SGN Jul 19, 2019 - Part 1

US House of Representatives passes the Raise the Wage Act of 2019

WASHINGTON, DC (July 18, 2019) –Today, the US House of Representatives voted to pass the Raise the Wage Act of 2019, which would raise wages for nearly 40 million workers. The Raise the Wage Act would increase the minimum wage to $8.55 this year and raise it gradually over

MARK MY WORDS

the next six years, to $15 an hour in 2025. After 2025, the minimum wage would be adjusted annually to keep pace with growth in the typical worker’s wages. The Act would phase out the outdated subminimum wage for tipped workers, which has been

see RAISE THE WAGE page 6

A week like no other in a long life

by Mark Segal Philadelphia Gay News

It was one of the most magical weeks that I’ll ever have. When I headed to New York by train, it was already announced that I’d be one of the grand marshals of the

I’ve done that many times before, but this year’s celebration, including New York, the city, the people, the media, went see MARK SEGAL page 3

SEC 2 PG 1 SEC 2 PG 1

Seattle Gay News

Annise Parker appears at LGBTQ Victory Fund fundraiser in Seattle July 18

Trump administration attempts to end asylum protections for Central Americans

SEATTLE (July 18, 2019) – On Monday, the Trump administration announced its latest efforts to end asylum protections for Central American migrants. The new rule would require asylum-seekers to seek asylum in countries they pass through (namely Mexico and Guatemala) before arriving in

the United States. This policy expands on the already present “Remain in Mexico” policy, which requires migrants to live in Mexico while they await their asylum hearing. This policy, which is aimed at halting the migration of “economic migrants,” see ASYLUM page 13

Seattle Gay News

“Time Magazine” included me on an intergenerational video panel.

much further and deeper than one day of celebration. I surprisingly found I was –like Samantha tells Carrie when her book was released on “Sex and the City” – “the toast of the town.”

It took me some time to realize why. The 50th anniversary of Stonewall meant that New York had to reckon with its history – what had been denied and hidden for decades, and I was a central point in that, being at Stonewall that fateful night.

On this trip, a current reporter of The New York Daily News came up to me to apologize for its early coverage of Stonewall and that infamous headline. CBS took me to the spot where I had disrupted Walter Cronkite, and the newsroom staff stood and applauded, giving me goose bumps. The moment was included in that night’s evening news broadcast and CBS finally gave Walter credit for the secret meeting he arranged between the news station and me 46 years ago. NBC relived my disruption of the “Today Show” … by inviting me to be on the “Today Show,” and they didn’t take me out in handcuffs this time. Because I am an LGBT senior and founder of Gay Youth,

I was a one stop shop for it all, and it made me aware that as one of the youngest members of Gay Liberation Front, only an 18-year-old at Stonewall, a marshal at the first Gay Pride, an organizer of Gay Youth, a disrupter of TV, and as an early LGBT journalist, the interviews and appearances were the easy part.

Then came the daily thank yous from people of all backgrounds. An especially memorable one was from an NBC news anchor who said, very simply, “I owe my job to you.” You would have expected I’ve heard that sentiment before, but I hadn’t. We hugged, and I met his husband or soon to be husband. Another memorable moment was when Gio Benitez of ABC News talked openly about his husband while we taped a segment of “The View,” and one more: doing a CBS Podcast with an out member of their network.

The New York Times, who in the past has been in my crosshairs for not reporting on the early AIDS epidemic, was incredible in their coverage. Not only did the Times do an amazing Stonewall 50 print supplement, but it also produced a video debunking many of the Stonewall myths that have occurred over the years, and, unlike the Philadelphia Inquirer, the Times got our history correct.

Then there was the LGBT youth meeting between original members of Gay Youth and current LGBT youth and the “Travel Show” on BBC. Swedish broadcasting, German broadcasting, Switzerland, France, Austria, Spain, Brazil, and Japan all did special reports, all wanted to know about Stonewall and why it was so important to the world. With so much more I could say, here’s the point: For most of us in Gay Liberation Front, we’ve been a part of five decades of activism. Many of us were bullied, spit on, arrested and shunned by our own community for doing what we believed would bring us liberation. One of those ideas that brought criticism was something we called Christopher Street Gay Liberation Day, now Gay Pride. We amounted to under 100 before that march. Today, millions march around the world. You can thank Craig Rodwell, Ellen Broidy and Gay Liberation Front for that. In 2019, I got to march with my brothers and sisters from Gay Liberation Front as grand marshals of the parade we created. To my sisters and brothers of Gay Liberation Front, it is an honor to have walked by your side last Sunday and every day for the last 50 years.

Courtesy of Mark Segal and Philadelphia Gay News

MARK MY WORDS GLAAD gets an “F” for Stonewall 50

by Mark Segal Philadelphia Gay News

The 50th anniversary of the Stonewall riots have passed, and as an integral part of the anniversary and the 50 years leading up to it, I have an inside track and knowledge as to who the players are and how they did their jobs for our community. Two organizations failed our community this year. That failure leads to misinformation of our history, and professional organizations should preserve our history, not revise it.

The worst offender? GLAAD

The organization that is supposed to monitor and provide LGBTQ information to the media, the organization that claims to be a resource to TV networks, contributed a media guide to Stonewall 50. The history it provided of our community was misleading and left out important elements of the event as well as the resources to cover them, which left larger media on their own. Of the 50 or so people who are documented as participating in the Stonewall riots and the first Gay Pride, none, to my knowledge, were contacted by GLAAD for their knowledge of history or to be utilized as a resource or even as a fact checker.

Maybe it’s ageism or GLAAD’s need to use celebrities rather than the rank and file of our community, but those of us who were at Stonewall, created Gay Liberation Front from the ashes of Stonewall, created the first gay youth organization, created the first LGBT Community Center and the first Gay Pride March were all ignored by GLAAD. Those, like myself, who were young and among the first to end invisibility by the media are all still alive but ignored. The people that made it possible

for GLAAD’s existence were neglected – a lack of professionalism in their supposed area of expertise.

Mainstream media wanted to understand how coverage had changed in 50 years. From GLAAD, they received a false timeline and a lack of resources. Media sources actually did the homework and changed GLAAD’s timeline, making a mockery of the LGBT organization’s socalled “guide.”

On page one of that guide is a picture and message from GLAAD’s president and CEO, Sarah Kate Ellis, that includes only two lines regarding the history of Stonewall and states, “This guide is intended to help journalists cover Stonewall 50 with fairness, depth and accuracy.”

GLAAD’s failure is obvious with the guide’s inaccuracies, historic omissions and lack of resources. GLAAD gets an “F.”

Next on the list is an organization I didn’t expect: SAGE.

SAGE, which was created to work with LGBT seniors, held a number of events centered on Stonewall’s 50th anniversary. One was planned by GLF, and SAGE gave the resources to make it a success, but SAGE’s other events had a notable exception: basic

research was not done. This resulted in embarrassment, as people who claimed they were at Stonewall were not, nor did they have even the slightest connection. Anyone who was old enough to have been alive during the riots, regardless of whether they actually participated, was served up on a panel. Now that’s ageism. Historic details that were inaccurate were put on the record.

The best example: A woman who previously stated she was at Stonewall changed her statement while on a panel and said she was there the second night with Marsha P. Johnson. She said they were being chased and were trapped in a cul-de-sac while police attacked them, and she explained their dramatic escape. A great story, but the cul-de-sac she claimed was on Gay Street, and Gay Street is not a cul-de-sac, a detail that anyone who is familiar with the area knows. Marsha never mentioned that event any time in her life, and the story trivializes her. It also allows seniors they serve to be set up for ridicule.

To SAGE and GLAAD: Our community and pioneers deserve better.

Bellevue gay couple celebrates 50th anniversary

“Creating

As rents and purchase prices for housing skyrocket in traditional gay & queer neighborhoods, it is getting harder and harder for longtime LGTBQ+ residents to stay in – or return to – the urban neighborhoods of their younger days. Some folks are looking to different models for shared housing that allow for older adults to have social connections and neighbors who support and celebrate LGBTQ+ lives.

Cohousing is one such model in which residents actively participate in the design and operation of their own building or neighborhood. Adult cohousing offers households with at least one member aged 55 or above the opportunity to both live independently and to “age in community”, with a close-knit and mutually supportive group of neigh-

bors. This is especially important for older LGBTQ+ adults who may be facing isolation, limited support, or outright harassment in other housing settings.

Cohousing developments include a layout that encourages neighbor interaction and offer additional common, shared facilities, such as a group kitchen and dining hall that allow for community functions and meals. This allows individual condos or rental units, with their own private kitchen, bath and bedrooms, to be smaller and less expensive, without a loss of functionality or livability. Cohousing allows residents to enjoy a balance of both community and privacy that is unusual in a dense, urban setting.

On Thursday, July 25, from 6-8pm, come join GenPRIDE (Generations Aging

July 4th was more than a holiday to Bob Masters and Larry Siskind, both 84. It was the celebration of their 50th year together. To mark the occasion their friends and loved ones held a bash attended by 22 people, with good food, joviality and a large anniversary cake. Bob and Larry took the first cut as photos were taken. Larry related how they first met.

“We first met in a Los Angeles bar, BJ’s, in 1969. That was before personal computers, smartphones, iPads or even Pride parades. On a whim I happened to slip into the bar and sat on a stool. Bob stared at me with his big brown eyes and came over and without any introduction, ‘offered to take me home, merely to snuggle, no sex.’ Because he was drunk I didn’t take him seriously, but reluctantly agreed to give him my phone number. The next morning he called and later came to my home. We

got to know one another and soon we were dating. He fell hard when I promised never to leave him and we then went on a wonderful honeymoon visiting England, Holland, Germany and Denmark. It was the first of many trips abroad, including Checkpoint Charlie in Berlin and East Germany at the height of the Cold War. All together we have visited 50 countries in Europe, Asia and Africa. We have also been to Australia and New Zealand. We visited fellow gays in many of these places. In 1974 we settled down and bought a house in the Hollywood Hills. And in 1990 to get away from the L.A. smog we moved to Bellevue.”

When asked whether they would do it over again, the answer was “You bet we would.”

With Pride) and Schemata Workshop at the GenPRIDE Center (401 Broadway E, Suite 223, upstairs above QFC in the Broadway Market building) for a free, interactive public forum on “Cohousing 101 for LGBTQ+ Older Adults” to better understand how shared housing, and cohousing in particular, might benefit you as an LGBTQ+ adult, and hear about some interesting possibilities for LGBTQ+ shared living, both in Capitol Hill and in other in-town neighborhoods.

The speaker, Michael Mariano, is a founding partner in the architectural practice of Schemata Workshop, based on Capitol Hill. He brings a passion for both design and helping to create resilient communities, with an understanding of how the real estate development process informs

the new environment. Mike is an expert in cohousing, with his work informed by extensive research and visits to communities throughout North America, Europe, and Scandinavia.

Come join us for a lively and informative discussion!

For more information contact (206) 393-3400 or visit www.gapseattle.org.

Courtesy of Generations Aging with Pride (GenPRIDE) and Schemata Workshop

New election rules make it easier than ever to register and vote

by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer

Although primary election day is August 6, there’s still time to register to vote – and thanks to changes in Washington’s electoral laws, it’s easier and more inclusive than ever.

Automatic registration

You can now register to vote or update your existing registration automatically when you get an enhanced driver’s license

or enhanced ID (EDL or EID) at any Department of Licensing office. When you apply, you’ll need to show:

• proof of US citizenship

• proof of identity

• proof of any name changes

• proof of Social security number

• proof of in-state residence

Automatic voter registration is open through this pathway until eight days before an election, in this case until July 29.

Same-day registration

This is a new provision that allows you to register and vote on the same day, eliminating deadlines so more voters can participate. The only catch is that you have to register and vote in person.

You can do that at your county auditor’s office. In King County, the auditor is in the County Courthouse, 516 3rd Avenue, Room W-1033. You can also register at any King County voter center, which can be found at www.kingcounty.gov/depts/elections/howto-vote/ballots/returning-my-ballot/votecenters.aspx

What if I’m not old enough to vote? Eligible 16- and 17-year-olds in Washington can now pre-register to vote! When you pre-register, your voter registration status will automatically become active when you turn 18. Pre-registration is available year-round on the Secretary of State’s website; in person at voting centers and county auditors’ offices, and with volunteers; and at any Department of Licensing office.

South King County LGBTQ Task Force announces inaugural event to battle LGBTQ+ isolation July 27

Des Moines, WA – South King County LGBTQ Task Force announces their first community event Queens of Heart movie screening on Saturday, July 27, at Highline College Theater (2400 S 240th Street –Building 7, Des Moines, WA) from 5pm-8pm.

Queens of Heart is an event to bring the LGBTQ+ community together, become more visible, and share deeply needed resources in South King County. The threats from right-wing groups at Renton Teen Pride in June is a clear indicator that LGBTQ+ communities lack safety and are at risk of harassment. This is an event of celebration, resilience, pride, and resources.

“I’m very honored to be included in this inaugural South King County LGBTQ Task Force event and the screening of Queens of Heart, along with my friend and director Jan Haaken,” said Darcelle XV, star of Queens of Heart. “As I show in the film, my work as a drag performer is about helping people break down rigid boundaries and to see past the barriers that fence them in.”

This free event will include:

• Resource Fair: Visit with local orga-

nizations and businesses to learn about resources for our community in South King County.

• Queens of Heart Movie Screening: Queens of Heart brings to the screen the fabulous complexity of drag shows

and their characters who dance into our psyches. Darcelle XV is the longest-running drag club in the United States and an Oregon institution.

• Post-Film Discussion: Join us for a conversation about the film with director,

Lights for Liberty hosts vigils in Seattle

Jan Haaken, and star of the film, Darcelle XV, plus a discussion with community advocates about issues facing the LGBTQ Community in South King County.

For more information about the event and South King County LGBTQ Task Force, please visit our website at http://www. skclgbtq.org/events

South King County LGBTQ Task Force brings together community organizations with the mission to cultivate relationships with, and between, LGBTQ+ individuals, human service providers, community groups, businesses, and political leaders to support, nurture, and advocate for the LGBTQ+ communities in South King County. Members include Cedar River Clinics, Gender Diversity, LGBTQ Allyship, Nexus Youth and Families, UTOPIA, Valley Cities Behavioral Healthcare, and White Center Community Development Association.

of South King County LGBTQ Task Force

and around the world protesting illegal immigrant detentions in USA

by Tim Peter SGN Contributing Writer

More than 650 protesters showed up at Seattle’s Counterbalance Park (at Queen Anne Ave N & Roy St) in Lower Queen Anne on Friday, July 12. The event was one of several vigils held in Seattle, including in Pioneer Square and the Central District, and Tacoma’s Northwest Detention Center. It was sponsored by www.lightsforliberty. org. Many of the vigils were sponsored by local churches and faith-based groups. The one in Lower Queen Anne was led by the Rev. Sara Fischer of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 15 Roy St., Seattle.

One of the speakers was “Mali” (no last name), a transgender woman living in Seattle who came here from Guatemala. Before coming here, she was detained by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) at the border in Texas.

“I was abused, violated, harmed, which heavily influenced my decision to come to America,” she said through a translator. “My goal was to have a better life here. Instead, I was put in a detention center. I received no respect. I was treated like an animal. Thanks be to God that I was able to leave April 5. I want to let everyone know. This is not just a story. This is reality. I’m thankful to God that I could be here and not in Guatemala.”

Oskar Zambrano is Director of Civic Engagement and Advocacy for the Latino

Community Fund in Seattle. He began fighting for immigrant rights as a sixth grader in 1994 resisting California’s Prop 187. That was Gov. Gray Davis’ and Republicans’ attempt to restrict immigrants from receiving non-emergency medical service

and public education. The voters approved it, and then it was overturned by a federal judge a week after the election. He said he was told by his teacher that he would not be allowed to return to school if the proposition passed. Since school was his only

life at the time, and all of his friends were going to school, he said he didn’t want to be forced to stay home. He learned his parents were not citizens and could not vote against it, so his teacher helped him connect with the campaign to register more voters and get them to vote against it.

Imam Jamal Rahman is co-founder and Muslim-Sufi minister of Interfaith Community Sanctuary in Seattle. He addressed the crowd regarding Islamophobia that has swept the country since the attacks in New York on September 11, 2001. He then quoted from the prophet Mohammed:

“Whoever sees evil must change it with their hands. (Do something in your community to correct the problem and to make it better.) If you can’t do that, then change it with your tongue. (Speak up against injustice wherever and whenever you see it.) And if you can’t do that, pray to send light. But that is the weakest form of effort.”

King County Councilmember Joe McDermott then read a letter addressed to the group by US Senator Patty Murray condemning the illegal detention of immigrants crossing the border from Mexico.

The event closed with a prayer read in English by Mother Sara of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church and then in Spanish by Mali, together with her interpreter. At the end, everyone was asked to hold up their candles and/or light sticks to shine for liberty.

Republican ex-governor Terry Branstad broke law, discriminated against

Gay official Iowa must pay $1.5 million damages

by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer

An Iowa state court ruled on July 15 that Iowa’s Republican ex-governor Terry Branstad unlawfully discriminated against a Gay official.

Branstad served as Iowa’s governor from 2011 to 2017, when he was appointed US ambassador to China. The jury found that during that time, he illegally discriminated against the state’s Workers Compensation Commissioner, Chris Godfrey.

Godfrey was appointed to a six-year term before Branstad won election in 2011. According to his lawsuit, on taking office, Branstad pressured him to quit because of his sexual orientation. When Godfrey refused, Branstad slashed his salary by a third, to try and force him out of his job.

“The jury heard my sexual orientation was clearly a motivating factor,” Godfrey told local media. “This is a win for me, and it’s a win for the entire Gay community in Iowa.

“It shows that we have sexual orientation in the Civil Rights Act in Iowa for a reason, and nobody, not even Terry Branstad, is above that law.”

He added, “Obviously I’d like an apology… I don’t know if that will be forthcoming or not. But I had a jury of fellow Iowans sit and listen to the evidence, and they made the determination that they discriminated and retaliated against me and violated my constitutional rights…

“A lot of people didn’t want to believe the governor of the state of Iowa himself

would discriminate. Being able to call my mom and let her know the jury heard all the evidence and sided with us, that means a lot.”

Branstad returned to Iowa from China to testify in the case, telling the court that he “always treated everyone, gay or

straight, with respect and dignity.”

The jury found his testimony not credible, however.

As governor, Branstad led efforts to overturn the US Supreme Court’s 2015 Obergefell ruling that brought same-sex marriage to all 50 states, including Iowa.

Rep. Jayapal applauds passage of the Raise the Wage Act

WASHINGTON, DC (July 18, 2019) –Today, Rep. Pramila Jayapal applauded the passage of the Raise the Wage Act in the US House of Representatives. The bill will gradually increase the federal minimum wage to $15 over six years, increasing pay for up to 33 million American workers, including nearly 6,800 workers in Washington’s 7th District.

“I was honored to serve on the committee that drafted Seattle’s historic $15 minimum wage bill in 2014. Since then, unemployment has gone down, median household income has gone up, and our city has become one of the best places to do business in America. Now it’s time for the federal government to follow Seattle’s lead and raise the wage nationwide,” said Rep. Jayapal.

“Raising the minimum wage isn’t just an economic justice issue, it’s a women’s issue and a racial justice issue. The majority of workers who would benefit from this wage hike are women. This increase would also disproportionately benefit black and Hispanic women. I am proud to have worked alongside workers who put themselves on the line and built a powerful movement to raise the wage across the country. House Democrats made a promise to raise wages for American workers. Today, we delivered.”

According to a recent highly intensive UC Berkeley study, Seattle’s minimum wage ordinance raised wages for lowpaid workers without any negative impact on employment[1]. Low-wage Seattle workers’ wages went up while local food prices remained constant – indicating that workers had more access to healthy food, according to peer-reviewed research.[2]

Today with the higher minimum wage, Seattle enjoys an unemployment rate of 3.3% and a household income growth rate of 4.7%, and restaurants are now one of the fastest-growing industries, with 27,300 new food service jobs created in 2018 alone[3].

The Raise the Wage Act of 2019 would: Gradually raise the federal minimum wage from $7.25 to $15 over the next six years, lifting millions of workers out of poverty, stimulating local economies, and restoring the value of minimum wage; Index future increases in the federal minimum wage to median wage growth to ensure the value of minimum wage does not once again erode over time; and Guarantee tipped workers, youth workers, and workers with disabilities are paid at least the full federal minimum wage by phasing out the subminimum wages that allow these workers to be paid below $7.25 an hour.

[1] Center on Wage and Employment Dynamics, Institute for Research on Labor and Employment, University of California, Berkeley, “The New Wave of Local Minimum Wage Policies: Evidence from Six Cities” (2018)

[2] International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, “The Impact of a City-Level Minimum Wage Policy on Supermarket Food Prices by Food Quality Metrics: A Two-Year Follow Up Study” (2019)

[3] Seattle Times, “4 latest Seattle restaurant closures – and the back-of-the-napkin math on our crazy industry in 2018” (2019)

Courtesy of Rep. Pramila Jayapal

He also supported “religious exemptions” that would allow religious schools to fire LGBT teachers.

Branstad was sued in his capacity as a public official, so Iowa taxpayers will pick up the bill for discrimination by the Republican ex-governor.

their families the wages they deserve.”

stagnant at $2.13 since 1991, and phase out the subminimum wage for workers with disabilities and workers under the age of 20.

[Below is a] statement by Tyrone Hanley, senior policy counsel for the National Center for Lesbian Rights:

“Today’s House passage of the Raise the Wage [Act] is a long overdue recognition of struggling workers and families who stand to benefit from a $15 minimum wage, including 1.5 million LGBT people. Better wages are crucial for the LGBTQ community, because too many LGBTQ people simply can’t make ends meet on current poverty wages. It’s now time for the Senate to do their part to in getting workers and

A recent study from the Williams Institute estimates that nearly 1.5 million LGBTQ adults would see an increase in earnings by 2025 if the minimum wage were increased. For more information on why the Raise the Wage Act is critical for the LGBTQ community, please refer to our factsheet [at www.nclrights.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/lgbtq-raise-the-wage. pdf].

The National Center for Lesbian Rights is a national legal organization committed to advancing the human and civil rights of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community through litigation, public policy advocacy, and public education. www. NCLRights.org

Courtesy of the NCLR

Swedish Health to improve access to transgender services in settlement of ACLU-WA lawsuit

Swedish Health Services has agreed to take steps to facilitate access for transgender patients to necessary and life-saving healthcare services. This settles a lawsuit filed by the ACLU of Washington on behalf of Ari Robbins, who was wrongfully turned away from Swedish solely because he is transgender.

The ACLU-WA filed the lawsuit, Robbins v. Swedish Health Services, on behalf of Mr. Robbins, a Seattle man who is transgender. “Transgender” is a broad term for people whose gender identity, expression, or behavior is different from those typically associated with their assigned sex at birth. Mr. Robbins’s health care provider referred him to a surgeon for chest reconstruction surgery at Swedish Plastics and Aesthetics – a specialty clinic operated by Swedish Health Services that provides plastic surgery services.

But Swedish canceled Mr. Robbins’ medically necessary surgery, along with the appointments of several other transgender patients, as part of a “pause” it implemented to stop the treatment of transgender patients. And when that “pause” was eventually lifted Swedish imposed a quota, limiting the number of new transgender patients to three a month. Swedish never attempted to re-schedule Mr. Robbins’s surgery, and in fact, sent him back to his provider to be referred elsewhere.

“Washington state law prohibits discrimination against transgender people on the basis of their gender identity. The ACLU is committed to ensuring that transgender members of our community enjoy the same access to healthcare as all Washingtonians and we are pleased that Swedish has committed to lowering barriers to accessing healthcare from their providers,” said ACLU-WA Staff Attorney Lisa Nowlin.

The settlement agreement requires Swedish to provide easily accessible infor-

mation about available transgender health services on its website, including contact information for Swedish employees who will serve as a resource for transgender patients to navigate the healthcare system and insurance requirements in critical clinics, including primary care, endocrinology, plastic surgery, and gynecology. The web -

site will also include contact information for the Swedish Patient Rights/Americans with Disabilities Act Coordinator. The settlement requires that Swedish provide the employees listed with transgender-specific training.

“When Swedish refused to treat me because I am transgender it hurt me deeply and disrupted my life,” Robbins said.

“Unfortunately, similar stories are common among transgender and gender nonconforming folks. I was able to get help and do something about what happened to me. But many people are unable to respond when denied care. No one should be in that situation. No one should face barriers to accessing medically necessary health care because of their gender identity. I am glad that Swedish recognizes this and is taking steps to make health care more accessible for transgender people. I am hopeful that other providers will follow suit.”

A 2016 study by the National Center for Transgender Equality showed that discrimination by health care providers routinely causes transgender people to delay or forgo preventative and necessary medical care, putting them at greater risk for illnesses.

“For transgender patients, a lack of information about available health care creates harmful, unfair, and unnecessary barriers to accessing care,” said ACLU-WA Cooperating Attorney McKean J. Evans of Plaintiff Litigation Group, PLLC. “With this settlement, Swedish removes one of those barriers, and affirms the rights of transgender patients to obtain information and services that they need, and that their doctor has prescribed for them.”

If you are transgender and need assistance in accessing health care or handling an insurance denial, or if you have experienced discrimination, QLaw Foundation of Washington, Gender Justice League, and Ingersoll Gender Center can also provide resources and support.

For more information about the case visit: https://www.aclu-wa.org/cases/robbins-v-swedish-health-services.

Courtesy of ACLU-WA

AHF calls on Gilead to set up $10 billion fund for victims harmed by its TDF-based drugs

LOS ANGELES (July 15, 2019) – The AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) is calling on Gilead Sciences Inc., one of the largest manufacturers of HIV/AIDS drugs, to set up a $10 billion victim compensation fund for patients harmed after taking the drugmaker’s TDF (tenofovir disoproxil fumarate)-based drugs as part of their treatment for HIV or AIDS or taken by uninfected individuals as part of the HIV prevention strategy known as pre-exposure prophylaxis, or PrEP.

The AHF’s demand for a victim compensation fund from Gilead comes as HIV Litigation Attorneys announced its filing Friday in Alameda County (Superior Court of California County of Alameda, Case #RG19026805) of a new personal injury lawsuit seeking to hold the Bay Area drugmaker accountable for its actions around its failure to rectify a known defect in TDF’s drug formulation. The lawsuit alleges that Gilead knew that it had a safer version of tenofovir available – tenofovir alafenamide (TAF) – but shelved it in order to extend its profits from and monopoly of TDF. The newest lawsuit also alleges that Gilead failed to warn patients of the damaging side effects of TDF and actively misrepresented TDF’s efficacy and risks knowing that TAF, the safer alternative, existed in its own laboratories.

TDF is a key drug used for treatment of patients with HIV and AIDS and is also used (under the brand name, Truvada –TDF and emtricitabine) by uninfected individuals as part of the HIV prevention strat-

egy known as PrEP. However, the medication causes damage, sometimes permanent and sometimes fatal, to the kidneys and bones.

“Gilead acknowledges it put out an inferior drug with significant and harmful side effects while it sat on the superior TAF-based alternative drug. Gilead must be held accountable for putting its profits over public health; that is why we have filed these legal actions,” said Liza Brereton of HIV Litigation Attorneys. “This lawsuit in Alameda County follows three other actions previously filed by HIV Litigation Attorneys in Los Angeles, which were the first of their kind to be filed in the country.”

The AIDS Healthcare Foundation is funding this litigation. The AHF will not receive any financial recovery from the lawsuit in excess of its actual costs.

There is also now an explosion of similar cases being filed against Gilead by other plaintiffs’ firms in California and federal courts after HIV Litigation Attorneys first led the legal battle to get over the threshold preemption issues.

All the civil cases by HIV Litigation Attorneys assert that Gilead’s zeal to maintain and maximize its corporate profits came at the expense of the health and well-being of its customers who were prescribed and taking TDF, which, according

to the pleadings, the company knew as far back as 2001 from its own studies and other research was “…highly toxic in the doses prescribed and risked permanent and possibly fatal damage to the kidneys and bones.”

The latest case also asserts that Gilead deliberately and maliciously suppressed from the market its alternate and newer formulation of the drug, TAF, in order to extend the patent life – and sales – of its existing medications that included TDF. Gilead earned over $18 billion in net profit in 2015.

The lawsuit filed Friday against Gilead in Alameda County names 40 plaintiffs who have been injured from Gilead’s TDFbased drugs. A hearing to coordinate all of the various cases filed throughout California is set to be heard on July 30 in Los Angeles, where HIV Litigation Attorneys will submit briefing to seek to help lead the litigation against Gilead.

The AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), the largest global AIDS organization, currently provides medical care and/ or services to over 1.2 million individuals in 43 countries worldwide in the US, Africa, Latin America/Caribbean, the Asia/Pacific region, and Eastern Europe. To learn more about the AHF, please visit www.aidshealth.org or www.facebook. com/aidshealth and follow @aidshealthcare on Twitter.

Courtesy of the AHF

“Zero for Zeros” ad campaign targets tech giants

WASHINGTON, DC (July 16, 2019) –

The Zero for Zeros campaign [zeroforzeros.org] announced a new ad campaign today targeting some of the biggest and most recognizable companies in the technology and lifestyle sectors.

The ads will appear on Facebook and Twitter and will target employees and customers of the companies.

“These companies are some of the most well-known companies throughout the world, and they support LGBT equality in many ways,” said Lane Hudson, Zero for Zeros campaign manager. “Their political contributions to the most anti-gay members of Congress do not reflect the values they have expressed to their employees and the public. Instead, those contributions threaten to undermine the progress we have made, so we are asking that they reconcile their values with their corporate PAC contributions. It is a small step to reaffirm their commitment to LGBT equality.”

Zero for Zeros found that 49 companies that received a 100% rating on the Human Rights Campaign’s CEI have donated to members of Congress that are the most outspoken against LGBT equality, earning a zero rating on the Human Rights Campaign’s Legislative Scorecard. These companies have contributed a total of $5,837,331 from their corporate PACs to the worst of the worst members of Congress. Zero for Zeros is asking that the companies’ corporate PACs cease giving to these members of Congress.

You can view the video ad [at https:// www.youtube.com/watch?v=gPvfv7YUyw] and the graphical ads [at https://bit. ly/2GfvDBK].

Courtesy of Zero for Zeros

AFJ: Ozerden’s record raises red flags

WASHINGTON, DC (July 15, 2019)

– The Alliance for Justice today released its research report on the record of Halil Ozerden, President Trump’s latest nominee for the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals. AFJ President Nan Aron released the following statement:

“Halil Ozerden’s record raises numerous red flags. His rulings as a district court judge on cases involving workers and consumers, as well as criminal justice issues, suggest that many critical rights of people living and working in the 5th Circuit would be at risk. We strongly urge senators to take a close look at his record before considering awarding him a lifetime seat on a higher federal court.”

Among other things, the AFJ report finds:

Ozerden granted summary judgment for an employer in a case in which an African-American employee claimed a hostile work environment. The employee was not permitted to have his case heard by a jury, even though his claims included the presence of nooses on the work site and use of racist epithets by supervisors, including the N word.

Ozerden ruled against an employee who corroborated sexual harassment claims made against a supervisor and was subsequently fired, granting a summary judgment to her employer and preventing the employee from having her case heard by a jury. His decision was overturned by the 5th Circuit.

Ozerden’s record on criminal justice is

troubling and he has been overturned by the 5th Circuit several times.

Ozerden declined to hold a private prison operator liable when one of its employees, a guard, allegedly sexually assaulted multiple people incarcerated there.

Ozerden voted to halt a lawsuit against a sheriff, in a case in which the sheriff’s employees allowed a man detained in their jail to die slowly of a gastrointestinal hemorrhage.

Ozerden ruled against eight immigrant women who were sexually assaulted while detained in United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody, determining that they could not bring claims against either the federal government or the county that operated the ICE

detention center via a private contractor. Read the full AFJ report [at https://afj. org/our-work/nominees/halil-ozereden].

The Alliance for Justice believes that all Americans have the right to secure justice in the courts and to have their voices heard when government makes decisions that affect their lives. We are a national association of 130 organizations, representing a broad array of groups committed to progressive values and the creation of an equitable, just, and free society.

Courtesy of the Alliance for Justice

National LGBTQ leaders meet in Louisville, KY

Equality Federation’s annual leadership conference welcomes 200+ attendees

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (July 17, 2019) – The Equality Federation and Fairness Campaign will co-host the 22nd annual Equality Federation Leadership Conference in Louisville this week.

Held July 17-20, 2019, the conference is the premier gathering of LGBTQ movement leaders focusing on the crucial work of winning equality in state legislatures and local communities across the country. More than 200 people will be in attendance to strategize, mobilize and connect on critical movement conversations on issues, including racial justice, HIV, conversion therapy and nondiscrimination.

Among those in attendance will be representatives from 39 organizations, including national partners and state leaders working on the ground from Florida to Maine and North Dakota to California.

As Executive Director Rebecca Isaacs notes, “The Fairness Campaign has been working throughout Kentucky for years to push for LGBTQ equality policies, which now are in place in 12 communities throughout the state. We are excited to bring the Equality Federation Leadership Conference to Louisville this year so that state leaders from 39 member organizations, along with many national leaders, can celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Louisville fairness ordinance and experience Kentucky hospitality. Fresh off state legislative sessions with big wins and some challenges, state equality leaders and the Equality Federation are looking forward to three days of strategy, reflection and fun which will spur all of us to return to our communities and continue the struggle next year.”

Chris Hartman, Executive Director of the Louisville Fairness Campaign, says “We are extremely excited to host the Equality Federation’s Leadership Conference during this landmark year for Louisville, celebrating 20 years of Kentucky’s first LGBTQinclusive Fairness Ordinance. In partnership with Louisville Tourism and Mayor Greg Fischer’s office, the Fairness Campaign continues to seek new ways we can showcase our city’s LGBTQ inclusiveness and perfect 100 rating from the Equality Federation and Human Rights Campaign’s Municipal

Equality Index. Hosting state and national LGBTQ movement leaders for this important conference is another concrete example of Louisville’s commitment to the LGBTQ community and fairness for all.”

Since 1968, Louisville Tourism’s primary goal has been to enhance the area’s economy through tourism development –to promote and sell Louisville as a worldclass destination. Tourism is the third largest industry in Louisville generating an estimated economic impact of $3.5 billion

which supports over 27,000 local tourism-related jobs. Guests are coming from around the globe to attend a meeting, convention, special event, as a leisure guest or a combination. More than 16.4 million visitors are experiencing Louisville’s authenticity, bourbon and culinary scenes and our unique brand of Southerness.

Courtesy of the Equality Federation, the Fairness Campaign and Louisville Tourism

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Brits to honor Alan Turing on new £50 banknote

by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer

The British government announced on July 15 that it will honor Gay computer pioneer Alan Turing on its new £50 banknote.

“Alan Turing was an outstanding mathematician whose work has had an enormous impact on how we live today,” said Bank of England governor Mark Carney.

“As the father of computer science and artificial intelligence, as well as a war hero, Alan Turing’s contributions were far-ranging and path-breaking. Turing is a giant on whose shoulders so many now stand.”

Turing is perhaps best known as the man who cracked the Nazi “Enigma” code during World War II, allowing the British to know secret German war plans in advance.

His work on the Enigma code also helped develop the concept of the algorithm – the set of instructions used to perform computations – that form the basis of our relationship with modern computers.

Turing was also a pioneer in the field of artificial intelligence. One of his bestknown achievements in this field is the Turing Test, which aims to measure whether a machine is “intelligent.”

Unfortunately for Turing, he was also a Gay man in an era when same-sex relations were criminal offenses in British law.

In 1952, while police were investigating a burglary at Turing’s home, they discov-

ASYLUM

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puts asylum-seekers in danger by requiring them to remain in border towns where they are vulnerable to discrimination, persecution, crime, and human trafficking. This rule has already proven to be detrimental to asylum-seekers and has resulted in multiple crimes, assaults, and deaths.

The new rule is especially harmful to the LGBTQ+ community. The discrimination, persecution, torture, and murder of the LGBTQ+ community in Central America is a well-documented crisis. In the past, LGBTQ+ caravans have formed to travel to the United States together, seek refuge, and protect themselves from en-route harassment and abuse. By requiring them to seek asylum in other Latin American countries, which are equally discriminatory toward the LGBTQ+ community, the United States is placing the community in direct danger and harm. The US Department of State’s 2018 Mexico Human Rights Report highlights the dangers that the LGBTQ+ community faces. The report references generalized crimes against migrants and highlights violence targeting LGBTQ+ persons, specifically Central Americans:

“A November 2017 Amnesty International report highlighted the dangers of Central American [LGBTQ+] migrants faced in Mexico. Citing UNHCR data, the report stated two-thirds of [LGBTQ+] migrants from El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras who applied for refugee status reported having been victims of sexual violence in Mexico.”

Similarly, the Human Rights Report for Guatemala references discrimination, the violence of LGBTQ+ people especially those with HIV/AIDS and transgender individuals:

“HIV/AIDS patients experienced discrimination from medical personnel when receiving services at some public hospitals and clinics and had their right to confidentiality violated by disclosure of their status. Discrimination against [LGBTQ+] persons with HIV/AIDS was particularly common and affected access to HIV-prevention programs, especially for transgender individuals.”

Signing a “safe third country” agreement with Mexico and Guatemala would

ered that Turing was involved in a relationship with another man. Both Turing and his boyfriend were charged with “gross indecency,” a felony under British law at the time.

Turing was convicted and given a choice of serving prison time or enduring chemical castration. He opted to take female hormones, which rendered him impotent and caused him to develop mammary tissue.

Soon after taking the chemical treat-

be a death sentence for members of the LGBTQ+ [community], because both countries are equally dangerous for the LGBTQ+ community. Obtaining asylum from either country would be a fallacy, because both countries have a well-documented history of discrimination, violence, and murder of the LBTQ+ community, persons with HIV/AIDS, and transgender individuals.

Prior to the “Remain in Mexico” policy, individuals entered the US and were held at immigration detention centers. Once there, they could apply for bond or parole, which would allow them to continue to fight their asylum case outside of detention. Nonprofits around the country coordinated to provide legal services to this vulnerable population.

Over the past four months, Entre Hermanos has taken 12 asylum cases of Central American LGBTQ+ individuals from the border. After being detained for several months, our clients have been released and welcomed into a loving and supportive home and community. Entre Hermanos is part of a network that has bound together to help asylum-seekers get on their feet while they continue to fight their cases. If this policy were to go into effect, it would dramatically affect the ability of nonprofits to provide service to asylum-seekers.

We denounce this policy as it places our community in danger and is an inevitable death sentence for people who would otherwise have strong and valid asylum claims. This rule is scheduled to be published in the Federal Registry on Tuesday and would go into effect immediately. Entre Hermanos will continue to work with other organizations to oppose this unlawful policy, which is contradictory to the US’s international obligations and due process.

La administración de Trump intenta Terminar con las protecciones de asilo para Centroamericanos

SEATTLE (18 de julio 2019) – El lunes, el gobierno de Trump anunció sus últimos esfuerzos para poner fin a las protecciones de asilo para los migrantes centroamericanos. La nueva regla requeriría que los solicitantes de asilo busquen asilo en los países que atraviesan (particularmente, México y Guatemala) antes de llegar a los Estados Unidos. Esta política amplía la ya exis-

ment, Turing was found dead of cyanide poisoning. Most historians think he committed suicide because he couldn’t deal with the effects of chemical castration, but some believe he was murdered by British agents who feared that he would be approached by Soviet spies.

Turing has received a posthumous pardon that wiped out the previous criminal conviction.

Former Member of Parliament and

tente política “Permanecer en México” que requiere que los migrantes vivan en México mientras esperan su audiencia de asilo. Esta política que está dirigida a detener la migración de “migrantes económicos”, pone a los solicitantes de asilo en peligro al obligarlos a permanecer en ciudades fronterizas donde son vulnerables a la discriminación, la persecución, el crimen y la trata de personas. Esta regla ya ha demostrado ser perjudicial para los solicitantes de asilo y ha resultado en múltiples crímenes, agresiones y muertes.

La nueva regla es especialmente dañina para la comunidad LGBTQ+. La discriminación, persecución, tortura y asesinato de la comunidad LGBTQ+ en Centroamérica es una crisis bien documentada. En el pasado, las caravanas LGBTQ+ se formaron para viajar juntas a los Estados Unidos, buscar refugio y protegerse del acoso y abuso en ruta. Al exigirles que busquen asilo en otros países latinoamericanos que son igualmente discriminatorios para la comunidad LGBTQ+, los Estados Unidos ponen a la comunidad en peligro y daño directo. El Informe del Departamento de Estado de los Estados Unidos sobre los Derechos Humanos en México 2018, destaca los peligros que enfrenta la comunidad LGBTQ+. El informe hace referencia a los delitos generalizados contra los migrantes y destaca la violencia contra personas LGBTQ+, específicamente los centroamericanos:

“Un informe de Amnistía Internacional de noviembre de 2017 destacó los peligros que enfrentan los migrantes [LGBTQ+] centroamericanos en México. Citando datos del ACNUR, el informe señala que dos tercios de los migrantes [LGBTQ+] de El Salvador, Guatemala y Honduras que solicitaron el estatus de refugiado informaron haber sido víctimas de violencia sexual en México.”

De manera similar, el Informe de derechos humanos para Guatemala hace referencia a la discriminación, la violencia de las personas LGBTQ+, especialmente las personas con VIH/SIDA y las personas transgéneras.

“Los pacientes con VIH/SIDA sufrieron discriminación por parte del personal médico al recibir servicios en algunos hospitales públicos y clínicas y se violaron sus derechos de confidencialidad al revelar su estado. La discriminación contra las per-

LGBT rights activist John Leech, who campaigned for Turing’s pardon, celebrated the gesture of honoring Turing.

“This is a fitting and welcome tribute to a true Manchester hero,” Leech said.

“But more importantly I hope it will serve as a stark and rightfully painful reminder of what we lost in Turing, and what we risk when we allow that kind of hateful ideology to win.”

sonas [LGBTQ +] con VIH/SIDA es particularmente común y afecta el acceso a los programas de prevención del VIH, especialmente para las personas transgénero.”

Firmar un acuerdo de “tercer país seguro” con México y Guatemala sería una sentencia de muerte para los miembros de LGBTQ+ porque ambos países son igualmente peligrosos para la comunidad LGBTQ+. Obtener asilo de cualquiera de los dos países sería una falacia porque ambos países tienen un historial bien documentado de discriminación, violencia y asesinato de la comunidad LBTQ +, las personas con VIH/SIDA y las personas transgéneras.

Antes de la política de “Permanecer en México”, los individuos ingresaron a los EE. UU. y eran retenidos en centros de detención de inmigrantes. Una vez allí, podrían solicitar una fianza o libertad condicional que les permitiría continuar luchando contra su caso de asilo fuera de la detención. Organizaciones sin fines de lucro en todo el país se coordinaban para brindar servicios legales a esta población vulnerable.

Durante los últimos cuatro meses, Entre Hermanos ha tomado 12 casos de asilo de personas LGBTQ+ centroamericanas de la frontera. Después de ser detenidos por varios meses, nuestros clientes han sido liberados y recibidos en un hogar y comunidad amorosa y solidaria. Entre Hermanos es parte de una red que se ha unido para ayudar a los solicitantes de asilo a superarse mientras continúan luchando contra sus casos. Si esta política entrara en vigor, afectaría dramáticamente la capacidad de las organizaciones sin fines de lucro para brindar servicios a los solicitantes de asilo. Denunciamos esta política ya que pone a nuestra comunidad en peligro y es una sentencia de muerte inevitable para las personas que de otro modo tendrían solicitudes de asilo sólidas y válidas. Esta regla está programada para ser publicada en el Registro Federal el martes y entrará en vigor de inmediato. Entre Hermanos continuará trabajando con otras organizaciones para oponerse a esta política ilegal y contraria a las obligaciones internacionales de los EEUU y el debido proceso.

Courtesy of Entre Hermanos