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Seattle Gay News SEATTLE’S LGBT NEWS & ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY
No right to marriage, Puerto Rican judge says; Lambda Legal to appeal pedrojulioserrano.com
Ada Mercedes Conde Vidal and Ivonne Álvarez Vélez
by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer Lambda Legal said it will appeal the ruling of a federal judge in Puerto Rico that the commonwealth’s ban on same-sex marriage is constitutional. On October 21, U.S. District Judge Juan Pérez-Giménez dismissed a suit challenging Puerto Rico’s ban on Gay and Lesbian marriages “for want of a substantial federal question.” Perez-Gimenez was merely repeating language the U.S. Supreme Court used in the 1972 Baker v. Nelson case, in which it also dismissed a suit challenging Minnesota’s ban on same-sex marriage. The high court’s reasoning at that time was that regulating marriage is a matter for state and not federal law. “Baker, which necessarily decided that a state law defining marriage as a union between a man and woman does not violate the Fourteenth Amendment, remains good law,” Perez-Gimenez wrote in his opinion. “Because no right to same-gender
marriage emanates from the Constitution, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico should not be compelled to recognize such unions. Instead, Puerto Rico, acting through its legislature, remains free to shape its own marriage policy. In a system of limited constitutional self-government such as ours, this is the prudent outcome. The people and their elected representatives should debate the wisdom of redefining marriage. Judges should not.” Legal scholars have questioned how binding Baker actually is, and many believe that in any case the Supreme Court tacitly reversed Baker with its decision striking down DOMA in USA v. Windsor. Justice Anthony Kennedy, who wrote the majority opinion in Windsor, concluded that DOMA violated Fifth Amendment rights to equal protection and due process. Subsequent court decisions have found that state laws against samesex marriage are unconstitutional under the Fourteenth Amendment. see Puerto Rico page 21
Splash News
International Transgender Monica Lewinsky takes on military personnel meet cyberbullying with Pentagon officials
Former Senior Chief Petty Officer and Navy SEAL Kristin Beck
by Shaun Knittel SGN Associate Editor A group of current and former U.S. service members met in Washington, D.C. on Monday, October 20, to tell their stories of coming out as Transgender while serving their country. The stories varied from person to person. Among the group was Captain Sage Fox, a commissioned Army National Reserve officer who transferred to inactive status after telling her chain of command she had transitioned
to female while on leave from her initial decades-long service. Also, Army National Guard Captain Jacob Eleazer, who continues to serve as an officer since coming out as a Transgender male – with his official status in limbo, however. The one common ground, in each of their stories, was that being Transgender never got in the way of doing their jobs. Still, the U.S. military says it won’t change its policy banning Transgender troops.
Monica Lewinsky At Forbes’ inaugural 30 Under 30 summit
by Shaun Knittel SGN Associate Editor
On Monday, Monica Lewinsky broke her decade-long silence, claiming she was the first victim of cyberbullying. In announcing her new campaign to end cyberbullying to a crowd at Forbes’ inaugural “30 Under 30” summit in Philadelphia, Lewinsky see Military page 18 called herself “Patient Zero.” “The
first person to have their reputation completely destroyed worldwide via the Internet,” she said. Lewinsky was referring to the online harassment she received in the late 1990s after the news of her affair with then-President Bill Clinton was released. In June of 1995 Monica Lewinsky, 21, came to the White House as an unpaid intern in the office of then-Chief of Staff Leon Panetta. By
November Lewinsky and Clinton had begun a sexual relationship. In the summer of 1996 Lewinsky told career government employee Linda Tripp of her relationship with Clinton. In the fall Tripp began taping conversations she had with Lewinsky in which she detailed her affair with the president. News of the affair broke in January 1998. At first Presisee LEWINSKY page 9
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Our LGBTQ leaders by Jesse Monteagudo SGN Contributing Writer LGBT leaders, like the late Rodney Dangerfield, get no respect. We expect them to be paragons of perfection, impeccable role models without flaw. They cannot have outside jobs, interests, friends or partners, because they could get in the way of full time service to the cause. We expect them to do their dirty work for us and complain if they fall short. We bewail the lack of a queer Martin Luther King, Jr. or Nelson Mandela without realizing that a King or a Mandela can only emerge from a supportive base. Hardly a day goes by when one of our leaders does not come under severe criticism from the LGBT media or from other self-appointed representatives of our community. The executive directors of GLAAD, the Human Rights Campaign and the newly-renamed National LGBTQ Task Force are routinely criticized for everything from their past political affiliations to their current love lives. But we do not have to go to Washington to witness the defiling of our leadership. Our own local leaders are frequently the targets of self-appointed monitors who have no following or credibility themselves but who think they are entitled to attack those who do. Having been on both side of the leadership controversy, I see the need to keep our leaders on their toes. Without a free press or people, those who are in charge become smug, arrogant, corrupt or dictatorial. It is good that there are newspapers or blogs like ours that point out the flaws in our representatives and urge them to do better. On the other hand, our leaders are all too often the victims of unfair condemnation. These people are trying to do the best they can in a usually difficult situation and do not deserve all the mud
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we keep throwing at them. Though LGBT leaders are criticized for many things, criticism usually falls into the following categories: 1) We did not elect them to represent us. LGBT leaders are usually chosen by the boards or the membership of the organization that they lead. They owe their success to years of professional experience or backbreaking work. The reason why our leaders are chosen by a relatively small group of people is because most of us are too busy or apathetic to be active in those organizations. Those who complain that A, B or C lead X, Y or Z should (a) join X, Y or Z and change their leadership from within or (b) start a group of their own and see if they can do any better. 2) They are not qualified to lead. Some of our community leaders are skilled fundraisers, able organizers, and charismatic speakers, while others seem to do everything wrong. But as anyone who keeps track of politics know, incompetency is not limited to LGBT people. In democracies, which most queer organizations theoretically are, the “people” (the members) choose their leaders (the board), who in turn choose the executive directors and other professional staff. If our leaders turn out to be imbeciles, which they often are, then those of us who elected them must turn them out the same way we turned them in, through the ballot box. Sometimes outside forces can determine the leadership of an organization, as is often the case with various community centers or Pride committees. More often people express their disgust with the way a group is run by walking away from it. In short, if we don’t like what our leaders do, we can do something about it. 3) They are power-mad egomaniacs who are in it for themselves. I admit that some of our leaders get carried away by their egos, especially when it comes to public-
ity, and chase after publicity the way some lawyers chase ambulances. But remember, shrinking violets do not seek high office. If a little ego gratification helps those in charge do their job better, then it is well and good. This does not apply to those who seek office in order to steal from the treasury, destroy their enemies or acquire absolute power. Corruption is corruption no matter where we find it. 4) Their personal and professional lives are an embarrassment to our community. All too often, we judge our leaders by standards that have little to do with their leadership qualities. Their qualifications often take a back seat to their health, opinions, affiliations, sex lives, drug use or past war record (or lack thereof). It is getting so that nobody would want to run for any office, be appointed to any position, or do anything that would put them under the public scrutiny. But we are all human, and none of us are perfect. The fact that Leader X runs a sex club or that Leader Y was connected to a corporation that once gave money to an anti-Gay politician should not disqualify them out of hand. I agree that a person’s personality or background determines her or his performance in high or low office. I would not want a murderer, a child molester or a member of ISIL to run a group that I pin my hopes on. Nor would I want a leader who is a bigot or whose views are otherwise anathema to me. On the other hand, the fact that somebody made a stupid comment or wrote a controversial article twenty years ago should not keep her or him from being elected or confirmed. In choosing our leaders, we must strike a balance between judicious selection and nitpicking. Our leaders, like the rest of us, are fallible beings. But they have one thing going for them. For better or worse, our leaders are people who are willing to step forward, take chances, and do something. How many of us can make that claim?
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Ed Murray most popular pol in town, new poll shows Huffingtonpost.com
Senator Ed Murray
by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer Ed Murray is the most popular politician in town, according to a new EMC poll published by Publicola on October 17. Murray scored an impressive 70% favorable rating in the new poll, with only 23% of respondents having a negative view of him. The mayor also enjoys 92% name recognition. Among City Council members, the most
popular is veteran Nick Licata, with a 51% favorable rating and only 14% unfavorable. Strangely enough, 34% of the respondents said they had never heard of Licata. As a result of an initiative passed by Seattle voters, all City Council members will be up for reelection in 2016, with seven elected by district and two at-large. If incumbents want to be reelected, at least two will need to run at-large. That means they will have to calculate whether they show more strength in
their districts or in the city as a whole. Licata, for example, is somewhat more popular in the city as a whole than he is in the north-end district where he lives. In his district, he shows a 46% favorable rating against 12% unfavorable. Newly elected City Council member Kshama Sawant comes next in popularity with a 50% favorable rating, but Sawant is also the most polarizing figure on the Council with a 30% negative rating.
On the other hand, Sawant shows strength in the Capitol Hill district where she will run for reelection next year. Sixty-one percent of respondents in the Third City Council District said they had a favorable view of Sawant. Only 21% had a negative opinion of her. Tim Burgess came in third among City Council members with a 45% favorable rating and 17% unfavorable. Sally Clark came fourth with 38% favorable and 16% negative ratings. Tom Rasmussen and Mike O’Brien lag behind other City Council members in name recognition, with less than half the respondents knowing who they are. Nevertheless, both have satisfactory favorable vs. unfavorable numbers. Among the people who know them, three times as many like them as dislike them. In district polling Rasmussen’s favorable vs. unfavorable margin goes up to four to one, although 50% of respondents in his West Seattle district still do not recognize his name. Sally Bagshaw also enjoys a four to one favorability margin in her district, although she is even less well-known than Rasmussen. Fifty-three percent of respondents in the Seventh City Council District did not recognize her name. Veteran Council member Jean Godden enjoys a two to one advantage in her City Council district, with 43% favorable against 21% unfavorable. Bruce Harrell shows similar numbers in his southeast Seattle district, 42% favorable and 18% unfavorable.
City Auditor calls for tougher enforcement of paid sick leave law
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Courtesy of David Jones
Seattle City Auditor David Jones says the City should get tougher with employers who violate the paid sick leave ordinance. In a report issued October 17, Jones’s office says that some employers are still not complying with the measure, although it went into effect September 1, 2012. The Paid Sick and Safe Time (PSST) ordinance “requires employers with more than four full-time employees to provide workers with paid leave for illness, preventative care, and critical safety needs related to domestic violence, sexual assault, or stalking,” Jones’s report notes. Before the measure passed, an estimated 190,000 workers – nearly 40% of Seattle’s total workforce – had no paid sick leave at all. The ordinance passed the Seattle City Council 8-1, with only Richard Conlin voting No. That vote was one of the reasons Conlin subsequently lost his seat to challenger Kshama Sawant in November 2012. According to Jones, the Seattle Office of Civil Rights – the agency charged with enforcing the ordinance – urged noncompliant employers to cooperate with a “non-adversarial letter.” “‘Hey, we got a complaint about you. Can we give you some information or assistance to take care of that complaint?”’ is the way Jones characterized the City’s approach in an interview with KPLU radio. “So the emphasis was on compliance rather than punishment.” That approach did not always work well, Jones found, especially for employees who were owed back pay for sick time.
“While some advisory letters resulted in business owners taking corrective actions such as agreeing to pay back wages owed to employees for sick and safe time leave, SOCR did not routinely address individual employee or companywide remedies, such as back pay for paid sick and safe time requests that were denied by employers,” the report says. Jones also found that the Office of Civil Rights was not required to hold formal investigations into employee complaints or conduct site visits to employers’ premises, and therefore “did not ensure that businesses were in complete compliance with all of the ordinance’s requirements.” In their report, Jones’ office has made 13 recommendations, such as opening more full-scale investigations, and awarding employees back wages. “What we’re saying in our report is, gee, city decision-makers, you may want to rethink that sort of soft approach now that we’ve been almost two years into the law, and switch to more punitive tools when they make sense,” Jones said. The Office of Civil Rights said it agreed with almost all of the recommendations. Director Patricia Lally told KPLU that many of them are already being implemented. Lally added that her agency’s enforcement procedure depends on direction from the Mayor and the City Council. She also noted that her office was given only one full-time staffer for enforcement. Seattle City Council Member Nick Licata has proposed a new City Department of Labor Standards to enforce paid sick leave, minimum wage, and wage theft ordinances.
by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer
City Auditor David Jones
Celebrating 41 Years!
Resources to prevent bullying by Shaun Knittel SGN Associate Editor October 16 marked the 2014 observance of anti-bullying day across the United States. The Community Engagement Section of the Office of Homeland Security released a list of resources to prevent bullying on Wednesday. The DHS Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties (CRCL) Community Engagement Section shared the valuable resources on school bullying provided to them by the Department of Education’s Office of Safe and Healthy Students. The DHS did this because, they say, people approached DHS employees at community engagement roundtables and other meetings and expressed serious concerns about school bullying. “You’ve mentioned that given recent events and accompanying media reports, you fear that your children may face backlash and could be bullied in school,” said DHS officials in an email containing the resources. “You asked us for information on how to effectively prevent bullying and the steps to take if your children are the already the victims of bullying.”
In return, DHS says they reached out to the Department of Education and gathered a number of resources that may be useful to anyone that wants to help prevent bullying. A key resource for preventing and responding to bullying can be found at www. stopbullying.gov. “Bullying is primarily a state/local issue and each state addresses it differently,” said DHS officials. The Laws and Policies page lists laws by state: http://www.stopbullying.gov/laws/. Although no federal law directly addresses bullying, in some cases, bullying overlaps with discriminatory harassment when it is based on race, national origin, color, sex, age, disability, or religion. Information about discriminatory harassment can be found at http://www.stopbullying.gov/ laws/federal/index.html. And a recently released video on school districts’ federal obligation to respond to harassment can be found at http://www. stopbullying.gov/videos/2014/02/civilrights.html. “We hope these resources are useful to you, your family, and your community,” said DHS officials. “As always, thank you for your support and your continued partnership.”
Lesbian widows sue Social Security Administration by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer Two Lesbian widows have filed separate suits against the Social Security Administration (SSA) hoping to obtain survivor benefits due them after the deaths of their spouses. Unlike most federal agencies which recognize same-sex sex marriages if they are legal where they are performed, the SSA only recognizes marriages if they are legal where the couple resides. In the case of surviving spouses, they will only award survivor benefits if the marriage was recognized in the couple’s state of residence at the time of the deceased spouse’s death. In a suit filed by GLAD (Gay and Lesbian Advocates and Defenders) on October 20, Deborah Tevyaw is suing in a federal district court in Rhode Island to get spousal disability benefits and a lump sum death payment due her after the death of her wife. Tevyaw married Patricia Baker in Massachusetts in 2005. In 2011 Baker died after a long battle with lung cancer. Tevyaw applied
for Social Security benefits, but was denied because DOMA prevented federal agencies from recognizing her marriage. After the Supreme Court ruling in Windsor, she applied again, but was denied because her state of residence, Rhode Island, did not recognize her Massachusetts marriage. Even after Rhode Island Governor Lincoln Chaffee issued an executive order recognizing out-ofstate same-sex marriages, the SSA continued to deny Tevyaw because her marriage was not recognized at the time of her wife’s death. Because SSA repeatedly denied her benefits she would have been entitled to if her spouse had been a man, Tevyaw has been living on a monthly income of $732 for more than three years. She was also forced to sell the home she owned for more than 38 years because she can’t afford the mortgage, according to her lawsuit. If SSA continues to deny Tevyaw benefits, the lawsuit says it would violate her right to equal protection and due process under the Fifth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. “I’ve lost my wife and my best friend,
and Social Security has made that so much worse by telling me that in their eyes, I was not Pat’s wife,” Tevyaw said in a statement. “Not only is that hurtful and insulting, it has meant that I am living in poverty. I am not looking for a handout; this is money that Pat earned through hard work.” Janson Wu, GLAD’s senior staff attorney, said the Social Security Administration has undertaken a “misguided and mistaken application of the law” that has caused harm to same-sex couples. “There is no doubt in our minds that Rhode Island would have recognized Pat and Deb as validly married at the time of Pat’s death in 2011, and that Social Security’s reading of the law is just plain wrong,” Wu said. In the second lawsuit, filed on October 22, Lambda Legal is suing on behalf of Texas widow Kathy Murphy and the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare. Murphy married Sara Barker in Massachusetts in 2010, after 30 years together in a committed relationship. Barker died of canjhawnpaulspinksheepnews.wordpress.com
Deborah Tevyaw (l) with wife Patricia Baker (r)
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cer in 2012. Because the couple lived in Texas, which refuses to recognize their marriage, SSA also refuses to recognize the marriage, denying Murphy spousal survivor benefits earned by Barker over a lifetime of work. “Sara and I were blessed with nearly 32 years together, taking care of each other in all the ways any committed couple does – physically, emotionally and financially,” Murphy said. “Sara wouldn’t have wanted me to be in a position like this – we promised to support each other as a couple and if one of us should pass away. We worked hard to close all the gaps before she died and now the federal government won’t do its part. That money will ensure that I can take care of the home that Sara and I shared together. We worked hard to support ourselves, and our dream was to grow old together, sideby-side. My hope now is that I will be treated no differently than any surviving spouse who has faced this same devastating loss.” Lambda Legal said SSA’s policy of depriving same-sex spouses of survivor benefits is unconstitutional. “SSA should not be telling widowed lesbians and gay men already grieving the loss of a spouse – ‘you live in the wrong state so you don’t get Social Security spousal benefits,’” said Susan Sommer, Director of Constitutional Litigation at Lambda Legal. “Thousands of same-sex spouses, like our client Kathy Murphy, have married, even though their home states refuse to recognize their relationships. Since Windsor, these aging lesbian and gay Americans believe that, at the very least, their marriages finally will be respected by the federal government. But, relying on discriminatory state marriage bans declared unconstitutional by an avalanche of courts around the country, SSA continues to deny same-sex spouses their benefits. Widows, widowers and retirees, wherever they live, need Social Security spousal benefits, earned through years of hard work, to support them as they age. They should not have to wait one more day to be treated with dignity by the federal government.”
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O, Dem Golden Slippers! Gender variance and the Mummers Parade courtesy of Philadelphia Gay News
A Mummers’ Parade participant (center) in 1902
They were called female impersonators, character types, lovely creatures, drag queens, pansies, divas. They were straight, bi, gay and queer. For over a century, hundreds of men used the allmale bastion of the Philadelphia Mummers’ New Year’s Day Parade to create a space in which they could publicly defy expectations about gender.
Philadelphia’s Mummers traditions date back at least to the early 19th century, when bands of outrageously dressed men would roam the city making noise, creating havoc and shooting off guns to welcome in the New Year. From its beginnings, the traditionally all-male Mummers’ or “New Years Shooters” spectacle turned convention on its head by lampooning local politicians, caricaturing ethnic types and by including some of its participants in female clothing. In 1895, an Inquirer reporter wrote:
Washington, D.C. and Boston, who flocked to Philadelphia to show off their finery on Broad Street, creating a highly visible gender-variant contingent in an already-colorful extravaganza. The Mummers began including women in the parade in the late 1970s, just about the same time the Trilby String Band mounted a parade production called “Las Vegas on Broadway” featuring several local diva impersonators. A few years later, in 1984, Trilby presented “La Cage aux Folles,” a tribute to the Gay-themed Broadway show of the same name. Philadelphia Gay News carried a story about the openly Gay Philadelphians who took part in the show, calling them “Our Boys in the Band.” The number of female impersonators in the parade began to wane in the early 1990s and nearly disappeared for 20 years. In 2013, the Mummers’ Association invited Brittany Lynn and her Drag Mafia to participate. Brittany’s highheeled and sequined presence has revived a long and venerable tradition going back to the 19th century. There’s much research to be done on those early gender-variant pioneers, and many questions to be answered. Who were these men who spent so much time and Harry Eberlin
by Bob Skiba Philadelphia Gay News Special to the SGN
“Much amusement was created by a shooter who was so dressed as to make it impossible to believe that he was not a woman. A green satin gown with a train, the whole embroidered with pink roses, was set off by a white parasol, plenty of face powder and a coquettish smile, which went straight to the hearts of those whom she – rather he – looked upon with favor.” When the city officially began sponsoring the Mummers’ New Year’s Day Parade in 1901, among the categories it awarded cash prizes for was “Best Female Impersonator,” sometimes called “Character Type.” It’s important to note that this was a serious and prestigious prize; the award was in the Fancy Divisions category and not the Comic. The comic “wench” costume was a later invention, whose grotesqueness and exaggeration only had the opposite effect of the “character type” of playing up the awkward masculinity of the wearer. Many participants competed year after year, creating spectacular costumes to earn that prize for their club. South Philadelphian Frank Carter, for instance, represented the Passyunk Club every year from 1909-28, almost always winning first or second place. The newspaper photos of the era show Frank to be a diva force to be reckoned with. Through the decades, competitors were
courtesy of Philadelphia gay news
(l-r) The likenesses of Joel Grey, Carmen Miranda, Shirley Bassey, Cher, Marilyn Monroe and Diana Ross marched with the Trilby String Band in the 1985 Mummers’ Parade.
Female impersonators Ray Gordon (left) and Lee Watson at the 1949 Mummers’ Parade
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impeccably dressed in the height of current fashion: the tight hobble skirts of 1914, the elaborate Ziegfeld Follies headdresses of the 1920s and the glamorous movie gowns of the 1930s. By 1933, as what was called “the pansy craze” in entertainment swept America, there were so many “female impersonators” in the parade that at least one writer, astonished at the sea of gowns and peacock feathers, equated “drag” as he called it, with homosexuality. In his book Strange Loves, La Forest Potter wrote “the strangest feature of the matter is that, for quite a number of years, the first prize has always gone to a “fairy,” made up as a woman and dressed in the gorgeous gown of a woman. The most exquisitely designed costume in the entire parade was conceived, designed and worn – by a male designer, whose real vocation was that of an interior decorator.” Through the 1930s, ’40s and ’50s, the Mummers’ parades drew hundreds of competitors each year from New York City,
energy each year to compete? What drove them to participate year after year? Did their interest in female clothing go beyond this once-a-year spectacle? Did some of them identify as female? How were they viewed by their fellow Mummers, the press and the general public? Importantly, did they feel connected to a self-identified gender-variant community in Philadelphia? It’s evident that their artful, theatrical performances made it possible for audience members of that community who lined the streets to be more visible and to feel included in the spectacle. During the 1950s, there were corners on Broad and Locust streets where the “queers” congregated to watch. For one day a year in Philadelphia, being different was something to be celebrated. Bob Skiba, a Philadelphia tour guide for 14 years, is president of the Association of Philadelphia Tour Guides and archivist at William Way LGBT Community Center. He co-authored Lost Philadelphia in 2013.
Celebrating 41 Years!
Lewinsky
continued from cover dent Clinton denied the affair; but then, on August 17, 1998, Clinton became the first sitting president to testify before a grand jury investigating his conduct; after the questioning at the White House was finished, Clinton went on national TV to admit he had an inappropriate relationship with Monica Lewinsky. Later that same year, a House Judiciary Committee considered a resolution to begin an impeachment inquiry against President Clinton. Bill Clinton, the 42nd President of the United States, was impeached by the House of Representatives on two charges, one of perjury and one of obstruction of justice, on December 19, 1998. Two other impeachment articles, a second perjury charge and a charge of abuse of power, failed in the House. Although Clinton was acquitted of both charges by the Senate on February 12, 1999, the scandal followed him politically and, obviously, personally for the rest of his presidency. Former Secretary of State, then-First Lady of the nation, Hillary Clinton did not divorce the president. However, when she ran for the United States Senate in New York in 2001, the scandal involving her husband and Lewinsky resurfaced in the media. Still, Clinton went on to win and serve as a senator from New York until January 2009, when President Obama selected her as his administration’s Secretary of State. Currently, Hillary Clinton has not yet confirmed if she will run for president in 2016 but already some of her possible opponents, like Republican Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky, a likely 2016 GOP White House contender, continues to call the Lewinsky scandal a liability for Democrats and says that he does not consider the subject off limits in a political bid for the White House. On Monday, Lewinsky teared up when describing her life during the months after gossip website the Drudge Report broke the news of the affair. During that time of her life she says her mind was plagued with thoughts of suicide. “I wanted to die,” she revealed. Too often, she says she looked online at what people were saying about her. “There was no Facebook, Twitter or Instagram back then,” she said. “But there were gossip, news and entertainment websites replete with comment sections and emails which could be forwarded. Of course, it was all done on the excruciatingly slow dial up. Yet, around the world this story went. A viral phenomenon that, you could argue, was the first moment of truly ‘social media.’” Lewinsky said she hopes to soon launch a “cultural revolution” against the forms of online harassment, joining Twitter with a tweet with the hashtag “#HereWeGo.” Since joining Twitter to start the admirable anti-cyberbullying campaign, Lewinsky has literally only sent out two tweets, despite her 30,000 (and counting) followers. As one would imagine, the Twitter trolls have come out by the dozens to hurl slut-slurs at her. The response to her campaign, and personal attacks that she has endured on Twitter (which Seattle Gay News chooses not to republish out of respect for the victim) are jaw-dropping. In the years following her affair with Clinton and the fallout from the scandal, Monica Lewinsky has said she “deeply regrets the affair for many reasons, not the least of which because people were hurt, and that’s never okay.” Lewinsky has also described herself at the time of the affair as “more than averagely romantic” saying, “I fell in love with my boss. In a 22-year-old sort of way, it happens. But my boss was the president of the United States. That probably happens less often.” On May 8, Lewinsky told her story in an essay for Vanity Fair saying it “might be able to help others in their darkest moments of humiliation.” The reason she gives for writing the expose might surprise you. When Tyler Clementi, the Gay 18-yearold Rutgers freshman who was secretly
streamed via Webcam kissing another man, committed suicide in September 2010, Lewinsky says she was brought to tears, but her mother was especially distraught. “She was reliving 1998, when she wouldn’t let me out of her sight. She was replaying those weeks when she stayed by my bed, night after night, because I, too, was suicidal,” Lewinsky wrote in her Vanity Fair piece. “The shame, the scorn, and the fear that had been thrown at her daughter left her afraid that I would take my own life – a fear that I would be literally humiliated to death.” Lewinsky clarifies that she has never actually attempted suicide, but had strong suicidal temptations several times during the affair investigations and during one or two periods after. Lewinsky says that following Clementi’s tragedy “my own suffering took on a different meaning.” For Lewinsky, the question became: “How do I find and give a purpose to my past?” On June 20, at the Forbes’ inaugural “30 Under 30” summit in Philadelphia, she may have found the answer as the audience gave her a standing ovation at the conclusion of her speech about fighting against cyberbullying. And aside from the attacks she’s received on comments sections in entertainment and news blogs, Twitter, and other social media, she has also gained a lot of supporters who feel that the former freshout-of-college unpaid intern of the Clinton White House had never really been given the chance to tell her side of the story, clear her name, and live a somewhat normal life. “It’s time to burn the beret and bury the blue dress,” said Lewinsky. “I, myself, deeply regret what happened between me and President Clinton. Let me say it again: I. Myself. Deeply. Regret. What. Happened,” she added. CYBERBULLYING CAN HAVE NEGATIVE IMPACT ON MENTAL HEALTH According to www.stopbullying.gov, a government website dedicated to educating the public about the dangers of any kind of bullying to ultimately eliminate it from our lives, cyberbullying is bullying that takes place using electronic technology. Electronic technology includes devices and equipment such as cell phones, computers, and tablets as well as communication tools including social media sites, text messages, chat, and blog or websites. Examples of cyberbullying include mean text messages or emails, rumors sent by email or posted on social networking sites, and embarrassing pictures, videos, websites, or fake profiles. Cyberbullying, as was the case with the Monica Lewinsky scandal, also includes gossip published online or the comments that people make in response to news articles published online. So why is cyberbullying so devastating? Bullying is bullying, right? Well, not exactly. People who are cyberbullied have a harder time getting away from the behavior because cyberbullying can happen 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and reach a victim even when they are alone. It can, and does, happen any time of the day or night. Also, cyberbullying messages and images can be posted anonymously and distributed quickly to a very wide audience and it can be difficult and sometimes impossible to trace the source. Sadly, deleting inappropriate or harassing messages, texts, and pictures is extremely difficult after they have been posted or sent. As the saying goes, “Once something is on the Internet, it is there forever.” According to StopBullying.gov, whether it is experienced in person or through technology, the effects of bullying are similar; however, there is a great deal that remains unknown about the impact of cyberbullying on a child or throughout an adult life. Research on cyberbullying is growing, but due to the fact that as
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a society, our use of technology has changed so 1.5 million in 2009; revealing a slight increase in rapidly, it is difficult to design surveys that ac- cyberbullying behaviors over the last few years. curately capture trends, say experts. The reason for the increase? Currently, teens use technology at an increasingly highCYBERBULLYING FACTS er rate than generations past. Data collected SUMMARIZING WHAT IS by www.cyberbullying.us in October 2013 CURRENTLY KNOWN from 400 students at one middle school (ages ranged from 11-14) in the Midwest finds that Over the last decade, www.cyberbully- 97.5% of respondents had been online in the ing.us surveyed nearly 15,000 middle and previous 30 days, 63% have a cell phone, 45% high school students in ten different studies are on Facebook, 42% are on Instagram, 1.5% from over 97 different schools throughout report they had been the target of cyberbullythe United States; and researchers find that, ing in the previous 30 days (boys: 6.8%; girls: overall, about 25% of the students surveyed 16.0%) and 3.9% have cyberbullied others in over the last eight studies have been cyber- the previous 30 days (boys: 0.6%; girls: 6.9%). bullied at some point in their lifetimes. About LGBT youth and those perceived as LGBT 9% said they were cyberbullied in the 30 days are at an increased risk of being bullied. preceding the survey. Similarly, about 16% of those surveyed admitted that they had cyberCYBERBULLYING NOT JUST bullied others at some point in their lifetimes A PROBLEM FOR KIDS (about 6% in the most recent 30 days). In data reviewed from 73 articles pubCyberbullying is not just an adolescent problished in peer-reviewed academic journals lem. Still, Seattle Gay News found it alarming about bullying, cyberbullying.us report 51 to learn that Cyberbullying.us officials say they of the articles included cyberbullying vic- receive more inquiries from adults than teens. timization rates and 42 included cyberbul“We know that cyberbullying negatively aflying offending rates. fects adults, too,” said Dr. Justin W. Patchin, “Rates across all of the studies ranged widely, Co-Director of the Cyberbullying Research from 2.3% to 72% for victimization and from Center, the organization that runs www.cy1.2% to 44.1% for offending,” said research- berbullying.us, who admits, “It’s just that we ers. “The average across all of these studies was spend the majority of our efforts studying remarkably similar to the rates that we found how this problem impacts school-aged youth in our work (about 21% of teens have been due to their tenuous developmental stage.” cyberbullied and about 15% admitted to cyThat said, Patchin took some time to give berbullying others at some point in their life- the adults who have been or currently are times). Taken as a whole, it seems safe to con- being victimized some general advice. Acclude that about one out of every four teens has cording to Patchin: experienced cyberbullying, and about one out First, it is important to keep all evidence of of every six teens has done it to others.” the bullying: messages, posts, comments, etc. If Based on recent research, adolescent girls there are ways you can determine who exactly is are just as likely, if not more likely than making the comments, also document that. boys, to experience cyberbullying (as a vicSecond, contact the service or content tim and offender). provider through which the bullying is ocCyberbullying.us researchers report cyber- curring. (For example, if you are being cybullying is related to low self-esteem, suicidal berbullied on Facebook, contact them; if ideation, anger, frustration, and a variety of you are receiving hurtful or threatening cell other emotional and psychological problems phone messages, contact your cell phone as well as being linked to “real world” issues company to obtain assistance.) including school problems, anti-social be“Along those same lines, familiarize yourhavior, substance use, and more. self with the Terms of Use for the various “Those who are bullied at school are bul- sites you frequent, and the online accounts lied online and those who bully at school you sign up for,” he said. “Many web sites bully online,” say researchers. expressly prohibit harassment and if you There are only two studies that exist that report it through their established mechaexplore cyberbullying experiences over time. nisms, the content and/or bully should be The first analysis was conducted at the removed from the site in a timely manner.” Crimes Against Children Research Center at Patchin acknowledged, “To be sure, the University of New Hampshire where by ex- some web site administrators are better and amining the three waves of the Youth Internet quicker at this than others.” Safety Survey (2000, 2005, and 2010), they find “Also,” he continued, “please be careful not a slight increase in cyberbullying behaviors to retaliate or do anything that might be perover that time period (from 6% to 9% to 11%). ceived by an outsider to have contributed to The second data source is the School Crime the problem.” Supplement of the National Crime Victimiza“Do not respond to the cyberbully except tion Survey (NCVS). In 2011, 9% of students to calmly tell them to stop,” said Patchin. “If said they were cyberbullied compared to 6.2% they refuse, you may have to take additional in 2009. Since the NCVS data is weighted to actions. If you are ever afraid for your safety, represent the entire population of 12-18-year- you need to contact law enforcement to inolds enrolled in grades 6 through 12, research- vestigate. They can determine whether any ers estimate that about 2.2 million students exsee Lewinsky page 18 perienced cyberbullying in 2011, up from about
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Marriage is our property! Straight couple alleges in suit
In their motion, Phillip W. Unruh and Sandra L. Unruh claim that they have a property right to the name of marriage, and A straight Christian couple has filed a that applying that name to a same-sex relanovel motion to intervene in the ACLU’s tionship amounts to theft. marriage equality lawsuit in Kansas. “Plaintiffs are not content to behave as by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer
they wish or to find their own name for their relationship without taking the name Unruhs use for their relationship,” the couple says in their motion. “The Unruhs do not want to share the marriage names and neither did 70% of the Kansans when they voted to pass the amendment [banning same-sex marriage], not because of who the Plaintiffs are but what marriage is… “If the Plaintiffs are successful in their causes of action the meaning of marriage will be so fundamentally and profoundly changed that the Unruhs will experience a taking of their property rights in marriage without due process of law.” Marie v. Moser, the ACLU suit in which the Unruhs want to intervene, involves two Lesbian couples who applied for, but were not granted, Kansas marriage licenses after the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear pending appeals of marriage cases. The named defendants are Robert Moser, Secretary of the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, the agency that records marriage licenses, and the two district court clerks who refused to issue the licenses to the plaintiffs. The ACLU argues that two of the appellate
court rulings that the Supreme Court let stand are the Tenth Circuit Court decisions which struck down Idaho and Utah bans on samesex marriage. Since the Tenth Circuit also has jurisdiction in Kansas, the ACLU says, Kansas officials are now obligated to issue marriage licenses to the plaintiff couples and the federal court should order them to do so. In addition to the ACLU suit, another federal lawsuit, Nelson v. Kansas Department of Revenue, is also pending. In that suit, two couples – Roberta and Julia Woodrick and Michael Nelson and Charles Dedmon – are suing to force the state of Kansas to recognize their out-of-state marriages for the purpose of filing joint state income tax returns. Attorneys for the plaintiffs in this case argue that the Supreme Court’s decision to strike down DOMA in USA v. Windsor and the subsequent application of that ruling by the IRS requires married same-sex couples to file their tax returns as married. Therefore, they say, the Kansas law that refuses recognition to legal same-sex marriages requires the couples to file dishonest returns, and the plaintiffs seek a court order allowing them to file tax returns that correctly state their marital status.
Gay and Trans prisoners sue California Sheriff Fifteen current and former Gay, Bi, and Trans inmates of the San Bernardino County Jail in California have initiated a class action lawsuit against the County Sheriff ’s Department. The suit was filed on October 22. According to court documents, all inmates who identify as Gay, Bi, or Trans are sent to the jail’s “Alternative Lifestyle Tank” at the West Valley Detention Center (WVDC). This consists of 16 cells that can hold up to 32 inmates at any one time, and are separate from the rest of the jail. This particular detention center is the only one in San Bernardino County that houses self-identified GBT inmates. The plaintiffs say that the “inmates are not given equal access to opportunities to reduce their sentences, services, programs and facilities, and are often treated in an abusive and neglectful manner. In short, GBT inmates at WVDC serve longer sentences and endure substantially worse conditions of confinement simply because they are Gay, Bisexual or Transgender. “Unlike the male, non-GBT general popu-
lation, sentenced GBT inmates at WVDC are generally not allowed to participate in the inmate work program, and, to the extent they may occasionally have limited access, it is substantially less than that available to non-GBT inmates.” Among other grievances, the suit also alleges that some staff at the jail have an “unwarranted fear of AIDS” with regards to the GBT inmates, and so “do not conduct the required safety checks for GBT cells.” The inmates also allege that they are “regularly subjected to abusive conduct and derogatory name-calling” by deputies at the jail. While they acknowledge that authorities claim there is a “rational basis” for separating inmates according to sexual orientation or gender identity, the plaintiffs believe “there is no legitimate penological reason to treat GBT inmates worse than non-GBT inmates just because of their sexual orientation or gender identity.” Plaintiffs are represented by the ACLU and a local law firm, and are seeking damages for the discrimination and mistreatment. As a class action, the suit is filed on behalf of all GBT inmates at the West Valley Detention Center. “Gay, bisexual and transgender people
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Seattle Gay News
housed at West Valley Detention Center are punished twice, first for the crimes they allegedly committed, and again, simply because of their sexual orientation or gender identity,” ACLU attorney Brenden Hamme told CBS News. “They’ve been told most frequently that it’s for their own safety, but jails are quite capable and are constitutionally mandated to not only provide for the safety of their charges, but to also provide equal access to jail programs and facilities.”
The ACLU believes that the outcome of the case could have ramifications for GBT prisoners in all of California. “What’s happening in San Bernardino County is particularly egregious, but unfortunately, it is not unique,” another ACLU attorney, Melissa Goodman, told Associated Press. A spokesperson for the San Bernardino Sheriff ’s Department said that it does not comment on any matters that are subject to ongoing litigation.
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Bullied teen charged with assault after he was hospitalized in an anti-Gay attack Eric Martin
by Shaun Knittel SGN Associate Editor Sometimes the world just doesn’t seem to make much sense. As a reporter for Gay media for over a decade I can honestly say that this is one of the most deplorable things I’ve ever had to let readers know about. Brace yourself because this one will impact you, I guarantee it. On September 14, Eric Martin was bullied and beaten so severely by several of his classmates at Highland Springs High School in Henrico, Virginia, the attack left him unconscious and resulted in a nearly two-week hospital stay because he suffered a traumatic brain injury. Eric was also reportedly put on suicide watch while at the hospital. Now, the school is pressing charges – against Eric. Why? Because he fought back. He defended himself against bullies that had called him “faggot” for years. As a result he is facing two charges of assault despite suffering a brain injury, multiple contusions, and a broken arm, while his assailants were essentially unharmed. Police are charging Eric with two counts of assault because he supposedly threw the first punch and school officials refused to allow him back into school unless he signed a statement saying he threatened the school – a charge he denies, and a charge for which the school has no proof apparently. If convicted, he could face jail time and fines. Obviously, the emboldened teen’s family hired a lawyer and they intend to fight the charges. A Virginia judge has set the trial date for November 21. The school reportedly sent an email to parents saying the incident is being dealt with according to their established policies and procedures. In this case, it seems to be the zero
tolerance policy, which means every student involved in the fight – which includes the victim as well – receives the same punishment. “So in other words the four or five boys can beat my boy to death,” said Mary Martin, Eric’s mother. “And he gets one slap in and gets charged, too? That’s plain ridiculous.” “I’m not going to walk away from this,” said Martin. “I want the school held accountable.” Tammy Motola, Eric’s family advocate, said that the teen has been “verbally abused, harassed and bullied since the first grade in an obviously failing school system.” She added, “The kid is the poster child for ‘brave.’” The teen, who is still recovering from the attack, appeared in court on October 15 even though he is still under doctor’s care. Thankfully, his doctor says he seems to be making progress; however, the long-term effects of the injuries to his head and brain remain unclear. “He and his family are taking things one day at a time, and are very grateful for all the cards and letters they have received from all over the world,” said Motola. “These have indeed been a great source of inspiration and validation for Eric.” The good news is that Eric is now attending a different high school. But even that was a challenge, says Motola. Amazingly, despite the attack, she says the boy was only able to switch schools after his family pressured the school system over the matter. Motola, like I’m sure many of you reading this right now asks, “Is it too much to ask that a school provide a safe and hostile-free environment for him? For any child? Is it too much to ask a school system to implement the very anti-bullying policies that have been put into place to protect him and keep him safe from poorly behaved, undisciplined and selfrighteous students? Is it right for school administrations across this country to continue to turn a blind eye to what now has become a national epidemic, simply because it’s easier just to brush it under the rug?” “This must stop,” she said. “Bullying kills
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our youth, and it almost killed 14-year-old Eric Martin. He is just one of thousands that are subjected to anti-Gay slurs, constant scrutiny and physical abuse daily in this country.” As an anti-bullying advocate, Motola says she is driven and inspired by the hate at times. “Nothing surprises me anymore,” she said. “Nor am I intimidated by the chosen, sometimes elected leaders who walk around with blinders, suffering from selective hearing when it comes to their role and lack of accountability in what has now become the great bullying debate. It’s not getting better, despite what the numbers say.” According to Motola, the ugly truth of it all is that kids are just not speaking up anymore. “After all,” she reasons, “given the current tolerance for such otherwise intolerable behavior, why should they?” Most of all, she says she is “truly confused as to a school’s definition of zero tolerance. I’m over their anti-bullying policies. What’s the point in any policy if it’s not mandated and enforced? I know, with absolute certainty that every kid deserves to walk into a school and receive an education without prejudice or persecution. For Eric Martin that day is long overdue.”
lied teen support. The address is: Letters for Eric, P.O. Box 993, Sandston, VA 23150. The community of Sandston in the eastern neck of Virginia’s Henrico County is where Eric was due to begin the 9th grade this past September. According to Motola, Eric is the “product of a stable, loving married couple who have been together for 34 years.” He has an identical twin brother, an older sister, and a best friend in his one-year-old Calico cat, Riley. Despite being charged with assault, Motola says Eric is not the type of child that people would refer to as “troubled” or even “angry.” She describes him as “a soft-spoken, creative, ‘still waters run deep’ personality.” She says he is an aspiring artist who loves to draw, and likewise has dreams of learning to play guitar and to eventually attend college. The Martins have yet to receive the supposed “investigative report” from the school resource officer (who is the same party who ultimately charged Eric with assault), which is unsettling to say the least. And, according to Motola, no more than a week after Eric’s assault, another fight broke out in Highland Springs High School resulting in more students being rushed to the hospital with injuries.
Seattle Gay News is happy to hear that Eric Martin and his family are fighting the charges and were vocal enough to get him enrolled in a different school. Virginia is a long way from Washington, D.C. in miles, but community is something that can’t always be measured by geographical location. So SGN looked for ways people might be able to help out. First, there is a GoFundMe account set up for Eric to assist with his legal costs. To donate to that fund go to www.gofundme. com/justiceforeri. “Please help us raise the funding we need to cover his legal and medical expenses,” said Motola. “We are asking that each person who reads his story donate $5.00 and share the link so we can bring more awareness to Eric’s story that unfortunately thousands of kids are all too familiar with.” In addition, Eric’s family has started a campaign, Letters for Eric, to show the bul-
The Virginia Anti-Violence Project (VAVP) issued a statement condemning the brutal assault on Eric Martin. The Virginia AntiViolence Project works to address and end violence, with a specific focus on LGBTQ communities across Virginia. Currently, the organization is working on a project to expand sexual and domestic violence services to the LGBTQ community in the Richmond area. VAVP has called on the Henrico County School System to assess its current implementation of its policies on bullying and “take this opportunity to educate all teachers, staff, volunteers, administrators, and students about bullying and how to intervene in a situation that involves bullying.” “I am very disturbed to learn about this violent situation in our community,” Ted Heck, VAVP Board President said. “No child should have to endure harassment and assault in school for just being himself.”
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AP
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi
Military
continued from cover “I still have the capability to kick ass,” said former Senior Chief Petty Officer Kristin Beck, who before coming out as Transgender served with the elite Navy SEALs. “When you get right down to it, the capability of every individual soldier is what really matters, and I’m fighting for the capability for all those other people.” The Department of Defense and the White House are backing away from earlier signs that officials were considering changing the ban on Transgender troops. Nate Christensen, a Pentagon spokesman,
Lewinsky
continued from page 9 threats made are credible. If they are, the police will formally look into it. The evidence that you have collected will help them to evaluate your situation.” Patchin also says victims should take some time to check state laws. WASHINGTON LAWS ON CYBERBULLYING
confirmed to media this week that no review of the policy has been looked at. More importantly, perhaps, was the fact that at Monday’s meeting, Transgender service members from all over the world, came together to examine the Pentagon’s policy of excluding openly Transgender individuals from serving in the military and highlighted the experiences of Transgender troops from Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, and Sweden. Earlier this year, a study written by a former U.S. surgeon general and a retired admiral estimated that some 14,450 Transgender personnel are actively serving in the U.S. military. So what gives? Why doesn’t this policy es not constituting telephone harassment, makes an electronic communication to such other person or a third party: (a) Using any lewd, lascivious, indecent, or obscene words, images, or language, or suggesting the commission of any lewd or lascivious act; (b) Anonymously or repeatedly whether or not conversation occurs; or (c) Threatening to inflict injury on the person or property of the person called or any member of his or her family or household.” (http://apps. leg.wa.gov/rcw/default.aspx?cite=9.61.260) WHEN THE BULLYING DOESN’T STOP “If the threats or comments are detrimental to your health, safety, or occupation, you might want to consult with an attorney who specializes in harassment, defamation of character, false light, intentional infliction of emotional distress, or similar types of civil action,” Patchin advises. “A letter sent from an attorney (on law firm letterhead) to the bully may be all that is necessary to get the bullying to stop.” The problem with this approach, admits Patchin, is that it can be costly. “I have spoken to some victims who have consulted with attorneys who want a significant sum of money to get involved, even at a basic level,” he said. “I can only imagine how frustrating this is after experiencing emotional and psychological suffering and then realizing that you can’t afford to get legal help.” Another problem associated with pursuing a bully through civil action is that, even if you are successful and a judge or jury rules in your favor, it can be difficult to determine an appropriate damage amount. “I served as an expert witness in a cyberbullying case in the summer of 2008,” said
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is too much to handle. Rationally we all, or we should all know rather, that this is fear of the unknown; what is different is bad in America sometimes. One would hope that we learned a thing or two from desegregating the Army and repealing DADT; apparently not. Concerns have even been raised about changes needing to be made to military protocols if the ban is lifted like the so-called shower question, or what would happen in scenarios that require non-Transgender troops and their Transgender colleagues to disrobe together. Of course, we all know and can remember the same thing was said in opposition when Lesbian and Gay troops fought to repeal DADT. The fear mongering is quite ridiculous. “Where will we change if Gays can serve out in the open?” “Will there be Gay ships in the Navy?” The questions are absolutely ludicrous and nearly five years into the repeal of DADT the military has not had a mass exodus of service members due to inappropriate bunk situations, fear of using the shower and so on. In May, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel told ABC News the ban on Transgender service should be continually reviewed and that he was “open to those assessments,” an idea the White House also seemed receptive to at the time. Still, some prominent politicians are speaking out, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., is the latest lawmaker to say she would back lifting the ban. According to the Washington Blade, five members of the House Armed Services Committee either support lifting the ban or at least a review of the policy. But changing the regulation does not require congressional action, as the ban is not a statutory policy like “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” So really, all President Obama need do is sign an executive order. So far the Commander in Chief has remained silent on the issue.
Patchin. “In that case, the adult victims were being bullied in an AOL chat room. Everyone agreed that what the bully was doing was wrong, but to what were the victims entitled? They had some modest medical bills and could be reimbursed for costs associated with their AOL account, but these losses added up to less than $1,000. And while I don’t know the actual amount, I am sure their legal bills were in the tens of thousands of dollars.” Patchin says the victim ended up settling for a very small amount just to make a statement to the bully. According to www.stopbullying.gov, when cyberbullying happens, it is important to document and report the behavior so it can be addressed. Officials recommend that you don’t respond to and don’t forward cyberbullying messages, keep evidence of cyberbullying by recording the dates, times, and descriptions of instances when cyberbullying has oc-
curred, save and print screenshots, emails, and text messages that show cyberbullying and use this evidence to report cyberbullying to web and cell phone service providers. In addition, they recommend that whenever possible, victims should block the person who is cyberbullying. As Americans we value free speech so highly that many people genuinely believe they can say whatever they want, to whomever they want. While we know that is not true it isn’t clear where exactly the line is sometimes. And just because we can say certain things, it doesn’t always mean we should. “It’s no wonder that many teens are wrestling with this problem – they see the adults in their lives saying mean and nasty things to others on a regular basis,” said Patchin. “Do your part to model appropriate behavior and address any hurtful language when it comes up. The kids (and other adults) in your life will hopefully see it, remember it, and act in the right ways.” canadianfamily.org
According to Revised Code of Washington §28A.300.285, Washington State School Directors’ Association, with the assistance of the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction, convened an advisory committee to develop a model policy prohibiting acts of harassment, intimidation, or bullying that are conducted via electronic means by a student while on school grounds and during the school day. The policy includes a requirement that materials meant to educate parents and students about the seriousness of cyberbullying be disseminated to parents or made available on the school district’s web site. S.B. 5288, 2007: RCW §28A.300.285 added cyberbullying to the Harassment and Bullying Act that schools must have a policy for; terms of penalty are determined by the School (http:// apps.leg.wa.gov/documents/billdocs/20091 0 / Pd f / B i l l s / S e s s i o n % 2 0 L a w % 2 0 2010/2801-S.SL.pdf AN ACT) relating to including cyberbullying in 18 school district harassment prevention policies. Cyberstalking (RCW 9.61.260) in Washington state is defined as: “A person is guilty of cyberstalking if he or she, with intent to harass, intimidate, torment, or embarrass any other person, and under circumstanc-
just go away? A key reason could be that the military’s Transgender policy is embedded in medical regulations dating back to the outdated notion that gender nonconformity equated to mental illness, a claim scientists and medical professionals since have debunked. In 1994, the American Psychiatric Association’s “Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders” removed “transsexualism” from its list of diagnoses, replacing it with “gender identity disorder.” And, the most recent version of the manual has changed the terminology again, subbing in “gender dysphoria” and declaring that “gender nonconformity is not in itself a mental disorder.” Transgender foreign troops at Monday’s conference scoffed at the so-called medical justification for banning Trans people the right to serve. The military can provide diabetics and those with high blood pressure with necessary medical supplies before sending them into “austere environments,” they said, so why can’t they do the same for Transgender service members? The treatment of Transgender service members in the military was given international attention by way of Chelsea Manning, the soldier convicted of espionage for leaking hundreds of thousands of classified documents to WikiLeaks. The day after her court sentencing, she announced that she is female and is now suing the government to receive hormone replacement therapy. For Transgender individuals with military experience, there are deeply conflicting emotions about Manning. In some ways the media attention got the conversation going about Transgender people in uniform, but in other ways, the whole situation was cringeworthy because, as a whole – espionage and Transgender mixed into one service member
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Paris honors memory of last people executed for being Gay Tumblr
memorative plaque was placed in the central square formerly used for executions. Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo led the ceremony. According to Paris Council member Ian Brossat, who recommended the commemoration, the executions illustrated the oppression of Gay people in French history. “At 11:30 p.m. on the 4th January 1750, at the crossroad of rue Montorgueuil and rue SaintSaveur, Bruno Lenoir, a cobbler in his 20s, and Jean Diot, a 40 year-old servant, were arrested for being homosexuals,” Brossat said. “Imprisoned at Châtelet, their trial and its verdict demonstrate the unremitting jurisdiction that French homosexuals faced at the time. “Following the seizure of all their possesThe commemorative plaque in the central square in Paris formerly used for executions sions and money, both of them were conA new plaque commemorating the last demned to be burnt alive at the stake in the by Mike Andrew men executed in France for being Gay was Place de Grève and their ashes scattered. SGN Staff Writer “Bruno Lenoir and Jean Diot were exeunveiled in Paris on October 18. The com-
cuted publicly on the 6th July at 5 p.m., for nothing but the crime of being gay. They were the last couple executed in France for this reason.” The stone plaque was placed in the pavement in the Place de Greve, sometimes called the Place de l’Hotel de Ville, in front of Paris City Hall. In medieval times, the gallows and the pillory stood in the square, and most public executions were conducted there. After the French Revolution, the guillotine was set up in a different and more symbolic square – the former site of a monument to Louis XV – which was renamed Place de la Concorde (loosely translated “Harmony Square”). Hidalgo, a member of the Socialist Party, is the first woman mayor of Paris. Her grandfather fought for the Republic in the Spanish Civil War and was sentenced to life in prison by the Franco dictatorship. Her parents emigrated to France soon after she was born.
Trans Scots to get new rights by Christmas Scotland’s Trans community will get new rights by Christmas this year, thanks to two laws passed by the country’s parliament. First, same-sex marriage will be legal in Scotland beginning December 16. While that is welcome news for Gay and Lesbian couples, it is also good news for Trans people who want to legally change their gender, but at the same time want to continue in their existing marriages. The same rule will apply in England and Wales beginning December 10, when samesex marriage takes effect in those countries. The United Kingdom’s Gender Recognition Act, passed in 2005, laid the legal basis for Trans people to change their birth certificates, driver’s licenses, and other legal papers. However, if they were married, they were required to divorce their spouses prior to transitioning. If they failed to do so, they would be in violation of British laws defining marriage as an opposite-sex institution. And that rule applied even to couples who had been married for years and whose marriage continued to be loving, affirming, and supportive, and one which they wanted to keep.
The Scottish government announced on October 22 that that untenable choice is coming to an end. Starting on December 16, Trans people who married in Scotland will finally be able to get gender recognition without divorcing. They will then be able to get a new marriage certificate in their new name and showing their new chosen designation as “bride,” “bridegroom,” or neither. Couples can choose between a full “renewal” marriage ceremony, which can be conducted by a registrar, religious celebrant, or humanist celebrant. Or they can simply re-register the marriage for free. For people who married in Scotland there is an additional right – to get gender recognition as your own decision, a decision that cannot be blocked by your spouse. When Scotland passed the Marriage and Civil Partnership (Scotland) Act – the measure that legalized same-sex marriage – this year, parliament included a provision abolishing the so-called “spousal veto” over gender reassignment. Scottish law used to follow English law in requiring a person to get their spouse’s consent to apply for an interim gender recognition certificate, which would then be converted to full gender reassignment by a
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Perez-Gimenez’s decision to the First Circuit Court. Lambda’s appeal will be the first and only continued from cover marriage case the First Circuit hears, because Lambda Legal, which is representing some every state in that court jurisdiction has already of the plaintiffs in the case, said it would appeal legalized same-sex marriage.
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Ken Jack/Demotix / Corbis
by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer
Jerry Slater and Larry Lamont from Kircudbright, who are in a civil partnership and plan to marry under the new legislation, kiss outside the Scottish parliament.
sheriff ’s court. Beginning December 16, that will no longer be necessary. Individuals now in same-sex civil partnerships who wish to change gender and still remain in their relationships will have to marry, however, because there is no provision in Scottish law for opposite-sex civil partnerships.
The Scottish government said it will introduce a streamlined process next year, enabling applicants to obtain gender reassignment and have their civil partnership converted to a marriage in one step. If both civil partners want to get gender reassignment, they can keep their civil partnership so long as they both apply for reassignment at the same time.
“The court’s ruling directly conflicts with the wave of recent decisions finding these marriage bans unconstitutional and perpetuates the discrimination and harm done to same-sex Puerto Rican couples and their families,” said Omar Gonzalez-Pagan, Staff Attorney for Lambda Legal. “It defies the unmistakable import of the Windsor decision and flies in the face of the blizzard of rulings of the last year, the reasoned rulings of the Courts of Appeals for the 4th, 7th, 9th and 10th Circuits, and the decision by the U.S. Supreme Court to let stand the rulings striking down five bans similar to Puerto Rico’s. One struggles to understand how this judge came to a different conclusion.” Puerto Rico is an internally self-governing commonwealth of the United States, so while its legislature has the right to pass laws, they must conform to the U.S. Constitution. In the case dismissed by Judge Perez-
Gimenez, a Lesbian couple, Ada Mercedes Conde Vidal and Ivonne Álvarez Vélez, filed a lawsuit to compel Puerto Rico to recognize their Massachusetts marriage. They filed suit in March, and in June, Lambda Legal joined and amended the original lawsuit to include four more plaintiff couples, two seeking recognition of marriages entered into in other jurisdictions and two who seek to marry in Puerto Rico. Puerto Rico Para Tod@s, a local LGBT rights organization, also joined the lawsuit at that time. “It is outrageous that loving committed LGBT couples and their families have been deprived of their civil rights and dignity,” said Pedro Julio Serrano, founder and president of Puerto Rico Para Tod@s. “We are hopeful that justice will prevail and that the equality promised by the Constitution will be upheld.”
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