Issue 12 Volume 38
Celebrating 37 Years!
FRIDAY March 19, 2010 FREE! 25¢ in bookstores & news stands
JET CITY HOOPS p. 16
dragon tattoo p. 29
JACKIE BEAT p. 25
Seattle Gay News SEATTLE’S LGBT NEWS & ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY
Father Robert Carter, “the Lt. Dan Choi and Capt. Jim Catholic Harvey Milk,” dies Co-founder of NGLTF and Dignity brendon Fay
Pietrangelo chain selves to White House
Pair arrested during “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” protest
Slon, spokesperson for the New York Province of the Jesuit religious order. He was described by long-time activist Brendan Fay as “the Catholic Harvey Milk.” Carter helped found DignityUSA, a support group for Gay
Army Lieutenant Dan Choi is fed up. He is tired of waiting for Congress and the Obama administration to follow the will of the American people by repealing “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” (DADT), the U.S. Military’s discriminatory ban on Gays and Lesbians serving openly in the armed forces. In a moment of good, old-fashioned activism, Choi led a march of hundreds of people from a Kathy Griffin and Human Rights Campaign (HRC) DADT rally in Washington, D.C., down Pennsylvania Avenue to the White House. There, in an act of unscripted civil disobedience, he chained himself to the fence. Choi was arrested on the afternoon of March 18. The events played out live on
see carter page 17
see choi page 19
(l to r) Fathers Bernard Lynch, John McNeill, and Robert Carter lead Dignity in New York’s Gay pride march in the early 1980s.
by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer Father Robert Carter, openly Gay Roman Catholic priest and co-founder of the NGLTF and DignityUSA, died on February 22 in New York at the age of 82. His death was confirmed publicly on March 14 by Fr. Thomas
General Petraeus says DADT is unfair, outdated
Lt. Dan Choi (l) and Captain Jim Pietrangelo handcuffed to the White House fence
ENDA sit-ins target Speaker Pelosi
Alex Wong/Getty Images
repealing the Gay military ban “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” (DADT). DADT requires the Defense Department to separate from the armed services members who engage in or attempt to engage in homosexual acts, state they are homosexual or Bisexual, or marry or attempt to marry a person of the same biological sex. Nearly 14,000 otherwise qualified men and women have been discharged from the military under DADT, and many thousands more have chosen to not re-enlist because of the policy. Enforcing and implementing the policy has cost U.S. taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars. Petraeus appeared before a panel of senators at the March 16 meeting of the Senate Armed Services Committee prepared to deliver an “eight-minute statement” expressing his personal feelings about the repeal of the DADT policy. Unfortunately, Senator Carl Levin, who chaired the committee, stopped the General from giving a dissertation, citing time constraints. Still, Petraeus told the commitGeneral David Petraeus tee “the time has come” for repeal. by Shaun Knittel commanding officer of the U.S. The general endorsed the ongoing Central Command, which includes review of the matter under the diSGN Staff Writer Iraq and Afghanistan, made it see Petraeus page 19 General David Petraeus, the clear on March 16 that he supports
John Aravosis
by Shaun Knittel SGN Staff Writer
courtesy washington times
Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi
by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer Less than three hours after Lt. Dan Choi, Capt. Jim Pietrangelo, and GetEqual founder Robin McGehee were arrested in front of the White House, GetEqual cofounder Kip Williams announced a sit-in at the offices of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) in San Francisco. A simultaneous sit-in also occupied the Speaker’s office in D.C.
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GetEqual demonstrators hoped to pressure Pelosi to move ENDA (the Employment Non-Discrimination Act) to a floor vote. ENDA would expand Title VII of the federal Civil Rights Act to prohibit workplace discrimination against LGBT workers. The sit-ins began about 1:45 p.m. PDT. GetEqual demonstrators reported live on Twitter for the rest of the day. see sit-in page 20
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Deadlines Classifieds - Thursday at noon Calendar - Tuesday 6pm Display Ads: Space Reservation - Monday 5pm Ad copy (non-camera ready) - Tues. 5pm Ad copy (camera ready) - Wed. 5pm Letters to the Editor - Tuesday 5pm Obituaries - Call the SGn office All others - Tuesday 5pm
Editor In Chief George Bakan Associate Editor Tom Flint (retired) Editorial Assistant Nick Ardizzone Production William Creswell Calender Editors Mike Andrew and Rick McKinnon Travel Editor George Bakan Advertising Manager Marty Weisbrod Advertising Department Maggie Bloodstone Executive Assistant Mike Andrew Staff Writers George Bakan, Albert S. Rodriguez, Nick Ardizzone, Shaun Knittel Miryam Gordon, James Whitely, Tim Peter Contributing Writers Rev. Barbara Allen, Mike Andrew, Eric Andrews-Katz, Madelyn Arnold, Maggie Bloodstone, Beau Burriola, Jessica Davis, Ron Anders, Jessica Price, Milton W. Hamlin, Nevin Jefferson, Keen News Service, Jason A. Miller, Liz Meyer, Rod Parke, Don Paulson, Scott Rice, Leslie Robinson, Richard Kennedy, Romeo San Vicente, Rex Wockner Classifieds Mike Andrew and Rick McKinnon Photographers Nick Ardizzone, Joseph P. Herron, Shaun Knittel, James Whitely National Advertising Rep. Rivendell Media (212) 242-6863 Website Designer Barry Thorsness/Digital Team Works Seattle Gay News is published weekly by JT&A, Inc. © 2010, JT&A, Inc., all rights reserved. Reprints by permission.
Publication of names, photographs or likenesses of any person, organization, event or business in this publication cannot be taken as any indication of the sexual orientation of the person, organization, event or business. Opinions expressed in bylined articles, columns, and letters are those of the authors only and do not necessarily reflect the views of the staff or management of this paper. Seattle Gay News welcomes unsolicited material, including letters to the editor, but reserves the right to edit or reject material. All rights revert to authors upon publication. We assume no liability for loss or damage of materials, solicited or not. We invite feedback, please write. And please play safe. It is our policy that no money shall be refunded if you choose to cancel your subscription or ad. However, credit towards any size ad will be given for the balance owed. No exceptions.
Constance McMillen becomes unlikely Gay rights crusader by James Whitely SGN Staff Writer A little over a week ago, Constance McMillen was a name only heard in the small town of Fulton, Mississippi. Her name has since become commonplace in households all across the country. The 18-year-old high school student, who identifies as Lesbian, was told by the Itawamba County School District on March 10 that her prom would be cancelled “due to the distractions to the educational process caused by recent events.” According to McMillen, her lawyers, and the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), her school district elected to cancel the entire senior prom rather than allow a student to attend the prom with her girlfriend and wear a tuxedo. “Itawamba school officials are trying to turn Constance into the villain who called the whole [prom] off, and that just isn’t what happened. She’s fighting for everyone to be able to enjoy the prom,” said Kristy Bennett, legal director of the ACLU of Mississippi. In a lawsuit filed on March 11, the ACLU
“My daddy told me that I needed to show them that I’m still proud of who I am.”
In Loving Memory Of Steve Foiles, Scott Roger Alpert, Cookie Andrews-Hunt, James Leland Moore, Randy Peters, Lee Richeson, Shaun Shelton, Jim Tully, James Arnold
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has demanded that the Itawamba County School District reverse its decision on canceling the prom and allow McMillen and her girlfriend to attend the event. Both girls are students of Itawamba Agricultural High School. The lawsuit, filed with the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Mississippi, also charges Itawamba County School District officials with violating Constance McMillen’s First Amendment right to freedom of expression. “It’s shameful and cowardly of the school district to have canceled the prom and to try to blame Constance, who’s only standing up for herself. We will fight tooth and nail for the prom to be reinstated for all students,” said Christine Sun, senior counsel with the ACLU National LGBT Project, who represents McMillen along with the ACLU of Mississippi. The case is entitled Constance McMillen v. Itawamba County School District, et al. According to the ACLU, McMillen asked for support from the ACLU after school officials told her that she could not attend the prom with her girlfriend. When the school
March 19, 2010
board received a certified letter from the ACLU and the Mississippi Safe Schools Coalition (MSSC) demanding that the school allow the couple to attend the prom together, the school board issued a statement saying that they were canceling prom for all students. The statement released by the school board did not mention McMillen or the ACLU. When asked by an Associated Press reporter if McMillen led to the cancellation of the event, Itawamba County School Board attorney Michele Floyd said she could only reference the statement that the prom was cancelled “due to the distractions to the educational process caused by recent events.” McMillen has gained national celebrity, appearing with Sun on multiple talk shows including the CBS Early Show, MSNBC and The Wanda Sykes Show throughout the week. Now back in her hometown of Fulton, McMillen is coming under a great degree of scrutiny from her fellow students and other members of the community. However, with the support of her friends, her father, and the rest of her family, she does not fear retaliation. “My daddy told me that I needed to show them that I’m still proud of who I am,” McMillen told the Associated Press last week. Currently, MSSC is working to host a “Second Chance Prom” for McMillen and every other student of Itawamba Agricultural High School. “Unfortunately this story is all too familiar in Mississippi,” said MSSC in a press release obtained by the SGN. MSSC is currently taking donations to host the Second Chance Prom. Visit www.mssafeschools. org to donate online. “The MSSC is organizing its Second Chance Prom this year in Constance’s community, so that all students, Gay and straight, at Itawamba will have the opportunity to be themselves at the prom,” said MSSC. While in New York City this week, McMillen recorded a short video for the ACLU thanking the nation for its support. McMillen has been overwhelmed by the public backlash against the Itawamba County School District. Currently, the Facebook page “Let Constance Take Her Girlfriend to Prom!” has 353,826 fans. There will be a hearing on the motion for a preliminary injunction on Monday, March 22. “All I wanted was the same chance to enjoy my prom night like any other student. But my school would rather hurt all the students than treat everyone fairly,” said McMillen. “This isn’t just about me and my rights anymore; now I’m fighting for the right of all the students at my school to have our prom.”
Celebrating 37 Years!
Orcas hold annual swim meet
“Unlike Gay softball or soccer, we typically compete against straight teams. We’re the only Gay team in the Northwest, aside from a team in Vancouver,” Stone told SGN. “We have a good relationship with what are traditionally straight teams.” “We host what’s called the Pink Flamingo Relay. It’s one of the hallmarks of an Orca meet,” said Stone. The event usually involves drag, and as the name suggests, it brings a hearty dose of Gay to a traditional swim event. “The straight teams really enjoy it,” Stone told SGN. “We have straight people on our team, we have Gay people on our team, what we do share is a love of swimming and a love of community,” said Stone. “For us, it’s just as much about building relationships as it is about the competition … which I think is true for most of the sports teams here in Seattle.” The Orcas will be sending seven athletes to the Gay Games this summer in Cologne, Germany. Currently, the Orcas are looking for women to participate in the mixed relay event at the Gay Games. The Orcas are proud of their history and proud to be a part of the community. They are grateful for the support of the Lobby Bar and Mark Handel, who served as the meet director for this year’s swim meet. “He did a phenomenal job of putting it all together. It was by sheer force of will that Mark put this all together,” said Stone. If you’re interested in joining the Orcas or just want more information, check out www. orcaswimteam.org.
at the Howard University School of Law. After the hearing, the NGLTF’s Carey told reporters she expected the bill to win broad support in the House. “We’re very pleased that [Nadler] introduced this today and, with our testimony and the support of others, we hope it gains momentum,” she said. “There are a number of members of Congress who will be quite supportive of this.” Additional hearings on the Fair and Inclunity. sive Housing Act are expected before it will Sexual orientation and gender identity be reported out for a floor vote. were included in federal hate crimes proAs yet, there is no companion bill in the tections in the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Act passed last year. ENDA (the Employment Non-Discrimination Act) would add similar protections to Title VII of the Civil Rights Act applying to workplace discrimination. ENDA is now awaiting markup by the House Education and Labor Committee. “Housing discrimination remains a persistent problem in our country,” Nadler said in his opening remarks to the subcommittee hearing. “While we would like to think that housing discrimination is an artifact of the past, we know it is not.” “Discrimination [in housing] on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity are perfectly legal in many areas, and people are regularly denied a place to live simply because of that status,” Nadler said. Among those testifying at the initial hearing on the measure was NGTLF Executive Director Rea Carey. In her testimony, Carey cited preliminary findings of an NGLTF survey on discrimination against Transgender people, showing that 11% of Transgender respondents reported being evicted and 19% reported becoming homeless due to incidents of discrimination. “For us, the pursuit of the American dream, including home ownership, is a risky proposition,” she said. “When our sexual orientation or gender identity is known, either because we offer it willingly or a landlord, realtor or lender is made aware by other means, there is potential for outright hostility, property damage, and even physical violence. “Studies show that in renting apartments, when callers described themselves as Gay or Lesbian, apartments are more likely to be described as unavailable.” Other witnesses included Shanna Smith, president of the National Fair Housing Alliance; Barbara Arnwine, executive director of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law; Kenneth Marcus, visiting professor of Baruch College School of Public Affairs; John Relman, founder and director of Relman & Dane; and Okianer Christian Dark, an associate dean and professor of law
Senate. Nadler – who represents a district which includes Greenwich Village, Chelsea, and the Upper West Side, as well as a section of Brooklyn – has been a longtime ally of the LGBT community. On September 15, 2009 he introduced the Respect for Marriage Act, which would repeal DOMA. He is also the prime sponsor of the Freedom of Choice Act protecting reproductive choice. He is a co-sponsor of ENDA and the Military Readiness Enhancement Act to repeal Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.
richard wood
swimmers from New York … one from the San Francisco Tsunami, the Gay swim team in San Francisco,” Jason Stone, who serves on the board of directors for the Orca team, told SGN. “This is our 26th year. We started in 1984 with a group of swimmers that were getting ready to go to the second Gay Games,” said Stone. “So that makes us one of the oldest Gay teams around in Seattle – or anywhere.” Rick Peterson, who swam on the original team lineup, became the first president of the Gay Games. He still swims for the Orca team. The Orca swim team held its first annual swim meet in 1985. “At the time, there was a lot of anti-Gay backlash,” said Stone. The Orcas were able to hold their meets, but because of the antiGay sentiment that existed in the sport at the time, were not able to get them sanctioned by the Pacific Northwest Association of Master Swimmers. “In 1987, the Orcas worked to get sanctioning and our team ran into a lot of resistance,” Stone told SGN. Cal Anderson, Washington’s first openly Gay state legislator, intervened and got the Orcas sanctioned. In their own way, the Orcas were pioneering a fight to push forward Gay rights in what was, at the time, an oppressive environment. The 100-member swim team is still the only Gay swim team in the Pacific Northwest.
A member of the Orca swim team in action at this year’s meet
by James Whitely SGN Staff Writer
came out for the meet, which is rich in tradition, community, and the spirit of competiOn March 13, the Orca swim team held tion. Participants ranged from 18 to approxiits annual swim meet at the Helene Madison pool in north Seattle. Almost 150 swimmers mately 70 years of age. “We had some
Fair and Inclusive Housing Rights Act introduced HUD asks for comments on housing discrimination by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.), chair of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights and Civil Liberties, introduced the Fair and Inclusive Housing Act of 2010 on March 11. Just hours later, his subcommittee held the first hearings on the measure. Nadler’s bill would amend the Fair Housing Act of 1968 to include a ban on housing discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. Rep. John Conyers (D-Mich.), chair of the House Judiciary Committee, co-sponsored Nadler’s legislation. On March 17, the department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) followed suit, announcing a national study on discrimination against LGBT people in the sale and rental of housing. Leading the study will be Raphael Bostic, HUD assistant secretary for policy development and research. To facilitate the study, HUD also announced the creation of a website allowing public comment on discrimination in housing. The website can be accessed at portal. hud.gov/portal/page/portal/HUD/LGBT_ Discrimination_Study. In addition to seeking comment on the website, HUD has held a series of town hall meetings to hear accounts of discrimination. Events have taken place in Chicago, San Francisco and New York City. “The comments we received in our town hall meetings, and those we will gather from this new website, will help inform how we might test for housing discrimination in the sale or rental of housing based on LBGT status,” Bostic said. One of the Johnson administration’s landmark civil rights bills, the Fair Housing Act of 1968, prohibited discrimination in the sale, rental, and financing of housing on the basis of race, color, religion, or national origin. Congress amended the law in 1974 to include protections based on gender. In 1988, it added protections based on disability and family status. The Fair and Inclusive Housing Act is the third proposed expansion of U.S. civil rights legislation to include the LGBT commu-
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GenderDoc-M photo
Moldovan Gays protested at Chisinau City Hall in 2007 against a city ban on public Gay demonstrations. A case stemming from a 2005 incident is now before the European Court of Human Rights
INTERNATIONAL
NEWS
Chilean LGBT infrastructure damaged by earthquake Chile’s leading Gay rights group, Movimiento de Integración y Liberación Homosexual (Homosexual Integration and Liberation Movement), on March 11 released preliminary findings on earthquake damage to the LGBT community infrastructure. The Frida Kahlo Lesbian Cultural Center in Chillán was destroyed, MOVILH said, and the headquarters of the Chilean AIDS Prevention Corporation and ACCIONGAY in Valparaíso was severely damaged. “The house is ready to fall down,” said Marcelo Aguilar, ACCIONGAY’s Valparaíso regional coordinator. “One of the saddest aspects is the loss of equipment that we worked hard to acquire for our headquarters over the past 10 years.” All of the organization’s services have been suspended. Just south of Santiago, in the town of Paine, the Gay pub Vunker “was rendered completely uninhabitable,” MOVILH reported. “The homes of many Chilean LGBT activists are in poor condition, while other activists who fight against homophobia and Transphobia in Chile are still missing,” the organization said. “The most serious problem we are facing is that various activists have lost their relatives and friends,” the group said. “One tragic case is that of Karin Avaria, a Transsexual activist from MOVILH, who has lost seven relatives.” For more information, see movilh.cl.
was pending. An appeals court ruled that the city’s denial was “illegal” but the nation’s Supreme Court later upheld the ban, saying a picket by sexual minorities could lead to a breach of public order. GenderDoc-M’s Euro Court case alleges violation of numerous provisions of the European Convention on Human Rights concerned with the rights to a fair trial, effective remedy, freedom of assembly, and freedom from discrimination. “The additional questions requested by the court to the Moldovan authorities take away all hopes for a court decision before the next Moldovan Pride planned on May 2,” said Moscow activist Nikolai Alekseev. Gay magazine launches in Belarus A Gay magazine has launched in Belarus even after the government refused to allow it to be registered. GAY: Good As You will publish six times a year in Belarusian and Russian. The first edition was distributed March 1 in Minsk. It also is available on GayBelarus. by. “Unfortunately, the authorities have denied to register our magazine, making it unofficial and preventing us to print more than 299 copies according to the law, but we hope to be able to circulate a few in other cities by April,” said Chief Editor Sergey Praded. House of Lords OKs Gay church weddings Britain’s House of Lords voted 95-21 on March 3 to allow religious authorities to conduct Gay civil partnership ceremonies in churches and other places of worship. The change is not supported by the government but is expected to pass the House of Commons as well. Same-sex civil partnerships were legalized in 2005 and grant the same rights and obligations as marriage. “We expect civil partnerships will be conducted by Gay-affirmative religions, including the Unitarians and Quakers, and some Anglican churches and liberal synagogues,” said veteran activist Peter Tatchell. “Our next goal is to secure marriage equality, to end the prohibition on Lesbian and Gay couples having a civil marriage in a registry office,” Tatchell said.
Taipei Gays protest homophobic memo More than 100 Gay people protested at Taipei City Hall on March 2 after the Ministry of Education sent a memo to high schools advising them to ban “homosexual activities,” the China Post reported. The federal agency issued the memo after a Taipei City Council committee discussed, but did not pass, a resolution suggesting that the city government investigate how to “prevent high school student groups from leading students into homosexual activities.” The demonstrators demanded that the national government explain itself and apologize. More than 110 organizations signed a
NEWS
Actor Sean Hayes
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Seattle Gay News
March 19, 2010
Brazilians plan national march on Brasilia The umbrella group Brazilian Association for Lesbians, Gays, Bisexuals, Transvestites and Transsexuals is organizing the 1st National March Against Homophobia for May 19 in Brasilia, the nation’s capital. The association is made up of 237 LGBT organizations from all 27 states. Activists will gather at 9 a.m. on the lawn of the Ministries Esplanade in front of the Metropolitan Cathedral. “Every day, 20 million out ... LGBT Brazilians have their civil, economic, religious and political rights violated,” the organizers said. “Religious fundamentalists have used the media, city councils, state and federal houses of representatives and the federal Senate as vehicles to spread hate against LGBT citizens and to obstruct [the] Brazilian Constitution. “With no respect for the separation of church and state, religious fundamentalists use public resources and spaces – schools, health clinics, government cabinets, public squares and avenues, legislative, executive and judiciary chambers – to humiliate, attack and spread their hate against LGBT citizens.” Czech government issues homophobia handbook to schools The Czech Republic government has issued a handbook called Homophobia in Schools to elementary- and high-school teachers to help them combat anti-Gay bullying, radio.cz reported. “Young people laugh at different things, not only at Gays and Lesbians – that’s part of the youth culture, but I think the role of schools and teachers should be to talk about this, to talk about homosexuality, to discuss it with students and show them that this is not correct,” said Lucie Otáhalová, head of the secretariat of the Government Council for Human Rights. Studies have found that up to 75 percent of Czech students have negative attitudes toward Gays and Lesbians. With assistance from Bill Kelley
NATIONAL
by Rex Wockner SGN Contributing Writer wire image
Euro Court further delays Moldovan Gay case A case sent to the European Court of Human Rights in 2006 by Gays in Moldova is facing new delays. The court now says it needs additional clarifications from the Moldovan government before it can move forward in the matter of Moldovan authorities’ banning a May 2005 Gay demonstration outside Parliament in Chisinau. Members of the LGBT group GenderDocM had hoped to picket in support of the idea of an anti-discrimination law. Permission was denied by the Municipal Council, which said the picket lacked meaning because no legislation of the sort
by Rex Wockner SGN Contributing Writer
Euro Court rules against Poland in housing case The European Court of Human Rights ruled unanimously March 2 that Poland discriminated against a Gay man on the grounds of sexual orientation by refusing to let him continue renting his and his partner’s apartment after the partner’s death. Polish courts had ruled that tenancy rights for cohabiting partners do not apply to Gay couples because the nation’s constitution says marriage is “a union of a man and a woman.” The Euro Court said Poland violated articles of the European Convention on Human Rights that prohibit discrimination and protect the right to respect for private and family life. The case was brought by Piotr Kozak, who lives in the city of Szczecin, which was his landlord as well. It took the sometimes notoriously slow Euro Court more than eight years to issue its ruling.
petition to the same effect. Ministry of Education Secretary General Tsang Tsan-chin responded with an official apology. Protest organizer Gay & Lesbian Awakening Days said banning Gay groups in schools interferes with students’ natural development, according to the Post. “We do not become homosexual because our friends are homosexual,” GLAD said. “Through homosexual groups and with the support of peers with similar experiences, we can overcome the feelings of inferiority and fear pressed on us by the society and understand and accept ourselves.”
Sean Hayes comes out Actor Sean Hayes, who played flamboyant and narcissistic Jack on the long-running TV series Will & Grace, officially came out as Gay in the April edition of the Advocate. And he claimed he’s always been out. “I never have had a problem saying who I am,” he said. “I am who I am. I was never in, as they say. Never.” “I feel like I’ve contributed monumentally to the success of the Gay movement in America,” Hayes added. “What more do you want me to do? Do you want me to stand on a float? And then what? It’s never enough.” Hayes also said that sitcom work is “stifling.” “Doing a sitcom, it’s a machine, it’s a factory,” he said. “There’s nothing creative about it for an actor. There’s nothing new I’m going to discover for a character in episode 185. It’s just a pure punch-in, punchout factory day job – and it’s a wonderful factory day job – but creatively, it’s stifling.” With assistance from Bill Kelley
Celebrating 37 Years!
NORTHWEST
NEWS
compiled by Rick McKinnon SGN Staff Writer
BOOKS TO PRISONERS PROJECT SEEKS DONATIONS IN SUPPORT OF 2-FOR-1 MATCHING GRANT THROUGH MARCH 31 www.bookstoprisoners.net
rently scheduled for Saturdays March 20 at 4:30 p.m. at Lower Woodland Park #2, N. 50th St. & Stone Way N., March 27 at 9 a.m. at Lower Woodland Park #2, and April 3 at 3 p.m. at Georgetown Playfield, S. Homer St. & Corson Ave. S. Practices and games are open to spectators. There will be a summer GAY GAMES VIII break with pick-up games scheduled durCOLOGNE 2010 ing the summer. League practice and play SEEKING VISUAL ARTISTS will return in the fall. For more information, & VOLUNTEERS contact Manager Rich at atlasrich@hotmail. As part of the Cologne Gay Games this com or join the Seattle Gay Flag Football summer, July 31-August 7, artists are in- League group on Facebook. vited to discuss and present works based on the topic “movement,” mobility within their MEN OF ALL COLORS inspiration, in their world view, and in their & CULTURES TOGETHER attitudes, for an exhibit titled “Move It!” ST. PATRICK’S DAY For complete details, visit www.gamesPOTLUCK SOCIAL cologne.com and visit the “Culture” and On Saturday, March 20, from 6-10 p.m., then “Visual Art” pages. Deadline for sub- Men of All Colors and Cultures Together mission is March 31. (MACCT) hosts their St. Patrick’s Day PotThe Cologne Gay Games is also seeking luck Social. For additional information and/ volunteers to help with the presentation of or location information and directions, call the games. Visit the “Take Part” page at 206-923-8313 or email macctseattle@yawww.games-cologne.com for complete de- hoo.com. MACCT is a Gay/Bisexual multitails. racial, multi-cultural organization committed to fostering supportive environments TACOMA RAINBOW CENTER wherein racial and cultural barriers can be COMMUNITY SURVEY 2010 overcome and the goal of human equality The Tacoma Rainbow Center throughout can be realized. www.macctsea.org. the month of March is conducting a population survey for LGBTQ people in the gen“BATTLE OF THE COURTS” eral Pierce County area. The survey results On Saturday, March 20, door at 6:30 p.m., will provide a more detailed and compre- show at 7:00 p.m., join Seattle’s Imperial hensive view of the LGBTQ community Prince Kenith Anthony at Neighbours Night in the region. Data from the survey will be Club’s downstairs lounge, 1509 Broadway, used to help get funding for programs aimed entrance in alley off E. Pike St (between at the LGBTQ community, and will have Harvard Ave. and Broadway), for “Battle of the potential for other positive political and the Courts,” an evening of drag entertainsocial implications for LGBTQ people. ment sponsored by the Imperial Court of SeA summary of survey results will be attle. $5 donation requested at the door. shared. The survey is anonymous and takes about 10 minutes to fill out. The survey “LET’S DO IT” – can be accessed March 1-31 through a link A NIGHT OF (“Rainbow Center Community Survey”) at SEX WORKER-MADE MEDIA the Tacoma Rainbow Center website, www. AT NW FILM FORUM rainbowcntr.org, or call the Center, 253-383On Saturday, March 20, door at 7:30 p.m., 2318 for other ways to access the survey. show at 8 p.m., the Northwest Film Fo“We want the participation of everyone in rum, 1515 12th Ave., hosts “Let’s Do It,” the community, and we will accommodate an evening of films and a panel discussion participants with no computer access.” with Miss Indigo Blue, Mattilda Bernstein Sycamore, Billie Run and Sophia J. Russell SEATTLE JEWISH FILM FESTIVAL and other special guests, to support a local MARCH 11-21 resource guide by and for sex workers. Plus www.seattlejewishfilmfestival.org after-party with DJ. Presented by Bird Cage Collective. Sponsored by Central Co-op. AN EVENING WITH DINA MARTINA RAINBOW CITY BAND The incomparable Dina Martina presents SPRING CONCERT – a new evening (or matinee, if you prefer) “FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE” of hilarious songs, stories, videos and auOn Saturday, March 20, at 8 p.m., and on dience gifts that will knock your socks off. Sunday, March 21, at 3 p.m., the Rainbow Because Dina Martina’s performances have City Band presents their spring concert been described as “totally fresh” and “unlike featuring the work of Russian master comanything you’ve ever seen,” it’s next to im- posers Stravinsky, Shostakovich, Tchaikpossible to effectively describe what a Dina ovsky, Mussorgsky and others, at Broadway Martina show is like. It is, however, easy to Performance Hall, Broadway & E. Pine St. list some things the show IS: hysterically Tickets: $15 at the door and through www. funny, surprisingly smart, hilariously stupid, rainbowcityband.com. occasionally obscure, surreal, sweet, full of pathos. The show runs March 5-April 18 on 5TH AVENUE THEATRE’S Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays “SPOTLIGHT NIGHT” KICKS OFF at 2 p.m. Doors open one hour prior to show CITY-WIDE BERNSTEIN FESTIVAL time. Tickets are $20 in advance and $25 at AND SNEAK PEEK AT the door. 1-800-838-3006 or www.brownON THE TOWN AND CANDIDE papertickets.com/event/93619. NOTE: No On Monday, March 22, at 7 p.m., the 5th one under 21 years old will be admitted. Avenue Theatre, 1308 5th Ave., hosts “Spotlight Night.” The evening will focus on the Q-SQUARED BOOK GROUP genius of Leonard Bernstein, composer of On Saturday, March 20, at 1 p.m., at the the 5th Avenue’s two upcoming shows On Capitol Hill Branch Library, 425 Harvard The Town and Candide, and provide a sneak Ave. E., the Q-Squared Book Group will peek at the many events coming up in the discuss the novel The Swimming Pool Li- city-wide “Seattle Celebrates Bernstein!” brary by Alan Hollinghurst. Q-Squared Festival. The event is FREE, but attendees Book Group is open to men who are inter- must reserve their tickets by calling 206ested in Gay literature and always welcomes 625-1900, 888-584-4849, in person at the new members. For more information, visit box office or online at www.5thavenue.org. www.qsquared.org. The evening includes the backstage histories of these two landmark works by SEATTLE GAY FLAG FOOTBALL Bernstein, one his first musical from 1944 LEAGUE SPRING GAMES and the other his mid-career masterpiece, Seattle Gay Flag Football League seeks composed in 1956 but only finding sucplayers of all skill levels for weekly Satur- cess on the Broadway stage in 1974. The day practices and games. Games are cur- evening will also function as an unofficial
Visit us online www.sgn.org
kick-off to “Seattle Celebrates Bernstein!” a festival organized by a consortium of 19 of the region’s leading arts organizations to celebrate the life and music of the legendary American composer/conductor/writer/ activist, which will include concerts, theatrical performances, lectures, film screenings and special events that make up this unique, first-of-its-kind arts festival. In the second part of the evening, a host of Seattle’s finest singers will review the life and glorious songs of Bernstein’s theatrical works, including selections from West Side Story, Wonderful Town, Trouble in Tahiti, Mass, 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, On The Town and Candide. Lastly, 5th Avenue Theatre’s executive producer and artistic director, David Armstrong, is joined by On The Town’s director Billy Berry and musical director Ian Eisendrath to provide an inside look at how they approach the challenges and rewards of translating a musical from the ‘40s to the tastes of a contemporary audience. GSBA’S YOUNG PROFESSIONALS WITH PRIDE GET-TOGETHER On Tuesday, March 23, from 5:30-7:30 p.m., the ultra-chic (and very green) Urbane Restaurant and Bar, 1635 8th Ave., at the Hyatt Olive 8, hosts the Greater Seattle Business Association’s March YPP event. It’s all about Earth Day as special guest organization OUT for Sustainability joins the gathering to celebrate everything green, including Urbane’s commitment to a sustainable way of doing business. Cost: $10 members and students; $15 non-members. The GSBA is Seattle’s LGBT Chamber of Commerce. For more information on this event and the GSBA call 206-363-9188 or visit www.thegsba.org.
On Friday, March 26, starting at 7 p.m., The Cuff Complex, 1533 13th Ave., at E. Pine St., hosts the Washington State Ms. Leather Competition. “THE BALTIC RITES OF SPRING” AT SEATTLE PUBLIC LIBRARY Celebrate the passage of the seasons with traditional Baltic dancers and singers on Saturday, March 27, from 2-4 p.m., at the Central Library, 1000 Fourth Ave., Microsoft Auditorium, Level 1. Lithuanian, Estonian and Latvian dancers and singers will perform traditional folk songs in native costumes. The program is FREE and open to the public. No registration is required. Parking will be available in the Central Library garage for a $5 special event rate. Doors will open at 1:30 p.m. SEATTLE ECSA OPEN & WOMEN’S LEAGUES SEEKING SOFTBALL PLAYERS FOR UPCOMING SEASON The Emerald City Softball Association’s Open League for Gay and non-Gay men and women is seeking new players for their Spring 2010 season. To get involved visit www.emeraldcitysoftball.org and sign up on the ECSA Open League “New Player Matchmaker” roster. The Emerald City Softball Association’s Women’s League for Gay and non-Gay women only is hosting a Play Day on Sunday, March 28, from 9:30 a.m.-noon, for players who are looking to be picked up on a team. Players will run through three drills – hitting, fielding and throwing. The Play Day will be held at Lower Woodland #5, off N. 50th St. & Greenlake Way N. www.eteamz. com/womensecsa.
“PFLAG PRESENTS” – LOCAL POLITICS Seattle Parents & Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG) is proud to introduce “PFLAG Presents,” a periodic event series created to support the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer Community by celebrating families, teaching tolerance, and advocating for justice by engaging the local community in dialogue about LGBT issues. On Wednesday, March 31, from 7-9 p.m., PFLAG presents a panel discussion on local politics with Seattle City Councilmember Sally Clark, Washington State Senator Joe McDermott, and Seattle City Councilmember Tom Rasmussen. C.R. Douglas, host of Seattle Channel’s City Inside/Out, will be the moderator. The event will be held at the 5th Avenue Theatre’s Producer’s Club GAY CITY UNIVERSITY Lounge, 1308 5th Ave. Suggested donation NIGHT SCHOOL On Wednesday, March 24, at 6:30 p.m., is $15. Seattle PFLAG HelpLine – 206-325author Michael Sigmann will discuss his 7724; www.seattle-pflag.org. upcoming book, Homosexuality and the GAY CITY: VOLUME 3 Preservation of Mankind, concerning the REPULPED – role of sexual orientation and the evolution CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS of the species. Lurid covers, sensational titles, scandalOn Tuesday, March 30, at 7 p.m., join Dr. Katherine Ellison and learn how to better ous storylines: the books of Gay pulp were balance your physical, nutritional and emo- denounced and sometimes even banned, but tional well-being. Live your life to your full- they also informed and delighted readers. Gay City Anthologies is currently seeking est potential! The FREE classes will be held at Gay City fiction, poetry, art, comics and photography that revisits, renews, reacts, reshapes and offices, 511 E. Pike St. www.gaycity.org. reinterprets the Gay pulp genre of the ‘50s and ‘60s. Don’t just imitate the genre; raise “PRETTY IN PINK” – the bar as far as you can and make it relevant THREE DOLLAR BILL CINEMA’S 3RD ANNUAL DINNER & AUCTION to modern issues. Happy endings are not On Friday, March 26, from 6-10 p.m., always required, but the work must reclaim Three Dollar Bill Cinema hosts “Pretty in positive representations of Gay people and Pink” at SoDo Park (by Herban Feast), 3200 culture. Despite pulp’s sometimes pornoFirst Ave. S. Guests will enjoy silent and live graphic roots, we are not looking for erotica auctions, appetizers, sit down dinner, hosted at this time unless it has something unique wine, non-alcoholic beverages and some and very literary to say. Deadline is Thurscinematic surprises. All proceeds from the day, April 1. For complete details, visit auction will help further Three Dollar Bill www.gaycity.org Each Gay City anthology supports the Cinema’s mission to enrich, strengthen and connect diverse communities by support- Gay City Health Project mission of reducing and exhibiting LGBT film. Tickets are: ing HIV infection by building community, $115-general; $100-Three Dollar Bill Cin- communication and self-esteem among Gay ema members; plus 10 person group table men. As always, you DO NOT have to be options. ‘80s attire encouraged. For more either male or Gay to contribute. information about the event and how to get SEATTLE QUAKE RUGBY involved, call 206-323-4274 or visit www. HOME GAME threedollarbillcinema.org. Three Dollar Bill The Seattle Quake Rugby hosts their final Cinema is the leading LGBT film arts organization in the Pacific Northwest and has home game this season on Saturday, April produced the Seattle Lesbian & Gay Film 3 (vs. Corvallis). All games are played at Magnuson Park, Field #5, 7400 Sand Point Festival for 14 years. Way NE. Kickoff at 1 p.m. www.quakerugby.org. WA STATE MS. LEATHER SEATTLE GAY & LESBIAN BOOK CLUB AT DUNSHEE HOUSE The Seattle Gay & Lesbian Book Club meets every Wednesday at 6 p.m. at Dunshee House, 303 17th Ave. E. at E. Thomas St. The title for March is The Pure and the Impure by Colette. All GLBTQ folks in the community are welcome to participate in this free book club. The reading list is chosen and the discussion facilitated by Nick DiMartino, published novelist and playwright, currently a book reviewer for ShelfAwareness.com, and a 30-year employee of University Book Store. For more information, email nickdimartin@earthlink.net or contact Dunshee House at 206-322-2437.
March 19, 2010
Seattle Gay News
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U.S. State Department highlights LGBT rights issues by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer
courtesy Council for Global Equality
level of detail shows just how dangerous it is for LGBT individuals to go about their daily lives as ordinary citizens in so many For the first time, the U. S. State Depart- parts of the world,” he said. Michael Guest, openly Gay former U.S. ment’s Annual Report on Human Rights includes information highlighting human ambassador to Romania, also praised the report, noting that rights challenges “many of the most faced by LGBT peoegregious abuses ple worldwide. have been comThe report, issued mitted in countries on March 11, deconsidered to be scribes human rights friends and allies of practices country-bythe United States.” country. He urged the Most of the country State Department to reports now include a develop strategies section on “societal to counter these abuses, discriminaabuses in every part tion, and acts of vioof the world. lence based on sexThe new report ual orientation and identifies serigender identity.” ous abuses against In a statement, LGBT people in Council for Global many countries, inEquality Chair Mark cluding cases where Bromley commendgovernments are ed the State DepartCouncil for Global Equality Chair threatening the lives ment for providing Mark Bromley of LGBT people or detailed information where LGBT people are facing torture. on assaults against LGBT people abroad. The report takes particular note of three “The level of reporting on LGBT abuses this year is remarkably detailed and truly countries – Uganda, Iraq, and Jamaica – commendable, and unfortunately this new where the LGBT communities faced espe-
Turkish Gay activists want anti-Gay official prosecuted by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer The Turkish Gay rights group Lambda demanded that a cabinet minister be put on trial for her anti-Gay remarks. Family Affairs Minister Selam Aliye Kavaf told Hurriyet newspaper last weekend that homosexuality is a “biological disorder, a disease.” “I think it should be treated,” she added. Lambda filed a formal complaint against Kavaf in Istanbul on March 16. Lambda’s complaint charges that Kavaf’s remarks are “an insult, incitement to crime and incitement to enmity and hate” – crimes which, in Turkey, are punishable by up to five years in jail. As the charges were being filed, some 60 activists demanded that Kavaf resign in a demonstration about 200 yards from the courthouse “The only person who is sick is the minister,” the demonstrators chanted. “We are homosexuals, homophobia is a disease,” others responded. “Love, freedom, no room for hate.” Kavaf “should apologize to Lesbians, Gays, Bisexuals, transvestites and Transsexuals in this country for her discriminatory statements that turn homosexuals into a target,” Lambda member Ruzgar Gokce told reporters outside the courthouse. So far Kavaf has refused to apologize.
Lambda’s attorney, Firat Soyle, told AFP news service that filing the complaint was a symbolic protest since the minister has parliamentary immunity and cannot be prosecuted. One of the organizers of the demonstration, Aykan Safaoglu, told Deutsche Welle newspaper that, while he was angry at Kavaf, some good had come out of the controversy. “I got really angry, but afterwards I was quite happy. Many NGOs, parties and unions made supportive statements, so it was a very good sign. Many people just don’t think homosexuals are sick,” Safaoglu said. Kavaf’s remarks were generally criticized by the media and disavowed by several leaders of the ruling Justice and Development (A.K.) Party, including Health Minister Recep Akdag. Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan refused to comment on the controversy, however. His AK party is Islamist-based and many of its supporters share Kavaf’s views. Kavaf’s remarks may complicate Turkey’s entry into the European Union. E.U. members are required to subscribe to the European Convention on Human Rights which protects LGBT people and other minorities. Same-sex relationships have never been illegal in Turkey, but there also are no laws protecting LGBT people from discrimination or violence.
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cially difficult challenges. The report states that the introduction of the notorious Anti-Homosexual Bill in Uganda “resulted in increased harassment and intimidation of LGBT persons during the year.” “Public resentment of homosexual conduct sparked significant public debate during the year, and the government took a strong position against such conduct despite a December 2008 ruling by the High Court that constitutional rights apply to all persons, regardless of sexual orientation,” the report says. The report also details human rights abuses against LGBT people in Iraq. Following a congressional fact-finding tour to the country last year, openly Gay Rep. Jared Polis (D-Colo.) worked to draw attention to these abuses. Although Gay sex between adults is not illegal in Iraq, the State Department notes various reports of violence against Gay men at the hands of non-governmental elements. The report cites accounts in the media indicating that around 60 Gay men were killed in the first few months of 2009, mostly in Baghdad, and the U.N.’s refugee agency found 30 men or boys were murdered because of their perceived sexual orientation. “Numerous press reports indicate that some victims were assaulted and murdered by having their anuses glued shut or their genitals cut off and stuffed down their throats until they suffocated,” the report states. According to the report “The government did not endorse or condone these extrajudicial killings, and the [Ministry of the Interior] publicly stated that killing men or Lesbians was murder.” Other observers are not so sure that the Iraqi government – or part of it – is not complicit, however. It has been reported by Polis
and others that the killers are associated with Shia militias which are believed to have infiltrated the Iraqi Interior Ministry and other agencies. The report also notes serious assaults against LGBT people in Jamaica. The country has a law against “acts of gross indecency” between men, which is generally interpreted as any kind of physical intimacy. According to the State Department, human rights abuses against LGBT people in Jamaica include “arbitrary detention, mob attacks, stabbings, harassment of homosexual patients by hospital and prison staff, and targeted shootings of such persons.” The report adds that police often do not investigate these incidents. Individuals perceived as Gay were often the targets of extreme violence, according to the report. In September, an honorary British consul in Montego Bay was strangled in bed. The perpetuator left a note at the scene reportedly denouncing the victim as Gay. “On October 12, a passerby accused a pedestrian on a Kingston sidewalk of being Gay because he had been walking in an ‘effeminate manner,’” the report states. “That person was subsequently attacked with a machete and four fingers were nearly severed.” In her remarks introducing the report, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton expressed hopes that the report would be useful in future human rights work. “These reports are an essential tool – for activists who courageously struggle to protect rights in communities around the world; for journalists and scholars who document rights violations and who report on the work of those who champion the vulnerable; and for governments, including our own, as they work to craft strategies to encourage protection of human rights of more individuals in more places,” she said.
Kenyan Gay activist targeted by U.S. Christian-right by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer David Kuria Mbote, director of the Gay and Lesbian Coalition of Kenya (GALCK), has been threatened with murder in posters produced by ProjectSEE.com, a U.S.-based Christian-right organization. Posters with Kuria’s photo, email address, and phone number have appeared in the Kenyan cities of Eldoret, Nakuru, Nairobi, Mombassa, and Matatus. The posters are titled “Not Wanted” and include a Bible verse in Swahili, a common language in Kenya. The posters include the logo of ProjectSEE. com. The GayUganda blog translates the text: “If a man sleeps with another man like he sleeps with a woman, both men have done something extremely bad. It is a must for them to be killed, and their blood shall be on their own heads.” An “American in Kenya” posting on the GayUganda blog saw the posters as an incitement to violence. “Encouraging these postings in a place like Kenya presents a very real and potentially harmful threat to their targets,” he wrote. “An Anonymous Friend” on GayUganda agrees, “It arguably incites to murder David Kuria Mbote.” ProjectSee.com is based in Kansas City, Missouri. On their website, they state their mission. “The Project SEE coalition exists to expose the ‘who, what, where, when, why, how & to what extent’ of the satanic efforts to legalize abortion, legalize homosexuality and otherwise contaminate Kenya with tolerance for the rebellious abominations that have corrupted the USA and Europe, and
caused unbelievers to blaspheme the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.” The group claims to be raising funds to “equip our Kenyan Brothers with Cameras, Banners, Fliers, Posters, Bus Fare; the Tools they Need to STOP Exporting Evil.” ProjectSEE’s U.S. coordinator and website editor is Jonathan O’Toole of Carrollton, Georgia, who is married to a Kenyan woman, Esther Njenga. O’Toole has previously posted an endorsement of convicted murderer James Charles Kopp on the Army of God website. “James Kopp did what our elected governing representatives have failed to do: protect the lives of unborn babies with the least amount of necessary force. God bless James Kopp,” O’Toole wrote. In 2003, Kopp was convicted of the murder of Dr. Barnett Slepian, a U.S. physician who performed abortions in New York. The Army of God is a Christian-right organization listed by the Southern Poverty Law Center as a hate group and a domestic terrorist group. O’Toole has also been linked with another convicted domestic terrorist, Michael Bray of Wilmington, Ohio. Bray was convicted of string of bombings against women’s health care clinics offering abortion services. He is the author of A Time to Kill, a book offering religious justification for murdering abortion providers. O’Toole is also associated with Neal Horsley, also of Carrollton. Horsley is perhaps best known for his March 10 arrest in connection with threats he made against Elton John. Esther Njenga was reportedly present at Horsley’s arrest. Horsley is also running for governor of Georgia for the Creator’s Rights Party, advocating a neo-secessionist platform.
“If a man sleeps with another man like he sleeps with a woman, both men have done something extremely bad. It is a must for them to be killed, and their blood shall be on their own heads.”
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Celebrating 37 Years!
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by James Whitely SGN Staff Writer Jet City Hoops Bachelor/ Bachelorette Auction March 11 Lobby Bar On March 11, Jet City Hoops hosted their first Bachelor/Bachelorette Auction, which featured sexy bachelors and bachelorettes from Jet City Hoops’ Co-ed Recreational League and Competitive League. The whole affair packed the Lobby Bar to capacity and raised over $6,000 for Jet City Hoops. The towering GLAMAZONIA lent her talents as hostess for the night. GLAMAZONIA, her provocative style matched with her immense height, proved that no hostess could have done it better. Patrons bid on dinner dates with the male and female athletes of Jet City Hoops. Each winner was provided with as $50 gift certificate by the event’s restaurant sponsors, which included Tango Restaurant
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Jet City Hoops auction raises over $6,000 and Lounge, Gallerias, Meza Latin Fare, Quinn’s, Anthony’s, Table 219, The Rosebud Restaurant & Bar, Martins Off Madison, Geraldine’s Counter, Tutta Bella and Kurrent. About half of the athletes auctioned off will be going to the Gay Games this summer in Cologne, Germany, according to Ernie Lou, who serves as secretary on Jet City Hoops’ board of directors. The fundraiser served as a benefit for both the athletes going to the Gay Games and the league itself. “This was the first time we’ve done this, and the first time a Gay sports team has really done this locally, so it was really hard to gauge what we expected,” Lou told SGN. “I think raising $6,000 was kind of beyond our wildest dreams. … We’re already thinking about doing another next year.” Jet City Hoops is Seattle’s only Gay basketball league. Jet City Hoops currently has two leagues, the Co-ed Recreational League and the Competitive League. The Co-ed Recreational League is open to players of all
Hostess GLAMAZONIA with two of the evening’s most eligible bachelors
skill levels. “Our goal is to provide a fun environment Jet City Hoops was formed in fall 2008. for players who enjoy or want to learn more With 14 teams and approximately 100 ac- about basketball,” said Lou. tive players, Jet City Hoops is the biggest For more information on Jet City Hoops, Gay basketball league on the west coast. visit them online at www.jetcityhoops.org.
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Cyberbullying rampant among LGBT teens by Shaun Knittel SGN Staff Writer When I was a teen, the internet had not yet taken over the world. Social networking was done in person, not on a website, and bullying happened face-to-face on the playground. It’s no secret: Times have changed, and so has bullying. New research has found that approximately one out of every two LGBT youths are regular victims of this new form of bullying, known as cyberbullying. According to the research, children and teens are being bullied through the internet in chat rooms, on social networking websites, via e-mail, and even through mobile phones. The study’s authors describe cyberbullying as attacks such as electronic distribution of humiliating photos, dissemination of false or private information, or targeting victims in cruel online polls. It is thought that such cyberbullying causes psychological and emotional distress to victims and can produce thoughts of suicide in those who are repeatedly victimized. “There’s a saying that we’ve now changed to read: ‘Sticks and stones can break my bones, but words can kill,’” said Warren Blumenfeld, an Iowa State University assistant professor of curriculum and instruction, and the study’s lead author. Blumenfeld said that cyberbullying is particularly harmful to teens because “at this age, this is a time when peer influences are paramount in a young person’s life.” He says, “If one is ostracized and attacked, that can have devastating consequences – not only physically, but on their emotional health for the rest of their life.” In the study – a survey conducted online that includes 444 junior high, high school and college students between the ages of 11 and 22, including 350 self-identified nonheterosexual subjects – 54% of the LGBT and allied youth reported being victims of cyberbullying in the 30 days prior to the sur-
vey. Among the LGBT respondents, 45% reported feeling depressed as a result of being cyberbullied, 38% felt embarrassed, and 28% felt anxious about attending school. More than a quarter had suicidal thoughts. So why is cyberbullying such a big deal? One could surmise that a simple disconnect from Facebook or a closing of a chat room box would fix said problem. That’s one theory, but according to Blumenfeld, the effects of cyberbullying run deep because victims suffer from a feeling of helplessness. Forty percent of the LGBT students polled indicated that their parents wouldn’t believe them if they were being bullied online. In other words, if Johnny punches Bobby, a black eye is all the proof a parent or educator needs. Online, a simple clearing of the chat history could erase initial evidence of cyberbullying. In addition, 55% percent of the study’s LGBT respondents reported that their parents “couldn’t do anything to stop” cyberbullying. Fifty-seven percent also indicated that they didn’t think a school official could do anything about it, either. These days, according to Blumenfeld, more than half of the kids feared telling their parents about the cyberbullying because they might restrict their use of technology, which he says is often the “lifeline to the outside world” for LGBT students who have been ostracized by their peers at school. Beyond just pointing out the problem, the ISU study also proposes strategies for cyberbullying prevention. Eighty percent of the survey’s respondents indicated that their peers should do more to stop it. The researchers recommend developing social norms programming at schools that focuses on peer influence to correct misperceived social norms. The study is being published in this month’s special LGBT-themed issue of the International Journal of Critical Pedagogy.
“At this age, this is a time when peer influences are paramount in a young person’s life.”
carter
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Roman Catholics. In 1972, with Fr. John McNeill, he hosted the organization’s first meeting at the Jesuit chapel on West 98th Street in Manhattan. After Roman Catholic authorities forbade Dignity to meet on church property, Fr. Carter celebrated Mass in private apartments in and around Manhattan. He also performed blessing ceremonies for Gay couples. Carter often drew a link between his sexual orientation and his religious vocation. “Since Jesus had table fellowship with social outcasts and sinners, those rejected by the religious establishment of his time,” he wrote, “I consider myself to have been most fully a Jesuit, a ‘companion of Jesus,’ when I came out publicly as a Gay man, one of the social rejects of my time. It was only by our coming out that society’s negative stereotypes would be overcome and we would gain social acceptance.” Carter’s coming out was shocking to church authorities. In October 1973, Dr. Howard J. Brown, a former New York City health services administrator, announced that he was Gay and that he was forming a civil rights organization for Gay men and women. Carter was named as one of the original Board members in a New York Times article that same month. At the time, the organization was called the National Gay Task Force. It later became the National Gay and Lesbian Task
Force (NGLTF). Soon after the NYT article, Carter was visited by a subprovincial – a disciplinary official – of the Jesuit order. “It seems that they were afraid I had had a psychotic break or something,” Carter wrote in an unpublished memoir. According to Carter, “Jesuits, parents and alumni of our schools” called for his expulsion from the order. He was never disciplined, however. Fr. John McNeill, co-founder of DignityUSA, once said in an interview “I refer to him as the heart of Dignity. I was doing all the writing, but he was on the front line, meeting with people, counseling people.” Carter was both a classics professor and a trained social worker who counseled Gay priests and hundreds of lay Catholics. “As I sought to reconcile being Gay and Catholic,” Brendan Fay recalled, “Bob Carter helped me move from self-hate to self-acceptance and then to a place of Gay activism.” Robert Earl Carter was born in Chicago on July 27, 1927. His parents were Protestants who worshiped in a series of denominations as he grew up. He was drawn to Roman Catholic theology while attending the University of Chicago, and was baptized a Catholic the day after graduation in June 1946. Three years later, he completed a master’s degree in Greek studies, and in 1953 received his doctorate. He entered the Society of Jesus (Jesuits) in 1954 and was ordained in 1963. Carter then went on to earn a master’s degree in social work from Columbia in 1981. By 1985 he was counseling AIDS patients at Lincoln Hospital in the Bronx. He later became a supervisor of the outpatient AIDS program at the Bellevue Hospital Center in Manhattan. He was retired and living in a Jesuit facility at the time of his death.
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March 19, 2010
Seattle Gay News 17
Gay marriages create wedding-related jobs by Shaun Knittel SGN Staff Writer A new study by the nonprofit Williams Institute predicts that legalizing same-sex marriage will create 700 jobs and contribute $52.2 million over the next three years to the Washington, D.C. economy. As the first same-sex couples married in the nation’s capitol, local officials said the historic event had a profound practical implication for a city grappling with 12% unemployment: an influx of wedding-related jobs. When most people think of marriage, they don’t think of the cost. But ask anyone who has had one, and they’ll tell you a wedding isn’t the cheapest party to throw. After thousands of same-sex marriages took place in Washington, D.C. and the numbers started rolling in, city, hotel, and wedding-planning officials were laughing all the way to the bank. The truth is, Gays were outspending their heterosexual counterparts by thousands of dollars. According to the Wedding Report, a market research firm, the average heterosexual wedding cost $19,000 in 2009. In Washington, D.C., that number was closer to $40,000. In the past, it was estimated that Gay marriages would cost half of traditional marriages because they would be smaller. However, the lucrative market for Gay weddings has become tough to resist, particu-
larly because in places where same-sex marriages are legal, hundreds come from out of state to wed. The Williams Institute study says that 12,500 same-sex couples are expected to travel to the District in three years – particularly from New York – boosting the economy by the millions and contributing $3.8 million in taxes. Other reports similarly estimate that Gay marriage is good for the economy. A 2004 Congressional Budget Office report estimated that legalizing same-sex marriage across the country would generate a staggering $1 billion annually in new federal revenue through taxes and other fees. Forbes has estimated that same-sex marriage would be a $16.8 billion national market. Thousands of miles away and on the opposite coast, Williams Institute researchers at UCLA have said same-sex weddings would create hundreds of new jobs and pump hundreds of millions of dollars into California’s economy. The 2008 study projected Gay couples would spend $684 million on flowers, cakes, hotels, photographers, and other wedding services over a three-year period. Because California voters passed Proposition 8, the state lost out on a potential $64 million in additional tax revenue for the state, another $9 million in county marriagelicense fees, and the creation of an estimated 2,200 jobs.
The truth is, Gays were outspending their heterosexual counterparts by thousands of dollars.
Compass Housing Alliance auction to honor Teresa Butz by Shaun Knittel SGN Staff Writer “There’s No Place Like Home” Compass Housing Alliance Fundraiser March 20 Seattle Waterfront Marriott Hotel Compass Housing Alliance, a merger of Compass Center and LATCH, will hold its first fundraising event as a combined agency at the Seattle Waterfront Marriott Hotel, March 20. The auction gala and dinner, “There’s No Place Like Home,” will feature three silent auctions, a live auction, and the opportunity to support this year’s Fund-A-Need. According to Compass Housing Alliance officials, dollars raised during the Fund-ANeed portion of the evening will go to the Teresa Butz Memorial Fund for Compass Women’s Programs. “Teresa was a valued member of the Compass Center Board of Directors, join-
ing in the fall of 2008,” said Lindsey Lund, communications coordinator for Compass Housing Alliance. “Her murder in July 2009 shocked and saddened the whole community.” Lund said Teresa “brought great energy and tremendous compassion to her work for the Compass Center, and she had planned to co-chair this year’s auction.” Compass Housing Alliance officials announced that contributions to the Teresa Butz Memorial Fund “honor Teresa’s energetic spirit and compassion” while “serving women who continue to struggle with poverty and homelessness on a daily basis.” The Compass Center blends compassion and caring with effective programs and unique services. The mission statement of Compass Center includes promoting dignity, self-esteem, and respect for self and others. One-on-one case management identifies the issues which lead to street life and helps each person set his or her own goals. For more information about “There’s No Place Like Home,” visit the organization online at www.compasscenter.org.
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www.sgn.org 18 Seattle Gay News
March 19, 2010
Celebrating 37 Years!
choi
continued from cover the blogsphere, play-by-play Tweets from GetEqual’s Robin McGehee (until she was arrested), and cable news networks throughout the afternoon. The trouble started when Choi was told by HRC President Joe Solmonese that he could not speak at the HRC rally, which Solmonese dubbed “Kathy Griffin’s rally.” Choi, the poster boy for a DADT repeal, took the stage anyway and told Griffin that “DADT is not a joke.” Choi then addressed the crowd: “Hello. My name is Lt. Dan Choi. I am being discharged from the US Army because I am Gay and dared to say it out loud. Today, I am here on a mission with Capt. Jim Pietrangelo, and we are asking you all to join us. We’re calling you to action because we are at a turning point – a moment in time where talk is no longer enough, and action is required. Equality is not going to happen by itself. You have been told that the president has a plan. But Congressman Barney Frank confirmed to us this week that the president still is not fully committed to repealing ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ this year. And if we don’t seize this moment, it may not happen for a very long time. Some may tell you that I am one of the lucky ones. I have been welcomed back by my unit with open arms. And it would be easy for me to stay quiet and hope that change will happen. “What I was taught at West Point and learned in war is: hope is not a strategy. As officers, James and I both find it a dereliction of our moral duty to remain silent while thousands of our brothers and sisters are not allowed to serve openly and honestly. Capt. Pietrangelo was honorably discharged under Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell in 2004, and I will be subject to the same shortly. As officers, we are here today fighting for those in the ranks, and we need our Commander in Chief to do the same. Our fight is not here at Freedom Plaza; it is at the White House. We are walking to the White House right now to send the president a message. So … take out your cell phones and your cameras. Document this moment. Join us as together as we make history.” Choi led a march of hundreds of his supporters to the White House, where he and Captain Pietrangelo handcuffed themselves to the fence. Choi announced they would remain there “until we have full equality.” As Choi and Pietrangelo remained in place, the crowd surrounding the two activists began to swell. At first, the police did not try to disperse the crowd, but as the crowd became vocal and chanted, “Keep your promise, Obama,” and “Repeal DADT,” Robin McGehee, co-chair of GetEqual, was arrested. Up until the time of her arrest, McGehee was sending out Tweets regarding the civil disobedience. She was taken into custody
without incident, but was heard yelling, “Get equal! You want your rights? Then fight for them!” as she was led away by police. Minutes later, Secret Service officers approached Pietrangelo and Choi to try to persuade them to end the protest. The two men refused, and the standoff between them and the D.C. police and Secret Service continued. Eventually, police informed the crowd that everyone must leave the sidewalk in front of the White House or be arrested. When Choi and Pietrangelo were the only two left, they were removed from the fence and placed under arrest. As the two men were put into a police van, a large crowd of people reportedly cheered and applauded them as heroes. A Washington, D.C. police spokesman told the Advocate that Choi and Pietrangelo would be held overnight and appear in D.C. superior court on March 19. UNUSUAL LACK OF SUPPORT FROM GRIFFIN, SOLMONESE For many, the actions of Kathy Griffin and HRC President Joe Solmonese are as confusing as they are offensive. Though Choi asked both Solmonese and Griffin to march with him, the two were nowhere to be found once the march and protest were underway. Griffin Tweeted, “It was my honor 2 share th podium w Lt Dan Choi today. I understand he’s been arrested in front of the White House. I dig that dude! Balls!” at 11:18 a.m. – strange after-the-fact support for someone who promised to stand beside Choi, then disappeared when the time came for solidarity. Likewise, Solmonese, who was seen giving Choi the “thumbs-up” when asked if he would join, later released a statement through a spokesman as to why he was absent: “There’s been some confusion about Lt. Dan Choi’s role in the rally. As Joe Solmonese was walking to the stage, Lt. Choi asked Joe if he could have a speaking role. Joe explained that it wasn’t his sole decision to make on the spot given that there was already an established program that included Kathy Griffin, other organizations, and veterans. After Choi then spoke with Kathy Griffin, she agreed to bring him up on stage and speak to the crowd during her remarks. Lt. Choi in his speech called on the crowd to march on the White House. Joe Solmonese along with Eric Alva and others felt it was important to stay and engage those at the rally in ways so they can continue building the pressure needed for repeal. This does nothing to diminish the actions taken by Lt. Choi and others. This is the nature of social change and everyone has a role to play.” An AmericaBlog writer said, “That is simply untrue. I was there, standing next to Dan, about 10 feet from Kathy Griffin and Solmonese. They were behind a rope line, to keep them from the rally attendees. They looked over at Dan when he asked them, for the second time, to come with him to the White House (mind you, they had no idea that he was planning to handcuff himself),
and they just stared back at him. They were not helping engage the rally about how to build pressure – the rally was over, they were already off the stage, behind it actually, getting ready to leave behind a secure rope line to separate them from the crowd. I’m sorry, but this statement is flat out untrue. They were getting their photos taken. Unbelievable.” The actions of HRC and Griffin come during a time of contention between the LGBT community and the organization. Many believe that the older national A-list Gay organizations have lost touch with the community and are no longer an effective way to reach equality. The simple truth is that DADT is dead in the water as far as the American public is concerned. As the Pentagon prepares to survey soldiers about President Obama’s decision to repeal DADT, a new poll of military personnel who served in the Afghanistan or Iraq wars finds that sexual orientation is “not a burning issue that overwhelms veterans’ lives.” NEW POLL FINDS ACCEPTANCE AMONG SERVICEMEMBERS The new poll, commissioned by The Vet Voice Foundation and conducted jointly by Republican and Democratic pollsters, finds that most veterans are “comfortable around Gay and Lesbian people, believe that being Gay or Lesbian has no bearing on a servicemember’s ability to perform their duties, and would find it acceptable if Gay and Lesbian people were allowed to serve openly in the military.” Fifty-eight percent of veterans said they served alongside Gays or Lesbians, and 22% thought they had not. Sixty percent of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans believe that being Gay or Lesbian “has no bearing on a servicemember’s ability to perform their duties.” Only 29% disagree. Seventy-three
petraeus
continued from cover
rection of Defense Secretary Robert Gates. Senator Levin asked Petraeus whether he believed a thorough review was necessary before DADT could be repealed. Petraeus told Levin and the committee that repealing DADT is “not a sound-bite issue” and went on to say, “I think [the DADT repeal] should be done in a thoughtful and deliberate manner that should include the conduct of the review that Secretary Gates has directed that would consider the views of the force on the change of policy.” Petraeus said the review will “include an assessment of the likely effects on recruiting, retention, morale, and cohesion, and will include an identification of what policies might be needed in the event of a change.” Petraeus has come out against the dis-
percent of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans say it is “personally acceptable to them if Gay and Lesbian people were allowed to serve openly in the military.” Only a quarter (25%) would find it unacceptable. Seventythree percent Iraq and Afghanistan veterans say “they are personally comfortable in the presence of Gays and Lesbians.” Only a quarter (23%) is uncomfortable, and hardly anyone is very uncomfortable (only 7%). The survey, which sampled 45% self-identified Republicans and just 20% Democrats, suggests that military personnel are more comfortable serving alongside openly Gay and Lesbian troops than previously thought. The poll also contradicts the findings of a widely circulated Military Times survey, which reported that 58% of respondents are opposed to efforts to repealing DADT, and undermines the claims of some conservative lawmakers who argue that lifting the ban would undermine the primary goal of the military. “Simply put, our military is the most professional organization the world has ever known. Not only will service members abide by a repeal, but they’ll largely accept it and move on to the task at hand. For all of the hyperbolic rhetoric from those opposed to a repeal, today’s military really doesn’t see an issue here,” said Jon Soltz, chairman of the Vet Voice Foundation. Indeed, the survey concluded that veterans under age 35 lean toward favoring allowing Gay and Lesbian people to serve openly (41% favor, 35% oppose), while veterans over age 35 lean toward opposing by five points (31% favor, 36% oppose). Poll after poll points to the same conclusion: Americans, including those currently on active duty service, want the military, Congress, and Obama to allow Gay men and women to serve openly. The real question is, will Obama, Solmonese, and the lame-duck Congress listen? criminatory policy more than once. Last month, during an interview on NBC’s Meet the Press, the general indicated he backed the Obama administration’s effort to repeal DADT. When asked by moderator David Gregory whether troops in the field care if their comrades are Gay, Petraeus, a 35-year Army veteran, said, “I’m not sure that they do.” The general further hinted at his personal view and recalled his own service with open Gays and Lesbians. “I know I served, in fact, in combat with individuals who were Gay and who were Lesbian. … Frankly, you know, over time you said, ‘How’s this guy’s shooting?’ or ‘How is her analysis?’ or what-have-you.” He cited the view of former Secretary of State General Colin Powell, who originally supported DADT, that “times have changed” and pointed out that both the CIA and FBI now allow Gays and Lesbians to serve openly in their ranks. It is estimated that 65,000 Gay and Lesbian people currently serve in the military.
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March 19, 2010
Seattle Gay News 19
sit-in
continued from cover At about 3:00 p.m. tweets from the DC demonstrators reported “Cops gathering outside. We love you all. Likely to be signing off shortly. Stay loud, and GetEQUAL!” Just before 4:00 p.m. PDT, Kip Williams tweeted “SF activists released with citation n fine 4 disturbance charge after sit-in.” At the same time in D.C., GetEqual demonstrators told police “that the group won’t leave until Pelosi commits to an ENDA floor vote.” Pelosi spokesperson Dan Bernal reportedly stated that the Speaker “has no commitment or timeframe” to pass the legislation.
At 4:15 p.m. PDT, a D.C. demonstrator tweeted “US Capitol police try and move in to arrest GetEqual occupants of Speaker Pelosi’s office – but we lock the door from inside! *standoff*” D.C. police reportedly entered Pelosi’s office and arrested the demonstrators – now dubbed the “ENDA 8” – at about 4:45 p.m. PDT. As SGN goes to press, at least four of the “ENDA 8” were reportedly taken to the D.C. Central Cell Block, where Choi and Pietrangelo are also being held. Earlier in the day, Pelosi was also the target of a blog swarm, with a number of LGBT and progressive blogs participating. Daily Kos, Open Left, Bilerico Project, Pam’s House Blend, Joe My God, Michelangelo Signorile, Americablog, David Mix-
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ner, Daily Gotham, Culture Kitchen, Taylor Marsh, PageOneQ, Towleroad, and others urged their readers to phone the speaker’s office and demand an immediate floor vote on ENDA. The speaker’s phone lines were busy all morning as SGN tried to call for comment. FRUSTRATION WITH CONGRESS ENDA prime sponsor Barney Frank (DMass.) said in February that Speaker Pelosi had promised him a floor vote on the measure in March. Frank’s previous statements predicted ENDA votes in August, September, October, and November 2009. A House Education and Labor Committee markup of ENDA scheduled for November last year was cancelled without explanation and has never been rescheduled. As March draws to a close and yet another deadline seems to be passing, LGBT activists have grown increasingly frustrated with the lack of progress on issues like ENDA and DADT repeal. Speaking on a video shot outside the San Francisco Federal Building, Williams said, “We’ve come to demand that ENDA come to the floor for a vote immediately. We’re done talking about it. We’re done with excuses and delays and compromises. Now we’re taking action.” Another demonstrator, identifying himself as “Michael, from Dallas, Texas,” said he was participating in the sit-in because “my friends, my family – my true family – need true equality.” “It is now time for us to stop asking for it,” he continued. “Now it’s time for us to reach our hands out and take what is rightfully ours – full equality for every one of my brothers and sisters.” Williams was accompanied by Michael and five others who appeared in the video indicating they would sit-in, and an unknown number of other supporters. HEALTHCARE TRUMPS ENDA Pelosi spokesperson Drew Hammill spoke with SGN by phone as the sit-ins were in progress. Asked for comment on the demonstration, Hammill said, “We welcome anytime someone who comes to our office to express their views – especially constituents from San Francisco.” Hammill denied once again that Pelosi is holding up the bill, as he did in a previous conversation with SGN. “The speaker believes that passing ENDA is a priority,” Hammill emphasized. “Her long-standing support for ENDA is
quite clear,” he added. “She supports the passage of ENDA.” Previous comments from the speaker’s office indicated that on the scheduling issue, she was following the lead of Rep. George Miller (D-Calif.), chair of the House Education and Labor Committee. Miller’s committee has jurisdiction over the ENDA bill. “The speaker has absolute confidence in Chairman Miller to determine the appropriate timing for his committee’s work on ENDA,” a spokesperson told activist blogger Jillian Weiss last week. Miller’s office says that the protracted healthcare debate has pushed ENDA into the background. “Nothing is scheduled yet,” Aaron Albright, spokesperson for Miller, told SGN. “He’s speaking with groups. But he’s in the middle of healthcare.” Asked whether an ENDA markup could still happen in March, Albright answered that it “depends on how things go with healthcare. He’s one of two or three principals in healthcare legislation.” COUNTING VOTES In previous comments, Pelosi’s office has indicated that “the right time to bring the measure to the floor will be when we have the votes” – implying that passage of ENDA would be in doubt if it came to the floor immediately. Activists disagree. Independent whip counts suggest between 222 and 256 likely Yes votes in the House, with 218 needed for passage. Bilerico Project blogger Dr. Jillian Weiss, a supporter of the ENDA blog swarm, writes that “according to my whip count, we have a majority in the House and Senate.” Pelosi staffer Drew Hammill warns that no count can be accurate until the Health and Labor committee has marked up the final version of the bill. “I would add anytime when asked about unofficial whip counts that it’s important to have the Committee product because you cannot accurately whip a hypothetical bill. Whipping a hypothetical bill yields only hypothetical results,” Hammill reportedly told Weiss in a conversation last week. In Washington’s Congressional delegation, all six Democrats are committed to vote Yes. Republicans Doc Hastings and Cathy McMorris-Rodgers have committed to vote No. Republican Dave Reichert has not declared a position. He voted for ENDA the last time it came up for a vote in 2007, and he is thought to be persuadable.
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20 Seattle Gay News
March 19, 2010
Celebrating 37 Years!
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22 Seattle Gay News
March 19, 2010
Celebrating 37 Years!
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Seattle Gay News 23