Issue 26 Volume 41
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Seattle Gay News
DOMA is dEAD!
SEATTLE’S LGBT NEWS & ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY
Prop 8 appeal dismissed!
by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer
STATES’ RIGHTS INVOKED DOMA also intrudes on the states’ traditional role defining marriage, Kennedy said. “DOMA undermines both the public and private significance of state-sanctioned same-sex marriages; for it tells those couples, and all the world, that their otherwise valid marriages are unworthy of federal recognition,” he wrote. While their rejection of DOMA see doma page 25
Marvin Joseph / The Washington Post
In a pair of historic decisions issued June 26, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down DOMA and declined to rule in the Prop 8 case, giving same-sex couples the federal benefits of marriage and clearing the way for same-sex marriages to resume in California. The decision on DOMA was close, as expected, with Justice Anthony Kennedy joining the court’s so-called liberal bloc to produce the 5-4 majority. Writing for the majority, Kennedy laid out a very sweeping criticism of DOMA, concluding that it “violates basic due process and equal protection principles applicable to the federal government …” He said that the law “instructs all federal officials, and indeed all persons with whom same-sex couples interact, including their own children, that their marriage is less worthy than the marriages of
others.” “The federal statute is invalid,” Kennedy concluded, because “no legitimate purpose overcomes the purpose and effect to disparage and to injure those whom that State, by its marriage laws, sought to protect in personhood and dignity. By seeking to displace this protection and treating those persons as living in marriages less respected than others, the federal statute is in violation of the Fifth Amendment.”
Gay rights advocate Vin Testa waves a flag in front of the Supreme Court.
courtesy ron sims
Former King County Executive and HUD Deputy Secretary Ron Sims
by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer The early morning e-mail from State Sen. Ed Murray’s campaign promised that a “special guest” would make “an announcement … that will have a major impact
on the mayoral race” at 10 a.m. on June 27. The special guest turned out to be four-term King County Executive and former HUD Deputy Secretary Ron Sims, announcing his endorsement of Murray for mayor of Seattle.
GETTY IMAGEs
Ron Sims endorses Ed Murray for Mayor
Reactions to this week’s historic Supreme Court marriage equality decisions
Sims had once been touted as a potential candidate for mayor, and early polling showed him leading the pack, but he ultimately decided not to run. He has been a fixture of King County politics since the mid-1980s and remains hugely popular among union members, progressives, and communities of color. Sims’s seal of approval is a major coup for Murray’s campaign. CITES SHARED VALUES Saying he was “enthusiastic” about Murray’s candidacy, Sims acknowledged that as county executive he’d had differences of opinion with the senator. “We called them ‘exchanges,’ but other people called them ‘clashes,’” Sims grinned. “It’s because we’re both strong-willed people.” Nevertheless, Sims said, he respects Murray as a skilled coalition-builder who could assemble the necessary forces to realize his political goals. “Ed Murray is the right person at the right time to lead Seattle into a new era of progress and prosper-
President Barack Obama
BARACK OBAMA President “I applaud the Supreme Court’s decision to strike down the Defense of Marriage Act. This was discrimination enshrined in law. It treated loving, committed Gay and Lesbian couples as a separate and lesser class of people. The Supreme Court has righted that see sims page 7 wrong, and our country is better
off for it. We are a people who declared that we are all created equal – and the love we commit to one another must be equal as well. “This ruling is a victory for couples who have long fought for equal treatment under the law; for children whose parents’ marriages will now be recognized, rightly, see reactions page 24
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drag queens and Transgendered persons who fought the police in the Stonewall riots, the 44th anniversary of which we celThis Pride, we joyously celebrate what ebrate today. Events and people like these many consider to be the culmination of our are seared in the national LGBT commustruggle for equality. As I write this, the nity consciousness. As a lifelong resident of U.S. Supreme Court has declared Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act unconstitutional! The Court also found that the proponents of California’s Proposition 8 had no legal standing to defend it, thereby re-opening the door to marriage equality in that great state. Truly, today is a magnificent day to be a Gay American! While I reflect on our momentous victory, I can’t help but think about how we got to where we are today. There are count- Washington state and a longtime resident of less men and women who gave tirelessly the Seattle area, my thoughts have turned to of themselves in the struggle for equality. the historical local efforts for equality. Some of these people are regularly celebratSeattle’s LGBT community is the second ed – people like Harvey Milk (the first out largest in the United States after San Franand proud Gay male to be elected to serve cisco. The city of Seattle and its environs in city government) or the furious and fierce have a long history with the LGBT popuby George Bakan SGN Owner & Publisher
lation. In 1893, the Washington Sodomy Law was adopted, and later that year a King County court sentenced a man to seven years’ hard labor for the “intent to know” (i.e., have sex with) another man. In the 1920s and ’30s, community meeting places were concentrated in Pioneer Square (also known as Skid Row or Fairyville). The Casino opened in 1930 on the corner of Second Avenue and Washington Street and was known as the only place on the West Coast that was open and free for Gay people and where same-sex dancing was allowed. The Double Header opened in the space above The Casino in 1934, and remains there today – possibly the oldest continuously operating Gay bar in the United States. It’s been long-rumored that these establishments, along with The Spinning Wheel (a cabaret featuring female impersonators), were run by the mob and stayed in operation by paying off the police. Arrangements like this continued through the 1960s. BIRTH OF A MOVEMENT In 1967, the Dorian Society was founded by Nick Heer, a professor at the University of Washington. The first organized group in Seattle to support Gay rights, it published a newsletter about current issues and events in the community. The name was a reference to the Doric Hellenic warriors of ancient Greece who considered homosexuality glamorous, and the society was modeled on New Zealand’s Dorian Society. Their mission was to create a more respectable image of the Seattle homosexual. They also wanted to reform the city’s sodomy laws.
There are countless men and women who gave tirelessly of themselves in the struggle for equality.
June 28, 2013
In response to their efforts, a 1966 article in The Seattle Times stated that Seattle’s “homosexual problem” was “out of hand.” This article stated the Seattle police wanted to suppress the LBGT community, partially by revoking the liquor licenses of Gay bars. In see bakan page 30
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Seattleites cheer the death of DOMA To observe the June 26 Supreme Court ruling that Section 3 of DOMA is unconstitutional and that Prop 8 be dismissed, members of the Seattle-area LGBTQ and Allied communities came together to celebrate at the U.S. Court of Appeals. The program – co-sponsored by Social Outreach Seattle (SOSea), Equal Rights Washington (ERW), American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), Human Rights Campaign (HRC), Lambda Legal, Legal Voice, QLaw, Greater Seattle
Business Association (GSBA), and Pride Foundation – was a celebration of the historic win for LGBTQ equality. Speakers included Anne Levinson, Sen. Ed Murray, Rep. Jamie Pedersen, Liezl Tomas Rebugio (ACLU), Kris Hermanns (Pride Foundation), Josh Friedes (ERW), Lacey All (HRC), Shaun Knittel (SOSea), Jason Holloway (QLaw), and Lisa Stone (Legal Voice). Chase Silva, from SOSea, sang the National Anthem.
photos by Steph Brusig and nate gowdy
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McDermott reintroduces tax parity bill Aims to reduce same-sex couples’ unequal health costs
courtesy freepress georgia
Congressman Jim McDermott
by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer
of people covered, but will also increase equality.”
Seattle Congressman Jim McDermott (D7) has reintroduced a bill he sponsored in the last session of Congress to end higher federal tax burdens for workers who cover their same-sex domestic partners on their employer-provided health insurance policies. The Tax Parity for Health Plan Beneficiaries Act is also sponsored by Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR), and includes a bipartisan group of co-sponsors. “Tax inequality for Gay and Lesbian families is not only deeply unjust, it’s bad for businesses,” McDermott said in a statement. “In a time when universal health coverage is our goal, it only makes sense to allow the private sector to easily cover domestic partners, especially when it helps families come closer to reaching the equal rights they deserve.” “While we continue to work to ensure health-care coverage for every American man, woman, and child, we have to make it clear that this includes the LGBT community as well,” Blumenauer added. “Progress is not true progress unless everyone is moving forward together. By bringing more equality to the tax code, by including families no matter what they look like, we’ll not only increase the number
BENEFIT OF MARRIAGE Under current tax law, employees who receive health benefits for their unmarried partners (whether Gay or straight) pay more than $1,500 each year on average in additional federal taxes, while benefits for married spouses are not taxed. Employers also pay more in payroll taxes on these benefits, which could discourage them from offering health-care packages that cover unmarried partners. In addition to domestic partners and same-sex spouses, the bill would provide tax parity for other non-spouse, non-dependent beneficiaries. Benefit-package deductions would be available for most types of insurance plans, such as reimbursement arrangements and savings accounts, and would be available to self-employed individuals as well. Federal law in this area is lagging considerably behind advances in state domestic relations laws. While same-sex couples are now allowed to marry in Washington, 11 other states, the District of Columbia, and five Native American nations, those marriages are not necessarily recognized under ERISA (Employee Retirement Income Security Act), the federal law that regulates many employee benefits packages.
The U.S. Labor Department, which has administrative responsibility for ERISA, says it follows state law in defining the domestic status of couples, but the IRS, which also has oversight over ERISA benefits, does not.
NEEDED DESPITE RULING The striking-down of DOMA by the U.S. Supreme Court on June 26 might help clarify the issue at least in part, since it removes the rationale for the IRS to treat same-sex spouses differently from opposite-sex ones. But Wednesday’s ruling still does not help same-sex couples in states where they canINSPIRATION AND VISION not marry. Nor does it clarify the status of Murray said he was “honored” to have the a couple who married in a state where it was legal to do so, but then moved to a state endorsement of someone “who would be leading the mayor’s race had he chosen to where their marriage is not recognized. get in.” Seattle is “a city that needs inspiration, a city that needs a vision,” Murray said, recontinued from cover peating one of the major themes of his campaign. ity,” Sims said in a prepared statement. “Seattle has lost its flash,” Sims agreed. “Throughout his career, Ed has demon- “My biggest frustration is that the commustrated a talent for translating our shared nity sank into bickering.” progressive values into positive results in Both, however, declined to criticize inareas like transit and transportation, afford- cumbent mayor Mike McGinn by name. able housing, and of course civil rights. He “I’m not anti-McGinn,” Sims said in redoes it by uniting diverse constituencies sponse to a question about the incumbent’s behind a common vision. He builds coali- leadership abilities, “and I’m not going to be tions that deliver results, and that is exactly drawn into that.” the kind of leadership we need in our next Sims also declined to say which candimayor. dates he’d talked with before deciding to “Some people say you need a ‘strong’ endorse Murray. mayor,” Sims continued. “No, no! You need “I know them all!” he said, opening his a mayor who states his goals and then brings arms wide as if to embrace the whole field. together a coalition to accomplish them.” “I talked to the ones that I thought I had a real chance of endorsing.” THE NEXT CLEVELAND? On June 26, the day before the Sims enCiting Murray’s legislative experience dorsement, Murray also received sole enchairing the Senate Transportation Commit- dorsements from Washington Conservation tee, and later the Senate Ways and Means Voters and the Civic Alliance for a Sound Committee, Sims said he would be “the Economy, the political arm of the Greater kind of mayor who can get things done.” Seattle Chamber of Commerce.
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“I want this to be a marvelous community – one with momentum, with gravitas. We don’t have that right now,” Sims said, warning that Seattle could one day “look like Gary, Indiana, or Cleveland” if its current trajectory is not reversed. “I have a deep feeling for this community,” Sims continued. “I want it to be the best place in the world. “I love our neighborhoods, but you can’t choose between downtown and the neighborhoods. You can’t say ‘I’m the neighborhood person,’ or ‘I’m the downtown person.’ You’ve got to have both.”
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Ed Murray opens campaign office in Capitol Hill Volunteers urgently needed as Seattle mayoral race heats up file photo
about 60 supporters. More than 100 people filtered in and out throughout the evening. Murray announced that his campaign is now only $5,000 behind Mayor Mike McGinn in fundraising, while also pointing out that McGinn has been raising money since the beginning of the year, but his campaign has only been at it for three weeks.
PRIMED FOR BATTLE Already, Murray for Mayor Headquarters looks ready for a knock-down, drag-out fight as the primary race heads into its final weeks. The exterior and interior of the office boast a plethora of campaign signs and extra interior decorations further Seattle mayoral candidate Ed Murray compliment the yellow and blue color scheme – Murby James Whitely ray’s campaign colors. Posted on the walls SGN Staff Writer are a map of the state, a handmade banner that reads “Days until ballots drop: 24,” a On the evening of Monday, June 24, State handwritten list of phone-bank tips (the first Sen. Ed Murray (D-43), primary sponsor of of which is “Smile while you dial”), the Washington’s successful marriage equality American flag, the Washington state flag, bill, officially opened a headquarters office and several Pride flags. If Murray moves in Capitol Hill for his bid to become Seat- on from the August 6 primary and wins in tle’s next mayor. All of the phone-banking November, he will be the first openly Gay and canvassing for his campaign will be mayor of Seattle. based out of this office, located at 501 E. Murray said that Seattle politics recently Pike St. have been a “contentious environment.” Speaking atop a soapbox at the grand He highlighted his campaign goals and acopening, Murray seemed in an excited and knowledged that other candidates have simjocular mood. ilar goals. “The difference,” said Murray, “You’ve been invited to a political event “is that I know how to collaborate.” and you don’t have to write a check!” exThe hopeful then highlighted what he’s claimed the mayoral hopeful to a crowd of done during his time in the Senate to justify
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his claim. Murray has pushed through all kinds of legislation, from marriage equality to transportation, working with Republicans while trying to minimize cuts to social services. “I have learned how to bring people together to get things done,” said Murray. As the candidate’s back pocket began to vibrate, he joked, “I think McGinn’s calling.”
ger, Murray’s finance director. During his short speech, Murray called his staff “the best campaign staff of any.”
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KEEPING IT CLOSE A May 20 poll for the mayoral primary conducted by KING-TV, Seattle’s NBC affiliate, showed McGinn with 22% approval and Murray third with 15%. Both candidates had raised over $200,000 at the time of the poll. Seattle City Council member VETERAN LEADERSHIP Bruce Harrell had raised just over $200,000 “He’s been a really phenomenal legislator as well, but polled at 12%. The other major and I think he’ll be a phenomenal mayor,” contender for mayor, former Seattle City said Maggie Thompson, Murray’s cam- Council member Peter Steinbrueck, polled paign manager. at 17%, placing him in second, although he Thompson, who served as regional field has raised significantly less money than the director for West King County for the Ap- other candidates when the poll was taken. prove Referendum 74 campaign, seems a Ballots for the August 6 primary election fitting pick by Murray. During that cam- will begin posting in mid-July. The top two paign, she worked as the chief staff member vote-getters will advance to the November at the Capitol Hill Action Center housed at election. Gay City Health Project, a few doors down Murray for Mayor Headquarters is lofrom Murray’s new campaign office, where cated at 501 E. Pike St., on the corner of she coordinated phone banks and various Pike and Summit. Office hours are Monday other volunteer-based campaign support. through Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Drop by On any given day, Murray for Mayor to learn more about volunteer opportunities. Headquarters will house four staff mem- You can also learn more about his campaign bers along with a combination of about 15 online at http://murray4mayor.com. volunteers and interns. Volunteer run phone “Keep coming to volunteer,” said Thompbanks will run every Tuesday and Thursday; son. “We’d love to utilize you to make sure canvassing will take place every Sunday that Ed becomes our next mayor.” beginning at 2 p.m. Other office volunteer shifts (such as data entry) are also available MARCH WITH MURRAY Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 Murray will likely be out and about for p.m. most of the weekend speaking to constituAfter a quick meeting with Thompson, ents at the various Pride celebrations. He’s Murray personally greeted all in attendance, also encouraging supporters to march with shaking hands with new friends, embracing him in the Pride parade. To walk with Ed, be old ones, and chatting with his volunteers downtown on 4th Avenue, between Marion and interns, many of whom are young. and Columbia streets, at 9:30 a.m. sharp on “Our youngest intern is a 15-year-old girl Sunday. All those marching with Ed are enwho’s doing extra credit,” said Kevin Gei- couraged to wear blue and yellow.
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FRIDAY, JUNE 28 Trans Pride – Annual celebration of the Seattle-area Transgender community. Assemble in front of Seattle Central Community College on Broadway at 5 p.m.; march to Cal Anderson Park at 6 p.m.; speakers and music 7-10 p.m., featuring keynote address by Julia Serano, comedy by Ian Harvie, and music by Rae Spoon. Details at www. transprideseattle.org. Workplace Equality Conference – Out & Equal sponsors day-long summit featuring informative and educational workshops and talks on fostering LGBT equality in business, 8:30 a.m.-8 p.m., Hyatt at Olive 8 Hotel (1635 8th Ave.). Scheduled speakers include Alaska Airlines VP Glenn Johnson and Out & Equal Workplace Advocates CEO Selisse Berry. Advance registration required at http:// nwrs.outandequalseattle.org. Pride Shabbat – A traditional Jewish celebration “where everyone can feel proud,” at Hillel UW (4745 17th Ave. N.E.), 6:30 p.m. (doors at 6), people of all faiths welcome. Co-sponsored by Seattle Gay News. Info at www. jconnectseattle.org. Seattle Storm Pride Night – The Storm takes on New York and the first 3,000 fans get a free Storm Rainbow Koozie! Buy three tickets, get a fourth one free. KeyArena, 7 p.m., tickets at www.stormbasketball. com. Queer Teen Ensemble Theatre – Bad@$$es: Are We Queer Enough for You? – This year’s production by QTET asks: “When the hero you’re dreaming of never shows up, can you become your own superhero? Small-town oppression won’t stand a chance against these Queer youth bad@$$es!” Gay City’s Calamus Auditorium (517 E. Pike St.), 7:30 p.m. Info and tickets at http://qtet.org. (Also, June 29-30.) GLSEN Youth Pride Dance – Music by Galvanized, Sarey Savy, and other special guests, sponsored by GLSEN-WA, for ages 20 and under (free). All Pilgrims Church (500 Broadway E.), 8-11 p.m. Gender Blender: A Queer Revolt and Benefit – All-night party at Neighbours Nightclub (1509 Broadway, Seattle), 8 p.m.-4 a.m., featuring Jinkx Monsoon, Mykki Blanco, Honey Mahogany, Alaska Thunderfuck, Amoania, Ben Delacreme, Aleksa Manila, and many more. Benefits Gay City Health Project and Siobhan’s (Rusty Nails) medical recovery. Sponsored by Nark Magazine. Info at www.narkmaga-
zine.com. Cuff Pride Weekend – Featuring DJ/performer Lady Bunny (NYC), Cuff Complex (1533 13th Ave.). Info at www.cuffcomplex.com.
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details. Rainbow Women’s Health Fair – Sponsored by the YWCA and Swedish Hospital, this event features massage, nutrition education, mammograms (age 40+), pap tests, and safer-sex info. All Pilgrims Church (500 Broadway E.), noon-4 p.m. Tests given by appointment: (206) 461-4489. For info and volunteer opportunities, visit www.lbtqhealthywca.blogspot.com. Julia’s Off Broadway Day O’ Drag Gay Pride Block Party – A full day and evening of entertainment, from noon-10 p.m., outside Julia’s (300 Broadway E. at E. Thomas St.), hosted by Kristie Champagne and Mama Tits, featuring the cast of “Le Faux,” Seattle’s premier
Q Pride 2013: Seattle Pride Redefined – Q Capitol Hill (1426 Broadway) with special weekend guest hostess Gaysha Starr presents Rosabel, Wayne G, Mike Cruz, and DJ Escape, 9 p.m.-4 a.m. Tickets at www.purplepass.com. (See also June 29-30.) R Place Pride Weekend - Featuring Wendy Ho (6/27-28), Jujubee (6/27-29), Latrice Royale (6/28-29). R Place (619 E. Pine St.), 9 p.m. Advance tickets at www.brownpapertickets.com/event/399226. SATURDAY, JUNE 29 Dignity Seattle Pride Pancake Breakfast – Start your Pride weekend off the way mama said you should, at this 25th annual event at the Central Lutheran Church social hall (1710 11th Ave., across from Cal Anderson Park), 8 a.m.-noon. All you can eat for a $7 donation, plus raffle prizes and recycling drop-off for unwanted small electronics (cell phones, etc.). Benefits Rosehedge/Multifaith Works, BaileyBoushay House, and Dignity Seattle. Info at www.dignityseattle.org. Capitol Hill Pride Festival – Celebrate Pride in Seattle’s Gayborhood at this annual street fair on Broadway from E. John St. to E. Roy St, 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Live local music, food, and more than 100 booths featuring nonprofits, artists, and commercial vendors. Visit www.capitolhillpridefestival.info for
drag performers, the contestants from DFactor & The Face, aerial performances by Tamara the Trapeze Lady and others, with special guests Jinkx Monsoon and Ongina, and DJ Brett Law. Purr Pride Block Party – Featuring DJ Pavone, DJ Skiddle, and the Perry Twins from L.A., noon-2 a.m., $20 cover, at Purr (1518 11th Ave.). Info at www.purrseattle. com. PrideFest Family Day – Annual event sponsored by Seattle PrideFest, in Cal Anderson Park, noon-5 p.m., with lots of child-
friendly activities including magic shows, bouncy houses, storytelling, free ice cream, and a concert with Recess Monkey. More information, when available, will be posted at www.seattlepridefest.org/family/. Seattle Gay Social Events Pride Cruise – A sun-soaked (we hope) afternoon Pride party aboard an Argosy Cruises vessel (1101 Alaskan Way, Pier 55), boarding at noon, docking at 4 p.m. Join DonnaTella Howe and an entourage of Seattle’s finest queens who will christen the ship with just the right amount of sass in a series of scandalous drag shows. Featuring DJ Tony Burns and special guests Olivia LaGrace, Alessandra Hunt, Drew Paradisco, and Atasha Manila. Free prizes, cash bar. Info at www.facebook.com/SeattleGaySocialEvents. Pride Celebration Service – Join the Rev. Kari Lipke and the Diverse Harmony youth chorus in a multifaith church service “strengthening the commitment to love,” Seattle First Baptist Church (1111 Harvard Ave.), 1 p.m. Free parking, all welcome. Wildrose Block Party – Featuring DJ Ricki Leigh, Don’t Talk to the Cops, Glitterbang, Wishbeard, and more to be announced. The Wildrose (1021 E. Pike St.), 1 p.m.-2 a.m. Watch for more info at www.seattlepridefest.org or www. thewildrosebar.com. Prom Dress Rugby – Exhibition match between the Seattle Quake RFC (in drag) and the Breakers women’s team, benefiting the People of Color Against AIDS Network (POCAAN). Bobby Morris Playfield at Cal Anderson Park (11th Ave. & E. Olive St.), 2 p.m., free (donations will be solicited). Men at Sea Brunch Boat Cruise – Featuring Robbie “Queen of the Sea” Turner, Brian Maier, and Freddy King of Pants, brunch provided by Kitchen Sink Project. Board the Islander (1611 Fairview Ave. E.) at 2 p.m. Sponsored by Nark Magazine. Info at www.narkmagazine.com. Seattle Dyke March – Annual Lesbian/ feminist rally and march event begins at 5 p.m. in the Seattle Central Community College courtyard (march steps off at 7). Information at www.seattledykemarch.com or on Facebook.
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GLITUR Dance Party – Sponsored by Grand Legion of Incendiary and Tenacious Unicorn Revolutionaries, at Full Tilt Columbia City (5041 Rainier Ave. S.), 6:30 p.m. Info at www.glitur.org. Queer Teen Ensemble Theatre – Bad@$$es: Are We Queer Enough for You? – This year’s production by QTET asks: “When the hero you’re dreaming of never shows up, can you become your own superhero? Small-town oppression won’t stand a chance against these Queer youth bad@$$es!” Gay City’s Calamus Auditorium (517 E. Pike St.), 7:30 p.m. Info and tickets at http://qtet.org. (Also, June 29-30.) Black Light Party – With DJs Bret Law and Richard J. Dalton, hosted by Drew Paradisco; also Pride Drag Show. Highline (210 Broadway E.), 8-10 p.m. $10 at the door. Queer Carnival Circus Burlesque – Stunts and shows by Ivy Winters, featuring Artstar, Cherdonna & Cher Cher Can Can Castaways, aerialists and more, at Fred Wildlife (127 Boylston Ave. E.), 9 p.m. Sponsored by Nark Magazine. Info at www. narkmagazine.com. Big Red – Annual men’s party sponsored by Seattle PrideFest, featuring music by Tony Moran and Phil B, and live performance by Abigail, at Neumos (925 E. Pike St.), 9 p.m.-5 a.m. tickets available online at www.seattlepridefest.org or at UnderU4Men (709 Broadway E.). Gay Pride Summer Soulstice – All-night party with DJ General Meow spinning soul and R&B faves from the ’60s and ’70s, with cocktails inspired by the era. The BottleNeck Lounge (2328 E. Madison St.), 9 p.m. on, no cover. Cuff Pride Weekend – Featuring DJ/ producer John LePage (SF), Cuff Complex (1533 13th Ave.). www.cuffcomplex.com. Neighbours Nightclub – Jessica Sutta, multi-platinum pussycat doll, Billboard dance chart topper and glamour icon with your fabulous Pride Weekend hostess Alek-
sa Manila, with Randy Blue models Friday, Saturday & Sunday nights. Q Pride 2013: Seattle Pride Redefined – Q Capitol Hill (1426 Broadway) with special weekend guest hostess Gaysha Starr presents Rosbel, Wayne G., Mike Cruz, and DJ Escape, 9 p.m.-4 a.m. Tickets at www. purplepass.com. (See also June 28 & 30.) R Place Pride Weekend - Featuring Wendy Ho (6/27-28), Jujubee (6/27-29), Latrice Royale (6/28-29). R Place (619 E. Pine St.), 9 p.m. Advance tickets at www. brownpapertickets.com/event/399226.
Cuff Street Party – Guest host Lady Bunny, featuring Crystal Waters, Stacey Q, and DJ Dominic Pacifico, with special performance by The Sea & The Stars, Cuff Complex (1533 13th Ave.), noon-8 p.m. Info at www.cufffcomplex.com. Post-Pride Movie Marathon – Mommie Dearest (5 p.m.), Priscilla, Queen of the Desert (7 p.m.), and The Rocky Horror Picture Show (10 p.m.), with martinis and black-truffle popcorn. The BottleNeck Lounge (2328 E. Madison St.), no cover. Purr Pride Party – Celebrate on the Hill at Purr’s annual no-cover event (1518 11th Ave.). Info at www.purrseattle.com. Q Pride 2013: Seattle Pride Redefined – Q Capitol Hill (1426 Broadway) with special weekend guest hostess Gaysha Starr presents Rosbel, Wayne G., Mike Cruz, and DJ Escape, 5 p.m.-2 a.m. Tickets at www. purplepass.com. (See also June 28 & 29.) All Ages! Variety Show & Dance Party @ The Vera Project – 6 p.m. at Seattle Center @ Warren Ave. N. & Republican St. north of Key Arena. Co-hosted by Queer Youth Space, Proud Out Wonderful, and The Vera Project. Queer Teen Ensemble Theatre – Bad@$$es: Are We Queer Enough for You? – This year’s production by QTET asks: “When the hero you’re dreaming of never shows up, can you become your own superhero? Small-town oppression won’t stand a chance against these Queer youth bad@$$es!” Gay City’s Calamus Auditorium (517 E. Pike St.), 7:30 p.m. Info and tickets at http://qtet.org. (Also, June 29-30.) R Place Pride Weekend - Featuring Wendy Ho (6/27-28), Jujubee (6/27-29), Latrice Royale (6/28-29). R Place (619 E. Pine St.), 9 p.m. Advance tickets at www. brownpapertickets.com/event/399226.
interpretation of the relationship between David and Jonathan detailed in the books of Samuel, set in a contemporary AfricanAmerican church. Neptune Theatre (1303 N.E. 45th St.). Free. Part of the Nights at the Neptune: A People’s Theater Joint series, sponsored by Seattle Theatre Group. More info at www.stgpresents.org.
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SUNDAY, JUNE 30 Seattle Pride Brunch – Fuel up for the big day at the Palace Ballroom (2100 5th Ave.), starting at 8:30 a.m., $35 adults/$20 children. Tickets at www.seattlepride.org. C.C. Attle’s Pride Breakfast – C.C.’s (1701 E. Olive Way) will be serving breakfast with full bar from 8 a.m.-2 p.m., then regular menu items will be available. Pride Service – Trinity Parish, an Open & Affirming congregation of the Episcopal Diocese of Olympia, invites you to worship and then march with them in the Pride Parade. 609 8th Ave., 10:30 a.m. Seattle Pride Parade – “Equality: Passed, Present & Future” is the theme of this year’s parade, featuring grand marshals Jane Lighty, Pete-e Petersen, Sarah Toce, Zach Silk, Lacey All, and Guatam Raghavan. Parade begins at 11 a.m. at 4th Avenue and Union Street in downtown Seattle, proceeding north along 4th to Denny Way and ending at Seattle Center, home of PrideFest. Visit www.seattlepride.org for information. Seattle PrideFest – Live entertainment on four stages, food, vendor booths, arts & crafts, hands-on activities, lots of family fun. Seattle Center, noon-8 p.m. Info at www.seattlepridefest.org. TUESDAY, JULY 2 Pride Karaoke Party – Sing your favorDavid & Jonathan: A Modern Day Reites and sip specially priced Bacardi daiquiris at the Hula Hula Lounge (106 1st Ave. telling of the Biblical Story – Kathya Alexander and Brownbox Theatre present a new N.), starting at noon (lounge opens at 11).
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SATURDAY, JULY 13 Out in the Park – Tacoma’s annual LGBTQA Pride Celebration, noon-5 p.m., Broadway between 9th and 11th streets. Entertainment, food, fun, and community at this family-friendly event. Watch for more info at www.rainbowcntr.org or http://tacomapride.org/out-in-the-park. SUNDAY, JULY 21 Kitsap Pride – “Pride 360” is this year’s theme for annual celebration in downtown Bremerton, noon to 5 p.m., Evergreen Park. Info at www.kitsappride.org. SUNDAY, AUGUST 4 Vancouver (B.C.) Pride Parade and Festival – Parade beings at Robson and Thurlow streets downtown at noon, proceeds to festival site at Sunset Beach. Sponsored by Vancouver Pride Society. Info at www.vancouverpride.ca. ONGOING Portraits of Pride 2013 – Gay City’s annual visual arts installation, featuring selfportraits by local LGBT artists in a variety of media. Gay City is at 517 E. Pike St. Bearing Witness From Another Place: James Baldwin in Turkey – The Northwest African American Museum (NAAM) honors the late Gay author with a photograph exhibit by Sedat Pakay that opens a private window into the life of Baldwin, whose influence still resonates 25 years after his death. Exhibit runs through Sept. 29. NAAM is at 2300 S. Massachusetts St., info at www. naamnw.org or (206) 518-6000.
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LGBT advocacy groups condemn Supreme Court Another Supreme ruling on voting rights Court victory
Lambda Legal er Alliance National Black Justice Coalition Out & Equal Workplace Advocates National Center for Lesbian Rights PFLAG - Parents, Families, & Friends of National Center for Transgender Equality Lesbians and Gays National Gay and Lesbian Task Force Pride at Work AFL-CIO The National Queer Asian Pacific IslandUnid@s
Arizona governor loses appeal on domestic partner benefits
by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer
Win McNamee / Getty Images
The Supreme Court on June 27 refused to review the appeal of Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer, who wants to strip state employees of domestic partner benefits. The Human Rights Campaign reacted via press release: “After the landmark decisions on the Defense of Marriage Act and Proposition 8 yesterday, the U.S. Supreme Court issued orders today declining to review the remaining LGBT equality cases on its docket this term. Most significantly, the Court dismissed Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer’s petition to overturn the decision of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit in Brewer v. Diaz, in which that court concluded that Arizona violated the constitutional rights Supporters of the Voting Rights Act hear the rulings outside the U.S. Supreme Court of LGBT Arizona state employees when it A coalition of nearly two dozen LGBT and tors and representatives; and many others. passed a law stripping them of their domesThese varied and powerful voices attest tic partner benefits in 2009. Lambda Legal allied groups released the following statement after the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling to the self-evident reality that racial protections are still needed in voting in this on the Voting Rights Act. country. As recently as last year’s elections, Today [June 25], the Supreme Court political partisans resorted to voter suppresstruck down a central part of the Voting sion laws and tactics aimed at reducing the Rights Act, invalidating crucial protections votes of people of color. Voting rights protections, which have passed by Congress in 1965 and renewed four times in the decades since. The sharply long served our nation’s commitment to divided decision will significantly reduce equality and justice, should not be cast aside the federal government’s role in overseeing now. The court has done America a grave voting laws in areas with a history of dis- disservice, and we will work with our coalition partners to undo the damage inflicted crimination against African Americans. We, America’s leading LGBT advocacy by this retrogressive ruling. organizations, join civil rights organizations [signed] – and indeed, all Americans whom this law Center for Black Equity has served to protect – in expressing acute CenterLink: The Community of LGBT dismay at today’s ruling. Not only had Congress repeatedly reaffirmed the need for this Centers The Consortium of Higher Education bedrock civil rights protection, but authoritative voices from across America had filed LGBT Resource Professionals Equality Federation amicus briefs urging the court not to underFamily Equality Council mine the law: the NAACP; the American Freedom to Marry Bar Association; the Navajo Nation; the Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders states of New York, California, Mississippi Gay Men’s Health Crisis (GMHC) and North Carolina; numerous former JusHuman Rights Campaign tice Department officials charged with proImmigration Equality Action Fund tecting voting rights; dozens of U.S. sena-
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filed suit on behalf of 10 state employees and their families. “‘Yesterday’s victories at the Supreme Court thrilled LGBT people across the country, but it also reminded those living in many states of the inequality they and their families continue to face,’ said HRC President Chad Griffin. ‘Today’s order brings Arizonans a step closer to enjoying the equality that all Americans deserve and that we are all committed to ensuring for everyone, everywhere. We congratulate Lambda Legal and their courageous plaintiffs in their successful fight against the callous discrimination of their elected officials.’” The justices also refused to hear Lambda Legal’s bid to overturn Nevada’s constitutional ban on same-sex marriage. Lambda Legal had appealed a U.S. District Court ruling directly to the Supreme Court in an attempt to bypass the Ninth Circuit, where the case will now be tried.
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“I was proud to join my colleagues in signing an amicus brief urging the Supreme Court to declare the Defense of Marriage Act unconstitutional. I am pleased that the Supreme Court acknowledged this fundamental right.” JIM McDERMOTT U.S. Representative (D-WA) “Today is a great day for equality. Since its passage, the Defense of Marriage Act has institutionalized bigotry and discrimination and it is long past time that it should be struck down. My Gay and Lesbian married constituents will finally be able to take part in over 1,000 federal marriage rights afforded to straight couples. “Uncertainty remains for LGBT couples living in 37 states where marriage isn’t legal, and I will continue to fight for their
full equality, but we must remain committed to doing all we can to make sure equal opportunity and justice are realities for all Americans.” ED MURRAY Washington State Senator (D-43) “Today’s historic decisions by the United States Supreme Court overturning DOMA and dismissing the challenge to marriage equality in California are the culmination of the great civil rights struggle of our current generation. It would not have happened without the brave, tireless work of countless thousands of determined Americans, both Gay and straight. And the people of Washington state helped to lead the way, upholding our marriage equality law at the ballot last November. I am so proud of you all, and so proud of our country. Together, we have file photo
Senator Patty Murray
including the more than 2,400 couples who married in my home state of Washington continued from cover this year, and for all of us who respect and support them. Thanks to the LGBT and allied communities’ commitment to achievas legitimate; for families that, at long last, ing equality, today’s ruling is a true demwill get the respect and protection they de- onstration that the tide is turning, and it is serve; and for friends and supporters who turning rapidly across the country. “This is a great day for the civil rights and have wanted nothing more than to see their loved ones treated fairly and have worked marriage equality movement. Following hard to persuade their nation to change for this good news, I’m going to work with the administration and my colleagues in Conthe better. “So we welcome today’s decision, and gress to ensure that all the rights and fedI’ve directed the Attorney General to work eral benefits enjoyed by married couples with other members of my Cabinet to re- are provided to LGBT couples as quickly view all relevant federal statutes to ensure as possible, including to unite binational this decision, including its implications for LGBT couples who have been split apart by federal benefits and obligations, is imple- this discriminatory law. Representative Jim McDermott “While there is much to celebrate today, mented swiftly and smoothly. “On an issue as sensitive as this, knowing the fight is not over and I will continue equal representation under the law. With changed the course of history for the better, expanding equality and opportunity for all.” that Americans hold a wide range of views working until who a person loves, or where that said, I celebrate this victory.” based on deeply held beliefs, maintaining they live, no longer determines their eligiADAM SMITH ERIC HOLDER our nation’s commitment to religious free- bility for the federal protections and responU.S. Representative (D-WA) U.S. Attorney General dom is also vital. How religious institutions sibilities other married couples enjoy.” “The Supreme Court’s rulings on mar“Today’s historic decision in the case of define and consecrate marriage has always riage equality today are a huge step for- United States v. Windsor, declaring Section MARIA CANTWELL been up to those institutions. Nothing about ward for our country. By striking down 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act unconstiU.S. Senator (D-WA) this decision – which applies only to civil “This is a historic day for equal rights in DOMA, the Supreme Court has ruled in fa- tutional, is an enormous triumph for equal marriages – changes that. “The laws of our land are catching up to our nation and in Washington state. Our vor the Constitutional right to equality for protection under the law for all Americans. the fundamental truth that millions of Amer- state was a trailblazer in recognizing the all Americans regardless of who they love. The Court’s ruling gives real meaning to the icans hold in our hearts: when all Americans right of same-sex couples to marry and Married same-sex couples will finally be Constitution’s promise of equal protection are treated as equal, no matter who they are helped in setting the stage for this historic recognized by the federal government and to all members of our society, regardless of ruling. All Washingtonians will receive the receive benefits previously denied, such as sexual orientation. This decision impacts a or whom they love, we are all more free.” equal treatment they deserve in the eyes Social Security survivor benefits, shared broad array of federal laws. “At the President’s direction, the Departof federal law for the first time. Our state’s health insurance, and tax benefits for marPATTY MURRAY same-sex married couples will now get the ried couples. Additionally, the Supreme ment of Justice will work expeditiously U.S. Senator (D-WA) “Today is a day of joy for all of the loving, same federal benefits and recognition as Court ruled to return the right for same-sex with other Executive Branch agencies to couples to marry in California by allowing implement the Court’s decision. Despite committed LGBT couples across America, heterosexual couples. the lower courts to repeal Proposition 8. this momentous victory, our nation’s jour“Even with these rulings, significant ney – towards equality, opportunity, and work remains to ensure equal rights to the justice for everyone in this country – is LGBT community. Same-sex couples living far from over. Important, life-changing in states that don’t recognize all marriages work remains before us. And, as we move still face uncertainty and discrimination. forward in a manner consistent with the $ LGBT people can still be denied work sim- Court’s ruling, the Department of Justice is ply based on who they are. Bullying in our committed to continuing this work, and usany size pizza schools is still a dangerous epidemic among ing every tool and legal authority available 700 East Pine St., Seattle youth who are or are perceived to be LGBT, to us to combat discrimination and to safeHOMEMADE and homelessness and poverty rates are still guard the rights of all Americans.” HAND TOSSED unacceptably high among LGBT people. The Supreme Court’s decisions exhibit the CHUCK HAGEL FREE DELIVERY • 206-322-6444 tremendous progress we have made towards U.S. Secretary of Defense Not valid for delivery.
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“The Department of Defense welcomes the Supreme Court’s decision today on the Defense of Marriage Act. The department will immediately begin the process of implementing the Supreme Court’s decision in consultation with the Department of Justice and other executive branch agencies. The Department of Defense intends to make the same benefits available to all military spouses – regardless of sexual orientation – as soon as possible. That is now the law and it is the right thing to do. “Every person who serves our nation in uniform stepped forward with courage and commitment. All that matters is their patriotism, their willingness to serve their country, and their qualifications to do so. Today’s ruling helps ensure that all men and women who serve this country can be treated fairly and equally, with the full dignity and respect they so richly deserve.” BILL AND HILLARY CLINTON Former President and former U.S. Secretary of State “By overturning the Defense of Marriage Act, the Court recognized that discrimination towards any group holds us all back in our efforts to form a more perfect union. We are also encouraged that marriage equality may soon return to California. We applaud the hard work of the advocates who have fought so relentlessly for this day, and congratulate Edie Windsor on her historic victory.”
doma
continued from cover was much broader than some legal experts had expected, the majority explicitly stopped short of finding that Gay and Lesbian couples have an affirmative constitutional right to marry. “This opinion and its holding are confined to those lawful marriages,” Kennedy wrote, referring to marriages concluded in states where they are already legal. Consequently, the court’s DOMA ruling does not mean that marriage equality is now the law of the land, but it does have im-
portant consequences for Gay and Lesbian John Roberts said the Prop 8 case had come couples who are already married or can get to the Supreme Court improperly, because the original sponsors of Prop 8, who apmarried. pealed the case when the State of California declined to do so, did not have legal standOBAMA URGES SWIFT ACTION President Obama, who concluded in Feb- ing to sue at the federal level. “We have never before upheld the standruary of last year that DOMA was unconstitutional, immediately took steps to bring ing of a private party to defend the constifederal agencies into line with the decision. tutionality of a state statute when state of“I’ve directed the Attorney General to ficials have chosen not to,” he said. “We work with other members of my Cabinet to decline to do so for the first time here.” The court’s decision overrules the Ninth review all relevant federal statutes to ensure this decision, including its implications for Circuit Court of Appeals, which found – refederal benefits and obligations, is imple- lying on a decision by California’s Supreme mented swiftly and smoothly,” the President Court – that the original Prop 8 backers did have standing to defend the law. said in a statement. While the Supreme Court vacated, or Attorney General Eric Holder said the Department of Justice would work “expedi- set aside, the Ninth Circuit Court’s ruling, tiously” to implement the court’s decision, the underlying decision by federal District and Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel Judge Vaughn Walker striking Prop 8 down promised that his department “will immedi- stills stands, and can take effect as soon as ately begin the process of implementing the the Ninth Circuit’s stay pending appeal is Supreme Court’s decision in consultation lifted. with the Department of Justice and other ex‘WEDDING BELLS WILL RING’ ecutive branch agencies.” Immediately after the Prop 8 ruling was “The Department of Defense intends to make the same benefits available to all mili- announced, California Gov. Jerry Brown tary spouses – regardless of sexual orienta- initiated a process to begin issuing marriage tion – as soon as possible. That is now the licenses to same-sex couples. “In light of the decision, I have directed law and it is the right thing to do,” Hagel the California Department of Public Health added. One of the obvious changes under the to advise the state’s counties that they must ruling will be in federal tax law. Windsor begin issuing marriage licenses to same-sex v. United States, the case in which the Su- couples in California as soon as the Ninth preme Court struck down DOMA, was af- Circuit confirms the stay is lifted,” Brown ter all a tax case. Married same-sex couples said. “As soon as they lift that stay, marriages will now be able to file joint returns if they choose, and will avoid costly taxes when are on,” California Attorney General Kamala Harris said. “The wedding bells will they inherit property from a partner. In other areas there will be changes as ring.” Although Gay and Lesbian couples will well. Only minutes after the Supreme Court issued its ruling, an immigration court judge once again be able to marry in California, by in New York halted deportation proceedings throwing out the appeal on narrow technical against the Colombian-born husband of grounds the justices avoided a discussion of U.S. citizen Sean Brooks, the court’s ruling the constitutional issues raised by Walker in having removed the legal rationale for treat- his original 2010 decision striking Prop 8. In ruling on the basis of the 14th Amending them as unmarried individuals. ment to the U.S. Constitution, Walker essentially asserted that Gay and Lesbian couples PROP 8: NO STANDING The Prop 8 case was also decided by a 5-4 have a positive right to marry that cannot vote, with conservative Justices Roberts and be restricted by state law. This is a concluScalia joining more liberal Justices Gins- sion that the U.S. Supreme Court studiously avoided addressing in its DOMA decision. berg, Breyer, and Kagan in the majority. Thus, the high court removed a stumbling Speaking for the majority, Chief Justice
block for already married same-sex couples, but also left in place numerous state laws that prevent such couples from getting married. The future of those state laws will undoubtedly be the subject of future litigation, when – for example – a couple legally married in New York retires to Florida and claims legally married status there.
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We all are part of this community celebration by Michael Raitt SGN Contributing Writer This time of year, around the country and around the world, Gay Pride is being celebrated. The colors of Pride come alive in parades, parties, and get-togethers. The music is loud and there is energy in the air as residents welcome visitors in our celebration of ourselves. We go to the parade and watch dykes-onbikes and handsome young men dancing on floats in their scant bathing suits. We watch the naked bicycle riders or leather Daddies parading down 4th Avenue in their harnesses and ass-less chaps and we wonder where they get their courage. Many of us love the dancers and clap loudly for the various groups that are a part of our community. We stand in long lines to get into our favorite establishment to eat and drink. This is all an awful lot of fun – and exciting, I might add. DEEPER MEANINGS Pride is much more than these things, however. Pride is about community. When you broaden your vision, there is so much more to see and take pride in. You see men, women, and youth who work diligently all year ’round to make a difference in the individual and collective lives of a community that, for many years, has been pathologized and marginalized. You see professionals of all kinds – doctors, lawyers, teachers, firefighters, police – who work on behalf of all of us to make a difference in lives whether you are Gay or straight. Friends and families come together to celebrate their GLBTQ loved ones and it is a time where we, as a community, stand in our confidence and take our place in our larger communities. We remind others that being Gay is about who we love and not who we have sex with. Participating in Pride is a statement of acceptance – our friends and
families accepting us and GLBTQ adults and youth accepting ourselves. Pride is also an historic marker. It reflects where our community is at any moment in time. For example, many years ago when Pride celebrations were just starting, only a few brave souls would venture out and march in the parade. Those who did often faced an onslaught of vile hatred (in some parts of the world, this is still true). As time went on, parades got bigger. Later, PFLAG joined parades and we saw that some of our parents and friends supported us. In the late ’80s and ’90s, we were honoring our loved ones who had died of AIDS through celebration. Attendance in major cities has grown from a handful to hundreds of thousands – all supporting and accepting us. Today, we celebrate marriage and we are on the verge of historic cultural changes as we take our places as equal in this country. Pride highlights our core acceptance of ourselves and punctuates our evolution as individuals and a community in the larger culture.
has a role and is important in this celebration. None of us are invisible! We have all played a part in this cultural evolution we call “Gay rights,” and during Gay Pride, we all take our place.
celebrating our accomplishments and show our pride in who we are, from where we’ve come, and where we are going! Wishing you all the very best over Pride. Have fun! Be safe!! Happy Pride 2013!!!
PRIDE HAS MANY FACES If you are staying home by choice, I would offer this suggestion: Go find something within our community that you do have pride in. Focus on something that is valuable to you, and find it where you look. Look through the lens of strength and sacrifice, of the beauty of youth and the grandeur of wisdom that life experience brings, or how the fight for LGBTQ rights has changed over the years. Take a moment to look at the faces of the people you see and marvel in the wonder of their stories – every single one of us has a story and a struggle! Realize that in numbers, we let others in less-accepting parts of the world know they are not alone. From the oldest to the youngest, when we come out and celebrate and take our place, we are sending an important message to all – we can be proud to be GLBTQ. No matter who you are, be happy for every person out during Pride. They are either taking pride in themselves or are proud of someone they love. Participate any way you can! Make visitors from out of town feel welcome as they celebrate with us. This is a great, historic moment and we’ve all contributed to it. We deserve to participate in
Michael Raitt, M.A., L.M.H.C., is a therapist who writes a bimonthly column in SGN. If you would like to comment on this column, ask a question you’d like him to write about, or suggest another topic of interest, please contact him at askingmichael@comcast.net.
FEELING EXCLUDED? A lot of people come out to celebrate Pride. Yet, many stay home. Some stay home because even though they are members of the community, they feel left out. Some feel too old and invisible and that Pride is for the “pretty” younger ones. A few are hurt because they see all the love around them and feel as though love will never be a part of their lives. Men and women in recovery may not go out because they are afraid of being triggered. Finally, a few don’t join in because they have not accepted themselves as GLBTQ and they harbor selfhatred. I never judge anyone for how they feel. People are where they are. What I do know is this, though: We all need a tribe and we all need to belong. Whether we’ve been out there on a float in a Speedo or living our lives quietly with our pets, every one of us
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Irish government promises public vote on marriage by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer Ireland’s government will put marriage equality on the ballot for a public vote in 2014, Deputy Prime Minister Eamon Gilmore said on June 24. Gilmore’s announcement follows a vote by the Irish Constitutional Convention to amend the country’s constitution to allow same-sex marriage. Speaking to Ireland’s leading LGBT rights organization, the Gay and Lesbian Equality Network (GLEN), Gilmore said the ballot measure would go forward as soon as the government finished its analysis of the Constitutional Convention’s report. “I suppose realistically we’re probably looking at next year sometime,” Gilmore
said. “The commitment we have given is that once the Constitutional Convention presents its report in respect of the part of the Constitutional Convention dealing with same-sex marriage, that report is going to be tabled, I think, this month, formally tabled. “There is then a four-month period for the Government to consider the report of the Constitutional Convention.” STRONG PUBLIC SUPPORT The marriage referendum is likely to be held at the same time as a vote on other recommendations of the Constitutional Convention including lowering the voting age to 16. Some recent polling has put support for marriage equality as high as 79%. Ireland’s Constitutional Convention was
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Gilmore is head of Ireland’s Labor Party, the junior partner in a left-right coalition government with the conservative Fine Gael (Sons of Ireland) party.
NORTH SAYS NO In Northern Ireland – legally a part of the United Kingdom – the Assembly voted down a same-sex marriage bill by 53 votes to 42 in April. The measure was proposed by the Irish nationalist Sinn Fein party – normally Catholicidentified – and opposed by the almost exclusively Protestant Unionists. Gavin Boyd, from Equal Marriage Northern Ireland, said the south is moving much faster than the north. Speaking to Gay Star News, Boyd said, “I would like to think if Northern Ireland were the only jurisdiction in these islands Irish Deputy Prime Minister Eamon Gilmore without marriage equality, it would be a great embarrassment.” convened in 2012 to consider a number of Northern Ireland, like Scotland, is inproposed amendments to the country’s con- ternally self-governing and makes its own stitution. Sixty-six members were citizens rules regarding marriage. Even after the chosen from a randomized sample to reflect British parliament finally passes the marthe demographics of the country, and 33 riage bill now being debated in the House of were members of the parliaments of Ireland Lords, the Northern Ireland Assembly may and Northern Ireland. block marriage equality in Ulster.
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continued from page May 1967 the The Daily of the University of Washington did a series on the Gay community, which for the first time represented the community in a more positive light. Much of this positivity had to with the vigilant PR and work of the Dorian Society. In 1971, John Singer (later known as Faygele ben Miriam) and Paul Barwick applied for a marriage license at the King County Administration Building. They were, of course, turned down. Seeking to make a point about having the same rights as straight people, Singer and Barwick brought suit against King County – a suit that ended in 1974 with a unanimous rejection by the Washington State Court of Appeals. From June 24 to June 30, 1974, Seattle’s LGBT community celebrated the city’s first Gay Pride Week. Attendees numbered between 200 and 400, with events including the grand opening of a Gay Community Center, a picnic at Occidental Park in Pioneer Square, rollerskating and a sing-along
atop the Volunteer Park Water Tower, and a “Gay-In” at Seattle Center (by contrast, crowd estimates for the 2012 Pride Celebration were above 400,000). LOOKING AHEAD Today, we celebrate a time when sodomy laws have been repealed by the Supreme Court, and where marriage equality is a reality at both the state and federal levels for committed couples in our state. We celebrate all those who came before us in our struggle for equality. We also look forward, asking ourselves – what’s next for us? There exists a great need for Seattle’s LGBT community to stand up against hate crimes in our area. Many organizations (SOSea, the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, and others) will soon be rolling out programs designed to heighten our safety when walking our streets. When presented the opportunity, take the time to learn how to minimize your risks and protect yourself. The sexual health of our community is arguably the greatest issue facing us today. While HIV may no longer be responsible for the number of deaths it was in the 1980s and ’90s, it is alive and well. Treatment is expensive and riddled with side effects. Prevention efforts have become stale as our youth grow more apathetic, yet they remain one of the most at-risk groups for new infections. This Pride season, we have much to be proud of as we recognize our shared history; we have much to celebrate as we revel in our political and legal victories; and we have much to strive for as we work toward a more healthy community.
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