SGN May 4, 2018 - Part 1

Three Dollar Bill announces new Executive Director Ben McCarthy

Seattle Gay News

HRC releases hard-hitting video highlighting Mike Pence’s dangerous record on HIV and AIDS

Video is the latest in the organization’s groundbreaking “Real Mike Pence” campaign exposing the Vice President’s long history of anti-LGBTQ amicus

[On Friday, April 27,] the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) released a powerful new

San Francisco proclaims “Leather and LGBTQ Cultural District”

video calling attention to Vice President Mike Pence’s history of failures in protecting Americans from HIV and AIDS.

“Mike Pence has spent his career putting people in danger by denying them

Image courtesy of HRC see REAL MIKE PENCE page 11

San Francisco Dykes on Bikes® mourns passing of founding member Soni S.H.S. Wolf

see SONI WOLF page 6

By Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer

San Francisco’s Board of Supervisors unanimously proclaimed a “Leather and LGBTQ Cultural District” on May 1.

courtesy of Folsom Street Events see SAN FRANCISCO page 5

new Cultural District takes in several blocks on either side of Folsom Street in the South of Market area of the city. Site of the world-renowned Folsom Street Fair, the area is also home to a number of

Full-page ad in Topeka Capital-Journal and Wichita Eagle features business opposition to legislation enabling taxpayer-funded discrimination against LGBTQ people in child welfare services

TOPEKA, Kan. – The Human Rights Campaign (HRC), the nation’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) civil rights organization, joined Equality Kansas, and the ACLU of Kansas in launching a full-page ad – “Keep Kansas Open To All” – today in the Topeka Capital-Journal and tomorrow in the Wichita HRC, EQUALITY KANSAS, AND ACLU OF KANSAS LAUNCH

see KANSAS page 11

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Re: “Seattle seeks the dismissal of misdemeanor pot convictions,” Seattle Times , April 28, 2018

Dear Governor Inslee:

Seattle City Attorney Pete Holmes is petitioning Seattle Municipal Court to vacate and dismiss all misdemeanor marijuana convictions rendered prior to its legalization, in Washington.

The Times article reminded me of President Jimmy Carter’s action, in granting a blanket pardon, full and unconditional,

to all draft dodgers during the Vietnam War. I’m suggesting you consider a similar action, in Washington, and grant a blanket pardon, full and unconditional, to all persons convicted of state or local misdemeanor marijuana possession, prior to the legalization of marijuana, in Washington.

As the Times pointed out, expungement of such convictions can enhance a person’s chances of employment and protect an

immigrant’s status with Immigration. Thank you for your time and consideration.

Sincerely,

Steven L. Kendal Seattle

Dear SGN,

May is a big month here at Pride Foundation – not only are we announcing our 2018 Scholars any day now, May 1 also marks the opening of our Community Grants application!

Pride Foundation’s Community Grants Program (https://www.pridefoundation.org/what-we-do/grants/) invests in organizations, projects, programs, and strategies that expand opportunities and advance equity for LGBTQ communities in the Northwest. Last year through this program, we awarded $507,000 in grants to 81 organizations in Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and Washington.

Here are some of the strategies and issue areas we focus on through our general

operating, project, and capacity-building funding:

Art Creation and Cultural Preservation

Anti-Violence

Community Organizing and Mobilization

Economic Justice and Equity

Education and Training

Health and Wellness

Legal Services

Public Policy and Advocacy

HIV & AIDS Prevention/Intervention

Are you interested in applying for a grant, or know of an organization or program that could be a good fit?

To learn more, please take a moment to check out our funding priorities and application details on our Community Grants webpage (https://www.pridefoundation.

org/what-we-do/grants/guidelines/) We also encourage prospective applicants to take part in one of our 30-minute online grant info sessions – you can find the schedule for these sessions on our website. Our grant application is entirely online, and applications will be accepted until Friday, June 29, 2018 at 4:00pm AKST/ 5:00pm PST/ 6:00pm MST. We look forward to reading the innovative and brilliant proposals from our incredible community partner organizations!

With pride, Gunner Scott

Director

of Programs Pride Foundation

Introducing the 2018 Seattle Pride Parade Announcers

Seattle Pride strives to elevate and showcase local QPOC artists including drag queens, kings, burlesque performers, actors and comedians, and is proud to announce the 2018 Seatle Pride Parade Announcers!

Announcing from the Westlake Stage is Aleksa Manila, Briq House, and ilvs strauss

Aleksa Manila has been performing since 2000 and is a celebrated and respected drag personality. Drug counselor by day, drag diva by night. Originally from Manila, Philippines, Aleksa now calls Seattle home. Aleksa is a favorite emcee/host, speaker/ panelist, performer/model at many events in the region because of her smart and sassy presence onstage and her ease of engaging her audience.

Briq House is a body positive Burlesque performer, producer, Emcee, Professional Cuddler, Story Teller, and all-around Bad Ass Bitch. This proud size 16 Queen is the Producer of The Sunday Night Shuga Shaq: An All People of Color Burlesque Revue; the only monthly all People of Color Burlesque Revue in the PNW.

ilvs strauss (pronounced Elvis) is an analytical chemist turned multi-disciplinary performance artist and theater tech living and making work in Seattle. Her art

cuts a wide swath across disciplines, ranging from Dance Narrative performance to anamorphic outdoor sculptures, illustrated storytelling (aka Slide Shows) to haiku poetry. She also has the distinct honor, for one month out of the year, of portraying one of her best-friends-if-we-existed-onthis-planet-at-the-same-time: Jesus Christ, in Homo for the Holidays

Announcing from 4th Ave and Bell Street Stage is Al Lykya, Londyn Bradshaw, and Alyssa Yeoman

Al Lykya is Seattle’s dreamy, dimpled drag king stripper and FTM-cee. Utilizing his background in dance, theater & the art of drag, Al Lykya strives to challenge your ideas about gender & stretch your definition of masculinity. The Man with the 10,000 Dollar Chest specializes in drag, boilesque, & nerdlesque.

Londyn Bradshaw has been performing for about 2 1/2 years. Some of her recent appearances include working with Jetspace magazine which is a queer magazine company based out of Seattle Cut video. Last year in 2017 she was Miss Gay Seattle and has raised a lot of for charity while performing and doing what she loves. She also hosts a show called Weird at Timbre Room in the Kremwerk complex.

Alyssa Yeoman’s shockingly kind smile paired with a biting wit and relatable ennui makes an audience fall over in fits of laughter. Alyssa has opened for Amy Miller, Esther Ku, Sara Schaefer and Janelle James and has also performed in Portland’s Midnight Mass, Control Yourself, Minority Retort, NW Black Comedy Festival, Intersections Festival, Bumbershoot and the Seattle International Comedy Competition.

Announcing from the L Corner Stage (4th Ave and Denny Way) will be Salvador “Ravioli” Saber and Samuel L. JackYouSon

Salvador “Ravioli” Saber is one scintillating Sicilian boy from the Boardwalk. This teddy king has got style like Danny Zucco and moves like Justin Timberlake. But on the mic, he is an adorkable spazz boy with spitfire one-liners and a cocky (pun intended) edge. He is the co-host of Seattle’s only drag king review at Kremwerk. Here to raise the genderbend threshold.

Since 2013 Samuel has been delighting Seattle audiences with his Comedic Drag, Song and Storytelling abilities. Well known as a lover, Samuel also fights for social justice, especially as it pertains to Queer and POC communities, through fundrais-

ing and education. As an artist, Samuel seeks to undermine damaging stereotypes by pulling an audience into his worldview and making them comfortable there while celebrating Performances in Drag, Burlesque, Poetry, and Music. A much sought after MC, Samuel has worked with the best and brightest in Seattle’s prolific performance scene and is beloved by fans from all the disciplines.

About Seattle Out & Proud

Seattle Out & Proud is the volunteerdirected organization behind the official Seattle Pride roster of events. Seattle Out & Proud’s mission is to create unity, honor diversity, and achieve equal human rights throughout our region and the world. Seattle Out & Proud is focused on informing and educating the community on LGBT issues through community outreach and produced events, including the Seattle Pride Parade and the Volunteer Park Pride Festival. For more information about Seattle Out & Proud and Seattle Pride, including opportunities to volunteer or sponsor, visit www.seattlepride.org.

Courtesy of Seattle Out & Proud

Mother’s Day: celebrate Mom and good union jobs

by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer

Your Mom worked hard to raise you, and if she’s like most modern Moms, she also worked hard at a job to help feed you and keep a roof over your head.

Honor her and her hard work – and honor the work of millions of Moms like her – by making sure to buy her some union-made candy this Mother’s Day.

Many top-grade chocolates are made by workers represented by the Bakery, Confectionary, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers (BCTGM) and the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW).

Ghirardelli, Hershey’s, Russell Stover, and See’s chocolates are all union-made.

Buy Mom some flowers too. Many union markets have floral sections and they’ll be happy to help you.

The same markets will have bakeries for Mom’s favorite cake, and deli sections – often with catering services – where you can get all the makings for a Mother’s Day brunch.

You can find a full list of union grocery stores in Western Washington at the UFCW 21 website: https://www.ufcw21.org/shopunion/

UNITE HERE 8 also has a list of caterers on their website, or if you’d rather take Mom out, a list of union restaurants: https://www. unitehere8.org/2006/01/local-8-caterers/

If you expect visitors from out of town, or if you have to travel to Mom, UNITE HERE also has a list of union hotels: http://www. fairhotel.org/

Finally, if you want to get Mom a special gift, Macys, Macys Furniture Gallery, DelTeet Furniture, and Woodside Braseth Gallery are all union shops. So is C. C. Filson if Mom’s the outdoorsy type.

By the way, the unions that will help you celebrate your Mom are also leaders in the fight for a democratic and inclusive union movement that defends LGBT rights.

Gay City Arts Season 6: Solidarity applications due May 21

There is no better time for solidarity. No better time to stick together in a broad movement of resistance and connection. While we live in an environment that tries to split people down the seams of our identities, it is interdependence that becomes one of our greatest tools. For it is together that we are strong. This season, Gay City Arts claims solidarity as a place from which our survival, our resilience, and our collective joy springs.

To apply: https://www.gaycity.org/event/ art-season-6-applications-due/. Application deadline is Monday, May 21st by 5:00pm.

About Gay City Arts

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 LGBTQ artists to galvanize an audience for queer arts, foster the development of LGBTQ artists and works, and facilitate accessible artistic excellence. 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, comedy, and literary and visual arts.

Courtesy of Gay City Arts

SAN FRANCISCO

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including the Eagle SF,

and Driftwood.

Lone

Once a sleazy low-rent district populated by transients, sailors, and drag queens, the South of Market area has experienced rapid gentrification, driving up rents and prices.

San Francisco has taken steps to protect the heritage and atmosphere of certain neighborhoods, including Proposition J, passed in 2015. This measure gave grants to so-called

“legacy” businesses, and financial incentives to landlords renting premises to long-established businesses that might otherwise be priced out of the area.

The decision to recognize a new Cultural District South of Market would give landlords and businesses in the area access to public money and some negotiating rights when confronted with future development plans.

Besides the Leather LGBTQ District, the city is also considering two other LGBTQ cultural districts, including the Transgender Cultural District in the Tenderloin area to the north, and the Castro Cultural District to the west.

Marke Bieschke, co-owner of The Stud bar, curator at the GLBT History Museum, and publisher of the website 48 Hills had mixed feelings about the city’s action.

“On the face of it, these are welcome,” he explained. “Each of these traditionally queer neighborhoods is being rapidly gentrified, their character is changing and LGBT people and longtime businesses are being pushed out.

“It’s a reassurance from our city government that it supports us and wants to protect our culture.

“On the other hand, there is a danger of ‘pink washing’ this rapid gentrification, by

letting luxury condo developers do as they will, as long as they throw queer people a bone by, say, courting a gay ground-floor business or creating a gay history display.

“There also isn’t an established process yet around who gets to decide what’s historical and what’s truly ‘queer’ in individual cases. So far the cultural districts idea is encouraging and makes for great press releases but the mechanics remain murky. I think a lot of public outreach and explication will have to be the next step.”

Statement from NCLR’s Kate Kendell on the passing of Dykes on Bikes founding member Soni Wolf

SAN FRANCISCO – [On Tuesday, May 1] Dykes on Bikes [SF] announced that founding member Soni Wolf, “an inspiring mother of the movement for lesbian pride and dignity” died on Wednesday, April 25 of natural causes at the age of 69. The National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR) and the Brooke Oliver Law Group represented Dykes on Bikes in an action to register its name with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, which had initially rejected the application on the grounds that the term “Dykes on Bikes” is disparaging to lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people. On July 11, 2007, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit issued a final ruling affirming the group’s trademark of the name “Dykes on Bikes.”

NCLR Executive Director Kate Kendell issued the following statement in response:

“On her motorcycle, Soni Wolf blazed a new path forward for women and lesbians by defying gender stereotypes and boldly demanding recognition of our community on our own terms. NCLR was honored to represent Dykes on Bikes, and Soni, in its challenge for recognition, and today, we mourn this loss for our community. Soni was a fierce advocate whose life exemplified the power of visionary courage, freedom, and feminist solidarity. We’ve been immeasurably enriched by knowing her, and next month at Pride, we’ll see Soni’s legacy live on.”

SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. – On Tuesday, May 1st, the San Francisco Dykes on Bikes® Women’s Motorcycle Contingent announced the death of Soni S.H.S. Wolf, a founding member of Dykes on Bikes and an inspiring mother of the movement for lesbian pride and dignity. Soni passed peacefully of natural causes the night of Wednesday April 25th. Soni was 69 when she died and is survived by Dykes on Bikes around the world who follow in her footsteps.

Kate Brown, past President and current spokesperson for the San Francisco Dykes on Bikes had this to say: “Soni leaves an indelible mark on history and especially on those who shared her daily life. Soni steadfastly refused to accept “Dyke” as an epithet. She blazed the trail for the rest of us in courage and LGBTQ pride. She taught me leadership takes many forms; there is strength in patience, power in listening, and small acts have a way of being defining moments in history. Like the roads we ride, our lives take many twists and turns. I am forever grateful for the route that brought Soni into my life.”

Soni began riding with her sisters at the front of the SF Pride Parade in the late 1970s, shortly after the movement for women’s empowerment and visibility brought Dykes on Bikes to the parade’s front. Over the course of forty years with Dykes on Bikes, Soni helped the organization evolve into a 501(c)(3) non-profit, spearheading the group’s mission to create a national and international community of women’s motorcyclists supporting philanthropic endeavors in LGBTQ communities.

Over 14 years, Soni guided a team of lawyers led by Brooke Oliver at 50 Balmy Law, who worked pro bono to successfully argue, all the way to the US Supreme Court twice, that the trademark Dykes on Bikes signifies pride within our community and is protected as political speech. Dykes on Bikes’ legal strategy helped overturn an unconstitutional law, part of the Lanham Act, in what has been hailed as one of the most important Freedom of Expression cases in years (Matal vs Tam).

“Dykes around the world found their voices as Soni and her sisters rumbled down Market Street at the head of Pride for 40 years. Chapters around the world spread that tradition. We have lost a sister, a mentor, an inspiration who started an epic cultural shift. Her legacy lives on at the front of Pride Parades everywhere. Soni will always be riding at your side,” says Brooke Oliver.

The National Center for Lesbian Rights is a national legal organization committed to advancing the human and civil rights of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community through litigation, public policy advocacy, and public education. www. NCLRights.org

Courtesy of NCLR

In April, the Board of Directors of the San Francisco LGBT Pride Celebration Committee selected Soni as a Community Grand Marshal for the 2018 San Francisco Pride Parade. Soni was deeply touched and honored. George Ridgely, Executive Director of San Francisco Pride, speaking on behalf of the organization, said: “Soni’s legacy looms large at San Francisco Pride. Our theme for 2018 is Generations of Strength, and it is with immense gratitude that we recognize and celebrate Soni’s life and contributions. The Dykes on Bikes contingent is an integral and essential component of our Parade. I speak both personally and on behalf of the entire organization when I say that Soni is greatly loved and will be missed.”

Soni will be represented in this year’s SF Pride by her closest friends carrying the historic and beautifully painted gas tank from the motorcycle Soni rode in the first Dykes on Bikes contingent in San Francisco.

Soni mentored many Dykes on Bikes, was a steadfast leader in LGBTQ community, and in 2016 was Sainted by The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence®. She was a proud veteran of the United States Air Force. Soni moved to the San Francisco Bay Area in the 1970s, never imagining she would find herself an advocate and leader in a historic movement for equality. The iconic imagery, words, and legacy of Dykes on Bikes would not be what they are today without Soni Wolf.

A public recognition of Soni’s life and contributions to the LGBTQ community will take place on Sunday June 24th on the SF Pride main stage. The San Francisco Dykes on Bikes has created a special email address (RememberingSoni@dykesonbikes.org) where everyone can send their thoughts, memories, stories, and goodbyes to Soni. A private memorial service for Dykes on Bikes and Soni’s close friends is also scheduled.

The Soni Wolf Memorial fund has been established for those wishing to contribute. Soni was the Dykes on Bikes’ longstanding secretary and historian, and in 2016 was granted Secretary Emeritus status. Soni’s wish was that the documents and materials with historical significance to the Dykes on Bikes and larger LGBTQ community in her care be archived and the fund will be used in part to support those efforts. Donations to the Soni Wolf Memorial Fund established through the Dykes on Bikes are tax-deductible. Contributions to the fund can be made through GoFundMe at the Soni Wolf Memorial Fund website (https://www.gofundme/ soniwolf)

Following is a statement posted on the San Francisco Dykes on Bikes website July 2017 on the occasion of Soni Wolf stepping down from her administrative duties with San Francisco Dykes on Bikes: As some may know, our beloved Secretary Soni Wolf stepped down from administrative duties in 2017. Soni rode with the San Francisco Dykes on Bikes® for 40 years and was part of the movement in the late 1970s that brought us to the front of Pride Parades around the world as a result. We honored Soni’s decades of service to the LGBTQ community at our 2017 pre-Pride party. Please see https://www.dykesonbikes.org/ soniwolf for a video of the celebration.

Soni will always be a member of the Dykes on Bikes® and will be the only person to ever hold the title of “Secretary Emeritus.” Our organization would not be where we are today without the contributions of this legendary Dyke on a Bike. Thank you, Soni, for everything you have done to bring visibility to Dykes and help us reclaim for our own use the term “Dykes on Bikes.” We can only hope to model ourselves after the example you have set for us.

Dykes on Bikes History

In 1976 a small group of 20-25 women motorcyclists gathered at the head of the San Francisco Pride Parade and, unbeknownst to them, a tradition began. One of these women coined the phrase “Dykes on Bikes®” and the San Francisco Chronicle

picked it up and ran with it. For the next several years, riders just showed up and rode – no formal organization or registration. It was this way for several years until the middle to late 1980s. However, as San Francisco Pride became more structured and the group’s numbers kept growing, the need to organize Dykes on Bikes® became necessary; thus, the Women’s Motorcycle Contingent (WMC) was born. However, in the press and LGBTQ culture, they continued to be known as Dykes on Bikes®. In 2003, the organizers voted to recognize our long history by changing the name to the San Francisco Dykes on Bikes® Women’s Motorcycle Contingent (SFDOBWMC).

The WMC was started by LB Gunn, Kalin Elliot-Arns, Christine Elliot, Sabine Balden, and Mel. As one of the founding members, Soni Wolf rode at the front of the San Francisco Pride Parade every year for four decades and was the soul behind the group’s tremendous legal efforts to register their name and logo with the United States Patent Trademark Office. Today the group registers and organizes hundreds of bikes for the San Francisco Pride Parade. www. dykesonbikes.org/history

San Francisco Dykes on Bikes is the mother chapter to all Dykes on Bikes chapters. There are currently 16 chapters worldwide: throughout the US, Europe, and Australia.

Courtesy of San Francisco Dykes on Bikes

CALL FOR ARTISTS

New Seattle AIDS Memorial Seeks Lead Design Team Artist

Deadline for Submission is May 29, 2018

SEATTLE, WA (April 24, 2018)The AMP: AIDS Memorial Pathway, community-driven and -funded, will use public art to create a physical place for remembrance and reflection; utilize technology to share stories about the epidemic and the diverse community responses to the crisis; and provide a call to action to end HIV/AIDS, stigma, and discrimination.

A passionate group of volunteers and community leaders, including people living with HIV, people of color, and members of the LGBTQIA+ community, have begun work on The AMP in partnership with the City of Seattle.

The City’s Office of Arts & Culture is conducting a national search to select the project’s lead design team artist(s), who will work with a design team of developers, architects, landscape architects, technology artists/consultants, and others to develop, plan, and scope artworks and art concepts for a community-driven memorial project honoring the impact of the AIDS epidemic on Seattle and King County.

Through extensive collaboration with the design team, careful consideration of the sites, deep investigation of the history of AIDS and those most impacted by the disease, and thorough engagement of the impacted communities, the lead design team artist(s) will scope and propose future public art projects at multiple sites in

and around Cal Anderson Park in Seattle’s Capitol Hill neighborhood, the historic and cultural center of the AIDS epidemic in King County. The memorial artworks will be integrated into both Cal Anderson Park and the Capitol Hill Transit-Oriented Development, a series of residential and commercial buildings and open spaces adjacent to the park.

An independent creative digital team, with whom the selected lead design team artist(s) will work, will be contracted separately to construct an integral Augmented/Extended Reality (A/XR) component. The A/XR technology will be instrumental to fulfilling the project goals, and this lead artist position will collaborate with the A/XR digital team to integrate art experiences into this technology platform.

Each part of The AMP should evoke different responses and provide varied experiences, while also acknowledging that they are part of a larger memorial. Participants will find themselves in an atmosphere conducive to remembrance and reflection and be led to gain awareness of the varied communities’ responses to AIDS. Through these direct experiences, the art will address social and cultural concerns in which humans face the hardships of fear, discrimination, and the bewildering loss of loved ones. AIDS was and is a crisis that affects all people, and it is a priority that this project

be accessible to the widest possible range of communities.

The call is open to established professional artists living in the United States who are over 18 years of age. The AMP encourages diversity in its collection. Artists whose work is well represented in the city’s collection are eligible to apply, but the artist selection panel will consider artistic diversity as one factor in the selection process. Students are not eligible to apply.

The deadline for submission is Tuesday, May 29, 2018, 10:59pm PDT.

The AMP and the Office of Arts & Culture will share additional background information about this project, information about the selection process, and review the application process on Thursday, May 10, 2018, 12:30pm PDT. Those interested in participating in this online workshop should RSVP via email with “add me to the online workshop” in the subject line to kristen.ramirez@seattle.gov by May 3, 2018.

Information about the project’s history, site selection, current status, and additional details about the Call and a link to it are all available at TheAMP.org.

The AMP: AIDS Memorial Pathway is supported by the City of Seattle, the Seattle Parks Foundation, Pride Foundation, and individual donors.

REAL MIKE PENCE

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access to HIV prevention and treatment,” said Ashland Johnson, HRC’s Director of Public Education and Research. “From spreading misinformation about condom use, to contributing to a major outbreak of HIV and AIDS in his home state – Pence has been reckless with the health and lives of those he is sworn to serve, choosing to promote a dangerous ideology over making the right decisions for the American people.”

In 2002, Pence chided then-Secretary of State Colin Powell for his advisement that young people use condoms when engaging in sexual activity: “And the truth is that Colin Powell had an opportunity here to reaffirm this president’s commitment to abstinence as the best choice for our young people, and he chose not to do that in the first instance, but – and so I think it’s very sad. The other part is that, frankly, condoms are a very, very poor protection against sexually transmitted diseases....” In the same interview, Pence claimed condoms have “zero preventative value” and are “too modern of an answer.”

In 2003, responding to the HIV and AIDS crisis in sub-saharan Africa, Pence argued for the Bush administration to prioritize abstinence-only education over condom distribution because it would protect the rights of

KANSAS

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Eagle. The ad highlights the overwhelming opposition from the business community to HB 2481 – legislation currently pending before the Kansas House of Representatives that would create a license to discriminate with taxpayer funds against LGBTQ foster or adoptive parents, single parents, or other qualified families.

See the full-page ad at https://assets2. hrc.org/files/assets/resources/Kansas_ NewspaperAd_TopekaCapitalJournal_042818_V4.pdf

“We’re making sure lawmakers know full well the business community has joined fair-minded voices across Kansas in calling for the rejection of this dangerous bill that threatens the state’s reputation, people, and economy,” said JoDee Winterhof, HRC Senior Vice President for Policy and Political Affairs. “No qualified parent should be discriminated against with taxpayer funds for something that has nothing to do with the best interest of the children in desperate need of loving and caring homes. It’s crucially important the Kansas House of Representatives reject this license to discriminate and send a powerful message that Kansas remains open for business and welcoming to all.”

faith-based organizations. Pence followed this up with a call to “send them values that work” as justification for prioritizing abstinence-only education.

As governor of Indiana, Pence’s cuts to public health funding helped fuel the worst outbreak of HIV and AIDS in the state’s

Image courtesy of HRC

history. The outbreak in Scott County was enabled by the closure of a local Planned Parenthood clinic, which was the county’s only HIV testing center. As the outbreak of HIV and AIDS spiraled out of control, Pence was “reluctant” to lift a ban on needle exchanges that could mitigate the spread of

Comcast; Couchbase; Craigslist; DELL; Dewey Square Group; DoorDash; DXC Technology; eBay; ecoATM; eHealth; Elevate; EnerNOC; Engie Storage; Facebook; FireEye; FWD.us; General Motors; Glamsquad; Google; Hewlett Packard Enterprise; HP Inc.; Instacart; Intuit; JC2 Ventures; Klein Perkins Caufield Byers; Letgo; LoanGifting.com; Lyft; Madrona Venture Group; Microsoft; MIND Research; Nasdaq; National Instruments; NerdWallet; Oath; Okta; Oracle; Palantir Technologies; Paypal; Perkins Coie; Philips Lighting; Plaid; Postmates; Recurrent Energy; Ring; Saucey; Seagate; Silicon Valley Bank; Silver Spring Networks; Slack; Stride Health; SugarCRM; Sunrun; TaskRabbit; TechNexus; Thumbtack; Topia; Turo; Uber; Upwork; Verizon; Visa; Vista Equity Partners; Vitu; Waymo; WGBH; and Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati.

HB 2481 could have a sweeping, harmful impact in child welfare services by enabling discrimination against LGBTQ couples, interfaith couples, single parents, married couples in which one prospective parent has previously been divorced, or other qualified parents to whom an agency has an objection.

the virus. After an intervention staged by officials from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Pence continued dragging his feet on full implementation for needle exchanges, waiting for a year to sign off on funding, which lead to an outbreak in Scott County that included 190 victims of HIV and AIDS.

This video is the latest installment of “The Real Mike Pence,” a comprehensive campaign – including a scathing report (https://assets2.hrc.org/files/assets/resources/RealMikePence-2018-FinalReport. pdf) and microsite (http://www.hrc.org/ realmikepence) – exposing the vice president’s career of attacks on LGBTQ people and shining a spotlight on the inordinate influence he and his inner circle wield in the administration. It has never been more important for a nation to know – really know – its vice president.

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

Courtesy of the Human Rights Campaign

that child welfare services should be guided by the overarching principle that guides all family law: all determinations should be in the best interest of the child. HB 2481 clearly violates this principle.

HRC recently released a report, titled Disregarding the Best Interest of the Child: License to Discriminate In Child Welfare Services, detailing the harms of efforts to write anti-LGBTQ discrimination by child welfare agencies into law. (https://assets2. hrc.org/files/assets/resources/licenses-todiscriminate-child-welfare-2017.pdf?_ ga=2.193125028.867382251.15209522761398527104.1465850053) Statistics suggest that an estimated two million LGBTQ adults in the U.S. are interested in adoption, but the LGBTQ community often remains an untapped resource when it comes to finding families for children and youth in foster care. Research consistently shows that LGBTQ youth are overrepresented in the foster care system, as many have been rejected by their families of origin because of their LGBTQ status, and are especially vulnerable to discrimination and mistreatment while in foster care. HB 2481 will only exacerbate these challenges faced by LGBTQ young people.

The full-page ad features members of TechNet – the national, bipartisan network of over 80 technology companies – which recently sent a letter to Kansas lawmakers making clear their strong opposition to HB 2481 and warning that discriminatory legislation can have dire consequences on economic development and business competitiveness. In the letter, the major corporations made clear that legalizing discrimination would undermine their ability to continue to invest and grow in Kansas.

The ad features 1-800 Contacts; Accenture; Airbnb; Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld; Amazon; Amyris; Apple; Arch Venture Partners; Astound; AT&T; Bloom Energy; Blue Apron; Box; CA Technologies; Charge Point; Cisco; ClearStreet, Inc.;

Many of the country’s top child welfare organizations have spoken out in opposition of the bill, including the Child Welfare League of America, North American Council on Adoptable Children, National Center for Adoption and Permanency, Foster Club, Voice For Adoption, Foster Adopt Connect, Kansas Appleseed, and Children’s Alliance of Kansas. This bill most harms children in the system who are awaiting placement in qualified, loving homes and are instead denied placement with a family due to a lack of prospective parents. Experts agree

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

Courtesy of the Human Rights Campaign

Who loves ya, baby?

Most religious people OK with same-sex marriage, new survey shows

by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer

Only two years after the US Supreme Court’s Obergefell decision legalized same-sex marriages nationwide, most religious people have accepted such marriages, according to a new study by the Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI).

PRRI’s 2017 American Values Atlas surveyed 40,017 Americans by phone, including 23,903 cell-phone interviews, between April 5 and December 23, 2017. Landline and cell numbers were dialed randomly.

The polling finds that despite continued opposition from organized religious leaders, believers themselves have rapidly shifted their views on same-sex marriage.

“Most religious groups in the U.S. now support same-sex marriage, including overwhelming majorities of Unitarians (97 percent), Buddhists (80 percent), the religiously unaffiliated (80 percent), Jewish Americans (77 percent), and Hindus (75 percent),” PRRI says.

“Roughly two-thirds of white mainline Protestants (67 percent), white Catholics (66 percent), Orthodox Christians (66 percent), and Hispanic Catholics (65 percent) also favor same-sex marriage.

“A slim majority of Muslims (51 percent) favor same-sex marriage, but only 34 percent are opposed; 15 percent offer no opinion on this issue.”

Opposition to marriage equality among religious groups based among communities of color has also collapsed.

“Black Protestants have moved from solid opposition to a plurality of support for samesex marriage. In 2013, nearly six in ten (57 percent) black Protestants opposed samesex marriage,” PRRI observed.

“Today just 43 percent oppose it, compared to nearly half (48 percent) who support it. Hispanic Protestants have moved from solid opposition to same-sex marriage to being divided over the policy.

“In 2013, nearly two-thirds (65 percent) of Hispanic Protestants opposed same-sex marriage. Today, 43 percent favor the policy,

compared to 45 percent who oppose it and 13 percent who offer no opinion.”

Opposition to same-sex marriage is now confined to white evangelicals, Mormons, and Jehovah’s Witnesses. Fifty-eight percent of evangelicals still oppose same-sex marriage, with 53 percent of Mormons and 63 percent of Jehovah’s Witnesses.

Overall, 61 percent of Americans support marriage equality according to the poll, with

majority support in 44 of the 50 states.

Just one state, Alabama, has a clear majority opposed to equality, but support was under 50 percent in Mississippi, Tennessee, West Virginia, Louisiana, and North Carolina – all areas saturated with white evangelicals.

The PRRI survey also shows that Americans overwhelmingly support non-discrimination laws that would protect LGBT people in their workplaces, public accommodations, and housing.

Seventy percent of Americans favor such laws, and only 23 percent oppose them. Sixty percent of Americans also oppose so-called “freedom to discriminate” laws that give business owners the right to refuse service to LGBT people on religious grounds.

HRC releases report highlighting heightened need for paid family and medical leave for LGBTQ working people of color

The release of the new report, which includes findings from HRC’s 2018 U.S. LGBTQ Paid Leave Survey, coincides with

International Workers’ Day

WASHINGTON, D.C. – [On Tuesday, May 1] the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) Foundation, the educational arm of the nation’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) civil rights organization, the National Black Justice Coalition (NBJC) and the National Queer Asian Pacific Islander Alliance (NQAPIA) released a groundbreaking, new report underscoring the urgent need for inclusive employer-paid family and medical leave for LGBTQ working people of color.

The report, which reveals disproportionately high barriers for LGBTQ working people of color in accessing workplace leave policies compared to white LGBTQ working people, draws on responses to the HRC’s 2018 U.S. LGBTQ Paid Leave Survey – the largest and most comprehensive survey ever of its kind. Its release coincides with International Workers’ Day, a commemoration of the essential role of working people and labor unions around the world.

“We know that access to inclusive paid leave is vital for all working people, and our groundbreaking research shows it is particularly crucial for LGBTQ people of color and our loved ones,” said Ashland Johnson, HRC Director of Public Education and Research.

“LGBTQ people of color report more barriers, increased fears and less access to inclusive leave policies compared to white LGBTQ working people. These experiences reflect the troubling workplace disparities that arise at the intersection of race, gender identity and sexual orientation – and the need to address these inequities as we pursue nationwide paid leave for all working people.”

The new HRC Foundation report reflects responses from 1,883 LGBTQ people of color from across the nation detailing their ability to access family and medical leave, experiences in the workplace and concerns about managing both their jobs and their wellbeing. Key findings include:

• 27 percent of respondents of color say

they are afraid to request time off to care for a loved one because it might disclose their LGBTQ identity, compared to 16 percent of white respondents.

• Only 40 percent of respondents of color report that their employer has LGBTQinclusive leave policies, compared to 49 percent of white respondents.

• 44 percent of respondents of color say they are concerned about losing their job if they were to take leave, compared to 37 percent of white respondents. This includes 48 percent of Asian Pacific Islander respondents, the highest of any ethnoracial identity group.

• 53 percent of respondents of color agree with the statement, “I feel increased responsibility to care for certain loved ones due to their lack of support from their families/friends due to their LGBTQ identities,” compared to 44 percent of white respondents.

• Only 36 percent of respondents of color

report that their employer offers paid parental leave after the birth or adoption of a child.

Read the report at https://assets2.hrc. org/files/assets/resources/HRC-PaidLeavePOCReport-FINAL.pdf, and check out other findings from the HRC’s 2018 U.S. LGBTQ Paid Leave Survey at https:// assets2.hrc.org/files/assets/resources/2018HRC-LGBTQ-Paid-Leave-Survey. pdf?utm_campaign=Paid%20Leave&utm_ source=HRC%20Website.

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

Courtesy of the Human Rights Campaign

New campaign to elevate voices of transgender people living with HIV in national conversation about health care

OAKLAND, Calif. – Transgender Law Center’s Positively Trans project today launched #ACApositive, a campaign to shift the conversation about health care and the Affordable Care Act towards a focus on the life-or-death stakes for transgender people living with HIV. Launching just a week after news broke that the Trump administration plans to attack the Affordable Care Act’s protections for transgender people, the campaign seeks to amplify the experiences and voices of transgender people of color living with HIV in federal health care policy.

“By undermining the Affordable Care Act, the Trump administration is undermining the survival of transgender people of color living with HIV,” said Cecilia Chung, senior director of strategic projects at Transgender Law Center and founder of Positively Trans. “Yet so few advocates, policymakers, or media outlets covering these attacks on health care are talking about the stakes for my community. By saying we are #ACApositive, transgender people living with HIV are demanding that our voices and experiences be heard and respected.”

The digital campaign will feature the stories and perspectives of dozens of transgender people living with HIV, including through a Twitter town hall on Monday, May 7, at 11am PT/ 2pm ET.

“We are now living in a medically advanced world where, with proper treatment, HIV has become a manageable, chronic condition and not a death sentence – unless you are poor, unless you are a person of color, and especially unless you’re a poor transgender person of color,” says Arianna Lint, a member of the Positively Trans National Advisory Board. “For us, it is 1980. The Affordable Care Act has

been a critical step towards finally addressing this crisis and giving us a chance to thrive. To turn back on it now would be cruel and, for many, fatal.”

In a national research study, Positively Trans found that 44% of trans people living with HIV surveyed had faced discrimination in health care because of their gender identity, and 41% had gone six months or more without medical care since their HIV diagnosis. Positively Trans, the first network led by and for transgender people living with HIV (TPLHIV), launched in 2015 to address inequities, stigma, and discrimination faced by TPLHIV through

community-driven research, leadership development, storytelling, and organizing.

Evonne Kaho, another member of Positively Trans, added, “We are launching the #ACApositive campaign because everyone should be able to get medical care when they need it. Everyone deserves for their life to be saved, and that’s what the Affordable Care Act means for transgender people living with HIV. It’s a matter of life or death for us.”

Learn more about #ACApositive and find campaign materials at https://transgenderlawcenter.org/acapositive.

Transgender Law Center (TLC) is the largest national trans-led organization advocating self-determination for all people. Grounded in legal expertise and committed to racial justice, TLC employs a variety of community-driven strategies to keep transgender and gender nonconforming people alive, thriving, and fighting for liberation. transgenderlawcenter.org

Courtesy of Transgender Law Center

Greater visibility reduces transphobia and increases public support for transgender rights, study finds

LOS ANGELES – A new study examining the relationship between prejudice and support for the rights of marginalized groups found that reducing transphobia increases an individual’s support for the equality and legal protection of transgender people. Transphobia is an emotional dislike of people whose gender identity or expression differs from what is traditionally associated with their sex assigned at birth.

The study also found that exposure to images and information about transgender people helped reduce transphobia.

“These are encouraging findings,” said lead author Andrew R. Flores, a visiting scholar at the Williams Institute at UCLA School of Law. “As research continues to

examine the effects of increased knowledge and depictions of transgender people in mass media, this study further suggests that these developments can have a positive impact on the rights and well-being of transgender people.”

Two groups received written information defining gender identity and images of male and female faces that appeared congruent (group 1) or incongruent (group 2) with their desired gender. Group 3 received only the written information about gender identity and the control group (group 4) got only written information on an unrelated topic.

Then, researchers asked questions to measure participants’ levels of transphobia and support for policies that ensure equal

treatment of transgender people and policies that offer specific protections, such as use of public restrooms and medical treatment for transgender health issues. All of the exposure groups showed a reduction in transphobia and an increase on both types of policies.

“These findings offer some guidance to people working to change public attitudes toward transgender rights,” said Flores. “Reducing transphobia by humanizing transgender people can lead to more accepting attitudes and greater support from the public.”

The study, Transgender Prejudice Reduction and Opinions on Transgender Rights: Results from a Mediation Analysis on Experimental Data, was published in Research & Politics and co-authored by Williams Institute Visiting Scholar Andrew R. Flores along with Donald P. Haider-Markel, Daniel C. Lewis, Patrick R. Miller, Barry L. Tadlock and Jami K. Taylor. (http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/ full/10.1177/2053168018764945)

The Williams Institute at UCLA School of Law, a think tank on sexual orientation and gender identity law and public policy, is dedicated to conducting rigorous, independent research with real-world relevance. https://williamsinstitute.law.ucla.edu/

Courtesy of The Williams Institute