Issue 04 Volume 40
Celebrating 39 Years!
FRIDAY January 27, 2012 FREE! 25¢ in bookstores & news stands
BARNEY FRANK p. 16 BEAU BURRIOLA p. 18 SWISS GAY SKI WEEK p. 28
Seattle Gay News SEATTLE’S LGBT NEWS & ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY
The Olympia hearings WA State Senate has 25 votes
to pass marriage equality
AP photo
by Shaun Knittel SGN Associate Editor
Ted S. Warren / AP
News goes national – Washington’s LGBT community testifies at House & Senate marriage equality hearings
Senator Ed Murray (D-Seattle) has secured the 25th vote needed to pass Senate Bill 6239, legislation that would allow marriage equality in Washington State. Sen. Mary Margaret Haugen (D-Camano Island), announced January 23 she would support the bill. The state House has enough lawmakers in support of the measure to approve it and Governor Chris Gregoire pledged to sign the bill into law once lawmakers pass it. Haugen announced her support immediately after a January 23 two-hour legislative hearing in Olympia about the bill. “For several weeks now, I have heard from the people of my district. They’ve shared what’s in Opponents of Gay marriage in Washington their hearts and minds,” she said in protest outside the Capitol in Olympia. a statement. “I have received many by Shaun Knittel for Senate Bill 6239 and House letters, emails, phone calls, very Bill 2516. The hearing went from heartfelt, from both sides of the isSGN Associate Editor late morning into the afternoon, sue. I’ve also received a number of On January 23, hundreds of with emotions running high very negative comments from both Washingtonians – in support of, throughout. By day’s end, there sides.” undecided, or against – attended hearings at the Capitol in Olympia see hearings page 20 see marriage page 20
Supporters of Gay marriage hand out stickers at the Capitol in Olympia, Washington.
Starbucks, Google join list SGN EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW Aubrey Sarvis leaving for full marriage equality Servicemembers Legal by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer
Courtesy SLDN
Starbucks and Google have joined the list of more than 100 businesses large and small that endorse marriage equality in Washington. Washington United for Marriage, the group backing the proposed marriage bill pending in the legislature, announced on January 24 that the two companies had joined the list of supportive businesses, which includes Microsoft, Nike, Alcoa, and Group Health Plan. “Marriage equality provides a multitude of intangible benefits to Washington businesses. Recognizing the relationships of all – irrespective of sexual orientation – means an open and innovative business climate that ensures fundamental fairness and basic civil rights for all,” said Lacey All, chair of Washington United for Marriage. “The addition of these companies continues to show that momentum in Washington state is on the side of equality for all Wash-
Defense Network
Aubrey Sarvis
by Shaun Knittel SGN Associate Editor
Last week, Servicemembers Legal Defense Network (SLDN) Executive Director Aubrey Sarvis announced that he would leave the organization this year. He told Seattle Gay News the position was see endorse page 18 “the most important work I’ve
proud to Be Different
We are conveniently located on-site at Lifelong AIDS Alliance below the Thrift Store.
done in my professional career.” Sarvis, former chief counsel for the Senate Commerce Committee and later executive vice president of Verizon Communications, joined SLDN as its executive director in October 2007. He is also see aubrey page 17
Call us at 206.568.2486
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Seattle Gay News
January 27, 2012
Celebrating 39 Years!
Visit us online www.sgn.org
January 27, 2012
Seattle Gay News
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Seattle Gay News FOUNDED 1973
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Deadlines
Classifieds - Thursday at noon Calendar - Tuesday 6pm Display Ads: Space Reservation - Monday 5pm Ad copy (non-camera ready) - Tues. 5pm Ad copy (camera ready) - Wed. 5pm Letters to the Editor - Tuesday 5pm Obituaries - Call the SGN office All others - Tuesday 5pm
Editor In Chief George Bakan Associate Editor Shaun Knittel Editorial Assistant Nick Ardizzone Production William Creswell Calender Editors Mike Andrew and Rick McKinnon Travel Editor George Bakan Advertising Manager Marty Weisbrod Advertising Department Maggie Bloodstone Executive Assistant Mike Andrew Staff Writers George Bakan, Albert S. Rodriguez, Nick Ardizzone, Shaun Knittel, Miryam Gordon, Anthony Greer Contributing Writers
Rev. Barbara Allen, Mike Andrew, Eric Andrews-Katz, Madelyn Arnold, Maggie Bloodstone, Beau Burriola, Jessica Davis, Ron Anders, Jessica Price, Milton W. Hamlin, Scott Wittet, Nevin Jefferson, Jason A. Miller, Liz Meyer, Rod Parke, Don Paulson, Scott Rice, Leslie Robinson, Richard Kennedy, Rex Wockner
Classifieds Mike Andrew and Rick McKinnon
fact, in what might look like a backhanded insult to the LGBT community, the two Gay men in the museum’s Hall of Fame gallery – Stephen Sondheim and Leonard Bernstein can Jewish History in Philadelphia. The – are both closeted thanks to the museum, as museum opened a little over a year ago with neither of their displayed bios mentions it. Not only is this discrimination by censormuch fanfare. It was a spectacular debut, with the likes of Barbra Streisand, Bette ship, it reminds me of a time when, in the Midler, Steven Spielberg, and Jerry Sein- Jewish tradition, if you discovered something about a member of the famfeld present. The museum not ily that was shameful, you only covered the plight of the Jews in coming to the In what might look didn’t talk about it. Does the museum find LGBT States, it showcased like a backhanded insult shameful? This betheir religious and somewhat political views. It to the LGBT community, the comes personal for me also highlights 12 two Gay men in the museum’s since one of my people from the Jewish communi- Hall of Fame gallery – Stephen cousins was one of “those indity who represent who Jews are and Sondheim and Leonard Bernstein viduals.” At the tender age of 16, their contribu– are both closeted thanks to the my cousin Norman tions to American was asked to leave society. museum, as neither of his home. As a child It’s a shock and a their displayed bios on the streets in the failure on the part of 1950s, he was homeless the museum that we Gay mentions it. and had a life of drugs and Jews apparently do not exalcohol. And growing up, we chilist. A total failure, and they should bow their heads in shame. That’s a tough dren occasionally heard his name and asked statement, but as I went through the museum about him. We were told we don’t talk about and saw how Jews dealt with the Revolu- cousin Norman. Imagine growing up, knowtionary War, the Civil War, and the fight for ing you’re Gay, and discovering the real stocivil rights and women’s rights, it was obvi- ry of cousin Norman. How do you tell your ous that something was missing: LGBT. In parents? Do you worry about what the rest fact, I didn’t find those four letters anywhere of the family will think? Does it sound like the 1950s? That is what the NMAJH has in the museum. Here’s the rub. Many of the most promi- done. On behalf of Norman, shame on you! nent pioneers of the LGBT community were Mark Segal, PGN publisher, is the naJewish – perhaps the most well known, Harvey Milk, does not even get a mention. In tion’s most award-winning commentator in LGBT media.
There are no Gay Jews? by Mark Segal Courtesy of Philadelphia Gay News For me, the aging process has led to a clearer view of equality. After all, it has been the passion of my life for 42 years. Everywhere I travel, I’m in search of how our community is depicted. Unfortunately, I notice we are not always included. That is discrimination by censorship. And unfortunately, many of our national organizations get a failing grade on this subject. They don’t understand the seriousness of this censorship. Even GLAAD doesn’t know the history of the battle to end censorship in mainstream media. They must learn that our collective history is the building blocks for our future, and the justification of why our struggle for equality deserves to become a reality. About two months ago, my nephew and I visited the new National Museum of Ameri-
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Nick Ardizzone, Nate Gowdy, Joseph P. Herron, Shaun Knittel National Advertising Rep. Rivendell Media (212) 242-6863 Website Designer Barry Thorsness/Digital Team Works Seattle Gay News is published weekly by Frogs and Ink, Inc. © 2012, Frogs and Ink, Inc., all rights reserved. Reprints by permission.
Publication of names, photographs or likenesses of any person, organization, event or business in this publication cannot be taken as any indication of the sexual orientation of the person, organization, event or business. Opinions expressed in bylined articles, columns, and letters are those of the authors only and do not necessarily reflect the views of the staff or management of this paper. Seattle Gay News welcomes unsolicited material, including letters to the editor, but reserves the right to edit or reject material. All rights revert to authors upon publication. We assume no liability for loss or damage of materials, solicited or not. We invite feedback, please write. And please play safe. It is our policy that no money shall be refunded if you choose to cancel your subscription or ad. However, credit towards any size ad will be given for the balance owed. No exceptions.
In Loving Memory Of
Steve Foiles, Scott Roger Alpert, Cookie Andrews-Hunt, James Leland Moore, Randy Peters, Lee Richeson, Shaun Shelton, Jim Tully, James Arnold
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Seattle Gay News
January 27, 2012
Celebrating 39 Years!
On January 24, King County Executive Dow Constantine praised the 25 lawmakers who have now created a State Senate majority in support of marriage equality in Washington state: “My congratulations to all 25 state senators who have shown the courage and leadership to pledge their support of marriage equality. “I urge the senators who’ve remained uncommitted to step up to this historic moment, and cast their vote for this landmark civil rights legislation. “Once enacted, Washington would become the seventh state in the U.S. to recognize the right of all adult residents to marry. It wouldn’t have been possible without the hard work of people like Sen. Ed Murray and supporters all across the state. “Lawmakers in both houses should move swiftly to put this bill on the Governor’s desk, and I look forward to the day I can sign marriage certificates for any adult cou-
ple in King County.” Councilmember Joe McDermott, who sponsored the amendment to add marriage equality to the county’s legislative agenda, also praised the legislators’ support: “Today’s announcement moves Washington closer to equal opportunity for Gay and Lesbian couples. We make history in recognizing that all couples should be treated equally under state law. “As a senator, I was a proud sponsor of the state’s Domestic Partnership legislation, though marriage was always the goal. I commend my former legislative colleagues for their courageous support. “As families across King County and the state struggle to find and keep jobs in the Great Recession, there is no better time to provide all families the protections and commitment of marriage. “I look forward to our family and friends joining Michael, my partner of over 12 years, and I when we marry.”
William Pontius to compete in Mr. Gay World USA contest courtesy william pontius
William Pontius
by Shaun Knittel SGN Associate Editor Most people in Seattle’s LGBT community know William Pontius in one capacity or another. In 2005, William was elected LGBT vice president for AT&T Wireless, crowned Mr. Gay Seattle in 2007, crowned prince for life by the Imperial Sovereign Court of Seattle and The Olympic & Rainier Empire in 2008, served as Mr. Neighbours in 2009, and was awarded “Best Sex” as a
HUMP Festival winner. Socialite, social activist, social media pioneer – that is William Pontius. He’s everywhere, all the time. More than just a pretty face, William has helped to raise money for local charities such as Lambert House, and has used his platform as a titleholder to speak out against anti-LGBT sentiment. William has his sights set on another title: Mr. Gay World USA. He recently learned that he was chosen to compete as a wildcard
file photos
Constantine, McDermott praise Senate support of marriage
King County Executive Dow Constantine (l) and Councilmember Joe McDermott
finalist and could possibly star in the reality TV special being filmed in New York. “When I heard the news that I had been selected, it took a while to sink in,” William told Seattle Gay News. “Then I began to realize that every moment of my whole life has brought me to this very point and to me, life is all about experiences and every sign has led me to the next step in my personal journey.” That “next step” has William boarding a plane bound for New Jersey on Saturday where he will compete against other Gay men interested in making their TV debut and showing they have what it takes to be the next Mr. Gay World USA. According to Mr. Gay World USA officials, “All of the men who are selected will be invited to move in to NYC-JC Guest Suites, January 29 to February 2, where their lives will be filmed as they compete in daily challenges, ultimately leading to the selection of Mr. Gay World USA 2012.” “Each day, the finalists will be put to the test to show they have what it takes to represent the U.S., participating in a variety of challenges – from runway competitions, to
cooking contests and political debates,” said officials. “The judges will be looking for the man who shows an interest in the world and people around him; displays patience; has a compassionate and considerate nature; embraces change, or things and people different from his own frame of reference, experience, or cultural background; can articulate his thoughts and conduct an intelligent conversation; has a basic innate charm and sparkle; and has poise and is secure with himself.” Ultimately, one man will be announced the winner of Mr. Gay World USA and sent to South Africa in April to represent the U.S. in Mr. Gay World. “Winning the USA title would mean endless opportunity to capitalize on Seattle being the densest Gay community in the country and show how strong, diverse, and vast our Gay population is here in Seattle,” said William. William says he believes that, should he win, he would bring much-needed support for marriage equality in Washington state, work to protect LGBT youth and fund programs that service them, and much more.
THE POWER IS IN YOUR HANDS
marriage legalization make many people happy, but unlike most other legislation, it will have no effect upon the budget. It will not cost a penny except the ink and paper necessary to codify the law. Recently much rhetoric rambling out of the Republican presidential debaters has repeatedly dealt with “the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” So, dear legislators, here is your chance. You have the power, the ability, and the opportunity to actually help people pursue happiness.
How wonderful it must be for an individual to be in a position wherein s/he could legislate happiness. That is exactly the position that Washington state legislators are enviably in. Voting in favor of legalizing same-sex marriage in this state is an example of legislating happiness. It is not a matter of satisfying or pleasing or pandering to your constituency. It is not a matter of being on the right side of history. It is not a matter of adhering to ancient, questionable misogynistic scripture. It is a matter of doing the right thing and sleeping well afterward. If one wishes to belabor Biblical conflicts between right and wrong, there is this: Leviticus 19:18: “Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.” How about that? One of the few sane shalt-outs from Leviticus. Not only will Gay
Fred Ketteman
Correction
In the January 20 issue, the SGN inadvertently ran an outdated ad for The Seattle Jewish Film Festival. We regret the error. The Seattle Jewish Film Festival will take place March 15-25 this year.
Come meet Tim and Matt and join the family.
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January 27, 2012
Seattle Gay News
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by David Webb Courtesy of The Rare Reporter The signing of the “Freedom to Marry” pledge by some 80 mayors attending the U.S. Conference of Mayors’ recent meeting in Washington, D.C., represents a powerful, almost astounding stride in the LGBT community’s march to equality. Only one big-city mayor created a controversy by refusing to sign the pledge, and that unfortunately was Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings, who probably regrets the decision now. His decision not to sign the pledge – even though he later claimed he personally supports marriage equality – set off a bone-jolting controversy in Dallas as LGBT activists reacted to the news. Dallas appears to be the only city where a mayor’s failure to sign the pledge set off a protest by LGBT residents. In Washington state, where marriage equality is under consideration by the Legislature, Mayor Mike McGinn of Seattle signed the pledge. He was joined by the mayors of Issaquah, Vancouver, Lakewood, and Tacoma. Dallas’ Rawlings cancelled a planned appearance at a neighborhood meeting because of activists’ plans to demonstrate against him, and all of the city’s newspapers and television stations began covering the story. The Dallas Morning News, which is infamous for its conservative take on many progressive measures, praised Rawlings for resisting pressure to sign the pledge. As a result of Rawlings thwarting activists’ plans to confront him at the neighborhood meeting, GetEqual scheduled a “Sign the Pledge” rally at City Hall. There was a time when LGBT activists would have given the mayor a pass on the marriage equality issue, but that has long since passed. In declining to sign, Rawl-
ings used the excuse that he was practicing a policy of avoiding social issues unrelated to city government. That excuse had previously worked for former Dallas Mayor Laura Miller when she chose not to address the issue of marriage equality. At the same time, she managed to achieve something close to sainthood in the eyes of Dallas’ LGBT community because of her support of a nondiscrimination ordinance addressing sexual orientation and gender identity passed in 2002. When Miller first campaigned for mayor she and all of her opponents declared in a candidate’s forum that they opposed samesex marriage, but they all declared support for the nondiscrimination ordinance. That apparently was enough at the time to gain the trust and support of LGBT activists, especially after it was learned she had a Gay uncle and a Lesbian stepsister she loved and supported. Miller, who served as mayor from 2002 to 2007, later gave more support to the LGBT community’s pursuit of marriage equality by speaking out against the Texas constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage that voters approved in 2005. She also began supporting marriage equality during her speeches at Dallas’ glittering Black Tie Dinner. Today, Miller says she “supports Gay marriage 100 percent,” and she adds that “it will be legal nationwide sooner than later. Young people today don’t give it a second thought and support it fully.” As the mother of two daughters and one son, Miller knows her stuff. She declined to comment on Rawlings’ decision not to sign the pledge, but it’s a pretty good bet that if Miller were in his shoes today she would have signed – policy or no policy. Rawlings made a terrible error in judg-
courtesy dallasvoice.com
Dallas, not signing pledge
Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings
ment when he refused to sign the pledge along with the mayors of other big cities such as New York City, Los Angeles, Washington, D.C., San Francisco, Seattle, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Boston, San Diego, Portland, Denver, and the list goes on and on. What’s worse, Rawlings’ fellow-Texas mayors of Austin, Houston, and San Antonio signed the pledge. If Rawlings had simply signed the pledge, it likely would have been reported by the Dallas media, there would have been a few stones thrown at him by conservatives, and then it would have been forgotten. But now, it will continue to rage as a full-scale controversy for an indefinite amount of time. At this point it seems like the best course
of action for Rawlings to take would be to just sign the pledge, seeing as how he is already on record as supporting marriage equality. That action might stir up resentment among his conservative constituents, but at least it would put Rawlings on the winning side of the debate. The fact of the matter is that marriage equality will indeed one day be the law of the land, no matter how much that irks those who would prevent it if they could.
“Our study estimates that resident samesex couples will spend $39 million on weddings in Washington in the first year alone,” said co-author Angeliki Kastanis, Public Policy Research Fellow at the Williams Institute. Added Kastanis, “That translates to approximately $3.4 million in tax revenue, given Washington sales tax rates.” Notably, the spending estimates in the report do not include out-of-state same-sex couples that decide to travel to Washington to marry. Out-of-state couples would generate additional spending on wedding-related
goods and services and, most likely, on tourism-related goods and services. According to the recent U.S. Census, there are more than 129,000 same-sex couples living in the five states that send the most visitors to Washington. A sizable impact on the state and local economy may occur if even a small percentage of these couples decide to travel to Washington to marry. For the full report, visit williamsinstitute. law.ucla.edu/wp-content/uploads/Kastanis-Badgett-Herman-WASalesTaxImpactJan-2012.pdf.
David Webb is a veteran journalist who has covered LGBT issues for the mainstream and alternative media for three decades. E-mail him at davidwaynewebb@ hotmail.com.
Marriage equality in Washington to boost state economy by $88 million by Shaun Knittel SGN Associate Editor A new Williams Institute report released this week estimates the economic impact of extending marriage to same-sex couples in Washington state on local businesses and government budgets. The report finds that the total spending on wedding arrangements and tourism by resident same-sex couples and their guests will add an $88 million boost to the Washington economy over the first three years. This spending is likely to generate $8 million in tax revenue for state and local governments, said officials. The figures in the report draw upon data on average wedding expenditures in Washington and tourism reports from 2010, along
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Seattle Gay News
with data regarding marriage expenses by same-sex couples in other states. The report considers that couples in existing registered domestic partnerships might have different spending patterns from couples that do not have that status. Even if there was no new spending by the 7,518 couples currently in registered domestic partnerships, the state would see an estimated increase in spending of $18 million and a tax boost of $1.6 million. According to Census 2010, there are 19,003 resident same-sex couples in Washington state. Of the 19,003 couples, the report estimates that 50% (about 9,500 couples) will choose to marry in the three years following the opening of marriage to samesex couples in Washington.
January 27, 2012
Celebrating 39 Years!
NORTHWEST
NEWS
compiled by Rick McKinnon SGN Staff Writer
BORN THIS WAY KAFE FOR URBAN QUEER TEENS AT CAL ANDERSON PARK On Fridays, 5-9 p.m., at Cal Anderson Shelterhouse (1635 11th Ave., one block north of E. Pine St.), Seattle Parks & Recreation hosts Born This Way Kafe, a welcoming place where LGBTQ youth, friends and allies (ages 13-19) can gather, be themselves, and have fun. Meets every Friday. For more information and to help make it happen, contact Randy at Seattle Parks, 206883-6110 txt/phone, email randy.wiger@seattle.gov or Google “SeattleParksCOD.” MUSIC OF REMEMBRANCE’S SPARKS OF GLORY SERIES – “BETWEEN TWO WORLDS” On Saturday, January 28, at 2 p.m., at Good Shepherd Center (4649 Sunnyside Ave. N.), Music of Remembrance presents a FREE concert showcasing the avant-garde art music of early-20th-century Russian composer Joel Engel. Artistic Director Mina Miller discusses how Engel’s Dybbuk Suite was influenced by folk legends and melodies, transmitted across generations by Hassidic Jews from the Pale of Settlement. Plus: Shostakovich’s controversial song cycle “From Jewish Folk Poetry.” Guest vocalists: soprano Megan Chenovick, mezzo soprano Kathryn Weld, tenor Ross Hauck. IMPERIAL COURT OF SEATTLE COLLEGE OF MONARCHS – “AN EVENING AT THE MOCAMBO” On Saturday, January 28, door at 6 p.m., show at 7 p.m., at Neighbours Nightclub (1509 Broadway Ave., entrance in alley), the Imperial Sovereign Court of Seattle and the Olympic and Rainier Empire College of Monarchs invites you to an evening of fine drag entertainment and special celebration hosted by Nina Maxwell and Aleksa Manila and featuring the Emperors and Empresses of Seattle from 1972 to 2011 – including Queen Mother Scotty I and King Father John Frangelico, La Trina Bidet, Coco Vaughn, Larry Ryan, Candace Derriere, Eric Bonesteel, Bruce Butler and more! $7 suggest donation at the door. www.imperialcourtofseattle.com GAYSHA STARR’S 40TH BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION AT NEIGHBOURS NIGHTCLUB On Saturday, January 28, doors at 9 p.m., at Neighbours Nightclub (1509 Broadway, entrance in alley), you are cordially invited for cocktails to celebrate the 40th birthday of Robert Matencio (aka Gaysha Starr). Must be 21+ with ID. www.gayshastarr.com. SNOHOMISH COUNTY SNO-GLOBE EQUALITY ALLIANCE 2012 WINTER FILM FESTIVAL On Sunday, July 29, from 1-6 p.m., at Everett PUD Theater (2320 California St., Everett), the Snohomish County SnoGLOBE Equality Alliance (www.snoglobe.us) presents their inaugural program showcasing three films that draw attention to the lives and hearts of LGBT people and their stories young and old. You are cordially invited to join them for an afternoon of inspiring stories. The films: Inlaws & Outlaws – “It’s marriage from the inside and out.” 2011 Web Cam Confessions – This 8 minute short highlights the voices of Snohomish County’s GLOBE (GLBT Loving Ourselves Becoming Empowered) youth on topics of identity, coming out, bullying, religion and what’s most important to them. Out in America – an uplifting collection of
unique, transformative stories and inspiring personal narratives told through the lens of the country’s most prominent LGBT figures and pioneers, as well as many average, yet extraordinary, citizens from Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender communities. Tickets: $10. www.brownpapertickets. com/event/217007. 2012 GSBA & PRIDE FOUNDATION SCHOLARSHIPS Deadline for application is January 31. For more information, visit www.pridefoundation.org/pride-foundation-scholarshipsapply-online-today1 SAFE SCHOOLS COALITION – LOCAL AND NATIONAL SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAMS FOR LGBTQ STUDENTS www.safeschoolscoalition.org SEATTLE GAY & LESBIAN BOOK CLUB – WE THE ANIMALS The Seattle Gay & Lesbian Book Club meets every Wednesday, at 6 p.m., at Seattle Area Support Groups Community Center (303 17th Ave. E. at E. Thomas St.) February’s selection is Fritz Peters’ pioneering Gay novel of 1951, We the Animals, by Justine Forres, about three brothers, one of whom is Gay. Composed of small vignettes, this slender volume has received rave reviews, including praise from Dorothy Allison, Michael Cunningham, and Marilynne Robinson. All GLBTQ folks are welcome to participate in this FREE book club. For more information, email nickdimartin@earthlink. net, visit http://faculty.washington.edu/ switter/SGLBookClub/ or contact SASG at 206-322-2437; www.sasgcc.org. GSBA PRIME TIME NORTH On Wednesday, January 31, from 5:307:30 p.m., at First Security Bank (19002 33rd Ave. W.. Lynnwood), join GSBA members and friends for an early evening social and networking mixer north of Seattle. Cost: $10-members, $15-nonmembers. To RSVP: 206-363-1988; www.thegsba.org. REVOLUTION BOOKS – BOOK READING & BRADLEY MANNING PRESENTATION On Saturday, February 4, at 3 p.m., at Revolution Books (89 S. Washington St.), learn the truth about Bradley Manning who has been tortured awaiting trial and faces life imprisonment. The 24-year-old Army intelligence analyst is accused of leaking the “Collateral Murder” video of a U.S. helicopter attack that killed 11 civilians (including two Reuters journalists) and wounded two children in Baghdad, Iraq, and also faces charges of sharing documents with WikiLeaks. Gulf War Resister Jeff Paterson is touring the West Coast with the Free Bradley Manning campaign and will read from the new book, About Face: Military Resisters Turn Against the War. WINTER PRIDE WHISTLER, BC FEBRUARY 5-12 www.gaywhistler.com NATIONAL BLACK HIV/AIDS AWARENESS DAY EVENT On Tuesday, February 7, FREE food from 6-7 p.m., FREE HIV testing from 6-8:30 p.m., main event from 7-9 p.m., at Mount Zion Baptist Church (1604 19th Ave, at E. Madison St.), join Public Health – Seattle & King County, for a special evening in celebration of National Black HIV/AIDS
Awareness Day, with Master of Ceremonies Renee McCoy Ph.D., Senior Prevention Manager for Lifelong AIDS Alliance; Maxine Hayes, MD, MPH, Community Health Educator for Project HANDLE; Tonya Rasberry, Peer Advocate for BABES Network; Rev. Linda Smith, D.Min., Pastor of the Church of Mary Magdalene; Rev. Aaron William, Senior Pastor of Mount Zion Baptist Church. With live performances by The Human Harmony Choral Academy (Youth Choir), New Revelation Choir, Poet Selam Gebrekidan, Poet Storme Webber. FREE HIV testing will be provided by the Center for Multicultural Health. With an art raffle featuring 10 items to be raffled off during the course of the evening with proceeds to the BABES Network, a local organization dedicated to serving HIV positive women. Get Educated, Get Tested, Get Involved. Join us in the fight! To learn more, please visit www.kingcounty.gov/health/hiv 2012 NORTHWEST FLOWER & GARDEN SHOW – “A FLORAL SYMPHONY” FEBRUARY 8-12 www.gardenshow.com “CUPID’S HEAT 2” On Saturday, February 11, from 8 p.m.midnight, at R Place (619 E. Pine St.), the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, the Abbey of St. Joan, presents a Valentine’s benefit for Rise n’ Shine, a community organization that supports children impacted by HIV/ AIDS, with your hostess Lady Chablis. www.risenshine.org “LOVE BEYOND BOUNDARIES” – A VALENTINE’S DAY BENEFIT On Tuesday, February 14, at 6 p.m., at Renaissance Seattle Hotel (515 Madison St.). Rosehedge/Multifaith Works presents “Love Beyond Boundaries,” a dinner, dance and silent auction benefitting the men and women served by Rosehedge/Multifaith Works. Tickets: $150. www.rosehedge.org/ lwb. TACOMA LESBIAN CONCERN’S ANNUAL FORT FLAGLER RETREAT On February 15-20 (or 17-20) Tacoma Lesbian Concern hosts their annual retreat at Fort Flagler on Whidbey Island. According to their newsletter, the event is unique: each woman basically customizes the experience to suit her own interests and abilities. Some of the hardier, more able-bodies women spent a lot of time hiking the beach and exploring the outdoors. Others take full advantage of the opportunity to curl up with a good book and read to their hearts content. Some play cards, games and do jigsaw puzzles. Others spend much of their time talking and getting to know everyone better. TLC will be reserving two buildings to provide comfy accommodations for everyone to cook, eat, sleep and socialize. Costs will be shared by those who reserve – probably close to $25 per person plus pitching in some food. Some financial assistance is available. Day visitors are welcome. For complete information, visit www.tacomalesbianconcern.org. “STAND OUT” – THE 31ST ANNUAL GSBA BUSINESS & HUMANITARIAN AWARDS BANQUET On Thursday, February 16, at 5:30 p.m., at Seattle Marriott Waterfront (2100 Alaskan Way), join GSBA members, with emcee Gary Tucker, for “StandOUT,” a gala evening in celebration of the recipients of the 2011 GSBA Business & Humanitarian Awards and their noteworthy success in business, outstanding philanthropy and commitment to the LGBT community. With special guest Governor Christine Gregoire. Tickets: $140-members, $160 nonmembers, $100 students. 206-363-9188; www. thegsba.org.
SEATTLE WOMEN’S CHORUS – “SHOT THROUGH THE HEART” On Saturday and Sunday, February 18 and 19, at 2 p.m., at Benaroya Hall (3rd Ave. & University St.), join Seattle Women’s Chorus for “Shot Through the Heart,“ a concert of contemporary and classical love songs and love songs from the Great American Songbook. Tickets: $22-$62. 206-3881400; www.flyinghouse.org. The Seattle Women’s Chorus will also be presenting a Friends & Family Preview Concert on Sunday, February 12, at 7 p.m., at Renton Ikea Performing Arts Center (400 S. 2nd St., Renton; 206-388-1400) and an out-of-town concert on Sunday, February 26, at 3 p.m., at the Admiral Theatre (515 Pacific Ave., Bremerton; 360-373-6743). For more info, www.flyinghouse.org. IMPERIAL COURT OF SEATTLE – SEATTLE CORONATION 2012, THE PRESIDENT’S BALL: “CHANNEL 41: A YEAR TO REMEMBER” On Saturday, February 18, door at 5 p.m., coronation pageant at 6 p.m., at Seattle Renaissance Hotel (515 Madison St.), the Imperial Sovereign Court of Seattle and the Olympic and Rainier Empire presents Seattle Coronation 2012, the President’s Ball “Channel 41: A Year to Remember.” Join Their Most Imperial Majesties Rainier XXXVII Mark Surreal and Olympia XL Precious Cargo with many local and out-oftown visiting dignitaries for an evening of fine drag entertainment and pageantry paying tribute to the Imperial Sovereign Court of Seattle, its reigning monarchs and title holders, past and present, visiting dignitaries from the Olympic and Rainier Empire and beyond, culminating in the crowning of the Imperial Court of Seattle’s new reigning Emperor and Empress for the coming year. Tickets: $50. www.imperialcourtofseattle. com. On Thursday, February 16, at 7 p.m., at R Place (619 E. Pine St.), the Imperial Court of Seattle presents the Denver/Salt Lake Show, featuring performers and dignitaries from Denver and Salt Lake City. On Friday, February 17, at 7 p.m., at R Place, the Court presents the Out-of-Town Show, featuring performers and dignitaries from out-oftown near and far. On Sunday, February 19, at 10:30 a.m., at Seattle Renaissance Hotel, the Court presents the Seattle Coronation 2012 Victory Brunch, celebrating the newly crowned Rainier XXXVIII and Olympia XLI. SEATTLE RED DRESS PARTY On Saturday, February 18, from 9 p.m.-2 a.m., at Fremont Studios (155 N. 35th St.), join the incomparable Gaysha Starr with special guest performer Deborah Cox in her Seattle debut at the Seattle Red Dress Party with DJs Brian Gorr and Almond Brown. Proceeds from the evening will benefit Gay City Health Project, Lifelong AIDS Alliance, Multifaith Works, and Rise ‘n Shine. Tickets on sale now: $40-general admission advance ($60 at the door), $100-VIP advance ($120 at the door, if available). Must be 21+ and MUST wear a red dress to attend. www.seattlereddressparty.org. LIFELONG AIDS ALLIANCE – 3RD ANNUAL BENEFIT BREAKFAST On Thursday, March 8, from 7:30-9:30 a.m., at Red Lion Hotel (1415 5th Ave.), join Lifelong AIDS Alliance and keynote speaker, Robert Greenwald, a member of the Presidential Advisory Committee on HIV/AIDS and one of the nation’s leading authorities on health care reform for people living with HIV/AIDS, for a breakfast in support of Lifelong AIDS Alliance’s vital programs. You will also learn about the agency’s history as well as how healthcare reform will affect people living with HIV/ AIDS. Suggested donation: $150. 206-3288979; www.lifelongaidsalliance.org.
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January 27, 2012
Seattle Gay News
7
NEWS
OLIVIA HEMUS/Fairfax NZ
INTERNATIONAL by Scott Wittet SGN Contributing Writer
TORTURE KILLING OF ANOTHER TRANS PERSON IN MEXICO On January 17 the body of a man wearing women’s clothes was found by police in a town near Monterrey in Northern Mexico after local residents heard gunshots and explosions. LGBT Asylum News reports that the body was lying face down and was about 25 years old. It showed signs of torture, of being shot as she was beaten, and her hands were semiamputated. The body has not yet been identified but had a tattoo with the name “Pamela.” The Trans Murder Monitoring project recorded 23 reports of murders of Trans people in Mexico in 2011. Last August, in Mexico City, the first national march against anti-Gay hate crimes took place. Unfortunately, LGBT Mexicans fleeing for U.S. sanctuary are increasingly finding their asylum requests turned down.
courtesy the lost dogs home
“We Are Family” while on their mothers’ arms. The 40-minute ceremony featured moving speeches from several of Coffey and Smith’s Gay and Lesbian coupled friends, who spoke about what love means to them. The event also included a band playing The Beatles’ “All You Need Is Love” and two “Tower of Balls” wedding cakes. Coffey said he is knows there will be some who disagree with his decision to legalize his relationship with his same-sex partner, but pointed out that the Gay community disagrees just as strongly with the fact that same-sex couples can’t get married in New Zealand. “At the moment we have this second-class citizen thing called a ‘civil union’ ... as much as I wanted to wait for us to be able to marry as the rest of society do, I’ll take the current option, as life’s too short.” NZWW deputy editor Catherine Milford explained, “In our mind there was never any doubt this would be our cover story. Tamati Coffey is a hugely popular TV celebrity, and KIWI CELEB CIVIL UNION he is well-known among our readers,” she IN COVER STORY Handsome TV weatherman Tamati Cof- says. New Zealand TV weatherman Tamati Coffey (r) with his partner Tim Smith. “While we were aware that not all our fey and his partner Tim Smith shared a detailed account of their recent civil union in a readers would see this in the same light, it’s ding as the reason they were cancelling their and private. Some relatives shun them when they reveal their sexual orientation, forcing subscriptions,” she says. “However, the positive feedback has far them onto the streets. Many, struggling to outweighed the negative, which I see as an survive, turn to prostitution to earn a living. Despite public antipathy, dozens of Gay excellent step forward for both the magaactivists gather in front of the federal proszine and for New Zealand. “The magazine celebrates our 80th anni- ecutor’s office in Tegucigalpa on the 13th versary this year – it seems only fitting that of every month, the anniversary of the 2009 we are still breaking boundaries and bring- slaying of Walter Trochez, a prominent acing to the fore stories that make a difference tivist killed in a drive-by shooting. Hostility toward LGBTs spilled into mainto our readers.” stream media in October. When promoters announced a benefit HONDURAS COULD BE TEST OF concert by pop singer Ricky Martin, who is NEW AMERICAN POLICY openly Gay, evangelical and Catholic leadON GAY RIGHTS From U.N. chambers to the halls of the ers demanded that he be detained at the borState Department, global pressure on coun- der to “protect the moral and ethical princitries to protect the rights of homosexuals ples of our society.” President Porfirio Lobo ordered immigration to let him in, saying and Transgender people is increasing. Tim Johnson of Washington’s Tri-City that anything else would be “a highly repHerald reports that for Josue Hernandez, the rehensible act of intolerance.” Still, youngsters under 15 were banned from the concert new emphasis can’t come fast enough. The 33-year-old Gay activist from Hon- because of alleged “erotic content.” Under pressure from Washington, in Noduras bears the scar of the bullet that grazed his skull in an attack a few years ago. He’s vember Honduran authorities ordered police moved the office of his advocacy group four to set up a unit to investigate crimes against times. Still, he feels hunted in what is ar- LGBTs. That unit and a partner squad of a guably the most homophobic nation in the prosecutor, three detectives, and two analysts are supported through U.S. funds. But Americas. “We are in a deplorable state,” Hernandez there have been fewer than five arrests in said of homosexuals in Honduras. “When LGBT slayings so far. we walk the streets, people shout insults at RECORD CROWDS us and throw rocks. Parents move their chilAT MELBOURNE QUEER FEST dren away.” An estimated120,000 people participated Joining a push that originated in Europe, in the Midsumma Carnival, the opening the Obama administration said in December Midsumma Festival 2012 in Melbourne, Australia that respect for LGBT rights is now a factor event of Melbourne, Australia’s, annual our responsibility as a national magazine not in its foreign policy decisions. women’s magazine cover story. Queer arts and cultural festival, setting an The New Zealand Woman’s Weekly report to show discrimination of any sort.” But even as that view grows more preva- attendance record. Milford says there has been quite a lot of lent, it has yet to translate into better secuwas a colorful multi-page spread describing The International Lesbian and Gay Ashow the striking couple joined hands in a feedback. rity, less hostility, or fewer killings in places sociation (ILGA) reports that Parliamen“Our demographic is women 35+, and like Honduras, a nation of 8 million people tarian Clem Newton-Brown and Tourism flamboyant ceremony featuring a wedding party of showgirls, performances by drag we have a high level of readership in rural in Central America. Minister and acting Minister for the Arts queens Buckwheat and Tess Tickle, and the areas. We did expect a degree of pushback, Since the beginning of 2010, Honduras Louise Asher were among the officials who and yesterday we lost two subscribers who has tallied at least 62 homicides within the gave welcome speeches at Carnival. ‘’It’s pair’s pet dogs in feather boas. The couple danced down a pink carpet to cited us featuring Tamati and Tim’s wed- LGBT community, and some experts say a very, very good event for Melbourne obthe count may be far higher. Some victims viously,’’ Asher told The Age newspaper. “I’m delighted to be here to add government have been mutilated or burned. Experts point to conservative religious support to a major event on the Melbourne sentiment, machismo, rampant impunity, calendar.” Speaking on behalf of the City of Meland social pressure on police to “cleanse” $ undesirables for the violence against people bourne, Councilor Jennifer Kanis addressed the crowd, holding her 4-month-old baby. who defy sexual and gender norms. any size pizza “The connotation of being Gay, Lesbian, “I hope this little one remembers his first or Trans here is that we are worthless. We Midsumma for the rest of his life,” she said, 700 East Pine St., Seattle HOMEMADE have no rights. We should be killed,” said praising the festival for representing “all HAND TOSSED Ramon Antonio Valladares, leader of the that is fantastic about Queer culture.” Two stages at the Carnival showcased evnonprofit Sanpedrana Gay Community. For Gays, the battle can be both public erything from drag and burlesque performFREE DELIVERY • 206-322-6444 Not valid for delivery.
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Seattle Gay News
January 27, 2012
Celebrating 39 Years!
TRANS WOMAN KILLED BY CUBAN POLICE Florida-based news website Cubanet is reporting that a young Transgender woman, 18-year-old Leidel Luis, known as Jessica, died after a brutal beating in a prison in southern Cuba. It is alleged that she was picked up at a traffic stop January 4th by police who called her a “faggot, nigger, and disgusting.” According to another prison inmate, her body was removed to an unknown location after she was found dead in her cell in the middle of the night. As reported in SGN last week, Cuba’s Communist Party Congress, which opens 28 January, plans to adopt pro-Gay provisions. Mariela Castro Espín, the daughter of Cuban President Raúl Castro, niece of Fidel Castro, and the leading advocate for LGBT rights in Cuba, wrote on her blog that the revision of the Family Code in 2013 will include recognition of same-sex couples. However, continuing police harassment in Cuba, including arrests, has been reported on a number Gay Cuban blogs. Blogger Francisco Rodríguez Cruz has condemned ‘irregularities’ committed by Cuban police, who, he says, have repeatedly fined visitors to a Gay meeting spot in central Havana. And last September another Transgender man died in custody in Havana. FINNISH COURT HALTS DEPORTATION OF GAY IRANIAN Finnish public radio network YLE reports that the Supreme Administrative Court reversed a Finnish Immigration Service decision to deport an Iranian asylum seeker who would face persecution in Iran for being Gay. The court felt that the case should be examined more closely, and insisted that the Immigration Service carefully determine whether Iranians have a legitimate reason to fear persecution in their homeland because of sexual orientation. YLE recently reported that Finland has deported asylum seekers to countries where they can face severe penalties for their homosexuality. In Iran, homosexuality is punishable with imprisonment or execution. TRANS PEOPLE “HUNTED FOR FUN” IN KUWAIT According to a new Human Rights Watch (HRW) report entitled “They Hunt Us Down for Fun,” Kuwaiti police have tortured and sexually abused Transgender women using a discriminatory law, passed in 2007, which criminalizes “imitating the opposite sex.” The 63-page report documents the physical, sexual, and emotional abuse and persecution that Transgender women face in the Middle Eastern country. HRW urged that the government of Kuwait should repeal the law and hold police officers accountable for misconduct. Based on interviews with 40 Transgender women, as well as with Ministry of Interior officials, lawyers, doctors, and members of Kuwaiti civil society, the report found that the ill-defined provisions of the law allow for numerous abuses. Police have free rein to determine whether a person’s appearance constitutes “imitating the opposite sex” without any specific criteria. Transgender women reported being arrested even when they were wearing male clothes and later being forced by police to
dress in women’s clothing. The authorities then claim that they arrested them in that attire. The women reported suffering multiple forms of abuse by police while in detention, including being forced to strip and being paraded around the police station, being forced to dance for officers, sexual humiliation, verbal taunts and intimidation, solitary confinement, and emotional and physical abuse that could amount to torture. Redress for these violations is difficult, as few of them reported the misconduct due to fear of retribution and re-arrest. In several cases Human Rights Watch found that police officers took advantage of the law to blackmail Transgender women into sex. The women said that before the new law, while sexual advances by the police were commonplace, they could decline such advances, whereas now police had leeway to imprison them if they refused. Nadim Houry, deputy director for the HRW Middle East and North Africa, explained that “[The law] is like giving a green light to authorities, not only to police but even members of society, to arrest and torture Transgender persons and use force with impunity.” One of the testimonies in the report is the case of Rima, 27, who admitted to virtually being a sex slave during her college days. “In October 2009, I passed a checkpoint right outside my university gate. I got scared and turned back, but the policeman got suspicious. I stayed on campus for five hours until I was sure that the checkpoint [had] moved. The next day I saw the same police officer. When I was walking towards my car, he stopped me and asked for my ID. I gave it to him, and immediately the sexual harassment started. He forced me to take off my top so he could see my breast, right in the middle of the parking lot. When I told him he had no right to treat me that way, he said ‘either you take my number and meet me for sex or I will take you to prison.’” To avoid arrest and torture, Rima accepted the offer from the police officer and was enslaved for the rest of college, the testimony says. Despite an official recognition of gender identity disorder (GID) by the Kuwaiti Ministry of Health as a legitimate medical condition, the law makes no exception for people who have been diagnosed with GID. U.K. MEN CONVICTED OVER GAY HATE LEAFLETS Three Muslim men from Derby have become the first people in Britain to be convicted of inciting hatred on the grounds of sexuality after they distributed leaflets calling for Gay people to be killed, reports The Guardian newspaper. In a landmark case, a jury ruled that Ihjaz Ali, Kabir Ahmed, and Razwan Javed had breached hate crime laws by handing out the leaflets outside their mosque prior to a Gay pride parade in July 2010. Two other men, Mehboob Hussain and Umar Javed, were found not guilty of the same charge. Sentences will be handed down in February. One leaflet, entitled “The Death Penalty?” stated that “The death sentence is the only way this immoral crime can be erased from corrupting society and act as a deterrent for any other ill person who is remotely inclined in this bent way.” A Gay man who received the leaflet in his mailbox felt he was the victim of a hate campaign and said: “They made me feel terrorized in my own home. Sometimes I wondered whether I would be getting a burning rag through the letterbox or if I would be attacked in the street.” Following the verdicts, Sue Hemming, the head of the Crown Prosecution Service’s special crime and counter-terrorism division, said: “This case was not about curtailing people’s religious views or preventing them from educating others about those views – it was that any such views should be expressed in a lawful manner and not incite
courtesy qualiafolk.com
ers to the ever-popular Dulcie’s Dog Show, with prizes including cutest bitch, sexiest “boy” dog, best owner and dog combo, and biggest tail. First time Carnival attendee Jonathan Doherty hoped his Jack Russell, Bulley, would win cutest dog. So did Bulley undergo any extra grooming in preparation? “Oh, god no, I took enough time getting myself ready,” said Doherty. “It’s great that I can wear my makeup here and feel totally normal and accepted,” he said. Midsumma 2012 runs until February 5.
Trangendered Turkish singer Bülent Ersoy
others to hatred.” The CPS said it had had to establish not only that the leaflets were insulting and abusive, but also that they were threatening and had been distributed with intent to stir up hatred. Ben Summerskill, Stonewall Chief Executive, noted: “People from all communities will feel safer knowing that the law now makes it harder to stir up hatred and violence against Gay people.” FROM HOMOPHOBIA TO A MOVING APOLOGY IN TURKEY Turkish attitudes toward Gay and Transgender people are slowly improving – in the media at least, according to The Guardian. A new indie movie, Zenne Dancer, finally hit the screens in Turkey after winning five major awards at the country’s foremost film festival. The movie trailer is on YouTube. In daily parlance, the word zenne refers to a man who dresses up like a woman and dances in front of an audience, a custom that goes back to the early Ottoman empire. The film is inspired by the true story of Ahmet Yildiz, a 26-year-old student who was the victim of a 2008 “honor killing” by his own father for being openly Gay. The murder and subsequent media coverage played an important role in increasing awareness about the hardships Transgender and Gay communities endure in Turkey’s patriarchal society. Just a few days before the release of the film the Turkish High Court of Appeals ordered a daily newspaper to pay compensation for calling Gays “sexual perverts.” It was a major step in a country where a study conducted in July 2011 as part of the World Values Survey, revealed that, when asked what kind of people they would not want to see living in their neighborhood, 84% answered “homosexuals.” The list of unwanted neighbors continued with AIDS patients, unmarried couples, and atheists. Mehmet Binay, producer and co-director of Zenne Dancer, says all kinds of minorities, including Gay and Lesbian people, are asking to be recognized and demanding their rights. But values change slowly. Transsexual Bulent Ersoy, one of the country’s most famous and popular singers, claimed she had once met Deniz Gezmis – an iconic leader of the 1968 leftist movement – and sang for him. Afterwards he had
bought her a gazoz, a soft, bubbly drink. Lawyer and ex-revolutionary Bozkurt Nuhoglu responded to the story with an angry press statement. “Gezmis would have never befriended this Transsexual singer,” he claimed, “since he was against such people of lower morals.” Nuhoglu added that if she kept talking that way the comrades of Gezmis would punish her. Turkish media covered the story with a critical eye. Numerous articles were published denouncing the sexism and homophobia of Nuhoglu’s statement. What happened next testifies to Turkey’s complexity. Nuhoglu sent an unexpected letter of apology to Pink Life, an organization struggling for the rights of the transgender community. It was a moving letter, very well thought-out and well written. “One of my favorite films has been The Kiss of the Spider Woman,” Nuhoglu said in the letter. He apologized for behaving exactly the way Valentin – an initially homophobic character played by Raul Julia – had done in the first half of the movie. He asked for pardon from the Transsexual singer and all those he had hurt unwillingly. EDINBURGH MAYOR CALLED ON TO PROTEST ST. PETERSBURG ANTI-GAY LAW A coalition of groups has called on the lord provost (mayor) of Edinburgh, Scotland, to ask officials in St. Petersburg, Russia, to throw out their new “homosexual propaganda” law. Edinburgh is a sister city of St. Petersburg. If enacted, the St. Petersburg law would allow the authorities to impose fines of up to the equivalent of about $1600 for “public actions aimed at propaganda of sodomy, Lesbianism, Bisexuality, and Transgenderism among minors.” Commentators say it would rule out nearly all public events carried out by or on behalf of Gays and LGBT organizations. Tom French, policy coordinator for the U.K. Equality Network, said: “The twinning of St. Petersburg and Edinburgh provides the lord provost with a legitimate platform from which to raise grave concerns about the treatment of the LGBTI community and to call on the governor of St. Petersburg to oppose the legislation. Failure to do so would be tantamount to condoning this draconian and extremely harmful legislation.”
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Seattle Gay News
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Seattle Gay News 15
by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley introduced a marriage equality bill on January 23. According to the Baltimore Sun, O’Malley and his staff worked throughout January 23 to hammer out language detailing religious exemptions, finishing only moments before the state’s General Assembly began its 2012 legislative session. The nest day, he hosted a breakfast for pro-equality activists at the Governor’s Mansion in Annapolis. Gay and Lesbian couples joined union members and religious leaders at the event. Afterward about 40 supporters stood with him on the front steps of the mansion to show their support for the legislation. “Other states have found a way to do this,” O’Malley said at the event. “We can find a way to do this, too.” O’Malley’s legislation was introduced in the state Senate with 20 co-sponsors, including one Republican, Sen. Allan Kittleman. A House version has not yet been introduced, because advocates were passing it around and gathering co-sponsors. In the weeks leading up to the General Assembly’s 90-day session, both sides of the marriage debate said they were ready for a fight. Marriage equality supporters promised
daily phone banks to drum up support for a same-sex marriage bill, and they pledged to bus their troops to Annapolis the day before Valentine’s Day. Their coalition is called Marylanders for Marriage Equality. Marriage opponents planned a day of prayer that a same-sex marriage bill will fail. They said there would be Sunday sermons focused on traditional marriage and a rally in Annapolis. They united forces under the banner of the Maryland Marriage Alliance. Last year, O’Malley said he would sign a same-sex marriage bill if it passed the General Assembly, but he did not include the bill in his administration’s legislative package. This year, he has said he will lead the fight for the bill. The measure introduced last year was sent back to committee in March without an upor-down vote after religious groups pressured some co-sponsors to withdraw their support. For that reason, the wording of the religious exemption is believed to be especially crucial for passing the bill. “The exemptions are more explicit this year,” O’Malley said. “They may be more explicit in this bill than they have been in any other bill around the country.” Maryland’s new bill – called the Civil Marriage Protection Act – includes four changes from last year: It now states that re-
AP Photo/Michael Dwyer
Maryland governor introduces marriage bill
Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley
ligious leaders, as well as their institutions, are protected from lawsuits; that the state can’t withhold funds to penalize a religious institution that does not recognize same-sex marriages; and that the state can’t dictate religious doctrine. There is also language saying that some programs run by religious institutions can exclude same-sex couples. O’Malley’s proposal borrows language from similar laws in New Hampshire, New York, and Washington, D.C., in an attempt to make clear that religious institutions would have some protections without rolling back
the state’s anti-discrimination laws. In New York, where a same-sex marriage bill passed last year, amending the legislation to add religious protections was key for some lawmakers who were hesitant about supporting the bill. Six states and the District of Columbia allow same-sex marriage. Marriage equality bills have been introduced in Maryland, New Jersey, and Washington. In Washington the marriage equality bill has gathered enough votes to pass the legislature in spite of opposition from NOM and the state’s Roman Catholic bishops.
Chris Christie vows to Barney Frank veto marriage equality to marry boyfriend
January 27, 2012
New Jersey Governor Chris Christie
by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer
out of the spotlight. According to Frank, the two met at a Maine political event in October 2005. Ready was partnered at the time, but his partner subsequently died. In 2007, the two began a relationship. “I’m in love for the first time in my life,” Frank told Charlie Rose in an interview. Shortly after they began their relationship, Ready was arrested at his Maine home for growing marijuana in his back yard. Frank was reportedly at the house when police arrived. “I told him that our relationship could not develop if he could not promise me that he would not repeat this,” Frank said later. “He apologized, with great sincerity I believe, and he made that promise and has lived up to it.” Frank says he makes a point of Massachusetts Congressman Barney Frank appearing with Ready at public events. by Mike Andrew “It’s one thing to say ‘I’m not prejudiced SGN Staff Writer against a person who is a Gay,’” he told the Boston Globe in an interview. Massachusetts Congressman Barney “It’s an entirely different matter to accept Frank plans to marry his boyfriend, Jim that person in their personal relationships. Ready, the Congressman’s office says. The So over the past five years or so, Jimmy – couple will marry in Massachusetts. my partner – and I have made it a point to That much was confirmed by Frank’s attend events together, to go to public places spokesperson Harry Gural in an email to as a couple. It’s important that people see SGN, but Gural declined to offer any spe- that.” cific details of the couple’s plans. Frank first won election to Congress in Frank, who has announced his intention 1980 after serving in the Massachusetts legto retire from Congress at the end of his cur- islature. He came out as Gay in 1987. rent term, lives in Newton, Massachusetts. Shortly after coming out, Frank met and Ready lives in Maine where same-sex mar- began dating Herb Moses, an economist and riage is not legal. LGBT activist. Their relationship lasted for Although Ready has appeared with Frank eleven years until an amicable break-up in at public events, he has tried to keep himself July 1998. file photo
16 Seattle Gay News
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New Jersey Governor Chris Christie promised on January 24 to veto his state’s marriage equality law if and when it comes to his desk. The bill is currently pending in the New Jersey legislature. “I think it’s the institution of marriage and it’s bigger than just a word; it’s hundreds of years of tradition both legally and societally and religiously, and that’s what I stand up in protecting,” Christie said. Instead of passing the bill through the legislature, Christie told a town hall meeting in Bridgewater, the issue should be put before New Jersey voters. “I think this is not an issue that should rest solely in my hands, or the hands of the Senate president or the speaker or the other 118
members of the Legislature,” he said. “Let’s let the people of New Jersey decided what is right for the state.” “I would hope the Legislature would be willing to trust the people the way I’m willing to trust the people,” Christie added. At a New Jersey Senate hearing being held at the same time as the governor’s town hall, Senate President Stephen Sweeney – who is committed to passing marriage equality – rejected Christie’s proposal. “Civil rights don’t go on the ballot,” Sweeney said. The measure’s primary sponsor in the Senate, Democratic Senator Raymond Lesniak, said that marriage equality is “a right that’s guaranteed by the Constitution. It’s up to us to implement it as legislators.” A marriage bill was defeated in the New Jersey Senate two years ago on a 20-14 vote, when some Democrats defected to the anti-equality side. At that time, Sweeney abstained, helping to defeat the bill. This year, he says, he realizes that marriage equality is a civil rights issue and not a religious issue. He says he has the votes to pass the measure and to override Christie’s veto if necessary. Speaking at a press conference in Trenton on January 25, Christie said that marriage equality supporters do not have the votes to override his veto, so they should agree to his idea of a referendum. “We all know how this movie is going to end,” Christie said. “If they pass the bill, and they know this, it’s going to be vetoed. If they attempt to override that, the veto will be sustained. And they know that, so I’m trying to give them an alternate movie.”
Celebrating 39 Years!
OutServe announces summit
by Shaun Knittel SGN Associate Editor This week, OutServe announced its first OutServe Capital Summit, to be held May 14-15 in Washington, D.C. According to officials, the two-day event will be cosponsored by the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), Courage Campaign, and Servicemembers Legal Defense Network (SLDN), and will focus on the theme “Our Families Matter.” The summit will gather actively serving military of all sexual orientations with experts from resource and advocacy groups to discuss the legal rights of Gay and Lesbian military partners, as well as resources for their support. Spouses and partners of Gay and Lesbian servicemembers are not currently provided all available resources to support their families during and after deployments, nor are they given access to base facilities or many educational, counseling, healthcare, and other privileges. For example, a Gay or Lesbian spouse cannot pick up a child from
aubrey
continued from cover a member of the SLDN Board of Directors. As the head of the legal advocacy organization, Sarvis hoped to make a difference. “My work with SLDN has been extraordinarily satisfying,” he said. “Obviously, with repeal of DADT, it has been a remarkable journey. Working with the Obama administration and other key allies to make sure the repeal happened was rewarding. It was a big and important fight. At the end of the day, we were able to pull it together.” But Sarvis’ journey didn’t begin – and won’t end – with DADT. Originally from South Carolina, he enlisted in the Army immediately after high school. He served for more than three years, including 13 months as a member of the 7th Infantry Division on the Demilitarized Zone in South Korea. He received his BA and JD law degrees from American University. He also studied at the Sorbonne in Paris, Harvard Business School, and Columbia University’s Graduate School of Business. From 1977 to 1983, Sarvis served as staff director and chief counsel to the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. In 1984, he joined Bell Atlantic, which later merged with GTE to form what is now Verizon Communications. At the time the merger was completed, Sarvis was executive vice president for public policy and legislative operations. After 14 years at Bell Atlantic, he formed his own public policy consulting firm in Washington in 1998. He remained there until joining SLDN in 2007. During his tenure at SLDN, Sarvis says he recognized the power of each Gay and Lesbian servicemember’s story of how they were affected by DADT. “What we got right was when we started pushing out more and more faces and sto-
military day care, or purchase groceries for the family at the commissary. “Our goal with this summit is to bring together the military community to address the issues that affect LGBT military families and how to solve them,” said Josh Seefried, co-director of OutServe. “We need to educate decision-makers, as private citizens, how our families are affected – and send a clear message that our families matter.” The summit will also include visits to elected and/or appointed officials to educate them on the challenges facing Gay and Lesbian military families. To register, visit outserve.org/capitalsummit. OutServe is the association of actively serving LGBT military personnel. With more than 4,700 members and 42 chapters worldwide, it is one of the largest LGBT employee resource groups in the world. OutServe works to support a professional network of LGBT military personnel and create an environment of respect in the military with regard to sexual orientation and gender identity.
being fired, Obama was the first realistic opportunity in years – three commanders in chief later – and he was able to end DADT during his first Congress. That is remarkable.” “In the scheme of things, it was very long and painful for servicemembers being fired and investigated, but in terms of changing a federal law under a president, it was a short time,” he said. Although Sarvis is leaving the organization, he is quick to point out that “SLDN is not going away.” “We still need to provide day-to-day, oneon-one legal service,” he said. Currently, SLDN has filed landmark litigation suing U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder, Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta, and Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric Shinseki on behalf of current and former service members seeking equal recognition, benefits, and family support for equal sacrifice and service in the U.S. Armed Forces. The plaintiffs, each legally married, want the armed services to recognize their families, and they seek the same family support and benefits for their same-sex spouses that the services and Department of Veterans Affairs provide to opposite-sex spouses. The case, filed in the District of Massachusetts, challenges the constitutionality of the so-called Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), as well as provisions in Title 10, Title 32, and Title 38 of the U.S. Code, which preclude the military from providing same-sex married couples with the same benefits and family support as their straight, married peers. Currently, federal law requires the military to ignore these marriages and, therefore, prevents it from providing vitally needed benefits to these legally married spouses, including housing, health care, surviving
spouse benefits, the issuance of military identification cards, and morale, welfare, and recreational programs. These inequities were recently spotlighted when Chief Warrant Officer 2 Charlie Morgan of the New Hampshire National Guard –a plaintiff in this case – was forced to seek intervention from elected officials and the Pentagon in order for her spouse, a parttime special education teacher, to be permitted to attend a yellow-ribbon reintegration ceremony following Morgan’s return from a deployment to Kuwait. “This case is about one thing, plain and simple: It’s about justice for Gay and Lesbian service members and their families in our armed forces rendering the same military service, making the same sacrifices, and taking the same risks to keep our nation secure at home and abroad,” said Sarvis. “These couples are in long-term, committed, and legally recognized marriages, and the military should not be forced to turn its back on them because the federal government refuses to recognize their families.” “We are not advocating any special treatment for the families of Gay and Lesbian service members or veterans, but we want to underscore that all military families should be treated the same when it comes to recognition, benefits and family support,” he said. Although he is leaving SLDN, Sarvis tells Seattle Gay News that he is not leaving LGBT servicemembers and veterans. His work will continue in a different capacity. “I’m looking at ways to help Iraq and Afghanistan veterans who are returning home to school or the job market,” he concluded. “We are going to have a large number of young veterans coming into the job market at a time of a high level of unemployment and I want to be there to help them.”
ries of those who were being harmed by the law,” he said. “We began to underscore that many of these individuals were highly decorated combat veterans fighting for us and our country. All too often, they served overseas in combat operations, and when they came home they would be fired because of their sexual orientation.” Sarvis says they also began to show lawmakers, Pentagon officials, and the president that there was great support among the American people to repeal DADT. SLDN is a non-partisan, non-profit, legal services, watchdog, and policy organization dedicated to bringing about full LGBT equality to America’s military and ending all forms of discrimination and harassment of military personnel on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity. Each day, SLDN provides free and direct legal assistance to service members and veterans affected by the repealed “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” law and the prior regulatory ban on open service, as well as those currently serving who may experience harassment or discrimination. Since 1993, their in-house legal team has responded to more than 11,000 requests for assistance. There are many people who might think that the repeal of DADT took too long to happen. Sarvis says that, while the troops who were directly in the line of fire over the issue may have felt the brunt of the law, it was – in terms of repealing a federal law – a rather swift win. “Shortly after Clinton was elected, in ’93 we get DADT out of a bargain with the Pentagon,” he recalls. “They tried to sell it that way to the American people. That it was a bargain and that it worked so Gays and Lesbians could serve. During those eight years there was no chance to getting DADT changed or repealed.” “Along came President Bush who said it [DADT] is working and he is there for eight years,” continued Sarvis. “Sixteen years later and thousands of servicemembers are
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Seattle Gay News 17
by Beau Burriola Special to the SGN I was buttoning up the impossible top button of my shirt in the gym locker room when I saw out of the corner of my eye in the mirror just the flash of a familiar face and a big red bow tie. It took only a couple of seconds for me to realize who the famous guy was who just walked into my gym. “You’re the prime minster of Belgium!” I said to the man accusingly. Once I’d realized how it sounded, I half expected him to say that, no, in fact he was a spoon. Instead, Prime Minister Elio Di Rupo graciously smiled and said hello and asked me how I was. As a Gay man, I have tons of respect for any Gay man who can become prime minister of a country – even one as small as our tiny Belgium – so I was very proud to meet him. “Are you standing because your butt is sore from meeting the prime minster?” Jan, my colleague, said to me the next day at work as I was holding a coffee, before bending over with laughter at his joke. Ever since I told my co-workers that I had met the prime minster at the gym, the Gay jokes have been coming non-stop, from all of my coworkers, both of my managers, even some of my closest friends. But Jan – whose last name in Dutch translates to “ass bonnet” – has been the worst. “You know that Gay men all like very young boys, don’t you?” he said as matterof-factly, as if simply saying the price of petrol had gone up or there would be a transport strike next week. “That’s ridiculous, Jan,” I said, careful to keep my tone low and my defense hidden. I’m not out at work and it’s not hard to see why, so I’m careful in how I speak. “It’s true, my sister’s uncles are Gay,” he went on, delving into some unpleasant and clearly untrue story about his uncles.
courtesy gay influence
One day they’ll see
“I just want to warn you to be careful,” my boss said, “you know the P.M. is Gay, right?” Simon’s comment shocked me back 400 years into a dumbfounded, medieval silence. Perhaps he thought he was really doing me a favor by protecting me from the boils and melting organs that the presence of a Gay person causes. “Don’t let him corner you in the shower,” Filip said with a grin and a nudge, which I sickeningly sold out to and responded to with the best smile I could manage. Sometimes it feels like the first year of basic training 12 years ago all over again. It all has me fuming mad: how can Belgium, a country with legal Gay marriage and a Gay prime minster, be so ass-backwards? Why hasn’t legal recognition brought social acceptance? How can even remotely intelligent people not imagine that someone at their office might be Gay and hear all this garbage? All of it is a constant reminder of why, at 32 years old, I chose to put myself back into the closet at work. Before getting this job, I lost another opportunity because the hiring manager – who had liked me for the whole hour of my interview – bristled when I mentioned my partner and immediately ended the interview. Now, at this job, I see every day how deep the veins of homophobia run through the still-beating traditions and cultures of an ancient Belgian discomfort with anything new. Di Rupo was presented with the accusation he was Gay in 1996, to which he replied simply, “Yeah, so what?” One day, I will come out and tell these people exactly what I think. I will tell Jan Belgian Prime Minister Elio Di Rupo that straight men tend to like younger women, too, and that he should hide his daughter, I will warn people of the contagiousness of spect and dignity, and remain committed to Simon’s thickness. I will tell Filip what he providing an inclusive, supportive, and safe can do with his ball jokes. I will tell them I continued from page cover work environment for all of our partners.” am proud to have a Gay prime minister. On Google did not release a separate stateJuly 15 this year, when I’m one year into ment, but it has a history of supporting this job and can no longer be fired because ingtonians.” LGBT rights, including highly public opsomeone doesn’t like my face, I’ll change Starbucks released a letter saying it was position to California’s Prop 8, the initiative all the “she’s” in my sentences to “he’s” to “proud to join other leading Northwest em- that reversed marriage equality in that state. stop people before they speak. I will have ployers in support of Washington state legNoting “the chilling and discriminatory my own “Yeah, so what?” moment. I will do islation recognizing marriage equality for effect of the proposition on many of our my part. If Elio Di Rupo can become prime same-sex couples.” employees,” Google concluded that “we minister of Belgium, I can come out at work “This important legislation is aligned with should not eliminate anyone’s fundamental in Belgium. Starbucks’ business practices and upholds rights, whatever their sexuality, to marry the “Don’t turn your back to the P.M. tomor- our belief in the equal treatment of part- person they love.” row,” Filip advised me before leaving for ners,” the company said, adding that it has Google has also been very visible in Pride the day. offered domestic partner benefits to its em- parades, with banner-carrying employees “I won’t,” I smiled. Just you wait, I ployees for 20 years. attending Pride events in major cities inthought. One day, you’ll see. “These benefits include medical, dental, cluding Chicago, San Francisco, Dublin, vision, prescription drugs, and alternative and Jerusalem. Beau Burriola is an expat biding his time health care coverage,” Starbucks said. Both Starbucks and Google have earned to select the perfect outfit for coming out “We are deeply dedicated to embracing 100% ratings on HRC’s Corporate Equality day. beaubrent@gmail.com diversity and treating one another with re- Index.
How can Belgium, a country with legal Gay marriage and a Gay prime minster, be so assbackwards?
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Gay travel buzz we see plenty of Gay group trips to Machu Picchu, Peru.” I wonder if any Inca spirits still hanging I used to be a travel writer, but these days around those spectacular Peruvian ruins I’m ignorant about international travel. I wisecrack when they see yet another busdon’t even know where Gays with money load of men unload, all of them attired in – in this economy, all six of them – their colorful native garb, comgo abroad on vacation. monly known as “Aber“When you see So I asked my friend crombie & Fitch.” LoAnn Halden, who Argentina legalchanges in marriage/ both writes about ized same-sex martravel and serves sodomy laws, like in South riage not long ago. as media relations The Pride Parade manager for the America or India, it adds to the in Sao Paulo, International Gay buzz ... before you know it, Gay Brazil, is the big& Lesbian Travel gest LGBT Pride Association, where men from Topeka are feeling celebration in the the happening places world. Gay rights in the urge to samba.” for Gays are. Colombia have moved forThe short answer is everyward. No doubt there are other where she’s been. Now, now, don’t hate her reasons that Latin America has become a for that. Gay destination, but an improving LGBT The longer answer is a positive one. As rights picture is a factor. LoAnn wrote me in an email, “The Gay “When you see changes in marriage/sodworld is certainly larger than it used to be.” omy laws, like in South America or India, it I hadn’t thought about Gay travel in that adds to the buzz,” said LoAnn. Before you way before, but by the god of lost luggage, know it, Gay men from Topeka are feeling she’s right. In years past, if you were Gay the urge to samba. and out, you likely stuck with the U.S., CanSome savvy tourist officials around the ada, the Caribbean, and western Europe. world know the value of buzz. When ArNow the whole world might not be your gentina legalized Gay marriage in 2010, the oyster, but you can get your hands on more tourism minister of Mexico City, which had of the pearls. legalized Gay marriage the year before, ofLoAnn noted, “Certainly South America/ fered a free honeymoon to the first Gay ArLatin America continues its Gay rise. Ar- gentines to wed. gentina and Brazil are leading the way, but The offer was “in recognition of tolerance, I also know Gays who love Colombia and but also to promote Gay-friendly tourism in by Leslie Robinson SGN Contributing Writer
Mexico City,” said Tourism Minister Alejandro Rojas. No idiota, he. Rojas said Gay tourists are respectful, discerning, and spend 47% more than straight tourists. It’s a wonder every tourist official from Belize to Benin isn’t courting us. Jeez, 47%. As nations around the world grapple with LGBT rights, which is still an oxymoron to far too many of them, it would make sense for local tourism authorities to worm their way into the discussions. Especially with the world economy as it is, those charged with boosting tourism should quietly chant “47%, 47%.” As LoAnn mentioned, the nation of India recently made a welcome, landmark, reallybig-deal change. In 2009 the Delhi High Court struck down Section 377, which made
homosexual sex a criminal offense. Last month LoAnn visited India on a trip for LGBT travel journalists, sponsored not by Indian authorities – apparently they don’t quite want to woo us yet – but by those in the private sector, like tour operators, travel agents, and hoteliers. Word of that 47% has reached the Ganges. LoAnn posted her India pictures on Facebook, and I for one drooled like a fool. I must start travel writing again. The next nation to improve its LGBT laws, I’m there. Guess that rules out Vatican City. Leslie Robinson isn’t even sure whether her passport is still valid. Email her at lesarobinson@gmail.com, and check out her blog at www.generalgayety.com.
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January 27, 2012
Seattle Gay News 19
marriage
continued from page cover “For some people, this is a simple issue,” she said. “I envy them. It has not been simple or easy for me.” The Senator says she believes the issue of marriage equality to be, to some degree, “generational.” “Years ago I took exception to my parents’ beliefs on certain social issues, and today my children take exception to some of mine,” said Haugen. “Times change, even if it makes us uncomfortable. I think we should all be uncomfortable sometime. None of us knows everything, and it’s important to have our beliefs questioned. Only one being in this world is omniscient, and it’s not me.” Haugen, who has very strong Christian beliefs, says she has become more tolerant of others. “I stopped judging people and try to live by the Golden Rule. This is part of my decision. I do not believe it is my role to judge others, regardless of my personal beliefs. It’s not always easy to do that. For me personally, I have always believed in traditional marriage between a man and a woman. That is what I believe, to this day.” “But this issue isn’t about just what I believe,” she continued. “It’s about respecting others, including people who may believe differently than I. It’s about whether everyone has the same opportunities for love and companionship and family and security that I have enjoyed.” “For as long as I have been alive, living in
my country has been about having the freedom to live according to our own personal and religious beliefs, and having people respect that freedom,” said Haugen. “Not everyone will agree with my position,” she said. “I understand and respect that. I also trust that people will remember that we need to respect each other’s beliefs. All of us enjoy the benefits of being Americans, but none of us holds a monopoly on what it means to be an American.” The senator says she weighed many factors before arriving at her decision to support the bill. What helped shape her decision was an amendment in the bill to provide for the rights of a church to choose not to marry a same-sex couple if that marriage contradicts the church’s view of its teachings. “My preference would be to put this issue on the ballot and give all Washingtonians the opportunity to wrestle with this issue, to search their hearts as I have, and to make the choice for themselves,” said Haugen. “But I do not know that there are the votes to put it to a ballot measure. So, forced to make a choice, my choice is to allow all men and women in our state to enjoy the same privileges that are so important in my life. I will vote in favor of marriage equality.” “This is the right vote and it is the vote I will cast when this measure comes to the floor,” she concluded. And the good news continues to come in. The marriage equality bill moved one step closer to becoming law January 26 when a Senate committee advanced the measure to the floor for a vote. According to the Associated Press, “The
Government Operations, Tribal Relations & Elections Committee approved the measure with a four-to-three voice vote split on party lines. The bill is expected to head to a floor vote next, though a date has not yet been determined.” According to news reports, the committee rejected several Republican amendments, including a proposal that would have required the bill to be sent to the ballot in November. Opponents have pledged to challenge any law passed by the legislature and signed by Gov. Gregoire, but without a referendum requirement, they would need to collect 120,577 valid signatures by July 6 to put the issue on the ballot. Which they are expected to do. “We thank the Senate committee for quickly passing this important legislation for Washington families,” said Lacey All, chair of Washington United for Marriage, in a statement. “We’re excited that this bill continues to move towards final passage, and we will not let up until the Governor signs it. While we’re happy with today’s vote, we know it is but one battle in the fight for equality, and we will be steadfast in our continued effort to win marriage equality and defend it in November.”
hearings
continued from cover was one theme that emerged from the debate: Separate is not equal. That ethos echoed through the halls of the Capitol like wind howling in the night. And with the coveted 25th vote of support for the Senate bill secured, a clear message was sent to marriage equality opponents that they are no longer the majority and equality is within our reach. In short, marriage equality is on its way to Washington state. The nation is watching. What happens in Washington state in 2012 could have a huge impact on the rest of the country. If the Senate and House pass marriage equality legislation and Gov. Chris Gregoire signs it into law as she has promised she would, then we will inevitably go to the ballot. Our opponents will get the signatures they need, and we will be prepared for that. If we, the voters of Washington state, then vote to keep marriage equality, we will be the first state in the nation to do so. We will be the lead domino that knocks down all of the others. Just like New York motivated us, we will motivate others by showing everyone that, while their numbers may be many, they are dwindling by the day. Homophobia is out. Marriage equality is in. Marriage equality supporters arrived at the Capitol not to directly engage our opponents in meaningless and disruptive debate, but to deliver the message that marriage is about respect, dignity, love, and commitment. We are asking for civil marriage. If Lesbian and Gay marriages are legalized, churches still would not be required to perform them – just as the First Amendment protects. Lesbian and Gay couples who marry in civil ceremonies would be recognized by the state. Even though I was prepared to hear a lot
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of opposition, I didn’t foresee how I would feel while in the hearing rooms, surrounded by our detractors. During the early Mondaymorning ride down to Olympia, I visualized what the day would look like. My daydreams were wrong. The reality of the situation was much more bizarre than I could’ve ever dreamed up. Our opponents, many of whom traveled hundreds of miles to testify at the hearings, were off-message, did not present a united front, and were, quite honestly, all over the place. I am happy to report that we, however, drove home again and again that, yes, we have everything but marriage, but separate is not equal. That is what this is all about. Equality is what we are after – the marrying kind, to be exact. When I arrived at the Senate building, I was immediately greeted by more than 100 people in the overflow crowd which packed the narrow hallway outside of the conference rooms. Although people were acting civil, they were moving fast, eyes darting, scanning for friendlies who might be able to get them into the room where the hearing was scheduled. There was almost a panic in the air. Luckily, the building is equipped with overflow rooms where opponents and proponents alike could watch the hearing on TV. After flashing my press credentials, I was ushered into the conference room where the Senate hearing would take place. It was 9:45 a.m. In just 15 minutes, religious dogma and rhetoric would testify against love and commitment. With each passing minute, the Senate master at arms had to ask another person to leave the room after they tried to sneak past security. I thought it might be easier to score tickets to the Super Bowl than get a seat in this room. Upon first inspection of the spectators – because that’s honestly what everyone looked and acted like, as if they were cheering for a team – the room looked to be filled with people who looked like they were nice. You know, good neighbors, the kind of people who gladly catch and return your dog when it gets loose. The kind of people who keep an eye on your house when you are on vacation. But I would soon learn that they are not kind – not at all. They disguise their hate behind a smile and Bible verse. It became easy to distinguish who was with what camp – and I felt bad about that. In the LGBT community, we are taught (and try desperately) not to judge a book by its cover, that we are all different and that is what makes us beautiful, and so on. But I could honestly tell who was a God-fearing member of the audience; I could tell because they were sad. They wore a frown in place of a smile. One gentleman kept his hands folded in his lap with such force that you could see the whites of his knuckles. They dressed conservatively. The women wore dresses that wouldn’t dare rise above the knees. There was no life or color to them. Each wore a white button with a silhouette of a man and a woman that read “MARRIAGE. ONE MAN ONE WOMAN.” Even the button had no color. Our side however, was full of life. Supporters of the Senate marriage equality bill smiled and moved about the room, hugging one another and congratulating each other
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Celebrating 39 Years!
on getting to this point in our fight for equality. On each lapel, a simple sticker with a green silhouette of the state of Washington read “WASHINGTON UNITED FOR MARRIAGE.” And we are united. That much is certain. At 10 a.m., the hearings began. A hush fell over the room and the audience of would-be testifiers got the warning. No booing, clapping, or distracting. If you did not comply, you would lose your right to be in the room. This was serious business, after all, and if there were ever a time to sit down and keep quiet, it was now. Each person called before the committee had just one minute to testify. Governor Gregoire sent a representative on her behalf that reiterated her commitment to the passage of the bill. He said she was “150% supportive of the legislation.” And then it began. For the next two hours, the LGBT community and our allies were inundated with testimony after testimony that demonized us. We were accused of destroying families and rendering parenting meaningless. God would not vote for the bill, they echoed. The legislation was called hostile toward anyone who harbors religious beliefs. At one point the committee was told that if they passed the bill, “History will not be kind to you.” Seattle-area evangelical pastor Ken Hutcherson, who led our opponents, didn’t mince words about God’s viewpoint on the issue, leading off with, “I don’t think God is excited about SB 6239.” Over and over again, marriage equality opponents showed their inability to understand the bill. Nearly half of all the testimony from their camp included doomsday predictions of the loss of religious freedom
when the bill clearly states that no church will be forced to marry anyone. The right-wing hardliners and religious leaders – including the Archbishop of Seattle, J. Peter Sartain – continually talked of families as if we are not a part of them and do not create them. It was frustrating to listen to and hurtful to hear. Every other person who testified claimed to speak for God. It was dumbfounding. I’m happy to report that we got it right. The LGBT community members and our allies who testified on our behalf did so with dignity, armed with more than just an opinion, and spoke with respect in regards to religious freedom. Our arguments were diverse and emotional. They had an impact and packed a punch. Nobody, not even the religious leaders who spoke in support of the bill, spoke for God. We were sensible. In what was the most moving and poignant testimony of the day, Sen. Ed Murray (D-Seattle), joined by his partner of 20 years, Michael Shiosaki, announced that for the two of them, there is nothing more important than marriage equality. “I have waited 17 years to ask this body to consider marriage equality for Gay and Lesbian families,” said Murray. “I realize the issue of marriage for our families is emotional and divisive. It touches what each of us holds most dear: our families.” “In our history as a nation and as a state, each time we face division we have answered with equality,” he continued. “Throughout our history we have cherished religious freedom and equality under the law. Senate Bill 6239 honors both of those values, it will allow same-sex couples the opportunity to join in legal civil marriage. It also creates an absolute exemption for churches, religious
organizations, and clergy that do not want to marry same-sex couples.” “No religion will be barred from deciding whom they want to marry, nor will they be held legally liable under this legislation for making those decisions,” he emphasized. “This bill is really about the people who come to speak with you today,” concluded Murray. “They are veterans who have served this nation in Afghanistan, They are children who wish to see the parents who raised them married. They are small-business owners who are creating the jobs that we so desperately need. Ultimately, though, this bill is about people who love and cherish each other and wish to honor that commitment through marriage.” Then it was Shiosaki’s turn. In a heartfelt and honest speech, he spoke from a place of love and commitment “Ed and I have been together for more than 20 years now, and through much of our time together, I have tried to keep our political life separate from our private life,” he said. “Today I am compelled to speak out about our relationship and what marriage means to us.” “When I think of marriage, my model has always been the 56-year marriage of my parents Fred and Louis Shiosaki,” he continued. “What I have witnessed over the years has been their lifelong commitment to love and care for one another as they raise their family, my sister, and me in Spokane Valley.” “That commitment continues today and I have admired and honor their more than 50 years together. That commitment I see in the relationship that Ed and I share. Ed and I have found over the years that sometimes it is the little things that make a strong rela-
tionship,” said Shiosaki. “For us, as for many Gay and Lesbian couples we know, commitment is all about being there for each other in good times and in bad,” he said. “And that has meant supporting each other – my support for Ed when his father was dying and support for me when my mother was seriously ill.” “As we have personally experienced domestic partnership, it has provided many important rights and benefits, but it is not marriage,” continued Shiosaki. “Although I strive to honor and model the commitment my parents share, Ed and I cannot be married like my mother and father are married.” “Through my family’s experience and my own experience growing up as a member of the Japanese-American community in Washington state, I have witnessed my community struggle for inclusion into the mainstream of society,” he said. “I see that same struggle for recognition and inclusion with marriage no matter when or where it has been tried, history has demonstrated that separate is not equal, it never can be.” “As Ed and I begin our third decade together, we hope that this is the year we can marry.” The hearings in the House lasted until 3:30 p.m. and included the usual suspects and repeat testimony from the Senate hearings. The hearings were somewhat ceremonial as everyone already understood that the House bill has enough support for passage. At the end of the day, we did it. By telling our stories and lobbying our legislators in the House and Senate, as of press time, the measure has 51 sponsors in the 98-member House, and a majority in the 49-member Senate.
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