Celebrating 41 Years! Issue 4 Volume 43
Sec 2 Pg. 1
Seattle Gay News
FRIDAY January 23, 2015 FREE!
25¢ in bookstores & newsstands
SEATTLE’S LGBT NEWS & ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY
Waiting for SCOTUS Marriage cases in limbo till high court rules AP Photo / Pablo Martinez Monsivais
Supreme Court justices
by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer Pending litigation on the rights of Gay and Lesbian couples to marry has been put on hold after the U.S. Supreme Court’s January
16 announcement that it will hear appeals from same-sex couples in four states under the Sixth Circuit Court’s jurisdiction. [NOTE: SCOTUS is an acronym for the Supreme Court of the United States.] Bucking the national trend, the
Sixth Circuit ruled in November that same-sex couples do not have a right to marry. Since other circuit courts had ruled in favor of marriage equality, hearing the appeals from the Sixth Circuit – and settling the issue once and for all – was a
logical step for the high court. “We are now that much closer to being fully recognized as a family, and we are thrilled,” plaintiff April DeBoer said. “This opportunity for our case to be heard by the Supreme Court gives us and families like ours so much reason to be hopeful.” Nevertheless, the Supreme Court’s intervention means that other marriage cases will be put on hold until the court issues its ruling, expected no sooner than the end of June. A U.S. District Judge in North Dakota, for example, suspended his consideration of a case pending since last September. In Georgia and Missouri, lawyers for the respective states asked federal courts to suspend pending marriage cases until the Supreme Court rules. The ACLU filed its opposition to the Missouri request, and same-sex marriages continue in St. Louis County. Those marriages are recognized statewide. The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals has already held hearings on cases from Texas, Louisiana, and Mississippi, but has not said wheth-
er it will issue its own ruling or wait for the Supreme Court to act. The Mississippi state Supreme Court has heard arguments in a same-sex divorce case – which would require the state to recognize the validity of a same-sex marriage concluded in another jurisdiction – but also has not said if it will wait for the high court. In the meantime, observers have been spinning all kinds of theories – some cogent, some outlandish – about what the Supreme Court will do and what it will mean when they do it. What does SCOTUS want to know? The Supreme Court itself may have contributed to the speculation by the way it phrased the questions it will ask lawyers when it hears the appeals in April: 1. Does the Fourteenth Amendment require a state to license a marriage between two people of the same sex? see SCOTUS page 6
Body-worn cameras: Obama mentions Transgender Will they increase people in State of the Union speech police accountability? JORDAN STEAD/SEATTLEPI.COM
A body-worn camera
by Shaun Knittel SGN Associate Editor On January 24, from 9:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. at New Holly Gathering Hall (7054 32nd Ave South) a panel presentation and community discussion hosted by The Seattle Community Police Commission (CPC) is scheduled for body-worn cameras on Seattle police officers. According to the event’s invite,
“In light of recent national incidents and the Seattle Police Department’s kick-off of a body-worn camera pilot project, many questions have emerged from the community. This event is intended to inform the public about what body cameras are, the policies and laws that surround them, and to spark discussion about how they should be used see Cameras page 10
President Barack Obama has mentioned the acronym LGBT before; but never before has the President, Obama or any other, ever actually said the word “Transgender” during a State of the Union (SOTU) speech. Until last Tuesday, that is. During his speech, which has been lauded by many as one of the best SOTU speeches in history, the president said, “As Americans, we respect human dignity, even when we’re threatened, which is why I’ve prohibited torture, and worked to make sure our use of new technology like drones is properly constrained. It’s why we speak out against the deplorable anti-Semitism that has resurfaced in certain parts of the world. It’s why we continue to reject offensive stereotypes of Muslims – the vast majority of whom share our commitment to peace. That’s why we defend free speech, and advocate for political prisoners, and condemn the persecution of women, or religious minorities, or people who are Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, or
Mandel Ngan / EPA
by Shaun Knittel SGN Associate Editor
President Barack Obama
Transgender. We do these things not only because they’re right, but because they make us safer.” The Transgender Law Center, the nation’s largest legal advocacy organization entirely dedicated to Transgender issues, applauded his speech. “President Obama’s public recognition of Transgender people in his State of the Union address was historic,” Executive Director Masen Davis said in a statement. “While it seems like a simple thing – saying the word ‘Transgender’ in a speech – President Obama’s statement represents significant progress for
Transgender people and the movement towards equality for all.” Last year, Davis told TIME about his experience coming out as a Transgender man in the ‘90s and how much times have changed since then. “When I first came out as Transgender, we all just assumed that if you were Transgender, you were going to lose your family, you were going to lose your friends, and you were going to lose your job. You needed to be prepared to lose everything,” he said. “We’ve come so see OBAMA page 11
2 Seattle Gay News
January 23, 2015
Celebrating 41 Years!
Senator Patty Murray’s statement on Roe v. Wade anniversary regarding continued GOP attacks on women’s health care decisions
from their attacks, House Republicans dou- anywhere, and that’s why bills that threaten bled down and replaced that bill with yet an- women’s fundamental rights aren’t either.” other damaging legislative threat to women’s health access, safety and choice. “In November, Majority Leader McConnell told the American people he was committed to working across the aisle to create jobs and grow the economy. I truly hope this means he will refuse to take up partisan, harmful legislation that would turn back the clock on women’s rights and choice. I hope we can all focus on moving forward, not backward, for women and work together to prevent unwanted pregnancies, improve access to preventive health services, and protect the basic premise that a woman’s health care decisions are hers alone to make. “But let me be very clear: if Majority Leader McConnell chooses to go down the partisan path we’ve seen from Republicans before on women’s health, Democrats and women and men across the country will be ready Senator Patty Murray to stand up and fight back. We’re not going AP
WASHINGTON, D.C. – On Thursday, January 22, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (DWA), Ranking Member of the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions committee, released the following statement on the 42nd anniversary of Roe v. Wade. “Forty-two years ago today the Supreme Court issued a constitutional guarantee in Roe v. Wade to women across the country, affirming their fundamental right to make their own choices about their own bodies. Roe v. Wade was a critical step forward for equality and opportunity for women across America. “It is deeply disappointing that decades later, Republicans in Congress and in state governments continue to push for policies that threaten the basic rights of every woman. Last night, in fact, House Republican leaders were forced to pull a bill from the floor that was so extreme and harmful some women in their own caucus withdrew their support, despite voting for the same measure last year. Unfortunately, rather than stepping back
All City GSA Dance Planning Meetings: February 9, 23, & March 9 An Open Invitation to All LGBTQA Youth: Hi GSA members: My hope is that every GSA (or similar club) that can do so will be able to send one (or more) representatives to help plan the next All City GSA Dance! Planning meetings are open to all teens whether or not they are in a GSA club. Planning meetings: Mondays February 9 & 23, and March 9 Arrive between 4 and 4:30 p.m. for snacks. Meeting is from 4:30 to 5:30 pm. Location: Cal Anderson Park Shelterhouse 1635 11th Avenue, Seattle 98122 http://www.seattle.gov/parks/park_detail. asp?ID=3102
Visit us online www.sgn.org
(Cal Anderson Park is served by Metro bus routes 9x, 10, 11, 49, & 60, and nearby routes 2, 8, 12 & 43; and stops # 11070, 11150, 11180, 11150, 11510, 41970, 41980) WHAT TO DO IF YOU CANNOT ATTEND THE FIRST MEETING but still want to participate: Please email me ASAP to let me know you want to participate, but can’t make the first meeting (or other meetings), and I can keep you informed about what goes on and we’ll look for a way to include you. There will be plenty to do! (my email and contact info is below). Last year’s dance - “MasQueerAde” - held
in late April - was a great success with over 90 youth attending. The dance is for LGBTQ youth and friends ages 14-19. Please let me know if you have any questions, concerns, or ideas! Sincerely, Randy Wiger Parks Commons Program Coordinator Seattle Department of Parks and Recreation (206) 684-0775 desk (206) 883-6110 cell/text randy.wiger@seattle.gov www.Facebook.com/SeattleParksCOD “Explore More.” www.seattle.gov/parks
January 23, 2015
Seattle Gay News 3
“Black Lives Matter”
Huge MLK Day march, police arrest 19 in civil disobedience AP Photo / seattlepi.com, Jordan Stead
Jan. 19, 2015 MLK parade walked from Garfield High School to the Federal Court House
by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer As many as 10,000 people marked Martin Luther King Day in Seattle with a march from Garfield High School to the Federal Courthouse. Later, police arrested 19 people in civil disobedience actions on State Route 99. Ferguson, Missouri, protest leader Jelani Brown was the keynote speaker at the pre-march program in the Garfield gym. Wearing a black hoodie emblazoned with the Organization for Black Struggle
logo, Brown told the crowd that change comes from proactive organizing as much as from protest marches. The high point in the program was recognition of student activists who led walk-outs and die-ins in their schools to protest the complete absence of accountability for police killings of Michael Brown and Eric Garner. “Look at all the teens and young marchers here,” said James Williams, chair of the MLK Celebration Committee. “This is powerful. This is a movement.”
The gym, traditional kick-off point for the 33-year-old march, was filled to overflowing with students, community activists, and union members. The crowd’s numbers continued to grow as people reassembled outside the high school to prepare for the march through the center of town to the Federal Courthouse. In addition to banners representing more than a dozen organizations, marchers carried signs that read “Fight for your rights in 2015!” and “Black lives matter!” The march stopped for brief speeches at the youth detention facility on 12th Avenue, the new Yesler Terrace development, King County Jail, and the Seattle Police headquarters downtown, to highlight ongoing issues troubling local communities of color. Standing in the street between the police headquarters and City Hall, NAACP president Gerald Hankerson denounced excessive use of force by Seattle police. “The folks in that building [pointing at police headquarters] send patrolmen out to beat down our community, and the folks in that building [City Hall] write laws to let them get away with it,” Hankerson said to loud applause. After a second rally in front of the Federal Courthouse, much of the crowd dispersed, but some demonstrators continued
to march to Mercer Street and Highway 99. Eight protestors locked themselves together, blocking the northbound lanes on 99. They were eventually removed after police cut through the PVC piping linking them together. Additional protestors were removed from southbound traffic lanes and from the Mercer Street I-5 ramps. After the confrontation on 99, demonstrators continued to march through the South Lake Union area, splitting up to evade police cordons and then reuniting to block traffic. In all, police said they arrested 19 people. While the demonstrators were not violent, at least one police officer was reportedly injured, with a possible broken leg, and Garfield teacher Jesse Hagopian – who spoke at the Federal Courthouse rally – was pepper sprayed by officers. According to CNN, MLK Day marchers confronted police in a number of cities. Some 60 demonstrators in the San Francisco Bay Area closed the San Mateo Bridge until arrested by the California Highway Patrol. In nearby Oakland, protestors also shut down a Bay Area Rapid Transit station. A march in Los Angeles, on the other hand, went off entirely without incident. In Minnesota, demonstrators shut down I-94 before converging on the state Capitol in St. Paul.
ECSA Field Day set for January 24 The Emerald City Softball Association (ECSA) invites players of all types to its annual Field Day, 10 a.m., January 24, at North SeaTac Park (128th Street and 20th Avenue S., SeaTac, WA). The new-player clinic and skills assessment is designed for players of all skill levels – novices are strongly encouraged to attend, as are seasoned pros. “Haven’t thrown a ball since childhood? You won’t be alone,” league officials say. Representatives from many of the ECSA’s 35+ teams will be on hand to introduce themselves and potentially recruit new players for the 2015 softball season, which runs from April 12 to July. “Whether you are a seasoned player or someone who has been marginalized from organized athletics, we have a team for you,” says James Neely, the ECSA’s membership director. Neely adds that of the more than 40 individuals who took part in last year’s Field Day, numerous players ended up representing Seattle at the 2014 Gay Softball World
Series in Dallas in each of the three skillbased divisions. According to ECSA officials, participants are strongly encouraged to bring a mitt and molded plastic cleats (no metal spikes). There is no cost and no RSVP required, though players can join the event on Facebook at bit.ly/Jan24FieldDay to stay apprised of event information. In case of rain, Field Day will take place on January 25, same time and place. Go to emeraldcitysoftball.org for updates. With more than 550 active players, the Emerald City Softball Association is among the largest U.S. sports organizations for LGBTQ individuals and allies. The ECSA started in 1980 in Seattle as a group of friends playing ball and has grown to be a welcoming place for LGBTQ and non-LGBTQ players to partake in the competition and spirit of softball. It is now one of the oldest and largest Gay-softball leagues in the nation. Games are on Sundays. As a member of NAGAAA – which represents more than 10,000 players in 36 member cities in the U.S. and Canada – the ECSA sends its top teams to each year’s NAGAAA
4 Seattle Gay News
January 23, 2015
by Shaun Knittel SGN Associate Editor
Gay Softball World Series. In September, a record-tying nine teams represented Seattle and the ECSA in the World Series in Dallas. This year’s series is set for August 17-22 in Columbus, Ohio. “What sets us apart from other sports
leagues is the sense of community and support that our players experience,” Neely said. To learn more about the ECSA or to get information on sponsoring the league or its teams, please contact marketing/communications director Tony Stasiek at marcom@ seattlegaysoftball.com.
Celebrating 41 Years!
Imperial Sovereign Court of Seattle and the Olympic and Rainier Empire Monarch Candidacy Announcements
Dear Board members, Court members, and fellow Courtiers, This is my letter of intent for the position of Candidate for Emperor 41 of the Imperial Sovereign Court of Seattle and the Olympic and Rainier Empire. I am sorry that it has taken me this long to come to a decision to run. But it took me this long because I do not take this position lightly. I do not want to commit to something as important as Rainier, without doing it with all of my heart. After many long hours of consideration, and discussions, I have come to the conclusion that it is time for me to step up and run for the position of Emperor. I come with a lot of experience, and a lot to offer the Court of Seattle. Being a past Monarch of the Empire of Dreams, I was able to wade through a very difficult year and have faced as many adversities as I thought humanly possible within one organization. I have successfully worked with and produced many functions, and events. Having been a previous bar owner, I understand the constraints events can put on business. Being a member of the Court of Seattle with a partner that was Empress, I understand what it takes and the commitment needed for such a position. I am used to working within a structure and teaching others how to build them as well. I have been a successful businessman within our community for years, working in several different management rolls. I currently work for a spirit and wine distributor, where I am actively involved with the LGBTQ community. I have access to event spaces, and supporters for the community. I am willing to work with suppliers and various organizations on the Hill to make for a fun filled and fantastic year. Building on the foundation of FAMILY within our own organization. And assisting the younger in our presence to achieve their dreams and desires, while helping them understand accountability at the same time. I would like to be the next Emperor of Seattle, so that I can help us all grow and develop a better tomorrow, for ourselves and our community. Sincerely, The Surreal Victor Girthwood Candidate for Emperor – Rainier 41
Visit us online www.sgn.org
To The Imperial Sovereign Court of Seattle and The Olympic and Rainier Empire, College of Monarchs, Board of Directors, and Greater Community of Seattle. My name is Paul Creasman, aka Shirley Todae, and this is my letter of intent to run for the position of Olympia 44 Empress of the Imperial Court of Seattle. I have a very long history of experience in fundraising, pageantry and stage. My accomplishments include: • Queen of Hearts 19 of the Imperial Court • Crown Princess Royal 13 of the United Ebony Council • The Nostalgia Sisters • Diva Licious Show, with fundraising for NW AIDS Foundation, Bailey Boushay House, Chicken Soup Brigade, Jars in Bars, Bunny Brigade, Pet Project, Toys for Tots, Ronald McDonald House. My aspirations are to use my experience to help grow our membership by encouraging the youth in our group, being socially active in fundraising and charities supported by our Court, including Lady Graytop College Fund, Toys for Tots and hopefully an AIDS memorial on Capitol Hill. My focus will be on hard work, having fun and representing our group with joy and dignity. This opportunity is my long time dream come true. I appreciate your consideration for this position. Thank you, Paul Creasman aka Shirley Todae Candidate for Empress – Olympia 44
January 23, 2015
Seattle Gay News 5
SCOTUS
continued from cover 2. Does the Fourteenth Amendment require a state to recognize a marriage between two people of the same sex when their marriage was lawfully licensed and performed out-of-state? UC-Irvine law professor Rick Hasen, for example, found the first question “odd” because it ignores the fundamental issue raised in the court cases – namely whether Gay and Lesbian couples have a “fundamental right” to be married – and focuses instead on state powers and obligations. The same problem worried openly Gay Washington Post pundit Jonathan Capehart. “’State’ was what set off alarms for me,” Capehart wrote. “States have the power to regulate who can and cannot marry. That’s one of the reasons why the so-called Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) was so odious. Aside from being discriminatory, the federal legislation trampled on a state’s right to determine whether a same-sex couple could marry. Now the court is asking whether the Constitution requires a state to do so.” Freedom to Marry CEO Evan Wolfson came to Capehart’s rescue, explaining that “The bottom line answer to your question is that while states regulate marriage, they do so under the Constitution. There is a floor below which the states may not go, and that floor is the Constitution’s guarantee of the freedom to marry and
equal protection under the law.” The Fourteenth Amendment In Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy’s groundbreaking majority opinion in USA v. Windsor, striking down DOMA, he found that DOMA violated both a state’s right to regulate marriage and same-sex couples’ right to be married. In the part of Kennedy’s opinion usually cited by subsequent federal court rulings in favor of marriage equality, he wrote that DOMA violated the Fifth Amendment due process and equal protection rights of same-sex couples. Kennedy cited the Fifth Amendment because that one says what the federal government may or may not do and DOMA was a federal law. But this is where the Fourteenth Amendment comes in! The Fourteenth Amendment says what states may or may not do. Most legal scholars believe that the Fourteenth Amendment “federalizes” the Bill of Rights. In other words, the Fourteenth Amendment says that whatever the federal government is prohibited from doing to citizens, the states are also prohibited from doing. To apply this to the marriage issue – if the federal government may not violate the equal protection and due process rights of same-sex couples, the states may not do it either. This argument is the basis for the string of federal court decisions overturning state bans on same-sex marriage. But in the view of conservative justices
applied to future employment discrimination rulings against business owners. Chief Justice Roberts joined with the court’s liberal justices to uphold the Affordable Care Act, but he concocted a theory of the case that limited the interstate commerce clause in a way that could undermine federal civil rights laws. Would he line up with the court’s liberals on this issue, but write a simiScenarios One possible scenario has the court rul- lar “poison pill” ruling limiting the applicaing that states must recognize legal same-sex tion of the Fourteenth Amendment? marriages, but may opt out of performing them in their own jurisdictions. That would Right wing prepares for the worst explain why the justices framed Question 2 Even with all the speculation, right wing opponents of equality are preparing for the in the way they did. While Justice Kennedy is known to be a worst. Former Arkansas Governor and curfriend of LGBT rights, he is also known to rent Republican presidential aspirant Mike be a supporter of states’ rights. Would he Huckabee even raised the possibility of nulline up with the court’s conservative justices lification. States, he said, should simply refuse to comply with a Supreme Court ruling to limit marriage equality in this way? Another possible scenario has the high in favor of equality. court ruling in favor of marriage equalOthers took a longer view. Family Reity, but only because laws banning same-sex search Council spokesperson Chris Gacek marriage are not rational. In this scenario, predicted that support for equality could be the court would uphold equality on the very reversed over time. narrowest grounds, and avoid saying that dis“You’re going to get sort of the equivalent crimination on the basis of sexual orientation of a Roe v. Wade – opposition to it built over should be subject to “heightened scrutiny” – time,” Gacek said. as many of the lower court decisions said. “If you get a ruling that doesn’t allow the Conservatives see “heightened scrutiny” democratic process to work, I think you are as a danger, because it establishes LGBT going to have a problem in the long term, people as a protected class in federal law but people are not just going to be running and expands the scope of federal civil rights to Iowa or something to raise it in the presilaws. It also creates a precedent that could be dential race,” he said. like Antonin Scalia, all amendments are not created equal. Scalia has always argued for a very restrictive interpretation of the Fourteenth Amendment and some observers see the “odd” wording of the Supreme Court’s questions as a way of setting up a very narrow ruling on the issue of marriage equality.
Voters are ready for Hillary, new poll says by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer Hillary Clinton shows double-digit leads over all the most frequently mentioned Republican presidential hopefuls, according to a Washington Post/ABC News poll released January 22. In more good news for the former Secretary of State, every matchup shows her with more than 50% of the vote. According to the poll, Clinton beats former Florida Governor Jeb Bush by 54% to 41%. The fact that Bush’s father and brother served as president makes no difference to 55% of the respondents, but among those for whom that fact does count, they rate it as a negative by 3 to 1. Clinton’s marriage to former President Bill Clinton, in contrast, is a net positive for her. More than 6 in 10 respondents said her marriage to the former president has no bearing on whether they would support her candidacy. But among those to whom her marriage to Bill would matter, 23% said it makes them more likely to support her, while only 14% said less likely. Clinton also beats 2012 loser Mitt Romney by 55% to 40%. Romney’s 2012 bid for the presidency makes no difference for just over 6 in 10 respondents, but among those for whom it does matter, about twice as many say it makes them less likely to support him. Clinton holds equally large leads over the more exotic Republican hopefuls. She tops Senator Rand Paul and New Jersey Governor Chris Christie by 13 points each, and leads former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee by 17 points. Clinton leads in almost all demographics measured by the new poll. For example, she leads among both male and female voters. Women favor Clinton by 20 to 24 points, while men split more closely,
6 Seattle Gay News
January 23, 2015
but still tend towards Clinton. Clinton edges Romney by 50% to 46% among male voters in the new poll, whereas Romney beat Obama among men 52-45% in 2012. Clinton’s whopping 59% to 36% lead over Romney among women voters is bigger than Obama’s 55% to 44% over Romney in 2012. Clinton wins more than 90% support from registered Democrats, but her Republican challengers win less than 80% among fellow Republicans. Clinton leads every opponent among political independents, a group that narrowly favored Romney over Obama in 2012 even as the Republican lost by four points overall. White respondents still tended toward the Republican candidates, but only by single digits – from three to seven point margins – while Romney won whites by 20 points in 2012, and John McCain by 12 points in 2008. Of the candidates mentioned in the poll, only Bush has formed an exploratory committee. Romney recently told former donors he still wanted to be president, and Huckabee has quit his job as a FOX News anchor, presumably to avoid conflict of interest allegations when he announces his candidacy. Rand Paul’s campaign would be hampered by a Kentucky law prohibiting him from running for reelection as a Senator and for president at the same time. Clinton has neither confirmed nor denied reports that she is running, but polls show her as the overwhelming favorite to get the Democratic nomination if and when she announces. The WaPo/ABC poll was conducted January 12-15 among a random national sample of 1,003 adults interviewed by telephone, including 311 cell-only respondents. The overall margin of error is plus or minus 3.5 points. For the sample of 843 registered voters, the margin of error is four percentage points.
Celebrating 41 Years!
Visit us online www.sgn.org
January 23, 2015
Seattle Gay News 7
8 Seattle Gay News
January 23, 2015
Celebrating 41 Years!
MoSS Alley MotorS, Inc. SpecialiStS in VolVo, Honda, toyota and Subaru
932 12th ave. Seattle, Wa 98122 (206).325--.3992 www.mossalley.com Seattle’s most progressive auto shop!
Visit us online www.sgn.org
January 23, 2015
Seattle Gay News 9
Jordan Stead, seattlepi.com
Seattle Police Department displays new head-and-body-worn cameras
Cameras
continued from cover and whether they will, in fact, increase police accountability.” Panelists include: Jay Hollingsworth, Chair, John T. Williams Organizing Committee; Marissa Johnson and Dan Bash, Outside Agitators 206; Andrew Myerberg, Assistant City Attorney, Seattle City Attorney’s Office; Jennifer Shaw, Deputy Director, American Civil Liberties Union of Washington; Detective Ron Smith, President, Seattle Police Officers’ Guild; and Mike Wagers, Chief Operating Officer, Seattle Police Department. Chuck Wexler, Executive Director at Police Executive Research Forum said in the federal government-used publication, Implementing a Body-Worn Camera Program: Recommendations and Lessons Learned, “The recent emergence of body-worn cameras has already had an impact on policing, and this impact will only increase as more agencies adopt this technology. The decision to implement body-worn cameras should not be entered into lightly. Once an agency goes down the road of deploying body-worn cameras – and once the public comes to expect the availability of video records – it will become increasingly difficult to have second thoughts or to scale back a bodyworn camera program.” “A police department that deploys bodyworn cameras is making a statement that it believes the actions of its officers are a matter of public record,” he continued. “By facing the challenges and expense of purchasing and implementing a body-worn camera system, developing policies, and training its officers in how to use the cameras, a department creates a reasonable expectation that members of the public and the news media will want to review the actions of officers.”
“And with certain limited exceptions that this publication will discuss, body-worn camera video footage should be made available to the public upon request – not only because the videos are public records but also because doing so enables police departments to demonstrate transparency and openness in their interactions with members of the community,” said Wexler. Wexler’s publication, which documents extensive research and analysis by the Police Executive Research Forum (PERF), with support from the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office), demonstrates why police departments should not deploy body-worn cameras carelessly. Moreover, Wexler says departments must anticipate a number of difficult questions – questions with no easy answers because they involve a careful balancing of competing legitimate interests, such as the public’s interest in seeing body-worn camera footage versus the interests of crime victims who would prefer not to have their images disseminated to the world. “One of the most significant questions departments will face is how to identify which types of encounters with members of the community officers should record,” said Wexler. “This decision will have important consequences in terms of privacy, transparency, and police-community relationships. Although recording policies should provide officers with guidance, it is critical that policies also give officers a certain amount of discretion concerning when to turn their cameras on or off.” This discretion is important because it recognizes that officers are professionals and because it allows flexibility in situations in which drawing a legalistic “bright line” rule is impossible,” he said. For example, an officer at a crime scene
may encounter a witness who would prefer not to be recorded. “By using discretion, the officer can reach the best solution in balancing the evidentiary value of a recorded statement with the witness’s reluctance to be recorded,” said Wexler. The decision may hinge on the importance of what the witness is willing to say. Or perhaps the witness will agree to be recorded by audio but not video, so the officer can simply point the camera away from the witness. Or perhaps the witness will be willing to be recorded later, in a more private setting, according to Wexler. “By giving officers some discretion, they can balance the conflicting values,” he said. “Without this discretion, body-worn cameras have the potential to damage important relationships that officers have built with members of the community.” This discretion should not be limitless, says Wexler, instead, it should be “guided by carefully crafted policies that set specific parameters for when officers may use discretion.” Wexler warns that if police departments deploy body-worn cameras without welldesigned policies, practices, and training of officers to back up the initiative, departments will “inevitably find themselves caught in difficult public battles that will undermine public trust in the police rather than increasing community support for the police.” Several police departments around the nation are already using body-worn cameras. Recently, SPD launched its pilot program that features 12 East Precinct officers wearing body-worn cameras in an attempt to test and assess the new devices. “The Seattle Police Department has been working toward this moment for more than a year,” the department wrote in a FAQ page. “Footage from the cameras can be used as evidence against suspects, and help monitor the behavior of officers. Research has found that departments using such cameras have experienced a decline in assaults on officers, as well as the need for officers to use force.” SPD will spend up to six months testing cameras made by TASER, as well as devices made by Seattle-based Vievu. According to a pending body-worn camera policy, officers are instructed to turn on the camera for certain police activity and notify subjects that they’re being recorded. However, for residences and other private areas, they’ll need to ask for consent. “Officers won’t record public protests, or in places where an expectation of privacy exists, such as restrooms, jails, or hospitals – unless there’s reasonable suspicion a crime is being committed or the recording of the location is material to a criminal investigation,” the FAQ notes. The department worked with the ACLU
and Community Police Commission to develop the body-worn camera policies. However, the ACLU says it is concerned that officers can turn the cameras on and off. Jared Friend, technology and liberty director for the ACLU, said “our position is that the cameras should always be on.” SPD actually wanted to launch the pilot program in early 2014, but delayed it in May 2014 due to concerns with a Washington state law that prohibits recording conversations in a private residence without permission, except for emergency responders. Some confusion exists however, around when officers can have the cameras on or if they need permission at all. Washington State Attorney General Bob Ferguson said that police officers with body-worn cameras do not need consent from citizens to record their conversations and actions – even inside of homes. In his opinion, Ferguson said that since interactions with on-duty police are considered public, they are exempt from the state’s privacy laws and an officer would not need to stop recording. Another privacy issue revolves around how to handle the recorded video from the bodyworn cameras. The vision for the SPD is to eventually upload footage to the Internet that would be accessible to the public, but the SPD is still figuring out how exactly it could efficiently redact or blur out images that shouldn’t be available to anyone based on existing laws. So, as you can see, there is a lot to discuss. The Seattle panel presentation and community discussion will be moderated by Fé Lopez, CPC Executive Director and David Keenan, CPC Commissioner. Community Partners of this forum include American Civil Liberties Union of Washington; Asian Counseling and Referral Service; Chief Seattle Club; Disability Rights Washington; Downtown Emergency Service Center; El Centro de la Raza; El Rey 1360; Entre Hermanos; Helping Link/Một Dấu Nối; Ingersoll; LGBTQ Allyship; Loren Miller Bar Association; Mothers for Police Accountability; OneAmerica; Outside Agitators 206; Payment Management Technology Solutions; Public Defender Association/Racial Disparity Project; Seattle Chinatown International District Preservation and Development Authority; Seattle Commission for People with Disabilities; Seattle Counseling Services; Seattle Department of Neighborhoods; Seattle Human Rights Commission; Seattle LGBT Commission; Seattle Office for Civil Rights; Seattle Women’s Commission. For questions, please contact Tracy Whitlatch at (206) 233-2664 or tracym.whitlatch@ seattle.gov. There will be an American Sign Language interpreter at the event. This facility is accessible. Written information is available in different formats on request. The Seattle Channel will be audio and video recording.
Trans Health Insurance Forum a huge success
10
January 23, 2015
Seattle Gay News
Gender Justice League
On January 17, Gender Justice League hosted a Trans Health Insurance Forum with the Coalition for Inclusive Healthcare at Calamus Auditorium inside Gay City Health project (517 E. Pike St.). According to Executive Director of Gender Justice League, Danielle Askini, in a post on GenderJusticeLeague.org, the forum featured panelists and a presentation on coverage for transition related care in private insurance policies, for state employees, those with Medicare, and soon-to-be coverage in AppleCare – Washington’s Medicaid program. “The forum was heavily attended with over 100 people signed in and the panel took questions from the audience and shared resources,” said Askini.
The event also featured a short program people from Gender Justice League’s ExecuNearly all plans in Washington must now cover hormones, doctors’ visits, therapy, and on health insurance coverage for LGBTQ tive Director Danielle Askini. some surgeries. The event preceded the January 20 LGBTQ Health Insurance at Calamus Auditorium at Gay City. Gay City Health Project said, “The open enrollment period to sign up for healthcare coverage through the Affordable Care Act is fast approaching, which means, if you have not yet signed up for healthcare, now’s the time! This is also a great time to change your coverage, if needed, and Gay City wants to help.” In-person assisters were available at the free event, to answer questions and help with the sign-up for or change of coverage. The in-person assisters were provided from Gay City, Lifelong AIDS Alliance, Gender Justice League, Ingersoll Gender Center, EnTrans Health Insurance Forum at Calamus Auditorium inside Gay City Health project tre Hermanos, and We Are 1.
by Shaun Knittel SGN Associate Editor
Celebrating 41 Years!
Republicans move to reverse LGBT gains Republican lawmakers are introducing new measures to roll back many of the gains made by the LGBT community in the past few years. Texas Congressman Randy Weber has reintroduced his State Marriage Defense Act, which would prohibit the federal government from recognizing same-sex marriages conducted outside the state in which the couple resides. In other words, if a couple married in California but then moved to Texas, they would not have any federal spousal rights including tax benefits or Social Security survivor benefits. This would be true even if the couple moved to a state where same-sex marriage was also legal and the couple’s marriage was recognized under state law. Weber first introduced this bill in January 2014, but it died in a House subcommittee when only 25% of the Republicans on the panel signed on as cosponsors. In a January 12 appearance on a Family Research Council radio talk show, Weber said the bill would do better this session because Republicans control both houses of Congress. Republican Senators Ted Cruz and Mike Lee have promised to sponsor the Bill in the Senate, Weber said. “Then we’ll see what the president does with it,” he added. “But I’m not holding my breath for the president to sign it.” Even if Weber’s bill passes the House, its chances in the Senate seem slim. Republicans control the majority, but they still lack the 60
Obama
continued from cover far, that it’s become easier for Transgender people in certain areas of the country to be out and for them to feel like they can come out at work and they’re not going to lose their jobs. They can come out to their family and they might not be thrown out. That they can come out at school and still be treated well.” Progress has been made. Nobody is denying that. But you’d have a tough time convincing Transgender people like Davis that Transgender people aren’t still disadvantaged as a demographic. The facts remains that Transgender people are more likely to experience harassment because of their gender expression, and to lose their jobs and live in poverty. More than 40% of Transgender people, according to one report, have attempted suicide. Leelah Alcorn is a recent, tragic example of how hard it is to be a young Transgender person in America. Leelah Alcorn, born with the name Joshua, was 17-years-old when last month, she stepped in front of a tractor trailer on highway I-71 in Warren County, Ohio, left a heartbreaking letter in which she blamed her religious parents. Alcorn says she had been forced to undergo conversion therapy, which traditionally seeks to change sexual orientation through counseling, although Alcorn was Transgender, which has nothing to do with someone’s sexual orientation. The practice has been banned in two states on grounds it is medically unfounded and puts children in danger. The high school student’s poignant suicide note accused her devout Christian parents of refusing to acknowledge her gender and forbidding her from transitioning. The suicide note was posted on Alcorn’s tumblr account through scheduled publishing just a few hours after her death. The note begins: “If you are reading this, it means that I have committed suicide and ob-
votes necessary to get a bill to the floor for an up or down vote. That means there would need to be significant Democratic defections to pass the measure. Meanwhile, four Texas state lawmakers from the Plano area plan to introduce legislation that would bar cities and counties from adopting anti-discrimination ordinances protecting LGBT people. The proposed legislation would also nullify existing LGBT-inclusive nondiscrimination ordinances. Some 7.5 million Texans, more than onequarter of the state’s population, currently live in cities where such laws are on the books. The bill comes in response to the passage of an equal rights ordinance by the Plano City Council last month. The measure outlawed discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity in employment, housing and public accommodations. Texas state lawmakers in both the House and Senate have also introduced proposed constitutional amendments that would carve out broad religious exemptions to local antibias laws. These would require two-thirds affirmative votes in both chambers, while the Plano group’s bill would only need simple majorities to pass.
www.dailykos.com
by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer
Randy Weber
In Virginia, Republican state Delegate Bob Marshall has introduced a bill that would make it legal for business owners to refuse service to same-sex couples and “homosexual behavior” on religious grounds. The measure says that any person seeking
to obtain or renew a business license “shall not be required to perform, assist, consent to, or participate in any action or refrain from performing, assisting, consenting to or participating in any action as a condition of obtaining or renewing the license, registration or certificate where such condition would violate the religious or moral convictions of such person with respect to samesex ‘marriage’ or homosexual behavior.’” By including both the words “marriage” and “behavior,” business owners would be able to discriminate against both legally married people as well as unmarried people in the LGBT community. For example, teachers could refuse to have LGBT students in their classes, or doctors could refuse to treat LGBT patients. Movie the-
aters would be able to ban people they perceive to be Gay and retail businesses could also put up signs denying service to LGBT customers. Marshall, who has a history of opposing Gay rights, has previously tried and failed to get Gays and Lesbians excluded from the state’s National Guard. In 2012 he led an effort to block a judge’s appointment on the grounds the nominee was Gay, saying, “sodomy is not a civil right.” Marshall’s bill will be heard by the House General Laws Committee, controlled by Republicans and chaired by Todd Gilbert, also a fierce opponent of LGBTI rights, but even if it passes through the Virginia legislature, Democratic Governor Terry McAuliffe is expected to veto it.
viously failed to delete this post from my queue.” Alcorn wrote that although she was born a boy, she began identifying as a girl at the age of four. “When I was 14, I learned what transgender meant and cried of happiness. After 10 years of confusion I finally understood who I was,” she said in the letter. “I immediately told my mom, and she reacted extremely negatively, telling me that it was a phase, that I would never truly be a girl, that God doesn’t make mistakes, that I am wrong.” “I formed a sort of a ‘fuck you’ attitude towards my parents and came out as Gay at school, thinking that maybe if I eased into coming out as Trans it would be less of a shock,” she said. “Although the reaction from my friends was positive, my parents were pissed. They felt like I was attacking their image, and that I was an embarrassment to them. They wanted me to be their perfect little straight Christian boy, and that’s obviously not what I wanted.” Alcorn wrote that on her 16th birthday, when she didn’t receive consent from my parents to start transitioning, “I cried myself to sleep.” She then added, “I’m never going to be happy. Either I live the rest of my life as a lonely man who wishes he were a woman or I live my life as a lonelier woman who hates herself.” The one thing that Alcorn has in common with the thousands of other Transgender youth (and adults) that have died by suicide is the desperate need to be seen as whom they know themselves to be; that their gender is different from the body they were born into. Everyone needs love and acceptance to help them build a strong self-esteem and prepare them for life’s ups and downs. President Barack Obama’s SOTU speech mention of Transgender people relates directly to that fact. Affirmation, finally, by a sitting U.S. president. “The President’s acknowledgment helps shatter the cloak of invisibility that has plagued Trans people and forced many to suf-
fer in silence,” author and MSNBC host Janet Mock, who is Transgender, said. “By speaking our community’s name, the President pushes us all to recognize the existence and validity of Trans people as Americans worthy of protection and our nation’s resources.” “As a Transgender man and an advocate for Transgender people, it was thrilling to hear, for the first time in our nation’s history, the President of the United States acknowledge Transgender people as an integral and valued part of our national community,” said Shannon Minter, legal director for the National Center for Lesbian Rights. The issues of validity and legitimacy are huge ones for Transgender people. Not long ago, doctors didn’t think that Transgender patients’ feelings about their gender identity were legitimate. Instead, many thought those feelings were inclinations requiring correction. Today, the medical community has evolved. Again, though, it is important to note that many people still mistakenly assume Transgender people are only really Transgender if their bodies look a certain way. Last year, TIME made history when they put the issue on their front cover, declaring that the Transgender movement had arrived and reached its tipping point. Actress Laverne Cox talked about this issue in her interview with TIME for that cover story, saying, “We have to listen to people about who they are and not assume that there’s something wrong with Trans people. Because we know who we are. And I think the biggest thing is folks want to believe that there’s something, that genitals and biology are destiny. … When you think about it, it’s kind of ridiculous. People need to be willing to let go of what they think they know about what it means to be a man and what it means to be a woman.” For decades Transgender people have had to deal with the perception that they are deceiving people.
“The people who say that they’re Trans have always been undermined and thought of as not telling the truth, being intentionally deceitful of others,” Elizabeth Reis, a professor of women’s and gender studies at the University of Oregon, said. She calls it “the authenticity issue that Trans people face, not being believed for who they say they are.” To get medical treatment or to play on sports teams or to change the gender on their driver’s licenses, Transgender people have long had to provide documents and testimony that they are who they say they are. In the past, Transgender Americans have even had to prove they intended to have or had undergone surgery. And still, today, there are people who don’t understand what it means to be Transgender or don’t “believe in being Transgender.” No other group in America, in quite the same way, is asked to constantly prove their status on a daily basis. The powerful thing about what Obama did is that he, as the President of the United State of America, offered up recognition using the word that the community itself uses – instead of spinning the issue with a vague phrase like “regardless of how someone identifies.” What Obama said, by saying the word “Transgender” is that he does believe Transgender people are who they say they are and he doesn’t need any proof. This is truly a historic moment for the Transgender community indeed. Locally, there are resources for Transgender people seeking community, answers, support and more. Ingersoll Gender Center: Join Ingersoll every Wednesday from 7-9 p.m. at their weekly peer support group held at Seattle Counseling Services (1216 Pine St #300). For more information, go to http://ingersollgendercenter.org/. Gender Justice League: Empowering Trans* activists and allies in fighting sexuality & gender oppression in Washington state. More at: www.genderjusticeleague.org.
January 23, 2015
Seattle Gay News 11
Visit us online www.sgn.org
Minneapolis Catholic Archdiocese files bankruptcy; seeks to evade molestation lawsuits The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on January 17. The move freezes more than 20 lawsuits against the archdiocese, all of them arising from allegations of sexual misconduct by priests. An additional 100 suits are reportedly pending. The Minneapolis Archdiocese in now the twelfth in the country to seek protection from such lawsuits. The bankruptcy filing didn’t provide precise financial figures, but showed estimated liabilities of $50 million to $100 million, estimated assets of $10 million to $50 million, and estimated creditors of 200 to 999. “Reorganization will allow the finite resources of the archdiocese to be distributed equitably among all victims/survivors,” said Archbishop John Nienstedt. “It will also permit the archdiocese to provide essential services required to continue its mission.” The bankruptcy filing will allow the archdiocese to continue its daily operations while giving it time to reorganize its finances as a judge determines how much victims may be entitled to receive. Last summer Minneapolis Archbishop John Nienstedt was forced to submit to questions about his sexual orientation by local reporters after he was accused of “sexual impropriety” with priests, seminarians, and other men. The archbishop denied that he is Gay.
CNS / Paul Haring
by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer
Archbishop John Nienstedt of the St. Paul-Minneapolis Archdiocese, at the Vatican in 2012
In January 2012, during a statewide referendum on same-sex marriage, Nienstedt ordered all priests under his jurisdiction not to speak if they opposed laws against Gay and Lesbian marriages. Later that year, an antiGay public letter by Nienstedt prompted a
blistering response from Minnesota Vikings player Chris Kluwe. In September 2012, Nienstedt was accused of shielding a pedophile priest who is now in prison. That same month he declared that “Satan loves sodomy.”
In 2010 Nienstedt ordered that Gay students not be admitted to Holy Communion. Also in 2010, Nienstedt’s archdiocese sent out 400,000 DVDs to Minnesota voters urging that they support anti-Gay gubernatorial candidate Tom Emmer.
California to investigate NOM on ethics charges Complaint filed by Gay Republican Fred Karger
12
January 23, 2015
Seattle Gay News
laundering in the campaign it funded to overturn Maine’s marriage equality law. NOM was fined a record $50,500, but has thus far refused to pay the penalty. Karger also launched a 2012 California action against NOM, and successful investigations of the group in Iowa and Hawaii. Also on a complaint from Karger, the FEC began an investigation of NOM, Republican presidential hopeful Rick Santorum, and Republican operative Bob Vander Plaats for
money laundering leading up to the 2012 Iowa Caucus. The FEC investigation is still pending. A Karger complaint led to successful prosecution of the LDS (Mormon) Church on 13 counts of election fraud in California’s 2008 Prop 8 campaign. The unprecedented guilty finding led to a fine against the church. Since losing high profile votes in four states in the 2012 election – including Referendum 74 in Washington – NOM has been on the decline and is reportedly close to bankruptcy. gawker.com
The state of California will investigate NOM (the National Organization for Marriage) and seven of its major donors for violations of state campaign laws. The California Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC) – the state equivalent of the Federal Election Commission (FEC) – confirmed they will investigate the anti-Gay group in a statement to one-time Republican presidential contender Fred Karger. Karger, who is openly Gay, filed a 35page complaint against NOM on October 1 last year. He charged that NOM’s campaign to repeal California’s AB 1266 was marred by significant violations of state campaign financing laws. AB 1266 allows Transgender students to use school facilities and participate in school programs on the basis of their self-identified gender. NOM created and financed the Privacy For All Students (PFAS) campaign to repeal the measure, but failed to qualify for the ballot. Karger’s complaint names NOM president Brian Brown, its political director Frank Schubert – familiar to SGN readers as the mastermind of the unsuccessful campaign to repeal marriage equality in this state – and seven NOM donors: • Sean Fieler, a New Jersey hedge fund operator gave PFAS at least $200,000. • Peterson Holding Company gave $10,000 to PFAS.
• Thomas Bengard, an investor from San Clemente, California also gave PFAS $10,000. • Andrew & Rebecca Hagelin of Placida, Florida, gave $25,000 to PFAS. • Calvary Chapel of Chino Hills California gave PFAS a total of $20,000 in two separate bundles. • Pacific Justice Institute, a Californiabased anti-Gay legal group, gave $10,000. • Larry Smith, president of MHI Real Estate gave $10,000 to PFAS on October 7, 2013. Brown and Schubert were charged with concealing their funding sources and their campaign expenditures. The donors were charged with failing to file the required Major Donor Reports with state election officials. Karger has also asked the California State Attorney General, the Sacramento County District Attorney and District Attorneyelect to consider criminal charges against NOM and PFAS if the FPPC went ahead with an investigation. They have not yet responded to his request. Under California election law, if a campaign committee like PFAS violated state election law with “intent,” it could be a criminal offense and NOM leaders could face even stiffer penalties. This is not the first time Karger has filed complaints against NOM’s ethics violations. In 2009, he filed a similar complaint with the Maine Commission on Governmental Ethics and Election Practices that led to a 5-year investigation of the anti-Gay group. On May 19, 2014, by a unanimous vote, the Commission found NOM guilty of money
by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer
Fred Karger
Celebrating 41 Years!
Legal Services MARTIN SJOLIE Over 20 Years Experience
Last Will, Power of Attorney & Health Care Directive (Living Will)
$500.00/Person or $750.00/Couple for complete, personalized services.
(206) 841–1373 www.sjolielaw.com
Auto accidents, DUI, Small business needs.
Visit us online www.sgn.org
January 23, 2015
Seattle Gay News 13
Religion & Spirituality www.sgn.org
HOME & SPECIALIZED SERVICES
Gary D. TorGerson Co. Expert Painting and Repairs Rot Repair: siding, doors, windows, porches and decks. Lead-Safe Certified
See photographs of our work at www.TorgersonCompany.com Email: info@torgersoncompany.com Contractor Registration #: GARYDTC134CJ Phone: 206-781-0999
Health and Personal Services
www.sgn.org
14
Seattle Gay News
January 23, 2015
Celebrating 41 Years!
Visit us online www.sgn.org
January 23, 2015
Seattle Gay News 15