SGN Mar 30, 2018 - Part 1

Margaret Cho to perform in Bellevue and you shouldn’t miss her

Kirkhuff’s

Seattle Gay News

Governor Jay Inslee signs legislation protecting LGBTQ youth in Washington state from dangerous “conversion therapy”

by MK Scott SGN Contributing Writer

On Wednesday, March 28, with HRC President Chad Griffin in attendance,

Washington state Governor Jay Inslee signed into law SB 5722 – legislation protecting LGBTQ youth in Washington

see LGBTQ YOUTH page 11

LAMBDA LEGAL AND OUTSERVE-SLDN: Send the bigoted Transgender military ban to the dustbin of history

SEATTLE – Lambda Legal and OutServe-SLDN argued [on March 27] before a federal district court that the Trump administration’s plan to ban transgender people from serving openly in the US Armed Services is so clearly unconstitutional that it should be permanently

blocked. It was the first such argument among the four lawsuits challenging the ban and came just five days after the White House released its so-called ‘plan’ for implementing the discriminatory and harmful ban.

see TRANS BAN page 12

Pulse shooting survivors & family lead hundreds of HRC members in #MarchForOurLives

WASHINGTON – [On March 24], Pulse Nightclub shooting survivors and family members led hundreds of members and supporters of the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) – the nation’s largest

lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) civil rights organization – in the March for Our Lives in Washington, DC.

see DC MARCH page 13

Scenes from Seattle’s March For Our Lives on March 24, 2018

see SEATTLE MARCH page 4

Seattle Gay News

New releases Love, Simon, “ Instinct” breaking barriers

by Mark Segal Philadelphia Gay News

There were two events this week of great magnitude to the LGBT community that mostly were just seen as everyday occurrences, but I assure you they were not. Both are media related and if we’ve learned anything in our community, being out changes the world, and being out in media reaches the masses and educates the general public on who we are and what we are all about… and let’s not forget that there are many places in America that still don’t know us and we don’t reach, but media certainly can and will.

As someone who is in media and has fought for changes in media for almost 50 years now, this week is almost monumental. Why?

In movie theaters across the country a film call Love Simon, opened. It’s the story of a young gay man coming to terms with his gayness, and guess what? It has a happy ending. That may seem trivial to you, but here’s a shocker: it’s the first time in history it happens to be coming from a major American studio with wide release, and with a promotional budget which small movies, which I adore, like Big Eden and Broken Hearts Club didn’t have. Up to this point we’ve had Boys in the Band, where we were a sad group of gay bitter sad men hating themselves, Philadelphia, where we were dying, and Brokeback Mountain, where we were gay-bashed, killed, closeted and left to die alone. Mind you, each was a trailblazer for their time, but thanks to activists, times and now movies have changed. By the way Love, Simon was number 5 at the box office this past weekend.

Then there’s TV, an area that has had my attention since 1971. It is the most important way to reach people in those places

were we activist just don’t reach or where they do not relate to us. But TV does that in ways we can’t. Entertainment can spotlight something without being a giant searchlight. Take “Will and Grace,” “Rachel Maddow,” or even “Ellen,” for example. They make the point that LGBT people are, in simple terms, not a threat; “they are just like us.”

CBS Sunday Night premiered a new TV series starring Alan Cumming called “Instinct.” A drama/who done it? starring an OUT gay man, whose character is also an OUT gay man. That has also never happened before. We’ve always been comical figures, like on “Will and Grace” or “Modern Family.” But the major starring role being a serious one? Never before on TV. Yep, we’ve been co-stars or in featured roles and some of them have been in trailblazers like NBC’s “Nightshift” or “Major Crimes” – one where the gay character plays an Iraq war veteran, the other a troubled gay youth. But, the major lead character being a gay man in real life, and on a major network in a serious role? This is

history. And, it’s a good show! Which CBS gave a great lead into from “60 Minutes,” which also features an openly gay news anchor/moderator and interviewer, Anderson Cooper.

These are incredible changes for many of us who come from a time when we didn’t even appear on TV, let alone star in a comedy, drama, or appear as a news anchor. That history is forgotten, maybe GLAAD should do something about that; but hey, the people who pioneered this are old, and GLAAD is about current issues, and not how media came to where it is today on LGBT issues, and let’s not forget, the media make their living off of current celebrity.

Mark Segal, PGN publisher, is the nation’s most-award-winning commentator in LGBT media. His recently published memoir, ‘And Then I Danced,’ is available on Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble or at your favorite bookseller.

Courtesy of Philadelphia Gay News

Scenes from Seattle’s March For Our Lives on March 24, 2018

Washington State Mr. Leather 2018, Micro, and Washington State Ms. Leather 2018, Master Hope

Winners of 2018 Mr. & Ms. Washington State Leather Contest

Co-Producers Ronda Vandermeer and I were pleased that this year’s contest [held Saturday, March 24, at The Cuff Complex] had a standing room only crowd in attendance. Washington State Ms. Leather 2018, Master Hope is from Everett, WA, and she has been involved in the Leather community for 29 years. Washington State Mr. Leather 2018, Micro has been into leather for 20 years, in the Seattle community for the last two years and is active in both the Leather and Pups community. Micro was recently named International Puppy Best in Show Recipient. Emcees Thib Guicherd-Callin and Lamalani Silverts were incredibly amazing and left the crowd in stitches. We were pleased this year to involve an even broader spectrum of the community with more bars and businesses participating over Leather Pride Week. This year we had 26 various events over our Leather Pride Week, including a Leather History Presentation and an Erotic Art Show presented by Seattle Men In Leather. Numerous events were sold out. And we were thrilled to have as one of our Judges, back in Seattle celebrating his 20th anniversary as Seattle Mr. Leather 1998, Billy Lane.

In Leather Pride

Toby Noon

President WSMLO

Help redesign Melrose Avenue at Open House community meeting April 3

Capitol Hill residents, businesses, and regional safe streets advocates have worked for years to re-imagine what an updated Melrose Avenue could mean to the community. Their vision has focused on a “vibrant and visually stunning promenade.”

We want to talk with you about the project and learn what you think. Please attend our Open House on Tuesday, April 3, 5:30-7pm, at Melrose Market Studios (1532 Minor Ave,)

Our project goals build off the promenade vision to connect people and places while improving safety. The corridor is a key walking and biking connection in our citywide network.

Right now, people are getting in crashes regularly, streets can be difficult to cross, people driving use Melrose Ave. as a cutthrough to I-5, and sidewalks can be missing or narrow.

Ideas for a safer, more inviting street

have included: traffic calming, sidewalk upgrades, street crossings, public space, lane redesign, wayfinding signs, lighting, seating, bike facilities, pavement repair. Melrose Avenue is in our Bicycle Master Plan and part of the project is a designated pedestrian zone.

Get involved

We’re engaging with the community this spring to learn what’s working and what’s not

with the corridor, and to better understand what people want us to invest in and where. You can also visit our website to learn more, take a survey, and get in touch with the team by calling or emailing. www.seattle.gov/transportation/melrosepromenade-improvement

Courtesy of Seattle Department of Transportation

Mayor Jenny Durkan to host community discussion with Ballard residents

To bring City Hall directly to our neighborhoods, Seattle Mayor Jenny A. Durkan will host a community discussion with Ballard residents to share her vision of how our communities can work together to create a more affordable, vibrant, and inclusive Seattle. The meeting will be held on Saturday, March 31 at 3pm at the Ballard

Community Center, 6020 28th Ave. NW.

Mayor Durkan will bring nearly a dozen city departments, such as Finance and Administrative Services, Office of Economic Development, Seattle Parks and Recreation, Seattle Police Department, Seattle Public Utilities, Human Services Department, Department of Neighbor-

hoods, Seattle Department of Transportation, and Seattle Fire Department to answers residents’ questions.

“We have serious challenges of affordability, homelessness, and transportation that are forcing too many residents out of our City,” said Mayor Durkan. “The City works for you, which is why I am bringing

City Hall into our diverse neighborhoods and sharing with you the urgent action that we are taking to improve our City.”

Courtesy of the Office of the Mayor

Sakura-Con continues at the Washington State Convention Center this weekend

The Asia-Northwest Cultural Education Association (ANCEA), is proud to present the twenty-first annual Sakura-Con, March 29th to April 1st, at the Washington State Convention Center in downtown Seattle (705 Pike St.)

Sakura-Con is celebrating its 21st Anniversary year! Attendance is expected to include approximately 24 thousand attendee members per day!

Sakura-Con is a round-the-clock festi-

val of Japanese media, cultural arts, education and entertainment. Members who attend Sakura-Con are treated to exclusive appearances from Japanese and American celebrities from the anime, manga, gaming and music industry.

Fans, Industry, Guests and Cultural Presenters put on educational and entertaining panels celebrating Asian culture and media fandom. Highlights include concerts, theaters, dances, free gaming,

exhibitors and much more!

Sakura-Con started with 313 attendees in its inaugural year and has grown to be among the top five largest anime conventions in the nation and the second largest of its kind on the West Coast. In 2012, ANCEA received an official commendation from the Japanese Foreign Ministry for contributions to friendship and understanding between Japan and the USA.

ANCEA is a state and federal 501(c)(3)

non-profit corporation and entirely volunteer run. The corporation bylaws state that no one, not even the board of directors, can be paid, so Sakura-Con is truly “for the fans, by the fans.”

Full details, including how to obtain a membership, can be found at www.sakuracon.org.

LGBTQ YOUTH

state from the dangerous and debunked practice of so-called “conversion therapy.” With Governor Inslee’s signature, Washington joins the growing number of states and municipalities who are enacting these critical protections. Joining Inslee and Griffin for the ceremony were Equal Rights Washington’s Monisha Harrell, other LGBTQ advocates, and survivors of conversion therapy.

The Human Rights Campaign, the National Center for Lesbian Rights, Equal Rights Washington and State Senator Manka Dhingra issued the following statements:

“No child should be put through the dangerous and abusive practice of conversion therapy,” said HRC President Chad Griffin. “Medical professionals agree this harmful and discredited practice not only doesn’t work, but can also have life-threatening consequences. We thank the many advocates, allies, parents, and survivors who spoke out against conversion therapy

and urged their elected officials to adopt these crucial protections. We also thank Governor Inslee and the Washington State Legislature for enacting this legislation to protect LGBTQ youth.”

“Today we applaud Washington state Governor Jay Inslee’s decision to sign into law SB 5722. We are heartened by the progress made by legislators to uphold the safety, health, and well-being of LGBTQ individuals in Washington state,” said National Center for Lesbian Rights Youth Policy Counsel and Born Perfect Campaign Coordinator Carolyn Reyes. “We know that few practices hurt LGBTQ youth more than attempts to change their sexual orientation or gender identity through the debunked practice of ‘conversion therapy.’ Washington state sets an example for the rest of the country in ensuring every child knows they are born perfect.”

“Equal Rights Washington is excited to finally count Washington among those states committed to protecting all LGBTQ youth,” said Equal Rights Washington Board Chair Monisha Harrell. “This ban on conversion therapy is the result of five years of hard work by a community of committed

advocates across the state, and represents our belief that all youth should be valued, supported, and loved for who they are.”

“In Washington state, we value all children of every sexual orientation and gender identity. So called “conversion therapy” is a widely discredited practice and I was proud to vote for this ban,” said HRCendorsed State Senator Manka Dhingra, whose election to the Senate flipped control of the chamber helping ensure passage of SB 5722. “This legislation is long-overdue. Just last year, 29 percent of LGBTQ youth attempted suicide, leading to countless tragic, premature deaths. These are our children. We have to ensure they are treated with respect and dignity.”

There is no credible evidence that conversion therapy can change a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity or expression. To the contrary, research has clearly shown that these practices pose devastating health risks for LGBTQ young people such as depression, decreased selfesteem, substance abuse, homelessness, and even suicidal behavior. The harmful practice is condemned by every major medical and mental health organization,

including the American Psychiatric Association, American Psychological Association, and American Medical Association. Connecticut, California, Nevada, New Jersey, the District of Columbia, Oregon, Illinois, Vermont, New York, New Mexico, Rhode Island, and now Washington, all have laws or regulations protecting youth from this abusive practice. A growing number of municipalities have also passed similar protections, including cities and counties in Ohio, Pennsylvania, Washington, Florida, New York, Arizona, and Wisconsin.

According to a recent report by the Williams Institute at UCLA School of Law, an estimated 20,000 LGBTQ minors in states without protections will be subjected to conversion therapy by a licensed healthcare professional if state lawmakers fail to act.

HRC has partnered with the National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR) and state equality groups across the nation to pass state legislation ending conversion therapy. More information on the lies and dangers of efforts to change sexual orientation or gender identity can be found at HRC.org.

Gay men less likely than straight couples to divorce, new study finds, but Lesbians more likely

Conclusion: Women have higher standards for relationships

by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer

Gay married couples are less likely than straight couples to divorce, but Lesbian couples are more likely.

That’s the conclusion of a new study by a San Diego State University professor. The study was backed by the prestigious Williams Institute at UCLA Law School and is published in the journal Couple and Family Psychology

Women’s studies professor Esther Rosenblum conducted a 12-year study of 515 couples in Vermont, including straight, Gay, and Lesbian couples. Vermont was selected because it was the first state in the US to recognize same-sex relationships –in 2000 – and therefore afforded researchers the most extensive history of officially recorded same-sex relationships.

Rosenblum found that 14.5% of malemale couples break up, while 18.6% of male-female couples end their relationships. Among Lesbians, however, the divorce rate is 29.3%.

Why are Lesbians 1.5 times as likely to breakup as straight couples, and twice as likely as Gay men? According to Rosenblum, women have higher relationship standards than men and greater expectations of their partners.

“Other studies on heterosexual couples have found [that] women have higher standards for relationship quality than men,” Rothblum noted.

“We suspect that similar dynamics may be at play with the lesbian couples in our study, leading to the higher dissolution rate.”

The idea that women strive for a better quality of relationship is backed up by a study published last year by researchers

at the University of Queensland, which showed that Lesbian couples are happier than straight ones. Rosenblum found that there were no differences in breakup rates between samesex couples of whatever gender who had legalized their relationship and those who had not. For all groups, income levels and the presence of children also did not affect the odds of a relationship ending.

On the other hand, there were quantifiable factors that did affect the likelihood of a breakup. For female-female couples:

• Every added year of relationship length reduced the odds of a breakup by 13%.

• Each year of age lowered the likelihood of a breakup by 4%.

• Each year of increase in education reduced the odds by 16%.

• Perceived relationship quality reduced the likelihood by 82%.

When looking at all couple types together:

• Each year of relationship length reduced the odds of a breakup by 9%.

• Every additional year of age lowered the likelihood of a breakup by 2%.

• Increases in perceived relationship quality reduced the risk by 61%.

“We identified both similarities and differences in relationship dissolution according to sexual orientation and gender,” said study co-author Kimberly Balsam. She is a clinical psychologist and psychology professor at Palo Alto University.

“This kind of research is crucial in combatting stereotypes about same-sex couples and can inform policy and program development to support healthy relationships for all couples.

“Intimate relationships are dynamic, and longitudinal designs allow us to capture these changes over time in a more nuanced way.”

GetEQUAL folds after accusations of racism and transphobia

by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer

The LGBT direct action group GetEQUAL has shut down in the wake of accusations of racism and transphobia by a former employee. The group’s executive director revealed that GetEQUAL had been struggling financially for some time.

GetEQUAL Executive Director Gabriel Garcia-Vera announced the group’s demise on March 27. Former Movement Building and Campaign Manager Aaryn Lang accused Garcia-Vera and the GetEQUAL board of transphobia and racism in a Facebook post.

Lang urged her followers to boycott the organization, saying her “time at GetEQUAL has been deeply disappointing.”

“I have learned so much over the last few months, but one thing I have always known is that the movement and the world

need fewer people in power who are ready to abuse it for their insecure whims,” she wrote on Facebook. “We all deserve better from the people and places that have aligned themselves with justice.”

Garcia-Vera denied Lang’s allegations but said he could not discuss employee performance issues outside of the organization. He added that the boycott call had sealed the group’s fate.

“Our financial assets are barely sufficient to cover our operations for more than a few weeks. Our board of directors has collapsed. Raising new revenue and rebuilding the board would be a tremendous challenge even if we weren’t in the middle of a social media storm,” GarciaVera wrote in an open letter to the community.

“But even more importantly, I fear that our capacity to advance our mission has been undermined.

“And so, with a heavy heart, I have begun taking steps to close GetEQUAL, this organization that I love and cherish.”

GetEQUAL’s priorities were “to boldly educate, empower, and support LGBTQ communities of color to achieve policy change at the local, state, and national levels,” according to Garcia-Vera. The group rose to prominence during the fight to repeal Don’t Ask Don’t Tell for their direct action protests and youthful exuberance.

Over the past few years, several national and local LGBTQ organizations have shut their doors, including National Stonewall Democrats, Empire State Pride Agenda, the Gill Action Fund, the American Foundation for Equal Rights (AFER), and Freedom To Marry.

In 2010, less than 3% of LGBT adults in the US gave money to any national LGBT organizations. The majority of funding to

LGBTQ organizations comes from foundations and corporations.

Even the venerable PFLAG has run into trouble. Less than a week before GetEQUAL folded, PFLAG’s newly hired executive director, Jaime Grant, and its director of financing, Brian Carney, were abruptly terminated. The group hasn’t yet said why they were let go.

PFLAG has been struggling financially for years, with expenses outstripping income. The group has operated with almost a million-dollar deficit for the past two years.

Grant, the former head of the National LGBTQ Task Force’s Policy Institute and the founding executive director of the Arcus Center for Social Justice Leadership, is a respected leader well known for her advocacy on behalf of people of color, youth, and sex workers.

LGBT military groups denounce Trump-Pence implementation plan for Transgender military ban

American Military Partner Association, OutServe-SLDN, and SPART*A blast the administration’s continued discrimination against trans servicemembers

WASHINGTON – [On March 23], the nation’s leading lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) military advocates responded to the heinous and continued push from the Trump-Pence Administration to implement their discriminatory transgender military ban. Implementation details for the ban were released [on March 23]. However, six separate federal courts have blocked implementation, and barring further court action, the administration cannot implement it.

“The Trump-Pence administration’s continued insistence on targeting our military families for discrimination is appalling, reckless, and unpatriotic,” said Ashley Broadway-Mack, president of the American Military Partner Association and spouse of an active duty US Army officer. “Donald Trump and Mike Pence are literally wreaking havoc on the lives of our military families. Military experts thoroughly studied this issue and found [that] transgender service members should be able to serve openly with dignity and honor and receive the full support they need and deserve. This unconscionable attack on our military families cannot stand – we refuse to allow it.”

“This policy is a thinly veiled and feeble attempt by the Trump-Pence administra-

TRANS BAN

continued from cover

“The continued uncertainty regarding the status of the tweeted ban, coupled with Friday’s late-night release of an insulting and almost incomprehensible implementation plan, is not just harming currently serving transgender troops and transgender people wishing to enlist but is damaging military readiness and troop morale,” Lambda Legal Senior Attorney Natalie Nardecchia said. “Six courts at multiple levels have swatted down this ill-conceived and discriminatory ban, and the so-called implementation ‘plan’ changed nothing: it’s time to kick it to the curb for good.”

Today’s argument before the US District Court for the Western District of Washington follows four US district court rulings and two federal appellate court rulings that granted and preserved preliminary injunctions against enforcement of the ban. Lambda Legal and OutServe-SLDN, joined by the State of Washington, are the first to argue that the military ban developed in response to President Trump’s July 26, 2017, tweets should be banned permanently.

“The president’s tweets utterly devastated me. I felt as if the floor had fallen away beneath my feet,” said Lambda Legal and OutServe-SLDN plaintiff Conner Callahan, a 29-year-old public safety officer at a North Carolina College who wants to enlist. “I know about sacrifice: I’ve sacrificed a lot to live as my authentic self and I am willing to sacrifice even more for my country. But because of this ruling, I’ve been forced to consider a future where I am unable to serve in the military. We need a definitive ruling from the court to allow me to pursue the career I am fully fit and qualified to pursue.”

Today’s arguments were the latest stage in the lawsuit, brought by Lambda Legal and OutServe-SLDN and joined by the state of Washington, challenging the ban. In December, the federal district court issued an injunction barring the ban from being enforced during the litigation and requiring the military to honor the existing policy, under which transgender service members were allowed to serve openly, and transgender Americans seeking to join the military

tion to justify the unnecessary discrimination of qualified patriots in order to advance their own personal agendas and in defiance of the administration’s top military leadership. This plan is riddled with blatant animus, bigotry, and ignorance but conveniently void of any foundational bases or facts,” said Matt Thorn, president and CEO of OutServe-SLDN. “We are calling this what it is – an attempt to legitimize an unwarranted and unnecessary attack that targets individuals who have volunteered their lives in support of this country. A vast majority of this country affirms that transgender individuals should be allowed to serve. Alongside our co-counsel, Lambda Legal, we will continue to push for equity and justice and block this unjustifiable animus against the transgender military community through our nation’s judicial systems. To all our transgender brethren, I want to reiterate – you are not a burden and we got your six.”

“As transgender service members, we are and have always been soldiers, sailors, airmen, marines, and coastguardsmen first. We serve our country honorably, in good faith,” said Blake Dremann, president of SPART*A. “Transgender service members are currently deployed to various locations around the world in defense of our nation.

had a path forward for doing so. Because of the injunction, transgender people were able to enlist starting January 1.

At issue in court today was Lambda Legal’s and OutServe-SLDN’s motion for summary judgment, asking the court to make a final ruling in the case and make the preliminary injunction permanent.

“Late Friday night, the Trump administration doubled down on its discriminatory and harmful effort to bar well-qualified individuals from serving their country,” said OutServe-SLDN Legal Director Peter Perkowski. “It fooled no one. Anything

They have been doing their jobs despite those who are attempting to remove them. Proving they are fully capable of doing the job they are called to do, the average transgender service member has eight years of service and served two or more deployments. There is no justification for a ban, and there is no justification for leaving our country without service members who are capable and performing their duties to the standards set forth by our commanders.”

OutServe-SLDN and Lambda Legal are currently representing the American Military Partner Association, the Human Rights Campaign, Gender Justice League, and nine individual plaintiffs in Karnoski v. Trump – one of four lawsuits challenging the transgender military ban in court.

The American Military Partner Association (AMPA) is the nation’s largest organization of LGBT military spouses, their families, and allies. A nonprofit organization with more than 50,000 members and supporters, AMPA is committed to education, advocacy, and support for “modern military families.” For more information, visit www.MilitaryPartners.org.

OutServe-SLDN (OS-SLDN) is a nonpartisan, nonprofit legal services and policy organization dedicated to bringing about full LGBT equality to America’s

tiffs – the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), Seattle-based Gender Justice League, and the American Military Partner Association (AMPA) – who joined the lawsuit on behalf of their transgender members harmed by the ban.

In October, a US District Court judge in Washington, DC, granted a preliminary injunction in a similar lawsuit challenging the transgender military service ban filed by the National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR) and GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders (GLAD). In November, a US District Court judge in Maryland granted

“Six courts at multiple levels have swatted down this ill-conceived and discriminatory ban, and the so-called implementation ‘plan’ changed nothing: it’s time to kick it to the curb for good.”

the Pentagon is using to justify this harmful ban is just transparent window dressing created for the express purpose of acceding to the president’s ill-informed demands from last summer that transgender people not be allowed to serve in any capacity. The ‘plan” is a sham: the harm, to transgender people and to the military, is real.”

“The federal government has not given any legal justification for keeping ablebodied transgender individuals from serving in the military, for one simple reason: there isn’t one,” said Washington State Attorney General Bob Ferguson. “Barring transgender individuals from serving based on anything other than their ability and conduct is wrong.”

In the lawsuit, Lambda Legal and OutServe-SLDN represent nine individual plaintiffs and three organizational plain-

a preliminary injunction in a case filed by the American Civil Liberties Union. And in December, in addition to the ruling out of Seattle, a US District Court judge in California granted a preliminary injunction in a case filed by Equality California, also joined by NCLR and GLAD. The DC and 4th Circuit Courts of Appeals denied the Trump administration’s efforts to secure stays on open enlistment in the two earlier cases.

The lawsuit is Karnoski v. Trump. Read more about the case here: https://www. lambdalegal.org/in-court/cases/karnoskiv-trump

The Lambda Legal attorneys working on the case are: Peter Renn, Camilla B. Taylor, Tara Borelli, Natalie Nardecchia, Sasha Buchert, Kara Ingelhart, and Carl Charles. They are joined by co-counsel Peter Perkowski of OutServe-SLDN. Also on the legal team

military and ending all forms of discrimination and harassment of military personnel on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity. With more than fifty chapters and 6,000 members around the world, OS-SLDN supports a professional network of LGBT military personnel and strives to create an environment of respect in the military with regard to sexual orientation and gender identity. OS-SLDN provides free and direct legal assistance to service members and veterans affected by the repealed “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” law and the prior regulatory ban on open service, as well as those currently serving who may experience harassment or discrimination. For more information, visit www.outservesldn.org.

Founded in 2013, SPART*A is an association of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people who currently serve or have served in the US Armed Forces and their families. SPART*A’s membership includes over 600 transgender Americans actively serving in the US Armed Forces. The name SPART*A originated as an acronym for “Service Members, Partners, and Allies for Respect and Tolerance for All.” For more information, visit www.spartapride.org.

are pro-bono co-counsel at Kirkland & Ellis LLP and Newman Du Wors LLP.

Quotes from organizational plaintiffs “Last week, under the cover of darkness and in an act of cowardice, Donald Trump and Mike Pence doubled down on their dangerous and discriminatory ban on transgender troops with an implementation plan written by anti-trans zealots,” said HRC Communications Director Chris Sgro. “As today’s hearing demonstrated, this ban is rooted in nothing more than the petty prejudice of this president, vice president, and the anti-LGBTQ extremists propping up their administration. Our country and constitution are stronger than these hateful politicians – and we thank Lambda Legal and OutServe-SLDN for representing us in this vitally important case.”

“The Trump-Pence administration’s continued insistence on targeting our military families for discrimination is appalling, reckless, and unpatriotic,” said Ashley Broadway-Mack, president of the American Military Partner Association and spouse of an active duty US Army officer. “Donald Trump and Mike Pence are literally wreaking havoc on the lives of our military families. Military experts already thoroughly studied this issue and found [that] transgender service members should be able to serve openly with dignity and honor – as they proudly do now – with the full support they need and deserve. This unconscionable attack on our military families cannot stand – we refuse to allow it.”

“Today we had our day in court, and we believe when the final verdict is handed down, justice will be served and this unconstitutional policy will be overturned,” said Danni Askini, executive director of Gender Justice League, a transgender civil rights organization.

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.

Courtesy of Lambda Legal

3,000 turn out for Starkville Pride

Organizers thank City Council for trying to ban event

by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer

Three thousand people turned out for a Pride Parade in Starkville, Mississippi, after the event was originally banned by the City Council.

When organizers filed suit against the city, officials relented and authorized the event. Although Pride organizers said they expected a modest 200 people, the publicity surrounding the City Council’s action swelled crowds to 15 times that number.

“I never expected to have this many people,” Starkville Mayor Lynn Spruill said.

Spruill was a vocal supporter of the parade.

“Somewhere between 2,500 and 3,000 people, and this would never have happened if we didn’t have the controversy, so I’m almost grateful for the controversy in the sense it became something more than it ever would have been, and it became something we can be very proud of, with no issues associated with it.”

The day’s events started in the morning with a Queer Art Market in a local park, followed by the parade through town.

Parade organizers and partners Bailey McDaniel and Emily Turner led the group through downtown Starkville, with many

DC MARCH

Before stepping off, the survivors and family members addressed HRC’s annual Spring Equality Convention to talk about the Pulse Nightclub shooting and the importance of mobilizing the LGBTQ community against gun violence. Watch their remarks [at https:// www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLstyCKm nMAyaEOGwd1lC6UEcb70a-iv4P].

Christine Leinonen, mother of Drew Leinonen; Brandon Wolf, friend of Drew and Drew’s boyfriend Juan Guerrero, who were both killed; and José Arraigada – the three of whom appeared and spoke on stage at the DNC one month after the shooting in 2016 – joined with fellow survivor and Pulse survivor Ricardo Negron, onePulse Foundation Board Chair Earl Crittenden, and HRC President Chad Griffin to lead hundreds of HRC members and supporters. The march-

ers were also led by Karamo Brown, one of the hosts of “Queer Eye” and a graduate of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. Brown knew Aaron Feis, the football coach who was killed in the Parkland attack. He is the co-founder of 6in10. org, which combats HIV stigma and provides support and education to the black LGBTQ community. Brown has partnered with the Los Angeles LGBT Center, the Center for Disease Control, and the National Black Justice Coalition through his advocacy.

“Today we’re proud to be led by Pulse survivors and family members and join the hundreds of thousands of students and their supporters from across the nation in the March for Our Lives,” said HRC President Chad Griffin. “As the tragedy at Pulse showed us, hate can turn deadly when coupled with unfettered access to military-style weapons. The safety of LGBTQ people and other marginalized communities that face disproportionate levels of

carrying balloons and signs and singing songs.

McDaniel said the event represented something different to each individual who participated.

McDaniel and Turner both had their parents come down in support of the Pride Parade, but McDaniel said many aren’t so lucky and need a community to provide support.

“Emily and I were there, and Emily’s parents came, marched in the parade, and after the parade they had ally buttons on and it just brought me to my knees,” McDaniel said. “Every other person in the parade has

some kind of moment like that.”

Following the parade, McDaniel said the whole point was for everyone to feel accepted and be themselves.

“I think it sets a good vibe for what this annual event will be,” McDaniel said. “I feel like Starkville is so much better for this, and I am honored that I was able to help progress the city as far as it has.”

Although Starkville is located in rural eastern Mississippi, it is the home of Mississippi State University, and its Pride Parade was scheduled in March to include college students who would not be at school in June.

hate and violence requires the adoption of commonsense gun safety measures.”

“We cannot only come together in the wake of tragedy. Every day, we have to muster the strength to fight with the same pride, courage, and unity we witnessed after the tragedy at Pulse, and now after Parkland. The legacy of those whose lives were taken must be our action,” added Griffin.

Photos of the march are available [at https://www.facebook.com/humanrightscampaign/posts/10156283167983281].

In 2016, after a gunman killed 49 people – most of them LGBTQ and Latinx – in Orlando’s Pulse Nightclub, HRC’s board of directors adopted a resolution that addresses both the epidemic of hate that has fueled anti-LGBTQ-motivated murder, assault, and discrimination, as well as commonsense gun violence prevention policies that would help keep the LGBTQ community safe. The resolution established HRC’s organizational position that the safety

of LGBTQ people in the United States requires the adoption of commonsense gun violence prevention measures, including limiting access to assault-style rifles, expanding background checks, and limiting the ability for suspected terrorists – and those with a history of violence against women – to access guns. Since 2013, HRC has tracked 111 incidents of fatal violence against transgender and nonbinary people. Of these, 62 have been victims of gun violence. In 2017, 16 out of the 28 deaths were the result of gun violence.

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

religion &

Healthysexuals COORDINATE