SGN Jun 23, 2023 - Part 2

OLYMPUS SPA VOWS TO TAKE ANTI-TRANS DISCRIMINATION CASE TO SUPREME COURT

by Lindsey Anderson & Isabel Mata SGN Staff Writers

A spa in Lynnwood, Washington, has gained national attention following lawsuits regarding discrimination against Trans women. In May 2020, Transgender woman Haven Wilvich called Olympus Spa in Lynnwood to inquire about a visit. The spa informed Wilvich that because she is a Trans woman, she would not be allowed to partake of the spa’s services. She then reported the business to the Washington State Human Rights Commission.

Local News

OLYMPUS

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Olympus Spa has been in business for more than 20 years. It is known for “Jjimjilbang”— a Korean-inspired wellness facility for women that requires nudity in certain areas of the spa. The spa contains a communal bath area with multiple whirlpool tubs, a traditional Korean body scrub service area, standing and seated showers, a steam room, and a dry sauna.

The WSHRC threatened spa owner Sun Lee with a lawsuit. Lee claimed that the business held a “biological women only” policy because the spa requires nudity in certain areas to which children as young as 13 have access.

The WSHRC offered Lee a settlement so long as he agreed to change the company’s policy, noting that it violates Washington state’s anti-discrimination laws. Lee signed the settlement in September 2021 but returned with his lawsuit just six months later.

Lee counters with his own suit

In his federal lawsuit, Lee claimed the settlement violated his first amendment rights to free speech and religion. He claimed that his spa had lost business after some patrons had seen “male genitals” and no longer felt safe. He also claimed that including Trans women at his establishment went against his Christian beliefs.

On June 5, the Western Washington District Court dismissed Lee’s case. They ruled his rights were not violated. Dissatisfied with the ruling, Lee’s lawyer has said they plan to take the case to the Supreme Court.

“My client is a traditional Korean spa, they are Christian, and their clientele are all women and they always have been,” said Lee’s attorney, Tracy Tribbet. “Part of [the spa’s] process is nudity. It’s not optional nudity, it’s not you-have-a-towel-aroundyou nudity, it is a bona fide requirement, and it’s part of the service.”

“We feel that will give us the greatest opportunity to appeal this up to the US Supreme Court,” Tribbet continued. Part of the spa’s ongoing argument is that Wilvich purposefully filed the suit before receiving gender-affirming surgery. They also argue that the business should be allowed to discriminate against Transgender women because the spa was previously allowed to “discriminate against men.”

“This is just [an excuse] for individuals who are mentally ill to come in and take advantage of a situation where women are vulnerable,” Tribbet continued. “When you go and pay for the exclusivity of women’s company, that’s what you expect. This would be ruinous to the business of Olympus Spa and tantamount to a taking by the state because it changes the entirety of its business structure.”

The community protests

Following the District court’s ruling, a group of Trans exclusionary radical feminists planned a protest outside the spa’s Lynnwood location. On Saturday, June 17, around 50 members and supporters from Sovereign Women Speak, Gays Against Groomers, and Washington Three Percenters gathered in Lynnwood to express their disdain for the court’s ruling. The three groups appeared to be working together to lead the protest while members of additional anti-Trans organizations surrounded them with transphobic signs and cheers.

The anti-Trans protesters were met with twice as many counterprotesters. After the news that the right-wing organizations were to host a demonstration broke, pro-LGBTQ+ activists from across Seattle came together to show support for the Trans community. The supporters included those from Radical Women and National Mobilization for Reproductive Justice.

“What’s going on right now is extremely dangerous and clearly connected to outright racist groups, with the Three Percenters using supposed defense of women to hide their agenda,” Helen Gilbert, a mem-

ber of Radical Women, said. “It is crucial for feminists — and really all people — to not let them use our name.”

One Trans woman protesting on the scene noted there are many issues with accepting only Trans people who are able to receive surgery. “It’s not like every Trans woman can get surgery or even wants surgery,” she said. “Where else would I go? If I want to go to a spa, it would be kind of

weird to go to the men’s section,” she added.

In anticipation of the protest, Olympus Spa closed for the day, boarded up its windows, and hired private security. Police were on the scene and stood between the protesters and counterprotesters.

Following the release of legal documents that included her name, Wilvich says she has received hate mail and death threats from people around the world. “It’s still

disappointing to see the amount of animosity that goes towards our community every time these laws are upheld,” she told Fox 13. “I think minority people who report hate crimes and violations of human rights laws should be protected from public discourse,” she said.

Wilvich did not attend the counterprotest. She plans to continue celebrating Pride with her wife as peacefully as possible.

Local News

STARBUCKS

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“In union stores, where Starbucks claims they are unable to make ‘unilateral changes’ without bargaining, the company took down Pride decorations and flags anyway — ignoring their own anti-union talking point,” SBWU said on its Twitter account.

According to the union’s Twitter feed, Pride decorations have been removed all over the country in the past two weeks.

At one store in Wisconsin, for example, Starbucks workers were told Pride decorations were allowed, only to have their district manager order that they be taken down for “not being welcoming to everyone.”

In one video circulated by the union, a customer who happened to be present at a Starbucks as rainbow flags were being removed by managers returned their coffee, telling the manager, “I only bought [this coffee] to show support for that,” and pointing at the flag. “Now I don’t want it.”

SBWU charged that the missing Pride decorations are part of a larger pattern of neglect of LGBTQ workers.

“Starbucks is powered by many Queer workers,” the union wrote, “but management has failed to materially support the LGBTQ+ community. Last October, some workers have reported that their Transgender benefit plan changed, causing them to pay out of pocket fees and lose access to certain providers.

“If Starbucks was a true ally, they would stand up for us, especially during a time when LGBTQ+ people are under attack. A company that cares wouldn’t turn their back on the LGBTQ+ community to protect their already astronomically high profits.”

Starbucks issued a statement that did not flatly deny the charges but said there has been “no change” to its policies, and that the company “unwaveringly” supports the LGBTQ community.

“There has been no change to any policy on this matter and we continue to encourage

our store leaders to celebrate with their communities, including for U.S. Pride Month in June,” a Starbucks spokesperson said, adding that the company is “deeply concerned by false information that is being spread especially as it relates to our inclusive store environments, our company culture, and the benefits we offer our partners.”

Starbucks said that on June 13 it sent an email to its North American corporate leaders clarifying that there was no ban on Pride decorations. According to SBWU, however, a Minnesota store manager was informed by their district manager on the night of June 13 that no decorations would be permitted.

”Starbucks is powered by many Queer workers,” the union wrote, “but management has failed to materially support the LGBTQ+ community.”

Politically incorrect teenage sex farce No Hard Feelings a raunchy delight

by Sara Michelle Fetters SGN Staff Writer

NO HARD FEELINGS

Theaters

Montauk isn’t what it used to be. Wealthy seasonal residents from New York City have made it almost impossible for locals to live in their small oceanside town year-round, driving up property taxes and buying up modest family homes only to bulldoze them into the ground and build modern architectural monstrosities in their place. But Maddie Barker (Jennifer Lawrence), Montauk born and raised, isn’t having any of it, and she’s going to do whatever is necessary to save the small house she’s lived in for her entire life.

Fi nancial salvation comes in the form of helicopter parents Laird (Matthew Broderick) and Allison Becker (Laura Benanti). They need someone to “date” their introverted 19-year-old son Percy (Andrew Barth Feldman) before he heads off to Princeton at the end of the summer. They’re worried he’s too socially ill-equipped to handle adult life on his own, and they think a woman like Maddie is the perfect person to help him burst out of his shell before plunging into the collegiate ocean, and they’re willing to give her a brand-new car if she’s able to “educate” him properly.

No Hard Feelings co-writer and director Gene Stupnitsky sowed his cinematic oats with 2019’s rambunctious G ood Boys, and his latest R-rated slice of comedic nonsense is frankly more of the same. But with Lawrence at the helm and with a better, more emotionally astute screenplay as the film’s foundation, the filmmaker’s sophomore outing is a strong one. There are plenty of laugh-out-loud moments sprinkled throughout. Better, they are built around two well-drawn characters worth caring about, so even when things get obnoxiously uncouth or the jokes fail to land, Maddie and Percy are so gosh-darn likable that this isn’t too big of a problem.

Wh ile Lawrence has certainly showcased her goofy side in several of her previous performances — most notably her Oscar-winning turn in Silver Linings Playbook (2012), then again in American Hustle

(2103) and Don’t Look Up (2021) — she has never headlined a full-blown comedy. Shame, because she’s marvelous. Lawrence utilizes her lithe physicality to magnificent effect, and she can bend a tongue-twisting turn of phrase sideways before flipping it completely upside down with carnivorously jovial enthusiasm.

But while it’s clear she has a blast cutting loose, Lawrence still brings a hardened, almost haunted gravitas to the story that frequently caught me off guard. There’s a sublime moment where Maddie is listening to Percy deliver an impromptu performance of a Hall & Oates classic at a fancy restaurant, and Lawrence unleashes a tsunami of emotional nuances as her character processes the meaning behind the lyrics. It’s a stupendous scene, one where the full weight of all of the various themes Stupnitsky and co-writer John Phillips (Dirty Grandpa) have been flirting with finally breaks through to the surface, and it’s all due to Lawrence

Newcomer Feldman mostly holds his own. The youngster is essentially portraying a 1980s teenage archetype straight out of a John Hughes scenario, but with a Gen-Z, social media-age twist. Percy has built himself a secluded bunker where he can live his life behind an online firewall that keeps him purposefully cut off from his high school classmates. He’s socially awkward both out of fear of being publicly shamed by his peers and because his smothering parents monitor his every move. These are genuine, instantly relatable worries, and Feldman does a fine job of giving them life.

Where the film struggles is in maintaining a consistent pace and in satisfactorily resolving its most important moral complications. The central conceit is supposed to come off as a little bit unconscionable, and Stupnitsky does not shy away from what it is Laird and Allison are contracting Maddie to accomplish. But the scenario he and Phillips have concocted doesn’t always

know how to balance the inherent nastiness of this situation with the somewhat melodramatic sweetness and levity it also wants to traffic in. The scenes after the curtain has been pulled back and the truth is stripped naked don’t always work, and the narrative contrivances required to get to the requisite happy ending are only moderately satisfying.

Even so, I still had a terrific time watching No Hard Feelings. The supporting cast is strong, there are plenty of wonderful set pieces, and Lawrence throws herself into all this ribald madness with gleefully intoxicating abandon. People complain that major studios don’t make uncouth, politically incorrect sex comedies like they used to; this is a prime, well-made example of what the genre can deliver if talented craftspeople come together to deliver their best collective efforts. Here’s hoping Stupnitsky’s latest is a moderate enough of a success that we get more like it made with the same care and skill in the future.

Love is Elemental in Pixar’s latest visual triumph

by Sara Michelle Fetters

SGN Staff Writer

ELEMENTAL Theaters

Element City is home to all four types of sentient elemental beings: Earth, Air, Water, and, of course, Fire. The first three live together harmoniously. Fire, however? Everyone does their best to steer clear of that community. In turn, the Fire citizens try to have minimal contact with Earth, Air, and Water elements.

That’s not always possible, as any large city of hustling and bustling communities with interconnected infrastructures and giant neighborhoods packed closely together can’t help but lead to at least some commingling. Nevertheless, Firetown patriarch Bernie Lumen (voiced by Ronnie

Del Carmen), owner of the popular eatery and curio shop the Fireplace, would rather only other Fire residents enter his shop.

The immigrant and his wife Cinder (Shila Ommi) weren’t treated with kindness by the Element City populace upon their arrival, especially by the Water residents. Even after two decades of growing a successful business and helping lead a vibrant community, Bernie still takes what happened during those early days personally.

The visually resplendent Elemental is not top-tier Pixar. Those expecting another Inside Out or Wall-E have something far less thematically intricate coming. Instead, this is more on the level of something like A Bug’s Life or Onward. Considering this film’s director, Peter Sohn, also handled 2015’s A Good Dinosaur, this is hardly shocking. But, like those titles, this one is so gosh darn charming, so effortlessly enter-

taining, the fact that it does not try to do more than keep little kids happy and adults pleasantly amused is nothing to scoff at.

At its heart, this is a Romeo and Juliet situation where a series of unfortunate events brings Bernie’s beloved, if hottempered, daughter Ember (Leah Lewis) into contact with the bumbling, if selflessly good-natured, Water element Wade Ripple (Mamoudou Athie). Over the next week (give or take a day or two), the pair works together to solve a potentially devasting mystery. With each passing sunset they discover a bond developing they never could have anticipated, the early pangs of love inching them closer together.

There’s a little more to it all, but that’s the basic thrust. Boy and girl from opposite worlds meet, they spend time together, intimate feelings blossom, they start to worry others will not accept or understand

the love they share, and other unexpected complications ultimately arise. What else is there to say? We’ve seen and read all this before, and the only truly surprising thing that happens is the realization of how totally unsurprising any of this is.

And that’s perfectly fine. These characters, as imaginatively incredible as they may be, are enchantingly authentic from an emotional standpoint. Their worries are real. So are their fears, wants, desires, and dreams. Everything they long for. Everything they want to be. I believed it all. Seeing Ember and Wade become their best selves? I adored watching it happen, and it was clear that the kids in the preview audience were even more blissfully enthralled than I was.

More than the beguiling romance, I think my favorite aspect of this story was the father-daughter relationship. Ember’s interactions with Bernie reminded me of the final moments of Field of Dreams, of all things. There is a melancholic poignancy to seeing the two of them together. They respect and love one another so deeply, so completely, that they accidentally stop seeing the bigger picture. Ember and Bernie create idealized versions of one another that do not exist, and how they deal with the repercussions of this when the truth is inevitably revealed is handled with stunning honesty and subtly heartfelt gracefulness.

The animation is as stunning as ever, especially as it pertains to all the Fire and Water elements, not only Ember and Wade. The use of various combinations of pastels is outstanding, and there’s always something eye-popping happening in each and every corner of the screen. Veteran T homas Newman (1917, Fin ding Nemo) provides another of his patentedly winning scores, while the film’s overall sound design is an aural triumph.

There’s nothing wrong with taking a triedand-true scenario and doing little that’s novel with it as long as the material is handled with intelligence, confidence, and style. When the emotions are true and the characters are genuine, the majority of viewers will undoubtedly walk out of the theater smiling. As slight as it is, I found Elemental to be adorable, and I’ll watch it again in a heartbeat when the opportunity to do so presents itself.

Books

CHARLIE’S

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Charlie’s Book Co. is a Queer and Trans centered bookstore boasting titles and genres that focus on the LGBTQ+ experience.

“I felt compelled to create a store that was by and for Queer people to expand on the intersection of Queer identity that created more opportunities for us to see ourselves in the world,” owner and bookseller Charlie Hunts said. “I wanted to read about topics from cooking and crafts to fiction and graphic novels, not just memoirs in a tiny area of a bookstore, usually by the selfhelp section.”

More than just a self-help section

Most stores in Seattle have at least one small LGBTQ+ section, but Hunts wanted to see more. “Our Queer identity isn’t just in our coming out story or our relationships with our families,” he said. “Those are important aspects, but we’re also full human beings. We do things like cook and travel and have spiritual sides of ourselves or like to craft, or we have kids and want children’s books written by or for [Queer] people.”

Charlie’s Book Co. has a wide selection of books, all by Queer and Trans authors. The store carries everything from the children’s book And Tango Makes Three to the romance novel Red, White, and Royal Blue “The store’s mission is to create a curated experience that centers the spectrum of the Queer life,” Hunts said.

What sets Charlie’s Book Co. apart from other Seattle bookstores is that it isn’t a physical store at least not yet. Hunts launched his bookstore online six months ago. At the same time, he started traveling around the city with his fabulous book cart, which he takes to markets and events.

Recently, Charlie’s Book Co. cart set up shop in Volunteer Park for Pride in the Park. Readers can spot his mobile bookshop by its disco tiles, flamingos, and inflatable palm trees. “We try to create a campy Palm Springs vibe,” Hunts said. “It feels light, fun, and inviting. It’s a little different from your traditional bookstore, that’s for sure.”

Readers can order any titles Hunts sells from the cart, as stickers, shirts, home goods, and more, on the store’s website. “I like to inject humor and some new perspectives from Queer artisans around the world,” Hunts said. “I make a concerted effort to curate items you wouldn’t find at your usual market or home goods store. I try to find stuff from around the world that highlights new artists and is fun.” The selection includes a “Read banned Queer books” T-shirt that lists titles of LGBTQ+ books banned in school districts across America, a “Gay whales against racism” pin, and many whimsical prints.

Queer books are hot

With book bans spreading across the country, the popularity of some LGBTQ+ titles has, ironically, skyrocketed. Some of

see CHARLIE’S page 18

Books

Rich White Men is old news but a decent read

by Terri Schlichenmeyer

Special to the SGN

R ICH WHITE MEN: WHAT IT TAKES TO UPROOT THE OLD BOYS’ CLUB AND TRANSFORM AMERICA

GARRETT NEIMAN, FOREWORD BY ROBIN DIANGELO, INTRODUCTION BY ALLEN KWABENA FRIMPONG © 2023 Legacy Lit

$29.99

384 pages

One step ahead, three steps behind. That’s how your life feels sometimes. You make movement forward and something comes along to push you back to where you were two weeks ago. Progress is made, and just as quickly taken away. You get to where you need to be, and

CHARLIE’S

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the most popular titles at Charlie’s Book Co. are the collected weekly comic strip Dykes to Watch Out For by Alison Bechdel and celebrity heartthrob Elliot Page’s hotly anticipated new memoir. “Pageboy by Elliott Page just came out, and that one certainly is a big seller for us,” Hunts said.

Hu nts’ book cart is a hit wherever it rolls. One of the reasons readers love his store so much is that he sells Queer and Trans books that go beyond just stories about identity. When it’s just a given that the books at the store are about LGBTQ+

you’re clawed back. Welcome to the real world and, as in the new book Rich White Men by Garrett Neiman, come meet the culprit.

Si x years ago, at a summer retreat for the nonprofit that he’d founded, Garrett Neiman felt certain that his organization — one that served students of color who wanted to attend college — reflected the diversity of its clients. His staff, though, saw things differently. They emphatically told Neiman where he could do better.

He was devastated and, seeing how white privilege affected his work, he vowed to make changes. White privilege, particularly within a patriarchy, he suggests, is the root of inequality at work and at large.

We like to tell one another, for instance, that hard work pays off, but it’s not that easy. Even considering population rates, white men are many times more likely than Black women to be billionaires. Some of the wealth that white men enjoy was “unearned”

people, readers find even more diversity in the stories they encounter. “It’s important because it helps us to see more of ourselves in the world and creates opportunities to see intersectionality realized,” Hunts said. “I’m not just a Trans man. I’m also Jewish. I have cats. There’s more to me than just being Trans. In this current climate, so much focus is put on our bodies. It’s refreshing and humanizing to expand beyond one aspect of what makes us who we are. It’s an important aspect, but it’s not the only aspect.”

Charlie’s Book Co. hopes to expand to a physical store sometime this year. “We’re looking for a brick-and-mortar home,” Hunts said. “If readers have tips, we are

(inherited) and some of it came from property ownership, both of which were historically difficult for people of color to achieve. These situations are often in place even before any system is gamed by those in charge — which can happen, beginning with students in primary school.

Equal opportunities do not equal outcomes, Neiman says, and the distribution of wealth today goes back more than two centuries. Bias and bigotry, whether overt or subconscious, play a part in the way things are, and that sometimes extends to stereotypes in the kinds of work non-white, nonmale, non-cisgender employees are assigned to do. Tokenism hides the problem, and pretending that the past has no bearing on today only exacerbates the issues.

For sure, Rich White Men seems earnest and very well-meaning. Author Garrett Neiman begins with a confession that obviously plagues him, and he vows to do better in a category that’s important to him. This

looking for our home.” One catch? He’d prefer not to be located on Capitol Hill, as the neighborhood already has several excellent bookstores and a thriving Queer community. “We’ve been looking at Fremont as a possibility, somewhere with access to folks visiting Seattle and neighborhood residents. What’s important is we pick a location that allows us to become a part of that neighborhood,” he said.

Until he finds a location that Charlie’s Book Co. can call home, Hunts will continue peddling wares from his cart at Seattle events. The book cart will be at Trans Pride on Friday, June 23, at the Fremont Sunday Market, and at Ballard F.C.’s Pride march on July 8. “If anyone wants to see

book, alas, isn’t quite it.

It’s very helpful that Neiman looks at all aspects of white male patriarchy in finance, real estate, and industry — but for BIPOC, LGBTQ, and female readers, it’s preachin’ to the choir. It’s great that he factors in the generally unfactored, including the tiniest details that sometimes go unnoticed, but again: the choir.

The argument could be made that white, wealthy men might read this book and make changes, but the tone of it seems to doubt that possibility. Advice on moving things forward is hard to find, and clear-cut help is in here, but it’s scarce.

Th is book contains a lot of personal tales, and Neiman has a propensity to nickname transgressors (and then explain the nicknames!), both of which are rather irrelevant and may just irritate some readers. Yes, Rich White Men might be of some help, or you may want to set it behind you.

where we are, we always show where we’ll be popping up on our Instagram, which is @Charliesbookco, and on our website,” Hunts said.

Hunts recommends Non-Binary author Akwaeke Emezi’s novel Pet, a haunting story about the reality of monsters, for all of SGN ’s book club readers. Everyone is welcome to read along with us and share their thoughts about the book on our Instagram book club page @lindseysbookcorner. Grab your copy of Pet at Charlie’s Book Co. and read along with us!

Charlie’s Book Co. is online at https:// charliesbookco.com.

National/International

National news highlights

by Daniel Lindsley SGN Staff Writer

“Gender identity is real,” judge declares

On Wednesday June 21, US District Judge Robert Hinkle declared that Florida’s ban on state Medicaid payments for gender affirming care was invalid. He cited the constitutional right to equal protection under the 14th amendment, as well as the Affordable Care Act’s prohibitions against discrimination on the basis of sex.

It came as no surprise to those watching the issue. Earlier this month, Hinkle partially blocked Florida from enforcing a ban on minors receiving gender-affirming care. Other US district court judges have blocked similar state laws in Alabama, Arkansas, Indiana, and Oklahoma.

Of those advocating for such laws, Hinkle said in his ruling that “many people with this view tend to disapprove all things Transgender and so oppose medical care that supports a person’s Transgender existence.”

“The elephant in the room should be noted at the outset. Gender identity is real. The record makes this clear,” Hinkle said in his ruling.

Court exempts Texas company from anti-discrimination law

A panel of the 5th US Circuit Court of Appeals ruled on Tuesday that Texasbased conservative Christian business Braidwood Management can indeed discriminate against LGBTQ+ employees and job applicants — or at least it can’t be forced not to by the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

The ruling said that Braidwood is entitled to exemption from Title VII of the federal Civil Rights Act under the Religious Freedom Restoration Act of 1993.

According to Adam Pulver, an attorney for nonprofit group Public Citizen, “The decision certainly narrowed down some

of the most troubling aspects of the district court’s decision.”

Pulver referred to the fact that the court upheld some very specific parts of a previous lower court ruling but dropped others that would have covered other employers.

“However, it still leaves a roadmap for other employers to discriminate,” Pulver said.

International news highlights

by A.V. Eichenbaum SGN Editor-in-Chief

Estonia legalizes same sex marriage

Estonia became the first central European country to legalize same sex marriage on Tuesday, June 20. The bill received 55 of 101 votes in the Estonian parliament. Prime Minister Kaja Kallas indicated to Reuters that she considered the law to be an indication of development and growth since Estonia’s time in the Soviet Union.

“We have developed a lot in those 30 years, since we have freed ourselves from the [Soviet] occupation,” she said. “We are equals among same-value countries.”

Estonia remains at the forefront of LGBTQ+ legal rights among Baltic countries compared to neighbors Latvia and Lithuania, which were also part of the Soviet Union, but still only 53% of Estonia’s population supports same-sex marriage according to a 2023 poll by the Centre for Human Rights. Estonia also has legal protections for changing one’s gender without requiring medical procedures and laws to prevent housing discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity according to Equaldex, a site dedicated to measuring the current status of LGBTQ+ rights worldwide.

Estonia’s new law will come in to effect next year.

One of the EEOC’s arguments against the suit in the first place was the lack of any indication that Braidwood was forced, or would be forced, to employ an LGBTQ+ person in the first place. It seems the threat of the possibility was enough for the conservative organization America First Legal to take action.

Website: https://www.alexforseattle. com/