When police raided the Stonewall Inn –a bar in Greenwich Village known as a safe haven for gay and transgender people – violent demonstrations and protests broke out i n response. The Stonewall riots, as they would come to be known, are viewed as the symbol of the modern gay rights revolution. Fifty years later, the gay community and its supporters still gather every June to commemorate that historic uprising.
With three hundred and fifty photographs collected from the archives of T he New York Times, PRIDE (Abrams Image; May 21, 2019; US $24.99, Can. $31.99, UK £17.99; Hardcover, ISBN: 978-1-4197-3792-3) presents a powerful visual history of five decades of parades and protests of the movement. These photos, paired with descriptions of major events from each decade as well as selected reporting from The Times, showcase the victories, setbacks, and ongoing
st ruggles of the LGBTQ community.
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
The New York Times is a global news organization with subscribers in every nation. Founded in 1851, The Times has won 127 Pulitzer Prizes, far more than any other news outlet.
Adam Nagourney has been with The New York Times for more than 20 years, during which time he has served as chief metropolitan reporter, national political reporter, and currently as the paper’s Los Angeles bureau chief. He is the co-author, with Dudley Clendinen, of Out for Good: The Struggle to Build a Gay Rights Movement in America.
David Kaufman is an editor with News Corp. and a former editor at The New York Times, The New York Post and Quartz. He has written about business, culture and politics for a number of publications, including Time, The Financial Ti mes, Monocle, Esquire and The Wall Street Journal.
ABOUT THE BOOK PRIDE
By The New York Times
Introduction by Adam Nagourney
Text by David Kaufman
Abrams Image / May 21, 2019
US $24.99 / Can. $31.99 / UK £17.99
Hardcover / 224 pages
350 photographs
7” x 9” – ISBN: 978-1-4197-3792-3
Founded in 1949, ABRAMS was the first company in the United States to specialize in publishing art and illustrated books. The company continues to publish critically acclaimed and bestselling works in the areas of art, photography, cooking, craft, comics, interior and garden design, entertainment, fashion, and popular culture; children’s books ranging from middle grade to young adult fiction to picture books to board books. ABRAMS creates and distributes brilliantly designed books with the highest production values under the following imprints: Abrams; Abrams ComicArts; Abrams Image; Abrams
Press; The Overlook Press; Abrams Books for Young Readers; Amulet Books; Abrams Appleseed; and a gift and stationery line, Abrams Noterie. ABRAMS a lso distributes books for 5 Continents Editions, Booth-Clibborn Editions, Cameron + Company, Alain Ducasse Édition, Getty Publications, Ludion, The Museum of Modern Art, Obvious State, SelfMadeHero, Tate Publishing, V&A Publishing, a nd The Vendome Press.
Courtesy of Abrams Image
1970 First Pride March - photo by Michael Evans
A mile-long rainbow flag symbolizing LGBTQ unity, 1994 - photo by Michelle V. Agins
ACT UP New York Parade,1993 - Photo by Nancy Seisel
Pride 1983 - photo by Dith Pran
1996 Gay Pride - photo by James Estrin
Homage to Harvey Milk and George Moscone on Castro Street - photo by Jim Wilson
Demonstrator participating in Gay Day outside of the U.S. Supreme Court in Washington, D.C., 1987 - photo by Jose R. Lopez
Protest as a NY state senator refused to support a bill protecting minorities, 1990 - photo by Barton Silverman
Transgender rights rally at the White House, 2018 - photo by Sarah Silbiger
Couple reacts to news that DOMA was struck down, 2013 - photo by Drew Angerer
1973 Gay Activist Parade- photo by Librado Romero
Two couples exchange wedding vows during the fourth annual mass wedding ceremony - photo by James Estrin
by MK Scott SGN Contributing Writer
Each year, I get to chat and meet an icon from my youth who comes to town to headline the annual Pride party at The Cuff Complex (1533 13th Ave.). This year, they've totally outdone themselves with the fabulous Thelma (“Don’t Leave Me This Way”) Houston! Houston has a history of performing in Seattle, what with her multimonth gig as the star of Teatro ZinZanni in 2008. I had a phone chat with the disco diva, who at 73, isn’t slowing down anytime soon.
MK Scott: Welcome back to Seattle! We are excited to learn that you will be the headliner at The Cuff’s Pride party this year. What can we expect from your performance?
Thelma Houston: Well, if the audience is there and giving it back to me, you can expect some high energy. That’s what I try to put in my show: energy. Of course, I have a lot of enthusiasm because I’m excited, and always excited to be performing, and most especially in Seattle, because it’s been some time since I was there. When I was there before, I was performing at Teatro ZinZanni as Madame ZinZanni. So that was a totally different venue… I’m looking forward to being at this club coming up Sunday night.
MK: Actually that was my next question. What was that experience like working for Teatro ZinZanni in 2008?
TH: Oh my god, it was so much fun! It was so much fun doing that show. And, of course, out of that I established some really good friendships with the people that I worked with. Because the least amount of time you get to do the shows is six weeks… I never did less than a couple of months, and sometimes as much as four or five months. And so when you get to work like that, then
Disco diva Thelma Houston headlines this year’s Pride Street Party at The Cuff on Sunday, June 30
you get to establish a really good friendship with the people you work for.
And then [there was] playing that character and being able to do like it was your place and running it… and the great musicians, and a live audience every night... And then once a night I would get to do “Don’t Leave Me This Way” on the little stage that comes up out of the floor and people [would] dance. It was just great big fun. It was a party…like a really good New Year’s Eve party. It was like that all the time.
MK: If they asked you back would you go back?
TH: Oh, in a heart – of course, yes. Oh yeah. It’s a lot of fun. It’s a lot of fun to do that show.
MK: Now, your song “Don’t Leave Me This Way” was released 42 years ago.
TH: Whooo!
MK: That is unbelievable.
TH: I was just fifteen. [laughs] Yeah, it doesn’t seem like that long. Time flies, eh?
MK: Well, of course, it’s absolutely iconic in the gay community, right up with Gloria’s “I Will Survive.” Because when you hear that song, you remember the days of Studio 54.
TH: Yeah, and it was the time of what was going on. I just did a show for the HRC Foundation in New Orleans. They had to put together this video… they were asking me questions about “Don’t Leave Me This Way.” And it’s true. I mean, it’s the song, and you’re absolutely right: that song reminds people of another time.
I think that’s why I’ve been able to have this longevity, because people can go back to another time, you know, where it was really sad at some point because we didn’t know what was going on with our young men and women dying, and you know, we didn’t know what that was about. But the other side of that was it was just such a – I
don’t know… we seemed to be more understanding of each other. It was just another time, you know? Just a whole other time: fashion, you know, all of that.
MK: I actually just saw the Halston documentary.
TH: Oh, you did? You know, I had some stuff I had in storage for years. And I went and got it out and lots of it I gave [away], but what I kept… I had this most beautiful red Halston chiffon gown. And that gown is still gorgeous, and the color, it has not faded. It’s a bright red. And it’s on one of my album covers, but I can’t think of the name of the album that it’s on...
MK: Yeah. Actually the documentary was part of the Seattle International Film Festival just recently.
TH: So it’s going to be going nationwide probably, eh?
MK: It will probably be available in limited release. But Liza Minelli, she’s been interviewed in it, and…
TH: Oh, yeah, she was a Halston girl.
MK: But of course, they talk about how Halston is so associated with the whole fashion look of Studio 54.
TH: Oh, yeah… Was Halston the first one to come out with, what was that fabric? It wasn’t suede, but it looked like suede? And I think he made those short wave dresses? I bet that’s in the thing, but I can’t remember.
MK: Oh, I’m sure, yes. That rings a bell, but I’m not remembering what it was called, but yeah, that’s one thing he did do is revolutionize certain types of fabric. I also heard that you have a new song that’s out and you’ll be performing that at The Cuff party.
TH: I do! It was released on my birthday – May 7th – and it’s part of an EP that I’m doing. I’m going to do five songs. And the title of the EP itself is Love. It was conceived from the first women’s march, which
was the day after the inauguration. Well, I was in Los Angeles when I performed that day… I wanted to go from [a place of] love, and I was like, OK, what can I do? [Not] to get deep, but what can you I do that’s just simple and just go from there? And so I decided to do “Love Train,” by the O’Jays .And so we did it, and we did it like more modern, you know, a little more… I’m not taking away from the original, but [we] added a little bit of modern, put a little bit of this little rap thing in the middle of it. So that was so cool… everybody liked it.
And then I said we can do another song. So I started writing then. And we wrote a song about romance, eros, that part of love, which is a relationship. And then we did another one about humanity and then selflove. So this one is the first single that’s released from [among those]. And it’s called “I Still Love You.” It’s about how the power of love can be enduring and [how one can] have a lasting relationship, you know, with a partner, with a husband and wife, or a friendship, whatever. But letting love itself be the navigator of it, you know?
So when you love someone, then you might be a little bit willing to back off a little bit and listen to the other point of view. You know, it’s a little give and take.
This song was inspired by the relationship between my son and my daughter-inlaw. When [my son and his wife] started off, it was not an easy thing for them... you know, he’s black, she comes from Mexican [heritage]. So it wasn’t so easy for both, you know, sides. Not everyone, but certain members, you know what I mean? It was a fighting kind of thing. And they had to fight that and fight the people in the street. You know what I mean? It was a lot of... but they’ve been together 29 years. They have beautiful children, and of course, everybody around them has come together... But that’s what the song was inspired by. And so my joke to my son is that I’ve had three marriages, and in my three [chuckles] marriages, I was not able to achieve what he’s achieved in one.
Thelma Houston - Photo courtesy of the artist
MK: You’re performing at the Pride party on Sunday. What does “pride” mean for you?
TH: Well, pride, for me, is, oh, you mean generally and how it pertains… because I think everyone should be prideful of who you are. Have pride in who you are. And you can do that when your thoughts and motives and movements and all of your being are toward good toward everyone. So, to me, that’s prideful. And one can be proud of oneself in what one is contributing.
As far as the gay community is concerned, you know, I’ve seen it grow. And I’ve seen it grow from, you know, the secrecy of...not being able to come out and say who you are. I’ve seen the effects of this up close from good friends of mine, and I’ve seen how [it makes] such a change when you let people know, when you’re proud of who you are — all of the parts of you — because, you know, we’re all the same, you know what I mean? ...We’re human beings. And when human beings start to realize that, OK…then I think that’s great. And it goes out and it’s very contagious. When people see that, then I think it all comes to the point of good. So that’s what it means to me.
MK: I have one last question. A few months back I had a chance to see you on the Motown 60 special. Now, if you had a
chance to perform with any Motown artist, alive or dead, who would that be?
TH: Well... let me put it like this, I have performed with – meaning that I’ve toured with – members on the Motown label already, like Smokey. We toured and did a performance at Carnegie Hall. I’ve toured the Far East with the Temptations, in Japan, and Hong Kong. And so [that was] fun... But I started a project years ago with Mr. Stevie Wonder. I would like to complete that project [laughs] with Stevie.
MK: Awesome! Now that would be very, very iconic and incredible.
TH: That would be wonderful.
MK: All right, well, thank you. Lots of love to you.
TH: Thank you. I’m looking forward to seeing you on Sunday night.
Come and see Thelma Houston at The Cuff's Seattle 2019 Pride Block Party this Sunday evening, featuring incredible talent from "American Idol" and "The Voice," award-winning singers and DJs, and more! Wristbands are available in advance – stop in and buy them at The Cuff beginning the Friday of Pride Week (6/28) for Saturday ($30), Sunday ($30), or both ($55).
Your neighborhood receives government funding based on the census. Food, housing and medical programs for your LGBTQ+ siblings, families of color and immigrants depend on your participation in 2020!
Tu vecindario recibe fondos del gobierno basados en el censo. ¡Alimentos, vivienda y programas médicos para la comunidad LGBTQ+, familias de color e inmigrantes, todos dependen de tu participación en 2020!
@EntreHermanos @EntreHermanosSeattle Census Info: thetaskforce.org/queerthecensus ~
"I Still Love You" single by Thelma Houston - Courtesy of the artist
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Pride Calendar
Compiled by SGN Staff
HA PPY LGBTQ PRIDE MONTH
FROM SEATTLE GAY NEWS!
FR IDAY, JUNE 7 – MARCH 2020
Exhibit Opening: “In and Out: Being LGBTQ on Vashon Island”
6-9pm (opening reception). Vashon Heritage Museum (10105 SW Bank Rd, Vashon). Interactive, collaborative exhibit and series of programs that examine and celebrate the long, quiet history of LGBTQ+ people on Vashon-Maury Island, which has the largest per-capita LGBTQ population in Washington State. Curated by Ellen Kritzman and Stephen Silha. Exhibit on display thru March 2020. Info: https://vashonheritagemuseum.org/exhibition/lgbtq-vashon. (Watch this site for news of special events tied to the exhibit.)
FRIDAY, JUNE 7 – FRIDAY, JUNE 28
Exhibit Opening: “Queer Clay” at Pottery Northwest 6-8pm (opening reception). Pottery Northwest (226 1st Ave N). What makes a “home” becomes increasingly convoluted post-adolescence, particularly for Queer folx: if you’re Queer, “homemaking” often means forging a family from scratch. This exhibition brings together artists working in the Pacific Northwest to address themes of home and belonging. These artists represent a geographical range from Seattle and Portland all the way to Montana and Alaska, and they include a mix of ceramic artists and artists from other disciplines who were willing to take on clay. Exhibit on display thru June 28. Info: https://potterynw.org/ portfolio-item/june-2019-queer-clay/.
FR IDAY, JUNE 28
Trans Pride Seattle March 5pm (assembly), 6pm (march), 7pm (party). Assemble at Broadway & Thomas St, march south on Broadway to Pike, east on Pike to 11th, and north on 11th to Cal Anderson Park for Trans Pride celebration. For more info or to volunteer, visit www. transprideseattle.org.
FR IDAY, JUNE 28
Butt Dial at the W 6- 8pm. Hotel W Seattle (1112 4th Ave). Mix and mingle with Mama Tits while jumping on the Butt Dial Express with live music on the W Stage. No cover charge. Happy Hour 4-8pm daily. Info: www.evensi.us/amp/love-loud-weekendhotel/310431783.
FR IDAY, JUNE 28
OutDancing: A Fundraiser for the Dyke March
8:30pm-1am. Century Ballroom (915 E Pine St, 2nd floor). Dance party featuring MC Koop and DJ Nudie. Tickets ($10 advance and day-of bef. 10pm; $15 aft. 10pm) at www.brownpapertickets.com/ event/4250594.
FR IDAY, JUNE 28 – SUNDAY, JUNE 30
GLTA Seattle Classic
11am (Friday’s first match). UW Nordstrom Tennis Center (3833 Walla Walla Rd) indoor and outdoor courts. Annual open tournament sponsored by Seattle Tennis Alliance. Registration deadline: June 14 at 11:59pm. To register or for more information, visit www.seattletennisalliance.org.
FR IDAY, JUNE 28 – SUNDAY, JUNE 30
Queer/Pride Festival 2019
6pm-12 midnight (Fri); 2pm-12 midnight (Sat); 2pm-10pm (Sun). Queer/ Bar (1518 11th Ave) and outdoors on 11th between E Pike & E Pine Sts. Queer/Pride Festival is an annual three-day street festival during Seattle Pride Weekend in the heart of Capitol Hill. We are here to be a safe, fun space for our LGBTQIA+ community so that we can honor our history and diversity, while celebrating our Queer culture together. Enjoy nightly performances on two stages of the hottest in drag and LGBTQIA+ talent from all over the country, dance your glitter off all day long with DJs and Go-Gos, and meet the stars at our Meet & Greet events! VIPs party in the ultra-exclusive VIP lounge with a private stage, premium bar, and drop-ins with
Wildrose and GayEXP Pride 2019 6pm (Fri); 1pm (Sat-Sun). Wildrose (1021 E Pike St.) Wildrose teams up with KEXP (90.3 FM) for three days of live music and DJ sessions plus games, photobooth and booty shakin’ contest. Live performers include Adra Boo, Mandate, Mirrorgloss, and Chanarah; DJs include KEXP’s Riz, Larry Rose and Tim. Weekend pass $40 (purchase by 6/14) or pay at the door: Fri $20, Sat $25, Sun by donation. More info and pass sales: www.kexp.org/ events/kexp-events/2019/6/28/.
SATURDAY, JUNE 29
Seattle Pride Quads Grass Volleyball Tournament
8am-7pm. Judkins Park, 2150 S Norman St. Fundraiser for Kraken VC Scholarship Fund, which brings club volleyball to innercity youth. Tournament includes men’s and women’s divisions. Entry fee $120 for team of 4; $30 each additional player. Info and registration (deadline: June 22) at www. seattlepridequads.com.
SATURDAY, JUNE 29
Pride Pancake Breakfast
9a m-12 noon. Central Lutheran Church Social Hall (1710 11th Ave). Fuel up for Capitol Hill’s Pride celebrations while helping support Samaritan Center’s CareTeams, Food Lifeline and the Dignity/Seattle Scholarship Fund. This event is a Seattle tradition now in its 31st year! Donation of $7 includes food and prize raffle. Dignity/ Seattle is a faith community of LGBTQ Catholics, families and friends that has been in existence since 1973. Info at http:// dignityseattle.org/node/198.
SATURDAY, JUNE 29
Capitol Hill Pride March & Rally
11am (Doggie Drag Costume Contest),
12 noon-1pm (parade). More info coming soon at www.capitolhillpridefestival.info.
SATURDAY, JUNE 29
PrideFest Capitol Hill 12 noon-9pm. Broadway E from John St. to Roy St. The biggest festival day on Capitol Hill all year long! Return to the place where Pride was held for decades, now a five-block festival with food, vendors, five stages of entertainment, and the most diverse crowd you’ll see all year long. Best of all, it’s free. Info: www.seattlepridefest.org/schedule/2019/6/29/pridefest-capitol-hill
SATURDAY, JUNE 29
Interfaith LGBTQ+ Pride Service 1pm. All Pilgrims Christian Church (500 Broadway E at E Republican St). THEME: "50 Years After Stonewall: Spiritual Revolution." Every year during Seattle LGBTQ+ Pride, people of many faiths come together to celebrate diversity. This year, we will have speakers from Buddhist, Sufi, Pagan, New Thought, Jewish, and Christian traditions. We will also be blessed by singing groups. You are welcome just as you are! FREE admission. For more information, call MCC Seattle at 206325-2421.
Photo courtesy of Seattle Trans Pride
Pride Calendar
SATURDAY, JUNE 29
LGBTQ Youth Pride Dance: “Hollywood, Gays & Glam”
7-11pm. MoPOP, 325 5th Ave N. Featuring great music, lighting, media display, and youth drag performances. Cosponsored by the Museum of Pop Culture (MoPOP) and Lambert House. Ages 13-22. More info coming soon at www.lamberthouse.org. Volunteers are needed; email brandon@lamberthouse.org.
SATURDAY, JUNE 29 & SUNDAY, JUNE 30
Cuff Pride Street Party
4pm-3am (Sat), 12 noon-3am (Sun). The Cuff Complex (1533 13th Ave.) Details to come; watch for updates at www.cuffcomplex.com or call (206) 323-1525.
SATURDAY, JUNE 29
Seattle Dyke March
5pm (rally), 7pm (march). Seattle Central College Plaza (1701 Broadway at E Pine St). March goes around Capitol Hill and back to the Plaza. People of all genders and identities are welcome to join in celebration at the rally and on the march. See the Seattle Dyke March Facebook page for more info.
SATURDAY, JUNE 29
Seattle Sounders Pride Match
7pm. Century Link Field (800 Occidental Ave). “We stand for Pride, we march for Pride, we play for Pride!” The Sounders host the Vancouver Whitecaps in the annual Pride Match, with additional events centered around Pride and the celebration of equality. Tickets and more info at www. soundersfc.com/tickets/themematches.
SATURDAY, JUNE 29
Pride-lesque at the W 8-10pm. W Seattle (1112 4th Ave). Kick off the night with feathers and fierceness as W Seattle welcomes five of the city’s hottest burlesque dancers who will steal the scene with their shimmy and shake while you prefunk with your besties. Featured performers on the W Stage include Waxie Moon, J Von Stratton, Moscato Extatique, Ruby Mimosa and Faggedy Randy. No cover. Info: www.evensi.us/amp/love-loudweekend-hotel/310431783.
SATURDAY, JUNE 29
Color Me Proud 2019
10 pm-1:30am. (211 1st Ave S.) Come celebrate Pride with us. Sponsored by Pacific Northwest Black Pride. $10 entry. Latest hip-hop and R&B. 21+. Info: www. nwblkpride.org.
SU NDAY, JUNE 30
Mi mosas with Mama Tits Pride Brunch at the W 8a m-2pm (Mama Tits performance 9am-11am). W Seattle (1112 4th Ave). Soak in the Pride celebration (and soak up that Hill hangover) with the brunch of all brunches in the W Seattle Living Room. W Seattle sits right on the parade route so you won’t miss a thing. Buffet brunch $29, full menu to come at www.evensi.us/amp/loveloud-weekend-hotel/310431783.
SU NDAY, JUNE 30
Seattle Pride Parade 2019 11am-4pm. Downtown Seattle (4th Ave at Union St to 2nd Ave & Denny Way).The 45th annual Seattle Pride Parade includes more than 200 participating groups and 60,000 individuals marching in support of LGBTQ pride. This year the parade will commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Rebellion, which became a national movement and eventually led to marches around the country, including the first Seattle Pride march in 1974 – which has been held in late June ever since to commemorate the June 28th Stonewall Riots. The 2019 Grand Marshals include Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan, drag performer/actor/ singer/comedian Jinkx Monsoon, and four organizations – Bailey-Boushay House, Camp Ten Trees, Seattle Children’s Gender Clinic, and U.T.O.P.I.A. Seattle. The parade is a fun, community-wide celebration advancing awareness of LGBTQ issues and promoting mutual respect and equal human rights for all. Free, all ages. Updates and more info: www.seattlepride.org/parade.
SUNDAY, JUNE 30
PrideFest Seattle
12 noon-8pm. Seattle Center – Fisher Pavilion, International Fountain, Mural
Amphitheatre. Seattle’s official Pride Festival celebrates 50 years since the start of the modern LGBTQ rights movement, ignited by the Stonewall riots in New York City. Come one, come all, to this free celebration, to honor the events where Pride began. Music, food, information booths, and much more. Free admission. For updates see www.facebook.com/ events/386290931942076/.
SU NDAY, JUNE 30
Pop + Pride at MoPOP
10am-7pm. Museum of Pop Culture ( MoPOP) (325 5th Ave N). Celebrate pride at the Museum of Pop Culture! Free access to Sky Church all day. Enjoy participatory art activities, photo ops, and curated video blocks celebrating LGBTQIA+ icons, creations, and creators. Museum admission ($30 with student / senior / military / youth discounts) gets you deeper access to more Pride experiences with queer short films from Three Dollar Bill Cinema in JBL Theater and a gallery guide highlighting LGBTQIA+ creators and creations throughout the museum. Info: www.mopop.org
SUNDAY, JUNE 30
Seattle Storm Pride Game
4pm. Alaska Airlines Arena at Hec E dmundson Pavilion (3870 Montlake Blvd NE). The Storm host the Phoenix Mercury with Section 9 ticket sales benefiting Equal Rights Washington. Tickets ($25) at https:// actionnetwork.org/ticketed_events/2019seattle-storm-pride-game. (These specially priced tickets can only be purchased at this site.)
SUNDAY, JUNE 30
Spec Script at Blue Moon
7:30pm. Blue Moon Tavern (712 NE 45th St). A reading of a TV show episode written by someone who has never actually seen the show! For tonight’s edition, the show is “Transparent” (Amazon) written by a Trans person and featuring an all-Trans cast of readers. Suggested donation $7, 21+. Info: www.facebook.com/SpecScriptShow/. see PRIDE CALENDAR page 24
Seattle Pride Parade – Photo by Nate Gowdy
Pride Calendar
Donations fund a local youth center for LGBTQ teens and allies. Sponsored by Jefferson County Pride. Info: www.facebook. com/events/pope-marine-park/pride-inthe-park-2019/373265339930572/.
SATURDAY, JULY 13
Tacoma Pride
12 noon-6pm. Pacific Avenue between South 7th and 9th streets. Tacoma Pride is bursting with activities, fun, and engagement with the resilient and brave LGBTQ community from Tacoma and the surrounding Pierce County area. Entertainment, booths from local organizations and businesses, food trucks and stalls, beer garden, youth dance tent, and much
am-5pm. Gay City (517 E Pike St). 21st annual event offering free health services for Trans women, Trans men, nonbinary people, and Lesbian/Bi/Queer women, including massage, acupuncture, mammograms, HIV/STI testing, informedconsent clinic, reflexology and cuddle therapy. Gender-affirming hormone therapy also available (insurance or self-pay required). More info at www.facebook.
tsap Pride 2019 – “Stonewall 50”
am-5pm. Evergreen Park (1500 Park Ave, Bremerton). Kitsap Pride is a festival celebrating the LGBTQ+ community in Kitsap County. This year’s festival will feature two stages of entertainment including live music, a beer/cocktail garden, food vendors, 50 local exhibitors, Olympic College art project, and kids activities. Our location is beautiful Evergreen Park which has plenty of room for you to lay out a beach blanket and picnic on the grass. Visit http:// kitsappride.org/kitsap-pride-2019/ for more
and advances equality for all. TRANSFORMING | TRANSITIONING | TRANSCENDING. A weekend of special events. More details to come. For more information and to volunteer on the NW Black Pride Planning Committee, please contact Autry Bell at Autry@nwblackpride.com. Pacific Northwest Black Pride is a division of POCAAN of Seattle.
BEYOND THE SOUND
SU NDAY, JULY 7
the Olympic and Rainier Empire (info: www.imperialcourtofseattle.org). All ages welcome; advance tickets strongly recommended (park will be open to general public, but only Gay Day ticketholders will be admitted to the party grounds). Don’t miss out – get yours at www.strangertickets. com/events/95327232/gay-day-at-wildwaves-2019.
SU NDAY, JULY 14
Bellingham Pride Parade and Festival
12 noon (parade), 12 noon-6pm (festival). Parade assembles at corner of Halleck and Ohio streets and proceeds through downtown to Pride Festival at Market
TH URSDAY, AUGUST 22
Everett AquaSox Pride Night 7:05pm. Funko Field (3900 Broadway, Everett). Join the AquaSox for a night of minor league baseball vs. the Spokane Indians. Special $30 Pride Night package includes AquaSox Pride T-shirt and upper box ticket (purchase before June 28 to assure your correct size). Enjoy $2.50 hot dogs, sodas, popcorn and 12-oz Coors Light. Tickets and info at www.milb.com/ everett/tickets/theme-nights/.
TH URSDAY, AUGUST 22 - SUNDAY, AUGUST 25
Pacific Northwest Black Pride PN W Black Pride celebrates, inspires
Victoria (BC) Pride Festival 2019 12 noon-6pm. MacDonald Park at James Bay (212 Niagara St). Multifaceted festival featuring two entertainment stages, beer garden, food court, vendor area, and youth pride/kids’ camp area. Free, all-ages event sponsored by the Victoria Pride Society and co-hosted by the GVNCS TwoSpirit Collective. Info: https://victoriapridesociety.org.
SU NDAY, AUGUST 4
Va ncouver (BC) Pride Parade and Festival 11am-6pm. This year’s theme: “50 Years and Still Fighting.” Sponsored by Vancouver Pride Society. Watch for updates at www.vancouverpride.ca.
Depot Square (1100 Railroad Ave). More
Photo by Nate Gowdy
Books
LIFE AFTER METH: A path to recovery
by David Fawcett PhD, LCSW Special to the SGN
We have much to celebrate during this Pride month, but we also have a pressing problem that threatens our LGBT communities and which needs discussion: methamphetamine. The drug, also known as tina or crystal, is back with a vengeance and, because of higher purity, it is more dangerous and addictive than ever before. Meth has long been used to instill feelings of confidence and strength, from soldiers in World War II to individuals seeking to bolster their self-esteem. Chronic meth use often brings personal devastation and a host of physical consequences, but we now have a much better understanding of the drug and how to treat it. The impact of meth and a comprehensive guide to treatment are described in my book Lust, Men, and Meth: A Gay Man’s Guide to Sex and Recovery, which draws from over a decade of patient sessions and personal research. I will share some key points of the book here.
Gay men have discovered meth’s ability to heighten sexual desire resulting in highrisk behavior often accompanied by elevated rates of HIV, hepatitis, and other sexually-transmitted infections. Meth flushes dopamine out of neurons while blocking receptors, resulting in a flood of euphoric feelings that instantly eliminate selfdoubt, sadness, and unworthiness. But with chronic use, meth also literally destroys the dopamine transport system, creating long-term brain impairment that requires up to 18 months to heal. While the brain “rewires” the dopamine transport system, a person can totally abstain from the drug, but continue to experience muddled thinking, hopeless moods and, consequently, fre-
quent relapses.
Meth throws the body into “fight or flight” mode, increasing heart rate, blood pressure, respiration, energy, and sensory acuity. Psychologically, it increases confidence and sex drive while decreasing boredom and timidity. Over time meth users experience tremors, dry mouth, weight loss, sinus infections and skin problems, as well as confusion, insomnia, depression, irritability, paranoia, and even full-blown psychosis. Even worse, when consistently used to enhance sex, meth commandeers sexual desire and ultimately results in arousal being only achieved by using the drug, a condition that persists well into abstinence.
Users quickly spiral downward while partners, friends, and families distance themselves due to erratic behavior. Narcotics Anonymous and Crystal Meth Anonymous provide a safe harbor for those seeking help, although the physical and sexual effects of meth create a difficult recovery marked by frequent relapses. This dynamic
has resulted in the erroneous belief that meth recovery is impossible. This is false. People recover from methamphetamine, but it is a long process that requires support groups combined with in-depth psychological reflection that may require professional assistance.
When used for sex, methamphetamine quickly fuses with sexual desire, resulting in high-risk behavior indistinguishable from sex and porn addiction. Sex-drug episodes usually last several days and typically involve sexual contact with a number of individuals as well as the use of meth and other drugs such as GHB (gammaHydroxibutyric acid). These long drug runs are followed by days dominated by extreme depression and hopelessness (“Suicide Tuesdays) resulting from the depletion of dopamine.
Be cause of the long period of brain recovery, meth users may not achieve full benefit from traditional inpatient programs. Although the drug doesn’t have the acute physical detox of opioids, meth users experience tremors, temperature fluctuations, and persistent low mood. Meth has other unique properties, as well. Meth users become highly sensitive to visual images, which can trigger drug cravings. Inadvertently seeing images of meth or a syringe, or simply walking into a CMA meeting and seeing other users, can be extremely triggering. Once abstinent from the drug a person may experience mental fog, triggers and cravings, indecision, and the distressing experience of an emotional roller coaster. These will subside, but that process takes time, patience, and support.
Re covery from meth’s damage to sexual functioning is more complicated; it requires a gradual process of eliminating compulsive use of sex or pornography,
coupled with the development of a healthy sense of self. These become the foundation for both healthy sex and intimacy. This process for reclaiming health sexuality in sobriety is fully explained in my book Lust, Men, and Meth
The return of meth has created serious havoc in the lives of many Americans. Because of its unique characteristics, meth treatment and recovery require special knowledge and sensitivity, but with a greater understanding, we can assist meth users along the path of recovery. As thousands of men and women know, there is indeed life after meth.
Da vid Fawcett PhD, LCSW is a psychotherapist and sex therapist in Fort Lauderdale. He is the author of Lust, Men, and Meth: A Gay Man’s Guide to Sex and Recover y and is a highly-acclaimed trainer on addictions, mental health, and co-occurring HIV and mental health. For more information, visit www.david-fawcett.com
LGBTQ resources are available in Seattle through Project NEON – a program of Seattle Counseling Service – www. projectNEON.org. Call (206) 323-1768 for a FREE assessment. Crystal Meth Anonymous and Strength Over Speed host 12-step support groups at Peer Seattle (1520 Bellevue Ave); www.peerseattle.org; (206) 322-2437.
Image courtesy of the author
David Fawcett , PhD – Photo courtesy of the author
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