SGN Jun 28, 2019 - Part 1

Seattle Gay News

STONEWALL

by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer

seattle first baptist church marrying ALL couples since 1979

A kind and thoughtful letter of apology

EDITOR:

This is a letter of apology to the presumed gay man in front of the Egyptian Theatre Wednesday June 12th. I was walking down the sidewalk and stopped to ask a man and woman standing there if they had liked the movie. They were friendly and affable to me, but first impressions can be misleading. You walked up the sidewalk just then, and confronted them for something rude that they’d presumably said about you as you’d walked down the sidewalk previously, and you’d returned to confront the couple. I didn’t know who was right, and it wasn’t any of my busi-

ness. Until the male called you a Faggot and got a nasty sneer on his face when asked “Did you call me a faggot?” and replied “Maybe I did!” in a tone that suggested to me he wanted to start a fight. I was shocked and turned and walked away, sad and disgusted. I’m sorry for walking off. I’m a lesbian myself, and we are supposed to stand up for each other. I regret not doing so, even though I was tonguetied. But if I had made it clear to them that they were talking about me, too, and went to stand next to you, I’m sure the words they needed to hear would have come to mind, and maybe next time they’d think twice. At least you might not have felt like a lone tar-

get in our own “gayborhood”. I don’t feel any Pride about the missed opportunity to stand with someone in the face of homophobia, and I won’t dodge my responsibility next time. I hope that you are alright. Again, I’m truly sorry. We have got to stand together before this neighborhood, my home, our home, becomes completely intolerable.

Sincerely,

Erin Wade Capitol Hill Seattle

Union leaders proud to support Kshama Sawant

To the editor:

We’re proud to be leaders and rank-andfile activists in the 14 unions and counting that have endorsed Kshama Sawant’s campaign for re-election, together representing over 80,000 workers. Seattle has been a national leader for progressive victories and working-class struggle. We’re happy to recently be joined by the Seattle Education Association and SEIU 925 in supporting Kshama’s campaign.

Kshama is a rank-and-file member of the American Federation of Teachers Local 1789. She is one of us. In just the last few weeks, Councilmember Sawant has joined hotel workers fighting for a first union contract, stood with museum workers organizing their union, supported Amazon security officers in their successful fight to unionize, and rallied with Teamster Uber and Lyft drivers fighting for justice. Kshama is one of the most consistent voices for working people ever elected to Seattle City Council. The leadership she provided – alongside union activists and community leaders – in making Seattle the first major city to win the $15 minimum wage is only one of dozens of examples of Kshama Sawant being at the forefront of struggles to build the labor movement and improve the lives of working people.

There is a severe housing crisis in Seattle, and even many union members can’t afford to live near their workplaces. Kshama’s campaign is the only one in District 3 fighting for rent control and taxes on wealthy corporations to fund quality social housing and vital services. Big business is worried about us winning further victories, and that is why they’re spending a million dollars in corporate PAC money with the aim of removing Kshama. After Seattle won $15/hour, the victories spread like wildfire throughout the country. We can do the same thing – if we re-elect Kshama – by building a successful movement for rent control.

The labor movement is at a crossroads, with both increased attacks from the billionaire class and many workers taking the road of struggle, reflected in increased strikes and in the powerful contract struggles that have taken place. We will not find the best way forward without significant discussion involving many thousands of union members and fighters from the wider working class. Right now, a debate is taking place in Seattle labor movement that has important lessons for how we can build our fighting capacity. Some of that discussion centers on whether or not unions should endorse Kshama Sawant, but the implications go much further.

With record levels of inequality, for the labor movement to grow and thrive, we need to fight against the big corporations that want to attack our rights, wages, and benefits. This can be best accomplished by adopting bold demands and a strategy to win, by building rank-and-file democracy in the unions, and by not limiting ourselves to what’s acceptable to

big business. Unfortunately, some union leaders think we can build our influence by siding with CEOs and the political establishment rather than understanding these forces stand in the way of improving the lives of working people. These union leaders, some without democratic processes in the ranks of their unions, voted against endorsing Kshama at the MLK Labor Council.

Last week, Monty Anderson, head of the King County Contruction Trades Council, said he was opposing Kshama because she called on the city to tax Amazon in order to build affordable housing, and because she stood with the community in opposing the construction of an enormous police station in the north end of Seattle. “She started getting in between the relationship between our end users, the City of Seattle, King County, Amazon, [and] other builders.” He added, “We feel like a local politician should be facilitating business in the city, and she was doing the opposite.”

We disagree with brother Anderson. The job of a pro-union city councilmember should be to stand up and fight for the rights of workers, not facilitate business relations. We need to base ourselves on a fighting strategy, the way we did to win the $15 minimum wage in Seattle. We need the same approach to win rent control, a Green New Deal for working people, greater police accountability, and more. Big business and the political establishment stand in our way, with over a million dollars in PAC money hoping for “anybody but Kshama” to win this election, and we need to work together to defeat them, not cozy up

to them as brother Anderson is proposing. We also stand with Kshama in her principled opposition to the rollback of police accountability in last year’s police contract, which also angered some union leaders. Councilmember Sawant stood with more than 25 community groups, black leaders, and dozens of union members and leaders in opposing the rollbacks in the contract –a decision since further vindicated by US District Judge James Robart’s recent ruling. It’s unfortunate that, intentionally or not, a section of labor leaders have made a decision that will effectively further embolden Amazon and the Chamber of Commerce, rather than stand with the interests of working people and people of color. We know that Councilmember Sawant will continue to fight unambiguously for workers everywhere, alongside fellow rankand-file union members fighting in their workplaces, and for affordable housing and racial justice in our community.

Signed by: Paula Lukaszek, WFSE 1488 President*

Claude Burfect, Coalition of Black Trade Unionists*, Past President WFSE 341*

Mike Andrew, Pride at Work*, UAW 1981/National Writers Union * Jonathan Rosenblum, UAW 1981, Author of “Beyond $15”

Justin Vinson, Member SEA Executive Board*

* in a personal capacity only

LGBTQ HISTORY

STONEWALL

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That night, standing in Stonewall, I could not have imagined what the next few hours would do to change the gay and lesbian community around the world. I doubt anyone else could have known. How could we have known, on June 28th, 1969, that we’d be participating in history?

It started when the lights flickered on and off, alerting the patrons to something imminent, though I had no idea what. It was my second month in New York, my second month walking Christopher Street, my second month being an out and proud gay. Looking over at my friend, I asked what was happening and he said, nonchalantly: “Oh, it’s just a raid.” As an 18 year old new to everything, his words were frightening.

The police barged in, pushing around anyone who was in drag or stereotypicallooking. They hurled insults and hurled people around. Anyone who looked like they were successful, anyone who had a few bucks, were forced to take out their wallets and, in the bright light, give their money to the cops, who slid the bills in their pockets. Welcome to Extortion 101. They robbed us in plain sight, and we had no possible recompense. That is how they felt about us. That’s how they felt they could treat us: any way they wished.

As this was happening, they began to clear the bar by carding people. To this day I don’t know why they were carding, since it was an illegal bar and drinking age didn’t matter, but that was the procedure. At 18 and fresh from Philadelphia, I looked like the boy next door. They had little use for me and I was one of the first to be carded and let out, and I was glad about that.

But as I came out, I saw an obvious difference in what certain clientele were doing. Those with family ties, those with a good job, those on the fast track to a professional career, all ran for the subway as soon as they could get out that door. People like me, a street kid living at Sloane House YMCA on 34th street, and others, who today you’d call trans, just stuck around. We had nowhere safe to go. Our safety was with each other, right there, watching what was transpiring.

Eventually there were more of us outside, and inside the bar remained only the police and employees. Those of us who stayed formed a semi circle around the double doors into the street. My memory tells me that there were between fifty and a hundred of us. The doors opened and the police shouted out a few insults and told us to disperse. We didn’t. They opened the door a second time and again spewed insults and demanding we disperse. We didn’t, and this time we yelled insults back at them. They closed the door, and at that point people picked up whatever there was around them. Stones, discarded soda cans, and bottles. For the first time in history our community

wasn’t just fighting back. We had imprisoned our oppressors, the police. They were now our prisoners.

This continued for sometime, and it was awhile before police re-enforcement came to their rescue. It is my belief that the reason for the slow re-enforcements was the police inside that gay bar were so embarrassed to call their station house and have to tell their fellow officers: We’re trapped and surrounded by angry fags and dykes. Please save us.

The fact that we had them trapped created a certain joy on the street. People began to run to other bars in the area, passersby turned their heads as they came around the corner.

and I would be a part of it.

In the commotion, I saw a window broken. I didn’t see any molotov cocktails. I saw a feather boa being put on the statue of General Sheridan in Sheridan Square. I wasn’t there when anyone was arrested, but I was there each and every night that followed, along with all of us who would later call ourselves Gay Liberation Front.

It was the members of GLF who wrote on the street that night, members of GLF who stood proudly at the front doors of Stonewall the second night to hear Marty Robinson and Martha Shelley speak, members who understood the changes we were demanding, not asking for.

"While this riot was happening, Marty Robinson came up to me with chalk, and said:

“Write on the walls and street “Tomorrow Night, Stonewall.” ...From the river, to Greenwich, all along Christopher Street, I wrote. “Tomorrow Night, Stonewall.”

While this riot was happening, Marty Robinson, who had created a group called the action group, came up to me with chalk, and said: “Write on the walls and street “Tomorrow Night, Stonewall.” I have no idea where he got the chalk, but I’m thankful he got it. That chalk was a catalyst for much more than one night of rebelling.

From the river, to Greenwich, all along Christopher Street, I wrote. “Tomorrow Night, Stonewall.”

People ran and screamed and laughed. It was a joyous evening. We were fighting off 2000 years of oppression, though we didn’t realize it in that moment.

Amid the joy and the excitement, I had a light bulb moment. Standing across the street from Stonewall, watching everything around me, I thought to myself: Black people are fighting for their lives. Women are fighting for their lives. Latinos are fighting for their lives. What about us? What about me? It was at that point that I finally knew what I’d do for the rest of my life. I would be something that didn’t exist yet, something that didn’t have a title, something that had no salary: a gay activist. I didn’t know, and I didn’t care, how difficult it would be. All I knew in that moment was that I found what I was meant to do.

I was at a riot that started a revolution,

The third and fourth nights were filled with organizing and a circus atmosphere that continued the entire week. We were joyous, since from the ashes of Stonewall came Gay Liberation Front, a group that would turn our community and the world upside down. Also from the third night on, leafleting began on Christopher Street. For the first time we were united, and for the first time we were a diversified community.

Let’s make this clear, before GLF, you didn’t see anyone but white men in suits and ties and white women in dresses representing the LGBT community. Those earlier organizations wouldn’t have anyone else as spokespeople. That is why I was in the Action Group. Mattachine didn’t want me, a youth of 18, in their office since they felt they could be raided for corrupting the morals of minors. And drag queens, people of color? They were ignored by those groups. But we in GLF welcomed all. From lesbian separatists, to radical fairy collectives, youths, street kids and yes drag queens, they were all GLF. You may have heard about a couple of our members: Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera, they were welcomed.

GLF is the most important LGBT organization to have ever existed, we made more change in one year for this community than any other organization since and we also

were certainly the most dysfunctional, and we are all proud of that! That first year, from Stonewall to the first Gay Pride in 1970, was pure magic, and it made our community what it is today. It changed our lives in so many ways that no organization had. We would no longer be invisible, we were out, loud, and proud of who we were and we would no longer accept society’s labels, we would tell them who we were. We were not “homosexuals.” We were gay men, gay women, lesbian, dykes, drag queens. Not only would we be open about who we were, we’d also be in your face to fight for our rights, not merely plead for them. This was all revolutionary, since 99.9% of our community was in the closet and in 1969, before GLF there were only four types of places to go. Illegal gay bars, cruising areas, private parties, and secret meetings of organizations, which were hidden so the police would not raid them.

GLF advertised our meetings. We advertised that we were going to have a dance, women dancing with women, men dancing with men and not in an illegal bar but in public. We dared the police to raid us, and they were afraid to. That was rebellious! We also publicly took back our street Christopher Street by leafleting every night and facing off against the police. We did legal alerts, medical alerts, notices to gather for our next demonstration, handouts for Gay Youth meetings, a hotline, the nations first trans organization, and the nation’s first LGBT Community Center. And if all that were not enough, we were the organizers and marshals for that very first Gay Pride in 1970, which was called Christopher Street Liberation Day March originally dreamed up by Craig Rodwell, and Ellen Broidy.

Stonewall was not one night, it was a year, and GLF was its spirit. That spirit of rebellion transformed our world. Before Stonewall, less then a hundred out people represented us, all white men and white women, no diversity allowed. One year later at Gay Pride, people of color, trans people, and youth, gathered under a grassroots movement that welcomed all segments of our community. We were not 100 picketing once a year. We were now thousands.

I wasn’t just at Stonewall; more importantly, I was with Gay Liberation Front.

Stonewall and GLF are synonymous. One night led to one magical year. A year that changed the world.

MARK SEGAL is publisher of the Philadelphia Gay News and last year his personal papers and artifacts, including some mentioned in this article, were acquired by the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History, in Washington, DC. His memoir, And Then I Danced: Traveling The Road To LGBT Equality, was named book of the year by the National Lesbian Gay Journalist Association.

Courtesy of Mark Segal and Philadelphia Gay News

Happy Pride from Q-Squared Men

Guys!

Happy Pride 2019! It is that time to confirm those plans of celebrating ourselves and our community that is unique to Pride. Whether it is connecting with old friends along Broadway on Saturday afternoon, attending a party on Saturday night, attending or marching in the Parade on Sunday morning or dancing in the fountain at Seattle Center on Sunday afternoon, or any of the other beautiful options of Pride 2019, we invite you to participate in the Celebration of Self that is you.

We are especially happy and proud to return to having a booth on Broadway this Saturday, June 29th as part of Seattle Pride. You can find us between Mercer and Roy across the street from the Deluxe. We invite you to stop by for a visit and say hello. We would love to talk to you about Q-CAMP 2019.

Registration for Q-Camp 2019 is now officially open. Visit www.qcamp.org to check out the new location and pricing options available.

A few words about Q-Camp 2019:

Just like last year, Q-Camp is the weekend after Labor Day on Vashon Island, September 6-8. Like last year it is now less of a time and travel commitment, beginning Friday night and concluding Sunday afternoon. Last year was great fun with all the great parts that made classic CAMP wonderful:

• Mingling with guys away from the city.

• Participating in small group discussions.

• Presentation by a great speaker.

• Dance.

• Campfire.

• Hike.

• And yes, even the Talent Show is still there to leave you in awe of the wonderful guys you got to know over the weekend. New options are there too. Last year we introduced Spa Space: Open 24 hours, it is the sensual, safe, intimate environment we need in our busy lives.

Whether you are thinking of attending for the first time or are ready to reconnect again after an absence, we want you to know there is a place for you.

From the board of Q-Squared Men, Happy Pride! We hope to see you this weekend and at Q-Camp 2019.

Sincerely,

The Q-Squared Board www.qcamp.org

In celebration of Pride month, Sen. Murray highlights half-century of LGBTQIA+ progress, condemns sham conversion therapy

WASHINGTON, DC (June 27, 2019)

– As Pride month comes to a close, today US Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA) stood up for children and the LGBTQIA+ community in Washington state and across the country by advocating for an end to the harmful practice of conversion therapy. In a speech on the Senate floor, Sen. Murray introduced the Therapeutic Fraud Prevention Act (TFPA), which would ban conversion therapy across the country. During her remarks, Sen. Murray also laid out her additional efforts in support of the LGBTQIA+ community, and called for more to be done to ensure full equality for all, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity.

The top Democrat on the Senate education committee – which help sets policies for our nation’s K-12 schools, colleges, and universities – Sen. Murray has been an ardent supporter of LGBTQIA+ rights, and has recently railed against discriminatory judges and worked to push legislation that would strengthen protections for LGBTQIA+ people, such as the Be HEARD Act and the Tyler Clementi Higher Education Anti-Harassment Act. While conversion therapy has been banned in Washington state since 2018, Sen. Murray’s legislation stems from evidence that conversion therapy in other states across the country has been shown to lead to depression, decreased self-esteem, substance abuse, homelessness, and even suicidal behavior for children. In the US nearly 700,000 LGBTQIA+ adults have experienced conversion therapy in their lifetime, more than half of whom were children at the time.

Key excerpts:

“As we close out this month’s annual celebration of Pride, I come to the floor today to reintroduce legislation to further protect gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, asexual, and gender-nonconforming individuals from the dogma of our nation’s homophobic and transphobic past because even as we reflect on the progress we’ve made – we still have more work to do to achieve full equality.”

“In 2019, we know that being a member of the LGBTQIA+ community isn’t an affliction, a disease, or some chronic condition requiring medical treatment, but rather the politicians who say it is are on the wrong side of history.”

“I’m proud that my home state of Washington banned conversion therapy but that’s not enough so long as any child – or any person – in our country can be harmed by this sham of a practice. I’m very proud today to be here to reintroduce the Therapeutic Fraud Prevention Act and to remind all of our friends that we stand with them throughout history and throughout the future to make sure they are protected with their rights.”

Read the full text of the Sen. Murray’s speech, below:

“Thank you, M. Chair.

“Half a century ago, members of the LGBTQIA+ community – tired of being accosted, abused, and assaulted – just because of who they were or who they loved, took a stand to say ‘enough is

enough’ – and pushed back against the forces of history that said they were anything less than…

“Today, thanks to the sacrifice of freedom fighters like Marsha P. Johnson, Sylvia Rivera, and so many others – both named and unnamed – who dared that day to live their entire truth, countless others have been set free.

“And now fifty years later – through dogged persistence and sacrifice – we’ve been able to pass laws and create policies that respect and protect members of the LGBTQIA+ community from challenging hateful bans against lesbian and gay relationships to securing landmark civil rights protections against hate crimes to finally making marriage equality the law of our land.

“This year – as we commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall protests that sparked the modern movement for LGBTQ equality – I am proud to stand here on the floor of the United States Senate as an unapologetic ally of this vibrant community.

“And as we close out this month’s annual celebration of Pride, I come to the floor today to reintroduce legislation to further protect gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, asexual, and gender-nonconforming individuals from the dogma of our nation’s homophobic and transphobic past, because even as we reflect on the progress we’ve made – we still have more work to do to achieve full equality.

“In the Senate, I’ve been proud to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the community in Washington state and around the country to continue our progress. And with unanimous consent I will put my entire statement

in the record.

“I’m grateful to my colleague Sen. Booker – and our friend Rep. Lieu – for joining me today in reintroducing the Therapeutic Fraud Prevention Act – the first federal ban on so-called “conversion therapy. Because in 2019, we know that being a member of the LGBTQIA+ community isn’t an affliction, a disease, or some chronic condition requiring medical treatment, but rather the politicians who say it is are on the wrong side of history.

“In fact, we know now that conversion therapy is a painful and discriminatory practice that the American Psychological Association has said ‘is unlikely to be successful’ in changing someone’s sexual orientation and would ‘involve some risk of harm – contrary to the claims of practitioners and advocates’ of conversion therapy. And it’s a practice that’s especially harmful to LGBTQIA+ children – who we already know are vulnerable to increased harassment and discrimination because of who they are.

“Now, I’m proud that my home state of Washington banned conversion therapy, but that’s not enough so long as any child – or any person – in our country can be harmed by this sham of a practice.

“I’m very proud today to be here to reintroduce the Therapeutic Fraud Prevention Act and to remind all of our friends that we stand with them throughout history and throughout the future to make sure they are protected with their rights.”

Courtesy of Sen. Patty Murray

Mayor Durkan transmits legislation to rename portion of East Denny Way “Barbara Bailey Way” in honor of the late LGBTQ+ civil rights champion

SEATTLE (June 17, 2019) - Mayor Jenny A. Durkan today transmitted to the City Council legislation to rename a portion of Capitol Hill’s E. Denny Way to “Barbara Bailey Way” in honor of the late LGBTQ+ civil rights champion, Barbara Bailey, who passed away in September 2018.

Under the legislation, the City of Seattle would officially rename the designated festival street portion of E. Denny Way between

PRIDE AWARDS

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“It is an honor to present the Mayor’s Pride Awards to some of Seattle’s most

• Justice Mary Yu, Associate Justice, Washington Supreme Court

Justice Mary Yu was appointed to the Washington Supreme Court on May 16, 2014, and subsequently elected in 2014 and 2016. Justice Yu joined the Supreme Court after more than 14 years as an accomplished trial court judge in King County Superior Court, where she presided over a wide variety of criminal, civil, and juvenile cases, and presided over hundreds of adoptions and other family law matters. Justice Yu has an extensive record of service both on and off the bench: mentoring young attorneys, law clerks, and students; co-chairing the court’s Minority and Justice Commission; chairing the Board for Judicial Administration’s Public Trust and Confidence Committee; teaching at Seattle University School of Law and serving as Jurist in Residence; and cochairing the Washington State Bar Association/University of Washington Law School

The

Broadway E. and 10th Ave. E. to Barbara Bailey Way, a few blocks from the site of Bailey’s former small business, Bailey/Coy Books [which was located on Broadway E. between E. Harrison St. and E. Republican St.]. The official street name change would take effect 30 days following the City Council’s passage of the mayor’s legislation.

“Barbara loved Seattle, and she poured herself into making it better. She was an

inspiring LGBTQ+ leaders,” said Mayor Durkan. “Justice Yu has been a model and a mentor for many. Shelly and Martha have given Seattle’s LGBTQ+ community an important gathering place for more than 30 years. Ray and Somos Seattle are bring-

Leadership Institute. Justice Yu has served on the board of FareStart from 2009 to 2018, and the advisory board for the University of Washington School of Law’s Gates Public Service Program from 2014 to 2018. She is personally devoted to the Seattle Girls’ School mock trials, serving as their judge for the last 14 years.

• Shelley Brothers and Martha Manning, owners, The Wildrose

The Wildrose on Capitol Hill is the only lesbian bar in Seattle, and now one of the oldest on the West Coast. It’s truly an institution in the gay community, and keeping the doors open for more than 30 years hasn’t been easy. The Wildrose, which has evolved with the changing character of the Pike/Pine corridor and lesbian culture, remains a mainstay. Shelley and Martha have co-owned the Wildrose since 2005.

• Ray Corona, Somos Seattle

Ray is the founder of Somos Seattle, an organization for LGBTQ Latinx folks. Its goal is to engage in collective actions by bringing together an active community, sharing resources, and fostering spaces for learning. Ray was nine years old when he came to America and has now graduated from the University of Washington and is an activist for nearly every immigrantrelated Washington policy, by spearheading the Washington Dream Coalition. He was also one of the main organizers for last year’s inaugural Latinx Pride.

early pioneer for LGBTQ+ rights. Her bookstores were safe, welcoming places for the LGBTQ+ community,” said Mayor Durkan. “She cheered on public good and fought against any injustice. She championed civil rights here in Seattle for communities of color and for the LGBTQ+ community. Her mark on Seattle cannot be overstated; Capitol Hill would not be Capitol Hill, were it not for Barbara. She went to school there, lived there, built a business there, and cheered the neighborhood on like few others. No LGBTQ+ person would have been elected to any office in this region were it not for Barbara Bailey. Always and forever, Barbara will be an incredible example of a leader who demanded equity, justice, and fairness for all. I urge the City Council to pass this legislation and help honor the life and legacy of one of Seattle’s great civil rights champions.”

Mayor Durkan’s full September 2018 remembrance of Bailey [is at https://durkan.seattle.gov/2018/09/saying-goodbyeto-barbara-bailey/].

“My sister had the biggest heart of any activist I have ever known. It was why her bookstore meant so much to the community. In Barbara’s world everyone felt included. Everyone felt loved. And everyone felt respected,” said Thatcher Bailey, Barbara’s brother and CEO of the Seattle Parks Foundation. “It is a fitting tribute to her memory that this street will connect the new AIDS Memorial Pathway plaza to Cal Anderson

ing together our Latinx community. Seattle Counseling Services has been addressing the important issue of addiction and mental health in our community for over 50 years.

Dr. Fredriksen-Goldsen is a leading voice on the intersections of health disparities, aging,

• Dr. Karen Fredriksen-Goldsen, professor, UW School of Social Work

Dr. Fredriksen-Goldsen is the principal investigator of Aging with Pride: National Health, Aging, and Sexuality/Gender Study (NHAS). She is a professor at the University of Washington School of Social Work, director of Healthy Generations Hartford Center of Excellence, and director of the Institute for Multigenerational Health. Dr. FrederiksenGoldsen is a fellow of the American Academy of Social Work and Social Welfare and the Gerontological Society of America, a Hartford scholar and mentor, and founder of Generations Aging with Pride, GSA Rainbow Research Group, and Shanti/Seattle. She received her PhD in social welfare from the University of California at Berkeley.

• Seattle Counseling Services (SCS)

Started as part of the Dorian Society in Seattle, SCS later expanded to become an

Park. Just like Bailey/Coy Books was in her lifetime, Barbara Bailey Way will be a sweet and soulful gathering place for everyone in the Capitol Hill neighborhood.”

“It’s important for our city to remember Barbara Bailey, who, through her love of books and attention to her neighborhood, not only helped foster a sense of community but created a community space that is welcoming to all. I hope her memory inspires us all to take care of our neighbors and to be lifelong learners through reading,” said Councilmember Mike O’Brien (District 6, Northwest Seattle).

A Seattle native and graduate of the University of Washington, Bailey opened her first bookstore in Seattle in 1977, B. Bailey Books, which would mark the beginning of her career as a successful small business owner and advocate for over 30 years.

In 1982, Barbara Bailey opened her second store, Bailey/Coy Books on E. Broadway, which served as a fixture of the Capitol Hill LGBTQ+ community for more than 25 years, granting booklovers and authors a gathering space, and which also provided a safe and welcoming space for LGBTQ+ individuals and youth at the height of LGBTQ+ persecution in our country.

Bailey was also a founder of the Pride Foundation, which was founded in 1985 during the height of the HIV & AIDS crisis.

Courtesy of Mayor Durkan

and care-giving in marginalized communities. And, of course, Charmaine Slye is simply a force of nature. I am grateful to all of this year’s award recipients. Together, they represent the best of Seattle.”

independent organization in 1969. Over the last 50 years, it has sought ways to provide a continuum of care for clients. SCS works with other King County Mental Health Providers to advocate on behalf of the LGBTQ community in the mental health system. Now so much more than a counseling center, Seattle Counseling Services offers substance use–disorder services, support groups, harm-reduction programs, HIV-prevention programs, peer-led outreach, and immigrant, refugee, and undocumented outreach. It is always working to grow and better adapt to meet the LGBTQ community’s challenges. Through these changes, SCS remains committed to providing high-quality, accessible, culturally competent care to all that seek its services and to serve, advocate, educate, and advance the health and wellness of the LGBTQ community.

The 2019 Difference Maker Pride Award:

• Charmaine Slye

A 65-year-old Capitol Hill resident, Charmaine is a lifelong Seattleite. She was the mistress of ceremonies at the Seattle Womxn’s March in 2017. She was one of 21 people who organized the march in 2017. This year, she organized the citywide “Day of Action” the day after the march. She is now focusing on “action” rather than marches, as she feels this is where the true change will take place.

Courtesy of the Office of Mayor Jenny Durkan

Pride statement from OutRight Action International

NEW YORK (June 26, 2019) – It is Pride month – a time during which LGBTIQ movements around the world celebrate progress and resilience, when attention is drawn to countering violence, when the spotlight shines on stories of LGBTIQ people with a view to raising awareness, increasing understanding, and promoting progress.

Fifty years ago, LGBTIQ people at Stonewall Inn broke out into spontaneous riots in protest of the shaming they were being subjected to by repeated police raids. These protests gave rise to the first Pride marches – expressions of protest and rebellion, loud affirmations of our existence and our determination to no longer accept being shamed into silence and invisibility, but to claim our right to be exactly who we are and live life free from harassment and violence.

Fifty years later, New York is gearing

up for World Pride, which will undoubtedly be an exuberant celebration of the incredible achievements that have been attained since those riots. OutRight will happily join these celebrations, for there is so much to celebrate – the last month alone brought news of decriminalization of same sex relations in Bhutan and Botswana, of criminalization of homophobia and transphobia in Brazil, of legalization of same-sex marriage in Ecuador.

But in addition to celebrating, we will march in the same spirit of protest that the first marches embodied, because we have much left to fight for: 68 countries and several territories still criminalize same-sex relations, in a handful of which the death penalty can be applied;

In 55 countries LGBTIQ organizations can not legally register; In 30 countries no LGBTIQ organiza-

tions exist at all, whether registered or unregistered;

LGBTIQ people are subjected to harmful and ineffective “conversion therapies,” recognized to be tantamount to torture by the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, around the world; Only nine countries have explicit antidiscrimination protection on grounds of sex characteristics, and only three ban nonconsensual normalizing surgeries on intersex children.

We are also seeing an increasing backlash against LGBTIQ people on a global level. Efforts to exclude LGBTIQ people at the UN level have strengthened, even by states that, in the past, were champions of LGBTIQ equality. Global leaders ranging from Jair Bolsonaro to Vladimir Putin to Donald Trump have expressed openly homophobic and/or transphobic comments. In a particularly despicable move, the Vati-

can’s Congregation for Catholic Education used Pride month to issue an extensive guidance document for Catholic schools and universities in essence promoting bullying and exclusion of LGBTIQ youth. Let us celebrate the achievements, while not forgetting that we have a battle with backlash ahead of us before LGBTIQ people everywhere can live free to be who they are, love whom they choose, free from fear of violence, hate and persecution.

Happy Pride!

Sincerely, Jessica Stern

Executive Director, OutRight Action International

Courtesy of OutRight Action International

Human Rights Campaign names Alphonso David as new president

WASHINGTON, DC (June 25, 2019)

– Today, the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), the nation’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) civil rights organization, announced that Alphonso David, an accomplished and nationally-recognized LGBTQ civil rights lawyer and advocate, will lead the organization beginning in August.

David will be the first civil rights lawyer and the first person of color to serve as president of the HRC in the organization’s nearly 40-year history.

David most recently made history as the first openly gay counsel to the governor of the state of New York and, before that, served as the first Deputy Secretary and Counsel for Civil Rights in New York. In these roles, he played an integral role in securing marriage equality in New York in 2011, banning the abusive practice of so-called “conversion therapy” on minors, establishing nondiscrimination protections for transgender New Yorkers, expanding Medicaid coverage to cover transitionrelated care, making it easier to amend gender markers on birth certificates, and enacting policies and regulations to support people living with HIV and drive new diagnoses to an all-time low statewide. He has also helped lead efforts to expand access to reproductive health care, restore voting rights to New Yorkers, advance workplace protections for disadvantaged communities, and require access to free translation services in essential state services. Prior to his work for New York State, David served as a staff attorney at Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund.

With more than three million members, the Human Rights Campaign is the largest LGBTQ civil rights organization in the United States and around the globe. Founded in 1980, the HRC has grown into one of the most effective advocacy organizations in America, leading the way to expand LGBTQ protections at every level of government, elect pro-equality lawmakers, defend the fundamental civil rights of LGBTQ people, and work through groundbreaking Foundation programs to enhance the lived experiences of LGBTQ people at school, work, and in every community. The HRC has played a pivotal role in sweeping progress for LGBTQ people over the last several decades, from winning marriage equality and passing federal hate crimes legislation to advancing comprehensive LGBTQ nondiscrimination legislation through Congress, to working with thousands of companies to expand workplace protections, to repealing “Don’t Ask, Don’t

Tell” and banning so-called “conversion therapy” in a growing number of states.

In a new HRC video released today, “Difference is Our Strength,” incoming President Alphonso David shares how his life story and career as a civil rights attorney prepared him to lead he HRC forward: “I believe that together, we can harness the strength that’s inherent in our differences, to stand together in the face of fear and division. And that’s exactly what the Human Rights Campaign was built for,” said David.

“If we want to win full equality, that’s going to require us to come together, to dig deep, to be resilient, to embrace our differences, to tenaciously defend the most vulnerable among us, to fight with every ounce of determination we have. I promise you this: I will fight for each and every one of us. All I ask is that you join me, that you join the Human Rights Campaign in our fight for true equality. In unity, we will fight back and we will win.”

“Alphonso has devoted his career to expanding the civil rights of LGBTQ people across New York State and the nation,” said HRC Board Foundation Board Chair Deb Taft. “At a time when LGBTQ people, women, people of color, immigrants and refugees, and so many others are being confronted with daily attacks on our most basic rights, Alphonso is the fierce, compassion-

ate, and strategic leader the HRC and our broader movement for equality needs.”

“As we approach the Human Rights Campaign’s 40th year and the most important election cycle of our lives in 2020, the HRC has never been stronger or better positioned to lead,” said HRC Board Chair John Ruffier. “When it comes to maximizing the electoral power of millions of LGBTQ voters and our allies, or to defending the fundamental rights of our community, or to protecting the most vulnerable among us, I know that Alphonso will ensure that the HRC continues to lead the way.”

David will be the seventh president of the Human Rights Campaign, succeeding Chad Griffin, who has served since 2012. Below is David’s professional biography.

Alphonso B. David

Alphonso B. David is a civil rights attorney, policymaker, advocate, and law professor with significant litigation and management experience in the public, private, and not-for-profit sectors. Mr. David has been at the forefront of the movement for LGBTQ equality for more than a decade and worked at both the state and national level.

In 2015, Mr. David was appointed by New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo to serve as counsel to the governor. In this role, he has functioned as the governor’s chief counsel

and principal legal advisor, and managed all significant legal and policy deliberations affecting New York State, including evaluating proposed legislation, implementing laws and policies, and formulating the state’s posture in both affirmative and defensive litigation.

Prior to his appointment as the governor’s chief counsel, Mr. David served for four years in the governor’s cabinet as the Deputy Secretary and Counsel for Civil Rights, the first position of its kind in New York State. In this capacity, he was responsible for a full range of legal, policy, legislative, and operational matters affecting civil rights and labor throughout the state. Mr. David also previously served as Special Deputy Attorney General for Civil Rights for the Office of the New York State Attorney General, where he managed assistant attorneys general on a variety of civil rights investigations and affirmative litigation, including employment and housing discrimination, fair lending, immigration, reproductive rights, and anti-bias claims. Further, he previously served as Deputy Commissioner and Special Counselor at the New York State Division of Human Rights.

Prior to working in the public sector, Mr. David served as a staff attorney at the Lambda Legal Defense and Educational Fund. At Lambda Legal, Mr. David litigated precedent-setting civil rights cases across the nation affecting lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer individuals as well as those living with HIV and AIDS. He handled both affirmative and defensive matters relating to marriage, parenting rights, discrimination in schools, and access to health care. In addition, Mr. David served as a litigation associate at the law firm Blank Rome LLP. He began his legal career as a judicial clerk to the Hon. Clifford Scott Green in the US District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.

For the past decade, Mr. David has served as an adjunct professor of law. He began his work in academia with Fordham University Law School and continued at Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law. He is a graduate of the University of Maryland and Temple University School of Law.

The Human Rights Campaign is America’s largest civil rights organization working to achieve equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer people. The HRC envisions a world where LGBTQ people are embraced as full members of society at home, at work, and in every community.

Courtesy of the HRC

San Francisco to create Castro LGBTQ Cultural District

SAN FRANCISCO (June 25, 2019) – As the City prepares to celebrate San Francisco Pride this weekend, the Board of Supervisors unanimously passed an ordinance Tuesday authored by Supervisor Rafael Mandelman to create the Castro LGBTQ Cultural District, bringing additional funding and resources to one of the country’s most important LGBTQ neighborhoods.

“The Castro has been recognized worldwide for half a century as a symbol of LGBTQ liberation and as an enclave for LGBTQ people to find safety, acceptance, and chosen family,” said Mandelman, who represents the Castro on the Board of Supervisors. “The Castro LGBTQ Cultural District will be an important tool to ensure that the Castro remains a vibrant LGBTQ neighborhood well into the future.”

The Castro LGBTQ Cultural District will join the list of other recognized cultural districts, including the Compton’s Transgender Cultural District in the Tenderloin and the Leather LGBTQ Cultural District in SoMa. In November of 2018, San Francisco voters approved Proposition E, reallocating a portion of hotel tax revenues for arts and cultural purposes, including cultural districts.

“The Castro has renowned anchor businesses that are synonymous with San Francisco, like the Castro Theater, Cliff’s Variety, and Twin Peaks Tavern. It is host to many community organizations, including the Castro Country Club, the San Francisco AIDS Foundation’s Strut, and the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence. History has been made in the neighborhood at sites like Harvey Milk’s Camera Shop and the storefront where the AIDS Memorial Quilt was conceived,” Mandelman said. “I am proud that this ordinance will allow the Castro to access critical resources to support the small businesses, nonprofits, cultural institutions, and people that make the neighborhood the heart of our city’s LGBTQ community.”

The boundaries of the cultural district include the Castro and nearby LGBTQ community-serving institutions, including the San Francisco LGBT Center, Openhouse’s recently opened LGBTQ-welcoming senior housing, and the new home of the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus’s National LGBTQ Center for the Arts.

The law requires the San Francisco Mayor’s Office of Housing and Community Development to work with community members and nonprofits to create written reports and recommendations to the Board

of Supervisors and the mayor describing the cultural attributes of the district and proposing strategies to acknowledge and preserve the cultural legacy of the neigh-

borhood. It also allows the

to access a portion of the $3 million in dedicated funding for cultural districts created

Proposition E.

Salt Lake County lawmakers pass unanimous bipartisan resolution urging state to bar conversion therapy for minors

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah (June 25, 2019) – Today, the Salt Lake County Council passed a unanimous bipartisan resolution urging the Utah legislature to pass legislation protecting LGBTQ youth from conversion therapy, the life-threatening practice of trying to change a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity.

Earlier this year, the Utah legislature narrowly failed to pass House Bill 399, which would have barred licensed therapists from subjecting minors to conversion therapy. The bill was sponsored by Rep. Craig Hall, a Republican from West Valley City and enjoyed strong bipartisan support, including endorsements by Gov. George Herbert and the Utah Department of Social Services. However, hostile lawmakers derailed the bill at the last minute by offering a substitute bill that would have gutted its protections, dashing hopes for passage in the regular session this year.

Today’s resolution by the Salt Lake County Council notes that “conversion therapy has been associated with high rates of depression and suicidality among minors” and “urges the Utah State Legislature and the Governor of Utah to adopt a statute that protects minors from conversion therapy by prohibiting licensed mental health therapists from subjecting minors to these harmful and discredited practices.”

To date, 18 states, the District of Columbia, and more than 50 localities have protected minors from conversion therapy. Many of these laws were signed by Republican governors and passed with the support of Republican lawmakers.

[The following is a] statement by Mathew Shurka, conversion therapy survivor and Born Perfect co-founder:

“We applaud the Salt Lake County Council for standing up for conversion therapy survivors and letting LGBTQ

youth know that they are valued. As I know firsthand, being subjected to conversion therapy is a devastating and traumatizing experience for young people and their families. Utah came close to putting a stop to this life-threatening practice earlier this year, and today’s action by the Salt Lake County Council sends a powerful message to Utah lawmakers to finish the job.”

[The following is a] statement by Shannon Minter, legal director of the National Center for Lesbian Rights:

“Lawmakers across the country are working together across partisan lines to protect LGBTQ youth from this dangerous practice, which has been universally rejected by our nation’s leading medical and mental health organizations. LGBTQ youth are already at a heightened risk of depression and suicide attempts due to the discrimination they face. Conversion therapy multiplies those risks exponen-

tially. We are grateful to Salt Lake County for its leadership and for demonstrating that, regardless of their political differences, lawmakers have a shared interest in promoting the health and wellbeing of all youth.”

Born Perfect is a survivor-led campaign to end conversion therapy created by the National Center for Lesbian Rights, a national legal organization committed to advancing the human and civil rights of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community through litigation, public policy advocacy, and public education. Bornperfect.org

Courtesy of the National Center for Lesbian Rights

My thoughts on PRIDE Month, Juneteenth and the 50th anniversary of Stonewall

by Astro Pittman Editor-in-Chief Seattle Collegian Special to the SGN

This month, marginalized communities everywhere have much to celebrate. June is, of course, PRIDE Month, and also holds space for Juneteenth and the 50th anniversary of Stonewall. There is an intercultural significance between these three events for people like myself. As a Queer-identified Person of Color, an avid advocate for and supporter of the trans community and sex-workers, and the descendant of slaves, I personally resonate with the intersectionality of these occasions. Before I elaborate on these connections, I should first touch on the history of each event, and explain the correlative factors that some of you may not know about.

I am appalled by the number of folks I have chatted with about Stonewall that are unaware of the role that transgender sexworkers of color played in its events. For those of you that are nodding your heads knowingly, good fucking job; you’re sexy AF, and you get a cookie. For the rest of you, we owe a huge debt of gratitude to trans women like Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera (R.I.P, Sylvia), both of whom were transgender sex-working women of color. Sylvia is credited as throwing the first brick at the Stonewall riots. And yet, because she was trans, the gay men who largely took over the next leg of the gay rights movement sought to silence her and her sisters. She was booed off of stages at gay rights rallies and was considered an embarrassment and a fraud by her LGB fellows.

In August of 1966, almost three full years prior to Stonewall, the trans community (including Felicia “Flames” Elizondo, also a veteran and a former sex-worker) had been at the heart of another uprising at Compton’s Cafeteria, in the Tenderloin district of San Francisco. Even this was not the first LGBT riot of its kind. There was also the Cooper Do-nut riot of 1959 in Los Angeles. Each of these events, while publicly generalized to the whole of the LGBT community, was largely fought by trans folx and drag queens. Everyone knows you don’t mess with drag queens, they get messy right back. Even though we’ve come a long way for trans and gay rights since the 1960s, we are as we speak under the rule of a homo- and-trans phobic President and his cabinet who are systematically seeking to annihilate decades of LGBTQ-rights progress in one four-year term. Ain’t that a kick to the nethers? The fight is not over yet.

And how about Juneteenth? Again, I am appalled by the number of people who don’t know their fucking history. I consider it part of my obligation to our next generation to try to help keep it alive, so here you go. Juneteenth marks the anniversary of June 19th, 1865. On that day, Major General Gordon Granger landed in Galveston, Texas with a fleet of Union soldiers, to announce that the Civil War had ended and the slaves had been freed. It should be noted that the Emancipation Proclamation became official on January 1, 1863, fully 2 1⁄2 years prior. No one really knows why it took so fucking long for the news to reach Texas (then again, it’s Texas, who knows how anything happens down there?), but the point is that Juneteenth marks the date that all slaves in America were finally freed.

For Blacks all across this nation, this should have also meant equality, but as anyone who is being honest and observant can’t help but notice, that shit never happened. Today, outright slavery has been replaced by the prison-industrial complex and forced inmate labor. Did you know that Starbucks uses Washington State prisoners to package their holiday coffee and that Blacks are

grossly overrepresented in jails and prisons (by 450% compared to the general population)? Most of the companies that take advantage of this completely legal practice (called “insourcing”) not only pay these “workers” either nothing or a few cents an hour, they even get tax credits and a reprieve on things like insurance and sick pay for their prisonlabor contracts. Sounds to me like slavery is still very much alive and well in America. Again, the fight is not over yet.

The big hoopla for June is that it’s PRIDE Month, a time when all LGBTQ+ people come together to celebrate our victories, remember our struggles, and honor those we’ve lost in the fight for equality and acceptance. But mostly, we celebrate, and too many of us have a lack of understanding about what we’re celebrating. Additionally, there seems to be an obliviousness about all of the other components of oppression that should be honored along with the obvious ones.

As I said before, I am a Queer man-ofcolor, who is also a sex-worker advocate and a trans rights activist. The three holidays we are celebrating this month each directly reflects parts of my identity, both individually and collectively. Each of these historic events is also at once historically at odds with one another.

What do I mean by that? Well, historically, the Black community has had... shall we say... discord, with the gay and trans communities; the trans community has had

the same with the gay and Black communities; and all three are, of course, bitter with, afraid of, and persecuted and wounded by both of the others. Although each community certainly knows what oppression feels like, the feel of someone’s boot on their neck, they are each just as complicit in oppressing others as are those they are oppressed by.

But what happens if you are a member of more than one of these oppressed peoples? How does it feel to be Black, trans, and a sex-worker – like Marsha and Sylvia? Or any other combination of these marginalized peoples? The experience of being the object of a multiplicity of oppression is, to say the least, like having all of the boots on your neck, all of the time. And yet, some of us who understand this better than anyone still find ways to posit ourselves above another marginalized group, rather than uniting together as we should. None of us are fully free, and none of us are truly socially equal by anyone’s definition, not even amongst our own. The fight is not over yet.

So this month, I say, we should celebrate not so much our own victories and communities (whatever that means to you), but all of them. Let’s celebrate our similarities, and remember that we have all suffered at the hands of others, and will likely continue to. Let’s be the generation that takes down the walls between us, the walls that tell us that our plight is worse than theirs, and begin to see each other as one race of

humans; defined not by our differences and separateness, but by our shared experience of strength and suffering. Let’s remember to honor the fight of others, and treat those battles as the sacred things that they are. Tribalism is bullshit, and it is killing our communities, siphoning away the strength we could possess if only we would join together rather than dividing. When we are divided, we make it all the easier for them to conquer us.

Celebrating your identity is a beautiful thing, and we don’t get to do it enough. That doesn’t mean we have to force other folx out just to create a space of our own. There’s plenty of oppression to go around, and the only way to fight oppression is through community. If you are Black, Transgender, a Sexworker (yes, you deserve to be capitalized, too), Queer, Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, or any of the other beautiful things this month’s events celebrate, I celebrate with you, and I honor your fight and your resilience. I am part of your community, as we all are and should be. Thank you for being beautiful, brave you. Now, go be free, and BE, together.

Astro Pittman (He/Him/They/Them/It) is Editor-in-Chief, Seattle Collegian; President, Queer Cooperative; GSBA Scholar, 2019-2020; Pride Foundation Scholar, 2019-2020; Seattle Colleges Foundation Scholar, 2018-2019.

SEATTLE

BATHS

SEATTLE

BATHS

CLUB Z - (men)

1117 Pike near Boren - 622-9958

CLUB Z - (men)

HOT HOUSE SPA & SAUNA - (women)

1117 Pike near Boren - (206) 622-9958

SW corner of Pike & 11th

HOT HOUSE SPA & SAUNA - (women)

(stairs behind Wildrose) - 568-3240

SW corner of Pike & 11th

STEAM WORKS - (men)

1520 Summit - 388-4818

(stairs behind Wildrose) - (206) 568-3240

STEAM WORKS - (men)

1520 Summit Ave - (206) 388-4818

RESTAURANTS & BARS

88 KEYS - 315 2nd Ave. S. - 839-1300

BALTIC ROOM - 1207 Pine St. - 625-4444

RESTAURANTS & BARS

THE BOTTLENECK LOUNGE

2328 E. Madison St. - 323-1098

BALTIC ROOM - 1207 Pine St. - (206) 625-4444

C.C. ATTLE’S BAR & GRILLE

THE BOTTLENECK LOUNGE

1701 E. Olive Way - 726-0565

2328 E. Madison St. - (206) 323-1098

CAPITOL CIDER - 818 E Pike St. - (206) 397-3564

1533 13th Ave. - 323-1525

RETAIL SHOPS

DIESEL BAR - 1413 14th Ave. - 322-1080

GLO’S - 1621 E. Olive Way - 324-2577

HOT MAMA’S PIZZA - 700 E. Pine St. - 322-6444

BABELAND - 707 E. Pike St. - (206) 328-2914

JAZZ ALLEY - 2033 6th Ave. E. - 441-9729

CASTLE SUPERSTORE #17

1017 E. Pike St - (206) 204-0126

JULIA’S - 300 Broadway Ave. E. - 860-1818

DIEGO PELLICER - 2215 4th Ave. S - (206) 624-0070

KREMWERK - 1809 Minor Ave. #10 - 682-2935

DOGHOUSE LEATHERS

MADISON PUB - 1315 E. Madison - 325-6537

715 E. Pike St. - (206) 257-0231

NEIGHBOURS - 1509 Broadway - 324-5358

OUT WEST - 5401California Ave. SW

EMERSON SALON - 909 E. Pike St. - (206) 323-7437

THE PINE BOX - 1600 Melrose Ave - 588-0375

FANTASY UNLIMITED

POCO WINE ROOM

2027 Westlake Ave. - (206) 682-0167

1408 E. Pine St. - 322-9463

1510 1st Ave - (206) 624-1784

POKE BAR - 1542 12th Ave - 402-5178

HASHTAG - 3540 Stone Way N - (206) 946-8157

PONY - 1221 E. Madison St. - 324-2854

HERBAN LEGENDS - 55 Bell St - (206) 849-5596

HERB(N) ELEMENTS

PURR - 1518 11th Ave. - 325-3112

R PLACE - 619 E. Pine - 322-8828

11013 Lake City Way NE - (206) 535-8769

RE-BAR - 1114 Howell at Boren - 233-9873

ROOT TABLE 2213 NW Market St. - 420-3214

LAUGHING BUDDHA TATTOO

SEATTLE EAGLE - 314 E. Pike - 621-7591

1534 Broadway - (206) 329-8274

THE NEW YORK XCHANGE

THE CANTERBURY - 534 15th Ave. E. - 322-3130

C.C. ATTLE’S BAR & GRILLE

CHANGES IN WALLINGFORD

1701 E. Olive Way - (206) 726-0565

2103 N. 45th - 545-8363

THE CANTERBURY

SHORTY’S 2222 2nd Ave - 441-5449

STOUT -1530 11th Ave - 397-3825

225 Broadway E. - (206) 726-3300

ONYX LEATHER

THE CRESCENT - 1413 E. Olive Way - 720-8188

534 15th Ave. E - (206) 322-3130

THE CUFF COMPLEX

CHANGES IN WALLINGFORD

2103 N. 45th - (206) 545-8363

THE CRESCENT

1413 E. Olive Way - (206) 720-8188

THE CUFF COMPLEX

1533 13th Ave. - (206) 323-1525

DIESEL BAR - 1413 14th Ave. - (206) 322-1080

GLO’S - 1621 E. Olive Way - (206) 324-2577

HOT MAMA’S PIZZA

700 E. Pine St. - (206) 322-6444

JAZZ ALLEY - 2033 6th Ave. - (206) 441-9729

JULIA’S - 300 Broadway Ave. E - (206) 860-1818

KREMWERK - 1809 Minor Ave. #10 - (206) 682-2935

THE LUMBER YARD

9619 16th Ave. SW - (206) 695-2007

MADISON PUB - 1315 E. Madison - (206) 325-6537

NEIGHBOURS - 1509 Broadway - (206) 324-5358 OUT WEST

5401California Ave. SW - (206) 937-1540

THE PINE BOX - 1600 Melrose Ave - (206) 588-0375

POCO WINE ROOM

1408 E. Pine St. - (206) 322-9463

PONY - 1221 E. Madison St. - (206) 324-2854

QUEER BAR - 1518 11th Ave - (206) 687-7491

R PLACE - 619 E. Pine - (206) 322-8828

RE-BAR - 1114 Howell at Boren - (206) 233-9873

ROOT TABLE 2213 NW Market St. - (206) 420-3214

SEATTLE EAGLE - 314 E. Pike - (206) 621-7591

SHORTY’S 2222 2nd Ave - (206) 441-5449

STOUT -1530 11th Ave - (206) 397-3825

THE SWALLOW -9608 16th Ave SW - (206) 257-0217

UNICORN - 1118 E Pike - (206) 325-6492

UNION - 1318 E. Union St. - (206) 328-1318

WILDROSE - 1021 E Pike - (206) 324-9210

ZIPPY’S GIANT BURGERS

9614 14th Ave SW - (206) 763-1347

TOULOUSE PETIT

1605 12th Ave. #8 - (206) 328-1965

601 Queen Anne Ave N - 432-9069

OZ - 3831 Stone Way N - (206) 251-0630

UNICORN - 1118 E Pike - 325-6492

PACIFIC NORTHWEST SHOP

4411 Wallingford Ave. N. - (206) 535-6920

PANACHE - 225 Broadway E. - (206) 726-3300

PONDER - 2413 E Union - (206) 420-2180

RUCKUS - 1465 E Republican St - (206) 257-4805

TABOO ADULT VIDEO

9813 16th Ave SW - (206) 767-4855

TRUE LOVE ART GALLERY & TATTOO

1525 Summit Ave. - (206) 227-3572

UNDER U 4 MEN

709 Broadway Ave. E - (206) 324-6446

UNCLE IKE’S

2310 E Union St - 1-800-GET-DRUGS

501 15th Ave E - 1-800-GET-DRUGS 9822 15th Ave SW - 1-800-GET-DRUGS

WILD AT HEART

1111 NW Leary Way - (206) 782-5538

BELLINGHAM

LOVER'S

193 Telegraph Road - (360) 752-1862

RUMORS CABARET 1119 Railroad - (360) 671-1849

DES MOINES

ADULT AIRPORT VIDEO 2 21635 Pacific Hwy S - (206) 878-7780

EVERETT

ADULT AIRPORT VIDEO 11732 Airport Road - (425) 290-7555

LOVER’S - 112 SE Everett - (425) 353-3607

LOVER’S - 3402 Broadway - (425) 252-8754

KENT

WILDROSE - 1021 E. Pike - 324-9210

ZIPPY’S GIANT BURGERS

5633 Airport Way S - 466-5954

9614 14th Ave SW - 763-1347

LOVER’S - 25801 104th Ave. SE - (253) 852-1720

RETAIL SHOPS

THE FANTASY SHOP 604 Central Ave. S - (253) 850-8428

CASTLE SUPERSTORE #17

NASHVILLE’S SPORTS BAR (Drag Shows) 114 - Railroad Ave. N - (253) 852-0909

1017 E. Pike St - 204-0126

DOGHOUSE LEATHERS

1312 E. Pike St. - 257-0231

LA CONNER

EMERSON SALON - 909 E. Pike St. - 323-7437

HASHTAG - 3540 Stone Way N - 946-8157

NEW YORK EXCHANGE

THE HERON INN & WATERGRASS DAY SPA 117 Maple Ave. - (877) 883-8899 info@theheron.com

225 Broadway E. - 726-3300

ONYX LEATHER - 1605 12th Ave. #8 - 328-1965

OZ - 3831 Stone Way N - 251-0630

OLYMPIA

PANACHE

225 Broadway E. - 726-3300

RUCKUS 1465 E Republican St. - 257-4805

DARBY’S CAFE

THE FANTASY SHOP

211 5th Ave. SE - (360) 357-6229

9630 16th Ave. SW - 762-3299

TABOO ADULT VIDEO 9813 16th Ave SW - 767-4855

LOVER’S 3959 Martin Way E, Suite D - (360) 456-7300

JAKES - 311 4th Ave. E - (360) 956-3247

TOYS IN BABELAND - 707 E. Pike St. - 328-2914

UNDER U 4 MEN

ORCAS ISLAND

709 Broadway Ave. E. - 324-6446

UNCLE IKE’S

BROWN BEAR BAKING, LLC

2310 E Union St - 1-800-GET-DRUGS

29 N Beach Rd #1966, Eastsound - (360) 855-7456

501 15th Ave E - 1-800-GET-DRUGS 9822 15th Ave SW - 1-800-GET-DRUGS

PORT ANGELES

WILD AT HEART 1111 NW Leary Way - 782-5538

MAPLE ROSE INN 112 Reservoir Rd - (800) 570-2007

BELLINGHAM

SPOKANE

LOVER’S 193 Telegraph Road - (360) 752-1862

RUMORS CABARET 1119 Railroad - (306) 671-1849

ANDY’S - 1401 W. 1st Ave. - (509) 747-0304

THE BLIND BUCK

204 N. Division St. - (509) 343-9425

GLOBE BAR AND KITCHEN

DES MOINES

204 N. Division St. - (509) 443-4014

NYNE BAR AND BISTRO

232 W. Sprague Ave. - (509) 474-1621

EVERETT

KENT

LA CONNER

TACOMA

CASTLE SUPERSTORE

6015 Tacoma Mall Blvd. - (253) 471-0391

CLUB SILVERSTONE

739½ St.

OLYMPIA

PORT

SPOKANE

TACOMA

TRI-CITIES

TUKWILA

Charmingly inoffensive Yesterday a long, winding road to disappointment

by Sara Michelle Fetters SGN A&E Writer

YESTERDAY

Now playing

The premise of Yesterday is that, for some strange reason with no explanation whatsoever, a worldwide electrical blackout causes the entire catalog of John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Star, a.k.a. The Beatles, to vanish from existence with one man, a struggling singer/songwriter named Jack Malick (Himesh Patel), the only person who remembers either them or their music. He proceeds to pass off their songs as his own and becomes an overnight sensation who catches the ear of Ed Sheeran and gets signed to a major label recording contract by cutthroat music producer Debra Hammer (Kate McKinnon). Along the way he is estranged from his longtime manager and childhood best friend Ellie Appleton (Lily James), not realizing until it’s almost too late that his feeling for her go way beyond the strictly platonic.

That’s it. That’s the movie, and as intriguing an idea as that might be, I’m not at all certain that Four Weddings and a Funeral and Notting Hill screenwriter and Love

Actually and About Time writer/director Richard Curtis is the guy to pull a conceit like this one off. Working from a story he originally conceived with Jack Barth and handing the directorial reins over to Slumdog Millionaire, 28 Days Later and Trainspotting filmmaker Danny Boyle, the scenario he’s composed never strays too far away from the readily anticipated. His tale is perfectly content to be a moderately pleasing, overtly melodramatic what-if curio piece that places more emphasis on the potential romantic longings of its two leads than it does anything else. As enjoyable as the movie can be it oddly flatlines right at the moment it should be building to a knockout crescendo, and I found its climactic choruses strangely forgettable and not at all worth humming as I exited the theatre.

The weird thing is that Boyle and Curtis don’t do a particularly good job of making it clear just exactly why The Beatles entire catalog would resonate so instantaneously

ANNABELLE

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caution of placing her in a locked case made entirely out of church glass so her powers do not affect any other items they have collected over the years. Everyone that comes into their house knows they are not allowed into this room unattended, including their daughter Judy’s (Mckenna Grace) trusted babysitter Mary Ellen (Madison Iseman).

But when the Warrens leave for a brief overnight paranormal investigation, Mary’s best friend Daniela Rios (Katie Sarife) invites herself over for a visit under the pretense of helping celebrate Judy’s birthday. In actuality she wants to see what is inside the legendary artifact room, sneaking in to get a peek after everyone else has gone to bed. While fingering a number of the supposedly cursed items littering the various shelves, Daniela also inadvertently leaves Annabelle’s case unlocked. Not only does the doll escape, she also gives life to the demons whose possessions the inquisitive teenager touched while exploring the artifact room. Now Judy, Mary and Daniela are all in danger of losing their immortal souls, and the only way to survive the night is to put Annabelle back in her prison so her Hell-spawned evil can once again be contained.

Annabelle was released in 2014. It was the first spin-off born from James Wan’s 2013 horror yarn The Conjuring and, even

with a modern audience. I totally get why a songwriter like Sheeran would be blown away by something like “The Long and Winding Road” or “Let It Be.” Those are exquisitely constructed songs with superior lyrics that have stood the test of time for a reason. But I honestly don’t get why something like “Back in the U.S.S.R.” would be a universal smash outside of Russia, or how “I Want To Hold Your Hand” or “I Saw Her Standing There” wouldn’t sound anything other than slightly archaic in the 2010s no matter how passionately they were being performed. On top of that, a key component to The Beatles success were the crafty, pitch-perfect harmonies that Lennon and McCartney so often manufactured for their band to perform, an aspect of their musicianship that is lost when it’s just one man up on the stage performing on his own.

Still, there is an incontestable charm in watching Jack figure out how to use the

though it wasn’t very good, it ended up doing exceedingly well at the box office. This led to 2017’s Annabelle: Creation which not only was also a solid summertime hit, director David F. Sandberg’s prequel was also a substantial step up in quality from its predecessor and helped prove a “Conjuring Cinematic Universe” wasn’t as terrible an idea as some (myself included) thought it was going to be. While both last year’s The Nun and this past April’s The Curse of La Llorona were decidedly mixed bags, the popularity of these genre entries partially inspired by Ed and Lorraine Warren cannot be denied, so it isn’t exactly shocking producers have returned to the malevolent doll that made all of this possible with the enthusiastically creepy Annabelle Comes Home

As much as I enjoyed that second adventure with the evil titular doll, Annabelle Comes Home is such a massive amount of sinister fun it might be my favorite entry in The Conjuring universe outside of the first film. Franchise screenwriter Gary Dauberman (Annabelle, The Nun) makes his directorial debut with the sequel, and in the process crafts a delightfully spooky funhouse of thrills and chills I got a major kick out of. Utilizing a fantastic array of practical effects and an immersive sound design that had the hairs on my arms standing on end, the filmmaker makes a motion picture that’s equal parts The Haunting, Poltergeist and a random R.L. Stine Goosebumps story.

band’s music to his advantage. He’s such a nice guy, so unassuming and selfless, the idea that he is going to go through with passing off someone else’s work as his own even though for all intents and purposes none of their art existed in the first place so alien to him he’s instantly aghast that he’s even contemplating doing it. But when he sees the response from Ellie and his friends when he first sits down and starts singing the title track, when Ed Sheeran shows up at his family’s door asking him to go tour a few Russian clubs with him after hearing a couple of songs, Jack almost can’t help himself. The singer is faced with an existential crisis that offers up a number of moral and ethical questions, the weight falling upon his shoulders as his ruse continues building exponentially at virtually the same rate as his fame also grows.

Not that Curtis seems to be concerned with almost any of that. His script reduces

While nowhere near the classic level of those first two titles or likely having the lasting appeal of the latter author’s numerous youthfriendly scary stories, there’s something to be said about what Dauberman manages here all the same, the film’s ghoulishly timeless appeal almost undeniable.

It starts with the characters. Judy, Mary and Daniela each feel authentic. In swift brushstrokes Dauberman manages to flesh each youngster out, giving them all compelling backstories and a valid reason to end up in the middle of all the supernatural chaos that is about to be unleashed. Even though the story is set during the 1970s the emotions swirling within each girl are still relatable, watching them find ways to band together to fight against a menacing evil, and doing so without passing judgment upon the one of their group who set Annabelle free, gives the film a heartfelt foundation I definitely appreciated. Daniela, in particular, is a far more complicated character than it initially appeared she was going to be, Sarife doing a terrific job of giving the teenager additional emotional dimensions that only helps augment the growing dread as the doll brings life to many of the more dangerous artifacts the Warrens have attempted to safely lock away.

Of course, it is those additional artifacts that end up making this latest entry in The Conjuring universe such a giddily suspenseful rollercoaster ride. Daniela unleashes a ferryman who steals souls, a hellhound looking to possess a new human

all of these ideas to easily digestible platitudes that basically culminate by saying, “love is all you need,” and little else. But that paraphrasing of The Beatles is reductive and rudimentary, adding a layer of melodramatic schmaltz to their music that, no matter how emotional many of their songs might have been, was arguably never there until now. Worse, his depiction of Ellie and her feelings for Jack often feel as if they are from another era entirely, and while I’m all for stories that explore how someone’s feelings of love and affection are not always reciprocated as one hopes they would be, her character would be more at home in an Andy Hardy vehicle than it is in one set in 2019.

Thankfully James is far too talented an actress to make Ellie anything other than supremely likable, the more odious aspects of her situation having nothing to do with her. The Cinderella and Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again star has an enchantingly innate ability to warm even the hardest heart to its melting point, the quiver of her lip coupled with the alluringly crooked nature of her smile positively infectious in the best possible way. She has melodious chemistry with Patel, and in a movie without nearly as many issues, I’m certain I’d be sitting here singing their mutual praises as boisterously as I possibly could if that were not the case.

That’s not going to happen. Boyle is a great filmmaker who is hardly afraid of sentiment (just watch his magnificent family drama Millions), but even in his lesser efforts like Trance or The Beach his imprint upon the material is always noticeable. But that’s not how it is with Yesterday, and if you had told me Curtis had directed this and was just utilizing Boyle’s name as a pseudonym I’d be hard-pressed to find any reasons to say you were wrong. The last third of this drama is an ineffectual slog that wastes the talents of its stars, and as breezy, inoffensively enjoyable and as adorably light as so much of this was, to suddenly hear it hit so many sour notes was undeniably disappointing, my emotions gently weeping the more I keep thinking about it.

host and a lethal wedding dress that transforms its wearer into a homicidal bridezilla with a taste for blood. The three girls have to navigate all of these dangers and more as they try to keep Annabelle from stealing their immortal souls, and they must do so without any help from either Ed or Lorraine. Dauberman keeps the focus on the trio’s evolving relationship as all of the things going bump in the night try to possess them, their belief in one another and combined moral strength the only chance they have to survive.

A subplot involving Mary’s infatuation with a boy from school (who ends up having to battle said hellhound while hidden away in the Warren family’s backyard chicken coop) and his mutual affection for her ends up being more than a little silly, while the film’s climax is a little overly hurried and rushed. But the sequel is superbly shot by Michael Burgess (The Curse of La Llorona) and masterfully scored by series veteran Joseph Bishara. I also loved the way in which Dauberman expands upon the franchise’s mythology, especially as it pertains to Judy. Annabelle Comes Home is a devilishly gripping joy, and here’s hoping this demonic doll doesn’t stay locked away in her church glass prison for very long, as I for one can’t wait to see what terrors she’ll be able to unleash next.

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loopy Child’s Play a misguided reinvention of a horror classic

by Sara Michelle Fetters SGN A&E Writer

CHILD’S PLAY

Now playing

Single mother Karen Barclay (Aubrey Plaza) has taken a job working at a local department store after she and her son Andy (Gabriel Bateman) move to a new city and take up residence in a downtown apartment complex. He’s something of an introverted loner. She wants him to get outside of his shell and try to make new friends. To help Andy with that, Karen comes into possession of a Buddi doll recently returned to her store. This interactive animatronic is one of the hottest toys on the market, imprinting upon its child the moment it is turned on. It also has the ability to run any other electronic components (televisions, smartphones, tablets, etc.) it happens to be networked to, making it a useful operational device for users of every age.

But this Buddi doll is different. Not only does it ask to be referred to as “Chucky” (voiced by Mark Hamill), it also doesn’t stop itself from repeating any number of four-letter swear words and obsessively treating its friendship with Andy with deathly seriousness. At first these technical glitches are quite humorous. Later, however, they start to become increasingly terrifying. It soon becomes apparent to Andy that Chucky’s malfunction is no laughing matter, and when the doll says it’s going to be his best friend it means it, anyone who attempts to get between the two of them better get measured for a body bag.

Child’s Play is not so much a remake of the now-classic 1988 horror film directed by Tom Holland as much as it is a severe reimagining of the property using the idea of a killer doll that’s named itself Chucky attaching itself to the son of a stressed-out single mother as its jumping off point to go in a variety of oddball directions. While I think it is wrong that creator Don Mancini was frozen out of this production even

though he’s been keeping the franchise going for 30 years and seven successful films, I do appreciate that new director Lars Klevberg (Polaroid ) and screenwriter Tyler Burton Smith have at least made a passing attempt to radically reinterpret things for this new version. There’s plenty about this playfully violent and malevolently humorous enterprise that can be a heck of a lot of fun, the insanely batty climax almost enough in and of itself to make the purchase of a matinee ticket worthwhile.

But not quite. Klevberg and Smith have a ton of ideas they’re attempting to toy around with. Problem is, they never linger on any of them long enough so they could matter in any discernible way other than something vaguely superficial. Some of the stuff they introduce, most notably a key sequence involving Chucky watching Tobe Hooper’s 1986 controversial cult favorite The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2, is so poorly conceived and thought out it comes close to being offensively indefensible. There are moments this movie feels like the Jackson Pollock painting of mod-

ern-day horror remakes, and I can’t help but imagine Klevberg and Smith throwing general ideas, plot developments and various character interactions at a blank canvas as if they were swatches of paint. Some stuff sticks, others decidedly do not, the resulting image a colorful hodgepodge of insanity, inspiration and inanity that’s never quite as fascinating (or as entertaining) as I tend to think the filmmakers assume it is.

Some of this did still manage to put a smile on my face. There are a couple of deliciously grisly kills, not the least of which involves a string of exterior Christmas lights, a tall ladder, a motorized electric tiller and a watermelon. There’s also a surprisingly effective scene where Andy and his two new friends Falyn (Beatrice Kitsos) and Pugg (Ty Consiglio) get the brief upper hand against Chucky only to find they’re somewhat emotionally conflicted about trying to shut him down. I was also taken with Brian Tyree Henry’s performance as a veteran police detective whose mother (Carlease Burke) lives in the same building as the Barclays, and I really

liked the way he was able to construct such an intriguingly multidimensional character with only a handful of scenes to do it in.

Then there is Hamill. He easily could have channeled his inner Brad Dourif (the original voice of Chucky who has made a second career bringing the doll back to life again and again these past 30 years). He could also have repurposed his iconic Joker persona from “Batman: The Animated Series.” Instead, the Star Wars legend brings a genuine sense of uncomforting pathos to his portrayal of the sentient robotic doll, all of which allows his homicidal malice to come from a place of genuine concern for Andy’s wellbeing that’s shockingly sincere. Hamill knocks it out of the park, and it’s a shame the movie is such a frustrating mixed bag because I’m almost curious to see where he would have taken this character in the future if this remake had proven to be a hit.

Yes. I’m assuming this new Child’s Play won’t catch on with general audiences. The design of the Chucky doll is underwhelming. The film’s emphasis on overt terror oftentimes works against its best interests. Most of all, almost all of its strongest ideas (the increasing interconnectivity of everyday household devices, the corporatization of daily life, children disconnecting from reality due to an overuse of social media and the like) are never fully realized or developed, making them feel so halfbaked they barely register. Additionally, as magnificently loopy as the film’s climax might be, and it’s gruesomely insane on a multitude of levels, I felt so little emotional investment in what was going on that the outcome to the Andy versus Chucky battle didn’t matter to me whatsoever. Because of this the remake and I could never quite strike up an effective friendship, and when it was over we parted more as genial acquaintances who would likely never meet again more than we did anything even moderately long-lasting.

NEW YORK (June 26, 2019) – Today, GLAAD, the world’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) media advocacy organization, announced that singer-songwriter Melissa Etheridge will be joining GLAAD’s float in the WorldPride March in New York City on June 30. Etheridge will also be performing at the World Pride Closing Ceremony in Times Square that evening.

Since the release of her unforgettable self-titled 1988 debut, Melissa Etheridge’s

incredible career to date includes sales of over 25 million albums, five platinum and three multi-platinum records, 15 Grammy Award nominations and two wins, a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and an Academy Award for “I Need to Wake Up” from the climate change documentary An Inconvenient Truth. Her 2016 release, Memphis Rock & Soul, debuted at #1 on Billboard’s blues chart. Etheridge has selflessly dedicated herself as an activist for human rights, LGBTQ issues, breast cancer awareness, and alternative medical approaches.

“Melissa Etheridge is not only a musical legend but also a LGBTQ icon,” said GLAAD president and CEO Sarah Kate Ellis. “Throughout her career, she has been such a trailblazer for LGBTQ people in

music and has used her voice to advocate for equality and acceptance. We are so honored to have her march with us as we come together for this historic Pride celebration in New York City.”

Etheridge is currently on an expansive US tour in support of her new album The Medicine Show, which was released in April. The tour includes special summer dates with Pat Benatar & Neil Geraldo and Liz Phair.

Kicking off at 12pm on June 30, marchers in WorldPride Parade will step off at 26th Street and 5th Avenue near Madison Square Park, making their way down past Stonewall National Monument, and then finishing the march at 23rd Street and 7th Avenue. Find out more information about

the WorldPride March [at https://2019worldpride-stonewall50.nycpride.org/ events/nyc-pride-march/].

GLAAD rewrites the script for LGBTQ acceptance. As a dynamic media force, GLAAD tackles tough issues to shape the narrative and provoke dialogue that leads to cultural change. GLAAD protects all that has been accomplished and creates a world where everyone can live the life they love. For more information, please visit www.glaad.org or connect with GLAAD on Facebook and Twitter.

Courtesy of GLAAD

LAST BLACK MAN

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father James Sr. (Rob Morgan) lost it while he was still a child, all of the antique furniture and their most prized possessions currently stored in his aunt Wanda’s (Tichina Arnold) basement. Now sharing a room with his best friend Montgomery Allen (Jonathan Majors) in his grandfather’s (Danny Glover) cramped abode on the outskirts of the city, much to the consternation of the elderly pair now living there Jimmie heads downtown on a regular basis to do maintenance on his childhood. Montgomery joins him on these outings, chronicling every aspect of their many adventures in a hardbound notebook in which he is constantly scribbling.

After an unexpected confluence of events, the house in the Fillmore district suddenly sits empty. Grabbing all the old furniture from his aunt, Jimmie decides to secretly move back in, introducing himself to other homeowners as their new neighbor. He invites Montgomery to live with him, the pair going about attempting to restore the interior to its original glory. But things do not go entirely as planned, and it’s never clear that the two friends should be setting up residence with such cavalier certitude in the first place.

There’s a lot going on in director Joe Talbot’s Sundance Film Festival favorite The Last Black Man in San Francisco. Loosely born from co-writer/star Jimmie Fails’ own life experiences, the movie is at times a broad comedy, at others a searing social commentary, and in many instances a bracingly tragic melodrama. It is also a hopeful aria about letting go of the past and proceeding into the future undaunted, while at the same time a melancholic remembrance of times gone by and of an iconic American city in the throes of impossibly convoluted

transition. Concepts of race, family, friendship, gentrification and economic inequality are all touched upon. This is as unique a motion picture as I’ve seen in 2019, and while not all the pieces fit together perfectly, the emotional response I had to Jimmie and Montgomery’s journey was still staggeringly monumental.

There’s plenty to unpack. There is a tenderness to Jimmy and Montgomery’s friendship that’s unusual and surprising. The latter is quiet, soft-spoken and constantly scribbling notes and drawing pictures in his notebook. The former conveys an equally approachable and laidback demeanor, yet he also has a stoic resolve and brash selfishness that feels diametrically opposite of any of the traits displayed by his best friend. But Montgomery is nowhere nearly as timid as he appears, while Jimmy’s emotional resolve isn’t as unbreakable as he tries to make it seem like it is. Each man looks out for the other in a variety of ways, most of them so under the radar the other almost isn’t even noticing their friend is doing it.

Much in the same way Blindspotting made Oakland its third main character, this movie does the same with its titular city. Through Jimmie and Montgomery’s eyes we see a changing San Francisco. The effects of gentrification and economic disparity are subtly on display, the extremes between the haves, have-nots and those struggling to find footing sitting smack-dab in the middle difficult to miss. There is a streetwise Greek Chorus of young Black men Montgomery analyzes down to their last detail, and when tragedy shocks everyone senseless, it is the soft-spoken writer who forces an entire community to face how they’re feeling about this death while at the same time making them assess their own culpability in allowing something like this to happen.

Some of the story beats are undeniably heavy-handed. Others feel unfinished and not as completely thought out as I’m almost certain the filmmakers intended them to be. But there is so much heart to this story, so much affection for both the two main characters as well as everyone in the community that they end up encountering as they navigate their way through this crazy indescribable trip they are on. The heartbreak is palpable. As is the joy. Most importantly, the insights, even the ones that feel unfinished, are authentic and pure, the observational articulateness of this tale frequently moving me to the edge of tears.

Fails is very good, while Glover, Morgan and especially a superb Arnold make deep, long-lasting impressions that lingered with me long after I left the theatre.

Adam Newport-Berra’s cinematography is a constant revelation, and I was equally astonished by the passionately subtle depth of composer Emile Mosseri’s expressively evocative score. But for me the real surprise was Majors. Montgomery is a fascinating character who only grows in resonance as the film goes on. Majors builds his performance with hushed vitality, his titanic explosion near the film’s climax an absolute stunner. The actor has a magnetically soulful eloquence that blew me away, his and Fails final scenes so intimately terrific I’m certain I’ll be thinking about them for the remainder of the year, all of which helps make The Last Black Man in San Francisco a towering achievement I’m ecstatic to be able to celebrate.

Meetings Events Activities

TO GET A CALENDAR LISTING: To have your meeting or event considered for the Community Calendar, please mail, fax, or drop off details to: SGN, Attn: Community Calendar, 1707 23rd Ave., Seattle, WA 98122. SGN phone: (206) 324-4297. E-mail: sgn2@sgn.org.

INCLUDE: Date, time, location, contact phone # for publication (if possible), brief description of event & sponsoring organization. DEADLINE: Tuesday 5pm. ACCESSIBILITY: Is your event accessible to LGBTQ people with visible or hidden disabilities? See Jean’s List webpage www.scn.org/activism/calendar/disabilities. html for Marla Nonken’s disabilities accommodations lists.

NOTE: 10-digit dialing has come to the Seattle area. The (206) area code must now be used to dial local calls. Location of meetings/events is in Seattle unless otherwise noted.

SATURDAY - June 29

CAPITOL HILL PRIDE FESTIVAL. See our Pride Events Calendar for details on this and other Pride Weekend activities. Seattle Frontrunners Fun Run. 9am. Greenlake (outside Evans Pool). Every Saturday. GLBT running & walking club sponsors weekly runs, monthly potlucks, track & field activity, annual Run With Pride. (206) 4488518. www.seattlefrontrunners.org.

Positively Living Coffee Social. 10am-12 noon. Cupcake Royale, 1111 E Pike St. Every Saturday. Casual social get-together for the HIV community. (206) 9571600. Sponsored by LIfelong. 20th Annual Arts in Nature Festival (6/29-6/30). Sat: 11am-8pm; Sun: 11am-6pm. Camp Long in West Seattle, 5200 35th Ave SW. FREE all weekend long, the Arts in Nature Festival will feature 50+ local artists across the fields of music, dance, comedy, and more at Camp Long, Seattle’s only campground. Food trucks, beer garden and interactive art included! Experience works from local favorites like Cherdonna, Tiffany Wilson, Hollis Wong-Wear, AU Collective + Coyote Central, NW Tap Connection, and many more. Proudly produced by Delridge Neighborhoods Development Association, you can learn more about this year’s Arts in Nature Festival at www.dnda.org/festival.

New Beginnings (SLAA). 12-1pm. Peer Seattle, 1520 Bellevue Ave #100, Room 3. Meets daily. Sex and Love Addicts Anonymous is a 12-step/12-tradition-oriented fellowship of men and women who share their experience, strength and hope to overcome sex and love patterns of addiction. (206) 322-2437; www.peerseattle.org. Oasis Youth Center in Tacoma - For Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender & Questioning Youth, Ages 14-25. 6pm-12 midnight. Call for location & details. Every Saturday. (253) 671-2838. www.oasisyouthcenter.org.

SUNDAY - June 30

SEATTLE PRIDE PARADE AND FESTIVAL.

See our Pride Events Calendar for details on this and other Pride Weekend activities. Center for Spiritual Living. 9am meditation; 9:30am & 11am services. The Mountaineers, 7701 Sand Point Way NE. Blessings & we hope to see you soon! (206) 527-8801 ext 203, www.cslseattle.org Seattle Unity Church. 9am & 11am Sunday Services. 200 8th Ave N. “Come join our Gay & Lesbian-friendly, spiritual family at Seattle Unity Church. Our mission is to bring love, miracles & spiritual awakening into everyday life!” (206) 622-8475; www.seattleunity.org. Seattle Soto Zen. 9:15am Zazen Instruction, 9:30am Zazen. 101 Nickerson St, Lower Level. Follow the traditional forms of the Soto school of Zen in a spirit of warmth & inclusion. Anyone interested in meditation, whether new or experienced in Zen practice or other traditions, is welcome. (206) 323-1659, www.seattlesotozen.org Gay Men’s Bowling in Everett 9:30am. Glacier Lanes, 9630 Evergreen Way, Everett. Every Sunday. Spectators welcome. Join us for lunch afterwards! Sponsored by the Snohomish County Gay Men’s Task Force. For info email John at johndmarsh@mac.com; www.gaysnohomish.org University Lutheran Church. 9:30am Worship, 10:30am Coffee Fellowship, 11am Adult Forum & Education Hour. 1604 NE 50th St. All are welcome. We choose love. (206) 525-7074. universitylutheranseattle.org East Shore Unitarian Church. 10am Sunday Service. 12700 SE 32nd St, Bellevue. An open & affirming congregation. (425) 747-3780. Gethsemane Lutheran Church. 10am Worship. 911 Stewart St. A downtown faith community centered in justice. An open & affirming congregation. (206) 682-3620. Plymouth Church United Church of Christ. 10am Worship. 1217 6th Ave. Love your (LGBTQ) neighbor as yourself. (206) 622-4865, plymouthchurchseattle.org

University Congregational United Church of Christ. 9am all ages education; 10am Worship. 4515 16th Ave NE. UCUCC is an open & affirming congregation. (206) 524-2322; www.universityucc.org.

Wallingford United Methodist Church. 10am Worship. 2115 N 42nd St. A progressive congregation. In 1984 Wallingford UMC became the 9th reconciling Methodist church in the U.S. (206) 547-6945 (office); (206) 2855077 (George).

All Pilgrims Christian Church. 10:30am Worship. 500 Broadway E. Come as you are. All are welcome. A congregation of the Disciples of Christ & the United Church of Christ. (206) 322-0487, www.allpilgrims.org

First Church - First United Methodist Church of

community calendar

Seattle. 10:30am. 180 Denny Way. (Enter on 2nd Ave N for worship.) Welcome to First Church, a progressive community advocating for the homeless and hungry, and creating a refuge of inclusive Christianity. First Church is a proud member of the Reconciling Ministries Network. (206) 622-7278; firstchurchseattle.org

Northminster Presbyterian Church. 10:30am Worship. 7706 25th Ave NW. A village church in the city open to all. (206) 783-3402. www.northminsterpres.org (Conveniently located a block from the Metro #40 bus route.)

St. Clement’s Episcopal Church. 10:30am Worship. 1501 32nd Ave S. Great music. Dynamic preaching. Holy communion. Encountering the transformative and unconditional love of God in Christ. Join us! www. stclementseattle.org

Seattle Sunday Bowling. 10:30am. West Seattle Bowl, 4505 39th Ave SW (at SW Oregon St). Open bowl every Sunday for the GLBT community & friends. You don’t have to worry about how you bowl! $6.50 + $3 shoe rental. (425) 785-4729.

Welcome Table Christian Church. 9:45am Meditation; 10:30am Worship; Labyrinth 2nd Sundays 1-4pm. 1322 S Bayview St. Where people of all genders and sexualities, and families of all shapes & sizes are welcome and celebrated. A welcoming and affirming community since 1987. welcometablecc.org Westside Unitarian Universalist Congregation. 10:30am. 7141 California Ave SW. (206) 935-0418, office@wsuu.org, www.wsuu.org 20th Annual Arts in Nature Festival. 11am-6pm. Camp Long in West Seattle, 5200 35th Ave SW. FREE all weekend long. (See Saturday listing for details.) www. dnda.org/festival.

Emerald City Metropolitan Community Church Seattle. 11am Worship. Chapel at University Temple United Methodist Church, 1415 NE 43rd St. MCC is a progressive Christ-centered faith community committed to providing a nurturing environment for individual & community growth thru Jesus Christ while celebrating unity in diversity. MCC is Seattle’s oldest Gay-friendly church. (206) 325-2421, www.mccseattle.org.

Meditation for GBT Men. 11am-1pm. Cal Anderson House, 400 Broadway. Suitable for beginning & experienced meditators. Sponsored by Dharma Buddies. Contact Forrest Rode, (206) 920-6117, or Doug Allison, doug.l.allison@gmail.com. Find us under “Dharma Buddies” on Meetup.com or at DharmaBuddies.org. (Women are invited to contact our sister meditation group at www. LotusSisters.org.)

St. Paul’s Episcopal Church. 11:15am (also 7:30am, 9am, 5pm). 15 W Roy St. We are an accepting, progressive, Anglo-Catholic parish, renewing its people for their Christian lives in today’s world through worship, spiritual formation, engagement in the arts, and acts of compassion. www.stpaulseattle.com

Just for Today (NA). 12-1:15pm. Peer Seattle, 1520 Bellevue Ave #100. Every Sunday. Drop-in 12-step Narcotics Anonymous group open to anyone in recovery. (206) 322-2437; www.peerseattle.org

New Beginnings (SLAA). 12-1pm. Peer Seattle, 1520 Bellevue Ave #100, Room 3. Meets daily. (See Saturday listing at noon for details.)

Paths to Recovery Al-Anon Family Group. 12-1:30pm. Seattle University Student Center, 901 12th Ave, Room 122. Every Sunday. LGBTQ supported. The Al-Anon Family Groups are a fellowship of relatives & friends of alcoholics who share their experience, strength & hope in order to solve their common problems. We believe alcoholism is a family illness & that changed attitudes can aid recovery. Greater Seattle AIS 24-hour number (206) 625-0000; www.seattle-al-anon.org

Orca Swim Team Workout. Sun: Afternoon; Mon/ Weds/Fri: Evenings; Tues/Thurs: Mornings. Seattle University, Redhawk Center, 14th Ave & E Cherry St. Pre-registration required. Orca Swim Team workouts are for both competitive & recreational swimmers. www. orcaswimteam.org

Rain City Soccer Club - Kickabout. Sunday afternoon usually at 3pm. Location varies. Join us for Seattle’s mostly-weekly mostly-LGBTQ pickup soccer game. We play an organized, 2-hour scrimmage on nice fieldturf surface. Sometimes there is a brief training/practice session before we play. Usually there is a “one-beer” after the scrimmage. To sign up visit www.raincitysoccer.org

Shame to Grace (SAA). 6-7:30pm. Peer Seattle, 1520 Bellevue Ave #100. Every Sunday. Sex Addicts Anonymous is a fellowship of men & women who share their experience, strength & hope with each other so they may overcome their sexual addiction & help others recover from sexual addiction or dependency. Seattle SAA helpline (206) 237-8828, SAA International Service Organization 1-800-477-8191. (206) 322-2437. www. peerseattle.org

Integrity/Puget Sound. 7pm Worship & Fellowship. St. Mark’s Cathedral, Thomson Chapel, 1245 10th Ave E. Integrity is an international ministry of Gay & Lesbian Episcopalians, their friends & families, dedicated to education, support & service within the Church & the GLBT community. (425) 226-2746.

MONDAY - July 1

New Beginnings (SLAA). 12-1pm. Peer Seattle, 1520 Bellevue Ave #100, Room 3. Meets daily. (See Saturday listing at noon for details.)

SOBER On Meds. 1-2pm. Peer Seattle 1520 Bellevue Ave #100. Every Monday. 12-step group open to anyone in recovery & living on a medicine regimen. (206) 3222437; www.peerseattle.org

Strength Over Speed (SOS). 2-3:30pm. Peer Seattle, 1520 Bellevue Ave #100. Peer support for Gay and Bisexual men recovering from crystal meth addiction. www.strengthoverspeed.org. (206) 322-2437. Orca Swim Team Workout. Evening. Seattle University, Redhawk Center, 14th Ave & E Cherry St. (See Sunday afternoon listing.)

Meditation Class for LGBTQ Seniors. 6:30pm. GenPride Senior Center, 401 Broadway E, Suite 223. Free class every Monday for LGBTQ seniors, their caregivers and allies. Beginners welcome. www.gapseattle.org Freely Speaking Toastmasters. 7pm. Gay City, 517 E Pike St, downstairs space. Every Monday (except holidays & the last Mondays in August & December). Seattle’s only LGBT speaking club. www.FreelySpeaking.org

Trans Youth Group. 7-8:30pm. Lambert House, 1818 15th Ave. Every Monday. A chance for youth to talk with others about their experiences & concerns related to identifying as Transgender. www.lamberthouse.org

Destiny/Unity AA Meeting in Tacoma 7:30-8:30pm. Christ Episcopal Church, 310 N “K” St, Tacoma. Every Monday. LGBTQ-friendly AA meeting. (253) 474-8897. (Also meets Fridays.)

Lambert House Art Night. 7:30-9:30pm. 1818 15th Ave. Every Monday. Bring your ideas & let’s have some fun. (206) 322-2515, www.lamberthouse.org

Washington Gender Alliance Support Group Meeting in Shoreline 7:30pm. Center for Human Services, 17018 15th Ave NE, Shoreline. Every Monday. www. washingtongenderalliance.com

TUESDAY - July 2

Orca Swim Team Workout. Morning. Seattle University, Redhawk Center, 14th Ave & E Cherry St. (See Sunday afternoon listing.)

New Beginnings (SLAA). 12-1pm. Peer Seattle, 1520 Bellevue Ave #100, Room 3. Meets daily. (See Saturday listing at noon for details.)

LGBTQ+ Group. 1:15-2:15pm. Orion Center, 1828 Yale Ave. Every Tuesday. A group for LGBTQ youth ages 13-24 & their allies. Sponsored by YouthCare. (206) 622-5555.

defeatHIV Community Advisory Board (CAB). 5:307:30pm. Cal Anderson House, 400 Broadway @ E Jefferson St. Meets 1st Tuesday each month. CAB builds community involvement in order to advance defeatHIV’s clinical research into a potential gene therapy cure for HIV infection. If you want to learn more about our efforts to ensure that all of Seattle’s communities that are affected by HIV have a strong voice in the cure research of defeatHIV, please come to one of our community dinner meetings. More info, contact Michael Louella, (206) 667-5810; mlouella@fredhutch.org

Gay Men’s Task Force of Snohomish County in Everett 6-8pm. Snohomish Health District, 3020 Rucker Ave Ste 309A, Everett. Meets 1st Tuesday each month. Open to all Gay & Bisexual men in Snohomish County. “We will be discussing issues concerning the local Gay community & value your opinion, voice, comments, suggestions & attendance. Come join us as we build community in Snohomish County.” David, (425) 339-5238. LGBTQ Questioning & Allied Youth Drop-in Group in Renton 6-8pm. Renton Area Youth Services (RAYS), 1025 S 3rd St, Renton. Every Tuesday. Confidential. Snacks provided. Bring friends or come alone - anyone 12-18 is welcome. Questions? Call Sarah Hardin, (425) 271-5600 ext 155, or email sarahh@rays.org

Strength Over Speed (SOS). 6-7:30pm. Peer Seattle, 1520 Bellevue Ave, Suite 100. Peer support for Gay and Bisexual men recovering from crystal meth addiction. www.strengthoverspeed.org. (206) 322-2437; www. peerseattle.org

Diverse Harmony. 6:30-9pm. Seattle First Baptist Church, 1111 Harvard Ave. Every Tuesday. Diverse Harmony is the nation’s first Gay/Straight Alliance Youth Chorus. Youth ages 13-22 are welcome regardless of sexual orientation. www.diverseharmony.org

Seattle Tennis Alliance Summer Social Doubles. 6:30-8:30pm. Lower Woodland Tennis Courts, 5773 W Green Lake Way N. Most Tuesdays & Thursdays. Courts #5, 6, 7 & 8. June-August. Weather permitting. Pre-pay online if possible. seattletennisalliance.org

No Man’s Land - For Female-Identified Youth, Ages 22 & Under. 7-8:30pm. Lambert House, 1818 15th Ave. Every Tuesday. Topics range from family issues to school happenings to like/lust/love relationships. All Queer females welcome. Come discuss how smart. strong Queer women live their lives. (206) 322-2515, www.lamberthouse.org

“This Is Gay Porn: A Public Health Conversation on the Effects of Porn on Men Who Have Sex With Men.” 7-9pm. Gallery Erato/Pan Eros Foundation, 309 1st Ave S. Lifelong presents an evening with porn star/ director Trenton Ducati, sex therapist/counselor Ash Anthony, and researcher Kimberly Nelson, Ph.D. More info at www.pan-eros.org.

Tuesday Night Sex Addicts Anonymous (GLBTQI). 7-8:30pm. All Pilgrims Christian Church, 500 Broadway E (enter at 509 10th Ave E; buzz in, Colonial room). Every Tuesday. SAA is a fellowship of men & women whose primary purpose is to stop addictive sexual behavior & help others recover from sexual addiction. Seattle SAA helpline (206) 237-8828. SAA International Service Organization 1-800-477-8191. Men’s Discussion Group. 7:30-9pm. Peer Seattle, 1520 Bellevue Ave, Suite 100. Every Tuesday. Peer group for Gay & Bi men. (206) 322-2437; www.peerseattle.org

Here & Now Gay & Lesbian AA Meeting in Tacoma 7:30pm. Christ Episcopal Church, 310 N “K” St, Tacoma. Every Tuesday.

Spiritual Empowerment. 7:30-9pm. Peer Seattle, 1520 Bellevue Ave, Suite 100. A vibrant drop-in workshop for those of any spiritual belief. (206) 322-2437; www. peerseattle.org

Seattle Poetry Slam. Doors 8pm, Show 8:30pm. Rebar, 1114 Howell St. Every Tuesday. A spoken word poetry event that features a weekly open mic, feature poet, and slam (poetry competition). Come out and express yourself. LGBTQ- & QTPOC-friendly; all genders welcome. $5. 21+. seattlepoetryslam.org

WEDNESDAY - July 3

Mature Friends Walk Around Greenlake. 11am. Meet up at 10:50am with a group of older men gathered at the north end of the parking lot that is next to the boathouse along the southwest side of Greenlake. Every Wednesday. Walk around Greenlake followed by lunch at a local restaurant. www.maturefriends.org

New Beginnings (SLAA). 12-1pm. Peer Seattle, 1520 Bellevue Ave, Suite 100, Room 3. Meets daily. (See Saturday listing at noon for details.)

True Colors: Connecting LGBTQ Teens in Shoreline 4-5pm. Every Wednesday. Discussing your important issues, building a supportive community. For information, location & to REGISTER call Lindsay Bagley (206) 362-7282 x 8018 or email lbagley@chs-nw.org

Living Positively. 5-7pm. Lifelong, 1016 E Pike St., 3rd Fl. Every Wednesday. Social and support group for the HIV community with various topics for discussion and conversation. (206) 957-1600 or www.lifelong.org. Sponsored by Lifelong.

GLOBE (GLBTQ Loving Ourselves, Becoming Empowered): A Support Group for GLBTQ+Youth (14-20) serving Snohomish County & surrounding communities. 6-8pm. Phone or email for location. Every Wednesday. Sponsored by PFLAG Everett. Brenda, (425) 263-2908. globeleaders@hotmail.com

Queer Seattle Book Club. 6pm. University Book Store Cafe, 4326 University Way NE. Every Wednesday. Check online for this month’s title. https://faculty.washington.edu/swittet/SGLBookClub/

Southeast Seattle Lesbian Evening Group. 6pm. Southeast Seattle Senior Center, 4655 S Holly St. Meets 1st Wednesday each month. RSVP to Kate Hawkins (206) 722-0317. www.sessc.org. FREE.

Lotus Sisters Meditation & Dharma DiscussionNorth. 6:15-8pm. Ravenna Bryant neighborhood. Every Wednesday. Call (206) 525-7295 for location. www. LotusSisters.org.

Seattle Frontrunners Fun Run. 6:30pm. Volunteer Park, 14th Ave E & E Prospect St. Every Wednesday. Meet at Black Sun sculpture across for museum. (See Saturday at 9am.)

Orca Swim Team Workout. Evening. Seattle University, Redhawk Center, 14th Ave & E Cherry St. (See Sunday afternoon listing.)

Ingersoll All-Trans Drop-In Support Group. 7-9pm. Seattle Counseling Services, 1216 Pine St, Suite 300. Every Wednesday. All Transgender, Gender Variant, Gender Queer, Gender Questioning, allies, family & friends are welcome. This is a drop in group to get & give support, social interaction & information for the whole Gender community. No fee, donations welcome. www. ingersollcenter.org

Mature Friends Weekly Bridge Group. 7pm. Wallingford Community Senior Center, lower level of Good Shepherd Center, 4649 Sunnywide Ave N. Every Wednesday. All levels welcome. MF is a social organization for Gay men & women, 40 years & over. www. maturefriends.org

PFLAG/Renton Monthly Meeting. 7pm. St Luke’s Episcopal Church, 99 Wells Ave S, Renton. Meets 1st Wednesday each month. Parents & Friends of Lesbians & Gays is a national support organization for parents, spouses & families of GLBT persons, as well as those minorities. PFLAG/Renton: 425-235-4139. PFLAG/ Puget Sound: (206) 325-7724. www.seattle-pflag.org.

Mature Friends Pinochle Group. 7:30pm. Wallingford Community Senior Center, lower level of Good Shepherd Center, 4649 Sunnywide Ave N. Meets 1st & 3rd Wednesday each month All levels welcome. MF is a social organization for Gay men & women, 40 years & over. www.maturefriends.org

Washington Gender Alliance Open Support Meeting in Everett 7:30-9pm. Everett United Church of Christ, 2624 Rockefeller Ave, Everett. Every Wednesday. Trained peer facilitators lead a structured support meeting helping people deal with issues of gender identity & expression. All adults are welcomed, including those who are questioning, allies, or identify as FTM, MTF, Transgender, Queer, or Intersex, among others. (360) 445-2411; www.washingtongenderalliance.com.

Pride Skate Seattle. 8:30-11pm. Southgate Roller Rink, 9646 17th Ave SW. Meets 1st Wednesday each month. $8 admission includes skate rental. Must be 18+, with 21+ bar. Performances, roller skating, and fun! See you there! www.southgaterollerrink.com

community calendar

THURSDAY

- July 4

HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY!

NOTE: Some regularly scheduled events listed here may not be held today. Call or check online if unsure.

ALISS - Aging Lesbians in South Seattle Lunch Gathering. 11:30am-2:30pm. Southeast Seattle Senior Center, 4655 S Holly St, Rainier Ave S & S Holly St., Arts & Crafts Room. Meets 1st Thursday each month. This is a group primarily for Lesbians but all are welcome to attend. Facilitator: Fai Coffin; Cost: Free for gathering; $5 suggested donation for lunch. Metro route 7. Wheelchair accessible. Kate, (206) 722-0317; www.sessc.org.

BABES Women’s Support Group/Lunch Meeting. 12-2pm. Call for location. Every Thursday. The BABES Network is a peer led agency; a sisterhood of women facing HIV together. (206) 720-5566 or 888-292-1912; www.babesnetwork.org.

New Beginnings (SLAA). 12-1pm. Peer Seattle, 1520 Bellevue Ave, Suite 100, Room 3. Meets daily. (See Saturday listing at noon for details.)

Safe and Sober (AA). 12-1pm. Peer Seattle, 1520 Bellevue Ave, Suite 100. Open meeting of Alcoholics Anonymous. (206) 322-2437; www.peerseattle.org

Oasis Youth Center in Tacoma - For Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender & Questioning Youth, Ages 14-25. 4-10pm. Call for location & details. Every Thursday. (253) 671-2838, www.oasisyouthcenter.org (Also Fridays 4-10pm & Saturdays 6pm-12 midnight.)

B-GLAD (Bisexual, Gay, Lesbian, Trans & Questioning Adolescent Drop-In Group). 6:30-8pm. Call for location. Every Thursday. Sponsored by Youth Eastside Services, which offers many programs for GLBT youth. (425) 747-4937.

Seattle Tennis Alliance Summer Social Doubles. 6:30-8:30pm. Lower Woodland Tennis Courts, 5773 W Green Lake Way N. Most Tuesdays & Thursdays. Courts #5, 6, 7 & 8. June-August. Weather permitting. Pre-pay online if possible. seattletennisalliance.org

Buddhism & Recovery. 7:30-9pm. Peer Seattle, 1520 Bellevue Ave, Suite 100 Every Thursday. A meditation/ recovery group. (206) 322-2437; www.peerseattle.org

Emerald City Social Club. 7:30pm. Call for details & location - phone staffed most Tuesday evenings or leave message. Meets 1st Thursday each month. ECSC is a confidential crossdressing social & support organization for Transvestite & Transsexual individuals, primarily MTF, which offers confidential membership, private monthly meetings, frequent events on the town, & help in coming out. (425) 827-9494.

Gay Fathers Association of Seattle. 7:30-9pm. Group Health, 201 16th Ave E, Central Bldg, Lower Atrium. Every Thursday. Support meetings for Gay fathers & Gay men who are currently or previously married. Safe, anonymous, non-judgmental environment of caring fathers & friends. You are not alone. For information, community events & “questioning” visit www.gfas.org or our message board at http://groups.yahoo.com/groups/ gayfathersseattle

Gay Male Sexuality & Relationships. 7:30-9pm. Peer Seattle, 1520 Bellevue Ave, Suite 100. Every Thursday. Ongoing support group open to Gay and Bisexual men. (206) 322-2437; www.peerseattle.org [NOTE: Please contact the facilitator prior to attending.]

FRIDAY - July 5

Ageless in Recovery (AA). 12-1pm. Peer Seattle, 1520 Bellevue Ave, Suite 100. Every Friday. A drop-in AA group for 55+. (206) 322-2437; www.peerseattle.org

New Beginnings (SLAA). 12-1pm. Peer Seattle, 1520 Bellevue Ave, Suite 100, Room 3. Meets daily. (See Saturday listing at noon for details.)

Road to Recovery (SLAA). 12-1:30pm. Peer Seattle, 1520 Bellevue Ave, Suite 100. Every Friday. Ongoing 12-step group for sex and love addicts. (206) 322-2437; www.peerseattle.org

Oasis Youth Center in Tacoma - For Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender & Questioning Youth, Ages 14-25. 4-10pm. Call for location & details. Every Friday. (253) 671-2838, www.oasisyouthcenter.org (Also Thursdays 4-10pm & Saturdays 6pm-12 midnight.)

LGBTQ & Allies 18+ Free Friday Night Drop-In Volleyball. 6-7:45pm. Miller Community Center, 330 19th Ave E. Every Friday. (206) 684-4753. Orca Swim Team Workout. Evening. Seattle University, Redhawk Center, 14th Ave & E Cherry St. (See Sunday afternoon listing.)

Strength Over Speed (SOS). 6-7:30pm. Peer Seattle, 1520 Bellevue Ave, Suite 100. Peer support for Gay and Bisexual men recovering from crystal meth addiction. www.strengthoverspeed.org. (206) 322-2437; www. peerseattle.org

Game Night. 7pm-11pm. Peer Seattle, 1520 Bellevue Ave, Suite 100 Every Friday. Card games, board games and fellowship. (206) 322-2437; www.peerseattle.org

Lambert House Queer Movie Night. 7-9:30pm. Lambert House, 1818 15th Ave. Every Friday. Lambert House is a nationally-recognized activities & resource center for GLBT & questioning youth, ages 14-22. (206) 322-2515, www.lamberthouse.org

Rain Country Dance Night. 7-11pm, lessons at 7:15pm. The Cuff, 1533 13th Ave. An evening of country-western dancing for the LGBTQ community. FREE. www.raincountrydance.org.

Destiny/Unity AA Meeting in Tacoma 7:30-8:30pm. Christ Episcopal Church, 310 N “K” St, Tacoma. Every Friday. LGBTQ-friendly AA meeting. (253) 474-8897. (Also meets Mondays.)

LGBT Friday Night Al-Anon Family Group. 8-9pm. Peer Seattle, 1520 Bellevue Ave, Suite 100, Room 3. Every Friday. The Al-Anon Family Groups are a fellowship of relatives & friends of alcoholics who share their experience, strength & hope in order to solve their common problems. We believe alcoholism is a family illness & that changed attitudes can aid recovery. Greater Seattle AIS 24-hour number (206) 625-0000; www.seattle-al-anon. org; (206) 322-2437; www.peerseattle.org

SATURDAY - July 6

(See previous Saturday for ongoing activities.)

SUNDAY - July 7

(See previous Sunday for ongoing activities.) Knights of Mantra Monthly Meeting. 3pm. The Cuff, 1533 13th Ave. Meets 1st Sunday each month. K of M/ Jet Chapter is a fun-loving leather/Levi social & charitable organization that raises money for various causes & organizations. (206) 329-0886. www.facebook.com/ kofmjetchapter/ PFLAG/Whatcom County (Bellingham) Monthly Meeting. 5pm. Community Food Co-op Bakery, 405 E Holly St, Bellingham. Meets 1st Sunday each month. Parents & Friends of Lesbians & Gays is a national support organization for parents, spouses, & families of GLBT persons, as well as those minorities. www.whatcompflag.org; PFLAG/Puget Sound: (206) 325-7724.

COMMUNITY RESOURCES

Allyship - an organization of LGBTQ individuals fighting for economic and social justice. www.LGBTQAllyship. org, allyship@yahoo.com, (206) 279-8169. American Veterans for Equal Rights - www.aver.us Another Gay Social Club! - www.meetup.com/AnotherGay-Social-Club/ Bellingham/Whatcom County - www.theslowlane. com/guide.html

BiNet Seattle is a mixed gender, social group for Bisexuals, their partners & other Bi-friendly folks - www. binetseattle.org.

Bremerton/Kitsap County - www.outwestsound.org

Capitol Hill Alano Club - www.chacseattle.org

Cascade Rainbow Community Center (Mount Vernon) - (360) 840-8499 and on Facebook.

COLAGE unites people with LGBTQ parents and caregivers into a network of peers and supports them as they nurture and empower each other to be skilled, self-confident, and just leaders in our collective communities - www.colage.org

Central Washington University GALA Hotline: (509) 963-1994.

DIFFA/Northwest (Design Industries Foundation Fighting AIDS). (206) 763-8885; www.diffanorthwest. org

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE & SEXUAL ASSAULT: Crisis Clinic, (206) 461-3222 (24 hour line); King County Sexual Assault Resource Center (KCSARC) - 24-hour crisis line for information, support, & medical & legal assistance: 1-888-99-VOICE; Northwest Networksupport & advocacy for Bisexual, Trans, Lesbian & Gay Survivors of Abuse & Dating Violence, (206) 568-7777 (voice), 517-9670 (tty), www.nwnetwork.org; Pierce County Domestic Violence Helpline: Teresa, (253) 798-4166; Seattle Counseling Service for Sexual Minorities - offers on-going support groups for men: 323-1768; Seattle Police Dept Domestic Violence Unit, (206) 684-0330; State Wide Domestic Violence Hot Line, 1-800-562-6025. In an emergency call 911 Report domestic violence and sexual assault. Equal Rights Washington - (206) 324-2570; www. equalrightswashington.org Everett/Snohomish Cty - www.gaysnohomish.org Freely Speaking Toastmasters - www.freelyspeaking.org

Gay City promotes wellness in LGBTQ communities by providing health services, connecting people to resources, fostering arts, and building community. Gay City Health Project’s Wellness Center provides anonymous & confidential HIV/STD testing. 517 E Pike St. More info or to schedule an appointment, (206) 860-6969. www.gaycity.org

Gay & Lesbian National Hotline (GLNH): 1-888-THEGLNH (1-888-843-4564). Non-profit, peer-counseling, information & local resources telephone hotline for GLBT people across the country.

Generations Aging With Pride empowers elder LGBTQ adults to live with pride and dignity by promoting, connecting, and developing innovative programs and services that enhance belonging and support, eliminate discrimination, and honor the lives of older members of our community - (206) 393-3400; info@gapseattle.org; gapseattle.org

GLSEN/WA - Gay, Lesbian, Straight Education Network - (206) 330-2099; www.glsenwa.org

Greater Seattle Business Association (GSBA) - (206) 363-9188; www.thegsba.org

HIV/AIDS Program, Seattle/King County Dept of Public Health, provides confidential/anonymous information about & testing for HIV/AIDS. (206) 205-7837. For a comprehensive list of HIV/AIDS service organizations see the GSBA Guide or visit www.thegsba.org or call Lifelong AIDS Alliance, (206) 328-8979.

Imperial Sovereign Court of Seattle & the Olympic & Rainier Empire - www.facebook.com/ISCSORE; www. imperialcourtofseattle.com

Lambert House - (206) 322-2515; www.lamberthouse.

org

LGBT Library - 517 E Pike St. Open Mon-Fri 2-8pm; Sat 2-5pm. A wide range of fiction and non-fiction for the LGBT community and allies can be borrowed free of charge.

LGBT MS Connection - (425) 785-8593; lgbtmsconnections@comcast.net. Support group for LGBT persons with MS and their partners and their caregivers. Sponsored by the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. Lifelong AIDS Alliance - (206) 328-8979, www.lifelongaids alliance.org

Lion’s Main Art Collective - www.lionsmain.org

MEN: Gay City: (206) 860-6969, www.gaycity.org; Knights of Mantra: (206) 329-0886, www.jetchapterkofm.com; Mature Friends: Gay men & women 40 & over, www.maturefriends.org; Northwest Bears: www. nwbears.com; The Olympians: www.TheOlympians. net; POZSeattle: www.pozseattle.com; Q-Squared: www.qsquared.org; Rain City Jacks: www.raincityjacks. org; Seattle Gay Couples: www. seattlegaycouples.org; Seattle Men in Leather: www.seattlemeninleather. org; Seattle Prime Timers: Gay & Bi men 40 & over, www. seattle primetimers.org; Tacoma Older LGBT: www. tacomaolderlgbt.org. (See also listings under Bisexual, Parenthood, People of Color, Transgender.)

MUSIC: Diverse Harmony: www.diverseharmony. org; Rainbow City Band: 1-866-841-9139 ext 2126; rainbowcityband@onebox.com; www.rainbowcity band. com; Seattle Men’s Chorus and Seattle Women’s Chorus: (206) 388-1408, (206) 323-0750. www.seattlechoruses.org.

Northwest Lesbian & Gay History Museum Project - gayhistnw@aol.com

Northwest Rainbow Alliance for the Deaf - www. nwrad.org

Olympia/Thurston County - www.RainbowCenterOly. org

Out & Equal Workplace Advocates/Seattle Regional Affiliate supports the work of LGBT employees and the growing number of ERGs (Employee Resource Groups) making a difference within local companies, including Alaska Airlines, Amazon.com, Amgen, AT&T, Bank of America, Deloitte, Macy’s, Microsoft, Russell Investments, Safeco Insurance, Starbucks Coffee, Xerox. www.outandequal.org/affiliates/seattle Out & Proud Grays Harbor Coalition - http://outandproudgh.org

PARENTHOOD: Families Like Ours provides a gateway for LGBT families interested in adoption & provides a network of safe placement agencies, training, support & resources: (206) 441-7602, www.familieslikeours. org; Family Works offers support, information & activities for LGBT families: (206) 694-6727, www.familyworksseattle. org; Gay Fathers’ Association of Seattle offers support groups & social activities: www.gfas. org; Proud & Loud Families - Northwest, www.meetup.com/proudand-loud-families-northwest, plfnorthwest@aol.com; Queer Parent Networking Dinners: (206) 568-7777, qpnd@nwnetwork.org, www.nwnetwork.org; Rainbow Families of Puget Sound: www.rainbowfamiliesps.org

PFLAG is the national organization for parents, families, allies, and LGBTQ people united for equality with chapters in Seattle, Bellevue/Eastside, the Puget Sound region and across Washington state. PFLAG Seattle: (206) 325-7724, info@pflagseattle.org, and www.pflagseattle.org; PFLAG Bellevue/Eastside: (425) 483-6642, info@bellevue-pflag.org, http://community. pflag.org/PFLAGBellevue; PFLAG Pacific Northwest: www.pnwpflag.org; PFLAG Washington State: www. pflagwsc.org.

Peer Seattle (formerly Seattle Area Support Groups) is a non-profit organization that builds community and cultivates powerful, healthy lives by providing emotional support and personal development services to those affected by HIV/AIDS, the Queer communities, and those who love them. Our work is done in a spirit of safety, trust, inclusiveness, and celebration of individual differences. (206) 322-2437; www.peerseattle.org

PEOPLE OF COLOR: AARTH (African American Reach & Teach Health Ministry), (206) 850-2070, www.aarth.org; Asian/Pacific Islander Queer Network Program at API Chaya, (206) 467-9976; Center for MultiCultural Health, (206) 461-6910, www.multiculturalhealth.org; Entre Hermanos, GLBT Latinos/as, (206) 322-7700, www.entrehermanos.org; Ile LaiLai, (206) 781-3565, iya@ilelailai.org; Men of All Colors & Cultures Together (MACCT), (206) 923-8313, macctseattle@yahoo.com, www.macctsea.org; Northwest Two Spirit Society, https://www.facebook.com/ groups/nw2spiritsociety/, Nubian Pride Productions, nubianpride@gmail.com; People of Color Against AIDS Network (POCAAN) offers rapid HIV testing, M-F, 10am-5pm, (206) 322-7061, www.pocaan.org and on Facebook; QBASS - Queer Black Alliance of the South Sound, (253) 256-1846, weareqbass@gmail. com; Sistah 2 Sistah, LBT women of African descent, (206) 322-7061, (206) 255-8951; Somos Seattle, somosseattle.org; Trikone-Northwest, GLBT South Asians, (425) 985-4376, www.trikonenw.org; Two-Spirit Honor Project, 1-866-685-0164; U.T.O.P.I.A. Seattle, www.utopiaseattlewa.org; VietQ Greater Seattle, vietqorganization@gmail.com

Pierce County AIDS Foundation - (253) 383-2565; www.piercecountyaids.org Pride Foundation - (206) 323-3318; www.pridefoundation. org Pride Lives - www.facebook.com/PrideLives/

Project NEON is a program of Seattle Counseling Service providing FREE information & services to Gay & Bi men to reduce health risks associated with metham-

community calendar

phetamine use. (206) 323-1768. www.crystalneon.org

Public Health-Seattle & King County Online Comprehensive Health Information for Sexual Minorities: www.kingcounty.gov/healthservices/health/personal/ glbt.aspx

Q Law: The GLBT Bar Association of WA - (206) 682-6711; www.q-law.org

Q Law GLBT Legal Clinic - (206) 235-7235. Queer Geek! - queergeekseattle.org

Rainbow Center - Resource Center for Tacoma/Pierce County LGBTIQA community. Through education, advocacy and celebration, the Rainbow Center expands resources, and safe space for the LGBTQIA community. Sponsors Tacoma Pride Festival. (253) 383-2318, www. rainbowcntr.org

SEAMEC interviews, researches & rates candidates for public office on issues of concern to the LGBT community. www.voteseamec.org

Seattle Area Support Groups & Community Center (SASG) i- SEE LISTING for Peer Seattle.

Seattle Bisexual Women’s Network - BiSeattle.wixsite. com/SBWN and on Facebook.

Seattle Counseling Service for Sexual Minorities is a community mental health service for GLBT persons & their families providing comprehensive mental health services on a sliding scale. (206) 323-1768.

Seattle LGBTQ Commission - (206) 684-4503. www/ seattle.gov/lgbtq Seattle Out & Proud - (206) 322-9561; www.seattlepride.org

Seattle Police Department Sexual Minorities Community Advisory Council: kim.bogucki@seattle.gov Seattle PrideFest - www.seattlepridefest.org Servicemembers Legal Defense Network - (202) 328-3244; www.sldn.org Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, The Abbey of St. Joan - (206) 860-3666; www.theabbey.org

Snohomish Health District HIV/AIDS Program provides free confidential/anonymous HIV counseling & testing 9am-5pm Monday-Friday, until 7pm Tuesdays. (425) 339-5298.

South Sound Q Calendar - LGBTQ events in Tacoma, Olympia & Sound Puget Sound area; www.SouthSoundQCal.com Spokane/Inland Northwest - www.outspokane.com; www.stonewallnews.net

SPORTS & RECREATION: Bent Car Guys: www. bentcarguys.org; Border Riders Motorcycle Club:

www.borderriders.com; Bottom Dwellers Scuba Club: www.bottomdwellers.org; Capitol Hill Cyclers: join their Facebook group or email capitolhillcycling@ groups.facebook.com or jordan.l.simonson@gmail.com; Cascade Flag Football: www.cascadeflagfootball.org; Cascade Flyers: www.cascadeflyers.org; Emerald City Mudhen Rugby: www.mudhenrugby.com; Emerald City Softball Association: www.emeraldcitysoftball. org, www.eteamz.com/womensecsa; Ethyl Forever Car Club: ethylforever@hotmail.com; Festival of the Babes: www.festivalofthebabes.com; Olympic Yacht Club: www.oycnw.org; OutVentures: outdoor education & recreation activities, www.outventures.org; Pacific Northwest Gay Rodeo Association: www.pacificnwgra.org; Puddletown Squares: www.puddletownsquares.org; Rain City Soccer: www.raincitysoccer.org; Rain Country Dance Association: a country-western dance organization catering to the LGBTQ community but open to all, www.raincountrydance.org; Sea Dawgs: LGBT ice hockey - SkateSeaDawgs@gmail.com and on Facebook; Seattle Frontrunners: www.seattlefrontrunners.org; Seattle Gay Basketball Association: www. seattlegaybasketballassociation.com; Seattle Orca Swim Team: www.orcaswimteam.org; Seattle Otters Water Polo: www.otterpolo.com; Seattle Quake Rugby: www.quakerugby.com; Seattle Tennis Alliance: www. seattletennisalliance.org; Seattle Unified Bowling Association (SUBA): magee98106@aol.com, www. teamseattle.org/bowling.htm, www.theprideleague. com, Century 21 League; Seattle Volleyball Club: www.seattlevolleyballclub.com; Ski Buddies: www. skibuddies.org; Team Seattle Gay Sports Network is an umbrella organization for a wide range of local GLBT sports activities, (206) 367-4064, www.teamseattle.org (see website for comprehensive list of sports clubs); Triangle Recreation Camp at Bender Creek: recreational camping for GLBT folks. Must be 21; ID required. trc@ camptrc.org, www.camptrc.org, 1122 E Pike St #1069, Seattle 98122-3934. Strength Over Speed - www.strengthoverspeed.org Tacoma/Pierce County - Rainbow Center, 2215 Pacific Ave, Tacoma, a resource center for the LGBTIQA community of Pierce County, (253) 383-2318, www. rainbowcntr.org

Three Dollar Bill Cinema - TWIST: Seattle Queer Film Festival; Translations: Seattle Transgender Film Festival; Outdoor Cinema at Cal Anderson Park. www. threedollarbillcinema.org

TRANSGENDER: Emerald City Social Club: (425) 827-9494; Gender Alliance of the South Sound: www.SouthSoundGender.com; Gender Diversity:

www.genderdiversity.org; Gender Justice League: www.genderjusticeleague.org; Gender Odyssey: www.genderodyssey.com; Hermanos Trans Latino & Foreign-Born Support Group: (206) 322-7700; Ingersoll Gender Center: (206) 329-6651, www. ingersollcenter.org; Lion’s Main Art Collective: www. lionsmain.org; The New BoyZ Club: www.olympiaftmgroup.webs.com; Olympia Trans Discussion Group: www.facebook.com/pages/Olympia-Trans-DiscussionGroup/262449878114; [trans] ACTION: Trans* & Gender Non-Conforming Sex Workers’ Support Group - a safe, peer-led space. mail@utopiaseattle.org; TRANSform Washington: transformwashington.com; Trans Resource & Referral Guide: kctransguide.org; Washington Gender Alliance: (360) 445-2411, www. washington genderalliance.com

WOMEN: Aging Ballard Lesbian Exchange (A.B.L.E.): We are Lesbians 60 years (generally) and up, living (mostly) in the north half of Seattle. The purpose of the group is to connect, socialize and support each other. ruthemilyvogel@gmail.com; Aging Lesbians in South Seattle (ALISS) - Lesbian Group at the Southeast Seattle Senior Center. This is a gathering primarily for Lesbians but all are welcome to attend. Kate, (206) 722-0317; www.sessc.org; BABES: support groups for HIV+ women. (206) 720-5566, 1-888-292-1912; Coming Out Women Support Group of Tacoma: www. comingoutwomen.org; Festival of the Babes: www. festivalofthebabes.com; Mature Friends: Gay men & women 40 & over, www.maturefriends.org; Puget Sound Old Lesbian Organizing for Change: http:// psoloc.org, (253) 777-3357; Older Lesbians Organizing for Change/WA State Chapter: gloria@oloc.org, mary@oloc.org, www.oloc.org; Pacific Northwest Lesbian Archives: www.pnwlesbianarchives.org; RainshadowWomen: RainshadowWomen@aol. com; Seattle Bisexual Women’s Network: BiSeattle. wixsite.com/SBWN; Seattle Girls of Leather: www. sgol.org; Tacoma Lesbian Concern (TLC): www.tacomalesbianconcern.org; Tacoma Older LGBT: www. tacomaolderlgbt.org; Women of West Seattle (WOWS): a fun, member-driven social group for Lesbians, http:// groups.yahoo.com/group/womenofwestseattle; YWCA Women’s Health Outreach: providing low or no-cost mammograms for income eligible 40+ LBTQ individuals. Follow us at http://lbtqhealth-ywca.blogspot.com, twitter.com/ingridWHO or email lbthealth@ywcaworks. org, (206) 461-4493. (See also listings under Bisexual, Parenthood, People of Color, Transgender.)

YOUTH: B-GLAD (Bisexual, Gay, Lesbian, Trans & Questioning Adolescent Drop-In Group): Youth Eastside Services offers many programs for GLBT youth, including B-GLAD, (425) 747-4937; Coyote Central: www.coyotecentral.org; Diverse Harmony: www.diverseharmony. org; GLSEN/Washington State (Gay, Lesbian, Straight Education Network) & Washington State GSA (Gay-Straight Alliance) Network: GLSEN works to create safe schools for LGBT students. WA GSA Network supports youth-led GSA’s to fight harassment & homophobia in Washington state schools. (206) 330-2099; www.glsenwa. org; www.wagsa.org. GLOBE (GLBTQ Loving Ourselves, Becoming Empowered): a support group & HIV/STD prevention program for GLBTQ youth, 14-20, in Everett, (425) 263-2908, www. globeyouth.org; It Gets Better Project: www.itgetsbetter.org; Lambert House: an activities & resource center for LGBT youth, 14-22, in Seattle, 1818 15th Ave @ E Denny Way; (206) 322-2515, www.lamberthouse.org; Lifelong HEYO (Health Education Youth Outreach): for LGBTQ youth, ages 16-24: (206) 957-1665; www. llaa.org/HEYO; www.MatthewsPlace.com ; The Mockingbird Society: (206) 323-KIDS (5437), www. mockingbirdsociety.org; Oasis Youth Center: for GLBTQ youth, ages 14-25, in Tacoma, (253) 671-2838, www.oasisyouthcenter.org; OKAY! LGBTQ+ Outreach for Kent Area Youth: (253) 859-0699 ext 3034. OKAY! is an open support group for youth ages 13-19 who identify as LGBTQ+. A program of Kent Youth & Family Services; OUT There Adventures: www.outthereadventures.org; Parents, Family & Friends of Lesbians & Gays (PFLAG)/Puget Sound: (206) 325-7724, www. seattle-pflag.org; Peace for the Streets by Kids from the Streets (PSKS) Drop-In Center & Young Adult Shelter: 1609 19th Ave @ E Pine St., (206) 726-8500; www.psks.org; Pizza Klatch: weekly lunchtime support groups for LGBTQ youth in Thurston County, www. pizzaklatch.org; Prism: for LGBTQ youth, 14-21, in Puyallup - Cherise.Alexander@ multicare.org; www. facebook.com/PuyallupPrism; Proud Out Wonderful (POW!): for LGBTQ youth, 13-21, in South King County, (206) 326-9112, www.facebook.com/proudoutwonderful; Q Youth Resources: in Kitsap County - (360) 698-3335; www.kchaf.org; Renton Area Youth Services (RAYS): LGBTQ, questioning and allied youth drop-in group, ages 12-18 - Sarah Hardin, (425) 271-5600, ext 155; sarahh@rays.org; Roots Young Adult Shelter: 1415 NE 43rd St., (206) 632-1635; www.rootsinfo.org; Safe Schools Coalition: www.safeschoolscoalition.org; (206) 451-SAFE, (206) 451-7233 (non-emergency), 1-877-SAFE-SAFE (1-877-723-3723) (crisis line); Seattle Young People’s Project (Queer Youth Resource Board): (206) 860-9606, www.sypp.org; Street Youth Ministries (SYM): (206) 524-7301 ext 111; www. streetyouthministries.org; Teen Link: (206) 461-4922, 1-888-431-TEEN; The Trevor Project: 866-4-U-Trevor; www.thetrevorproject.org; True Colors - Connecting LGBTQ Teens: in Shoreline, (206) 362-7282 x 8018, lbagley@chs-nw.org; Vista Youth Center: for LGBTQ, questioning and allied youth, ages 14-21, in Kennewick, (509) 396-5198, www.vistayouthcenter.org; YouthCare/ Isis Program (Transitional Living Home for LGBTQ Young Adults, 18-22): (206) 522-8412; YouthCare/ Orion Center Young Adult Shelter: 1828 Yale Ave @ Stewart St. (206) 622-5555; Youth in Focus: (206) 723-1479; www.youthinfocus.org; Youth Suicide Prevention Program (OUTLoud-GLBTQ): (206) 297-5922, ext 116, 1-800-273-TALK, www.yspp.org

County Council confirms members of task force focused on gender identity and sexual orientation

SEATTLE (June 26, 2019) – The Metropolitan King County Council today confirmed the appointments of twenty community leaders to serve on a new task force that will address gender identity and sexual orientation inclusion in King County’s broad spectrum of programs and services. The task force will develop a recommended countywide inclusion strategy and work plan to help ensure that all people are accurately and respectfully served.

King County is committed to eliminating inequities and promoting fairness and opportunity for all. The task force will help bring visibility to often underserved individuals by highlighting the importance of fair and equitable access to county services, improving opportunities for engagement through community outreach, and participating in important dialogue on county policies and practices.

The county legislation was sponsored by Council Chair Rod Dembowski and Councilmembers Jeanne Kohl-Welles, Dave Upthegrove, Joe McDermott, and Claudia Balducci.

The task force will engage with stakeholders and community members in an effort to spread awareness and understanding of gender-nonconforming individuals and their experience with county departments and facilities. It will review the current state of questions regarding gender identity and sexual orientation in King County processes, such as forms, interviews, and questionnaires; assess the experience of individuals accessing county services; identify processes that should be modified; and make training recommendations for county employees.

Membership of the task force includes representatives from the ACLU of WA, the Chief Seattle Club, Entre Hermanos, Gay City, Generations Aging with Pride, the

Gender Justice League, the Greater Seattle Business Association, Ingersoll Gender Center, Legal Voice, the People of Color Against AIDS Network (POCAANN), the Pride Foundation, Seattle Counseling Services, the Seattle Indian Health Board, Surge Reproductive Justice, the United Territories of Pacific Islanders Alliance (UTOPIA), the King County Executive’s Office, the King County Council, and the King County Human Resources Department.

“I thank the King County Council for recognizing how our community has grown and changed, and for the Council’s well-thought-out response in creating this task force,” said Marsha Botzer, task force member. “I know that together we will do much good for our community, and I appreciate the opportunity to serve with such a fine group of leaders.”

“This is important and serious work,” said Council Chair Rod Dembowski. “It’s

a chance for us to learn, assess, and do better – not only to be more inclusive and responsive but to ensure that access to our systems and services are fair and just for all members of our community. This task force has an incredible opportunity to make transformative change through its recommendations in a way that will meaningfully impact people’s lives in a very real way.”

“I’m excited to work with this group of talented individuals to truly make our government work for all people – regardless of their gender identity or sexual orientation,” said Councilmember Jeanne Kohl-Welles. “Access to government is something many of us take for granted. Nonetheless, too many of our neighbors and community members have historically been left out of the democratic process. This task force is an important first step in righting this wrong and working toward reversing inequities across our county’s government.”

“It’s worth noting that we are appointing the Gender Identity Task Force on the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots,” said Councilmember Joe McDermott. “The riots, which began the modern civil rights movement for the LGBTQ+ community, were led by drag queens, so continuing this work in this way is fitting for our past and future.”

“We have made exciting progress toward equality for the LGBTQ+ members of our community – progress that would have been almost unimaginable 50 years ago before the Stonewall uprising in New York City,” said Council Vice Chair Claudia Balducci. “But our work is still far from complete. This task force will help us better understand the challenges facing so many in King County and help us advance toward full inclusion and equality.”

Courtesy of the King County Council

Community organizations urge Seattle to live up to its promises on police accountability

SEATTLE (June 21, 2019) – Today a broad coalition of more than two dozen community organizations delivered a letter to the mayor and city councilmembers urging the City of Seattle to live up to promises made over many years to have a stronger police accountability and disciplinary system the community can trust, and to come into full compliance with a federal consent decree entered more than seven years ago.

Judge James L. Robart found on May 21 that the City had partially fallen out of compliance with the consent decree due to the elimination of police accountability reforms unanimously adopted by the City Council in 2017, caused by implementation of the collective bargaining agreement (CBA) negotiated with the Seattle Police Officers Guild in 2018. The accountability reforms had long been advocated by community leaders, the Community Police Commission (CPC), and its experts. Last December, the court requested a briefing on changes made by the CBA to the accountability ordinance and other Seattle Police Department policies and procedures, and whether those changes undermined or threatened to undermine the purposes of the consent decree to deliver to the people of Seattle constitutional policing, and policing in which the community can have trust and confidence.

The CPC and its nationally recognized expert, retired judge and former Office of Professional Accountability (OPA) auditor Anne Levinson, submitted to the court her detailed analysis and assessment of how the

CBA deviated from and weakened accountability measures that had been legally adopted and publicly committed to in the accountability ordinance and other policies and practices. Judge Robart found this assessment sufficiently compelling to rule that the City was not in compliance with the consent decree with regard to accountability when misconduct occurs, and to order the City and US Department of Justice, with the help of the Independent Monitor and the CPC, to submit a plan by July 15 for how the City proposes to achieve compliance.

Advocates are now demanding that city leaders follow through on commitments made to the community over many years, respect the work done by the community and the Community Police Commission, and get into full compliance. The CPC’s detailed assessment that served as the basis for the court’s ruling identified the significant problems created by the CBA and the City’s failure to implement other promised accountability reforms. Community leaders are concerned that city leaders once again are delaying promised reforms rather than acting swiftly and comprehensively as repeatedly promised to the public.

In their letter, advocates called for the City to follow through on its commitments and show results.

“The cycle of bargaining away accountability and continued promises put on the shelf must end now,” said Rev. Harriett Walden, founder of Mothers for Police Accountability. “The City must respect the work of the CPC and its

experts, as reflected in their earlier filings to the court, and use it to move the City into full compliance. The City should not start all over again, ignoring local expertise and experience, and once again promising things will change in the future.”

“Police must be accountable to the communities that they serve. The City Council agreed when [it] unanimously passed Seattle’s accountability ordinance two years ago, but the proposed contract [it] approved betrayed that commitment,” said Michele Storms, executive director of the ACLU of Washington. “The City must act now and without delay to propose a lasting solution to end its cycle of broken promises on accountability.”

“The Memorandum of Understanding between the City and the Department of Justice seven years ago created and tasked the CPC with assessing the police accountability system and making recommendations on how to improve it. The CPC has done so over a course of years, using local and national expertise and the experience of the community,” said Diane Narasaki, co-chair of the Asian Pacific Islander Coalition of King County. “It is long past time for the City to listen to and respect the community, its assessment and recommendations, and use that as the framework to respond to Judge Robart’s order. It’s time for the City to follow through on its promises to the community.”

Signees include the following: ACLU of Washington

Asian Bar Association of Washington

Asian Counseling and Referral Service (ACRS)

Asian Pacific Directors Coalition

Asian Pacific Islander Coalition (APIC) of King County

Byrd Barr Place

Casa Latina

Chinese Information and Service Center

Church Council of Seattle

Coalition Ending Gender-Based Violence

El Centro de la Raza

Faith Action Network

Fred T. Korematsu Center for Law and Equality

John T. Williams Organizing Coalition

Latino Civic Alliance

Legacy of Equality, Leadership and Organizing (LELO)

Loren Miller Bar Association

Mothers For Police Accountability

Northwest Immigrant Rights Project

Not This Time

OneAmerica

Public Defender Association

QLaw Association of Washington

Seattle Women’s Commission

Seattle/King County NAACP

The Defender Initiative, Seattle University School of Law

Vietnamese Community Leadership Institute

Five questions NBC debate moderators should ask 2020 Democratic presidential candidates

NEW YORK (June 26, 2019) –GLAAD, the world’s largest LGBTQ media advocacy organization, today challenged all five moderators in this week’s 2020 Democratic presidential debates to use the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Inn riots, an event that sparked and fueled the overall LGBTQ movement of the last fifty years, to make LGBTQ acceptance and issues affecting the LGBTQ community a main topic of discussion during the first debates in the 2020 presidential election year.

“Particularly on the eve of the historic 50th anniversary of the Stonewall riots, it’s important for media and those seeking the highest office in the land to discuss issues facing LGBTQ voters,” said Sarah Kate Ellis, president and CEO of GLAAD. “No candidate or political party should take the support of LGBTQ Americans for granted. This is an opportunity to discuss LGBTQ issues as we head toward the most consequential election of our lifetime.”

Here is a sampling of questions tonight’s debate moderators should ask the 2020

Democratic presidential candidates:

1. What are your plans to achieve full equality under the law for all LGBTQ people in this country?

According to the Movement Advancement Project (MAP), LGBTQ Americans could still be:

• fired from their jobs in 26 states,

• denied housing in 26 states,

• fefused goods and services in 27 states, and

• turned down by adoption agencies in 42 states.

Further, if an LGBTQ person experiences a hate crime, anti-LGBTQ attackers can still claim the so-called “gay/trans panic” defense in court in 44 states.

2. A poll released this week from GLAAD shows that LGBTQ acceptance overall has stalled – and even moving backward among younger generations. How will you use the power of the bully pulpit to reverse this trend and lead our country to 100% LGBTQ acceptance?

A new poll conducted by GLAAD and Harris Poll found acceptance for the

LGBTQ community has waned in the last two years under the Trump administration, with only 45% of younger non-LGBTQ Americans ages 18-34 saying they were “comfortable” with the LGBTQ community.

3. Will you support federal measures to forever ban so-called “conversion therapy” practices?

Approximately 18 states and Washington, DC have effectively banned any so-called “conversion therapy” practices. These “ex-gay” camps could cause longterm damage to LGBTQ people. This investigative report by ABC News’ “20/20” program brings light to what kind of damage “conversion therapy” programs could cause.

4. What will you do to stop the epidemic of violence plaguing the transgender community, specifically transgender women of color?

Violence against the transgender community, particularly transgender women of color, has skyrocketed in the last four years. So far in 2019, about ten transgender people

have been murdered, repeating a national trend since 2016.

• 2018: 25 transgender people were murdered.

• 2017: 26 transgender people were murdered.

• 2016: 27 transgender people were murdered.

5. What are your plans to reverse the 115 anti-LGBTQ actions made by the Trump administration?

Following the election of Donald Trump, GLAAD created its Trump Accountability Project (TAP) as a resource for journalists, editors, and other newsmakers reporting on the Trump administration, which catalogues the anti-LGBTQ statements and actions of President Donald Trump and those in his circle.

Since the start of his term in office, President Trump and his administration have issued more than 115 attacks in policy and rhetoric against the LGBTQ community.

Courtesy of GLAAD

GLAAD releases new media guide: “Covering 2020: A Tip Sheet for Journalists Covering the 2020 Election”

NEW YORK (June 26, 2019) –GLAAD, the world’s largest LGBTQ media advocacy organization, ahead of tonight’s first 2020 Presidential debates, today announced the first in a series of tip sheets for journalists covering the 2020 election aimed at informing national and political media about the top issues facing LGBTQ Americans. GLAAD’s guide, “Covering 2020: Vol. 1, A Tip Sheet for Journalists Covering the 2020 Election” [www.glaad. org/sites/default/files/GLAAD%20Tip%20 Sheet.pdf], covers LGBTQ-specific topics, like banning so-called conversion therapy practices, while also focusing on the breadand-butter issues that directly impact all voters, including LGBTQ families.

GLAAD’s “Covering 2020” tip sheet release comes in the wake of a new survey from GLAAD and the Harris Poll released yesterday, which found that LGBTQ acceptance fell amongst younger American voters ages 18-34, to a 45% level of “comfort” compared to 53% just last year.

“As we see acceptance of LGBTQ people wane within younger generations, it’s imperative for the media to cover our issues and perspectives and ask all 2020 presidential candidates the tough questions about what their plan is to help the LGBTQ community feel safe and accepted in the United States,” said Sarah Kate Ellis, president and CEO of GLAAD. “We have a great deal yet to accomplish in order to achieve full

equality and acceptance, and it’s critical that candidates in both parties and in the media address the issues that matter and not erase LGBTQ people from the 2020 narrative.”

GLAAD urges the media to use its “Covering 2020” tip sheet as a compass for covering LGBTQ-specific issues that matter to LGBTQ Americans. From the horrific violence transgender women of color face to the growing movement of LGBTQ organizations and allies demanding additional nondiscrimination protections for LGBTQ Americans, such as the Equality Act, the media have a responsibility to not just tell these stories but demand answers from elected leaders who wish to be in the

Oval Office come January 2021. So far under his presidency, President Trump and his administration have been responsible for issuing more than 115 attacks against LGBTQ Americans in policy and rhetoric since taking office in 2017. The entire list of the Trump administration’s anti-LGBTQ actions, which include Trump’s ban on allowing transgender Americans from enlisting in our nation’s armed forces to opposing the Equality Act, can be found by visiting GLAAD’s Trump Accountability Project at www.glaad.org/ trump.

Courtesy of GLAAD

GLAAD applauds inclusion of LGBTQ issues by NBC News hosts and multiple candidates in Democratic presidential debate

NEW YORK (June 26, 2019) –GLAAD, the world’s largest LGBTQ media advocacy organization, released the following statement by Sarah Kate Ellis, GLAAD’s president and CEO, after the conclusion of the first 2020 Democratic presidential debate.

“GLAAD commends tonight’s inclusion of LGBTQ issues by debate moderators in this first debate of the 2020 presidential cycle. […] Putting LGBTQ-specific

issues front and center stands in stark contrast to the rhetoric and record of the Trump administration, which has put a target on the backs of LGBTQ people and other marginalized communities since the day he took office.”

GLAAD’s chief programs officer, Zeke Stokes, attended the debate and was live-tweeting from @GLAAD. GLAAD responded after debate moderators prompted a conversation that included the

top issues facing LGBTQ Americans, with many candidates detailing how they would empower and promote LGBTQ acceptance if elected president of the United States.

GLAAD has been on the frontlines protecting the progress the LGBTQ community has made since the beginning of President Trump’s administration. This administration has been responsible for issuing more than 115 attacks against LGBTQ Americans in policy and rhetoric

since taking office in 2017. The entire list of the Trump administration’s anti-LGBTQ actions, which include Trump’s ban on allowing transgender Americans from enlisting in our nation’s armed forces to opposing the Equality Act, can be found by visiting GLAAD’s Trump Accountability Project at www.glaad.org/trump.

Courtesy of GLAAD

NDAA amendment introduced in House to ensure all qualified Americans can serve in the military

WASHINGTON, DC (June 25, 2019)

– Today, the Modern Military Association of America (MMAA) – the nation’s largest nonprofit organization for the LGBTQ military and veteran community – hailed the introduction of an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that would make eligible for military service any qualified American who can meet standards, regardless of race, color, national origin, religion or sex –including gender identity or sexual orientation.

Introduced today by Rep. Jackie Speier (D-CA), chair of the HASC MilPers Subcommittee, along with Reps. Joe Kennedy (D-MA), Anthony Brown (D-MD), and Susan Davis (D-CA), the measure would

simply put into statute the Department of Defense’s own inclusive language used in its military equal opportunity program.

“This critically important amendment would help ensure any qualified American – including transgender patriots – are able to serve our country in the military,” said MMAA executive director and Navy veteran Andy Blevins. “What really matters for military service is whether a person is able, qualified, and willing – not who they are or where they come from. Passing this measure would send a powerful message of inclusion, strengthen military readiness, and allow the military to recruit the best and the brightest our nation has to offer. We urge the House Rules Committee to pass this amendment, and we thank Reps. Jackie

Speier, Joe Kennedy, Anthony Brown, and Susan Davis for their leadership on this issue.”

The amendment text can be found [at https://modernmilitary.us6.list-manage. com/track/click?u=6ba3bca82f2464234 c183780b&id=cba567166a&e=95186fb 95e], and the House Committee on Rules is expected to consider the measure the week of July 8. The amendment would codify the Department of Defense’s own language.

The 2016 DoD Directive 1020.02E, Diversity Management and Equal Opportunity in the DoD, states [that] equal opportunity is “critical to mission accomplishment, unit cohesiveness, and military readiness.”

The directive states that all service members should be “afforded equal opportunity

in an environment free from harassment, including sexual harassment, and unlawful discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex (including gender identity), or sexual orientation.”

The Modern Military Association of America (MMAA) is the nation’s largest nonprofit organization for LGBTQ service members, military spouses, veterans, and allies. Created through the merger of OutServe-SLDN and the American Military Partner Association, the MMAA is “the voice of the LGBTQ military and veteran community.” Find out more at www.ModernMilitary.org

Courtesy of the MMAA

HRC: SCOTUS decision on census upholds importance of full participation

WASHINGTON, DC (June 27, 2019)

– Today, the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), the nation’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) civil rights organization, responded to a decision by the Supreme Court in Department of Commerce v. New York rejecting the Trump-Pence administration’s proposal to add a citizenship question to the 2020 US Census based on an inadequate administrative explanation.

“The Trump-Pence administration’s citizenship question is dangerous, unnecessary, and motivated by politics,” said HRC Legal Director Sarah Warbelow. “The Supreme Court’s decision recognizes widespread concern over the administration’s

political motivation and stated reasoning behind the addition. Our work is not over –every person in the United States needs to ensure they are counted next year. We will continue fighting with coalition partners to ensure that data remains protected and that the Census has a count that reflects the true character of America.”

Today’s ruling demands that the US Census provide more extensive reasoning and explanation behind such a divisive addition. Last month, the New York Times reported on newly discovered documents that showed how Republican operatives pushed to add a citizenship question to the census in order to deny communities of color health care and other resources, so as

to ensure the electorate is whiter and supports the GOP.

The HRC has pushed back against the Trump-Pence administration’s demonization of immigrants, refugees and asylum seekers at every turn. We have endorsed and lobbied for passage of the DREAM Act, which would give a path to citizenship for millions of undocumented people who were brought here as children – including tens of thousands of LGBTQ DREAMers. We have called out the horrific policies that tear families apart at the border and demanded humane treatment of LGBTQ people – and all people – in immigration detention. We have denounced the State Department’s severe cuts in refugee admis-

sions and worked with our partners to tell the stories of LGBTQ refugees and asylum seekers fleeing violence at home. And we have joined the Muslim community in condemning Trump’s discriminatory Muslim ban.

The Human Rights Campaign is America’s largest civil rights organization working to achieve equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer people. The HRC envisions a world where LGBTQ people are embraced as full members of society at home, at work, and in every community.

Courtesy of the HRC

Jayapal statement on Supreme Court ruling on census citizenship question

WASHINGTON, DC (June 27, 2019)

– “The census is an American institution and a critical tool that helps us understand who we are and what we need to thrive. Its purpose is to count every single person in America – a count that impacts and informs how we distribute resources and representation in Congress – and it depends entirely on people’s full participation,” said Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-WA).

“The Supreme Court found that the Trump administration used a ‘contrived’ justification to completely retool the census. Although the Supreme Court’s decision is an important temporary victory, our fight is far from over. While the court stopped the Trump administration from adding a citizenship question to the 2020 census, the court has given the Commerce Department an opportunity to try again in

the future. As this issue goes back to the lower courts, I strongly urge the Census Bureau to cease any future efforts to add a citizenship question to the census. Instead, we must continue to reassure these communities that their participation in the census is safe and necessary. Everyone must be counted. What’s more, we must demand accountability from the Trump administration. It is appalling that the Supreme Court

was forced to intervene and stop an agency from using false pretenses as a ‘distraction’ under ‘unusual circumstances’ to change a fundamental tool of our democracy,” Rep Jayapal concluded.

Courtesy of Rep. Pramila Jayapal

Youth Courage Award winners announced on the eve of Stonewall Uprising 50th anniversary

LOS ANGELES (June 26, 2019) –The Colin Higgins Foundation today announced its 19th Annual Youth Courage Award winners, whom it will recognize for extraordinary leadership and advocacy on behalf of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) youth. The 2019 winners are: Kristina Hernandez, 16, from Las Vegas, NV; and Daniel Landry, 17, from Glenpool, OK; Oliver Burnett, 18, from Pittsburgh, PA; and Jayna Ledford, 19, from Frederica, DE.

Each winner will receive a $10,000 award as well as an all-expenses-paid trip to attend the National LGBTQ Task Force’s Creating Change conference, a prominent LGBTQ advocacy and organizing event, in January 2020 in Dallas, TX.

Award winner Daniel Landry’s story exemplifies how the Trump administration’s transgender military ban is impacting real lives. Growing up in Oklahoma, Daniel did not know the word or anyone that was transgender. So, when he explained his feelings to his siblings at age 11, they were the ones that supported him and helped him find the resources. He still wanted to follow in his older sister’s footsteps by attending Thunderbird Youth Academy, a prestigious military school. He was accepted at Thunderbird and quickly rose to a position of leadership. He was even formally recognized for his performance, where he was in charge of a 35-person platoon. After graduating with several awards, Daniel was accepted to attend the US Naval Academy.

Daniel is now grappling with an uncertain future with the current Trump administration’s transgender military ban and a new Naval Academy admissions rule that bans trans applicants. Daniel’s hard-fought full ride to attend college is no longer an

option. He works three different jobs to support himself as he grapples with his newly uncertain future.

The three other Youth Courage Award winners are helping medical professionals understand transgender patient needs, advocating so LGBTQ students feel safe at school, and performing in the ballet:

Kristina, 16, transitioned at age 11 with a supportive single mother, but in an atmosphere where she experienced bullying and violence. Kristina has become an unrelenting advocate for trans youth in Nevada, where her activism is centered around education. She works alongside her mother at Gender Justice Nevada and leads peer support and community outreach. She recently was instrumental in Nevada in passing SB 225, which ensures that all students are protected in school. She is currently continuing her activism in Nevada and pursuing her GED in the hopes of attending college and earning a degree in early education.

Oliver, 18, has been a frequent visitor to doctors, specialists, and his local hospital due to several medical conditions. Because of Oliver’s health challenges, he has become uniquely exposed to the medical community. While navigating the health care system, he experienced a lot of pain and obstacles trying to obtain the care he needed. He also became acutely aware of the discrimination that many of his friends faced while trying to obtain medical care. In response, he volunteers at the University of Pittsburgh, addressing inequality in health care for the LGBTQ population, and specifically that of transgender patients. This involvement led him to develop a workshop designed to educate doctors and medical staff on transgender patient care. This workshop has been implemented to

train all of the first-year residents at Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh. He does this while enrolled in college, pursuing a double degree in physics and linguistics.

Jayna is a resolute 19-year-old transgender dancer who is redefining the modernday ballerina by being the first transgender ballerina to ever compete in a national ballet competition (which took place in March 2019). Unwilling to exist solely within the confines of gender as a child, Jayna Ledford’s personal evolution as a transgender female has been a lifelong process. She describes herself as always being genderfluid and having strong family and community support. It wasn’t until age 18, last year, that she came out as a trans woman. Ballet has been her passion. As a child, whether identifying as male or female, Jayna was practicing ballet. She was recognized for her skill and ability early on and has been afforded a platform that she is now using to tell her story. Currently, she is making plans to pursue a degree in communications and continue her ballet training.

“Transgender youth bear a huge burden under the Trump administration, but they are also showing an incredible amount of courage by just being out and sharing their stories,” said James Rogers, board president of the Colin Higgins Foundation. “Colin Higgins would not only take pride in each our Youth Courage Award winners, I’m sure he would have wanted more people to know about their strength, determination, and courage to be true to themselves.”

Hollywood filmmaker Colin Higgins established the foundation in 1986 to support his humanitarian vision, with special focus on the LGBTQ community. Since his death in 1988, the Colin Higgins Foundation has awarded more than 660 grants

totaling more than $5.7 million and since 2000 has honored more than 62 Courage Award winners.

About Colin Higgins Foundation / Youth Courage Awards

Colin Higgins is best known as the screenwriter of the classic films Harold and Maude and as the writer-director of 9 to 5 and The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas. The Youth Courage Awards were established in 2000 to further the spirit and lifework of Colin Higgins. All his films celebrate courage and integrity in the face of adversity: Harold and Maude find love despite the objections of family and society, the brave heroes of 9-5 find fulfillment and save the company by learning to appreciate their individual talents and differences, and the shunned madam of The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas transforms the lives of many through her kindness and generosity.

The Colin Higgins Foundation is administered by Tides, a nonprofit social enterprise that provides financial and management services to donors and doers. Tides actively promotes change toward a healthy society, one which is founded on principles of social justice, broadly shared economic opportunity, a robust democratic process, and sustainable environmental practices. Tides believes healthy societies rely fundamentally on respect for human rights, the vitality of communities, and a celebration of diversity.

Courtesy of GoodPR

Jed Foundation and Tyler Clementi Center

to support emotional well-being and mental health of LGBTQ+ college students

NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ (June 26, 2019) – The data don’t lie.

National college surveys show that queer- and trans-spectrum students experience depression, anxiety, self-injury, and suicidal ideation at three to four times the rates of [their] heterosexual and cisgender peers.

They also indicate lower levels of agreement on all measures of campus climate that concern the access for, inclusion of, and level of respect for individual and group needs, abilities, and potential in higher education settings than their heterosexual and cisgender peers.

To address this troubling mental health disparity on college campus, the Tyler Clementi Center, a research center at Rutgers University-New Brunswick that examines the impact of bias, peer aggression, and campus climate on postsecondary students, and the Jed Foundation, a nonprofit that exists to protect emotional health and prevent suicide among our nation’s teens and young adults, are partnering to create a national model to guide colleges and universities in developing, implementing, and refining on-campus programs to support the emotional well-being and mental health of LGBTQ+ college students.

The Clementi Center and the Jed Foundation will develop a set of recommendations focused on sexuality and another focused on gender identity. The goal in creating this “toolkit” – the first of its kind in the country – is to better guide the higher education community and improve the college experience and mental health outcomes for queer- and trans-spectrum college students.

“The Tyler Clementi Center was established to ensure that what happened to Tyler would never befall another student,” said Maren Greathouse, director of the Tyler Clementi Center. “We believe that this toolkit is a huge step in honoring that commitment and protecting the lives of LGBTQ students.”

The Jed Foundation is a nonprofit that exists to protect emotional health and prevent suicide for our nation’s teens and young adults. It is partnering with high schools and colleges to strengthen their mental health,

substance abuse, and suicide prevention programs and systems. It is equipping teens and young adults with the skills and knowledge to help themselves and each other. It is encouraging community awareness, understanding, and action for young adult mental health.

Learn more at jedfoundation.org.

Jayapal statement on passage of emergency border aid bill

WASHINGTON, DC (June 25, 2019) – Today, Rep. Pramila Jayapal (WA-07) issued the following statement regarding the passage of HR 3401, the Emergency Supplemental Bill to Provide Humanitarian Assistance at the Border:

“This bill was the culmination of several days of candid conversations, and I am grateful for the hard work that Speaker Pelosi and House Democrats put into improving the emergency border funding bill to ensure we alleviate inhumane conditions for families and children at the border.

“I’ve worked on immigration issues for over two decades, and this administration’s unconscionable and inhumane treatment of immigrants is the worst I’ve ever seen.

“I am deeply concerned by detention conditions and the Department of Homeland Security’s treatment of people, in particular families and children, seeking safety. That is why I fought so hard to include strict conditions requiring private detention facilities to meet certain standards of care within six months or risk

losing their contract and ensure that crucial protections for children could not be waived. This bill is not perfect, but I am proud that members of the Progressive Caucus stood by our principles to make it better.

“Our work is not done. This Congress must establish a truly humanitarian response to help children and families who are fleeing for their lives. We must stop this crisis at its root, and that will not happen without the renewal of aid to Central America. Further, it is critical that we make fundamental changes to the way we treat people who come to the United States seeking safety.

“We cannot continue Trump’s zerohumanity policies of separating children from their families and forcing people to languish in squalid, overcrowded conditions without access to basic human needs.”

Courtesy of Rep. Pramila Jayapal

The Tyler Clementi Center examines the impact of bias, peer aggression, and campus climate on postsecondary students who experience marginalization or stigma related to their sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, race, ethnicity, nationality, religion/faith, and/or ability

SCOTUS

continued from cover

baker, but instead sent the case back to the court of origin. In a similar case last year, the justices ruled 5-4 in favor of the Colorado baker who turned away a Gay couple, but only on the narrowest of possible grounds – that one member of the Colorado Civil Rights Commission made a remark that could be construed as evidence of antireligious bias.

In this case, the high court instructed the original trial court to revisit the issue with the Supreme Court’s previous decision in mind.

The latest case involves Sweetcakes by Melissa, a custom cake business operated by Melissa and Aaron Klein outside Portland, Oregon. They were asked by a Lesbian couple, Rachel and Laurel BowmanCryer, to create a cake for their wedding.

The Kleins declined, on the grounds that their religion does not recognize samesex marriages, and Bowman-Cryers filed a complaint charging that the bakery violated Oregon anti-discrimination laws. Their complaint was upheld, and the Kleins were fined $135,000. As a result, the Kleins closed their shop.

The case would have given the court’s conservative majority the chance to expand upon its narrow 2018 decision in favor of Jack Phillips, owner of Masterpiece Cakeshop; however, the justices chose not to do so.

among other stigmatized identities/experiences. Learn more at clementicenter.rutgers.edu.

The Oregon challenge went further than the Colorado one because it asked the Supreme Court to overturn its nearly 30-year-old precedent that religious beliefs cannot overcome the need to comply with a law that applies neutrally to everyone.

The underlying legal issue is not limited to cakes and bakers but applies to other creative commercial establishments, such as florists, photographers, and videographers.

The question for the high court is whether they can refuse commercial services available to opposite-sex couples.

Their decision to pass on a comprehensive ruling and send the case back to the trial court saves the Kleins from having to pay the fine, at least for now.

Right-wing legal groups filed friendof-the-court briefs supporting the Kleins, just as they have defended other religious exemption claims involving abortion, contraception, public prayer, and religious displays.

On the other side, LGBT rights groups argued in support of laws in 22 states barring discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. Oregon regulators cited that state’s anti-discrimination law in ruling against and fining the Kleins.

Insiders speculated that the high court is more likely to hear a different case raising the same issue – a dispute between a florist in Washington state and a Gay couple –later this year or in 2020.

Acceptance of LGBTs declines among young Americans, GLAAD poll says

by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer

The percentage of Americans between 18 and 34 years of age who would feel “very” or “somewhat” comfortable with LGBT people has declined for the second consecutive year, GLAAD reported on June 24.

The disturbing finding comes from GLAAD’s fifth annual Accelerating Acceptance Index, a national survey among US adults conducted for GLAAD by the Harris Poll. The index measures American attitudes toward LGBTQ people.

The survey asks respondents to describe their feelings about LGBT people in seven separate social scenarios.

Overall, the percentage of non-LGBTQ adults who said they’d be “very” or “somewhat” comfortable with LGBTQ remained stable at 49%. In 2018, the number showed a decline over the previous year – 49% in the 2018 report versus 53% in the 2017 report.

However, this year’s index found the number of young Americans ages 18-34 who are comfortable across all seven scenarios dropped from 53% to 45%, the second consecutive year that this age group

has shown a drop.

More young people aged 18-34 responded that they were “very” or “somewhat” uncomfortable in three personal scenarios: learning a family member is LGBT (36% uncomfortable in the 2019 report vs. 29% in the 2018 report); learning their doctor is LGBT (34% vs. 27%); and learning their child had a lesson on LGBT history in their school (39% vs. 30%).

Forty-three percent of males aged 18-34 reported that they were uncomfortable learning a family member is LGBT (up from 32% in 2018), and 42% of males ages

Amara recognized by HRC Foundation for LGBTQ inclusion efforts

TACOMA (June 26, 2018) -- Today, Amara, a not-for-profit organization that supports children in foster care and those who love them, proudly announced that it is being recognized in “Celebrating Everyday Change-Makers in Child Welfare” – a firstof-its-kind report highlighting more than 70 child welfare agencies across the country that partnered with the HRC Foundation’s All Children - All Families (ACAF) project to improve the services they provide to the LGBTQ community, including children in foster care and prospective foster and adoptive parents. These organizations serve more than 350,000 clients annually in 23 states and employ nearly 11,000 people.

Nicole Mazen, director of Amara’s foster care program, stated, “We are honored and grateful to be recognized in the HRC’s report as an ‘innovator’ in supporting and serving LGBTQ youth and families experiencing foster care. It’s important to all of us at Amara that we are an open, affirming, and welcoming environment for all children and all families. We are proud to work in partnership with the HRC to strengthen our commitment, developing and implementing new ways of supporting and advocating for LGBTQ children and adults impacted by foster care.”

“Thousands of committed professionals – from frontline workers to executives – know that LGBTQ youth are perfect just the way they are and that removing barriers for potentially qualified LGBTQ foster and adoptive parents is in the best interest of children,” said Alison Delpercio, director of the HRC Foundation’s All Children - All Families Project. “While some of these agencies are taking their first steps toward inclusion and others have been leaders in innovating new approaches, more agencies should look to the policies and practices these organizations are implementing to protect against anti-LGBTQ discrimination and meaningfully engage their communities.”

The agencies featured in this report conducted an internal self-assessment, provided professional development to staff and implemented ACAF’s “Benchmarks of LGBTQ Inclusion,” which track policy and practice changes within agencies. Celebrating Everyday Change-Makers features three “tiers of recognition,” which celebrate the strides agencies have made toward becoming fully LGBTQ welcoming and affirming.

• Building a Foundation for Inclusion: 14 organizations

• Solid Foundation for Inclusion: 25 organizations

• Innovative Inclusion: 32 organizations This work could not be more important. LGBTQ youth are overrepresented in foster care and face increased risk of both negative experiences and outcomes:

• Up to 30% of youth in foster care are LGBTQ;

• LGBTQ youth are twice as likely to report being treated poorly as their nonLGBTQ peers while in care;

• LGBTQ youth have a greater average number of placements than their nonLGBTQ peers; and

• LGBTQ youth are more likely than their non-LGBTQ peers to be placed in congregate care, including group homes.

Since 2007, hundreds of child welfare agencies across the US have used ACAF’s resources to enhance their efforts to achieve safety, permanency, and well-being for LGBTQ youth and families. This new effort marks a major step toward improving the services provided to LGBTQ youth and prospective parents.

18-34 reported that they were uncomfortable learning their child’s teacher is LGBT (up from 37% in 2018).

Forty percent of females aged 18-34 reported that they were uncomfortable learning their child had a lesson on LGBT history in school, an increase of 13 percentage points from the previous year’s findings.

GLAAD president and CEO Sarah Kate Ellis told MSNBC that she blames the decline on the Trump administration and “targeting” by right-wing websites.

The Human Rights Campaign Foundation is the educational arm of America’s largest civil rights organization working to achieve equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer people. The HRC envisions a world where LGBTQ people are embraced as full members of society at home, at work, and in every community.

Founded in 1921, Amara is a nonprofit organization that supports children in foster care, adoptees, and the families who love and care for them, in King County and Pierce County. It does this through three main programs. When a child first enters foster care, Amara provides them with a safe place to land at its emergency sanctuaries. If a child cannot return to their family, Amara prepares foster and adoptive families to care for children until the child is reunited with their family or relatives, or is adopted. Amara recognizes that adoption is a lifetime commitment and continues to be a resource post-adoption for adoptees and those who love them.

Courtesy of Amara

HRC’s first-of-its-kind report highlights efforts by child welfare agencies to better serve LGBTQ youth and parents

WASHINGTON, DC (June 26, 2019)

– Today, the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) Foundation released “Celebrating Everyday Change-Makers in Child Welfare,” a first-of-its-kind report highlighting more than 70 child welfare agencies across the country that partnered with the HRC Foundation’s All Children - All Families (ACAF) project to improve the services they provide to the LGBTQ community, including children in foster care and prospective foster and adoptive parents. These organizations serve more than 350,000 clients annually in 23 states, and employ nearly 11,000.

“Thousands of committed professionals – from frontline workers to executives – know that LGBTQ youth are perfect just the way they are and that removing barriers for potentially qualified LGBTQ foster and adoptive parents is in the best interest of children,” said Alison Delpercio, Director of the HRC Foundation’s All ChildrenAll Families Project. “While some of these

agencies are taking their first steps toward inclusion and others have been leaders in innovating new approaches, more agencies should look to the policies and practices these organizations are implementing to protect against anti-LGBTQ discrimination and meaningfully engage their communities.”

The agencies featured in this report conducted an internal self-assessment, provided professional development to staff, and implemented ACAF’s “Benchmarks of LGBTQ Inclusion,” which track policy and practice changes within agencies. “Celebrating Everyday Change-Makers” features three “Tiers of Recognition,” which celebrate the strides agencies have made toward becoming fully LGBTQ welcoming and affirming:

Building a Foundation for Inclusion: 14 organizations

Solid Foundation for Inclusion: 25 organizations Innovative Inclusion: 32 organizations

The report also features profiles of child welfare organizations that are setting the bar for LGBTQ inclusion, as well as profiles of the LGBTQ youth and clients they serve. Those featured include: Adams County (Colo.) Department of Human Services - Children & Families Division; Children’s Home of Northern Kentucky/CHNK Behavioral Health (Ky.); Children’s Home Society of Florida; Fostering Futures of Ann Arbor, Mich.; Lutheran Child & Family Services of Illinois; and Prince George’s County (Md.) Department of Social Services.

This work could not be more important. LGBTQ youth are overrepresented in foster care and face an increased risk of both negative experiences and outcomes: Up to 30% of youth in foster care are LGBTQ; LGBTQ youth are twice as likely to report being treated poorly as their nonLGBTQ peers while in care; LGBTQ youth have a greater average

number of placements than their nonLGBTQ peers; and LGBTQ youth are more likely than their non-LGBTQ peers to be placed in congregate care, including group homes.

Since 2007, hundreds of child welfare agencies across the US have used ACAF’s resources to enhance their efforts to achieve safety, permanency, and well-being for LGBTQ youth and families. This new effort marks a major step toward improving the services provided to LGBTQ youth and prospective parents.

The Human Rights Campaign Foundation is the educational arm of America’s largest civil rights organization working to achieve equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual transgender, and queer people. The HRC envisions a world where LGBTQ people are embraced as full members of society at home, at work, and in every community.

Courtesy of the HRC

Women’s rights groups defend Trans-inclusive student athletics policy

Reply to lawsuit seeking to bar Trans students from sports teams

by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer

A “united front” of 16 women’s rights and gender justice organizations in Connecticut have released a collective statement in support of Transgender students competing in high-school athletics according to their gender identity.

The statement comes one week after three Connecticut high-school students filed a federal discrimination complaint challenging the state’s policy of letting Trans students compete on sports teams according to their gender identity.

The three students are represented by the anti-LGBT Christian law firm called Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF).

Kate Farrar, executive director of Connecticut Women’s Education and Legal Fund – one of the groups that cosigned the collective statement – told Outsports, “The heart of feminism is acknowledging gender identify and recognizing all aspect of oppression.”

“In that vein,” she continued, “we felt the need to show a united front of support for transgender rights in our state.”

“As organizations that care deeply about ending discrimination against women and girls, we support laws and policies that protect transgender people from discrimination, including in participation in sports,” the collective statement says.

“Together, we reject unfounded fears about transgender athletes in our state and reject the suggestion that cisgender women and girls benefit from the exclusion of women and girls who happen to be transgender.

“Instead, we recognize that all women and girls are harmed when some are denied opportunities to participate in sports because of stereotypes and fear.”

The discrimination complaint was filed on behalf of three girls on June 17 by the ADF, which has also filed over 40 cases against Planned Parenthood.

Planned Parenthood of Southern New England is one of the groups signing on to the statement supporting Trans rights.

The ADF complaint to the US Department of Education alleges that Connecticut’s policy violates Title IX, the federal civil rights law that is meant to ensure students have equal access to opportunities regardless of their sex. The Obama administration held that Title IX actually protects Trans students and gives them the right to compete on teams and use locker rooms and restrooms based on their gender identity.

The complaint, which refers to Trans girls as “biological males,” says that Trans athletes should not be allowed to compete in the category corresponding to their gen-

der identity because it would be unfair to cisgender girls.

“The complaint is alarming; first, because of the misgendering, and second, because of the idea it sends: that it’s appropriate to look behind someone’s gender identity and saying, ‘We don’t think you are real,’” ACLU Connecticut Legal Director Dan Barrett told Outsports

“This complaint is just another way of taking away personal autonomy and making the government ‘the gender police.’ That’s offensive and it’s just another attack on trans people.”

The joint statement of the 16 organizations also affirmed this point, saying, “Transgender girls are girls and transgender women are women. They are not and should not be referred to as boys or men, biological or otherwise.

“We speak from expertise when we say that nondiscrimination protections for transgender people – including women and girls who are transgender – advance women’s equality and well-being.”

National Black Justice Coalition on Democratic debates: Black LGBTQ/SGL rights matter too!

WASHINGTON, DC (June 26, 2019) –In response to the first night of Democratic Debates, David J. Johns, executive director of the National Black Justice Coalition, released the following statement:

“Tonight’s Democratic debate officially kicks off the long road to the 2020 election – the outcome of which will be pivotal in determining America’s future. An eclectic array of Democratic candidates is eager to challenge Trump’s tenure as president and are poised to speak to diverse issues, including the economy, border security, and climate change. While we can expect that every Democratic candidate will speak to the issues with deeper understanding than the current occupant of the Oval Office has demonstrated[…] we are left to wonder who will speak to the unique and often overlooked needs of Black lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and same-genderloving (LGBTQ/SGL) people, families, and communities?

“Since 2016, the current administration has actively worked to restrict existing policies and practices that address the needs of Black LGBTQ/SGL people, communities, and families. Consider efforts to repeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA), which provides quality and affordable health care to millions of Americans, including significant numbers of LGBTQ/SGL people. Black women in particular have received a number of benefits because of the imple-

mentation of the ACA. These are important gains that must be maintained.

“In spite of the fact that Black people continue to be disproportionately impacted by HIV, the current administration fired members of the President’s HIV/ AIDS Advisory Council in 2017. In 2018 the administration pushed the boundaries of legalizing hate speech under the veil of ‘protecting religious liberties.’ Most recently, the administration doubled down on efforts to restrict the ability of LGBTQ/ SGL people to volunteer to serve to defend our country and even threatened the safety of transgender people seeking refuge in shelters. These aforementioned attacks against our community is not exhaustive. It is for these reasons that the Trump administration received a failing grade on our Federal Report Card.

“While the administration attempts to erase and restrict access to opportunities for Black LGBTQ/SGL people, the rates of reported hate crimes are continuing to increase. In 2017 alone, over 1,200 hate crimes were reported based on bias against someone’s sexual orientation or gender identity. And the violence has only escalated. In just the month of June, this year, nine Black trans women have been murdered – that we know of.

“While important to note that the Equality Act was recently passed in the US House of Representatives, more must

be done to ensure that Black LGBTQ/ SGL people are free from harassment, hate crimes, and discrimination. The National Black Justice Coalition will continue to watch the presidential election process unfold and are thankful for Sen. Booker’s acknowledgement of the specific issues facing Black LGBTQ/SGL people. But wouldbe nominees must do better. We eagerly await opportunities to support candidates in speaking to the importance of and creating policy responses that address the unique needs of our diverse community.

“Specifically, the National Black Justice Coalition is eager to hear candidates speak to the following three policy priorities: Civil and legal protections: The Equality Act, criminal justice reform, and removing the barriers to employment and housing that limit economic opportunities 2020 census: to ensure that members of our community are counted so that resources can be apportioned fairly Protect ACA & expand health care: to ensure every American in all 50 states and territories has access to health insurance and ability to receive quality, culturally competent care.”

The National Black Justice Coalition is dedicated to opposing oppression at the intersection of Black and LGBTQ/SGL issues. To learn more about these issues and how to support the cause, check out our Federal Report Card and Public Policy Agenda.

Fast Facts on Key Issues

Health care and Black LGBTQ/SGL people

Before the codification of the ACA, nearly 50 million Americans lacked health insurance; more than 16% of these individuals were Black.

According to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention survey, the share of Black ages 18–64 who lacked health insurance coverage fell from 24.9% in 2013 to 15.1% between January and September 2016.

Hate crimes

There was a 17% increase in hate crimes based on bias against someone’s sexual orientation or gender identity from 2016 to 2017.

The FBI reports a 16% increase in antiBlack hate crimes during the same period.

The National Black Justice Coalition (NBJC) is America’s leading civil rights organization dedicated to the empowerment of Black lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and same-gender-loving (LGBTQ/SGL) people, including people living with HIV.

Courtesy of the NBJC