Celebrating 46 Years! Issue 13 Volume 48
COVID-19 HITS CAPITOL HILL SEE PG 6
Seattle Gay News
FRIDAY March 27, 2020 FREE!
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Terrence McNally’s “Every Act of Life” November 3, 1938 - March 24, 2020
Federal relief package: Here’s what’s in it for you
Photo by Pepi Stojanovski on Unsplash
by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer
Terrence McNally – Photo by Jack Mitchell / Getty Images
see MCNALLY page 23
Shaun Knittel’s The Legacy Project
Photo courtesy of The Legacy Project
by Dru Dinero Special to the SGN I first met Shaun Knittel when I was 8 years old. One of my older brother’s best friends, Shaun had recently come out of the closet at 16. Shaun was young, Gay,
and – since coming out – homeless. My parents, although Evangelical Christians, welcomed Shaun into our home, when my older brother, Alex, asked if Shaun could stay with us for a while.
see SHAUN KNITTEL page 4
As the SGN goes to press, here are the details available on the latest federal relief bill. You could get up to $1,200 as an individual or up to $2,400 if you’re married and
file a joint IRS return with your spouse. However, there are income limits on receiving the check. If your adjusted gross income is less than $75,000 for single filers and $150,000 for joint filers, then you’ll get the full amount.
see FED RELIEF page 17
HRC releases research brief on the unique vulnerabilities of the LGBTQ community during the COVID-19 crisis
Photo by The Gender Spectrum Collection
WASHINGTON, DC (March 20, 2020) – Today, the Human Rights Campaign Foundation, the educational arm of the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), the nation’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) civil rights organization, published a research brief
outlining health and economic risks faced by the LGBTQ community during the COVID-19 public health crisis. This brief provides critical data for policymakers and community advocates working to address
see HRC page 19
2 Seattle Gay News
March 27, 2020
Celebrating 46 Years!
Seattle Gay News F O U N D ED 1974 MEMBER
2018
1707 23rd Avenue Seattle, WA 98122 (206) 324-4297 sgn2@sgn.org sgn.org
Deadlines Classifieds | Thursday at Noon Calendar | Tuesday at 6pm Display Ads Space Reservation | Monday at 5pm Ad Copy (non-camera ready) | Tuesday at 5pm Ad Copy (camera-ready) | Wednesday at 5pm Letters to the Editor | Tuesday at 5pm Obituaries | Call the SGN office All others | Tuesday at 5pm
Editor in Chief George Bakan Copy Editor Rick McKinnon (since Dec 2013) Advertising George Bakan • Maggie Bloodstone MK Scott National Advertising Rep. Rivendell Media (212) 242-6863 Staff Writers Mike Andrew • Sara Michelle Fetters Miryam Gordon • Albert Rodriguez Contributing Writers Rev. Barbara Allen • Ron Anders Madelyn Arnold • Alice Bloch Maggie Bloodstone • Beau Burriola Sharon Cumberland • Jessica Davis Tina Gianoulis • Anthony Greer Milton W. Hamlin • Nevin Jefferson Richard Kennedy • Shaun Knittel Liz Meyer • Jason A. Miller Jesse Monteagudo David Nguyen aka Teriyaki Temple Rod Parke • Don Paulson Jerry Peerson • Tim Peter • Jessica Price Scott Rice • Leslie Robinson MK Scott • Mark Segal • Gaysha Starr Sarah Toce • Paul Torres • Janice Van Cleve Ed Walsh • James Whitely Scott Wittet • Rex Wockner
Rep. Chopp’s letter: Continued action to confront COVID-19 and the challenges it has laid bare Friends and neighbors,
Cartoonist Ken Campbell Calendar Editor Rick McKinnon Classifieds Rick McKinnon Photographers Nate Gowdy • Joseph P. Herron MK Scott • James Whitely Production Mike Pham Website Designer Barry Thorsness / Digital Team Works Seattle Gay News is published by Frogs and Ink, Inc. © 2018. Frogs and Ink, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Reprints by permission. Publication of names, photographs, or likeness 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 ad. Credit will be given for the balance owed. No exceptions.
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
tages are intended for anyone seeking a lowcost home, not just the homeless. The first cottage village is being developed this year at Sand Point in North Seattle.
In the short 60 days of this year’s state legislative session, the world changed. State legislators responded to a massive new public health emergency, and to challenges that have gone on for years. Public health Facing the COVID-19 virus challenge, the legislature took swift action to allocate an initial $200 million out of our “rainy day” reserves to combat the virus that is affecting all of our lives. Working with Gov. Inslee and health care agencies, we stand ready to make further investments to deal with the immediate health crisis, as well as the economic fallout affecting those who are sick or laid off from work. Fortunately, our state’s Unemployment Insurance Program can help, with cash benefits to the unemployed among the highest of any state in the nation. Due to the crisis, unemployment insurance has been expanded for people who are quarantined, and the oneweek waiting period to receive benefits has been waived. If you or a loved one have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, the state’s central coronavirus response website [https:// coronavirus.wa.gov] can direct you to the appropriate resources. Resources may include rent relief, unemployment assistance, tax extensions, and more. If you need further help finding assistance, please reach out to my legislative assistant, Daniel Lugo (Daniel. Lugo@leg.wa.gov). Housing and homelessness The COVID-19 crisis has harshly underscored that people experiencing homelessness are extremely vulnerable. In this ongoing emergency, I am leading several efforts to address the tragedy of homelessness and the need for affordable housing. This past legislative session, we:
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Rep. Frank Chopp – Photo courtesy of WA House Democrats
• Allocated $55 million to our Housing Trust Fund, for a historic total of $230 million over two years. These funds will build new social housing with restricted rents, and preserve existing homes for those most in need. • Passed House Bill 1590, which will provide counties across the state with funds for supportive housing and services for those with mental illness or substance use disorders. In King County alone, over $500 million will be provided to build new housing. • Dedicated $60 million to the Home Security Fund, to increase local emergency shelter capacity for the homeless, and $45 million for supportive housing services for those suffering from behavioral health challenges. • Expanded the Housing and Essential Needs program with $45 million over three years to provide housing vouchers for lowincome people to help prevent homelessness. • Secured funding for the Home and Hope program so our community colleges can develop partnerships and projects to provide housing on-site for homeless students and low-wage workers, as well as other needed community facilities, like early learning centers, community health clinics, and senior services. • Initiated a new state program of Community Housing and Cottages, with $5 million in start-up funding to build small homes with full basic utilities – a big step up from the current “tiny homes” for the homeless. The cot-
March 27, 2020
Early learning and childcare Many families are now experiencing what some families have across the state have known for a long time: a lack of child care is immensely challenging to kids, parents, and the economy. Over the years there has been a shortage of available placements, a lack of facilities, and very low wages for child care providers. Even though early learning is the best investment we can make in our future, we lag behind compared to other areas like basic education, higher education, and transportation. To begin to turn around this dynamic, this year we: • Invested $114 million over three years in funding for Working Connections Child Care, to keep early learning providers in business and subsidize low-income parents. • Raised the reimbursement rates for Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program by 5%, to address the low pay of teachers and operational costs. This is a critical time for all of us, and we will work together as One Washington to preserve our health and communities. COVID19 has made it clear that we must continue to take bold action to confront crises in health care, housing, and childcare. It’s an honor to serve you and everyone in the 43rd Legislative District. Please stay in touch by e-mailing me at Frank.Chopp@leg.wa.gov or calling my office. Sincerely, Rep. Frank Chopp State Representative 43rd District Democrat Courtesy of Rep. Frank Chopp
Seattle Gay News 3
Photos courtesy of The Legacy Project
SHAUN KNITTEL continued from cover
Shaun was a very intriguing and intrigued young man. I would always see him reading something, deeply concentrated into whatever he had in his hands. I used to sneak into my brother’s room, where Shaun slept on the floor, to use my brother’s supercomputer at the time. Always a bit reserved myself, I would only greet Shaun and play games on my brother’s computer – never striking up any conversation. Being the biggest Elvis Presley fan I’ve ever met, Shaun was one day reading a coffee table-style book of The King himself. The flashy pictures of this man intrigued me and I asked him about what he was reading. That began one of the most ed-ucative, inspiring and
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fun friendships I will ever have. Shaun taught me about Elvis. But he didn’t stop there. We began having long conversations about life and the world. Already at 16, Shaun’s mind was expanded way beyond his age, his struggles and the Eastside of Las Vegas where we grew up. At some point, Shaun got an apartment with some roommates and got a job at Glamour Shots inside of the Boulevard Mall. He got Alex a job at the same location and although I didn’t see Shaun as much, I would hear the crazy, funny stories of Shaun, Alex and their friends causing mayhem as only a group of teenagers who grew up in Las Vegas could. At some point, Shaun decided to join the U.S. Navy to do PR work for the government and I didn’t see him for approximately 10 years. Shaun would, of course, write
March 27, 2020
us; his stories about living in Japan, being shipped off to the Middle East after 9/11, living in Italy and getting to see a number of countries in the double digits fascinated me. Shaun was a great writer. Throughout this time, Shaun and I would speak over MySpace and eventually Facebook. He mentored me through my adolescence and early teenage years by reminding me of the importance of educa-tion, self-esteem, and would push me to achieve my goals and to dream big; a constant theme amongst his friends. When I was 17, Shaun returned to Las Vegas after finishing his duty. We celebrated Shaun’s homecoming, admiring his stories of service for our country. At this time, one thing was for certain, Shaun’s solidified world view and his experiences during wartime had flipped a switch inside
of him. Shaun served under Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell (DADT) and although he was able to navigate the system, Shaun having to go back in the closet lit a fire under him to want to live his most authentic self again. He told us he could’ve renewed his contract with the U.S. Navy, stay living in Naples, Italy and have a fairly perfect life for all intents and purposes, but he was tired of “telling the military story”. Shaun had a yearning to “report on Gay issues and tell the Gay story”, as he would often say. After a few months of catching up with his old friends and partying, Shaun left Las Vegas to begin his civilian career as a journalist writing for the Seattle Gay News. He had never even visited Seattle before. Keeping up with his tradition of writing his friends, Shaun would tell us about this new world he’d discovered in Seattle, WA.
Celebrating 46 Years!
Shaun hit the ground running, involving himself in issues and circles he cared about. For his 30th birthday a few of us decided to join him in Seattle for a celebration. It was here that I met the legendary Gaysha Starr, one of Shaun’s best friends in Seattle. Gaysha fascinated me – actually all of the queens that performed at Shaun’s birthday party fascinated me. Being a young filmmaker, I told Shaun I would love to make a documentary on some of the drag queens he knew. Always encouraging, Shaun told me he would help me out. I moved to Seattle, WA in August of 2011. Upon getting to Seattle, however, it wasn’t just drag queens that fascinated me, but the political movement Shaun was getting involved in for Marriage Equality. Shaun would lament that there wasn’t enough grassroots excitement for what he deemed as the ultimate fight for LGBTQ rights. He recruited me and a group of his friends to start Social Outreach Seattle (SOSea), a non-profit organization with the purpose of raising awareness of LGBTQ issues in Seattle. Our first goal, help Washington state introduce Marriage Equality through the ballot box. Through Shaun’s leadership, we rallied, produced con-tent and events to help bring awareness at the grassroots level – and we won. This was just the beginning of Shaun’s leadership and community activism. Through his efforts, SOSea set up free selfdefense classes, a safety shuttle to get partygoers on Capitol Hill home safe, worked with SPD to help bring crime on the Hill down, helped get the rainbow crosswalks painted around the Hill and other countless acts of community building and activism. Shaun did all of this because of his love for community; wanting to build a safer world for not just himself but his husband, YeeShin, along with all of their friends. In 2013, immediately after the win for Marriage Equality, Shaun brought up the idea of making a documentary on LGBTQ history and the movement in Seattle. Using his contacts of policy makers and cultural leaders around the Hill, we began filming extensive interviews for content on what would eventually be called The Legacy Project. A few years into the project, I had to head back to Las Vegas to look after my aging parents. Looking for a new breadth of life, Shaun and Yee-Shin also moved to Las Vegas. Both Shaun and Yee-Shin took up jobs educating mentally disabled individuals with Yee-Shin teaching in a wood shop and Shaun helping the individuals publish a quarterly magazine. Unfortunately, Shaun’s health began to have complications and Shaun passed away in December of 2019, just shy of the new decade. I miss my good friend, mentor, and chosen brother. Through his mischievous style Shaun had the ability to make you laugh until you were in tears and your stomach hurt. He also had the ability to bring you to his level of problem solving and look at the world with a sobering and methodical view. I’ve often thought of how comforting it would be to have Shaun around during these uncertain times; just to hear his viewpoint and rely on his leadership. Shaun would’ve turned 40 on March 25th, 2020. In remembrance of Shaun, I’ve decided to bring The Legacy Project to life. I know that Shaun’s main purpose in filming these interviews was to bring LGBTQ youth, as he once was, a sense of pride in their own history. This is a culmination of everything Shaun stood for and his work, which he held dear. Interviews for The Legacy Project can now be found on YouTube. We filmed quite a bit, having in mind that we would make a feature out of them. In the spirit of the times, I’ve decided to release the interviews wholly. Shaun and I believed the entirety of these interviews should be seen and were having a hard time deciding what to cut out and what to leave in for a feature. Due to the number of them, I will be releasing interviews as fast as I can edit them in a digestible format. Please look up The Legacy Project on YouTube and subscribe to the channel for notifications about new interviews. https://www.youtube.com/channel/ UC2M1GhRlhxldrJnFdFLJ6DA
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Photos courtesy of The Legacy Project
March 27, 2020
Seattle Gay News 5
COVID-19 hits Capitol Hill
Photos by Ernie Lou
6 Seattle Gay News
March 27, 2020
Celebrating 46 Years!
Photos by Ernie Lou
Visit us online www.sgn.org
March 27, 2020
Seattle Gay News 7
Durkan Digest special edition: relief for small businesses SEATTLE (March 20, 2020) – My fellow Seattleites, We are facing one of the most transformative and consequential events that our region and our country will experience since World War II. Over the next few days, I want to provide a series of updates for workers, seniors, and individuals who may need child care. Since our first case in King County on February 28, we’ve worked with Gov. Inslee and County Executive Constantine to deploy measures that are critical to stopping the spread of COVID-19, which will save lives and help to ensure that our health care system doesn’t crash. These decisions weren’t made lightly, and they reflect the growing scientific consensus that if we don’t significantly increase mitigation efforts and prioritize true social distancing, the consequences for our region could be devastating. Just as the virus has disproportionately affected vulnerable communities, we know that the measures taken to curtail the spread of the virus will disproportionately affect our small businesses and workers. Nothing has weighed more on my mind in recent weeks than the fears and anxiety of so many in our community of individuals who have lost their jobs and are worried about the basic needs for their families including meals, housing stability, and their kids. It is why I’ve prioritized a number of policies to help ease the burden of this challenging time to workers through giving $800 in new grocery vouchers to thousands of families and placing a moratorium on evictions for residents, small businesses, and nonprofits. From deferring business taxes to converting on-street parking spaces near restaurants to temporary loading zones to help facilitate curbside meal pickup, we are looking at every tool at our disposable. The state and county have also been great partners in this effort. Yesterday, I joined the governor as he announced a suite of measures that included waiving the oneweek waiting period on unemployment insurance, easing interest on late tax payments, and temporarily suspending forced tax collections. Yesterday’s announcement built on measures he announced last week to make unemployment insurance more flexible for employees and employers. While at the state and local level we are committed to deploying every resource we can, Congress and the president must also act on bold measures to support our unemployed workers and create jobs. In the meantime, we aren’t waiting to take action here in Seattle. No other city has the determination and resiliency that we do. Initial relief for small businesses Last week, the Mayor’s office announced actions to provide immediate relief for small businesses affected by COVID-19. These actions built off Gov. Inslee’s announcement to help individuals whose employment has been affected by the pandemic. The initial support package included five components: • Deferral of B&O taxes. Effective immediately, the department of Finance and Administrative Services (FAS) will defer business and occupation (B&O) tax collections for eligible business owners, allowing small business owners increased flexibility during a period of financial duress caused by the COVID-19 outbreak. • Expansion of the Small Business Stabilization Fund. The Seattle Office of Economic Development (OED) expanded our Small Business Stabilization Fund to support income-qualified microbusinesses. • Assistance to access SBA loans. The OED will provide direct technical assistance to local small businesses and nonprofits to ensure they can immediately
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Photo courtesy of Mayor Jenny Durkan
access the Small Business Administration’s (SBA) federal loan program, which is now available. • Relief for utility payments. All Seattle Public Utilities (SPU) and Seattle City Light (SCL) customers can set up deferred payment plans if their financial stability has been jeopardized by COVID-19. • New small business recovery task force. Former Gov. Gary Locke and former Council President Bruce Harrell are leading the COVID-19 Small Business Recovery Task Force, which will advise on longterm policy recommendations and provide technical assistance and outreach. $2.5 Million for critical stabilization program Building on these measures, Mayor Durkan has announced $2.5 million in funds for the City of Seattle stabilization program, which will invest directly in small businesses financially affected by COVID-19. The fund is an expansion of the OED’s Small Business Stabilization Fund, which the mayor created to support small businesses whose operations were jeopardized by a destabilizing event. Eligible small businesses can receive a grant of up to $10,000. In just five days after announcing the program, more than 1,800 eligible businesses applied. These grants will bring much needed relief to businesses that were the first to feel the economic impact of this outbreak. The federal government requires eligible CDBG small business awardees to have five employees or fewer and for the business owner to be at or below 80% of the Area Median Income. In addition, the mayor has directed the OED to focus outreach on historically underserved small businesses that may be overlooked by the federal government’s SBA disaster relief program. Businesses can find more information [at www.seattle.gov/office-of-economicdevelopment/small-business/small-business-programs-/stabilization-fund-]. Small Business Administration low-interest loans Shortly after the Congress passed legislation for low-interest rate loans through the Small Business Administration, the Seattle
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OED moved quickly to apply for relief on behalf of the City. Small businesses in Seattle and King County are now eligible to apply for up to $2 million in low-interest SBA Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDLs) to offset economic losses because of reduced revenues caused by the impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. The OED will be offering technical assistance and launching resources to help small businesses apply for SBA loans. Supporting small businesses with deferred utility payments and an eviction moratorium One of the first relief measures for workers and small businesses Mayor Durkan announced was a commitment to keep Seattle Public Utilities (SPU) and Seattle City Light (SCL) services on during the COVID-19 civil emergency. This provided immediate utility relief for commercial, as well as residential, customers financially affected by the COVID-19 outbreak. Effective immediately, all SPU and SCL customers [can] set up deferred payment plans if their financial stability [is] jeopardized by COVID-19. This ensures that customers receive uninterrupted utility services as they work with utility service representatives to develop a long-term plan that meets their financial needs. In addition, Mayor Durkan transmitted legislation to eliminate the 1% late fee added to all past-due balances. Seattle City Light and Seattle Public Utilities will also begin proactive outreach to small and midsize businesses that may already be experiencing financial difficulty to establish a payment arrangement that will support their continued operations through this emergency and beyond. Customers financially impacted by COVID-19 are urged to set up payment plans with either Seattle City Light or Seattle Public Utilities by calling 206-684-3000 or sending an email 24/7 at www.seattle.gov/ utilities/about-us/email-question. [The Utility Discount Program (UDP)] lowers Seattle City Light bills by 60% and Seattle Public Utility bills by 50%. To learn more about enrollment in the UDP, call 206-684-0268. Eligibility requirements can be found [at www.seattle.gov/humanservices/services-and-programs/afford-
ability-and-livability/utility-discount-program]. To further support small businesses and nonprofits affected by the pandemic, Mayor Durkan signed an emergency order temporarily halting commercial evictions in the City of Seattle. The order’s temporary moratorium on small business and nonprofit tenant evictions is effective immediately for any action related to the nonpayment of rent or due to the expiration of the lease’s term during the moratorium. It will be in effect for at least 60 days or until the termination of the civil emergency declared in the Proclamation of Civil Emergency dated March 3, 2020. Support for our artists and cultural institutions Arts are part of our Seattle identity. This week, the mayor announced $1.1 million in funding to invest directly in creative workers and arts and cultural organizations financially affected by COVID-19. The investment is a combination of funding strategies designed to help the arts and culture sector through direct grants to organizations and creative workers most impacted by this crisis. The package is composed of two initiatives: • A $1 million Arts Stabilization Fund to invest in arts and cultural organizations to help mitigate revenue losses due to the moratorium on events and public gatherings. • $100,000 in immediate relief for artists and creative workers through two private artist relief funds. The City’s Office of Arts & Culture (ARTS) will invest $50,000 in the Seattle Artist Relief Fund, founded by Seattle author Ijeoma Oluo, which will bring the total current funding to $187,150. And ARTS will invest another $50,000 in Artist Trust’s COVID-19 Artist Relief Fund, which will provides rapid response grants supporting critical needs of artists whose livelihoods have been impacted by the pandemic. You can find more information [at https:// artbeat.seattle.gov/2020/03/17/artists-andcreative-workers-relief-funding]. How YOU can help #SupportSeattleSmallBiz This week, we launched a social media campaign called #SupportSeattleSmallBiz to highlight small businesses and how residents can continue to support them in a safe way. More than ever, now’s the time to #SupportSeattleSmallBiz and workers. One easy step you can take in Seattle is to tell your community about the small businesses you’re supporting. So here’s our request: Post your pictures and videos from your favorite Seattle restaurants, bars, and cafés that are doing delivery, to-go, and drive-through with #SupportSeattleSmallBiz and #WeGotThisSeattle, and tag @SeattleEconomy. We’re also asking small businesses to tell their stories and join in. We’ll be sure to help spread the word about businesses that are open for delivery, take out, and/or drive-through. We want to hear from you The measures we’ve taken this week are part of a commitment to help Seattle get through this challenging time. We are at the beginning of a marathon, not a sprint, and it will be tough, but we will get through it together. As always, please continue to write me at Jenny.Durkan@seattle.gov, reach out via Twitter and Facebook, and stay up-to-date on the work we’re doing for the people of Seattle on my blog [https://durkan.seattle.gov]. Courtesy of Mayor Jenny Durkan
Celebrating 46 Years!
Joint statement from the mayors of Auburn, Kent, Renton, Federal Way, Tukwila, Enumclaw, Algona, and Pacific (March 23, 2020) – As the results of COVID-19 become clearer, there is no denying that it is both dangerous and deadly. The number of those diagnosed and those dying from it continues to climb at an alarming rate, especially in our region. The governor is evaluating next steps, as are we. As your local elected officials, we may take additional steps to protect our communities and mandate those best practices issued by health professionals are followed. The most imperative practice to reduce the spread of this virus is to stay home and avoid contact with others. We strongly urge our residents follow those best practices to prevent additional measures from being enacted. If these best practices are not followed, we will need to take further action. You can follow these best practices by: Staying home unless necessary and avoiding nonessential outings Only visiting stores for necessary purchases Only purchasing reasonable amounts of basic products and leaving enough in the stores for others Avoiding gathering in groups, even when outside in open air The CDC, the state Department of Health, and King County Public Health have issued clear guidance on best practices for social distancing. They have
closed gathering spots such as large events, bars, and restaurants, and rightfully so. Yet residents and visitors to our communities are still not fully recognizing those best practices. We can stop the COVID-19 virus from spreading, but only with your help and full cooperation. This is a virus that is taking lives of people in our communities we all love and care about – we all have a role to
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play in stopping this. We continue to support the governor’s directives and urge you to review them by visiting King County Public Health’s website. Thank you for your assistance and understanding. We are strong and resilient communities and with your help we will beat this.
– Mayors Nancy Backus, Dana Ralph, Armondo Pavone, Jim Ferrell, Allan Ekberg, Jan Molinaro, Dave Hill, and Leanne Guier
March 27, 2020
Seattle Gay News 9
Courtesy of the Office of the Mayor of Kent
APPLY TO LIVE AT STATION HOUSE! Station House features 110 affordable apartments co-located with the Capitol Hill Light Rail Station in the heart of the Capitol Hill neighborhood of Seattle. Apartments are available to move in no later than June 2020. Station House features a rooftop deck with community garden patches, solar panels, indoor bike storage, energy efficient lighting and appliances, and a stunning view of Mount Rainier.
The short form of interest re-opened early March for applications for the following apartment sizes, income limits, and rent ranges: Applicants can submit a short form of interest for 60% Area Median Income-eligible studios, one-bedroom, two-bedroom and three-bedroom apartments. Review the steps and eligibility info on the Station House Leasing Info page, then fill out the form via the Apply Now button. Go to: *Rent amounts are subject to change and not all inquiries will receive a call back. See Eligibility and Screening Criteria at: https://www.capitolhillhousing.org/downloads/Eligibility_Screening_Summary.pdf. There is no waitlist for this project. All vacancies will be filled on a first come, first serve basis. Fair Chance: “The landlord is prohibited from requiring disclosure, asking about, rejecting an applicant, or taking an adverse action based on any arrest record, conviction record, or criminal history, except for registry information as described in subsections 14.09.025.A.3, 14.09.025.A.4, and 14.09.025.A.5, and subject to the exclusions and legal requirements in Section 14.09.115.”
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March 27, 2020
www. capitolhillhousing.org
Previously, apartments were also available at the 30% and 50% Area Median Income levels; however, appointments for these have now been filled. The form will close after the first 500 short form submissions without notice. Please help us spread the word by sharing these resources with those in search of affordable housing. Flyers also available in Amharic, English, Simplified Chinese, Somali, Spanish, and Vietnamese online.
Celebrating 46 Years!
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March 27, 2020
Seattle Gay News 11
Artist Trust announces COVID-19 Response & Recovery Resources In response to COVID-19, Artist Trust has created a growing list of response & recovery resources for artists in Washington state. These online resources are responsive to artists’ needs and will be updated often as we learn more about this crisis and its impact. If you’re an artist in need, apply to The COVID-19 Artist Trust Relief Fund [https:// artisttrust.org/announcing-the-covid-19-artist-trust-relief-fund/], a rapid response grant for Washington state artists impacted by COVID-19. Please read this FAQ [https:// artisttrust.org/the-covid-19-relief-fund-faq/] prior to contacting our staff with questions. Due to the high volume of applications, we are not able to respond to every question we receive. If your question is not covered in this FAQ, please contact us at info@ artisttrust.org. To create this critical program, Artist Trust is building a coalition of people, organizations, and corporations who will join in supporting artists now. To join in support of artists’ urgent needs, visit www.artisttrust. org/donate. This effort was seeded with funding from the Artist Trust Board of Trustees, the Seattle Office of Arts and Culture, Chris and Alida Latham, Alison and Glen Milliman, Dale and Leslie Chihuly, Raj and Jill Singh, Helen Gamble, The Roberts Family Foundation, The Lillian Miller Foundation, Shari and John Behnke, Phyllis Hatfield, Cathy Sarkowsky, Mary Pigott, Paula Stokes and John Sullivan, Nicole Stellner and Peter Eberhardy, Lauren Goldman Marshall, Subhadra Terhanian, and many more who came together to create the initial $250,000 available for Washington state artists in need. EMERGENCY FUNDS [links to the following organizations available at https://artisttrust.org/covid19-response/] The COVID-19 Artist Trust Relief Fund – Seattle Artist Relief Fund Amid COVID-19 – Rauschenberg Emergency Grant Program, New York Foundation for the Arts – Springboard for the Arts Personal Emergency Relief Fund (Minnesota) – MusiCares, short-term financial assistance for musicians – Emergency Grants for Writers, Dramatists Guild Foundation (DGF) – Queer Writers of Color Relief Fund – Artist Relief Tree – Carnegie Fund for Authors – Authors League Fund – Sweet Relief Musicians Fund – The Creator Fund – Seattle Music Teachers Fund; Financial Resources for Washington Residents Impacted by COVID-19 – Seattle Hospitality Emergency Fund – CERF+ Emergency Assistance – Spokane Artists & Creatives Emergency Fund – Arts and Culture Leaders of Color Emergency Fund – Artist Relief Project – Seattle Independent Artist Sustainability by Resources by Gig Sector ANNOUNCING THE COVID-19 ARTIST TRUST RELIEF FUND The COVID-19 Artist Trust Relief Fund provides rapid response grants supporting critical needs of artists whose livelihoods have been impacted by COVID-19. With events, performances, and conferences across the country canceled, the hospitality industry closure, growing travel restrictions, significant health threats, crosssector lay-offs, and social distancing recommendations, Washington state artists are facing severe career disruption and loss. These unrestricted cash grants are intended to support working artists with: • Lost wages and earnings; • Loss from event, performance, and conference cancellations and school / community-based education closures; • Medical expenses;
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If I’m selected for relief funding, when will I receive the money? Once you’re selected, we’ll send you a contract and W-9 by email, which can be completed electronically via Docusign. Upon receipt of these materials, we’ll process your funding, and it will be directly deposited into your bank account within 3-5 days. We are only able to distribute relief funding by direct deposit. Can I edit my application after I submit? No, once your application has been submitted, you cannot make edits to it. Due to the high volume of applications, we’re not able to open up applications for revisions.
Image courtesy of Artist Trust
• Rent and mortgage payments, food, utilities, and other living expenses. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis and selected weekly. Grants range from $500-$5,000 based on artists’ needs. Who is eligible: The COVID-19 Artist Trust Relief Fund is open to individual artists of all disciplines residing in Washington state. Applicants must be: • 18 years of age or older; • Washington state residents at the time of application and payment; • Individual artists of any discipline (Curators, organizers, and producers are not eligible). Applicants must NOT be: • Graduate or undergraduate matriculated students enrolled in any degree program; • Applying on behalf of a company, nonprofit, organization, community group, ensembles, or collective; • Current Artist Trust staff, Board of Trustees, honorary committee, consultants, contractors, or their immediate family. Contact Submittable: • with website access issues; • with questions about uploading or formatting files; • with other technical support needs. http://help.submittable.com THE COVID-19 ARTIST TRUST RELIEF FUND FAQ Please read this FAQ prior to contacting our staff with questions. Due to the high volume of applications, we are not able to respond to every question we receive. If your question is not covered in this FAQ, please contact us at info@artisttrust.org. How do I apply? To apply, you must submit an application through Submittable. A link to the application is here. How can I contribute to the fund? We are actively fundraising to build the COVID-19 Artist Trust Relief Fund. You can make a contribution to the fund here. Thank you for your support of Washington state artists! Am I eligible for this funding? This funding is intended to support working artists residing in Washington state whose livelihoods have been impacted by COVID-19. To be eligible for this funding, you must be an individual artist, 18 years or older, and residing in Washington state. You can-
March 27, 2020
not be currently enrolled in a graduate or undergraduate degree program at the time of the deadline, and you cannot apply on behalf of a business, company, nonprofit, organization, community group, ensemble, collective, or a fiscally-sponsored entity. Proof of residency, such as a copy of a current Washington state Driver’s License / ID or a last month’s utility bill, is required if you’re selected for an award. The address on the utility bill must match the address included in your contract and application. What is a working artist? A working artist is one whose primary source of income is from their art or artrelated activities / gigs. We will consider artists whose primary source of income is not from their art or arts-related activities / gigs on a case-by-case basis. Curators, arts workers, community organizers, producers, and business owners are not considered working artists. This fund supports generative individual artists, those who are the originators of works of art. How much can I request? Grants range from $500 to $5,000. Please ask for funding to support your immediate needs. We cannot guarantee we’ll be able to support you at the amount you requested. What is a “critical need”? Critical needs are: • Rent and mortgage payments, food, utilities, and other living expenses • Lost wages and earnings • Loss from event, performance, and conference cancellations and school / community-based education closures • Medical expenses This funding is not for art supplies or arts-related expenses. When will my application be reviewed? Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis with a goal of distributing funds to artists weekly. Within three days of launching this fund, we received more than 700 applications, totaling nearly $1.3 million in funding requests. Your application will be reviewed as soon as we’re able. We have a mighty but small team. Please be patient with us. How are applicants selected? Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis with a goal of distributing funds to artists weekly. Applicants are accepted based on the immediacy of their need. Priority is given to the most vulnerable populations, including artists whose primary source of income is from their art-making or arts-related activities / gigs; artists of color; immuno-compromised artists; artists with disabilities; and LGBTQ artists.
Should I provide work samples or links to work samples? Work samples are not required; however, you can include links in the “Tell us about your work as an artist” section of the application if you’d like. Should I provide my resume? Resumes are not required; however, you can include links in the “Tell us about your work as an artist” section of the application if you’d like. Will receiving funding disqualify me from applying to other Artist Trust grants? No. I have received funding from Artist Trust in the past. Can I still apply? Yes. I didn’t receive the full amount I requested. Why not? Within three days of launching this fund, we received more than 700 applications, totaling nearly $1.3 million in funding requests. We may not always be able to fulfill each artist’s request in its entirety. Do I have to pay taxes on this funding? Yes, you will receive a 1099 form by mail in early 2021. This is based on current federal tax laws, which may be subject to change. Can I re-apply? Yes, you can re-apply for funding whether you’ve been accepted or declined. You cannot have multiple pending applications. You must wait four weeks from the date you received notice from us on a pending application before you re-apply. To create this critical program, Artist Trust is building a coalition of people, organizations, and corporations who will join in supporting artists now. To join in support of artists’ urgent needs, visit www.artisttrust. org/donate. This effort was seeded with funding from the Artist Trust Board of Trustees, the Seattle Office of Arts and Culture, Chris and Alida Latham, Alison and Glen Milliman, Dale and Leslie Chihuly, Raj and Jill Singh, Helen Gamble, The Roberts Family Foundation, The Lillian Miller Foundation, Shari and John Behnke, Phyllis Hatfield, Cathy Sarkowsky, Mary Pigott, Paula Stokes and John Sullivan, Nicole Stellner and Peter Eberhardy, Lauren Goldman Marshall, Subhadra Terhanian, and many more who came together to create the initial $250,000 available for Washington state artists in need. Courtesy of Artist Trust
Celebrating 46 Years!
Council approves Dunn’s program to engage community in region’s COVID-19 response SEATTLE (March 24, 2020) – King County residents who have been looking for ways to help with the COVID-19 response will soon get some guidance, thanks to a program sponsored by Vice Chair Reagan Dunn that was approved Tuesday by the King County Council. Project C.A.R.E. (for COVID-19 Action and Response Enlistment), will establish a comprehensive website listing opportunities for people to give back to their community, and helping connect would-be volunteers with the organizations where their help is most needed. “In this time of crisis, the spirit of generosity in our region has really shone through,” Dunn said. “So many people have been asking how they can support their community in the wake of COVID-19 – and that desire to step up and volunteer is
what inspired me to create a one-stop shop to connect those who want to help with those who need it.” The legislation asks the King County Council, in consultation with the County Executive, to identify volunteer needs and other opportunities within King County for the public to participate in the COVID19 response. It includes required reports on how this program could be best established, due back in three weeks. The Council’s report will include information on the various ways in which people can help their community during this challenging time. Find the most recent updates on the regional response to the COVID-19 at www.kingcounty.gov/COVID. Courtesy of Councilmember Reagan Dunn
Cultural relief funds available April 1
Image courtesy of 4Culture
SEATTLE (March 25, 2020) – Financial support is on the way. As closures, cancellations, and loss of work due to COVID-19 impact the King County cultural sector, we have details to share about our Cultural Relief Fund [www.4culture.org/grants-artist-calls/cultural-relief-fund], which will distribute $1 million over the coming months: For individuals • The first round of funding will be distributed beginning April 1 through May 15. Apply at any time within that time frame. Applications will be reviewed by a panel weekly, and we will notify you within 10 business days about the status of your application. • You’ll apply through a simple application that will take about 15 minutes to complete. • You can apply for up to $2,000 to help alleviate financial hardship from the outbreak of the COVID-19 virus or to mobilize a creative response that will support other King County residents in this time of crisis. For organizations • The first round of funding will be distributed beginning April 1 through May 15. Apply at any time within that time frame. Applications will be reviewed by a panel weekly, and we will notify you within 10 business days about the status of your application. • You will need a 4Culture account to apply. Once you’ve pulled together your materials, the simplified application will take about 30 minutes to complete. • Grants up to $5,000 can help cover unexpected costs or losses related to the COVID-19 virus.
Translation and assistance • If you anticipate a barrier to your participation due to limited English writing ability or visual impairment, or would like to request assistance to access this application, please contact us at hello@4culture. org, 206-296-7580, or TTY 711. • Si usted cree que pueda tener un obstáculo para participar debido a su capacidad limitada de escritura en ingles o discapacidad visual o si desea solicitar asistencia para acceder a esta aplicación, contáctenos en hello@4culture. org, en el (206) 296-7580 o TTY 711. More COVID-19 resources We’re updating our response [www.4culture.org/covid-19-response] to applicants, grant recipients, and commissioned artists along with a list of resources [www.4culture.org/covid-19-resource-list] for the cultural sector daily. Many of our deadlines have been extended or postponed. If you’re working on an application, check [www.4culture. org/covid-19-response] for updated information. 4Culture staff are working remotely, but still here for you! We’re available [www.4culture.org/about-4culture/staff] by phone or email. Not sure who to reach out to? Start with hello@4culture.org, 206296-7580, or TTY: 711. Thank you for your patience and flexibility during this time. We will announce all updates on our website, via email, and on social media channels. Please do not hesitate to contact us with any questions or concerns.
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Courtesy of 4Culture
March 27, 2020
Seattle Gay News 13
with DESCOVY for PrEP® DESCOVY for PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis) is a once-daily prescription medicine for adults and adolescents at risk of HIV. It helps lower the chances of getting HIV through sex. DESCOVY for PrEP is not for everyone: • It is not for use in people assigned female at birth who are at risk of getting HIV from vaginal sex, because its effectiveness has not been studied. • You must be HIV-negative before and while taking DESCOVY for PrEP.
DESCOVY® is the smallest pill approved for PrEP. Actual size: 13mm x 6mm
IMPORTANT FACTS ABOUT DESCOVY (des-KOH-vee) This is only a brief summary of important information about taking DESCOVY for PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis). This does not replace talking to your healthcare provider about your medicine. MOST IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT DESCOVY FOR PrEP Before starting and while taking DESCOVY for PrEP: • You must be HIV-negative. You must get tested for HIV immediately before and at least every 3 months while taking DESCOVY. If you think you were exposed to HIV, tell your healthcare provider right away. They may want to do more tests to confirm that you are still HIV-negative. • Many HIV tests can miss HIV infection in a person who has recently become infected. Symptoms of new HIV infection include tiredness, fever, joint or muscle aches, headache, sore throat, vomiting, diarrhea, rash, night sweats, and/or enlarged lymph nodes in the neck or groin. Tell your healthcare provider if you have had a flu-like illness within the last month before starting or while taking DESCOVY. • DESCOVY does not prevent other sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Practice safer sex by using a latex or polyurethane condom to reduce the risk of getting STIs. • DESCOVY by itself is not a complete treatment for HIV-1. Do not take DESCOVY for PrEP unless you are confirmed to be HIV negative. DESCOVY may cause serious side effects, including: • Worsening of hepatitis B (HBV) infection. Your healthcare provider will test you for HBV. If you have HBV and stop taking DESCOVY, your HBV may suddenly get worse. Do not stop taking DESCOVY without first talking to your healthcare provider, as they will need to check or give you HBV medicine.
Ask a healthcare provider if DESCOVY for PrEP is right for you. To learn more, visit AboutDescovy.com.
ABOUT DESCOVY FOR PrEP DESCOVY for PrEP is a once-daily prescription medicine for adults and adolescents at risk of HIV who weigh at least 77 pounds. It helps lower the chances of getting HIV through sex. DESCOVY for PrEP is not for everyone: • It is not for use in people assigned female at birth who are at risk of getting HIV from vaginal sex, because its effectiveness has not been studied. • You must be HIV-negative before and while taking DESCOVY for PrEP. To help determine your risk of getting HIV-1, talk openly with your healthcare provider about your sexual health. Do NOT take DESCOVY for PrEP if you: • Already have HIV infection or if you do not know your HIV status. If you have HIV-1, you need more medicine than DESCOVY alone to treat HIV-1. If you have HIV-1 and take only DESCOVY, your HIV-1 may become harder to treat now and in the future.
POSSIBLE SIDE EFFECTS OF DESCOVY FOR PrEP DESCOVY can cause serious side effects, including: • Those in the “Most Important Information About DESCOVY for PrEP” section. • New or worse kidney problems, including kidney failure. Your healthcare provider should do blood and urine tests to check your kidneys before and during treatment with DESCOVY. If you develop kidney problems, your healthcare provider may tell you to stop taking DESCOVY. • Too much lactic acid in your blood (lactic acidosis), which is a serious but rare medical emergency that can lead to death. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you get these symptoms: weakness or being more tired than usual, unusual muscle pain, being short of breath or fast breathing, stomach pain with nausea and vomiting, cold or blue hands and feet, feel dizzy or lightheaded, or a fast or abnormal heartbeat. • Severe liver problems, which in rare cases can lead to death. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you get these symptoms: skin or the white part of your eyes turns yellow, dark “tea-colored” urine, light-colored stools, loss of appetite for several days or longer, nausea, or stomach-area pain.
*
,
Eligible patients may pay as little as a $0 co-pay.*
Actor portrayals
HOW TO TAKE DESCOVY FOR PrEP POSSIBLE SIDE EFFECTS OF DESCOVY FOR PrEP (cont’d) Common side effects in people taking DESCOVY for PrEP include diarrhea, nausea, headache, fatigue, and stomach pain. These are not all the possible side effects of DESCOVY. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you have any new symptoms while taking DESCOVY for PrEP. You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.FDA.gov/medwatch, or call 1-800-FDA-1088. Your healthcare provider will need to do tests to monitor your health before and during treatment with DESCOVY for PrEP.
BEFORE TAKING DESCOVY FOR PrEP Tell your healthcare provider if you: • Have or have had any kidney or liver problems, including hepatitis. • Have any other medical conditions. Tell your healthcare provider about all the medicines you take: • Keep a list that includes all prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements, and show it to your healthcare provider and pharmacist. • Ask your healthcare provider or pharmacist about medicines that should not be taken with DESCOVY for PrEP.
• Take 1 tablet once a day, every day, not just when you think you have been exposed to HIV-1. • Do not miss any doses. Missing doses may increase your risk of getting HIV-1 infection. • Get tested for HIV-1 at least every 3 months. You must stay HIV-negative to keep taking DESCOVY for PrEP.
HOW TO FURTHER REDUCE YOUR RISK • Know your HIV status and the HIV status of your partners. If your partner is living with HIV, your risk of getting HIV is lower if your partner consistently takes HIV treatment every day. • Get tested for other STIs. Some STIs make it easier for HIV to infect you. • Practice safer sex by using latex or polyurethane condoms. • Talk to your healthcare provider about all the ways to help reduce HIV risk.
GET MORE INFORMATION • This is only a brief summary of important information about DESCOVY for PrEP. Talk to your healthcare provider or pharmacist to learn more. • Go to DESCOVY.com/prep or call 1-800-GILEAD-5 • If you need help paying for your medicine, visit DESCOVY.com/prep for program information.
*Advancing Access® co-pay support is available for commercially insured eligible patients only. Subject to change; for full terms and conditions, visit GileadAdvancingAccess.com.
DESCOVY FOR PrEP, the DESCOVY FOR PrEP Logo, the DESCOVY Blue Pill Design, DESCOVY, the DESCOVY Logo, STEP UP. PrEP UP., ADVANCING ACCESS, GILEAD, and the GILEAD Logo are trademarks of Gilead Sciences, Inc., or its related companies. ©2020 Gilead Sciences, Inc. All rights reserved. DVYC0244 02/20
16 Seattle Gay News
March 27, 2020
Celebrating 46 Years!
Laid off? Furloughed? Reduced hours? Here’s what you need to know by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer Have you been laid off or furloughed, or had your work hours reduced because of the governor’s COVID-19 stay-at-home order? Have you been quarantined because you were exposed to the virus? Are you selfquarantined because you’re immune-compromised? If so, you can claim unemployment benefits to replace some or all of your income. The state’s Employment Security Department (ESD) – the agency that administers unemployment insurance – has adopted emergency policies to help workers impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. You apply for emergency unemployment the same way you would in normal times. Contact ESD either by phone or through the website, esd.wa.gov. Be patient, though, because the high number of new unemployment claims means that you’ll have to wait to get through, and the wait could be hours. If you were laid off as a result of the governor’s stay-at-home order issued on March 23, you are eligible for unemployment benefits. When you apply for benefits, you should select “laid off” as your reason for separating from your employer. Choose “Company temporarily closed” from the secondary options. Of course this doesn’t apply to employees who are considered “essential critical infrastructure workers” as outlined by the governor.
Photo by GwenGoat / Getty Images
Watch for new information, because all of this is subject to change as the state and the feds adopt new measures to deal with the results of the pandemic. “As you know, the situation is changing rapidly, and we continue to update our communications and our technology to reflect the
new emergency rules as they are enacted,” the ESD says. “We know this can be confusing and we are so thankful for your patience.” Work search requirements – which used to be mandatory – are now optional for people applying for unemployment until further notice.
The one-week waiting period to be eligible for unemployment benefits is now waived, again until further notice. You can begin receiving benefits as soon as your application is processed. If you have a reasonable expectation of returning to work with the same employer, you can also request standby status for up to 12 weeks. The ESD warns that some people who apply for “standby status” unemployment benefits (full-time or part-time) may receive an automated notice indicating their request is denied. Don’t worry. That notice does not reflect the emergency rules, which allow workers to request up to 12 weeks of standby. Employers will be notified of your application. “Please know that the Employment Security Department and the entire state is mobilized and ready to help you through this difficult time,” writes the ESD. “We are all in this together.” If you have been denied unemployment benefits, contact the Unemployment Law Project. With offices in Seattle and Spokane, the ULP provides low-cost representation and free advice and counsel to people in Washington state who have been denied unemployment benefits or whose award of benefits is being challenged. If English is not your primary language, the hospitality workers’ union – UNITE HERE Local 8 – has information on applying for unemployment in Chinese, Spanish, French, Amharic, and Vietnamese, in addition to English, on its website, unitehere8.org
caseloads. Hospitals treating coronavirus patients would also get higher reimbursements and accelerated payments from Medicare. Across-the-board Medicare cuts that were part of a previous deficit reduction agreement would be temporarily halted. The bill would give small businesses access to a nearly $350 billion loan program to cover monthly expenses like payroll, rent, and utilities. They would not have to repay the loans if they maintained their workforce during the pandemic. The eight weeks of assistance would be retroactive to February 15, 2020 to help bring back workers who have already been laid off. Big corporations would also get some $500 billion. The package includes a finan-
cial benefit for the hardest-hit industries, including passenger and cargo airlines. Money would also be available to help other businesses. Safeguards were inserted in the package at the insistence of Democrats. Companies receiving assistance would be barred from raising the pay of top executives. Any company receiving a government loan would be prohibited from buying back stocks while getting assistance, as well for an additional year. Businesses controlled by the president, vice president, members of Congress, and heads of federal agencies are not eligible for loans. Companies that kept on workers despite a significant loss of revenue could get a tax credit.
March 27, 2020
Seattle Gay News 17
Photo by John Moore / Getty Images
FED RELIEF continued from cover
For every $100 you earn above those limits, though, the payment drops by $5. That means that for those with no children and income levels above $99,000 for singles and $198,000 for joint filers, no stimulus check would come. Individuals with incomes less than $99,000 but more than $75,000 would receive a reduced payment. Unemployment insurance benefits will be expanded, increasing the maximum benefit by $600 a week for up to four months. Benefits would also be available to workers who are part-time, self-employed, or part of the gig economy. People who are
still unemployed after state benefits end could get an additional 13 weeks of help from federal money. Food assistance programs like SNAP would get a boost, as would programs to help low-income households avoid eviction. So would a federal program to improve internet access in rural areas. Homeowners with federally backed mortgages – VA or FHA – would be protected from foreclosures for as long as 180 days. Students with federal loans could suspend payments until October, and students receiving Pell grants who have to drop out because of coronavirus would not be penalized. Hospitals and medical centers would get money to help them handle surging
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18 Seattle Gay News
March 27, 2020
Celebrating 46 Years!
Digital resources at the Seattle Public Library provide entertainment and education for homebound residents during the coronavirus outbreak
Image courtesy of SPL
Self-quarantining to be safe? Kids staying home from school? Newly telecommuting and need to brush up on digital skills? Although all locations of the Seattle Public Library are now closed in accordance with public health guidelines, Library cardholders can take advantage of a wide range of online educational and entertainment resources. Whether you want to learn SEO, download music, watch a classic movie or help your kids brush up on reading skills, all of the following resources are available online to anyone with a free Library card. No need to leave home. ONLINE LEARNING • Lynda.com – Learn a new skill at your own pace at www.spl.org/lynda.You’ll find thousands of courses covering animation, audio, video, business skills, marketing, design, photography, programming and much more. • Mango Languages – Want to improve your conversation skills in another language? Choose from over 70 languages at www.spl.org/languages • Microsoft Imagine Academy – Find hundreds of online courses on how to use Microsoft Office 2016, along with learning paths for computer science, data science and IT infrastructure at www.spl.org/ ImagineAcademy. • Safari Books Online – Visit www.spl. org/books-and-media/books-and-ebooks/ safari-books-online to find thousands
HRC
continued from cover the health and safety needs of the community during this crisis. “We are facing a global public health crisis, and as in all emergencies, the most marginalized are at increased risk,” said HRC President Alphonso David. “Many in the LGBTQ community may lack the resources to effectively combat COVID19, lacking access to paid sick leave or living without health coverage, and are more likely to work in an industry that has been most affected by the pandemic, putting them in greater economic jeopardy or increasing their exposure to the virus. It is also critical to understand the challenges facing the LGBTQ young person who has been sent home from school to face family rejection or the LGBTQ senior who is more likely to be living alone during this crisis. It is important to know and understand the unique impact of the virus on the LGBTQ community so that we can prepare to weather this crisis as we have weathered
Photo by gpointstudio / Getty Images
of instructional e-books on a variety of technical subjects for both beginners and experts, including topics like “Adventures in Minecraft” and how to create your own Android app. ONLINE MEDIA • Seattle Reads – There, There by Tommy Orange – https://www.spl.org/programs-and-services/authors-and-books/ seattle-reads/seattle-reads-2020 • OverDrive – We have thousands of e-books and e-audiobooks you can borrow for three weeks and download to most devices at www.spl.org/overdrive. • PlayBack – Use PlayBack to stream and download recordings by local Seattle artists, and explore our city’s rich musical culture at www.spl.org/playback. • Freegal – Stream unlimited music or download and keep up to five songs each week at www.spl.org/freegal. • Hoopla – Choose from instantly accessible movies, TV shows, comics and music
crises before – by uniting as a community and helping those in greatest need.” Last week, the HRC joined public health officials and coalition partners at the National LGBT Cancer Network, the GLMA, and other organizations in outlining our concerns and laying out specific steps to minimize any disparity for the LGBTQ community and individuals living with HIV. LGBTQ people are more vulnerable to the health risks of the virus. They are less likely to have health coverage, are more likely to smoke and have asthma, and have a variety of chronic illnesses: • 17% of LGBTQ people lack health coverage. • One in five LGBTQ people have not seen a doctor when they needed to because they couldn’t afford it. • 37% of LGBTQ adults smoke every day compared to 27% of non-LGBTQ people. • 21% of LGBTQ people have asthma, compared to 14% of non-LGBTQ people.
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albums at www.spl.org/hoopla, which allows users to stream up to 15 items a month. Apps are available for iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch and Android devices. • Kanopy – Watch up to five of over 30,000 independent, classic and other films per month at www.spl.org/kanopy. Kanopy has a collection of films you can stream without using any play credits available through April 15, 2020. • Access Video – Watch unlimited documentaries, performance, how-to and educational videos at www.spl.org/books-andmedia/movies-and-tv/access-video. Check out the HBO series Chernobyl, work out to a core strengthening or yoga video, learn how to knit and more. DIGITAL RESOURCES FOR KIDS • BookFlix – Explore animated stories paired with real world concepts for early readers up to third grade at www.spl.org/ books-and-media/books-and-ebooks/ bookflix.
• TumbleBook Library – Help your child build reading, math and language skills with this fun collection of animated, talking picture books for preschool and elementary-age children at www.spl.org/ books-and-media/books-and-ebooks/tumblebooklibrary. • Kanopy for Kids – Watch educational and engaging videos for children of all ages at www.spl.org/kanopy, including story time and Muzzy language-learning videos. There is no streaming limit on Kanopy for Kids videos through April 15, 2020. • Access Video: Just for Kids – View unlimited free streaming TV shows for kids that include nature programs, books made into videos, early learning, homework help videos and more at www.spl.org/books-andmedia/movies-and-tv/access-video. For more information, contact the Library online at https://www.spl.org/. Courtesy of Seattle Public Library
LGBTQ people are more likely to work jobs in highly affected industries, often with more exposure and/or higher economic sensitivity to the COVID-19 crisis: • One in five LGBTQ people live in poverty and 40% of homeless youth identify as LGBTQ. • The top 5 industries that LGBTQ adults work in are industries heavily impacted by COVID-19, affecting more than five million LGBTQ workers or 40% of LGBTQ workers (compared to 22% of non-LGBTQ individuals working in those industries). • A disproportionate number of LGBTQ people work in restaurants (15%) compared to their non-LGBTQ peers (6%), and the median wage in 2018 for food preparation and service occupations is $11.09 per hour. • Only 29% of respondents to the HRC Foundation’s 2018 LGBTQ Paid Leave Survey said their employer offers paid leave specifically for medical reasons and that they were eligible to use it. Further, given the severity of this pandemic, the HRC has taken steps to protect the health and safety of our staff, members, volunteers, supporters, and all those who
are fighting so hard to advance equality and build a better world for all of us. Specifically, the HRC will, among other things, cancel or postpone all of our public events, including our gala dinners in Nashville on March 14, Los Angeles on March 28, and Houston on April 4. The HRC will instead host volunteers and board members from across the country for a virtual Equality Convention on Friday, March 20. Find a full list of all of the HRC’s efforts and resources at [www.hrc.org/resources/ covid-19]. Read the full brief [at www.hrc. org/resources/the-lives-and-livelihoodsof-many-in-the-lgbtq-community-are-atrisk-amidst].
March 27, 2020
Seattle Gay News 19
The Human Rights Campaign Foundation is the educational arm of America’s largest civil rights organization working to achieve equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer people. The HRC envisions a world where LGBTQ people are embraced as full members of society at home, at work, and in every community. Courtesy of the HRC
Rep. Smith statement on House passage of Families First Coronavirus Response Act
President Donald J. Trump is joined by Vice President Mike Pence and Secretary of the Treasury Steven Mnuchin as he signs H.R. 6201, the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, Wednesday, March 18, 2020 – Official White House Photo by Shealah Craighead
WASHINGTON, DC (March 14, 2020) – Rep. Adam Smith (D-WA) released the following statement tonight after the House voted to pass the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (HR 6201), which strengthens the federal government’s response to the coronavirus outbreak and addresses the impacts of the coronavirus on financial security and the economy: “The economic impacts of the coronavirus outbreak have been devastating to working families across the country. Americans desperately need relief right now and the Families First Coronavirus Response Act is a strong start toward delivering just that. “We must not forget our most important job: protecting the health and safety of the American people. They need and deserve free coronavirus testing, paid sick leave, enhanced unemployment benefits, expanded food assistance programs, and additional funding for states, local jurisdictions, and health systems responding to the outbreak. “This bill provides free coronavirus testing to all individuals who need a test, regardless of whether they are insured or
uninsured. Additionally, we also increase federal funds for Medicaid to support the state and local governments and health systems that have already expended significant resources responding to this crisis. “It is imperative that we support those who experience financial burdens during this health crisis. The bill establishes two weeks of paid sick leave and up to three months of paid family and medical leave. It also strengthens food assistance programs to help keep food on the table for children, families, and seniors. “The Families First Coronavirus Response Act is a critically important step by Congress to support our ability to respond to this crisis, but it cannot be the last action Congress takes. More support is clearly needed to protect our public health, and we must expedite the delivery of medical supplies and test kits, alleviate the stress put on our health care system, and mitigate against the economic impacts of the crisis.” Courtesy of Rep. Adam Smith
Spiritual support is something we all can do Dearest Soulforce family, Soulforcers like us have been working to stop spiritual violence for over 20 years, and we understand that a lot of us may be feeling anxiety and grief right now, especially since for many of us, we practice resiliency by creating networks and spiritual community to connect across isolation and replenish our spirits. We at Soulforce are forever inspired and encouraged by our various communities who, at the grassroots, are innovating more creative ways to reach each other, to cut across the spiritual trauma and show up for one another. This week alone, we have
participated in many digital gatherings, including an inclusive church service over WhatsApp based in Cuba and another one in Spanish on Zoom based out of Oakland, California! Our people are amazing! At the same time, it is disheartening to see the denial of this pandemic moment from “spiritual leaders” like Jerry Falwell Jr., who isolate and endanger our communities further by publicly insinuating that this pandemic moment is “fake news” planted to harm the current administration. Marginalized people often experience spiritual violence through exclusion and isolation. If you are someone who has been told that you no longer belong to a church,
to a community, or to a family because of your gender or sexual orientation, it can be especially triggering to be told to stay home, and especially difficult to not connect with others physically. (We are a touchy, huggy community, aren’t we?) Nevertheless, we at Soulforce have been connecting across space and time for many years, and we know that we can get through this…together. Resistance work to the forces of evil and death are somewhat of a speciality around here, so please check out this message from our co-director team to learn what is happening at Soulforce and how you can gather with us next week: https://youtu.be/_9sH914ovHM.
We on staff and board are sending lots of love and energy of perseverance to all of our Soulforce family. Thank you for helping to keep others safe by staying in place, taking care of yourself and loved ones, and strategizing how we stay connected and support each other in community even without being in close physical proximity.
to calm us and keep us focused on moving through this pandemic, [like] Gov. Cuomo urging us to remain “spiritually connected” though “physically distanced.” I really value YOU: all of you who have texted and emailed and called and reached out. I give thanks everyday for Mike, Brett, Sergio, LaDedra, Mississippi, Monique, Andrus, and Kayla, who help keep our services to those in need up and running; for Bob, who helps keep the office functioning; for Amy, Allen, and Gus, who volunteer. I value, deeply, all who by their donations are literally keeping food on the tables of the most vulnerable and a roof over the heads of our LGBTQI youth downstairs at Sylvia’s Place. I hope and pray each day that we can remain spiritually connected, though physically distanced. Now, as much as ever before, we need each other in our lives.
Strengthened by what we know and trust is your undying love and will for healing, may we become for others what we most need ourselves: a sense of connection, good neighbors, compassionate caregivers, those who share resources, spiritually connected while physically distanced. We continue to lift up to you, O God, those hardest hit and without needed resources – the people of Gaza, the people of Italy and Iran, the homeless on our streets and at our borders. Help us to remember, that in caring for each other, we are caring for you, and in this way keeping your healing and life-giving presence among us alive. Calm our anxieties and focus our energy on creating safe, holy, and healing spaces for all God’s children. Help us to shelter together in the power of your love. In Jesus’ name we pray, +Amen
With love, The Soulforce Team Abilene, TX March 25, 2020 Courtesy of Soulforce
Shelter in place:
A reflection from the Rev. Elder Pat Bumgardner How do you shelter in place when you have no place to shelter? How do you wash your hands when you have no clean running water and some days you can’t even count on having a drink for your kids? Those are the questions many of us, as caring people, are pondering, I am sure, as we pass out of a weekend that left us with the instruction to... “shelter in place.” We find ourselves in the fashion capital of the world, some say the art capital, the center of the universe, the modern Gomorrah our critics chime in, home to the world’s diversity – and now the epicenter of the COVID-19 outbreak in the United States. The epicenter: What does it mean to be at the center of something? I remember in the days and months following the attacks of September 11th, everyone spoke about New York City and the site of those attacks as “ground zero” – the point on the earth, so the definition goes, closest to a detonation or explosion of some kind. For me, as we worked through all the shock and horror of lives lost and never finding anything to remind us of those loved and lost, gradually it became less about the detonation and more about what emanated from that spot. Now, looking back, what I remember is the mayor and governor at that time saying things like: there are no gay people or straight people, there are just people who need each other’s
care and concern. I remember New Yorkers taking people they did not know into their apartments and homes to shelter them in the aftermath of losing everything. I remember some of the stories of New York’s bravest, who refused to leave a woman trapped in stairwell in one of the towers, and that of a man who refused to leave his co-worker trapped because he was in a wheelchair. I remember all the messages texted and emailed from a doomed plane, one saying to those they might never meet again in this life: remember, I love you. Love is what emanated from ground zero, the epicenter, as we marched against a violent, misdirected war. “Not in my name, “ I remember chanting in the streets with Rev. Kristen and some of you. Epicenters/ground zeros: they tell us about who we really are and what we really believe in and value. Right now, I really value all the clerks at stores like Rite-Aid and the corner deli folks, all the pharmacists and first responders, all the grocery store clerks and delivery people, who are emanating love and care and some semblance of normalcy in this city that has never before slept like this. I really value all the spiritual leaders who have found their way back to a Gospel and Holy Scriptures that are more about God’s love than anything else, and who are striving to guide and sustain us with a word, as Isaiah says. I value all those leaders who are trying
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O God, We remember your counsel to give praise always, and so we thank you for this day and all the promise and potential it holds. We thank you for all the people who, by their care and compassion, shelter us in your abiding presence. Help us to move through this day before us, open to all the ways, small and large, that you remain present to us, sustaining and guiding us.
Courtesy of the Metropolitan Community Church of New York
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VICTORY! Court rules Alaska’s denial of health care to Transgender employee is unlawful discrimination ANCHORAGE, AK (March 6, 2020) – A federal district court today ruled in favor of Lambda Legal client Jennifer Fletcher and [ruled] that the State of Alaska’s denial of health care coverage to a legislative librarian, based on its blanket exclusion of medically necessary transition-related surgical treatment from AlaskaCare, the state employee health care plan, is unlawful sex discrimination that violates federal law. “Transgender employees should never be forced to endure what Jennifer endured, to be denied potentially life-saving treatment simply because of who they are,” Lambda Legal counsel Tara Borelli said. “Jennifer was denied coverage for medically necessary treatment while her co-workers received full coverage for all their health care needs, all because of a discriminatory policy. The court rightly saw that as wrong and found that Alaska broke federal law, which prohibits sexbased discrimination in employment.” “It was stigmatizing and traumatic to have my colleagues receive coverage for their medical needs while I was denied,” said Fletcher. “I am grateful that the court saw that treatment for what it was – unlawful discrimination – and I hope that this ruling means that no one else will have to go through being targeted for discrimination by their employer. We should all be able to count on our employers to treat us equally, especially for something as important as our health care.”
Photo courtesy of Lambda Legal
Jennifer Fletcher is 37-year-old resident of Juneau, Alaska, who works as a legislative librarian for the State of Alaska. She has worked for Alaska since 2012 and was promoted to legislative librarian in 2014. She is transgender, which means she was assigned male sex at birth, but her gender identity is female and she is a woman. The AlaskaCare plan contains a blanket exclusion of transition-related surgical treatment, which has existed in the plan since at least 1979. Because the Carter-era exclusion remains in place, Fletcher had to pay out of her own pocket for surgical treatment in 2017, even after the state’s own consultant estimated in 2016 that the cost of coverage to the state was negligible.
Beginning in 2018, the AlaskaCare plan began covering transition-related hormone therapy, recognizing that such treatment is medically necessary, but continues to categorically prohibit coverage for transitionrelated surgical treatment, even though it is also medically necessary. Lambda Legal filed the lawsuit, Fletcher v. State of Alaska, in June 2018, arguing that the State of Alaska is violating the sex discrimination prohibition of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act. In March 2018, the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) determined that there was reasonable cause to believe that the State of Alaska had violated Title VII. All mainstream medical associations,
including the American Medical Association and the American Psychological Association, recognize that transition-related surgical treatment can be medically necessary for an individual. The AMA and other medical organizations have called for an end to discriminatory exclusions of medical care in public and private health insurance policies. Read the ruling at www.lambdalegal.org/in-cour t/legal-docs/f letcher_ ak_20200306_order. Read more about the case, Fletcher v. State of Alaska, at www.lambdalegal.org/in-cour t/legal-docs/f letcher_ ak_20180605_complaint. For more information about transgender rights, visit www.lambdalegal.org/issues/ transgender-rights. Tara Borelli and Peter Renn are handling this case for Lambda Legal, joined by local counsel Eric Croft of the Croft Law Office, based in Anchorage, Alaska. Lambda Legal is a national organization committed to achieving full recognition of the civil rights of lesbians, gay men, bisexuals, transgender people, and everyone living with HIV through impact litigation, education and public policy work. www. lambdalegal.org Courtesy of Lambda Legal
Seattle Opera announces cancelation of La bohème Dear Seattle Opera community, We are all living through an extremely challenging period and you can probably imagine that Seattle Opera as much as the entire cultural sector overall is facing challenges and difficult decisions. Our work and mission is to bring people together to enjoy and share the beauty and emotions of the human voice, music, and opera. Nevertheless the health and well-being of our patrons, artists, staff, volunteers, and the larger community remain our most important priority, along with compliance with directives from public health officials and government leaders. Therefore, it is with deep regret and sadness that I write to you to announce that we will cancel all performances of our final production of the season at McCaw Hall – Puccini’s La bohème. We have planned for this production for more than two years and are in dismay over this necessary decision. This is a devastating loss for our company, artists, and community of opera lovers. We also know that we are not alone in making difficult decisions like this as cancelations have become the news of the day and many of my colleagues are faced with having to make similar decisions. It does not make it easier for anybody. After careful consideration and monitoring of current developments, the continued spread of COVID-19 as well as recommended social distancing mean there is no safe way for the more than 100 people involved in this production to come together to prepare in the coming weeks for a May 2 opening. Further, it is not clear when the large group gathering bans will be lifted, which also impacts our ability to prepare and perform. In addition to activities at McCaw Hall, all public programs at the Opera Center have been canceled for the next two months through May 31. This includes lectures, tours, workshops, and
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Image courtesy of Seattle Opera
public programs. In the meantime, we are publishing video and audio content regularly for you to enjoy digitally at seattleopera.org/athome. We look forward with anticipation and hope to our 2020/21 season. We are eager to see you again and to continue bringing music and opera to you and the community as soon as possible. We know opera and music can bring hope and provide solace during challenging times. It’s why we are
March 27, 2020
seeing such beautiful outpourings of music coming from around the world in the past week. From Italians singing Verdi’s “Va pensiero” from their balconies to musicians sharing intimate solo pieces from their homes, music is providing some peace through these weeks. We will get through this difficult period and when we emerge on the other side of this, the desire for opera, music, and art to provide healing will never be stronger. The
absence of it will have reminded us how essential music and the arts are to us. Seattle Opera will need your financial support to continue to be there for you. You are likely aware that Seattle Opera is a fiscally lean organization and you know the dramatic impact that this cancelation will have on Seattle Opera’s health. This is a devastating loss of income for your opera company. This cancelation means 100s of artists and crew will lose employment this spring. To save resources, we are also putting some administrative staff on furlough and the remaining staff will be subject to significant salary reductions including myself. If you have tickets to La bohème, we will be sending you further information about ticket options within the next day or two. One way that you can help Seattle Opera right now is to donate the value of your tickets back to the company. Please, would you consider this as your first choice to help our non-profit arts institution? Choosing to donate your ticket value is something you can do that will help sustain Seattle Opera through this difficult time. It will allow us to continue planning in the coming months to create the music and drama that you love and will contribute to keeping the arts alive and vibrant in Seattle. As a member of our subscriber family, we want to thank you for having joined us this season and for being part of this company. You – Seattle Opera audiences, supporters, and fans – are the reason we exist; the reason we can continue to enrich our community with opera. Your continued support is so much appreciated and is crucial right now. Most sincerely, Christina Scheppelmann General Director Seattle Opera
Celebrating 46 Years!
Terrence McNally’s “Every Act of Life” November 3, 1938 - March 24, 2020 by MK Scott SGN Contributing Writer The news of the passing of celebrated Broadway gay playwright, librettist, and screenwriter Terrence McNally, due to complications from the COVID-19 virus, has hit the theater community hard. Many notables have taken to social media with their response to losing one of the finest playwrights of the century. Brokenhearted to read this. Terrence, after fighting so long and bravely against illness, has succumbed to a complication from coronavirus. But let’s always remember that Terrence was anything but a victim. He was a lover and fighter and an artist and a voice for our people. He was a victor. The man didn’t write his heart out. He wrote OUR hearts out! Whether he was making us laugh with THE RITZ or cry with CORPUS CHRISTI or gave us a little of each with LOVE! VALOUR! COMPASSION!, he was true to his vision. Bravo, Terrence. Bravo! – Harvey Fierstein Terrence McNally, [you] made the world more beautiful, civilized, intelligent and gentle. Honored to have known you. – David Mixner Terrence McNally, I’m so heartbroken this took you. You are one of the great ones. Thank you for giving me my first Broadway show. I always said it was all downhill from there. LOL. That’s how great you are. I was so lucky to know you and that I got to speak your words. Love and thanks and tears. – Mario Cantone Here’s one more quote: He was my sky, my moon, my stars, and my ocean. – Tom Kirdahy, husband of Terence McNally. I never interviewed McNally, but I did get a chance to chat with Jeff Kaufman, the director and producer of Every Act of Life, at the 2018 Seattle International Film Festival. His documentary about McNally made its debut on the PBS series American Masters this past June. [https://www.pbs. org/wnet/americanmasters/american-masters-terrence-mcnally-every-act-of-lifeabout/10986/] This interview has not been published until now. MK Scott: Your documentary, Every Act of Life, was great because it really focused on Terrence McNally, probably one of the biggest playwrights there is in the gay community. Jeff Kaufman: Well, I’m so glad you could see it. And, you know, Terrence is in some ways an unacknowledged pioneer for LGBTQ progress and literature. But he’s also a very universal playwright, who through his humanity and through his sense of his characters’ vulnerability, makes every character, straight or gay, reach out beyond themselves to others. MK: And actually, besides just plays, he did a lot of books for musicals as well. The only other person I can think of that who actually has done that, and done so successfully, is Harvey Fierstein. JK: Yeah, I mean, I think there are others who have tried to go there, but less successfully. I could think of somebody I won’t mention. But, yeah, it’s really interesting, because it’s the flipside of the playwright’s ego – going from having your own vision and everyone being there to serve your vision to using your skill to serve a shared vision. And that’s tough. But think about it he wrote the books for The Rink, Ragtime, Kiss of the Spider Woman… I’m going to leave something out… Man of No Importance, which is a wonderful musical that’s sort of been neglected. MK: And Catch Me If You Can, which premiered at the 5th Avenue Theatre in 2009. JK: Also The Full Monty. And Anasta-
Terrence McNally, left, and husband Tom Kirdahy arrive at the 73rd annual Tony Awards at Radio City Music Hall on Sunday, June 9, 2019 – Photo by Evan Agostini / Invision / AP
sia is on Broadway now; it’s been running for almost two years. MK: That’s not bad at all. And of course, I’ve seen a lot of his shows, since The Lisbon Traviata. One thing that was really surprising that I did not know is that he was originally from Corpus Christi. JK: Yeah, from southern Texas, as conservative as can be… how nice to be born into a city that’s called “Blood of Christ,” you know? It’s like, if you’re a writer, you have to address that at some point. But also, if you think about it, here he is…a young gay man, both confident and not confident in himself, in southern Texas, in one of the most conservative states in one of the most conservative times of this country. And yet he always felt it was important to be himself. And I think that’s a universal message that connects now. MK: I think probably the first of his creations I saw was actually the movie version of Love! Valour! Compassion! JK: Oh, yeah. What did you think? MK: It really, really, really spoke to me. I was in my early twenties at the time, so of course, it really spoke to me, because here they were, most of the old musical theater lovers all coming together, not sharing who was going to die next. JK: Yeah. There’s a beautiful thing that Terrence does at the end of Love! Valour! Compassion! both in the play and in the film, where, you know, you’ve experienced this journey with these characters – and they’re so personal – and then all of the sudden he tells you what their fate is. These two guys, they don’t make it. Everybody has an end to their journey. And he shares it all with you in the most poignant way. It’s Terrence’s way of sort of both being in the moment and looking down at the moment at the same time. It’s a very intense and poetic touch. But that’s Terrence. MK: So one thing I found quite interesting. He was in a lot of relationships with a lot of notables (e.g., Edward Albee, Robert Drivas). And then after all that, he has now found true happiness and true love with Tom [Kirdahy]. JK: How wonderful, isn’t it? Tom is an amazing guy. And you know, when you share Terrence’s journey through the film, how wonderful it is to go from a very complicated relationship that was not about communication or sharing or trust… to someone who he has all that with. Tom is a super smart former AIDS activist lawyer who is now a fabulous theater producer. But he’s also someone of real ethics and has a great heart. And you just kind of glow when you see them together. It’s a wonderful thing. MK: You also go into a little bit about his alcoholism. JK: Yes. Both of Terrence’s parents were terrible alcoholics. And he went
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through a lot, and we don’t even express everything in the film that any child who goes through that has to survive, if they’re lucky. And his first two major relationships with Edward Albee and then with the actor and director Robert Drivas were also fueled by – and complicated by – lots of drinking. But Terrence sort of hit a wall, and through the intervention of Angela Lansbury – and luck – he was able to break that pattern and stop drinking. And I think it’s interesting that [it deepened] his plays and [took] his plays to a whole new level after he stopped drinking. It’s a powerful testament to taking care of yourself. MK: I love the little story that Angela Lansbury was there for him, to tell him to pick up his life. JK: Isn’t it interesting? I think, you know, it’s funny how you could love Angela Lansbury for Anyone Who Can Whistle or Sweeney Todd or Manchurian Candidate or Murder, She Wrote, but there’s something lovely about respecting her for this very small gesture, this very small human gesture, where she steps outside of herself to reach out to someone she doesn’t even know that well, to beg them to take care of themselves. And ultimately, in a way, that’s one of the messages of the film Every Act of Life. Every act that you do is what you’re judged by. I could attest that Angela is a wonderful person, but it’s nice to have that small legacy that actually changed someone’s life. MK: You feature a lot of other people besides Angela Lansbury. You have Rita Moreno. You even have Meryl Streep. JK: That’s right. Obviously there’s Nathan Lane and Audra McDonald and Chita Rivera, and I can go on and on. So many fabulous actors and actresses and directors. We went down to the Ransom Center Archive in Austin, which hosts his papers. (They also have the papers of Arthur Miller and they have one of the original Gutenberg Bibles, it’s an amazing place!) And we found two letters that were just amazing. One was this letter to Terrence when he was just 17 and heading off to New York City, from his beloved high school English teacher, Mrs. McElroy, who really changed his life. In it she talks about his work and what it means to be a writer, and what it means to be true to yourself. She even has some perceptive comments about some of the issues in his writing that critics talked about in the years following. But it’s really about also being true to yourself and finding yourself. It’s an amazing piece. And Meryl is wonderful as the voice of Mrs. McElroy, and all teachers everywhere. We also have a letter from John Steinbeck, read by Bryan Cranston, who just nailed it also. He should quickly play John Steinbeck. Yeah! MK: Tell me, in regard to your inter-
views with all these wonderful stars, which one was your personal favorite? JK: There wasn’t one, really, honestly. What can I say? How can I choose? It’s interesting, because my producing partner, who I got married to halfway through this process – MK: Congratulations! JK: Thank you – is Marsha Ross, who is also a well-known casting director, but Marsha started her whole career by living in Mount Vernon and going to the theater in New York City and seeing these people onstage. And it was an amazing experience for her to then be in this process [making the documentary], where she was meeting all the legends of her life at the same time. Theater has always been important to me, but so have film and art and what the arts can do. So to see these people who were at the top of their game and so talented – and they have such an amazing work ethic, and they’re so dedicated to their work, and they’re so focused on making the next project their best project – is an amazing thing. We have a book based on the film that will come out in October. And in the book, Christine Baranski says – we didn’t fit it in the film, but she says that she always wants to make her work simpler and truer, something like that. And I think that’s a lovely message. Yeah, I love the fact that you could be at that level and still push yourself to something better. The way we got to know Terrence and Tom was that we did a film about the origins of the marriage equality movement in Vermont and how three then-unknown lawyers came up with a social and legal and political strategy to push marriage equality when people thought they were nuts. And one of them was Mary Bonanno, who went all the way to the New York Supreme Court… It was during that process that we first met Terrence and Tom, because [they] had their civil union in Vermont, which was the most married you could be at the time. And we wanted to incorporate that kind of story, so you saw how it affected so many lives. And I was just knocked out by how, you know, one of America’s greatest play writers, someone who could be high on a perch and look down on you, was so vulnerable and open, and spoke so directly about love and vulnerability and what Tom meant to him. And so I realized that there are thousands – hundreds of thousands – of people around the country now who are vulnerable for one reason or the other and need to have a way to find themselves. And I think you find yourself through mentors and the examples of others. And I think Terrence, whether you’re gay or straight, or in New York or in Texas or Alaska, I think his sort of courage and his determination to be true to himself is a wonderful inspiration.
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Seattle Gay News 23
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Allyship - an organization of LGBTQ individuals fighting for economic and social justice. www.LGBTQAllyship. org, allyship@yahoo.com, (206) 279-8169. American Veterans for Equal Rights - www.aver.us Another Gay Social Club! - www.meetup.com/AnotherGay-Social-Club/ Bellingham/Whatcom County - www.theslowlane. com/guide.html BiNet Seattle is a mixed gender, social group for Bisexuals, their partners & other Bi-friendly folks - www. binetseattle.org. Bremerton/Kitsap County - www.outwestsound.org Capitol Hill Alano Club - www.chacseattle.org Cascade Rainbow Community Center (Mount Vernon) - (360) 840-8499 and on Facebook. Central Washington University GALA Hotline: (509) 963-1994. Channel Q 103.3 FM - LGBTQ+ Talk Radio Network News and information, pop culture and music. radio.com COLAGE unites people with LGBTQ parents and caregivers into a network of peers and supports them as they nurture and empower each other to be skilled, self-confident, and just leaders in our collective communities - www.colage.org DIFFA/Northwest (Design Industries Foundation Fighting AIDS). (206) 763-8885; www.diffanorthwest. org DOMESTIC VIOLENCE & SEXUAL ASSAULT: Crisis Clinic, (206) 461-3222 (24 hour line); King County Sexual Assault Resource Center (KCSARC) - 24-hour crisis line for information, support, & medical & legal assistance: 1-888-99-VOICE; Northwest Network support & advocacy for Bisexual, Trans, Lesbian & Gay Survivors of Abuse & Dating Violence, (206) 568-7777 (voice), 517-9670 (tty), www.nwnetwork.org; Pierce County Domestic Violence Helpline: Teresa, (253) 798-4166; Seattle Counseling Service for Sexual Minorities - offers on-going support groups for men: 323-1768; Seattle Police Dept Domestic Violence Unit, (206) 684-0330; State Wide Domestic Violence Hot Line, 1-800-562-6025. In an emergency call 911. Report domestic violence and sexual assault. Equal Rights Washington - (206) 324-2570; www. equalrightswashington.org Everett/Snohomish Cty - www.gaysnohomish.org Freely Speaking Toastmasters - www.freelyspeaking.org Gay City promotes wellness in LGBTQ communities by providing health services, connecting people to resources, fostering arts, and building community. Gay City Health Project’s Wellness Center provides anonymous & confidential HIV/STD testing. 517 E Pike St. More info or to schedule an appointment, (206) 860-6969. www.gaycity.org Gay & Lesbian National Hotline (GLNH): 1-888-THEGLNH (1-888-843-4564). Non-profit, peer-counseling, information & local resources telephone hotline for GLBT people across the country. Generations Aging With Pride empowers elder LGBTQ adults to live with pride and dignity by promoting, connecting, and developing innovative programs and services that enhance belonging and support, eliminate discrimination, and honor the lives of older members of our community - (206) 393-3400; info@gapseattle.org; gapseattle.org GLSEN/WA - Gay, Lesbian, Straight Education Network - (206) 330-2099; www.glsenwa.org Greater Seattle Business Association (GSBA) - (206) 363-9188; www.thegsba.org HIV/AIDS Program, Seattle/King County Dept of Public Health, provides confidential/anonymous information about & testing for HIV/AIDS. (206) 205-7837. For a comprehensive list of HIV/AIDS service organizations see the GSBA Guide or visit www.thegsba.org or call Lifelong AIDS Alliance, (206) 328-8979. Imperial Sovereign Court of Seattle & the Olympic & Rainier Empire - www.facebook.com/ISCSORE; www. imperialcourtofseattle.com Lambert House - (206) 322-2515; www.lamberthouse. org LGBT Library - 517 E Pike St. Open Mon-Fri 2-8pm; Sat 2-5pm. A wide range of fiction and non-fiction for the LGBT community and allies can be borrowed free of charge. LGBT MS Connection - (425) 785-8593; lgbtmsconnections@comcast.net. Support group for LGBT persons with MS and their partners and their caregivers. Sponsored by the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. Lifelong AIDS Alliance - (206) 328-8979, www.lifelongaids alliance.org Lion’s Main Art Collective - www.lionsmain.org MEN: Gay City: (206) 860-6969, www.gaycity.org; Knights of Mantra: (206) 329-0886, www.jetchapterkofm.com; Mature Friends: Gay men & women 40 & over, www.maturefriends.org; Northwest Bears: www. nwbears.com; The Olympians: www.TheOlympians. net; POZSeattle: www.pozseattle.com; Q-Squared: www.qsquared.org; Rain City Jacks: www.raincityjacks. org; Seattle Gay Couples: www. seattlegaycouples.org; Seattle Men in Leather: www.seattlemeninleather. org; Seattle Prime Timers: Gay & Bi men 40 & over, www. seattle primetimers.org; Tacoma Older LGBT: www. tacomaolderlgbt.org. (See also listings under Bisexual, Parenthood, People of Color, Transgender.) MUSIC: Diverse Harmony: www.diverseharmony. org; Rainbow City Band: 1-866-841-9139 ext 2126; rainbowcityband@onebox.com; www.rainbowcity band. com; Seattle Men’s Chorus and Seattle Women’s Chorus: (206) 388-1408, (206) 323-0750. www.seattlechoruses.org. Northwest Lesbian & Gay History Museum Project - gayhistnw@aol.com
26 Seattle Gay News
community resources Northwest Rainbow Alliance for the Deaf - www. nwrad.org Olympia/Thurston County - www.RainbowCenterOly. org Out & Equal Workplace Advocates/Seattle Regional Affiliate supports the work of LGBT employees and the growing number of ERGs (Employee Resource Groups) making a difference within local companies, including Alaska Airlines, Amazon.com, Amgen, AT&T, Bank of America, Deloitte, Macy’s, Microsoft, Russell Investments, Safeco Insurance, Starbucks Coffee, Xerox. www.outandequal.org/affiliates/seattle Out & Proud Grays Harbor Coalition - http://outandproudgh.org PARENTHOOD: Families Like Ours provides a gateway for LGBT families interested in adoption & provides a network of safe placement agencies, training, support & resources: (206) 441-7602, www.familieslikeours. org; Family Works offers support, information & activities for LGBT families: (206) 694-6727, www.familyworksseattle. org; Gay Fathers’ Association of Seattle offers support groups & social activities: www.gfas. org; Proud & Loud Families - Northwest, www.meetup.com/proudand-loud-families-northwest, plfnorthwest@aol.com; Queer Parent Networking Dinners: (206) 568-7777, qpnd@nwnetwork.org, www.nwnetwork.org; Rainbow Families of Puget Sound: www.rainbowfamiliesps.org PFLAG is the national organization for parents, families, allies, and LGBTQ people united for equality with chapters in Seattle, Bellevue/Eastside, the Puget Sound region and across Washington state. PFLAG Seattle: (206) 325-7724, info@pflagseattle.org, and www.pflagseattle.org; PFLAG Bellevue/Eastside: (425) 483-6642, info@bellevue-pflag.org, http://community. pflag.org/PFLAGBellevue; PFLAG Pacific Northwest: www.pnwpflag.org; PFLAG Washington State Council: www.pflagwsc.org. Peer Seattle (formerly Seattle Area Support Groups) is a non-profit organization that builds community and cultivates powerful, healthy lives by providing emotional support and personal development services to those affected by HIV/AIDS, the Queer communities, and those who love them. Our work is done in a spirit of safety, trust, inclusiveness, and celebration of individual differences. (206) 322-2437; www.peerseattle.org PEOPLE OF COLOR: AARTH (African American Reach & Teach Health Ministry), (206) 850-2070, www.aarth.org; Asian/Pacific Islander Queer Network Program at API Chaya, (206) 467-9976; Center for MultiCultural Health, (206) 461-6910, www.multiculturalhealth.org; Entre Hermanos, GLBT Latinos/as, (206) 322-7700, www.entrehermanos.org; Ile LaiLai, (206) 781-3565, iya@ilelailai.org; Men of All Colors & Cultures Together (MACCT), (206) 923-8313, macctseattle@yahoo.com, www.macctsea.org; Northwest Two Spirit Society, https://www.facebook.com/ groups/nw2spiritsociety/, Nubian Pride Productions, nubianpride@gmail.com; People of Color Against AIDS Network (POCAAN) offers rapid HIV testing, M-F, 10am-5pm, (206) 322-7061, www.pocaan.org and on Facebook; QBASS - Queer Black Alliance of the South Sound, (253) 256-1846, weareqbass@gmail. com; Sistah 2 Sistah, LBT women of African descent, (206) 322-7061, (206) 255-8951; Somos Seattle, somosseattle.org; Trikone-Northwest, GLBT South Asians, (425) 985-4376, www.trikonenw.org; Two-Spirit Honor Project, 1-866-685-0164; U.T.O.P.I.A. Seattle, www.utopiaseattlewa.org; VietQ Greater Seattle, vietqorganization@gmail.com Pierce County AIDS Foundation - (253) 383-2565; www.piercecountyaids.org Pride Foundation - (206) 323-3318; www.pridefoundation. org Pride Lives - www.facebook.com/PrideLives/ Pride Radio 93.3 HD2 Project NEON is a program of Seattle Counseling Service providing FREE information & services to Gay & Bi men to reduce health risks associated with methamphetamine use. (206) 323-1768. www.crystalneon.org Public Health-Seattle & King County Online Comprehensive Health Information for Sexual Minorities: www.kingcounty.gov/healthservices/health/personal/ glbt.aspx Q Law: The GLBT Bar Association of WA - (206) 682-6711; www.q-law.org Q Law GLBT Legal Clinic - (206) 235-7235. Queer Geek! - queergeekseattle.org Rainbow Center - Resource Center for Tacoma/Pierce County LGBTIQA community. Through education, advocacy and celebration, the Rainbow Center expands resources, and safe space for the LGBTQIA community.
March 27, 2020
Sponsors Tacoma Pride Festival. (253) 383-2318, www. rainbowcntr.org SEAMEC interviews, researches & rates candidates for public office on issues of concern to the LGBT community. www.voteseamec.org Seattle Area Support Groups & Community Center (SASG) i- SEE LISTING for Peer Seattle. Seattle Bisexual Women’s Network - BiSeattle.wixsite. com/SBWN and on Facebook. Seattle Counseling Service for Sexual Minorities is a community mental health service for GLBT persons & their families providing comprehensive mental health services on a sliding scale. (206) 323-1768. Seattle LGBTQ Commission - (206) 684-4503. www/ seattle.gov/lgbtq Seattle Out & Proud - (206) 322-9561; www.seattlepride.org Seattle Police Department Sexual Minorities Community Advisory Council: kim.bogucki@seattle.gov Seattle PrideFest - www.seattlepridefest.org Servicemembers Legal Defense Network - (202) 328-3244; www.sldn.org Sex Workers Outreach Project - https://seattle. swopusa.org Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, The Abbey of St. Joan - (206) 860-3666; www.theabbey.org Snohomish Health District HIV/AIDS Program provides free confidential/anonymous HIV counseling & testing 9am-5pm Monday-Friday, until 7pm Tuesdays. (425) 339-5298. South Sound Q Calendar - LGBTQ events in Tacoma, Olympia & Sound Puget Sound area; www.SouthSoundQCal.com Spokane/Inland Northwest - www.outspokane.com; www.stonewallnews.net SPORTS & RECREATION: Bent Car Guys: www. bentcarguys.org; Border Riders Motorcycle Club: www.borderriders.com; Bottom Dwellers Scuba Club: www.bottomdwellers.org; Capitol Hill Cyclers: join their Facebook group or email capitolhillcycling@ groups.facebook.com or jordan.l.simonson@gmail.com; Cascade Flag Football: www.cascadeflagfootball.org; Cascade Flyers: www.cascadeflyers.org; Emerald City Mudhen Rugby: www.mudhenrugby.com; Emerald City Softball Association: www.emeraldcitysoftball. org, www.eteamz.com/womensecsa; Ethyl Forever Car Club: ethylforever@hotmail.com; Festival of the Babes: www.festivalofthebabes.com; Olympic Yacht Club: www.oycnw.org; OutVentures: outdoor education & recreation activities, www.outventures.org; Pacific Northwest Gay Rodeo Association: www.pacificnwgra.org; Puddletown Squares: www.puddletownsquares.org; Rain City Soccer: www.raincitysoccer.org; Rain Country Dance Association: a country-western dance organization catering to the LGBTQ community but open to all, www.raincountrydance.org; Sea Dawgs: LGBT ice hockey - SkateSeaDawgs@gmail.com and on Facebook; Seattle Frontrunners: www.seattlefrontrunners.org; Seattle Gay Basketball Association: www. seattlegaybasketballassociation.com; Seattle Orca Swim Team: www.orcaswimteam.org; Seattle Otters Water Polo: www.otterpolo.com; Seattle Quake Rugby: www.quakerugby.com; Seattle Tennis Alliance: www. seattletennisalliance.org; Seattle Unified Bowling Association (SUBA): magee98106@aol.com, www. teamseattle.org/bowling.htm, www.theprideleague. com, Century 21 League; Seattle Volleyball Club: www.seattlevolleyballclub.com; Ski Buddies: www. skibuddies.org; Team Seattle Gay Sports Network is an umbrella organization for a wide range of local GLBT sports activities, (206) 367-4064, www.teamseattle.org (see website for comprehensive list of sports clubs); Triangle Recreation Camp at Bender Creek: recreational camping for GLBT folks. Must be 21; ID required. trc@ camptrc.org, www.camptrc.org, 1122 E Pike St #1069, Seattle 98122-3934. Strength Over Speed - www.strengthoverspeed.org Tacoma/Pierce County - Rainbow Center, 2215 Pacific Ave, Tacoma, a resource center for the LGBTIQA community of Pierce County, (253) 383-2318, www. rainbowcntr.org Three Dollar Bill Cinema - TWIST: Seattle Queer Film Festival; Translations: Seattle Transgender Film Festival; Outdoor Cinema at Cal Anderson Park. www. threedollarbillcinema.org TRANSGENDER: Emerald City Social Club: (425) 827-9494; Gender Alliance of the South Sound: www. SouthSoundGender.com; Gender Diversity: www. genderdiversity.org; Gender Justice League: www.genderjusticeleague.org; Gender Odyssey: www.genderodyssey.com; Hermanos Trans Latino & Foreign-Born
Support Group: (206) 322-7700; Ingersoll Gender Center: (206) 329-6651, www.ingersollcenter.org; Lion’s Main Art Collective: www.lionsmain.org; The New BoyZ Club: www.olympiaftmgroup.webs.com; Olympia Trans Discussion Group: www.facebook.com/pages/ Olympia-Trans-Discussion-Group/262449878114; [trans] ACTION: Trans* & Gender Non-Conforming Sex Workers’ Support Group - a safe, peer-led space. mail@utopiaseattle.org; TRANSform Washington: transformwashington.com; Trans Resource & Referral Guide: kctransguide.org; Trans Women of Color Solidarity Network: Funding the collective liberation of Trans women of color – https://m.facebook.com/ TWOCSolidarityNW/; Washington Gender Alliance: (360) 445-2411, www.washington genderalliance.com WOMEN: Aging Ballard Lesbian Exchange (A.B.L.E.): We are Lesbians 60 years (generally) and up, living (mostly) in the north half of Seattle. The purpose of the group is to connect, socialize and support each other. ruthemilyvogel@gmail.com; Aging Lesbians in South Seattle (ALISS) - Lesbian Group at the Southeast Seattle Senior Center. This is a gathering primarily for Lesbians but all are welcome to attend. Kate, (206) 722-0317; www.sessc.org; BABES: support groups for HIV+ women. (206) 720-5566, 1-888-292-1912; Coming Out Women Support Group of Tacoma: www. comingoutwomen.org; Festival of the Babes: www. festivalofthebabes.com; Mature Friends: Gay men & women 40 & over, www.maturefriends.org; Puget Sound Old Lesbian Organizing for Change: http:// psoloc.org, (253) 777-3357; Older Lesbians Organizing for Change/WA State Chapter: gloria@oloc.org, mary@oloc.org, www.oloc.org; Pacific Northwest Lesbian Archives: www.pnwlesbianarchives.org; RainshadowWomen: RainshadowWomen@aol. com; Seattle Bisexual Women’s Network: BiSeattle. wixsite.com/SBWN; Seattle Girls of Leather: www. sgol.org; Tacoma Lesbian Concern (TLC): www.tacomalesbianconcern.org; Tacoma Older LGBT: www. tacomaolderlgbt.org; Women of West Seattle (WOWS): a fun, member-driven social group for Lesbians, http:// groups.yahoo.com/group/womenofwestseattle; YWCA Women’s Health Outreach: providing low or no-cost mammograms for income eligible 40+ LBTQ individuals. Follow us at http://lbtqhealth-ywca.blogspot.com, twitter.com/ingridWHO or email lbthealth@ywcaworks. org, (206) 461-4493. (See also listings under Bisexual, Parenthood, People of Color, Transgender.) YOUTH: B-GLAD (Bisexual, Gay, Lesbian, Trans & Questioning Adolescent Drop-In Group): Youth Eastside Services offers many programs for GLBT youth, including B-GLAD, (425) 747-4937; Coyote Central: www.coyotecentral.org; Diverse Harmony: www.diverseharmony. org; GLSEN/Washington State (Gay, Lesbian, Straight Education Network) & Washington State GSA (Gay-Straight Alliance) Network: GLSEN works to create safe schools for LGBT students. WA GSA Network supports youth-led GSA’s to fight harassment & homophobia in Washington state schools. (206) 330-2099; www.glsenwa. org; www.wagsa.org. GLOBE (GLBTQ Loving Ourselves, Becoming Empowered): a support group & HIV/STD prevention program for GLBTQ youth, 14-20, in Everett, (425) 263-2908, www. globeyouth.org; It Gets Better Project: www.itgetsbetter.org; Lambert House: an activities & resource center for LGBT youth, 14-22, 1818 15th Ave @ E Denny Way, with additional support groups organized in smaller towns throughout King County, (206) 322-2515, www. lamberthouse.org; Lifelong HEYO (Health Education Youth Outreach): for LGBTQ youth, ages 16-24: (206) 957-1665; www.llaa.org/HEYO; www.MatthewsPlace. com; The Mockingbird Society: (206) 323-KIDS (5437), www.mockingbirdsociety.org; New Horizons: social services and shelter for homeless youth, 2708 3rd Ave (in Belltown), (206) 374-0866, http://namin.org; Oasis Youth Center: for GLBTQ youth, ages 14-25, in Tacoma, (253) 671-2838, www.oasisyouthcenter. org; OKAY! LGBTQ+ Outreach for Kent Area Youth: (253) 859-0699 ext 3034. OKAY! is an open support group for youth ages 13-19 who identify as LGBTQ+. A program of Kent Youth & Family Services; OUT There Adventures: www.outthereadventures.org; Parents, Family & Friends of Lesbians & Gays (PFLAG)/ Puget Sound: (206) 325-7724, www.seattle-pflag.org; Pizza Klatch: weekly lunchtime support groups for LGBTQ youth in Thurston County, www.pizzaklatch. org; Prism: for LGBTQ youth, 14-21, in Puyallup Cherise.Alexander@ multicare.org; www.facebook. com/PuyallupPrism; Proud Out Wonderful (POW!): for LGBTQ youth, 13-21, in South King County, (206) 326-9112, www.facebook.com/proudoutwonderful; Q Youth Resources: in Kitsap County - (360) 698-3335; www.kchaf.org; Roots Young Adult Shelter: 1415 NE 43rd St., (206) 632-1635; www.rootsinfo.org; Safe Schools Coalition: www.safeschoolscoalition.org; (206) 451-SAFE, (206) 451-7233 (non-emergency), 1-877-SAFE-SAFE (1-877-723-3723) (crisis line); Seattle Young People’s Project (Queer Youth Resource Board): (206) 860-9606, www.sypp.org; Street Youth Ministries (SYM): (206) 524-7301 ext 111; www. streetyouthministries.org; Teen Link: (206) 461-4922, 1-888-431-TEEN; The Trevor Project: 866-4-U-Trevor; www.thetrevorproject.org; True Colors - Connecting LGBTQ Teens: in Shoreline, (206) 362-7282 x 8018, lbagley@chs-nw.org; The Vera Project: fuels personal & community transformation through collaborative youthdriven engagement in music and art. (206) 956-8372; theveraproject.org; Vista Youth Center: for LGBTQ, questioning and allied youth, ages 14-21, in Kennewick, (509) 396-5198, www.vistayouthcenter.org; YouthCare/ Isis Program (Transitional Living Home for LGBTQ Young Adults, 18-22): (206) 522-8412; YouthCare/ Orion Center Young Adult Shelter: 1828 Yale Ave @ Stewart St. (206) 622-5555; Youth in Focus: (206) 723-1479; www.youthinfocus.org; Youth Suicide Prevention Program (OUTLoud-GLBTQ): (206) 297-5922, ext 116, 1-800-273-TALK, www.yspp.org
Celebrating 46 Years!
14 [HELP WANTED] PART-TIME NEWSPAPER DISTRIBUTION
2 BEDROOM APARTMENT AVAILABLE! Located in Leschi, this ideally located apartment is close to restaurants, parks, and only minutes from downtown Seattle, Capitol Hill, and University District. It has hardwood floors and a patio and deck with a spectacular view of Lake Washington and Mount Rainier. Rent: $2,600/mo. A parking spot is included.
If you are interested in this amazing apartment, please call Pat at (206) 200-9047
10 [HOUSEMATES] SHARED HOUSING. $200 a month, up to 6 people. OR rent entire area, if available. Gay, straight welcome. Non smoking or drinking in house. M or F OK. Shared spaces. Contact maloney1@protonmail. com 13/3
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11 [FOR RENT]
2 BEDROOM APARTMENT AVAILABLE
Located in Leschi, this ideally located apartment is close to restaurants, parks, and only minutes from downtown Seattle, Capitol Hill, and University District. It has hardwood floors and a patio and deck with a spectacular view of Lake Washington and Mount Rainier. Rent: $2,600/mo. A parking spot is included. If you are interested in this amazing apartment, please call Pat at (206) 200-9047. 11/3
SGN is seeking part-time help Fridays & Saturdays to distribute the paper around the Greater Seattle, Eastside, Tacoma/Pierce County and possibly the Everett and Bremerton areas. Vehicle required for most routes but some distribution can be done on foot and by bus. For more information, contact George at 206-231-7059 and/or email sgn2@sgn.org. Thanks! SGN/
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19 [HOME SERVICES] TIDY'S HAUL IT ALL LAWN SERVICE / LANDSCAPING
offers a professional appliance and junk removal service at a competitive price. Also experienced lawn service, landscaping and yard work. Free Estimates. Tidy, 206-354-8949. 34/6
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20 [HEALTH & WELL-BEING] ENERGY/BODYWORK
Therapeutic massage. 30 years experience. Relaxation, major/minor injuries, chronic muscle pain. Small Ballard home office/studio. Massage table or massage chair. Convenient parking. (I’m a Gay-friendly straight male graphic artist, web author.) First session 50% off = $45/1.5 hours (travel extra). By appointment only. References available. Chris Pringer, Reiki Master, 206-286-0899. If you get a voice message mentioning “extension #,” please hang up and call back again; otherwise, please leave a message. Brochure, testimonials, etc. via chalicebridge.com/BMI-Brochure. html. 44/21
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Visit us online www.sgn.org
March 27, 2020
21 [LICENSED MASSAGE - NON-SEXUAL] EXCEPTIONAL BODYWORK
Given by highly trained LMP. I specialize in injury treatment, acute, chronic, and repetitive stress motion. I have a studio on CapHill, and one just north of the UW. Insurance accepted. Matt Shafer, LMP, 206-2357766. 37/12
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24 [TRAVEL]
TOUCH AND FEEL AFRICA
Receive personal assistance when you visit Africa. Almost 10 years ago I started Touch and Feel Africa to assist students in Malawi, South Africa, and Tanzania reach their goals. They would now like to assist you reach your travel goals. Experience Tanzania, the wonders of Zanzibar, the beauty of Arusha and Kilimanjaro, the animals. In Malawi, spend time with locals, see the real life and sites of the "Warm Heart of Africa". For more information, email touchandfeelafrica@gmail.com. SGN/
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37 [BODYWORK]
EROTICALLY CHARGED nude full body rubdown from playful top, stimulating the senses. Get seduced. Incalls in Renton area. Scott, 206-355-4469. 35/
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GREAT MASSAGE
Given by highly-trained, clean-cut, handsome guy. I have two private studios, one on CapHill, and one just north of the UW. Call/text Matt, 206-235-7766. In/out calls. 37/12
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38 [MEN]
FREE & ANONYMOUS HIV & STD COUNSELING/TESTING Walk-In or by Appt GAY CITY HEALTH PROJECT 517 E. Pike St. M-F: 3pm-8pm; SAT: 12:30pm-5pm More Info & to Schedule Appt 206-860-6969
Seattle Gay News 27