Seattle Gay News
Issue 25, Volume 37, June 19, 2009
section 4 organizations
The Sisters of
Perpetual Indulgence courtesy of the sisters of perpeptual indulgence
by Sister Dawnna Creation Vice President/Mistress of Novices We are The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, The Abbey of St. Joan, a nonprofit 501(c)3 organization comprised of people dedicated to the support, education, and development of our community; and are members of a worldwide network of 21st-century nuns who operate within Queer communities all across the globe. Starting in 1979 with just four nuns, the
San Francisco, CA, House is the largest and oldest order in the world, with now more than 50 active members strong. Locally, The Abbey of St. Joan was founded in 1996 by five courageous nuns with a fresh point of view, and in the last 13 years we have blossomed into a House of Sisters with more than 30 members. Now, as of 2009, there are more than 30 Houses of Sisters across the world, with more coming into the fold all the time. The Sisters are made up of a very unique group of people who are as var-
ied and interesting as our names. One of the greatest strengths is our diversity of perspective. Each member brings their own interests, drives, and passions to the whole, making us all stronger. Unlike more traditional nuns, we are an order of many faiths, religions, and beliefs – however, we are all united by the vows that each of us take; to promulgate universal joy, expiate stigmatic guilt, and to serve the community, our fellow Sisters and the Order of The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence. As Sisters, we believe
that all people have the right to express their unique joy and beauty and we use humor, satire, and occasionally irreverent wit to expose the forces of bigotry, complacency, and guilt that chain the human spirit. During our 30 years of “Sistory,” the creativity of our members has paid off again and again. Since our founding in 1979, The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence have raised well over a million dollars for see SISTERS page 11
cor-
G
CELEBRATING SEATTLE PRIDE www.sandbergvolvo.com
(888) 778-1494 tschroeder@sandbergvolvo.com 2
Seattle Gay News
June 19, 2009
Celebrating 35 Years!
Visit us online www.sgn.org
June 19, 2009
Seattle Gay News
3
Pride At Work: Organized labor has Pride presence
courtesy of pride at work
Pride at Work banner at organized march/rally
courtesy of pride at work
The labor movement will have a major presence in the 2009 Pride Parade, according to Pride At Work, the LGBT labor organization affiliated with the AFL-CIO. Pride At Work is sponsoring a labor contingent in the Parade, and will be joined by the Martin Luther King County Labor Council (MLKCLC), Communications Workers of America (CWA) Local 7800, Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local
925, United Auto Workers (UAW) Local 4121, United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 21, Jobs With Justice, and other labor allies. The Pride At Work contingent will join UNITE HERE Local 8, which will once again have its own contingent in the Parade. Pride At Work has been affiliated with the AFL-CIO since 1997, although local LGBT labor organizations existed prior to affiliation. In Seattle, Out Front Labor Coalition had already been active for several years before joining as a Pride At Work chapter. Pride At Work includes members of both AFL-CIO and Change To Win Unions, as well as nonunion allies of the labor movement. In May 2008 Pride At Work gained a
sents concentrations of LGBT workers in several service industries. SEIU 925 represents education and public service workers at locations including the University of Washington, several public school districts, and local government agencies. UAW Local 4121 represents over
Pride at Work banner at organized march/rally
seat on the MLKCLC Executive Board, as did the six other AFL-CIO constituency groups representing specific communities within the labor movement. The MLKCLC is the central body of labor unions in Martin Luther King County. It is affiliated with the AFLCIO, although it also includes some Change To Win Unions under “solidarity charters” designed to foster common action. More than 150 union locals and constituency groups representing 75,000 workers are members. The MLKCLC has had an exemplary record of supporting equality for LGBT workers, including support for marriage equality. Pride At Work’s request to endorse and participate in the 2009 Pride Parade was unanimously approved by the MLKCLC. Representing phone industry workers in the Seattle area, CWA 7800 has been a fixture of the Pride Parade for many years. CWA also has a history of support for LGBT workers, including support for marriage equality in the Andersen case. SEIU is one of the largest unions in the country, and its Lavender Caucus repre-
4000 academic student employees (ASEs) at the UW, including teaching assistants, research assistants, and tutors. The UAW began organizing ASEs in the 1980s and currently represents more of these workers than any other union in the country. UFCW 21 represents Macy’s workers now fighting for a new contract, as well as retail grocery workers throughout Western Washington. Macy’s is currently the only unionized department store in Western Washington. UFCW 21 also signed on to an amicus brief supporting marriage equality in the Andersen case. Jobs With Justice is a coalition of over 150 labor, community, student, and faith organizations supporting workers’ rights. Locally, Jobs With Justice has supported marriage equality and the inclusion of Transgender workers in anti-discrimination language in union contracts. Transgender issues have also been included in a Jobs With Justice National Workers Rights Board hearing. UNITE HERE, which represents many LGBT workers in the hotel and food service industries, is participating in a big way in Pride events all over the country. Last year, its Executive Board unanimously endorsed the idea of marriage equality. UNITE HERE 8 in Western Washington achieved landmark contract language in 2007, adding gender identity and gender expression to its contract with the Westin Hotel – the first time Transgender workers were explicitly protected in a hotel contract. Since then, the same provisions have been reproduced in other hotel contracts, setting a standard for the hospitality industry. Pride At Work, Martin Luther King County Chapter can be contacted at 206-261-8110 or OutFront.PrideAtWork@gmail.com. Courtesy of Pride At Work AFL-CIO
Pride Parade Volunteers Needed Join the Impact and SOaP are joining forces to run a food drive during the Seattle Pride Parade on June 28, 2009 at 11:00 AM. We need volunteers to monitor the food collection bins throughout the parade route. You will still be able to watch the parade and celebrate with friends. Please contact Joe at: jointheimpactWA@gmail.com to sign up.
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Seattle Gay News
June 19, 2009
Celebrating 35 Years!
Bailey-Boushay House
been threatened. As the 2009 legislative session began, BBH turned to the internet and socialnetworking sites (including a Facebook group) to encourage supporters to contact their legislators to ensure funding was secured. On May 19, Gov. Gregoire signed the state budget, and BBH’s services remained intact. “We still face some challenges, however, as funding for our inpatient programs will be reduced,” says Brian Knowles, executive director of BaileyBoushay House. “We need the continued support of friends of BBH to help us meet any shortfalls.” Focusing on the Future With the majority of its monumental funding challenges in the past, BBH is focused on the future. This future has included recent recognition for its executive director, Brian Knowles, who has been with BBH from the day it opened in 1992 and played an important role in the fight to ensure funding was retained. Knowles was recently named the 2009 recipient of Virginia Mason’s Terin Guinn Management Leadership Award. The award is named for Terin Guinn, director of the Benaroya Diabetes Center
Visit us online www.sgn.org
risk since individuals can develop a virus that is resistant to medications and harder to treat when passed to others. Most people need support to take their medications correctly because doses and instructions vary widely among prescriptions. The average Bailey-Boushay client has a 97% medication adherence rate, compared with less than 50% adherence in similar populations. While it is known for providing Adult Day Health and Residential Care for people with HIV and AIDS, BBH also provides palliative and hospice care for people with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), kidney and liver diseases and cancer. No other nursing home in Washington State serves more people with ALS than BBH. Bailey-Boushay House helps people from many communities, cultures and age groups. About 40 percent of its patients are people of color, and more than 60 percent are older than 45. People come to BBH after experiencing a lot of rejection due to their HIV status, homelessness, mental illness or chemical dependence. At BBH, the central tenet is that you don’t get treated differently because you have money, because you have a certain type of insurance, or because of who you know. The staff at BBH treats each person like any of us would like to be treated: with love and compassion. Thanks to the work of Bailey-Boushay House supporters and community members, this love and compassion will continue. virginia mason
It’s been an interesting year for Bailey-Boushay House (BBH), the nationally recognized facility in Seattle offering Residential Care and Adult Day Health programs for people living with AIDS. With state leaders anticipating a budget crunch like no other, fears began to emerge last fall about the future of BBH’s Adult Day Health program, and the future of Bailey-Boushay itself. The Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS) announced that it would be moving funding for Adult Day Health programs from the State Medicaid Plan to a 1915C waiver. To receive funding through the waiver, recipients had to be nursing-home eligible. Ninety percent of Bailey-Boushay’s Day Health clients are not nursing-home eligible, and as such they would not have been eligible to receive coverage through the waiver. Leadership from Bailey-Boushay and Virginia Mason Medical Center worked with DSHS to develop an outpatient funding structure through another program, Chronic Care Management, to ensure all Bailey-Boushay outpatients would receive coverage. If the Adult Day Health program had closed, BaileyBoushay House’s existence may have
in the early 1990s, who died of breast cancer in 1993 at age 38, and has been given in her name every year since. Any Virginia Mason staff member may submit a nomination. Each nomination described Knowles’ tireless efforts to make things better at BBH, both for patients and staff. Some samples: “Brian is leading us to look forward and keeps challenging our teams to create new programs, like the medication-adherence program, to better meet the needs of our clients, as well as helping staff have a more productive and efficient day.” And, “He has a wonderful gift … the combination of creativity and action. He can create the vision and also identify the steps needed to get there.” It is this leadership that proved vital during the legislative session.
Bailey-Boushay House
About BBH Services The Adult Day Health program at BBH helps hundreds of people manage adherence to their HIV medications while offering group and individual counseling, occupational and physical therapy, chemical-dependency counseling, art and recreation therapy and meals and dietary counseling. Non-adherence to HIV medications poses a public health
June 19, 2009
Courtesy of Bailey-Boushay House
Seattle Gay News
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Legal Voice Since 1978, Legal Voice has been the vanguard organization for leading groundbreaking litigation and legislation to ensure justice for all women in the Pacific Northwest. Some of you may know us better as the Northwest Women’s Law Center, the name we operated under until earlier this year. But while we’ve changed our name, our mission remains the same: To give women a strong, powerful legal voice in our society. At Legal Voice, we have long recognized that the fight for women’s equality goes hand in hand with the fight for LGBT equality. Legal Voice is the only women’s legal organization in the country treating LGBT rights as a core issue. Therefore, we have worked hard over the years to bring lawsuits and to
ship Expansion Act is now under threat. Anti-Gay extremists are trying to gather enough signatures to put Referendum 71 on the ballot, which would require a popular vote in the November eleccourtesy of legal voice
(formerly the Northwest Women’s Law Center)
relationships. • Persuading the Montana Supreme Court to require the Montana University System to provide domestic partner benefits to same-sex couples.
pass legislation opposing discrimination against Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender people in the Northwest states. Some of our victories include: • Forcing the U.S. military to reinstate Colonel Grethe Cammermeyer, who was removed from her position after she refused to lie about her sexual orientation during a security clearance interview. • Winning a unanimous ruling that struck down Montana’s “deviate sexual conduct law,” which made it a felony to engage in any form of same-sex intimate conduct. • Successfully arguing that same-sex couples in intimate committed relationships in Washington must be accorded the same property division rules as different-sex couples living in marital-like
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Legal Voice marched in the Health Care for All March & Rally on May 30, 2009. The crowd numbered in the thousands and marched from Pratt Park to Westlake Park.
We Are Family! All of Seattle PFLAG’s services are FREE and are provided by volunteers. These are some of the ways we can help: Come to a support meeting where parents, families, friends and LGBT persons can share their experiences with others in order to learn how to support one another with love and pride. Our Speakers Bureau is available to come to your school, church, social organization, business, or other group to provide information and education Information tables are available for your event. Call our HelpLine at (206) 325–7724
Come to the Pride Parade and get your pink “I’m Loved by PFLAG” stickers! Our booth at Pride Fest will be on the roof of the Fisher Pavilion — stop by and get a free hug and say, “Hello!” Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays, Bisexual and Transgender persons promotes the health and well-being of gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and intersex persons, their families, and friends through:
Support to cope with an adverse society Education to enlighten an ill-informed public Advocacy to end discrimination and secure equal civil rights
Seattle PFLAG HelpLine
(206) 325–7724 Learn more about PFLAG online
www.seattle-pflag.org
PFLAG is a tax-exempt, non-profit 501(c)(3) organization and is not affiliated with any religious or political institution. Washington State Charitable Organization (RCW 19.09) No. 3600
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Seattle Gay News
June 19, 2009
• Winning the first Washington State case that recognized the rights of a “de facto” parent – that is, a parent who is not related to a child through blood or adoption but who has functioned in all respects as the child’s parent, such as a same-sex partner who has been a coparent with a child’s biological parent. • Advocating in the Washington State Legislature for legislation to prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity or expression – a multi-year effort that culminated in 2006 with the passage of the AndersonMurray anti-discrimination bill. Legal Voice has also been in the forefront of the battle to win marriage equality. In 2004, we joined with Lambda Legal to file a lawsuit challenging Washington State’s law that prohibits same-sex couples from legally marrying. Unfortunately, the state Supreme Court ruled against us in 2006, holding by a narrow 5-4 margin that the Washington State constitution permits the legislature to limit marriage to oppositesex couples. After this ruling, we focused on expanding the rights of same-sex couples through the legislative process. We were part of the coalition that joined together to help pass the 2007 and 2008 domestic partnership bills, which provided registered domestic partners in Washington State with many of the rights and responsibilities available to oppositesex married couples. We continued our advocacy in the legislature this year to help win passage of the 2009 Domestic Partnership Expansion Act, which will ensure that registered domestic partners have the same rights and responsibilities as married couples under state law. Sadly, the 2009 Domestic Partner-
tions to decide whether the new law will take effect. Legal Voice is part of Washington Families Standing Together (WAFST), a broad coalition that is fighting to prevent the repeal of the new law. Please visit the WAFST website (www. wafst.org) to learn how you can help in this crucial battle. In addition to working for change through litigation and legislation, Legal Voice seeks to empower people by providing information about their legal rights. We operate a self-help program that provides free legal and practical information for women and men who cannot afford attorneys, or do not know where to turn to solve legal problems that threaten the health, safety, security, and well-being of their families. These services are provided through a Legal Information and Referral telephone line staffed by volunteer attorneys, paralegals, and law students, and through Self-Help and Legal Education materials. To reach our Legal Information and Referral line, please call (206) 621-7691 from the Seattle area or toll-free at 866-259-7720. TTY users may reach us at (206) 521-4317. In the years since Legal Voice was founded in 1978, we have witnessed remarkable progress in the fight to advance women’s rights and LGBT rights. But there are many more victories that still must be won to reach our goal of full equality. You can be sure that Legal Voice will continue to fight in the courts and in the legislature until that vision is achieved. To learn more about Legal Voice, please visit our website at www.LegalVoice.org. Courtesy of Legal Voice
Celebrating 35 Years!
Features | Reviews | Events | Jobs DETROIT ANN ARBOR CHICAGO LAS VEGAS M I N N E A P O L I S S A N F R A N C I S C O S E AT T L E
www.meefers.com (866) 991.9518
Visit us online www.sgn.org
June 19, 2009
Seattle Gay News
7
Rosehedge: Serving the community since 1988
Washington State, 1986: there were no facilities to care for people with AIDS. The epidemic had grown so rapidly, it was clear that local medical facilities would soon be overwhelmed by the devastating volume of HIV/AIDS patients. A group of local health care professionals met (representatives from the State of Washington, Seattle-King County Department of Public Health, Harborview Medical Center, and Northwest AIDS Foundation, which is now part of Lifelong AIDS Alliance) and assessed the current and future housing and health care needs of persons with HIV/AIDS in King County. They determined that a 35-bed skilled nursing model would provide the most flexible care in meeting the diverse needs of this
Suzanne
vulnerable population. Unfortunately, it would take several years to build Bailey-Boushay House. In 1988, Rosehedge opened its doors to answer the IMMEDIATE need. The AIDS epidemic had decimated the Gay community; Rosehedge offered compassionate skilled nursing and hospice care in a welcoming, nonjudgmental home setting. In the mid ‘90s anti-retroviral medications came on the scene and people began to live longer, healthier lives. Rosehedge adjusted our program to an Enhanced Assisted Living model, focusing on a particularly vulnerable population: men and women, who, in addition to their AIDS diagnosis, also struggled with mental illness, substance
dependency, and AIDS related dementia. While these individuals were not able to completely care for themselves, they were still quite independent and do not yet qualify for nursing home care. These days, many people with HIV/ AIDS in our community receive excellent care and remain in good health, some do not. Lack of affordable housing is a critical problem facing a growing number of people living with HIV/ AIDS. Many lose their jobs because of discrimination or because of the fatigue and periodic hospitalization caused by HIV-related illness. People living with HIV/AIDS often find their incomes drained by the high costs of health care. This means there are people in our community who struggle alone, without the
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Seattle Gay News
Courtesy of Rosehedge
A LESBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL, TRANSGENDER CELEBRATION
Westenhoefer 8
aid of friends and family, without regular care, without medication, without even a place to live. And who of us doesn’t deserve the dignity of a stable home, especially when we’re faced with the fight of our lives? It would be devastating if an individual with HIV/AIDS died before they were able to receive housing assistance. Rosehedge is here to help them. Rosehedge is the ONLY agency filling this vital assisted living niche on our local continuum of care for people living with AIDS in King County. We have also been doing this work longer than anyone else in the Pacific Northwest! Today, Rosehedge operates three Seattle-area houses, each with six private bedrooms, providing housing and comprehensive services for 18 residents. Each house has a Home Health Aide (HHA) on duty 24 hours per day. HHAs provide assistance with dressing, bathing, and all activities of daily living. Three nurses (one for each house) manage medication, conduct health assessments, and coordinate medical care. A staff social worker offers referrals for day programs, drug treatment, and other social services. Our on-site cook prepares nutritious, tasty meals in accordance with each resident’s dietary requirements. Rosehedge has grown from an idea to a model of compassionate cost-effective HIV/AIDS care known internationally!
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Celebrating 35 Years!
The Greater Seattle Business Association
by Louise Chernin Executive Director, GSBA The Greater Seattle Business Association (GSBA) was born because a group of 33 Gay men wanted to identify and support Gay-owned business in Seattle. Now, GSBA is the largest LGBT business chamber in the United States. Our mission has been broadened to encompass business development, leadership and social advocacy. We owe a huge debt to those early leaders and many are still active GSBA members. GSBA is a diverse group of professional and business leaders representing nearly every business sector in our community. Although small business owners are still our core members, professional and nonprofit leaders as well as students and retired folks are now part of our membership. Whether Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender or straight ally, we all work together to increase opportunity, eliminate barriers to full participation and promote fully inclusive workplaces. GSBA provides its members with a full array of business development opportunities. We are well known for the annual GSBA Guide and Directory, the largest LGBT and allied chamber business directory in the country. The Guide is distributed to over 20,000 businesses, nonprofits and individuals each year and makes its public debut at Pride. And in 2009, the GSBA Guide and Directory has gone digital. It is easily downloaded to your computer or smartphone for even easier access in the office, at home or on the go. At GSBA, we believe in connecting community in many ways. In addition to the Guide, GSBA publishes a hard copy newsletter, Perspective, as well as a weekly e-newsletter to keep the community and our members up-to-date. We also offer a wide range of skills building and networking opportunities such as our monthly business luncheon, AfterHours Prime-Time Mixers, Young Professionals with Pride Mixers, and Connecting Women. And can GSBA throw a party! The Business and Humanitarian Awards Dinner honors the best and brightest in our community. The TASTE of GSBA is a black-tie event showcas-
ing our member restaurants and caterers and includes live and silent auctions, sumptuous dinner and entertainment and is a fundraiser for the GSBA Scholarship Program. Our scholarship recipients are honored at the very moving GSBA Scholarship Dinner. Many of our early members understood that, as business leaders, we have a responsibility to use that position of leadership to do more and to give back. This is perhaps one way in which GSBA is unique among business chambers. In 1990, GSBA founded the first scholarship fund to provide college scholarships to LGBT students since so many of our youth have no family support. This year, $137,000 was awarded to 27 Washington State LGBT and allied students, bringing the total awarded to almost $1 million over the life of the program. These students represent the next generation of leaders and the funds raised to support the program come from GSBA members and other donors who are proud that their business chamber has a philanthropic arm that invests in our scholars. Our giving clubs is called “The Friends of Dorothy” and donations from $1 to $10,000 and beyond are welcome. Another way in which GSBA is unique is that we understand the power that business has to change the world. This is why GSBA is committed to providing advocacy for its members and community. We have an active “Public Policy Task Force” that works with city, county, state and federal officials on issues of importance to small business and full equality for the LGBT community. Our annual Candidates Forum each September is a way our members can directly connect with candidates for office and hear their stands on vital issues. GSBA is a vibrant and growing business chamber. This year, we initiated a partnership with Seattle’s Convention and Visitors Bureau (SCVB) to bring more lucrative LGBT travel and tourism dollars to our city. The Seattle Office of Economic Development awarded GSBA a $15,000 grant in support of this effort. If you share our mission to combine business development, leadership and social action to expand economic opportunity for the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender community and support equality for all, GSBA welcomes you. Our founding members provided the leadership that started GSBA on our journey. We have come a long way since 1981 when we were seen as a marginalized community fighting for equality to today in which our contributions are being recognized as an essential part of the economic health and prosperity of our region. We hope you will join us.
Visit us online www.sgn.org
June 19, 2009
Seattle Gay News
9
YouthCare’s ISIS House courtesy of youth care
Cassy, 22 month resident of Youth Care's ISIS House
10
Seattle Gay News
June 19, 2009
by Cate Culpepper Program Manager, YouthCare’s ISIS House Living on the streets of Seattle is not for the faint of heart. Being homeless, young and Gay calls for considerable courage – and enough faith to keep looking for a truly welcoming home. Some of Seattle’s Queer homeless youth have found that kind of refuge at ISIS House, a transitional living program sponsored by YouthCare. ISIS provides shelter, food, life skills training, and case management services to LGBTQ youth and their straight allies, ages 18-21. Trinkyt, a young Gay Transman, came to ISIS six weeks ago. He says, “Without ISIS, I would have nowhere to go where I feel safe and accepted. I want to live where I can kiss my partner goodbye at the door … where I can tell people I’m starting hormone therapy, and they’ll congratulate me.” Queer young people are starkly over-represented in the general population of homeless kids. Nationally, they comprise 20-40% of street youth, and Seattle leans toward the high end of that scale. Queer youth often experience homelessness very differently than their straight counterparts. They’re less likely to have support from
family, school, or church. They’re more vulnerable to criminal and sexual exploitation, and more susceptible to the hopelessness of depression – almost 30% of LGBTQ homeless youth have attempted suicide in the last year. During their stay at ISIS House, which can last up to two years, residents can receive free weekly in-house counseling sessions with a mental health therapist. They have access to drug and alcohol counseling and, through other programs at YouthCare, job training, assistance with school, and paid internships. But living at ISIS is no free ride. To simulate real-world challenges, youth are expected to pay monthly residency fees that amount to 30% of their income. They must meet regularly with staff, attend school if they don’t have a high school diploma, and find employment within a month of entry into the program. Everyone does chores and maintains a standard of respectful behavior in the house. As the only deaf person at ISIS, Cassy has learned to communicate effectively with staff and housemates who are unfamiliar with her native tongue, American Sign Language. But Cassy has thrived in her 22 months in the program. “It’s good that the staff here really wants to help us learn life skills,” she says. “I’ve learned to cook here, and how to use a bank, to write checks. We can learn how to find jobs, how to ride the bus, how to manage money.” Cassy’s pride in her accomplishments has translated into wanting to help others in need. “I like to help homeless people I see on the street now and to show them what I’ve become.” Alex West, ISIS’s Life Skills Coach, wants residents to gain more from their experience in the house than mastering skills for daily living. “The Queer youth who live here must realize that they are the Queer/Trans community,” he says. “They have the right to claim their status in this community and to expect their voices to be heard.” ISIS also houses allies, straight youth who actively support their Queer peers. Dex has
Celebrating 35 Years!
courtesy of youth care
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Youth Care's ISIS House
always been comfortable around people who are quite different from him. He hopes the time will come when all the acronyms can disappear. “I don’t look at the letters, the LGBTQ or straight stuff. We should cut out all the labels and learn to just look at each other as people.” Homeless youth in Seattle might have better access to Queer-friendly resources than those in small towns, but, as Trinkyt says, “Homophobia is alive and well, even
in Seattle. Last week, my partner and I were downtown, holding hands as we walked, and someone yelled out their car window, ‘Why are you carrying those faggot instruments?’ Until all of Seattle is as accepting as YouthCare’s ISIS House, there will always be a need for ISIS,” and YouthCare will be here with the support of our community.
S AT U R DAY, J U N E 27 23 8 AM - NOON @ CENTRAL LUTHERAN CHURCH SOCIAL HALL 1710 11th Ave. (Capitol Hill) Seattle (near Cal Anderson Park)
Courtesy of YouthCare
sisters
continued from cover non-profit organizations that serve the LGBTQ community in many ways. Each year, we raise thousands more. Several years ago, here in Seattle, we started the “Sister’s Community Granting Fund.” This fund is filled throughout the year and distributed in the form of grants at our anniversary celebration each July. The next time you see a Sister with a collection bucket, drop a couple of bucks in; you will be helping us raise much-needed dollars for the community! In addition to fundraising, the Sisters have a long history of safer sex outreach and sex-positive education. In 1982, San Francisco Sisters Florence Nightmare and Roz Erection teamed with other Sisters and medical professionals to create Play Fair! This was the first safer sex pamphlet to use plain, sex-positive language, practical advice, and humor. It was so well received that it went through a second printing within just a few months. In 2002, The Abbey of St. Joan, updated the HIV/STD information and adapted the Play Fair! pamphlet for our local community. We distribute these along with our popular “Condom Savior” packs and our “Passion Packs.” These packs contain items that help reduce the user’s risk of transmit-
ting or contracting various bugs during sex. The packages themselves are entertaining as well as educational, showing that you can find humor in all things – even sex. The Abbey of St. Joan in Seattle, WA, continues the mission of The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence. Over the years we have grown, but our mission and unity of purpose remain unchanged. We continue to educate the public on safer sex issues, we fight for Queer rights and visibility, address women’s issues and the needs of homeless youth, while contributing to other community organizations who share our vision. We are often asked, “Why are you mocking nuns?” Well, we ARE nuns, silly! We recognize what “women of the cloth” have done for centuries. They raise money for the needy, we raise money for the needy. They tend to the sick, we tend to the sick. They build their communities, we build our community. The have taken vows of celibacy, we … well, we have raised money for the needy. We are nuns for the 21st century! Courtesy of The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence®, a registered trademark of The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, Inc., San Francisco, CA.
Visit us online www.sgn.org
June 19, 2009
Seattle Gay News 11
S T I U R F
IN
SUITS
“a casual monthly afterwork social networking event for GLBT professionals” $8 Cover w/ First Drink Featherston Gallery 818 East Pike
Pride Parade Volunteers Needed Join the Impact and SOaP are joining forces to run a food drive during the Seattle Pride Parade on June 28, 2009 at 11:00 AM. We need volunteers to monitor the food collection bins throughout the parade route. You will still be able to watch the parade and celebrate with friends. Please contact Joe at jointheimpactWA@gmail.com to sign up.
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Seattle Gay News
June 19, 2009
With Host Miss Tina Lame’ & dj mattstands w/ lounge beats
CO SPONSOR
21+ Proceeds Benefit The Trevor light Project hors d’oeuvres
June 25th 5:30-8:30pm
Celebrating 35 Years!
Visit us online www.sgn.org
June 19, 2009
Seattle Gay News 13
SMOKING IS SO GAY. JUST THE WAY THEY WANT IT.
Tobacco companies support LGBT events,bars,fairs,and media. We repay them by being 50% to 200% more likely to be smokers than the general public.
FREE, smoking cessation support in a queer environment. Contact Gay City Health Project at 206.860.6969 or visit us at www.gaycity.org. 14
Seattle Gay News
June 19, 2009
Celebrating 35 Years!
Dunshee House
It was 26 years ago that the Seattle AIDS Support Group was founded. In the spring of 1983, the first community meetings took place, eventually leading to the formation of SASG, with Josh Joshua, Stan Henry, and Ann Georgia McCaffray taking the lead in its development. The first support groups were held in members’ apartments around Capitol Hill. In January of 1985, SASG had a total membership of 18. By August, the number had risen to over 50. At that time, there were two weekly support groups for people with AIDS; the “Shoulders” group, which provided support for caregivers of those living with AIDS, was also launched that year. The need for a larger safe space for people
become the organizations largest fundraising event and a holiday tradition on Capitol Hill. By 1994, SASG hosted 40-50 support groups a week, all for the AIDS program. In ’96, a new group called “Moving Forward” signaled a change in the epidemic. It was not the cure for which all had hoped … more like a reprieve. With the advent of protease inhibitors, people began living longer. It was that change which built SASG to where it is today, for the road that lies ahead. In 2004, the board of directors elected to change the name of the organization to Dunshee House to honor the retirement of beloved longtime Director Susan Dunshee and to reflect a broader range of programming beyond HIV/ dunshee house
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Dunshee House
with AIDS grew, and the fledgling Seattle AIDS Support Group found its first public home at Belmont and E. Pike St. next to the Dorian Group. In June of 1987 SASG moved to a place of its own: a reconverted bar on the corner of 15th and E. Denny Way. It was a dark and funky space until group members doused it in teal blue, magenta and dark purple. Only one room had windows, so it became the drop-in center. Two closet-sized rooms served as offices, and two larger rooms – again, windowless – served as group rooms. A tiny storage area in the back was converted into the semblance of a kitchen, and on St. Patrick’s Day of 1988, Ross Eddy, a retired chef, cooked the first of many Friday Feasts. During the time in which SASG was housed at 15th and E. Denny Way, 81 group members and volunteers had died. Their names were written on the walls before the building was torn down. In the next 26-month period, SASG would lose 138 members; in the following 26-month period, 172; in the next, 230. It was not until June 1996 that the death toll finally began to subside. In late August of 1989, SASG, now known as Dunshee House, moved into its present home on 17th Ave. E. and E. Thomas St. SASG’s first Christmas tree sale was in 1990. John Kolling had to do a lot of talking to convince the volunteers and staff that this would make money. From net sales of $11,768 in 1990 to nearly $60,000 net in the year 2000, the annual Christmas tree sale has
AIDS. Currently, Dunshee House offers over 20 peer-facilitated support groups and workshops each week. Current programming includes not only a variety of groups for HIV/AIDS and other disabilities including Hep C, but numerous groups supporting recovery from substance abuse. As a community center, Dunshee House is home to groups and activities for all Lesbian, Gay, Bi, Trans and Queer identified folks and their allies, such as Shifting Gears, the Seattle Gay & Lesbian Book Club, Family of Choice, Ageless, Spiritual Empowerment and La Movida. In 2007, along with Multifaith Works, Gay City and Seattle Counseling Service, Dunshee House became a partner in the first federally-funded program in over a decade supporting LGBTQ’s in recovery. Shift: A Peer Recovery Network now serves as a model for other LGBTQ collaborations around the country. These partner agencies have also joined together for the World AIDS Day Luncheon in December, an annual fundraiser in honor of those living with AIDS and in memory of those who have passed on, another collaborative milestone. Dunshee House warmly invites you to get involved as a group member, volunteer or donor and to take an interest in this vital community resource, now celebrating a quarter-century of compassionate peer support.
Visit us online www.sgn.org
Courtesy of Dunshee House
June 19, 2009
Seattle Gay News 15
Seattle Counseling Services
It began in a rented house with a telephone and several volunteers who were ready to answer the phone, talk with people who dropped by, and offer counsel and support. Seattle Counseling Service was founded in August of 1969, two months after the Stonewall Uprising. SCS is the first and oldest community mental health agency for Lesbians, Gay men, Bisexuals, and Transgender persons in the United States. We are committed now as we were then to provide the highest quality care in an atmosphere free
SCS was licensed as a mental health center in 1974. Among the programs pioneered by SCS, the Domestic Violence Program (started in 1982) provides intervention to persons who perpetrate violence in samesex relationships. SCS began providing services for people with HIV/AIDS concerns in 1985 by providing HIV test counseling at the Seattle Gay Clinic. Long-term AIDS therapy and an AIDS drop-in group began in 1986, and the AIDS Crisis Intervention Program was initiseattle counseling services
Seattle Counseling Services information table at Pride event
from judgment, fear and discrimination. Ann Manley, former executive director of SCS, remembers the beginning: “There’s no question that the police would take license numbers and stuff. We personally know people who would park blocks away and took a long time, coming by many times before they finally would walk in the door.
ated in 1989. In 1996, SCS placed a therapist on-site at Bailey-Boushay House. In 1990, SCS became a sponsoring agency of Lambert House, a Gay/Lesbian/ Bisexual youth drop-in center. We are now working with Youthcare to provide services to homeless youth. In 2003, SCS and King County Pubseattle counseling services
Seattle Counseling Services at Broadway event
I mean, it was not an unusual thing for this process to take weeks for people … just to get to walk in the door.” The counseling service started as part of the Dorian Society in Seattle, later expanding to become an independent organization. Plagued with protests and slurs, offering help and support for the LGBT community was not easy at the start. 16
Seattle Gay News
June 19, 2009
lic Health created a collaboration to house Project NEON, a harm reduction program for users of crystal methamphetamine. Over 300 people were served by this program in 2008. Seattle Counseling Service Chemical Dependency Services also began in 2003. When Stonewall Recovery Services in King County closed we were pleased to take over the services they had so wonderfully provid-
Celebrating 35 Years!
ed. In 2008, over 250 clients found sobriety and support. In addition to its role in provision of direct services to sexual minority community members, SCS plays a significant regional role as a psychology and social work professional training site, hosting an average of 10 graduate interns per year from numerous area universities and colleges. Since 1992, SCS has also provided training to mental health providers statewide to increase their capacity to appropriately serve sexual minorities in their home communities. Collaboration is important to the staff and board of SCS. We are continually seeking ways to provide a continuum of care for clients. SCS works with other King County Mental Health Providers to advocate on behalf of clients in the mental health system. SCS belongs to the Cross Cultural Alliance, the Washington Coalition Against Domestic Violence, the Washington Coalition of Sexual Assault Programs. Shift: A Peer Recovery Network is a collaboration of agencies (Seattle Counseling Service, Dunshee House, Gay City Health Project, Multifaith Works) that provides comprehensive recovery support services to people in the LGBTQ community. Support is provided on a one-on-one basis at Multifaith Works, through support groups at Dunshee House, and/or social events and community discussion forums with Gay City Health Project. SCS acts as the main referral resource for newly sober individuals. Shift is inclusive and supportive of all paths of recovery, and does not subscribe to any one model or program. As a peer-driven program, Shift offers many ways for people in recovery to give back to their community through volunteerism. Project Inform, Seattle Counseling’s newest program, is working to increase awareness within the LBTQ community about methamphetamine and women and provide increased access to resources for those who want to change behavior related to abuse of or addiction to methamphetamine. Because there is so little information about LBTQ women and crystal methamphetamine use, learning will be the first focus of Project Inform. The learning phase will provide information about who/where/ how women are using methamphetamine in the LBTQ community. Community members will be invited to participate in focus groups to talk about their experiences using methamphetamine.
As we celebrate our 40th anniversary we are hosting a “Welcome Home” event this summer. On July 23, 2009 from 5-9 p.m. we will gather in Cal Anderson Park for a Family Picnic. We want all past and present clients, staff and their families to join us in a reunion to celebrate the over 35,000 clients we have served in the past 40 years and to help inaugurate our next 40 years of service to the community. Call 206-323-1768 to find out more.
Visit us online www.sgn.org
Courtesy of Seattle Counseling Services
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June 19, 2009
Seattle Gay News 17
Safe Schools Coalition brings Queer youth to the front of the class
“I don’t know that I would have cared which of my teachers were Gay, but I did care that not one of them, Gay or straight, was willing to stand up for me. Who here would identify as an ally to Queer and Transgender students in your schools?” It is the end of the second day of the Washington State Bullying Prevention Conference, and the conference hall is packed with two hundred teachers, principals, and counselors from across the state. The educators for this moment, though, are three young people perched behind a table at the front of the room. For the last hour they have been telling their stories: clearly, articulately, with guts and without apology. They are at the conference as youth panelists from OUTSpoken, a joint project of The Safe Schools Coalition (SSC) and American Friends Service Committee (AFSC) GLBTQ Peace and Social Justice Program. According to OUTSpoken Speakers Bureau Coordinator Helen Stillman, “OUTSpoken gives LGBTQ youth an opportunity to speak out about their lives: the challenges they have faced as Queer and Transgender students in schools, the strength and strategies they’ve used to overcome those difficulties, and what they got – or wished they’d gotten – from teachers and other school staff.” The panelists at the Bullying Conference did just that, giving a rich perspective of what it is to come up and out as Queer young people. Which is to say they are talking about hate speech written on bathroom mirrors and threats of violence shouted across halls. They are talking about closed doors to principals’ offices and locked doors at home, dropping classes because they are scared to show up, and couch surfing because they cannot go home. These sobering stories should not surprise: A 2003 national survey found that 84% of LGBTQ students had been verbally harassed at school. More than 39% of Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual teens, 46% of LGB youth of color, and 55% of Transgender teens had also been physically assaulted (kicked, punched or attacked with a weapon). A huge body of evidence says that those who are harassed or assaulted, and even those who aren’t but who witness Queer classmates’ victimization, are at greatly elevated risk of self-endangering and self-harm. While the youth panelists speak frankly of this chronic threat of violence, they also present a picture of resilience and resistance. They speak of finding community organizations or singular classrooms where they could finally be themselves. They talk about starting Gay-Straight Alliances (GSAs), organizing events for other Queer youth and creating the support for their peers that they had needed themselves. A 2006 study confirms the positive effects of their activism, finding “that the presence of [Gay-Straight Alliances] was significantly associated with lower victimization and 18
Seattle Gay News
June 19, 2009
suicidality risk for sexual minority adolescents [and] that the perception of staff support was protective.” The Safe Schools Coalition has been working for 21 years to end violence and bullying in schools based on sexual orientation and gender identity. The Coalition is made up entirely of volunteers and member organizations across Washington and the US. SSC works on a number of fronts to address bias-based bullying in schools. Their Speakers’ Bureau provides training for teachers and school administrators regarding bullying prevention and intervention and how to address LGBTQ issues in ageappropriate, affirming ways. AFSC GLBTQ Peace and Social Justice Program has historically had GLBTQ youth panels where young people from the Seattle area speak about their experiences growing up. AFSC also places LGBTQ youth at local organizations where they do social justice related internships. In an effort to merge the youth organizing strengths of the AFSC program with the strong relationships SSC had in schools, the two programs came together to create OUTSpoken about two years ago. The result is a program where LGBTQ youth are educating the community about the challenges they face and also gaining leadership experience as activists who transform those problems. In 2008, the panelists, speakers and trainers in the program trained 983 adults and 1,352 youth. Program participants also assumed leadership in Queer organizing and activism throughout the community. At the Bullying Conference, the panelists speak of leading peer youth suicide prevention efforts, advocating in Olympia around foster care and homelessness, founding GSAs in their high schools, and organizing major events and protests. One of the panelists is now a co-chair of the entire Safe Schools Coalition. When one of the youth on the panel asks the 200 educators at the Bullying Conference whether they would now identify as allies to Queer and Transgender students, nearly everyone in the room raises their hand, many standing to do so with tears in their eyes. Hearing about the lives of young people today and seeing how they are transforming our communities, it is indeed hard not to stand up beside them. OUTSpoken will tailor panels to the needs of the school or agency, everything on a sliding scale, contact the sb manager: training@safeschoolscoalition.org. 206632-0662 ext 49. Need help with harassment? intervention@safeschoolscoalition. org or 1-877-SAFE-SAFE. To volunteer: training@safeschoolscoalition.org or 206632-0662 ext 49. To donate: www.safeschoolscoalition.org/donate.html or 206957-1621. For information: questions@ safeschoolscoalition.org or 206-296-4970.
Celebrating 35 Years!
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Visit us online www.sgn.org
June 19, 2009
Seattle Gay News 19