“NOT DEEPLY ROOTED IN THE NATION’S HISTORY AND TRADITION”
We are living in a post- Roe world
by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer
Republican governors are seeking to use federal COVID relief funds to cover state tax cuts, instead of for the intended purpose of providing relief to businesses that lost customers due to health restrictions, and state agencies overwhelmed by people seeking assistance.
Congress approved a $1.9 trillion COVID relief package in March 2021. Of that money, some $350 billion was available for distribution to states. While Congress stipulated very few restrictions on how the money could be used, but they were clear that is was never to be used to reduce state taxes.
by Lindsey Anderson SGN Contributing Writer
After over 49 years of legal precedent and numerous failed attempts to challenge and overturn it, Roe v. Wade has fallen, in a decision called Dobbs v. Jackson. see POST-ROE WORLD page 15
by Daniel Lindsley SGN Contributing Writer
A virtual reality (VR) exhibit of cosmic proportions opened at the Tacoma Armory last month. The award-winning The Infinite is an immersive look at the International Space Station (ISS), bringing visitors aboard to explore the corridors and exterior of the orbital research facility from the comfort of terra firma.
(Don’t be fooled by the advertisements; the exhibit is not in SeaTac; it’s in Tacoma proper, at the Tacoma Armory. I made the long yet comfortable trek on the 594 bus.) I’m not gonna lie. Space is pretty Gay, and they didn’t downplay that at all at this exhibit. As if nodding to the void’s vast ambivalence toward gender, the VR headsets transformed
see THE INFINITE page 5
Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee – Photo by Mark Humphrey / AP
The Infinite installation view – Photo by Melissa Taylor
The Supreme Court as composed October 27, 2020 to June 30, 2022
– Photo by Fred Schilling, Collection of the Supreme Court of the United States
Local News
Abortion rights safe in Seattle, authorities say
City, county, state promise no cooperation with out-of-state prosecutions
by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer
King County Executive Dow Constantine became the latest official in Washington state to promise that abortion rights would remain safe in their jurisdiction.
In a July 5 executive order, Constantine instructed the King County Sheriff’s Office and other executive departments not to cooperate with out-of-state prosecutors trying to track down abortion providers or patients.
Abortion is legal under Washington state law, but officials here fear that officials from other states may try to prosecute their citizens who travel to Washington to get legal abortions.
For example, in Idaho, a law going into effect this month would ban abortions except in cases of rape or incest, or to protect the life of the mother. Healthcare providers would face felony charges punishable by up to five years in prison for violations.
Constantine’s order cites a “moral and policy imperative not to assist states” who might seek to prosecute people seeking abortions, and to prevent “other outside organizations and individuals seeking to infringe the rights of persons who obtain health care in King County.”
Constantine said the order sends “a message that we will not allow these backward, dangerous, and spiteful policies to further degrade people’s privacy and liberty.”
“Access to reproductive health care is a right in King County and Washington State and the King County Sheriff’s Office will work to uphold access to that right in line with our laws and this new order,” King County Sheriff Patti Cole-Tindall said.
The King County Council has also approved $500,000 in emergency funding for the Northwest Abortion Access Fund to provide abortion care, travel, and lodg-
ing expenses for people traveling to King County from other states seeking abortions.
Gov. Jay Inslee issued a similar order to state authorities. In a June 25 speech, the governor said he would instruct the Washington State Patrol not to cooperate with law enforcement officials from other states who may seek to prosecute violations of their states’ abortion laws as people travel to Washington seeking abortions.
Inslee also said he would support legislation to make that a statewide policy, binding other Washington law enforcement agencies to the same prohibition. He also promised to work with the state legislature to increase health care resources, starting with $1 million, to deal with an expected increase in people coming to the state for abortion care.
Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell promised that the Seattle Police Department will not help enforce abortion laws in other states in a June 27 press conference. Harrell also committed $250,000 of city funding for the Northwest Abortion Access Fund.
“The city of Seattle will not engage in punitive and reactionary efforts to enforce this aggressive assault on our constituents’ bodies,” Harrell said. “The Seattle Police Department... will not participate in enforcing the criminal laws of other states that are inconsistent with Washington laws and, most importantly, our values.”
Seattle City Councilmember Kshama Sawant has introduced legislation to make Seattle an “abortion rights sanctuary.” If passed, the legislation would prevent Seattle police from arresting patients, doctors, or other care providers for warrants related to anti-abortion laws in other states.
Sawant also promised to bring budget legislation to make abortion free in Seattle for people traveling from states with antiabortion laws, as well as for Seattle residents.
Local activists rescue dogs from international meat trade
by Daniel Lindsley SGN Contributing Writer
The year is 2022, and in some parts of the world, people are still eating dogs. Some might argue that the act alone is barbaric; dogs, they might say, hold a special place in relation to humans. Others — whether vegetarians, vegans, or omnivores — might roll their eyes at the idea of canine exceptionalism, and ask why dogs are more deserving of our empathy than cows, chickens, or other animals.
Most can probably agree, though, that unnecessary suffering isn’t a good thing for any animal. Yet the production and sale of dog meat persists in parts of Asia, even in the face of laws and regulations that ban the practice, and in ways that go beyond inhumane.
Humane Society International (HSI) estimates that 30 million dogs are killed for their meat across Asia each year, and HSI volunteers have harrowing stories of what that looks like. They tell of dogs packed onto trucks, visibly diseased, injured, and malnourished, and of slaughters by electrocution, beating, hanging, or boiling. If the dogs aren’t born into the meat trade, they might be taken off the street, or even stolen from homes, according to accounts.
Readers hearing about this for the first time might wonder why the practice continues. For answers, I reached out to SēN Rescue Sanctuary, a nonprofit based in Elma, Wash., that works with HSI and two other rescue groups to save dogs from slaughter in South Korea.
SēN founder Sally Newberry said of dog farms, “I don’t care that they eat [the dogs]. I care that [the dogs] are tortured. They think more the dog is tortured, the more hormones will be in the meat.”
In some folk medicine traditions, Newberry went on, eating the hormone-rich meat is supposed to be good for men’s libido, and help people stay cool in hot weather. “But studies have shown that that isn’t true at all.”
Newberry’s tone was matter-of-fact. Her parents ran their own rescue nonprofit when she was growing up, so sordid details like these have been a part of her reality since she
was a child. In the nine years she has kept SēN running, she has rescued, rehabilitated, and rehomed over 900 dogs from the dogmeat trade in South Korea.
That is a staggering number considering the preparations needed. SēN usually transports one dog at a time. Rescues are rehabilitated, vaccinated, and treated for injuries, which can involve surgery. Then they need to be transported to the US, cleared with customs, and handed off to their new owners.
“I’ve had some people wait months before they see their dog,” Newberry said.
But every step is important; these rescues aren’t just strays from the pound; they’re dogs with a past of unspeakable abuse and neglect.
SēN stays open seven days a week to answer calls from rescuers about how to treat a dog with such a background. Carlos Jimenez is one such rescuer. He visited Seattle during this year’s Pride weekend to pick up a SēN rescue and add it to his and his wife Anela’s pack. Jimenez has adopted from a few organizations, and he seemed to favor SēN’s practices the most.
One rescue he worked with transported dogs “like livestock,” Jimenez said, with the crates stacked on top of each other in trucks.
“And I’ve driven livestock before. Not even cows are treated that bad.”
The same nonprofit allegedly charged Jimenez and his wife $6,000, almost twice as much as the original fee, and a little under
12 times what SēN charges. So for adopters, it’s worth it to carefully consider one’s choice of nonprofit, since not all of them operate with the same care.
On a lighter note, the practice of eating dog meat has greatly diminished in many Asian countries over the last decade alone. In countries where the sale of dog meat isn’t already illegal, campaigns and proposals are rising to change that.
“There are so many of these meat farms. That won’t change overnight,” Newberry said, but she was hopeful about the future.
“Younger generations can make the biggest difference.”
Photo courtesy of SēN Rescue Sanctuary
Photo courtesy of Washington State Office of the Governor
Food
You are what you eat: Gay foods and drinks and where to get ’em
by Mikey Rox Special to the SGN
Looking for more ways to support your Queer community post-Pride? Pack your pantries with these swishy snacks and swills created by and for LGBTQ+ friends, family, and foodies.
Peppery Love hot sauces
If sampling locally made foodstuffs is your weekend (bacon) jam, pay a visit to Brentwood, Maryland’s miXt Food Hall, home to lesbian-owned Relish Market, to stock up on proprietor Stephanie Freeman’s signature Peppery Love hot sauces, like Stinger, a tart-and-spicy blend of citrus and ginger to tingle your tastebuds. Turn your mouth-burner down with one of Relish’s handcrafted bottled teas; flavors include hibiscus, lavender-Thai basil, and honey mint. RelishMarket.com
SunDaze fermented cocktails
Keep the basic-bitch hard seltzers on ice this hot-boy summer and crack open SunDaze canned fermented cocktails, a trio of ready-to-drink, 6% ABV Valencia orange juice blends that contain a healthy dose of vitamin C plus antioxidants and probiotics in classic, botanical, and spicy varieties. DrinkSunDaze.com
Dicky Waffles
Kinky’s Dessert Bar, New York City’s first (extremely) adult bakery, has a noprudes policy when it comes to its XXXrated confections, like blush-worthy Dicky Waffles, crisp phallic-shaped cakes filled with an array of homemade creams and finished off with finger-licking glazes. Anatomically correct Va-JayJay versions also are available, along with “Fuck Me” graphic cookies and cupcakes with pierced nipple toppings. Might need a Marlboro after scarfing these down! KinkysDessertBar.com
Reinberger Nut Butters
Some products naturally lean into a Gay-ish aesthetic, like Reinberger’s Nut Butters, created by namesake co-founders Luke Rein, who identifies as Bisexual, and Joseph Berger — a team of Olympictrained rowers who sought to fill a hole (in the spreadable nut market) for a plant-based source of vital nutrients and energy-providing protein. Our favorite? Traveler’s Treat, a trail mix/peanut butter hybrid packed with bits of raisin, banana, and coconut. ReinbergerNB.com
Everything Rainbow Spice
Being LGBTQ+ is just like being straight — except fun to be around. That’s the idea behind Curio Spice Co.’s Everything Rainbow Spice; it’s the everything seasoning you
know and love, but zhuzhed up with sass and pizazz. There’s sumac for tartness, maras chile flakes for umami heat, turmeric for earthiness, and blue cornflower for a floral, honeyed touch. In Gay man’s terms, it’s like you cut open a rainbow bagel and a purse fell out. CurioSpice.com
Future Gin
Longtime friends (and proud Queer women) Amy Atwood, Mary Bartlett, Freya Estreller, and Natasha Case turned the distilling game on its head with Future Gin, their version of the classic spirit with a California twist. Meyer lemon, honeysuckle, and grape leaf — from the ladies’ Golden State gardens, to be sure — are distilled alongside traditional botanicals to produce a gin that’s altogether characteristic and beachy bright. We’ll tink to that. FutureGin.com
KEHO snack bites
Tearing the grocery aisle apart for meatless keto options? Tekla Back answers your prayers with her savory KEHO snacks made with dehydrated plants and spices in globe-spanning flavors like Thai Me Over, Curry in a Hurry, Pizza to Go, and Tex-Mex Moment. Coincidentally, Back is having a moment of her own: Rolling Stone magazine recently featured her in the article, “13 Lesbian and Queer Women-Owned Brands to Support During Pride (and All Year Long).” KEHO.life
Cool Cat wine spritzers
We’re not saying your Queer counterparts are trying to get you drunk and take you home (with consent, of course), but it’s not not what we’re saying, what with the abundance of LGBTQ-created alcohol options on this list, like Cool Cat wine spritzers from founder Rocco Venneri. Named Best Spritzer of 2021 by Liquor. com, this frosty pussy squad is available in original (elderflower-mint-lime), citrus, berry, and grapefruit. DrinkCoolCat.com
Maxine’s Heavenly cookies
Packed with oats and “sweetened by nature,” Maxine’s Heavenly homemadestyle cookies — the half-baked brainchild of a predominantly LGBTQ-led team — replace refined sugar with a coconut substitute and dates for a naturally low-glycemic treat at only three to eight grams of sugar per serving. Ten out of 10, highly recommend the brand’s chocolate chip and Cinnamon Speculoos Crunch crispy bundles. All the gluttony without much guilt. MaxinesHeavenly.com
Mikey Rox is an award-winning journalist and LGBT lifestyle expert whose work has been published in more than a hundred outlets across the world. Connect with Mikey on Instagram @mikeyroxtravels.
