Celebrating 41 Years! Issue 18 Volume 42
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Seattle Gay News at SEATTLE REPERTORY THEATRE
SEATTLE’S LGBT NEWS & ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY
Human Rights Campaign (HRC) announces Deep South campaign “Project One America” to work on LGBT equality in Mississippi, Alabama, and Arkansas by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) has announced a new three-year campaign to promote LGBT equality and push for new legal protections in three Deep South states: Alabama, Arkansas, and Mississippi. “This substantial and lasting initiative – with a three-year budget of $8.5 million and a dedicated staff of 20 – is the largest coordinated campaign for LGBT equality in the history of the South,” the group said in an April 26 announcement. Called “Project One America,” the initiative will be the first campaign to work exclusively on LGBT equality in Mississippi, Alabama, and Arkansas, where there are no non-discrimination protections for LGBT people at the state or local level in employment, housing or public accom-
modations, and where each state’s constitution expressly prohibits marriage equality. “Right now, this country is deeply divided into two Americas – one where LGBT equality is nearly a reality and the other where LGBT people lack the most fundamental measures of equal citizenship,” HRC President and Arkansas native Chad Griffin said. “Project One America is an unparalleled effort to close that gap, and it opens up a bold, new chapter in the LGBT civil rights movement of this generation. In this grand struggle for equality, we can’t write off anyone, anywhere. “Despite the legal landscape, it’s long past time that the country stopped treating the South like the ‘finish line’ for equality. HRC has more than 57,000 members and supporters in these states, and see HRC page 7
Federal guidelines issued to “We have a deal” protect Transgender students on minimum wage, Title IX further outlines guidelines to protect all LGBT students Murray says AP / Elaine Thompson
by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer The federal government has issued new guidelines to protect Transgender students from sexual violence in schools. In a guidance document issued April 29, the Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights (OCR) makes clear for the first time that Trans students are protected from discrimination and violence under Title IX of the Edu-
cation Amendments of 1972. Title IX, renamed the Patsy Mink Equal Opportunity in Education Act in 2002, after its House sponsor Representative Patsy Mink (D-HI), prohibits discrimination in school programs and activities on the basis of sex. “No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity
receiving federal financial assistance,” the operative part of the act reads. Since almost all public – and many private – schools receive federal funds, Title IX covers most educational institutions in the country. While it is usually thought of as the law which enables girls to compete in school sports programs, Title IX mandates wide-
Mayor Ed Murray
by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer
Seattle Mayor Ed Murray announced a breakthrough in negotiations to raise Seattle’s minimum wage to $15 per hour at a press conference on May 1. “Seattle workers are getting a raise,” Murray said. “Throughout this process, I’ve had two goals: to get Seattle’s low-wage workers to see TITLE Ix page 7 $15-per-hour while also support-
ing our employers, and to avoid a costly battle at the ballot box between competing initiatives. We have a deal that I believe accomplishes both goals.” The plan calls for a phased-in $15 per hour wage – over a threeyear period for businesses with more than 500 employees, and a seven-year period for smaller businesses. see MINUMUM page 5
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Will Republicans back early education? by Senator Patty Murray Special to the SGN
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officers and law enforcement are wrong on the importance of early learning. As a former preschool teacher, I saw firsthand the kind of transformation that early learning can inspire in a child. It’s something I’ve never forgotten. On my last day of teaching preschool, before I left to serve in the Washington state Senate, my students presented me with a large quilt. Each square was made by a student in my class. That quilt now hangs in my U.S. Senate office. It reminds me everyday that investing in young children is one of the most important things we can do. Every child in America deserves the opportunity to get a strong start for their future and for the future of our country. It’s time Congress finally recognized that and supported expanding preschool for more young learners. Patty Murray is the senior U.S. senator from Washington state, Senate budget chair and member of the Democratic Party. Read more: http://www.politico.com/ magazine/stor y/2014/04/early-learni ng- i n i t i a t i ve - gi ve s - k i d s - a - s t ro ngstart-105920_Page2.html#ixzz2zv2q10qZ Fox National Geographic Channel
APRIL 22, 2014 – Before I ever gave much thought to running for political office, I taught preschool in a small community in my home state of Washington. I remember the first day with new students would always start the same way. Some kids would not know how to hold a pencil or turn a page in a book. But over the first few months, they would start to catch on. They learned how to listen to a story and how to line up for recess. By the time they left for kindergarten, they had those basic skills and many more, so they could tackle a full curriculum in school. Early learning gives kids a strong foundation – not just to start kindergarten ready to learn, but also to succeed later in life. Congressional Democrats have introduced a bill that would significantly expand access to early learning programs. Now, I’m challenging Republicans to join that effort. Today, only 28 percent of American 4-yearolds are enrolled in state-funded pre-kindergarten, and access to quality programs varies widely from state to state. But although enrollment in preschool lags, support for early learning programs is nearly universal. Researchers have found that early learning programs can dramatically improve a child’s education attainment, employment and health. And high-quality, early learning programs can have a return on investment as high as 12 percent. When I’ve talked to sheriffs in my state, they tell me that the young people they bring into the police station might have chosen a better path in life if they had a stronger start in school. Last year, a nonprofit group of more than 5,000 law enforcement officials and district attorneys urged Congress to expand early learning as a way to reduce crime and “steer millions of children toward successful lives.” Military leaders also have stressed the importance of early learning investments. Today, one in five high school graduates who try to join the Army cannot meet the minimum requirements, according to Mission: Readiness, a nonprofit group of retired mili-
tary leaders. “How we prepare our youngest kids to learn and succeed has a profound impact on our military readiness,” retired U.S. Air Force Brig. Gen. Douglas Pierce said at a recent Senate hearing. Business leaders and groups like the Chamber of Commerce also support early childhood education because those investments will lead to a stronger, better-educated workforce. Preschool shouldn’t be a partisan issue, and, thankfully, across the country, it isn’t. State lawmakers see early learning as a wise investment. Alabama, Kansas and Michigan – states with Republican governors and Republicancontrolled state legislatures – have recently made stronger investments in early learning. Law enforcement, military leaders, business groups and state lawmakers all recognize the importance of preschool. Unfortunately, one of the few places we’re not seeing strong support for early learning is from Republicans in Congress. The “Strong Start for America’s Children Act,” a bill Senator Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) has introduced, would expand access to early learning programs across the country and help states accelerate efforts to provide high-quality preschool programs. But not a single Senate Republican has joined onto that bill. Representatives George Miller (DCalif.) and Richard Hanna (R-N.Y.) have introduced the House version of the bill. But just two other House Republicans have co-sponsored it. The heart of this legislation is about investing in our children’s potential and the future of our country. It deserves stronger bipartisan support. So I’m issuing a challenge to Republicans. As they travel across their home states and districts, Republicans should talk to groups like local military leaders and police officers. They should listen to educators and business leaders on the importance of early learning. I’m hopeful that more Republicans, after listening to these stakeholders, will sign on to our bill to expand preschool. And, when we return from this recess, I’ll be ready to work with them on their ideas for improving this legislation. On the other hand, if members come back to D.C. still unable to support this bill, they should have to explain why educators, business leaders, military
Senator Patty Murray
Celebrating 41 Years!
Governor Inslee makes a terrific appointment to the Washington State Supreme Court In appointing Judge Mary Yu, Governor Inslee could not have made a better choice to fill the vacancy on our state’s highest court. Judge Yu is an accomplished and first-rate trial judge with a deep record of service both on and off the bench. Judge Yu would add much needed trial court experience to the Supreme Court, having presided over a wide range of criminal, civil, family, and juvenile cases for 14 years. She is held in great regard for her intellect, her extraordinary work ethic, and her commitment not just to create access to justice, but to the application of justice. She is known for approaching each case with an open mind, treating all those who come before her with respect and fairness every time she takes the bench, and understanding that each decision she makes has a real-world impact on the lives of others. Judge Yu has been rated Exceptionally Well Qualified by Washington Women Lawyers, the Joint Asian Judicial Evaluation Committee, the Latina/o Bar Association, the Loren Miller Bar Association, the Cardozo Society Judicial Evaluation Committee and Q-Law, GLBT Bar Association. She
Minimum
continued from cover Once the $15 per hour level is reached, the minimum wage will be linked to the Consumer Price Index (CPI), so that workers will get automatic raises as prices go up. No industry or category of employees will be exempt from any provisions of the deal. For some employees of smaller businesses, employer-paid healthcare contributions and tips can be counted toward the minimum wage goal, but only during the first years of the plan, and that system will be phased out as the $15 per hour wage is phased in. The mayor’s proposal now goes to the City Council. Council member Nick Licata, who also spoke at the event, noted that the Council likes to “leave its fingerprints on legislation,” but added that he would work to “pass this proposal with a minimum amount of tinkering.” Supermajority support mayor’s proposal The announcement resurrected a process that seemed all but dead the previous Friday. After an April 24 press conference at which Murray said he was “close” to brokering a deal between business, labor, and community leaders on his Income Inequality Advisory Committee, negotiations seemed to break down. City Council member Kshama Sawant sent Murray an angry letter on April 25, accusing him of trying an end run around his own advisory committee. “I do not agree with tip and health care deductions, or to wait to include cost of living adjustments until the end of a phase-in period. I also do not agree with a phase-in for big businesses like McDonald’s and
was selected as the 2014 Washington State Association for Justice, “Judge of the Year” and the 2013 Municipal League Foundation “Public Official of the Year;” received the 2013 Latina/o Amicus Award from Seattle University School of Law Latina/o Law Student Association; 2012 “President’s Award” from the Asian Bar Association of Washington; 2012 “Difference Makers Award” from the American Bar Association Solo, Small Firm and General Practice Division; 2011 “Judge of the Year” award from the Washington State Bar Association (shared with Justice Gonzalez); 2011 Seattle Girls’ School Grace Hopper Award; 2009 Norm Maleng Award from the Washington State Bar Association; 2008 “Judge of the Year” award from the Asian Bar Association; 2008 President’s Award from Washington Women Lawyers; 2006 “Model of Excellence” Award from the Latina/o Bar Association of Washington; and the 2005 “Judge of the Year” award from the American Board of Trial Advocates. I have had the privilege of watching Judge Yu mentor countless young attorneys, law clerks and students, serving as a superb role model for so many. While serving as a judge, she has also taken the time to cochair the statewide Minority and Justice Commission, lectured at Seattle University,
Via Facebook
by Judge Anne Levinson (ret.) Special to the SGN
Judge Mary Yu
helped lead the bar association’s leadership institute for young attorneys, served on the board of FareStart and the advisory board for the UW’s Gates Public Service program. She has officiated hundreds of weddings and adoptions, including our state’s first samesex wedding on the first day couples of the same-sex could legally marry in our state. Judge Yu’s appointment breaks many
glass ceilings: she will be the first woman of color, the first Asian-American, the first Latina and the first openly LGBT justice on our state’s highest court. Her combination of intellect, experience, integrity, and civic leadership will make her an outstanding State Supreme Court Justice. I congratulate the Governor on a stellar appointment.
cial Workers (UFCW) Local 21 Political Director Sarah Cherin also endorsed the deal. “This is probably the most progressive minimum wage law in the country,” she told SGN after Murray’s press conference. “UFCW will definitely encourage the City Council to support it.” Unlike Rolf and Cherin, who represented their respective unions on the mayor’s advisory committee, Martin Luther King County Labor Council (MLKCLC) Executive Secretary Dave Freiboth represents 150 union locals, some of them including tipped workers. “It will be a tough sell,” Freiboth told SGN, because of the complicated rules that apply to tipped workers in the first few years of the plan. Freiboth voted for the Mayor’s proposal. “We have a resolution,” Freiboth explained, referring to a January 15 MLKCLC resolution endorsing a $15 an hour minimum wage, but opposing so-called “tip credit” – a business-backed scheme to count tips as part of an employee’s base wage. “I think [Murray’s proposal] is in the spirit of the resolution,” Freiboth continued, “but I have to bring it to my executive board, and they will decide if it fits with what I was empowered to negotiate.” In a statement issued only hours after Murray made his plan public, UNITE A “tough sell” for some in labor HERE Local 8, which represents many Besides Rolf, United Food and Commer- tipped workers in the hospitality and food
service industries, tentatively endorsed it, but asked the City Council to change the rules applying to healthcare plans. “Thousands of hospitality workers will benefit from the proposed ordinance and Seattle will be stronger for it,” said Erik Van Rossum, President of Local 8. “To make it even better, we are looking for a win-win solution that also protects full family health insurance for hotel workers.” UNITE HERE’s healthcare plan is “notfor-profit and owned by workers, not a multi-billion dollar insurance company,” the union’s statement notes.
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Starbucks,” Sawant wrote, demanding a committee vote on the proposals. Nevertheless, committee co-chairs David Rolf of Service Employees International Union (SEIU) 775NW and developer Howard Wright said that the recommendations were supported by 21 of the 24 committee members. Only businessman Craig Dawson voted “no.” Chamber of Commerce President Maud Daudon abstained because the Chamber’s bylaws did not allow her to call a board meeting in time to get authorization to vote. Council member Sawant did not reply to a request for her vote. Murray had stipulated that he wanted a supermajority of the committee to endorse any proposal. Rolf, a veteran of “countless” negotiations, said the process of making a deal was “very intense, very difficult. About as complex a negotiation as you could construct.” “In most labor negotiations you have only two parties,” he explained. “Sometimes you might have multi-employer negotiations, or multi-union negotiations, but that’s rare. Here you had 24 parties negotiating, each with their own constituency that they had to answer to.” Both Rolf and Wright praised Murray’s leadership and perseverance in pushing all sides to make a deal.
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Sawant will go ahead with initiative In a separate press conference on the City Council floor of City Hall, Council member Kshama Sawant insisted that her supporters would continue to push for an initiative on the minimum wage. While not rejecting Murray’s proposal outright, she said her 15Now organization would “keep the pressure up” by collecting signatures for a possible Charter Amendment on the November ballot. “This is a recommendation,” she said about Murray’s plan, “not the only recommendation! The process is not over yet. Signature gathering is a very important part of the process.” “What is the justification for the phasein?” she asked. “Business is trying to water down 15!” Besides the 15Now initiative, a pro-business group calling itself One Seattle had also threatened to put a minimum wage measure on the November ballot. Many members of Murray’s advisory committee said that their reluctance to seeing multiple competing initiatives on the November ballot was one of their motives for coming to an agreement.
United Church of Christ sues North Carolina over same-sex marriage ban United Church News / Gregg Brekke
Rev. Geoffrey A. Black
by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer The United Church of Christ and a group of other clergy and same-sex couples have filed a federal lawsuit challenging North Carolina’s ban on same-sex marriage. The lawsuit, filed on April 28, makes a novel argument. Instead of claiming that
North Carolina’s ban on Gay and Lesbian marriages violates the due process and equal protection rights of the couples who wish to marry, this suit says that North Carolina is violating the religious freedom of denominations which support same-sex marriages and the clergy who want to perform them. Rev. Geoffrey A. Black, President of the
United Church of Christ, is one of the plaintiffs as are other UCC and Lutheran ministers. “As a senior minister, I am often asked to perform marriage ceremonies for same-sex couples in my congregation,” said Rev. Joe Hoffman of First Congregational United Church of Christ in Asheville, who is a plaintiff. “My denomination – the United Church of Christ – authorizes me to perform these ceremonies, but Amendment One denies my religious freedom by prohibiting me from exercising this right.” Two of Hoffman’s parishoners, Diane Ansley and Cathy McGaughey, are also plaintiffs. They have been together for 14 years and wish to be married in their home state. The United Church of Christ, which has nearly a million members, approved a resolution endorsing marriage rights for same-sex couples in 2005. “The core protection of the First Amendment is that government may not regulate religious beliefs or take sides in religious controversies,” said Jonathan Martel of Arnold & Porter LLP, one of the law firms representing the plaintiffs. “Marriage performed by clergy is a spiritual exercise and expression of faith essential to the values and continuity of the religion that government may regulate only where it has a compelling interest.” “I am excited to see this challenge to Amendment One move forward,” said
Equality North Carolina Executive Director Chris Sgro, who attended the Charlotte press conference. “We fought hard to defeat Amendment One [the same-sex marriage ban], and I am glad to see the harms it has caused highlighted.” Equality North Carolina and the South Carolina Equality Coalition filed an amicus brief on April 18 with the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals in Richmond, Virginia, in a lawsuit that challenges Virginia’s same-sex marriage ban. The Fourth Circuit also has jurisdiction over North Carolina. The appeals court is scheduled to hear oral arguments in the Virginia case in May. The ACLU of North Carolina filed a separate lawsuit in April on behalf of three married same-sex couples who are seeking legal recognition of their unions in North Carolina. The also filed a federal lawsuit in 2012 against North Carolina’s second-parent adoption ban, and later expanded that case to directly challenge the state’s marriage laws. North Carolina Attorney General Roy Cooper said last October that while he personally supports marriage rights for same-sex couples, he would defend his state’s ban in court. Cooper’s announcement came just after Buncombe County Register of Deeds Drew Reisinger accepted marriage license applications from 10 same-sex couples.
Sixth Circuit says no fast track for Michigan marriage case
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but said the state will not recognize those unions or accord the couples any spousal rights while the case is on appeal. U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder announced that the federal government would recognize the marriages for all purposes of federal law. An April 2014 Public Policy Polling survey found that 49% of Michigan voters thought
that the same-sex marriages performed in the state after Judge Friedman’s decision should be recognized, while 44% thought they should not be recognized, and 7% were not sure. On the broader question of marriage equality, a February 2014 Michigan State University poll found that 54% of Michigan residents support allowing same-sex couples to marry, while 36% are opposed and 10% are unsure. AP
The Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals has turned down Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette’s motion for an en banc hearing of his appeal in his state’s same-sex marriage case. An en banc hearing is one before the full Circuit Court, as opposed to the usual practice of an initial hearing before a three-judge panel. The decision of an appeals court panel can still be appealed to the full court, so starting with an en banc hearing would expedite the appeals process and potentially send the Michigan case to the U.S. Supreme Court sooner than would otherwise be the case. Schuette filed the motion April 4, and the Sixth Circuit unanimously denied his request on April 28. “The Federal Rules of Appellate Procedure expressly recognize that some cases are so significant that they warrant initial hearing en banc,” Schuette wrote. “This is such a case. It presents the question whether one of our most fundamental rights – the right to vote – matters, or whether a judge can take an important social issue out of the hands of the voters by concluding it is not something about which reasonable citizens could disagree. “Addressing this case initially en banc will also promote the swift and efficient resolution of this issue. If this case is de-
cided first by a panel, then the losing party may well seek en banc review. Further, even if that decision controls the decisions of other panels deciding the cases arising out of the other three States, a later panel might disagree with the prior decision, which in turn could lead to en banc review. And the losing parties in the later-decided cases may also seek en banc review.” The state constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage was approved by Michigan voters in 2004, and the state argues that its officials are simply defending the rights of Michigan voters. The plaintiffs in the case, April DeBoer and Jayne Rowse, sued for the right to marry and adopt each other’s special-needs children. Rowse has two preschool-age boys. DeBoer has a 3-year-old daughter. The two women filed their lawsuit in January 2012, initially seeking only the right to adopt, but then adding a challenge to the same-sex marriage ban as well. Federal District Judge Bernard Friedman declared Michigan’s ban on Gay and Lesbian marriages unconstitutional on March 21. Some 300 same-sex couples across the state got married within 24 hours of his ruling. On March 26, the Sixth Circuit stayed Friedman’s decision following a request by the state. Michigan Governor Rick Snyder initially admitted that the marriages performed during that window of opportunity were legal,
by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer
Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette
Celebrating 41 Years!
U.S. marks decade of same-sex couples marrying as Freedom to Marry celebrates 10th anniversary “And we don’t want a 15th anniversary,” says Evan Wolfson Freedomtomarry.ORG
Evan Wolfson, Founder of Freedom to Marry
HRC
continued from cover there are millions more fair-mined people ready to stand on the right side of history.” While the three target states have no legal protections for LGBT residents, surveys have shown the states have roughly the same percentage of Gay residents as other states, Griffin added. HRC plans to open offices in each state and staff them primarily with local residents. While ambitious, HRC’s campaign is not intended to be aggressive. Campaign workers will meet in “front porch” settings with friends, allies, neighbors, business executives, faith leaders, and community groups in an attempt to increase acceptance of LGBT people. The aim is to change hearts and minds so that people hiding their sexual orientation will be more comfortable about coming out publicly, HRC said. As that occurs, organizers believe, municipalities and states will be more likely to adopt antidiscrimination laws. “You overcome all of the objections by having conversations and getting to know your neighbors,” Griffin told The Associated Press. HRC said it hoped to accelerate change that already has included four Mississippi towns passing non-binding resolutions against LGBT discrimination. In Alabama, a civil rights museum is currently showing a photo exhibit of LGBT youth aimed at promoting acceptance. “The pace of progress really has been fast, but you can’t leave anyone behind,” said Griffin. The director of the Mississippi-based William Winter Institute for Racial Reconciliation, Susan Glisson, said she believed the campaign can succeed in promoting more acceptance of the LGBT
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community in the Deep South, something she thought nearly impossible only a few years ago. “I think there is a gentleness that needs to be considered because these are conversations that play out in families,” said Glisson. “We are still the Bible Belt.” Joce Pritchett, a Mississippi engineer who married her partner, Carla Webb, in Maine last year, said a quiet campaign relying on interpersonal relationships would likely work better than in-yourface demonstrations like those employed during the civil rights era of the ‘60s across the South. Straight Mississippians seem more willing than ever to support equality across the spectrum of sexual orientation, she said. “I think public acceptance already is building. I’ve seen tremendous change in the last two years,” said Pritchett, 46, of Jackson, Mississippi. “I think that what’s changing things is that people see we’re from here and that we want to live at home in Mississippi.” The Rev. Joe Godfrey, a leader of the Southern Baptist Convention in Alabama, said he hoped churches would be loving and compassionate toward workers in such a campaign, but also firm in the denomination’s position that the Bible allows only opposite-sex relationships. For more information on this new HRC initiative and how you can support it, visit www.hrc.org.
NEW YORK – Ten years ago Massachusetts became the first state in America where same-sex couples could share in the freedom to marry. Since then, 16 other states and Washington, D.C. have followed, resulting in 40% of Americans who now live in a state with the freedom to marry, up from zero a decade ago. “The rapid and lasting progress of the freedom to marry movement is remarkable in the history of civil rights struggles,” said Evan Wolfson, president of Freedom to Marry. “The shift in majority opinion since Massachusetts is a testament to Americans’ inherent values of fairness, freedom, and family. We will keep making the case until we finish the job: the freedom to marry nationwide.” Same-sex couples began marrying in Massachusetts on May 17, 2004 following the landmark victory by Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders (GLAD) in Goodridge
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v. Department of Public Health. That first day of the freedom to marry in 2004 also marked the 50th anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education – “civil rights karma,” Wolfson hailed it at the time. In another milestone, Freedom to Marry this week celebrated its 10th anniversary in New York featuring a debut film version of a poem written for the occasion by Presidential Inaugural Poet Richard Blanco, selected for the 2014 Cannes Film Festival; and tributes to Freedom to Marry’s leadership by U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin and GOP strategist Margaret Hoover. “All of this progress, this joy, this momentum, didn’t just happen,” said Wolfson, at the anniversary celebration Monday evening. “It wasn’t the product of one organization, one person, one case, one state, one battle, or even one decade. We celebrate our movement that made this all so … Thank you for joining us at this 10th anniversary party for Freedom to Marry. With your help, there will be no [need for a] 15th [anniversary].” Freedom to Marry is the campaign to win marriage nationwide. We are pursuing our Roadmap to Victory by working to win the freedom to marry in more states, grow the national majority for marriage, and end federal marriage discrimination. We partner with individuals and organizations across the country to end the exclusion of same-sex couples from marriage and the protections, responsibilities, and commitment that marriage brings. www.freedomtomarry.org
ranging protections for students, including protections against sexual violence, and authorizes schools to “investigate and remedy” instances of sexual violence. The new guidelines say explicitly that gender identity is covered under Title IX, and that schools must act to protect Trans students. “Title IX’s sex discrimination prohibition extends to claims of discrimination based on gender identity or failure to conform to stereotypical notions of masculinity or femininity and OCR accepts such complaints for investigation,” the civil rights office says in the guidance document. “Similarly, the actual or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity of the parties does not change a school’s obligations. Indeed, lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) youth report high rates of sexual harassment and sexual violence.” According to the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force (NGLTF) “transgender and gender non-conforming people face staggering rates of discrimination in schools. For example, 78% report harassment, 35% report physical assault, and 12% report sexual violence in educational settings, with many transgender and gender non-conforming students leaving school because of the appalling discrimination they experience.” The guidelines also warn schools that anti-Gay violence is covered under Title IX. “A school should investigate and resolve allegations of sexual violence regarding LGBT students using the same procedures and standards that it uses in all complaints involving sexual violence,” the DOE writes. “The fact that incidents of sexual violence may be accompanied by anti-gay comments or be partly based on a student’s actual or perceived sexual orientation does not relieve a school of its obligation under Title IX
to investigate and remedy those instances of sexual violence.” Schools also have an obligation to provide counselors who are trained to deal with LGBT students, OCR said. “In addition, a school should ensure that staff are capable of providing culturally competent counseling to all complainants,” OCR’s guidelines say. “Thus, a school should ensure that its counselors and other staff who are responsible for receiving and responding to complaints of sexual violence, including investigators and hearing board members, receive appropriate training about working with LGBT and gender-nonconforming students and same-sex sexual violence.” LGBT rights groups applauded the new guidelines. “The policy announced today is a giant leap forward in ending those staggering rates of discrimination,” NGLTF said in a statement. “We applaud the Department of Education for stating that transgender and gender non-conforming students have legal protection under federal law, and that all federally funded education programs or activities must include protections on the basis of gender identity.” “The guidance released today builds on numerous court decisions and a landmark ruling from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission establishing that transgender people are protected under existing prohibitions on sex discrimination,” the ACLU said in a statement. Several states have also enacted protections for Transgender students, in part because their officials feared lawsuits brought under Title IX. To date, California, Colorado, Illinois, Oregon, and Washington allow Trans students to participate in sports and other school activities based on the gender they identify with.
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THE GODDESS RAVENNA RAVINE – CELEBRATION OF SPRING On Sunday, May 4, at noon, the Goddess Ravenna Ravine cordially invites you to the twenty-sixth manifestation of Her Celebration of Spring. Celebrants assemble at Cowan Park (Brooklyn Ave. NE & NE Ravenna Blvd.). The jubilant procession will dance its way down the Ravenna Ravine with sumptuous feasting and revelry to follow on
On Wednesday, May 7, at 6 p.m., at Southeast Seattle Senior Center (4655 S. Holly St., upstairs meeting room), join the Southeast Lesbian Evening Group for a casual history discussion led by Golda and Diane using the “Revealing Queer: Discover 40 Years of LGBTQ History in Puget SEATTLE PRIDE IDOL On Sunday, May 4, Seattle Out & Proud Sound” at MOHAI as inspiration for shar(SO&P) hosts the 6th annual Seattle Pride ing your personal experiences in “making Idol talent showcase and competition. The herstory.” Potluck dishes welcome. FREE. event will be held at Neighbours Nightclub SOUTHGATE ROLLER RINK – (1509 Broadway) – with contestant regisPRIDE SKATE tration beginning at 6:30 p.m., doors at 7 On Wednesday, May 7, from 9-11 p.m., p.m. and contest at 8 p.m. Registration is free, and contestants may bring their own come get your skate on at the Southgate musical accompaniment. There is no cover Roller Rink’s (9464 17th Ave. SW) monthly charge. All competitions will be hosted by LGBT Pride Skate event. Meets the first Wednesday each month. Cost is $7 (with free Miss Gay Seattle, Olivia LaGarce. Regular competitions will be held every skate rental, if needed). This is an ages 18 and Sunday, April 4-May 25 (except May 18) older event. www.southgaterollerrink.com. at Neighbours Nightclub. Regular compeCOMMUNITY MEETING titions will also be held on Thursday, May CONCERNING 1 at Baltic Room (1207 Pine St.), Wednes“AUTOMATIC CONVERSION” day May 7 at The Lobby Bar (916 E. Pike OF REGISTERED DOMESTIC St.), and Thursday May 22 at OutWest Bar PARTNERS WHO WILL (5401 California Ave. SW). The Wild Card AUTOMATICALLY Night will be held on Sunday, June 1 at BE GETTING MARRIED Neighbours and the Finale on Sunday, June ON JUNE 30 8 at Neighbours. For more information, call On Thursday, May 8, from 5:30-7 p.m., 206-322-9561, email info@seattlepride.org, at Seattle City Hall, Bertha Knight Landes or visit www.seattlepride.org. Room (600 4th Ave., entrance on 5th Ave.), join the ACLU, GSBA, Legal Voice, Pride HEYO GENDER*FIERCE Foundation, QLaw Foundation and the ORGANIZING MEETING Seattle Office for Civil Rights for a FREE FOR YOUTH PRIDE VARIETY SHOW & DANCE PARTY community education event on Washington On Monday, May 5, from 6-8 p.m., at the state’s “automatic conversion” law affecting HEYO Loft (1017 E. Union St., door to the many Washington state-registered domestic left of the Lifelong AIDS Alliance Thrift partners. Store), Lifelong’s HEYO program is seeking If you are in a Washington state-regisa GENDER*FIERCE organizing team to tered domestic partnership, you might be help make this year’s awesome Youth Pride getting married on June 30, 2014 – without doing a thing. On that day, most Washington Variety Show & Dance Party a reality…. “We’ve secured the date (Thursday, June state-registered domestic partnerships will 26). We’ve secured the venue (Fred Wild- be “automatically converted” to marriages life Refuge, 127 Boylston Ave. E.). We have under State law. Do you have questions about how the secured an amazing collaborative partner (C89.5 radio station, Seattle’s HOTTEST “automatic conversion” may affect you and music!). What we need now is the support of your family? LGBT family law attorneys an amazing organizing team to help in ALL will present information and answer your facets of the organizing and event production. questions, including: 1) who will be affected “Support is needed across numerous ar- by the automatic conversion; 2) legally, how eas to make this event as huge and awesome would becoming married affect you; 3) if as possible. We need help engaging com- you don’t want to become married, what can munity partners, decorating/event design, you do?; 4) how will you get a marriage cercreating flyers & promotional materials, ad- tificate and what will it look like? vertising & marketing, scouting & securing Panelists will include Cynthia Buhr (Law youth performers, and just general organiz- Offices of Cynthia F. Buhr), Denis Diskin ing team support. (Steve Teller & Associates), Janet Helson “Please RSVP if you are interested or (Skellenger Bender), and representatives want to learn more!!” Email Michael at mi- from the Washington State Department of chaelb@llaa.org. Health. The event will be moderated by David Ward (Legal Voice). SEATTLE GAY & LESBIAN NOTE: The “automatic conversion” only BOOK CLUB – applies if you and your partner registered THE NORMAL HEART your domestic partnership with the WashThe Seattle Gay & Lesbian Book Club ington Secretary of State. Also, a state-regmeets every Wednesday from 6-7:30 p.m., istered domestic partnership won’t convert at Seattle Area Support Groups Community to a marriage if at least one partner is 62 Center (303 17th Ave. E. at E. Thomas St.). years of age or older on June 30. In May, the club will discuss Larry Kramer’s 1985 AIDS play, The Normal Heart. On THREE DOLLAR BILL CINEMA – May 7, the group will read aloud Act One; TRANSLATIONS: THE SEATTLE on May 14, the group will read aloud Act TRANSGENDER FILM FESTIVAL Two; on May 21, the group will discuss the MAY 8-11 play; on Sunday, May 25, HBO will telecast http://translations.strangertickets.com the made-for-television movie, The Normal Heart, with Julia Roberts and Mark RufTHE NORTHWEST falo; on May 28, the group will discuss the VINTAGE WEDDING FAIR made-for-television movie. thevintageweddingfair.blogspot.com All GLBTQ folks are welcome to participate in this FREE book club. For more SEATTLE MEN’S CHORUS & information, visit http://faculty.washington. SEATTLE WOMEN’S CHORUS – edu/swittet/SGLBookClub/ BLACK TIE & SEQUINS: “A VENETIAN BALL” SOUTHEAST LESBIAN GALA DINNER, DANCE EVENING GROUP – & AUCTION POTLUCK & LGBT HISTORY On Saturday, May 10, at Fremont StuDISCUSSION dios (155 N. 35th St.) doors at 5:30 p.m., with silent auction, cocktails and hors d’oeuvres,
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“REVEALING QUEER” – LGBT HISTORY AT MOHAI FEBRUARY 14-JULY 6 Seattle’s Museum of History and Industry (860 Terry Ave. N. in South Lake Union) presents “Revealing Queer,” a landmark exhibit on the history of the Puget Sound region’s LGBTQ community. Admission: $14 general; $12-student/senior/military/ teacher; children under 14 free when accompanied by an adult. Museum hours: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. daily, Thursdays until 8 p.m. First Thursdays FREE. www.mohai.org. SEATTLE CINERAMA SCI-FI FILM FESTIVAL MAY 1-11 www.cinerama.com ASUW QUEER STUDENT COMMISSION – “QSC BALL 2014” On Friday, May 2, from 6:30-9 p.m., at the Ethnic Cultural Center Unity Ballroom (3931 Brooklyn Ave. NE), the ASUW Queer Student Commission presents “QSC Ball 2014,” featuring a drag showcase and dance party with performance and DJ set by special guest Cat Harris-White from TheeSatisfaction aka DJ Sassy Black. Celebrate and boogie in your gender with your Queer and Trans community. Campus and local organizations will also be tabling with activities. Photobooth provided! FREE admission and open to the public. In consideration of those with chemical injury or multiple chemical sensitivity, please do not use/wear scented/fragranced products or essential oils to this event. 2014 LANGSTON HUGHES AFRICAN AMERICAN FILM FESTIVAL APRIL 25-MAY 4 On Saturday, May 3, at 1:30 p.m., the Langston Hughes African American Film Festival (104 17th Ave. S.) presents The New Black, a groundbreaking documentary about the conversation on same-sex marriage in the African American community during Maryland’s fight for marriage equality in 2012. www.langstoninstitute.org JAKE TALKS On Saturday, May 3, from 10-3 p.m., at Calamus Auditorium (1517 E. Pike St.), join us for JAKE Talks – conceived to spotlight the voices of speakers and thought-leaders who are Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender that can intimately speak to the unique cultural experiences we celebrate as a community alongside our allies in an entertaining yet inspiring and accessible format. Tickets: $26. www.jake-talks.com. ENTRE HERMANOS – CINCO DE MAYO CHAMPAGNE BRUNCH On Sunday, May 4, at noon, at El Quetzal (3209 Beacon Ave. S.), join Entre Hermanos for their Cinco de Mayo Champagne Brunch. Enjoy delicious, authentic Mexican food and live music! Help Entre Hermanos continue their mission of promoting the health and well-being of the Latino LGBT community through health education, support groups, and referrals to services and advocacy. Tickets: $20 advance, $25 at the door. www.entrehermanos.org.
the South Bluff. The Goddess has ordained Celebrants to wear festive dress and mask. Bring musical and percussion instruments and provide divine picnic foods. All friends of the earth are welcome.
dinner at 7:30 p.m., live auction at 7:45 p.m., dancing at 10 p.m. Enjoy an evening of fundraising, fine dining and dancing in support of the Seattle Men’s Chorus and the Seattle Women’s Chorus. Tickets: $225 patron and $265 benefactor. www.flyinghouse.org ALLYSHIP’S FIRST DANCE-A-THON – “DANCING WITH THE STARZ: A NIGHT OF SOCIALIZING FOR JUSTICE” “If I can’t dance, it’s not my revolution!” – Emma Goldman On Saturday, May 10, from 6 p.m. to midnight, at Washington Hall (153 14th Ave.), join Allyship for an evening of dancing in support of Allyship’s programs: Dance and support W.E.R.Q. (Work, Economics and Resources for Queer Youth and Young Adults) Summer Institute for LGBTQ marginalized youth and young adults and help prevent LGBTQ homelessness through an 8-week course utilizing art to teach leadership development, life-skills and civic engagement. Dance to provide bus tokens to LGBTQ marginalized youth/young adults to attend Allyship’s free W.E.R.Q. Summer Institute. Dance to ensure LGBTQ marginalized youth/young adults receive a stipend for participating in the W.E.R.Q Summer Institute. This supports low-income youth and young adults to earn some money while learning about LGBTQ social justice and history. Dance to support Allyship’s LGBTQ Intergenerational Project to facilitate deeper intergenerational conversations, build a strong advocacy community against youth and senior ageism and end isolation across the generations. Dance because you believe in LGBTQ Economic Justice. Three local DJs from the social justice community will be playing hip-hop, house, R&B, funk, disco, pop, and more. This is an all-ages event and is wheel chair accessible. Food and beverage will be available for a small donation. You can attend by raising pledges or making a donation: “Dancing with Myself” individual ticket: $25; “Drop It Like It’s Hot” couple ticket: $45; “Bust a Move” team of four ticket: $90; “Getting Jiggy with It” team of six ticket $140. Themed, creative and fabulous costumes and dance moves encouraged and prizes will be awarded! The “Bring It On” Grand Prize is for the individual or team who raises the most money. The “Dirty Dancer’s Delight” Prize is for the individual or team with the most fabulous dance moves. The “Footloose and Fancy Free” Prize is for the individual or team with the best costume. (Prizes will be given out starting at 8:30 p.m. and you must be present to win. Dancers in attendance will vote on who wins the last two prizes. Ballots will be available and a dance-off is guaranteed.) There will be a full six hours of dancing! Registration starts at 6 p.m. There will be 10 minute breaks every hour. For teams you need at least two people on the dance floor at all times (outside of breaks). Advance registration requested online or mail in a check to Entre Hermanos, 1105 23rd Ave., Seattle WA 98122 (make out check to Entre Hermanos with “Allyship” in the memo space) or you can register at the door. Registration fees or pledges are due on the night of May 10th. For more details and to register, visit www.lgbtqallyship.org. Dancing ain’t your thing, but you want to watch or hang out? No problem, buy a ticket today and enjoy Allyship’s dancing vibe. see NW NEWS page 11
Celebrating 41 Years!
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continued from page 8 OASIS YOUTH CENTER’S ANNUAL QUEER PROM On Saturday, May 10, from 7:30 p.m.midnight, at Pacific Lutheran University’s University Center at Chris Knutsen Hall (at Park Ave. and 122nd St., in Tacoma), LGBTQA youth ages 14-24 are invited to Oasis Youth Center’s annual masquerade-themed, drug and alcohol free Queer Prom for a fabulously great time. $2 suggested donation. For more information or if you have any questions or concerns, email oasis@oasisyouthcente.org or call 253-671-2838. GAY CITY ARTS – CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS 2014-2015 SEASON: CROSSING THE LINE The Gay City Arts Curating Council is seeking proposals for the 2014-2015 Season: Crossing the Line. We invite LGBTQ artists to present the best of Queer performance art in Gay City’s 49-seat fringe theater space, Calamus Auditorium. This is an opportunity to propose performances and events, which seek to push the boundaries, perception and perspective of queer performance. In order to express the LGBTQ experience, what lines have been crossed in the past? What lines need to be crossed now and in the future? Gay City Arts is committed to bringing the Seattle community the best of queer art and performance from a variety of disciplines. Theater, dance, music, performance art, spoken word, film/ video, new media and interdisciplinary projects are welcome. The Season Two guidelines and application form are available at www.gaycity.org. DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSION is Thursday, May 15. Art is the voice, spirit and conscience of every community and is a vital tool for community reflection, dialogue and pride. Through Gay City Arts, Gay City collaborates with local LGBT artists to galvanize an audience for queer arts, foster the development of LGBT artists, and facilitate artistic excellence that is accessible, including the promotion of new works. Gay City Arts is committed to presenting challenging, dynamic and excellent queer art across a wide range of disciplines, including theater, music, dance, film, spoken word, literary and visual arts. THEATRE 22 – SUMMER PRIDE SERIES: THE LISBON TRAVIATA RICHARD HUGO HOUSE JUNE 6-28
Theatre22’s first annual SUMMER PRIDE SERIES presents The Lisbon Traviata, by Terrence McNally. Catty comedy meets operatic tragedy. Stephen adores Maria Callas and shares this obsession with his best friend, the wildly flamboyant opera queen, Mendy. They dish the latest gossip late into the night to distract Steven from a crumbling relationship with his longtime boyfriend. When Steven attempts to confront personal demons, his life takes on the scale of grand opera. The Lisbon Traviata is a story about Gay men in New York in 1985 when few had faith in the adage that love conquers all. Being rejected by a lover is painful for anyone. But for a middle-aged male homosexual living in the age of AIDS, rejection is more than humiliation and hurt – it carries the threat of lifelong loneliness and celibacy, alleviated only by extremely risky sexual encounters. This threat is chilling, and the emotions it triggers are positively operatic in intensity. Wikepedia writes: “The Lisbon Traviata is a play by Terrence McNally initially written in 1985 and revised in 1989. “It focuses on two of the playwright’s favorite subjects, Gay relationships and Maria Callas, and includes one of his most memorable characters, flamboyantly bitchy and viciously wicked opera queen Mendy. Stephen, a depressed literary editor and opera fanatic, is on the verge of losing his doctor lover to a considerably younger Columbia University student. In Act I, he takes temporary refuge at the apartment of fellow opera aficionado Mendy to dish about divas, listen to records, and avoid thinking about his rapidly unravelling eight-year relationship. In Act II, he returns home to confront his unfaithful partner. “The play derives its title from an actual 1958 Callas production of La Traviata at Teatro Nacional de São Carlos in the Portuguese capital. Two thousand copies of an unauthorized recording made by a cast member during a live performance, despite their amateur quality, quickly became collector’s items among the diva’s fans. Stephen recently has acquired one, which he neglected to bring with him, and Mendy is obsessed with his going home to retrieve it.” Theatre22’s production opens on Friday, June 6, at 8 p.m., at Richard Hugo House (1634 11th Ave.) and runs Thursdays through Saturdays through June 28 at 8 p.m., with two matinees on Saturdays, June 21 and June 28 at 2:30 p.m. Tickets: $22-general admission; $14-senior/student/military; $10 TPS members. www.brownpapertickets. com/event/575647. www.theatre22.org.
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Low cholesterol may help HIV-positive men resist the disease, new study says
Cholesterol Molecule
by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer Cholesterol in immune cells may be what allows the HIV virus to spread in the body, and therefore HIV-positive people with low cholesterol in their immune cells can withstand the virus for years. That is the conclusion of a study published April 30 in mBio, the Journal of the Ameri-
can Society for Microbiology. Scientists at the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health analyzed data and biological samples from 16 HIVpositive men over the course of 11 years. Eight of them, even without medication, showed little disease progression. The other half showed normal progression. Among the slowly progressing patients, or “nonprogressors,” researchers found low
levels of cholesterol in immune system dendritic cells. They believe that the dendritic cells, which transfer HIV to T-cells, may not be able to function in that way if they are deprived of cholesterol. If HIV cannot get to the body’s T-cells, or CD4 helper cells, the virus is unable to replicate, the scientists hypothesize. Professor Charles Rinaldo, chairman of the University of Pittsburgh’s department of Infectious Diseases and Microbiology, told Healthline that scientists have known for 20 years that if you put “a smidge of virus” in a test tube with dendritic cells, then mix in Tcells, you have “explosive infections.” But if you put the same quantity of the HIV virus into a T-cell directly, it doesn’t replicate well, he said. Infections flared up even when dendritic cells and T-cells from HIV-negative men were used. But when the researchers mixed HIV with T-cells and dendritic cells from the HIV-positive nonprogressors in a test tube, the virus did not replicate. “This was striking, and that’s why we took several years to work this up,” Rinaldo said. “It was really almost unbelievable.” None of the study participants were taking cholesterol-lowering statins. The University of Pittsburgh scientists found that the nonprogressors had low levels of cholesterol in their dendritic cells even before infection, suggesting that it is a genetic trait. They were also seen to have low choles-
terol in their B lymphocyte cells. Rinaldo said his team is now trying to find genetic markers for these traits. Scientists have long suspected that dendritic cells play a role in infection. But the assumption has been that they participate simply by living in mucus membranes, such as the rectum and vagina, which are common locations of HIV infection. Scientists have also known for some time that cholesterol is needed for the HIV virus to replicate. Cholesterol is essential for cell function, but the specific role it plays in HIV infection is still uncertain. Previous studies have shown that HIV uses a unique system called tunneling nanotubes, or TNT, to spread among cells. It is a form of cell-to-cell communication that avoids interference by antibodies sent to kill the virus. “These dendritic cells shoot out long tubes to other dendritic cells,” Rinaldo said. “We think about it as a highway that can take molecules from one cell to another. HIV takes this highway, too.” Researchers say that cholesterol may by a key factor in allowing HIV to follow the “highway” from cell to cell. Studying nonprogressors may ultimately lead to a cure for the disease, or even a vaccine so that people who do not carry beneficial gene mutations are also resistant to HIV.
Why we need legalization now by James Stansberry Special to the SGN First, I must say I did not start out to be an advocate for medical cannabis. Sure, I wanted it legalized, and did some signing of petitions when the matter was being debated in Olympia, shortly after I moved from Chicago to Seattle in the mid-nineties. No, I was happier being clean and sober, after fighting back from a second relapse, also in the mid-nineties. I pretty much intended to do two things: one, leave this world clean and sober; and two, leave this world with my body as intact as possible. Then, last year I was diagnosed with ductal carcinoma in situ: stage 3 breast cancer in my left breast. I cried like a baby when the doctor told me that he’d “found something,” in his words, “worrying.” That “something” turned out to be a large mass that reached all the way on one side of my left breast from my nipple to the chest wall. The recommended course of action, from my then doctor’s point of view was the traditional one: cut, radiate, maybe do that again, if it didn’t work the first time. I said “no,” and opted for medical cannabis instead. Unfortunately, I was to learn, after thinking I was hitting on my cancer hard with one of the newer (and pricier) highly-refined and purified cannabis capsule preparations, that they were NOT the panacea I thought they would be and that the company putting them out was touting them to be. The cancer wasn’t moving. Some new pain bothered me enough to re-consult my naturopath (who, at this time, became my primary doctor, supporting my treatment with medical cannabis). She immediately suggested that, yes, I did need to see my former oncologist to find out if there was
cause for alarm. There was. The socalled “wonder drug” I’d been taking, while partially managing the pain, not only hadn’t moved the mass, it looked like the mass was trying to do the one thing none of us wanted: leave the ducts and manifest in other places in my body. So, with the blessing – no, the concerned and compassionate order from my naturopath, I returned to taking higher doses of the organic, whole-plantderived, cannabis concentrate I started out with, and was seduced away from because of its very strong (and definitely UN-wanted) psychoactive effects. I also used “Old Toby,” a glycerin-based tincture using the strain of cannabis that gives it its name. Then came the whole mess of the Liquor Control Board “making recommendations” – read: scaring a lot of weakkneed politicians into launching horrible legislation, including our own Governor Jay Inslee, who was completely prepared to go with these “recommendations,” which would have thrown people like me under a corporate, Big Pharma bus. So I joined the patient’s rights movement – though there’s much room for improvement in a young movement still having the growing pains of trying to serve the needs of the patients who first brought ANY legislation about cannabis to the vote thirteen years ago. Unfortunately, as it currently stands, there is NO legislation, as nothing was done after much bitter battling and some just plain idiocy on the part of certain people in the cannabis movement. This means, since cannabis is still illegal federally, patients like me can still be thrown into federal prison for trying to
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heal our bodies in ways that leave us integral and whole. Oh, and in prison, I’d not be allowed my doses of cannabis, or any “medibles,” so yes, my cancer would get worse, and it’s possible this disease would then take me, like it took my mother and grandmother. What we need now is to stop fighting and start drafting something that works for patients, so that we can take our medicine, fight our diseases and live our lives – long, healthy, productive lives, being partners to our partners, friends and community members who give back and help make change possible. We are not “cash crops” to be “harvested” when the state finds itself broke from all the wrong-headed decisions made from all those petitions from a certain Tim Eyman. And, having just been to a dispensary that mostly seemed to focus on making as much money as possible from folks who just want to get high, I know that’s NOT where I will be finding medicine for my cancer, if the Liquor Control Board gets it’s way and leave us with only recreational marijuana dispensaries available. To my mind, it’s just common sense, to legalize a plant that clearly has medicinal properties, and has been researched and proven to be just that – medicine. It’s also time to stop criminalizing patients like me, and it’s time to do more research, not close down the true medical dispensaries that are effectively doing that research, one dollar at a time, one patient at a time, on a daily basis. My body is a laboratory these days, and the proof of how cannabis does work is shown every time I feel the mass and it’s just that much smaller. I have become much more the revolutionary since the diagnosis, determined not to leave this planet until I see the rights of patients put before profit.
I will not rest until not one patient still resides in prison on a marijuana charge and I will not stop fighting this cancer. I intend to win both battles, and with more folks writing their elected officials urging better cannabis legislation and legalization, I believe I will. (Since writing this piece, there is both good news and troubling news. The good news is my mass has shrunk enough that both my naturopath and my partner are celebrating, as it does look like I’m winning my battle, and winning it with medical cannabis, as I had intended. The troubling news is, since writing this, my partner has been diagnosed with an inguinal hernia and is also using medical cannabis for pain relief, and has had to be transferred to a different position at work. Not so troubling, you think, until you realize ... MEDICAL CANNABIS IS STILL ILLEGAL AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL ... meaning, if they take it into their heads, his employer could fire him, thus cutting off our only source of income, thus making my battle that much harder. So, you can see the practical need for legalizing cannabis. People like us can still suffer jail time, even as Washington state’s and Colorado’s recreational users are living it up. What can you do? Write you elected representatives, invite a patient to talk on your radio program, so we can get the message out there, and get to know the facts about medical cannabis, so you can be a more effective advocate. The time is now, before more lives are lost, or more people lose homes, jobs, or lives.) You can email me at: ijanaral@yahoo.com.
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INSIGHTS AND PERSPECTIVES:
Love and fear - two horns on the same goat by Michael Raitt, MA LMHC SGN Contributing Writer What happens in a relationship when we love someone so much that we start to find ourselves acting crazy? How can it feel so difficult at times, when it is supposed to feel so good? We text endlessly when we don’t get a response. We want to know everything the other is doing and everyone the other is talking to. We have sleepless nights and can’t concentrate during the day because we are overcome with wonder and worry. We begin to put demands on the other. What has happened is that two seemingly unrelated emotions have collided and we feel like we are in some kind of hell. Both love and fear are two of our most primitive emotions for survival. They are biological drives that are generated from the base of our brain. One inevitably overtakes the other. When love is intense, fear is low. When fear is intense, love is harder to access. When they are dominant, they drive our thinking and our behaviors. When we are experiencing love, we feel euphoric. We are excited and have few worries. The other can do little wrong and we are very forgiving. Sex and emotional connections are intense and we do many “lov-
ing” things for the other, such as planning romantic dinners, buying gifts, and long conversations. At times when fear overtakes us, we become obsessed with feelings of distress and agitation. We wonder and worry endlessly about what the other is doing. These intense feelings lead us to behaviors that cause arguments and distance – such as arguments, vigilant checking-in, endless texts and phone calls. These behaviors become controlling. Ultimately, they damage a relationship and the relationship either becomes very toxic and/or it ends. It isn’t easy, but it boils down to how well individuals manage their fear. The first way to begin managing your fear is to reconcile that there are no guarantees about a relationship. I know it sounds like a buzz kill but it is true. Relationships end for a myriad of reasons. Many people believe that if they are “good enough” that the relationship will last forever. That is rarely true. There is absolutely no way to predict whether a relationship will end. I can tell you with certainty that the probability of a relationship ending is much higher when one or both aren’t dealing with their issues of fear. One way to reconcile that there is no guarantee a relationship will last is to under-
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stand the meaning you are making out of your fear. Some are afraid that if they lose the other, it will mean they are destined to being alone forever. Others think that when a relationship ends, it means they are unlovable. When you understand the meaning you are making, you can work to change that and then decrease your fear. The ability to negotiate with each other is critical. An adult should never be telling another adult what to do, who to see, when to do it. That is abusive. It does arise when fear is building. Adults should negotiate their changing needs and desires. With that comes a “willingness” to do something rather than feeling as though you “have to” do something. For example, if one is becoming more afraid that they aren’t spending enough time together, then negotiate more time; and when a compromise is reached, the other is doing it because he/she wants to, rather than feeling “forced” to do it. The reasons relationships become toxic and usually end in these circumstances is because individuals get tired of feeling “controlled” and dealing with the conflict. They often report that they are fighting in the relationship and there is “no trust.” Use teenagers as an example; they get tired of “feeling controlled” by their parents and
they usually end up acting out in some way – eventually moving out. The process really isn’t that different between two people in a relationship. Like anything, fear exists on a scale. Understand what makes you more fearful than other things in the relationship. What causes the fear to move up quickly and become intense? Which things are low or moderate fears? When you understand the scale, you can learn various ways to decrease the fear. There is no way to separate love and fear. They go together. The skill becomes understanding and managing the relationship between these two intense emotions. When you can reduce your fear, your love will be more present and when it is more present, dynamics in the relationship are much, much better. Michael Raitt, MA LMHC, is a Therapist and a Contributing Writer to the SGN. He writes a bi-monthly column in the 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.
Celebrating 41 Years!
“Keep the Faith, Baby!” by Sugie SGN Contributing Writer The title of this song can be attributed to the late Adam Clayton Powell. He uttered this in the sixties and was thus censured for it by the U.S. Senate. I am trying to tell you all that it is important to have faith in oneself when the storms of man and words rage all around you. I can’t help recalling how in the book, The Little Prince, the title character said wisely, “That which is essential is invisible.” Many times, in my life, has my own faith in myself been tested. I am referring to the most recent time, when I tried out for a local production of Gilbert and Sullivan’s operetta, The Mikado. I sang and smiled my best at the audition, yet in the words of Ringo Starr, I did not “pass the audition.” Did that stop me from having faith in myself? No siree, Bob – it didn’t! I vowed to myself that I would come back stronger than ever! I was just grateful that I had gone the distance, as baseball players are prone to say. I was proud of myself that I had “Went yard” and that one refusal does not shake my faith in myself. I look to other leaves in my Tree of Life that have resisted the winds of change. I have immense pride in myself that my haiku about Seattle was selected as a winner in a recent Seattle Central Public Library competition. I am grateful that my sense of wonder
that greets each day is intact. For me, it takes experience and love to maintain a sense of faith in myself. Sometimes, it takes a while for me to see my own faith in action. As Aldous Huxley once noted, “Experience is not what happens to you. It is what you do with what happens to you.” I believe he was trying to say that without faith, experience can get nullified. In my own Brave New World, there is no need to “Pass the Soma” as Huxley duly wrote. My own faith is my “Soma” that makes it possible to scale mountains when I couldn’t the day before. How does one learn faith? As Bill Cosby once said, “I started out as a child.” I feel faith starts when one leans upon one’s mother for nourishment. This continues when one is learning how to ride a bicycle, as one’s father pushes you off to face the road by yourself and not fall. I think it must be said that it is just as important to fall as it is to stay balanced. Faith has a way of smiling on both worlds. It has taken a lot of faith in myself to create these words that define faith. For without faith, man would be lost in the woods and not even be able to read a compass. If the previous words sound like a metaphor, then so be it! Even a Christmas carol speaks of “Oh, Come All Ye Faithful“ which shows to me that man has always leaned on faith in order to lean upon himself!
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Northern Ireland parliament blocks marriage bill Amnesty International threatens legal action by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer
them to reject the bill. “We write to you today out of concern that the marriage equality motion undermines a key foundation of that common good,” the bishops said. “The proposed marriage equality motion before the assembly effectively says to parents, children and society that the state
should not, and will not, promote any normative or ideal family environment for raising children. It therefore implies that the biological bond and natural ties between a child and its mother and father have no intrinsic value for the child or for society.” The Presbyterian Church in Northern Ireland also opposed the bill. care.org.uk
For the third time in 18 months, Northern Ireland’s parliament – know as Stormont – has blocked a bill to legalize same-sex marriage. Northern Ireland is part of the United Kingdom, but it is internally self-governing, and therefore not bound by British law, which already allows Gay and Lesbian couples to marry. The bill was introduced by Sinn Fein, the Irish nationalist party, which favors unification of Northern Ireland with the Republic of Ireland to the south. Although Sinn Fein is usually identified with Northern Ireland’s Catholic minority, it has supported marriage equality for more than a decade. Proposing the motion, Sinn Fein member Caitríona Ruane said her party advocated the right to social, economic, gender, and cultural equality. “We now have marriage equality in South Africa, Belgium, Denmark, France, Iceland, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Argentina, some parts of Mexico and the United States of America, Uruguay, Canada, New Zealand, England and Wales,” she said. “We will soon have it in the South of Ireland. We will also have it here in the North of Ireland.” Sinn Fein was joined by the Social Democratic Labor Party, but the proposal was opposed by all but two unionist
members, those who wish to remain part of the United Kingdom. The final vote on April 29 was 43 in favor of equality and 51 against. Calling the unionist members “latter-day King Canutes, trying in vain to hold back the tide of equality,” Amnesty International warned of a “likely legal challenge if Northern Ireland is left as the only part of the UK without marriage rights for samesex couples.” Patrick Corrigan, Amnesty’s program director in Northern Ireland, said that “States may not discriminate with regards to the right to marry and found a family on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity. “That obligation is clear in international law. This means that marriage should be available to same-sex couples in Northern Ireland, just as it is now in England and Wales and will shortly be in Scotland.” “With politicians continuing to block equality, it is now inevitable that same-sex couples in Northern Ireland will take a legal challenge on the basis of inferior treatment with regards to the right to marry and found a family,” Corrigan added. Stormont could be sued for unlawful discrimination under the terms of the European Convention on Human Rights, or the European Union charter, both of which the United Kingdom has ratified. Before the vote Catholic bishops wrote a letter to every assembly member urging
Northern Ireland Assembly
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Spain most accepting country for Gays Pew Research says AP
Participants in the 2012 Madrid Pride
by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer Spain is the most accepting country for Gays, according to a survey by Pew Research Center, and the French say that pretty much any conduct is OK with them. The Pew Global Views on Morality poll asked people in 40 countries what they thought about extramarital affairs, gambling, homosexuality, abortion, premarital sex, alcohol use, divorce, and contraception. For each issue, respondents were
asked to choose between “Unacceptable,” “Acceptable,” or “Not a moral issue.” Fifty-five percent of Spanish respondents described homosexuality as “morally acceptable,” while 38% said it was “not a moral issue.” Only 6% of Spaniards said that homosexuality was “morally unacceptable.” In the United States, 23% found being Gay morally acceptable, while 35% said it was not a moral issue – perhaps reflecting the idea that people do not “choose” to be Gay. Thirty-seven percent of Amer-
icans said homosexuality was morally unacceptable, however. At the other end of the scale were a number of African and Asian countries where more than 90% of respondents said homosexuality was morally wrong – Ghana (98%), Jordan (95%), Egypt (95%), the Palestinian territories (94%), Indonesia (93%), Uganda (93%), and Tunisia (92%). In Russia, where Vladimir Putin’s government has embarked on an anti-Gay campaign, 72% of the respondents said ho-
mosexuality was unacceptable. The most liberal attitudes in general were in France, where at least 40% of respondents found all eight subjects not to be moral issues at all. France was followed in liberalism by Spain, the Czech Republic, Japan, and Germany. Americans were most liberal on the issues of contraceptives and alcohol use. Fifty-two percent of Americans found the use of contraceptives to be acceptable and 7% unacceptable, although this was somewhat more conservative than global attitudes as a whole. Thirty-two percent found alcohol use to be acceptable, as opposed to 16% who said it was unacceptable. The most conservative countries, where respondents found all of the eight issues unacceptable were the Palestinian territories, Pakistan, Ghana, the Philippines, and Indonesia. The conservative countries differed on which of the issues their residents found particularly heinous, however. Palestinians were appalled by extra-martial affairs (94%); Pakistanis by gambling (95%) and alcohol use (94%); Ghanaians by homosexuality (98%); Filipinos by abortion (93%); and Indonesians by premarital sex (97%). Among Pew’s general conclusions: • “Extramarital affairs widely seen as morally unacceptable.” • “People see using contraceptives as a morally acceptable practice.” • “People in countries surveyed are more split on premarital sex and alcohol usage.” • “Americans see extramarital affairs as unacceptable, but are more accepting on other issues.” • “U.S. Republicans are more likely to view many of these issues as unacceptable.
A tale of two saints: Pope Francis splits the difference
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May 2, 2014
Seattle Gay News
that, many Jesuits were reportedly forbidden to publish or even speak about their views. In 2002, John Paul II canonized Opus Dei founder Josemaria Escriva, apparently because of Escriva’s fanatical anti-Communism and his loyalty to the papacy, and in spite of the fact that Catholic officials had documents showing that Escriva had accepted bribes and regularly made anti-Semitic statements. While John XXIII hoped to modernize church ritual and dogma, his views on sexuality were essentially traditionalist. He died before the Gay Liberation movement became a political force, and therefore rarely expressed himself on issues related to LGBT rights.
John Paul II, however, was a noted enemy of the LGBT community. Again working with Cardinal Ratzinger, John Paul initiated a drive to find and defrock Gay priests. He also characterized Gay people as “objectively disordered,” and marriage equality as an “ideology of evil.” Shortly after becoming Pope in 2005, Benedict XVI fast-tracked John Paul’s path to sainthood by eliminating waiting periods and reducing the number of miracles needed to canonize him from two to one. John XXIII was also canonized with only one miracle to his credit rather than the standard two.
Portrait of John XXIII
John Paul II
cathnewsusa.com
Pope Francis canonized two of his predecessors on April 27 – one who began modernization of the tradition-bound Catholic Church, and one who brought that process to a halt. “We declare and define Blessed John XXIII and John Paul II to be saints and we enroll them among the saints, decreeing that they are to be venerated as such by the whole Church,” Francis said in Latin at the climax of the ritual. Francis’s predecessor, Benedict XVI, attended the ceremony, as did 150 cardinals, 1,000 bishops, and some 6,000 priests. Religious analysts say that the dual canonization reflects Francis’s desire to create a “big tent” church that includes both modernists and traditionalists. John XXIII (1881-1963), convened the Second Vatican Council, a convention of church officials that sought to modernize Catholic ritual and dogma. Among other changes, Vatican II, as it came to be called, simplified the Catholic mass, ordered that it be conducted in modern languages rather than Latin, and opened dialogue with other Christian denominations, which had previously been shunned by Catholics. Although he was Pope during some of the worst years of the Cold War, John XXIII issued the famous encyclical Pacem in Terris (Peace on Earth), in which he argued that nation states must be bound by the same moral laws as individuals are.
Chubby, round-faced, and humble, John XXIII also offered a sharp contrast in style with his predecessor, the austere and aristocratic Pius XII. Needless to say, Pope John’s approach horrified Catholic traditionalists, who formed opposition groups both within and outside of official church channels. In a sense, John Paul II (1925-2005) was the traditionalists’ revenge. Although he participated in Vatican II as Archbishop of Krakow, Poland, as Pope he moved decisively to rein in all the unruly tendencies John XXIII’s Council had unleashed. Working with Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, then chief disciplinarian of the church and later his successor as Pope Benedict XVI, John Paul reasserted Papal supremacy and sought to put an end to liberal tendencies. A Polish nationalist and a protégé of Cardinal Stefan Wyszynski, once a prisoner of Poland’s Communist government, John Paul II allied himself with President Ronald Reagan to defeat socialism in Eastern Europe and celebrated the collapse of the Soviet Union. In 2004, President George W. Bush presented him with the Medal of Freedom, in recognition of his services against the Soviet bloc. Within the Catholic Church itself, John Paul was also an enemy of so-called “liberation theology,” the teaching that the struggle for human rights lay at the core of Christian doctrine. In 1981, in what amounted to a palace coup, he seized control of the Jesuit order, said to be one of the principal defenders of liberation theology, especially in Latin America. After
by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer
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