SGN May 7, 2021

1,001

Seattle Gay News

FIGHT FOR SPD ACCOUNTABILITY CONTINUES

1,001 great films (part 3) Dragonslayer, gender, and the myth of the so-called “guilty pleasure”

by Sara Michelle Fetters

Staff Writer

Looking at this month’s list of 100 titles, I was struck by how many films from certain genres go unrecognized for their greatness at the time of their initial release. Horror. Fantasy. Science Fiction. All too frequently, comedy. If it isn’t a drama or doesn’t broach a serious topic with utmost sincerity (as many of the justifiably lauded westerns, war pictures, and even a solid selection of psychological thrillers oftentimes do), then those efforts, no matter how excellent, are dismissed as being “lesser” for reasons I’ve never been able to entirely comprehend.

see 1,001 GREAT FILMS page 8

by Josephine Baird SGN Contributing Writer

On July 25, 2020, journalist Renee Raketty was doing what she has done for years: covering groundbreaking, historically important events in the Seattle area.

On this particular day, Raketty was reporting for the Seattle Gay

News on one of the many protests following George Floyd’s death at the hands of police on May 25, an event that rocked the nation and the world and spotlighted America’s ever-present issues of racism and inequality. Tensions were especially high in Seattle due to the deployment of federal officers by the Trump administration.

Gov. Inslee places two-week pause on phase reopenings across WA

by Hannah Saunders SGN Contributing Writer

On May 4, 2021, Gov. Jay Inslee provided an update surrounding the coronavirus pandemic in Washington state. Although there was talk of a potential Phase 2 rollback in King County, Inslee announced that for the following two weeks, each county’s cur-

rent phase will be placed on hold. For King County, that means sticking with Phase 3 protocols. As of now, there are no decisions to change the phase plans other than the active two-week pause.

“If we are going to save lives and simultaneously keep businesses open, remaining flexible is an important element and virtue

Married Lesbians in Texas: As reported by SGN Staff Writer Mike Andrew, “A Lesbian couple has been legally married in Texas — even though same-sex marriages are constitutionally prohibited there — thanks to an apparent

Arizona immigration law: LGBTQ groups denounced Arizona’s new law on immigration, as reported by SGN Contributor Rex Wockner: “The statute requires police to check an individual’s immigration status whenever an officer suspects an individual may be in the US illegally. The law has been dubbed ‘Papers, please.’…

“‘Arizona’s new immigration law is draconian and inhumane,’ said [National Gay and Lesbian Task Force] Executive Director Rea Carey. ‘It has no place on the books anywhere. The potential for racial profiling, infringement of civil liberties, and violence and harassment against individuals and their families just going about their daily lives is enormous. Comprehensive immigration reform is critically needed, but targeting and demonizing people is not the answer; stripping people of fundamental rights and common humanity is not the answer. Our political leaders must work toward reform that is

Social network murder: Hookups with tricks from craigslist or even hookup apps, including Grindr, that detected your GPS locations could be dangerous, as SGN Staff Writer Shaun Knittel reported: “Social networking sites for Gay men have turned into a playground for criminals, who log on to find unsuspecting victims for encounters that end up in theft and intimidation — and, in some cases, murder…

“After finding his body, police tracked down a friend of [Mark G.] Woodland’s in California, who told them Woodland had met the man using an unidentified social networking application. The application uses a GPS to locate potential dates based on a person’s proximity to other users.

“According to police, they were given Woodland’s date’s username for the app by his friend, as well as a description of

loophole in Texas state law. It turns out that Sabrina Hill was born intersexual and has both male and female sex organs. She is identified on her birth certificate as male, and it is this fact that got the couple legal permission to marry.”

fair and humane. This law is neither. It is a cruel, quick fix that demeans our country’s values of freedom, justice, and equality.’”

Update: According to AZCentral, “Before the law even went into effect, major parts of SB 1070 were halted by a US District Court judge in a lawsuit filed by the US Department of Justice. And most of the rest — along with other state immigration laws regarding human smuggling and denying bond to undocumented immigrants was whittled away in subsequent federal court rulings that said immigration control was the business of federal government, not individual states.” As for the remaining provisions, a 2016 agreement with litigants included “an informal opinion from the Arizona Attorney General’s Office that sets guidelines for law-enforcement officers when they encounter people who may be in the country illegally.”

the man last seen with Woodland by one of his neighbors. They tracked down a suspect whose iPhone arranged the date with Woodland and matched the description of the man.

“Tommy Reed, 19, was arrested and taken to police headquarters for questioning. He made certain admissions, which, combined with other evidence, gave police probable cause to make an arrest. Reed was booked on charges of second-degree murder.”

Update: There have been quite a few serial killers that have used the dating app to lure their victims, including Andrew Port, 40, in England in 2014; Mark Latunski, 50, of Michigan in 2019; and Chance Seneca, 19, of Louisiana in 2020.

This Week in SGN History

2010

This week in SGN history: 11 years ago

Compiled by MK Scott SGN Contributing Writer

Over

Now that we’re married, where do we get a divorce?: Guest Writer Robert Christian asked this question. At the time, DC allowed same-sex marriage, and Hawaii supported civil unions. “The problem is that once a couple has been married, if they must divorce, where do they go?...

“Under the US Constitution, states generally recognize the laws of other states. Heterosexual marriages and divorces are recognized when a couple moves from one state to another. Couples are not required to get remarried — or redivorced — each time they relocate. But the rules vary by state for legally married Gay couples, family law experts say. When a same-sex couple wants a divorce, the battle is on to find out what their legal rights are in that state.

“This is going to be a battle for the high court. Providing that states would

In A&E news:

Seattle’s Pride Idol: round 1: Our very own SGN Staff Writer Shaun Knittel was a judge. As he reported, “The winner of Pride Idol, round one, was Ryan Crawford. Ryan’s win should send a message to Pride Idol hopefuls: Yes, you do need to sing well, but it is all about the full package. Ryan worked it! From audience banter and dance moves to hit the right notes at the right time, it was clear that Ryan had claimed the top spot as his own. Paula Cole’s ‘Feelin’ Love’ may not be the song that most would choose for the contest, but Ryan saw something in those lyrics that worked for him — and ultimately for us. Great job, Ryan, and congratulations.”

2010 summer film preview: Staff Writer Sara Michelle Fetters previewed the films of the summer of 2010. “These are the days when the grosses flow into their coffers like rivers into an ocean, and each weekend is an event the studios pray will become a bonafide sensation.

“All of this means that audiences can expect more of the same summer movies they’ve been heading to the multiplexes for years to enjoy. Big-budget sequels like Iron Man 2, Shrek Forever After, The Twilight Saga: Eclipse, Sex and the City 2, and Toy Story 3? Check. Star-driven romantic comedies featuring ample amounts of humor and action like Knight and Day, Killers, and Going the Distance? But of course! High-profile remakes, comic book adaptations, video game spinoffs, and reboots like The A-Team, Robin Hood, Predators, The Karate Kid, Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, Piranha 3-D, and Jonah Hex? What would

be forced to allow same-sex divorce, in essence, could mean that the federal government would have to also pull the plug on states that have banned same-sex marriage, and force them to not just accept it but also to offer the same legal protection in divorce cases.”

Christian concluded, “It shocks me to hear people say that we want equal rights under the law. What we are looking for is equal rights within the law, not under it.”

Update: After the passing of Ref. 74, from December 2012 to August 2013, 7,071 gay couples tied the knot in Washington state. That’s 17% of the total 42,408 new marriages, or one out of six. Data regarding how many ended up divorced wasn’t available by press time.

summer be without them?”

Update: While some were bombs (Sex in the City 2, Karate Kid, The A-Team, Killers), others were instant classics, like Eat, Pray, Love, Agora, Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work, Winter’s Bone, Toy Story 3, and The Kids Are All Right.

A dyke about town: This was a gonetoo-soon column written by Merry Moosemuzzle, who attended events and wrote about them. One was the Rainbow City Band auction. “The dinner was delicious. The dance music by the Purple Passion Swing Band was upbeat and fun. Komo’s Brian Calvert kept people laughing and bidding. The turnout broke the previous record for this event.

“Band director Michael Sharp said, ‘Our finance director is still crunching the numbers, but the preliminaries look like it was a record year for us. And the most exciting news — we ended up making enough to finish our endowment to the Pride Foundation to create a new Rainbow City Band Pride scholarship! We are all so excited that we could burst.”

Mr. and Miss Gay Cinco de Mayo: “On April 30, Efren Chacon and CALIENTE held the annual Mr. and Miss Gay Cinco de Mayo pageant at Neighbours Underground. Competitors had to answer questions ranging from LGBT interests to immigration reform, perform a song and dance routine, and model formal wear. When all was said and done, Miguel Torrez and Giselle Armore were crowned Mr. and Miss Gay Cinco de Mayo.”

Local News

Kshama Sawant wins key support against recall

State’s largest private sector union backs her

by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer

Seattle City Councilmember Kshama Sawant has won key new support in her campaign against plans to recall her from office.

UFCW Local 21, the largest privatesector union in Washington, with some 45,000 members, endorsed the Kshama Solidarity Campaign on May 4.

UFCW 21 represents workers in grocery, retail, healthcare, laundry, and meat processing. The union has been critical in winning important victories, including hazard pay for thousands of essential grocery workers, who have persevered in often-unsafe conditions during the pan-

CORONAVIRUS

continued from cover

and has served us very well,” stated Inslee. He described how he would love to have a concrete plan for the following six months, but with rapid fluctuations of the pandemic, that remains an unfeasible option. Inslee estimated that the statewide approach to restrictions and reopenings (including social distancing measures and the mask mandate) has saved 15,000–17,000 Washingtonians’ lives since the start of the pandemic, whereas more lives have been lost in other states where such measures were left up to local governments.

Recent trends in coronavirus cases across the state have led the governor to make this decision. Washington began to see a fourth wave of the coronavirus pandemic back in April, but for the past two weeks, the rise in cases has plateaued. The decision to pause was made in order to see if the number of coronavirus cases and hospitalizations will rise or fall, and to prevent another potential rise.

Furthermore, the risk of indoor spread of the virus remains high, and a sizeable portion of the population does not yet have full protection from the virus.

At the end of the two-week pause, state officials will evaluate coronavirus metrics, such as cases per 100,000 residents and hospitalization rates, and determine how to proceed. “We’ve gotta figure out which pitch this virus is throwing at us, and if

demic.

UFCW Local 21 joins the Seattle Education Association, Teamsters Local 117, SEIU Local 925, SEIU Local 6, UAW Local 4121, the American Postal Workers Union Greater Seattle Area Local, UNITE HERE Local 8, PROTEC Local 17, the Resident & Fellow Physicians Union, WFSE Local 1488, WFSE Local 843, AFSCME Local 2083, the Book Workers Union, and the National Writers Union in endorsing Sawant’s campaign.

To date, 15 unions representing more than 125,000 workers have now joined the fight against the recall effort. The recall campaign has received no union endorsements whatsoever.

In addition, the Kshama Solidarity

For the LGBTQ+ community, trusting a doctor or medical professional might not be so simple… A history of stigma, discrimination, and a lack of understanding has led some LGBTQ+ individuals to resist seeking advice (and care) from doctors altogether.

they’re throwing us a curve ball, we gotta hit a curveball, so we’re going to continue generally on that route,” Inslee said.

Vaccination in the state

Approximately 5.5 million doses of the vaccine have been administered in the state. Over 54% of eligible Washingtonians have received one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, while 38% are fully vaccinated. But the state still has a long way to go in order to achieve a semblance of what life was once like prior to the pandemic.

At the beginning of the vaccine rollout, those who were at most risk from contracting the coronavirus received it, which assisted in lowering the death and hospitalization rates. But recently, young people are now an increasing percentage of those being hospitalized.

Campaign has received personal endorsements from more than 500 rank-and-file union members from more than 90 union locals.

If the recall petition collects enough signatures to appear on the ballot, only voters in Sawant’s City Council District — District 3, which encompasses Capitol Hill, the Central District, and areas east to Lake Washington — will vote on whether to remove her from office.

She has been elected in District 3 three times, most recently beating Egon Orion in 2019.

The recall petition was filed last year and approved by the State Supreme Court on April 1. The specific allegations against Sawant stem mainly from Black Lives Mat-

ter protests last summer.

The recall drive against Sawant seems to be supported by corporate executives and wealthy Republicans.

Three of the five Washington families described by Forbes as “billionaire dynasties” have donated to the Recall Sawant campaign. Among them are the Nordstroms, whose company used illegal unionbusting tactics to drive UFCW out of their stores in Seattle and the surrounding area.

“The recall is an attack on victories like the $15 minimum wage, the Amazon Tax, and the Right to Counsel, among others,” the Kshama Solidarity Campaign said in a statement. “Furthermore, these unions recognize that the recall is an attack on the fundamental right to protest.”

As of now, there are no authorized vaccines for those under the age of 16 years, although Pfizer-BioNTech recently released a statement saying that its vaccine for those aged 12 to 15 will soon be approved by the Food and Drug Administration.

“We know vaccines are the ticket to reopening… Now I can’t say enough about what a miracle this is to have this vaccine. These vaccines are desperately wanted across the planet, and we have them right here in the

Photo by Ted S. Warren / AP

state of Washington. And so, we would hate to see that miracle go to waste,” stated Inslee, who stressed the importance of receiving a COVID vaccine as soon as possible.

The vaccination supply from the federal government will not increase, but it will continue to provide Washington with a stable supply so that all residents can receive shots.

For questions regarding whether the vaccine is right for you, Inslee recommends reaching out to doctors, physicians, and even dentists, who will be more able to inform and advise patients, as well as administer more shots in medical settings.

For the LGBTQ+ community, trusting a doctor or medical professional might not be so simple, however. A history of stigma, discrimination, and a lack of understanding has led some LGBTQ+ individuals to resist seeking advice (and care) from doctors altogether. The Human Rights Campaign released data in March of 2021 describing how one major concern is the vaccine’s unknown potential side effects.

As difficult as it may be for some to ask for a medical professional’s support, the future health of Washingtonians revolves around the vaccination effort. People are encouraged to reach out to friends, family members, and mentors to come up with a vaccination plan. As Inslee put it: “If you get frustrated, don’t be just get angry, get even with this virus. Knock it down. Get somebody else to get vaccinated.”

Inslee and state health officials are hopeful that with an increase of Washingtonians getting vaccinated, a more normal state of affairs may come to pass over the summer and early fall.

To book your COVID-19 vaccination appointment and help stop the spread, visit https://vaccinelocator.doh.wa.gov/.

up emotionally. I’ve had PTSD, having to constantly [relive] what happened.”

Lawsuits

While a significant crowd of protesters gathered and clashed with police on 11th Avenue in Capitol Hill, Raketty spotted a nearby fire escape where she could take photos and videos of the scene below. In order to get there, Raketty had to show her press pass to police, and they let her proceed.

From her position on the fire escape, Raketty was quietly taking photos and videos of the event. In a video that she posted to her Facebook page, you can see an officer ride over on his bicycle and park it, walk over toward where Raketty was sitting, and check to make sure no one was looking. Then you see him throw a blast ball, underhand, in her direction. It went off underneath where she was sitting.

According to an article written by Margo Vansynghel, when a blast ball is set off, there is a “thunderous, heart-pounding bang and bright flash” and then the release of a “disorienting cloud of pepper spray or tear gas into the air.”

Raketty still suffers from injuries that she received that day, including hearing loss in her right ear and an injury to her right knee that she sustained when attempting to quickly turn away from the impact.

At this point, Raketty has received no compensation for her medical bills resulting from her injuries from the blast ball.

But her injuries go beyond just the physical. As Raketty said, “This has messed me

Since the event, Raketty has filed a declaration in an ACLU lawsuit that argues that the Seattle Police Department “repeatedly targeted journalists with brutal violence” on July 25. Since then, the court has barred police from using projectiles and chemical irritants to target members of the press.

“It’s okay to come forward and speak out when something is wrong.”

— RENEE RAKETTY

Raketty is also currently involved in a civil lawsuit, brought by protesters, their families, and journalists. Superior Court Judge Judith Ramseyer ruled in February against the City of Seattle’s attempt to dismiss the suit. In March, Judge Ramseyer also ruled against King County’s attempt to dismiss its liability.

Because of these rulings, the lawsuit will move forward, with the next steps being for the plaintiffs (including Raketty) to make their arguments before a judge and/or jury to determine the extent of the defendants’ liabilities and potential damages.

Raketty’s decision to involve herself in these lawsuits has been a difficult one. While

she believes in accountability for Seattle police, her involvement in these cases has ultimately taken a lot of energy. Raketty said, “I’m conflicted, because I was deeply impacted. But at the same time, I have a job to do as a journalist and a life to live.”

Since the event, the Office of Police Accountability has conducted an investigation and found the accusation to be “unfounded,” meaning it sided with the officer, but “inconclusive,” meaning that it can’t prove if the officer acted maliciously.

According to Raketty, her attorney has been asking for bodycam footage from the SPD since September. They did release some footage, but Raketty believes they only released the portions of the video that fit their narrative. The other footage would be helpful not only for her civil case, but also for herself. “If I can’t see what happened from beginning to end, it is impossible for me to have closure,” she said.

Professionalism, police pay, and the press

What Raketty saw on July 25 and experienced leading up to that event in the early days of the protests was upsetting to her, as she witnessed what she called “the militarization of Seattle.”

She said, “As a citizen of Seattle, I expect professional conduct from the police.”

As a taxpayer who helps pay for the local police department, she is frustrated that her money has funded instances like this. She said, “It feels awkward — I’m paying for my own injuries.”

This is especially frustrating to Raketty and others, because of how much Seattle police are paid. According to a 2020 article by the Seattle Times, the SPD had an overall annual budget of $409 million, with over 80% spent on employee compensation; 374 SPD employees made at least $200,000 in 2019.

Although this experience has been both physically and emotionally difficult for Raketty, she has learned some important lessons from it. She said, “It’s okay to come forward and speak out when something is wrong.”

She hopes that telling her story will help lead to systemic and long-term change in the Seattle Police Depatment.

This instance and others have reminded her of the important role that the press plays in holding those in authority accountable. She said, “Whether they are our community leaders, police officers, or members of our government, it is important that we [as members of the press] continue to hold them accountable and to make sure they act professionally.”

Renee Raketty is a working writer and photojournalist, and a contributing writer at Unite Seattle Magazine, the Seattle Gay News, Capitol Hill Seattle, and the Tacoma Weekly. She is also the field producer for Malcontent News, where she contributes content to MalcontentNews.com, social media, and the tri-weekly Happy Hour live broadcast

1,001

GREAT FILMS

Case in point: the fantasy-adventure Dragonslayer, directed by Matthew Robbins. While a little research shows that the film garnered numerous respectfully cheerful reviews, many of them still couldn’t help but make their praise sound more like a backhanded compliment than anything genuinely sincere.

boy-who-is-really-a-girl Valerian (Caitlin Clarke), whom he falls in love with, is marvelously realized. Every facet of Elliot Scott’s production design feels lived-in and authentic. The Dark Ages come alive in ways seldom seen at that time and rarely equaled all these decades later. It’s mesmerizing.

Then there are the visual effects, which bring the terrible and terrifying fire-breathing monstrosity Vermithrax Pejorative to life. As a wide-eyed kid taking it all in, I was

Robbins’ and co-writer Hal Barwood’s outstanding script was. No role is minimized. No supporting player is taken for granted. All have rich backstories that allow the gifted character actors and veteran stars (including two-time Academy Award nominee Ralph Richardson, John Hallam, Albert Salmi, Sydney Bromley, Ian McDiarmid, and Emrys James) plenty of room to shine.

In addition, Robbins and Barwood create two of the best female characters of any fantasy-adventure, not just of the 1980s but

Both Janet Maslin in the New York Times and Roger Ebert in the Chicago Tribune were extremely positive in their respective write-ups. But each legendary critic also made their positivity sound moderately half-hearted, almost as if it were beneath them to be heaping praise on a film about sorcery, princesses, young love, and virgin-eating dragons.

Dragonslayer is one of those seminal cinematic moments that has stuck with me for countless reasons. First off, looked at now, Robbins’ film is undeniably superb. The world he creates for his sorcerer’s apprentice Galen (Peter MacNicol) and the

as fascinated by this seemingly unkillable titan as I was scared to death by it. The work of a dream team of artists, including the likes of Dennis Muren (The Empire Strikes Back), Phil Tippett (Jurassic Park), Ken Ralston (Forrest Gump), and Brian Johnson (Aliens) — all Oscar-nominated — Vermithrax is a thing of beauty. She is the dragon against which all subsequent movie and television dragons are judged, and all of them (yes, even the ones in Game of Thrones) can’t help but pale in comparison.

But the thing I think critics in the early 1980s didn’t care to notice was how richly nuanced and creatively character-driven

of all time. Valerian and Princess Elspeth (Chloe Salaman) command the viewer’s attention. They are forceful, carving their own path through a forest dominated by men who would rather, to paraphrase singer-songwriter Daya, that each of them sit still, be pretty, and stop making so much noise. Valerian and Elspeth are as ahead of their time as they are genuinely of it, an achievement few critics took note of back in June of 1981.

The obvious hook for me in regard to Valerian is the deft way her gender-bending is handled. She is a girl who was forcefully raised a boy who embraced the authority

and responsibility this garnered her yet also still found ways to remain true to her feminine nature and support the women of her village in ways the majority of the timid men in charge refused to do. As a child, this blew me away for reasons I didn’t fully understand. I just knew I related more to her than I did the male hero Galen. Valerian was the one I wanted to emulate, and if I’m honest, that’s just as true now that I’m in my forties as it was when I was a wide-eyed seven-year-old.

“All cinema has value. Exploitation can have as much to offer as melodrama. No genre should be given the side-eye. If a film strikes a chord with you as a viewer, then it has merit.

I don’t feel bad or ashamed of the motion pictures

I love even when the so-called “general consensus” states I am not supposed to. I do not believe in “guilty pleasures,” because, if I find pleasure in watching the movie, I’m sure as heck not going to feel guilty about it.”

The point? All cinema has value. Exploitation can have as much to offer as melodrama. No genre should be given the sideeye. If a film strikes a chord with you as a viewer, then it has merit. I don’t feel bad or ashamed of the motion pictures I love even when the so-called “general consensus” states I am not supposed to. I do not believe in “guilty pleasures,” because, if I find pleasure in watching the movie, I’m sure as heck not going to feel guilty about it.

For May, the oldest film on this portion of the list is Tod Browning’s 1931 horror masterwork Dracula with the great Bela Lugosi in his signature role. The most recent is Lulu Wang’s sublime, tearfully rejuvenating drama The Farewell from 2019. Each so very, very different from the other. Each so very, very perfect in their innovatively original way.

As we close things out for this month, I ask you: what movies are you ashamed or guilty to admit you love, and, if that’s the way you feel about them, why do you think that is?

Dark City (Alex Proyas) (1998)

Dark Victory (Edmund Goulding) (1939)

Darling (John Schlesinger) (1965)

Das Boot (Wolfgang Petersen) (1981)

Daughters of the Dust (Julie Dash) (1991)

Dave (Ivan Reitman) (1993)

Dawn of the Dead (George Romero) (1978)

Day for Night (François Truffaut) (1973)

The Day of the Jackal (Fred Zinnemann) (1973)

Day of the Outlaw (André De Toth) (1959)

The Day the Earth Stood Still (Robert Wise) (1951)

Days of Heaven (Terrence Malick) (1978)

Dazed and Confused (Richard Linklater) (1993)

The Dead (John Huston) (1987)

Dead Again (Kenneth Branagh) (1991)

Dead Ringers (David Cronenberg) (1988)

The Dead Zone (David Cronenberg) (1983)

The Decline of Western Civilization (Penelope Spheeris) (1981)

Deep Cover (Bill Duke) (1992)

Deep Red (Dario Argento) (1975)

The Deer Hunter (Michael Cimino) (1978)

Deliverance (John Boorman) (1972)

Dersu Uzala (Akira Kurosawa) (1975)

The Descent (Neil Marshall) (2005)

Desert Hearts (Donna Deitch) (1985)

Design for Living (Ernst Lubitsch) (1933)

Desperately Seeking Susan (Susan Seidelman) (1985)

Detour (Edgar G. Ulmer) (1945)

Devil in a Blue Dress (Carl Franklin) (1995)

The Devil’s Backbone (Guillermo del Toro) (2001)

Diabolique (Henri-Georges Clouzot) (1955)

Die Hard (John McTiernan) (1988)

Diner (Barry Levinson) (1982)

The Dirty Dozen (Robert Aldrich) (1967)

Dirty Pretty Things (Stephen Frears) (2002)

Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (Frank Oz) (1988)

The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie (Luis Buñuel) (1972)

Distant Voices, Still Lives (Terrence Davies) (1988)

Do the Right Thing (Spike Lee) (1989)

Dog Day Afternoon (Sidney Lumet) (1975)

Dogfight (Nancy Savoca) (1991)

Dona Flor and Her Two Husbands (Bruno Barreto) (1976)

Donnie Brasco (Barry Levinson) (1997)

Don’t Look Now (Nicolas Roeg) (1973)

Double Indemnity (Billy Wilder) (1944)

The Double Life of Véronique (Krzysztof Kieslowski) (1991)

Downhill Racer (Michael Ritchie) (1969)

Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (Stanley Kubrick) (1964)

Dracula (Tod Browning) (1931)

Dracula (Francis Ford Coppola) (1992)

Dragonslayer (Matthew Robbins) (1981)

The Dreamlife of Angels (Erick Zonca) (1998)

The Driver (Walter Hill) (1978)

Duck Soup (Leo McCarey) (1933)

E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (Steven Spielberg) (1982)

The Earrings of Madame de… (Max Ophüls) (1953)

Easy Rider (Dennis Hopper) (1969)

Eating Raoul (Paul Bartel) (1982)

Ed Wood (Tim Burton) (1994)

The Edge of Heaven (Fatih Akin) (2007)

Eight Men Out (John Sayles) (1988)

Election (Alexander Payne) (1999)

The Elephant Man (David Lynch) (1980)

Elevator to the Gallows (Louis Malle) (1958)

The Empire Strikes Back (Irvin Kershner) (1980)

Enter the Dragon (Robert Clouse) (1973)

Eraserhead (David Lynch) (1977)

Ernest & Celestine (Pauline Brunner, Xavier Fagnon) (2012)

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (Michel Gondry) (2004)

Europa Europa (Agnieszka Holland) (1990)

Eve’s Bayou (Kasi Lemmons) (1997)

Evil Dead II (Sam Raimi) (1987)

Excalibur (John Boorman) (1981)

The Exorcist (William Friedkin) (1973)

Exotica (Atom Egoyan) (1994)

Eyes Wide Shut (Stanley Kubrick) (1999)

Eyes Without a Face (Georges Franju) (1960)

The Fabulous Baker Boys (Steve Kloves) (1989)

A Face in the Crowd (Elia Kazan) (1957)

Face/Off (John Woo) (1997)

Faces (John Cassavetes) (1968)

Fanny and Alexander (Ingmar Bergman) (1982)

Fantasia (multiple directors) (1940)

Fantastic Planet (René Laloux) (1973)

A Fantastic Woman (Sebastián Lelio) (2017)

The Far Country (Anthony Mann) (1954)

Far from Heaven (Todd Haynes) (2002)

The Farewell (Lulu Wang) (2019)

Fargo (Joel Coen, Ethan Coen) (1996)

The Farmer’s Daughter (H.C. Potter) (1947)

Fast Times at Ridgemont High (Amy Heckerling) (1982)

Father of the Bride (Vincente Minnelli (1950)

Fearless (Peter Weir) (1993)

Finding Nemo (Andrew Stanton, Lee Unkrich) (2003)

A Fish Called Wanda (Charles Crichton) (1988)

Fitzcarraldo (Werner Herzog) (1982)

Five Easy Pieces (Bob Rafelson) (1970)

Flash Gordon (Mike Hodges) (1980)

Flesh and Bone (Steve Kloves) (1993)

The Florida Project (Sean Baker) (2017)

HELP SAVE LGBTQ

HISTORY!

Volunteers are being sought to help create eight sets of Seattle Gay News (SGN) issues dating from its founding in the late 1970’s to the 2015.

The sets will be sent to the Seattle Public Library and other libraries and LGBTQ collections around the US to be available to the public.

Creation of the sets is underway and involves taping and setting up archival boxes and then identifying and placing the issues in chronological order into boxes. The copies will be organized into complete runs with one copy of each issue in each set.

The work will take place this month and possibly in June, two days a week from 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM at Seattle City Hall, 600 Fifth Avenue. Collection assembly will occur in a large conference room and the vault that holds records for the Seattle Municipal Archives.

Volunteers need to be able to lift boxes up to 40 pounds, stand on a cement floor, or able to accurately input data into Google Sheets and be willing to follow COVID-19 protocols which involve having your temperature taken as you enter the building and wearing a mask at all times.

St. Patrick’s Church is a welcoming, evolving Catholic Church located at the north end of Capitol Hill, 2702 Broadway E. We embrace all people as children of God and would like to invite LGBTQ community members to worship with us.

As a parish, we have a strong emphasis on social justice and inclusion. This includes outreach to a women’s shelter, a supportive relationship with a faith community in El Salvador, weekly sign language interpreted Mass for the deaf and deaf-blind community, and welcoming developmentally disabled adults from the L’arche community. Our choir and dance troupe are an integral part of our expression.

Punchy Without Remorse is an action-filled throwback Film

by Sara Michelle Fetters SGN Staff Writer

WITHOUT REMORSE

Amazon Prime Video

After his wife and unborn child are murdered and he is critically injured in an assassination attempt, decorated Navy SEAL Sr. Chief John Kelly (Michael B. Jordan) is determined to find out who wanted him dead and why. After completing his rehab, and with the aid of friend and fellow SEAL Lt. Cmdr. Karen Greer (Jodie Turner-Smith), he is given the name of a Russian diplomat who may have authorized the hit on him and his family.

The information Kelly learns sets wheels in motion that could have international repercussions, and Secretary of Defense Thomas Clay (Guy Pearce) wants to nip this threat in the bud before it blossoms. He tasks Greer and CIA analyst Robert Ritter (Jamie Bell) with pulling together a clandestine team to deal with the matter, and he insists Kelly be involved. Clay feels that this talentedly lethal wild card with a personal vendetta might be willing to go to extremes the rest of the unit won’t descend to, and considering what they’re up against, that makes him perfect for the job.

Based on the 1998 novel by Tom Clancy, Without Remorse is the origin story for one of the author’s most popular characters, previously portrayed by Willem Dafoe in

Clear and Present Danger and Liev Schreiber in The Sum of All Fears. Writers Taylor Sheridan (Hell or High Water) and Will Staples reconfigure the source material a bit to bring it up to date and to fit Jordan’s talents. They’ve also opened up Clancy’s world a tad more, setting up a scenario that could lead to a potential franchise.

ger) than it is to a Jason Bourne or modern James Bond installment, making this something of an aggressive throwback I couldn’t help but respond to positively.

Not that all of it hits the mark. While there is a nice bait-and-switch involving a familiar actor who I assumed was going to play a major role in the proceedings, only

“Jordan and Turner-Smith are extremely good when they are together, and if the two actors were to team up again in the future I’d be first in line to see what they’ve come up with, solely based on the mesmeric chemistry they’re displaying here alone.”

While it’s no Hunt for Red October, this stripped-down, unapologetically retro thriller still gets the job done. Director Stefano Sollima (Sicario: Day of the Soldado) stages crisp, punchily brutal action sequences that are sharply shot by awardwinning cinematographer Philippe Rousselot (A River Runs Through It) and kinetically cut together by editor Matthew Newman (Drive). It’s closer in tone and style to the two Harrison Ford Jack Ryan films (Patriot Games, Clear and Present Dan-

for that to end up a bullet-riddled red herring, I cannot say that Sheridan and Staples’ script does a good job concealing its major twists. Most notably, it’s easy to ascertain who the mysterious puppet master pulling the strings behind this US-versus-Russia discord is. Also, other than Ritter and especially Greer, the majority of the supporting characters are so thinly realized that remembering who is who and why they are important is practically impossible.”

What does work is the relationship

between Kelly and Greer. Their friendship has weight, and I loved that they could keep from seeing eye to eye and yet still maintain a high level of respect and trust. Jordan and Turner-Smith are extremely good when they are together, and if the two actors were to team up again in the future I’d be first in line to see what they’ve come up with, solely based on the mesmeric chemistry they’re displaying here alone. I don’t like the mid-credit scene that sets up possible sequels. The dialogue falls unconscionably flat, so much so that the moment is borderline hilarious for all the wrong reasons. I also don’t think the climactic resolution where the real villain’s identity is revealed works very well. The rhetorical device utilized to trip this person up into inadvertently showing their true colors is so lazily delivered that it was almost as if the two actors in the scene knew how dumb the scene was and were purposefully attempting to undermine it.

But I loved a couple of the central set pieces Sollima stages, especially one near the end where Kelly faces off against seemingly an entire city’s militarized police force all on his own. Jordan, while dialing back the manic ingenuity Dafoe brought to the character when he portrayed him in 1994, still makes this lethal killing machine his own. He has charisma to burn, and if a series born from Without Remorse does materialize, I’m curious to see how the actor’s portrayal evolves with each new installment.

Books Enveloping Black girls with letters of love and life lessons

by Terri Schlichenmeyer Special to the SGN

DEAR BLACK GIRL:

LETTERS FROM YOUR SISTERS ON STEPPING INTO YOUR POWER

TAMARA WINFREY HARRIS

Barrett-Koehler Publishers, Inc.

$16.95 / $22.95 Canada

185 pages

There’s some mail for you.

And it’s not the e-variety, either; it was brought by a human, carried down the street, and left at your home. It’s in an envelope with a stamp, and the good news is that it isn’t a bill. It’s a letter for you, and in Dear Black Girl by Tamara Winfrey Harris, it could be important.

Well over a year ago, in anticipation of a workshop she was giving for a group of Black girls, the author asked a small group of Black women to write letters of support and positivity to give the girls. She wanted the letters to be “loving, truthful... feminist, anti-racist...and pro-Black girl.” She figured she’d receive twelve letters to hand out.

She got more than fifty from all over the world.

There’s a history behind the need Harris sees for these letters. For four hundred years, she says, Black girls have been labor-

ing under myths that belie their vulnerability; that make them seem more “grown” than they are, physically and emotionally; and that steal the opportunities they have to love their bodies, their hair, and themselves. The lies ignore Black girls’ hopes and wishes. And as she says, “lies can start to feel like facts.”

“Sometimes, it’s hard to remember that you are a star,” says one letter writer. Another reminds girls that melanin is “an asset!” Others acknowledge the issues related to being a Black girl in a white family or foster situation.

Other advice includes: “Love your body beyond how appealing it is to others”; remember that “there is no single definition of family”; love your mother but know that “daughtering ain’t easy” either; you will attract close friends when you “learn to love, honor, and value yourself...”

Furthermore, there’s no shame in working to pay the bills, but life is better if a job is “a thing you really love and that suits you.” There’s also no shame in making your own path, in asking for help, or in surviving.

And: “You are hope and promise for tomorrow in Black girl skin.”

Take a load off with Laundry Love, a helpful, personal guide

by Terri Schlichenmeyer Special to the SGN

LAUNDRY LOVE: FINDING JOY IN A COMMON CHORE PATRIC RICHARDSON WITH KARIN B. MILLER

Flatiron Books

$25.99 / $34.99 Canada 185 pages

Tomorrow’s outfit is on a chair over there.

That’s where it’s been since you last washed it. What you wore today came from the basket. The shirt needed ironing, and there was a tiny stain on the pants, but who noticed? And you just bought new socks, so at least there’s that.

Time to do the wash? Yeah, but first get a load of Laundry Love by Patric Richardson (with Karin B. Miller).

If you’re thinking that a book about the joy of washing clothes would be a mighty skinny book, you’re right — but laundry is only a part of this story. The rest is biography, and a love letter to Appalachain and Southern women. In giving props to the women who raised him, Richardson shows how his interest in fabric grew, too — the subject of textiles, perceived as mundane by many, is treated as something precious and accessible.

In one of his earliest memories, Richardson’s uncle holds him aloft so that he can watch laundry swimming in the washer. He was almost a baby then, but the fascination was set: at age three, he was “over the moon” when he received a toy washing machine as a birthday gift. He remembers that it was Harvest Gold.

Growing up, Richardson absorbed washday secrets from an extended family of women and learned the appeal of laundry hung on a line outside. At the University of Kentucky, he met three professors who taught him about textiles, and his

employers educated him further. Love of fabric eventually became his career and laundry is his love language: “Caring for your loved ones’ clothes shows them love.”

If, on the other hand, you come for the biography, you’ll be glad you stayed for the hints, as Richardson instructs how even the most delicate items can be safely homecleaned. That fur you love? Clean. That stinky-perfumed vintage item you found? Clean. Ahhhhhhh.

The first thing to know, Richardson states, is that “our clothes are bossy.” If something you enjoy wearing says “Dry Clean Only” on the label, lay it on the kitchen counter, grab a pair of scissors, and cut that label off, because “anything can be washed at home.”

You’ll also learn how to save time on wash day, why big-brand-name detergents are unsafe, and what you need to care for your clothes properly, not to mention how

The letters are loosely categorized, accompanied by drop-in “Know This” pages of explanation, and there’s room for a girl to write a letter to herself to sort her feelings now, or take notes for later. (Beware, though, that some of the letter writers dive deep into raw subjects, making this book best for those aged 13 and up.)

Don’t you wish there was a book like this when you were a teenager? Nobody would blame you if you did; even Grandma probably wished she’d had something like Dear Black Girl

Bottom line: it’s time for a book like this that doesn’t feel high-horsey or superior or preachy. No, in fact, Harris pulled together letters that are relevant and everyday, and that don’t make harsh demands on its readers. Instead, there’s empathy in here, a been-there-done-that tone, and a sense that a girl is about to be taken under someone’s wing for a while.

Give Dear Black Girl to your favorite teen, and envelop her in all its love.

to iron, eliminate horrible stains, wash woolens and other awkward-to-clean items, and rescue yellowed linens and specialevent clothing like a pro.

Remember, says Richardson: “You don’t have to do laundry — you get to do laundry.”

These days, though, Richardson doesn’t “get to” very often. His husband, he says, does their wash, while Richardson runs a

clothing store and offers “laundry camp” at the Mall of America. But since not everyone can be a happy camper, there’s Laundry Love

So pick up the undies in the corner, use Grandma’s linens, shop thrift-stores with impunity. Go ahead, free of fear. Having Laundry Love should take a load off your mind.

Queer horror-fantasy fables confront human traumas with hope

by Hannah Saunders SGN Contributing Writer

MOSS COVERED CLAWS

JONAH BARRETT

Blue Cactus Press

$19.00

123 pages

Jonah Barrett’s first book, Moss Covered Claws, is a collection of Queer horror-fantasy short stories in which the main characters grapple with common life issues, such as bullying, the loss of a loved one, anxiety, and fear. Some common elements run through each of the fables, including Pacific Northwest attributes, LGBTQ+ characters, and of course, violence.

One such recurrence is nonhuman monsters of sorts, including large spiders (eek!). While not all the creatures are malicious or evil, there are instances of anxiety-consuming demons, and a lizard-like monster living in a bog. These represent regular human fears, such as abandonment, loneliness, and circumstances that are out of one’s own control. One of the things I enjoyed most was the illustrations of the monsters in each chapter, all black-and-white drawings, some more detailed than others.

If you were raised in or reside in Washington or Oregon, you can instantly see the beauty of the Pacific Northwest’s great outdoors depicted in this collection, including local berries, coastal towns and beaches, and popular sea critters. The imagery that Barrett uses to set each scene was not only extremely accurate but it also had me yearning to get outside. While reading the stories, inside on my sofa, I kept visualizing all the beauty in nature that was being described, and my heart was bursting with love for the Pacific Northwest.

One such memorable passage stood out to me: “The smacking and gurgling sounds of the anemones and mollusks seemed to grow louder. Air excitedly released as they

anticipated their return to the ocean.” Do you remember the last time you went to the beach, and heard the sounds of the sea life there?

Many of the characters in the book are part of the LGBTQ+ community. The author touches on the use of preferred gender pronouns, and even hiccups that might come up in polyamorous bisexual relationships. In addition, Barrett tackles a prominent issue that youth nowadays struggle with frequently: coming out as Gay while still in grade school and facing the physical and emotional abuse of schoolyard bullies.

Something else to appreciate about this book is the writing style, and the language. The conversations between characters can be so casual and relatable that often, it feels like you are actually there, in the scene. Furthermore, some of the language can be pretty saucy and straightforward at times, such as: “Dal slid their pants over their ass and started to wrangle on a pair of jeans.” I must admit, there were points in these short stories where I let out a chuckle here and there, and that happened to be one of them. And that is something else to appreciate about this book: the humor that is sprinkled in.

As someone who enjoys watching horror anthologies, I was excited to read Moss Covered Claws, my first collection of short Queer horror-fantasy fables. I was unsure of what to expect going into this book, other than that it was most likely going to be an edgy and a potentially difficult read with wild monsters (there is a content warning). By the end of the book, I was nothing short of impressed. The fears and issues Barrett writes about are issues that people battle with in everyday life, but most importantly, the reader is left with a feeling of contentment and hopefulness.

If you are looking for a short-term escape from the pandemic — or anything in life for that matter — I highly suggest you pick up a copy of this collection and get to reading.

(Final review: 5/5)

Allyship - an organization of LGBTQ individuals fighting for economic and social justice. www.LGBTQAllyship. org, allyship@yahoo.com, (206) 279-8169. American Veterans for Equal Rights - www.aver.us

Another Gay Social Club! - www.meetup.com/AnotherGay-Social-Club/ Bellingham/Whatcom County - www.theslowlane. com/guide.html

BiNet Seattle is a mixed gender, social group for Bisexuals, their partners & other Bi-friendly folks - www. binetseattle.org.

Bremerton/Kitsap County - www.outwestsound.org Capitol Hill Alano Club - www.chacseattle.org

Cascade Rainbow Community Center (Mount Vernon) - (360) 840-8499 and on Facebook. Central Washington University GALA Hotline: (509) 963-1994.

Channel Q 103.3 FM - LGBTQ+ Talk Radio NetworkNews and information, pop culture and music. radio.com COLAGE unites people with LGBTQ parents and caregivers into a network of peers and supports them as they nurture and empower each other to be skilled, self-confident, and just leaders in our collective communities - www.colage.org

DIFFA/Northwest (Design Industries Foundation Fighting AIDS). (206) 763-8885; www.diffanorthwest. org

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE & SEXUAL ASSAULT: Crisis Clinic, (206) 461-3222 (24 hour line); King County Sexual Assault Resource Center (KCSARC) - 24-hour crisis line for information, support, & medical & legal assistance: 1-888-99-VOICE; Northwest Networksupport & advocacy for Bisexual, Trans, Lesbian & Gay Survivors of Abuse & Dating Violence, (206) 568-7777 (voice), 517-9670 (tty), www.nwnetwork.org; Pierce County Domestic Violence Helpline: Teresa, (253) 798-4166; Seattle Counseling Service for Sexual Minorities - offers on-going support groups for men: 323-1768; Seattle Police Dept Domestic Violence Unit, (206) 684-0330; State Wide Domestic Violence Hot Line, 1-800-562-6025. In an emergency call 911 Report domestic violence and sexual assault. Equal Rights Washington - (206) 324-2570; www. equalrightswashington.org

Everett/Snohomish Cty - www.gaysnohomish.org

Freely Speaking Toastmasters - www.freelyspeaking.org

Gay City promotes wellness in LGBTQ communities by providing health services, connecting people to resources, fostering arts, and building community. Gay City Health Project’s Wellness Center provides anonymous & confidential HIV/STD testing. 517 E Pike St. More info or to schedule an appointment, (206) 860-6969. www.gaycity.org

Gay & Lesbian National Hotline (GLNH): 1-888-THEGLNH (1-888-843-4564). Non-profit, peer-counseling, information & local resources telephone hotline for GLBT people across the country.

Generations Aging With Pride empowers elder LGBTQ adults to live with pride and dignity by promoting, connecting, and developing innovative programs and services that enhance belonging and support, eliminate discrimination, and honor the lives of older members of our community - (206) 393-3400; info@gapseattle.org; gapseattle.org

GLSEN/WA - Gay, Lesbian, Straight Education Network - (206) 330-2099; www.glsenwa.org

Greater Seattle Business Association (GSBA) - (206) 363-9188; www.thegsba.org

HIV/AIDS Program, Seattle/King County Dept of Public Health, provides confidential/anonymous information about & testing for HIV/AIDS. (206) 205-7837. For a comprehensive list of HIV/AIDS service organizations see the GSBA Guide or visit www.thegsba.org or call Lifelong AIDS Alliance, (206) 328-8979.

Imperial Sovereign Court of Seattle & the Olympic & Rainier Empire - www.facebook.com/ISCSORE; www. imperialcourtofseattle.com

Lambert House - (206) 322-2515; www.lamberthouse. org

LGBT Library - 517 E Pike St. Open Mon-Fri 2-8pm; Sat 2-5pm. A wide range of fiction and non-fiction for the LGBT community and allies can be borrowed free of charge.

LGBT MS Connection - (425) 785-8593; lgbtmsconnections@comcast.net. Support group for LGBT persons with MS and their partners and their caregivers. Sponsored by the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. Lifelong AIDS Alliance - (206) 328-8979, www.lifelongaids alliance.org Lion’s Main Art Collective - www.lionsmain.org

MEN: Gay City: (206) 860-6969, www.gaycity.org; Knights of Mantra: (206) 329-0886, www.jetchapterkofm.com; Mature Friends: Gay men & women 40 & over, www.maturefriends.org; Northwest Bears: www. nwbears.com; The Olympians: www.TheOlympians. net; POZSeattle: www.pozseattle.com; Q-Squared: www.qsquared.org; Rain City Jacks: www.raincityjacks. org; Seattle Gay Couples: www. seattlegaycouples.org; Seattle Men in Leather: www.seattlemeninleather. org; Seattle Prime Timers: Gay & Bi men 40 & over, www. seattle primetimers.org; Tacoma Older LGBT: www. tacomaolderlgbt.org. (See also listings under Bisexual, Parenthood, People of Color, Transgender.)

MUSIC: Diverse Harmony: www.diverseharmony. org; Rainbow City Band: 1-866-841-9139 ext 2126; rainbowcityband@onebox.com; www.rainbowcity band. com; Seattle Men’s Chorus and Seattle Women’s Chorus: (206) 388-1408, (206) 323-0750. www.seattlechoruses.org.

Northwest Lesbian & Gay History Museum Project - gayhistnw@aol.com

community resources

Northwest Rainbow Alliance for the Deaf - www. nwrad.org

Olympia/Thurston County - www.RainbowCenterOly. org

Out & Equal Workplace Advocates/Seattle Regional Affiliate supports the work of LGBT employees and the growing number of ERGs (Employee Resource Groups) making a difference within local companies, including Alaska Airlines, Amazon.com, Amgen, AT&T, Bank of America, Deloitte, Macy’s, Microsoft, Russell Investments, Safeco Insurance, Starbucks Coffee, Xerox. www.outandequal.org/affiliates/seattle

Out & Proud Grays Harbor Coalition - http://outandproudgh.org

PARENTHOOD: Families Like Ours provides a gateway for LGBT families interested in adoption & provides a network of safe placement agencies, training, support & resources: (206) 441-7602, www.familieslikeours. org; Family Works offers support, information & activities for LGBT families: (206) 694-6727, www.familyworksseattle. org; Gay Fathers’ Association of Seattle offers support groups & social activities: www.gfas. org; Proud & Loud Families - Northwest, www.meetup.com/proudand-loud-families-northwest, plfnorthwest@aol.com; Queer Parent Networking Dinners: (206) 568-7777, qpnd@nwnetwork.org, www.nwnetwork.org; Rainbow Families of Puget Sound: www.rainbowfamiliesps.org PFLAG is the national organization for parents, families, allies, and LGBTQ people united for equality with chapters in Seattle, Bellevue/Eastside, the Puget Sound region and across Washington state. PFLAG Seattle: (206) 325-7724, info@pflagseattle.org, and www.pflagseattle.org; PFLAG Bellevue/Eastside: (425) 483-6642, info@bellevue-pflag.org, http://community. pflag.org/PFLAGBellevue; PFLAG Pacific Northwest: www.pnwpflag.org; PFLAG Washington State Council: www.pflagwsc.org.

Peer Seattle (formerly Seattle Area Support Groups) is a non-profit organization that builds community and cultivates powerful, healthy lives by providing emotional support and personal development services to those affected by HIV/AIDS, the Queer communities, and those who love them. Our work is done in a spirit of safety, trust, inclusiveness, and celebration of individual differences. (206) 322-2437; www.peerseattle.org

PEOPLE OF COLOR: AARTH (African American Reach & Teach Health Ministry), (206) 850-2070, www.aarth.org; Asian/Pacific Islander Queer Network Program at API Chaya, (206) 467-9976; Center for MultiCultural Health, (206) 461-6910, www.multiculturalhealth.org; Entre Hermanos, GLBT Latinos/as, (206) 322-7700, www.entrehermanos.org; Ile LaiLai, (206) 781-3565, iya@ilelailai.org; Men of All Colors & Cultures Together (MACCT), (206) 923-8313, macctseattle@yahoo.com, www.macctsea.org; Northwest Two Spirit Society, https://www.facebook.com/ groups/nw2spiritsociety/, Nubian Pride Productions, nubianpride@gmail.com; People of Color Against AIDS Network (POCAAN) offers rapid HIV testing, M-F, 10am-5pm, (206) 322-7061, www.pocaan.org and on Facebook; QBASS - Queer Black Alliance of the South Sound, (253) 256-1846, weareqbass@gmail. com; Sistah 2 Sistah, LBT women of African descent, (206) 322-7061, (206) 255-8951; Somos Seattle, somosseattle.org; Trikone-Northwest, GLBT South Asians, (425) 985-4376, www.trikonenw.org; Two-Spirit Honor Project, 1-866-685-0164; U.T.O.P.I.A. Seattle, www.utopiaseattlewa.org; VietQ Greater Seattle, vietqorganization@gmail.com

Pierce County AIDS Foundation - (253) 383-2565; www.piercecountyaids.org

Pride Foundation - (206) 323-3318; www.pridefoundation. org

Pride Lives - www.facebook.com/PrideLives/ Pride Radio 93.3 HD2

Project NEON is a program of Seattle Counseling Service providing FREE information & services to Gay & Bi men to reduce health risks associated with methamphetamine use. (206) 323-1768. www.crystalneon.org

Public Health-Seattle & King County Online Comprehensive Health Information for Sexual Minorities: www.kingcounty.gov/healthservices/health/personal/ glbt.aspx

Q Law: The GLBT Bar Association of WA - (206) 682-6711; www.q-law.org

Q Law GLBT Legal Clinic - (206) 235-7235. Queer Geek! - queergeekseattle.org

Rainbow Center - Resource Center for Tacoma/Pierce County LGBTIQA community. Through education, advocacy and celebration, the Rainbow Center expands resources, and safe space for the LGBTQIA community.

Sponsors Tacoma Pride Festival. (253) 383-2318, www. rainbowcntr.org

SEAMEC interviews, researches & rates candidates for public office on issues of concern to the LGBT community. www.voteseamec.org

Seattle Area Support Groups & Community Center (SASG) i- SEE LISTING for Peer Seattle. Seattle Bisexual Women’s Network - BiSeattle.wixsite. com/SBWN and on Facebook.

Seattle Counseling Service for Sexual Minorities is a community mental health service for GLBT persons & their families providing comprehensive mental health services on a sliding scale. (206) 323-1768.

Seattle LGBTQ Commission - (206) 684-4503. www/ seattle.gov/lgbtq

Seattle Out & Proud - (206) 322-9561; www.seattlepride.org

Seattle Police Department Sexual Minorities Community Advisory Council: kim.bogucki@seattle.gov

Seattle PrideFest - www.seattlepridefest.org Servicemembers Legal Defense Network - (202) 328-3244; www.sldn.org

Sex Workers Outreach Project - https://seattle. swopusa.org

Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, The Abbey of St. Joan - (206) 860-3666; www.theabbey.org Snohomish Health District HIV/AIDS Program provides free confidential/anonymous HIV counseling & testing 9am-5pm Monday-Friday, until 7pm Tuesdays. (425) 339-5298.

South Sound Q Calendar - LGBTQ events in Tacoma, Olympia & Sound Puget Sound area; www.SouthSoundQCal.com Spokane/Inland Northwest - www.outspokane.com; www.stonewallnews.net

SPORTS & RECREATION: Bent Car Guys: www. bentcarguys.org; Border Riders Motorcycle Club: www.borderriders.com; Bottom Dwellers Scuba Club: www.bottomdwellers.org; Capitol Hill Cyclers: join their Facebook group or email capitolhillcycling@ groups.facebook.com or jordan.l.simonson@gmail.com; Cascade Flag Football: www.cascadeflagfootball.org; Cascade Flyers: www.cascadeflyers.org; Emerald City Mudhen Rugby: www.mudhenrugby.com; Emerald City Softball Association: www.emeraldcitysoftball. org, www.eteamz.com/womensecsa; Ethyl Forever Car Club: ethylforever@hotmail.com; Festival of the Babes: www.festivalofthebabes.com; Olympic Yacht Club: www.oycnw.org; OutVentures: outdoor education & recreation activities, www.outventures.org; Pacific Northwest Gay Rodeo Association: www.pacificnwgra.org; Puddletown Squares: www.puddletownsquares.org; Rain City Soccer: www.raincitysoccer.org; Rain Country Dance Association: a country-western dance organization catering to the LGBTQ community but open to all, www.raincountrydance.org; Sea Dawgs: LGBT ice hockey - SkateSeaDawgs@gmail.com and on Facebook; Seattle Frontrunners: www.seattlefrontrunners.org; Seattle Gay Basketball Association: www. seattlegaybasketballassociation.com; Seattle Orca Swim Team: www.orcaswimteam.org; Seattle Otters Water Polo: www.otterpolo.com; Seattle Quake Rugby: www.quakerugby.com; Seattle Tennis Alliance: www. seattletennisalliance.org; Seattle Unified Bowling Association (SUBA): magee98106@aol.com, www. teamseattle.org/bowling.htm, www.theprideleague. com, Century 21 League; Seattle Volleyball Club: www.seattlevolleyballclub.com; Ski Buddies: www. skibuddies.org; Team Seattle Gay Sports Network is an umbrella organization for a wide range of local GLBT sports activities, (206) 367-4064, www.teamseattle.org (see website for comprehensive list of sports clubs); Triangle Recreation Camp at Bender Creek: recreational camping for GLBT folks. Must be 21; ID required. trc@ camptrc.org, www.camptrc.org, 1122 E Pike St #1069, Seattle 98122-3934. Strength Over Speed - www.strengthoverspeed.org Tacoma/Pierce County - Rainbow Center, 2215 Pacific Ave, Tacoma, a resource center for the LGBTIQA community of Pierce County, (253) 383-2318, www. rainbowcntr.org

Three Dollar Bill Cinema - TWIST: Seattle Queer Film Festival; Translations: Seattle Transgender Film Festival; Outdoor Cinema at Cal Anderson Park. www. threedollarbillcinema.org

TRANSGENDER: Emerald City Social Club: (425) 827-9494; Gender Alliance of the South Sound: www. SouthSoundGender.com; Gender Diversity: www. genderdiversity.org; Gender Justice League: www.genderjusticeleague.org; Gender Odyssey: www.genderodyssey.com; Hermanos Trans Latino & Foreign-Born

Support Group: (206) 322-7700; Ingersoll Gender Center: (206) 329-6651, www.ingersollcenter.org; Lion’s Main Art Collective: www.lionsmain.org; The New BoyZ Club: www.olympiaftmgroup.webs.com; Olympia Trans Discussion Group: www.facebook.com/pages/ Olympia-Trans-Discussion-Group/262449878114; [trans] ACTION: Trans* & Gender Non-Conforming Sex Workers’ Support Group - a safe, peer-led space. mail@utopiaseattle.org; TRANSform Washington: transformwashington.com; Trans Resource & Referral Guide: kctransguide.org; Trans Women of Color Solidarity Network: Funding the collective liberation of Trans women of color – https://m.facebook.com/ TWOCSolidarityNW/; Washington Gender Alliance: (360) 445-2411, www.washington genderalliance.com

WOMEN: Aging Ballard Lesbian Exchange (A.B.L.E.): We are Lesbians 60 years (generally) and up, living (mostly) in the north half of Seattle. The purpose of the group is to connect, socialize and support each other. ruthemilyvogel@gmail.com; Aging Lesbians in South Seattle (ALISS) - Lesbian Group at the Southeast Seattle Senior Center. This is a gathering primarily for Lesbians but all are welcome to attend. Kate, (206) 722-0317; www.sessc.org; BABES: support groups for HIV+ women. (206) 720-5566, 1-888-292-1912; Coming Out Women Support Group of Tacoma: www. comingoutwomen.org; Festival of the Babes: www. festivalofthebabes.com; Mature Friends: Gay men & women 40 & over, www.maturefriends.org; Puget Sound Old Lesbian Organizing for Change: http:// psoloc.org, (253) 777-3357; Older Lesbians Organizing for Change/WA State Chapter: gloria@oloc.org, mary@oloc.org, www.oloc.org; Pacific Northwest Lesbian Archives: www.pnwlesbianarchives.org; RainshadowWomen: RainshadowWomen@aol. com; Seattle Bisexual Women’s Network: BiSeattle. wixsite.com/SBWN; Seattle Girls of Leather: www. sgol.org; Tacoma Lesbian Concern (TLC): www.tacomalesbianconcern.org; Tacoma Older LGBT: www. tacomaolderlgbt.org; Women of West Seattle (WOWS): a fun, member-driven social group for Lesbians, http:// groups.yahoo.com/group/womenofwestseattle; YWCA Women’s Health Outreach: providing low or no-cost mammograms for income eligible 40+ LBTQ individuals. Follow us at http://lbtqhealth-ywca.blogspot.com, twitter.com/ingridWHO or email lbthealth@ywcaworks. org, (206) 461-4493. (See also listings under Bisexual, Parenthood, People of Color, Transgender.)

YOUTH: B-GLAD (Bisexual, Gay, Lesbian, Trans & Questioning Adolescent Drop-In Group): Youth Eastside Services offers many programs for GLBT youth, including B-GLAD, (425) 747-4937; Coyote Central: www.coyotecentral.org; Diverse Harmony: www.diverseharmony. org; GLSEN/Washington State (Gay, Lesbian, Straight Education Network) & Washington State GSA (Gay-Straight Alliance) Network: GLSEN works to create safe schools for LGBT students. WA GSA Network supports youth-led GSA’s to fight harassment & homophobia in Washington state schools. (206) 330-2099; www.glsenwa. org; www.wagsa.org. GLOBE (GLBTQ Loving Ourselves, Becoming Empowered): a support group & HIV/STD prevention program for GLBTQ youth, 14-20, in Everett, (425) 263-2908, www. globeyouth.org; It Gets Better Project: www.itgetsbetter.org; Lambert House: an activities & resource center for LGBT youth, 14-22, 1818 15th Ave @ E Denny Way, with additional support groups organized in smaller towns throughout King County, (206) 322-2515, www. lamberthouse.org; Lifelong HEYO (Health Education Youth Outreach): for LGBTQ youth, ages 16-24: (206) 957-1665; www.llaa.org/HEYO; www.MatthewsPlace. com ; The Mockingbird Society: (206) 323-KIDS (5437), www.mockingbirdsociety.org; New Horizons: social services and shelter for homeless youth, 2708 3rd Ave (in Belltown), (206) 374-0866, http://namin.org; Oasis Youth Center: for GLBTQ youth, ages 14-25, in Tacoma, (253) 671-2838, www.oasisyouthcenter. org; OKAY! LGBTQ+ Outreach for Kent Area Youth: (253) 859-0699 ext 3034. OKAY! is an open support group for youth ages 13-19 who identify as LGBTQ+. A program of Kent Youth & Family Services; OUT There Adventures: www.outthereadventures.org; Parents, Family & Friends of Lesbians & Gays (PFLAG)/ Puget Sound: (206) 325-7724, www.seattle-pflag.org; Pizza Klatch: weekly lunchtime support groups for LGBTQ youth in Thurston County, www.pizzaklatch. org; Prism: for LGBTQ youth, 14-21, in PuyallupCherise.Alexander@ multicare.org; www.facebook. com/PuyallupPrism; Proud Out Wonderful (POW!): for LGBTQ youth, 13-21, in South King County, (206) 326-9112, www.facebook.com/proudoutwonderful; Q Youth Resources: in Kitsap County - (360) 698-3335; www.kchaf.org; Roots Young Adult Shelter: 1415 NE 43rd St., (206) 632-1635; www.rootsinfo.org; Safe Schools Coalition: www.safeschoolscoalition.org; (206) 451-SAFE, (206) 451-7233 (non-emergency), 1-877-SAFE-SAFE (1-877-723-3723) (crisis line); Seattle Young People’s Project (Queer Youth Resource Board): (206) 860-9606, www.sypp.org; Street Youth Ministries (SYM): (206) 524-7301 ext 111; www. streetyouthministries.org; Teen Link: (206) 461-4922, 1-888-431-TEEN; The Trevor Project: 866-4-U-Trevor; www.thetrevorproject.org; True Colors - Connecting LGBTQ Teens: in Shoreline, (206) 362-7282 x 8018, lbagley@chs-nw.org; The Vera Project: fuels personal & community transformation through collaborative youthdriven engagement in music and art. (206) 956-8372; theveraproject.org; Vista Youth Center: for LGBTQ, questioning and allied youth, ages 14-21, in Kennewick, (509) 396-5198, www.vistayouthcenter.org; YouthCare/ Isis Program (Transitional Living Home for LGBTQ Young Adults, 18-22): (206) 522-8412; YouthCare/ Orion Center Young Adult Shelter: 1828 Yale Ave @ Stewart St. (206) 622-5555; Youth in Focus: (206) 723-1479; www.youthinfocus.org; Youth Suicide Prevention Program (OUTLoud-GLBTQ): (206) 297-5922, ext 116, 1-800-273-TALK, www.yspp.org

The sculptor upending the business of amputation

by Janice Athill SGN Contributing Writer

There are around 2.1 million people in the United States alone who are living with a missing limb. As many as 500 amputations are performed in hospitals daily, equaling about 185,000 people a year — and that number is projected to double by 2050. Amputation has become a business unto itself, incurring hospital costs of $8.3 billion according to recent data.

The drastic difference in the quality of healthcare received by the Black community means that they, as well as other racial minorities, are more likely to have doctors advise them they need an amputation than other patients. Recent research into disparities among Black fee-for-service Medicare beneficiaries with diabetic foot problems

has documented that Black Americans are about four times as likely to have an amputation as their white counterparts.

It is almost as if the Black community is being specifically targeted by doctors to keep this profitable industry thriving — ignoring the fact that half the patients with vascular disease–related amputations die within five years, and disregarding the more than $100,000 increase to these patients’ lifetime healthcare costs.

But at least this demand must have created a diverse selection of amazing prosthetics for the steadily increasing numbers of Black amputees, right?

Wrong.

Even with the Black community as the primary customers, the global industry of prosthetics and orthotics (valued at about $6.11 billion in 2020) provides few pros-

thetics that cater to Black skin tones.

In fact, when you search for a prosthetic company that provides products for Black patients, only one name comes up. Every variation on keyword searches for Black prosthetics leads to the same place: Immortal Cosmetic Art.

About three years ago, Nigerian sculptor John Amanam (who was also a movie special effects artist) decided that this lack of supply for the Black amputees of the world needed to change. He took the discomfort and humiliation in the faces of these individuals with their unrealistic or obviously foreign limbs as a personal challenge.

After seeing the options available for his cousin, who had had an accident involving his fingers, Amanam was inspired and began designing hyperrealistic Black prosthetics.

“You rarely find people with Black

skin prosthetics. I want this need to be met within Africa. I want to reach out to blacks all over the world as well, by making this process accessible, at an affordable rate,” said Amanam.

In an industry where prosthetic limbs range in cost from $10,000 to $100,000, Amanam offers his customers top-quality medical-grade products for as low as $689 for artificial legs or arms, and $96 for minor body parts.

He sees this as a chance to ease their emotional trauma and rebuild their confidence, having chosen to dedicate himself to making a difference for them, to be on their side, thousands of miles away, while their own system exploits them.

“I just want them to feel at home and be whole, aesthetically.”

Search for the Soul of Seattle: The Center of the Universe

by A.V. Eichenbaum SGN Associate Editor

My favorite diner is in Fremont.

Roxy’s touts an “East Coast on the West Coast” ethos, and the lox is no joke. The service is always friendly, the place lively on a Sunday morning. They’ve got the best bagels in the city — and I’m more than willing to die on that hill. It’s the perfect spot for an anxious, misplaced Jew lost in my own thoughts as I stare at the large mug of black coffee — almost as dark as the chipped black nail polish on my hand gripping it for dear life.

I’ve struggled with anxiety my whole life. Some days, like today, are worse than others. To combat it, I’m eavesdropping on a trio of older guys seated near me as they recount the LSD experimentations of their

youth. It’s the little things.

Some of my friends who have lived here longer than I have roll their eyes at the mention of Fremont. It’s too unabashedly weird, they say, like that kid in middle school who wears a fedora and checkered pants. I was that kid, before I had some sense knocked into me, and I find the whole vibe of the place — from the Troll to the statue of Stalin to the bizarre street layout — always lifts my spirits.

Then they’ll say I should just move to Portland, and I have to fight not to spit on the ground due to COVID regulations.

I’m not in the mood to go into either the used record store or the used bookstore, both cramped but charming, so I meander my way through the Sunday farmers market, only to find it more packed than I’ve ever seen it. It seems like everyone but

me has a smile on their face in this quirky alternative to Seattle’s other markets. Down by the water, a young man is lazily flyfishing in the sunlight, clearly enjoying the good weather.

It almost feels like I’ve left the city. The biggest reminder of the neighborhood’s inherent Seattleness is the plethora of oversized apartments and the grocery store I can’t afford. Finally able to relax, I start to wonder if the whole “Center of the Universe” thing — decided by some drunk physicists — doesn’t have some truth to it. Time seems to move more slowly here, which, with my limited understanding of gravity’s effect on time, is exactly what would happen at the Middle of It All. No one’s in a hurry. It’s just a nice day.

The problem with that line of thinking is, to me, the ego. Claiming a spot as the

Center of the Universe does seem exactly like something a very proud Seattleite would do, from an outside perspective. It’s that elitism folks from out of town like to point out, but unlike some other places, it doesn’t have that tinge of ice creeping over it. Maybe that comes from the fact that I’ve never had a bad meal here. A good taco truck goes a long way.

Am I wrong to try to identify Seattle’s whole by looking at the city piece by piece? What’s the point? Watching the sun set from under the Fremont Bridge, I can’t help but wonder: maybe appreciating the parts on their own, as people seem to do in this city, is the way to go. My anxiety’s faded with the last light of day. Looking out from the Center of the Universe, I start the long, cold walk home in the dark.

National News

National news highlights

by Daniel Lindsley SGN Contributing Writer

Philadelphia Gay News on April 28 summarized a Center for Disease Control (CDC) report on sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in the country, which have now reached record highs for the last two decades for six years in a row. The CDC suggests that disparities in sex ed, testing, and other resources may be to blame—especially as they affect LGBTQ+ people and people of color, who have been consistently disadvantaged in the health care system. Men who had sex with men were shown to have been disproportionately affected by STIs, though all groups have had a significant increase in cases.

The Guardian on May 2 reported that Caitlyn Jenner has revealed that she opposes transgender girls in girls’ school sports. In an interview in a Malibu parking lot, Jenner framed the issue as a matter of “protecting girls’ sports,” and that it was “a question of fairness,” with little else to say thus far. The Guardian noted, in light of this development, that the International Federation of Sports Science “said data is scant on the advantages or otherwise of trans athletes, but that each sport need[s] rules to meet its own physical demands.”

Caitlyn Jenner cozying up to right wing

Accused of throwing Trans community under the bus

by Mike Andrew SGN Staff writer

Caitlyn Jenner, now a candidate for governor of California, appears to be cozying up to right-wing Republicans, perhaps at the expense of California’s Transgender community.

On May 4, Fox News announced that Jenner will be the featured guest in an interview with right-wing agitator and Trump fan Sean Hannity. It will be Jenner’s first major TV appearance since announcing her candidacy.

According to the network, the event is closed to the media and general public, but some Republican donors in California have been getting personal invitations to the interview.

The Hannity interview will not be Jenner’s first TV appearance, however. In an off-the-cuff interview with Disclose.TV, Jenner made news — and elicited substantial controversy — by stating that Trans girls should not be allowed to compete in girls’ sports at school.

“This is a question of fairness,” Jenner said. “That’s why I oppose biological boys who are Trans competing in girls’ sports in school. It just isn’t fair. And we have to protect girls’ sports in our schools.”

Jenner’s statement provoked an immediate storm of protest on Twitter, including this from her old TV co-star Trace Lysette: “Cait… this ain’t it. When you’re on hormones and or blockers, there is not an advantage. I ran track at the club level with college girls, and trust me, there is no advantage. I would have went pro if I was able to run the times I ran before hormones, etc.”

“This you, Caitlyn?” asked Gay Demo -

news highlights

by Daniel Lindsley SGN Contributing Writer

Czech Republic Reuters reported on April 29 that the Czech Republic has taken steps toward passing a bill that would shore up the rights of same-sex couples and put them on more equal footing. Although same-sex marriage has been legal in the country since 2006, same-sex couples have still faced disparate legal obstacles in matters such as child adoption and property rights. The bill in question would amend the Civil Code to define marriage as a union of “two persons,” rather than just “a man and a woman.” At the same time, a “counter-bill” in progress aims to make marriage between a man and a woman protected by law.

cratic New York congressional candidate

Chris Sosa. Sosa also included a headline announcement of Jenner competing in a women’s golf tournament.

Why? Teaming up with Sean Hannity and coming out against full participation for Trans kids in school sports seems like a turnabout for Jenner, who has always advertised herself as a “fiscal conservative and social liberal.”

So why do these things? Apparently Jenner is repackaging herself — or allowing herself to be repackaged — to stake out a niche in the gubernatorial race.

Defining herself

Incumbent Gov. Gavin Newsom is the target of a recall petition. If it qualifies for the ballot, California voters will be asked two questions: Should Newsom be recalled? And if so, who should succeed him as governor?

California may end up with hundreds of candidates on the ballot. In 2003, when Gov. Gray Davis was recalled, there were 135 candidates to succeed him. Candidates with name recognition and an established base of supporters would have a huge advantage.

“The fact is, with this many candidates out there, it could be 20% or 25% of the vote that actually is the deciding factor” to beat Newsom, Republican strategist Tim Rosales explained. “She has to define herself within some kind of base — and I think this is her opportunity to do that.”

Rosales said Jenner’s sit-down with Hannity hands her an opportunity to reach a loyal GOP audience with her message for the first time.

Switzerland

The Guardian reported on April 28 on Switzerland’s referendum on whether or not to “push ahead” with same-sex marriage, which comes after a “cross-party initiative” that ran on a slogan calling same-sex marriage fake and unnatural. The initiative was likely a response to a bill that passed in December, which formally recognized same-sex marriage, and granted lesbian couples access to sperm banks. Since the referendum was announced, several groups have rallied to keep the December bill in place. Operation Libero launched a petition stating the importance of same-sex marriage, which has gathered over 100,000 signatures. A survey taken by Pink Cross reported that 82% of respondents support same-sex marriage.