on the march. McMorris Rodgers is in a tough spot on health care issues. On one hand, she is part of the House GOP leadership and is committed to their plan to repeal the ACA. On the other hand, evidence shows that the ACA has provided health coverage to many low-income residents in both rural counties of the 5th District and in the more urbanized Spokane County. In fact, state figures show that the 5th District has the state’s highest percentage
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of people aged 19 to 64 who have enrolled in Medicaid expansion under the ACA. Signups for coverage under the health care law have been particularly strong in Spokane County, the population center of the 5th District, and in rural Pend Oreille County at the northeast corner of the state. When McMorris Rodgers invited constituents to post stories of their troubles under the ACA on her Facebook page, she was swamped with posts from people who were happy with the coverage they got under the 2010 law. Meanwhile, Donald Trump said in an interview that his administration would provide health care for all. “ We’re going to have insurance for everybody,” Trump told the Washington Post.
“There was a philosophy in some circles that if you can’t pay for it, you don’t get it. That’s not going to happen with us... [They] can expect to have great health care. It will be in a much-simplified form. Much less expensive and much better.” Three senior GOP Hill sources working on health care legislation told CNN on January 17 that they have no idea what Trump meant by his remarks. They say they are frustrated that Trump is emphasizing the wrong thing. They want to be talking about lowering costs, not expanding coverage, which is what Democrats focus on, they complained.
January 20, 2017
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How many LGBT Americans are there? 10 million, Gallup poll says by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer Ten million American adults now selfidentify as LGBT, according to the latest survey by Gallup Daily Tracking. That number is 1.75 million larger than a similar survey done in 2012, largely due to the number of millennials – people born between 1980 and 1998 – who are out. The portion of millennials identifying as LGBT increased from 5.8% in 2012 to 7.3% in 2016. For the same period, LGBT identification remained stable for “Gen Xers” – the next oldest generation – at 3.2%, and declined from 2.7% to 2.4% among baby boomers and from 1.8% to 1.4% among so-called “traditionalists,” the oldest respondents. Gallup based their survey on interviews with a random sample of more than 1.6 million American adults. Across the five years of data collection, more than 49,000 respondents said “yes” when asked, “Do you, personally, identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender?” The Gallup organization cautioned against taking its tracking survey as the final say on how many LGBT people there are in the United States. “Self-identification as LGBT represents only one aspect of measuring sexual orientation and gender identity,” Gallup said. “For example, research shows that direct assessments of same-sex sexual behavior or attraction yield very different (and often larger) population estimates when compared with estimates of LGBT self-identification. A variety of factors can affect the willingness of adults to identify as LGBT. These can include how comfortable and confident survey respondents feel about the confidentiality and privacy of data collected.” According to Gallup, confidentiality
Photo courtesy of content.gallup.com
issues are not a big concern for millennials, as they might be for older respondents. That could be one factor that explains why people of that generation are so much more likely to identify as LGBT when compared with older respondents. “[Millennials] are more comfortable than their older counterparts with the idea of sharing what some might consider private information on surveys,” Gallup notes. Millennials also grew up with an LGBT-friendly social climate, pollsters added. Gallup began polling on LGBT issues in 1977. In 1986, just 32% supported legalization of same-sex relationships, marking a low point in Gallup polling. By 1999, when the first millennials were becoming adults, half of Americans supported legalization, and, as of May 2016, the figure had risen to 68%. “It’s likely that millennials are the first generation in the US to grow
up in an environment where social acceptance of the LGBT community markedly increased,” Gallup said. “This may be an important factor in explaining their greater willingness to identify as LGBT. They may not have experienced the levels of discrimination and stigma experienced by their older counterparts. The perceived risks associated with publicly identifying as LGBT might also be lower in millennials than among other generations.” Gallup also found that the demographic composition of Americans who identify as LGBT has markedly changed. “It has become larger, younger, more female, and less religious,” pollsters said. Strikingly, people of color are more likely to identify as LGBT than white people. In the 2016 survey, 5.4% of Hispanics, 4.9% of Asians, and 4.6% of African Americans self-identified as LGBT, compared to 3.6% of whites.
Compared with past Gallup surveys, the largest increases in LGBT self-identification occurred among Asians (from 3.5% to 4.9%) and Hispanics (from 4.3% to 5.4%). Among whites, the comparable figures are from 3.2% to 3.6%. Black Americans showed only a slight increase, from 4.4% to 4.6%. Pollsters said the differences among racial groups “are likely affected by differences in the age composition of the groups.” According to Gallup, the average age of Asian adults in the US is 35, the youngest among the race/ethnicity groupings. The average age among Hispanics is 39, 44 among blacks, 51 among whites, and 44 among “other” racial and ethnic groups. “Given the big changes in LGBT identification among millennials, the youngest generation, it’s not surprising that younger racial and ethnic groups report larger LGBT identification increases,” Gallup concluded.
World OutGames Miami seeking global artist submissions for official event poster by Shaun Knittel SGN Associate Editor World OutGames Miami 2017, a tenday multi-sport, human rights, and cultural event (May 27 until June 4), is inviting artists worldwide from all disciplines to create an original poster image that promotes the spirit of the 2017 Games. This commemorative art design should wholeheartedly embrace the three core pillars of the World OutGames: Sports, Culture, and Human Rights, say officials. Each art submission will be judged by an esteemed selection committee who will choose three designs to be uploaded to outgames.org for voting on by the public during early April. The design that receives the most votes will be used as World OutGames Miami 2017’s official commemorative poster, be the featured program cover, and more. In addition, the winning artist/designer will receive a cash prize of $500, a VIP Cultural Arts Pass to attend World OutGames Miami, and discounted rates for travel and lodging. The submission deadline for artists/designers is March 5, at 11:50 p.m. EST. The
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Image courtesy of outgames.org
winner will be announced in mid-April. “We are excited to engage the artist community to develop a powerful symbol of our global event,” said CEO Ivan Cano. “Art is at the forefront of our culture pillar, and we are excited to select a submission that best celebrates our inclusive sports, human rights, and cultural offerings.” For more information or to enter the World OutGames Miami 2017 official poster design contest, please visit https://miami-
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outgames.fusesport.com/registration/578/. World OutGames is a multi-sport and cultural event that is licensed by the Gay and Lesbian International Sport Association (GLISA). Every four years, World OutGames brings together athletes from all over the world in unprecedented numbers for a celebration of sport, culture, and human rights, many from countries where homosexuality remains illegal and hidden. Previously hosted by Montreal, Copen-
hagen, and Antwerp, World OutGames is open to all who wish to participate, without regard to sexual orientation. There are no qualifying standards, although competitions are arranged according to the skill levels of the competitors. For more information about World OutGames, visit www.outgames.org, www.facebook.com/ OutGamesMiami, www.twitter.com/outgamesmiami, and www.instagram.com/ outgamesmiami.
Celebrating 41 Years!
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Celebrating 41 Years!
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UW College Republicans welcome Milo Yiannopolous; protests expected by Shaun Knittel SGN Associate Editor The provocative editor at the conservative news site Breitbart, Milo Yiannopoulos, is scheduled to speak to a sold-out crowd at the University of Washington’s Kane Hall on Friday. The event, sponsored by the College Republicans at the University of Washington, is billed as “Make UW Fabulous Again” and is expected to draw large protests by both student and non-student groups that seek to “shut down” hate speech on the campus. You’ve no doubt heard of Milo Yiannopoulos by now. The inflammatory British journalist and Breitbart editor seems to incense the masses with his harsh attacks on liberals and what he calls “PC culture.” Some see his style of public speaking as more of a standup comedy variety than actual political and social commentary. Either way, Yiannopoulos often wades into the pool of personal and cruel attacks whenever he speaks about an individual or group that defies him. Yiannopoulos is best known for leading a hate campaign that resulted in a lifetime ban from Twitter. On July 18, 2016, Leslie Jones, “Saturday Night Live” star and actress in the remake of the hit movie Ghostbusters, became the target of Yiannopoulos and his nearly 400,000 followers on Twitter. Jones was subject to a barrage of racist and demeaning tweets (which included her being called an ape among other deplorable so-called jokes), which prompted the comedian to tweet, “I feel like I’m in a personal hell. I didn’t do anything to deserve this.” After sending that Tweet, Jones took a break from Twitter in response to the jeering tweets that targeted her race and her appearance. For years, Yiannopoulos used Twitter to voice his controversial opinions as well as to direct his legion of followers toward his opponents. He’d been temporarily banned from Twitter (where he was known as @nero) a number of times for violating its terms of service and stripped of his verified status. Twitter officials said that the Leslie Jones attack went too far, and the result was Yiannopoulos being banned from Twitter for life. But, as Yiannopoulos has proven to liberals and supporters of politically correct speech time and time again, a win doesn’t always end up being a win. Following the lifetime ban from Twitter, Yiannopoulos’s popularity seemed to burst at the seams. In fact, in direct response to the Twitter ban, it was announced late last year that Yiannopoulos landed a $250,000 memoir deal with Threshold Editions, an imprint of Simon & Schuster. Yiannopoulos parlayed a history of online abuse into a lucrative career. “I met with top execs at Simon & Schuster earlier in the year and spent half an hour trying to shock them with lewd jokes and outrageous opinions,” Yiannopoulos told the Hollywood Reporter regarding the meeting that earned him a quarter-million-dollar advance. “I thought they were going to have me escorted from the building – but instead they offered me a wheelbarrow full of money.” Yiannopoulos gloated about his ban from Twitter. “They said banning me from Twitter would finish me off. Just as I predicted, the opposite has happened,” he told the Hollywood Reporter. “Did it hurt Madonna be-
Image courtesy of cdn.evbuc.com
ing banned from MTV in the 1990s? Did all that negative press hurt Donald Trump’s chances of winning the election?” Perhaps what frustrates people the most about the infamous Internet troll is that the book deal proves that a Twitter ban doesn’t necessarily mean the conversation – or the so-called hate speech – is over. “Every line of attack the forces of political correctness try on me fails pathetically,” Yiannopoulos said to the Hollywood Reporter. “I’m more powerful, more influential, and more fabulous than ever before, and this book is the moment Milo goes mainstream. Social justice warriors should be scared – very scared.” The term “social justice warrior,” or SJW, is used in a demeaning way when the alt-right (whom some accuse of being the modern white nationalist or white supremacist movement) describes feminists, Black Lives Matter activists, Transgender activists, etc. Whenever Yiannopoulos speaks at college campuses, he often uses the term when describing his enemies. But that’s not all that Yiannopoulos did in 2016 – a year in which he went from pretty much an unknown to famous on the college speaking circuit – to provoke and harass his way to the bottom. During the Republican National Convention in Cleveland, Yiannopoulos headlined a “Gays for Trump” event. He was joined by far-right anti-Muslim leaders Pamela Geller and Geert Wilders, who gave pro-Trump speeches full of anti-Muslim vitriol. For his part, Yiannopoulos claimed that Donald Trump was “the most pro-Gay candidate in American electoral history” and proclaimed, “The left’s stranglehold on homosexuals is over.” The party was officially called “Wake up! (the most fab party at the RNC).” A large yellow Gadsden flag reading “Don’t tread on me,” a common libertarian symbol, was hung on the wall behind the DJ. Each speaker stood behind the TrumpPence poster, but in front of photographs that depicted young, slim white men wearing “Make America Great Again” hats. The photos were part of a series by art photographer Lucian Wintrich titled “Twinks4Trump.” The event was funded by Breitbart. In June, Yiannopoulos held a press conference near the Pulse Nightclub in Orlando to talk about the danger of Radical Islam to the West – in particular the LGBT community. The press conference infuriated many in the community, as it was held just days after the horrific June 12 attack
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on the nightclub – the nation’s worst mass shooting event, with the highest number of LGBT people killed at one time. A majority of the LGBT community took the opportunity to speak out against hate – but also to warn of the danger of blaming Muslims as a whole for the actions of Omar Mateen, who according to police records claimed loyalty to ISIS during the attack. Yiannopoulos, of course, did exactly the opposite. “America has to make a choice,” he wrote on Breitbart.com following the attack. “Does it want gay rights, women’s emancipation, and tolerance for people of all nonviolent faiths – or does it want Islam?” Regardless of how one feels about Yiannopoulos and the things that he says, the fact remains that he is allowed to say them. It’s a tough thing to stomach, but a necessary one if you believe in free speech. It would be hypocritical of a journalist to say otherwise. The Seattle Gay News does not believe in censorship of any kind, nor do we endorse Yiannopoulos and his rhetoric. We endorse organizing to counter-protest what he stands for. We agree that people should not say such vitriolic things. But, with the First Amendment in mind, we recognize that you can’t pick and choose who is allowed to say what. Free speech is, and always shall remain, broad and encompassing of all opinions, groups, political views, etc. Ronald K. L. Collins, a scholar at the University of Washington Law School who specializes in constitutional and First Amendment law, recently wrote of Yiannopoulos and his visit: “Let us be clear: hate speech is abhorrent; it is an affront to the dignity of every person and to all persons. But that said, let us not speak falsely: it is also protected under the First Amendment. US Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall affirmed that idea in 1969 when he signed onto the court’s unanimous opinion in Brandenburg v. Ohio (upholding the rights of KKK members to engage in racist expression). Justice William Brennan, a stalwart defender of equal justice, agreed with that idea when in 1977 he signed onto the court’s opinion in National Socialist Party of America v. Village of Skokie. And in 1992, liberals and conservatives alike voted unanimously to affirm the right to engage in race-hate speech in R.A.V. v. City of St. Paul (the ACLU defended the First Amendment right).” Collins does point out, however, that hate speech plus certain forms of conduct can and should be punished. For example,
hate speech that is tantamount to a true threat, as defined by the Supreme Court, is not protected. “Washington law tracks this prohibition against threats by way of our malicious harassment statute and likewise criminalizes injury to person or property if done with animus based on race, religion, gender, or sexual orientation, or with reference to other specified groups,” he said. “Fighting words and incitement intended to and likely to produce imminent illegal conduct, again all properly defined, can also be regulated.” Many people called on UW President Ana Mari Cauce to dismiss the law and disinvite Yiannopoulos. However, doing so would subject the university to legal liability for abridging First Amendment rights. “Equally important,” reminds Collins, “such rash action would contravene the long-held principle of our democracy that all ideas are entitled to have their say in order that they might be tested and even rejected.” It was announced that Yiannopoulos canceled a scheduled sold-out event at Washington State University in Pullman on Thursday, due to the snow-and-ice-related closure of Interstate 90 over Snoqualmie Pass and “unsafe conditions on all highways leading to Pullman.” As the SGN goes to press, the “Make UW Fabulous Again” event will proceed as scheduled, Friday, from 7 to 10 p.m. at Kane Hall (Room 130) at the University of Washington. The event is sold out, with more people reserving tickets than there are seats available, meaning people will be left out. Seattle Police Department officials tell the Seattle Gay News that they are sending extra officers to help keep the peace at the event, as University of Washington campus police requested, in case the protest against Yiannopoulos grows too big for them to handle. Yiannopoulos’s speech at the University of California Davis last Friday was canceled by its sponsors after protesters blocked access to the lecture hall and the event was deemed an “unsafe environment” by UC Davis campus police.
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Seattle Gay News 13
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Celebrating 41 Years!
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Meet Tsumatra, a 14-year-old Bengal kitty with black and gold stripes! She’s quite the talker and will meow at you to say hello! Don’t let her age fool you either – Tsumatra still loves to chase crinkly balls and swat at her favorite cat wand. Tsumatra is a social kitty and will come up to visitors purring and asking for scratches. Visit her today at Seattle Humane! As with all of our cats, Tsumatra is spayed, microchipped and vaccinated. All of our cats have been tested for Feline Leukemia/FIV and go home with a certificate for an examination by a King County veterinarian and their very own identification tag and collar. PLUS, most cat adoptions include 30 days of pet insurance from Trupanion - a great way to start off on the right paw! PROMOTION Pet-A-Day Challenge: A Resolution You Can Keep! Follow Seattle Humane on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram to see an adoptable pet each day in January who needs a loving family. Seattle Humane challenges you to share and retweet each post this month to get these pets as much exposure as possible! There’s a special surprise for the adopter of the featured pet if they mention the Pet-A-Day Challenge.
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Swamp thing: HHS nominee Tom Price accused of insider trading by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer In spite of Donald Trump’s vow to “drain the swamp” of corruption and crony capitalism, his nominee for Secretary of Health and Human Services, Rep. Tom Price, now stands accused of insider trading. According to a report first aired by CNN on January 16, Price bought shares in the biotech company Zimmer Biomet and less than a week later introduced legislation that would benefit the company. Zimmer Biomet later made a substantial donation to Price’s re-election campaign, CNN said. According to House disclosure records, Price bought Zimmer Biomet stock worth between $1,001 and $15,000. He then introduced a measure known as the Hospital Improvements for Payment (HIP) Act. The bill was designed to delay enforcement of a federal regulation that would affect the price of hip and knee replacements, Zimmer Biomet’s specialty. Records also show that after the introduction of the HIP Act, the company’s political action committee donated to Price’s re-election campaign. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer issued a statement January 17 demanding “an immediate and thorough investigation into these potential violations of the STOCK Act before Rep. Price’s nomination moves forward.” The Stop Trading on Congressional Knowledge (STOCK) Act was
Trump nominee for Secretary of Health and Human Resources Tom Price – Photo by Bloomberg/Getty
designed to combat insider trading among members of Congress. “This new report makes clear that this isn’t just a couple of questionable trades, but rather a clear and troubling pattern of Congressman Price trading stock and using his office to benefit the companies in which he is investing,” Schumer said. “The President-elect claims he wants to drain the swamp, but Congressman Price
has spent his career filling it up.” In a statement also issued January 17, Zimmer Biomet said that it had no knowledge of Price’s stock purchase, and that it was not involved in the introduction of the HIP Act. The Wall Street Journal reported in December that Price traded more than $300,000 in health care stocks over the last four years while advocating or sponsoring bills that could have affected the revenues
of companies he had invested in. As a result of the story, Price announced earlier this month that he would divest from 43 companies, including Zimmer Biomet, within three months of being confirmed by the Senate. He has also promised to “not participate personally and substantially in any particular matter” involving companies in which he had not fully divested.
Education Secretary nominee supports Focus on the Family, charges Lambda Legal by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer Lambda Legal has issued a press release calling for “a complete confirmation process” for Betsy DeVos, Donald Trump’s nominee for Secretary of Education. “We need a Secretary of Education who will make schools safe for all students, and who won’t tolerate bullying – by peers, parents, or school administrators,” Lambda Legal said. DeVos is not the one to do that, the group concluded. “She has supported Focus on the Family, which opposes marriage equality, and her family foundation has funded a group that advances the dangerous practice of socalled ‘conversion therapy,’” the Lambda Legal statement charges. “Her advocacy for privatizing public education could eject students – LGBT or not – from the protection of federal laws. A complete confirmation process for Betsy DeVos is necessary in order to fully investigate whether she supports equal rights for LGBT students.” In fact, Focus on the Family is only one of a number of anti-LGBT groups funded by DeVos, her husband, and her family. According to the Family Equality Council, recipients of the DeVoses’ money include the following: • The Family Research Council and Focus on the Family: During 2012–2014 alone, DeVos, her husband, and her parents’ trust donated over $2.2 million to the Family Research Council and over $1.1 million to Focus on the Family. The Richard and Helen DeVos Foundation, which is run by DeVos’s in-laws, has donated at least $1
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Secretary of Education nominee Betsy DeVos – Photo courtesy of abcnews.com
million to Focus on the Family. • Michigan’s Proposal 2: Betsy DeVos and her husband Richard DeVos Jr. are reported to have donated $200,000 to Michigan’s 2004 ballot measure to ban samesex marriage. Three other DeVos family members also supported the anti-marriage equality campaign in Michigan. • Florida’s Amendment 2: DeVos’s husband donated $100,000 to the successful 2008 campaign to amend Florida’s constitution to ban same-sex marriage. • California’s Prop 8: DeVos’s mother, Elsa Prince Broekhuizen, donated $450,000 to support Proposition 8. • The National Organization for Marriage: The Douglas and Maria DeVos Foundation, DeVos’s brother and sister-in-law’s
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foundation, donated at least $750,000 to the National Organization for Marriage, one of the biggest opponents of marriage equality. At her January 18 Senate hearing, DeVos was questioned about her support for anti-LGBT organizations by Democratic Sen. Al Franken of Minnesota. After reciting details of DeVos family donations to Focus on the Family and other groups, Franken asked, “Mrs. DeVos, do you still believe in conversion therapy?” “Sen. Franken, I’ve never believed in that,” she replied meekly. “First of all, let me say I fully embrace equality, and I believe in the innate value of every single human being and that all students, no matter their age, should be able to attend a school and feel safe and be free
of discrimination. So let’s start there, and let me just say that your characterization of our contributions I don’t think accurately reflects those of my family. I would hope you wouldn’t include other family members beyond my core family.” DeVos is also getting strong opposition from two of the country’s largest unions, the National Education Association (NEA) and the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), because of her promotion of controversial charter schools. The unions charge that charter schools can bypass laws mandating teacher standards, education spending, and civil rights protections for students and teachers.
Celebrating 41 Years!
Military vetoes Trump’s idea for a Red Square-style inaugural parade Trump wanted tanks and missile launchers by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer The military vetoed Donald Trump’s idea for a grand Red Square-style show of military might on Inauguration Day, according to sources quoted by the Huffington Post. Trump himself floated the idea in a January 18 interview with the Washington Post. The military, he suggested, “may come marching down Pennsylvania Avenue. That military may be flying over New York City and Washington, DC, for parades. I mean, we’re going to be showing our military.” According to people the Huffington Post identified as “several sources involved in his inaugural preparations,” Trump wanted his inauguration to feature a display of heavy military equipment – including tanks and missile launchers – more appropriate for Pyongyang than for DC. “They were legit thinking Red Square/ North Korea-style parade,” one source said. The military, however, told Trump they could not comply with his plans. Their reason was twofold. Some generals were concerned about the optics of having tanks and missile launchers rolling down Pennsylvania Avenue. But they also worried that the tanks, which often weigh over
Stephen Kerrigan – Photo courtesy of greatersomerville.wordpress.com
100,000 pounds, would destroy the roads. “I could absolutely see structural support being a reason [not to use tanks],” a Department of Defense official told the Huffington Post. “DC is built on a swamp
to begin with.” Defense Department spokeswoman Valerie Henderson declined to comment on the request for tanks and missile launchers, referring reporters’ questions to the Trump transition team. Trump advisor Boris Epshteyn told theh Huffington Post that the presidential inaugural committee worked closely with the military “to render appropriate honors” for Trump’s swearing-in. But he added that the Defense Department would be better able to comment on “specific aspects” of the inaugural parade. The Pentagon didn’t reject all of Trump’s ideas. At the specific request of the president-elect, there are five military flyovers – one for each branch of the armed services – planned for Friday’s inaugural parade, Pentagon spokesperson Maj. Jamie Davis said. The Air Force plans to fly four fighter jets: an F-35, an F-16, an F-22, and an F15E. The Navy will fly four F/A-18 combat jets. The Army will fly four UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters. The Marines will fly four V-22 Ospreys. And the Coast Guard, which is still finalizing plans, is looking at flying four MH-65 rescue helicopters, Davis said. The number and type of planes
used could change, depending on Friday’s weather, he added. Stephen Kerrigan, who held top positions in Obama’s first and second presidential inaugural committees, said he was “shocked” to hear about the planned flyovers for Friday. “It seems unnecessary and the optics don’t seem appropriate.…It’s very Red Square,” he said. “If there are fighter jets flying over Washington, people are going to assume something bad is happening,” Kerrigan added. Military flyovers are not typically part of inaugural parades. Outgoing President Barack Obama did not use any military aircraft at either of his inaugurations, the Defense Department official said. There were no flyovers at President George W. Bush’s 2005 inauguration, but he did have a flyover during his 2001 opening ceremony, which happened two days before the inauguration. President Ronald Reagan considered including flyovers in his second inauguration in 1985, but one never materialized, the official said. Before that, the last president to include military flyovers as part of his inauguration was President Harry Truman in 1949.
Lambda Legal: Tom Price would endanger health of LGBT people and people living with HIV NEW YORK, NY – As congressional hearings begin on Tom Price’s nomination to become Secretary for Health and Human Services, Rachel B. Tiven, CEO of Lambda Legal, the nation’s oldest and largest nonprofit legal organization working for the rights of LGBT people and everyone living with HIV, released the following statement: “Senator Tom Price is a dangerous choice for Secretary of Health and Human Services. He is unfit to serve as the guardian of our nation’s health and his track record raises serious doubts about his ability to champion policies that promote better
health outcomes for all Americans. “In particular, we are deeply concerned by his vocal opposition to the Affordable Care Act – the most effective piece of legislation in the fight against HIV/AIDS in the history of the epidemic – as well as his harmful opposition to LGBT equality in vote after vote in Congress. There is no doubt in our minds that Senator Price holds alarming views about LGBT people and would drive healthcare policy that hurts the communities we represent. We urge the Senate to reject his appointment.” During his congressional career, Sena-
tor Price has consistently taken policy positions and advocated for legislation harmful to LGBT Americans, including: • Voting for a constitutional amendment to permanently ban marriage for same-sex couples; • Co-sponsoring the First Amendment Defense Act (better known as the “Fostering American Discrimination Act”), which aims to create religious exemptions to all federal laws and policies that protect LGBT people from discrimination; • Voting against the Employment Nondiscrimination Act and against the Hate
Crimes Act • Opposing Planned Parenthood, which provides essential preventive health services and treatment to 2.7 million women, men and young people annually, including large numbers of low-income LGBT people with no other access to routine wellness care, cancer screening, HIV testing and other culturally competent medical services. Courtesy of Lambda Legal
Trump team sells Mike Pence: A cool million gets you dinner with the VP by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer Would you pay $1 million to have dinner with Mike Pence? How about $250,000 for a chance to eat with Donald Trump’s cabinet nominees? Unfortunately, if you’re a Republican major donor, you have to choose. Both inaugural events are scheduled at the same time. “It’s all messed up, they have the cabinet dinner and the VP dinner on the same night at the same time,” a Trump donor complained. He’s torn, he said, over which event to attend. The dinners are part of several days of inaugural festivities, beginning on inauguration day itself, January 20. According to Politico, the cabinet dinner will cost donors either $100,000 or $250,000, while dinner with Mike Pence will go for $500,000 or $1 million. The amount will determine “the level of access” a donor gets to the guests of honor. There’s one more potential downside to
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For $1,000,000 you could dine with VP Mike Pence – Photo courtesy of bostonherald.com
January 20, 2017
the dinner arrangements. The brochure distributed by the Trump inaugural planners promises that only “select” cabinet nominees will attend. Some GOP bigwigs were reportedly worried that only a few lower-level nominees would be on hand. If that happens, “people will be pissed,” the Trump donor said. In other inaugural news, Trump denied reports that his team is having trouble booking headline acts to perform at his inaugural events. “Many of the celebrities that are saying they’re not going, they were never invited,” Trump told Fox News’s “Fox and Friends” on January 18. “I don’t want the celebrities; I want the people. We have the biggest celebrities in the world there. The biggest in the world.” Asked by “Fox and Friends” co-host Ainsley Earhardt if that comment included himself, Trump added, “Well, I won’t say that. But we have the biggest celebrities – and President Obama. And President Obama.”
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