2010 Holiday Gift Guide Seattle Gay News
Celebrating 37 Years!
Issue 48 Volume 38
FRIDAY November 26, 2010 FREE! 25¢ in bookstores & news stands
Section 3
SEATTLE’S LGBT NEWS & ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY
San Francisco LGBT Major Witt, dismissed under group creates The DADT, wins right to rejoin military World Tree of Hope Major Margaret Witt, a decorated flight nurse who had been dismissed under the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” (DADT) policy, will be able to resume her service with the U.S. Air Force, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Washington announced November 23. Major Witt will become the first openly Gay person to serve in the military due to a court order under DADT. The ACLU-WA has represented Witt in a four-year-long lawsuit seeking her reinstatement. In September, the U.S. District Court for Western Washington ordered the Air Force to reinstate Witt. After six days of trial, the Court found that Witt’s sexual orientation does not negatively impact unit moral or cohesion. On November 23, the government filed a motion to appeal that ruling, but it is not seeking a stay in the order to reinstate Witt. “I am thrilled to be able to serve in the Air Force again. The men
see tree of hope page 20
see witt page 21
Artisan Production Group
mit wishes to decorate the World Tree of Hope in San Francisco City Hall’s Grand Rotunda. A unique and inspirational feature of San Francisco’s holiday season since its inception in 2006, the World Tree of Hope has evolved into a global symbol of unity and hope for a better world. The tree, a gift from the LGBT community to the world, was created by RWF as a way to inspire hope and encourage people to think about what they would like for the future of the world, and then take action. This year, The World Tree of Hope will feature over 5,000 white origami cranes and silver stars, each containing written wishes for the future of the world from individuals across the nation and around the globe. The wishes are printed and folded into thousands
The World Tree of Hope
by Shaun Knittel SGN Associate Editor San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom and First Lady Jennifer Siebel Newsom joined the Rainbow World Fund (RWF), the only international humanitarian aid organization that is based in the LGBT community, to invite the people of the world to sub-
Pope says condoms OK … or does he?
Catholic officials were plunged into a new public relations crisis when the Vatican newspaper L’Osservatore Romano published excerpts from a new book in which Pope Benedict seems to say that condoms may be used in some circumstances. The excerpt ran on November 20. International news media ran with the story. Headlines all over the world screamed, “Pope OKs use of condoms!” HIV/AIDS activists for the most part congratulated the pope on his seemingly advanced views. Meanwhile, church officials realized that that interpretation of the pope’s remarks called into question hundreds of years of Catholic teaching, and quickly tried to spin the story to reconfirm Catholic doctrine. The pope’s remarks turned out to be a couple of paragraphs out of a two-page answer to a single question in a book-length interview by German reporter Peter Seewald. Seewald will publish the entire
Major Margaret Witt
Vigil held for Transgender Day of Remembrance james whitely
file photo
Pope Benedict XVI
by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer
associated press
by Shaun Knittel SGN Associate Editor
The Transgender Day of Rememberance
by James Whitely SGN Staff Writer
On Saturday, November 20, about 125 people gathered for a candlelight vigil at Cal Anderson Park for the Transgender Day of Remembrance (TDOR), a day where Transgender people and Transgender allies alike gather to mourn and remember Transgender victims of violence who have died in the past year. “We wanted it to be also a celebration of sorts,” said Sidney see pope page 20 Lewis Friend, an organizer of the
proud to Be Different
We are conveniently located on-site at Lifelong AIDS Alliance below the Thrift Store.
vigil and an organizer with the Sex Workers Outreach Project (SWOP). “It was meant to be sort of this alchemical mix; ‘Yes, these people have been murdered, but we’re going to transform that energy into something positive.’” Put together by SWOP and the University of Washington’s Q Center, the vigil featured a static fire display, poetry, and a video project created by Lewis Friend, which is currently still in producsee vigil page 19
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Seattle Gay News
November 26, 2010
Celebrating 37 Years!
Tree of Life During the month of December, many of your favorite Capitol hill bars and restaurants will join together to help prevent teen suicide. Please take a moment and join the Seattle Gay News and this establishment to donate to the Youth Suicide Prevention Program of Washington state in our efforts to stop these tragic events. Take action and become part of the “Tree of Life” today.
Take Action Tree of Life / Stop Teen Suicide Program is proudly sponsored by:
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November 26, 2010
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Seattle Gay News FOUNDED 1973
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2010
Deadlines Classifieds - Thursday at noon Calendar - Tuesday 6pm Display Ads: Space Reservation - Monday 5pm Ad copy (non-camera ready) - Tues. 5pm Ad copy (camera ready) - Wed. 5pm Letters to the Editor - Tuesday 5pm Obituaries - Call the SgN office All others - Tuesday 5pm
Editor In Chief George Bakan Associate Editor Shaun Knittel Editorial Assistant Nick Ardizzone Production William Creswell Calender Editors Mike Andrew and Rick McKinnon Travel Editor George Bakan Advertising Manager Marty Weisbrod Advertising Department Maggie Bloodstone Executive Assistant Mike Andrew Staff Writers George Bakan, Albert S. Rodriguez, Nick Ardizzone, Shaun Knittel Miryam Gordon, James Whitely, Tim Peter
Contributing Writers
Rev. Barbara Allen, Mike Andrew, Eric Andrews-Katz, Madelyn Arnold, Maggie Bloodstone, Beau Burriola, Jessica Davis, Ron Anders, Jessica Price, Milton W. Hamlin, Nevin Jefferson, Keen News Service, Jason A. Miller, Liz Meyer, Rod Parke, Don Paulson, Scott Rice, Leslie Robinson, Richard Kennedy, Romeo San Vicente, Rex Wockner
Classifieds Mike Andrew and Rick McKinnon Photographers Nick Ardizzone, Joseph P. Herron, Shaun Knittel, James Whitely National Advertising Rep. Rivendell Media (212) 242-6863 Website Designer Barry Thorsness/Digital Team Works Seattle Gay News is published weekly by JT&A, Inc. © 2010, JT&A, Inc., all rights reserved. Reprints by permission.
Publication of names, photographs or likenesses of any person, organization, event or business in this publication cannot be taken as any indication of the sexual orientation of the person, organization, event or business. Opinions expressed in bylined articles, columns, and letters are those of the authors only and do not necessarily reflect the views of the staff or management of this paper. Seattle Gay News welcomes unsolicited material, including letters to the editor, but reserves the right to edit or reject material. All rights revert to authors upon publication. We assume no liability for loss or damage of materials, solicited or not. We invite feedback, please write. And please play safe. It is our policy that no money shall be refunded if you choose to cancel your subscription or ad. However, credit towards any size ad will be given for the balance owed. No exceptions.
Retroviral drug may block HIV transmission by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer A retroviral drug combo used to treat HIV infections may block transmission of the virus, a study released November 23 shows. The study was conducted by the J. David Gladstone Institute at the University of California-San Francisco, and is published in the New England Journal of Medicine. Researchers said that the drugs tenofovir and emtricitabine – packaged as a once-daily pill and sold under the brand name Truvada – reduced HIV infections by an average of 44% among Gay and Bisexual men who took the drug, compared with those taking a placebo. Men who reported being the most diligent about taking their pill each day reaped an even bigger benefit, reducing their infection rate by 73%. “This is a huge step forward,” lead researcher Robert Grant told reporters. The UCSF study involved 2,499 Gay and Bi men and Transgender women in six countries, including the U.S., who have sex with men. The participants were divided into two groups – half were given Truvada and half received a placebo. All of the volunteers were advised to use condoms and take other precautions to avoid getting sexually transmitted diseases.
“Everyone was told not to rely on this pill, because they might be getting a placebo,” Grant says. After slightly more than a year of treatment, 36 people who were getting Truvada became infected with HIV, compared with 64 infections among those getting a placebo. An analysis of 34 of the 36 people in the Truvada group who got HIV found that they had very little of the drug in their blood or none at all, suggesting they weren’t taking the drug as prescribed. Those with measurable amounts of Truvada in their blood had 13 times greater protection from infection, says Anthony Fauci, of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, which sponsored the study. “That translates into more than a 90% reduction in risk,” Fauci says. Truvada was chosen because it is highly effective, has relatively few side effects, and is less likely to promote HIV resistance than other drugs. Since its approval in 2004, Truvada has become the world’s top-selling AIDS drug, with more than $2 billion in sales last year, according to IMS Health, a medical information company David Paltiel of Yale University said that his research shows that Truvada could be as cost-effective a prevention method as those
used to combat heart disease, diabetes and cancer, in spite of an $8,700 annual cost. Fauci cautioned that HIV is far too widespread to yield to a single new prevention approach. Paltiel agreed. “This drug alone isn’t going to stop this epidemic,” he said. Federal health officials warned that the study does not establish whether the drug works in groups other than Gay and Bi men and Trans women, adding that the work of analyzing the findings and crafting prevention guidelines has just begun. “It’s no time for Gay and Bisexual men to throw away their condoms or abandon other ways to prevent HIV,” says Kevin Fenton, director of HIV prevention at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Over the next two or three years, researchers hope to determine whether Truvada also works in heterosexuals and drug users and whether it can prevent infection if taken intermittently, or just before having sex. Nevertheless, the findings have sparked new enthusiasm in a field where, for many years, optimism was rare. A string of failures in HIV-prevention research – of 37 trials, only six have been successful, three of them involving male circumcision – prompted researchers to try to determine whether drugs capable of stopping HIV from multiplying could prevent infection, Grant says. Over 30 years, HIV has infected 40 million people. But this year alone, researchers have demonstrated that a pill and a vaginal gel (containing a component of Truvada) can prevent HIV and shown, at least in concept, that a vaccine can work. Even if Truvada is effective only for Gay and Bi men and Trans women, it could still play an important role in limiting the spread of HIV/AIDS. According to Fenton, the HIV epidemic is still growing among Gay and Bi men. They now account for more than half of roughly 60,000 new HIV infections that occur nationwide each year, he said.
In Loving Memory Of Steve Foiles, Scott Roger Alpert, Cookie Andrews-Hunt, James Leland Moore, Randy Peters, Lee Richeson, Shaun Shelton, Jim Tully, James Arnold
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Seattle Gay News
November 26, 2010
Celebrating 37 Years!
Gaydar.net: Exactly who is approving my profile? courtesy phil hendricks
GaydarRadio.com, accessible to Gaydar members as well as the general public, is a full-fledged 24-hour radio station, with live on-air hosts, dance music, hourly news, loads of reviews and music videos (many not available in the U.S.!), and interviews with top global pop stars. Lady Gaga, Grace Jones, Erasure, Adam Lambert, Joan Rivers, and UK dance superstar Sophie Ellis Bextor are among the many who’ve been featured. GaydarNation.com is a lifestyle website equal to its top American counterparts, albeit with a refreshingly British spin. Additional channels completing the package include Travel, Entertainment, News (much of it U.S.), and Lifestyle (Health), but new visitors are advised to start with the aptly titled Fun channel. Gay the day away clicking through Totty Watch (hottie watch), Dykons (dyke + icon), Quizzes, Video Wall (novelty, humor, silly celebs), Q Scopes and the he-larious Fun Stuff page, home to short
WHO WILL PAY FOR NEW AIDS MEDICATION?
Phil Hendricks
by Shaun Knittel SGN Associate Editor It is no secret that many Gay men cruise online. As soon as the world went to the web, so did the Gays. I have a number of friends that have profiles on any number of hookup and online dating sites. One could even make the argument that some Gay men have left the bar scene for the cyber scene – in fact, Gay online dating and marketing guru Phil Henricks is banking on it. Phil Henricks, head of the North American market for the UK-based Gaydar.net, is responsible for the site’s tremendous growth. He is no stranger to online dating/ hook-up sites. Before Gaydar.net came knocking on his door, Henricks was the promotions director for m4mworld.com – the forerunner to Manhunt and similar sites. In other words, Henricks is approving your profile. “Gaydar.net is a Gay-owned and Gayoperated company, and as such we really understand the wants and needs of the Gay market,” Henricks told Seattle Gay News. “Over the past few years, the marketing landscape has changed and there are countless ways to reach people both digitally and through the many traditional methods. That being said, without truly ‘getting’ and respecting the Gay community, you will not be successful. Members appreciate Gaydar.net because they know we have been a part of the global Gay landscape for many years. We are part of the fabric of the community.” Gaydar.net is the biggest Gay dating, social networking and lifestyle website on the planet. Launched in the UK over 10 years ago, it’s also become one of the most established sites, and now boasts over 6 million members worldwide. Though Gaydar officially swaggered onto American shores in 2009, it did so packin’ several hundred thousand existing U.S. profiles – early joiners (via the UK portal) attracted not only by Gaydar’s unique features and exotic members, but also by lifestyle sites GaydarRadio.com and entertainment-oriented GaydarNation.com. “The two owners were a very happy couple and had a good friend who was single and constantly complaining about being lonely and hating the bar scene. One of the owners was a total geek who was developing software for large travel companies and decided to try his hand at a Gay dating site,” explained Henricks. “Shortly after Gaydar. net was launched, and – 6 million members later – the rest is history.” Henricks says that part of the Gay dating site’s success is that Gaydar.net was one of
the first. “Gaydar.net launched way back in the day when guys were still meeting up via AOL chat rooms. It was one of the first self-contained, non-censored, Gay-owned sites on the web for men to meet men. A very loyal community was created, which grew considerably over the years. With Gay men traveling so much, the site quickly grew, even in the most remote corners of the world. The profiles are not only about sex, with faceless pics of random body parts. We offer people a solid variety of men and options. No matter what your type or what you like, Gaydar warmly welcomes the weary online personals cruiser. Sporting a tool belt full of profile-enhancing features and search-refining options, Gaydar is highly customizable and equally user-friendly, whether you’re a true romantic or total tramp. List your details, write your profile, note your hobbies and favorite things, check boxes next to a dizzying array of keywords, and top it all off with up to 26 photos (plus up to five of your very own videos), and you will have created the most complete profile you’ve ever obsessed over. Along with online fun, Gaydar.net officials say they fully recognize their responsibility to promote safe sex practices. “Gaydar.net was one of the first Gay websites to actively pursue and work with community organizations and HIV prevention groups throughout the world,” said Henricks. “We are always looking to work with more health organizations and offer them all free banners on the site. We also make all members include on their profile if they play safe or not. We realize this is a personal decision, but encourage all our members to play safe.” In addition, Henricks says the company is vigilant in its stance against anti-bullying and homophobia. “There are actually profiles of police organizations on Gaydar.net that are exclusively there for members to reach out to in case they have encountered a dangerous situation,” he said. “Gaydar.net was also one of the first sites to post safety tips and online dating ‘dos and don’ts’ on the site. The safety of our members is always a prime concern.” “We work with Gay Pride organizations all over the world,” said Henricks. “This past year we were a principal sponsor of NYC Pride as well as the Winter Party in Miami. Two great parties and two great causes, we had a blast at both and got to meet countless members face-to-face. A few years ago Mardi Gras in Sydney was about to be cancelled, until Gaydar.net stepped in and literally saved the day with a very generous donation. The Aussie boys are still talking about it and love their Gaydar.net!”
Visit us online www.sgn.org
Dear friends of our community: Once again, AIDS Day is upon us. Appropriately, news of a new drug has emerged that may cut risk of HIV infections, according to the NIH. The trade name is Truvada, a combination of two antiviral drugs. Researchers found that men taking the antiviral were 44% less likely to become infected than an equal number taking a placebo. When only the men whose blood tests showed they had taken the pill every day were considered, the pill was more than 90% effective. The thing is … the drug, made by Gilead Sciences, will purportedly cost $12,000 to $14,000 a year, while in “poor” countries, the cost is 40 cents a pill! Consequently, as usual, the company can expect huge profits.
November 26, 2010
witty articles, advice, pithy top-10 lists and the brilliant “Heroes and Villains” series. “We just launched an iPhone app, which is getting rave reviews,” said Henricks. “We are the first major Gay site to have an app that is fully integrated with the actual site. When you are using it, you see not only members that are on their iPhone, but also those sitting at home on their laptops. We are doing a total redesign of the site, which should be complete in the next few months. It’s a very exciting and busy time for us.” Gaydar.net isn’t just for the guys. Something to bear in mind when your best Lesbifriend gives your Gaydar-raving self the “shut-it” look: If it worked for you, it could work for her. Tell her to get her jealous butt over to GaydarGirls.com and get to clicking. It’s the world’s biggest Lesbian dating website, with more Lesbian personals than she can shake a stick at – or something.
This “progress” is a far cry from the first days when Joe Eisenhauer and I started the Seattle AIDS Support Group and Chicken Soup Brigade, along with Josh Joshua’s NWAF, in 1983. Then there was only the harsh drug AZT, which caused more agony along with the virus. Swedish Hospital used the entire 5th floor and part of the 6th as an AIDS care/hospice, prior to Bailey Boushay House. Doing visitations there in those days was not pleasant. Some say AIDS has been relegated to the severity of a common cold, but not true. To date, with no actual cure, the virus eventually wins out, however instead of months (like in the ‘80s), life can now be sustained successfully for years, and that is cause for celebration. Leonard “Lenny” Larson, Chicken Soup Brigade
Seattle Gay News
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INTERNATIONAL
Steave Nemande
U.N. dumps Gays The United Nations General Assembly voted November 16 to remove a reference to sexual orientation from a resolution on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions. The resolution urges member states to protect the right to life of all people and calls on them to investigate killings based on discriminatory grounds. For the past 10 years, the resolution has included sexual orientation in a list of discriminatory grounds on which killings are often based. The amendment to remove sexual orientation was sponsored by the African nation of Benin. The vote was 79 to 70 with 17 abstentions and 26 absences. “This vote is a dangerous and disturbing development,” said Cary Alan Johnson, executive director of the International Gay & Lesbian Human Rights Commission. “It essentially removes the important recognition of the particular vulnerability faced by Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender people – a recognition that is crucial at a time when 76 countries around the world criminalize homosexuality, five consider it a capital crime, and countries like Uganda are considering adding the death penalty to their laws criminalizing homosexuality.” The General Assembly’s move “flies in the face of the overwhelming evidence that people are routinely killed around the world because of their actual or perceived sexual orientation and renders these killings invisible or unimportant,” IGLHRC added in a joint statement with ARC International. Voting to remove sexual orientation from the resolution were Afghanistan, Algeria, Angola, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Belize, Benin, Botswana, Brunei, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, China, Comoros, Congo, Cote d’Ivoire, Cuba, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Djibouti, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Ghana, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Jamaica, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kuwait, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, North Korea, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Russia, Rwanda, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, Sudan, Suriname, Swaziland, Syria, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Tunisia, Uganda, United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, Yemen, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. Voting to keep sexual orientation in the resolution were Andorra, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bhutan, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Guatemala, Hungary, Iceland, India, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Malta, Mexico, Micronesia, Moldova, Monaco, Montenegro, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Panama, Paraguay, 6
Seattle Gay News
Peru, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Samoa, San Marino, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Timor-Leste, Ukraine, United Kingdom, United States, Uruguay, and Venezuela. Abstaining were Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Belarus, Cambodia, Cape Verde, Colombia, Fiji, Mauritius, Mongolia, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Trinidad and Tobago, Tuvalu and Vanuatu. Absent were Albania, Bolivia, Central African Republic, Chad, Dominica, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Honduras, Kiribati, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Marshall Islands, Mauritania, Nauru, Nicaragua, Palau, São Tomé and Príncipe, Seychelles, Solomon Islands, Togo, Tonga, Turkey, and Turkmenistan. hrw
NEWS
by Rex Wockner SGN Contributing Writer
Lithuanian no-promo-homo bill fails in first vote Lithuania’s Parliament on November 17 narrowly rejected a bill that would have banned public promotion of homosexual relations. The vote was a “first reading”; the second reading, or next vote, will occur in December. According to the Lithuanian Gay League, the measure would impose fines or jail time for “promoting homosexual relations in public places” or “financing of the promotion in public places.” “If these amendments are ultimately adopted, the Lithuanian government will have the authority to prosecute on an extremely wide variety of actions and activities,” LGL said. “These actions include, but are not limited to, campaigning on human rights issues relating to sexual orientation and gender identity, providing sexual health information to LGBT people, the organization of Gay film festivals, and organizing and/or attending pride events.” Amnesty International has denounced the proposals, saying, “It is hard to believe that a member of the European Union should even be considering the adoption of such legislation.” Last year, Lithuania enacted the “Law on the Protection of Minors Against the Detrimental Effect of Public Information.” It bans information that promotes sexual relationships, “denigrates family values” or encourages a nonheterosexual concept of marriage and family in any sort of location where such information could be accessed by a minor. Leading Polish activist claims police beat him Leading Polish Gay activist Robert Biedron of the Campaign Against Homophobia was arrested by police November 11 while protesting at a Warsaw march by right-wing groups. Biedron says police “brutally” beat him. Police say Biedron assaulted a police officer. Biedron has filed a complaint against one officer with prosecutors. He denied charges that he grabbed a cop’s baton and hit the officer in the face with it. “We are appalled and saddened by the conduct of the police,” said CAH’s Tomasz Szypula. “We fail to understand how such situations can still take place in a democratic state.” Australian states tackle same-sex marriage Following in the footsteps of the state of Tasmania, the Australian state of South Australia will see introduction of a bill in the state Parliament to legalize same-sex marriage. MPs from the Greens and Labor parties will lead the charge. Polls show that a majority of Australians
November 26, 2010
support letting Gay couples get married.
and Washington, D.C.
French court to rule on same-sex marriage France’s Constitutional Council will decide within three months whether same-sex marriage should be legal. The council was assigned the task by the Court of Cassation, the highest appeals court, in a case that originated in a lower court in Reims. In assigning the case, the appeals court said that times change, morals evolve and other countries let same-sex couples marry. France has a civil-partnership act that grants Gay couples some rights of marriage. Same-sex marriage is legal in Argentina, Belgium, Canada, Iceland, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Mexico City, Connecticut, Iowa, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont,
Cameroonian activist honored by Human Rights Watch Cameroonian Gay rights activist Steave Nemande has been honored by Human Rights Watch with its Extraordinary Activism award for 2010. He has campaigned for decriminalization of Gay sex in the African nation. “Nemande’s courage and expertise in this threatening climate in both Cameroon and the region have brought his organization, Alternatives-Cameroun, international respect,” HRW said. Nemande accepted the award at a November 15 event in Beverly Hills, California, hosted by NBC newsman Tom Brokaw. With assistance from Bill Kelley
NATIONAL
NEWS
HHS mandates same-sexpartner hospital visitation The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced its final rule November 17 on ending discrimination against same-sex couples in hospital visitation policies. The rule, which takes effect in January, directs any hospital receiving Medicare or Medicaid funds – nearly all hospitals – to have written visitation policies that prohibit discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity. In addition, the hospitals must inform patients of their right to receive visitors of their choosing, “including, but not limited to, a spouse, a domestic partner (including a same-sex domestic partner), another family member or a friend.” The rule will cover about 6,200 hospitals with more than 35 million patient admissions per year. “Of all the things same-sex couples have to worry about, of all the discrimination and pressures we face, not being able to see our partner or spouse shouldn’t be one of them,” said Rea Carey, executive director of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force. “Today’s announcement honors our relationships, our love and our basic humanity.” DADT protesters arrested at White House Thirteen supporters of direct-action group GetEQUAL were arrested at the White House fence November 15 after handcuffing themselves to it and supergluing their handcuff locks. They demanded that the Senate join the House in authorizing repeal of the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell military ban on noncloseted GLBs before the Senate adjourns this year. Arrested were Dan Choi, Autumn Sandeen, Evelyn Thomas, Mara Boyd, Geoff Farrow, Robin McGehee, Miriam Ben-Shalom, Justin Elzie, Ian Finkenbinder, Robert Smith, Dan Fotou, Scott Wooledge, and Michael Bedwell. “Included in the 13 arrested are veterans and advocates spanning three generations of brave and courageous Americans who sacrificed their careers and lives to see the day this discriminatory ban on openly Gay and Lesbian service in the military finally goes into the history books,” said GetEQUAL Director Robin McGehee. “Today, we have sent a loud and clear message to the U.S. Senate and President [Barack] Obama that we expect them to make good on their promises to end this inhumane law this year, during the lame-duck session of Congress.” DADT was struck down as unconstitutional by a federal District Court earlier this year and, for eight days, an injunction prohibited the military from kicking out open Gays or barring them from enlisting. In the end, the Obama administration appealed the injunction all the way to the Supreme Court, which refused to overturn a stay of it issued by the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. That reinstated the policy for the duration of the appeals of the District Court ruling. Obama has said he wants Congress, not
by Rex Wockner SGN Contributing Writer courts, to end the ban. And Justice Department lawyers argued in court filings that the ban must not be lifted abruptly by a judge because that would harm military operations. The House of Representatives voted earlier this year to authorize the armed forces to end DADT, but the Senate failed to follow suit. Meanwhile, the Pentagon has been conducting a massive survey of troops and their families, due to be released in December, to help it decide how to end DADT. Leaked reports of the findings suggest that a majority of members of the military are not troubled by openly Gay servicemembers. But Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, has, for all intents and purposes, vowed to continue to block Senate authorization of DADT repeal, complaining that the massive Pentagon survey didn’t ask the right questions. “All four service chiefs are saying we need a thorough and complete study of the effects – not how to implement a repeal, but the effects on morale and battle effectiveness,” McCain told MSNBC on November 14. “That’s what I want, and once we get this [current] study, we need to have hearings and we need to examine it and we need to look at whether it’s the kind of study that we wanted. It isn’t, in my view, because I wanted a study to determine the effects of the repeal on battle effectiveness and morale. What this study is designed to do is to find out how the repeal could be implemented.” The DADT repeal measure is part of the bill that funds the U.S. military in 2011. As a result, McCain’s obstructionism has left the overall funding bill unpassed by the Senate as well. Some surveys have found that nearly 80 percent of Americans are fine with letting Gays in the military come out of the closet by ending the DADT policy. Meanwhile, two days after the protest, McGehee was invited into the White House to meet with Brian Bond, the openly Gay deputy director of the White House Office of Public Engagement, “and [with] someone from the domestic-policies office and the legal counsel.” “What it proved to me was that we were in a situation where we took bold action and we applied pressure, and the president and his staff were not afraid to talk to the people that really are showing frustration,” McGehee said. “If you apply pressure, it does not mean you’re going to lose your access.” McGehee insisted that the meeting be onthe-record, which the White House refused to agree to, so the administration representatives merely listened to what she had to say but did not offer comments of their own, McGehee said. “[Bond] said their standard for the meeting was that they would listen and we would talk, but he would not engage further than that,” she said. With assistance from Bill Kelley
Celebrating 37 Years!
hound bus travel from Philadelphia with a human-sized bag of popcorn. Seattle Grand Slam Champion Tara Hardy will read from Must Have Tasted Salt. She writes, “I never thought I’d willingly put compiled by Rick McKinnon myself inches from the eyes that feasted SGN Staff Writer upon me as a child (while holding the hands that did), so my father could, through his NOMINATE AN ICON Amtrak tickets, and a stay at any Kimpton glaucoma, get a decent look at his daughter. FOR GLBT HISTORY MONTH I never thought I’d come out of hiding. And hotel in the country. Equality Forum is accepting nominations RSVP to brandyn.hull@kimptonhotels. if I did, it certainly would not be to take the for GLBT History Month 2011 Icons. Sub- com or 206-340-6678. For more informa- man who raped me yellow roses.” mit your nomination(s) to nominations@ tion, visit www.kimptonhotels.com. equalityforum.com by Friday, December MPOWERMENT PROGRAM 17, 2010. The nominee needs to be a Gay, SCREENS PEDRO PFLAG HOSTS SEATTLE Lesbian, Bisexual, or Transgender person, On Wednesday, December 1 at 7 p.m. POLICE AND FIRE CHIEFS living or deceased, who has distinguished at the Annex Theater (1100 E. Pike), the TO DISCUSS COMMUNITY him or herself in their field of endeavor, is a MPowerment Program will show a special SAFETY ISSUES national hero, or has made a significant conOn Tuesday, November 30, from 7-9 screening of the film Pedro, followed by a tribution to GLBT civil rights. For examples p.m., Seattle PFLAG (Parents, Family and discussion of HIV and AIDS led by youth of past Icons, visit the archives at glbtHisto- Friends of Lesbians and Gays, Bisexuals from the MPowerment core team. AdmisryMonth.com for the list of 155 Icons from and Transgender persons) hosts Seattle Po- sion is free to youths 16-22. 2006-2010. GLBT History Month co-chairs, lice Chief John Diaz and Seattle Fire Chief For more information, visit www.youthmProfessor Katherine Sender, Annenberg Gregory Dean for a community discussion power.org. School for Communication, University of on safety issues at the Silver Cloud Hotel Pennsylvania, and Professor Kenji Yoshino, (1100 Broadway at E. Madison St.) The disROCK THE HOUSE: New York University School of Law, review cussion will be moderated by TVW’s “AuFIRST ANNUAL all nominations and recommend 31 Icons to thor’s Hour” host Terry Tazioli. WORLD AIDS DAY BENEFIT the Equality Forum Board of Directors. The On Wednesday, December 1 at 7 p.m. Chief Diaz and Chief Dean will be joined 31 Icons for GLBT History Month 2011 will by Gay and Lesbian officers to discuss pub- at Hard Rock Café (116 Pike St.), support be announced at the International Equality lic safety, the persistence of hate crimes and the work of the Dunshee House and Seattle Dinner at the National Constitution Center bullying, and how Public Safety Depart- AIDS Support Group by partying at Rock on Saturday, April 30th at Equality Forum ments have instituted tolerance campaigns the House: The First Annual World AIDS 2011. “Around the globe, GLBT History to strengthen their organizations and be- Day Benefit for Dunshee House with Purty Month has been embraced in high schools, come places where Gays and Lesbians serve Mouth, Lushy featuring Lynval Golding colleges, social networking sites, workplac- with honor. This forum is open to the public of the Specials, and DJ Hefe. Emcee Sises, and by community organizations. For and Seattle PFLAG encourages you to bring ter VixXxen will keep the crowd energized middle schoolers to senior citizens, GLBT your concerns and opinions. Suggested do- while her fellow Sisters of Perpetual IndulHistory Month features roles models, teach- nation for this event is $15. gence keep everyone in line. Raffle prizes es our history, provides narratives and ininclude a trip from Alaska Airlines, nights in spires our movement. Shape GLBT History some of the finest hotels in Seattle, and gift LIFELONG AIDS ALLIANCE Month 2011 by nominating an Icon.” baskets from sponsors. FREE DROP-IN RETROSPECTIVE Tickets are $15 presale or $20 at the door. On Wednesday, December 1 from noon-5 SEATTLE LEATHER DADDY p.m. in the Seneca Conference Room (1002 For more information, visit http://www. & DADDY’S BOY CONTEST E. Seneca St.), Lifelong AIDS Alliance will hardrock.com/locations/cafes3/events.aspx Seattle Men in Leather present the Seattle open its doors to the community. Lifelong ?LocationID=500&MIBenumID=3. Leather Daddy and Daddy’s Boy Contest on staff and volunteers will host a free drop-in Saturday, November 27, at 7 p.m., at The event and retrospective of Lifelong’s active FREEDOM SOCIALIST PARTY Cuff Complex (1533 13th Ave. at E. Pine participation in the fight against HIV and RECESSION FIASCO FORUM St.). $5.00 cover. On Friday, December 3 at 7:30 p.m. at AIDS over the past 27 years. Red ribbons On Friday, November 26, join SML mem- and light snacks will be provided. Guests New Freeway Hall (5018 Rainier Ave. S.), bers and contestants for a pre-contest Meet will be invited to watch a special presenta- join the Freedom Socialist Party for their & Greet social (no cover) from 7 p.m. to 10 tion, write a tribute ribbon to a loved one, 2010 Recession Election Fiasco forum. p.m. at The Cuff Complex. On Sunday, No- and share in the rich history of Lifelong’s Bring your opinions and ideas to a discusvember 28, at 11 a.m., join SML members continued work in the community. sion on whether Tea Party momentum and and contest winners for a Victory Brunch For more information, e-mail annaw@ Democratic Party surrender can be councelebration at Rosebud Restaurant (719 E. llaa.org or davide@llaa.org. tered. What message did voters send and Pike St.). why? What happened to the huge 2008 For more information, including contesturnout by black, young, female, Queer, LIGHT FOR RIGHTS tant applications, visit www.seattlemeninWORLD AIDS DAY CELEBRATION and union voters? Where is the leftwing leather.org. On Wednesday, December 1 at 5:30 p.m. tax revolt? How do we save jobs and serat YWCA Downtown (5th Ave. and Sen- vices from the twin party slash and burn NAMES PROJECT eca St.), join BABES Network-YWCA and agenda? These questions and others will be AIDS MEMORIAL QUILT over 20 co-sponsors for a Light for Rights addressed at a public forum featuring Doug From Monday, November 29 to Sunday, World AIDS Day Celebration and Candle- Barnes, national leader of the Freedom SoDecember 5 at the Queen Anne Columbari- light Vigil. The event is a gathering of local cialist Party and ardent campaigner against um (520 W. Raye St.), panels from the inter- people who care about HIV/AIDS includ- the FBI’s recent raids on anti-war activists. nationally celebrated Names Project AIDS ing community service organizations and Add your voice to the discussion. Snack Memorial Quilt, which commemorates the educators. We will have raffle prizes, food, plates served for a $6 donation., $3 door lives of people lost to AIDS, will be on dis- drinks and HIV testing. RSVP on Facebook donation requested. Sliding scale and work play. During the opening ceremony, teams and follow us on Twitter @ywBABES, exchanges available. of volunteers from Butterworth Arthur A. #SeaWAD2010. Panelists include Reverend For more information, call 206-722-2453, Wright Chapel will unfold the quilt panels. Mary Diggs-Hobson, Executive Director of e-mail FSPseattle@mindspring.com, or The panels will be on display 11/29-12/4 African American Reach and Teach Health visit facebook.com/FSPseattle. For rides or from 9 a.m.-4 p.m., 12/5 from 10 a.m.- Ministry; Sharon Martens, ARNP at Habor- childcare, call three days in advance. 4 p.m. The display is free and open to the view Madison Clinic; Peter Shalit, MD; and public. An official American treasure, The three HIV-positive women and men living INGERSOLL GENDER CENTER Names Project AIDS Memorial Quilt is one in the Seattle community. PRESENTS KATE BORNSTEIN of the most powerful tools to educate about & SNOWBALL 2010 For more information, visit www.babesAIDS and is the largest ongoing community network.org. For decades, Kate Bornstein has been arts project in the world. a thinker, an author, playwright, speaker, performer, raconteur and all around gender SEATTLE POETS READ AT COCKTAILS FOR A CURE agent provocateur who has been challen“LANDSCAPE AND MEMORY” RED RIBBON EVENT ing ideas about gender inside and outside FOR DAY WITH(OUT) ART On Tuesday, November 30 from 5-7 On Wednesday, December 1 at 7 p.m. at the LGBT community. She has been instrup.m. at Hotel Monaco (1101 4th Ave.), join Life Enrichment Bookstore (5023 Rainier mental in re-defining, shaping, crafting and Kimpton Seattle Hotels for the annual Red Avenue South in Columbia City), in remem- warping the ideas and words that are used Ribbon event to benefit Seattle’s Lifelong brance of World AIDS Day, two of Seattle’s to discuss gender and how we present it AIDS Alliance. The Hotel Monaco, Alexis poet populists, Jourdan Imani Keith and personally. The concepts of gender fluidHotel and Vintage Park will host an inter- Tara Hardy, revive the tradition of a Day ity were radical and dangerous back in the active wine tasting experience in the Paris With(out) Art by reading from their mem- early 90s when Kate surged onto the scene Ballroom at Seattle’s Hotel Monaco. With oirs, Coyote Autumn and Must Have Tasted with her seminal book Gender Outlaw: On passport in hand, guests will embark on a Salt. Men, Women and the Rest of Us. Since then, tour of Washington wine country, mingling Hedgebrook alum Jourdan Keith received she has continued to develop, expand and with representatives from 20 premier Wash- a 2010 City Artist award for her memoir, exploit her ideas in her books My Gender ington wineries pouring their wines with Coyote Autumn, which takes you where Workbook, Hello Cruel World, recently reperfectly paired bites from Kimpton Seattle “Yellowstone blinks her eyes and the scene leased Gender Outlaws: The Next GeneraExecutive Chefs Walter Pisano, Jason Mc- changes.” Keith’s journey as a black woman tion, and in her speaking and performance Clure, and Tiffany Layco. Incredible raffle loving women and Wyoming is the tale of art. prizes include two jetBlue Airways tickets, three women’s lives thrust into the howling As we approach the end of the first dea stay at the Nicholson Ranch Winery in recovery of failed relationships and comical cade of the 21st Century, Kate is still pushSonoma, a HARNN home spa gift basket, moments including 8,000 miles of Grey- ing buttons, for fun and for effect. For those
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who cling to rigid or essentialist ideas about gender and its performance, Kate Bornstein is still dangerous. On Saturday, December 4, from 7 p.m. to 11:30 p.m., join Ingersoll Gender Center and special guest Kate Bornstein, at the Mt. Baker Community Club (2811 Mt. Rainier Dr. S.), for Snowball 2010: “Double Diamond” Community Holiday Celebration. The most dangerous ski runs on the mountain are labeled Double Diamond. Only the most daring, the most courageous point their skis and board down these slopes. This isn’t for everyone but the thrill and the reward are unparelleled. We think it is the perfect metaphor for the spirit of personal and collective challenge we embrace. Snowball 2010: “Double Diamond” features special guest, the always provocative and dangerous Kate Bornstein, and our own, the international sensation, DJ Michelle Love. Come for good food and friends. Stay for entertainment, excitement, schmooze and dancing to the beats of DJ Michelle Love. Annual awards ceremony. Tickets: $25 in advance; $35 at the door. www. brownpapertickets.com/event/136601. On Sunday, December 5, from 7 pm to 9:30 p.m., Kate Bornstein will give a public reading of her work at the Museum of History & Industry (2700 24th Ave. E.). Tickets are $25 and can be purchased in advance at www.brownpapertickets.com/ event/136013 and at the door. Additional events with Kate Bornstein include a booksigning at Elliott Bay Book Company (1521 10th Ave.), on Sunday, December 5, from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Bornstein will also be presenting a workshop for atrisk youth and a workshop at Toys in Babeland. For complete information visit http://ingersollcenter.org. LIGHT THE NIGHT: A GLBTQ HANUKKAH On Monday, December 5 from 7-9 p.m. at the Lobby Bar (916 E. Pike St.), celebrate the miracle of Hanukkah at the second annual Light the Night: A GLBTQ Hanukkah Community Gathering. Honor the community leaders who have been influential in our local fight for equality, enjoy latkes, dreidels, music and a beautiful candle lighting symbolizing both the miracle of Hanukkah and the idea that great leadership and community action will prevail against oppression. FREE and open to the community. Allies, friends and family welcome. Due to the location, this is a 21+ event. THE INFECTION MONOLOGUES On Monday, December 6 at 7 p.m. at Erickson Theater Off Broadway (1524 Harvard Ave.), Gay City Health Project is proud to present the Seattle premiere of The Infection Monologues. This inspirational piece breaks new ground on the way we understand HIV infections among Gay men, HIV stigma, and living with HIV in 2010. Funny and thought-provoking, The Infection Monologues challenges the way we think about the contemporary HIV experience. Tickets $15, $10 students and seniors. For more information, visit www.gaycity. org. 2010 AIDS & STIGMA CONFERENCE – PEOPLE OF COLOR: HIV/AIDS STIGMA & ACCESS TO CARE On Thursday, December 9 from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at Tukwila Community Center (12424 42nd Ave. S., Tukwila), the 2010 AIDS & Stigma Conference presents People of Color: HIV/AIDS Stigma and Access to Care. Examine the role HIV/AIDS-related stigma plays in HIV testing behavior, the disclosure of positive serostatus, and entry into HIV/AIDS care for people of color. Examine the impact HIV/AIDS-related stigma has on people of color. Explore possible strategies to reduce health disparities among people of color across their life span. Sponsored by AARTH, African Americans Reach and Teach Health. Registration fee $35. To register, visit https://catalysttools. washington.edu/webq/survey/aarth/114073
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by Barry Thorsness SGN African Correspondent
After breakfast on Sunday, we walked with our Australian friends down to the pier to find out how we were going to get a ferry to Zanzibar. We had read to be cautious and to purchase our tickets from a proper ticket office and not from one of the sellers along the street. We found the Azam office and walked in. It was a real terminal and felt as modern as anything we might have at home. I walked up to the counter to bargain for ticket prices. Since there was competition from all the small offices, the woman at the counter was willing to cut the fare from $40 for first-class to $35, since we were buying six tickets. We were not prepared to be given vouchers for lunch, too, and were very surprised to get in the lineup to receive a sandwich, juice, and French fries, all courtesy of Azam ferries. The Azam company is a huge multi conglomerate in Tanzania, owning everything from ferry boats to bakeries and juice companies. The rest of the day Louis and I spent exploring Dar Es Salaam. We took a daladala for about a 45-minute trip out past the U.S. Embassy, Coco Beach, and some pretty fancy homes out to the Sea Cliff Village, and then a Tuk Tuk to the Slipway. This is a very upscale area of Dar, and when we went to explore the hotel at Sea Cliff Village, I really felt a little underdressed. We spent some time overlooking the cliff and the beach and then enjoyed a drink at a waterside bar. It was quite awesome. The next day we were on the ferry, speeding off from Dar Es Salaam to Zanzibar. Louis mentioned to me that the scenery kept reminding him of those beautiful computer fantasy games where they need an exotic beach and the blue-green-turquoise waters to create a make-believe world. You could see thatch-roofed lodges on small islands, which looked more inviting than anything I could create in a fantasy. I was awestruck as we approached the island of Zanzibar. To see Stonetown from the water is like suddenly going back in time a couple of hundred years. It felt like the Sultan of Zanzibar could be waving from the House of Wonders, his home after 1896 when the British destroyed the Sultan’s Palace in what is termed “the shortest war in history.” All you have to do is take one look at the House of Wonders and the surrounding buildings, and you have no doubt this place is amazing. This is the place with history of Arabs, Persians, harems, and the largest slave trade in East Africa, Livingston, John Speke and Sir Richard Burton, who left here in 1857 for what would become the discovery of the source of the
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Nile.Then mix that with the British, the Portuguese, and the African Swahilis. It goes on and on. We grabbed our bags and left immigration for the short walk to where we were staying at Hotel Kiponda. Stone Town is very mazelike, and it only takes a couple of turns down the narrow streets and you are very lost. We were quick to get out and explore. There is nothing here that is “modern” – no Holiday Inn-type hotels, no fast food. Although not classified as a UNESCO heritage site, it is truly one of the top in this category. Zanzibar is not in the state of decay we experienced in Stone Town on Mozambique Island, but then again, it’s not painted up like a Mediterranean village, either. This is Africa – very Muslim – and this is a historical town where people live, and living for most is very, very basic. We visited the home of Tippu Tip, the biggest slave trader of the times. On one hand you have the history of the slave trade to the East and Far East, then you have the current
reality of the house where families and individuals rent out rooms to live, many living without furniture and sleeping on the floor. Our guide was one of these residents, an older and very poor gentleman who lived in a large, scenic room on the top floor of the house. He lived off tips from tourists as he would guide you around the house and tell its history.
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all photos by Barry Thorsness
Barry’s continuing adventures in Africa
We found a new and wonderful restaurant opened by a South African woman and her locally born husband. Louis probably ate there at least four times during our stay. I might call it African fusion food, and it was creative and so good. One evening, when
I suggested to the owner that I would like a beer, we learned more about how things operate in Zanzibar. At first, I was told they weren’t licensed. I suggested that perhaps the waiter could go around the corner to a shop and purchase a couple of beers and bring them back. They balked initially at my suggestion, and then the owner sent somebody out to buy a couple of beers. The beer arrived at our table in glasses wrapped with tin foil. The conversation with the owner then even got more interesting. It seems that in Zanzibar, there is what you might call “community jealousy.” We were told that she did everything to grow her business very slowly. If she was suddenly very busy, she might find that she can’t renew her business license. Another problem was that the restaurant was right across the street from a mosque; hence no liquor license would ever be available. It was a game of fitting into the community and not creating waves. Another dining highlight was what I might call “the taste of Zan-
zibar,” which was held down at the waterfront in front of the Place of Wonders every evening. Lit by lantern light are tables and tables of food – mostly fresh fish, shrimp, octopus, and squid, with lots of chicken and beef. The chefs all wear their whites and have tall chef’s caps. You can sample food until you can’t move anymore and then have a large glass of fresh-squeezed sugar cane juice to get you going again. People here have the same incredible outgoing and friendliness as the other countries we visited in Africa. Most of the shops were owned by older Muslim men who had genetic ties to Arabia or India. They were so well-educated and some of them seemed to understand even Canadian and American politics better than myself. Often a conversation with one of these people could go for over an hour, with us discussing our viewpoints and ideas about local politics and how we saw the world. It was also an interesting time for us in Tanzania and especially in Zanzibar, as it was election time. We were there to listen to them “secretly” discuss politics with us and then see an election happen. I was a little concerned that things on Zanzibar might get a little dangerous after the vote counting, and perhaps things did go in that direction. The day after Election Day, the market did not seem to open as usual and there was a large number of military in the area (Zanzibar mostly supported the opposition). After four days of exploring Stone Town, we were off to Jambiani and the beach. Jambiani is a combination fishing village and tourist accommodation. After driving through the village, the van pulled up near the beach at the White Sands Bungalows. I got out and just stared at the water and the beach. Never in my life have I seen a place that was so beautiful and colorful. The tide was out and in the distance (probably one or two kilometers) was the white surf hitting the reef. Most of the accommodations along the beach were single-story thatched rooms, well looked-after and very modern. And the best part: no multistory chain hotels, maybe on the entire island. We couldn’t wait to run out into the water. I am sure the temperature was probably 34 or warmer (close to 96F). We had a tropical downpour in the morning and the humidity was probably running close to 100%. A quick dash out over the sand and into the pools of water – some pools so warm that you thought you had run through a hot tub. After about a 20-minute walk, we were in water over our heads and could swim, float lazily, or just go back and sit in the water for an hour looking at the incredible scenery. Our friends from Australia booked a scuba tour the next day, and there were tours to take you swimming with the dolphins. After four nights at Jambiani, we were ready to head back to Stone Town and take the fast ferry back to Dar Es Salaam. Our Australian friends had booked their climbing party for Kilimanjaro to start in five days. Louis and I had booked our return ticket from Dar to Joburg, via Nairobi. Still unknown to us was the fact that I was going to spend three days with the LGBT activists in Dar, and that we were going to spend the night in Nairobi before we made it back to Cape Town.
Celebrating 37 Years!
Harvard president says Southern Poverty Law ROTC welcome once Center: Gays main Gay ban ends targets of hate crime by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer
by Shaun Knittel SGN Associate Editor Harvard University’s president on November 10 invited the U.S. military to restore the Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC) at the college under one condition: that “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” (DADT), the ban on Gays serving openly, is lifted. “An ROTC program, open to all, ought to be fully and formally present on our campus,” said Harvard President Drew Faust. She made the comment to welcome an evening speech by the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Admiral Mike Mullen, the top U.S. military officer who has voiced support for repealing DADT in the past. Faust drew applause from the audience of several hundred for the offer to restore the university’s ROTC program. A previous version ended at the school in 1969, send-
ing cadets to a similar program at the nearby Massachusetts Institute of Technology. At the time, objections to Harvard’s ROTC program centered on the Vietnam War, but have since shifted to the military’s DADT policy prohibiting openly Gay men and women from serving. Last week, the U.S. Supreme Court denied a request to lift the ban, sending the issue back to a divided Congress. Mullen has supported ending the ban but wants the change to be made by Congress to show it has political support. After Faust’s remarks, Mullen said, “I think it is incredibly important to have ROTC units at institutions like this. I would do all in my power to make that happen.” Faust has made a point of forging closer ties with the U.S. military, which sends many officers to courses at the school.
Southern Poverty Law Center said on November 22 that “Homosexuals are far more likely to be victims of a violent hate crime than any other minority group in the United States.” Their finding is based on a new analysis of federal hate crime statistics published in SPLC’s Winter 2010 Intelligence Report. SPLC’s analysis was released this month to coincide with the scheduled release of the FBI’s hate crime statistics for 2009. SPLC also announced it was listing 13 anti-Gay organizations as “hate groups.” Eight had previously been listed. SPLC is a civil rights watchdog organization founded in 1971 to help African Americans fight racist groups like the Ku Klux Klan. They are now international leaders in tracking and exposing the activities of hate groups of all kinds. “The SPLC’s analysis of 14 years of hate crime data found that homosexuals, or those perceived to be Gay, are more than twice as likely to be attacked in a violent hate crime as Jews or blacks; more than four times as likely as Muslims; and 14 times as likely as Latinos,” SPLC said in their report. “The findings are based on FBI hate crime statistics from 1995 to 2008, the period for which there is complete data. The basic pattern also holds true in individual years.” “As Americans become more accepting of homosexuals, the most extreme elements of the anti-Gay movement are digging in their heels and continuing to defame Gays and Lesbians with falsehoods that grow more incendiary by the day,” said Mark Potok, editor of the Intelligence Report. “The leaders of this movement may deny it, but it seems clear that their demonization of homosexuals plays a role in fomenting the violence, hatred and bullying we’re seeing.” The organizations to be listed as hate groups are: • Abiding Truth Ministries • American Family Association • Americans for Truth About Homosexuality • American Vision • Chalcedon Foundation • Dove World Outreach Center • Faithful Word Baptist Church of Tempe, Arizona • Family Research Council • Family Research Institute • Heterosexuals Organized for a Moral Environment • Illinois Family Institute • MassResistance • Traditional Values Coalition “[T]he SPLC’s listings of these groups is based on their propagation of known falsehoods – claims about LGBT people that have been thoroughly discredited by scientific authorities – and repeated, groundless name-calling,” the SPLC report says, Many of these organizations have limited resources and support, but some of them are national or even international organizations with substantial influence.
Abiding Truth Ministries, founded by Scott Lively, “serves mainly as a launching pad for an international anti-Gay campaign,” according to the SPLC’s report. Lively has traveled extensively in Eastern Europe and is the founder and mentor of Watchmen on the Walls, a Christian-fascist group known to have been involved in acts of violence against LGBT people. Lively also appeared at the Kampala, Uganda evangelical conference that spurred that country’s “kill the Gays” legislation. The American Family Association’s executive director Bryan Fischer “proposed criminalizing homosexual behavior in [a] 2010 blog post and has advocated forcing Gays into ‘reparative’ therapy,” according to SPLC. In a 2010 “action alert,” the AFA warned that if Gays and Lesbians are allowed to serve openly in the military, “your son or daughter may be forced to share military showers and barracks with active and open homosexuals.” Americans for Truth About Homosexuality is led by Peter LaBarbera, who SPLC describes as a “long-time Gay basher.” According to the SPLC report LaBarbera “reorganized [AFTAH] in 2006 as a much more serious and influential, if often vicious, operation.” Besides AFTAH, LaBarbera has worked for a number of right-wing groups, including Accuracy in Media, Concerned Women for America, the Family Research Council, and the Illinois Family Institute. The Family Research Council was founded by Gary Bauer, and merged with the much larger religious-right group Focus on the Family in 1988. Focus on the Family split from the FRC in 1996 in order to preserve its 501(c)3 status. FRC is now led by former Republican Congressman Tony Perkins. According to SPLC, Perkins has been linked politically to Klan leader David Duke and the racist Council of Conservative Citizens. The Traditional Values Coalition claims to speak for 43,000 churches, and lobbies Congress on a wide range of right-wing issues, including reproductive choice and national security. Perhaps the scariest of these groups are the “Christian Reconstructionist” groups American Vision and the Chalcedon Foundation. Both advocate the establishment of a Christian government that would execute LGBT people. In addition to the outright hate groups, SPLC also evaluates and refutes the propaganda of Concerned Women for America, the National Organization for Marriage, and Liberty Counsel. While SPLC considers these groups “antiGay,” and notes the overlap of leadership between some hate groups and some of the more sedate anti-Gay organizations, it says that “viewing homosexuality as unbiblical does not qualify organizations for listing as hate groups.” SPLC’s full report can be found on their website: www.splcenter.org
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Celebrating 37 Years!
Tea Party to GOProud: Thanks for the help, now fuck off! by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer In an ironic conclusion to a campaign season in which it cast itself as the “Gay Tea Party,” Gay Republican group GOProud was publicly slapped down by leaders of the real Tea Party. In a letter published on November 22, Tea Party Nation and 180 other Tea Party affiliated groups and individuals disavowed GOProud, which they described as “a nonTea Party group … claiming to speak for the Tea Party movement.” Tea Party Nation’s letter was addressed to “the Republican leadership on Capitol Hill,” and claims to “tell you [the Republican leadership] what this movement wants.” What the movement wants – according to Tea Party Nation – is seven things. Number seven is “to fight the repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” “The policy has worked well for the last 15 years,” Tea Party Nations said in their letter. “There is no reason to change.” Tea Party Nation wrote in response to a previous letter from GOProud to Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell and incoming House Speaker John Boehner urging them to concentrate on “issues of economic freedom and limited government” – as opposed to “social issues,” presumably including trying to save the military’s Don’t Ask Don’t Tell policy. “We urge you to stay focused on the issues that got you and your colleagues elected and to resist the urge to run down any social is-
sue rabbit holes in order to appease the special interests,” GOProud wrote in its letter. The delightful irony is that GOProud spent most of the 2010 campaign season appeasing the very right-wing “special interests” it warned McConnell and Boehner not to embrace. They endorsed Glenn Beck’s Christian-right “Restoring Honor” rally in August. They invited rightwing talking head Ann Coulter to their HomoCon convention in September, and cheered her as she told them marriage equality is out of the question. They bought media ads supporting anti-Gay Republican Sean Bielat against Rep. Barney Frank. They dismissed the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) as just another big government scheme. They embraced Sarah Palin, and on November 17 they publicly defended the homophobic Facebook rant of her daughter, Willow. All of this should endear them to their straight Tea Party friends, but apparently none of it is enough. In the eyes of the Tea Party, no amount of groveling can compensate for being Queer. From their point of view, GOProud earned absolutely nothing in return for giving up the last remnants of their dignity and selfrespect. In the 2010 election, some 30% of LGBT voters cast ballots for Republican candidates. GOProud claimed this as a great achievement. So far, it doesn’t seem to be working for them.
In the eyes of the Tea Party, no amount of groveling can compensate for being Queer. From their point of view, GOProud earned absolutely nothing in return for giving up the last remnants of their dignity and selfrespect.
Charges finally dropped in Fort Worth bar raid by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer More than a year after Texas Alcoholic Beverages Commission agents and Fort Worth city police raided the Rainbow Lounge, charges have finally been dropped against two Gay men arrested in the raid. Bar patrons Chad Gibson and George Armstrong were both injured in the raid. The Dallas/Ft. Worth LGBT community was outraged when officials formally charged the pair in February and indicated they would be brought to trial. Gibson suffered a severe head injury while in police custody, and was hospitalized for a week after the raid. He had been charged with assaulting an officer and public intoxication. Armstrong suffered a back injury and bruises while being arrested. He was charged with public intoxication. The arresting officer and a second TABC agent involved in the raid were fired, along with their supervisor, after an internal investigation determined that agents should not have raided the bar in the first place. A Fort Worth police investigation also found that police officers violated procedures, and three officers were suspended without pay as a result. Fort Worth Mayor Mike Moncrief and Police Chief Jeff Halstead were both compelled to apologize to the community for the raid. Adam Seidel, defense attorney for Gibson and Armstrong, said he received the news
that charges had been dismissed on the afternoon of November 18 in a courtesy call from a court clerk. “Their words early on were that serious mistakes were made by law enforcement and the city wanted to learn from those mistakes and move forward,” Seidel said. “I guess finally the actions are matching the words.” “I am glad they did the right thing and dropped their charges against these two victims. It shows a commitment to move forward,” Seidel added. Misdemeanor charges against bar patrons Dylan Brown and Jose Macias were also dropped. “I think they finally just realized that the facts of the case didn’t support the charges,” Fairness Fort Worth president Tom Anable said. “I think this is a real positive step forward. It’s a show of good faith as we continue to resolve the issues related to the incident at the Rainbow Lounge.” Fairness Fort Worth was formed in the wake of the raid, to help gather witnesses and organize public testimony about police actions at the scene. Fort Worth court officials declined to comment on the reasons for dropping the charges. “As it is our official policy not to discuss municipal court prosecutions or litigation, the city will have no further comment,” city spokesperson Jason Lamers said in a statement on November 19.
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Seattle Gay News 17
UNAIDS: AIDS epidemic Virgin America pilot marries Gay couple over ebbs, problems remain Canadian airspace by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer
by Shaun Knittel SGN Associate Editor Passengers on a red-eye flight woke up to an announcement more exciting than the typical “fasten your seatbelts” as they approached New York early November 11: Two men had gotten married onboard overnight when the captain briefly flew over Canada, where same-sex marriage is legal. “The head flight attendant made the … announcement: ‘While you were sleeping, we had a little wedding in the galley. The captain diverted us over Canadian airspace so he could marry two gentlemen,’” passenger Ryan McManus, who was returning home to New York, told msnbc.com. The captain of Virgin America Flight 28, which originated in San Francisco, California, officiated the wedding. McManus quoted the flight attendant as saying, “We’d like to wish them the best and offer them a round of applause,” noting
that the passengers applauded on cue. Since the announcement, Virgin America has confirmed that one of the normal flight paths for Flight 28 does go over Canada. Abby Lunardini, a spokeswoman for Virgin America, said, “Believe it or not, we’ve actually had a wedding onboard before.” That wedding, according to Lunardini, was in October 2007, on a flight from San Francisco to Las Vegas, Nevada, and was performed by Virgin Group Chairman Sir Richard Branson. The wedding was not a same-sex marriage, as Gay marriage is not legal in Nevada. In July 2005, Canada became the fourth country in the world to legalize samesex marriages. New York city currently offers same-sex commitment ceremonies, which fall short of offering full marriage rights. In California, activists are appealing Proposition 8, the state’s Gay marriage ban, which defines marriage as being only between a man and a woman.
“While you were sleeping, we had a little wedding in the galley. The captain diverted us over Canadian airspace so he could marry two gentlemen.”
The number of new HIV infections is declining globally, but millions of people living with HIV/AIDS urgently need treatment if they are going to survive, according to a new report by UNAIDS. UNAIDS – an agency of the United Nations and the World Bank based in Geneva – issues an annual report on the global HIV/ AIDS epidemic. The report, released on November 23, includes data through the end of 2009. “We can say with confidence and conviction that we have broken the trajectory of the HIV/AIDS epidemic,” said UNAIDS deputy director Paul De Lay. “There are fewer people infected, and there are fewer people dying.” The downward trend is the consequence of many factors, UNAIDS says, including changes in sexual behavior among young people, success in preventing mother-tochild transmission of the virus, and lowered infectiousness of people who are successfully taking AIDS medications. It also reflects the epidemic’s natural history, in which the annual number of new infections peaks and then declines as the disease “saturates” high-risk groups in the population. In 2009 there were 33.3 million people living with HIV infection, compared with 26.2 million in 1999. However, the number of new infections in 2009 was down 16% from a decade ago – 2.6 million versus 3.1 million. The number of AIDS-related deaths peaked in 2004 at 2.1 million, and has declined annually since then. In 2009, it was down to 1.8 million. The UNAIDS report says the number of people using anti-retroviral drugs has increased from 700,000 in 2004 to 5.2 million people in 2009. The number of children infected at birth has fallen nearly 25% in five years. The number of pregnant women with HIV who get medicines to prevent passing the virus to their babies is now just over 50%, up from 35% in 2007. But only 15% of the women are then put on a permanent course of antiretroviral therapy, which is a big problem, according to UNAIDS executive director Michel Sidibe said. “We need to make sure that when we save the baby that we don’t abandon the mother. That is a major challenge that I am fighting to make sure we change,” he said. The report also described some discourag-
ing developments. Some 10 million people need treatment but are not getting it. In more than a half-dozen countries, HIV infection rates went up more than 25% in the past decade. In the U.S. and Western Europe, new infections among Gay and Bisexual men continue to increase. In 2009, about $15.9 billion was spent on the global AIDS response, with slightly more than half the money provided by lowand middle-income countries. However, much more money – about $26.8 billion – is needed every year to fully fund treatment, care and prevention, the report said. Equally troubling, according to the report, was that in 2009 the $7.6 billion provided by wealthy countries to treat and prevent AIDS was somewhat lower than in the previous year. “This is coming at the wrong moment, just as we are seeing the investment pay off,” Sidibe said. “For me, it will be immoral to bring more than 5 million people on treatment and to possibly then say, ‘We do not have the means to pay for that treatment.’” According to the report, treatment of about 2.5 million people is paid for by the U.S. government. Sub-Saharan Africa continues to be the region most affected by the epidemic, with around 70% of all new HIV infections occurring there. Africa’s total number of people living with HIV/AIDS – about 22.5 million – continues to grow, in part because of the longer survival of people who have started taking antiretroviral drugs. In 22 African countries, the annual number of new infections has dropped by more than 25% since the peak of the epidemic in 1999, however. New infection rates are falling particularly sharply in South Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe and Ethiopia. There is a mixed picture in other parts of the world. Eastern Europe and Central Asia show sharp rises in both new infections and AIDS-related deaths. UNAIDS says that discriminatory laws, particularly in respect to drug users and LGBT people, continue to hamper the fight against AIDS. “Investments in the AIDS response are paying off, but gains are fragile – the challenge now is how we can all work to accelerate progress,” Sidibe said.
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18 Seattle Gay News
November 26, 2010
Celebrating 37 Years!
Students across the country participate in Transgender Day of Remembrance by Shaun Knittel SGN Associate Editor
ensure that schools are safe and affirming places for Transgender youth, who face extreme levels of victimization in schools.” The Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Student participation ranges from canNetwork (GLSEN) provided support for dlelight vigils to school assemblies to students and Gay-Straight Alliance (GSA) Transgender-inclusive school trainings to student clubs across the country that partici- wearing supportive stickers and armbands. pated in the 12th annual Transgender Day of GLSEN offered tips to GSA clubs for addiRemembrance on November 19 to tional ways students could work to bring attention to bullying make their school and GSA based on gender identity more inclusive and sup“Transgender Day and gender expression portive of Transgender of Remembrance provides and to memorialize and gender-nonconthose who were forming youth. students with an opportunity killed because of The importance to raise awareness about the anti-Transgender of Transgender hatred or preju- bullying, harassment, and violence Day of Rememdice. brance is undermany Transgender and genderEach year, Transscored by Harsh nonconforming people face in Realities: The Expegender Day of Remembrance is held on riences of Transgenschools and society.” November 20, so many der Students in School, students held events on the a GLSEN report released 19th because the actual day of last year. remembrance fell on a Saturday. Harsh Realities found that: “Transgender Day of Remembrance pro• Two-thirds of Transgender students felt vides students with an opportunity to raise unsafe in school because of their sexual awareness about the bullying, harassment, orientation (69%) and how they expressed and violence many Transgender and gender- their gender (65%). nonconforming people face in schools and • Almost all Transgender students had society,” GLSEN Executive Director Eliza been verbally harassed (called names or Byard said. “GLSEN is encouraged that so threatened) in the past year at school bemany young people recognize the need to cause of their sexual orientation (89%) and
gender expression (87%). • More than half of all Transgender students had been physically harassed (pushed or shoved) in school in the past year because of their sexual orientation (55%) and gender expression (53%). • More than a quarter of Transgender students had been physically assaulted (punched, kicked, or injured with a weapon) in school in the past year because of their sexual orientation (28%) and gender expression (26%). • Most Transgender students (54%) who were victimized in school did not report the events to school authorities. Among those
who did report incidents to school personnel, few students (33%) believed that staff addressed the situation effectively.
vigil
“I experience so much stigma from the outside world for being genderqueer. For me, it was a time to remember people who were brave enough to be themselves with that stigma,” Lewis Friend told SGN. “It was a display of allyship … people care, people give a damn … they were there, they were present, I could feel it and it felt really great,” said Lewis Friend. Next year, in addition to hoping that the list will be shorter than this one, Lewis Friend is planning on collaborating with Ingersoll Gender Center as well as having a larger reel for her video project. For more information on the Northwest chapter of SWOP, visit: www.nw-swop.org or search for them on Facebook.
continued from cover tion as an ongoing project. An open mic was also available for anyone, and many came up to read their own poetry. According to Lewis Friend, a static fire display was elected over a fire performance to convey the somber tone of the vigil. One hundred and eighty names were read off in total – all Transgender people who were killed since the last TDOR. “We read off their country, name, and age,” said Lewis Friend. He had gotten a list of names and the descriptions of their cases, which he used for the list at the vigil. “It was like 42 pages long – it was hard to stomach,” Lewis Friend told SGN. “Half of the people’s names I called out were sex workers,” said Lewis Friend. “It feels like there’s an undeclared war on Transgendered people.” For his video project, Lewis Friend is asking for people all around the world who have access to the internet and consider themselves a Transgendered person or Transgender ally to record a piece of their own poetry, which he’ll edit together into a film.
GLSEN is the leading national education organization focused on ensuring safe schools for all students. Established in 1990, GLSEN envisions a world in which every child learns to respect and accept all people, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity/expression. For more information on GLSEN’s research, educational resources, public policy advocacy, students organizing programs and educator training initiatives, visit www.glsen.org.
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Seattle Gay News 19
tree of hope continued from cover
of origami cranes by a team of origami enthusiasts and volunteers. Thousands around the world have already heard the call for wishes, and the open invitation for wish submissions will continue throughout the holiday season and year ‘round. In 1955, the origami crane became an international symbol of peace when the world learned the story of Sadako Sasaki. Ten years after the atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima, 12-year-old Sadako contracted leukemia. While in the hospital, a friend told her about a Japanese legend that the folder of a thousand paper cranes would be granted one wish. Her wish to be healed grew into a wish for peace for the entire world. Sadako passed away 356 cranes short of her goal. Her classmates folded the rest, and all 1,000 were buried with her. A children’s campaign honoring Sadako’s hope, strength, and determination led to the creation of the Children’s Peace Monument in Hiroshima’s Peace Park. RWF welcomes your wishes at www.rainbowfund.org/tree. “The World Tree of Hope is an exciting community project and an opportunity for San Francisco, the birthplace of the United Nations, to promote peace and humanitarianism around the world,” said San Francisco Mayor Newsom.
Wishes by everyone, from the president of the United States to schoolchildren from Seattle to Sri Lanka, make San Francisco City Hall’s holiday tree a powerful expression of people coming together to create a better world. This year, some notable wishes on the tree will include President Barack Obama, Dame Jane Goodall, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Mayor Gavin Newsom, First Lady Jennifer Siebel Newsom, Frances Moore Lappe, Danielle Steel, Sharon Gless, Courtney Cox, David Arquette, RuPaul, and Stanlee Gatti. “The World Tree of Hope taps into two of our most powerful resources – the human mind and heart – to give individuals a way to join together to express our hopes and intentions for the future of our global community,” says RWF Executive Director Jeff Cotter. A collaboration of the LGBT and Japanese American communities, the project includes the participation of local elementary, middle, and high school students in San Francisco. The unveiling of The World Tree of Hope will take place at a public dedication ceremony on December 15 at 5:30 p.m. at San Francisco City Hall. Celebrities and special guests are expected to attend. The World Tree of Hope will be available for public view in San Francisco City Hall from December 1, 2010 to January 2, 2011. RWF and the City of San Francisco would like to acknowledge the Delancey Street Foundation for generously donating the 20foot white fur tree this year.
Founded in 2000, RWF (www.rainbowfund.org) is an international humanitarian charity based in the LGBT and allied community. RWF’s mission is to promote LGBT philanthropy in the area of world humanitarian relief. RWF works to help people who suffer from hunger, poverty, disease, oppression, and war by raising awareness and funds to support relief efforts and sustainable development projects around the world. RWF currently supports projects focusing on global HIV/AIDS, water development, landmine eradication, hunger, education, orphans, and disaster relief worldwide. RWF is the first and only LGBT based humanitarian aid organization. RWF also works to raise awareness of the charitable contributions of the LGBT community, and to establish connections with non-LGBT communities. RWF programs increase LGBT visibility, serving as a platform for LGBT compassion and concern.
pope
continued from cover
conversation with the pope under the title Light of the World: The Pope, The Church and the Signs of the Times. Although L’Osservatore Romano is an official paper used by the Vatican as an outlet for its public statements, their editors unaccountably jumped the scheduled world release of Seewald’s interview. Even worse for the Vatican, the paper published just a piece – the most inflammatory piece at that – of a very dense and very nuanced response to a question on a very delicate subject. In the passage in question, Seewald asked the pope about his statement to a reporter during his March 2009 trip to Africa that condoms are not a solution to the AIDS pandemic. “People can get condoms when they want them anyway,” the pope told Seewald. “But this just goes to show that condoms alone do not resolve the question itself. More needs to happen.” So far so good, as far as church doctrine is concerned. Then Benedict, who, as prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, was the Vatican’s chief of theology police before he was elected pope, decided to offer a theological elaboration. He brought up a situation in which using a condom could be positive, even if it still involved an act the church considered immoral. “There may be a basis in the case of some individuals,” the pope said, “as perhaps when a male prostitute uses a condom, where this can be a first step in the direction of a moralization, a first assumption of responsibility, on the way toward recovering an awareness that not everything is allowed
and that one cannot do whatever one wants. But it is not really the way to deal with the evil of HIV infection. That can really lie only in a humanization of sexuality.” Seewald followed this up with a question about whether the Church is “actually not opposed in principle to the use of condoms.” Pope Benedict responded, “[The church] of course does not regard it as a real or moral solution, but, in this or that case, there can be nonetheless, in the intention of reducing the risk of infection, a first step in a movement toward a different way, a more human way, of living sexuality.” While the pope’s remarks do not necessarily lend themselves to the interpretation that he approved the use of condoms, that was the take-away of almost all the world press, and church spokespeople had to play catch-up. The day after L’Osservatore Romano’s article, Vatican spokesperson Fr. Federico Lombardi said that “the reasoning of the pope certainly cannot be defined as a revolutionary turning point.” He said that, instead, it offers an “original contribution” and a “far-sighted vision” of taking small steps to “a more human and responsible exercise of sexuality.” Fr. Joseph Fessio, editor-in-chief of Ignatius Press, which was publishing Seewald’s interview with the pope, said the Benedict’s comment on condoms is “very carefully qualified.” “It would be wrong to say, ‘Pope Approves Condoms,’” Fr. Fessio said. “He’s saying it’s immoral, but in an individual case the use of a condom could be an awakening to someone that he’s got to be more conscious of his actions.’’ Archbishop Charles Chaput of Denver said the pope’s aides should have been better prepared for the controversy over his remarks. “One might reasonably expect the holy father’s assistants to have an advance communications plan in place, and to involve bishops and Catholic media in a timely way to explain and defend the holy father’s remarks,” he said. Left out of the conversation is the glaring sexism and Euro-centrism of the pope’s remarks. The pope – at best – authorized condom use by Gay men who wished to avoid HIV infection. He said nothing at all about the church’s longstanding opposition to condom use by straight couples. In Europe and the U.S., the incidence of HIV infections is, in fact, highest among Gay men, although even there infection rates among women are increasing. But it is well known that in Africa, HIV/ AIDS occurs mostly among straight people, and those most at risk for infection are straight women whose husbands contract HIV from prostitutes while they do contract work away from home. Neither church doctrine, nor the pope’s “original contribution,” offers any recourse whatsoever to them.
Legal Services www.sgn.org www.sgn.org 20 Seattle Gay News
November 26, 2010
Celebrating 37 Years!
witt
continued from cover and women in the unit are like family members to me, and I’ve been waiting a long time to rejoin them. Thousands of men and women who are Gay and Lesbian honorably serve this country in our military. Many people forget that the U.S. military is the most diverse workforce in the world – we are extremely versed in adaptation,” said Witt. “Wounded personnel have never asked me about my sexual orientation. They were just glad to see me,” she added. In 2008 the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the Air Force must prove that discharging Witt is necessary for purposes of military readiness. Although the ruling left in place the military’s DADT policy, it sent the case back to the trial court saying that before discharging a soldier under the policy, the military must prove that the individ-
ual’s conduct actually hurts morale and unit cohesion. This requirement is now known as the “Witt Standard.” “We look forward to the day when all members of our military can serve our country without invidious discrimination. To discharge her simply because of her sexual orientation was entirely unfair to her and unwise for the military, which needs her significant skills,” said ACLU of Washington Executive Director Kathleen Taylor. ACLU-WA Legal Director Sarah Dunne said, “The U.S. military integrated different races and women over the last 50 years. There is zero evidence to suggest that Gay and Lesbian soldiers can’t serve openly. The time for DADT has ended. America is in a different place, and so is the U.S. military.” A 1986 graduate of Pacific Lutheran University, Major Margaret Witt was a flight nurse assigned to McChord Air Force Base near Tacoma. During her 19-year career in the Air Force, Major Witt served in the Per-
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sian Gulf, received many medals and commendations, and always had superb evaluations from her superiors. In 1993, she was selected to be the “poster child” for the Air Force Nurse Corps recruitment flyer. Witt served in Oman during Operation Enduring Freedom and received a medal from President Bush, who noted that she had delivered “outstanding medical care” to injured servicemembers and that her “outstanding aerial accomplishments … reflect great credit upon herself and the United States Air Force.” In 2003, Major Witt received another medal for saving the life of a Defense Department employee who collapsed aboard a government-chartered flight from Bahrain. From 1997 to 2003, Major Witt was in a committed relationship with a civilian woman. In the summer of 2004, Witt was notified that the Air Force had begun an investigation into an allegation that she had engaged in homosexual conduct. In November 2004, Witt was placed on unpaid leave and told she could no longer participate in any military duties, pending formal separation proceedings. In March 2006, the Air Force informed
Witt that she was being administratively discharged on grounds of homosexual conduct. The following month, the ACLU filed papers for Witt challenging the discharge and seeking her reinstatement. The military provided no evidence that her sexual orientation or conduct has caused a problem in the performance of her military duties. To the contrary, the ACLU had several of Witt’s military colleagues testify that her forced absence has been harmful to her unit’s morale. Representing Major Witt are ACLU-WA Legal Director Sarah Dunne and Perkins Coie Fellow Sher Kung, and ACLU-WA cooperating attorneys James Lobsenz of Carney Badley Spellman and Aaron Caplan of Loyola Law School. In a previous military case, the ACLU-WA and Lobsenz represented Army Sgt. Perry Watkins, who was dismissed in 1981 when President Ronald Reagan decided no homosexuals could serve in the military. In 1989, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit ruled that, as a matter of basic fairness, the Army could not discharge Watkins since the military had known he was Gay when they drafted him in 1968.
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