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Celebrating 41 Years! Issue 24 Volume 43

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Seattle Gay News SEATTLE’S LGBT NEWS & ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY

Our Queer Neighborhood HRC is a “white men’s March planned for club” report says Group admits to problems, promises to change Saturday by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer

by Shaun Knittel SGN Associate Editor A group of individuals, not representing any particular nonprofit business or club, have planned a march and rally against violence towards LGBTQ people called OUR QUEER NEIGHBORHOOD, for Saturday at 10 p.m. - midnight. Organizers say that the march will begin at 10 p.m., with people arriving at Bobby Morris Playfield (astroturf) in Cal Anderson Park at 9:30 p.m. to begin rallying. At 10 p.m. the march will move through the Pike/ Pine back to SCC ending with a rally and

vigil around 11:30 p.m. The march will then make a broader circle from the Pike/Pine Corridor to Olive and Broadway. “The goal is to make our presence known throughout Capitol Hill and stay present on the hill throughout the entirety of Saturday night,” said organizers on the event page created on Facebook for the event at https://www.facebook.com/ events/1605558749710445/. “Our goal is to have a large force marching on the hill and getting the message out: NOT ONE MORE!” Victim of violence – that is the “one see queer march page 10

According to the report, “Leadership culture is experienced as homogeneous – gay, white, male. Exclusion was broad-based HRC has been branded a “white men’s and hit all identity groups within HRC. “A judgmental working environment, club” by a fact-finding report that the group particularly concerning women and femitself commissioned. inine-identified In a four-page individuals, was public response, highlighted in HRC admitted it survey responses. had serious internal problems, “Trans* people but promised to are frequently change. misgendered The report, with the wrong commissioned by pronouns, after HRC after bitter repeated correccomplaints by the tions. Straight group’s staff, was women and lesbased on focus bians get sexist groups and intertreatment from views with HRC gay men at HRC. staffers conducted by outside consul“Younger staff in particular are exploited tants The Pipeline Project. It was prepared last fall, released to HRC and not rewarded financially. “Seven out of 31 men who have been proearly this year, leaked to BuzzFeed News, and made public on June 2. HRC issued its response on June 3. see hrc page 20

Arkansas must Serving Our Youth 2015: recognize 500 same-sex The Needs and Experiences marriages, judge says New study on problems of LGBTQ youth:

of LGBTQ Youth Experiencing Homelessness

Pulaski County Circuit Judge Wendell Griffen – www.katv.com

by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer

True Colors Fund. The study, titled “Serving Our Youth An Arkansas state judge has ruled that 2015: The Needs and Experiences of LG- more than 500 Gay and Lesbian couples Homeless LGBTQ youth face many of BTQ Youth Experiencing Homelessness,” were legally married in the state and state ofthe same problems that straight homeless reviewed responses from providers of ficials must recognize the marriages. youth face, only more so according to a new The couples were married in Arkanstudy released by the Williams Institute and sas between May 9, 2014, when Arkansas see new study page 20

Circuit Judge Chris Piazza struck down the state’s ban on same-sex marriages, and May 15, 2014, when the judge’s ruling was stayed pending a decision by the Arkansas Supreme Court. Pulaski County Circuit Judge Wendell Griffen ruled on June 9 that marriage licenses issued to more than 500 same-sex couples see arkansas page 11

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Celebrating 41 Years!

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Seattle Gay News 3

Grindr a horrible app plagued with bots Dear Editor: “So, last August when I got a $100 iTunes card for paying full price for a new phone after my old one was stolen, I used $60 of that to purchase a yearlong subscription to Grindr Plus so that I can use search filters and block as many people as I want. Recently, there has been a flood of fake profiles obviously operated by brain-dead pieces of shit who are phishing for phone numbers. I’ve been diligently reporting each phisher to Grindr (not that they’re paying me to do so), but apparently one of them made it past

my keen skills of perception and got my number and has sold it to some company that calls itself SSI and says that it’s from Ogden, Utah, and says that they do surveys. Surveys, my ass! I have since blocked their number, which is (385) 207-7137, and threatened to report them to the Attorney General of California. However, I know that won’t slow them down one bit, as a simple Google search for their number brought up a whole website devoted to complaints about them. I honestly don’t give a fuck about whatever stupid fucking, illegal scam they’re trying to pull on unsuspecting victims. But I do have a serious beef with how Grindr handles the complaints when they are raised by paying customers about how lousy their app is at sorting out the phish-

ing scams from real profiles. They basically just told me that it’s my responsibility to report suspicious activity to them when I see it, which I already do. But lately I’m reporting dozens of fakes a day to them and I ask, what the fuck am I paying them for if I have to do this? Seriously, what a piece of shit app! I frankly don’t understand why on earth anyone would pay to use it and I’m never doing it again. They should be paying ME for all the work I’m putting in reporting fakes to them. What a bunch of idiots!” Fed up with Grindr, Jeromy Carpenter

SOSea to spread some PRIDE at Picnic on Saturday by Shaun Knittel SGN Associate Editor

June is LGBTQ Pride month and at Social Outreach Seattle (SOSea) we believe that means it is Pride month for all of us – and that includes LGBTQ homeless teens and Allies. Last year, SOSea’s Volunteer Coordinator Eileen O’Brien founded a news program called FROM THE HEART. The program is our homeless outreach program and, in particular, homeless LGBTQ teens are at the most in need. You and I, we, can help so we do just that. The cause is worthy. The 40% homeless LGBTQ youth need us and we need your help to make a greater impact. Currently SOSea’s FROM THE HEART PROGRAM is accepting items for our annual summer Pride outreach to LGBTQ teens. On Saturday, SOSea will table at the annual Seattle Pride Picnic in Volunteer Park from 11 a.m. - 4 p.m. Homeless youth, or low income youth are encouraged to find

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our table (it is clearly marked with giant banners) and we gift them (1) Pride Swag bag that includes Pride gear like a rainbow Pride flag, beads, and more, as well as a sack lunch, bottled water, and a personal hygiene pack. We give away 100 of these each summer. Please consider donating to the cause. SOSea holds donation drives twice, per year. Once in June for Pride and then in December for Christmas. Here is a list of supplies being collected at this time: Drawstring backpacks, sanitary items (travel size) hand sanitizer, wipes, travel size first aid kit, toiletries (travel size), shampoo, conditioner, deodorant, toothpaste, floss, toothbrush, mouth wash, soap, Q -Tips, hair brush, comb, chap stick, sun screen, first aid kit (travel size), water bottle, lotion, hand warmers, foot warmers, socks, gloves, underwear; boxers for boys (including plus size), underwear for girls (including plus sizes), blankets, sleeping bag, gift cards, Orca bus pass cards, and more. We are also accepting gently worn or

new summer or warm weather clothing (shorts, T-shirt, etc.). These items do not have to be all the same brand, i.e., Pantene shampoo, Herbal Essence etc. Soap is soap. If you don’t have the time to get these items, we can pick up the items from you or we can go get the items from money you donate. If you are a business, organization, club, and you want to be involved, send us your logo and contact information and we will give the proper credit to those who have helped; as well as a donation receipt. The week of Pride, SOSea will donate items to Lambert House, YouthCare, and more. To set up a donation time or to have questions answered send us email at SocialOutreachSeattle@gmail.com and to donate cash, which is greatly needed to keep this program impactful, please go to www. SocialOutreachSeattle.com and select the DONATE tab and follow the prompts to a safe and secure donation! Any amount helps. Happy Pride!

Celebrating 41 Years!

The solution to homelessness?

One Transgender leader’s idea on how we can afford to help 4,000 people not to have to sleep on the streets of King County by Douglas Hamilton Special to the SGN Lonness Valenna is the Vice-Chair of G.A.S.S, the Gender Alliance of the South Sound. As a self-styled Fairy Godmother, Lonness can be seen on the sidewalk wearing fairy wings and roller skates, lending her time to homeless people she meets there. She knows firsthand what it is to be Transgender and homelessness, and has researched possible solutions to this huge problem ever since she started out homeless in Seattle and Tacoma. “That would be four years,” she says during our phone interview. She has dedicated herself to rescuing as many Transgender people from the street as she personally can. “In the short term, I’ve actually made mini co-ops, which are the Trans houses. There was Amy’s Outhouse, and the Candy House, which I’m currently running now. But for the long run, I have an idea.” She has searched and researched affordable shelters for homeless Transpeople as an advocate. “I’ve done this mainly because I’ve been homeless for a good part of my life, four to five years, seven if you really count it. And I was seeing a lot of that in the Transgender community mainly, but especially with the female identified. I just figured there has to be some other way than being homeless. I just didn’t want anybody going through the same trials and tribulations as I did.” One-in-five Transgender people report having been homeless at least once in their lifetime, and often the gender binary system set up by our homeless services fail to adequately address Trans people’s needs for safety and cultural sensitivity. What is Lonness’s solution? “Mobile Transgender shelters made from refurbished city transit buses that are actually coming up for auction,” says Lonness. “I’ve tried to look at the options and possibilities of getting an actual physical home and shelter built, but the financial constraints that are within our community don’t really allow that. And with people here, there and everywhere, we need something that can be moved. And I just figure the Mobile Emergency Shelters are going to be our best option.” Homelessness is such a multi-faceted challenge when one truly considers all the aspects of its causes, and effects on the homeless and the community. I once naively believed homelessness could be “solved” by single simple solutions, only to realize what might be a solution only addressed one piece of the puzzle of homelessness. Even if our society were to afford shelter beds for each and every homeless person who arrived on our streets, we still would not have solved the “problem of homelessness.” The problem is larger – people still do not have homes. And it doesn’t address how they came to be homeless in the first place. But isn’t getting these people off the street for the night ONE VERY IMPORTANT aspect of addressing homelessness? “So this is only step one in a multi-step process.” Lonness adds. “We can bring them to the parking lots of different churches or organizations that are there to help out. In the night, they can stay at these, and in the day we close up the mobile emergency shelter and move it back to its storage space. During the day, they could use the facilities at Elizabeth Gregory House or PSKS (Peace for the Streets by Kids from the Streets) for services to help get them out of homeless-

ness. This is only a temporary solution, or years old. a quick solution. The long term solution is MOBILE EMERGENCY SHELTERS ultimately we need a full physical shelter for MES (pronounced mees, so we can have what we are trying to accomplish,” Lonness mini-me’s later on) are buses outfitted as explains. A small non-profit organization such as mass transit by day, sleeping cars by night. According to G.A.S.S faces huge Wikipedia, “The obstacles in implesleeping car or menting this solusleeper is a railtion. “In our comway passenger car munity it is very that can accomhard to get jobs, modate all its pashard to get any fisengers in beds of nancial structure one kind or anjust for how we other, primarily are. Just because of for the purpose of the bigotry that we making nighttime go through, and travel more restdiscrimination. ful. The first such And that’s not just cars saw sporadic the Trans commuuse on American nity, it is with most railroads in the of the communiLonness – courtesy of G.A.S.S. 1830s; they could ties of diversity I’ve be configured for coach seating during the seen. So, once we get past that barrier, then day. ” there is the barrier of where to put someNotice how seating for 3 or 4 flips up to thing, with the community here in this city become triple bunk-beds? Now, imagine for undergoing this horrible gentrification. It is a moment that Sound Transit and Metro’s really limiting the options.” Even if a non-profit were to have the buses were outfitted to these interior specifunds to purchase a bus, and volunteers to fications. An added feature could be a secudrive it, there is still the matter of insurance. rity mesh privacy curtain for each bunk. “B-b-b-but no!” I can imagine the nayA bus can only be insured as a bus, which means that if it has bedding, it is technically sayers nay saying. That would be too expenan RV, and RV’s have maximum occupancy sive. Bawhahaha. Would it now? Let’s rough limits, beyond which they cannot be in- out a few budget estimates on how much it would cost to specify this seating configurasured. “We thought, if we’re going to get buses, tion for Metro. Budget item: The cost of this type of inlet’s insure them as buses. Unfortunately, if people are staying in them, if you build beds terior for a bus – minus the cost of regular inside of them, it is no longer considered a seating. Let’s say it will cost $50,000 per bus bus, and thus cannot be insured. And then (which seems high) to make it a sleeping car you have to go through all the liability, fire and that each bus will sleep 20 at maximum safety, and you have to have everything else capacity. If our goal is to provide safe places in it, and you are paying almost as much in- to sleep for 4,000 people (rounding up from what it was during our last one-night count, surance as a home.” “So what we have to do, at least with the during which the after-interviews identified model that I’m going with, is that you can 21% of the homeless respondents identified transport it, but nobody can stay in it while as LGBTQI), then King County would need it is being transported. So there’s no other to either order or retrofit 200 buses to be sleeping cars. The passengers. And the cost of 200 buses bedding and everymade into sleepthing would have ing cars would be to be transported a one-time investseparately, like in a ment of $10 miltrailer.” This seems lion. an awful lot of ef“But wait, what fort just to jump about the cost of over some red tape. the bus driver?” Obviously, there It is true that the should be an explan entails addemption expressly ing 4 hours to a for the purpose of route, so it can run this type of vehicle 24 hours a day.vSo which the State Leglet’s do some more islature should pass math, and say that as soon as possible, Sleeper car – courtesy of G.A.S.S. will cost an addior perhaps an insurance company could write a custom policy? tional $50,000 per year per bus for staffing I’ll just pretend you silently nodded your if we kept them running around the clock. noggin’ in agreement. Seven years into the And of course, if you wanted to shave off 10-year-plan-to-end-homelessness, there bus driver fees, you could park the bus in is still time to bring the One Night Count a parking lot near port-a-potties and a few down to zero, which the solution proposed security guards. Call it the field of dreams. So an additional $10 million per year for by Lonness does economically, and securely. A solution to ending camping on the all 200 routes in labor costs. Where would sidewalk that even NIMBY’s and Republi- this money come from? Let’s consider the cans would love. Can you imagine what this proposed $18 billion levy for Sound Tranplan could look like if it were fully ramped sit transportation. What percent of $18 bilup and didn’t have to worry about this ri- lion is $10 million? Answer is .055%. That’s diculous insurance rule? Are you ready for right, just over one-half of one percent of a blue print? Here it is. It is actually over 170 Sound Transit’s proposed new transporta-

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tion budget. Mayor Murray just dedicated $2 million of the City of Seattle’s budget to addressing shelter for homeless. That’s almost a quarter of the funding right there. The fact is the City of Seattle alone spends $40 million per year on emergency shelter and homeless services. (Thank you, Seattle!) Zoe Omega first met Lonness at a meeting of the Gender Justice League to plan Seattle’s Trans Pride 2013. “I think her idea is feasible. It is a quicker solution than a lot of other bureaucratic solutions and it is something we need,” Zoe commented when asked about the idea for MES. Zoe is one of the founding members of ECHO (Equality Coalition for Housing and Opportunity), which is organizing an event at Seattle City Hall on July 15 entitled “Trans Homeless: Stories and Statistics.” (See details below.) Lonness will be one of the featured speakers at this free event open to the public. “We determined that homelessness is one of the leading issues in the LGBTQI community, and especially Trans homelessness. That’s – which is why we chose to focus specifically on Trans homelessness,” Zoe said. So there you have it. The proposed solution, from our Fairy Godmother, to getting sleeping people off our sidewalks. Will the pumpkin turn into a coach? Somewhere in the rules and regulations, there’s room for a starter fleet of these types of buses. Meanwhile, the concept is already a reality in Delhi where buses have been converted to shelters. And in Sacramento, California, bus route 22, known as “Hotel 22” runs 24 hours and has become an unofficial shelter each night. So this approach is being shown to be feasible in other communities. Hopefully, word will get out to our elected officials and the idea will catch on here in King County and beyond. “Trans Homeless: Stories and Statistics” – July 15, 6:30 p.m., at Seattle City Hall (5th Ave. & Cherry St.) For a person transitioning between genders, life can be challenging enough. Can you imagine what it is like to be in transition and homeless at the same time? Onein-five Transgender individuals have reported being homeless at least once in their life. We hope you will be with us for this first of-its-kind event at Seattle City Hall where you will hear personal stories from diverse Seattle and South Sound homelessness or formerly homeless Transgender individuals. Help us spread the word about this free event emceed by Yani with special guest speakers: Seattle LGBT Commissioner, Mitch Hunter; LGBTQ Allyship Director, Debbie Carlsen; Ingersoll Gender Center Director, Marsha Botzer; Gender Justice League Director, Danni Askini; Gender Alliance of South Sound Vice-Chair, Lonness Valenna; Seattle Office for Civil Rights Director, Patricia Lally; a representative for Seattle City Councilmember Bruce Harrell. Thank you for your support. Learn what LGBTQ advocates have learned while working on this issue, and find out more about a Trans Community leader’s proposed solution of emergency shelter designed for universal access.

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Celebrating 41 Years!

Compiled by Rick McKinnon SGN Staff Writer FRIDAY, JUNE 12 Out & Equal Northwest Regional Summit Drawing participants from San Francisco to Vancouver, BC the Northwest Regional Summit will bring together hundreds of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender (LGBT) professionals and straight allies to share innovative strategies to enhance workplace inclusion, visibility, and diversity. Attendees will participate in workshops and hear from business leaders who pioneered welcoming workplaces for diverse professionals. 8:30 a.m.-6:00 p.m. Renaissance Seattle Hotel (515 Madison St.). Registration: $195 – http://www.outandequalseattle.org/ FRIDAY, JUNE 12 Seattle U Lavender Graduation The Office of Multicultural Affairs is honored to celebrate the accomplishments of the LGBTQ and ally community at Seattle U. All LGBTQ+ undergraduate, graduate, and law students, as well as faculty, staff and alumni, are encouraged to attend this memorable event from 2-4 p.m., in Casey Commons (5th Floor of Casey Building). Appetizers and refreshments will be served. Pre-registration requested to accommodate space, food and resources: 206-296-6374; SA-heltonb@seattleu.edu. FRIDAY, JUNE 12 The Seattle Boylesque Festival Main Event Hosted by RuPaul Drag Race favorite BenDeLaCreme, the festival features two performances at The Triple Door (216 Union St.) this evening featuring a stellar line up of international, national and local superstars, including Mr. Gorgeous (NYC), Waxie Moon (Seattle), Lou Henry Hoover (Seattle), Tito Bonito (Los Angeles), Russell Bruner (Portland), Eddie Van Glam (Seattle), Mod Carousel (Seattle), Serge Violland (France), The Luminous Pariah (Seattle), Jonny Porkpie (NYC), Trojan Original (Seattle), Paris Original (Seattle), Gilbert De Moccos (Japan), and more. Door at 5:30 p.m., show at 7 p.m. (17+); door at 10 p.m., show at 10:30 p.m. (21+). Tickets: $25 advance general admission; $40 advance VIP; $5 more at the door. www.thetripledoor. com. SATURDAY, JUNE 13 Family: An Asian/Pacific Islander LGBTQ Gathering Everyone is invited to this free all-day conference geared toward LGBTQ Asian/ Pacific Islander youth, their families and allies from 9:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. at North Seattle College (9600 College Way N.) Registration at http://apifamilyevent.com or at the door. Workshops offered for both LGBTQ youth/adults, as well as allies, will include Trans 101, Social Media/Cyberbullying, Healthy Relationships, Religion, Multiracial LGBTQ Issues, Immigration, and sessions that provide more information about PFLAG and how students can start their own Gay-Straight Alliances (or reinvigorate existing ones). Sponsored by the Japanese American Citizens League, Pride Foundation, as well as PFLAG, Tadima, API Chaya, Asian Counseling and Referral Services and more.

SATURDAY, JUNE 13 Seattle Pride Picnic Join us for the 6th Annual Seattle Pride Picnic! The Seattle Pride Picnic is a chance for family and friends to come together in one of Seattle’s iconic parks and celebrate our amazing community. All the fun begins at 11 a.m. at Volunteer Park (14th Ave. & E. Prospect St.) in Seattle’s Capitol Hill neighborhood. $1 picnic meal includes hot dog, delicious side dishes, refreshments and dessert. All proceeds benefit YouthCare. www. seattlepride.org SATURDAY, JUNE 13 Portland Pride Festival Tom McCall Waterfront Park (S.W. Naito Pkwy. and Pine St.), from noon-6 p.m. www.pridenw.org. (Also Sunday following the Pride Parade.) SATURDAY, JUNE 13 Spokane Pride Parade and Rainbow Festival www.outspokane.com SATURDAY, JUNE 13 Lifelong’s Gayest Gay Bingo EVER Are you ready for the Gayest Gay Bingo EVER? Timed perfectly to celebrate Seattle Pride, Lifelong’s titillating bingo event promises an evening where glitz, glamour and gaiety abound! Packed with a plethora of fabulous special guests, mind-blowing prizes and rainbow-radiant décor (from top to bottom), this event delivers an experience you’ll never forget! Plus proceeds benefit Lifelong, a community health organization that provides food, housing and health services to people living with chronic illnesses such as HIV/AIDS. Get ready for a HOT, HOT, HOT evening! Fabulous, cheeky, wildly popular – Lifelong created this event over 20 years ago and it sparked the craze across the nation! Gay Bingo is a community fundraiser that has become a beloved Seattle institution. This 21 and over shindig is unbridled fun, complete with ridiculous musical numbers, hilarious drag queen antics, chances to win wonderful prizes, and much more! From 5-10 p.m. at Fremont Studio (155 N. 35th St.). Tickets: $50 general admission; $69 Queen for a Day. www.llaa.org SUNDAY, JUNE 14 South Park Gay Pride Picnic The picnic returns with many familiar faces such as DJ Luis V from Neighbours nightclub’s Noche Latina, the South Park Arts Council will feature a kids art table, and the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence will be sparkly as ever! The inaugural Queen of the River amateur drag contest at 2:30 p.m. will feature drag queens, drag kings, allgender drag, everyone welcome. $50 cash 1st place prize; $25 cash 2nd & 3rd place prizes. Winners chosen by crowd applause. The event will be held from 1-4 p.m., at Duwamish Waterway Park (7900 10th Ave. S. at S. Elmgrove St.) on the river and there will be free beef hot dogs and Field Roast veggie dogs for the first 200 people, along with chips and bottled water. Please bring your own lawn chair or blanket to sit on. You are welcome to bring your own picnic lunch. For more info, contact Randy at gaypridesouthpark@hotmail.com

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SUNDAY, JUNE 14 Portland Pride Parade & Festival Parade steps off from W. Burnside St. and N.W. Park Ave. at 11 a.m. Festival at Tom McCall Waterfront Park (S.W. Naito Pkwy. and Pine St.) from noon-6 p.m. www. pridenw.org. MONDAY, JUNE 15 ACLU Community Forum – Where Freedom Stands: The State of Civil Liberties at the Supreme Court A public conversation on the Freedom to Marry, Government Surveillance, the Hobby Lobby Decision, Voting Rights, the Criminal Justice System, and much more. 7:30 p.m. at Town Hall Seattle, 1119 8th Ave. at Seneca St. $5. RSVP: ACLU-WA. org/freedom. MONDAY, JUNE 15 PBS Independent Lens Limited Partnership Limited Partnership chronicles the 40year love story between Filipino-American Richard Adams and his Australian husband, Tony Sullivan. In 1975, thanks to a courageous county clerk in Boulder, Colorado, Richard and Tony were one of the first same-sex couples to be legally married in the world. Richard immediately filed for a green card for Tony based on their marriage. Richard received a denial letter from the Immigration and Naturalization Services stating, “You have failed to establish that a bona fide marital relationship can exist between two faggots.” Outraged at the tone, tenor, and politics of the letter, and to prevent Tony’s impending deportation, the couple decided to sue the U.S. government, initiating the first federal lawsuit seeking equal treatment for a same-sex marriage in U.S. history. A film by Thomas G. Miller, Limited Partnership premieres on Independent Len, Monday, June 15, 10 p.m.-11 p.m. on PBS. During a lifetime filled with health issues, money woes, and legal challenges, Richard and Tony never wavered in their love, lost their senses of humor, or gave up their quest for justice. Their personal trajectory parallels the history of the LGBT marriage and immigration equality movements, from their 1971 meeting at an L.A. Gay bar call “The Closet,” to the 1975 signing of the marriage license in Colorado, through the era of AIDS, to the historic U.S. Supreme Court rulings on Gay marriage in June 2013. A poignant love story, Limited Partnership celebrates Richard and Tony’s long path as they redefined traditional concepts of “spouse” and “family.” WEDNESDAY, JUNE 17 GSBA Luncheon – Travel & Tourism Are LGBT specific cruises, resorts and tours still sought after vacations for the LGBT community? With changing laws and an evolving world, are members of the LGBT community shifting their vacation choices to mainstream cruises and resort areas? How has the marketing of and messaging around these types of vacations changed to reach new audiences? GSBA and Visit Seattle are pleased to welcome Judy Dlugacz, President & Founder of Olivia Travel, to discuss the state of the current LGBT specific travel movement and how her company has not only stayed relevant over the decades, but also successful

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with innovative products, partnerships and a deep understanding of the consumer. Arrive early to meet our hospitality and tourism members at the showcase and be one of the first to get your hands on the 2015-2016 GSBA Guide & Directory. Marriott Waterfront, 2100 Alaskan Way. Time: 11 a.m. - registration and showcase opens; program begins at noon. Cost: $45 members; $50 nonmembers; walk-ins $5 more at the door. www.thegsba.org or 206-3639188. WEDNESDAY, JUNE 17 Imperial Court of Seattle’s 2nd Annual Mr., Ms. and Miss Teen Pride Pageant Door at 7:30 p.m., pageant from 8:3010:30 p.m., at Neighbours Nightclub, 1509 Broadway; entrance in alley between Broadway and Harvard Ave. off E. Pike St. Hosted by the biggest supporters in the Gay youth community Drew and Jessica Paradisco. Theme: Taste the Rainbow. Pageant contestants: ages 18-20 only. Categories: Theme Wear, Talent, and Formal Wear. $7 to watch the pageant; $10 to compete in the pageant. Alcoholic drinks for 21+ served on the upper level. For more information about the event or competing in the event, contact Aaron-Kayden Bradshow at Akbradshaw12@gmail.com. THURSDAY, JUNE 18 SATURDAY, JUNE 20 Seattle Pride Comedy Series – Gena Yashere (6/18-6/20) and Heather McDonald (6/19-6/20 only) Seattle Pride and Comedy Live Seattle present Gena Yashere from “Live at the Apollo” and “Mock The Week.” Originally from the UK, Gena broke into the American comedy scene with her appearances on NBC’s “Last Comic Standing,” where she made it to the final 10. She has been seen in feature films such as Kiss Kiss Bang Bang and Mr. In Between, as well as on TV shows such as “The Tonight Show,” TBS’ “Are We There Yet,” E!’s “Chelsea Lately,” HBO’s “Def Comedy Jam,” ABC’s “Comics Unleashed.” Gina has a one hour Comedy Special on Showtime, “Skinny B*tch” and recently released her DVD “Laughing to America.” Heather McDonald (6/19-6/20 only) is a comedian, actress, story producer, and best-selling author best known for her roundtable appearances on E!’s top rated show “Chelsea Lately.” Shows on Thursday: 7:30 p.m., Friday: 7:30 p.m. & 10 p.m., Saturday: 7:30 p.m. & 10 p.m. Parlor Live Comedy Club (Seattle) (1522 6th Ave. at Pine St.). Two item minimum purchase. 21+ (18+ Thursday.) Tickets: $20/$30. 206602-1441. www.parlorlive.com. THURSDAY, JUNE 18 Divas Take the Hill 2015 – a Benefit for Seattle’s Homeless Youth At 7 p.m., 12th Avenue Arts (1620 12th Ave.) In advance of Seattle PrideFest 2015, Team Diva Real Estate and partners host their 5th annual Divas Take the Hill party. This year’s celebration continues its goal of supporting local nonprofits and small businesses by raising funds for PSKS (Peace for the Streets by Kids from the Streets), a Seattle-based 501(c)(3) serving homeless and at-risk youth and young adults. Performers include: Donna Tella Howe, Miss Kitty see events page 8

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events

continued from page 7 Baby Burlesque, Sylvia O’Stayformore, Deja Nouveau, and more! General admission: $15 advance, $20 at the door; VIP admission: $25; Student: $10. www.brownpapertickets.com/event/1597130 More information: http://teamdivarealestate.com/savethe-date-divas-take-the-hill-6-18-2015/; www.PSKS.org THURSDAY, JUNE 18 “Rainbow City Orchestra Uncorked” At 7 p.m. at the Fremont Abbey Arts Center (4272 Fremont Ave. N.). Like last year’s hit concert, the orchestra will be pairing music with wines, offering audience members a chance to learn a little about the music and the wine while enjoying the company of friends and a few nibbles to complement the wine. This year’s event will feature jazz classics. Purple Passion Jazz Combo will open the event as guests arrive and are seated, and Rainbow City Orchestra will present its music pairings for the wines as they are poured. New this year is a VIP option with preferred seating, a special dessert, and surprise perks. Tickets: $30 advance tickets; $50 VIP, or a limited number of no drinker tickets at $10. Details at www. rainbowcityband.com THURSDAY, JUNE 18 Queer Vision 20/20 – Black Lizard (1968) Three Dollar Bill Cinema and Northwest Film Forum (1515 12th Ave.) celebrate Queer cinema and their 20th anniversaries with a special series this month. Happy Hour at 7 p.m., screening at 8 p.m. Tickets at the door: $11 general, $8 youth & senior, $6 member. www.threedollarbillcinema. org FRIDAY, JUNE 19 2015 Pride Shabbat Service Preneg 5 p.m.; service 6 p.m.; dinner 7 p.m. Temple de Hirsch Sinai (1511 E. Pike St.). After the service stay for Shabbat dinner. An ASL interpreter will be available for the evening. Pride Shabbat is an opportunity that provides a way for our community to come together and share joyous and meaningful prayer in an inclusive environment that welcomes Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Questioning Jews, their friends and families. Last year there was a fabulous turn out of more than 300 participants at the Pride Shabbat service. Pride Shabbat has the endorsement of the Jewish Federation of Greater Seattle and other groups including Congregation Tikvah Chadashah and Kolenu. Its attendance grew when it was a project of Bashert: the LGBT initiative of the Jewish Federation. It has been a celebration of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and questioning Jews, friends, allies and families. 2015 is the seventh year that Pride Shabbat has been endorsed by the full membership of the Jewish Federation of Greater Seattle. We’ve come a long way! It is inspiring to pray for liberation and freedom together. Pride Shabbat 2008 marked a step forward in the embracing of all LGBTQ Jews of our community. In the past rejection by congregations and exclusion from full participation in Jewish life were common and were part of the founding of CTC. Since 2008 Pride Shabbat has demonstrated that the majority of congregations today in our community are welcoming and inclusive. Please register in advance by June 14 – http://www.jconnectseattle.org/events/pride-shabbat-2015/ FRIDAY, JUNE 19

8 Seattle Gay News

Seattle Women’s Pride The second annual Seattle Women’s Pride is THE Pride party for Lesbians (and their friends) in Seattle! From 6-10 p.m. at Q Nightclub (1426 Broadway). Headlining the event is none other than Bravo’s Julie Goldman (“The Mindy Project,” “The People’s Couch,” “Faking It,” “Big Gay Sketch Show”). DJ Wildfire of Hot Flash Inferno fame will provide music. Tickets for Seattle Women’s Pride at www.strangertickets. com/events/23535956. Reservations highly encouraged. The $20 price point guarantees entry and a raffle ticket for one of the many prizes that will be given away during the evening. The $35 price point guarantees everything above as well as a Meet and Greet with Goldman post-show. A discount to groups of 10 or more is available and interested parties should contact info@ theseattlelesbian.com to reserve. Sponsored by The Seattle Lesbian – http://theseattlelesbian.com/ – www.facebook.com/ events/1583515175268500/ FRIDAY, JUNE 19 Seattle Pride Comedy Series – Gena Yashere and Heather McDonald (See Thursday listing for details.) SATURDAY, JUNE 20 Habitat for Humanity’s PRIDE BUILD Habitat for Humanity Seattle-King County is hosting Pride Build on June 20, bringing together members and friends of the LGBTQ community to sponsor a day of building at La Fortuna, a development of 41 townhomes in the Benson Heights neighborhood in Renton. For more information and to sign-up contact Lauren PetersenGreen at lauren.petersengreen@habitatskc. org or call at (206) 855-3997. www.habitatskc.org/pridebuild SATURDAY, JUNE 20 Capital City Pride Festival Olympia’s Pride Festival starts at 11 a.m. in Sylvester Park at Legion & Capital Way. Regional entertainers, food, arts & crafts, booths. www.capitalcitypride.net (Capital City Pride Parade on Sunday, June 21 at 1 p.m.) SATURDAY, JUNE 20 Mid-Columbia Pride 2015 – “Can’t Stop the Beat” Parade at 11 a.m. followed by Celebration in John Dam Plaza, Richland WA. www. midcolumbiapride.com SATURDAY, JUNE 20 Pride ASIA Founded in 2012, Pride ASIA’s mission is to celebrate, empower and nurture the multi-cultural diversity of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer and Ally communities through the Asian-Pacific Islander American lens. Hosted by Aleksa Manila. Noon-4 p.m. at Hing Hay Park (423 Maynard Ave. S.) in Seattle’s Chinatown/ International District. FREE all ages event. www.prideasia.org SATURDAY, JUNE 20 Seattle Pride Comedy Series – Gena Yashere and Heather McDonald (See Thursday listing for details.) SATURDAY, JUNE 20 Mr., Miss & Ms. Fireball Contest C.C. Attle’s (1701 E. Olive Way) hosts this liquor title contest at 8 p.m. Sponsored by the Imperial Sovereign Court of Seattle. www.imperialcourtofseattle.com and on Facebook. SATURDAY, JUNE 20 Seattle Men’s Chorus – “Queen” “We Will Rock You.” “Bohemian Rhap-

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sody.” “Another One Bites the Dust.” Get ready to experience the full spectrum of songs from this legendary band, produced with the flair of Seattle Men’s Chorus. From chart-toppers and anthems, to the greatest Queen songs you’ve never heard, this masterpiece of a concert will take you on a wild ride through rock and pop history. Introducing Frederick Hagreen as Freddie Mercury. McCaw Hall (321 Mercer St.) 8 p.m. Tickets: $28, $44, $53, $68, $78. www. seattlemenschorus.org SUNDAY, JUNE 21 Seattle Frontrunners 2015 Run & Walk with Pride Run and Walk With Pride is an annual community event open to all. Meets Sunday, June 21 in Seward Park (5895 Lake Washington Blvd. S.) for a fun 4K run, 10K run, or 4K walk. Registration at 8 a.m. Event starts at 9 a.m. www.rwwp.org; http:// www.seattlefrontrunners.org/ SUNDAY, JUNE 21 Capital City Pride Parade & Festival Olympia’s Pride Parade starts at noon at the State Capitol Building / Festival in the Park starts at 1 pm in Sylvester Park at Legion & Capitol Way. Regional entertainers, food, arts & crafts, booths. www.capitalcitypride.net (Capital City Pride Festival also on Saturday, June 20 at 11 a.m.) SUNDAY, JUNE 21 Seattle Men’s Chorus – “Queen” “We Will Rock You.” “Bohemian Rhapsody.” “Another One Bites the Dust.” Get ready to experience the full spectrum of songs from this legendary band, produced with the flair of Seattle Men’s Chorus. From chart-toppers and anthems, to the greatest Queen songs you’ve never heard, this masterpiece of a concert will take you on a wild ride through rock and pop history. Introducing Frederick Hagreen as Freddie Mercury. McCaw Hall (321 Mercer St.) 2 p.m. Tickets: $28, $44, $53, $68, $78. www. seattlemenschorus.org MONDAY, JUNE 22 QLaw Pride Kick-Off Event In our second celebration together, QLaw and King County Superior Court are presenting a CLE program followed by a wine and appetizer reception in the Jury Room at Seattle Municipal Court. Judges from King County and other jurisdictions are expected to attend. The event is open to everyone, including attorneys and other professionals that encounter LGBTQ issues, as well as LGBTQ legal professionals and their allies. In keeping with the call from Justice Mary Yu at this year’s QLaw annual banquet, Justice Bobbe J. Bridge (ret.), Founding President and CEO of Center for Children & Youth Justice (CCYJ), and Nicholas Oakley, Project Manager for equality, will provide an overview of the first comprehensive research designed to study the experiences of Washington’s LGBTQ youth in the child welfare and juvenile justice systems. CCYJ has gathered first-hand accounts from LGBTQ system alumni, collected observations of system professionals and communitybased providers about their experiences working with the LGBTQ youth and conducted extensive reviews of existing laws, policies, research and practices relevant to system-involved LGBTQ youth. This research will provide all of the stakeholders with the necessary information to best serve our LGBTQ youth. The reception will begin immediately following the presentation. The event is co-sponsored by both QLaw and King County Superior Court. We thank King County Superior Court for including this program as part of their community

outreach initiatives. RSVP to http://q-law.org/event-1960556. MONDAY, JUNE 22 PBS, “POV” and KCTS-Channel 9 present Out in the Night at 10 p.m. In 2006, under the neon lights of a Gayfriendly neighborhood in New York City, a group of African-American Lesbians were violently threatened by a man on the street. The women fought back and were later charged with gang assault and attempted murder. The tabloids quickly dubbed them a gang of “Killer Lesbians” and a “Wolf Pack.” Three pleaded guilty to avoid a trial, but the remaining four – Renata, Patreese, Venice and Terrain – maintained their innocence. The award-winning Out in the Night examines the sensational case and the women’s uphill battle, revealing the role that race, gender identity and sexuality play in our criminal justice system. www.pbs. org/pov/ MONDAY, JUNE 22 SATURDAY, JUNE 28 Queer Rock Camp – Seattle 2015 Campers ages 12-21. www.queerrockcamp.org TUESDAY, JUNE 23 Pride Mindfulness Gathering Join us in a spirit of mindful celebration and presence. A gathering of LGBT community members with interest in mindfulness practice. Offering a talk and meditation to share reflections within Eastern philosophy and spiritual practices. Held in the Tateuchi Room at the Seattle Japanese Garden within the Washington Park Arboretum (1075 Lake Washington Blvd. E.) Optional garden tour at 6 p.m. ($6 fee). Dharma talk at 7 p.m. (admission fee not required). Tea social at 8 p.m. RSVP to info@dharmabuddies.org. Hosted by Lotus Sisters and Dharma Buddies, Seattle area meditation groups. TUESDAY, JUNE 23 SATURDAY, JUNE 27 PrideFest Film Festival Tuesday 6/23 Pride 7 p.m. $3 at Central Cinema (1411 21st Ave.) with free after party @ 9 p.m. at 95 Slide (722 E. Pike St.); Wednesday 6/24 Edie & Thea, Case Against 8 6:30 p.m. $3 at Northwest Film Forum (1515 12th Ave.); Thursday 6/25 Tranvisible with Bamby Q&A 6:30 p.m. $3 at Northwest Film Forum (1515 12th Ave.); Thursday 6/25 Born in Flames 8 p.m. $11 at Northwest Film Forum (1515 12th Ave.); Friday 6/26 Paris is Burning midnight $12 at SIFF Egyptian Theatre (805 E. Pine St.); Saturday 6/27 Lazer Gayzer Light Show 6:30 p.m. $10 at Pacific Science Center (Seattle Center); Saturday 6/27 Hairspray midnight $12 at SIFF Egyptian Theatre (805 E. Pine St.); Sunday 6/28 Lazer Gayzer Light Show 6:30 p.m. $10 at Pacific Science Center (Seattle Center). www.PrideFest. org/filmfest. TUESDAY, JUNE 23 Out & In: A Pride Comedy Showcase with James Adomian – hosted by Nick Sahoyah; featuring Elicia Sanchez James Adomian is a daredevil dancing queen – but don’t you know deep down he’s just a kitten! James was a finalist on the 2010 season of “Last Comic Standing,” and his many insane characters appear as celebrated guests all over the podcast-osphere. He is a staple on “Comedy Bang! Bang!” and guest stars on the new season of “Children’s Hospital.” Catch James live performing standup and characters across the globe at festivals, comedy clubs, Gay see events page 18

Celebrating 41 Years!

Seattle Counseling Service LGBTQI Undocumented Immigrant and Refugee Research and Outreach Project by Shaun Knittel SGN Associate Editor

Outreach specialist Jacque Larrainzar – courtesy of Seattle Counseling Service

Seattle Counseling Service (SCS) recently launched its LGBTQI Undocumented Immigrant and Refugee Research and Outreach Project. Jacque Larrainzar recently joined SCS staff as Outreach Specialist for the project and was highlighted in the organizations monthly newsletter to donors and supporters. “I am very proud to be part of a brand new project at SCS: The Undocumented Immigrant and Refugee Research and Outreach Project – UIRO, for short,” Larrainzar said. “My job is to gather the stories of LGBTQI undocumented Immigrant and Refugees, uncover the barriers they face to accessing behavioral health services and then create recommendations to address those needs.”

“It is amazing to me that there is only one needs assessment on the subject, conducted by the Williams Institute and the University of Arizona,” she said. “I think it is very exciting to see an agency like SCS take on the challenge to serve everyone in the LGBTQI community. I am sure there will be support and funding to implement a program that will address the needs of this community in 2016.” In 1997, Larrainzar was the first Lesbian from Mexico to win political asylum based on sexual orientation. It took her 20 years to become a U.S. citizen and the journey was very hard and painful at times she said, “But it has also been full of wonders.” “I am very happy to have had the opportunity to work for the City of Seattle for 14 years on policy and education issues related to the LGBTQ community, Immigrants, women, race and social justice,” said Lar-

rainzar. “I have a Bachelors in Science with a specialty in music therapy and person centered counseling as well as other degrees related to public policy, administration and social media and engagement. I am a queer activist in love with the people in my community.” “I am looking forward to helping give voice and visibility to the stories of LGBTQI undocumented immigrants and refugees who are part of the LGBTQI community in Seattle,” she concluded. “I cannot wait to meet with folks, share stories and find ways in which we can support each other to live our lives to their fullest. I am also excited to learn about what local agencies are doing for LGBTQI undocumented immigrants and refugees and how gaps in services can be addressed through collaboration and partnerships.”

Group of LGBTQ open carry folks announce they will be at PrideFest; festival organizers say “not so fast” by Shaun Knittel SGN Associate Editor A person or group of people calling themselves Sparkles and friends has organized “Liberty with Pride” an open carry walk for PrideFest at Seattle Center on Pride Sunday, June 28. Open carry means these people want to show up with guns visible to the public, usually in protest, that their right the bear arms is being threatened. However, it would seem, that in this case, it is the safety of LGBTQ people that they say has been threatened and their motto is that people who carry guns don’t get bashed. There are, obviously, a number of concerns that immediately come to mind; such as I highly doubt the organizer’s license to carry or own a firearm has them listed as “Sparkles,” who asks that people refer to it, as “it” or neutral. Why are they doing this? According to Sparkles, “The amount of violence towards the LGBT+ community is unacceptable. Especially in this day and age…” “I am calling on all of my LGBT+ brothers, sisters, and everyone in between, as well as our allies, to come do an open carry walk during Pride,” said Sparkles on the Facebook event page for the event. “Let’s walk around the International Fountain, and surrounding areas, as a big group and hand out flyers and talk to others, encouraging them to refuse to be victims. Let’s show them guns are not scary and are a very great tool for defending oneself against a basher.” “After a few laps, we can break off into smaller teams and enjoy the festivities, continued Sparkles. “That way, everyone gets to have fun, and we will hit the booths as well

and hand out flyers.” “I look forward to having an EPIC pride with you all this year,” says Sparkles, who then shared this link with everyone: https://www.facebook.com/ SemperSparkles?ref=aymt_homepage_panel. So what do Seattle PrideFest 2015 organizers think about this? Although there isn’t anything posted on their website www. SeattlePrideFest.org, Egan Orion, the festival director, issued the following statement: “Seattle PrideFest is a big proponent of individual freedoms, but we can’t support an open-carry gun rally on the busiest day in Downtown Seattle and the Seattle Center throughout the entire year, where a collision of people, alcohol, and religious protesters bring excitement and tension to our City streets. With the expected Supreme Court decision on same-sex marriage, this will likely be a busier year than most, and will bring out more protesters. Adding an open carry rally to this incendiary mix is irresponsible and detracts from the LGBTQ focus of the day’s events. We are reviewing the matter with Seattle Center and our board of directors, but since we’ve rented the Center for our exclusive use that day (on behalf of the community), know that anybody who open carries at the event will be peacefully asked to leave the festival grounds.” At this point though, it seems like it comes down to the legality of whether or not Sparkles can actually do what it would like to do, which is bring firearms around 60,000 people, many of whom are children, at a festival that calls for peace and unity and love. What could go wrong?

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Nothing, right? Sparkles is not going to quietly let this go. On June 2, it uploaded a video to Youtube.com, https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=VhjlIjNs0GEHow, with the question, “How does Oregon compare to Washington when it comes to non-compliance? Watch and find out!” “Be sure to stay tuned till the end where I give my very first orally given speech on freedom,” says Sparkles. “It starts out very ranty, and that is probably going to piss a lot of you off. The end is rather impassioned.” “Liked it, hated it, like to paint yourself orange and pretend you’re a carrot, whatever tickles your pickle... go ahead and give this video a like,” Sparkles ends. “Be sure to click on the subscribe button as well. I will be posting mostly humorous videos.” After viewing the video I decided to take a look at Sparkles Facebook profile. There I found photos that, although absolutely no crime is being committed, are alarming. What is even further alarming are the commentary that it gives each photo. Take for instance a photo of what appears to be a bunch of ammo clips for an assault rifle. Sparkles says, “Well would you look at what just came in the mail! (grin emoticon grin emoticon) It’s like Christmas morning. Not a bad haul for less than $50. (grin emoticon) Each mag pouch hold two pmags. And each grenade pouch holds 5 7.62X54 stripper clips or 25 loose rounds. (grin emoticon) The odd mag pouch out was one I had already, but this looks better.” In another photo, which again, is not illegal, but clearly does not fit with, I can comfortably, say 95% of any community mem-

bers idea of what PrideFest symbolizes, Sparkles says about the automatic weapon photographed, “This is my baby. I built her from an 80% lower. No paperwork, No FFL, No serial number. I already have a thousand rounds of the cheapest steel cased rounds I could find with zero malfunctions. I’ll start from front to back. AAC Breakout 2.0 Compensator, Anderson Arms 16.5” 1/7 twist chrome lined barrel, Magpul Mbus Pro front and rear flip up sights, SLR Rifleworks Solo Lite 10” rail, Troy low profile gas block, GG&G vertical foregrip, Stag Arms complete upper, BCM Gunfighter charging handle, Anderson Arms M16 BCG, Windham Weaponry lower parts kit, Ares Armor 80% lower, Magpul BAD lever, Magpul enhanced trigger well, Magpul MOE K2+ grip, Magpul ASAP QD end plate, CMT Milspec buffer assembly, H2 buffer, Magpul CTR Stock, Magpul MS4 sling system.” Seattle Gay News spoke with SPD about this issue and little is being said about it, although SGN was told that, at the end of the day, PrideFest organizers are allowed to say who and what is allowed – or not allowed – into the festival as they have rented Seattle Center for the day. It is my understanding that as long as people aren’t turned away based on race, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation or gender identity, then nothing has been done to discriminate. However, in order to provide safety for PrideFest guests, the organizers are fully within their legal rights to not allow this to happen. Still, Sparkles and crew say they will be at PrideFest with guns in hand regardless.

June 12, 2015

Seattle Gay News 9

queer march continued from cover

more” the organizers want to see never happen again. Which is a sentiment shared by many on Capitol Hill. The Gayborhood hasn’t felt like itself for quite some time as hordes of people descend on the Hill every Thursday-Sunday to drink and eat and party and fight and piss on the walls and throw trash cans and break things and intimidate and the list sadly goes on. The message must be sent, say organizers, that this kind of behavior will not be tolerated any longer. Organizers claim that this is not a violent protest. “We are not responding to their hate with hate,” they say. Oddly though, they ask that people to wear black accented by pink and rainbow for “#queervisibility.” Historically, the LGBTQ community is a come as you are movement where dress codes are not needed and are, in fact, rejected. “The main chant will be ‘NOT ONE MORE,’” said march and rally organizers. “This is a solidarity movement. We are standing in solidarity with every member of the community who has been victimized.” “Although we cannot control street accessibility as an acknowledgement of those in our community who cannot participate in the march, we propose a candle light vigil be held throughout the evening in front of Odd Fellows to shed light on the most recent act of violence against our community,” said organizers. The act of violence referenced by organizers is something that’s a bit of a mystery. Something happened last Sunday involving a Transgender person, but what, exactly, is in dispute by police officials, members of the community and members of the Transgender movement. A man allegedly smashed a Transgender person’s head into the pavement but their life was spared because a man witnessing the attack intervened to stop the person

from being possibly killed. There were rumors of a coma. There were rumors of a drug deal gone badly. What there was not, and what there still is not, are facts, witnesses that have come forward to report the same incident, or the most important to this case – an actual witness to prove that this thing did go down in the first place aside from the man who says he became involved to stop what was happening. One thing is for sure though. Something did happen. It just seems like nobody can come to an agreement as to what exactly that something was. According to the Seattle Police Department (SPD), “Two officers viewed a disturbance around 9:20 p.m. Sunday while working a foot patrol on Capitol Hill. The two individuals involved in the disturbance told police they had been ‘sparring’ and ‘play-fighting,’ which escalated into an altercation. Both had sustained minor injuries, but did not require transport for medical treatment. Officers documented the incident and provided a warning about fighting in public before releasing the pair from the scene.” The witness, Vincent Renart, a waiter who lives and works on the Hill, describes the situation in quite a different way, and says he saw the “attack” on Sunday at 9 p.m. when he was walking home from Central Co-op at 9 p.m. on Sunday. His description does match the police report on two accounts. The description of the people involved in the altercation and the physical location of the incident. Others have come forward with even more confusing information and the whole thing has turned into a tangled web of conflicting reports. Renart says a crowd of roughly 20 people formed near the southwest corner of Cal Anderson Park around two people who at first seemed to be “play fighting,” he told The Stranger. “After he hit her a couple of times in the face, I was, like, no, this is real,” Renart

said. “Once somebody stops fighting, that’s when the fight’s done... But the guy kept hitting and kicking him, and hitting his head against the pavement.” “Basically,” he continued, “I just saw a Transgender dude get his ass whooped as a whole bunch of people watched.” Renart said when he saw the person’s head get kicked, he intervened and was able to dissuade the assailant from landing more blows. Still, days later, nothing has been told to media that would allow us to responsibly report this as factual information. There is no victim to speak to, therefore, how can anyone prove a crime like assault happened? To be clear, Seattle Gay News is not saying this did not happen. What we are saying, however, is that without more to corroborate the witness’s statement, it would be irresponsible and tantamount of fearmongering to report this as having happened in exactly the way it has been portrayed already. Organizers of the march and rally say there will be signs available for those who would like to carry one, but that you can feel free to also make your own. They also reiterate, in all caps, “REMEMBER THAT OUR MESSAGE IS ONE OF SOLIDARITY FOR THE VICTIMS OF VIOLENCE ON CAPITOL HILL AND AROUND SEATTLE.” Here is the rest of the message from the event organizers, John James Wallace, Danni Askini, Jappa Keppa Ko, Jennifer Popkin, Beth Martini and Yanni Robinson: “The time has come to let the perpetrators of these acts know this is the last straw. NO MORE! This is not their neighborhood to terrorize and we will no longer be victim to their hate. The increase in hate crimes, which has come in direct relation to the tech boom in Seattle, has garnered local and even national media attention. Yet the attacks continue to get more and more frequent, while

construction explodes and businesses profit. All the while people in our community are becoming casualties. Capitol Hill has changed and is changing; continued attacks on queer individuals can no longer be a byproduct of that change. The queer and allied residents of Capitol Hill in addition to supporters from surrounding areas must convene when and where these acts of violence have shown to be especially prone to happening. Namely: peak bar-hopping time on and around the Pike/Pine corridor. We must march together to deliver a message to those who come to the place where we have our homes and businesses to hurt those we love and care about that they are not welcome and are not to return. Action must be quick, concise and visible in direct relation, reaction and retaliation to the problem itself as Pride is less than a month away. A march on the very ground where many in the queer community will be gathering to celebrate it is crucial. Due to time sensitivity, many details are both coming to fruition and still to be determined. The general plan being to peacefully march around Capitol Hill during peak bar hours to send a message that hateful acts of violence toward queers will NO LONGER BE TOLERATED. Bearing the aforementioned in mind, in the here and now two things are important to successfully delivering this message. One being to spread the word to any like-minded individuals you may know who would be interested in participating through any and all channels you have. The second being that if you are interested and able to help, please reach out and do so. The faster we can spread the word and the more support we can get, the better. In essence, tell your friends, save the date, get ready and stay tuned! We will have more information in the next day or so!”

Texas legislature adjourns without action on anti-Gay bills by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer The Texas legislature adjourned June 1 without taking action on a slew of anti-LGBT bills introduced by Republican legislators. No less than 23 bills designed to limit LGBT rights or roll back advances that already have been made were before Texas lawmakers, including: • Two constitutional amendments to allow businesses to refuse service to LGBT customers. • Four proposed laws that would have had the same effect. • Five bills that would have nullified local anti-discrimination ordinances. • Six bills banning marriage licenses for same-sex couples in the event the U.S. Supreme Court rules in favor of marriage equality. • Three bills forbidding Transgender people from using the restroom that corresponds to their self-identified gender. • Two measures to fine property managers who allow Trans people to use appropriate restrooms. Even the conservative Texas Association of Business condemned many of these

proposals as too extreme, and harmful to Texas’s public image. All the proposals died a well-deserved death when the state legislature adjourned without considering them. Since the Texas legislature only meets in odd-numbered years, the bills cannot be reintroduced until January 2017 unless Governor Greg Abbott calls a special session. Only one anti-LGBT measure was passed and sent to Abbott for his signature. That bill, SB 2065, merely restates what the U.S. and Texas state constitutions already guarantee – the right of clergy to refuse to perform marriages that conflict with their religious beliefs. Language allowing religiously affiliated institutions, such as hospitals and universities, to discriminate against LGBT people was stripped out in committee. LGBT and civil rights groups were jubilant. “Thanks to business leaders, corporations, child welfare advocates, and thousands of fair-minded Texans who stood up for equality against an onslaught of anti-LGBT legislation, the Lone Star State avoided needless catastrophe,” HRC Field Director Marty Rouse said in a statement. “While stopping these assaults on LGBT

June 12, 2015

Seattle Gay News

Texans and their families was certainly a victory, the long battle ahead for full LGBT equality in Texas remains. Working alongside our local partners in the state, we are committed to addressing these challenges head on and advancing fairness and equality for LGBT Texans.” “I hope that lawmakers who sponsored measures targeting lesbian, gay and transgender Texans recognize that the discrimination playbook they used this legislative session is utterly inconsistent with Texas values,” ACLU-Texas Executive Director Terri Burke added. “Thousands contacted their representatives to say, we don’t believe in mean-spirited laws that would allow people to use religion to discriminate or laws designed to harm LGBT people.” “A fringe element in the Legislature certainly had its sights set squarely on the LGBT community this session,” Chuck Smith, Executive Director of Equality Texas, said. “But we are very happy, after more than 10,000 office visits in the Pink Dome by Equality Texas staff, that all these blatantly discriminatory bills failed to pass. We’re also happy that we were actually able to make progress on positive legislation that would help LGBT Texans and their fami-

lies.” “The passage of these bills would have been a big step backward for Texas at a time when a large and growing majority of Americans oppose discrimination against the LGBT community and support the freedom to marry for gay and lesbian couples,” Texas Freedom network President Kathy Miller stated. “So we’re grateful that broadbased opposition from business, faith leaders and grassroots activists from across the state stopped that from happening.”

Texas Court Seal – www.txcourts.gov

Celebrating 41 Years!

Fraud suit against New Jersey conversion therapist underway by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer

Jury selection was completed and opening arguments began last week in a New Jersey lawsuit brought by the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) against a provider of so-called “conversion therapy.” The suit brought under New Jersey’s Consumer Fraud Act is the first of its kind in the United States. SPLC’s clients charge that an organization called JONAH (Jews Offering New Alternatives to Healing) lured patients into the expensive and harmful treatment by representing that its therapists could “cure” homosexuality. “This case is about exposing the lie that LGBT people are mentally ill and that they need to be cured,” said David Dinielli, SPLC

deputy legal director. “Groups like JONAH should not be allowed to use bogus therapy, based on junk science, to scam LGBT people and their families out of thousands of dollars.” According to the complaint, customers of JONAH’s services typically paid a minimum of $100 a week for individual counseling sessions and another $60 for group therapy sessions, with some paying as much as $10,000 a year for the services. The lawsuit describes sessions in which unlicensed therapists ordered them to strip naked and touch their genitals while saying negative things about themselves in front of a mirror, group exercises involving the reenactment of childhood sexual abuse, and the use of homophobic slurs while the plaintiffs tried to grab a pair of oranges meant to symbolize testicles.

“Proponents of this bogus therapy lack any valid basis for their opinions promoting the abusive practice, yet they continue to scam vulnerable gay people and inflict long-term psychological harm,” Dinelli said. In 1973 the American Psychiatric Association removed its classification of homosexuality as a mental disorder, and today no mainstream mental health professional endorses conversion therapy. “It’s unethical for counselors to be involved in reparative therapy,” David Kaplan, chief professional officer and former president of the American Counseling Association, told Mic news website. “It’s not a mental health intervention – it’s a religious practice.” Kaplan is such an outspoken critic of conversion therapy that he dislikes even us-

ing the word “therapy” to describe the practice. “A lot of us refer to it as ‘sexual orientation change efforts,’” he said. “‘Therapy’ connotes a mental health intervention. This is not a mental health intervention. A mental health intervention relates to the diagnosis and treatment of a mental disorder. Homosexuality is not a mental disorder. There’s nothing to fix, there’s nothing to repair, there’s nothing to convert.” New Jersey banned conversion therapy for minors in 2013. The law was upheld by the Third Circuit Court of Appeals in September last year. SPLC’s lawsuit deals with conversion therapists who claim to “cure” adult patients. Former NOM chairman Maggie Gallagher heads the legal group defending JONAH.

Michigan governor signs three bills to allow adoption agencies to discriminate against samesex couples North Carolina enacts marriage refusal on same day by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer Michigan Governor Rick Snyder signed three bills on June 11, all of them designed to allow religiously-affiliated adoption agencies to refuse to place children with same-sex couples. The measures also require agencies that deny services to prospective parents to give them a list of other adoption agencies who might accommodate them. According to the governor’s office, the new laws “do not change current practices in Michigan, but prevent faith-based agencies from having policies forced on them that violate their religious beliefs.”

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continued from cover were valid and said the marriages must be recognized. “With shameless disrespect for fundamental fairness and equality, [Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration Director Larry Walther] insists on treating the marriages of same-sex couples who received marriage licenses between May 9 and May 15 as ‘void from inception as a matter of law,’” Griffen wrote in his ruling. The Arkansas attorney general’s office argued that the marriages are not valid because Piazza’s original ruling didn’t specifically strike down a state law barring clerks from issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples. Piazza struck down that law in a subsequent ruling six days later. Griffen rejected the state’s argument, saying it was clear that Piazza meant to strike down any prohibition on same-sex marriage. “Put simply, Judge Piazza’s intent in his May 9 order was to stop the state of Arkansas from prohibiting same-sex couples from being married,” Griffen wrote. Some of the same-sex couples who married in Arkansas last year sued in February,

The same day that Snyder acted on the adoption bills, the North Carolina legislature completed its override of Governor Pat McCrory’s veto of a bill allowing state officials to opt out of marrying same-sex couples. LGBT rights groups condemned the new legislation. Lambda Legal said the measures were “in some ways worse than what happened in Indiana.” “Today was a discouraging day for equality and justice. Michigan today enacted a law that allows state-funded adoption and foster care agencies to turn people away on religious grounds, and North Carolina enacted a law allowing government mag-

istrates to refuse to perform civil marriage ceremonies for couples whose union they object to on religious grounds,” the group said in a statement. “For anyone with delusions that the work for LGBT rights is close to being done, think again. These laws will be used to deny loving homes to Michigan children in need and to subject same-sex couples to the indignity of being turned away by government-funded agencies in Michigan and by government officials in North Carolina. That that discrimination is based on religion is no excuse. Discrimination inspired by religious views is still discrimination.” HRC also condemned Snyder for signing the package of adoption bills.

“In the name of ‘religious freedom,’ the dangerously broad bills have enshrined special taxpayer-funded discrimination into Michigan law and permit rampant discrimination against committed and loving LGBT couples, putting thousands of Michigan children at risk of not finding the loving homes that they need,” HRC said. “Governor Rick Snyder has proven today that he has utter disdain for the welfare of children in Michigan and that he cares only about empowering backwards discrimination,” said HRC President Chad Griffin. “This legislation keeps children in need out of the loving homes they deserve, and it sets this great state back decades.”

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Seattle Gay News 11

charging that the state was violating their rights by not recognizing their unions. Griffen’s ruling means the couples can file taxes jointly, appear jointly on a child’s birth certificate, enroll together on state health insurance plans, and even file for divorce. Cheryl Maples, an attorney for two of the couples who sued the state over the licenses, said she was thrilled with the decision. “They finally got some major progress they’ve been waiting so long for,” Maples said. “They’ve been married over a year now and as of right now they’re really married.” The Arkansas Supreme Court hasn’t indicated when it will rule on Gay marriage. Justices last month denied the state’s request for new oral arguments in the case and declined to lift their stay on Piazza’s decision. In 2004 Arkansas voters approved an outright ban on same-sex marriage. Both that ban and an earlier state law defining marriage as a union between a man and a woman were struck down by Piazza’s ruling. Judge Griffen was among a number of people who presided over the same-sex marriage ceremonies in May 2014.

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Seattle Gay News

June 12, 2015

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MoSS Alley MotorS, Inc. SpecialiStS in VolVo, Honda, toyota and Subaru

932 12th ave. Seattle, Wa 98122 (206).325--.3992 www.mossalley.com Seattle’s most progressive auto shop!

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events

continued from page 8 bars, rooftop parties and radical political events. His debut standup comedy album, Low Hangin Fruit, was released in 2012 via Earwolf to rave reviews – so don’t be the last one to hear it. Set phasers to chill! The Neptune Theatre (1303 NE 45th St.). Doors at 7 p.m. Show at 8 p.m. Tickets: $15 advance general admission; $16.50 day of show (not including fees). 1-877-784-4849; www.stgpresents.org. WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24 PrideFest Film Festival Edie & Thea, Case Against 8 6:30 p.m. $3 at Northwest Film Forum (1515 12th Ave.) WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24 All the Letters in the Rainbow: LGBTQI Writers Pride Month Showcase Readings by Sarah Galvin, Matthew Schnirman, Anastacia Tolbert, and Mattilda Bernstein Sycamore. David Schmader emcees. Books by the writers will be on sale. Richard Hugo House (1634 11th Ave.) at 7 p.m. FREE, all ages. www.hugohouse.org. WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24 The Totally Gay Sing Along! We celebrate Pride with a brand new Sing Along that features divas, camp classics, new tunes, hunks, foot stompers, rump shakers and every video is certified TOTALLY GAY! Central Cinema (1411 21st Ave.) at 8 p.m. Tickets: $12 advance; $14 at the door. www.centralcinema.com THURSDAY, JUNE 25 PrideFest Film Festival Tranvisible with Bamby Q&A 6:30 p.m. $3 at Northwest Film Forum (1515 12th Ave.) THURSDAY, JUNE 25 Seattle Storm Pride Kickoff Game against Minnesota Lynx 7 p.m. at Seattle Center’s Key Arena (1st Ave. N. & Harrison St.). Tickets at www. wnba.com/storm/tickets/ THURSDAY, JUNE 25 Queer Vision 20/20 – Born in Flames (1983) Three Dollar Bill Cinema and Northwest Film Forum (1515 12th Ave.) celebrate Queer cinema and their 20th anniversaries with a special series this month. Happy Hour at 7 p.m., screening at 8 p.m. Tickets at the door: $11 general, $8 youth & senior, $6 member. www.threedollarbillcinema. org

chaelb@llaa.org. FRIDAY, JUNE 26 Trans* Pride Annual celebration of the Seattle-area Transgender community. Assemble at the courtyard north of Seattle Central College (1701 Broadway) at 5 p.m.; march to nearby Cal Anderson Park at 6 p.m.; festivities at Cal Anderson Park from 6:45-10 p.m. Trans* Pride Seattle is proud to curate a diverse and powerful group of speakers and performers from around the United States. A few speakers from select local organizations will also be taking the stage to discuss their work and the services and opportunities they offer. In addition, there will be an information and resource fair with a wide variety of community groups and organizations doing outreach. There will also be food trucks and our beloved community out in full force! Organized by Gender Justice League in association with local organizations who support the Seattle-area Trans* and gender non-conforming community. Details at www.transprideseattle.org. FRIDAY, JUNE 26 GLSEN 5th Annual Youth Pride Dance A night for LGBTQ Youth, Friends & Allies up to 21 years. Music, food and fun! Hosted by Donna Tella Howe, Face painting by The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence. Creative, beach theme dress encouraged. 7-11 p.m. Belltown Community Center (415 Bell St.) Pre-registration required: Facebook. com/GLSENWA . FRIDAY, JUNE 26 Diverse Harmony – “Turn Back the Dial” Diverse Harmony celebrates PRIDE on June 26 and June 27 with their “Turn Back the Dial” concert. The concert will be a mix of the throwbacks from the ‘70s and ‘80s and will focus on the day in the life of a student. The concerts will be held at the Broadway Performance Hall (1625 Broadway at E. Pine St.) at 7:30 p.m. on both nights and will end in time to celebrate PRIDE with your family and friends. Tickets are FREE for youth 22 years old and younger; $20 general admission. www.brownpapertickets.com/event/1659051. Diverse Harmony is the nation’s first queer-straight alliance youth chorus. Based in Seattle, Washington, the 58-member chorus presents music that opens the hearts and minds of communities and provides a safe environment for youth of diverse backgrounds to share their love of music and be accepted for who they are. www.diverseharmony.org

THURSDAY, JUNE 25 GENDER*FIERCE: Youthopolis Edition Queer Youth Variety Show & Awards Ceremony PLUS C85.5 Young Pride Kick-Off Dance Party! Join HEYO and C89.5 for their second annual GENDER*FIERCE Queer Youth Variety Show, Awards Ceremony, and Dance Party! Kick off Seattle Pride right as they recognize the hard work Queer young people are doing in our community with their Youthopolis awards ceremony that will feature some amazing Queer youth performances. C89.5’s Young Pride KickOff Dance Party will take place after and feature amazing C89.5 DJs including performances by Team HeartBreak and Oscillator X! 7 p.m.-12 midnight at 12th Avenue Arts Main Stage (1620 12th Ave.) Don’t miss out! Brought to you by #EndAIDSWA. www.facebook.com/LifelongHEYO; mi-

FRIDAY, JUNE 26 - SUNDAY, JUNE 28 Georgia Ragsdale in Follow You Everywhere – A Memoir: Growing Up and Coming Out in Texas Comedian Georgia Ragsdale explores her Texas roots in a quirky, poignant childhood to coming-of-age theatrical memoir. Set in suburban Houston in the 1960s and 1970s, short slide shows using family photos prove she is not making this up as she travels though a world of unusual characters and events. Illuminated with to-thepoint stories and movement pieces set to the sound track of the times, the cast includes Seattle dance and actor talents: Lodi McClellan, Lisa Ravenholt, Jack Lush and Eric Pitzenbarger. Georgia Ragsdale, comedian, director and playwright brings her story to life with humor and grace. A simple story, elegantly and economically told in an intimate, theatrical setting – from the heart, direct, truthful and compelling. Tickets: $30 general; $10 students and seniors. Friday-Sunday at 7:30 p.m. with Saturday matinee at 2:30 p.m. at 12th Avenue Arts

June 12, 2015

Seattle Gay News

Main Stage (1620 12th Ave.) www.brownpapertickets.com/event/1332092 Georgia Ragsdale, creator of Seattle favorite Boxiana: The Women’s Flyweight Championship of the World, has since toured nationally as a stand-up comedian for 14 years, including numerous comedic film and television roles. This memoir is her first piece after a nine-year hiatus. She is the former recipient of numerous grants including an NEA Individual Artist Grant. FRIDAY, JUNE 26 PrideFest Film Festival Paris is Burning midnight $12 at SIFF Egyptian Theatre (805 E. Pine St.) SATURDAY, JUNE 27 2015 SVC Pride Quads Grass Tournament Seattle Volleyball Club is hosting its 6th Annual Quads Pride Grass tournament to celebrate Seattle Pride 2015. 8 a.m.-7 p.m. at Judkins Park (2150 S. Norman St.). Cost: $25/player. In the spirit of Pride a BBQ lunch will be available for purchase. For complete information, visit https://www. facebook.com/events/456208574536279/ SATURDAY, JUNE 27 Dignity/Seattle 27th Annual Pride Pancake Breakfast 9 a.m.-noon at Central Lutheran Church Social Hall (1710 11th Ave.) across from Cal Anderson Park. $7 donation. Raffle prizes. Proceeds go to CareTeams, a program of Samaritan Center; Plymouth Healing Communities; Dignity/Seattle. SATURDAY, JUNE 27 Capitol Hill Pride Festival March & Rally “Never Forget” 1969 Stonewall civic march from Seattle Central College (1701 Broadway) to Main Stage at Broadway & E. Harrison St. steps off at 10 a.m. Celebrate Pride in Seattle’s Gayborhood at this annual street fair on Broadway E. from E. John St. to E. Roy St, 10 a.m.-11 p.m. Live local music, food, and more than 100 booths featuring nonprofits, artists, and commercial vendors. Six blocks on Broadway – featuring Revisit Steppenwolf 8-10 p.m. on Main Stage. www.capitolhillpridefestival.info. SATURDAY, JUNE 27 17th Annual Rainbow Health Fair From 12 noon-4 p.m. at All Pilgrims Church (500 Broadway E. at E. Republican St.) Seattle/King & Snohomish County YWCA Women’s Health Outreach presents the 17th Annual Rainbow Health Fair. Creating a safe space where people of all genders and sexualities are served by LBTQfriendly health providers and treated with respect. Free mammograms for uninsured people 40+. Free pap tests for all. Insurance welcome. To make an appointment, call 206-461-4493. For more information and volunteer opportunities: jen.boi.peters@ gmail.com. Visit us at ywcaworks.org. SATURDAY, JUNE 27 PrideFest Family Day Cal Anderson Park (11th Ave & E. Howell St.). SPD Picnic: noon-1 p.m., free hot dogs; 1-3 p.m., free popcorn and ice cream, K-9 unit, horses, more. Family & Kids: 1-4 p.m. with drag queen storytime, the NOTITS, talented dancing kids, bounce houses. All Ages/Teens: 4-7 p.m. with Massive Monkees dance workshop & performances, Diverse Harmony, more!. Adult Fun Time (11th Ave. just north of E. Pine St. next to Cal Anderson Park): 1-8 p.m., food trucks, live performances, DJs, beer garden, drag queens. Prom Dress (Quake) Rugby in Bobby Morris Playfield. www.seattlepride-

fest.org/family/. SATURDAY, JUNE 27 PRIDE 2015 Interfaith Celebration Service Many faiths join together to celebrate PRIDE: the spirit of Love and the Acceptance of all people. This year there will be participants from the Buddhist, Christian, Sufi, Muslim and Jewish faith communities. Come just as you are to sing, pray, chant, and made Sacred Community. 2 p.m. at All Pilgrims Church (500 Broadway E. at E. Republican St.). SATURDAY, JUNE 27 2015 Pride Cruise / Seattle Pride Boat Party on the Islander Yacht Hang on to your jock strap (or someone elses...), the epic daytime boat party returns! Join us on The Islander Champagne Cruises for an afternoon out on the water, cruising all around Seattle and dancing in the sunshine. We welcome very special guest DJs Won Love (aka Riz Rollins and Rob Green) and James Cerne (LAX), love and woofs all around boys. Hosted by NARK (Kevin Kauer) & co-hostess Sheila Dubaii. 2 p.m. boarding; 3-6 p.m cruise. The Islander Yacht, 1611 Fairview Ave. E. Tickets: $25. http://www.strangertickets. com/events/23937945/2015-pride-cruise. (Continue the party Saturday night at The Big Building – see NarkMagazine.com for more info.) SATURDAY, JUNE 27 - MATINEE Georgia Ragsdale in Follow You Everywhere – A Memoir: Growing Up and Coming Out in Texas (See Friday 6/26 listing at 7:30 p.m. for details.) SATURDAY, JUNE 27 2015 Seattle Dyke March The 2015 Seattle Dyke March is on Saturday, June 27. Rally from 5-7 p.m. at the Seattle Central College Plaza at Broadway and E. Pine St. The March steps off at 7 p.m. to go around Capitol Hill and back to the Plaza. We create space on our stage to highlight and honor the experiences, pleasures, activism and identities of queer women and dyke-identified people across the gender spectrum, a space that recharges us and allows us to survive and thrive. We welcome and encourage people of all genders and identities to join us in celebration at the rally and on our march. www.seattledykemarch.com/ SATURDAY, JUNE 27 PrideFest Film Festival Lazer Gayzer Light Show 6:30 p.m. $10 at Pacific Science Center (Seattle Center) SATURDAY, JUNE 27 Diverse Harmony – “Turn Back the Dial” Diverse Harmony celebrates PRIDE on June 26 and June 27 with their “Turn Back the Dial” concert. The concert will be a mix of the throwbacks from the ‘70s and ‘80s and will focus on the day in the life of a student. The concerts will be held at the Broadway Performance Hall (1625 Broadway at E. Pine St.) at 7:30 p.m. on both nights and will end in time to celebrate PRIDE with your family and friends. Tickets are FREE for youth 22 years old and younger; $20 general admission. www.brownpapertickets.com/event/1659051. Diverse Harmony is the nation’s first queer-straight alliance youth chorus. Based in Seattle, Washington, the 58-member chorus presents music that opens the hearts and minds of communities and provides a safe environment for youth see events page 22

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Senators and Congress members to Obama: More protections for LGBT people, please – Patty Murray, Jim McDermott sign on those receiving U.S. funds from engaging in marketplace discrimination (e.g., refusal of goods and services) against LGBT customers or suppliers.” The letter noted that U.S. government aid agencies work both with foreign governments and domestic service providers that discriminate against LGBT people, even though “LGBT individuals often represent those in most dire need of these services.” “We are aware several individual agencies are working to close these gaps by developing policies to prohibit discrimination in service delivery by contractors and grantees receiving U.S. aid dollars,” the letter continues. “We welcome these efforts. We encourage you to make this an urgent, Administration-wide priority and coordinate across agencies to ensure a broad non-discrimination policy is implemented before the end of your Administration’s tenure.” “To promote our fundamental values of equality, equity, and diversity, we cannot go half way at home and we certainly cannot halt the extension of these values at our border,” Lowenthal said in a June 8 statement. “Our nation has what I see as a major role in defending the innate rights of all human beings across the globe – including the

LGBT community – to live, love, and prosper.” Besides Markey and Murray, the statement was signed by Senators Tammy Baldwin, Cory Booker, Sherrod Brown, Christopher Coons, Richard Durbin, Kirsten Gillibrand, Mazie Hirono, Jeffrey Merkley, Jeanne Shaheen, Sheldon Whitehouse, and Ron Wyden. On the House side, in addition to Lowenthal and McDermott, the letter was signed by Ami Bera, Earl Blumenauer, Michael Capuano, David Cicilline, Judy Chu, Gerald Connolly, Danny Davis, Susan Davis, Theodore Deutch, Keith Ellison, Eliot Engel, Anna Eshoo, Elizabeth Esty, Ruben Gallego, Luis Gutiérrez, Alcee Hastings, Jared Huffman, Steve Israel, Sheila Jackson Lee, William Keating, Derek Kilmer, Barbara Lee, John Lewis, Carolyn Maloney, Patrick Murphy, Jerrold Nadler, Eleanor Holmes Norton, Scott Peters, Mark Pocan, Jared Polis, Charles Rangel, Kathleen Rice, Bobby Rush, Jan Schakowsky, Adam Schiff, Robert Scott, José E. Serrano, Brad Sherman, Eric Swalwell, Mark Takano, Niki Tsongas, Chris Van Hollen, Juan Vargas, Nydia Velázquez, Debbie Wasserman Schultz, and Frederica Wilson.

and inclusion,” the report notes. In one particularly glaring finding, the report notes that “67% of supervisors don’t think HR provides adequate training for managers.” On the other hand, the report also says that employees were eager to participate in the Pipeline Project’s process because they believe in HRC’s aims and want to help it succeed. “There is a high level of commitment among HRC’s staff to the point that almost three-quarters would recommend the organization to a friend or colleague as a good place to work,” the report concludes. HRC president Chad Griffin said in his June 3 statement that the group was aware of its problems and would change. “The organization is clearly committed to positive change,” Griffin said. “As the re-

search phase of this effort was getting underway, I was appearing before Southern Comfort to offer a full-throated apology to the trans community on behalf of HRC.” The Southern Comfort Transgender Conference is an annual event, one of the largest conferences for Trans people in the U.S. Griffin gave the keynote address at last year’s conference, and apologized for his group’s neglect of the Trans community. “There should be no doubt that this entire effort is intentional and part of a continuous cycle of improvement,” Griffin’s June 3 statement continued. “Diversity and inclusion work is never an end, it’s always a journey and while it’s clear that we have a long way to go on that journey as an organization – and as a movement – the important and indisputable facts

are that we realized the need for change, that we have done a significant amount of self-examination and reflection, and that we have put plans in place that are resulting in positive changes.” According to HRC, the group has already restructured its HR Department, including “a new staff and a heightened focus on diversity competencies.” Regarding Transgender issues specifically, the group says it has “updated the staff new-hire form to include gender identity and expression; added categories to allow staff to self-identify; [and] implemented data collection language based on Williams Institute recommendations for sexual orientation, gender identity and expression.” It also says it has implemented a new policy for transitioning employees.

homeless youth services about their experiences working with LGBTQ youth. Among the key findings of the study are: • Sexual and gender minority youth are over-represented among those experiencing homelessness, according to providers’ estimates of the percent of LGBTQ youth accessing services. • LGBTQ youth accessing these services were reported to have been homeless longer than non-LGBTQ youth. Notably, providers were more likely to report that Transgender youth experienced these disparities. • LGBTQ youth accessing these services were reported to be in worse mental and physical health than non-LGBTQ youth. In particular, providers were more likely to report that Transgender youth have worse mental and physical health than other youth. • Providers indicated that the most prevalent reason for homelessness among LG-

BTQ youth was being forced out of home or running away from home because of their sexual orientation or gender identity/expression. • Housing was the No. 1 need for LGBTQ youth experiencing homelessness, as identified by providers. Transition-related support was also identified as a critical need for Transgender youth. • Transgender youth were estimated to have experienced bullying, family rejection, and physical and sexual abuse at higher rates than LGBQ youth. • Survey respondents cited staff qualities and characteristics, such as LGBTQinclusiveness and staff competencies, and program qualities, such as targeted programming for LGBTQ youth, as reasons for success in serving LGBTQ youth who are homeless, although many also point to lack of training in serving LGBTQ needs as a barrier. “Knowledge is power and can lead to real change in the lives of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender youth experienc-

ing homelessness,” said Cyndi Lauper, CoFounder of the True Colors Fund. “These kids are significantly over represented in the homeless youth population and face greater challenges once they are on the streets because of their sexual orientation and gender identity. Like the first version of Serving Our Youth, this new report makes it clear that we have a great deal of work still to do, but will play a key role in helping us to continue to move a smart and strategic plan forward to end youth homelessness in America.” Among the report’s policy recommendations, the authors emphasized the need for more training for service providers to understand “not only the differences in experiences between LGBTQ youth and nonLGBTQ youth, but also differences between cisgender LGBQ and transgender youth.” There are many social service agencies “that either do not see [LGBTQ youth] as a needed focus or reported the need for more help on how best to work with LGBTQ youth, including through training and or-

ganizational policies,” the report says, and this fact indicates the need to study the effectiveness of current training levels. The report was co-authored by Soon Kyu Choi, policy analyst at the Williams Institute; Bianca D.M. Wilson, the Rabbi Barbara Zacky Senior Scholar of Public Policy at the Williams Institute; Jama Shelton, Deputy Executive Director of the True Colors Fund; and Gary J. Gates, Williams Distinguished Scholar at the Williams Institute. The Williams Institute researches social and economic disparities that affect the LGBT community, and is attached to the UCLA Law School. The True Colors Fund works to end LGBT youth homeless through research and advocacy.

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letter to President Obama asking him to take further executive action to protect LGBT employees from discrimination. Washington’s senior senator Patty Murray, and Seattle-area congressman Jim McDermott were among those who signed on. The letter was authored by Senator Edward Markey (D-MA) and Congressman Alan Lowenthal (D-CA). Obama issued an executive order in July last year prohibiting companies that do business with the federal government from discriminating against their LGBT employees, but the Congress members said “we believe we must go further.” Washington Senator Patty Murray – “The Executive Order Stephen Brashear/AP Photo does not apply to contractors by Mike Andrew hiring and doing business abroad,” their letSGN Staff Writer ter explains. “It does not apply to grantees. MoreSixty members of Congress have sent a over, the Executive Order does not prohibit

hrc

continued from cover moted have been on staff less than two years (some promoted two times). No women under two years have been promoted.” While HRC does have diversity policies in place, the report says that “There is a general perception that current diversity efforts are not working and that there’s a lack of diversity understanding broadly.” A participant in a focus group is quoted as saying, “A lot of folks are personally invested in diversity inclusion but their voices have been smothered or pushed away.” HRC’s Human Resources department was singled out for explicit criticism. “More than half of staff believe HR is under-resourced when it comes to diversity

new study

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Pentagon to add non-discrimination protections for Gay & Lesbian troops

The Pentagon – AP photo

WASHINGTON DC – On Friday, May 29, Washington Blade broke the news that “the Pentagon is preparing to update its Military Equal Opportunity policy to include sexual orientation as a protected class and the change could be made final as soon as the end of next month.” The American Military Partner Association (AMPA), the

nation’s largest organization of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) military families, praised the letter and urged Secretary Carter to take immediate action. “This is incredibly important and welcome news for our service members and their families,” said AMPA President Ashley

BroadwayMack. “This long overdue and critical change to the military equality opportunity program will help ensure that LGB service members are treated fairly with the dignity and respect they deserve. We again urge Secretary Carter to also order a full and comprehensive review to update the outdated regulations that prevent transgender service members from serving openly and honestly. It’s just as important to our LGBT military families that these same protections be extended based on gender identity.” AMPA has long advocated for these important changes to be made. Most people assume that with the repeal of “Don’t Ask,

Don’t Tell” (DADT) in September 2011, the LGBT community achieved full equality in the military. The repeal only applied to LGB service members, and it meant that they could serve openly without fear of being discharged. It did not, however, mean they were provided access to the military equal opportunity program in order to address harassment or discrimination. The repeal failed to include binding non-discrimination protections for Gay, Lesbian, and Bisexual service members in the military equal opportunity programs. The repeal of DADT also did not change the outdated regulations that continue to prevent Transgender service members from serving openly and honestly. For more information about the American Military Partner Association and LGBT military families, please visit our home on the web at www.MilitaryPartners.org. The American Military Partner Association, a non-profit and non-partisan organization, is the nation’s largest organization for the partners, spouses, families, and allies of America’s LGBT service members and veterans. Based in Washington DC, AMPA is committed to education, advocacy, and support for our modern military families. Courtesy of American Military Partner Association

Right-wing UKIP party banned from London Pride by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer London Pride organizers have banned a contingent from UKIP (United Kingdom Independence Party) from participating in the parade. UKIP had to go, they said, to “ensure the event passes on safely and in the right spirit.” The party came in third in Britain’s recent parliamentary elections, with almost four million votes, but only elected one member to parliament because its votes were spread out over a number of constituencies. UKIP is an anti-EU, anti-immigrant party. It says its position on LGBT rights is “libertarian” but many of its spokespeople have taken clearly anti-Gay positions. Party leader Nigel Farage has proposed banning HIV-positive people from entering the UK, a position which led ACT UP’s London chapter to dump cow manure outside UKIP offices on World AIDS Day. Farage also described same-sex marriage as “a very big can of worms,” and promised legal protections for Christians who refused business services to same-sex couples, should UKIP win the parliamentary elections. In February a UKIP candidate was forced to drop out of his race after calling LGBT people “fascist perverts” and “pedophiles.” Another candidate wrote an antiGay editorial for the Christian right website WorldNetDaily. London’s LGBT community was understandably horrified at the prospect of UKIP

marching prominently in their city’s Pride Parade, and launched a petition demanding the party be banned. After initially resisting the calls to ban UKIP, Pride organizers bowed to public pressure, but insisted that their decision was not politically motivated. “Over the last few days we, both as individuals and the volunteer directors of Pride, have had to wrestle with a difficult issue – whether to include a group from UKIP in this year’s Pride in London Parade,” the organizers said in a statement. “We aim to unite our community, not divide it, and our intention is to serve the whole of our community with an inclusive event, so to exclude any group is not a decision we take lightly.” British LGBT rights activists Peter Tatchell, one of those demanding the group be banned, scoffed at the Pride organizers’ statement. “I don’t agree with that,” Tatchell told BBC News. “It’s a nonsense to say there’s a safety issue. That is just a cop-out. “Quite clearly the reason UKIP should

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UKIP leader Nigel Farage and supporters – Clara Molden/The Telegraph

not be allowed to participate is because they don’t support gay equality.” On the other hand, London mayor Boris Johnson, whose office provides grants to fund Pride, said he disapproved of banning UKIP. “I do not agree at all with this policy,” Johnson told Britain’s Pink News. “I passionately believe in the Pride march and the values of equality it represents and think that all should be allowed to participate. I hope this is sorted out as soon as possible.” The mayor’s spokesperson added that

his office was working to ensure that “all groups” could participate. Tatchell, meanwhile, said that if UKIP decided to show up despite the ban, they should not be removed by police. “I would oppose UKIP being physically manhandled or arrested if they try to march,” he told Pink News.

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Greece to introduce same-sex civil partnerships by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer

Greece’s embattled leftist government will introduce legislation creating civil partnerships for all couples. The SYRIZA party, which formed a government after Greek elections in January, had promised to introduce same-sex civil partnerships, but so far has had its hands full dealing with the country’s seven year long economic crisis. Current Greek law recognizes only opposite-sex couples. Legal marriages can be performed by religious authorities or by civil officials, but opposite-sex couples may also opt for a civil partnership arrangement that offers most protections of marriage. In 2008 the socialist mayor of Tilos married two same-sex couples, one Gay and one Lesbian, but the marriages were subsequently invalidated by Greek courts. While the Greek Orthodox Church opposes same-sex marriage, SYRIZA leader and Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras is a selfidentified atheist who is in a civil partner-

events

continued from page 18 of diverse backgrounds to share their love of music and be accepted for who they are. www.diverseharmony.org SATURDAY, JUNE 27 Georgia Ragsdale in Follow You Everywhere – A Memoir: Growing Up and Coming Out in Texas (See Friday 6/26 listing at 7:30 p.m. for details.) SATURDAY, JUNE 27 PrideFest Film Festival Hairspray midnight $12 at SIFF Egyptian Theatre (805 E. Pine St.) SUNDAY, JUNE 28 Seattle Pride Brunch 9 a.m. Parlor Live Seattle (1522 6th Ave.) A fabulous meal to start the most fabulous day of the year! Join us for a morning of delicious food, great company, and general merriment before heading over to watch the Seattle Pride Parade. Tickets: $45; $65 includes VIP seating at Westlake Park. www.seattlepride.org/pride-parade/pridebrunch/ SUNDAY, JUNE 28 Seattle Pride Parade Starting at 11 a.m., the parade kicks off at 4th Avenue & Union St., and will proceed north down 4th Avenue to Denny Way. It will last approximately two and a half hours and will be held rain or shine. www.seattlepride.org/pride-parade/ SUNDAY, JUNE 28 Seattle PrideFest Seattle PrideFest 2015 “Share Your Love” will be more bedazzling than ever. Four stages, events over four days, dozens of artists, men’s and women’s parties, and over 130,000 attendees. www.seattlepridefest. org/ SUNDAY, JUNE 29 PrideFest Film Festival Lazer Gayzer Light Show 6:30 p.m. $10 at Pacific Science Center (Seattle Center).

ship with Peristera Batziana. The couple has steps to implement the ECtHR’s decision.” two sons. T h e In Nogroup also vember warned 2013 the that there European are still Court for obst acles Human to final Rights passage of ruled that equal civil Greek law partnerwas disships. crimina“It is tory and worth reshould be m e m b e ramended ing that to include while this recogniis an ention of couraging s ame - s e x start to the couples. legislative T h e process, ILGA (Inthere are Greece – www.chess.com ternational still many LGBT Association)-Europe said they were procedural hurdles left to jump,” ILGA-Eu“pleased to see that Greece is finally taking rope said in a statement.

“The bill has been proposed by SYRIZA and is expected to come before the parliament for discussion later in the summer. ILGA-Europe encourages Greek policymakers to engage fully in the debate to ensure the civil partnership law is as inclusive as possible.” “We hope that the bill’s provisions will be strengthened,” the group added, “ensuring that maximum rights are provided for all couples living in Greece. In the meantime, we will continue to support our Greek member organizations and look forward to celebrating the passage of this bill.” ILGA-Europe also noted that Cyprus and Malta have recently recognized samesex civil unions. Malta also passed constitutional protections for LGBT people.

Georgia Ragsdale in Follow You Everywhere – A Memoir: Growing Up and Coming Out in Texas (See Friday 6/26 listing at 7:30 p.m. for details.)

er. Annual Rumor’s Pride Celebration to follow. www.bhampride.org/events.shtml

SUNDAY, JUNE 28 - SUNDAY, JULY 5 Victoria, BC Pride A week of events and activities culminating in the annual Pride Parade and Festival on Sunday, July 5. www.victoriapridesociety.org THURSDAY, JULY 2 A Night of Queer Sci-Fi, Fantasy, and Speculative Fiction Gay City and Gay Romance Northwest are partnering together for a special Gay City Meet the Author event, which will boldly explore star systems and fantasy realms while spotlighting LGBTQ main characters and relationships. Join us at 7 p.m. at the Calamus Auditorium at Gay City (517 E. Pike St.) for an out-and-proud and out-of-this-world evening of readings by writers Astrid Amara, Matthew Buscemi, Kim Fielding, Laylah Hunter and Nisi Shawl. From Lambda Literary-nominated fantasies to powerful and thought-provoking science fiction stories, each author takes the reader on an exciting, imaginative journey. www.gaycity.org/arts THURSDAY, JULY 2 - SUNDAY, JULY 5 DignityUSA Convention in Seattle www.dignityusa.org FRIDAY, JULY 3 - SUNDAY, JULY 5 Seattle Tennis Alliance - 2015 Seattle Classic www.seattletennisalliance.org (See details under EVENTS menu) SATURDAY, JULY 4 - SUNDAY, JULY 5 Emerald City Softball Association – 2015 Emerald City Classic www.emeraldcitysoftball.org (See details under TOURNAMENT menu)

SUNDAY, JUNE 28

FRIDAY, JULY 10 SUNDAY, AUGUST 1 Wizzer Pizzer: Getting Over the Rainbow Theatre22 Summer Pride Series at 12th Avenue Arts presents Wizzer Pizzer: Get-

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ting Over the Rainbow by Amy Wheeler. Somewhere over the rainbow, Gays are checking themselves into Dr. Nora’s Reparative Therapy Clinic, where an exGay, ex-Lesbian couple teach them to be born again straight. Adrian, a drag queen (best known for his Judy Garland impersonation), checks himself in after losing the amateur drag contest. So does Jack (a rugged, straight guy who bears a striking resemblance to Adrian’s best girlfriend Kandi). When Jack finds love at the clinic with the poster girl for cured Lesbians, all Oz breaks loose. Wizzer Pizzer is a wild, outrageous, modern ride back out the Yellow Brick Road. Tickets: $25 general; $14 senior, military, student. www.brownpapertickets.com/event/907129 “In its world-premiere production at 7 Stages, Wizzer Pizzer revels in the comic possibilities of its timely subject, turns gender politics topsy-turvy and offers something sexy for every orientation.” –Atlanta’s Creative Loafing SATURDAY, JULY 11 Out in the Park – Tacoma’s annual LGBTQA Pride Celebration Noon-5 p.m., Broadway between 9th and 11th streets. Tacoma’s Official PRIDE celebration takes place as an outdoor street festival in downtown Tacoma at the Pierce Transit Park. Out in the Park is a family friendly festival that includes street side vendor booths and live performances by musical groups, drag acts, dignitaries and speakers on the Main Stage. A secondary stage features performances for both the young and the young at heart. www.rainbowcntr.org. SATURDAY, JULY 11 Bellingham Pride Family Picnic Come enjoy a picnic at noon in Bloedel Donovan Park (2214 Electric Ave.) with the entire Bellingham Pride family (that includes you!). Donations gratefully accepted to cover the cost of food. www.bhampride. org/events.shtml

SATURDAY, JULY 11 Bellingham Rumors Pride Celebration (21+) 10 p.m.-2 a.m. (close), Rumors Cabaret (1119 Railroad Ave.), cover. www.bhampride.org/events.shtml SUNDAY, JULY 12 Bellingham Pride Parade Noon. Starts at Ohio & Cornwall, travels along Cornwall Ave., ends at Depot Market Square (1100 Railroad Ave.). More info at http://www.bhampride.org/events.shtml SUNDAY, JULY 12 Bellingham Pride Festival Until 4:00 p.m., Depot Market Square (1100 Railroad Ave.). Features various vendors, children’s activities, appearances by local and state dignitaries. Come join the fun! www.bhampride. org/events.shtml SATURDAY, JULY 18 Kitsap Pride Kitsap Pride’s annual celebration, noon to 5 p.m., at Evergreen Park (1500 Park Ave.) in downtown Bremerton. www.kitsappride. org. (Kitsap Pride moves from Sunday to Saturday this year. Information about time and location based on previous year’s events.) SUNDAY, AUGUST 2 Vancouver (B.C.) Pride Parade & Festival Parade begins at noon in Vancouver’s downtown/West End at Robson and Thurlow streets and proceeds via Denman to festival site at Sunset Beach. Sponsored by Vancouver Pride Society. www.vancouverpride.ca.

SATURDAY, JULY 11 Bellingham Annual ISCEE Pride Drag Show (21+) Doors 6:30 p.m. Show at 7:30 p.m. Rumors Cabaret (1119 Railroad Ave.) $5 cov-

Celebrating 41 Years!

Pope beatifies Archbishop Oscar Romero Archbishop was murdered by El Salvador death squad by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer In a stunning reversal of the Catholic Church’s judgment, Pope Francis has beatified the late Archbishop Oscar Romero of El Salvador, and declared him a martyr. Beatification is the step prior to naming someone a Catholic saint. Romero was assassinated by a rightwing death squad while celebrating mass in a cancer hospital on March 24, 1980. Romero had been loved by the poor of his native El Salvador, but was hated by conservative Catholic officials who accused him of siding with leftist rebels. The day before he was murdered, Romero delivered a strongly-worded sermon condemning his country’s U.S.-backed military for killing civilians. “The law of God which says thou shalt not kill must come before any human order to kill,” he said in his homily. “It is high time you recovered your conscience. “I implore you, I beg you, I order you in the name of God: Stop the repression.” After his murder, some Latin American Catholics called Romero a martyr, and pressed the Vatican to declare him a saint, but conservative Latin American cardinals opposed any recognition of Romero. The pope at the time, John Paul II, was also strongly anti-communist, and hostile to progressive forces in the church.

The case for Romero’s sainthood made no progress till 2012, when Pope Benedict XVI ruled that Romero was not a communist. The beatification ceremony constitutes official church approval of Romero’s legacy, even if some conservatives in the Vatican and Salvadoran society still view his memory with distaste. “The beatification ... is a cause for great joy for Salvadorans and for those of us who rejoice at the example of the greatest children of the church,” Francis said in a statement. “Monsignor Romero, who built peace from the strength of love, gave testimony of the faith with his life, committed to the very end.” U.S. President Barack Obama, who visited Romero’s tomb in 2011, called him “an inspiration for people in El Salvador and across the Americas.” “He was a wise pastor and a courageous man who persevered in the face of opposition from extremes on both sides,” Obama said. “He fearlessly confronted the evils he saw, guided by the needs of his beloved pueblo, the poor and oppressed people of El Salvador.” Romero’s assassin has never been identified, and no one has been prosecuted for the killing. Paramilitary death squad leader Roberto “Blowtorch Bob” d’Aubuisson, was named by a U.N. truth commission as the

Archbishop Oscar Romero – www.timeslive.co.za

mastermind of the assassination, but died in 1992 without confessing. D’Aubuisson got his nickname from his use of a blowtorch in interrogations of leftist prisoners. Deep political divisions from El Salvador’s 1980-1984 civil war still remain, and d’Aubuisson is revered among the country’s right – including church officials. Nevertheless, Salvadoran officials closed off two square miles of streets in the capital, San Salvador, to accommodate pilgrims for the beatification ceremony. Cardinal Angelo Amato, the Vatican officials in charge of saints, conducted the

ceremony beneath a 60-foot-tall monument depicting Christ atop a white pillar and blue globe. An urn held the blood-stained shirt that Romero was wearing when he was shot. Celebrations were also planned in Los Angeles, which is home to about 360,000 people of Salvadoran origin. Many of them arrived in the 1980s fleeing the Central American nation’s civil war, in which at least 75,000 people died and 12,000 more disappeared.

PrEP reaches peak effectiveness after only one week, new study says High effectiveness remains for one week after last dose by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer When used as a PrEP drug, Truvada reaches its peak effectiveness after only five to seven daily doses, and remains effective for up to seven days after the last dose, according to a new study. According to the research, published in the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases, one day on PrEP resulted in a 75% to 91% risk reduction, three days meant a 95% to 97% risk reduction, and five to seven daily doses of PrEP translated to a 98% to 99% risk reduction. The presumed risk reduction stayed higher than 90% for seven days after the last dose. In the study, researchers gave Truvada to 11 HIV-negative men and 10 HIV-negative women for 30 days. They then measured drug levels of the medication at days 1, 3, 7, 20, 30, 35, 45, and 60. Nineteen of the participants completed all the study visits. Participants apparently adhered to the daily dosing schedule at a rate of 99%, according to pill counts, selfreports and a dosing calendar. The research team sampled levels of the

drug in the subjects’ blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs), and compared their findings to drug levels estimated in previous research to correspond to varying degrees of protection against HIV. Although the study included female participants, it was not meant to estimate how well PrEP dosing protects them or other groups, just men who have sex with men (MSM). The iPrEx study used as the reference point for Truvada’s effectiveness at various concentrations in PBMCs was only conducted among MSM and Transgender women. The research also does not apply to socalled “on demand” or “intercourse-based” dosing schedules, which are being studied in the ongoing IPERGAY trials. In those tests, subjects only take Truvada in the days before and after having sex. A major difference in such a dosing strategy is that it starts with a double dose at least 24 hours before sex, and ends with another double dose 48 hours after sex. The present research only studied a dose of one pill per day, taken regardless of whether the subject planned to have sex. On one of the crucial questions about

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Truvada pills – www.aidsunited.org PrEP’s effectiveness, the study offered cau- PrEP about a week before the first possible tious optimism. The research showed that exposure to HIV and staying on it for four Truvada remained quite effective at pre- weeks after the last potential exposure. venting HIV infection for several days after discontinuing the medication. Nevertheless, researchers recommended starting

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Celebrating 41 Years!

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June 12, 2015

Celebrating 41 Years!