Issue 46 Volume 37
Celebrating 36 Years!
FRIDAY November 13, 2009 FREE! 25¢ in bookstores & news stands
salt lake city p. 5
phil bereano p. 8
Precious p. 25
Seattle Gay News SEATTLE’S LGBT NEWS & ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY
by Shaun Knittel SGN Staff Writer
see choi page 18
see erw page 17
shaun knittel
Gay on The Rachel Maddow Show in March of this year and has been recommended for a discharge from the armed forces, has emerged as the leader on the frontlines of the battle to repeal “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” (DADT), the current law
Equal Rights Washington (ERW), a local LGBT equality organization, held “Toasting Equality: A Chat About the Future of Equality in Washington,” at the Hilton Seattle on November 10. Nearly 250 members of the LGBT community and their straight allies joined the cadre of who’s who from local and state government, including Mayor-elect Mike McGinn and Governor Chris Gregoire. “This morning is about us. Not us versus them. Not Gay versus straight. Not east of the Cascades versus west. But all of us, who just made history as the first state ever to vote for equality for everyone. More people just stood up for equality than ever before – statewide,” said a message printed on a place card on each table. The celebratory event began with the Rainbow City Band playing Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” as government officials and Approve Referendum 71 Campaign members filed into the conference dining room.
Lt. Dan Choi at the University of Puget Sound
by Shaun Knittel SGN Staff Writer Army Lt. Dan Choi, a West Point graduate, an Iraq veteran who is fluent in Arabic, and a Gay activist, spoke to over 300 people at the University of Puget Sound’s Wheelock Student Center on November 10. Choi, who came out as
opensecrets.org
Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass)
by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer US Rep. Barney Frank (DMass.), the longest-serving openly Gay member of the House of Representatives, believes that repeal of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell (DADT) and passage of the Employment NonDiscrimination Act (ENDA) are
on track for 2010. In remarks to the Washington Blade newspaper, Frank said that passage of the Domestic Partnership Benefits & Obligations Act – which would give same-sex domestic partners of federal employees the same benefits as married spouses – was likely to clear all legal hurdles this year, followed by
ENDA and DADT repeal in 2010. “So I say,” Frank said, “the schedule is the federal domestic partner benefits anytime in the next few months, ENDA out of the House in December or in February with the Senate voting in the spring, [and] ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ part of the military authorization, which means into the summer.” “That one [domestic partner benefits for federal employees] I’m the most confident is going to become law because I think you have Senate support for it – enough to get to the 60,” Frank said, referring to the number of Senate votes needed to overcome a filibuster. Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) is sponsor of the Senate version of the legislation while Rep. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), the only out Lesbian in Congress, is sponsoring the House version of the bill. Baldwin was recently quoted in The Hill newspaper as saying she “absolutely” believes there are enough votes to pass the bill in the House. While Frank believes that ENDA
Seattle Mayor-elect Mike McGinn
Rhode Island Governor vetoes pro-Gay bill us department of health
“Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” repeal and ENDA in 2010?
Shaun Knittel
Lt. Dan Choi speaks Equal Rights Washington out at University of toasts equality Puget Sound
Rhode Island Governor Donald Carcieri
by Shaun Knittel SGN Staff Writer
Rhode Island Governor Donald L. Carcieri vetoed a bill this week that would have added domestic partners to the list of people authorized by law to make funeral arrangements for each other. The bill would have added domestic partners to the list, in current law, of people who can legally make arrangements for a deceased person’s funeral, cremation or see enda page 18 burial if the deceased person left
no pre-arranged funeral contract. The legislation defines a domestic partner as someone who was in an “exclusive, intimate and committed relationship” with the deceased and has lived with him or her for at least a year prior to death, is at least 18, not married to anyone else, not related by blood, and who was financially “interdependent” with the deceased – as evidenced, for example, by a joint mortgage, shared credit card or see rhode island page 17
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November 13, 2009
Celebrating 36 Years!
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Seattle Gay News
Waiting on the outcome by Leslie Robinson SGN Contributing Writer My girlfriend Anne and I reached the point in our relationship where we wanted to make it official. Also, her employer wanted proof that she and I are really a couple and she hadn’t put me on her insurance because I looked pretty. Here in the state of Washington, samesex marriage is illegal, so making it official means domestic partnership. We filled out the requisite forms and had them notarized. I deposited the envelope with the documents into a mailbox – on Election Day. I don’t know if it was an act of whimsy or masochism. As you’ve likely heard, Washington was voting on whether to expand the domestic partnership law. Anne and I didn’t know, when we submitted the papers, whether we would be receiving some of the rights of domestic partnership or all of them. It was like buying a grab bag at the dollar store. Anne goes crazy when she reads exactly what I just wrote, that the vote was over whether to expand the state’s domestic partnership law. In fact, the legislature had expanded the law earlier this year; scaredycat religious conservatives responded by getting Referendum 71 on the ballot, which asked voters whether to approve or reject the legislature’s action. There. I’ve explained that the referendum was actually about taking away rights we’d been given. Now Anne will be happy, and there will be peace in my domestically partnered household. Washington got the domestic partnership ball rolling in 2007, allowing same-sex couples all of 23 rights and responsibilities. In 2008, the legislature added over 170 more. In 2009, it added about 285 rights and responsibilities, bringing domestic partnership level with marriage. What a peculiar mixture of pride and unease I felt dropping the partnership forms in the mail. Would Anne and I have the rights of 2008 or 2009? It wouldn’t have surprised me if the cast of The Rocky Horror Picture Show, dressed in postal uniforms, had jumped out from behind the mailbox to do the “Time Warp.” Our ability to take care of each other was in doubt thanks to a campaign led by a man on his third marriage, and another man with a history of unpaid taxes who lives in Ore-
November 13, 2009
Every county east of the Cascades rejected expanding the law. In fact, only the counties huddled around Puget Sound voted correctly – something in the water, indeed. I don’t know precisely how I would’ve reacted had the outcome been different. I’m not the type to do an interpretive dance around the Space Needle; more likely I’d have spewed a colorful stream while walking the dogs. I’m filled with sympathy for Mainers devastated by the vote on same-sex marriage in their state. Like us, their state government had passed a law, and reactionary citizenry had reacted with a ballot challenge. Unlike us, they’d achieved the dizzying height of marriage, so their fall was great. California, Maine, Washington – each granted rights, only to see some residents try to snatch them back. With all this moving forward and being yanked back, this phase of our struggle calls for a neck brace.
gon. Don’t beam me up, Scotty; beam them up instead. With our rights to be decided by the electorate, all Anne and I could do was wait. And wait some more, thanks to Washington’s mostly mail-in ballot system. Finally, it became clear that our side had won, and Anne and I were about to become industrial-strength domestic partners. In signing off on the “everything but marriage” law, Washington voters became the first in any state to approve a statewide LGBT domestic partnership/marriage ballot Leslie Robinson does not live east of the measurer. The evergreen trees in the Evergreen State should stand a little taller today. Cascades. E-mail her at LesARobinson@ However, we were clearly a state divided. gmail.com.
New book explores modern Gay families
by Shaun Knittel SGN Staff Writer Many Gay couples today have kids. Gay and Lesbian couples that have adopted kids have become a part of the American demographic known as the modern family, and are what some people are calling a cultural phenomenon. According to the 2000 Census, one in five Gay couples and one in three Lesbian couples were raising children – a large jump from 1990, when one in 20 Gay couples and one in five Lesbian couples had kids. Census numbers are a small part of a new comprehensive analysis of research on Gay parenting since the 1970s in a new book by Abbie Goldberg, entitled, Lesbian and Gay Parents and Their Children: Research on the Family Life Cycle. Goldberg is an assistant professor of psychology at Clark University in Worcester, MA. According to research, Goldberg writes Gay households may have more in common with their heterosexual counterparts than what may have been originally thought. “The sexual orientation of a parent has really little to do with their parenting,” Goldberg says. Her analysis includes phone interviews that began in 2005 with adoptive parents in 30 states, including 30 to 35 male couples,
40 Lesbian couples and 50 to 60 heterosexual couples. Goldberg interviewed the couples before adoption and three months after. Then she called them again twice annually with follow-up questions. Among findings outlined in Goldberg’s book are how the transition to parenthood is similar for both homosexual couples and heterosexual couples; children of Gay couples don’t differ from their peers raised by heterosexual couples in terms of their mental health, self-esteem, life satisfaction, social skills or number of friends; and children in Gay families are teased more about their families and their sexuality, but are not teased more overall. Additionally, Goldberg’s analysis suggests that children of Gay parents are not more likely to identify as Gay themselves. Gary Gates, a demographer at the University of California-Los Angeles also has studied same-sex families. In his new analysis of the 2008 American Community Survey, he found that 31% of same-sex couples who identify themselves as spouses are raising kids, compared with 43% of heterosexual couples. The importance of that survey is that it contains the first available Census data about same-sex spouses and Gay U.S. families. According to Gates, same-sex couples who identify as married are similar to heterosexual couples in many ways, include that almost one-third are raising children.
Celebrating 36 Years!
Salt Lake City adopts pro-Gay statutes with LDS Church support by Shaun Knittel SGN Staff Writer
Californians propose repealing Prop 8 in 2010 by James Whitely SGN Contributing Writer On September 24, a diverse group of California voters gathered in Sacramento and wrote the ballot wording for a repeal of Proposition 8 for the November 2010 California State General Election, and filed it with the state of California. The initial filing is the first step in placing the measure on the 2010 California ballot. The next step? Gathering enough volunteers to hit the streets to collect the one million signatures needed statewide to qualify the petition. Proposition 8 was an amendment to the State of California Constitution passed by voters in November 2008. It reversed a California Supreme Court decision in May 2008, which ruled that same-sex couples were guaranteed equal marriage rights under the California Constitution. “Activists across the state have spent the summer organizing and recruiting signature gatherers and donors, and we’ll be continuing that work over the next 50 days,” said John Henning, the executive director of Love Honor Cherish, one of the grassroots organizations spearheading the Repeal Proposition 8 campaign. The goal of one million signatures will be achieved by “an army of motivated volunteers,” in the words of Henning, but in addition the campaign will be using social networking sites in order to spread awareness.
Given the recent success here in Washington State during the Referendum 71 campaign, this looks to be a promising strategy. Love Honor Cherish is also currently designing a new social networking site which will focus specifically around building community during the signature-gathering process. “Prop 8 passed with only 52% of the vote,” said Henning. “In the next 14 months, with hard work and inspiration, we can change the small percentage of hearts and minds that we need to win.” The proposed ballot measure would amend an existing section of the California constitution. The provision essentially states that “no priest, minister, pastor, rabbi, or other person authorized to perform marriages by any religious denomination, church, or other non-profit religious institution” will be required to perform any marriage in violation of his or her religious beliefs. However, the State definition of marriage in Section 7.5 of Article I of the California Constitution would be amended from “Only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California” to “Marriage is between only two persons and shall not be restricted on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, gender, sexual orientation, or religion.” “Starting today, there is new hope for committed Gay and Lesbian couples who want to get married,” said Henning. “We’re back on the path toward full equality.”
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particularly because the country is in the middle of fighting two wars that have put extra stress on the military, down to the platoon level, where soldiers and Marines would be expected to bond with openly Gay servicemen and women. Gen. Conway is said to believe that changing the DADT policy would be disruptive, so he opposes a repeal of the law. Currently, Gen. Conway’s reservations are in contrast to public sentiment from other service chiefs – all of whom have said if Congress introduces a bill to repeal the ban, they will discuss it with the chain of command and if Congress changes the law, they will follow suit. Gen. Conway’s spokesman, Maj. David Nevers, released Marine Corps Commandant General James T. Conway a statement last week by Shaun Knittel saying, “Our Marines are currently engaged SGN Staff Writer in two fights, and our focus should not be drawn away from those priorities. When the Marine Corps Commandant Gen. James time is right, we have full confidence that T. Conway has emerged in internal Penta- we will be asked to provide the best miligon deliberations as the most outspoken op- tary advice concerning the readiness of the ponent of permitting Gay men and women Corps as it relates to this issue.” to serve openly in the U.S. Military. Still, Gen. Conway is the only service Currently, due to the 16-year-old “Don’t chief known to have actively surveyed his Ask, Don’t Tell” (DADT) law, Gays and generals on the impact a repeal of DADT Lesbians can serve in the armed forces would have. Gen. Conway’s four-year term as long as they do not violate the law by as Commandant of the Marine Corps ends serving openly. Since the laws inception, in November of next year. nearly 15,000 men and women have been During his campaign for U.S. president, discharged from active duty – nearly 400 which carries the dual role of commander in 2009 alone – because they were Gay or in chief of the military, Obama promised to Lesbian. end DADT – a policy signed into law by forLast week, a former senior Pentagon of- mer President Bill Clinton in 1993. Obama ficial said most of the senior brass hold repeated his promise during a speech at the deep reservations about President Obama’s Human Rights Campaign Annual Dinner on pledge to end the ban on Gays in the military, October 10. u.s. marine corps
The Salt Lake City Council unanimously approved city ordinances aimed at protecting Gay and Transgender residents from discrimination in housing and employment on November 10, hours after the LDS (Mormon) Church announced its support for the ordinance. In a show of support that shocked the general populous, LDS Church spokesman Michael Otterson told the council, “The church supports these ordinances because they are fair and reasonable and do not do violence to the institution of marriage.” The ordinances are also consistent with Mormon teachings, he said. The LDS Church’s endorsement stunned leaders of Utah’s Gay community – however, they welcomed the kind words and hailed the LDS Church, calling November 10 “a historic night they hope will set the stage for statewide legislation.” “This is a great step,” said Will Carlson, director of public policy for the advocacy group Equality Utah. But, he noted, four out of five Gay Utah residents live outside the capitol and should be afforded protection, as well. “Equality Utah will continue to work for that.” According to Salt Lake City news reports, Tuesday’s announcement and subsequent vote follow more than two months of secret meetings between midlevel LDS officials and five of Utah’s most prominent Gay leaders. Those meetings, according to the reports, began after the “kiss-in” protests that took place after LDS security detained two Gay men hugging and kissing on the Church’s Main Street Plaza. City Council Chairman Carlton Christensen suggested to LDS leaders that dialogue with Utah’s Gay community would help ease tensions – a suggestion the LDS Church considered, which led to the organization reaching out
to leaders of Equality Utah and Utah Pride Center. The Church wanted to meet in an LDS Church office building, while Gay leaders suggested a coffee shop at the Utah Pride Center. They settled on a neutral location, the home of Sam and Diane Stewart – active Mormons as well as close friends with a founding member of Equality Utah and the Pride Center. Initially, early meetings were uncomfortable and marred with suspicion. Yet, over time, the Gay leaders built a level of trust, and according to those close to the meetings, searched for common ground on matters important to both parties. A few weeks ago, according to news sources, the meetings fizzled. Then, the LDS Church asked to reconvene, which ultimately lead up to Tuesday’s announcement of support for the pro-Gay statutes. The LDS Church sees its move as an olive branch to the Gay community after months of growing tension over the Mormonbacked Proposition 8 vote, which barred Gay marriage in California. Salt Lake City’s newly passed measures are firsts for Utah. Statistically, more than 100 U.S. cities have enacted similar protections for Gay and Transgender people. Utah has a constitutional amendment that bans same-sex marriage. During October 10’s passion-filled hearings, speakers emphasized the ordinances do not create special classes, but simply afford the same rights straight residents enjoy. “Guaranteeing a right to fair housing and fair employment is not an issue of compromise,” said Councilwoman Jill Remington Love. “We are a stronger, better city this evening. I’m proud to serve on a City Council where this isn’t even controversial.” News reports state the council’s unanimous passage drew an extended standing ovation.
Marine Corps Commandant supports “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”
UPDATE: Chiefs release Johnson after second suspension in a year
by Shaun Knittel SGN Staff Writer The Kansas City Chiefs confirmed on November 9 that they released Larry Johnson the day he was due back from his second suspension in the past 12 months. The decision by the Chiefs was not a surprise; the organization’s management had run out of patience with Johnson’s off-the-field problems. On his Twitter account two weeks ago, Johnson questioned Chiefs head coach Todd Haley’s competence, insulted followers and used a Gay slur. He repeated the Gay slur less than 24 hours later to reporters, and was suspended for two weeks. “A part of him is excited and a part of him is very regretful,” Johnson’s agent, Peter Schaffer, said. “There are a lot of feelings going on right now. It’s analogous to breaking up with a girlfriend. Maybe you saw it coming, but it still hurts when it happens.” Johnson, who turns 30 on November 19, was just 75 yards away from breaking Priest
November 13, 2009
Holmes’ team rushing record. His apology for using the Gay slur came almost exactly one year after issuing a similar apology for alleged incidents involving women in Kansas City nightclubs. One woman accused him of throwing a drink on her and another said he had pushed her head at a Kansas City nightspot. Johnson was eventually sentenced to two years’ probation after pleading guilty to two counts of disturbing the peace. In 2008, Johnson was benched by thencoach Herm Edwards, for three straight games for violating team rules. National Football League commissioner Roger Goodell suspended him for a fourth game for violating the league’s player conduct policy. Last week, Johnson, who was never a fan favorite, was the subject of an online petition calling on the Chiefs not to let him break the team rushing record – something fans no longer have to worry about due to his dismissal from the team’s roster.
Seattle Gay News
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INTERNATIONAL Rex Wockner
NEWS
by Rex Wockner SGN Contributing Writer
consolidated legislation to protect the traditional family by prohibiting (i) any form of sexual relations between persons of the same sex; and (ii) the promotion or recognition of such sexual relations in public institutions and other places through or with the support of any Government entity in Uganda or any non governmental organization inside or outside the country.” For the full text of the draconian measure, see tinyurl.com/hatebill. For information on how to help fight the bill, see tinyurl.com/ iglhrc-ug. For Human Rights Watch’s analysis of the bill, see tinyurl.com/hrw-ug. Thousands march in Taiwan’s 7th pride parade Around 25,000 people and 100 organizations took part in the seventh Gay pride parade in Taipei, Taiwan, October 31. They demanded civil equality and access to marriage. The march traveled from the square outside Taiwanese President Ma Ying-jeou’s office to downtown and back. A cabinet bill to legalize same-sex marriage has been floundering since 2003. ILGA-Europe holds record-breaking conference The 13th annual conference of the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association (aka ILGA-Europe), held October 27 to November 1 in Malta, was the group’s largest ever. More than 300 people from 48 countries took part in the gathering, which focused on “Overcoming Cultural and Religious Barriers to LGBT Equality.” Keynote speakers included Ulrike Lunacek, an Austrian member of the European Parliament; Maltese MP Francis Agius, head of Malta’s delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe; Belinda Pyke, director of a European Commission agency concerned with equality and discrimination; Louis Galea, speaker of Malta’s House of Representatives; Maltese MP Evarist Bartolo; former Italian MP Vladimir Luxuria, who is Transgender; and Frits Huffnagel, deputy mayor of The Hague, Netherlands. The conference attracted extensive positive coverage in local media. Before the gathering kicked off, representatives of ILGA-Europe’s board and staff met with Maltese President George Abela, the first head of state to host the group in conjunction with its annual confab.
U.S. Rep. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis.
Baldwin targets Ugandan “Anti-Homosexuality Bill” Openly Lesbian U.S. Rep. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis., and three other members of Congress have sent a letter to U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton urging her to use the full force of her office to condemn the “Anti-Homosexual Bill 2009” introduced in Uganda’s Parliament last month. “This egregious bill represents one of the most extreme anti-equality measures ever proposed in any country and would create a legal pretext for depriving Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Ugandans of their liberty, and even their lives,” Baldwin wrote, joined by House Committee on Foreign Affairs Chair Howard Berman, D-
Calif., Vice Chair Gary Ackerman, D-N.Y., and Ranking Minority Member Ileana RosLehtinen, R-Fla. “Particularly given the United States’ substantial contribution to Uganda through the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), we believe swift action is necessary to ensure Ugandan leaders understand this bill is wholly unacceptable and antithetical to democratic values,” they said. With Gay sex already banned under penalty of life in prison, the Anti-Homosexuality Bill aims to erase any appearance or hint of Gayness from the nation. Calling for penalties that range from three years in prison to execution, the bill criminalizes touching anyone in a Gay way; funding or sponsoring Gay organizations; broadcasting, publishing or marketing Gay material; homosexual advocacy; “aggravated homosexuality”; and the failure by any person to report to police his or her awareness of the existence of a Gay person within Uganda’s borders within 24 hours of learning that the homosexual exists. The legislation also targets Gay Ugandans Obama ends HIV travel who get married abroad. They would be imand immigration ban prisoned for life if they dared return home. President Barack Obama’s administration The bill’s first sentence states: “The object published a rule November 2 that will end of this Bill is to establish a comprehensive the U.S. ban on HIV-positive foreign visitors and immigrants. The change will take in January. Versatile Painting Company effect “Twenty-two years ago, in a decision rooted in fear rather than fact, the United States instituted a travel ban on entry into the country for people living with HIV/ AIDS,” Obama said, announcing the new policy October 30. “We talk about reducing the stigma of this disease, yet we’ve treated a visitor living with it as a threat. We lead the world when it comes to helping stem the AIDS pandemic, yet we are one of only a dozen countries that still bar people from HIV from entering our own country. If we want to be the global leader in combating HIV/AIDS, we need to act like it.” “That’s why, on Monday, my administration will publish a final rule that eliminates the travel ban effective just after the new year,” he said. “Congress and President Bush began this process last year, and they $ ought to be commended for it. We are finany size pizza ishing the job. It’s a step that will encourage people to get tested and get treatment, it’s a 700 East Pine St. Seattle step that will keep families together, and it’s HOMEMADE a step that will save lives.” HAND In a joint statement, the Global Network of People Living With HIV, the European FREE DELIVERY • 206-322-6444 AIDS Treatment Group and Germany’s
Abela said information and education are important in tackling discrimination and fostering acceptance of differences – and that Malta has seen progress in GLBT acceptance. He also stated that love is the most important thing there is and that it can’t be “graded” based on sexual orientation. More than 1 million march in Rio de Janeiro Rain showers didn’t stop more than 1 million people from marching in Rio de Janeiro’s 14th annual Gay pride parade November 1. The procession down Avenida Atlântica in Copacabana included state Gov. Sérgio Cabral, who rode on a float and said Rio always will be in the forefront of civil rights struggles. Mayor Eduardo Paes promised to increase city funding for next year’s 15th parade to as much as $465,000. Last year’s march is believed to have infused $26 million into the city’s economy. Finnish vicar returns to work after gender reassignment A vicar in Finland’s Evangelical Lutheran Church has returned to her job at Tainionkoski Church in the city of Imatra after having gender-reassignment surgery. Marja-Sisko Aalto had been away for a year before returning on November 1. Local reports said some parishioners have been supportive but that 500 people have left the congregation in the past two years, including 64 in the last two weeks of October. Petition to legalize Gay sex introduced in Cameroon A petition and memorandum in support of decriminalizing Gay sex will be introduced in Cameroon’s National Assembly this month, said the GLBT organization Alternatives-Cameroun. Activists have collected hundreds of signatures urging repeal of Penal Code Article 347, which punishes “any person who has sexual intercourse with a person of the same sex” with up to five years in prison. Alternatives-Cameroun said the ban violates the nation’s constitutional guarantee of the right to privacy and is “anachronistic and inconsistent with the current sociopolitical national and international environment.” With assistance from Bill Kelley
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by Rex Wockner SGN Contributing Writer Deutsche AIDS-Hilfe “congratulate[d] the United States government on fulfilling its promise and completing the legal procedure that was started by former President Bush on World AIDS Day 2007.” “This is a great victory for the fight against the worldwide discrimination of people living with HIV,” said AIDS-Hilfe’s Peter Wiessner. “I remember times where we never thought that this would happen. This is an emotional moment and it feels a bit like the fall of the Berlin Wall.” EATG’s David Haerry called the change “groundbreaking” and said it sends “a strong message to other countries maintaining stigmatizing restrictions today, such as Russia, China, Australia and Canada.” The groups’ statement said that more than 60 nations, including some in Europe, have “stigmatizing entry or residency restrictions” and that “27 countries deport people on the grounds of having an HIV infection.” The three organizations urged the U.S. government to “erase all information with regards to the HIV status of people from its immigration databases” and to fix its “criminal justice system ... where saliva of a person living with HIV is still regarded as a deadly weapon, often resulting in ridiculously long prison sentences for spitting or biting.” With assistance from Bill Kelley
Celebrating 36 Years!
NEW CITY THEATER PRESENTS CLIT NOTES BY HOLLY HUGHES New City Theater, 1404 18th Ave. at E. Union St., presents Clit Notes by Holly compiled by Rick McKinnon Hughes, performed by Jessica Robinson. SGN Staff Writer The play will be performed Saturdays, November 14 and 21 at 8 p.m. Tickets: $10 at “PROJECT PIE” Chamber of Commerce, at the Sheraton Se- brownpapertickets.com, 1-800-838-3006, LIFELONG AIDS ALLIANCE’S attle Hotel, 1400 6th Ave., between Pike and and at the door. THANKSGIVING BAKE SALE Union Sts., for the most delicious event of Dozens of Northwest bakers, chefs and the season – the 2009 TASTE of GSBA. SEATTLE MEN IN LEATHER caterers are donating their time, talent and PRESENTS “BOOTS & BUZZCUTS Come sip the winning Pearl Vodka cockresources to provide apple, pecan, pumpkin tail and TASTE delectable delights from PLUS UNIFORM MUSTER” and sweet potato pies for Project Pie. Order 11 local restaurants and catering compaOn Saturday, November 14, from 8 p.m.as many pies as you need for your Thanks- nies; bid on exclusive dinners by celebrity midnight, Seattle Men in Leather presents giving table and/or order a pie to be placed chefs, Tamara Murphy of Brasa and Jerry “Boots & Buzzcuts plus Uniform Muster,” on a Lifelong AIDS Alliance client’s table. Traunfeld of Poppy among many fine auc- at The Cuff Complex, 1533 13th Ave. at E. Pies will be ready for pick up on Tuesday & tion items; enjoy a three-course gourmet Pine St., with proceeds from buzzcuts by Wednesday, November 24 & 25. Each pie dinner – all in support of the GSBA schol- Chez and James and bootblacking by Kelis $25 with proceeds benefitting Chicken arship fund. Think swaying palms, tropical ley, Scott and Diamond Jack to benefit the Soup Brigade and Lifelong AIDS Alliance’s breezes, grass skirts and colorful shirts and Seattle Men in Leather charity for 2009, client programs. For more information and you will be in the South Pacific theme. Lambert House, Seattle’s LGBT Youth Reto order a pie, visit www.projectpie.org. Advance tickets are $165-GSBA mem- source Center. www.seattlemeninleather.org. Deadline for ordering pies is this week- bers; $180-nonmembers; $100-students; end. Their advertising campaign and web- walk-ins are $20 more at the door. Dress is “SMASH THE CHURCH, site says deadline is Friday, November 13, black tie with a tropical flair. 206-363-9188; SMASH THE STATE: although there may be some wiggle room www.thegsba.org. THE EARLY YEARS over the weekend and into Monday mornOF GAY LIBERATION” ing. Lifelong AIDS Alliance can be reached Starting Tuesday, November 3, at 6:30 ACLU 2009 at 206-328-8979. p.m., Radical Women and the Freedom SoBILL OF RIGHTS cialist Party hosts a free seven-week discusCELEBRATION DINNER BENT MENTOR SHOWCASE sion series on a new anthology, Smash the TO HONOR PHIL BEREANO, WITH LEAH LAKSHMI Church, Smash the State: The Early Years LOCAL GAY ACTIVIST PIEPZNA-SAMARASHINHA On Saturday, November 14, the American of Gay Liberation, at Kaladi Brothers CofOn Friday, November 13, and Saturday, Civil Liberties Union of Washington hosts fee, 511 E. Pike St. These essays by dykes, November 14, Bent hosts a showcase of their annual Bill of Rights Celebration Din- drag queens, Transsexuals, and Queers of LGBTIQ spoken word at the Museum of ner – reception at 6 p.m., dinner at 7 p.m., color, who built the radical movement of History & Industry (MOHAI), 2700 24th program at 8 p.m. – at the Seattle Marriott sexual minorities in the 1960s and ‘70s, proAve. E., doors at 7 p.m., show at 7:30 p.m. Waterfront Hotel, 2100 Alaskan Way. Hear vide often overlooked insights into modern Tickets are $15-$30. www.brownpaper- one of the nation’s premier defense attor- queer history and useful lessons for today’s tickets.com/85356 and at the door. A writ- neys, Seattle-based Jeffery Robinson, speak Generation Q activists. For more informaing workshop will also be held Saturday, about his numerous trips to Guantanamo tion, 206-722-2453 or www.socialism.com/ November 14, 11 a.m.-1 p.m., at Lifelong Bay Prison to represent detainees, overcom- seattle. Wheelchair accessible. AIDS Alliance, 1002 E. Seneca St. ing extraordinary obstacles and conditions The showcase and writing workshop will in pursuit of justice and due process. Join TRANSGENDER DAYS OF feature Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasin- us for this fascinating and important look REMEMBRANCE – NOV. 18-20 ha, a Queer Sri Lankan writer, teacher and inside the walls of Guantanamo. The celTransgender Day of Remembrance has performer whose work explores the inter- ebration dinner will also honor local heroes been set aside in November to honor and reconnection of systems of colonialism, abuse whose personal efforts have advanced free- member those who were killed due to antiand violence. www.bentwriting.com. Transgender hatred or prejudice. dom and fairness for all. There are several Transgender Days of “The William O. Douglas Award is given APPROVE REFERENDUM 71 for outstanding, consistent and sustained Remembrance events scheduled in Seattle COMMUNITY VICTORY! contributions to the cause of civil liberties; this year and one in Tacoma. & THANK-YOU RALLY On Wednesday, November 18, from 5-7 it is our lifetime achievement award. For On Saturday, November 14, starting at 2009, the Award is presented to Phil Bere- p.m., the University of Washington Q Center noon at Westlake Center Park, 4th Ave. & ano for decades of activism and his prescient will host a panel discussion titled “Working Pine St., join us in celebrating our historic advocacy on issues of technology and civil Toward Justice from a Place of Grief,” at the win and thanking the community for their liberties. Bereano has been an activist in the UW Ethnic Cultural Theatre, 3940 Brookdedication and support. Speakers will in- Seattle LGBT community for many years. lyn Ave. NE. Come join local community clude Lt. Dan Choi, members of the Ap“The Civil Libertarian Award honors activists about working with and through prove Ref. 71 Campaign, and respected people who have made a recent outstanding grief to engage in anti-oppression work. community leaders. Sponsored by the Se- contribution to the ACLU-WA or civil libOn Wednesday, November 18, from attle Out Protest Coalition and Seattle Gay erties in Washington State. The 2009 Award 6-9 p.m., the Ravenna United Methodist News, UW Students Organizing for LGBT will be presented to Seattle attorneys, Jef- Church, 5753 33rd Ave. NE, will host an eveEquality (S.O.L.E.), Join the Impact, Pride fery Robinson and Amanda Lee, for their ning program starting at 6 p.m. with a docuat Work, Approve Ref. 71 Campaign, Seat- work on the John Adams Project to repre- mentary, “Naming Jennifer,” a documentary tle OUTprotest, Seattle International Social- sent the high-value detainees at Guantana- film by Scott Rice and Steven Lane about a ist Organization, Seattle University Triangle mo Bay prison camp. Missoula, MT Transgendered women who Club, and Entre Hermanos. “The Youth Activist Award is presented to died a brutal death, the questions surrounda young person (22 or younger) or group of ing her death, and the intolerance of the loCOMMUNITY TRIBUNAL young people whose activism exemplifies cal law enforcement community in refusing TO SAVE work to defend and extend liberty and jus- to investigate her death. At 7:15 p.m., PeterTHE BASIC HEALTH PLAN tice for all. The Award will be presented to son Toscano’s Transfigurations, will be perOn Saturday, November 14, from 2-4 Colin Moyer for challenging the teaching of formed. In this one-person play, theatrical p.m., Sisters Organize for Survival, a cam- creationism in his science class and for pro- performance artist, Peterson Toscano, unpaign of Radical Women, will host a “Com- moting freedom of speech at his school.” earths Transgender Bible characters – those munity Tribunal to Save the Basic Health Tickets are $65 and can be reserved at people who do not fit in the gender binary, Plan,” at the Rainier Community Center, 206-624-2184 or www.aclu-wa.org. and who in transgressing and transcend4600 38th Ave. S. (one block east of Rainier ing gender, find themselves at the center of Ave. S., between S. Alaska St. and S. Oresome of the Bible’s most important stories. “ABORTION, MORALITY & gon St., across from the Rainier Playfield). At 8:30 p.m., a candlelight vigil will be held THE LIBERATION OF WOMEN” Governor Christine Gregoire and the On Saturday, November 14, at 6:30 p.m., with a reading of the names of those lost this Washington State Legislature have slashed Revolution Books, 89 S. Washington St., year in anti-gender variant violence. $238 million from the budget for the Basic presents a panel and discussion with MarOn Thursday, November 19, the Gender Health Plan. Rate hikes that go into effect cy Bloom, reproductive rights organizer in Alliance of the South Sound will host their on January 1 will force thousands to lose Mexico and former executive director of 2009 Transgender Day of Remembrance coverage. Aradia Women’s Health Center, and Margo Memorial at 6:30 p.m., at the Tacoma RainTake part in a people’s court. The charge: Heights, Revolution Books. FREE. bow Center, 741 St. Helens Ave., Tacoma. Governor Gregoire and the State Legislature On Friday, November 20, from 9 a.m.have abandoned poor and working people. 5:30 p.m., the UW Q Center’s conference 2009 MR. MISS & MS. Hear from individuals and health care workroom, Schmitz Hall, 15th Ave NE & NE GAY SEATTLE PAGEANT ers impacted by the budget cuts; come tell On Saturday, November 14, door at 7 Campus Pkwy, Room 450, will be set aside your story; join the campaign to preserve p.m., show at 7:30 p.m., the Imperial Sover- as a quiet remembering space. 206-897and expand Basic Health. 206-722-6057; eign Court of Seattle presents the 2009 Mr., 1430; uwqcenter@gmail.com. www.RadicalWomen.org. On Friday, November 20, the UW Q CenMiss & Ms. Gay Seattle Pageant, at Neighbours Nightclub, 1509 Broadway (entrance ter will host a “Die-In” Rally from 12-12:30 “SOUTH PACIFIC” – in alley between Harvard and Broadway off p.m., at Red Square – by Kane Hall and THE 2009 TASTE OF GSBA E. Pike St.) $20 requested donation. www. the Odegaard and Suzzallo libraries on the On Saturday, November 14, from 5:30-10 imperialcourtofseattle.com. UW campus. Meet at noon by the “Broken p.m., join the Greater Seattle Business AssoObelisk” sculpture at the NE corner of Red ciation (GSBA), the Greater Seattle LGBT Square for pre-action training/orientation.
NORTHWEST
NEWS
Visit us online www.sgn.org
November 13, 2009
On Friday, November 20, the UW Q Center will host a candlelight vigil, at 6 p.m. in front of the UW’s entrance stairs at Montlake Blvd NE & NE Pacific St. “This will be a space to show our love and respect for those murdered due to anti-Transgender hatred – 105 this year alone.” The vigil will include an open mic for those with a poem, prayer, song or loving words. Entre Hermanos invites you to participate on Friday, November 20, at 7 p.m., at 1505 Broadway, to celebrate and remember Transgender Day with a group conversation, entertainment and food. 206-322-7700. Te invitamos a participar el viernes 20 de noviembre a las 7pm en Entre Hermanos, 1505 Broadway, para celebrar y conmemorar el dia de la/el transgénero, con una amena conversación, entretenimiento y comida. Te esperamos! 206-322-7700. RISE N’ SHINE PICTIONARY DRAW-OFF On Wednesday, November 18, from 8-10 p.m., the Broadway Grill, 314 Broadway E., hosts a Pictionary Draw-Off Game Night to benefit Rise n’ Shine, a local nonprofit supporting children and teens affected by HIV/ AIDS. Win a dinner for 4 at the Broadway Grill. Top teams have a chance to win a holiday party for 50 at the Broadway Grill. For more information and to register your team of 4, contact Lauren Henry at 206-628-8949 ext 211 or email Lauren@risenshine.org or online at www.risenshine.org/events. Registration is $40 per team ($10 per person). “PASSPORT TO WASHINGTON WINE” TO BENEFIT LIFELONG AIDS ALLIANCE On Thursday, November 19, from 5-7 p.m., join Kimpton Hotels Seattle for their annual Red Ribbon event to benefit Lifelong AIDS Alliance. The Hotel Vintage Park, Alexis Hotel and Hotel Monaco will host an interactive wine tasting experience at Seattle’s only Washington wine-themed hotel, the Hotel Vintage Park, 1100 Fifth Ave. With passport in hand, guests will embark on a virtual tour of Washington wine country throughout the boutique hotel, mingling with representatives from 13 premier Washington wineries pouring from their dedicated guest rooms with perfectly paired bites prepared by Executive Chef Walter Pisano of Tulio Ristorante. The party continues at Tulio with a special three-course prix fixe dinner. Incredible raffle prizes include two Southwest Airlines tickets, a stay at the Nicholson Ranch Winery in Sonoma, two Amtrak tickets and a stay at the Hotel Vintage Plaza in Portland, two tickets to the Pacific Northwest Ballet, two tickets to the Seattle Art Museum, and more! Wine tasting is $30 (includes etched keepsake wine glass) – RSVP to brandyn.hull@ kimptonhotels.com or 206-340-6678; wine dinner at Tulio is $60 (reservation required) – RSVP to 206-624-5500 or www.tulio.com. SEATTLE’S 2ND ANNUAL RED DRESS PARTY TO BENEFIT HIV/AIDS SERVICE ORGANIZATIONS On Saturday, November 21, Seattle’s second annual Red Dress Party will be held from 9 p.m.-3 a.m. at the South Lake Union Naval Reserve Center, 860 Terry Ave. N. Beneficiaries for this year’s event are Multifaith Works, Gay City Health Project and Seattle Humane Society’s “Pet Project.” A portion of the proceeds will also go to sponsor Seattle’s World AIDS Day. While the color red is commonly accepted as the international symbol of AIDS awareness, the Seattle Red Dress Party builds on that idea by encouraging all guests, despite age, gender or sexual orientation, to attend the event and wear a red dress. The visual of all attendees donning red dresses whether male, female, Gay, straight, old or young, serves as a powerful symbol of solidarity of people living with HIV/AIDS. The event will kick off at 9 p.m. with musical guests, The Perry Twins. Red dress required; attitude optional. This is a 21 and over event. Tickets are: $25 advance, $35 at the door; VIP $50 advance; $60 at the door. www.seattlereddressparty.org; www.twitter. com/seattlereddress.
Seattle Gay News
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by Shaun Knittel SGN Staff Writer
The ACLU of Washington Board of Directors will present Phil Bereano, a forceful and tireless civil liberties advocate in both academia and the wider community, won the 2009 William O. Douglas Award at the Bill of Rights Celebration Dinner on November 14 at the Seattle Marriott Waterfront. The award is given for outstanding, consistent and sustained contributions to the cause of civil liberties and is the ACLU’s highest honor, their lifetime achievement award. “I was overwhelmed when I got the letter informing me of the award. … I was just blown away,” Bereano told SGN. “This is an incredible honor.” Bereano is no stranger to the community. He was a member of the University of Washington faculty from 1975 to 2005 and is now a professor emeritus. His academic work focused notably on the social management of technology, stressing impacts on the civil liberties and privacy implications of technical developments. A founding member of the Council for Responsible Genetics, he helped define notions of genetic discrimination and genetic privacy. He was co-developer of the world’s first courses on “woman and technology” and “ethnicity and technology.” “I’m very proud of my work to debunk the theory that there is a Gay gene and that being Gay is genetic,” he told SGN. At the time of his research, he said, the work, which was being done by a group of largely Gay men, didn’t sit right with him. The research design and conclusions, according to Bereano, could not prove validity. “I’m not saying there is no genetic component,” Bereano explains, “but it is clear to me that the facts that lead someone to be Gay are much more complicated than that; sexual preference is not so simplistic. There’s no reason to expect that social behaviors are not multi-factoral.” As the AIDS crisis developed in the 1980s, Bereano was an outspoken advocate in countering fear-driven curtailments of civil liberties and worked to protect the LGBT community from discrimination. He co-founded Seattle’s chapter of AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power (ACT UP), which established a pioneering on-the-street AIDS
prevention needle exchange and was known for its bold activism. Bereano also served on the UW president’s task force, which recommended policy changes to address challenges facing LGBT students, faculty, and staff. “At the time of the needle exchange program, we were the first city to have an onthe-street exchange program,” recalled Bereano. “We were instrumental in getting the program moved to the City of Seattle Health Department. We also prepared a safe needle exchange manual that was sent to organizations throughout the country and the rest of the world.” In what Bereano describes as “a bit of history that should not be erased from memory,” BaileyBoushay House, an organization to serve people with HIV/ AIDS, was established in 1983. “The plan for building the house was the subject of great opposition for City developers,” he said. “We were instrumental in seeing that the project moved forward, and eventually the house became a reality.” Bereano said he was personally invested in the project because his lover, Michael Myers, had recently died of AIDS. Now, one of the rooms at Bailey-Boushay House is named after Myers. “I didn’t do all of this work because I wanted to receive an honor like the William O. Douglas Award,” he said. “I did the work because it is ethically compelling. Over the years, I was cognizant of the many injustices and lack of fairness around the LGBT and HIV/AIDS community. I had to do something.” He said receiving the letter informing him of the award made him reflect on his childhood and the days when so much discrimination was heaped onto the Gay community due to HIV hysteria. “I was conscious of responding to situations of horror, and although one always likes praise, an award was never my motivation for doing my work.” “When I was really a youngster, my dad used to read me stories from a picture-book Bible for kids. I remember clearly when we read about Prophets. ‘Did he really go to the king and say that the king was wrong?’ I asked, a bit amazed. His affirmative answer has influenced my life ever since,” said Bereano. Bereano is an active and long-time member of the ACLU who served on the ACLU-
“It is clear to me that the facts that lead someone to be Gay are much more complicated than [genetics]; sexual preference is not so simplistic. There’s no reason to expect that social behaviors are not multi-factoral.”
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Seattle Gay News
November 13, 2009
courtesy phil bereano
Pioneering activist and academic to receive ACLU award
Phil Bereano
WA Board from the late 1970s to the mid‘90s. He has served on the National Board since 1994 and chairs the Committee on Data Collection, Storage, and Dissemination. He continues his advocacy work through public speaking, media interview, op-ed pieces, and writing for various media. “The ACLU is 90 years old. If the ACLU hadn’t existed and done this work over the years, our lives would be totally different. The things we take for granted have all been fought for – and have to continually be fought for – by the ACLU,” Bereano told SGN. “For young people there is a $5 a year membership. I urge youth to consider spending the money to join. The ACLU steps in when people are treated horribly with indignity. Why not be a part of that? The ACLU is on the front lines and fighting all of these battles.”
Joining Bereano at the November 14 celebration dinner will be Jeffery Robinson and Amanda Lee, who will receive The Civil Libertarian Award for people who have made a recent outstanding contribution to the ACLU-WA or civil liberties in Washington State. Receiving the Youth Activist Award for a person aged 22 or younger whose activism exemplifies work to defend and extend liberty and justice for all is Colin Moyer, for challenging the teaching of creationism in his science class and for promoting freedom of speech at his school. “People attend this event from all over, so it’s an exciting tribute. It’s nice to have other colleagues recognize your accomplishments,” Bereano said. “These are real achievements and I’m very proud of them. It is important to preserve our history and understand that all of our LGBT freedoms come from great struggle.”
by Shaun Knittel SGN Staff Writer
troops. Military medical providers, who are often times commissioned officers, have been compelled to divulge personal information about patients to military commanders, resulting in the widespread perception among troops that medical confidentiality in the military is non-existent. Servicemembers United says they have documented cases of troops suffering in silence or hesitating to seek treatment for potentially life-threatening conditions out of fear for their careers, as well as cases of troops leaving the military to get proper treatment for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and other combatrelated injuries. The announcement of an AMA call for a full DADT repeal was well received by national LGBT advocacy organizations. “The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force thanks the AMA for taking these positions today,” said Task Force Executive Director Rea Carey on November 10. “The DADT military ban is good for no one. It is unhealthy for individuals and undermines the nation’s military readiness by discriminating against patriotic men and women who are ready, willing and able to serve their country.” The AMA worked exclusively with Servicemembers United on the resolution for nearly six months.
AMA calls for full repeal of DADT Servicemembers United, the nation’s largest organization of Gay and Lesbian troops and veterans and their allies, announced this week that the American Medical Association (AMA) passed a resolution calling for a full repeal of the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” (DADT) law. In a November 10 statement, Servicemembers United said with overwhelming support from its membership and virtually no opposition – even from the uniformed services representatives in attendance – the call for a full repeal became official AMA policy upon passage of the resolution. “Today, the AMA took a principled stance against a law that clearly has a negative impact on military healthcare, military medical providers, and our troops,” said Alexander Nicholson, founder and executive director of Servicemembers United. “This is yet another nail in the coffin of the flawed and outdated DADT law, and it should send a strong message to those who continue to blindly claim that this policy works.” According to the press release, at issue before the AMA was the chilling effect that DADT has on the provider-patient relationship and the resulting impact on access to quality healthcare for many active duty
“Today, the AMA took a principled stance against a law that clearly has a negative impact on military healthcare, military medical providers, and our troops.”
Celebrating 36 Years!
Café Metropolitan owner Bailey/Coy Books celebrates birthday with announces closure Lambert House donation by Shaun Knittel SGN Staff Writer
by Shaun Knittel SGN Staff Writer
Seattle business owner, artist, and Gay advocate Quyen Luu recently donated a sum of money to Lambert House for the 11th year in a row. Beginning in 1997 when he was 22 years old, Quyen, who owns the popular Capitol Hill bar Café Metropolitain, has asked friends and family to give donations on his birthday in place of cards and gifts. He then donates the money to Lambert House. When Quyen was 18 years old, his life had a different outlook. To the world, the Chinese-born teen was a straight boy. He dated girls, helped take care of his immigrant parents and siblings, and was, for all intents and purposes, the perfect son. But inside of Quyen, it was a different story. As the 35-year-old business owner now says, “I was struggling with my identity.” The internal struggle led him to search the phonebook for a place that boys like him could go, feel safe, and meet others who were LGBTQ. His search was over when he found Lambert House, a center for LGBTQ youth that encourages empowerment through the development of leadership, social and life skills. The questioning teen said he went incognito, entering the house wearing fake glasses and calling himself “Kin.” From that day on, he says, his life dramatically changed. By finding Lambert House, he had, in a sense, found himself. “It changed me forever. I learned about the differences in our community and met so many other kids like myself,” he told SGN. “In no time at all, I was putting together a youth group that promoted self-protection. Society treated us differently in 1993.” He remained a youth at Lambert House until he was 22 years old, the cutoff age for services offered at the house, and became their youngest board member. Quyen was nominated for the board in 1997 because the other board members saw that he could fill
a very important role: to act as a bridge between the youth and volunteers, as well as be a role model for the kids. A few years later, Quyen became the vice president of the Lambert House Board of Directors – a position he still fills. According to Quyen, every day, approximately 25 youth visit the house, which has a drop-in center with a full kitchen, living room with a pool table, a library with Queer books, TV, games, and structured meetings. He said Lambert House is a safe place for Queer youth ages 22 and younger. When asked how he came up with the idea to ask for donations in place of birthday gifts, he replies, “Instinctively. It’s just always felt like the right thing to do.” Over the years, Quyen’s birthday donations have totaled well over $2,000 – money he knows is going to a good cause. Lambert House is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization that depends on donations and grants to keep the doors open. “Times are tough, and this is when the youth really needs us,” Quyen told SGN. “So many cuts have been made, and a lot of grants no longer exist. It’s well worth it to support an organization that helps hundreds of youth a year.” Quyen’s advocacy for Lambert House, and the Seattle LGBTQ community, is always present. He often allows local charities, performance groups, and recently, the Approve Referendum 71 Campaign, to utilize space inside Café Metropolitain for fundraisers to benefit the community – an action he hopes others in the community mimic. “There are a lot of non-profits closing their doors,” he said. “We need to do whatever we can to keep those doors open.” Lambert House is located at 1818 15th Ave on Capitol Hill, between E. Howell and E. Denny Way. For more information about Lambert House or to make a donation, visit the organization online at www.lamberthouse.org.
Bailey/Coy Books owner Michael K. Wells announced last week that after serving the Capitol Hill community and greater Seattle population for 26 years, the bookstore will close its doors at the end of November. In a press release, Wells said the decision to close was not an easy one, but the economic downturn of the past year “combined with the rapidly changing world of bookselling, has led us to believe that this is the most responsible decision.” He said the bookstore has struggled for the last decade to stay profitable, as have independent bookstores across the country. Bailey/Coy Books, founded by Barbara Bailey, began as B. Bailey Books in the Rainier Square building in 1977. According to Wells, in 1982, Barbara Bailey opened a second store on Broadway. In 1983, that store became Bailey/Coy Books. Bailey sold her downtown store that same year, making Broadway the store’s home. “Barbara created a bookstore that was not only a model of the best in bookstores, but was also specifically designed to welcome Lesbian and Gay clientele,” Wells wrote. “The American bookselling landscape at that time included general independents and Lesbian and Gay stores, but rarely did those two models mix. Barbara wanted to create a store where the best in general literature existed side by side with the best in Lesbian and Gay books.” Wells says that although today that seems like a fairly pedestrian idea, in 1982, “it was nothing short of revolutionary.” In 2003, Bailey retired from the booksell-
ing business and sold the store to Wells, the store’s manager since 1989. Bailey/Coy Books has been deeply involved in the Capitol Hill community for over 20 years, says Wells. He said the bookstore has been an active participant in the Broadway Business Improvement Area, the Mayor’s Task Force on Broadway and the Capitol Hill Chamber of Commerce. “It is our belief that this bookstore could not have flourished the way it once did in any other Seattle neighborhood,” Wells said. “Capitol Hill’s history of diversity, eccentricity and a commitment to the arts are a part of our history that we cherish. Capitol Hill rules!” Wells says he urges people to continue to support independent business – especially independent bookstores – because “it makes a world of difference.” “We remain proud of our long history with the Seattle LGBT community and the rich and varied culture that that community has supported over the years,” he said. “We would like to thank the customers and friends who have come through our doors in the last two decades. Our bookstore is a community that includes all of you.” Additionally, Wells said the bookstore is thankful for the hundreds of authors who have read in the store, as well as the Pacific Northwest bookselling community and book lovers everywhere. “We are honored to have been part of your lives,” he said. From now until the end of November, Wells said, the store will begin a closing sale with everything in the store marked down 20%. Gift certificates and redeemable book cards will be accepted until the final closing date at the end of the month.
Cubs get pro baseball’s first Gay owner by James Whitely SGN Contributing Writer On October 27, the Chicago Cubs were sold to the Ricketts family, a wealthy Chicago family whose patriarch found his niche in internet trading. With the team’s purchase, the Cubs are now the first Major League Baseball team to have an openly Gay owner. One of the team’s newest board members is Laura Ricketts, an out Lesbian and women’s rights activist. Laura is a former corporate lawyer. She has served as a board member on several public-interest groups, and currently also serves on the boards of Lambda Legal, a national advocacy group for LGBT people and HIV-positive people, and Housing Opportunities for Women, a Chicago based organization which works to expand affordable housing programs within the Chicago area. There has never been an openly Gay professional sports team owner before, and the sexuality barrier has only been broken a few times in professional American sports.
As more frontiers like this are explored, more athletes will likely feel at ease about coming out after retirement. The sexuality barrier in professional sports has been broken on occasion, but never shattered; league owners unanimously approved the Ricketts’ buying the team and Wrigley Field from the Tribune Co. for $845 million.
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Seattle Gay News 15
Bonus for LGBT partners in House healthcare bill by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer Workers whose employers offer health insurance for their domestic partners may pay lower taxes, thanks to Rep. Jim McDermott (D-Wash.). The healthcare reform bill passed Saturday, November 7, by the US House of Representatives included an amendment introduced by McDermott which would make such benefits tax-free, just like health benefits provided to the married spouse of an employee. Domestic partner health benefits are now treated as taxable income for the employee, and the employer may also owe payroll taxes on their fair-market value. LGBT activists have long been trying to change the tax treatment of health benefits
provided by employers to the domestic partners of their employees. McDermott, who has advocated long and hard for the change, said it would “correct a longstanding injustice, end a blatant inequity in the tax code and help make health care coverage more affordable for more Americans.” Openly Lesbian Rep. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) said the tax on domestic partner health benefits was an unfair burden on LGBT workers. “That’s a significant burden in terms of cost – and depending on what tax bracket they’re in, that can be a lot,” she said. “The tax burden on that employee is much more than their married counterpart….” HRC President Joe Solmonese said federal tax law had not kept up with changes in the workplace. “I meet people all the time who are grati-
“I meet people all the time who are gratified they work for companies that offer domestic partner benefits, but they pass on the benefits because they cannot afford the taxes that go with the benefits.”
fied they work for companies that offer domestic partner benefits,” he said. “But they pass on the benefits because they cannot afford the taxes that go with the benefits.” McDermott’s amendment duplicates the language contained in a stand-alone bill he introduced in May of this year, the Tax Equity for Health Plan Beneficiaries Act of 2009. Twenty-eight House members co-sponsored the bill, including Baldwin, Dennis Kucinich (D-OH), and Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, a Florida Republican who frequently crosses the aisle to support pro-LGBT legislation. The companion Senate bill, designated S 1153, was introduced by Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) with 12 co-sponsors, including Washington state Democrats Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell.
S 1153 has not yet had a hearing before s Senate committee, a necessary prerequisite before coming to the floor for a vote. It is not presently included as an amendment in any of the Senate healthcare bills under discussion. A spokesperson for Sen. Maria Cantwell told SGN that “under Senate rules, any and all amendments will have to be submitted in advance, and then [Majority Leader] Sen. Reid (D-Nev.) will negotiate how many will be introduced on each side.” Even if the measure is not passed in the Senate, it can still be introduced in the final version of the bill during the process of reconciliation, in which differences in the House and Senate healthcare bills will be worked out.
Michigan state representative plans to overturn ban on same-sex marriage
by Shaun Knittel SGN Staff Writer In the aftermath of a General Election passage of a Gay-rights ordinance in Kalamazoo, Michigan, a state representative introduced a plan to overturn Michigan’s ban on same-sex marriage. Pam Byrnes (DLyndon Township) introduced a resolution to amend the state constitution to allow Gay marriage. Voters instituted the ban in 2004, when they approved Proposal 2. On November 3, voters approved by a wide margin, a Kalamazoo city ordinance that prohibits discrimination in employment, housing and public accommodations on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity – the 16th Michigan city to pass such a measure. “This is … an economic issue,” Byrnes said. “Young people want to go to cities and communities that are progressive, accepting of people, and have good quality of life. That’s something that Kalamazoo is now going to have.” Byrnes admits overturning the statewide ban, which courts have interpreted to include all same-sex domestic partnerships, will be a challenge. According to Byrnes, both chambers would have to pass the resolution to place the question on the ballot – a scenario unlikely to happen in the Republican-controlled Senate. However, if the resolution were to fail, proponents would have to collect more than 380,000 signatures to bring the question to a vote in the November 2, 2010 General Election.
Public opinion has changed in recent years, Byrnes says, especially in reaction to stories of same-sex couples being denied access to a partner’s health care benefits or visitation rights to their loved ones at hospitals. “I know it’s going to be a struggle,” she said. “But we have seen some very significant changes in a short period of time; the ordinance in Kalamazoo is an indication.” Byrnes said if people have a Gay daughter or son, they think they should be able to enter into a committed relationship. “We’re going to keep pushing this until we have enough votes to do it,” she said. Byrnes’ plan would amend Michigan’s Constitution, repealing the Proposal 2 samesex marriage ban and would allow Michigan to recognize same-sex marriages from other states. She also plans to introduce legislation that would permit same-sex marriage. The legislation contains a religious exemption to allow clergy the right to refuse performing or certifying same-sex marriages. Currently, 15 states have some level of protection for same-sex couples. Massachusetts, Connecticut, Iowa, Vermont and New Hampshire allow Gay marriage. However, Americans remain divided on the issue, as this year’s General Elections showed – as Maine voters repealed a state law that would have allowed same-sex couples to wed, Washingtonians approved Ref. 71, and a law allowing same-sex marriage in California is being challenged in state courts.
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domestic partnership contract. According to the bill’s sponsors, State Senator Rhoda Perry and State Representative David Segal, the legislation is designed to provide rights to domestic partners regardless of whether they are of the same or opposite sex. In his veto message, Carcieri said, “This bill represents a disturbing trend over the past few years of the incremental erosion of the principles surrounding traditional marriage, which is not the preferred way to approach this issue. … If the General Assembly believes it would like to address the issue of domestic partnerships, it should place the issue on the ballot and let the people of the state of Rhode Island decide.” Carcieri went on to say, “The bill would allow the decisions of a partner of a year to take precedence over traditional family members. … A one-year time period is not a sufficient duration to establish a serious bond between two individuals.” Rep. Segal, who described himself as “genuinely upset” by the governor’s actions, said, “I think the man is heartless and this has become a bad joke that has carried on for far too long.” The joke, Segal says, is “[Carcieri’s] insistent, persistent need to assert himself by undermining the lives of Gay people who love each other and want to be in committed relationships.” “People are trying to piece their lives together, which is what Rhode Island is requiring them to do without legal recognition,” said Kathy Kushnir, executive director of the advocacy group Marriage Equality of Rhode Island. When domestic partners are “faced with a time that could not be more difficult or more painful, not even being able to take care of funeral arrangements for their loved ones” is “unconscionable.”
Throughout the morning, a number of notable speakers stood at the podium, including ERW Executive Director Connie Watts, Seattle Mayor-elect Mike McGinn, King County Executive-elect Dow Constantine, and Congressman Jim McDermott, who all shared in thanking the Approve Referendum 71 Campaign staff, especially Campaign Chair Anne Levinson and Campaign Manager Josh Friedes. Helping to boost all of the handshakes and pats-on-the-back with resounding speeches were three individuals who each helped to promote and eventually approve Referendum 71: Gov. Gregoire, Sen. Ed Murray and Charlene Strong. “This victory happened because you [the LGBT community] recognized it was time to educate people,” Gov. Gregoire said. “By reaching out, being bold, and saying ‘I am a part of this community and I deserve respect,’ people across the state began to understand what the domestic partnership law is about.” Gregoire warned the room of the danger in believing that the community’s opposition will quietly go away. They will be back, she said. “I thank all of you from the bottom of my heart,” said the governor, referring to the voters. “I’m proud of all the Washingtonians who said yes to fairness and no to inequality.” Sen. Murray, who asked all his colleagues and their partners in the Legislature and Senate to join him at the podium, said, “When the culture changes, then the politics change.” What happened in Washington State, said Murray, was not new. “This particular win coincides with a series of victories over past failures.” In a particularly poignant part of his speech, Murray reminded attendees that
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“today, we celebrate years of victories, and the people no longer with us who helped get us to this point.” “This win places us on the side of the mountain, not at the top of the mountain,” said Murray. “We still have a lot of work ahead of us.” As the dust settled and the votes were tallied, one face has emerged at the forefront of the campaign: Charlene Strong, who spoke eloquently at the Tuesday-morning breakfast with the theme that “each of us is protected only when all of us is protected.” Over the past three years, as Charlene fought for LGBT marriage and domestic partnership equality, she heard many stories of struggle. Today, she says, “What is amazing is we now have stories of how things are getting better.” “We are not done,” Strong said. “I’m not personally comfortable until we achieve full equality.” ERW, Strong said, is committed for the long haul for full marriage equality. Besides being a victory celebration, the theme of full marriage equality dominated the morning, although no timeline was given as to when ERW and Washington State legislators would press on in Olympia. Still, the general feeling is that, with the domestic partnership law intact, LGBT Washingtonians are that much closer to achieving the goal of Gay marriage in the Evergreen State. The breakfast symposium was also a fundraiser for ERW, who say they will continue to fight for full marriage equality for Gays and Lesbians in Washington State.
ERW is a statewide political advocacy organization for the LGBT community of Washington State. ERW works to ensure and promote dignity, safety, and equality for all LGBT Washingtonians. For general information about ERW, call 206-324-2570 or visit the organization online at info@equalrightswashington.org.
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Seattle Gay News 17
choi
continued from cover prohibiting Gays from serving openly in the U.S. military. What you may not know about Lt. Choi is that he speaks with a booming and assertive voice – and he’s much taller in person than one might think. Choi’s November 10 speech to a mixed audience of students, veterans and active-duty servicemembers was informative and served as a call to action to ensure that a repeal of the flawed DADT policy is realized sooner rather than later. The time for a repeal is now, he said, as the law has already ruined nearly 14,000 military careers, over 350 this year alone. Choi has become a media draw. You’ve no doubt seen him on one of his many TV appearances, including The Colbert Report, Anderson Cooper 360, and ABC News, but at live speaking engagements, Choi really shines as a leader. What most impressed me about the Korean-American son of a maternity nurse and Southern Baptist Minister is his ability to tell a story. He doesn’t beat the DADT horse to death; instead, he leads the audience on a journey through his childhood, military training, and the difficulties of coming out of the closet. Often making his point with humor in place of anger, as a man who is facing the loss of all his ben-
efits and military career for proclaiming his sexual orientation, one gets the feeling that Choi is exactly who the LGBT community – and the country, for that matter – needs at this moment in the fight for Gay and Lesbian equality within the military. Echoing the sentiments of legendary Gay activist Harvey Milk and his friend and Gay advocate Cleve Jones, Choi told the audience, “Do not hide; stand up. Coming out of the closet is a responsibility – it is an obligation. In the end, it helps all of us.” Choi was very clear that he does not hold any ill will towards the U.S. Army. On the contrary, he said, “The military taught me how to be a Gay activist.” He is still technically on active duty – in other words, Choi is still fighting to stay in the military, but has no interest in a military career if he has to serve in silence. The skilled Arabic linguist easily proves how much of an understanding of the language he has. He told a number of stories – and, at one point, a poem – in Arabic. There is no pause, no stutter; Choi commanded the language as if it were his mother tongue – a skill the Army has deemed useful as they battle an Arabic-speaking enemy on a twofront war in Iraq and Afghanistan. More than a simple lecturer, Choi involves the audience and explains that there are many things people can do to ensure the policy is repealed. At one point, Choi led
the audience in placing a phone call, while onstage, to Washington Congressman Norm Dicks, leaving a message on the representative’s voicemail telling him to support HR 1283, the current legislation (Military Readiness Enhancement Act) calling on a repeal. This proactive stance was met with extended cheers from the audience. “There is no honor in lying or hiding,” Choi concluded. “We have to get rid of ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ so the Army can live up to its ethos of ‘I will not lie or tolerate those who do.’” DADT, Choi says, makes Gay servicemembers do just that – lie – which he believes hurts the armed forces’ integrity, creates a feeling of isolation among soldiers, and weakens a military unit. Choi’s roughly 90-minute University of Puget Sound appearance concluded with a question-and-answer segment where he answered questions that ranged from military service to how to improve a high school Gay Straight Alliance. He also signed autographs and posed for pictures. “I agree that [DADT] should be repealed,” a 20-year-old female Army Private First Class currently serving on active duty told SGN after Choi spoke. “However, inter-military surveys still show there is still those who disagree. I personally don’t have a problem with Gays serving, but I cannot change the regulations.” Another active-duty soldier, a 21-year-old Army Specialist stationed in Washington State who attended the speech said, “I don’t believe in this [DADT] policy, it shouldn’t exist. I’ve known many Gay servicemembers and when we all served in the Middle East together, nobody asked or cared who
was Gay. When it comes down to it, in combat, the only thing that matters is if that person is a good soldier or not. We trust each other with our lives – that has nothing to do with sexual orientation.” Choi recently extended his stay in the Pacific Northwest as he graciously accepted an invitation by Seattle Gay News to speak at the Referendum 71 Thank-You Rally at Westlake Center on November 14 at noon. The full-time Gay activist will make a public appearance at the Metropolitan Community Church San Francisco the following day. For more information about Dan Choi, including a full biography, upcoming speaking engagements, and contact information, visit www.ltdanchoi.com.
enda
continued from cover will pass in the House, he warned that advocates may not find 60 votes in the Senate to overcome a filibuster on ENDA and the proposed DADT repeal. “The critical question is, given the Republicans getting worse and worse on LGBT issues, whether we’ll get any Republicans voting,” he said. “I assume we would have safe senators – [Sen. Olympia] Snowe and [Sen. Susan] Collins, maybe [Sen. George] Voinovich or one or two others – but that’s the key.” ENDA would prohibit discrimination against employees on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity, and disability, adding to existing federal protections for “race, color, religion, sex or national origin.” Frank said DADT repeal will likely come next year as an amendment to the Defense
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Department Authorization Act for 2011, rather than as a stand-alone bill. The Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Act passed this year as an amendment attached to the Defense Department Authorization Act for 2010. Frank said he believes that attaching LGBT rights legislation to other bills that most members of Congress would consider must-pass legislation will be the most successful political strategy. “The House will take up and the Senate will take up ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ repeal,” he said. “That will again, like hate crimes, even more so, will have to be done, I believe, in the context of the defense authorization. You can’t do the standalone bill. It belongs in the defense authorization.”
A stand-alone DADT repeal bill has been introduced in the House by Rep. Patrick Murphy (D-Pa.). There is not yet a companion bill on the Senate side, although Sen. Joe Lieberman is reportedly discussing the issue with the Obama administration. The Congressional timeline on DADT repeal was recently brought into question by comments Sen. Richard Durbin (D-Ill.), the Senate’s Assistant Majority Leader, made to The Hill newspaper. In a November 4 article, Durbin was reported to have said he wasn’t certain whether repeal would be on next year’s agenda. A Senate Democratic aide later clarified – on a not-for-attribution basis – that Durbin was referring to the legislative calendar as a whole, noting that it’s too early to deter-
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mine whether any particular bill will be on the agenda. Frank said Durbin was wrong to suggest that overturning DADT wouldn’t happen next year. “I think that’s a terrible mistake for him to say that and I believe that it will be a great injustice to wait any longer,” Frank said. “I don’t think he has that option.” Frank was less optimistic about other pending legislation, however. Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.) introduced the Respect for Marriage Act – a repeal of DOMA – in September. The House bill currently has 104 co-sponsors, but no Senate version has been introduced. Nadler’s office says they are working with Sen. Russ Feingold (D-Wis.) on the issue. Frank is not a co-sponsor of the Respect for Marriage Act and said he’s not optimistic about the bill’s chances because “marriage is the toughest of these issues.” “I do not see any chance of any success on
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marriage in the Congress this year,” he said. “Neither does anyone else, by the way, no matter what people pretend to make people feel better. But that’s why we’re focusing on these other issues.” Another bill introduced last month by Rep. Pete Stark (D-Calif.) would limit federal funding for states that have restrictions on adoption based on sexual orientation, gender identity and marital status. The bill was introduced with no original co-sponsors, but 12 lawmakers have since signed on in support. Frank said he intends to sign on as a cosponsor to the legislation, but was not optimistic about the bill’s chances in this Congress. “Even people from certain states who don’t agree with that policy will be reluctant to vote to deny money to their states,” he said. “Plus, you have Republican opposition in general. Remember, the Republicans are now almost monolithically against us.”
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Seattle Gay News 19
County’s Equal Benefits Ordinance under threat again by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer King County’s budget deficit is once again threatening the county’s Equal Benefits Ordinance.
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The Equal Benefits Ordinance, passed in 2004, requires businesses that contract with King County to offer the same benefits to domestic partners of their employees as they do to married spouses. Modeled on a similar ordinance passed in San Francisco in 1996, King County’s ordinance allows LGBT workers to provide medical, dental, and vision care, pensions, and other benefits for their partners, even though same-sex marriages are not permitted under Washington State law. If the County Council accepts the recommendation of Interim Executive Kurt Triplett, the equal benefits coordinator – the county employee charged with ensuring compliance with the EBO – will be cut to a half-time position. How the coordinator’s work will be reassigned remains in doubt as SGN goes to press. Equal Benefits Coordinator Dale Sirek told SGN, “I’m sorry I can’t say much about
it. I’m not allowed to be a press officer. I know the most about it and I’m not allowed to tell anyone about what I know.” Sirek did confirm that he was told contractors would be asked to self-certify their benefits packages without review by County government. Asked point-blank if allowing contractors to self-certify would effectively nullify the ordinance, Sirek said, “Absolutely! I think that’s a very good conclusion. I can say that much about it.” Reached by SGN for comment, the County Executive Department’s Deputy Communications Director Natasha Jones said self-certification “is not what was sent to the Council. I have no idea where that report came from.” According to Jones, “the coordinator position will be reduced to half-time and that person will train staff in each department to do the work.” “We’re spreading the work around,” Jones said. “There won’t be self-certification. Each department will certify its own contractors.” This is not the first time Sirek’s position has been threatened. In the budget thenCounty Executive Ron Sims proposed for 2009, the position was slated to be eliminated. Funding for the position was restored by the County Council. “This happens every year,” Sirek laughed, “and it never loses its luster for me.” In 2009, the proposed budget also called
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for “spreading around” certification work to each County department. “This has been in the works for a while,” Jones confirmed. “Now the budget is a lot more dire, and we have to get it done. We support the work. We don’t want it to go away.” Sims sought to make up a $93 million deficit in his 2009 budget, to cope with declining tax revenues. Triplett has to make up for another $56.4 million for 2010. In his speech introducing the proposed budget on September 28, Triplett blamed the state’s tax structure for the County’s fiscal problems. “And now our property taxes are capped by state law at 1%, property values are plummeting due to the economy and our only other revenue source, the sales tax, has fallen by double digits every month in 2009. The result was a 2010 projected deficit of $56.4 million dollars,” Triplett said. Triplett has proposed a 2010 General Fund budget of $621 million, down significantly from Sims’ $647 million 2009 budget. To save the additional $26 million, Triplett proposed to cut 367 County jobs and eliminate all General Fund spending on human services. The budget is scheduled to be reported out by the County Council to the executive on November 23, the day before newly elected County Executive Dow Constantine assumes his new office. “It’s unclear to me if Triplett will sign it or if Dow will sign it,” Sirek told SGN. “You could ask the press people, but maybe even they don’t know. They’re busy with other things right now.” Until he takes office as county executive, Constantine is chair of the County Council. He can be reached at 206-296-1008 or dow. constantine@kingcounty.gov. Council Budget Committee Chair Larry Gossett can be reached at 206- 296-1002 or larry.gossett@kingcounty.gov. The other members of the County Council’s Budget Committee are: Bob Ferguson, 206-296-1001, bob.ferguson@kingcounty. gov; Kathy Lambert, 206-296-1003, kathy. lambert@kingcounty.gov; and Julia Patterson, 206-296-1005, julia.patterson@kingcounty.gov.
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Fort Worth protests light discipline for bar raid officers
by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer
Over 200 members of the Fort Worth, Texas, LGBT community packed the City Council chambers Tuesday, November 10, while others picketed outside in protest of the light discipline handed down to police and Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission (TABC) agents involved in the June 28 raid on the Rainbow Lounge Gay bar. In the first Council meeting since Fort Worth police and the TABC issued their final disciplinary reports, the Council responded to public anger by approving proposals to train police on LGBT issues, and adding protections for Transgender people to the city’s anti-discrimination ordinances. LGBT demonstrators protesting the police raid were joined by right-wingers denouncing the new Transgender anti-discrimination ordinance. The Fort Worth Police Department and the TABC issued their long-awaited disciplinary reports on the same day, November 5. Two FWPD officers, including the sergeant in command of the Fort Worth officers at the Rainbow Lounge the night of the raid, were given one-day suspensions. A third officer was suspended for three days. Police Chief Jeffrey Halstead announced the suspensions at a press conference Thursday morning, November 5, on Jennings Street outside the Rainbow Lounge. TABC Administrator Alan Steen released results of an internal investigation the same day. According to the TABC investigation, their agents did not target the Rainbow Lounge because it was a Gay bar and did not use excessive force against three bar patrons who were arrested during the raid. One of the three, Chad Gibson, suffered severe head injuries and was hospitalized for more than a week following the raid. TABC agents Christopher Aller and Jason Chapman were fired for policy violations in August along with their supervisor,
Sgt. Terry Parsons, based on the findings of TABC’s first internal affairs investigation into the June 28 raid. However, TABC’s second and final investigation clears Aller and Chapman of allegations that they targeted the bar and used excessive force against patrons Gibson, Jose Macias, and George Armstrong. Jon Nelson of Fairness Fort Worth, a group formed in response to the raid, said the FWPD report “falls far short” in terms of disciplinary actions, and reiterated his organization’s earlier call for an independent investigation into the incident. “Five days suspension total is wholly inadequate for what happened that night at the Rainbow Lounge. … Five days – what message does that send to the LGBT community of Fort Worth? It’s like a kid being told to go to the principal’s office, and the principal just saying, ‘Don’t do that again,’” Nelson said. Nelson also said he was “disappointed” to learn that the TABC agents had been cleared of the excessive force allegations. “There were 32 eyewitnesses to what happened at the Rainbow Lounge,” he said, “and although the specific details may vary from patron to patron, it is clear from their statements that excessive force was used, that the [FWPD] officers and the TABC agents were overly aggressive and they did in fact instill fear in those patrons.”
The radical group Queer LiberAction called for demonstrations at the City Council meeting on November 10. “The Fort Worth Police Department continues to fail in adequately addressing the needs and grievances of the Fort Worth GLBT community,” they said in their statement. “Officers involved in sending Chad Gibson to the hospital for over a week due to serious brain injury will be given a light slap on the wrist by being written up and a possible day or two suspension.” About 20 Queer LiberAction members picketed outside City Hall before Tuesday’s Council meeting. Religious counter-protesters held signs condemning Gay people. At one point, the two sides went toe to toe, and even sang competing hymns – “We Shall Overcome” from the LGBT activists and “Amazing Grace” from the counterprotesters. Openly Gay Fort Worth City Council member Joel Burns would not comment on the disciplinary actions handed down in connection with the Rainbow Lounge raid, saying only that such decisions are “the police chief’s prerogative.” “I think the chief has done a good job overall. He’s not even been here a year, and he’s had a tough job. There are other major investigations going on, too,” Burns told the Dallas Voice newspaper. “We can’t change what happened on June 28. But what we can change, going forward, is how the city responds to its LGBT citizens,” Burns said. The Council’s vote on adding gender identity to the existing anti-discrimination ordinance was 6-3. The ordinance already prohibited discrimination based on race, sex, religion, or sexual orientation. Much of the Council’s debate centered on proposals for better relations between
city staff – including FWPD officers – and the LGBT community. City staffers will be trained on dealing with the LGBT community, and FWPD has appointed an openly Lesbian officer as liaison to the community. Other recommendations were referred for further study, including offering domestic-partner benefits and expanding the city health insurance plan to cover gender reassignment procedures, including sex changes. The TABC announced on October 29 that it had hired Resource Center Dallas to provide LGBT diversity training to all of its roughly 700 employees throughout the state. The training will reportedly make TABC the first state agency in Texas to undertake such an initiative.
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Seattle Gay News 21
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22 Seattle Gay News
November 13, 2009
Celebrating 36 Years!
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November 13, 2009
Seattle Gay News 23