Celebrating 43 Years! Issue 10 Volume 45
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Seattle Gay News SEATTLE’S LGBT NEWS & ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY
SGN exclusive interview:
Attorney General Bob Ferguson
Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson – Photo by Nate Gowdy
by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer “The most consequential job in government is the attorney general’s job,” Bob Ferguson says with conviction.
Ferguson, who just scored a major victory with a successful lawsuit to block Donald Trump’s Muslim ban, sat down with the SGN in his Seattle office to talk about his work. With him he had Colleen Melody, head of his civil rights unit.
In an NPR profile on Ferguson, veteran political operative Christian Sinderman, who worked on Ferguson’s re-election campaign, compared the attorney general to Harry Potter. “You know there’s a Harry Potter-like
quality of Bob Ferguson: the glasses, the serious intent and the sense of almost destiny in standing up for what’s right and the little guy,” Sinderman said. see BOB FERGUSON page 7
What next in Gavin Seattle City Council Grimm case? to pass Equality Act resolution
Gavin Grimm – Photo by Scout Tufankjian / ACLU
by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer The US Supreme Court suddenly reversed itself on March 6 and sent the Gavin Grimm case back to the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals.
The case, which the high court had already agreed to hear and had scheduled for March 28, would have decided whether Transgender students have a right to use see GAVIN GRIMM page 17
Councilmember Lisa Herbold – Photo courtesy of mediad.publicbroadcasting.net
by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer The Seattle City Council is expected to pass a resolution supporting the federal Equality Act at its March 13 meeting. The resolution is sponsored by Coun-
cilmember Lisa Herbold with support from her colleagues Mike O’Brien and Lorena Gonzalez. The Equality Act is federal legislation see EQUALITY ACT page 7
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Celebrating 41 Years!
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Michael Robert Greenspan (1949-2017) by Jesse Monteagudo SGN Contributing Writer I met Michael Robert Greenspan on the last Sabbath of February 1985; and I lost him on the last Sabbath of February 2017. During those 32 years Michael enriched my life more than any person ever could, other than my parents. Michael was my partner, my lover, my best friend and my soul mate. He was, as he once said, my beshert, my destiny. Michael was never my husband, not because we did not want to marry but because marriage equality came too late for him. That was but one of the tragedies of his five final years. There was a lot that
Michael had the potential for, and which he could have accomplished, had he not been struck by the demon of dementia. Michael was an amazing, multi-faceted human being, and not just because he was the love of my life. When I met Michael, he was 35 and already accomplished much. Born in Asheville, North Carolina, his father was a Jewish pharmacist from New York City and his mother a Jewish Southern belle from Bishopville, South Carolina. Michael and his two brothers grew up in Charlotte, North Carolina, and he spoke with a Southern accent until he got rid of it in his twenties. He graduated from the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill in
1972, and to the end of his life was a proud Tar Heel. During the early seventies Michael managed a cigar store in Atlanta and became a wine connoisseur. But his greatest passion was for the accordion. Like many children, Michael learned to play the squeeze box when he was a boy. However, unlike many children, Michael continued to play the accordion while others went on to other pursuits. Michael and his accordion played all kinds of music, including Jewish, Gypsy and all forms of eastern European and Middle Eastern music. Unsee MICHAEL page 5
It’s not about the damn flowers To the Editor: Justice Sheryl Gordon McCloud, of the Washington Supreme Court, got it right that Richland WA florist Barronelle Stutzman’s refusal to serve a gay couple, because of her religious beliefs, was no more about flowers than civil rights cases of the 1960s were about access to sandwiches. To quote Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., “Morals cannot be legislated, but behavior can be regulated. The law cannot make an employer love, but it can keep him from refusing to hire me because of the color of my skin.” So too the law can regulate public accommodations and keep a merchant from denying me service because of my real or perceived sexual orientation. The Washington Supreme Court’s decision was neither “radical” nor “revolutionary.” Rather, it conforms to United States Supreme Court case law, as far back as 139
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years ago. In Reynolds v. United States (1878), a case involving Mormon polygamy, the Court rejected a First Amendment right to plural marriage, based on sincerely held religious belief. They said, “To permit this would be to make the professed doctrines of religious belief superior to the law of the land, and, in effect, to permit every citizen to become a law unto himself. Government could exist only in name under such circumstances.” In a more contemporary Supreme Court decision, in 1990, Employment Division, of Human Services of Oregon v. Smith, thenAssociate Justice Antonin Scalia, writing for a unanimous Court, which included then-Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist, wrote, “We have never held that an individual’s beliefs excuse him from compliance with an otherwise valid law prohibiting conduct that the State is free to regulate. ...the record of more than a century of our
free exercise jurisprudence contradicts that proposition. ...the right of free exercise does not relieve an individual of the obligation to comply with a ‘valid and neutral law of general applicability on the ground that the law proscribes (or prescribes) conduct that his religion prescribes (or proscribes).’” There’s nothing humble, about Richland florist Barronelle Stutzman. Her actions and assertions demonstrated the arrogance of Christian privilege. What she advocated wasn’t freedom of religion, but rather license of religion, which is the forerunner of theocratic fascism. She is real world proof of the need for the First Amendment, in order to protect others from persons like herself. Sincerely, Steven L. Kendall
Celebrating 41 Years!
Mr. President: You’re on notice on Trans violence! by Mark Segal Philadelphia Gay News Mr. President: I write to you today regarding your lifting of the federal guidance on transgender rights in schools. While I am not privy to discussions within your White House, this is viewed by many of us as a victorious win for the bigotry of the Steve Bannon and Vice President Pence parts of your administration – the so-called alt-right constituents. You might regret that advice given to you by this segment of your administration.
MICHAEL
continued from page 4 like other accordionists, Michael was also a great singer, a fine composer, and an accomplished arranger. During the 1970s Michael was one half of the Erev Duo, which he formed with David Goodfriend and then one fourth of the American Balalaika Company, though Michael did not play the balalaika. Michael and the other members of the ABC – Paul Merz, Arthur Ganz and Sandra Peterson Ganz – traveled the world, from state fairs to cruise ships, playing and singing the music that they loved. As Michael’s partner I went with him to many accordion-playing excursions, most famously to Orlando to the Florida Accordionist Association’s annual SMASH conventions, weekend gatherings devoted to all things accordion. You might say that I was “married to the accordion.” Michael was at the height of his musical career in the early eighties when he moved to Miami and came to terms with his sexual orientation. In February 1985 he read an ad in David magazine for a “gay” synagogue, Congregation Etz Chaim. At the time CEC resided in a storefront in Ojus, now part of Aventura, and we did not have a rabbi. I was one of the Temple’s lay leaders; and it happened that I was leading service the
Here’s why. The order you revoked created no issues of any form of sexual abuse or violence, from shore to shiny shore. The only discourse was not in the schools but among those using the issue as a political football. Since there were no problems with the policy other than politics, why change something that has worked? With your new policy and the anger it is empowering, it is feeding a mob mentality. Some might even call it a backlash at Obama and progressive politically correct America. Be it what it is, if continued, it will result
in one thing: violence. Mr. President, I don’t have a crystal ball but I do have something better, which is an old saying that goes: “History repeats itself.” Using that crystal ball, it becomes obvious that the people in a nation of zealots who suffer during a time of nationalization are the most endangered. And in today’s America, that is the transgender community. What that suggests is that, if we continue on this trajectory, we will arrive at victims of those angry mobs, who are seeking to stamp out all vestiges of political correctness. You’ve put that target squarely
on the backs of our transgender sisters and brothers. Mr. President, I put you on notice: If blood is spilled, it is on your hands.
night Michael first walked in the door. Michael later said that he fell in love twice that night: with Congregation Etz Chaim and with me (or vice versa). I was at the end of my previous relationship at that time and had no interest in starting a new one but Michael was persistent. As I wrote in When Love Lasts Forever, a 1999 anthology about male couples edited by Merle James Yost, “Michael went from being one of many to being the main one to being the only one. In August I moved out of the North Broward house that I shared with my ex and joined Michael in an apartment in Fort Lauderdale. Michael and I lived in that apartment until 1992, when we moved into a condominium home in Plantation where I still live. Though Michael was more experienced than I in so many things, as a relative newbie to gay life Michael was unfamiliar with South Florida’s LGBT community. Being an active member myself, I introduced Michael to my friends and to groups that I belonged to; groups that he soon joined: Pride South Florida, the Stonewall Library, South Florida Bears, Saber MC. He also became an active member of Congregation Etz Chaim, and for the next 26 years emerged as one of the most important people in this Synagogue’s 42-year history. Michael was elected to the Board within a year of becoming a member; and was President of the Congregation from 1986 to 1988 and
from 1996 to 1998. But here again his most important contributions were musical. Michael was CEC’s unofficial cantor almost from the moment he arrived; and its official cantorial soloist from 1999 to 2011. Because of his valuable contributions Michael received several awards and was an honoree at Etz Chaim’s 35th Anniversary Gala in 2007. Michael was also honored by the Gay and Lesbian Community Center of South Florida, now the Pride Center at Equality Park, as one of its “Stars of the Rainbow” in 2008. Though Michael never had children, he always desired to be a teacher. When he neared forty, Michael decided to put his musical career on the back burner and become an educator, studying for and receiving a Master of Education degree from Florida Atlantic University in 1990. Not surprisingly, Michael became as accomplished as a teacher as he was as a musician. As a fourth grade teacher in Welleby Middle School in Sunrise and as a technology specialist at Millennium Middle School in Tamarac Michael taught and shaped a generation of young people. Because of his exemplary accomplishments as an educator, Michael was a finalist for Broward County Teacher of the Year in 1997. Michael loved to teach; he loved his students; and he might have continued teaching to this day if his illness had not forced him to retire. My relationship with Michael Greens-
pan had its ups and downs but, on the whole, the good vastly outweighed the bad. As I wrote in When Love Lasts Forever, Michael and I “shared a lot in common: music, the theater, chocolate, nature walks, stuffed animals, the Blue Ridge Parkway, liberal politics, leather and bear clubs and, of course, Congregation Etz Chaim. Sometimes I wondered how he put up with me, but I am glad” he did. Our relationship was based on mutual love, respect, and care. I learned a lot from Michael, at home and in our travels to Great Britain – we were both avid Anglophiles – France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Mexico, the Caribbean, Costa Rica and Panama, western Canada and Alaska. Michael often expressed the wish that we would grow old together and retire to his beloved birthplace of Asheville, North Carolina. Sadly, this was not meant to be. Towards the end, as dementia ravaged his mind and his body, Michael lost the means to communicate effectively. Even so, I like to think that, deep down inside, Michael was still the person that I loved and cared for the past 32 years. Though Michael’s life is through, I still cherish the years that we spent together and he will always be part of my life, no matter what I do or who I meet in my remaining years. Thank you, Michael, for making my life worth living.
Mark Segal, PGN publisher, is the nation’s most-award-winning commentator in LGBT media. His recently published best selling memoir, “And Then I Danced,” is available on Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble or at your favorite bookseller.
Come learn how you can provide a safe space for unstably housed LGBTQ young adults at a Community Forum on Host Homes On Tuesday, March 14, from 6-8pm, Gay City hosts a Community Forum on Host Homes. The meeting will be held at the Calamus Auditorium at Gay City, 517 E. Pike St. Nationally, 40% of homeless youth identify as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer or Questioning. Host Homes is a pilot program launched last summer through the Accelerator YMCA. The program connects unstably housed young people, 18-24, with supportive adults and/or families in the community that have a spare room and are willing to provide a safe space while they work towards self-sufficiency. Host Homes is seeking individuals and families willing to host young people in need of temporary support. The Host Home model was created specifically from the request of young adults who have experienced some length of housing instability. Since last summer, they have
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successfully placed three young persons with families. Host Homes wishes to place more than a dozen young adults around King County. Join Gay City: Seattle’s LGBTQ Center, the Pride Foundation, and the Accelerator YMCA in making sure LGBTQ youth find families that want to nurture and support them. Light refreshments will be served.
Image courtesy of seattle.carpediem.cd
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Russian feminist protest punk rock group Pussy Riot members (r) Maria Alyokhina and Nadezhda Tolokonnikova International Women’s Day Rally at Westlake Park New York Daily News journalist and prominent civil rights activist Shaun King International Women’s Day Rally at Westlake
International Women’s Day Rally at Westlake Park – Photos by Nate Gowdy
Seattle City Councilmember Kshama Sawant International Women’s Day Rally at Westlake
Seattle City Councilmember Kshama Sawant International Women’s Day Rally at Westlake
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International Women’s Day Rally at Westlake Park
March 10, 2017
International Women’s Day Rally at Westlake Park
Celebrating 41 Years!
BOB FERGUSON continued from cover
WA Attorney General Bob Ferguson – Photo by Nate Gowdy
Asked if he felt like he was confronting the Dark Lord, Ferguson laughed. “I just feel like we’re doing our job,” he replied. “When we met with the staff to talk about that lawsuit, we talked about the law. That’s what the conversation is always about. “The outpouring of support for that case took us a bit by surprise,” Ferguson continued, “but it reinforced my belief that the most important office – the most consequential office – is the attorney general’s office.”
ing it? No. Would it be my job? Yes,” Ferguson answered. “And it’s ironic I have to say that, because in my prior practice I litigated challenges to Tim Eyman initiatives, but I won’t express opinions about the constitutionality of initiatives. I have to be careful.” “Just because the Trump administration has done an about-face on Title VII and Title IX doesn’t mean that federal law doesn’t protect trans people,” Melody interjected. “Until a federal court tells us otherwise, our position is that Title VII and Tile IX do protect trans people. If 1552 changes state law, we’ll have to see what courts say about federal law.” Building a civil rights unit from scratch Melody, head of Ferguson’s civil rights division, was hired a little over two years ago specifically to lead civil rights litigation. She previously worked for the federal Department of Justice. “Our civil rights team is relatively new,” Ferguson explains. “In fact, before Colleen, we didn’t have one. And most states don’t have a civil rights division. Colleen was the first. And now we have five attorneys in the unit.” A sixth attorney will soon join the civil rights team, which is named the Wing Luke Civil Rights Unit in honor of the late Wing Luke (1925-1965), assistant attorney general and later Seattle City Councilmember. In the past, Ferguson continued, the at-
Protecting LGBT rights Besides taking on Trump’s executive order, one of Ferguson’s other high-profile victories was suing a Richland florist who refused services to a Gay couple. “We care very deeply about civil rights issues,” Ferguson says. “We expect the team to be aggressive. “In the moment, and looking at the new administration, protecting trans people is a priority. We have acted with a sense of urgency. We’re leading other states with amicus briefs [in the Gavin Grimm case].” If the anti-Trans initiative I-1552 makes it to the November ballot and passes, it will likely be challenged in court. Asked if he saw constitutional grounds to refuse to defend the measure in court, Ferguson looked sad. “Would I be com for table defend-
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What happens if you have a complaint?
Civil rights complaints can be filed either with the state Human Rights Commission, or directly with the attorney general’s office. The Wing Luke Civil Rights Unit can be contacted at civilrights@atg.wa.gov or at (844) 323-3864. “When people contact us, we have a screening process,” Melody explains. “The first question is, ‘Is it illegal?’ Some things can be unfair but not illegal. “Next we’d determine if we needed to refer the matter to another agency. In the case of trans students, for example, we might refer them to the superintendent of public instruction. We work very closely with them.” The office would try to settle the case without going to court, but if that proves impossible, Melody continued, then Ferguson and his staff attorneys would decide on legal strategy. “So our response [to a complaint] could range from ‘not illegal’ to ‘make a federal case out of it,’” Melody concluded. “Literally – a federal case!” Ferguson interjected. “We do have courts to limit the actions of the president.” As the SGN goes to press on March 9, Ferguson’s office announced it would ask the federal judge who blocked the original Trump Muslim ban to reaffirm that his order also applies to the latest version. New York and Oregon joined Washington. Hawaii sued to block the new executive order on March 8.
Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson – Photo by Nate Gowdy
EQUALITY ACT first proposed in 2015 that would add sexual orientation and gender identity to protected classes in US civil rights laws. If it passed, LGBT Americans would gain federal protections in employment, housing, public accommodations, public education, federal funding, credit, and service on juries. The measure is intended to replace the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) as the vehicle to advance LGBT rights at the federal level, because it is not limited only to employment issues and does not include as robust exemptions for discrimination based on religious belief. The prime sponsor in the US Senate is Jeff Merkley of Oregon, and in the House it is David Cicilline of Rhode Island. Both of Washington’s senators, Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell, support the measure. Seattle has already passed ordinances
torney general’s office lacked the resources to fulfill its mission of “affirmative litigation on behalf of the people,” but he was determined to solve the problem without having to beg the legislature for more tax money. Ferguson funded his civil rights unit through strategic use of money his office obtained in lawsuits. “When we win a suit,” Ferguson explained, “the first priority is restitution to the consumers. Then, after the consumer is made whole, the remaining funds are reinvested in the office. “That’s how we funded the civil rights unit, from funds recovered from bad actors. No tax dollars are involved at all; it’s all paid for by bad actors. And we’re taking in more dollars than before, because now we have a larger staff of attorneys working on civil rights cases. “It’s a pretty practical approach,” Ferguson smiled. Civil rights complaints to the attorney general’s office based on sexual orientation or gender identity are going up, Melody said. “Public accommodations and employment are the major complaints to our office,” she noted. “Housing is the number one complaint to the Human Rights Commission. “There are also health care issues for trans people, and there we share authority with the insurance commissioner.”
Sen. Jeff Merkley of Oregon – Photo courtesy of merkley.senate.gov
protecting its LGBT residents – including, most recently, banning conversion therapy for minors – and Washington state also has civil rights protections on the books, but the federal government has yet to act on LGBT rights. The resolution that will be put before the City Council addresses the lack of federal legislation, saying: “As public officials elected to protect the welfare of the City of Seattle, we find that federal laws that fully prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender identity, and sex are essential to furthering the well-being of the residents of and visitors to Seattle.” The measure goes on to say that LGBTQ people “have a right to live free from discrimination in the core aspects of their lives, including but not limited to employment, education, housing, public accommodations, all government-funded programs, and jury service.” The resolution will call on Congress to pass the Equality Act and on the City Clerk to send copies to Sens. Patty Murray, Maria Cantwell, and Jeff Merkley; Rep. David Cicilline; the executive director of the
LGBT Congressional Equality Caucus; the President of the United States of America; and civil rights leader Richard H. Noble. Noble is a veteran LGBT rights activist, with roots in Queer Nation, who is playing a leading role in national efforts to pass the Equality Act. According to Herbold’s office, she and her colleagues drafted the resolution with input from the City’s LGBTQ Commissioners and the activist groups LGBTQ Allyship and Gender Justice League. Boston and Palm Springs have passed similar legislation. The City Council will convene on March 13 at 2:00 p.m. to act on the resolution, and there will be an opportunity for public comment.
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DOJ to drop opposition to anti-LGBT HB 2 by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer Jeff Sessions’ Department of Justice is preparing to drop federal opposition to North Carolina’s anti-LGBT law, known as HB 2. The law repeals all local ordinances protecting LGBT residents of the state and adds additional burdens to Trans people, barring them from restrooms that match their gender identity. In addition to provoking a nationwide boycott against North Carolina, the law is also the target of a lawsuit by the ACLU and Lambda Legal on behalf of four LGBT North Carolinians and other members of the ACLU of North Carolina. In August 2016, a US District Court blocked the University of North Carolina from enforcing HB 2 against three Transgender plaintiffs in the case. The US Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit has scheduled oral arguments in the lawsuit for May 10. The Obama Justice De-
Jeff Sessions – Photo courtesy of abcnews.com
partment had weighed in against the state law, saying it violated federal civil rights legislation. Obama administration attorneys had
also filed for a preliminary injunction blocking enforcement of the law. Sessions’ DOJ, however, submitted a motion saying it was rethinking the department’s position
on the issue and asked for a stay on any injunction. A federal judge on the case responded by freezing the Obama-era filings until the Sessions Justice Department can submit its views. ACLU and Lambda Legal said they would press ahead with their legal challenge to HB 2. “We look forward to being back in court to fight to ensure that all transgender people in North Carolina are treated with the dignity and respect that they deserve and that is required by law,” the groups said in a joint statement. “House Bill 2 represents an egregious attack on transgender people and their ability to participate in public life. While we continue to urge North Carolina legislators to repeal the law entirely, without still sanctioning discrimination, particularly against transgender people, we cannot wait for lawmakers to do the right thing. We will continue to fight for the rights of LGBT North Carolinians in court and beyond.”
Education Secretary Betsy DeVos meets with LGBT rights groups by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer Education Secretary Betsy DeVos met with three LGBT groups on March 8 to discuss protections for Transgender students. According to the Washington Blade, the meeting was set up by Equality Michigan, the state LGBT group in DeVos’ home state, and included the National Center for Transgender Equality (NCTE) and GLSEN. DeVos’ office informed the groups on March 3 that she would see them. Discussion consisted of two consecutive sessions. DeVos met first with Transgender families, and later with representatives from the three LGBT groups. The sessions reportedly lasted about an hour each. DeVos was accompanied by four other Education Department officials. Stephanie White, executive director of Equality Michigan, said her organization sought the meeting to convey the “profound negative consequences” of the withdrawal of the guidance protecting Transgender students. “We also ensured that the secretary heard from transgender students and their parents directly about the impact of discrimination and harassment at school,” White said. “We wanted her to understand that these are life-and-death issues for transgender young people across the country and that we will not waver or compromise in our
Stephanie White, Executive Director of Equality Michigan – Photo courtesy of equalitymi.org
commitment to ensuring that every student, regardless of their gender identity, is provided with equal protection and opportunity to thrive.” NCTE President Mara Keisling said they got no firm policy commitments from DeVos, but that the encounter was “a good first meeting” because “it’s always good when people are willing to sit down and talk, when people are willing to be told that what they did was really bad.” “Right now, we’re limited in what
we can do with the federal government, but this was one thing we could do,” Keisling added. “We could bring families, and that was really the important thing here. I think so many people were just outraged that they took a policy that had taken a decade or more to craft and do the groundwork, and then just threw it out in less a week of Attorney General Sessions being in office. He came into office and immediately started shooting at trans people, and she was only
in office a couple weeks more than that.” DeVos reportedly objected to the order rescinding Obama’s protections but was ordered by Trump to go along. Eliza Byard, executive director of GLSEN, said the LGBT groups addressed the immediate consequences of withdrawing the guidance and “ways that she might be able to mitigate the pain, fear, and confusion that decision has caused.” “Above all, we ensured that DeVos heard – directly from us – that we will not budge or compromise when it comes to the full support and protection that all of our children, including LGBTQ youth, deserve from this administration, from the Department of Education, and from its Office for Civil Rights,” Byard said. In a statement, DeVos said she was “grateful for the opportunity” to speak with families and LGBT rights supporters “about their concerns, thoughts, fears, and suggestions.” “Every school and every school leader has a moral responsibility to protect all students and ensure every child is respected and can learn in an accepting environment,” DeVos said. “I remain committed to advocating for and fighting on behalf of all students. Today’s meeting was compelling, moving, and welcomed, and part of an ongoing dialogue with families and students throughout the country.”
GLSEN statement on meeting with Education Secretary Betsy DeVos NEW YORK (March 8, 2017) – “I joined my colleagues from NCTE and Equality Michigan and a delegation of families in meeting with Secretary DeVos to relay the concerns and fears of hundreds of thousands of students, educators, and parents who have been affected by the alarming actions of the Trump administration. “We highlighted the pervasive violence and discrimination that the majority of transgender students face across the country, including being prevented from using their correct name and pronouns and appropriate school facilities. We told DeVos
about the immediate impact of withdrawing the guidance, and discussed ways that she might be able to mitigate the pain, fear, and confusion that decision has caused. We described the years of experience, research and careful policy-making behind the original Title IX guidance and all of the emerging best practices it helped to publicize. “Above all, we ensured that DeVos heard – directly from us – that we will not budge or compromise when it comes to the full support and protection that all of our children, including LGBTQ youth, deserve from this Administration, from the Depart-
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ment of Education and from its Office for Civil Rights.” About GLSEN GLSEN champions safe and affirming schools for all students. We envision a world in which every child learns to respect and accept all people, regardless of sexual orientation, gender identity, or expression. Each year, GLSEN programs and resources reach tens of thousands of K-12 schools across the United States, and our network of chapters brings GLSEN’s expertise to their local communities. GLSEN’s prog-
ress and impact have won support for our work at all levels of education in the United States and sparked an international movement to ensure equality for LGBTQ students and respect for all in schools. For more information on GLSEN’s policy advocacy, student leadership initiatives, public education, research and educator training programs, please visit glsen.org. Courtesy of GLSEN – The Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network
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Celebrating 41 Years!
Insurance Commissioner says GOP health plan is a bad deal in Washington and throughout the nation,” he charged. “Many people literally will be faced with life-and-death choices because of the inequities that make up the Republican proposal.” “I will not allow our state to move backward,” Kreidler promised. “I intend to fight vigorously to maintain the progress we’ve made in Washington state. Sound insurance principles require that we have a system that offers affordable and meaningful health care.”
by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer Washington State Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler says the newly released Republican heath care plan is a bad deal for consumers. In a statement released March 7, Kreidler – who is charged with overseeing insurance programs in the state – called the GOP plan “a step backward for the millions of people who have gained coverage.” “It’s being rushed to a vote with little or no public review or fiscal analysis by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office,” Kreidler added. “This is an unprecedented way of doing the public’s business.” According to initial analysis by Kreidler’s staff, there are at least six problems with the Republican plan being floated by House Speaker Paul Ryan: • “Eliminates the individual mandate: Dropping the individual mandate for coverage could prompt insurers to flee the market if not enough healthy people buy insurance. Washington state tried a similar measure in the 1990s and saw the individual health insurance market collapse.” • “Surcharge no substitute for mandate: A 30% surcharge for a gap in coverage of more than two months – billed as “continuous coverage” – is a weak attempt to replace the individual mandate.” • “Inequitable tax credits: Tax credits replace income-based subsidies, meaning the poorest residents are at risk of eventually losing or foregoing coverage.” • Tax shelter for higher incomes: Expanded use of health savings accounts – or tax shelters – fail to help low-income people who have no money to put into this type of account.” • “Older people pay more: Older people will pay significantly more for coverage in a couple of ways. The Republicans’ plan allows insurers to charge older consumers up to five times more than younger consumers. It replaces income-based subsidies with age-based tax credits, which possibly may not offset increased premiums.”
Mike Kreidler – Photo courtesy of insurance.wa.gov
• “No coverage for abortion: The proposal forbids tax credits for any health care plan that covers abortions. This is a direct attack on women’s rights and would lead to higher costs overall.” The proposed changes would have a
negative impact on health care consumers in Washington state, Kreidler said. “Despite keeping some of the most popular protections of the Affordable Care Act, the Republican plan is almost certain to increase the rate of uninsured
Congressional Democrats reject GOP plan Congressional Democrats joined in Kreidler’s rejection of the GOP health care plan, with Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer calling the Republican plan a “sham.” “Trumpcare doesn’t replace the Affordable Care Act,” Schumer said. “It forces millions of Americans to pay more for less care. This plan would cut and cap Medicaid, defund Planned Parenthood, and force Americans, particularly older Americans, to pay more out of pocket for their medical care, all so insurance companies can pad their bottom line. It cuts taxes on the rich to make middle-class families pay more… “This bill is a giveaway to the wealthy and insurance companies at the expense of American families, and Senate Democrats will work hard to see that it is defeated.” House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi called the Republican proposal “a Make America Sick Again bill.” “Republicans will force tens of millions of families to pay more for worse coverage – and push millions of Americans off of health coverage entirely,” she warned. “The GOP bill shortens the life of the Medicare Trust Fund and pushes millions of seniors and disabled Americans who depend on Medicaid coverage into the cold. Republicans even enable insurers to once again charge more or deny coverage to millions of Americans with pre-existing conditions, abandoning those families who lapse in coverage for any reason at all.”
Donald Trump gets approval to pimp in China “This is just way over your average trademark examiner’s pay grade,” he said. Ethics lawyers say that if Trump receives any special treatment by Chinese officials, it would violate the emoluments clause of the US Constitution, which bars US officials from accepting anything of value from foreign governments unless approved by Congress. Congressional Democrats also raised questions about the deal. “It’s clear to me that officials in Beijing have come to appreciate the potential return on investments for China in having a positive, personal business relationship with the president of the United States, who has not taken appropriate and transparent steps to completely sever his relationship from the corporation that bears his name,” Sen. Ben Cardin said in a March 8 statement. Cardin is the ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer China has granted preliminary approval to Donald Trump for 38 new trademarks, according to a March 8 story from the Associated Press. Chinese officials reportedly published the approvals on February 27 and March 6. Among the Trump-trademarked businesses that Chinese officials approved are what documents describe as “social escort and concierge services.” Other approved business ventures include branded spas; massage parlors; golf clubs; hotels; insurance, finance, and real estate companies; restaurants; bars; and bodyguard services. According to the AP, Trump’s lawyers in China applied for the trademarks in April 2016. At the same time, Trump was accusing China of currency manipulation and stealing US jobs. Trump’s new portfolio of Chinese trademarks raises both conflict-of-interest questions and questions about the propriety of a US president running escort services and massage parlors. Trump apparently got expedited approval of his businesses, experts in the field told the AP. Dan Plane, a director at Simone IP
Dan Plane, a director at Simone IP Services – Photo courtesy of apnews.com
Services, a Hong Kong intellectual property consultancy, said he had never seen so many applications approved so expeditiously. “For all these marks to sail through so quickly and cleanly, with no similar marks,
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no identical marks, no issues with specifications – boy, it’s weird,” he said. Plane said he would be “very, very surprised” if officials from the ruling Communist Party were not monitoring Trump’s intellectual property interests.
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Clive is a charming, 10-year-old orange and white tabby cat. This handsome fellow has a sweet personality who loves attention and enjoys to be petted and engage in some playtime. He’s already affectionate and approachable, but you can also win him over by offering some of his favorite treats, like catnip and cat grass. Clive is in a loving foster home and available for adoption. He has a report on file you can read to learn more about how he interacts with people, other animals, and his dietary needs, so come talk to adoption staff about meeting him today. As with all of our cats, Clive is neutered, microchipped and vaccinated. All of our cats have been tested for Feline Leukemia/FIV and go home with a certificate for an examination by a King County veterinarian and their very own identification tag and collar. PLUS, most cat adoptions include 30 days of pet insurance from Trupanion - a great way to start off on the right paw!
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Pussy Riot’s world premiere show at The Crocodile – Photos by Nate Gowdy
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GLSEN statement on SCOTUS’ decision to decline to hear case of Trans student Gavin Grimm NEW YORK (March 6, 2017) – Today, the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear the case of transgender student Gavin Grimm, sending the case back to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit. GLSEN Executive Director, Dr. Eliza Byard, issued the following statement in response. “The Supreme Court has missed an opportunity to end the painful discrimination currently faced by tens of thousands of transgender students nationwide. The position previously taken by the Departments of Education and Justice lifted up best prac-
GAVIN GRIMM continued from cover
restrooms that correspond to their gender identities. The 4th Circuit originally ruled in favor of Grimm, but the Supreme Court vacated its ruling. In other words, the 4th Circuit must now reconsider the case. At issue is the new Trump administration directive rescinding Obama-era protections for Trans students based on Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972. Obama said that Title IX’s prohibition of “sex discrimination” also protected gender identity. Trump says it does not. Grimm, the high school student who is the plaintiff in the case, charged that the
tices for K-12 schools to improve the lives of students and provide a clear path to opportunity. “We remain confident the courts will ultimately stand with Gavin and other transgender students in seeking access to school facilities that correspond with their gender identity and determining their gender-affirming name and pronouns, but in the meantime, trans students are left in limbo about their protections while the case is reheard. “Additionally, the federal government continues to backtrack on its commitment to supporting transgender students, making
it more important than ever that educators, schools, school districts, and state governments make explicitly clear their support through inclusive school values statements and comprehensive policies.”
Gloucester County School Board’s decision to force him to use a separate, single-stall restroom that no other student is required to use violated his rights under Title IX. The additional delay means that Grimm will graduate from high school before his right to use the restrooms there will be adjudicated. Nevertheless, he vowed to continue to press his case. “This fight is bigger than me,” Grimm wrote in a New York Times op-ed. “I came to realize that very early on, and it is truer now than it ever has been. “This fight is for other trans youth in my high school. It is for other trans youth in Virginia. It is for all trans youth who are in school or one day will be. It is for the friends and loved ones of these youth, who want these children to be happy and healthy, rather than at risk and in danger as
so many trans people are.” Grimm’s lead attorney, Joshua Block of the ACLU’s LGBT Project, said that in spite of the Trump administration’s backtrack on Title IX, he still believed that federal law protects Trans students. “Nothing about today’s action changes the meaning of the law. Title IX and the Constitution protect Gavin and other transgender students from discrimination,” Block said in a statement. “While we’re disappointed that the Supreme Court will not be hearing Gavin’s case this term, the overwhelming level of support shown for Gavin and trans students by people across the country throughout this process shows that the American people have already moved in the right direction and that the rights of trans people cannot be ignored. This is a detour, not the
About GLSEN GLSEN champions safe and affirming schools for all students. We envision a world in which every child learns to respect and accept all people, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity/expression. Each year, GLSEN programs and resources reach tens of thousands of K-12 schools
across the United States, largely through our network of chapters working in their local communities. GLSEN’s progress and impact has won support for our work at all levels of education in the United States and sparked an international movement to ensure equality for LGBTQ students and respect for all in schools. For more information on GLSEN’s policy advocacy, student leadership initiatives, public education, research and educator training programs, please visit glsen.org.
end of the road, and we’ll continue to fight for Gavin and other transgender people to ensure that they are treated with the dignity and respect they deserve.” Trump’s attorney general, Jeff Sessions, and the new Education Secretary, Betsy DeVos, issued instructions on Title IX last month, reversing federal policy protecting Trans students. According to White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer, the administration sought to send a message to the Supreme Court by yanking the protections. “The guidance [the administration] puts forward obviously sends a signal to the Court on where the administration stands on this issue,” Spicer said. Other cases involving Trans rights are also headed for the Supreme Court, including one challenging North Carolina’s HB 2.
Trump administration may quit UN Human Rights Council by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer The Trump administration is thinking about pulling out of the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC), according to a report in Politico. The UNHRC was established in 2006 to replace the UN Commission on Human Rights. The commission had been criticized for being both too interventionist and too lenient on some of its member states, like Saudi Arabia and Zimbabwe. The George W. Bush administration refused to join the new council, but President Barack Obama felt it was more useful to be part of the UNHRC and try to influence it from the inside. The council started its new session on March 6 with the US still participating, indicating that no final decision has been made to withdraw. The ultimate decision on membership in the council would likely involve Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, as well as the US ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley, and of course Trump himself, Politico said. A source identified as “a former State Department official briefed on the discussions” said that one issue is what some Trump aides consider unfair “targeting” of Israel for building new settlements in Palestinian territory. Russia has also been a target of UNHRC criticism. In 2016, Russia was voted off the council by the UN General Assembly because of its involvement in reported war crimes in Syria.
State Department spokesman Mark Toner – Photo courtesy of c-span.org
Overall, Politico reports, the Trump administration just doesn’t believe the body is useful to US foreign policy. “There’s been a series of requests coming from the secretary of state’s office that suggests that he is questioning the value of the US belonging to the Human Rights
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Council,” the former official said. State Department spokesman Mark Toner did not address the rumors but told Politico, “Our delegation will be fully involved in the work of the HRC session, which starts [March 6].” White House press aides and Ambas-
sador Haley declined to comment on the reports. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, whose relationship with the Obama administration was strained, has made it clear he looks forward to working with Trump.
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