Celebrating 42 Years! Issue 21 Volume 44
FRIDAY May 20, 2016 FREE!
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An interview with Miles writer/director Nathan Aldoff
Beyoncé slays at CenturyLink Field
SEC 2 PG 1
SEC 2 PG 1
Seattle Gay News SEATTLE’S LGBT NEWS & ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY
Pride Parade organizers anger SGN EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW : community over sponsorship Seth Kirby, Chair of debacle: Seattle Pride Washington Won’t president steps down
Discriminate
Eric Bennett – vimeo.com | Alaska Airlines – Seattlepi.com | Delta logo
by Shaun Knittel SGN Associate Editor
On Thursday, just weeks away from Seattle’s Pride Parade (June 26), Seattle Pride president Eric Bennett stepped down as the head of the organization that
Seth Kirby – washingtonwontdiscriminate.org
by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer
see SEATTLE PRIDE page 5
I-1515, the anti-Trans ballot measure, has yet to qualify for the November ballot, but Seth Kirby is not going to sit around see SETH KIRBY page 8
Chaos in Congress: A Gay man is now in Dems chant “Shame! Shame!” charge of the US Army as GOP votes down LGBT protections The usually sedate floor of the US House of Representatives echoed with chants of “Shame! Shame!” on May 19 after Republican leaders strong armed five of their members to vote No on an amendment that would have barred businesses from getting federal contracts if they discriminate against LGBT employees. The amendment introduced by Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney (D-NY) initially looked like it would pass. At one point an electronic vote monitor showed 217 Yes votes, bringing on cheers from House Democrats. Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy – eventbrite.com At that point, Democrats say, House Speaker Paul by Mike Andrew Ryan should have asked “Does anyone wish SGN Staff Writer to change their vote?” Then, according to House rules, members have to come down to see CHAOS page 16
Acting Secretary of the Air Force, Eric Fanning – photo credit USAF
by Shaun Knittel SGN Associate Editor On May 17, Eric Fanning, 47, was confirmed by the US Senate as the Secretary of the Army, making him the high-
est-ranking, openly Gay official in the history of the military. Fanning released a brief statement Tuesday, but didn’t mention the historic significance of his confirmation. “I’m see ERIC FANNING page 17
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Celebrating 41 Years!
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May 20, 2016
Seattle Gay News 3
President Obama, the man still has it! Change through communication by Mark Segal Philadelphia Gay News This last sleepy, dreary, overcast Saturday, you might have missed President Barack Obama as he gave what many might say in the future was one of his best speeches of his presidential years. It was a commencement address at Howard University, and it was a call for what he has consistently stood for: hope. It was also an urge to those in attendance to get involved, and not be afraid to engage with those who do not agree with us, for change only happens with communication. The speech had me in tears and I urge you to watch it. It brought me back to my first meeting with President Obama who, at the time, was Sen. Obama. It was 2008, he was running to be president and at that time many in the LGBT community didn’t think he was clear enough on our issues. In Pennsylvania, I was the flag bearer of that fight. He personally felt my sting on a daily basis, until he was forced to address my attacks during an interview with a CBS reporter. We met a week later by accident. When I introduced myself, he took my hand, pulled me forward and said, “So, you’re Mark Segal.” With a hurt look on his face, he added, “I’m really good on LGBT issues and we need to talk.” What I took away from that first experience with him was how much that hurt look was one of truth and how he was really upset thinking that someone with political knowledge of the LGBT community didn’t realize
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what he had to do was get elected first in order to create change. But he understood that I had to stick to my stance; we both knew our positions, even though they were opposed to each other, and we both knew at that moment that we’d be allies. That’s reading a lot into it, but that is exactly what happened. In a moment, we knew that we had similar views on politics and how to make change. We did talk and I’ve served as his official host, and most importantly, he helped me spearhead what is the largest LGBT brickand-mortar project of his administration: the John C. Anderson Apartments, our LGBTfriendly affordable senior home. And thanks to White House involvement, it was built and opened in record time. That same spirit or political philosophy of willingness to communicate with whom many might call enemies is why Pennsylvania got marriage equality a year before the Supreme Court ruled it so nationally. When former Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Corbett compared marriage equality to incest, rightfully the LGBT community was outraged. I saw that as an opportunity for change. Just hours after the remark, I was on the phone with the governor’s office that led to a meeting in the governor’s residence, which changed his position on supporting LGBT nondiscrimination in Pennsylvania. He stated that he’d sign it if passed by the legislature. And less than a year later, those conversations led to his not appealing the federal court ruling on samesex marriage in Pennsylvania. Here’s the point. I made no secret of that meeting. In fact, I wanted our community to know as I built that relationship. Others at that meeting were not so public, since they feared retribution from our community; the LGBT activist community was, to say the least, disapproving. Others who were at that first meeting saw that disapproval and for the
most part kept quiet about it. This, as you’d expect by now, didn’t change my experience of engaging. The reason for that is simple: Communication brings change. If we do not engage, we fail to make change. I know this personally since it has been a constant in my life’s struggle for LGBT equality. The first was when I worked with a city councilman who had hurled homophobic slurs. His name was Thacher Longstreth. Through dialogue, we became friends, and I was called a traitor by people in the community. Thacher, that man who had hurled horrible words, voted for Philadelphia’s controversial domestic-partners law and became a supporter of PFLAG. Later, the man who embodied homophobia in Philadelphia was City Council President John Street. Again, we began to engage in discussion. Later, when he was mayor, he became the most LGBT-friendly mayor the city had seen to that point. So President Obama’s talk at Howard University was one where he was expressing to the graduating students of that historic African-American school a philosophy that resonated with me, since it’s a mission we share: one of engaging rather than just talking. That is the other side of the equation: walking the walk. Mr. President, you’re preaching to the choir. Mark Segal is the nation’s most-awardwinning commentator in LGBT media. His recently published memoir And Then I Danced: Traveling the Road to LGBT Equality, is available on Amazon.com, at Barnes & Nobles or your favorite book seller. Reprinted courtesy of Mark Segal and Philadelphia Gay News.
Celebrating 41 Years!
SEATTLE PRIDE continued from cover
plans the annual event after a sponsorship debacle first reported in a column in the Seattle Times. Kevin Toovey, the current Vice-President of Seattle Pride will serve as interim president. On Wednesday Seattle Times writer Danny Westneat wrote that Delta airlines had just secured a three-year sponsorship deal for Pride Parade 2016 that would exclude Alaska airlines employees from marching if they were identified by the name “Alaska Airlines” or branded with any corporate logos. He called the news the “Great Airline Gay Sponsorship Skirmish of 2016.” And some would reluctantly agree, I think. Not just for the obvious (the icky truth that, at times, sponsorship money seems more important than the event itself) either, but that in an effort to save face Seattle Pride organizers first alleged that Westneat had reported inaccurately, only to come to an understanding Wednesday night that nobody really knew what was going on from within the organization. The only thing that was clear, it seemed, is that, according to Alaska Airlines Vice President for Activation and Logistics for its LGBTQ employee resource group GLOBE (Gay, Lesbian, Other and Bisexual Employees), Kevin Larson, that they could march in the parade with T-shirts that said GLOBE, but that, if asked, “we could not say what GLOBE stood for or who we worked for.” Larson explained that they were also told that they would not be able to carry a banner or drive a car with Alaska branding, like they usually do, as they have been longtime supporters (financially as well as publically) of the annual event. GLOBE represents about 300 workers at Alaska. Colin Bishop, a public-relations spokesperson for the Seattle Pride Parade told the Times, “We can’t have them promoting Alaska Airlines when Delta bought the category sponsorship. That would be free marketing. When TMobile’s in there, we don’t have groups marching from AT&T or Verizon.” Perhaps Bishop has never been to the Pride parade or just doesn’t remember, but, as Bobbie Egan, a spokesperson for Alaska, said, when Alaska was a sponsor in the past it had arrangements for placement in the parade’s marketing materials. But it didn’t bar rival airlines from being in the parade. Additionally, in the past, employee groups from both Delta and Alaska have marched in the parade (marketing n’ all) without incident. And so, as of Wednesday evening, Alaska had officially decided, as Egan put it, “that given these restrictions, we would celebrate that weekend in different ways, at different events.” Bishop also told the Times that the parade had offered an exclusivity deal to Alaska, but then “Delta swooped in and got it.” If all of this is turning your stomach you aren’t alone. To be fair: Seattle’s Pride Parade is huge. It’s also expensive. Over the past decade it has grown in both size and cost. Nobody expects that a parade the size of the Seattle Pride Parade be done free of sponsorship. But when sponsorship becomes more important than the community the parade honors, well, that just doesn’t sit right with the community-atlarge. We all know that Pride parades around the nation began as an act of defiance and
political statement to show the world that our numbers were perhaps far greater than the majority had thought, that we were ready and willing to stand up for our rights and to be counted – as a community. None of that has anything to do with corporate sponsorship. Stonewall was not
of course, was the only untruth. Perhaps Seattle Pride might next time think it better to find out what had actually transpired between the organization and the airlines before jumping to their own defense because, when presented with emails showing Seattle Pride had, in fact, set restric-
Well isn’t that convenient? Seattle Gay News does not want to kick a community organization when it is down, but the recent actions of the group do not seem to align with the community’s
Seattle Gay News will follow-up on this story in the coming days. It is clear the Bennett took the fall and did, quite frankly, what any responsible president of an organization should do when caught making such a mistake. However, by the statements made by Seattle Pride during and after the confusion of who said what and to whom, Bennett is not solely to blame. Bishop’s statement to the Seattle Times is in complete agreement with what Bennett told GLOBE officials. He was attempting to justify the decision. As Seattle Gay News goes to print, perhaps it would be worthwhile for our community (and I mean the whole of our community, not just the executive million dollar nonprofits and out elected officials, but each and every one of us) to ponder what we would like to see our Pride Parade stand for and then make it known. There is no way possible to reach, due to the sheer size and beautiful diversity of this community, one perfect answer. It is possible though, to demand that from here on, Seattle Pride does no further damage to the very core of what the Pride Parade – which is and should remain a political action – stands for: Inclusion in place of exclusion, equality instead of oppression, and a united front in the face of bigotry and hate. Lastly, I hate to break it to Seattle Pride, but no board of directors (and some have tried, in vain, but have failed) will ever be able to regulate what shirts people wear to the parade or what logos are on them when they march; what banners people march behind and signs they hold; the messages they chant or anything of the sort as they walk the parade route. Organizations like Seattle Pride ask that people sign up and pay to be an official contingent in the parade, and mostly, folks comply and pay the fee. But make no mistake about it, if that “ask” becomes the demand of a group of organizers, and those same folks begin to dictate what people will wear (we are talking about a parade that historically and famously features Dykes on Bikes, the kink community, half-naked and sometimes all the way naked people, drag queens and kings, and so on) and what logos are approved, then they are in for a surprise because the beauty of it all is that we can all just line up and march if we want to (and for free).
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Seattle Gay News 5
Alaska Airlines in the 2012 Pride Parade – Seattlepi.com
a riot between corporations for who would one day get to march at the front of our behemoth of a parade. We did not fight for hate crimes legislation because Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. died in a war between corporate airlines. Tens of thousands of Gay, Lesbian and Bisexual folks did not lose their careers and benefits for violating DADT because it was important to them that Seattle Pride – or any Pride Parade organization for that matter – offer exclusivity to corporations at annual pride events. While it would be juvenile to think that this parade can be done without generous sponsorship from some corporations, it is downright disrespectful to our history, turning our backs on our ethics and values, and just plain greedy to put those same corporate dollars in front of our community and what we stand for. I say “what we stand for” because I refuse to believe that a majority of LGBTQ folks would agree with any “exclusivity deal” being offered to anyone, let alone, corporations. The LGBTQ community is inclusive – not exclusive. We are, as so many of us joke, the growing acronym that keeps on adding letters. Why? Because that is who we are. That is what we stand for. And no Pride Parade planning committee will ever take that away from us. So now it is time for some accountability. Delta was quick to distance itself from what Seattle Pride officials told GLOBE. The airline released a statement saying it had no intention of restricting the attire or participation of Alaska during Pride events. “As a partner of Seattle Pride and Pride events around the world, Delta celebrates the inclusive spirit of Pride and all members of the LGBTQ community,” Delta spokeswoman Liz Savadelis said. “While our sponsorship allows us to display Delta branding and signage at the event, Delta has in no way restricted the participation or attire of any individual or group participating in Seattle Pride events.” At first Seattle Pride maintained that the column by Westneat was wrong and that they had not set any restrictions on the Alaska group due to the Delta deal. That,
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best interests as far as the Pride Parade is concerned. Proof of that could be found in what Hale said as he addressed criticism that Seattle Pride has “sold out” to corporate greed. Hale explained to KIRO that the nation’s fourth largest Pride Parade wouldn’t be possible without that sponsorship, which is news to no one and completely not the point of why so many people are upset. “Those are major companies saying that they value LGBT Americans,” Hale told KIRO 7. “That is a departure from what we have had historically in this country.” This is simply not true. The Seattle Pride Parade has enjoyed corporate sponsorship money for nearly a decade. And guess who has been one of those sponsors Seattle Pride conveniently keeps not mentioning? That’s right – Alaska, represented by GLOBE. The issue is not that corporate money has helped pay for the parade, it is simply that Seattle’s Pride Parade should not have a corporate sponsorship bidding war over exclusivity so it can be branded Delta Pride Parade 2016. Why doesn’t the current board at Seattle Pride understand this?
tions for Alaska workers saying they could not wear any logos, the nonprofit was forced to apologize. Bennett, still acting as President of the organization said he had misinterpreted the contractual obligations of the deal with Delta. He apologized “for my miscommunication and any hurt feelings” he may have caused, adding that he hoped Alaska Airlines would “accept our invitation to proudly march in the parade, wearing whatever they wish, just as they have always done in the past.” “It was not my intention to exclude any groups or individuals, regardless of their company loyalties, employer, and group associations,” Bennett wrote. The email that Bennett had sent to a GLOBE official was crystal clear, however. Entitled “Next Steps for GLOBE Group Marching” it read, in part, “Participation in the Seattle Pride Parade is simple. GLOBE cannot march under any Alaska Air Group branding (e.g. banners, teeshirts, signage, vehicles, etc.) or distribute any Alaska Air Group materials …” After saying that GLOBE could march as GLOBE only, he went on to say that Seattle Pride would need to approve any shirts, banners, etc., to ensure “they are in compliance.” “I don’t think this should be difficult,” Bennett concludes the email, adding, “We would also need to speak directly with a representative of the GLOBE organization to register them.” Seattle Pride’s Board of Directors called an emergency meeting Wednesday because of growing controversy, and, at that meeting, Bennett apologized and resigned, according to David Hale, a member of Pride’s Board of Directors. Seattle Pride told KIRO 7 that the organization now wants the focus to be on the annual parade and not on the misunderstanding. Hale said the organization wants to move forward with a message of inclusion.
Reshuffle: Marko Liias runs for State Treasurer, Jim Moeller runs for Congress
Marko Liias – markoforsenate.com
by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer In a major reshuffle only a day before the candidate-filing deadline, two veteran political leaders will seek new offices. State Senator Marko Liias announced on May 19 that he will run for Washington State Treasurer, and Rep. Jim Moeller, who was running for Lieutenant Governor, switched over to run for a Congressional seat.
“I am running for Treasurer to stand up for middle class families just like the one I grew up in,” Liias said in a statement. “My parents both emigrated from Finland; my dad built houses and my mom was a lunch lady. As a family we’ve experienced tough times, so I know from personal experience that we need to do more to help families in our state save for college and prepare for retirement. “This means working to ensure that our GET program and our pension funds re-
Jim Moeller – twitter.com
main fully funded and sustainable. It also means working with the private sector to create better, cheaper options for every family to save for retirement and for college.” Liias became a Senator in January 2014 after serving six years in the State House. He has been endorsed by 10 Senate colleagues, including the 43rd District’s Jamie Pedersen, 18 House members, and AFSCME Council 2, a union which represents 16,000 public employees.
Incumbent Treasurer Jim McIntyre is not running for reelection. Besides Liias, two other Democrats and two Republicans have filed for the job. Moeller, a State Rep since 2002, had been running for Lieutenant Governor but switched at almost the last minute to challenge Republican Congresswoman Jaimie Herrera Beutler in the 3rd Congressional District. The 3rd District includes Vancouver and a swath of Southwest Washington. “I’ve spent my life representing the families of Clark County,” Moeller said. “As a public servant, my goal is to basically give the representation we deserve. Unfortunately, it is not happening in Washington D.C. I emphatically intend on changing that.” Herrera Beutler, in Congress since 2011, is merely a “rubber stamp” for Republican House leaders, Moeller charged. “I don’t think Jaime has represented the district very well in the last six years,” he said. “She has been disengaged from serving as our representative. We need principled leadership Washington and I know that I can provide that.” Both Liias and Moeller are openly Gay.
Labor endorses Washington Won’t Discriminate
by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer
The Martin Luther King County Labor Council (MLKCLC) unanimously endorsed Washington Won’t Discriminate at its May 18 delegates meeting. The action came at the request of Pride At Work, the AFL-CIO’s LGBT affiliate. MLKCLC “opposes any attempt to alter or remove Washington’s non-discrimination laws that for 10 years have protected our transgender friends, family, coworkers, and neighbors from discrimination on the job, in housing and in public places; and for that reason the Council officially endorses Washington Won’t Discriminate, the organization opposing Initiative 1515,” the Labor Council motion said. “I-1515 won’t make us safer, but it will encourage more discrimination and ha-
rassment of transgender people, and would create serious financial and legal consequences for our state’s economy, businesses, schools and taxpayers.” MLKCLC includes 150 union locals and other labor organizations like Pride At Work, and represents 100,000 workers in King County. In March MLKCLC passed a resolution opposing “any and all initiatives that would deprive Transgender people of their right to use gender-appropriate facilities.” In January the Labor Council formally opposed HB 2589, the “Bathroom Bill” that marked the first attempt by right-wing forces to exclude Trans people from public restrooms. Union activists worried that I-1515
would violate state and federal laws protecting people from discrimination on the basis of sex or gender identity, and would deprive Transgender union members of fair and equal treatment in their workplaces by barring them from gender-appropriate facilities. I-1515 would also make union members who are employees of Washington schools and other public facilities complicit in enforcing discriminatory rules against Transgender individuals. The Washington State Labor Council (WSLC), which will have the final say on I-1515 because it’s a statewide initiative, is expected to vote to oppose the measure at its May 21 political convention.
Translations: Seattle Transgender Film Festival a BIG hit! Congratulations to all the participating filmmakers! This year we are proud to announce the following audience award winners:
Thank you for coming out to the 11th annual Translations: Seattle Transgender Film Festival!
It was our most successful festival yet, with attendance and box office surpassing our goals by 150%!
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• Best Documentary Feature: MAJOR! (Directed by Annalise Ophelian) • Best Narrative Feature: HER STORY (Directed by Sydney Freeland) • Best Documentary Short: ONE WORD: PASSING (Produced by Annesh
Sheth for cut.com) • Best Narrative Short: STEALTH (Directed by Bennett Lasseter) • Best Shorts Series: WE’VE BEEN AROUND (Directed by Rhys Ernst) Thank you again. Jason Plourde Executive Director Three Dollar Bill Cinema
Celebrating 41 Years!
SHAME on Seattle Pride! On May 17th of this year, The Seattle Times printed an article saying that Delta Airlines will be the official airlines (and allegedly the ONLY airline allowed in the parade) for Seattle Pride. This is appalling! Alaska Airlines is not only a local company but it has supported the LGBT community (especially in the Pacific Northwest) for a very long time and
in many GENEROUS ways. For Seattle Pride to sign a contract with the Atlanta based company is a direct slap in the face to Alaska Airlines – an extreme ally of our community. True, Delta is also a large supporter of the LGBT but Alaska Airlines is our home base and native to the Seattle area. The deal with Delta (allegedly) prevents
Alaska Airline employees from marching in the parade with the company logo visible. This has NEVER been the restriction when Alaska Airlines was offered the position. Pride is for ALL people to come together – it is NOT for corporations to make a buck. If this is how Seattle Pride rewards
Delta buying the Pride Parade Alaska Airlines exclusion
What a travesty! First, I think that the parade organizers should be ousted for accepting the exclusion of any one. Secondly, I would call for the Gay community to fight back against exclusion of their brothers and sisters who happened to be employed by Alaska Airlines. This move toward exclusivity by Delta is counter to the ideals of the parade. It is expressing the idea that “he who has the money makes the rules” and in this case shame on Delta. Is Delta’s corporate ego so very fragile that a group from another airlines marching in a community parade that is meant to fight
wonderful allies and friends of the LGBT, it is shameful. I will stand in unity with my friends at Alaska Airlines and will be avoiding the Pride Parade this year. SHAME! SHAME! SHAME on Seattle Pride! Eric Andrews-Katz
exclusion is some how damaging to them? Why do they fear that? This is no way to act in an honorable way, Delta. For those marching and those attending I urge you all to “act up,” push back and show Delta that you will not be bullied. Support Alaska employees, march against corporate bullies. Just because they have the money shouldn’t mean they should make the rules for an entire community of people. Clifford Walter
AN OPEN LETTER TO THE ARTS COMMUNITY:
It doesn’t matter if you’re an Oscar winner We need to play an active role in ending rape culture
by Nancy Chang Executive Director of Reel Grrls As a woman who has built her career on supporting young people, especially girls, I am ashamed that I hesitated for a moment to speak out against the selection of Woody Allen’s latest film, Café Society, to make its North American premiere as the Opening Night Film of our much beloved Seattle International Film Festival. I guess I didn’t want to offend the people I consider friends and colleagues at our hometown film festival. But then I realized that this very type of rationalizing is what helps fuel rape culture in America. As the Executive Director of Reel Grrls, a feminist organization that supports young people as they explore, critique and create media through a feminist lens, it was incumbent upon me to speak out and use my voice to model the type of behavior our programs teach our students.
Fake Oscars – reelgrrls.com
I also happen to be the co-founder (and current Board co-chair) of Skate Like a Girl, an organization dedicated to creating safe spaces in skateboarding, a traditionally maledominated sport, where young women develop leadership skills. I firmly believe that our youth can only thrive and be healthy when they are safe and their well-being is valued. I love SIFF. I love that this year 27% of SIFF films feature the work of women directors and producers, four times the industry standard for representation of women filmmakers. SIFF works hard to bring amazing films and educational opportunities to Seattle year-round. However, with the recent #OscarsSoWhite backlash and the well-documented lack of diversity in both mainstream and independent film, their decision to showcase the work of Woody Allen, as opposed to, say, Andrea Arnold (American Honey), Maren Ade (Tony Erdman), or Nate Parker (Birth of a Nation), is both tone deaf and out-
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of-touch with the current zeitgeist. Let’s remember that we as a society – and as an arts community – hold the power to decide who gets celebrated. It’s time to give less known artists the opportunity to have their talent recognized, particularly over men who have been accused of child sexual abuse. By honoring the work of a filmmaker who stands accused of sexually assaulting his then seven-year-old daughter, we become a passive participant in a rape culture. A culture that all too often turns a blind eye to the transgressions of the rich and powerful, while punishing, shaming and, ultimately, silencing the very people seeking justice. What does it say about our society, our city, and ourselves when we sit back and apply a relativistic moral algebra to rationalize our continued support of entertainers, athletes, CEOs, and others in positions of power and influence? What does it mean when the entertainment industry continues to favor dollars
over morals when it comes to the questionable actions of its most celebrated members? What does it mean when Seattleites, who would divest in tertiary businesses that contribute to greenhouse gases in a heartbeat, line up to support a man who is claimed to have caused irreparable harm to a child? As hundreds of Seattleites walk the red carpet this Thursday [May 19], let’s stop and ask ourselves why we are fine separating the art from the artist when that association becomes uncomfortable for us, yet fail to consider the lifetime of shame that same artist’s daughter says he imposed on her. The time has come to stop making excuses for sexual predators simply because they make “great art,” and to start supporting the victims who have been regularly and systematically silenced. We all have a role to play to create a new culture that supports survivors.
May 20, 2016
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SETH KIRBY continued from cover
and wait till the June 8 qualifying deadline. Kirby, chair of Washington Won’t Discriminate, the group formed to fight I-1515, is ready to jump into a statewide campaign, even if the measure doesn’t make it to the ballot. “Regardless of whether [I-1515] qualifies, we need to work for the future,” he told SGN, “and start to educate people about who Trans people are and who our families are. “There are all kinds of Trans people, and we’re part of all communities around the state. That opens up opportunities for conversations.” One of the challenges, Kirby says, is that many people don’t know any Transgender individuals, or don’t realize that someone they know is Trans. “Three out of four people know someone who is Gay or Lesbian,” Kirby says, citing a recent poll, “but only one out of nine knows someone who is Trans, so we need to help people understand who Trans
people are.” On the upside, Washington has had legal protections for LGBT residents for many years. They enjoy broad popular support, and the state’s employers also have implemented nondiscrimination policies. “Here in Washington we’ve had a nondiscrimination law for 10 years,” Kirby noted. “Seattle and Tacoma have had protections for much longer, and these protections have proven quite successful. We also have support from businesses like Microsoft and Amazon who want our state to be open and welcoming.” Transgender people are also getting more positive attention from the media, although this may be a mixed blessing, Kirby warns. “Yes, we’re seen more in the media,” he told SGN, “and that’s an opportunity. It leads people to ask questions. The downside is that people may draw quick conclusions from what they see, and it doesn’t really reflect the reality of Trans people.” Washington’s LGBT community has experience with statewide campaigns,
the most recent being R-74 for marriage equality in 2012, but Kirby doubts that Washington Won’t Discriminate can simply duplicate past campaigns. “[I-1515] may be very different from R-74,” Kirby said. “I don’t think we can say people who were supportive of marriage will automatically come out on the right side of this. They may say, ‘Well, this doesn’t impact us.’ “For this issue it’s a question of how we’d want someone in our lives to be treated if they were transitioning, or going to transition. My guess is, we’d want them to be treated well, to be supported and respected.” For this effort, Washington Won’t Discriminate will adopt a three-prong strategy, Kirby says – engaging the base, raising funds, and recruiting allies. For the base, the LGBT community and allies who already support their LGBT friends and family, Kirby urges them to “sign on to endorse Washington Won’t Discriminate. You can do that on the website and there will be volunteers at Pride.”
Individuals who want to help can also give money through the Washington Won’t Discriminate website, or set up a presentation on Trans issues for their organization, church, or business. Washington Won’t Discriminate will also do outreach to key groups like organized labor and faith communities, Kirby says. The SAFE Alliance, which was originally founded in January to counter anti-Trans legislation, will take on a public education role. “We’ll be working with the Faith Alliance chapters in hub cities – Spokane, Olympia, the TriCities,” Kirby told SGN. “Gender Justice League [whose executive director, Danni Askini, recently dropped out of her 43rd District legislative race to devote her time exclusively to the I-1515 campaign] will focus on the SAFE Alliance side. “We’re not just asking people for money. There’s something all of us can do to help.” Washington Won’t Discriminate can be reached at http://www.washingtonwontdiscriminate.org/.
We are paper by Janice Van Cleve Special to the SGN The Republicans have suddenly discovered gender! In spite of the fact that there is zero evidence that transgendered people have attacked, molested, gawked at, or harassed other people in restrooms, locker rooms, etc. and in spite of the fact that transgendered people usually use these facilities totally unnoticed by anybody else, the Republicans have suddenly declared a state of emergency. North Carolina passed a law demanding that everybody must use gender-segregated facilities that agree with the gender assigned on their birth certificate. North Carolina Governor Pat McCrory has even sued the federal government to preserve his discriminatory bathroom law. US Attorney General Loretta Lynch immediately fired back with a federal lawsuit against North Carolina. Where could this lead? Let’s start with the Republicans. First of all, it is often very difficult to spot who is transgendered and who is not. After all, the state doesn’t make you wear a purple triangle when you figure out that your gender identity does not match the gender you were assigned. Secondly, who makes the call and on what basis? The North Carolina law and Washington state’s own Initiative 1515 leave open the door for anybody to challenge anybody. In theory, somebody could challenge Governor Pat McCrory outside the restroom in his own capitol building. Thirdly, these measures claim that the facility you use must match the gender marked on your birth certificate.
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Who carries their birth certificate around with them? The Republicans claim that they are protecting privacy but how invasive is it for any stranger to come up to you and demand to see your birth certificate? Just what is gender anyway? You pop out of the womb, the doctor smacks your butt, takes a cursory glance between your legs, and declares that you are a boy or a girl. There is no chromosome analysis or psychological evaluation. They tape a silly pink or blue bow to your bald head, take a photo, and slap an M or an F on your birth certificate. There’s no science involved and you are not consulted. Some babies are born with indistinct or dual genitals. The doctor arbitrarily decides what gender the baby will be with consent of the parents and performs surgery to make it so. Bottom line, gender is assigned by authorities regardless of your actual gender identity. Let’s look at the federal position. Title VII and Title IX of federal law ban discrimination on the basis of sex. Both the Justice and Education Departments have defined sex to include transgendered people. Since these so-called bathroom laws are not limited to bathrooms, but also include showers, saunas, and locker rooms, the federal counter suit would apply to these facilities as well and maybe go even further. For example, if a transman cannot be banned from a men’s locker room at, say, Husky stadium, then by the same logic he cannot be banned from the Husky’s starting lineup either, provided he meets the weight and other skill requirements. By the same token, a trans-
May 20, 2016
Paper chain people – ludug.com
woman could not be banned from playing on the Seattle Storm team, provided she meets the height and other skill requirements. In other words, this could be the beginning of the end of all gender separations throughout our society. Gender could be relegated to the same non-issue status as hair color. (Some day, hopefully, we will get rid of racial distinctions, too!) Sound far fetched? It is already happening. No less a hyper-macho organization than US Army Special Forces have embedded women in the front lines in Afghanistan for years even before any policy announcement from the Secretary of Defense. The reason is that women in a Muslim country are not supposed to talk to strange men particularly if they are invading their country. Yet immediate intelligence is needed for the success and safety of the American soldiers. So the Army took female soldiers into the front lines to speak with the Muslim women. Women now serve in many formerly
male roles as fire fighters, police, first responders, doctors without borders, front line reporters, pilots, and bishops. Two women have even passed the rigorous Army Ranger training program. Men now serve in formerly female roles as nurses, home health care providers, househusbands, elementary school teachers, cooks, and flight attendants. Who you are has no relation to what you can do. Yet increasingly our society doesn’t care who you are or what you can do. All that matters is your paperwork. You can’t get on an airplane without a boarding pass and sometimes even a passport. You can’t get a job without a Social Security card. If you are an immigrant, you must have documentation or you will be deported. And now in North Carolina you can’t even pee without a birth certificate. We are all losing our human dignity. We are becoming just paper. Janice Van Cleve is a writer in Seattle.
Celebrating 41 Years!
Wells Fargo VP linked to group behind Washington’s anti-Trans I-1515
Jeffery Grubb – nwaccountabilityproject.com
by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer Wells Fargo Vice President Jeffrey Grubb has been linked to one of the rightwing groups behind I-1515, the anti-Transgender initiative that may be on state ballots in November, according to the Northwest Accountability Project. Grubb is on the board of directors of the Murdock Charitable Trust, an innocuously named entity that has handed out money to several anti-LGBT and anti-union organizations. One of the groups the Murdock Trust has funded is the Alliance Defending Freedom, an Arizona-based outfit backing the wave of efforts to repeal LGBT protections across
the country. They were one of the groups behind HB 2 in North Carolina and I-1515 here in Washington state. “Wells Fargo executive, Jeffrey Grubb, as part of the Murdock Charitable Trust’s board, has approved grants to the Alliance Defending Freedom, who are behind the discrimination laws in NC and other states, while Wells Fargo claims to be a supporter of equality and fairness,” said Monisha Harrell of Equal Rights Washington at a May 18 protest at Wells Fargo’s downtown Seattle office. “It’s hurtful to me – and just plain unethical – to run marketing campaigns to bring in the money of LGBT customers while allowing one of your senior executives to work towards hurting our LGBT families and com-
munities.” The Northwest Accountability Project describes itself as a “social welfare organization dedicated to educating the public on the issues that enhance the well-being of middle-class families and workers while shining a light on extremism and the moneyed special interests that attempt to bring an agenda of hate and division to Washington and Oregon.” The group has organized Wells Fargo customers and other community members to demand that Grubb and Wells Fargo sever connections to anti-LGBT and anti-worker funders. Seattle activist groups and a coalition of labor unions have written to Seattle Mayor Ed Murray and the City Council asking them to divest from Wells Fargo.
The Murdock Trust has handed out millions of dollars to anti-LGBT and anti-worker groups including: • Nearly $1 million to the Alliance Defending Freedom. • Nearly $3.5 million to the Heritage Foundation. Heritage Foundation’s DeVos Center for Religion and Civil Society, where a key staff member has called same-sex marriage “a lie” and has advocated for Gay conversion therapy. • More than $200,000 to the Portland Fellowship, an ex-Gay Christian ministry in Oregon that has practiced Gay conversion therapy and advocates for “freedom from homosexuality.” • $375,000 to the anti-worker Freedom Foundation that opposes the minimum wage and has argued against paid sick days.
Jeffery Grubb – nwaccountabilityproject.com
Temporary art works “Seasons All Around” brighten up Lincoln Reservoir Gate House in Cal Anderson Park Opening celebration Sunday, May 22, 11 a.m. to noon Starting this Sunday, May 22, the historic Lincoln Reservoir Gate House at Cal Anderson Park (11th Ave. & E. Olive St.) will host “Seasons All Around,” 14 original temporary art works created by nine Washington Middle School students. The artworks will grace the windows of the gatehouse through December 2016 and feature images inspired by the four seasons. On Sunday, May 22 from 11 a.m. to noon the students, teaching artist and City departments will host an opening celebration of the temporary artworks. The gatehouse project is a collaboration between the Seattle Office of Arts & Culture, Seattle Parks and Recreation’s Out of School Time program at Washington Middle School, Seattle Public Utilities and Seattle Department of Neighborhoods Historic Preservation Program. Students worked with teaching artist Nate Herth over 15 weeks to design and create 14 original paintings reflecting on the park and the vibrancy
of the Seattle. The classes took place at Washington Middle School and the students, representing the many races and ethnicities of Seattle, drew upon their varied prior experience with art, color, and Seattle’s neighborhoods to create this public art installation. The artworks created by the students were photographed and are installed in the gatehouse windows. The Lincoln Reservoir in Cal Anderson Park was built after the Great Seattle Fire of 1889 and put to use in 1901. In 2000 the reservoir was taken out of service and replaced by underground tanks, but the gatehouse remains. The park reopened in 2005 with four additional acres of useable open space. This project was funded by Seattle Public Utilities 1% for Art funds. Office of Arts & Culture | Seattle The Office of Arts & Culture envisions a city driven by creativity that provides the opportunity for everyone to engage in diverse
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Photo courtesy of the Office of Arts & Culture
arts and cultural experiences. The Office is supported by the 16-member Seattle Arts Commission, citizen volunteers appointed by the Mayor and City Council. Find out
May 20, 2016
more at seattle.gov/arts. Courtesy of the Office of Arts & Culture
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SCOTUS rejects review of Trans-protecting precedent by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer The US Supreme Court announced May 16 that it would not accept review of a legal precedent used by the Fourth Circuit Court in their landmark April ruling that public schools must allow Transgender students to use restrooms that correspond to their gender identity. The precedent at issue, known as Auer v. Robbins, was decided in 1997, and held that courts should defer to a federal agency’s own interpretation of its regulations. In the Fourth Circuit ruling, the court said that the Department of Education guidelines on Title IX should prevail. Those rules say that Trans students are protected by the law’s ban on discrimination on account of sex.
CHAOS
continued from cover “the well,” the area right below the Speaker’s chair, and publicly announce the change. That never happened. Instead, Ryan allowed the voting time to extend beyond the regularly scheduled two minutes. During the extra time, Democrats charge, Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy made the rounds and browbeat the handful of GOP Yes votes into switching sides. “The leader [McCarthy] went around and twisted their arms, and they voted for discrimination,” Maloney said. When Maloney complained directly to McCarthy, the
The appeal rejected by the Supreme Court, United Student Aid Funds v. Bryana Bible, did not involve Transgender people at all. It was, in fact, a case about student debt collec-
tion, but it was based on a challenge to the Auer v. Robbins precedent. As is customary when the Supreme Court denies review, the court did not pro-
vide any reasoning backing up its decision. Justice Clarence Thomas did file a dissent, however. Many Supreme Court justices no longer agree with the Auer precedent, Thomas said. “Any reader of this Court’s opinions should think that the doctrine is on its last gasp,” he wrote in his dissent. “Members of this Court have repeatedly called for its reconsideration in an appropriate case.” He noted that Chief Justice John Roberts, Justice Samuel Alito, and the late Justice Antonin Scalia all called for the doctrine to be reconsidered in several cases. Nevertheless, Roberts and Alito did not join Thomas’s dissent. It is not clear if they wanted to hear the case. Four votes are required for the high court to accept review of a case from a lower court, but who voted which way is never revealed to the public.
majority leader told him “to get back on your own side,” Maloney told reporters. “The members who switched are going to hold a very special place in American history as the people who didn’t have the guts to stand up and support the will of the House,” Maloney said after the vote. “They literally snatched discrimination out of the jaws of equality.” When the final 212-213 vote was announced, the Democratic side exploded in anger. Eventually they broke out in a chant, pointing their fingers at the other side of the chamber where the Republicans sit and shouting “Shame! Shame! Shame!” “There will be order in this chamber!”
Ryan exclaimed. “No there will not be!” yelled Rep. Gwen Moore (D-WI), as she pounded her fists on the table in front of her. Minority Whip Steny Hoyer (D-MD) charged that Ryan tossed Congressional rules aside to allow McCarthy to scrape up enough votes to beat the pro-LGBT amendment. The members who changed their votes should have had the courage to step forward, he said. “I was standing in the well. No one came, or no one had the courage to come, into the well to change their vote,” Hoyer said. “Notwithstanding that, the vote just came chang-
ing. How is that possible?” Hoyer then called for a “parliamentary inquiry,” or formal investigation of the incident. According to Hoyer’s office, the Republicans who improperly switched sides included Reps. Darrell Issa (CA), David Valadao (CA), Jeff Denham (CA), Greg Walden (OR), Mimi Walters (CA), David Yong (IA) and Bruce Poliquin (ME). Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL), one of the few Republicans who vote for LGBT rights and who did not change her Yes vote, shook her head in disappointment as the scene unfolded. Ros-Lehtinen has a Transgender son.
Equal Justice Under Law – joemygod.com
Trump on Trans rights: Rescind Obama’s directives, but “protect everyone” by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer As he’s done on many other issues, Donald Trump tried to have it both ways when discussing Transgender rights with the Washington Post. In an interview published May 16, Trump says that as president he would rescind the Obama administration’s directives protecting Trans Americans, but he still wants to “protect everyone.” “It is a very, very small portion of the population,” Trump told the newspaper, “but as I said, you have to protect everybody, including small portions of the population.” Nevertheless, he also repeated the conventional Republican line that Obama had overreached, and that civil rights matters should properly be left to state governments. “I think from that standpoint, [states] should come up with a policy that’s going to work for everybody and protect people,” he said.
16 Seattle Gay News
Trump previously said he thought North Carolina “went too far” with HB 2, the new state law that repeals local civil rights protections for LGBT residents, including the right of Trans people to use gender-appropriate restrooms. US Attorney General Loretta Lynch framed the administration’s directive protecting Trans Americans as an extension of federal civil rights law, but in the interview Trump seemed to deny that Trans rights are civil rights. “I think it’s a people thing,” he said. “I think we have to help people,” he explained. “I don’t view it as civil rights or not civil rights. I think it’s something where we have to help people – and hopefully the states will make the right decisions.” Asked whether he personally knew any Trans people, either as an employer or as a social acquaintance, Trump said he did not. “I have not had any exposure to it at all,” Trump said. “Now, I may not know about it, but I do not think I have any
May 20, 2016
Donald Trump – by Joe Raedle
exposure to it from the standpoint of knowing people.” But Trump said he wants to learn more about Transgender people. “It’s actually a very interesting subject
to me,” Trump said. “It’s certainly an issue that’s getting a lot of play and it’s an issue that I’m studying very closely.”
Celebrating 41 Years!
Nashville Grizzlies host Bingham Cup
On Memorial Day weekend, the Nashville Grizzlies will welcome over 1300 Rugby players and supporters from 42 teams and 11 countries to Music City to compete for the Bingham Cup, the world championship of Gay and inclusive Rugby. The 8th Mark Kendall Bingham Memorial Tournament is named after Mark Bingham, a Gay Rugby player who died on United Flight 93 on September 11, 2001. Mark played for UC Berkeley and the San Francisco Fog RFC, one of the founding members of International Gay Rugby and was instrumental in helping the Fog in their early years. He was also involved in the founding of the Gotham Knights RFC, the Gay and inclusive team in New York City at the time of his death. The tournament is awarded to host teams by International Gay Rugby (IGR). Chartered in 2000, IGR was founded to promote equality and diversity, particularly through the elimination of discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation or identification. Through events like the Bingham Cup and policy work with World Rugby,
ERIC FANNING continued from cover
honored by today’s Senate confirmation and thrilled to return to lead the total Army team,” he said in this statement. Fanning comes highly qualified for the job. He was previously undersecretary of the Air Force and chief of staff to Defense Secretary Ash Carter. Fanning’s nomination comes just five years after the historic end of the discriminatory “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” (DADT) law that prohibited qualified LGB Americans from serving in the US armed forces. His confirmation also comes as the military is preparing to move forward to lift the ban on Transgender service in the military. “We are thrilled to see Eric Fanning finally confirmed as the next Secretary of the Army,” American Military Partner Association President Ashley BroadwayMack said shortly after news spread of the historic confirmation. “His leadership and experience within the defense community together with his sensitivity towards issues specifically facing our LGBT service members and their families make him the ideal candidate to lead our nation’s Army. It has been a long, arduous road to his confirmation, and we look forward to working with him directly in the near future.” Fanning was confirmed by unanimous voice vote, eight months following his nomination. Fanning was nominated to serve as Secretary of the Army by President Obama in September of last year and was later named Acting Secretary of the Army when Secretary McHugh retired, but stepped down while he awaited confirmation by the US Senate. “Eric brings many years of proven experience and exceptional leadership to this new role,” the President said in a statement last September when he nomi-
USA Rugby and other national unions, IGR actively looks to fight homophobia and homophobic behavior on and off the pitch. Since then, IGR has negotiated agreements with World Rugby and with multiple national unions to address homophobia at all levels of the game and to provide logistical support to clubs and events in their local areas. “This is an exciting time for our IGR athletes, coaches, referees and supporters. We are delighted to bring the Bingham Cup Tournament back to the USA for the first time in six years and look forward to the largest and best Gay and inclusive rugby tournament ever presented. Both Nashville and the campus environment of Vanderbilt University provide our participants with an open and accepting environment, with many sights and attractions off the pitch, “ said Jeff Wilson, Chairman, International Gay Rugby (IGR). This is the first year that the tournament has been held in the Mid-South and it represents a major international event for the city – over 6000 hotel and dorm nights have been booked by out of town guests and official events will take players to bars and restaurants across Nashville. “The inclusive and welcoming values that the International Gay Rugby represents is exactly the type of atmosphere we have worked so hard to create – and will continue to defend – here in Nashville, with a thriving
LGBTQ+ community that strengthens the fabric of our city,” said Mayor Megan Barry. Tournament events kick off on May 22, when players start arriving at Vanderbilt University. Training sessions, team practices and social events are scheduled throughout the week until the opening ceremony on Thursday, May 26. Games will be held at Ted Rhodes Park from May 27 to May 29 and the closing ceremony is scheduled for that evening. Tickets are available on Eventbrite and will not be sold at the gate. The tournament’s charity of choice, Tennessee Suicide Prevention Network (TSPN), will be hosting anti-bullying and suicide prevention classes for all interested players and supporters. USA Rugby will also be hosting clinics for players, coaches and officials. “For various reasons, LGBTQ+ people are more susceptible to suicide. They are subject to stressors such as bullying,
discrimination, being closeted, and a lack of support from family and friends. Also, they often have less access to mental health resources,” says Scott Ridgway, TSPN’s Executive Director. “As the Charity of Choice, TSPN will have the opportunity to offer suicide prevention training to players and guests ahead of the tournament, helping to spread the message of suicide prevention across the U.S. and around the world.” “This year’s tournament marks the return of the Bingham Cup to the United States and its first ever trip to the South. We hope you will enjoy some Southern food, plenty of live music and revel in the Rugby brotherhood with over 1,200 players from around the globe,” says Bingham Cup Organizing Committee Chairman, Jon Glassmeyer.
nated Fanning for the job. “I am grateful for his commitment to our men and women in uniform, and I am confident he will help lead America’s Soldiers with distinction.” Fanning’s confirmation was not prolonged because of any question of whether or not he could perform the duties required of the Secretary of the Army, nor was his sexual orientation called into question. Instead, Senator Pat Roberts (R-KS) held up Fanning’s nomination for months to underline his resistance to any possible transfer of prisoners from the detention center at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, to Roberts’ home state. Pledging to close the controversial Guantanamo Bay detention camp was one of the first pledges made by Obama after taking office in 2009. It is a policy Obama has showed renewed interest in during his final months in office. President Obama has lambasted the center as undermining America’s credibility and national security, but shuttering the facility has proved controversial, chiefly because of concern over what will become of the remaining 80 inmates. Obama is thought to be weighing 13 potential sites in prisons and military bases in Colorado, South Carolina and Kansas that can hold the men, if they are released, as well as deporting a good number of inmates back to their home countries. But Roberts said Deputy Defense Secretary Robert Work told him during a meeting that he would be unable to fulfill an order to move Guantanamo detainees to the United States before Obama leaves office in January 2017, so he agreed to vote to confirm Fanning. “The clock has run out for the president,” Roberts said. Work did not confirm that conversation with Roberts, instead, saying that no
option was off the table. “I explained to Senator Roberts that we are trying to achieve the goal of closure with the support of Congress and we recognize that there is limited time left to achieve that support, both in terms of lifting Congressional restrictions and winning approval of funds to execute closure,” Work said in a statement. Leading up to the historic vote on Tuesday, Roberts’ opposition frustrated fellow Republican John McCain, who is the chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee and a strong supporter of Fanning’s nomination. Still, on Tuesday McCain and Roberts appeared in the Senate together as Roberts announced that he had released his “hold” on Fanning’s confirmation. Additionally, McCain noted that this year’s National Defense Authorization Act ensures that the Obama administration does not have the authority to release or transfer Guantanamo detainees to the US mainland. Fanning has never served in the military, but the Army secretary is a civilian position. OutServe-SLDN congratulated Fanning on finally being confirmed as Secretary of the Army in a statement released by the organization’s Executive Director Matt Thorn. “Eight months ago our Commander-in-Chief, President Barack Obama nominated a man who has a resume that is accomplished even by Washington standards to be Secretary of the Army and we can finally and long overdue say congratulations to Eric Fanning on being confirmed as the 22nd Secretary of the Army,” said Thorn. “Eric Fanning’s career is full of superlatives. Just reading Eric’s resume one could only agree that he is more than qualified to be Secretary of the Army. In addition to his stellar qualifications, Eric will now become the
first openly Gay Army Secretary.” “Eric’s sexual orientation has absolutely no bearing on his ability to do this job; nor was it the reason for his nomination,” continued Thorn. “But this milestone of having an openly Gay individual in this high level position within the Department of Defense will help to continue to set a tone of understanding and respect for the LGBT community throughout the armed services.” “Eric knows every military service, the bureaucracy of the Pentagon and Capitol Hill inside and out. And everyone – Democrats and Republicans – agrees that he will undoubtedly serve this post with honor, as he has done in all of his previous positions,” he said. “As an individual who is deeply respected by both uniformed and civilian Department of Defense personnel we are thrilled that he has finally been confirmed.” Thorn says Fanning is not the last stand for the LGBT military community but his confirmation is a significant one, a meaningful one. “When a young girl will see someone like her in charge of the Army that she wants to join, that says something, that evokes something,” Thorn said. “Finally, we applaud and are thankful to the Obama Administration for nominating Eric, sticking with him, fighting for his nomination and now will be able to swear him in as Secretary of the Army,” he said. While his sexual orientation didn’t come up in his confirmation, he has spoken out in the past about Gay service members, saying, “There is a much larger community out there that is looking for opportunities to show its support of us – that’s certainly been my experience as I’ve come out in my professional network, and it’s picking up steam. It’s gone from tolerance to acceptance to embrace.”
May 20, 2016
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The Nashville Grizzlies RFC Division III men’s rugby union club – grizzliesrugby.org
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African AIDS groups barred from UN conference US protests by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer Several African and Asian/Pacific Islander AIDS groups have been barred from a UN conference on HIV/AIDS after Egypt objected to their inclusion on behalf of the Islamic Cooperation group. Among the groups excluded were African Men for Sexual Health and Rights, Ishtar Men Who Have Sex With Men, and the Asia Pacific Transgender Network. Other NGOs from Egypt, Guyana, Jamaica, Peru, and the Ukraine were also banned. US Ambassador Samantha Power protested in a letter to General Assembly President Mogens Lykketoft. “We are deeply concerned that at every negotiation on a new General Assembly gathering, the matter of NGO [non-governmental organization] participation is questioned and scrutinized,” she wrote. “The movement to block the participation of NGOs on spurious or hidden grounds is becoming epidemic and severely damages the credibility of the U.N.
“Given that transgender people are 49 times more likely to be living with HIV than the general population, their exclusion from the high-level meeting will only impede global progress in combating the HIV/Aids pandemic.” Power’s protest was joined by representatives of the EU and Canada. No reason was given for the exclusion of some groups, but diplomats hinted that they were banned because they support LGBT rights in addition to promoting HIV/AIDS awareness. Last year the UN stripped any mention of LGBT rights out of its agreement on development goals after Nigerian Ambassador Usman Sarki insisted that the final document be “cleaned” of pro-LGBT language. The Saudi Foreign Minister also warned the UN not to introduce issues that run “counter to Islamic law,” like LGBT rights. The international agency also sparked controversy by appointing Saudi Arabia to chair a Human Rights Commission panel on violence against women.
US Ambassador Samantha Power – forbes.com
Mariela Castro leads IDAHOT demo in Havana
Mariela Castro – Photo by Stephen Lam
by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer Mariela Castro, daughter of Cuban President Raul Castro and niece of revolu-
18 Seattle Gay News
tionary leader Fidel Castro, lead a march through the streets of Havana May 16, to mark the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia (IDAHOT). According to AFP news service thou-
May 20, 2016
sands participated in the march, making it the largest LGBT event in Cuban history. Mariela Castro is the head of the Cuban National Center for Sex Education, a member of the country’s parliament, and Cuba’s leading LGBT rights activist. A number of US activists also took part in the march, including Freedom to Marry founder Evan Wolfson and Transgender actress Candis Cayne. Mariela Castro said that same-sex couples should be given the right to marry “just as heterosexual couples have” in order to protect their rights. At last year’s IDAHOT demonstration, she infuriated Cuba’s social conservatives by including more than a dozen same-sex marriage ceremonies in the festivities. “The Cuban people are prepared to advance themselves,” she said at this year’s event. “Thanks to President Obama, the restoration of relations between the US and Cuba allows people to travel and exchange ideas, and I am thrilled to now be one of them,” Evan Wolfson told Miami Herald reporters. “I’m no expert and am here to learn, listen, and share ideas, including a better understanding of Cuba’s pathway to the freedom to marry. “Nearly 70% of the people of Latin
America now live in a freedom to marry country. The Cuban people deserve no less.” He added he plans to meet with “a range of Cuban leaders and advocates, fellow conference attendees, LGBT activists and supporters, and our U.S. Ambassador and the Embassy team” during his trip. The Cuban government decriminalized same-sex relations in 1979, allowed Trans people to change their gender markers in 2008, and passed workplace nondiscrimination laws in 2013, but LGBT Cubans still lack other legal protections. In a 2010 interview with the Mexican newspaper La Jornada, Fidel Castro apologized from his government’s previous persecution of LGBT and HIV-positive Cubans. It was “a great injustice, great injustice!” Castro said. “If anyone is responsible, it’s me.... We had so many and such terrible problems, problems of life or death. In those moments, I was not able to deal with that matter [of homosexuals].” Fidel Castro retired as Cuban head of state in 2008, and as leader of the country’s Communist Party in 2011 due to illness and old age. He was replaced by his younger brother Raul Castro, Mariela’s father.
Celebrating 41 Years!
Trudeau introduces Trans rights bill by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has introduced new legislation that will “add gender identity as a prohibited ground for discrimination under the Canadian Human Rights Act, and to the list of distinguishing characteristics of ‘identifiable group’ protected by the hate speech provisions of the Criminal Code.” Trudeau sent the measure to Parliament on May 17, the International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, and Transphobia. The day before, the Prime Minister received the Laurent McCutcheon Award for his support for LGBT rights. The award is named for a pioneer Gay activist who served as president of the Montreal hotline Gai Écoute from 1982 until 2013. “I believe in a Canada where men can give blood, regardless of their sexual orientation,” Trudeau said at the awards ceremony. “Where transgender people are protected by the law. “A Canada where all prime ministers are proud to walk with the LGBT community during gay pride parades.” “We must carry on the legacy of those who fought for justice by being bold and ambitious in our actions,” Trudeau added. “And we must work diligently to close the gap between our principles and reality… “We have worked too hard for us to stop here. Too hard to stop with the progress we have made because I sincerely believe that in Canada we can and we should do more.”
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau – Photo by Lucas Oleniuk
According to CBC News, Trudeau instructed Canadian Justice Minister Jody Wilson-Raybould to prepare the legislation soon after he took office last November. Measures to include protections for Trans Canadians in the country’s Human Rights Act have passed the House of Commons twice before, in 2011 and 2013, but died in the Senate. The first bill to propose
Trans rights was introduced by the NDP (New Democratic Party) in 2004. In the intervening years, most of Canada’s provinces have passed their own legislation protecting gender identity. Nevertheless, federal legislation is still important, according to Canadian Trans activist Amanda Ryan. “It will have a strong psychological impact,” she told CTV.
“There are many people who still deny that transgender people even exist or would rather not see us at all,” Marni Panas, a consultant and activist told CBC. “And when you have a government clearly stating that transgender people are not only protected in Canada, but it says we are welcome here and that we belong here, that’s an important message.”
Worldwide majority OK with Gay sex, new poll says by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer For the first time, a majority of the world’s people think Gay sex should not be criminalized, according to a new poll released May 17 to mark the International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, and Transphobia. The survey of 100,000 people in 75 countries is said to be the largest study of attitudes towards LGBT people ever conducted. The poll conducted by RIWI Corp. and Logo found that 53% of the respondents believed that same-sex relations should not be criminalized. Only 25% said they should be a crime. The last major study of global attitudes, conducted by Pew Research in 2013, found 41% in favor of legalizing same-sex relations. “The picture we are gaining from this survey is the world is a less homophobic place than what we thought before,” Renato Sabbadini, the executive director at ILGA (the International Lesbian,
Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association), told the British news service Gay Star News. In the survey, large majorities in every part of the world agreed that human rights standards should apply to all regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity. Sixty-seven percent of all respondents agreed, with 62% in Africa, 63% in Asia, 69% in the Americas, 71% in Europe, and 73% in Oceania. Only 17% said that LGBT people should not have human rights protections. According to Sabbadini, these favorable public attitudes are reflected in shifting legal standards. “When you look at the number of the countries that criminalize same-sex activity, we’re talking about 75 members of the UN,” he said. “With over 193 countries in the world, it’s only a minority of countries which persist in criminalizing same-sex sexual behavior.” Not all the findings in the poll are good news, however. Some 68% of the respondents reported they would be upset
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Source: Pew Research Center
if their child told them they were in love with someone in the same sex. Sabbadini explained that although people don’t want to criminalize Gay sex, they may still be homophobic and op-
posed to family members being Gay. The new survey “gives us hope,” he said, “and at the same time, it clearly indicates there’s a long way to go.”
May 20, 2016
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