Celebrating 41 Years! Issue 5 Volume 43
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Seattle Gay News SEATTLE’S LGBT NEWS & ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY
Alabama marriages set Rare form of syphilis to start February 9 shows up in King County
Southern Poverty Law Center files Three of four cases are men who have sex with men ethics complaint against state judge by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer
AP Photo / Rob Carr
Plaintiffs Cari Searcy (l) and Kim McKeand with their son Khaya
ruling applied to the whole state. U.S. District Judge Callie “Ginny” Granade ruled on January 23 that the Alabama ban Gay and Lesbian marriages are set to be- was unconstitutional, and on January 28 that gin February 9 in Alabama after the federal her decision applied to all same-sex couples judge who struck down Alabama’s ban on see Alabama page 7 same-sex marriages said definitively that her by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer
Health officials say that a rare form of syphilis that can cause blindness has shown up in King County. Six cases of ocular syphilis have been diagnosed in Washington state since mid-December. Four of those cases are in King County, and of the four King County patients, three are men who have sex with men. Two patients have been blinded by the disease. Six cases are said to be an unusually high number, since ocular syphilis affects fewer than one in every million people in the general population each year, according to Dr. Russell Van Gelder, chair of the ophthalmology department at the University of Washington. Even among people with syphilis, the ocular form appears in only 10% of patients, he added. The four King County cases are all men. Three of the four report having sex with other men. Men who have sex with men represent the largest group of syphi-
lis patients in King County. Three of the four are also HIV-positive. People with HIV are often infected with syphilis, too, health officials say. All of the patients reported loss of vision, blurring, having a blue tinge to their vision and seeing “floaters” and flashing lights. Three of the patients were hospitalized to receive intravenous penicillin treatment, but one patient refused care. Nearly 400 cases of syphilis were reported in King County last year, but it is still unclear why the current cluster of ocular syphilis cases has appeared. Health workers have been urged to step up testing for syphilis and to report any vision-related infections promptly. Patients with signs or symptoms of syphilis have been encouraged to get tested. Health officials say that all men who have sex with men, who have had sex in the past year, and are not part of a mutually monogamous relationship should be tested for syphilis, gonorrhea, chlamydia and HIV at least annually – and more frequently if they are at higher risk for disease. see SYPHILis page 5
U.T.O.P.I.A. Seattle welcomes SGN EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW City Council member Nick Licata new officers, launches new support group by Shaun Knittel SGN Associate Editor United Territories of Pacific Islanders Alliance (U.T.O.P.I.A.) Seattle announced this week the organization’s newly elected 2015 board of directors. U.T.O.P.I.A. welcomes Tanya Rachinee as the new U.T.O.P.I.A. Chair and Vice Chair Lory Lealie’e Suluai. In addition Treasurer Isyss Viena and Secretary: Fania Sipili. The new leadership replaces past Treasurer Ului Teulilo, Secretary Kalani Young, Vice President Chase Nahooikaikakeolamauloaokalani Silva and President Taf Mae. U.T.O.P.I.A. Seattle is a charitable association of volunteer members that work against the plight of discrimination in regards to sexual orientation and gender identity. They work to promote and enhance diversity appreciation within the Seattle/Tacoma community by providing educational opportunities, foster cultural appreciation, and provide guidance and counseling to the LGBTQ Pacific community in Washington state and the Pacific Northwest. Rachinee, a Transgender woman and owner of the Ballard Thai Cuisine restaurant Root Table, says that after the initial shock wore off she feels “truly honored to be elected as the new President of U.T.O.P.I.A.” and added that
she is “thankful and so very honored to be a part of this wonderful and loving family.” Family is a word that is appropriate when describing this close group of advocates, activists, and volunteers. Although you do not have to be from the Pacific (Rachinee is originally from Thailand and she serves as Chair), the group’s leadership has traditionally been made up of Native Hawaiians, Samoans, and Tongans. Although Census report data shows the Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander demographic is one of the fastest growing in the nation, they make up only a small minority or percentage in Washington state. Within that already marginalized population exists the even less represented LGBTQ members of the community. But you won’t find any sad story when looking to U.T.O.P.I.A. Due to strong leadership over the years and the greater local Asian and Pacific Islander (A/PI) LGBTQ and allied community’s acceptance of the organization, you will find a very healthy and thriving organization.
Nick Licata
by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer
For the first time since 1998, when the new Seattle City Council takes office in January 2016 Nick Licata will not be in one of the seats. The veteran Council member announced January 22 that he will not run for reelection in November. Not that Licata will spend his new found free time puttering around his garden. He has a new book coming out in January 2016, and plans for organizing projects that will “promote what we do here [in Seattle] nationally.” see U.T.O.P.I.A. page 6 “It seems strange,” Licata tells SGN, “but pro-
gressive networks are not that well developed. How many cities have LGBT Commissions like we do? Nobody knows. How many have Women’s Commissions? Nobody knows. “And we need to know. That’s what drives me.” Licata sees organizing a national network to coordinate what he calls the “urban progressive renaissance” as his next project. “My last big adventure,” he says with a grin. “I hate to make the comparison, but maybe it’s like Teddy Roosevelt going to the Amazon jungle. My ‘River of Doubt.’” Looking back on 17 years on Seattle’s City Council, Licata has plenty of achievements to be proud of. “Paid sick leave – we set national standards,” he says. “Minimum wage legislation – most of the ‘inside job’ was me. “Getting the Council to take positions on national issues – that was not the obvious thing to do. I remember several years ago, we lost 5 to 4 on Burma. But we passed a resolution opposing the war in Iraq. “And the Occupy Seattle resolution – we added the requirement for social investing. Now banks must show they do responsible investing if they want to do business with the City.” Asked what issues still needed to be addressed, Licata replied “Getting the City to divest from fossil fuel investments – oil and coal – it’s challenging, but a worthy project. “Affordable housing – that’s the friendly see LICATA page 5
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Celebrating 41 Years!
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January 30, 2015
Seattle Gay News 3
All City GSA Dance Planning Meetings: February 9, 23, & March 9 An Open Invitation to All LGBTQA Youth: Hi GSA members: My hope is that every GSA (or similar club) that can do so will be able to send one (or more) representatives to help plan the next All City GSA Dance! Planning meetings are open to all teens whether or not they are in a GSA club. Planning meetings: Mondays February 9 & 23, and March 9 Arrive between 4 and 4:30 p.m. for snacks. Meeting is from 4:30 to 5:30 pm. Location: Cal Anderson Park Shelterhouse 1635 11th Avenue, Seattle 98122 http://www.seattle.gov/parks/park_detail. asp?ID=3102
(Cal Anderson Park is served by Metro bus routes 9x, 10, 11, 49, & 60, and nearby routes 2, 8, 12 & 43; and stops # 11070, 11150, 11180, 11150, 11510, 41970, 41980) WHAT TO DO IF YOU CANNOT ATTEND THE FIRST MEETING but still want to participate: Please email me ASAP to let me know you want to participate, but can’t make the first meeting (or other meetings), and I can keep you informed about what goes on and we’ll look for a way to include you. There will be plenty to do! (my email and contact info is below). Last year’s dance - “MasQueerAde” - held
REJECTION: IT HURTS by Michael Raitt SGN Contributing Writer We’ve all had it happen to us and we’ve all done it to someone else – rejection. It comes in the form of being rejected as in being fired from a job, being rejected by our family for being LGBTQ, friends reject each other, and romantic relationships or interests can end with a rejection. We know how much it hurts, too. We get sad, withdrawn and often doubt ourselves. Depending on the rejection, sometimes we don’t feel like we want to live anymore. By nature, humans are pain aversive creatures. We don’t like physical pain nor do we like emotional pain. I’ve yet to meet one person who hasn’t experienced rejection. What I have found, though, is that the experience of rejection moves people into one of two general groups; those who know it is a part of life and those who are so hurt by rejection that they recoil from life. It is impossible to quantify the pain of rejection in either group. In my observations, the pain is the same and I have never gotten
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any sense that the hurt is any greater or less for individuals. For those who know it is a part of life, they have their experiences; then they move on. As it relates to friendships or romantic relationships, they know they take a risk of getting hurt, but they put any fears they have aside and get on with getting back into relationships. They don’t constantly keep the potential of heartache in the forefront of their minds. They get involved in enjoying relationships and deal with any rejection if it comes their way. You know these people – a marriage or long-term relationship has ended and within months, they are back in a significant relationship. Other individuals experience the pain of rejection so much that they feel they cannot bare that kind of pain again. As a result, they feel that they cannot put themselves into any situation where they might subject themselves to being hurt again and they withdraw from certain relationships. It is common for people who have withdrawn from relationships to want a “guarantee” that if they develop friendships again or decide to date again, they will not be hurt. It is an understandable desire but it is 100% impossible to have. People hate hearing that hurt and pain are intrinsic to life. They cannot be avoided. Love and pain are not separate entities – they are
in late April - was a great success with over 90 youth attending. The dance is for LGBTQ youth and friends ages 14-19. Please let me know if you have any questions, concerns, or ideas! Sincerely, Randy Wiger Parks Commons Program Coordinator Seattle Department of Parks and Recreation (206) 684-0775 desk (206) 883-6110 cell/text randy.wiger@seattle.gov www.Facebook.com/SeattleParksCOD “Explore More.” www.seattle.gov/parks
two sides of the same coin. Anyone who has loved has felt pain. Some of you are probably say, “duh!” However, this is a key concept to making yourself vulnerable again. One who has been hurt has to reconcile that it will happen again and that the pain they are experiencing is normal. They have to realize that there will never be a guarantee and the only way to have a relationship again is to change their expectations and willingly suspend their fear of hurt. If they don’t make themselves vulnerable again, they will not pull themselves out of their withdrawal. They will allow their fear to drive their lives and they will miss out on one of the most important experiences of the human existence; being in a significant relationship. If you are feeling the sting of rejection, make a decision about how you want that pain to influence your life. Are you going to get back out there or are you going to succumb to your hurt and pull away? You will be all right if you take another chance! Michael Raitt, MA LMHC, is a therapist and a contributing columnist to the SGN. If you would like to comment on this column, have a question you’d like him to write about, or would like to suggest another topic of interest, please contact him at Michael.Raitt@comcast.net.
Celebrating 41 Years!
Dame Edna was a laughing good time Dear Editor: With the depressing and unpleasant Seattle winter weather upon us, I simply needed some distraction from suffering with my S.A.D. (Seasonal Affective Disorder) and to have a good laugh, which I got on Sunday, January 18th at the historic and recently renovated Moore Theatre on Second Avenue in downtown Seattle, by attending Dame Edna’s Glorious Farewell Tour. Although Dame Edna (aka Barry Humphries) is 80 years old (as am I) she was as hilarious and energetic as ever. The two handsome male dancers (and the two attractive female dancers) were terrific. And the costumes and sets were equally fabulous and impressive. I was seated in the lower balcony, on comfortable cushioned seats, and my line of sight of the stage was excellent. Plus I had two very pleasant and conversant women seated on each side of me. And, it appeared to me that perhaps half of the audience was Gay. (What a surprise!) Apparently, Dame Edna loves gladiolas, and grows them at her home in Australia. My mother also loved gladiolas and grew them at our home in Somerville, New Jersey. I only mention this because at the end of the show Dame Edna and her assistants must have thrown out at least four-dozen long-stem gladiolas out on the second level
stage left, for which she received a great applause. After which a song was played wherein those who received a gladiola were to stand and sway back and forth following Dame Edna’s direction. However, a few didn’t keep up and were summarily reprimanded, with much laughter and hijinks. And, of course, at the finale, she and the cast received a standing ovation. Then, there was about a 10-minute monologue slide show about Dame Edna, and when it ended a well-dressed gentleman stepped out of the darkened stage whom I didn’t recognize. So I asked the young woman seated on my right who it was, and she informed me that it was Barry Humphries (aka Dame Edna), which, of course, brought down the house with another standing ovation. After we settled down he spoke to us for a few minutes expressing his appreciation for the appreciation he (Dame Edna) had received during the four shows performed here in Seattle (January 1518), where she had performed a couple time before. At that, the heavy maroon curtain came down and the house lights came up, and we exited the theatre around 5:25 p.m. However, by the end of the show, which included a 20-minute intermission, my handkerchief was wet from wiping the tears from laughing so much. Frankly, I was afraid that I might wet by pants due to so much laughing, which would have been bad since I haven’t yet started wearing Depends!
SEAMEC to host annual meeting; you’re invited! Dear Friends of SEAMEC: You are cordially invited to SEAMEC’s thirty-eighth annual meeting on Saturday, February 7, from 3-5 p.m., at Ingersoll Center/Equal Rights Washington on the lower level of the Kaladi Brothers Coffee/Gay City space, 517 E. Pike St, Seattle WA 98122. That’s right – SEAMEC (Seattle Municipal Elections Committee) has been interviewing, researching, and rating candidates for public office for 38 years! That’s a remarkable record for an organization that depends completely on community donations and is run entirely by volunteers. At our annual meeting, we will chart SEAMEC’s course for 2015 and elect Steering Committee members and officers. To vote for the Steering Committee you must be a SEAMEC member. Memberships are still only $35 per year, or $50 for a family membership.
But even if you can’t attend the meeting, you can still donate to SEAMEC. A donation of $35 will buy 75 stamps to help us send out our election ratings; $50 will pay for 10 days of office rent; $100 will pay for candidate interview packets; $150 will buy 500 candidate rating sheets to distribute to the community before elections; $175 pays for our PO Box for a year. As a SEAMEC supporter, you can be proud of the fact that SEAMEC does so much with so little. We don’t have paid staff or a fancy office, but we have a big impact with your help. Thanks again for your continued support. We hope to see you at our annual meeting on February 7 and at our candidate interviews this summer. SEAMEC 1122 E. Pike St. PMB 901 Seattle WA 98122
John Mark
Licata
continued from cover way to put it, but it’s really rent control,” he continues. “It was taken away from us when the Republicans controlled the governorship and both houses of the legislature for a couple of years,” Licata explains, referring to a bill taking jurisdiction over rents away from cities. “But something has to happen. It’s outrageous! Workers are being pushed out of the city because they can’t afford rent.” “Public transportation,” Licata continues. “I think you have to be very careful with light rail. It’s very expensive and we don’t want to rob busses to pay for trains. “Some of my friends think I’m a troglodyte when I say that,” he adds with a grin. Licata has served with four mayors, and politely declines to say which one was the most troublesome to work with. “All had their own quirks,” he says. “All had confidence. All had their shortfalls. It takes real strength to recognize your shortfalls. “Paul Schell – say what you will, he had a vision for the City. The library renovations were all him. “Greg Nickels got things done – maybe heavy-handedly sometimes… “Mike McGinn always had time to talk to you. He always liked to sit down and have a good talk. I remember sometimes we’d be talking and I’d look at my watch and think ‘You’re the Mayor, don’t you have to be somewhere…’ “I give him credit for defeating the aggressive panhandling ordinance [proposed by Council member Tim Burgess]. “And Murray – the perfect Mayor.” Asked about his own shortfalls, Licata says quickly “Without a doubt – and this has been pointed out to me in painful detail – I’m too glib, too filled with hubris in my own humor. “I once told Sports Illustrated that sports has zero cultural value,” he admits, in the
course of his dogged opposition to public funding for sports stadiums. Long-time Seattle residents remember continued from cover Nick Licata as the lonely 1 in many 8 to 1 Council votes, but now he is more often leading a 9 to 0 majority. “I won them over!” Licata laughs. “The city has changed, Seattle voters have become more progressive. And the politicians – politicians follow, they don’t lead – politicians have adapted to the voters. Folks in office may always have had those views, but they were afraid to show them. Now they feel they can. “And I’ve learned to frame issues in a way that’s not seen as threatening,” Licata adds. “In the ‘inside game’ it’s important to respect your colleagues.” Before running for City Council in 1997, Licata published The People’s Yellow Pages and an alternative newspaper, The Seattle Sun, a project he remembers fondly. “I’ve always been fascinated by alternative newspapers,” he tells SGN. “When I was in the 5th Grade, I started my own newsletter, so it’s been something I’ve enjoyed for a long time. “I never fooled myself that I was a good writer. [At The Sun] I ended up writing a column. You don’t have to write well to be a columnist,” he laughs. Licata is also proud of his children’s book, Princess Bianca and the Vandals, which he describes as “an eco-adventure for 8-10 year olds.” The walls of his office are decorated in part with reviews of the book written by 4th graders. His upcoming book, which will be released next year, he calls “a citizen’s guide to changing the world,” based on his 45 years experience as an organizer and politician. “I never told anyone around here I was writing it,” he chuckles. “They’d think I was wasting time.”
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Syphilis
January 30, 2015
Seattle Gay News 5
continued from cover MISS U.T.O.P.I.A. PAGEANT The organization’s annual drag pageant is one of the best, if not the best, in town with nearly 500 people in attendance to see which queen will be crowned Miss U.T.O.P.I.A. Seattle. Rachinee is a past Miss U.T.O.P.I.A., having won the crown in 2011, her reign is best known for the beauty and grace she displayed as ambassador for the organization. Past Miss U.T.O.P.I.A.’s such as Marion Malena (2012) and Atasha Manila (2013) did their part to keep U.T.O.P.I.A. on the minds of community members and in the eyes of donors. Both entertainers perform so well it would not be an exaggeration to say that they are legendary within the community and remain popular amongst fans and friends even now. The amount of outreach and visibility the two Miss U.T.O.P.I.A.’s earned, resulted in the fostering of both new and old relationships and brought a greater social understanding of the pageant, the organization, and community of diverse people that make up U.T.O.P.I.A. Seattle. The reigning Miss U.T.O.P.I.A Seattle 201415, Layla Manila, is doing well and continues to display the good intentions and inclusive nature U.T.O.P.I.A. Seattle embodies. It’s not easy to display the poise and grace one must have to fill the shoes, or heels, of the queens that reigned before her, however, Layla Manila seems to be doing fine thus far. RACHINEE EMERGES AS A STRONG LEADER The first thing most people see when they meet Rachinee for the first time is how beautiful she is. Soft-spoken, but firm in her beliefs, she is a genuinely loving person. You’d be hard pressed to find someone that dislikes her because she smiles at nearly everyone she meets, educates people about Trans* issues whenever she gets the chance and has never lashed out at the community with
malice. In other words, she doesn’t create enemies and she makes a difference without being loud about it. If you can’t tell by now – she’s a gem and Seattle’s LGBTQ community is lucky to have her. Aside from running and owning Root Table, and outside of her duties as U.T.O.P.I.A. Seattle Chair, Rachinee is involved in Trans* advocacy, works with Official Pride ASIA Seattle, performs in local benefit shows to raise money for LGBTQ causes, and lives with her longtime boyfriend Justin Thayer. She may seem busy, but she is centered and that makes for a good leader. Already, Rachinee is showing that she is taking the role as Chair seriously. “I will do my very best to drive our organization toward our fundamental goal,” Rachinee told supporters on Facebook this week, adding, “I truly believe that we can do great things.” Last month, even before she was elected Chair of U.T.O.P.I.A. Seattle, Rachinee announced the launch of U.T.O.P.I.A. Seattle’s monthly support group. Each month the group will meet from 4-6 p.m. at a different location. The kickoff meeting, scheduled for February 16, will take place at Root Table (2213 NW Market St.). Rachinee says that light snacks and beverages will be provided. “All ethnicities, races, genders and sexual orientations are welcome,” she said. “It’s a safe space for all.” Allies are welcome too, Rachinee said. The support group is in line with U.T.O.P.I.A. Seattle’s mission to create a safe space for Pacific Islander LGBTQ communities in advocating for social justice, education and overall wellness. Rachinee says that the group will discuss many different topics but, mostly, just meet to check in with each other and make sure everyone is doing okay. She knows that taking care of each other is important if they are going to have any real chance to help others. “We meet once a month to share and discuss our victories, struggles, vulnerabilities, Nate Gowdy
Tanya Rachinee
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courtesy of Utopia Seattle
U.T.O.P.I.A.
(l to r) Tanya Rachinee, Vice Chair: Lory Lealie’e Suluai, Treasurer: Isyss Viena and Secretary: Fania Sipili
and everyday life in a safe and supportive environment,” she said. Rachinee is assisted by one of the support group’s mission directors, Kalani Young. If you have any questions or would like to speak to someone about the group, send email to youngt4@uw.edu or TanyaRachinee@hotmail.com. HONORING PAST LEADERSHIP There was a time when U.T.O.P.I.A. Seattle had to prove itself. As a new LGBTQ advocacy organization on the block, it was important for them, like it is for any current newly formed coalition, nonprofit, club or group, to form lasting relationships with others that share the same interests, build resources, and promote the organization all at the same time. It is exhausting and if it is not done right, you can be over as soon as you start. Fortunately for Seattle’s LGBTQ community, U.T.O.P.I.A. was in good hands. “I really need to acknowledge the leaders from our past,” said Rachinee. “Thank you for all the time and hard work you’ve done for this organization. I love you all.” One of those leaders is Chase Silva. Past U.T.O.P.I.A. Seattle vice Chair, Chase Silva, has worked hard to partner other organizations with U.T.O.P.I.A., co-hosted the pageant twice, and served as a leader in the organization for nearly five years. Outside of U.T.O.P.I.A., he famously took on Facebook late last year when the social media network discriminated against him, challenging his middle name’s legality because it was ethnic. His middle name is Nahooikaikakeolamauloaokalani and, despite showing proof of this with official documents, he was told by Facebook officials to change his middle name or move on. It was terribly racist and anyone that knows Silva – best known as a live vocalist and nightly host of karaoke events in Seattle – will tell you that he is not the type to walk away from a fight if his convictions are challenged. Needless to say, he won and has been able to use his real name – all 29 letters of it that is! In addition, Silva is a founding member of Social Outreach Seattle (SOSea), a social justice nonprofit that takes on issues that are important to the local community, is the 2012 Pride Idol singing competition winner, and has performed singing the National Anthem at City Hall, professional sports events and rallies for equal rights. Silva is not alone, of course; a great many volunteers with the organization – some elected to leadership while others helped in whatever way they could to make an event a success or the organization stronger – have passed through the pages of U.T.O.P.I.A.’s history. None more, however, than a woman that everyone considers the mother of the organization: Taffy Lee Maene. “Taffy, you are one heck of a lady,” Rachinee said in a public post thanking one of
U.T.O.P.I.A. Seattle’s founders and lead organizer. “You did an amazing job for this organization. Without you, we couldn’t stand where we are right now. You are truly an inspiration and have large shoes to fill.” U.T.O.P.I.A. was organized in 2007 after a tsunami convinced many fa’afafine to move to the states. (fa’afafines, according to Dr. Vena Sele, an icon of the Samoan community, is the acceptable definition the Samoan culture gives Transgender folks from the islands). According to Taffy, in a 2010 interview with Seattle Gay News, “After the tsunami, we did a benefit show in Kent.” The show was such a success, it convinced Taffy and others that Seattle could have its very own U.T.O.P.I.A. chapter. U.T.O.P.I.A. Seattle was formed in 2009, says Taffy, by a group of volunteers who realized that change around social justice, education and wellness needed to be addressed and implemented for Pacific Islander LGBT communities in the Pacific Northwest. “U.T.O.P.I.A. was officially founded in San Francisco,” said Taffy, adding, “We have chapters in Hawaii and New York.” “It’s about unity and strength and sharing our culture with the community,” she said. Dr. Sele, an educator, activist, and author who is affectionately known as “Mama” to her younger protégés in the Samoan LGBT community, helped guide Taffy and others as they launched U.T.O.P.I.A. Seattle. According to Taffy, the work that U.T.O.P.I.A. Seattle does is an extension of the work she would be doing in Samoa. “Back home, fa’afafine are known for charitable work,” she said. Taffy spent a lot of her time doing charitable work since 2007. Her house became known as being more like a shelter for the younger generation of U.T.O.P.I.A. A safespace where they come together like family. Under her leadership, since its inception, U.T.O.P.I.A. Seattle has sponsored events ranging from educational panels and workshops for Pacific Islander students and families at SSCC, the widely popular annual beauty pageant Miss U.T.O.P.I.A. Seattle, and participating in the Seattle Pride Parade in downtown Seattle. She is particularly proud of the tremendous support the organization has committed to fostering a sense of community by pledging monetary contributions, time and other vital resources to community organizations throughout the Pacific Northwest. Seattle Gay News would like to congratulate the new leadership at U.T.O.P.I.A. Seattle and wish you luck and also thank the outgoing leadership team for all the great community work they have done. We wish you all the best! For more information about U.T.O.P.I.A. Seattle you can contact them via email at utopiaseattlewa@gmail.com or go to their officials Facebook page at www.facebook. com/utopiaseattle.
Celebrating 41 Years!
Evangelicals hate Gays more than they hate Catholics Form alliance to fight equality
www.slate.com
www.wts.edu
Chuck Colson
Richard John Neuhaus
from the Biblical Book of Revelations. Their common goal? Stop marriage equality. An organization called Evangelicals and Anti-Gay evangelicals have lined up with Catholics Together are set to publish a statethe Whore of Babylon – an old Protestant ment on the “threat” of same-sex marriage. expression for the Catholic Church, derived The statement, “The Two Shall Become by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer
One Flesh,” is said to be the culmination of three years work. It will be published in the religious journal First Things. Even while opposing marriage equality, the group’s statement concedes that same-sex marriages are becoming the law of the land. “We must say as clearly as possible, that same-sex unions, even when sanctioned by the state, are not marriages,” the group says. “Christians who wish to remain faithful to the Scriptures and Christian tradition cannot embrace this falsification of reality, irrespective of its status in law.” Evangelicals and Catholics Together was founded in 1994 by ex-Nixon staffer Chuck Colson and Lutheran pastor turned Catholic priest Richard John Neuhaus. First Things is a religious journal formerly edited by Neuhaus. Colson got religion while doing time in a federal prison for obstruction of justice in the Pentagon Papers case. Neuhaus was a close advisor to President George W. Bush. Both were heavily influenced by Frank Schaeffer’s Christian Manifesto published in 1981. Their group glossed over the clear differences in evangelical and Catholic doctrine in favor of faith-based right-wing politics, a
commitment that continues to be evident in their latest pronouncement. “The revolution in our marriage and family law, already well advanced, marches under the banners of freedom and equality,” the document says. “But these noble ideals are here gravely misapplied. “When society systematically denies the difference between male and female in law and custom, our fundamental dignity is diminished, the image of God within us is obscured, unreality becomes legally established, and those who refuse to conform are regarded as irrational bigots. “We owe our fellow citizens a socially engaged witness to the truth about marriage, which, with the family, is the unalterable foundation of a healthy, humane society.” Timothy George, Dean of Beeson Divinity School said evangelicals and Catholics had put aside their theological differences because of the urgency of the marriage issue. “Catholics and evangelicals continue to disagree on lots and lots of issues,” he said. “And the people who drafted this statement are well aware of those differences. We have not smudged them or pushed them under the rug. “We felt we had to speak out on this issue.”
Mormons ask for truce in culture war by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer The Mormon Church will support legal protections for LGBT people in return for broad religious exemptions, LDS leaders said in a January 27 press conference. In 2009, Mormons backed a nondiscrimination ordinance protecting Gays and Lesbians in Salt Lake City. The Church is now willing to support similar measures elsewhere, including laws protecting LGBT persons from unfair bias in housing, unemployment and public transportation, LDS spokespeople said. “We are suggesting a new way forward in which those with different views on these complex issues can together seek solutions that will be fair to everyone,” said Elder D. Todd Christofferson, a member of the Quorum of Twelve Apostles, one of the church’s top tiers of leadership. The Mormons are not alone in calling for broad religious exemptions from anti-discrimination laws. The Roman Catholic Church and
the Southern Baptist Convention have also claimed that protections for LGBT Americans interfere with their “religious freedom.” “When religious people are publicly intimidated, retaliated against, forced from employment or made to suffer personal loss because they have raised their voice in the public square, donated to a cause or participated in an election, our democracy is the loser,” said Elder Dallin Oaks, also a member of the church’s Quorum of Twelve Apostles. “Such tactics are every bit as wrong as denying access to employment, housing or public services because of race or gender.” Oaks said the recent Houston court case in which Lesbian Mayor Annise Parker subpoenaed sermon notes from pastors who opposed an equal rights ordinance was an example of LGBT advocates overstepping proper bounds. “It is one of today’s great ironies that some people who have fought so hard for LGBT rights now try to deny the rights of others to disagree with their public policy proposals,” said Oaks. “What kinds of religious rights are we talk-
Alabama
continued from cover in every county in the state. The professional association representing Alabama’s probate judges – who are charged with issuing marriage licenses – had claimed that Granade’s order only applied to the plaintiffs in the suit and to the state’s Attorney General, who was the named defendant. After Granade’s January 28 clarification, however, the state probate judges said they were convinced they were bound by the federal court decision and should be ready to issue licenses to same-sex couples on February 9. That means the final hope for opponents of same-sex marriage is that the Atlantabased 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals will agree to the state’s request to extend the
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U.S. District Judge Callie “Ginny” Granade
ing about?” asked Elder Jeffrey Holland, yet another of the Quorum of Twelve Apostles. The most fundamental would be the right of faith communities to preach their beliefs from the pulpit, teach them in church classrooms, and freely select their own leaders and ministers, Holland said. But he also added that service providers – in his examples, physicians and pharmacists – should be free to refuse services to LGBT customers. “These are serious issues,” Holland added, “and they require serious minds engaged in thoughtful, courteous discourse.”
Mormon spokespeople cautioned that their offer to support some protections for LGBT Americans does not change church doctrine including its opposition to same-sex marriage. “This commandment and doctrine [against marriage equality] comes from sacred scripture and we are not at liberty to change it,” said Sister Neill Marriott, a leader in the LDS women’s organization. “But, God is loving and merciful,” Marriott continued. “It’s for this reason that the church has publicly favored laws and ordinances that protect LGBT people from discrimination in housing and employment.”
stay on Granade’s ruling beyond February 9. Alabama Attorney General Luther Strange has vowed to fight marriage equality till the U.S. Supreme Court rules on the issue. Meanwhile, the Southern Poverty Law Center – which represented plaintiffs Cari Searcy and Kimberly McKeand – filed ethics charges against Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore. Moore, who was removed from the same office in 2003 for refusing to remove a religious display from his courthouse, wrote to Alabama Governor Robert Bentley urging him to refuse to comply with federal court orders on marriage. “As of this date, 44 federal courts have imposed by judicial fiat same-sex marriages in 21 states of the union, overturning the express will of the people in those states,” Chief Justice Roy S. Moore wrote. Moore asked Bentley, a fellow Republican,
to “uphold and support the Alabama Constitution with respect to marriage, both for the welfare of this state and for our posterity.” “Be advised,” he said, “that I stand with you to stop judicial tyranny and any unlawful opinions issued without constitutional authority.” Human Rights Campaign Alabama director Ashley Jackson condemned the judge’s letter. “There’s something deeply ironic about a judge seeking the right to ignore another judge’s ruling while crying ‘judicial activism,’” she said in a statement. “The federal constitution guarantees the equal protection of the law for all Americans, and, sooner rather than later, that equality must come to Alabama’s families, too.” SPLC filed their complaint against Moore soon after Granade clarified her ruling on January 28.
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Saks Fifth Avenue admits Trans people are protected by civil rights laws courtesy Leyth O. Jamal
Leyth O. Jamal
by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer In what HRC (Human Rights Campaign) calls “two major victories” for the Transgender community, Saks Fifth Avenue admitted that Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act does protect Trans workers and the U.S. Department of Justice filed court documents stating definitively that Title VII applies to Trans people. The swanky department store is being sued by a former employee who claims Saks discriminated against her because she is Trans.
Leyth Jamal, a Transgender woman, worked at the company’s Houston Galleria store. She says that Saks fired her because she is Trans, and that the firing is a violation of Title VII which prohibits discrimination of the basis of sex. In addition, Jamal says, she endured a hostile work environment, retaliation, and breach of contract while employed at Saks. In their defense, Saks did not focus on the facts of the case, they filed a motion to dismiss Jamal’s suit on the grounds that Transgender workers are not, in fact, protected under Title VII. Saks’ attorneys also claimed that the company is not
legally bound by its own nondiscrimination policy, which includes gender identity. Contrary to Saks’ claims, the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the U.S. Labor Department, and U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder have all found that Title VII does indeed protect Trans workers. In fact, the Justice Department filed papers in the case stating explicitly that “Discrimination against an individual based on gender identity is discrimination because of sex,” and therefore barred by Title VII. On January 26, Saks finally admitted its legal theory was wrong and withdrew its motion to dismiss the suit. Now, they say, they will concentrate on showing that the facts of the case are not as Jamal says they are. “Saks is confident that, as this matter proceeds, the facts will demonstrate that Plaintiff ’s allegations are wholly without merit, that Saks did not discriminate against Plaintiff, and that Saks’ policies and procedures are effective in ensuring an inclusive and diverse workplace free of discrimination and harassment,” the company said in a statement. HRC and NCLR (National Center for Lesbian Rights), which got involved in the case after Saks tried to misrepresent federal civil rights law, welcomed the developments. “Today’s historic statement from the Department of Justice makes it very clear that transgender people are indeed protected by Title VII from workplace discrimination. Saks also made the right decision by correcting its dangerous course of legal actions that sought to completely undermine those es-
tablished protections,” HRC Legal Director Sarah Warbelow said in a statement. “We are pleased that the case can now be resolved on the merits of the claims and not a sweeping negation of basic Title VII protections.” “We applaud Saks for correcting its position and recognizing that it has a legal obligation to treat transgender workers equally,” NCLR Legal Director Shannon Minter said. “We are also grateful to the Department of Justice for clearly stating that federal law prohibits all forms of workplace discrimination against transgender employees. The Department’s filing today is historic and will have an enormously positive effect not only in this case, but in other cases across the country.” The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) determined in Macy v. Holder (2012) that discrimination based on an individual’s gender identity is sex discrimination and thus constitutes a violation of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. In 2014, the EEOC filed complaints in federal courts in Florida and Michigan against two separate companies accused of discriminating against Transgender employees, Amiee Stephens of Michigan and Brandi Branson of Florida. In December of 2014, U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder announced that the Department of Justice will no longer assert that “Title VII’s prohibition against discrimination based on sex does not encompass gender identity per se (including transgender discrimination.).”
Find a Trans person in your restroom, win $2,500, Kentucky senator offers A Kentucky state senator has introduced legislation to allow parents to sue public school districts if their children encounter Transgender students in their restrooms. “Parents have a reasonable expectation that schools will not allow minor children to be viewed in various states of undress by members of the opposite biological sex, nor allow minor children to view members of the opposite sex in various states of undress,” the bill states. If a school administrator allowed a Transgender student to use a facility designated for the opposite sex, or if a school “failed to take reasonable steps to prohibit the person encountered from using facilities designated for use by the opposite biological sex,” parents would be allowed to sue the school on behalf of their children, according to the bill. Aggrieved parties could seek up to $2,500 in damages from the offending school for each time they encountered a person of the opposite sex in school facilities, as well as “for all psychological, emotional and physical harm suffered,” according to the bill’s language. The offending school would be required to pay the attorney fees and costs associated with the claim. Kentucky Senator C.B. Embry has admitted that he wrote the bill for the Family Foundation of Kentucky following a
Embry is a member of the Ten CommandLouisville high school’s decision to allow a ter what the reason for bullying may be – fat Transgender student to use female facilities. or short, don’t speak plain, sexual orienta- ments defense Fund Committee and the NRA as well as the Republican Party. He added that he might have to change the tion, whatever,” he said. language of the bill in order to keep students from “staging incidents to win money.” Thomas Aberli, principal of Atherton High School, the Louisville school that approved a policy allowing students to use school facilities of the gender they identified with, told the Bowling Green Daily News that he has spoken with parents about the issue and that most have been supportive. He added that the school hadn’t had any major problems implementing the new policy. “It’s a non-issue in this school,” Aberli said. On his side, Embry insists he has no problem with Transgendered students as long as they remain in spaces appropriate to the gender they were assigned at birth. “They’re certainly welcome to live their lives as they choose, if they want to dress as the opposite sex and the school is OK with that, that’s fine,” he said. “I don’t think we can create a situation where no one is ever offended or uncomfortable,” he told US News and World Report. “I have a friend, and we can all say these things, who is a homosexual and she agrees that she doesn’t want men in her bathroom,” he added. Embry said that he also supports anti-bullying legislation. “I am very much in favor of strong antiDr. Thomas Aberli, of Louisville; principal, Atherton High School bullying laws that protect students no mat-
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Joint statement from IGLHRC and MADRE: Be cautious in reporting “Gay executions” by ISIS After the publication of photos that purport to document executions by ISIS of Gay men in the city of Mosul, Iraq, the International LGBT Human Rights Commission (IGLHRC) and MADRE, an international women’s rights organization, have issued the following joint statement: IGLHRC and MADRE caution concerned members of the media, representatives of foreign governments and people of conscience generally in the strongest possible terms against assuming that the men identified as “Gay” and against assuming the men engaged in homosexual acts. Other than the photos themselves, very little is known about these executions. IGLHRC has tried to independently verify the events that occurred with little success to date. Without credible evidence, it is crucial to exercise extreme caution in how the event is reported and how the men are described. At this time, to publicly call Iraqi men “Gay” can only do harm. If the men did not identify as Gay, the allegation is inaccurate and obscures the Islamic State’s motivation
for publicly labeling them as such. If the men indeed identified as Gay, extreme caution should be exercised and consultation held with those they loved. If the men identified as Gay, widespread publicity potentially exposes their families, loved ones and intimate partners to harm. Honor killings are pervasive in Iraq, so the safety of those most affected must be a paramount concern. Furthermore, to assume that the executions were for sodomy solely on the basis of information from the Islamic State is dangerous. Without evidentiary basis or independent confirmation, this sweeping allegation could be applied to anyone the Islamic State seeks to discredit – including human rights activists and anyone opposed to the Islamic State. Accusing opponents of homosexuality is a tried and true tool used to discredit political adversaries throughout the world. Accuracy is absolutely needed to moderate the level of fear of LGBTI Iraqis living in areas controlled by the Islamic State. During the anti-emo killings in 2012, rumors circulated alleging that upwards of a thousand people had
been killed for perceived gender and sexual non-conformity, while the documented number was nearer ten. In response, IGLHRC interviewed LGBTI Iraqis and found that some fled the country, were shunned, isolated themselves at home too afraid to venture into the streets, and experienced high levels of suicidal ideation. The stakes today are high enough; allies in the media, foreign governments, and among concerned friends globally must understand accurately what occurred and avoid risky inflations of the threat level.
Pope grants private audience to Trans man and his fiancé Pope Francis met privately with a Trans man on January 24, the first time a Pope has met with an out Trans person. Diego Neria Lejarraga has gone through gender reassignment surgery and plans to be married soon. He wrote to Pope Francis after his priest called him “the devil’s daughter.” “After hearing him on many occasions, I felt that he would listen to me,” Neria told Hoy newspaper. Francis called Neria on Christmas Eve and invited him and his fiancé to a private audience at the Vatican. Human rights groups are calling the meeting a significant step for the papacy. “For the pope to meet with a transgender man about to be married, and for that meeting to result in this man feeling more hopeful about his place in the Church, shows a concern for those at the very margins of our church,” Dignity Executive Director Marianne Duddy-Burke said.
“I hope the pope listened carefully to this man’s experience, and will speak about what he heard.” Dignity, an organization of LGBT Roman Catholics, has often been at odds with the Catholic hierarchy. HRC’s Director of Latino and Catholic Initiatives Lisbeth Meléndez Rivera described the meeting to the Blade as an “extraordinary event.” “This is the kind of pastoral care and inclusion of the margins we know the church is capable of,” she said. Others are cautiously optimistic, including José María Núñez Blanco, president of Fundación Triángulo, a Spanish LGBT group. The report is “good news” Núñez said. “It is absolutely absurd that a believer is prevented from living their religious beliefs,” he added. “Some proclaim the religion of love and dedicate themselves to spreading hate. Hopefully, the Catholic Church ceases to be a machine of hate and suffering for the good of believers and non-believers.”
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Chile on track for same-sex civil unions Sebastián Vergara, El Mercurio
MoHIL President Rolando Jiménez
by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer Chile’s House of Representatives has approved a bill to allow same-sex couples to form legally recognized civil unions. According to La Tercera newspaper, the January 20 vote was a comfortable 86-23, with two abstentions. The Chilean Senate passed a similar bill last October, and is expected to approve the amended House version before the end of the month. The civil unions bill was first introduced
under Chile’s conservative former President Sebastian Pinera as an alternative to samesex marriage. Socialist President Michelle Bachelet campaigned for real marriage equality, but said she would sign the civil unions bill into law. Jaime Parada Hoyl, a Gay councilman from the Santiago neighborhood of Providencia, welcomed the new law, but regretted that marriage was not on the agenda. “It is good news for the equality of rights in Chile, but it is not the best,” Parada told
the Washington Blade shortly after the vote. “Chile today should be discussing marriage equality with good legislative work, and above all with political will. The votes are there, or at the very least they are missing very few. My worry is that this (civil unions) bill, positive in its essence, will further delay full legal equality.” Hunter T. Carter, an American attorney representing the Movement for Homosexual Integration and Liberation (MoHIL) in a case before the Inter-American Court of
Human Rights, also welcomed the bill but said the measure falls short of offering full equality to Gay and Lesbian couples. “I regret that Chile is illogically repeating a bad history with a concept that is distinct – and inferior – from marriage that in all other experiences has been considered inferior, confusing and a perpetuation of discrimination based on false stereotypes and dogmatic myths,” Carter told the Washington Blade. “We will continue to fight tirelessly until Chilean same-sex couples are able to enjoy full civil marriage equality under the law.” MoHIL filed a 2012 lawsuit with the InterAmerican Court of Human Rights on behalf of three Chilean Gay couples seeking equal marriage rights. The LGBT rights group nevertheless celebrated the victory. “We dedicate this day, this moment, to the gay and lesbian families that have suffered a historic burden of misunderstanding and prejudices,” MoHIL President Rolando Jimenez said in a statement. “Today it will be the state’s turn to strengthen them and protect them on equal terms.” Gay Congressman Claudio Arriagada, Chile’s first openly Gay national politician, echoed MoHIL’s sentiments. “People of the same-sex will have the opportunity to demonstrate that they have the right to be happy,” he told La Tercera. Not everyone was happy with the result, however. Javier Soto, a pastor from the resort city of Viña del Mar, claimed that God had sparked a massive forest fire in the port city of Valparaiso last spring because he knew that Chilean lawmakers were going to pass the civil unions bill. The Chilean government said on January 20 that it will file a formal complaint against Soto after he allegedly threatened Arriagada.
Greek election: A victory for the LGBT community? The stunning victory of SYRIZA – the Coalition of the Radical Left – in Greece’s January 25 election has European central bankers reeling, working class Greeks celebrating, and the country’s LGBT community cautiously optimistic. SYRIZA is the only Greek party represented in parliament to have taken a stand for same-sex marriage, with SYRIZA leader and new Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras calling for a number of LGBT rights reforms in the past. Same-sex couples are banned from adopting children in Greece, and the country does not recognize same-sex relationships. Syriza introduced a bill in 2013 that would have recognized domestic partnerships for both same- and opposite-sex couples, but the measure was voted down. Tsipras himself is in a long-term but unmarried relationship with his partner, Peristera Batziana. The couple has two sons, the youngest named Ernesto in memory of his boyhood hero, Ernesto Che Guevara. Tsipras is also an atheist, and was the first Greek Prime Minister in history to be sworn in without the assistance of the Greek Orthodox Archbishop of Athens. While the current Archbishop, Ieronymos, is a centrist who has accommodated himself to the idea of LGBT rights, many of
his colleagues are ferociously anti-Gay. At the time SYRIZA introduced its domestic partnership bill in 2013, for example, Bishop Seraphim of Piraeus said that being Gay is a “terrible sin,” and threatened to excommunicate any member of parliament who voted for the measure. Bishop Seraphim is also noted for borderline-crazy anti-Semitism, having once claimed that “Adolf Hitler was an instrument of world Zionism.” Nevertheless, his views on LGBT rights are shared by many Orthodox clerics and right-wing politicians allied with them. In recent months, there has been a surge of Gay-bashing incidents in Athens linked to the neo-Nazi Golden Dawn party. Golden Dawn took third place in the recent election, in spite of the fact that its leaders are all in jail awaiting trial on racketeering charges. It remains to be seen whether SYRIZA’s victory will result in immediate progress for LGBT rights in Greece. The new government has its hands full trying to negotiate debt reduction with the European Central Bank and the IMF, and to restart Greece’s stalled economy. Tsipras declined to make LGBT rights part of his party’s election platform, which focused only on economic issues. in the scientific community about this and “It is a difficult subject that requires dia- we will not include it in our policy program.” logue,” he said about adoption rights for SYRIZA also fell two seats shy of a majorsame-sex couples. “There are contradictions ity in parliament, and had to form a coali-
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tion with the right-wing populist Independent Greeks party. Independent Greeks is aligned with the left on economic issues, but is against legal recognition of LGBT rights.
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