Celebrating 40 Years!
Issue 21 Volume 41
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Seattle Gay News SEATTLE’S LGBT NEWS & ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY
Murray wins key endorsements Gregoire, Royer back his campaign for Seattle mayor courtesy washington state legislature
courtesy pinehurst seattle
Former Seattle Mayor Charley Royer and Former Washington Governor Christine Gregoire
by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer Former Washington Gov. Christine Gregoire and former Seattle Mayor Charley Royer have endorsed State Sen. Ed Murray’s bid to become the first openly Gay mayor of Seattle “Throughout his career, Ed Murray has successfully taken on the tough issues, and he’s succeeded by building coalitions no one believed were possible. I’ve seen him do it on transportation, on budgets, and of course on civil rights and marriage equality,” Gregoire said in a statement released May 21. “I believe Seattle would benefit from that kind of collaborative leadership, and I am happy to offer Ed my enthusiastic support,” she added. Gregoire worked closely with Murray throughout her two terms as governor (2005-12), notably on the Marriage Equality Act last year, but also on steps to deal with the state’s ongoing budget crisis. Her relationship with incumbent
Mayor Mike McGinn, in contrast, was notoriously frosty. In 2010, in the midst of controversy over the projected waterfront viaduct replacement, McGinn publicly insulted Gregoire when she announced bids on the deep-bore tunnel to replace the Alaskan Way Viaduct. “I don’t believe we can trust the governor to keep her promise to protect us,” McGinn told a press conference. BURGESS DROPS OUT Royer, a former TV news anchor who went on to become a popular three-term mayor (1978-89), had been a Tim Burgess supporter until Burgess dropped out of the race May 17. Royer endorsed Murray the same day. “Charley and Ed have had a good relationship for a long time,” Murray campaign consultant Sandeep Kaushik told SGN. “When Ed was first thinking about running for mayor, he talked with see murray page 5
Jim cash
raises big bucks City leaders take Pride Purr with bartender ‘auction’ in historic celebration Rainbow flag to fly at Seattle City Hall during June Keraelk
by Sam West Special to the SGN It has been nearly 40 years since the first Pride celebration in Seattle, but this year will be the first in which city leaders display the rainbow flag at City Hall throughout the entire month of June. In an official press release, Mayor Mike McGinn said the flag, which will be raised at a public ceremony June 1, represents Seattle’s commitment to equality. “By flying the flag over Seattle City Hall, we honor that commitment to leading by example in the march toward equal rights for all,” McGinn said. Seattle City Hall has been the site of several major firsts in the Gay community recently. The city is one of the first in the country to offer Transgender-oriented medical benefits to its employees, and officials signed a legal brief to the U.S. Court of Appeals denouncing the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA). After Washington voters ap-
2013 Bartender Date Auction for the Inspire Youth Project
by Albert Rodriguez SGN A&E Writer
Flesh sells. Just ask any of the participants at Wednesday evening’s “Bartender Auction,” hosted by GLAMAZONIA at Purr Cocktail Lounge in Seattle’s Capitol Hill neighborhood. An annual see flag page 6 fundraiser for the Inspire Youth
Project (formerly Rise n’ Shine), this year’s event raised over $32,000 at press time, but according to restaurant-bar owner Barbie Humphrey that total is likely to increase when money from raffle tickets is added to the final tally. see purr page 6
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Seattle Gay News
May 24, 2013
Celebrating 40 Years!
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Married May 25, 2013 Wishing you a long and happy life together. Your strong commitment is a shining example for all of us. From your friends at Seattle Gay News Visit us online www.sgn.org
May 24, 2013
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Charting a new course for LGBT youth Philadelphia’s Community Academy lives up to its name
Rev. Barbara Allen, Eric Andrews-Katz, Madelyn Arnold, Maggie Bloodstone, Beau Burriola, Jessica Davis, Ron Anders, Jessica Price, Milton W. Hamlin, Scott Wittet, Nevin Jefferson, Jason A. Miller, Liz Meyer, Rod Parke, Don Paulson, Scott Rice, Leslie Robinson, Richard Kennedy, Rex Wockner
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Nate Gowdy, Joseph P. Herron, Shaun Knittel, James Whitely National Advertising Rep. Rivendell Media (212) 242-6863 Website Designer Barry Thorsness/Digital Team Works Seattle Gay News is published weekly by Frogs and Ink, Inc. © 2013, Frogs and Ink, Inc., all rights reserved. Reprints by permission.
Publication of names, photographs or likenesses of any person, organization, event or business in this publication cannot be taken as any indication of the sexual orientation of the person, organization, event or business. Opinions expressed in bylined articles, columns, and letters are those of the authors only and do not necessarily reflect the views of the staff or management of this paper. Seattle Gay News welcomes unsolicited material, including letters to the editor, but reserves the right to edit or reject material. All rights revert to authors upon publication. We assume no liability for loss or damage of materials, solicited or not. We invite feedback, please write. And please play safe. It is our policy that no money shall be refunded if you choose to cancel your subscription or ad. However, credit towards any size ad will be given for the balance owed. No exceptions.
Community Academy of Philadelphia
by Mark Segal Philadelphia Gay News Community Academy is much like any other charter school in big-city America: trying to sketch out an existence for students who somehow don’t make it in the typical urban school system. All I knew
In Loving Memory Of
Steve Foiles, Scott Roger Alpert, Cookie Andrews-Hunt, James Leland Moore, Randy Peters, Lee Richeson, Shaun Shelton, Jim Tully, James Arnold
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Seattle Gay News
dents and teachers streaming through the halls, engaged and excited to be there. You can also note that they are all wearing, with some pride, the school jacket with its crest.
file photo
Executive Assistant Mike Andrew Staff Writers Mike Andrew, Miryam Gordon, Anthony Greer, Shaun Knittel, Albert Rodriguez, James Whitely Contributing Writers
op-ed
May 24, 2013
COMING OUT, THEN & NOW I was introduced to the school’s founder and CEO, Joe Proietta. He explained the mission of the school and then led me into a room where students who self-identify as LGBT were waiting for us to have a discussion. Most members of the group were over 14 and female. After Angel introduced me, I was sort of at a loss for words, realizing that I was speaking to a group of Gay youth, and that is how I started out my chat. Some 40 years ago, we organized an organization to help endangered youth – people like them – but at that time it was not safe to come out at school or have your school officials support you. All of a sudden, I turned the tables and asked them what their lives were like and what coming out was like for them. They were all bright, eloquent, and very much in control of their lives. Most said they had come out around 12 or 13 but had known they were Gay all their lives. Many had parental problems but they were determined not to allow that to get in their way. And many of the students were at Community Academy because the school embraced them, and they said they would not be in any school if it were not there. Some take public transit for an hour and a half to make it to school every day. The biggest surprise was their lack of knowledge of particulars about their city’s LGBT community or the Gayborhood. But it really shouldn’t have been a surprise, since they see themselves as being able to fit in anywhere and with anybody. Some charters have a particular mission – like academic, artistic, or even a sports-centric curriculum. Community Academy is designed to embrace endangered youth and make them feel welcomed and help them grow. I guess what I’ll remember is what at first seemed strange to me. Two of the girls, ages 16 and 17, had been together for two years. They said it in an open room with their teachers and principal looking on, and no one was shocked or surprised. When I mentioned that to a friend later, he said, “That’s sweet, it’s a high-school romance.” Here’s to the future. It’s a bright one.
about Community Academy was that it was the first and oldest charter school in Philadelphia, in existence for 33 years. But I discovered there was a lot more I didn’t know about this pioneering institution. My recent invitation to speak at Community Academy came from former City Council member Angel Ortiz and, in all honesty, I had zero time to prepare. So as I got in the car with Angel, I actually heard myself say, “So, tell me where we are going, who I am speaking to, and what is this all about.” Angel laughed and said, “Put on your seatbelt. I’m taking you to the barrio.” And he was. Community Academy is a fortress-like structure in the middle of the inner city. The parking lot is guarded, and you feel as though you’re entering a Mark Segal is publisher of PGN and the prison. Inside, there are more guards and a metal detector, but once you get through nation’s most award-winning commentathat maze, the world changes dramatically. tor in LGBT media. He can be reached at You enter a modern building with stu- mark@epgn.com.
Celebrating 40 Years!
Local news
Funding our future 44 students receive GSBA Scholarship Fund awards Board Presidents Sue Gunderson and Bentley Main, to the personal presentation of the Rich Thoelke Memorial Scholarship Greater Seattle Business Association by Rich’s loving wife Shay and daughter (GSBA) President and CEO Louise Chernin Richelle Monahan, we were reminded of describes last Friday evening at the GSBA the generous support of our fabulous donors Scholarship Awards Dinner as “a night of who have established funds to encourage hopes, dreams, tears, hurts, challenges, our future leaders for years to come.” and triumphs – so poignantly and honestly Notably, Microsoft, for the second year, shared with us.” presented three scholarships to students “It was an unforgettable and remarkable who will pursue a career in technology. Miexperience to listen to the stories of and crosoft also sponsored the Awards Dinner meet nearly all of the 44 students to whom alongside Carter Subaru, Seattle Goodwill, we were honored to award $230,000 on Fri- and Union Bank. day night,” Chernin said in an e-mail to supChernin said the dinner’s keynote speakporters. er, former pro basketball player Kate StarThe GSBA Scholarship Fund has award- bird, reminded GSBA “who our true heroes ed $1.6 million in scholarships since 1990. are ... those scholars and families that stand “Of course, we owe a huge thank-you to up and fight for equality every day.” our wonderful Table Captains, who brought Most of all, Chernin thanked GSBA memwonderful guests who care about LGBTQA bers and donors for “giving financial supstudents and their education,” said Chernin. port and hope to LGBTQA students.” Together, they raised over $96,000 for the “It is because of you and your ongoing GSBA Scholarship Fund. donations, not only at the Scholarship Dinner and the Taste of GSBA, but all year, A MEMORABLE EVENING that provides such important support to our The night was full of touching tributes, students, who often have no other means of Chernin recalled. “From Sean Foy’s pre- support, so that they can go to college,” she sentation of the David Barzilai Memo- said. “Every day that we receive a donation rial Scholarship, to Bob Dlugosh and Don we know that we can continue to grow the McKee’s presentation of the Founders support we give to LGBTQA students.” Scholarship in Memory of past GSBA by Shaun Knittel SGN Associate Editor
Sen. Murray presents award to group that led Approve R-74 campaign
courtesy gsba
Washington United named ‘Champion of Justice’
The GSBA Scholarship Awards Dinner
mer chair of the Washington United coor- couples of my home state – and for all of us dinating committee, accepted the award for who respect and support them.” the group. MUCH WORK REMAINS POWER OF COMMUNITY Murray thanked Washington United for “Washington United for Marriage was on their “astounding work” leading the Apthe front lines, right up until the final ballot prove Referendum 74 campaign to preserve was counted, to make equality a certainty the Marriage Equality Act, adding that for all those around our state,” Murray said. “there is so much more to do.” “And now, the state I love is one step “That’s why right now in Congress I’m closer to ensuring we are not discriminating working to end DOMA once and for all,” against anyone because of who they love. she said. They are proof of the incredible power that “It’s why I’m working on tough new meaa community can have when we come to- sures to combat bullying and harassment in gether to fight for equality.” our schools. And it’s why I have called on Murray was introduced by Stanford Uni- [Veterans Affairs] Secretary [Eric] Shinseki versity Law School Professor Pamela Kar- to allow LGBT veterans and their spouses lan, co-counsel for Edith Windsor, whose to be buried in national cemeteries without challenge to the Defense of Marriage Act delay. was heard by the Supreme Court in March. “And it’s why I’m working to change outRecalling the day that then-Gov. Christine dated policies that say LGBT couples have Gregoire signed this state’s Marriage Equal- to face a paperwork nightmare to be able to ity Act, Murray called it “a day of joy for all file their taxes jointly.” of the loving, committed Gay and Lesbian
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by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer In a ceremony on May 23, U.S. Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA) presented Washington United for Marriage with the Alliance for Justice “Champion of Justice” award. Marylanders for Marriage Equality, Mainers United for Marriage, and Minnesotans United were also honored.
Charley, and Charley was very supportive. “When Burgess dropped out, Ed called [Royer], they had a good conversation, and Charley decided to endorse him.” In a statement, Murray thanked both for their support. “I am honored to have the support of two our state’s most respected citizens,” he said. “They know me and know what I have accomplished, and they know what it takes to govern successfully, so to earn their support for my bid for Seattle mayor is both an important vote of confidence and a great indication of the building momentum behind this campaign.”
“Alliance for Justice is a national association of over 100 organizations, representing a broad array of groups committed to progressive values and the creation of an equitable, just, and free society,” the group’s website says. McGINN LEADS IN POLL Murray presented the award at a luncheon Kaushik added that Murray’s campaign attended by more than 600 public officials, progressive leaders, lawyers, public-interest was happy with a recently released KINGadvocates, and activists. Amy White, for- TV poll showing Murray in third place,
behind McGinn and former City Council member Peter Steinbrueck. “It’s very good news,” he told SGN. “For an incumbent mayor to get only 22% – it shows his vulnerability.” The poll gave McGinn the lead at 22%, but 23% of respondents said they were undecided. Steinbrueck came in second with 17%, followed by Murray at 15% and current City Council member Bruce Harrell with 12%. The poll’s margin of error is 4.3 points. “Remember that Ed had only a week to campaign,” Kaushik said, referring to the window between the end of the regular legislative session and the beginning of the special session called by Gov. Jay Inslee. As a sitting state senator, Murray is not permitted to raise campaign money while the legislature is in session. “The poll shows that our momentum is building, and we’re in a very, very strong position to pull away before the [August 6] primary,” Kaushik added.
Rich Full-Bodied Cafes Savory Homestyle Soups & Sandwiches Visit us online www.sgn.org
May 24, 2013
Seattle Gay News
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Whose streets? Our streets! SOSea launches Block Watch program with neighborhood anti-crime march Daniel HanksSocial Outreach Seattle
Shaun Knittel (l) leads the anti-crime march on Seattle’s Capitol Hill
by Shaun Knittel SGN Associate Editor
sage was clear: OUR NEIGHBORHOOD BELONGS TO US, NOT HATE.
We are not going to take it anymore. And if you are a criminal, or involved in violent activity, we are watching you. From business owners to their employees and the very neighborhoods criminals terrorize, people have begun to fight back. And it is just the beginning. I led the Wednesday night (May 22) march from Capitol Hill’s Seattle Central Community College (SCCC), a site where several recent attacks have taken place, to Plymouth Pillars Park on Pike Street near I-5. My organization, Social Outreach Seattle (SOSea), has had four of our founding members suffer attacks in just six months. The neighborhood has taken on a different feel these days, and enough is really enough. Trading in freedom for fear is not something that we are ready to do. The mes-
BLOCK WATCH Criminals need to know that we’ve set up a neighborhood Business Block Watch. The business part made a few people uncomfortable for whatever reason, but it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to see why we did this. You see, businesses employ people, and not everyone who works at the hundreds of Capitol Hill stores, bars, and service-based nonprofits lives on Capitol Hill. When they join Block Watch their employees receive training from SPD and other emergency response personnel that they can then take back to work with them – and home to their own neighborhoods. So, as you can see, this is the fastest way to reach the greatest number of people, living throughout Seattle and its surrounding areas. SPD has agreed to train these employees
purr
ders will go on activity-themed dates, according to Humphrey, which include a Mariners game, bowling night, and the “golden ticket” grand prize, an indoor skydiving experience. In addition to the bidding, raffle tickets were sold for $25 each, the winner receiving a date with the bartender of his or her choice. If you didn’t make it, there’s always next year – so start saving your pennies, especially if you want a piece of Rusty!
continued from cover The Inspire Youth Project (http://inspireyouthproject.org) aims to assist at-risk boys and girls with programs that foster a more stable and healthy social environment for them. Through mentorship, summer camps, peer support, teen retreats, and advocacy, participants learn to cope with challenges in their personal lives and households. Hunky bartenders and a curvaceous female drink pourer from Purr, R Place, Lobby Bar, Madison Pub, and Diesel stripped down to colorful skivvies (provided by Under U4 Men) and paraded in front of a crowd of 250-300 people, including members of the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence. So who raised the most cash? Purr hottie Rusty Martin (in tighty whities) raked in $13,000, after a bidding war between two buyers ended amicably with both men pooling their donations and each earning a date with him. All bartenders and winning bid-
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Seattle Gay News
flag
continued from cover proved marriage equality at the ballot box last November, city officials began performing the state’s first same-sex marriages – more than 100 couples tied the knot at City Hall in just one day. So it makes sense that the city would be keen on making history by flying the flag this year, as Seattle has one of the highest ratios of LGBT people to total population of
May 24, 2013
(and it is open to citizens who don’t work on Capitol Hill) four times a year. The trainings would take place at an LGBT advisory council meeting with SPD. The first training is being planned for September, in which citizens will learn from 911 operators. The Block Watch program consists of a sticker (or, if your storefront is online, a digital logo) that is placed in the window of the business. The sticker, which is colored like a rainbow Pride flag with the silhouette of the city and Space Needle, reads SAFE SPACE. That is to let criminals know they are being watched and also to let victims of crime know they have a place to receive comfort from trained employees while waiting for SPD to arrive – or to call SPD in the first place. DIVIDED WE FALL I was honestly shocked, though not deterred, when I announced this program and a number of community members attacked
any city in the United States. Unlike at the Space Needle, where the flag waved in 2010 and 2011, the city’s raising of the flag probably will not be a sporadic event, said Hill Wolfe, chair of programs and outreach for the Seattle LGBT Commission. “Our feeling is that the city of Seattle will continue to support LGBTQ Pride Month,” he said. COOPERATIVE EFFORT The Seattle Office of Civil Rights, the mayor’s office, and the LGBT Commission all worked together to bring the June 1 event to fruition. And it turns out that the city had been planning to display the Pride flag for at least several months prior to the Space Needle’s decision not to fly it this year. “This event was conceptualized and planned before we engaged in the process of encouraging the Space Needle to fly the Pride flag,” Wolfe said. The LGBT Commission described the Pride flag as a symbol “to celebrate the di-
it. I think I see why the criminals think they can come to the Hill, hit us, and run – a house divided cannot stand. Although most business professionals and organizations seem to get along, there are always those who seek to divide and criticize the positive efforts of others. I’m still waiting to see any results from those who criticized my efforts. Business for Block Watch is booming. SOSea, along with SPD officials, will begin to show up at neighborhood businesses and organizations and enroll them for Block Watch. Little to no pushback has been received from owners and managers – the program will be in most of these businesses. That is really going to pound the message home to criminals that WE ARE WATCHING. Crime is not welcome on our Hill. KEEPING IT PEACEFUL Throwing rocks, breaking windows with bats and skateboards, or worse, is called vandalism. Vandalism has no place on the Hill either. That is criminal activity. Be a good citizen and do not engage in this type of behavior. Be a good neighbor and if/when you see these things happen, get a good description of the offender and call it in. There was only one message on Wednesday and we said it over and over again so that our rally, and peaceful march thereafter, was not hijacked by any other group or organization trying to prove its point. The speakers, Mac McGregor, Temper Ruska-Roma, and Robbie Turner, were excellent, respectful, and educational. SOSea and the guest speakers are not pandering to City Hall, SPD, or anyone else by not shouting anti-SPD chants. On the contrary, we are asking people to be accountable for their own actions and to be good citizens. SPD is not the answer to the rise in violent crime on the Hill. We, the people, are. It is our Gayborhood, so why not protect it? Why not protect each other? There is no good reason not to. As we marched down the street, behind a banner that read OUR NEIGHBORHOOD BELONGS TO US, NOT CRIME, people driving by honked and waved, other came out of businesses and cheered, and the roughly 60 marchers became one giant voice for peace in our streets. I am proud of what we did. I am hopeful for what we will accomplish. For information about Block Watch and the training dates, or announcements of when and where our next self-defense class will be held, go to www.socialoutreachseattle.com. versity and vibrancy of the LGBTQ communities in Seattle and throughout the world.” That’s why the commission, other local LGBT organizations, and many private citizens have been lobbying the owners of the Space Needle to fly the Pride flag this year. But since the Space Needle’s owners so far have shown a reluctance to fly the flag, the community can hoist its emblem and excitedly kick off Pride Month at City Hall instead. Mayor Mike McGinn and State Sen. Ed Murray will speak at the event, and leaders of local LGBT organizations will help with the official raising of the flag. Seattle entertainer DonnaTella Howe is the scheduled emcee. The Pride flag-raising ceremony, which is free and open to the public, will take place in the City Hall courtyard (600 4th Ave.) on Saturday, June 1, from 3:30 to 6:30 p.m. The flagpole is on the corner of 4th Avenue and James Street.
Celebrating 40 Years!
national news LGBT immigrants get the shaft Protections for same-sex partners removed from Senate bill J. Scott Applewhite
that two amendments to the immigration bill that would have included protections for their families are being left out.”
HRC: FIGHT NOT OVER “As we come together as a nation to tackle our broken immigration system, it is deplorable that a small number of senators have been able to stand in the way of progress for Lesbian and Gay couples torn apart by discriminatory laws,” HRC president Chad Griffin said in a statement. “We are extremely disappointed that our allies did not put their anti-LGBT colleagues on the spot and force a vote on the measure that remains popular with the American people. We will continue to work hard to include binational same-sex couples as the bill moves to the floor and remain committed to the underlying principles of inclusive and comprehensive immigration reform. We owe it to the estimated 267,000 undocumented LGBT adults and estimated 24,700 LGBT binational couples living in the U.S. today to get the job done.” “We remain steadfast in our commitment to passing compassionate, comprehensive immigration reform that will provide a pathway to citizenship for the 11 million undocumented men, women, and children living in our country, including at least 267,000 LGBT undocumented immigrants,” said (l-r) Senator Chuck Grassley, Sen. Chuck Schumer, and Senate Judiciary Committee ChairRea Carey, executive director of the Nationman Patrick Leahy confer as the Senate Judiciary Committee assembles to work on a landal Gay and Lesbian Task Force. mark immigration bill to secure the border and offer citizenship to millions. “We are disappointed that certain senaby Mike Andrew Franken (D-MN) also agreed that removing tors threatened the entire immigration rethe amendment was better than sinking the form bill simply because it affords 28,500 SGN Staff Writer same-sex binational couples equal immientire immigration bill. gration rights. At the same time, we thank The U.S. Senate Judiciary CommitSenator Leahy for standing up for these LEAHY ADMITS DEFEAT tee passed an immigration reform bill this A mere 30 minutes after introducing families. A majority of Americans – 53 week and sent it to the full Senate for debate – without an amendment that would have Amendment 7, Leahy withdrew it. “It is with a heavy heart,” he said, “I will enabled same-sex partners of U.S. citizens to become legal residents and, eventually, withhold the Leahy Amendment 7 at this point.” citizens themselves. The Judiciary Committee then voted 13 As he promised, Judiciary Committee chair Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT) introduced to 5 to send the bill to the full Senate, with “Leahy Amendment 7” to recognize same- Republicans Lindsey Graham, Jeff Flake, sex marriages for immigration purposes on and John McCain joining the committee’s the same basis as opposite-sex ones. That Democrats in voting for the measure. Cheers and chants of “Sí, se puede!” would entitle foreign-born Gay and Lesbian spouses preferential treatment in getting a broke out among spectators in the committee chambers when the vote was announced. Green Card and U.S. citizenship. “I don’t want to be the senator who asks ‘A FALSE CHOICE’ Americans to choose between the love National LGBT organizations said they of their life and the love of their country,” Leahy told the committee. “Discriminating were disappointed that LGBT families were against people based on who they love is a excluded from the bill, but many said they still support the goal of immigration reform. travesty.” “Despite the leadership of Chairman Leahy, Judiciary Committee Democrats have REPUBLICANS HOLD FIRM But Republicans, including members of caved to bullying by their Republican colthe so-called Gang of Eight who crafted leagues,” said Rachel B. Tiven, executive the immigration bill, stuck to their previ- director of Immigration Equality Action ous warnings that any attempt to add pro- Fund. “There should be shame on both sides of tections for same-sex couples would cause the political aisle today for lawmakers who them to vote down the whole bill. “If you redefine marriage for immigration worked to deny LGBT immigrant families purposes [as Amendment 7 proposed], the a vote. Despite widespread support from bill would fall apart because the coalition business, labor, faith, Latino, and Asianwould fall apart,” Sen. Lindsey Graham American advocates, Senators abandoned (R-SC), a Gang of Eight member, said last LGBT families without a vote.” Leaders of the Boy Scouts of America “We are disappointed that Senator have voted to repeal the organization’s demonth. “It would be a bridge too far.” Committee Democrats said they sup- Schumer and his ‘Gang of Eight’ colleagues cades-long policy barring openly Gay youth ported Leahy’s amendment in principle, but accepted a false choice between LGBT from membership. Openly Gay Scoutmaswere reluctant to endanger immigration re- families and immigration reform, when the ters, however, are still not permitted. truth is that including LGBT families from form for the sake of one amendment. More than 1,400 volunteer leaders nation“I think [the Leahy amendment] sounds the outset would have strengthened the wide voted May 23 to approve language that like the fairest approach, but here’s the bill,” she added. said no prospective Scout henceforth would “Immigration reform is not comprehen- be turned away “on the basis of sexual oriproblem – we know this is going to blow the agreement apart,” Sen. Dianne Feinstein sive if it leaves some families behind,” said entation or preference alone.” The vote, an(D-CA) explained. “I don’t want to blow Emily Hecht-McGowan, Family Equal- nounced just before this issue of SGN went ity Council Director of Public Policy. “Our to press, reportedly was over 60% in favor this bill apart.” Sens. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Al families are absolutely devastated to learn of the change.
percent – believe that all consenting adults should have the right to get married and that gender should not play a role in who is considered family.” OBAMA WELCOMES VOTE President Obama said that both political parties had given ground on the immigration issue, and he called for a Senate vote as soon as possible. “I applaud the Committee members for their hard work, especially “Gang of Eight” members Senators Schumer, Durbin, Graham and Flake,” the President said. “None of the Committee members got everything they wanted, and neither did I, but in the end, we all owe it to the American people to get the best possible result over the finish line. I encourage the full Senate to bring this bipartisan bill to the floor at the at the earliest possible opportunity and remain hopeful that the amendment process will lead to further improvements.” Washington’s senators, Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell, have stated they support equal treatment for same-sex couples in immigration law, but neither sits on the Judiciary Committee. Both are also supporters of the comprehensive immigration reform package. LONG DEBATE EXPECTED Republican Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said on May 22 that he would not block a Senate debate on the immigration bill, and Democratic Majority Leader Harry Reid said he would bring the legislation to the floor in early June. Senate staffers have told NPR that the debate on the bill could take more than a month. Even if the measure passes the Senate, Republican House Speaker John Boehner has suggested that he might take up piecemeal reforms, rather than trying to vote on a comprehensive reform bill. The Senate bill has engendered widespread opposition among the party’s core voters.
Scouts approve change to anti-Gay policy
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May 24, 2013
Many conservative parents and groups had agitated against the move, threatening to leave the BSA if its strict anti-Gay policy were modified. But a growing number of Scout troops around the country had welcomed Gay youth despite the ban, reflecting a broader national trend toward acceptance of sexual minorities.
ADULT BAN REMAINS The question of whether to allow openly Gay adult leaders in Scouting was not addressed by Thursday’s vote. LGBT rights advocates pledged to keep up the pressure on the BSA to resolve the issue. “We’ll continue urging corporate donors and public officials to withhold their support” from the BSA until the leadership policy is changed, said Richard Ferraro, GLAAD’s vice president for communications. Many corporations and philanthropic groups, including the UPS Foundation, Merck, the Intel Foundation, and local United Way chapters, have withdrawn their financial support for the BSA, saying its ban on Gay members violates their own nondiscrimination guidelines.
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GOP nearly split on marriage but chooses homophobic candidates by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer A new Washington Post poll released May 20 shows that a solid majority of Virginia voters believe “it should be legal for gay couples to get married.” Virginia Republicans seem to be bucking the trend, however, choosing two notorious anti-Gay politicians to lead their ticket in the November election.
ion on marriage. In the latest poll, self-identified independents also favored marriage equality, 56% to 33%. The Republican nominee for governor, current Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli, is decidedly opposed to marriage equality, however. In fact, Cuccinelli’s record on LGBT rights could be described as dismal. In 2010, Cuccinelli declared that “Gays
courtesy new york magazine
Mixed signals in Virginia
Earlier this year, Cuccinelli unsuccessfully tried to uphold Virginia’s “sodomy” law, in spite of the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2003 ruling in Lawrence v. Texas. According to the poll, 56% of respondents favor equal marriage rights for same-sex couples, while only 33% oppose them. This represents a 20-point shift in public opinion since a similar poll in May 2011. As expected, Virginia Democrats approved of same-sex marriage overwhelmingly – 75% to 21% – but the surprise is that even Republican voters were much more evenly split than in the past. Forty percent of Republicans agreed with legalizing samesex marriage, with 47% opposed. MASSIVE SHIFT In 2006, Virginia’s Amendment One, defining marriage as “a union between one man and one woman,” won handily, 57% to 43%. Eighty-five percent of Republicans voted for that measure. Comparison between this month’s poll and the 2006 vote shows a 63-point swing in Republican opin-
8
Seattle Gay News
are a detriment to our culture.” In 2011, he ordered the Virginia Board of Social Services to deny adoption rights to same-sex couples. That same year he fired an Atlanta law firm working for the state of Virginia because it had declined to defend DOMA for House Speaker John Boehner’s BLAG (the so-called Bipartisan Legal Advisory Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli Group). Earlier this year, Cuccinelli unsuccessfully tried to uphold Virginia’s “sodomy” law, sick people psychologically, mentally, and policy that has now been implemented. It’s an abomination and it’s only going to weakin spite of the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2003 emotionally.” Same-sex attraction “poisons culture, it en us militarily and they need to undo it,” ruling in Lawrence v. Texas that it unconstidestroys families, it destroys societies; it he said. tutionally violates the right to privacy. brings the judgment of God unlike very few In November, Cuccinelli will face off things that we can think of,” Jackson has against Democrat Terry McAuliffe, a forOLD-SCHOOL BIGOT mer Democratic National Committee chair Cuccinelli’s running mate, E.W. Jack- charged. Jackson also called for the reintroduction and longtime ally of Bill and Hillary Clinson, is, if anything, even more anti-Gay. At ton. A Quinnipiac poll taken May 8-13 various times, Jackson has referred to Gays of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” “The military has been decimated by this shows McAuliffe ahead of Cuccinelli 43% and Lesbians as “perverted,” “degenerate,” “spiritually darkened,” and “frankly very Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender [sic] to 38%, with a 2.7% margin of error.
May 24, 2013
Celebrating 40 Years!
AP Photo / Cathleen Allison
Nevada lawmakers approve marriage equality Undoing 2002 constitutional amendment will take time, however by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer The Nevada Assembly voted to repeal the state’s constitutional ban on same-sex marriage on May 23. The vote was a convincing 27-14. One Republican joined 26 Democrats to pass the measure. Republican Michele Fiore, who represents a district in Las Vegas, said she was voting for the repeal because her mother is a Lesbian. “When we started this floor session, I introduced my mother to this body, proudly,” she said. “What is currently in our constitution does not allow her to get married. You see, my mom is Gay. I love my mom with all my heart, and I am who I am today because of her guidance, influence, and how she raised me.” Nevada’s Senate repealed the ban on April 23. HURDLES REMAIN Under Nevada law, the repeal must be passed by the legislature again in 2015, and then must be approved by voters in November 2016. Nevada voters adopted a constitutional ban on same-sex marriage in 2002, when
they passed the Protection of Marriage Act, but polls indicate a growing number of Nevadans have changed their minds. A poll conducted by the Retail Association of Nevada earlier this year found that 54% of voters want the state constitutional ban on Gay marriage repealed, while 43% want it to stay in place. BIG MONEY AT STAKE Some of the state’s largest employers have also embraced changing the law. State Sen. Richard “Tick” Segerblom, a Democrat who represents a Las Vegas district, said in Senate testimony that marriage equality is both a civil rights and an economic issue in Nevada, where weddings are a major industry. “Today was a victory for LGBT equality in Nevada,” said HRC National Field Director Marty Rouse. “We thank our friends on both sides of the aisle in the state Assembly and Senate for taking the first step to repeal the discriminatory ban on marriage equality, a stain to the state’s constitution since 2002.” “While the LGBT community takes a moment to celebrate in Nevada, we can’t take today for granted. We must work to keep pro-equality lawmakers in office,” Rouse added.
Stop living together, Lesbian couple told TX judge enforces ‘morality’ clause in woman’s divorce decree file photo
together. Judge John Roach Jr. gave Page Price 30 days to move out of the house she shared with Carolyn Compton and Compton’s two daughters, ages 10 and 13. Compton divorced her husband, Joshua Compton, in 2011. In the divorce order was a so-called “morality clause” forbidding the custodial parent – in this case, Carolyn – from having a sexual partner spend the night while the children are in the home. Joshua reopened the case last month, disputing the custody arrangements. He requested that Judge Roach enforce the morality clause.
ANTI-GAY BIAS DENIED If the custodial parent remarries, the clause would be void, but Carolyn Compton and her partner may not marry under Texas law. Nevertheless, Judge John Roach Jr. the judge said that the law by Mike Andrew did not specifically target Gay or Lesbian SGN Staff Writer couples. “It’s a general provision for the benefit of A district judge in Collin County, Texas, the children,” the judge said, adding that the has ordered a Lesbian couple to stop living language was gender-neutral.
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Nevada Senator Richard “Tick” Segerblom
According to the Dallas Morning News, the clause is part of the standing orders that apply to every divorce case filed in Collin County and remains in force while the divorce is pending. In the case of the Comptons’ divorce, the clause was also added to their final divorce decree. It has no expiration date. Price and Carolyn Compton said in a statement that they believe the clause is un-
ply with the order, “even though it will be disruptive to their family and has the potential of being harmful to the children.” They are considering whether to file an appeal. IT’S FOR THE KIDS Joshua Compton’s attorney, Paul Key, said his client wanted the morality clause enforced for his children’s benefit. “I see how this creates a situation where
The clause “is a burden on parents, regardless of their sexual orientation, that takes away and unreasonably limits their ability to make parental decisions of whom their children may be around and unreasonably limits what the United States Supreme Court has identified as the liberty of thought, belief, and expression.” constitutional. The clause “is a burden on parents, regardless of their sexual orientation, that takes away and unreasonably limits their ability to make parental decisions of whom their children may be around and unreasonably limits what the United States Supreme Court has identified as the liberty of thought, belief, and expression,” they said. But the couple also said they would com-
[Carolyn] can’t marry Page, while [Joshua] could marry a girlfriend,” Key told the Huffington Post. “But that’s not why we’re doing it. We would have done the same thing if it were some guy that had moved in.” In an interview with the Associated Press, Key added, “The fact that they can’t get married in Texas is a legislative issue. It’s not really our issue.”
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Peace Corps now open to same-sex couples by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer
affidavit before leaving for service that will act as verification of their relationship.”
SKILLS ARE KEY Beginning on June 3, same-sex couples Couples wishing to serve together will may apply to serve together on Peace Corps also have to demonstrate that they qualify assignments, the agency has announced. “Service in the Peace Corps is a life-de- for assignments at the same post. Volunteers fining leadership experience for Americans serve in the fields of education, health, eco-
“I am proud that the agency is taking this important step forward to allow same-sex domestic partners to serve overseas together.” nomic development, environment, agriculture, and youth development. Many factors may affect placements, the agency says, including an applicant’s overall competitiveness, program availability, departure dates, and safety and medical accommodations. “For any applicant, the number-one factor in determining an assignment is the demand from host countries for skilled volunteers,” Sarah Blazucki, a full-time Peace Corps employee, wrote on the Bilerico Project blog. Opposite-sex spouses have been able to serve together since the beginning of the Peace Corps in 1961. About 7% of all Peace Corps assignments are currently filled by married volunteers. The Peace Corps began to offer domestic partnership benefits to its employees in 2010, after the Obama administration directed federal departments and agencies to do so.
16 Seattle Gay News
May 24, 2013
think progress
who want to make a difference around the world,” Peace Corps Deputy Director Carrie Hessler-Radelet said in a statement released May 21. “I am proud that the agency is taking this important step forward to allow same-sex domestic partners to serve overseas together.” According to the agency, “The Peace Corps requires formal documentation for all couples who want to serve, and same-sex domestic partners will be required to sign an
Celebrating 40 Years!
northwest news
TWISTED CABARET MAY 2-26 www.twistedcabaret.com
TRIANGLE RECREATION CAMP – THE MILITARY PARTY WEEKEND MAY 24-27 www.trc.org GAY CITY HEALTH PROJECT – “THE SEATTLE PROJECT” PHOTOGRAPHY EXHIBIT From May 9 through June 9, selections from “The Seattle Project,” a body of photographic work from Portland, Oregon based photographer, R. Edward Jack will be on display at Gay City Health Project (517 E. Pike St.) along the wall just outside the Gay City library. “The Seattle Project,” which began in 2001, is a collection of photographs that tell the stories of Pacific Northwest men who have faced significant challenges in their lives from serious health issues and death threats to their own self realizations. These men have offered their images to the Project to give hope and encouragement to others facing similar challenges. www.redwardjack.com. EMERALD CITY HOEDOWN MAY 23-27 This Memorial Day Weekend (May 2327), Seattle’s Rain Country Dance Association is hosting the Emerald City Hoedown, also the 20th annual convention hoedown of the International Association of Gay/ Lesbian Country Western Dance Clubs. GLBTQ country-western dancers from all over North America will be attending, with over 350 attendees expected at the height of the weekend – the largest IAGLCWDC convention hoedown in many years. The event will benefit local charities Camp Ten Trees, providing summer camp for GLBTQ youth and those from GLBTQ families, and PFLAG of Seattle, earmarking funds to serve non-metro and rural areas in Washington state. The weekend features over 50 dance workshops and education forums – everything from two-step and line dance classes to cowboy boot care and how to make your club a non-profit – with 30 instructors, including world-class names such as John Lindo, Michael Barr, Michele Burton, Ari Levitt, and Judy McDonald. In addition to three full days of classes, there are four nights of dancing, with breakout rooms dedicated to swing and line dancing as well as country couples dancing. The weekend also plays host to the IAGLCWDC championship dance competition, featuring competitions in seven couples dance styles, line dancing, and dance teams. The event will be held at the Renaissance Seattle Hotel (515 Madison St.). And if that’s not enough, Rain Country has set up a number of social events during the weekend, ranging from morning and late night snacks to dedicated social hours for both women and men, on to a whale watching tour, a wine and chocolate tasting tour, and a city landmarks dance tour of the downtown Seattle core – line dancing at Pike Place Market, swing dancing at the Space Needle, and so forth. Seattle is a major vacation destination, and Rain Country wants their attendees to be able to take good advantage of what Seattle has to offer. Weekend package registration is available for $139, and various smaller packages – day passes, evening dances, and single workshops – will be available at the event. For full details on the event, please visit http://www.emeraldcityhoedown.com.
ship match. Sunday will feature elimination matches and the Championship Match. FREE admission for spectators with a beer garden for your refreshment. In the evenings there will be social events at neighborhood bars on Capitol Hill. On Thursday, May 23, Purr Cocktail Lounge (1518 11th Ave) will host a pre-tournament welcome party. On Friday, May 24, the Quake will welcome fellow ruggers with a reception at The Cuff Complex (1533 13th Ave.). On Saturday, May 25, Madison Pub (1315 E. Madison St.) will host a light social following the day’s matches. On Sunday, May 26, following the elimination and championship matches, a hosted drink-up at The Cuff Complex will be held, sponsored by Alaska Brewing and Piecora’s Pizza, followed by a special Kangaroo Court and the AfterShock closing dance party. On Monday, May 27, there will be a $5 post-tournament all-you-can-eat brunch at C.C. Attle’s Bar & Grille (1701 E. Olive Way). www. magnitude15.org. NORTHWEST FOLKLIFE FESTIVAL MAY 24-27 www.nwfolklife.org
AROUET PRESENTS “THE TEMPERAMENTALS” – A CHRONICLE OF GAY HISTORY On Friday & Saturday, May 24 & 25, at 7:30 p.m., at The Ballard Underground (2220 NW Market St.), Arouet and Alfed Zern Hill present the Northwest premier of “The Temperamentals” by Jon Marans. “The Temperamentals” chronicles the early days of the Gay Rights movement, almost 20 years before Stonewall, told through the love affair between Communist Harry Hay (who later founded the Radical Faeries) and Viennese fashion designer Rudi Gernreich. In the McCarthy era, when homosexuals were openly persecuted, five men came together and formed the Mattachine Society, the first sustained Gay Rights organization in the United States that paved the way for today’s Gay Rights movement. Tickets: General admission $16 in advance/$20 at the door; student/senior $12 in advance/$16 at the door. www.brownpapertickets.com/event/362590; 1-800-8383006. CAPTAIN SMARTYPANTS – “TALES FROM THE PANTS” On Fridays, March 24 and 31, at 8 p.m., and Saturdays, March 25 and June 1, at 7:30 p.m. and 10 p.m., at Erickson Theatre (1524 Harvard Ave.), Captain Smartypants presents “Tales from the Pants”, drawing from the rich tradition of ghosts stories, urban legends, gothic novels, and horror comics in all their lurid, hysterical glory. Some tales are hilarious, some touching, some startling, some downright slapstick. But they all have Captain Smartypants’ trademark, unforgettable stamp. You’ll laugh. You’ll scream. You’ll laugh and laugh again in “Tales from the Pants.” Tickets: $25. 206388-1400; www.flyinghouse.org GSBA – YOUNG PROFESSIONALS WITH PRIDE On Tuesday, May 28, from 5:30-7:30 p.m., at Bainbridge Graduate Institute (220 2nd Ave. S., Seattle), GSBA (Greater Seattle Business Association), Bainbridge Graduate Institute, OUT for Sustainability, and the Seattle chapter of Out & Equal Workplace Advocates host this month’s Young Professionals with Pride get-together with a focus on sustainability in business and the environment. The GSBA’s Young Professionals with Pride group is geared toward GSBA’s 21-39 year old age range members. Cost: $10-members, $15-nonmembers, $10-students. For more information and to RSVP: www.thegsba.org; 206-363-9188.
SEATTLE QUAKE RUGBY – MAGNITUDE 15S On Memorial Day Weekend (May 2327), Seattle Quake Rugby hosts their Magnitude 15S Rugby Tournament with visiting Gay rugby teams from around the U.S. and Canada. The games will be played on SatQUEER YOUTH SPACE – urday and Sunday, May 25 and 26, at the QUEER POETRY NIGHT Magnuson Park Athletic Fields (7400 Sand On Tuesday, May 28, at 7:30 p.m., join Point Way NE). There will be round robin play on Saturday to determine seeding for Queer Youth Space (911 E. Pike St., buzz elimination matches and the champion- #202 at the door), for a chatbook debut by
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compiled by Rick McKinnon SGN Staff Writer
poet Raven Lachell Tyler. Wheelchair accessible, please do not wear fragrances, always FREE. www.queeryouthspace.com.
“BIG JOY: THE ADVENTURES OF JAMES BROUGHTON” On Friday, May 31, at 6 p.m., at SIFF Cinema Uptown (511 Queen Anne Ave. N.), and Saturday, June 1, at 1:30 p.m., at AMC Pacific Place (600 Pine St.), the Seattle International Film Festival presents “Big Joy: The Adventures of James Broughton.” Desire is a ferociously sweet revolutionary force. This film portrait follows openlyGay poet and filmmaker James Broughton’s creative evolution, from his early days as an experimental filmmaker, to his later embrace of all things desirous and poetic. A glorious celebration of art as liberation, “Big Joy” is brimming with the sheet giddy pleasure of being alive in this world. Or, as the poet himself stated, “I believe in ecstasy for everyone.” QUEER YOUTH SPACE – QUEER POETRY NIGHT On Friday, May 31, at 7 p.m., join Queer Youth Space (911 E. Pike St., buzz #202 at the door), for a poetry reading by Angel Nafis. Wheelchair accessible, please do not wear fragrances, always FREE. www. queeryouthspace.com.
ROSEHEDGE/MULTIFAITH WORKS – 25TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION On Sunday, June 2, at 2 p.m., at Temple de Hirsh Sinai (1511 E. Pike St.), Rosehedge/Multifaith Works celebrates 25 years of community service and hope in the fight against HIV/AIDS with an afternoon of tapas, live music and a silent auction featuring artwork, adventures and airline tickets to support their work. Rosehedge and Multifaith Works (then M.A.P.S.) started in 1988 in response to the AIDS epidemic in Seattle. After 25 years and a successful merger, they are unwavering in their commitment to supporting people living with HIV/AIDS. With the help of over 500 volunteers annually, Rosehedge/Multifaith Works provides housing, compassionate healthcare, and supportive outreach services to men and women living with HIV/AIDS and other life-challenging illnesses. Tickets: $50. www.brownpapertickets. com/event/380827. GILDA’S CLUB SEATTLE – “CAKES & QUEENS” On Sunday, June 2, from 3-6 p.m., Gilda’s Club Capitol Hill (1400 Broadway) presents an afternoon of “Cakes & Queens.” Seattle’s own DonnaTella Howe hosts 5 fierce drag queens at this afternoon soiree and fundraiser featuring a gourmet cake auction, with cakes donated by Seattle’s top bakeries, music by DJ Skiddle from C89.5, BBQ lunch with beer and wine, along with surprises, fun, and more! For $10 advance tickets and additional information, visit www.gildasclubseattle.org. All proceeds benefit Gilda’s Club Seattle.
BOOST: POETRY TO UPLIFT YOUR SPIRITS – A BENEFIT FOR TARA HARDY On Friday, May 31, doors at 7 p.m., show at 7:30 p.m., at Richard Hugo House (1634 11th Ave.), friends of Tara Hardy (local writer and founder of BENT Writing Institute) will host a poetry benefit to help Tara with her sizeable medical expenses SEATTLE OUT & PROUD – ($18,000) not covered by her medical insur“PRIDE IDOL” ance as she continues treatment for her lifeWILD CARD & FINAL threatening illnesses. Tickets: $15-advance, COMPETITIONS $20-at the door. www.brownpapertickets. On Sunday, June 2, doors at 6:30 p.m. com/event/384642. with community karaoke, contest at 8 p.m., at Neighbours (1509 Broadway), join SeatPRIDEFEST GAY DAY tle Out & Proud and your host Robbie TurnOF SERVICE & CAPITOL HILL er for Seattle’s Pride Idol competition. EvCLEAN SWEEP 2013 ery Sunday from April 7 to May 12 talented On Saturday, June 1, from 10 a.m.-noon, local amateur singers have been competing starting and ending at Cal Anderson Park to become Seattle Out & Proud’s 2013 Pride (11th Ave. & E. Olive St.), join PrideFest Idol. The final competitions will be held and Capitol Hill Chamber of Commerce for Sundays, June 2 (Wild Card) (with all the the Seattle Gay Day of Service and Capi- runners-up from the previous six weeks of tol Hill Clean Sweep 2013 as volunteers competition competing for a spot in the final clean up Broadway between Roy Street and competition) and June 9 (Final) (with all Union and the Pike/Pine corridor between the winners of the previous six weeks plus Melrose Ave and 15th Ave. With breakfast the winner of the Wild Card round vying for and coffee provided by Starbucks and lunch the title). Seattle Out & Proud organizes Seprovided by a local pizzeria, organizers attle’s annual Pride Parade in downtown Sewill provide you with an event T-shirt and attle. Seattle Out & Proud’s 2013 Pride Idol cleaning supplies. This is a great way to winner will perform at the Parade Pre-Show start Pride month. Last year over 200 people and on the Pride Idol Float on Sunday, June joined in on the Clean Sweep. This year it 30. www.seattlepride.org will be bigger! www.pridefest.org/gayday; www.caphillchamber.org. “THE VAUDEVILLIANS” WITH JINKX MONSOON FREEDOM SOCIALIST PARTY – On Sunday, June 2, at 7:30 p.m. and 9:30 BENEFIT PARTY FOR p.m., at The Cornish Playhouse at Seattle FREEDOM SOCIALIST Center (201 Mercer St.), Cornish College NEWSPAPER presents Jinkx Monsoon and Major Scales On Saturday, June 1, at 7:30 p.m. at in their musical comedy, “The Vaudevil5236 S. Fontanelle Pl. (Seattle), a birthday lians.” Seattle audiences have a rare opporcelebration for Andrea Bauer, managing tunity to send Jinkx and Major Scales off to editor of the Freedom Socialist newspaper, New York, where they’ve nearly sold out will be held. Bauer is a long time journalist, 10 performances in July. Tickets: $10 genQueer feminist organizer, and muckraker. eral; $25 VIP seating (first five rows). www. An appetizer buffet will complement the brownpapertickets.com/event/384393 affair at a wooded home near Seward Park. Buffet donation $8.00. Proceeds to benGAY CITY HEALTH PROJECT – efit the $100,000 Freedom Socialist Fund MEET THE AUTHOR: Drive. For more info, call 206-722-2453, AMBER DAWN AND email FSPseattle@mindspring.com, or visit MATTILDA BERNSTEIN www.socialism.com. SYCAMORE On Thursday, June 6, from 6-8 p.m., EMERALD CITY Gay City (517 E. Pike St.) presents writer, SOFTBALL ASSOCIATION filmmaker, and performance artist Amber On Sunday, June 2, from 9 a.m.-4:30 Dawn reading from her latest work, How p.m., at North Sea Tac Park (S. 128th St. Poetry Saved My Life: A Hustler’s Memoir. & 20th Ave. S., SeaTac) and Moshier Park Joining Amber will be gender-bending au(430 S. 156th Pl,, Burien), the ECSA, the thor Mattilda Bernstein Sycamore, author of Northwest’s largest LGBTQ softball league, the highly praised memoir, The End of San continues its season at multiple locations. Francisco. The FREE readings will be held www.emeraldcitysoftball.org. in the Calumus Auditorium at Gay City. www.gaycity.org
May 24, 2013
Seattle Gay News 17
health and medicine Heartbreak 101
Coping with loss is an essential part of love by Michael Raitt SGN Contributing Writer All of us, at one time or another, have experienced heartbreak. It is a universal human experience that causes great pain. As well, it is a risk we all take when we endeavor to open our hearts to experience love. If love is so wonderful, how is it that it is associated with such heartache? The answer is because of fundamental elements of being human – we have base emotions. Emotions are hard-wired, and two of the most powerful emotions are love and fear. We often think of them as separate and distinct, yet they exist together and fuel one another. They are like the warm, lifegiving, soothing sun and a dark, catastrophic storm. The sun generates storms, and storms clear and break for the sun. Our emotions cause us to act. Love is an emotion that brings humans together and fear/pain propels humans apart. We like togetherness. We do not like being separate and alone. What does fear have to do with heartbreak? Heartbreak is the pain that comes when our fear is realized. Most of us love love. It feels fantastic! We get excited and all our senses are heightened. We’ve also evolved to associate love with acceptance and safety. This process begins at birth. It is a compelling force of our emotional nature.
We all know that at some point we begin to realize that we are afraid of losing all this that we enjoy so much. This fear is about what we anticipate will happen to us – we will be separated from who we love and, therefore, feel alone. When we do lose the love, we experience pain and that pain we heartache because the prospect of that is too call heartbreak. painful, and they have found a way to tolerate the pain of being single and living alone. EXISTENTIAL DILEMMA A small aside: this process is a little difAs humans, we try to make sense of ferent for most of us in the LGBT commuthings that happen to us in our world. When nity. It is different because, for most of us, we experience emotional pain, we make our straight peers started dating in their teen stories about it to try to understand. For years and learned quickly about heartbreak many people, the stories they create about and pain and getting back in the game. themselves around heartache are that there Many in our community didn’t start dating is something wrong with them and, there- until we were in a different stage of our lives fore, they conclude that they are unlovable. and this created a different way of coping Feeling unlovable creates more pain and with heartbreak. then a dilemma exists. Humans are painavoidant creatures, so with the experience NOT RISKING IS RISKY of pain, will I subject myself to it again or Back to the topic at hand. Unfortunately, will I avoid it? for the latter group – the individuals who are People who are willing to subject them- afraid of subjecting themselves to the pain selves to the pain again, face their fears and again and, therefore, stay single – some of get back out there and date and form rela- them long so much for the love and connectionships once more. They have learned to tion that they experience depression. Their tolerate the vulnerability to the fear of heart- avoidance of pain creates more pain. ache, usually because they don’t want to There is no easy way around this. Individtolerate the pain of being alone and feeling uals have to reconcile that love and pain go lonely. together and if they risk being in love again, Others are afraid of the pain and will not they risk feeling the pain of heartbreak. This subject themselves to the possibility of is reconciled by realizing that we are very
capable of dealing with the pain. We will live through it. We have before. As well, individuals have to undertake the work of redoing the stories they have created about themselves where they tell themselves that they are then unlovable. In my work, I have found many, many lovable people who live by these stories, and these stories couldn’t be more wrong. These stories only serve to keep people separated and away from something they deeply want. We will all continue to be subject to heartbreak. How you let it affect you will determine how you move forward after the pain. If you are not moving forward and are still in pain because you are afraid, it is worth considering doing the work to feel better and move toward one of the greatest human experiences – love. Michael Raitt, M.A., L.M.H.C., is a therapist whose column appears bimonthly in SGN. If you would like to comment on this column, ask a question you’d like him to write about, or suggest another topic of interest, please contact him at askingmichael@comcast.net.
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May 24, 2013
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French President Hollande signs marriage law Homophobe commits suicide in reaction to the news by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer French President Francois Hollande signed his country’s new marriage law, while at least one right-wing opponent of marriage equality literally killed himself rather than live in a France where Gay and Lesbian couples could marry. Hollande fulfilled his campaign pledge to legalize same-sex marriage on May 18, less than 24 hours after France’s Constitutional
The LGBT rights group SOS Homophobie, said that France “has taken a great step forward today, although it is regrettable that it was taken in a climate of bad faith and homophobic violence.” Right-wing opponents of equal rights for Gay and Lesbian couples had staged a series of massive – and violent – anti-government demonstrations both before and after the French parliament passed the marriage law last month. Masked demonstrators stormed through
“I will ensure that the law applies across the whole territory, in full, and I will not accept any disruption of these marriages.” Council dismissed a legal challenge to the new law by right-wing opposition parties. “I will ensure that the law applies across the whole territory, in full, and I will not accept any disruption of these marriages,” Hollande announced. Marriages can begin as early as May 29, because French law requires a 10-day waiting period after a couple procures a license. The first couple slated to be married under the new law are Vincent Autin, 40, the president of Lesbian and Gay Pride Montpellier, and his partner of seven years, Bruno Boileau, 30. Montpellier is a Mediterranean resort popular with Gay tourists.
the streets of several French cities, throwing bottles, bricks, garbage cans, and metal bars at riot police who arrived to disperse them with water cannons and tear gas. The right-wing opposition party, UMP (Union for a Popular Movement) has called for more demonstrations on May 26, even though the marriage issue is legally settled.
French President Francois Hollande
altar of Notre Dame cathedral on May 20, sending tourists scurrying out of the church. Venner left behind a long and rambling blog post lamenting the new marriage law. He was 78. “New spectacular and symbolic actions are needed to wake up the sleep walkers and shake the anaesthetised consciousness,” he wrote. SUICIDAL REACTION It later emerged that Venner had been a In Paris, a prominent opponent of mar- member of the Secret Army Organization, riage equality killed himself in protest. a right-wing terrorist group formed in the Noted right-wing historian Dominique 1960s to prevent the French government Venner shot himself in the head next to the
from granting independence to Algeria. Venner’s suicide was Paris’s second within a week to occur under highly unusual circumstances. On May 16, the day before the Constitutional Council was set to rule on the legality of the new marriage law, a 50-yearold man killed himself with a sawed-off shotgun in front of a dozen children at a private Catholic school next to the Eiffel Tower. According to BBC News, the man had a history of mental problems. It was not immediately known if he was reacting to the new law.
‘LOVE HAS WON OUT’ The mayor of the city, like President Hollande a Socialist, said she would be pleased to perform the first same-sex wedding in the country. “Love has won out over hate,” Montpellier Mayor Hélène Mandroux said after Hollande signed the law. The French minister for the rights of women, Najat Vallaud-Belkacem, said she will attend the wedding.
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Seattle Gay News 19
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Europe not so Gayfriendly, EU poll shows action would be taken. Ioannis Dimitrakopoulos, head of the FRA’s equality and citizens’ rights departThe European Union’s Fundamental ment, told BBC News that he could not be Rights Agency (FRA) has released a new sure whether the reported level of anti-Gay survey documenting anti-Gay discrimina- crime had increased because of a lack of tion in Europe. past data. Based on data collected form 93,000 people in EU member states, plus Croatia, BIAS STILL RAMPANT which is about to join the EU, the report was Physical assaults were not the only probreleased at FRA’s annual conference at The lem, the survey’s respondents said. Hague, Netherlands. Half the respondents reported that they According to the survey, an astonishing felt they had been targets of discrimination 26% of respondents – and 35% of Trans- during the previous year, but 90% of them gender respondents – said they had been said they did not report the discrimination. attacked or threatened with violence in the Twenty percent of Gay or Bi respondents past five years. and 29% of Transgender respondents said Most of the hate crimes documented in they had suffered discrimination in their the FRA report took place in public and in- workplaces or when looking for work. volved more than one attacker. Most attackPoorer and younger respondents were ers were male, victims said. More than half more likely to face discrimination due to of the victims did not report the incident to their sexual orientation, the survey found. the police because they did not believe any Two-thirds of the survey’s respondents said by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer
Anti-Gay marriage protesters in Paris
they had tried to hide their sexual orientation in school. The survey was commissioned in 2007, the same year the FRA was created, after EU member states granted the Union new powers to tackle discrimination. Despite the findings of the survey, Dimitrakopoulos said there seems to be a “pattern across Europe whereby things seem to be improving for the younger generation.” “From circumstantial evidence, it is possible to say that the situation has improved, both in legal terms and in people’s perceptions,” he argued.
MORE ACTION DEMANDED LGBT rights activists welcomed the report but called for stronger legal action by the EU to address the issue. ILGA-Europe, which released its own annual evaluation of LGBT rights in Europe on May 16, told the BBC that a comprehensive EU Anti-Discrimination Directive drafted by the European Commission in 2008 had yet to be approved by EU leaders. “It has been a huge disappointment, like we’re not part of society,” Swiss activist Marloes Schoonheim said. ILGA’s report found “little legislative progress towards protecting LGBTI people from discrimination in accessing goods and services.” ILGA communications manager Juris Lavrikovs noted that homophobic political rhetoric is increasing across Europe. “Look how easily political opinion is being manipulated in Europe, how certain rhetoric can provoke violence, and it is very easy for people to go back into the closet,” he said. “Look at France, which used to be considered a very liberal, very open country. Now it is scary for a Gay couple to walk handin-hand in Paris because of the increase in violence.”
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May 24, 2013
Celebrating 40 Years!
The thrill of it all Remembering the crazy beauty of the coming-out years by Abby Dees SGN Contributing Writer Last night my partner and I watched The Perks of Being a Wallflower, the sweet, slightly retro coming-of-age film featuring Emma Watson in her big post-Harry Potter debut. The plot was more or less about teenagers hanging out after curfew at the
still pleasant enough. My hormones mellowed, my world expanded, and being Gay stopped being so notable – which is how it should be, I suppose, with the passage of time. Most of us, no matter how old we are when we come out, briefly experience a kind of adolescence, if you will: a few years when the most mundane moments take on
discovery – or “gleaming joy” – for a little while more. But most of the time I forget to cut people slack for still being in the throes of discovery. I think it embarrasses me to remember the moment when I realized I might find someone to love after all, or when I learned that I wasn’t the only one who felt the way I did. I imagine how it looks to straight people who wonder why Gays are so obsessed with being Gay, and I don’t want anyone to think that LGBT people actually regress when we come out. It’s not regression, after all, when we never got to experience some of those key
moments of belonging, of first crushes, or tell-all friendship that others did. And yes, there comes a time when it’s important to move on into the ordinary world. Right now, though, if you’re still caught up in those simple moments of endless possibility, I admit that I’m a little envious. Promise me you won’t forget it later.
May 24, 2013
Seattle Gay News 21
Abby Dees is a civil rights attorneyturned-author who has been in the LGBT rights trenches for 25+ years. She can be reached through her website, www.queerquestionsstraighttalk.com.
Most of us, no matter how old we are when we come out, briefly experience a kind of adolescence, if you will: a few years when the most mundane moments take on epic meaning. park or in cars, talking about lives they have yet to live. My partner mused, “Remember how amazing those little things were when you were young?” Oh, absolutely. The film took me back to a time when sharing a contraband cigarette with a kid who was cooler than me could lift me up for a week before I’d revert to being a miserable adolescent. I think this is what 16-year-old super-blogger Tavi Gevinson meant recently when she said that amidst the inevitable horribleness of being a teenager, there are “moments of gleaming joy and beauty.” At what point then did the deliciousness of being slightly delinquent with my friends become merely boring? If I hung out at a park at midnight with my friends now, we’d probably get arrested – if we didn’t fall asleep first. Sadly, and just as inevitably, at some point in adulthood that exquisite brew of limitless possibility, hormones, and fear morphs into acceptance, equilibrium, and experience. More useful, yes, but far less exciting. IT DOESN’T LAST The last time I remember feeling that magic was in the first few years of being “out” as a Lesbian. After a while, though, things got ordinary, and going to clubs or Pride marches became predictable, though
epic meaning. The doors open and we step over the threshold into blazing Technicolor, after what felt like an eternity trapped in muted tones and waiting … for something. All fear and trepidation (there’s lots of that) get completely mowed over by the thrill that we are, at last, totally alive. It’s easy to forget what that feels like until something (e.g., Emma Watson standing up in the open sunroof of a racing car while Bowie’s grand gift to freaks, “Heroes,” blasts through the stereo) triggers old memories. And it’s easy to smirk at those newbies who are “all Gay all the time” as if it were no big deal to be out, even though the f-word continues to be a ubiquitous and vicious slur. KIDS WILL BE KIDS When my friend’s 13-year-old son came out of the closet (not really to anyone’s surprise), he turned right into a miniature Harvey Milk. It was kind of annoying to be lectured about LGBT history that my friend and I remembered first-hand, and which he’d only just discovered on the Internet. Nonetheless, I told my friend to resist the urge to ask her son to talk about something other than being Gay. He was both a teenager and newly out, I argued, and was entitled to enjoy those moments of passionate
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