Issue 25 Volume 38
HAPPY GAY PRIDE Seattle Gay News
Celebrating 37 Years!
FRIDAY June 18, 2010 FREE! 25¢ in bookstores & news stands
SEATTLE’S LGBT NEWS & ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY
Seattle’s Charlene FEDERAL PR0P 8 CASE WRAPS Strong to meet President Obama courtesy gsba
Fleming, when floodwaters invaded their Seattle home in 2006. Initially prevented from seeing Kate on her deathbed and unable to make even the most rudimentary of arrangements on Kate’s behalf, Charlene fought back by becoming a tireless advocate for marriage equality and equal protections for LGBT families. Through her actions, Charlene has become a catalyst for change. “Our lives are valuable and deserve a voice and full inclusion in the discussion of full equality,” said Strong. “My goal is to be that voice – a voice that reaches out to say that this is the real story, the real pain, and the real collateral damage of discrimination.”
Charlene Strong
by Shaun Knittel SGN Staff Writer According to a June 15 press release, Seattle LGBT activist Charlene Strong will meet with President Obama on June 22 to focus on LGBT marriage equality and the impact of discrimination on real families. Charlene lost her wife, Kate
see strong page 18
Do bans on same-sex marriage infringe on Gay people’s fundamental federal constitutional rights? Or is marriage, by definition, an institution that “channels” procreating heterosexuals into stable unions for the sake of children? The federal lawsuit against California’s Proposition 8, which amended the state constitution in 2008 to re-ban same-sex marriage, wrapped up in U.S. District Court in San Francisco on June 16 following a five-month hiatus. Lawyer Ted Olson argued that Prop 8 violates, among other things, the U.S. Constitution’s equal-protection clause by creating separate classes of people with different laws for each. “The fundamental constitutional right to marry has been taken away from the plaintiffs and tens of thousands of similarly situated Californians,” Olson said. “Their state has rewritten its constitution in order to place them into a special disfavored category where their most intimate personal relationships are not valid, not recognized, and second-rate. Their state has stigmatized them as unworthy
karen ocamb
by Rex Wockner SGN Contributing Writer
Lawyer David Boies (center) with plaintiffs Paul Katami (r) and Jeff Zarrillo during a break at the closing arguments of the Prop 8 federal trial June 16
of marriage, different and less respected. … There is not a compelling governmental interest to put the plaintiffs in a class like this and take away what the Supreme Court has called a fundamental right, a right of liberty, privacy, association, intimacy, and autonomy.” “This law is discriminatory,” he said. “The evidence is overwhelm-
ing that it imposes great social harm on individuals who are our equals. They are members of our society. They pay their taxes. They want to form a household. They want to raise their children in happiness and in the same way that see prop 8 page 18
SGN Exclusive interview PRIDE EVENTS Dr. Vena Sele Samoan activist CALENDAR and Transgender pioneer compiled by Rick McKinnon and Nick Ardizzone SGN Staff Writers
courtesy vanessa
Dr. Vena Sele
by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer Dr. Vena Sele has been described as an “icon” of the Samoan community. An educator, an activist, and an author, she is affectionately known as “Mama” to her younger protégés in the Samoan LGBT community. “I don’t know about ‘icon,’” Dr. Sele smiled as she settled in for the interview. “I was able to have a government job, moving on the ladder upwards, dressed as a woman.” When she arrived at the SGN offices, Dr. Sele was accompanied by Tiare Leiataua Seiuli-Fidow and Taffy Lee Maene of UTOPIA, a Polynesian LGBT organization. “We are fa’afafines,” she explained. “That’s the acceptable see Dr. vena Sele page 20
GLITTORUS! A FUNDRAISER FOR LAMBERT HOUSE On Friday, June 18, and Saturday, June 19 at 8 p.m.,
Glittorus! will be staged at The Rendezvous/Jewel Box Theatre (2322 2nd Avenue). Experience two amazing nights of a spectacular mix of burlesque, boylesque, cabaret, comedy, and bellydancing, all to benefit Lambert House. This is a variety show not to be missed, and a cause not to be ignored. Tickets are $15 and are available at www.brownpapertickets.com/ event/112038.
BAT N’ ROUGE THE DYKES VS DRAG QUEENS On Saturday, June 19, from 5-8 p.m. at Bobby Morris Playfield in Cal Anderson Park (11th Ave. and
E. Olive St.), The Capitol Hill Alano Club presents The Dykes vs Drag Queens at Bat N’ Rouge’s pride kickoff game. Bat N’ Rouge is a fundraising event to benefit Capitol Hill Alano Club, which has an ongoing mission of drug and alcohol recovery. CHAC is a nonprofit organization now in its 27th year of service in the Seattle LGBT community. For more information, visit www. chacseattle.org. see pride events page 5
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Seattle Gay News
June 18, 2010
Celebrating 37 Years!
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Deadlines Classifieds - Thursday at noon Calendar - Tuesday 6pm Display Ads: Space Reservation - Monday 5pm Ad copy (non-camera ready) - Tues. 5pm Ad copy (camera ready) - Wed. 5pm Letters to the Editor - Tuesday 5pm Obituaries - Call the sgn office All others - Tuesday 5pm
Editor In Chief George Bakan Associate Editor Tom Flint (retired) Editorial Assistant Nick Ardizzone Production William Creswell Calender Editors Mike Andrew and Rick McKinnon Travel Editor George Bakan Advertising Manager Marty Weisbrod Advertising Department Maggie Bloodstone Executive Assistant Mike Andrew Staff Writers George Bakan, Albert S. Rodriguez, Nick Ardizzone, Shaun Knittel Miryam Gordon, James Whitely, Tim Peter Contributing Writers Rev. Barbara Allen, Mike Andrew, Eric Andrews-Katz, Madelyn Arnold, Maggie Bloodstone, Beau Burriola, Jessica Davis, Ron Anders, Jessica Price, Milton W. Hamlin, Nevin Jefferson, Keen News Service, Jason A. Miller, Liz Meyer, Rod Parke, Don Paulson, Scott Rice, Leslie Robinson, Richard Kennedy, Romeo San Vicente, Rex Wockner Classifieds Mike Andrew and Rick McKinnon Photographers Nick Ardizzone, Joseph P. Herron, Shaun Knittel, James Whitely National Advertising Rep. Rivendell Media (212) 242-6863 Website Designer Barry Thorsness/Digital Team Works Seattle Gay News is published weekly by JT&A, Inc. © 2010, JT&A, Inc., all rights reserved. Reprints by permission.
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Pride 2010 Interfaith Worship Service seeks to unite Seattle faiths
by Rev. Ray Neal, pastor, Emerald City MCC-Seattle Special to the SGN
Pride 2010 Interfaith Worship Service June 26, 2 PM All Pilgrims Church (500 Broadway E.) “Created in the Image of the Divine” is the theme of the Pride 2010 Interfaith Worship Service to be held on Saturday, June 26, at 2 p.m. at All Pilgrims Church, 500 Broadway E. The worship service will feature reflections on the theme by persons of various faith groups and a community LGBT chorus of participants from several churches under the direction of Darren Hochstedler, music director at Emerald City Metropolitan Community Church Seattle. Recognizing that it had been several years since any attempt had been made to hold an interfaith Pride worship service in Seattle, the board of Emerald City MCC, asked its pastor, Rev. Ray Neal, to organize such a service. Ray built a coalition of representatives from different faith groups to plan and present the service this year. Also participating in the service plans and presentation are Darren Hochstedler, music minister of Emerald City MCC and church administrator at
Phinney Ridge Lutheran Church; Rev. Michelle Carmody, associate pastor at Emerald City MCC; Lincoln Rose, pastoral assistant at Emerald City; Jamie Haskins, pastoral intern at University Christian Church; Rev. Anne Hall, associate pastor at University Lutheran Church; Rev. Greg Turks, the new pastor of All Pilgrims Church; Rev. John Cahill, pastor of Highland Park United Methodist Church and Ravenna United Methodist Church; Rev. Tim Phillips, pastor Seattle First Baptist Church; Rev. Rick Pribbernow of ELCA Open Door Ministries, Rev. Joan Dennehy, pastor of Findlay Street Christian Church; and Larry Nicholas, a member the Kavana, an independent Jewish Community in Seattle. Giving a spiritual reflection on the theme from the Jewish faith will be Larry Nicholas. Originally from New York, Larry has called Seattle home for the past 20 years. A part-time clinical psychotherapist and parent educator with an office on Capitol Hill, he specializes in work with fathers and new parents. Larry is also a part-time stayat-home dad. Larry is a certified Gottman educator, teaching “Bringing Baby Home.” He teaches “Reflective Parenting: Parenting from the Heart” at various locations throughout the Puget Sound. He is a former teacher of the Conscious Fathering program
and a facilitator of the Positive Discipline program. A self-proclaimed “Dadvocate” and proud of the work he does, Larry takes the most joy from spending time with his partner Tom, their 3-year-old daughter, and 8-month-old son. The Nicholas-Underhill family are proud partners of the Kavana Cooperative on Queen Anne. Kavana is an independent Jewish community in Seattle. We strive to create a supportive communal environment in which individuals and families can use “kavana” – intention – to create a Jewish life that is spiritually fulfilling, intellectually satisfying, fun, and meaningful. Presenting the spiritual reflection from the Christian faith will be Rev. Joan Dennehy, who has been the pastor of Findlay Street Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) for 18 years. This congregation sold their building in the Rainier Valley in 2006 and is in interim space at Mt. Baker Park Presbyterian Church, planning for new sacred space and mission on N. Beacon Hill. She was born into the Catholic Church, was a studio art major in college, received her M.Div from Chandler School of Theology at Emory University, is the mother of five grown children and nana to 12 grandchildren, enjoys playing the flute, and lives with her partner, Barb Graff, in Bellevue. Persons from the Muslim faith and Buddhist faith have also been invited to give their reflections on the theme. Darren Hochstedler, music director at Emerald City MCC, invites all interested persons who would like to make “a joyful noise” to meet at noon on June 26 at All Pilgrims Church to form a service choir and rehearse an energetic but easy-to-sing anthem for the service. A reception will be held after the worship service in the fellowship hall of All Pilgrims Church so that worship service participants might meet those involved in the service and learn about the various faith groups represented. An offering will be taken up at the worship service with 100% of the proceeds going to Queer Youth Space.
In Loving Memory Of Steve Foiles, Scott Roger Alpert, Cookie Andrews-Hunt, James Leland Moore, Randy Peters, Lee Richeson, Shaun Shelton, Jim Tully, James Arnold
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Seattle Gay News
June 18, 2010
Celebrating 37 Years!
AN OPEN LETTER TO CHRISTOPHER WILLIAMS, PARKS DEPUTY SUPERINTENDENT Dear Mr. Williams, The Greater Seattle Business Association (GSBA), Greater Seattle’s LGBT Chamber of Commerce, is committed to promoting the economic vitality of our neighborhoods and region and believes saving the Conservatory on Capitol Hill is a good investment in our parks. As a neighborhood, Capitol Hill is identified as the historical and cultural center of the LGBT community, and therefore is a destination for LGBT and allied tourists looking to experience the arts, restaurants, and nightlife offered on Capitol Hill. To truly provide a rounded tourist experience on Capitol Hill, Volunteer Park, the Seattle Asian Art Museum, and the Conservatory offer a green experience in the heart of the most dense urban neighborhood in Seattle. The Conservatory draws over 100,000 visitors per year to Volunteer Park and therefore to Capitol Hill as well. The Conservatory, designed by Olmsted Brothers, includes an amazing array of plant collec-
tions, including its well-known orchid collection. The Conservatory also organizes environmental educational programs and attracts a large number of tourists for its annual holiday open house and plant sale in May. The Greater Seattle Business Association understands the need for budget cuts during our current economic crisis, but given the low cost of maintaining the Conservatory and the large number of tourists and residents who enjoy this neighborhood asset, we encourage the Council to work with the Parks Department to keep the Conservatory open. Although not our largest city attraction, it is a small jewel within a neighborhood which adds to our uniqueness and is one of the treasures of Capitol Hill, which its residents and visitors currently enjoy and use on a regular basis. Thank you in advance for making an effort to retain an open and supported Conservatory in Volunteer Park on Capitol Hill. continued from cover
pride events
Sincerely,
BOLLYQ DANCE PARTY On Saturday, June 19, at 9 p.m. at Cafe Metropolitain (E. Olive Way and Boylston E.), TrikoneNW presents the BollyQ Dance Party. Bollywood goes gaga to benefit the LGBTQ South Asian community! Dance to the tunes of DJ Anjali, the Northwest’s hottest DJ. Costumes encouraged! 21+, $5 cover ($10 after 10 p.m.).
Louise Chernin Executive Director, Greater Seattle Business Association (GSBA)
Gay City celebrates Re-Pulped anthology
james whitely
RESURRECTION II: THE SECOND COMING FUNDRAISER On Saturday, June 19, at 9 p.m. (doors at 8 p.m.) at Redline Music and Sports (4439 35th Ave. SW), the Sisters of the Mother House of Washington will hold Resurrection II: The Second Coming to benefit SOMHOW and the Oasis Youth Center Tacoma. There will be JellO shots, live music, burlesque, and drag queens and kings. Hosted by Mark “Mom” Finley. $3 suggested donation. RAINBOW FAMILIES OF PUGET SOUND COMMUNITY PICNIC On Sunday, June 20, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Carkeek Park (950 Northwest Carkeek Park Rd.), join Rainbow Families of Puget Sound for their second annual Community Picnic. Rainbow Families of Puget Sound in a nonprofit, all-volunteer organization. For more information, e-mail kjbeck@ metlife.com.
Gay City Uncorked
by James Whitely SGN Staff Writer On Friday, June 11, Gay City Health Project extended an invite to the community for a downtown rooftop garden terrace winetasting party to celebrate the upcoming release of Gay City: Volume 3 Re-Pulped – Gay City Health Project’s third anthology of fiction, poetry, art, comics, and photography. This was the fifth annual wine-tasting Gay City has put on. The idea behind the party at Continental Place (2125 First Ave.) was to get a taste of the fine wines while getting a taste of Gay City: Volume 3. Two short stories were read by their authors and photography was shared by one artist. “Gay City anthologies produce vibrant, multi-disciplinary collections comprised of fiction, comics, poetry, photography, and art. Works are crafted to support and raise awareness of the Gay City Health Project mission: to promote the health of Gay and Bisexual men and prevent HIV infection by building community, fostering communication and nurturing self-esteem,” Gay City Deputy Director Peter Jabin told SGN. Local licensed “massage guy” and regular SGN contributor Eric Andrews-Katz shared a spicy south-of-the-border bondage-themed short story, local author and Gay City vol-
unteer Ryan Crawford spun a short tale of a post-apocalyptic Seattle, and local artist Jack Johnston shared blown-up Polaroids of his days as a Gay punk rocker living in San Francisco in the late ‘70s. All artists were introduced by Re-Pulped editor, Vincent Kovar. According to Jabin, with Re-Pulped, Gay City attempts to revisit, renew, react, reshape, and reinterpret the Gay pulp genre of the ‘50s and ‘60s, raising the bar and making it relevant to modern issues. Gay City board member Brad Mayer is marketing director for the national wine company Winebow. For the event, he brought in four wines from Italy: a champagne, a Pinot Grigio, a red mix of equal parts Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Sangiovese, and a Sicilian red. Food was donated by Robert Kohrt, a Gay City volunteer, and Robert Sondheim of Rosebud Restaurant and Bar and Grand Central Bakery. Gay City: Volume 3 Re-Pulped is set to be released mid-July. Gay City will hold a free to attend official launch party, but the details are still in the works. You can pre-order Gay City: Volume 3 Re-Pulped by contacting Jabin at peter@gaycity.org. The book costs $20 and will be shipped direct to pre-ordering customers. For more info visit www.gaycity.org.
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LIFE OF CAL ANDERSON TO BE CELEBRATED IN PERFORMANCE AT CAL ANDERSON PARK On Sunday, June 20, at 2 p.m. in Cal Anderson Park, 1635 11th Ave., near the fountain at the north end, the Langston Hughes Performing Arts Center, Seattle Parks and Recreation and POWER of PLACE Youth will present a short performance highlighting the life of Cal Anderson to coincide with LGBTQ Pride month activities. Washington’s first openly Gay legislator, Cal Anderson was a decorated Vietnam veteran who worked for inclusion, fairness, and participation in the democratic process until his death from AIDS in 1995. He was widely admired for his integrity, courage, and compassion. Presented in collaboration with the Cal Anderson Park Alliance, the event is free and open to the public. The event will be approximately 30 minutes in length and Parks officials will be in attendance. For more information about the Cal Anderson event, e-mail randy.wiger@seattle.gov. For more information about Seattle Parks and Recreation, visit www.seattle.gov/parks.
NUBIAN PRIDE JUNETEENTH FREEDOM PARTY On Sunday, June 20, at 6 p.m. at Cafe Metropolitain (1701 E. Olive Way), Nubian Pride will hold their Juneteenth Freedom Party. Celebrate Juneteenth and the abolition of slavery in America with a FREE soul food dinner, live entertainment, $1 beers and $3 well drinks. For more information, visit www.nubianprideproductions.com. THE REAL L WORD SERIES PREMIERE AT PURR On Sunday, June 20, at 6 p.m. at Purr Cocktail Lounge (1518 11th Ave.), join the Human Rights Campaign and Showtime for the series premiere of The Real L Word, a new Showtime reality series that follows a group of real-life, high-profile, left coast Lesbians as they go about their daily lives, at work and play. Fabulous, fashionable, and completely hot, The Real L Word is reality TV that only Showtime can bring you. Be the first to get a sneak peek of this exciting new series amidst hundreds of curious fans. Suggested donation $10, which includes an annual HRC membership. Must be 21+, doors open at 5 p.m. For more information, e-mail communityevents@hrc.org. 2010 SOAP PRIDE IDOL On Sunday, June 20, join Seattle Out and Proud (SOaP) at the 2010 Pride Idol competition at R Place (619 E. Pine St.). Doors open at 7 p.m., shows start at 8 p.m. This year, Pride Idol offers all of the undiscovered talent in the LGBT community an opportunity to shine in competition for cash and fabulous prizes! The Wildcard Round will be held on June 13 and the Finals will be held on June 20. Winners will ride in the official Pride Idol Float in the Seattle Pride® Parade. For more information, visit idol.seattlepride. org. ALL-STAR PRIDE SHOW AT NEIGHBOURS On Wednesday, June 23, at 10 p.m. at Neighbours Nightclub (1509 Broadway), Gaysha Starr presents the All-Star Pride Show. Join a constellation of fabulous guests for raffle and door prizes (courtesy of Neighbours, Panache, and the Seattle Gay News) to benefit GLSEN, the Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network. see Pride events page 16
SEATTLE MEN IN LEATHER FATHER’S DAY CHILI FEED On Sunday, June 20, from 4-8 p.m. at the Cuff (1533 12th Ave.), join Seattle Men in Leather for $5 all-you-can-eat chili (vegetarian or beef) to benefit Lambert House. Also, burgers $4, hot dogs $3. For more information, visit www.seattlemeninleather.org.
June 18, 2010
Seattle Gay News
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INTERNATIONAL
NEWS
Three million at São Paulo pride parade Step aside, United States, Toronto, and Sydney. Your Gay parades are not even close to being the biggest. Organizers and media reported that the 14th annual Gay pride parade in São Paulo, Brazil, attracted 3 million people June 6. And it even had a political theme: “Vote against homophobia: Defend citizenship” in the October presidential and congressional elections. The cost of the massive event was paid by the federal, state, and city governments, the state-run oil company Petrobras, and the government bank Caixa Econômica Federal. In the lead-up to Pride, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva issued a decree establishing a National Day Against Homophobia each year on May 17. “The decree is the governmental recognition that homophobia exists in Brazil and that concrete actions are needed to reduce or eliminate prejudice, discrimination and stigma against the LGBT community,” said Toni Reis, president of the Brazilian Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Trans Association, or ABGLT. “We hope that Brazil’s example will be followed by the 75 countries where homosexuality is a crime and in the seven coun-
by Rex Wockner SGN Contributing Writer tries where the death penalty exists for homosexuals,” he added. The decree was published in the Official Gazette on June 7 and took immediate effect. CoE human rights head blasts pride incidents The Council of Europe’s human rights commissioner, Thomas Hammarberg, says member nations that impede Gay pride parades and celebrations are violating European law on freedom of assembly and expression. Writing on his blog this month, Hammarberg singled out Lithuania, Moldova, Russia and Slovakia, where this year’s pride events were “banned or subject to threats and violence.” “In Moscow, Gay pride events scheduled for 29 May were banned as the authorities claimed they were unable to guarantee the security of the participants, and they wanted to avoid traffic jams,” Hammarberg said. “The organizers appealed against the decision, but the court upheld the ban. However, some Gay rights activists managed to hold a brief protest in central Moscow. Gay pride events in Moscow have now been banned for the last five years. This has prompted the organizers to file a complaint at the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg.” Slovakia’s Bratislava Rainbow Pride on May 22 “was marked with violence and attacks by neo-Nazi protesters, who threw eggs and stones and used tear gas,” Hammarberg noted. “The route had to be changed and the parade could not go through the center of Bratislava. The police were criticized for not having allocated more officers to this event.” In Vilnius, Lithuania, on May 8, there were “more policemen than [pride] demonstrators” at Baltic Pride, the commissioner wrote. Although the Supreme Administrative Court stepped in at the last minute to un-ban the march, it “took place under heavy police protection and with a significant number of hostile protesters surrounding it.” Reports said 800 police officers protected 500 marchers from more than 1,000 antiGay demonstrators, who threw rocks, bottles, fireworks, and other items but failed to breach the police cordon, in part because officers used tear gas to keep them at bay. A Gay pride rally in Chisinau, Moldova, was canceled May 2 after a court said it could take place only in a secluded park rather than downtown. “The European Court of Human Rights has made clear that the State has a duty to
protect the participants in peaceful demonstrations, specifying that ‘this obligation is of particular importance for persons holding unpopular views or belonging to minorities, because they are more vulnerable to victimization,’” Hammarberg wrote. “The Court has also stressed that peaceful demonstrations cannot be banned simply because of hostile attitudes to the demonstrators or to the causes they advocate.” “The rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly are fundamental rights in a democratic society and belong to all people,” he concluded. The Council of Europe is Europe’s main intergovernmental organization with a human-rights focus and is the seat of the European Court of Human Rights. There is strong opposition to LGBT rights in some of the CoE’s 47 member nations – overwhelmingly in Central and Eastern Europe rather than Western Europe. In related news, on June 3, the European Parliament’s Intergroup on LGBT Rights sent inquiries to the European Commission and the European Council “on why they failed to support the Moscow Gay pride,” the Intergroup said. “On 30th March, organizers of the Moscow Gay pride approached the Delegation of the European Union in Moscow, asking for their formal support to an event that has been banned for the last five years and has constantly sustained violence and arrests,” the Intergroup said. “The ambassador declined to support the event, despite this statement from the High Representative on 17th May 2010: ‘The European Union urges States to ensure adequate protection of human rights defenders, and remove obstacles which prevent them from carrying out their work on issues of human rights and sexual orientation and gender identity.’” Moscow Pride also sought formal support from the embassies of Austria, Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland, Luxembourg,
Malta, Portugal, Sweden and the United Kingdom. “Ambassadors either declined supporting the event or ignored the request, despite Czech, Dutch, French, German, Spanish, Swedish and British embassies having supported Gay prides in other countries,” the Intergroup said. “Although some ambassadors initially declared themselves ready to support the event, they appeared to subsequently withdraw their intended support following a discussion at one of the regular human rights meetings between EU ambassadors.” In a June 8 interview, Moscow Pride founder Nikolai Alekseev said foreign ambassadors are afraid of the Russian government. “After I discussed extensively with several diplomats in Russia in past years, I think they are just scared of what could be the reaction of the Russian authorities if they were to host a reception on the eve of the Moscow Pride in their garden or if they were waving a rainbow flag on the embassies like the UK did in several neighboring countries,” Alekseev said. “This is very silly, because Kremlin will not care. But none of the embassies has enough courage to do it and to be the first one to give a positive signal in our direction.” “The diplomats of several embassies have regular meetings on human rights in Moscow and they could agree on using the EU office for this purpose,” Alekseev suggested. “That way it would not be seen as coming from one country but from the EU. But the EU ... prefers to write checks to human rights organizations than to send a political message to the Russian authorities. Of course, it is much more practical to sign a check. It costs less than political support. But we don’t need and we don’t ask for any checks. We need political support.” With assistance from Bill Kelley
NATIONAL
NEWS
More Gays than straights oppose Arizona immigration law LGBT people are much more likely than straight people to oppose Arizona’s controversial new law targeting undocumented immigrants, according to a Harris Interactive poll. The statute, enacted in April, requires police to check an individual’s immigration status anytime an officer suspects the individual may be in the U.S. illegally. Sixty-three percent of LGBT Americans oppose the law and 45 percent of LGBT Americans strongly oppose it.
by Rex Wockner SGN Contributing Writer However, 60 percent of straight people support the law and 41 percent support it strongly. The national survey of 2,698 U.S. adults, of whom 335 were LGB or T, was conducted online between May 10 and 17. The poll also found that, because of the immigration law, 43 percent of LGBT respondents are less likely to vacation in Arizona and 36 percent are less likely to attend a convention there. According to Harris: “Harris Interactive avoids the words ‘margin of error’ as they are misleading. ... The data have been weighted to reflect the composition of the adult population. Because the sample is based on those who agreed to participate in the Harris Interactive panel, no estimates of theoretical sampling error can be calculated.” HUD establishes Gay protections The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development announced June 7 that it will require applicants for HUD funding to comply with state and local anti-discrimination laws that protect LGBT people. “We’re using every avenue to shut the door against discrimination,” said HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan. “Today, we take an important step to insist that those who seek federal funding must demonstrate that they are meeting local and state civil rights laws that prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity.” Twenty-one states and the District of Columbia ban discrimination based on sexual orientation, and 12 states and the District of Columbia protect Transgender people. At least 373 counties, cities and towns ban antiGay discrimination and 132 of them also ban anti-Trans discrimination, according to data accumulated by the Human Rights Campaign. With assistance from Bill Kelley
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Seattle Gay News
June 18, 2010
Celebrating 37 Years!
NORTHWEST
NEWS
Community Center for LGBTQ Youth, ages tion and to make an appointment, call 206299-1600. 11-22.
NUBIAN PRIDE PRESENTS FREEDOM PARTY CELEBRATING JUNETEENTH (OVER 200 YEARS FREE FROM SLAVERY IN AMERICA) On Sunday, June 20, at 6 p.m., Nubian and pirated concert recordings. Tickets: $22 advance; $25 at the door. www.thetriple- Pride Productions, hosts a FREE soul food dinner and Juneteenth celebration with door.net. live entertainment at Café Metropolitain (1701 E. Olive Way at Boylston Ave. E.) $1 TRIKONE NW PRESENTS beers and $3 wells all night. www.nubianBOLLYQ DANCE PARTY – prideproductions.com. A BENEFIT FOR THE LGBTQ SOUTH ASIAN COMMUNITY METRO TRANSIT HOSTS On Saturday, June 19, at 9 p.m., Trikone OPEN HOUSE TO DISCUSS NW presents a BollyQ Dance Party - “BolTROLLEY BUS lywood Goes Gaga!” – at Café MetropolitEVALUATION STUDY ain (1701 E. Olive Way at Boylston Ave. E.) On Tuesday, June 22, from 5-7 p.m., King with dance tunes by DJ Anjali, the Northwest’s hottest Desi DJ. Learn Bollywood County Metro Transit will host a public dance moves. Costumes encouraged. $5 open house to discuss their plans to study cover before 10 p.m., $10 after 10 p.m. Must possible alternatives for Metro’s aging electric trolley buses. The open house will be be 21+, ID required. www.trikonenw.org. held at Plymouth Congregational Church (1217 6th Ave.). This in-depth study will foEMERALD CITY cus on the current 14-route trolley system. SOFTBALL ASSOCIATION’S The findings of the study will help the counSPRING SEASON Visit www.emeraldcitysoftball.org for in- ty make an informed decision about the best formation about the Emerald City Softball vehicle technology to use on these routes Association’s Open League for Gay and as the current trolley buses wear out. Metro non-Gay men and women. Sundays through staff will be on hand at the open house to provide information about the purpose and June 20. Visit www.eteamz.com/womensecsa for scope of the study and to answer questions. information about the Emerald City Soft- Questions or comments about the study can ball Association’s Women’s League for Gay be directed to Ashley DeForest, community and non-Gay women only. Sundays through relations planner, at 206-684-1154 or by email at ashley.deforest@kingcounty.gov. June 20. There is also a project website at www.kingcounty.gov/TrolleyEvaluation. MCC SEATTLE BECOMES EMERALD CITY MCC SEATTLE – THE ELITE HOSTS NEW WORSHIP TIME IN JUNE, FREE ASL LESSONS NEW LOCATION IN JULY FOR BEGINNERS Metropolitan Community Church SeHave you ever wanted to learn basic attle has renamed their church the Emerald City Metropolitan Church Seattle, and will American Sign Language? If so, you can be holding worship services at 11 a.m. The get some beginning ASL instruction at the church will continue to meet in the Chapel Elite (1520 E. Olive Way). The FREE lesof Temple de Hirsch Sinai (1441 16th Ave.) sons will be held every Tuesday at 7 p.m. in throughout the month of June, except there the loft. will be no service on Sunday, June 27, as the GAY CITY UNIVERSITY church will be participating in the Seattle NIGHT SCHOOL: Pride Parade that day. The church encourTHE QUEEN CITY COMES OUT ages attendance of the Interfaith Pride worOn Tuesday, June 22, at 7 p.m. at Gay City ship service on Saturday, June 26, at 2 p.m., at All Pilgrims Church (500 Broadway E.). (511 E. Pike St.), Gay City University will On Sunday, July 4, the church will relocate present Professor Michael Brown, who will to the Chapel of University Temple United provide an introduction to the social histoMethodist Church (1415 N.E. 43rd St.), ries and geographies for our community. Remember Madam Peabody’s? How about with worship service at 11 a.m. Shelly’s Leg? Want to learn about those places and others? Be sure to attend this preLIFE OF CAL ANDERSON sentation by Gay City University. TO BE CELEBRATED IN PERFORMANCE AT SEATTLE GAY & LESBIAN CAL ANDERSON PARK BOOK CLUB AT DUNSHEE HOUSE On Sunday, June 20, at 2 p.m. in Cal AnThe Seattle Gay & Lesbian Book Club derson Park (1635 11th Ave.), near the fountain at the north end, the Langston Hughes meets every Wednesday at 6 p.m. at DunPerforming Arts Center, Seattle Parks and shee House (303 17th Ave. E. at E. Thomas Recreation and POWER of PLACE Youth St.). June – Maurice by E. M. Forster, an will present a short performance highlight- intense book about an ordinary college guy. ing the life of Cal Anderson to coincide with All GLBTQ folks in the community are welcome to participate in this free book club. LGBTQ Pride month activities. Washington’s first openly Gay legisla- For more information, email nickdimartin@ tor, Cal Anderson was a decorated Vietnam earthlink.net or contact Dunshee House at veteran who worked for inclusion, fairness, 206-322-2437. and participation in the democratic process GAY CITY UNIVERSITY until his death from AIDS in 1995. He was NIGHT SCHOOL: widely admired for his integrity, courage, BOOSTING YOUR JOB SEARCH and compassion. On Wednesday, June 23, at 7 p.m. at Gay Presented in collaboration with the Cal Anderson Park Alliance, the event is free City (511 E. Pike St.), Gay City University and open to the public. The event will be ap- presents Joe Perez, CPRW, CJSS, who will proximately 30 minutes in length and Parks show you how to shift from a lackluster job search to a career marketing campaign that officials will be in attendance. For more information about the Cal An- gets better results faster. This workshop can derson event, e-mail randy.wiger@seattle. help provide the motivation and tools for gov. For more information about Seattle success. Parks and Recreation, visit www.seattle. COUNTRY DOCTOR gov/parks. COMMUNITY HEALTH CLINIC OFFERS HEALTH CARE NIGHT SEATTLE MEN IN LEATHER FOR LGBTQ COMMUNITY HOSTS FATHERS’ DAY Spectrum Natural Health at Country DocCHILI FEED AT THE CUFF On Sunday, June 20, from 4-8 p.m., join tor Community Health Clinic (500 19th Ave. 2010 Seattle Daddy Mark and boy Kyle, E.) offers primary and naturopathic care for for a $5 all-you-can-eat (vegetarian or beef) the LGBTQ community every Thursday, chili feed at The Cuff Complex (1533 13th from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Providers have Ave. at E. Pine St.). Burgers for $4 and hot been serving the LGBTQ community for dogs for $3 will also be served. Proceeds many years. Cost is sliding scale – no one benefit Lambert House, Greater Seattle’s turned away for lack of funds. For informa-
compiled by Rick McKinnon SGN Staff Writer
For a comprehensive list of LGBT PRIDE EVENTS, see this week’s PRIDE EVENTS CALENDAR. WINNERS OF THE 2010 INTERNATIONAL CONSERVATION PHOTOGRAPHY AWARDS ON DISPLAY AT BURKE MUSEUM From June 19-September 5, the Burke Museum (UW Campus, NE 45th St. & 17th Ave. NE) will display more than 75 images from the 2010 International Conservation Photography Awards founded by Art Wolfe, a Seattle native and well-known nature photographer and published author. The museum is open daily, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and until 8 p.m. on Thursdays. www. burkemuseum.org. FREMONT SOLSTICE PARADE On Saturday, June 19, the Fremont Solstice Parade steps off at noon from Leary Way N. and N. 36th St. and travels through Fremont to Gasworks Park. FREMONT FAIR WEEKEND FESTIVAL The 39th annual Fremont Fair will be held on Saturday, June 19, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Sunday, July 20, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., on N. 34th St. just west of Fremont Ave. N., in the heart of the Fremont neighborhood. The weekend festival features over 300 arts and crafts booths, plus food vendors, beer gardens, 2 music stages. www.fremontfair.org. 2010 IRANIAN FESTIVAL On Saturday, June 19, from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. at Center House (305 Harrison St.) at the Seattle Center, join a celebration and exploration of Persian/Iranian life. The festival offers a melting pot of new experiences as it unites a multifaceted community – young and old – from all walks of life. Music and dance performances, Rumi poetry, food, and libations, puppet shows and face-painting provide a glimpse into this rich and diverse culture. The 2010 Iranian Festival is proud to present the award-winning documentary film Hayedeh: Legendary Persian Diva. The film is a celebration of the life and art of one of Iran ‘s most beloved singers and a cultural icon, Hayedeh. Hayedeh will screen at the Charlotte Martin Theatre at 7:30 p.m. immediately following the festivities in the Center House. For more information, visit www.seattlecenter.com. Q-SQUARED BOOK GROUP – DREAM BOY On Saturday, July 19, at 1 p.m. at Capitol Hill Branch Library (425 Harvard Ave. E.), the Q-Squared Book Group will discuss the novel Dream Boy by Jim Grimsley. From Publisher’s Weekly: “With this heartbreaking story of first love, Grimsley, recipient of the 1995 Sue Kaufman Prize for his first novel, Winter Birds, has crafted another potential award winner.” Q-Squared Book Group is open to men who are interested in Gay literature and always welcomes new members. For more information, visit www. qsquared.org. JOHN KELLY’S PAVED PARADISE: REDUX – THE ART OF JONI MITCHELL On Saturday, June 19, at 8 p.m., Obie Award-winning actor and performance artist John Kelly performs a new version of his highly acclaimed theatrical homage to the music of legendary singer/songwriter Joni Mitchell at The Triple Door (216 Union St.). In this loving homage, John Kelly inhabits the persona of Joni in a very intimate 90-minute journey through song and reflections on life. The show’s concept is simple: Joni in concert, with Kelly on vocals, guitar and dulcimer, backed by piano and bass. The “score” is an array of songs from various stages of Mitchell’s career; the “book” is her actual words, culled from interviews
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June 18, 2010
STOP KISS AT ODD DUCK STUDIO From June 24 to July 4, Thursdays to Saturdays at 8 p.m., and Sundays at 2 p.m., the Odd Duck Studio (1214 10th Ave.) presents Stop Kiss by Diana Son, a touching, honest, and often funny look at the development of friendship and love between two women, and the ways in which they cope with the aftermath of an act of violence committed against them. Tickets: $10-$12. www. brownpapertickets.com/event/114346 SISTERS OF PERPETUAL INDULGENCE ACCEPTING 2010 GRANT APPLICATIONS The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, Abbey of St. Joan, is currently accepting 2010 grant applications. The deadline for the 2010 Charity Granting Cycle is 5 p.m. on June 30. The Sisters have given grants for the past several years to 501(c)3 organizations in Washington state. The organizations who have qualified for grants in the past have all been supportive of the LGBT community, providing services for every type of need from HIV/AIDS services, STD prevention, LGBT veterans, LGBT youth, LGBT rights, and more. To apply to receive funds, visit the Abbey’s website aw www.theabbey.org and follow the “Sisters Charity Grant Fund” link. The application can be printed out or filled out online. INSTRUCTORS NEEDED FOR GAY CITY UNIVERSITY 2010 Gay City hopes you’ll join them for the 15th annual session of Gay City University on Saturday, September 11, 2010 at the Northwest School (1415 Summit Ave.). Gay City is seeking engaging individuals to teach informative and diverse classes to community members during our day-long event. This is an opportunity to teach a class to Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender men on the subject of your choice. No prior teaching experience is necessary, just be passionate and knowledgeable about what you’re teaching. Classes range in size from 10 to 30 students, and are 75 minutes long, with limited instructor spots. In addition to this day event, course proposals will also be considered for Gay City University Night School, which happens a few times a month. Courses can be accepted for both, and if you are chosen for GCU Night School, it is a one-night event. Proposals may be e-mailed (jordan@ gaycity.org), snail-mailed (511 E. Pike St., Seattle, 98122), faxed (206-860-0195) or dropped off not later than 5 p.m. on Friday, July 2nd. STRAWBERRY THEATRE WORKSHOP PRESENTS THE LARAMIE PROJECT & BREAKING THE CODE The Laramie Project by Moises Kaufman will run July 8-August 7 at 8:30 p.m. The Laramie Project explores the reaction to the murder of Matthew Shepard – a Gay student who was tortured and murdered near Laramie, Wyoming in 1998. The play draws on hundreds of interviews conducted by the theatre company (Tectonic Theater Project) with inhabitants of the town, company members’ own journal entries, and published news reports. Breaking the Code by Hugh Whitemore will run Sept. 9 - Oct. 9 at 7:30 p.m. The subject of Breaking the Code is Alan Turing, the British mathematician and computer pioneer whose work as an inventor during World War II helped defeat Nazi Germany. Mr. Turing was convicted of “gross indecency” in 1952 for having a homosexual affair and was forced to endure injections of female hormones. He took his own life just two years later. Performances will be held at the Erickson Theatre Off-Broadway (1524 Harvard Ave. between E. Pine and E. Pike Sts.). Tickets: $30-general; $100-group of 4; $15 halfprice Thursdays – in advance through www. brownpapertickets.com; 1-800-838-3006. For more information, visit www.strawshop.org.
Seattle Gay News
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Queer Youth Space awarded $99,982 grant
Capital City Pride festival draws 10,000 for two-day festival, parade Pride in Olympia, Washington’s capital city, was a tremendous success last weekend, the event’s organizers said. “We hit our maximum in terms of booth and food vendors for this weekend,” said Daniel Furrer, the chair of the Olympia’s 2010 festival. “And the weather was amazing,” he said. The festival saw 70 food, vendor and nonprofit booths at historic Sylvester Park last Saturday, and the parade included 47 entries on Sunday. This was the first year the parade and festival have taken place on two different days. Furrer says that was in response to community interest and market demand to continue the festival’s growth. “One of our
by Shaun Knittel SGN Staff Writer On June 16, Queer Youth Space (QYS) announced that due to the community initiative of hundreds of Queer youth and adult supports, the organization has been recommended for a Large Project Fund by the City of Seattle’s Department of Neighborhoods to the tune of $99,982 – the full amount requested. According to QYS officials, the money will go towards opening a new youth-led cultural arts and activism space on Capitol Hill in the fall. The project, called THREE WINGS, will service the LGBT youth in a number of different ways, QYS officials say. “We are currently negotiating with a Capitol Hill landlord about the exact location to house the THREE WINGS project,” QYS spokesperson Hanna King told SGN. “What the Large Project Fund recommendation proves is that it is clear that, with support and resources, youth are capable of positive things. We, as a group of young people, were able to write a 67-page proposal to successfully secure funding.” King told SGN that a Queer youth space is important because “without a safe space it is easy to become lost – this will be a space for youth to call their own.” The Queer youth-led space, under the moniker THREE WINGS, will look like this: WING 1 will consist of a Cultural Activism Lab to build Queer peer support networks, positive youth identities, and community pride by providing a space where
Queer youth could socialize, work, and create together. The Cultural Activism Lab will include a café, arts and cultural gallery, performance/class space, and community organizing spaces. The lab would serve as the face of THREE WINGS and as the primary function of its physical space where young people could utilize the open format to make media, socialize, and get engaged with local activism. WING 2, the Wellness Collaborative, would provide critical education and mental health services to address the disparities for health and wellbeing experienced by Queer youth. QYS officials say that “WING 2 will address disparities in the quality of life of Queer people, and other compounding factors, through holistic counseling, coaching and goal-attainment partnerships, peer mediation, health/legal information and referral, academic support, classes/groups aimed at personal healing and community wellness.” THREE WINGS would offer these services in a non-confrontational and confidential way. WING 3, the Research & Education Institute wing would work to positively impact the policies and cultural practices that negatively impact the community by developing a “think tank” that builds leadership and promotes policy and community change through research, education, and advocacy. The institute would also produce alternative media and web resources, research-based resources, and educational materials. It would provide technical assistance and consultation to schools and agencies. Although the space is open to the public, King admits “first and foremost we are a space for youth, led by youth.” “It is important that we provide a space that constitutes a safe environment in all connotations of the term – physical, emotional and mental,” she told SGN. “QYS is coalition based,” King said, adding, “we are not a counseling center or a substance abuse center, but we will have the resources to point at-risk youth in the right direction.” QYS officials say that as they prepare to open the new space, the Pride Foundation has made it possible for them to hire paid organizers. Youth who are interested in applying may do so by contacting jobs@queeryouthspace.com.
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big motivators to do this was to give more people an opportunity to participate in both the festival and the parade,” he said. In 2011, the Capital City Pride will mark its 20th year. Tony Sermonti, a former chairman of the group, said that people should be ready for a huge celebration next year. “We’ve been taking Olympia Pride to the next level for the past few years, 2011 will be our breakout year, and the planning for that started this week,” he said. “We have a wonderful, supportive community in Olympia, and a big-time Pride celebration in a fairly small town.” Courtesy of Capital City Pride
27th annual Frontrunners pride event - $$$ for CSB
by James Whitely SGN Staff Writer On Sunday, June 13, the Seattle Frontrunners, an LGBT running club, staged its 27th annual “Run and Walk with Pride.” The annual community race always benefits a local nonprofit each year by encouraging members of the Seattle area to participate. This year, approximately 700 people participated in the run, with 471 registered walkers/runners. This year, the Frontrunners also sponsored an underwear fashion show at R Place on Saturday June 12. “Talk about a racy way to help those in need,” said Joseph Acosta of the Frontrunners. Both events went to benefit the Chicken Soup Brigade. Five Frontrunners volunteered to model the underwear donated by Retail Therapy (905 E Pike St.). “The Chicken Soup Brigade is such an amazing bunch. Why not add a little extra appeal to our fundraising efforts?” said Acosta. “This year, some of our own Frontrunners will be inspiring people to get out there and run.” Run and Walk with Pride 2010 took place in Seward Park in South Seattle. Each participant could compete in a 4k fun run, 10K run, or a 4K walk. Every year the event is targeted towards people of all running abilities, but awards are always given to the top finishers.
“The run was amazing. We broke records this year; we got a number we didn’t have before. It was so much fun,” Acosta told SGN. According to Acosta, people from all across the LGBT spectrum as well as allies came out to show their support and run, and many people brought their dogs. Acosta even saw someone with a cat. “The weather was perfect. It was an amazing day. It was an amazing experience this year,” said Acosta. With over 300 members, the Seattle Frontrunners is one of the world’s largest LGBT running and walking clubs. Seattle Frontrunners is also one of the largest-running clubs in the Pacific Northwest. The Frontrunners always welcome all abilities at their events and in their club. To learn more about the Seattle Frontrunners, visit www.seattlefrontrunners.org. The Chicken Soup Brigade works to improve the nutritional status of people living with HIV/AIDS and other life-challenging illnesses in Seattle and King County. The Chicken Soup Brigade is the only program in the Pacific Northwest that delivers individualized meals and nutrition therapy, free of charge, to low-income people who are homebound due to illness or disability. The Chicken Soup Brigade is part of Lifelong AIDS Alliance, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. To learn more, visit www.lifelongaidsalliance.org/csb.
Celebrating 37 Years!
Federal family leave policy reformed
All unmarried domestic partners benefit by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer
9-6, Gay blood ban stays by James Whitely SGN Staff Writer On Friday June 11, after a two-day meeting, the Federal Committee on Blood Safety and Availability voted 9-6 to keep the “Gay blood ban” in place. The week prior, Senator John Kerry (D-Mass.) had asked the panel to end what he refers to as a “discriminatory practice.” “This lingering policy is responsible for turning away thousands of healthy donors from blood clinics across the country, not because they have engaged in highly risky behavior, but because they are Gay,” Kerry testified. “This is blood that could save lives.” The Federal Committee on Blood Safety and Availability makes recommendations to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Current FDA rules dictate that any man who has had sex with another man since 1977, even once, cannot donate blood. The ban was instituted in 1983, to prevent HIV-AIDS from entering the blood donation supply, when there was no method of testing and identifying HIV-positive blood. Gay rights advocates argue that this policy is discriminatory because straight people are only prohibited from donating blood, at least in regard to HIV/AIDS, if they are themselves positive or if they’ve had sex with an HIV-positive person within the past year. Senator Kerry and Congressman Mike Quigley (D-Ill.) were the primary force behind the letter co-signed by nine senators and 34 representatives that urged for the June 11 review. “I join medical experts at the American Red Cross, the American Medical Associa-
tion, and many others in asserting that this policy is simply not called for by the science,” said Kerry. This isn’t the first time Senator Kerry has raised his voice in opposition to this policy. In March of 2009, he wrote two letters to the FDA urging them to abolish the policy and published an op-ed on the subject in Bay Windows, New England’s largest LGBT newspaper. A report from the Williams Institute for Sexual Orientation Law and Public Policy at the University of California, Los Angeles School of Law finds that about 219,000 more pints of blood could be available each year if the FDA lifted the ban. The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force cited this figure in its response to the committee’s decision. “The committee’s decision today not only leaves a discriminatory practice in place, it also puts lives at risk,” said Rea Carey, executive director of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, in a statement. The American Red Cross also expressed disappointment about the decision, stating that “while the Red Cross is obligated by law to follow the guidelines set forth by the FDA, we also strongly support the use of rational, scientifically based deferral periods that are applied fairly and consistently among donors who engage in similar risk activities.” “The lifetime ban on Gay and Bisexual blood donors, unsupported by today’s scientific understanding of HIV, unnecessarily stigmatizes Gay and Bisexual men and turns away healthy potential donors that our nation needs,” said Human Rights Campaign President Joe Solmonese.
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courtesy chatham county sheriff
The federal Office of Personnel Management has announced new family leave rules that will allow federal workers to take paid time off to attend to a sick or deceased domestic partner. The changes were published in the Federal Register for June 14. Unlike other recent changes in federal personnel policy, these latest changes apply equally to same-sex and opposite-sex domestic partners. The changes to family leave regulations are part of a package of reforms ordered by President Obama last year. The change announced June 14 adds opposite-sex and same-sex partners, stepparents, stepchildren, grandparents, and grandchildren to the list of relationships that permit a federal worker to take leave. The changes do not apply to the Family and Medical Leave Act, which only Congress can change by statute. OPM added stepparents, stepchildren, grandparents, and grandchildren at the request of agencies and workers concerned that the personnel policy did not explicitly list them. The notice in the Federal Register also reminded workers that they may take leave for sick or dying relatives who are not ex-
plicitly listed in the notice. “The fact that a specific relationship is not expressly included in these definitions is not meant to diminish the familial bond, or to imply that leave may not be used to care for a person with that relationship,” OPM said in the Register. “Although we agree that any of the suggested relationships may be considered a close association with the employee that is equivalent to a family relationship, not every employee’s relationship will have this close association. For example, some employees may have been raised by an aunt, while others may have never had the opportunity to meet their aunt.” OPM declined to extend the leave policy to pet owners who wish to stay home with sick or dying animals, saying workers would have to use their annual leave or leave without pay in those circumstances. The rules announced June 14, like those announced by the White House June 2, only apply to employees of the federal government. Unions representing federal workers hailed the latest move. National Treasury Employees Union President Colleen M. Kelley told AP reporters, “This action reflects the structure of today’s families. These changes are additional important steps in helping ensure fairness in the federal workplace.”
Two Marines arrested for Gay bashing in GA
U.S. Marines Cpl. Keil J. Cronauer (l) and Cpl. Christopher C. Stanzel are charged in the beating of a Gay man in Savannah, GA.
by Shaun Knittel SGN Staff Writer On June 12, two Marines – Keil Cronauer, 22, and Christopher Stanzel, 23 – were arrested in Savannah, Georgia for attacking a Gay man reportedly because they thought he was “winking” at them. The victim, Kieran Daly, was struck in the back of the head shortly before 4 a.m. on June 12, following an altercation with Cronauer and Stanzel. According to news reports, a police officer saw the Marines running, and then received word of the incident. The officer investigated the scene where Daly lay on the ground being given CPR by his friends. The officer then chased after the Marines and arrested them. The Marines reportedly told the officer that Daly had come on to them, saying sexually suggestive things and following close behind them. Their story, however, was contradicted by witnesses who said that Cronauer and Stanzel were the aggressors and accused Daly of winking at them. Daly claims his attacker yelled anti-Gay slurs at him. “The guy thought I was winking at him,” Daly told reporters from his hospital bed on June 12. “I told him, ‘I was squinting, man … I’m tired.’ The last thing I remember was walking away. I remember the feeling of getting hit, but I only kind of remember it.” According to witnesses, one of the Marines punched the back of Daly’s head as he was walking away. Daly was diagnosed with bruises to the brain and suffered seizures from the attack. Doctors have advised Daly, a truck driver, not to return to work. Cronauer and Stanzel, both stationed at Marine Corps Air Station in Beaufront,
South Carolina, were booked on a misdemeanor charge of battery. Their bond was set at $1,850. The men were released to Marine police, who are also considering charges. The FBI has reportedly launched a preliminary investigation into whether federal charges of a hate crime should be pursued in the case. Georgia has no state law that provides hate crimes protections for LGBT persons. Georgia Equality, an LGBT advocacy organization, issued an action alert saying, “Although there were multiple eyewitnesses who confirmed that the attack was unprovoked, local police authorities charged the men with a misdemeanor and released them into the custody of military police. Georgia Equality is working with members of the local community in Savannah to coordinate a response to this vicious attack, the third in less than five years.” The release encouraged recipients to urge state lawmakers to pass a measure that would put a hate crimes law on the state’s books. Local Gay activists are planning to hold a rally on Sunday at Johnson Square in Savannah near where Daly was struck. Activists are saying the crime warrants more than misdemeanor charges. “What happened this weekend is another reminder that we have a problem here,” said Kevin Clark, a Georgia Equality board member. “We hope this is the straw that breaks the camel’s back and the law enforcement and judicial leaders will make an example of this case. This has really got to stop. The violence is so uncalled for. We are all feeling frustration and anger here. And while we get a lot of support from the LGBT community, we don’t see a lot of support from the community at large – we need to see shock and outrage from city officials.”
What happened this weekend is another reminder that we have a problem here.
June 18, 2010
Seattle Gay News
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Celebrating 37 Years!
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pride events continued from page 5
QUEER TEEN ENSEMBLE THEATRE On the evenings of June 24, 25, and 26, at 7:30 p.m., Washington Ensemble Theatre presents “Breaking Character” by Queer Teen Ensemble, led by co-artistic director Jessica Hatlo, at The Little Theater (19th Ave. E. between Mercer and Roy). The performances will be the end result of the Ensemble’s model for ensemble-generated new works, where students collaboratively produce a piece of theatre based on their own experiences surrounding identity, love, and Queerness. The month-long intensive began with directed free-writing that was eventually shared with the group and was later used to generate something new. This phase continued until there was a sense of cohesion, and texts were then molded into a working script. Tickets: $5-$10. www.brownpapertickets. com/event/116305 or 800-838-3006. www. washingtonensemble.org. FEED YOUR PRIDE AT PRIDEFEAST On Thursday, June 24, at participating restaurants, join One Degree Events in celebrating the third annual PrideFeast benefit. Get your Pride weekend started early by helping to raise funds for LGBT health and wellness nonprofits. For details and a list of participating restaurants, visit www.pridefeast.org.
Gary Sarozek, MA, LMHC
JULIA’S GAY PRIDE BLOCK PARTY On Friday, June 25, from 2-10 p.m. and Saturday, June 26, from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., Julia’s on Broadway (300 Broadway E.) will present their Gay Pride Block Party. The event promises music, entertainment, and fun for the entire community, with proceeds benefiting The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, Abby of St. Joan. Featuring the stars from RuPaul’s Drag Race, the always outrageous and just plain Fabulous Shannel, Raven, and Morgan. Two hot live bands: Seattle’s popular funk-rock fusion Smoking Bill, and the truly original, contemporary Columbian pop and rock group No Rey Band. The event is hosted by Seattle ’s newest funny nun and hostess extraordinaire, Sister Stella Standing, of the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, Abby of St. Joan. Peppered throughout the day are Seattle’s All-Stars of drag, including the best female impersonators from throughout the Puget Sound, the performing Sisters of P.I., and the wildly popular cast of Julia’s own Le Faux. You’ll be served drinks by beefy ball boys the Seattle Squadron Gay softball team and guest bartenders. Music maven DJ Dana Dubb provides a mix of House music to get your pride on. Cover is $5 per day. For more information, visit www.juliasrestaurantseattle.com.
STOP KISS AT ODD DUCK STUDIO From Thursday, June 24, to Sunday, July 4, Stop Kiss by Diana Son will be performed at Odd Duck Studio (1214 10th Ave.). Showtimes are 8 p.m. Thursday-Saturday, and Sunday at 2 p.m. This play is a touching and funny look at the relationship between two women, and the ways they cope with the aftermath of an act of RALLY: A SHIFT PRIDE BBQ violence committed against them. On Friday, June 25, from 6-9 p.m., join Gay Tickets are available at www.brownpapertickCity to kick off the Pride weekend with food, ets.com/event/114346. fun, and friends at Multifaith Works (123 16th Ave.). Surprise guest appearances. This BEND-IT EXTRAVAGANZA event is free. SHIFT is a peer recovery network SHOWCASES QUEER ARTISTS From Thursday, June 24 to Sunday, June supporting dynamic recovery paths by uniting 27, the Queer activist collective Bend-It will our LGBTQ community to experience freeshowcase local Queer artists at the Bend-It Ex- dom through empowerment. Learn more about travaganza. Events include: Queer Carnival and SHIFT at www.shiftrecovery.org. for more inDance Party hosted by F.U.S.S. on Thursday, formation, contact chris@gaycity.org. June 24 at 8 p.m. at Black Lodge (Eastlake E. PRIDE SHABBAT AT and E. Republican); The Queer Garden: Bands TEMPLE DE HIRSCH in the Park on Friday, June 25 at 3 p.m. at Cal On Friday, June 25, Temple De Hirsch Sinai (1511 E. Pike St.) will host Seattle’s 2010 Pride Shabbat. Pre-service appetizers will be at 7 p.m., and the service will begin at 7:30 p.m. Organized by Bashert, the LGBT Initiative of
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Anderson Park (11th Ave and E. Olive St.) with a screening of Travel Queeries at dusk; Big Gay Field Day at noon and The Variety Show at 6 p.m. on Saturday, June 26 at Cal Anderson Park; and Unaccessorized: Acoustic and Spoken Word on Sunday, June 27 at 7 p.m. at Hugo House (11th Ave and E. Olive St.). Visit BendItBandits.org to get involved. As part of the 8th annual event, Queer zinesters will be given a table where they can pass out their zines for free. For more information, contact Quinn at quinnwyatt@gmail.com or visit benditbandits. org or www.myspace.com/bend_it
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June 18, 2010
Celebrating 37 Years!
the Jewish Federation of Seattle and other community sponsors, including Temple Beth Am, Kolenu, Congregation Tikvah Chadashah, Jewish Family Service, Bet Aleph Meditative Synagogue, Anti-Defamation League, NW Network of Bi, Trans, Lesbian and Gay Survivors of Abuse, and Temple De Hirsch Sinai, this is shaping up to be one of the most successful Pride Shabbats yet. www.jewishseattle.org/ news-events/events/pride-shabbat-2010. PROM DRESS RUGBY EXHIBITION MATCH On Friday, June 25, from 7-10 p.m., come see the first annual Prom Dress Rugby Exhibition Match at the Bobby Morris Playfield in Cal Anderson Park (11th Ave. and E. Howell St.). Seattle Quake RFC – wearing dresses – will take on the Seattle RFC Women’s team, The Breakers. This event is similar in style to the annual Dykes vs. Drag Queens softball game. Tickets will be sold for admission to the sideline (for $5) and players will work the crowd to sell penalties, conversions, scrums, line-outs, meters, and tries. Proceeds from the event will be split with Lambert House, the center for LGBT youth that encourages empowerment through the development of leadership, social and life skills. www.quakerugby.org. SEATTLE MEN’S CHORUS AND SEATTLE WOMEN’S CHORUS PRESENT GLITTER AND BE GAY On Friday, June 25 and Saturday, June 26 at 8 p.m., Seattle Men’s Chorus and Seattle Women’s Chorus join forces for the first time ever in an extravaganza called Glitter and Be Gay at McCaw Hall (321 Mercer St.). The concert is a tribute to two great American composers: Leonard Bernstein, a prodigy renowned for his energy and talents as both a confuctor and composer, and Stephen Sondheim, the undisputed master of the modern Broadway musical. The concert will feature music from Bernstein and Sondheim’s collaborations, as well as their individual careers. Expect to be transported to musical heaven when artistic director Dennis Coleman pulls out all the stops and more than 400 voices take the stage to perform music from such Broadway classics as West Side Story, Sunday in the Park with George, Wonderful Town, Sweeney Todd, Candide, and A Little Night Music. Glitter and Be Gay is destined to be a show to remember for decades to come, and the perfect ending to the Seattle Men’s Chorus’ 30th anniversary season. For details and ticket information, visit www. flyinghouse.org/smc/gabg or call the box office at (206) 388-1400.
celebrating diversity and community pride. The festival is open to everyone – LGBT or straight – from any background. The five-block festival will feature four public stages, a Kids’ Zone, Faerie Circle stage, and over 200 booths and vendors. Attractions include live entertainment, music, singing, face/body painting, and a Doggie Drag Costume Contest. For the festival’s second year, attendance is ANNUAL GAY PRIDE expected to be 7,000-10,000. HOT DOG BLESSING For a full list of entertainment, performers, AT BOTTLENECK LOUNGE On Friday, June 25 at 11 p.m. (doors and hot vendors, and participants, visit capitolhillpridedogs start at 8 p.m.) at the Bottleneck Lounge festival.net. AIDS a circle of caring that empowers them to stabilize their health and to maintain diverse housing options through support services, life skills education, and in home professional services. For more information, visit www.aidshousingtacoma.org.
On Saturday, June 26, at 2 p.m., an Interfaith Pride worship service will be held at All Pilgrims Church (500 Broadway E.). Presentations will be made by members of the Jewish, Christian, and Muslim communities, with more faiths being added. For more information, visit www.mccseattle. org. SEATTLE DYKE MARCH AND RALLY On Saturday, June 26, from 5-7 p.m. at Seattle Central Community College Plaza (Broadway Ave. E. and E. Pine St.), join the Seattle Dyke March Rally: “Connecting to the International Community – Dyke, Lesbian, Bi, Trans, and Queer.” Performers confirmed to date: Emcee Lamar Van Dyke, singer Alicia Healy, Spokane’s Giant Ass Drum Corps, Seattle’s Queer Tango Dancers, 7 Star Women’s Kung Fu, and more. At 7 p.m., the Seattle Dyke March steps off to circle Capitol Hill. T-shirts are now available for $15. If you order now, there is a $5 charge for delivery. E-mail marcy@seattledykemarch. com for details. For more information, visit www.seattledykemarch.com. COUNTRY PRIDE DANCE On Saturday, June 26, from 6-9 p.m. at Seattle Center, Center House (305 Harrison St.), come dance with Rain Country Dance for the Country Pride Dance. Two-step, waltz, line dance, and swing. For more information, visit www.raincountrydance.org/pride.asp.
(2328 E. Madison St.), Sylvia O’Stayformore and Po Dog will combine forces with the Bottleneck Lounge for the fourth annual Gay Pride Hot Dog Blessing. The Bottleneck Lounge will be offering free grilled hot dogs (veggie available) to hungry Gays and non-Gays alike all through Pride weekend. Drink specials and no cover all weekend. For more information, go to www.bottlenecklounge.com. DIGNITY/SEATTLE HOLDS 22ND PRIDE PANCAKE BREAKFAST On Saturday, June 26, from 8 a.m. to noon, Dignity/Seattle will hold its 22nd annual Pride Pancake Breakfast at Central Lutheran Church Social Hall (1710 11th Ave.). $7 donation. Proceeds go to Multifaith Works, Bailey-Boushay House, and Dignity/Seattle. Raffle prizes will be drawn. A recycling dropoff will be provided for cell phones and empty ink cartridges. Dignity/Seattle has been a faith community of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Catholics and their families and friends in Seattle since 1973. For more information, visit www.dignityseattle.org.
UNTIL THE FAT LADY SINGS 2 On Friday, June 25, at 8 p.m. (doors at 7:30 p.m.) at The Blue Mouse Theater (2611 N. Proctor, Tacoma), the AIDS Housing Association of Tacoma presents Until the Fat Lady Sings 2, a drag show benefit. The show will feature some of the Best Impersonators from the Northwest, including Ms. Gay Vancouver, Diva CAPITOL HILL Deveraux, Taylor Courtour, and Victoria EyPRIDE FESTIVAL 2010 slie. Admission to the Preshow VIP Reception On Saturday, June 26, from 10 a.m. to 10 (at 6:30 p.m.) is $20. General admission is $10. p.m., the second annual Capitol Hill Pride FesAIDS Housing Association of Tacoma mission tival will be held on Broadway, between E. John of service is to provide people living with HIV/ and E. Roy Sts. This is a free, all-ages festival
12TH ANNUAL RAINBOW HEALTH FAIR On Saturday, June 26, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Gilda’s Club (1400 Broadway), come to the 12th annual Rainbow Health Fair for complimentary health services for the LBT community, utilizing peer providers. Appointments can be made at (206) 436-8666 or my e-mailing lbthealth@ywcaworks.org, although drop-ins are welcome for many services. For more information, visit ywcaworks.typepad.com/lbthealth. THIRD ANNUAL TWISTED FAMILY PICNIC On Saturday, June 26, from noon to 2 p.m. at Cal Anderson Park (11th Ave. and E. Olive St.), join Seattle’s leather tribe for the third annual Twisted Family Picnic. A $5 donation will benefit Generic Leather Productions and the Northwest Leather Sir/boy Travel Fund. INTERFAITH PRIDE WORSHIP SERVICE
MEN OF ALL COLORS & CULTURES TOGETHER JUNE PRIDE POTLUCK On Saturday, June 26, at 6 p.m., Men of All Colors & Cultures Together (MACCT) will host their June Pride Potluck Celebration at a Seattle location. For location information, call (206) 9238313 or e-mail macctseattle@yahoo.com. MACCT is a Gay/Bisexual multi-racial, multicultural organization committed to fostering supportive environments wherein racial and cultural barriers can be overcome and the goal of human equality realized. VOICES RISING! PRIDE WEEKEND SHOW AT RICHARD HUGO HOUSE On Saturday, June 26, 7:30 p.m. doors; 8 p.m. show, Voices Rising! presents their Pride Weekend show at Richard Hugo House, 1634 11th Ave., with Nedra Johnson, Kevin Simmonds, Imani Sims and Crystal Ybarra. Tickets: $10$25 sliding scale. Voices Rising is an ongoing series of performances by LGBTQ performers of color. http://bit.ly/bSgef1 see pride events page 19
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June 18, 2010
Seattle Gay News 17
prop 8
continued from cover their neighbors do. We are imposing great damage on them by the ... state of California saying they are different and they cannot have the happiness, they cannot have the privacy, they cannot have the liberty, they cannot have the intimate association in the context of a marriage that the rest of our citizens do. We have demonstrated during this trial that that causes grave and permanent, irreparable, and totally unnecessary harm, because we are withholding from them ... that right of marriage in the context of the intimate relationship. We are withholding that from them, hurting them, and we are doing no good. If we had a reason, a really good reason for inflicting all of that harm, that might be another matter, but there is no reason.” Pro-Prop 8 lawyer Charles Cooper, in his closing argument, said that “the central purpose of marriage in virtually all societies and at all times has been to channel potentially procreative sexual relationships into enduring stable unions to increase the likelihood that any offspring will be raised by the man and woman who brought them into the world.” “The right to marry is bound up with and proceeds from the fundamental nature and its fundamental purpose relating to pro-
creation and the existence and survival of the human race,” he said. “So it is itself, by definition, the right of a man to marry a woman, and vice versa. That is – that is the right.” Cooper also argued that sexual orientation is not fixed, referring to “its amorphous, effectively indefinable, at least consistently, nature, and the simple fact that it is not immutable [or] an accident of birth.” “Sexual orientation does change,” he said. “It does change over time. And it apparently changes especially in women.” The question of whether sexual orientation is fixed could determine how high a legal “hurdle” Prop 8 has to “jump” to be deemed constitutional. Other factors also could apply, such as whether Gays have suffered a history of discrimination and whether they are politically powerless. Under the toughest level of federal judicial review – “strict scrutiny” – governmental restrictions of any sort on certain population groups’ equal-protection rights are frequently struck down. The anti-Prop-8 lawyers want Judge Vaughn Walker to apply strict scrutiny in the case. The proProp-8 lawyers are hoping for a more relaxed “rational basis” review, under which Prop 8 could be considered constitutional if any logical reason for its existence can be found. To date, the trial transcript suggests, no attempt to apply “strict scrutiny” to sexual orientation in a federal case has ultimately succeeded. It has been applied to such “immutable” things as race and national origin – and to religion and status as a noncitizen. Walker suggested to Cooper that he sees the history of discrimination against Gay people as the most important factor in determining the legal stringency of his review of Prop 8. “Isn’t it that it’s the historical context that determines whether or not strict scrutiny is appropriate for a particular classification, more than the political-power factor or the immutability factor or these other factors?” he asked. “Isn’t that really what decides the issue? ... Isn’t Proposition 8 and these other propositions in other states that limit marriage to opposite-sex couples, the DOMA statute that has been mentioned, the exclusion of Gays and Lesbians from military service for a long period of time, aren’t all of those simply indicia of a long history of discrimination?” Cooper replied: “We have never disputed and we have offered to stipulate that Gays and Lesbians have been the victims of a
long and shameful history of discrimination. [But] the fact of a history of discrimination is not by itself sufficient to warrant heightened judicial scrutiny. The [U.S. Supreme] Court has always insisted, as well, on immutability of the characteristic and political powerlessness at the time that the issue comes forward to the court.” When Cooper wrapped up his closing argument, Olson spoke again. “Mr. Cooper talks about procreation as the fundamental basis for marriage,” Olson said. “Well, don’t you have to prove that Proposition 8 does something to protect procreation? [The U.S. Supreme Court has said that] ‘under the lowest standard of review, you have to prove that you have a legitimate interest and that the object’ – Proposition 8 in this case – ‘advances that legitimate interest.’” “So how does preventing same-sex couples from getting married advance the interest or protect the interest of procreation?” he asked. “They are not a threat to us. What one single bit of evidence [is there] that they are a threat to the channeling [of procreation into marriage] function? If you accept that California has the right to do that in the first place. And I do not. This is an individual constitutional right. And every Supreme Court decision says that it’s a right of persons. Not the right of California to channel those of us who live in California into certain activities or in a certain way.” Olson concluded: “[Overturning] Proposition 8 isn’t changing the institution of marriage. It is correcting a restriction based upon sex and sexual orientation.” Walker then asked Olson whether the U.S. Supreme Court would uphold Walker’s ruling if he strikes down Prop 8. “Do we have a political tide here [on same-sex marriage] that’s going to carry the Supreme Court?” he asked. “I believe, your honor, that there is a political tide running,” Olson replied. “I think that people’s eyes are being opened. People are becoming more understanding and tolerant. The polls tell us that. That isn’t any secret. But that does not justify a judge in a court to say: ‘I really need the polls to be just a few points higher. I need someone to go out and take the temperature of the American public before I can break this barrier and break down this discrimination.’ ... This [issue] is going to be in a court. Some judge is going to have to decide what we’ve asked you to decide. And there will never be a case with a more thorough presentation of the evidence.”
The Prop 8 case could end up at the U.S. Supreme Court as soon as next year, after a stop at the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. If successful, the suit could bring about the legalization of same-sex marriage nationwide. If unsuccessful, it could have the effect of stopping the movement for same-sex marriage – which now is legal in five states and Washington, D.C. – dead in its tracks for possibly a generation. The trial had been paused since testimony concluded on January 27 because Walker said he wanted to study the record before hearing the attorneys’ final statements. The hiatus dragged on longer than expected because of legal skirmishes over production of documents by organizations that campaigned against passage of Proposition 8.
strong
continued from cover Strong says she will take her message of inclusion to President Obama when she meets with him at the White House. “Kate’s mom will be with me – she led a life of volunteering and supporting candidates that pushed for equality – and it will be a pleasure to have her there at that moment to first thank the president for the recent memorandum [providing limited benefits to LGBT partners of federal employees], but also to let him know that I am here if he needs any assistance,” Strong said. “I am happy to help. Strong says she hopes to draw attention to the vulnerability of LGBT families without legal protections. Charlene’s testimony was instrumental in the passage of Washington state’s historic domestic partnership legislation, and her subsequent campaigning for the affirmation of those rights with Referendum 71 was the first time LGBT partnership rights were upheld by popular vote in the U.S. Charlene was appointed to the Washington state Human Rights Commission and is a nationally recognized speaker and advocate for LGBT civil rights. She serves as the spokesperson for Equal Rights Washington’s Education Fund. She is also co-producer of the award-winning documentary film, For My Wife … . “There is real damage because of discrimination, and it will continue without full equality,” she said. “Anyone today who is told they cannot be by their loved one’s side as they die would explode in outrage.”
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18 Seattle Gay News
June 18, 2010
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Celebrating 37 Years!
pride events continued from page 17
LIBERATE: A SHIFT PRIDE PARTY On Saturday, June 26, from 9 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. at the West Hall in Century Ballroom (915 E. Pine St.), join Gay City for Liberate: A Pride Party. Dance your ass off – sober! SHIFT brings you their annual substance-free Pride Party, with DJ Joe King. SHIFT is a peer recovery network supporting dynamic recovery paths by uniting our LGBTQ community to experience freedom through empowerment. Learn more about SHIFT at www.shiftrecovery.org. for more information, contact chris@gaycity. org. SEATTLE PRIDE PARADE On Sunday, June 27, at 11 a.m., the Seattle Pride Parade will begin at Westlake Park (400 Pine St.) and travel down 4th Ave. to PrideFest 2010 at the Seattle Center. Remember when Dorothy opens the door to Oz? Her whole world transforms from black and white to vibrant color. That’s kind of like the Seattle Pride Parade. This year, the Emerald City goes “Over The Rainbow” and over the top to support our LGBT community. Expect a dazzling spectacle of floats, outlandish costumes and dancing in the streets. The Parade, produced by Seattle Out and Proud, is an exuberant, high-energy celebration of diversity, community and unity. Visit www.seattlepride.org for more information.
SEATTLE PRIDEFEST 2010 On Sunday, June 27, the Pride parade will end at Seattle Center, and PrideFest 2010 will begin. Tens of thousands of revelers pack the Seattle Center to dance, drink, eat, shop, and party. Every year the event gets bigger (both in attendees, caliber of performers, and size of event footprint), and every year this event gets better. Please join us in 2010 as we take up more of the Seattle Center grounds with more vendors, bigger stages, and better entertainment than ever before! This year’s headlining star is singer Kimberley Locke, and comic Julie Goldman will join the festivities at the largest LGBTQ gathering in the Pacific Northwest. New events are still being scheduled. For more information, visit seattlepridefest. org or e-mail info@seattlepridefest.org. • PRIDE AROUND WASHINGTON STATE
OUTSPOKANE On Saturday, June 12, from noon to 5:30 p.m. at Wall Street (between Spokane Falls Blvd. and Main St.) in Spokane, WA, Spokane will hold their Pride festival, OutSpokane. 2010 brings many changes to Spokane’s Annual Pride Parade & Rainbow Festival. This year’s theme is “Pride in Our Community.” Use this theme to guide your Pride parade expression in float design, signs, and parade dress! Let’s have lots of color and fabulousness! Be OUT and PROUD! For more information, visit www.outspokane. com.
OUT IN THE PARK 2010 TACOMA/PIERCE COUNTY PRIDE On Saturday, July 10, from noon to 7 p.m. at Wright Park (6th Ave., between I and G Sts.), celebrate Tacoma Pride with Out in the Park 2010. The event will feature a food court with a new coffee drink vendor, kids’ corner with a free raffle for kids and a bounce house, assorted vendors/community organizations and groups, as well as the main stage with a mixed lineup of familiar faces as well as new and exciting performers. Applications are still being taken for vendor/participants as well as entertainers. Out in Tacoma is still seeking an Asian-style food OLYMPIA PRIDE FESTIVAL vendor for the food court. CAPITAL CITY PRIDE 2010 For more information and applications, please For more information, visit www.victoriOlympia’s Capital City Pride 2010 will run visit www.rainbowcntr.org or www.outinta- apridesociety.org. from Saturday, June 12, to Sunday, June 13, coma.com. when it culminates in a noon parade through VANCOUVER, BC PRIDE 2010 downtown Olympia. The Olympia Pride FesMID-COLUMBIA PRIDE 2010 On Sunday, August 1, Vancouver, BC celtival promises “More pride. More to love.” On Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, July 16-18, ebrates Pride 2010. Spanning 20 blocks and The festivities begin at 11 a.m. on Saturday at Mid-Columbia Pride 2010 will be held at Me- attracting an audience of over 600,000 in Sylvester Park (at the corner of Capitol Way S. morial Park (1520 W. Shoshone) in Pasco, WA. 2009, the Pride Parade is Vancouver’s premier and Legion Way S.E.), with music, food, film This year’s theme is “Cirque du Q.” The event celebration of culture and diversity. The 2010 screenings, and an 8 p.m. masquerade ball. Sun- expects 2,500+ visitors throughout weekend, Pride Parade will start in the heart of downday’s parade starts at the State Capitol steps, with 55% coming from the Tri-Cities area and town Vancouver at noon at Robson and Thurthen travels northbound on Capital Way to 5th other attendees from Oregon, Idaho, Montana, low, then head west down the hill to Denman Avenue, then winds back toward Sylvester Park and Canada. street, following Denman to Pacific and Beach via Washington St. For more information, visit www.midcolum- Avenue before finishing at the Sunset Beach fesFor a full schedule of events and times, visit biapride.com. tival site. Celebrations continue after the Parade capitalcitypride.net. at the Sunset Beach festival site. There will be a KITSAP PRIDE 2010 crowd that reaches over 110,000 people in the BELLINGHAM PRIDE Planning is underway for the Kitsap Pride park listening to live music by local performers B PROUD celebration, to be held on Saturday, July 17 in and headliners on the Festival Stage. There are From Wednesday, July 7, to Sunday, July 11, Bremerton’s Evergreen Park (1500 Park Ave.). 125 booths with a diverse range of products and Bellingham will hold the B Proud Pride festival This year’s theme is “One World, One Heart, services with drinking and dancing at the beer One Pride,” and is the international theme ad- garden. The Vancouver Pride Society adopted opted by Interpride. Vendor applications are a three-year theme of “Educate, Liberate, Celavailable and have been coming in steadily. ebrate,” focusing on one of the three elements Volunteers are being recruited to help plan and each year. In 2010, we focus on Liberate, and more will be needed the day of the event. what it means to be free. In parts of the world For more information, visit www.kitsappride. and even in our own country, Pride is still a org. movement to liberate. Pride is a vehicle to educate, liberate and celebrate and every summer, • PORTLAND AND that’s what we do here in Vancouver. BRITISH COLUMBIA For more information, visit www.vancouverpride.ca. PORTLAND PRIDE 2010 On Saturday, June 19, and Sunday, June 20, Pride Northwest will hold Portland Pride 2010. in Bellingham, WA. Bellingham Pride began The parade steps off on Sunday at 11:30 a.m. at 10 years ago under the direction of Whatcom the corner of Burnside St. and NW 13th Ave. PFLAG, as an event with roughly a half-dozen The theme of this year’s festivities is “Power to tables in Fairhaven Park on a Sunday afternoon the People!” in June. It has been in its current location of DeFor a full list of entertainers, vendors, and depot Market Square (Home of the Bellingham tails, visit www.pridenw.org. Farmers Market) for four years, and this will be the third year in which the festival has had a VICTORIA, BC PRIDE 2010 parade. While most pride festivals tend to take From Sunday, June 27 to Sunday, July 4, Vicplace in June (National Gay & Lesbian Month), toria, BC will hold Victoria Pride 2010. A feswe recognize that we can offer a festival dur- tival and parade will be held on July 4 at Macing July when Bellingham weather is nicer and Donald Park in James Bay. no other prides are generally taking place. This is our 10th Anniversary of pride and we strive to be a festival everyone can be proud of. We offer events that cater to all aspects of our LGBTQQI2A community. We look forward to a fantastic pride this year. If you have any questions, comments, concerns or would like to help, sponsor or be a vendor, visit www.bhampride.org.
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June 18, 2010
Seattle Gay News 19
Dr. Vena Sele continued from cover
definition our culture gives us. Men who dress, act, and do things as women.” Recalling her childhood in American Samoa, Dr. Sele explains that gender there was not as strictly marked as it is in the U.S. “There was a unisex kind of dress. All men wore lava lavas when I was growing up,” she says. “As time goes on, those who decide we want to remain as women took on a role of taking care of the family – the children, the grandparents, the aunties, the uncles, the cousins. … It’s a very honorable role. The Samoan culture regards this as very important.” Dr. Sele breaks the mold As long as fa’afafine are content to remain in this caretaker role, they fit into Samoan society, Dr. Sele explains, but a professional career may clash with Samoan cultural norms. “Most fa’afafine have to dress and act as men in order to advance,” she says. “I broke that. It wasn’t easy. I was the first one dressed as a woman to elevate myself in a professional way. Now they don’t ridicule anyone.” When she decided to pursue a professional career, Dr. Sele knew she would have to travel to schools in the U.S. The move to the mainland created issues of its own.
“When I wanted to get an education, people said to me ‘Vena, in America they don’t accept people like you,’” she says. “But I came with one purpose – to prove to our island people that no matter how you dress you can still become a useful individual.” Fa’afafine who are educated abroad often give up their female identity when they return to Samoa, Dr. Sele says, but she refused to do so. “I have fa’afafine friends who went off the islands for degrees,” she says. “They came back with wives. In those days you had to conform to the regular Western world – especially if you wanted a government job. Government is a Western idea, so you conform to the Western world.” “[But] when I returned I said, ‘I’m going back to my old clothes.’ I had to work harder. When I started there were questions – ‘why am I wearing this?’” she recalls. “I had difficulty. I was bypassed for promotion. But I became the dean and then the president of our only college.” Dr. Sele began her career as a Drama and Speech instructor, became dean of student services and eventually president of American Samoa Community College. She retired in 2005. “As fa’afafine steer towards education they earn a certain status,” she tells SGN. “A lot of fa’afafine who are teachers, parents are like, ‘oh my gosh, what a good fa’afafine!’ They say ‘ah-hah, you are useful for something.’” “I had to work harder because I was
fa’afafine,” she says, “and because I worked the home.” harder, my students became successful in “Teenagers rarely speak it,” Tiare adds, life.” “but we found something they really enjoy: dancing and singing. That’s where fa’afafine “America is come in. We’re good at it.” a sex maniac culture…” “It’s part of UTOPIA,” Tiare continues. While fa’afafine is more or less equivalent “It’s one of our objectives. Teenagers really to the U.S. term “Transgender,” Dr. Sele enjoy it. We’re promoting our identity and cautions against trying to fit Samoan terms encouraging Samoans to speak Samoan. neatly into US preconceptions. You’d be amazed how innovative fa’afafine “It has a different role in Samoan culture,” are in bringing out things that have been forshe explains. “Life as a fa’afafine is accept- gotten.” ed. Fa’afafine are not considered Gay.” Dr. Sele is no stranger to the performing “In fact, there is no such thing as ‘Gay’ in arts. She founded the best-known pageant in Samoa,” Dr. Sele says with a smile. “Those Polynesia more than 30 years ago. people who have been here come back Gay “I started the Island Queens Pageant [in to Samoa.” 1979],” she says, “the longest-running pag“In Samoa,” she continues, “men do their eant in Samoa. Bigger that the Miss Samoa [sexual] practicing with fa’afafines. It’s not pageant. It benefits the Holy Family convathreatening to them, it doesn’t threaten their lescent home, and also our hospital and the manhood. Eventually they marry women.” Red Cross.” “Those bitches should be thankful,” Tiare “Now most villages do pageants exploitinterjects with a laugh. ing the fa’afafine,” Tiare adds. “It’s part of “They should be thankful,” Dr. Sele nods. fa’afafine life back home to do pageants be“Women would rather have their husbands cause we raise so much money. People engo to fa’afafine than to another woman.” joy them.” “Sex is really a very small part of this life,” Dr. Sele explains. “Sex is not part of Coming to Seattle the definition. Gender is defined as they When she retired, Dr. Sele did not origigrow up. As they grow up, they think of nally plan to move to Seattle. Instead, famthemselves as women.” ily obligations took her to Florida. With a laugh, she adds, “America is a sex “Once I reached my 30 years of service [in maniac culture. Sex is always something we 2005], I retired,” she tells SGN. “I moved [Samoans] don’t discuss.” to Florida in 2006. My sister was ill, and I stayed there with her two and a half years. Cultural activism “Then I went back to Samoa. I founded Dr. Sele has always used culture as a ve- the Pacific Arts Festival. I published my hicle for activism. Preserving the Samoan memoirs – Memoirs of a Samoan, Catholic, language and distinctive Samoan songs and and Fa’afafine (2007). They were read at dances is one of her passions. the festival in 2008.” “The Samoan language is very important The tsunami that devastated Samoa on to us. That is our identity. If you lose your September 29, 2009 convinced Dr. Sele to language, you lose your identity. I did my move to the States. master’s thesis on that,” she says. “When the tsunami came, I decided “Our Samoan language is still pure, but a ‘America is the place!’” she says. lot of younger parents are not speaking it in “I have a ‘son’ and a ‘daughter’ here. They
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20 Seattle Gay News
June 18, 2010
Celebrating 37 Years!
said, ‘Auntie, stay here with us.’ I said, ‘You ‘oh, you know, we’ll call you.’ know me. I’m an independent woman.’ So “With my qualifications, if I have that difnow I have my own place.” ficulty you can imagine what someone else would face,” she says. “It’s very difficult. Life in the U.S. There’s a strong emphasis in America on Some 65,000 people live in American children not being exposed to fa’afafine.” Samoa. Perhaps four times that number of “I didn’t know I was being labeled a feSamoans have emigrated to the U.S. tish,” Tiare adds. “I moved here three and a “Our main exports are football players half years ago. When I came here I sent 100 and wrestlers,” Tiare laughs. applications out every day. There is a wall Once in the U.S., even gender-conform- there. A lot of our sisters move to Alaska to ing Samoans face difficulties finding work work on the [fishing] boats.” and adapting to a foreign culture. The challenges faced by fa’afafine are even more UTOPIA daunting. “That’s one of my reasons for appreciat“When I retired I only had my social se- ing UTOPIA,” Tiare continues. curity, so I thought I’d get a job to suppleUTOPIA – United Territories of Polynement my income,” Dr. Sele recalls. “I sent sian Islanders Alliance – was organized in resumes to universities and colleges in Flor- 2007. The same tsunami that convinced Dr. ida. Immediately they sent replies that they Sele to move to the States, also led many want to interview me. other fa’afafine to do the same. “And then as soon as I walk in they say “After the tsunami, a lot of girls moved to
Seattle,” Taffy tells SGN. “We did a benefit show in Kent. After that, UTOPIA restarted.” “When something happens, everyone wants to help,” Dr. Sele notes. “UTOPIA was founded in San Francisco and we have chapters in Hawaii and New York,” Taffy says. “It’s about unity and strength and sharing our culture with the community. Then Mama moved here, and she’s helped to guide us.” Taffy adds, “Back home, fa’afafine are known for charitable work.” “Taffy spends a lot of time on charitable work,” Tiare says. “There’s a whole new generation. Her house is more like a shelter.” “Most girls here have no family, so when we get together it’s like family,” Taffy replies. “Regular Gays and Lesbians can blend in,” Tiare adds. “We stretch the limits. We
don’t blend in – we stand out.” “Not only in America,” Dr. Sele says. “Within our [Samoan] community – I hate to call it ignorance – because they live here, there’s that non-appreciation. We need to teach the community – not only the community we originally came from, but also the community here in Seattle.” As she prepared to leave, Dr. Sele was asked if there was one last thing she wanted to share with SGN readers. She replied: “For a long time, Western cultures have been over our islands, but they have not been able to assimilate our culture into the American way of life. All the other cultures became little Americas. Samoa, no. We grew up knowing that God is Samoan, and we are the children of God.” Dr. Sele’s autobiography is available online from Publish America. UTOPIA-Seattle can be contacted through their Facebook page.
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June 18, 2010
Seattle Gay News 21
The party starts here………… Be a voyeur between Pike & Union on The largest outdoor Terrace, in celebration of
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22 Seattle Gay News
June 18, 2010
Celebrating 37 Years!
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June 18, 2010
Seattle Gay News 23