Issue 41 Volume 37
Celebrating 36 Years!
equality weekend p. 5 gay history p. 8 don’t ask, don’t tell p. 16
Seattle Gay News
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SEATTLE’S LGBT NEWS & ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY
Senator Harry Reid endorses Fight to Approve National Equality March Ref. 71 hits ballots file photo
by Shaun Knittel SGN Staff Writer
Senate Majority Leader Sen. Harry Reid (D-Nev.) endorsed the National Equality March on September 30, adding his name to the over 200 notable leaders and supporters of the LGBT community who’ve endorsed the march. On October 11, thousands of people are expected to participate in the National Equality March in Washington, D.C., to demand equal protection in all matters governed by civil law in all 50 states. In a September 30 statement to the National March for Equality Steering Committee, Sen. Reid said he believes that “every American should be treated equally under the law regardless of religion, sexual orientation, gender, race, or other forms of identity.” “I see your struggle for equality as a part of a larger movement for peace and social justice,” Sen. Reid told the committee. In a message directed to LGBT Americans, Sen. Reid wrote, “As you prepare to come to Washington, D.C. for the National Equality March, I write to join in your commitment to ensure equality under
By this time next week, Washingtonians will have received their ballots asking whether or not they want to keep the state’s domestic partnership law, which grants the same rights and responsibilities for registered same-sex domestic partners and some seniors as married couples. If voters decide to approve Referendum 71, then see Harry Reid page 17 more than 12,000 people in Wash-
Senate Majority Leader Sen. Harry Reid (D-NV)
Eric Andrews-Katz
U.S. Capitol
Legislation adding sexual orientation and gender identity to federal hate crimes protections passed the US House of Representatives on Thursday, October 8. The vote was 281-146, with 44
Republicans joining 237 Democrats to pass the bill. Voting No were 131 Republicans and 15 Democrats. Now known as the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act, recognizing Shepard and Byrd, an African American murdered in Jasper,
Texas, the legislation would authorize the US Justice Department to investigate and assist in prosecuting hate crimes directed at LGBT persons in any state. Unlike the House bill that passed in April, however, this was not a stand-alone hate crimes bill, but an amendment attached to the National Defense Authorization Act for 2010. A defense authorization bill allows Congress to appropriate money for Department of Defense operations and related activities like military construction, to pay military personnel, to fund veterans’ benefits, and similar purposes. Blue Dog Democrat Rep. Ike Skelton (D-Mo.), Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee and prime sponsor of the defense authorization, was lukewarm about including the hate crimes provisions, according to the Washington Blade newspaper. Skelton reportedly wanted the
ington State registered in domestic partnerships will keep the essential protections the law provides. Washington Families Standing Together (WAFST), the LGBT advocacy group behind the Approve Referendum 71 Campaign, alongside hundreds of volunteers from around the state have registered voters, continue to phone bank and canvas potential voters, and have truly begun a grassroots outreach. see r-71 page 7
Obama to address HRC at annual dinner
visiblevote08.logoonline.com
Hate crimes bill passes US House as amendment to DOD authorization
by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer
by Shaun Knittel SGN Staff Writer
President Barack Obama
by Shaun Knittel SGN Staff Writer
The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) announced October 5 that President Barack Obama will deliver the keynote address at the organization’s 13th annual National Dinner in Washington D.C. on October 10. Obama’s appearance at the dinner comes one day before thousee hate crimes page 20 sands of people are expected to
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march on Washington in a demonstration calling for greater legal protections for LGBT Americans. HRC, a leading Gay rights advocacy group, represents a show of support for Gay rights at a time when many in the LGBT community have questioned the president’s commitment to their issues. Historically, his appearance will see hrc dinner page 21
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Celebrating 36 Years!
I strongly APProVE r-71 Equality is good for all people – gay and straight. Washington’s domestic partnership law is good news for everybody. Please join me and vote to approve R-71.
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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
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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
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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.
Tour de Life: In defense of my whining by Beau Burriola SGN European Correspondent Two weeks ago, I wrote a column that pissed a lot of people off. As a result, I got an e-mail box full of people taking me to task over my insensitivity toward Muslim cultures. Reading some of the responses made me angry that so many people who live in liberal bio-bubbles would presume to tell me how I need to behave in the face of open hostility and discrimination when they don’t experience that same thing. Sure, it’s easy to be accepting of Muslim culture when you don’t live in the middle of the hostility toward Gay people that it has created. “I am concerned about the tone of your article which seems to ascribe homophobia and violence specifically to Muslims,” one person wrote. “Many fundamentalist Christians do this as much as many Muslims.” “We need to avoid stereotyping Muslims as being homophobic,” parroted another. “A stereotype is a stereotype.” “You just can’t make statements like this about all Muslims,” complained another. Too all of you, I say boo-friggen-hoo, wake up. While we are all busy hugging ourselves for our ideas about equality, let’s not forget the systematic genocide of Gay people occurring every day in Islamic Republics around the world. Today, Gay people are killed in Saudi Arabia, Iran, Pakistan, Mauritania, Nigeria, Sudan, and Yemen. That’s killed, outright. In several other countries with areas controlled by courts ruling on law according to Islam, you can expect much of the same treatment. This is systematic, government-driven execution of Gay people simply because they are Gay. Genocide. There isn’t a single majority-Christian country in this world which does this to Gay people.
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And you all want to tell me that I’m not being accepting enough of Islam? That I can’t make generalizations about Islam? Seriously? I have lived my whole life with the belief that in order to bring full equality to realization, we have to generate that equality ourselves, but now I’m starting to doubt whether that is truly possible. There is a growing scenario in Europe where we find ourselves accepting people who not only don’t accept us, but who reject our very right to exist. That is fine for a while, but if integration never happens, what then? I am not some crazy right-wing wacko advocating the removal of Muslims from Europe. I believe that integrated coexistence is possible, but walking down the streets of Brussels with my boyfriend carrying pepper spray makes me think that perhaps Europe could work a little more on the integration part of this model. I worry that our equality movement is becoming too soft. If we don’t even recognize institutionalized discrimination for fear of being seen as not being accepting enough, then how can we expect to change anything? Aren’t we just sitting on our hands and hoping that eventually people will just accept us because we are us? And if they don’t, what then? The comment that got me riled up the most, though, was from an official at the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force. Rev. Rebecca Voelkel with the NGLTF wrote: “It is extremism/fundamentalism within all of the major religious traditions that is the problem and it is the cultural interpretations of these religions that is flawed. I think it is urgently important that we, as Western LGBT folks from the US (who carry all kinds of power in the world because of our cultural context – economic, political – we’re even linked to all the military power
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our gov’t uses), are very careful not to make blanket statements about Muslims or Jews, or Christians, for that matter. We need to be very clear that we are respectful of and in collaboration with Muslims who are not fundamentalists.” First, isn’t it organizations like the NGLTF who should be standing up for us when we experience discrimination, particularly if we are experiencing it from one of the largest institutions in the world? If the very organizations we set up to fight institutionalized discrimination, like NGLTF, are going to berate me because I complain about the discrimination I get from Muslims, what’s the point of them anyway? If that’s all they are going to do, they are really just a bunch of overpaid (if hopeful) cogitators who have neither tasks nor force to bring about any meaningful change. They should change their name. Second, it infuriates me that Rev. Voelkel and others are labeling Muslims who are hostile to Gay people as “extremists.” A quick, global look at Islam will show anyone that it is mainstream Muslims who are hostile to Gay people, not “extremists.” It’s not some breakoff, crazy group outside the mosque enacting hostility toward Gays; it is the mosque itself and the mainstream interpretation of their beliefs. Let’s call it what it is. It is “mainstream” Muslims who are hostile to Gay people, and you can try to put all kinds of lipstick on that pig, but it will still be the same ugly pig. I know we Gay folks like to imagine this view of a peaceful world full of people who coexist without any violence toward one another. It’s the very utopian equality we put on our flags for our parades and the idea we trumpet from the rooftops. But while we are celebrating that utopian idea, let’s not forget that there are forces in this world which are just as powerful doing exactly the opposite. A systematic genocide against Gays is happening every single day thanks to Islam. It’s no more a generalization than pointing out that the sun rises from the east, however we phrase it to make it sound different. So if it sounds a little general when I complain about Muslim hostility toward Gay people, I think my reaction is probably equal to what we face. Not all Muslims are hostile to Gay people, sure, but a great deal more than not are. That is worth a little complaining. “The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves, but wiser people so full of doubts.” –Bertrand Russell Beau Burriola is a Queer American writer living in Europe. beaubrent@gmail.com
Celebrating 36 Years!
Randy Wells 1952-2009
R. Kelly Ettleman 1959-2009
Randy was an extraordinarily generous, kind and loving person who spent many years of his life caring for those who were suffering or dying. His ready wit could captivate a room with his unique view of the world and many people found his offbeat brand of humor to be just the thing to make them laugh at the absurdities of life. He was an artist, astrologer, massage therapist, gardener and a voracious reader, and was interested in all the diverse aspects of existence, especially the beauties of the natural world. He spent his last two months at Bailey Boushay House, where he received loving and compassionate care. In the end the Kaposis, CMV, dementia and HIV were all too much for even his strong will, and on Friday, October 2 at around 1:00 in the afternoon, he took his last breath. He died simply and peacefully. Randy was a longtime survivor, living with Hepatitis C for almost 30 years and HIV for just about as long, eschewing the medicines of allopathy in favor of his lifesustaining Chinese herbs. Their use and the practice of Yoga, along with his love of life, kept him alive for many years when others had given up on him. He is survived by his brother Steven, and numerous friends and relatives. There will be a memorial on Saturday October 17 at 2 p.m. in Greenwood in Seattle. Please call 713-0803 for directions. Remembrances should be sent in his name to Bailey Boushay House at 2720 E. Madison, Seattle 98112.
R. Kelly Ettleman, 50, of Jefferson City, Missouri, passed away on Tuesday, October 6, 2009. He was born in St. Joseph, MO, to Andrew and Mildred Ettleman on March 25, 1959. Kelly lived in Missouri for a number of years and helped run the family business until he moved to Florida in the 1980s. From Florida, he moved to Seattle, where he was employed by The Seattle Times for 14 years. Kelly loved reading, the perfect deep blue of a clear Seattle night sky, growing beautiful flowers, listening to jazz and classical music, and spending time with his friends. He also played the piano far better than he knew. Kelly was known for his witty conversation, wicked sense of humor, and above all, his amazing ability to love. He was a generous man who will be sorely missed by all who were fortunate enough to know him. He is greatly loved and remembered by his mother, Mildred Ettleman of Jefferson City, MO, two sisters, Donna Jones and her husband Mick of Jefferson City, MO, and Mary Gentry of Shreveport, LA; nephews, Shane and his wife Rebecca and their three boys, Austin, Zachary, and Cooper of Jefferson City, MO, and Andrew Gentry of Shreveport, LA; and niece, Hollie Gentry of Shreveport, LA. Kelly was preceded in death by his father, Andrew Ettleman; two brothers, Roger Lynn Ettleman and Rodney Lewis Ettleman; and one nephew, Andrew Joshua Jones. Those desiring may make memorial contributions to Mr. Holland’s Opus Foundation at mhopus.org. Arrangements by Freeman Mortuary, www.freemanmortuary. com.
Seattle OUTprotest Equality March and Rally by Shaun Knittel SGN Staff Writer Seattle OUTprotest, a local grassroots LGBTQ advocacy organization, has put together Seattle Equality Weekend. The event consists of two days, October 10-11, of LGBTQ education workshops, the HIV/AIDS vigil, the march and rally, and the Generation Q Mega Mixer. Seattle OUTprotest officials say the Equality Weekend is in solidarity with the National Equality March on Washington, D.C., where thousands of people are expected to march in support of equal protection for LGBT people in all matters governed by civil law in all 50 states. “The cooperation with the National Equality March has been very inspiring,” Seattle OUTprotest lead organizer Eduardo Brambila told SGN. “Cleve Jones put out the call for organizers and support – that’s where we come in. What is so amazing is that they trust us and all the other organizations across the country, so there’s been no micromanagement, only support.” Brambila said Seattle OUTprotest has worked hard to stay in line with the National Equality March’s vision, while at the same time adding a Seattle flair to it by incorporating the pressing issue in Washington: Approving Referendum 71. Thinking Queerly: Community Workshops on LGBT Issues October 10, 9:30 a.m. – 5 p.m. PigoTt Auditorium Seattle University 12th & E. Marion Community organizers and activists are scheduled to present a series of workshops on a range of issues affecting the LGBT community, including Stonewall and LGBT movement history, homelessness, hate crimes and self defense, LGBT health, “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” legal issues, GayStraight Alliances, and marriage equality, to name a few. “The Thinking Queerly workshops were organized so we, as a community, can be more aware of the issues impacting us and how we can get involved,” Brambila told SGN. “We talk about intergenerational conversations and cooperation needed in or-
Seattle OUTprotest March and Rally October 11, 2 p.m., Volunteer Park, 14th Ave. E. & E. Prospect ST. October 11, 5 p.m. Rally, Federal Courthouse 7th & Stewart der to fully start a movement and see some Forty years after the Stonewall Rebellion, tangible outcomes. The Thinking Queerly we march in solidarity with our brothers, workshops are a forum for exactly that!” sisters, and allies in Washington, D.C. to demand equal protection in all matters govHIV/AIDS Vigil erned by civil law in all 50 states, as well as, October 10, 6:30 p.m. show public support for the approval of RefSeattle Central erendum 71 in Washington State. Community College “We’ve set up an opportunity for our South Plaza community to be heard. It’s not just about Broadway & E. Pine As the AIDS pandemic nears its fourth de- LGBT rights, it’s about showing unity in our cade, we gather to educate and raise awareness about the continued struggles of people living with HIV/AIDS and their families, friends, and support networks as well as to demand resources and all funding necessary for prevention, treatment, and a cure. The vigil will include gospel choirs, an AIDS mural, guest speakers, videos, and an opportunity to learn how to help prevent and fight the spread of HIV/AIDS. “We’re very fortunate to live in a city with great services offered by organizations such as Gay City and Lifelong AIDS Alliance. But during these hard economic times, budget cuts make it very difficult to provide the essential services needed,” Brambila said. “Over 14,000 people die in America each year because of HIV/AIDS. The HIV medicines are truly lifesavers … but we must not forget it requires determination and very hard work to stay healthy with HIV. At the vigil, people can learn about programs like MPowerment, which work with young Queer communities, so we don’t fall into another vicious cycle of history repeating itself.”
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October 9, 2009
country and humanity,” Brambila told SGN. “Figures say around 10% are LGBT in this country, we need those other 90% to hear us and support us.” Generation Q Mega Mixer October 11, 6:30 p.m. The Sole Repair Shop 1001 E. Pike Young leaders – those 25 years old and younger – will have the opportunity to socialize with and learn from some of the LGBT community’s most inspiring members in a relaxed, social environment. For more information about the Seattle OUTprotest and the Seattle Equality Weekend, visit the organization’s official website at www.nationalmarch.seattleoutprotest. org.
Seattle Gay News
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INTERNATIONAL GayRussia.ru
NEWS
by Rex Wockner SGN Contributing Writer
Moscow Pride organizer Nikolai Alekseev
El Salvador rejects move to ban Gay marriage and adoption An attempt to put anti-Gay amendments into El Salvador’s constitution failed September 24. The proposals would have banned Gay adoption, same-sex marriage, Gay civil unions and recognition of foreign Gay unions. Fifty-six votes were needed, a two-thirds majority. Proponents fell 10 votes short. President Mauricio Funes’ governing leftwing Farabundo Martí National Liberation Front opposed the amendments, saying they violated GLBT civil rights.
New UN president disses Gays The new president of the United Nations General Assembly, former Libyan Foreign Minister Ali Abdussalam Treki, expressed disapproval of Gays September 15. Asked about last year’s General Assembly statement by 66 nations urging decriminalization of Gay sex worldwide, Treki said: “As a Muslim, I am not in favor of that. I believe it is not accepted by the majority of countries [and] it is not really acceptable by our religion, our tradition.” Treki reportedly went on to say that some countries think allowing homosexuality is “a kind of democracy [but] I think it is not.”
U.S. Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, ranking Republican on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, denounced the remarks. “The anti-Gay bigotry spewed by this Qaddafi shill demonstrates once again that the UN has been hijacked by advocates of hate and intolerance,” Ros-Lehtinen said. “Likewise, the leadership of the UN Development Program is held by the Iranian regime, which denies the presence of Gays in Iran even as it murders them and other innocent citizens. We must ensure that billions annually in U.S. taxpayer dollars no longer foot the bill for the UN’s anti-freedom agenda without significant reform.” The International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association (ILGA) said it was “deeply worried and outraged” by Treki’s statements. “The worrying and serious implications of this attitude, coming from the new head of an institution which is supposed to regard human rights – all human rights – as the most sacred value, cannot be overstated,” ILGA Co-Secretaries General Gloria Careaga and Renato Sabbadini said. “We appeal to the representatives of the states which signed the statement against criminalization of homosexuality, but also voted for the election of Mr. Treki in his new position, to demand an explanation [from] the UN Assembly president for his words and react consequently.” The president of the European Parliament’s Intergroup on Gay and Lesbian Rights, Michael Cashman, called on Treki to “think again.” “He is there to defend the principles of the United Nations and that includes the Universal Declaration of Human Rights Act ... all following amendments and covenants of rights, including LGBT human rights,” Cashman said. “Such statements are totally inappropriate and unacceptable. He must now speak on behalf of those who do not have a voice and forget his religious beliefs which must remain private. He must realize that the implications of his words could legitimize violence towards LGBT people.” Gay rights conference staged in Belarus More than 100 people from nine Belarusian cities and 10 other countries gathered at the Crowne Plaza in Minsk, Belarus, on September 26 for an LGBT rights conference, GayRussia.ru reported. Twenty-three reports were presented at the meeting, which was titled “LGBT Move-
NEWS
Texas Gay marriage ban ruled unconstitutional Dallas District Judge Tena Callahan ruled October 1 that Texas’ constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage violates the U.S. Constitution’s guarantee of equal protection under the law. The determination came in the case of two men who married in Massachusetts and now want to divorce in Texas, which Callahan decided to allow. Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott and Gov. Rick Perry expressed alarm at the ruling, and Abbott said he would appeal it “to defend the traditional definition of marriage.” Perry called the decision “flawed” and urged an appeal. March on Washington receives permit for preferred route Organizers of the October 11 National Equality March announced September 29 that they received a permit for the march route they requested. The march will step off at noon from 15th and I streets NW near McPherson Square, go south on 15th to H, west on H to 17th, south on 17th to Pennsylvania Avenue, past the White House on Pennsylvania to 15th, south on 15th, then east on Pennsylvania to the U.S. Capitol West Lawn for the National Equality March Rally. The route is 2.3 miles long. The march weekend consists of 31 events 6
Seattle Gay News
by Rex Wockner SGN Contributing Writer starting Friday and ending Sunday. For a full schedule, see tinyurl.com/nemsked. Organizers have announced “a single demand: Equal protection in all matters governed by civil law in all 50 states.” “The march is not our final destination,” they said. “It is our first step toward building a national grassroots network that will continue organizing until we have achieved full equality. “We want to work to bridge the gap between the national organizations and the grassroots community organizers. We will gather. We will strategize. We will march. And we will leave energized and empowered to do the work that needs to be done in every community across the nation. This is only the beginning.” For a route map, see tinyurl.com/nemmap1. Obama issues inclusive Family Day proclamation President Barack Obama included families headed by same-sex couples in a proclamation recognizing September 28 as “Family Day.” “Our family provides one of the strongest influences on our lives,” the proclamation begins. “American families from every walk of life have taught us time and again that children raised in loving, caring homes have the ability to reject negative behaviors and reach their highest potential. Whether
October 9, 2009
Libel case against Moscow mayor dismissed A libel case against Moscow Mayor Yuri Luzhkov over his having called Gays “homos” was dismissed October 2. After a three-hour hearing the Tverskoi District Court said there was a lack of evidence in the case filed by Moscow Pride organizers. Speaking on TV in June against the planned Gay pride parade, Luzhkov said Russian society “does not accept all these homos.” Luzhkov has banned the pride parade for four years and has sent riot police to aggressively arrest those who ignored the bans. He has said the bans are for Gays’ own good so that “radical Christians” don’t have a chance to “kill them,” but he also reportedly has called Gay pride parades “demonic,” “satanic” and “weapons of mass destruction.” With assistance from Bill Kelley had been “wrong” in opposing same-sex marriage. Speaking to CNN’s Anderson Cooper, Clinton said: “I realized that I was, you know, over 60 years old, I grew up at a different time, and I was hung up about the word [marriage]. I had all these Gay friends, I had all these Gay couple friends, and I was hung up about it. And I decided I was wrong. That our society has an interest in coherence and strength and commitment and mutually reinforcing loyalties, then if Gay couples want to call their union marriage and a state agrees, and several have now, or a religious body will sanction it – and I don’t think the state should be able to stop the religious bodies from saying it – I don’t think the rest of us should get in the way of that. I think it’s a good thing, not a bad thing.” “I just realized that I was, probably for, maybe just because of my age and the way I’ve grown up, I was wrong about that,” he continued. “I just had too many Gay friends. I saw their relationships. I just decided I couldn’t, I had an untenable position.” As president, Clinton signed into law the Defense of Marriage Act, which prohibits the federal government from recognizing same-sex marriages and affirms that states don’t have to recognize other states’ samesex marriages. For video of a portion of Clinton’s remarks, see tinyurl.com/iwaswrong. Andrés Duque
NATIONAL
ment and NGOs: Prospects for Cooperation With Active Civil Society to Overcome Homophobia in Belarus.” The reports addressed such issues as public activism, GLBT identity, Gay history, homophobia in politics, psychological aspects of homophobia, education of journalists, Gay business, and homosexuality and religion. The gathering was organized by GayBelarus.by and GayRussia.ru. “You are making history today,” LouisGeorges Tin, president of the International Day Against Homophobia Committee, told the delegates. Jean-Eric Holzapfel from the European Commission’s Belarus delegation told delegates: “The human rights situation in Belarus is of particular interest to us. This applies of course to the situation of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender people.” At the conference’s conclusion, delegates adopted a resolution that will be sent to Belarus’ government and parliament urging passage of laws banning anti-Gay and -Trans discrimination, criminalizing hate speech, and extending spousal rights to same-sex couples. Representatives attended from the French, Hungarian and Swedish embassies, and the Swedish Embassy hosted an evening reception. Later, Lika Milovski was crowned “Miss Trans Diva Belarus” at a local nightclub.
Former President Bill Clinton
children are raised by two parents, a single parent, grandparents, a same-sex couple, or a guardian, families encourage us to do our best and enable us to accomplish great things. Today, our children are confronting issues of drug and alcohol use with astonishing regularity. On Family Day, we honor the dedication of parents, commend the achievements of their children, and celebrate the contributions our nation’s families have made to combat substance abuse among young people.” For the full text of the document, see tinyurl.com/Obama-FD. Clinton: I was wrong to oppose Gay marriage Bill Clinton said September 25 that he
With assistance from Bill Kelley
Celebrating 36 Years!
MCC Seattle joins UDECC Local Gay author to speak at Q-Squared Book Group in feasibility study
by James Whitely SGN Contributing Writer The Metropolitan Community ChurchSeattle (MCC) recently joined the University District Ecumenical Campus Coalition (UDECC). Members of MCC voted unanimously September 27 to accept UDECC’s offer to join in a feasibility study. The purpose of UDECC is to gather progressive local congregations of various denominations into a single “urban development project,” in which they can worship separately or together in shared spaces throughout the city to create a single community of progressive believers. The coalition is now made up of mostly Lutheran, Episcopal, American Baptist, and
r-71
continued from cover With a short time frame before ballots begin to arrive in the mail, the stakes have never been higher – Referendum 71 must be approved. VOTERS DIVIDED ON REFERENDUM 71 This week, SurveyUSA released the results of Election Poll #15877, which concluded that voters are divided on Referendum 71. According to the survey, 45% of likely voters say they are certain to vote to approve Referendum 71, 42% are certain to reject, and 13% are not certain. Among men, the measure is rejected by a four-point margin; however, among women, 12 points approve it – a 16-point gender gap. Seventy-two percent of Republicans say they will vote to reject, while 72% of Democrats say they will vote to approve. Independents reject the referendum by a 13-point margin. In Metro Seattle, the measure is approved by 18 points; in Eastern Washington, it is rejected by 18 points. Western Washington voters outside of Metro Seattle are more divided, with an eight-point margin voting against Referendum 71. SurveyUSA say they interviewed 1,050 Washington State adults on October 3-5, 2009. Of them, 907 were registered to vote. Of the registered voters, 548 were determined by SurveyUSA to be likely voters in the November General Election. “We are down to crunch time,” WAFST Campaign Manager Josh Friedes told SGN. “The recent polls suggest that Referendum 71 is too close to call – the campaign and the community must do everything we can to approve Referendum 71.” COMMUNITY OUTREACH Last weekend, volunteers at Standing Together to Approve Ref. 71, registered 176 voters and signed up 97 volunteers. Under the direction of Josh Castle, participants spoke with thousands of people at Westlake Center and the corner of Broadway and John
Methodist churches. UDECC has a progressive approach to resources and land use planning that they call “a next-generation solution that we hope will be modeled by many kinds of social, business and community groups in years to come.” UDECC sees the church as a community center, not just a religious center. Reverend Ray Neal, pastor of MCC, said, “Joining the UDECC feasibility study gives us some remarkable long-range possibilities that we would not have available to us as a single congregation. … The whole idea of UDECC is to make ministry more feasible, less expensive, and more productive than it might be if we had to support our own facility with limited funding.” about the urgency of filling out their ballots and voting to approve Referendum 71. This weekend, Castle told SGN the volunteers will build on their success by taking the message directly to the community with an Approve Ref. 71 Bar Crawl on October 10. Going “out of the streets and into the bars,” Castle said the Approve Ref. 71 Campaign will be taking over Seattle Gay bars to get the word out. “On Saturday, we will be at every Gay bar in Seattle,” Castle said. “On Sunday, we will target the most populated bars. That campaign is coming – it’s gonna be a tornado of people.” He said the purpose of the community outreach project is to get people excited, engaged, and thinking about voting to approve Referendum 71, as well as to remind everyone their ballots will be arriving in the mail soon so they should “fill them out and mail them right away.” Beginning around 9 p.m., teams of volunteers will be in all of the main bars and clubs on Capitol Hill, Seattle’s Gayborhood, to hand out Approve Referendum 71 signs, posters, flyers, and stickers. Castle said they also want to sign up as many volunteers as possible for phone banks, canvassing, sign waving, and other events. In addition, the volunteers will also be collecting donations from bar patrons for the Approve Referendum 71 Campaign. Although the event is activist at its core, Castle says volunteers can expect to have a good time. He said he’s putting together “a group of outrageously wild, flamboyant, and hyper individuals who will run from bar to bar getting attention, waving huge Approve Ref. 71 signs, and stickering everyone.” “Please join us as we work towards equality and the protection of all families and have a fun, wild time throughout,” Castle said.
Q-Squared Book Club with AUTHOR Rick R. Reed October 17 Capitol Hill Branch Library Rick R. Reed, author of Bashed, will meet with members of the Q-Squared Book Group at their next meeting to discuss his recent novel, the group’s selection for October. Bashed is the story of a Gay hate crime and its aftermath. The event will be on Saturday, October 17, from 1-2 p.m. at the Capitol Hill Branch Library, located at 425 Harvard Avenue East. Bashed was published in March of this year by MLR Press and has garnered very favorable reviews. Reed says Bashed was inspired by a real-life incident that happened when he lived in Chicago. “My close call with fag bashing came one October night in Chicago. I had been hanging out at the Eagle and had stayed late, leaving at close to four in the morning. I had made a new friend and we were making our way to my car, which was parked on a side street that ran parallel to St. Boniface Cemetery. My companion and I weren’t thinking about things like hate crimes. But we suddenly were when we noticed an idling old car. The car was a souped-up muscle vehicle and inside were several dark figures, all turning their heads as we approached. Both of us quickened our pace. Even in the middle of a metropolis like Chicago, it was easy to feel vulnerable. And we felt even more so when the still of the night was broken by the sound of car doors opening. Suddenly, my friend and I stopped, feeling exposed in our leather, as four young men emerged. They all sported shaved heads and were dressed in baggy jeans and hoodies. amount far greater than the $60,000 raised to date by the law’s opponents, Protect Marriage Washington. “Washington State campaign finance laws allow individuals and organizations to dump in money at the last minute,” Friedes warns, “So, people should not take any comfort in current reports that show us having raised more money.” Beginning October 13 and lasting through the end of the election, donations from companies and individuals are limited to $5,000 maximum. “We’ve had such a short time to raise money,” Friedes told SGN. “Our supporters have been amazing, many of which are organizing impromptu house party fundraisers with their friends and family [and] making substantial contributions to the campaign.” Friedes said it is going to cost WAFST a lot of money in order to pay for expensive ad campaigns that will motivate voters. “This is about voter turnout,” he said. “It costs a lot of money to get voters to the polls that don’t normally vote in an off year election.” In the end, he said, it is up to the small donors to fund this campaign. Statewide, Friedes said, there is a lot of campaign activity. He said WAFST’s volunteers have set up multiple phone banks and have fanned out field teams across the state to raise campaign awareness, with a major canvassing project in the works for Seattle and Tacoma. “We continue to believe that the most effective way of getting people to mail in their
“One of them carried an aluminum baseball bat. “They didn’t say anything. Their silence was more frightening than if they had hurled epithets our way. To reach my car, we would have to walk by them … and it didn’t appear as though they were planning to let us pass. We froze. The four moved closer. One of the guys, the one with the bat, grinned, swinging the bat slightly. “In books, they call what happened next deus ex machina, but at just that moment, one of Chicago’s finest rolled down the street, very slowly, toward us. The men got in their cars quickly. And so did we. “Thankfully, I do not know what the outcome of that night would have been had not the police come along. But the incident did stick with me until I dramatized the incident as the opening to Bashed. But in my fictional world, no police car came to the rescue. It’s chilling to think that one of your characters could have been you, a you that might not have survived to tell a tale.” Unzipped magazine called Reed the “Stephen King of Gay horror.” He lives in Seattle and is the author of 10 novels and two collections. His short fiction has appeared in more than 20 anthologies. For more information about the author, visit www.rickrreed.com. Q-Squared Book Group is open to anyone who is interested in Gay literature and is always seeking new members. To learn more about Q-Squared or CAMP, visit their website at www.qsquared.org. A Q-Squared press release
ballots is through peer-to-peer contact,” he told SGN. “Nearly half of all voters don’t vote in an off-year election. Please, get out there and talk to your friends, family, and coworkers about the importance of approving Referendum 71.” For more information about the Approve Ref. 71 Campaign, WAFST, or to make a campaign donation or sign up to volunteer, visit the advocacy organization online at www.approvereferendum71.org. MAIL-IN REGISTRATION OVER FOR GENERAL ELECTION; IN PERSON REGISTRATION STILL POSSIBLE If you are not currently registered in the State of Washington, you can still register in person at your county elections office up to eight days before the election. The deadline for in-person registration for the upcoming November 3 General Election is Monday, October 26. To register in person in King County, you must go to the King County Elections Office, 9010 East Marginal Way S. in Tukwila. The office is open Monday - Friday, 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. (The office will be closed on Monday, October 11.) If you have general voter registration or elections questions, visit them online at www.kingcounty. gov/elections or call (206) 296-VOTE. To register in person in other counties in Washington State, contact the Secretary of State’s office at (360) 902-4180 or visit www.secstate.wa.gov to find the location of your county’s Elections Office.
APPROVE REF. 71 CAMPAIGN PEER-TO-PEER CONTACT Microsoft Corp. has donated $100,000 to WAFST, the largest donation the campaign has received to date, according to reports filed with the State Public Disclosure Commission on October 5. According to reports, it brings WAFST campaign coffers to nearly $780,000 – an
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October 9, 2009
Seattle Gay News
7
Wally Stevenson, “Wizard of the Organ” by Don Paulson SGN Contributing Writer
“I was born for music on October 31, 1920, and began piano lessons at age four,” says Wally Stevenson. “A piano fell on me when I was 12, resulting in back injuries that kept me out of the army. Later a blender blew up in my hand, and then a plate glass incident ruined my classical music piano career. I could still play well enough, but not for the classical stage. So I went into show business and did 6,000 U.S.O shows, as well as Hollywood Canteen shows with Bob Hope, Hedy Lamar, and Dorothy Lamour, plus giving my own concerts. I met Ethel Smith, who took America by storm with her organ music, especially after her hit record, Teko Teko. I studied under her and she taught me how to bridge piano over to the pipe organ so a loss became a gain.’’ Norman Knutson, who played the organ at the Garden of Allah, says, “The origin of the organ dates back to the pipes of Pan. All the big organ builders built one-tone ‘church organs.’ But then in 1910, Wurlitzer
came out with his orchestral version, adding what they call ‘tremble’ by shaking the air, getting a beat and getting a quick response, making it perfect for show business. It made you feel good next to the bark of the old church organs. Wurlitzers were installed in many churches, dance halls, restaurants, department stores, roller rinks, hotels, outdoor theaters, etc. Hope Jones did a lot for the development of the organ, but when it was found out that he was a homosexual, he committed suicide. He was a great electrical engineer. Marvan, The Rivoli Burlesque Theater’s co-owner and dancer, says, “Wally Stevenson was our organist. We fought and fought. He just couldn’t get that dirty beat, then he couldn’t see me because he was down so low.’’ Wally says, “I’d done lots of theater work, but this was my first burlesque experience. I finally got the beat and stopped the music abruptly, so Marvan could get the immediate applause and milk it for more. Everett, the one-armed drummer, was above the footlights and could see what was going on,
Homophobic graffiti reports investigated by James Whitely SGN Contributing Writer A recently released police report details another case of homophobic graffiti in West Seattle. The case is strikingly similar to previous incidents in the neighborhood, where a suspect was arrested and released last May. On September 10, at approx 2:30 p.m., a woman reported to the Seattle Police Department (SPD) that she had seen three pieces of rather disturbing homophobic and anti-police graffiti as she was walking by a business in the 7300 block of Fauntleroy Way Southwest in West Seattle. The homophobic messages were written with black tag marker on the business’ sign, a bench, and inside a nearby portable toilet. Both the sign and bench read, “Fags Rape Kids,” and inside the portable toilet was “Fuck SPD, Seattle Pedafile [sic] Defenders” and “Where is the highest concentration
of sex offenders on the planet? The Castro District San Fran Sissy. Fags Rape Kids.” “In May 2009, there were similar incidents in which the same or similar homophobic phrases were written in black marker at several locations in West Seattle,” investigating officer Adonis Topacio wrote in his report. A 31-year-old male was identified as the suspect and arrested that May. Charged in Seattle Municipal Court with six counts of property destruction-graffiti, he plead not guilty. The case was dismissed without prejudice in early summer and he was released June 12 from King County Jail. The man is listed as a suspect in the most recent police investigation, but he has not been arrested or charged, records show. A media spokesman for the SPD said that the case was documented, but there is not enough evidence to arrest a suspect at this time.
so I tried to follow him. That ultimately presented a problem because he might go off on a tangent or be drunk. Everett was into threesomes. He’d pick out a couple guys from the front row and somehow connect with them later and set up a threesome with his wife. Ginger didn’t like it at first, but got used to it. They’d get drunk and start fighting. He’d say, ‘Take out your teeth, because I’m going to hit you,’ and did so. Once he hit her and she fell down a flight of stairs and broke her dentures. Another time he came into the dressing room with a gun. He was mad! ‘Where is she?’ he demanded. Then we heard Ginger cry ‘Don’t, don’t!’ before he shot her. She fell to the floor and he fled. We were in total shock. A moment later he came through the door. It was all staged using the stage gun that shot blanks. “I played for many burlesque stars, like Gay Dawn, Lily St. Clair, Tempest Storm and ‘Queen of the nudists,’ Zorena, who was 70 years old in a full body stocking and 20 yards of silk with a huge dragon painted on it in florescent colors, glowing under black light. While twirling around the stage, her outfit hooked on to my light music rack. She gave it a tremendous tug and jerked the whole thing off the organ and it landed in the front row. Another time we heard a great explosion and lost air for the organ and years of dust hit two rows. We called Balçomb and Vaughan, who instructed us to patch the hole with Kotex and tape and I finished the show.” Marvan remembers, “Tempest Storm was such a bitch. She smelled like a $1,000 prostitute. She had that red hair and when the lavender light went on the red hair it was like a flame. She worked less than anyone
I’ve known. She’d wiggle a bit and bring the house down. She had legs up to here and she’d spread those legs as far as she could and throw those size-48 breasts down and get a standing ovation. She would parade back and forth doing her show on stage above me and say, ‘fuck the musicians, fuck the musicians.’ All the acts involved a story, a scenario, a scene. We had a chorus, which were strippers most of the time. The comics were a necessary ingredient.” Wally says, “Hubba Hubba was one of the great comics of vaudeville. A burlesque routine: Give me a sentence using the word pistol, ‘we drink till nine and piss till two.’ We could get away with double meanings, but we had to be careful about the censors. We never had to pay off the police. Another routine: The husband went to work and his wife began doing these exercises. He forgot his briefcase and came back to see his wife with her legs open doing an exercise. ‘For God’s sake, Blanche,’ he said, ‘put in your teeth and comb your hair. You look more like your mother every day.’ “We had a gorilla act called ‘Tomba.’ That gorilla was realistic! The same gorilla suit was used in an Abbot and Costello movie. The act opened with offstage sounds, ‘Tomba, Tomba!’ and you heard the rattle of chains. Then you heard a lot of commotion and someone yelled, ‘Tomba’s escaped!’ A moment later, Tomba would burst through the exit door near the audience. It shocked everyone, because you didn’t expect anyone to enter offstage. A black man in the box seats thought a real gorilla had escaped. He jumped out of the box seats, over everyone in the front row, up the aisle, through the entrance and fled into the night.”
MCC Seattle hosts POZ Seattle’s monthly social by James Whitely SGN Contributing Writer POZSeattle monthly social October 14 The Cuff The Metropolitan Community Church (MCC) Seattle is sponsoring POZSeattle’s monthly social this month on Wednesday, October 14 from 6-8 p.m. at the Cuff. MCC offered to host the event in celebration of National Coming Out Day and National Lesbian and Gay History Month. The social has been a POZSeattle tradition since the organization’s inception just over 10 years ago, taking place the second Wednesday of each month at the Cuff. This is the first time that an outside organization has sponsored POZSeattle’s monthly social with a full-on meal. “We do [the monthly social] to have a safe place to come and be who you are without having to worry about discrimination,” POZSeattle volunteer T.J. Elston told SGN. “I am very grateful for MCC’s involvement with POZSeattle, and with this month’s social. “As they have stated before, they were known as ‘the AIDS church’ in the late ‘80s, ministering to families and survivors of those who had died of HIV/AIDS-related illness back when this epidemic first came around, and when no other agency or church would [offer] support, let alone mention the words HIV or AIDS. Today they embrace and celebrate those living with HIV/AIDS, and their families and friends. “This is evident by their sponsorship of our October Social with a ham and chicken
dinner that will also include salad, baked beans, rolls, and dessert,” T.J. said. The social is free of charge, except for the cost of drinks, and is intended for all HIVpositive men and their friends and family, regardless of age, shape, size, gender, or color. POZSeattle also plans to have two full-on dinner socials in November and December, courtesy of volunteers. Make sure to drop by the Cuff every second Wednesday of the month to get involved with and support POZSeattle. POZSeattle – its name a spin on the word “positive” – is an all-volunteer-run organization run for and by Seattle-area HIV-positive men. The 300-member organization is the only one of its kind in the Puget Sound area that coordinates social events for HIVpositive men. POZSeattle is committed to planning and promoting fun social activities and support for HIV positive men and their friends and families. In addition to the monthly socials, the group has sponsored kayaking trips, bowling nights, movie nights and other various community-building activities. “We’re expanding our horizons,” said T.J. For more information on POZSeattle or to plan your own social event with POZSeattle, visit www.pozseattle.org. This month’s sponsor, MCC Seattle, is the first and oldest “welcoming and affirming” church in Seattle and the Pacific Northwest. It was founded by and for the LGBT community in 1972. MCC Seattle meets in the chapel at Temple de Hirsch Sinai, 1441 16th Ave., every Sunday at 12:30 p.m.
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You can get a FREE VIP ticket to BUMP, Seattle’s Hottest Halloween Party!! Ask your friends to support Gay City, and for every $200 you raise, you get a ticket! Join Fund Buddies, help your community, and win prizes! To learn more or join, visit www.gaycity.org and click FUND BUDDIES!
NORTHWEST
NEWS
compiled by Rick McKinnon SGN Staff Writer
IN PERSON VOTER REGISTRATION STILL POSSIBLE UNTIL OCTOBER 26 FOR NOVEMBER 3 GENERAL ELECTION
IF YOU HAVE MOVED BUT HAVE NOT SUBMITTED A CHANGE OF ADDRESS YOU CAN STILL GET A BALLOT SENT TO YOU If you are not currently registered to vote in Washington State and you want to vote in the November 3 General Election, you can still register to vote, but YOU MUST REGISTER TO VOTE IN PERSON, no later than Monday, October 26. If you live in King County, drop by the King County Elections Office at 9010 E. Marginal Way S., Tukwila (a couple blocks north of the Museum of Flight). The office is open Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. and is located on the Metro bus line 124 which travels between downtown Seattle and Federal Way. For more information, call the King County Elections Office, 206-2968683 or visit their website at www.kingcounty.gov/elections for more information. (The King County Elections Office will be closed on Monday, October 11.) If you live outside of King County, call the Secretary of State’s Elections Division at 360-902-4180 or visit their website at www.secstate.wa.gov and scroll down to the “Register to Vote” link in the home page’s “Most Requested Info” category for the location of your county elections office. If you are registered to vote in Washington State but have moved since you registered and haven’t submitted a formal voter registration change of address, contact the King County Elections Office or the Secretary of State’s Elections Division to find out how to obtain a ballot to vote in the November 3, General Election. SEATTLE LGBT EQUALITY WEEKEND IN SOLIDARITY WITH THE NATIONAL EQUALITY MARCH On Saturday, October 10 and Sunday, October 11, join SeattleOUTProtest organizers and the Seattle LGBT Community for a weekend of activities in solidarity with the National Equality March being held in Washington, DC, October 10-11. On Saturday, October 10, workshops focused on issues and topics facing our community will be held from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Seattle University, Pigott Building, 12th Ave. & E. Marion St., with an emphasis on involvement. An HIV/AIDS vigil will be held starting at 6:30 p.m. that evening at the SCCC South Plaza, Broadway & E. Pine St. On Sunday, October 11, the Seattle Equality March & Rally will be held at Volunteer Park, 14th Ave. E. & E. Prospect St., starting at 2 p.m. In the evening, starting at 6:30 p.m., celebrate the weekend at the Generation Q MEGA Mixer, at Sole Repair Shop, 1001 E. Pike St. www.SeattleOUTProtest. org.
SOUTH SEATTLE LGBTQ NEIGHBORS, FRIENDS & FAMILIES COMMUNITY BUILDING BBQ & POTLUCK On Saturday, October 10, from 4-8 p.m., the South East Seattle Senior Center, 4655 S. Holly St. at Rainier Ave. S., invites Southend LGBTQ neighbors, friends and families to a community building BBQ and potluck at the Center. Meet other LGBTQ people in the Southend neighborhood, learn about SESSC’s desire to expand its community outreach, eat delicious food, dance and have fun. Children and grandchildren are welcome. Burgers, hot dogs, veggie burgers and condiments will be provided. Bring side dishes, drinks (wine and beer are welcome) and ideas for connecting in the community. The event is FREE and open to all ages. For more information, call 206-722-0317 or visit ruthe@seniorservices.org. SEATTLE COUNSELING SERVICE GALA DINNER & DANCE On Saturday, October 10, celebrate Seattle Counseling Service’s 40th anniversary with fun and elegance and special surprise guests, including SCS founders and other dignitaries too numerous to mention. The gala will be held at the Sheraton Seattle Hotel, 1400 6th Ave. at Pike St., with reception at 6 p.m., dinner at 7 p.m. The celebration continues till midnight. Tickets are $125 per person, with $25 discount for hosted tables. For more information and to RSVP, call 206-323-1768 or visit www.seattlecounseling.org. TRINITY EPISCOPAL CHURCH PRESENTS ANNUAL MATTHEW SHEPARD SERMON On Sunday, Occtober 11, Nat Brown will be preaching the annual Matthew Shepard sermon at 8 a.m. and 10:30 a.m., at Trinity Episcopal Church, 609 8th Ave. Trinity is an Out and Affirming Congregation. “PASSION FOR THE CURE” ART SHOW TO BENEFIT SUSAN G. KOMEN FOR THE CURE Art expressing hope, awareness and a celebration of life will be on display at the C Art Gallery, 855 Hiawatha Pl. S. through Sunday, October 18. View and purchase the work of over 30 artists as they share their gifts and their passion to help eradicate breast cancer. This exhibit serves to bring hope and awareness about early detection and celebrates the lives of women who have survived breast cancer. Proceeds from art sales will support the Puget Sound Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure. The gallery is open Sunday, 12-5 p.m., Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, 3-6 p.m., and by appointment. For more info, email c.artgallery@gmail.com or call 206-3229374.
SKI BUDDIES POTLUCK KICKS OFF 2009-2010 SEASON On Sunday, October 11, from 6-9 p.m., at All Pilgrims Christian Church, 500 Broadway E. at E. Republican St., join Ski Buddies for their first potluck of the season. For MUSIC OF REMEMBRANCE more details about Ski Buddies and their SPARKS OF GLORY: “CAMP SONGS” planned trips and winter outdoor activities, Music of Remembrance’s concert-with- visit www.skibuddies.org. commentary series explores connections between Holocaust musicians and the SeKCTS TV PRESENTS attle Art Museum’s exhibit, “Burden of IN THE LIFE TV’S History,” featuring live chamber music SEASON PREMIERE performances of Paul Schoenfield’s “Camp On Sunday, October 11, at midnight, Songs” (Angela Niederloh, mezzo soprano; KCTS-TV, Channel 9, will broadcast In the Erich Parce, baritone), Ernest Bloch’s soul- Life’s season premiere episode, “Living on ful “Prayer” for double bass, and Gideon the Margins.” 40 years after the Stonewall Klein’s stirring “Duo” for violin and cello. Uprising, the LGBT movement is more visThis FREE concert-with-commentary will ible than ever. But many Queer people who be held on Saturday, October 10, at 2 p.m., do not conform to the image of gender, race at the Seattle Art Museum, Plestcheef Audi- and class most pervasive in the media, retorium, First Ave. & University St. main largely invisible – even to the movement. This month In the Life looks at how LGBT people living on the economic mar-
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ing if there’d been some sort of Gay youth organization in my hometown. Some sort of North American Woman-Girl Love Association. But, nooooo! The men, they get everything good. The Lesbian chicken, who worries about them, huh?” The play will be performed Fridays, October 16, 23 and 30 (with an extended run possible), at 9:30 SEATTLE VOLLEYBALL CLUB p.m. Tickets: $10 at brownpapertickets.com, FALL 2009 LEAGUE SEASON The Seattle Volleyball Club Fall 2009 1-800-838-3006, and at the door. League Season will run from Monday, SepQ-SQUARED BOOK GROUP tember 21 to Monday, December 7. (The HOSTS AUTHOR OF BASHED Winter 2010 League Season will run from AT NEXT MEETING Monday, January 25 to Monday, March 31.) On Saturday, October 17, from 1-2 p.m., Seattle Volleyball Club is an organization for Gay volleyball players and their friends. Rick R. Reed, author of Bashed, will meet For complete details, visit www.seattlevol- with members of the Q-Squared Book Group at the Capitol Hill Branch Library, leyball.com. 425 Harvard Ave. E. Bashed is the story of a Gay hate crime and its aftermath. Q-Squared SEATTLE REP PRESENTS Book Group is open to anyone who is interTHE LARAMIE PROJECT: ested in Gay literature and is always seeking 10 YEARS LATER On Monday, October 12, at 7:30 p.m., the new members. www.qsquared.org. Seattle Repertory Theatre, 155 Mercer St., SEATTLE MAYORAL presents The Laramie Project: 10 Years LatCANDIDATE FORUM er. This staged reading is an 80-minute epiAT SEATTLE UNIVERSITY logue to The Laramie Project, the groundOn Saturday, October 17, the Capitol Hill breaking play about the 1998 murder of Matthew Shepard, a 21-year old Gay man, Community Council presents a Seattle Mayoral Candidate Forum, with Mike McGinn in Laramie, Wyoming. The Laramie Project: 10 Years Later fo- and Joe Mallahan, from 4-6 p.m., at Seattle cuses on the lasting effects of Shepard’s University, Pigott Auditorium – enter cammurder on the small town. The epilogue was pus on 12th Ave. & E. Marion St. written after members of the Tectonic TheQ-LAW atre Project returned to Laramie to find out FALL MENTORSHIP EVENT what had happened since their initial visit. QLaw, the GLBT Bar Association of The reading will be held concurrently in over 100 theatres across the globe including Washington State, invites you to participate all 50 states, Spain, Hong Kong and Austra- in its fall 2009 mentor/mentee program! Law students and new lawyers in Washlia. This event is FREE and open to the gen- ington State are encouraged and invited to eral public. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. Seating sign up for Q-Law’s mentor program, which pairs you with an experienced LGBT or is first-come, first-served. LGBT-friendly attorney. LGBT or LGBTfriendly attorneys are needed to serve as Q-LAW WINE & CHEESE mentors. Please consider donating your time NETWORKING SOCIAL & to make a difference in the professional deAPPROVE REF. 71 UPDATE On Thursday, October 15, from 5:30-7:30 velopment of our new lawyers and lawyers p.m., join QLaw, the GLBT Bar Association to be. A kickoff reception will be held the of Washington, at Poco Wine Room, 1408 E. evening of October 19 at Seattle University Pine St., for a special wine and cheese net- Law School. Although attendance is encourworking social. Along with your business aged at this event, it is not required in order cards, please bring your taste for interesting to become a mentee or mentor. To sign up to wines, good food, fun, and great networking be either a mentor or mentee, please visit the opportunities. Hear about the “state of the QLaw website, www.q-law.org. The sign up deadline is Wednesday, Approve Ref. 71 Campaign” from an insider’s voice and help support the campaign. October 14. If you have questions, please contact Amanda Beane, chair of the Law www.q-law.org. Student Outreach Committee, at lso@qlaw.org. APPROVE REF. 71 PARTY WITH A PURPOSE WICKED WOMYN CONFERENCE AT BOTTLENECK LOUNGE Wicked Womyn 2009, a bi-annual leathOn Thursday, October 15, from 8 p.m.midnight, drop by The BottleNeck Lounge, er women’s conference in Seattle, will be 2328 E. Madison St., and enjoy a draft beer held on the weekend of October 23-25 in or two or a Skyy 71 Martini to raise money the Capitol Hill neighborhood. The event is for the Approve Ref. 71 Campaign. 100% open to all past, present and future women of the proceeds from every draft beer sold who can respect and honor a woman’s SM/ during this event will go directly to Wash- BDSM play space, education and fun. The ington Families Standing Together as the event will include a meet and greet and aucorganization rallies Washington State voters tion, vendors, 16 workshops, and evening to preserve domestic partnership rights in play parties with 250+ sexy attendees expected. For more information and to regisWashington State. ter, please visit www.wickedwomyn.com. JA! YES! TO APPROVE REF. 71 DYKE COMMUNITY ACTIVISTS FUNDRAISING BENEFIT TURNS 21! - HOSTS FREE AT BALMAR IN BALLARD COMMUNITY CELEBRATION On Friday, October 16, from 7-9 p.m., On Saturday, October 24, from 5-9:30 drop by the BalMar, 5449 Ballard Ave. NW, for Kwanchai’s “Ja! Yes! to Approve Ref. p.m., enjoy an evening of fine food and en71” fundraising benefit for the Approve Ref. tertainment – with Anzanga, Chrystos, Ka71 Campaign. With their usual magic touch, trina Pestano, Sankofa, Sistah Drum, and the event division of Kwanchai Design will Sheila Fox – at the Central Area Senior Centransform the venue into an awe-inspiring ter, 500 30th Ave. S. - followed by dancing. one, with decor to set a festive experience. There will be networking opportunities, an Enjoy live entertainment and DJ and a fund- activism timeline, literature tables, and vidraising raffle. A $10 VIP pass will entitle eo interviews. This FREE event is wheelguests to appetizer and cocktail specials. chair accessible with ASL interpretation. For VIP passes can be purchased in advance or more information, contact 206-722-0729 or at the door. For more information, call 206- google Dyke Community Activists Seattle. Sponsored by DCA and Crow Legacy. 262-1022 or visit www.kwanchai.net. gins of our society are organizing themselves to find housing, improve their professional skills, and obtain employment and health care. In addition to viewing this television broadcast, In the Life can be viewed online at www.inthelifetv.org.
HARMONY HILL NEW CITY THEATER RETREAT CENTER WILL HOST PRESENTS CLIT NOTES FREE 3-DAY CANCER RETREAT BY HOLLY HUGHES FOR SEXUAL MINORITY WOMEN New City Theater, 1404 18th Ave. at E. DECEMBER 4-6 Union St., presents Clit Notes by Holly For complete details and to register, visit Hughes, performed by Jessica Robinson. Writes Hughes, “The first time I was in love www.harmonyhill.org. with another woman? Actually, she was a woman; I was just thirteen. In fact, this little anecdote might have a happier end-
October 9, 2009
Seattle Gay News
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10 Seattle Gay News
October 9, 2009
Celebrating 36 Years!
Visit us online www.sgn.org
October 9, 2009
Seattle Gay News 11
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Celebrating 36 Years!
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Seattle Gay News 13
Finders Keepers October 17, 2009 to Memorial Day 2010, over 2000 hand blown glass floats will be hidden on the beach for you to find and keep!
Upcoming Events Oct 10-11: Fall Kite Festival Oct 15-Nov 7: Murder Room Oct 17: Glass Gala Oct 31-Nov 1: Glass Galore Art Show Nov 14: Seafood & Chowder Cook-off Nov 14: Restoration Pow Wow Nov 19-22: Native American Arts Festival Nov 27-28: Comedy On the Coast
14 Seattle Gay News
October 9, 2009
Celebrating 36 Years!
Gay City Health Project offers FREE smoking cessation services in a queer-friendly environment. If you’re ready to quit, we’re here to support you! Our next OUT TO QUIT Open House is Saturday, October 17th at 2pm. Join us at Kaladi Brothers Coffee (511 E. Pike Street) to learn more about our program! For more information, contact Lark@gaycity.org Visit us online www.sgn.org
October 9, 2009
Seattle Gay News 15
Pentagon airs criticism of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” by Shaun Knittel SGN Staff Writer
An article in the Pentagon’s top scholarly journal, Joint Force Quarterly, calls for lifting the ban on Gays serving openly in the armed forces. The author, Air Force Colonel Om Prakash, argues that the military is essentially forcing an estimated 65,000 Gay and Lesbian service members to lead dishonest lives in an organization that emphasizes integrity as an essential tenet. The article is set to appear in this month’s issue of Joint Force Quarterly, which is published for the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Mike Mullen. Although the reviews do not necessarily reflect those of Pentagon leaders, the appearance of such an article in a publication known as the Joint
Chiefs’ “flagship” security studies journal suggests that the top brass now welcome debate in the military over repealing the 1993 law. Colonel Prakash studied the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” (DADT) policy for months while a student at the National Defense University in Washington, D.C., and concludes that having openly Gay troops in the ranks will not hurt combat readiness. “After a careful examination, there is no specific evidence to support the claim that unit cohesion will be negatively affected if homosexuals serve openly,” writes Colonel Prakash, who currently works in the office of Defense Secretary Robert M, Gates. “Based on research, it is not time for the administration to reexamine the issue; rather
“The law also forces unusual personal compromises wholly inconsistent with a core military value – integrity.”
Texas divorce ruling challenges DOMA, state constitution by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer
A Texas judge challenged the one-manone-woman definition of marriage enshrined in the Texas state constitution and called the federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) into question with a controversial ruling on Thursday, October 1. Judge Tena Callahan of the Dallas County 302nd Family District Court ruled that she had jurisdiction to grant a divorce to a Gay couple who had been legally married in Massachusetts but currently reside in Texas. Texas State Attorney General Greg Abbott had intervened in the case, arguing that Texas courts may not grant divorces to same-sex couples because the state does not recognize same-sex marriages.
Nevertheless, Judge Callahan ruled that the court “has jurisdiction to hear a suit for divorce filed by persons legally married in another jurisdiction.” The Gay couple, who have been publicly identified only as JB and HB, were married in 2006 when they resided in Massachusetts, but subsequently settled in Texas. JB, who initiated the divorce, said he and his husband jointly own a home in Dallas, but stopped living together in November 2008. He said they have no children and have agreed to a fair division of their assets. He also wants to change back to his original surname after adopting his husband’s. The couple had originally filed for a “settlement agreement,” a common legal device among same-sex couples that separate and
16 Seattle Gay News
October 9, 2009
it is time for the administration to examine how to implement the repeal of the ban.” DADT says that Gay, Lesbian, and Bisexual servicemembers must keep their sexual orientation a secret. More than 12,500 troops have been discharged under DADT since its establishment 16 years ago. Prakash argues that the law “has been costly both in personnel and treasure.” He acknowledges that allowing Gays to serve openly may cause some disruption in the ranks – including harassment and some violence – but he believes the disruptions would be manageable and that the military would quickly accept the change. The most striking counter to DADT is that Prakash says a more equitable policy would actually strengthen unit cohesion. “No doubt there will be cases where units will become dysfunctional, just as there are today among heterosexual leaders,” Prakash writes. “Intervention will be required; such units must be dealt with just as they are today – in a prompt and constructive fashion.” Ensuring a smooth transition, Prakash said, will require education and leadership, but the record suggests that there will be no major fallout. “There was no mass exodus of heterosexuals, and there was no mass ‘coming out’ of homosexuals,” he said, citing examples of
other militaries, such as Israel and the United Kingdom, that allows Gays to serve openly. At the core of his argument, Prakash is most concerned with the military forcing thousands of men and women to live a lie while serving their country, which he says, “directly undercuts the very fabric of their profession.” “The law also forces unusual personal compromises wholly inconsistent with a core military value – integrity,” he writes. “Several homosexuals interviewed were in tears as they described the enormous personal compromise in integrity they had been making, and the pain felt in serving an organization they wholly believed in, yet that did not accept them.” Prakash said, “In an attempt to allow homosexual service members to serve quietly, a law was created that forces a compromise in integrity that conflicts with the American creed of ‘equality for all,’ places commanders in difficult moral dilemmas, and is ultimately more damaging to the unit cohesion its stated purpose is to preserve.” The appearance of the article is likely to be applauded by Gay advocates who are calling for an appeal of the law. While on the campaign trail, President Obama promised to repeal DADT. Since he took office, nearly 400 service members have been discharged under the policy.
divide assets in Texas. However, they were advised that because they were legally married in another state, they needed to obtain a divorce instead. They can not be divorced in Massachusetts because, like many states, Massachusetts has a residency requirement to file for divorce. While Callahan’s ruling only took up one page, it may have very broad implications, because in it she states explicitly that Texas law violates the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment to the US Constitution. The equal protection clause is the basis for Gill v. OPM – a lawsuit filed by GLAD (Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders) in Massachusetts seeking to overturn the federal DOMA. “That’s what’s significant,” said Dallas attorney Peter A. Schulte, who represents JB. “It’s the first time in Texas that a court has acknowledged that there is an issue with the way our statute and our constitution is drafted when it comes to same-sex couples. That is huge for the community.” Also on October 1, Texas Attorney General Abbott filed an accelerated appeal, which takes precedence over other matters before the court, and issued a public statement against Callahan’s ruling. “The laws and constitution of the State of Texas define marriage as an institution involving one man and one woman,” Abbott said. “Today’s ruling purports to strike down that constitutional definition – despite the fact that it was recently adopted by 75 percent of Texas voters.” Texas Governor Rick Perry and his oppo-
nent for the Republican party’s gubernatorial nomination, Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX) both issued statements supporting Abbott’s appeal and opposing marriage equality. In a statement to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram newspaper, JB said he is “saddened by our political leaders who seize this case as an opportunity to further their own political careers.” “Our only desire is for appropriate legal protections as provided by law and to quietly and peacefully move on with our lives,” he said. Kenneth D. Upton, Jr, a senior staff attorney with Lambda Legal’s Dallas office, told the Dallas Voice newspaper he worried that the case might result in an unfavorable legal precedent, given the conservative leanings of Texas appellate courts. Upton had previously warned same-sex couples from Texas not to travel to California to get married last year, in part because they would not be able to get divorced if and when they wished. This is not the first time the issue has come up in Texas. In March 2003, a Texas court became the first one outside Vermont to grant the dissolution of a civil union. The judge reversed himself after a challenge by Abbott. Vermont has since done away with civil unions and gives full marriage rights to same-sex couples. An Indiana judge last month denied the divorce of two women married in Canada, ruling that it would violate Indiana law. In 2007 the Rhode Island Supreme Court rejected the divorce of a Lesbian couple married in Massachusetts. Neither Indiana nor Rhode Island allow same-sex marriage. Same-sex marriages – and divorces – are currently legal in Connecticut, Iowa, Massachusetts, and Vermont. New Hampshire will permit same-sex marriage beginning January 1, 2010. Marriage equality was adopted in Maine, but a challenge will be on the ballot in November. Legal same-sex marriages were performed in California between June 16 and November 4, 2008 and remain valid in spite of Prop 8. According to the California Supreme Court, “all the rules of marriage apply, including divorce.”
Celebrating 36 Years!
Arctic Club Hotel goes union Courtesy of Pride At Work AFL-CIO UNITE HERE Local 8 – which represents hotel and restaurant workers in Western Washington – announced on October 8 that workers at the Arctic Club Hotel at 3rd Avenue and Cherry Street had won union recognition. The historic building, known for its thirdfloor frieze of 29 carved walrus heads, first opened as a private club in 1917. It has been fully restored, and opened as a hotel last year. “We workers at the Arctic Club are proud of our hotel, we love the building and now we are proud to be a part of Local 8,” said Ross Kavanaugh, a member of the organizing committee who works at the hotel as a restaurant and banquet server. “The organizing campaign brought us workers together as one and we look forward to making our hotel an even better place to work in the future,” Kavanaugh added. “We couldn’t be more pleased,” said Pride At Work spokesperson Mike Andrew. “UNITE HERE represents many LGBT workers and they have consistently supported equal protections for our community.” UNITE HERE Local 8 achieved landmark contract language explicitly protecting Transgender workers in their 2007 Westin contract. It is believed to be the first hotel contract in the county adding “gender identity, expression and characteristics” to anti-
Harry Reid continued from cover
the law. As Senate Majority Leader, I will continue to work tirelessly to pass the Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes Act and the Employee Non-Discrimination Act, as well as to repeal the ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ policy. I will also continue to advocate funding of HIV/AIDS prevention, treatment, research, and housing programs.” Equality Across America, a decentralized network of organizers in every one of America’s 435 congressional districts, which organized the National Equality March, has said that the October 11 march is not the end for the movement; it’s the first step to building a grassroots network in every Congressional district. “We are guaranteed equal protection under the 14th Amendment of the US Constitution,” Equality Across America posted on the organization’s website. “Free and equal people do not bargain for or prioritize our rights.” The organization writes, “Full equality necessarily includes all members of the LGBT community and encompasses, but is
discrimination language. Trans-inclusive anti-discrimination provisions are now standard in Local 8’s contracts. In March 2008, UNITE HERE’s General Executive Board adopted a resolution supporting marriage equality, and in June this year Local 8 endorsed the Approve Referendum 71 Campaign. The Arctic Club Hotel is the first hotel to be organized in downtown Seattle in over 25 years. Unionization there marks the next phase of UNITE HERE’s “Hotel Workers Rising” campaign, which saw its initial Seattle kick-off during the Westin contract negotiations beginning in 2006. “Hotel Workers Rising” aims to raise workers in what is typically a low-pay, highinjury industry to middle-class incomes and benefits. UNITE HERE’s contracts stress affordable healthcare, safe workloads, job security, better compensation, a good retirement and respect on the job. “The hospitality industry is central to Seattle’s economy,” Andrew said, “and LGBT workers are central to the hospitality industry. We have good partners at UNITE HERE, and all of us at Pride At Work are eager to work with them.” Pride At Work is an LGBT labor organization. It is affiliated with the AFL-CIO, but it also includes members of Change To Win and independent unions. Pride At Work can be contacted at 206-261-8110 or OutFront. PrideAtWork@gmail.com.
Domestic partnerships issued in Nevada
by Shaun Knittel SGN Staff Writer
Nevada Secretary of State Ross Miller issued domestic partnership certificate No. 1 at the state Capitol on October 1, as a state law providing many of the same legal rights as marriage to same-sex couples who register with the state went into effect. Same-sex marriage in Nevada was banned in 2002 through Question 2, an amendment to the state constitution. Earlier this year, the Nevada Legislature passed a bill to create legal recognition of same-sex unions in Nevada. Senate Bill 283, the bill to grant same-sex couples the same rights as married couples, was sponsored by openly Gay Democratic Senator David Parks of Las Vegas. The bill passed the Senate Commerce and Labor Committee on April 9, and it advanced to the Senate floor, where it passed on April 21 with 12 votes in favor, nine opposed. On May 15, the Nevada Assembly also passed the legislation 26-14. However, the Governor vetoed the bill on May 26. Nevada Governor Jim Gibbons (R-Nev.) announced he would veto any legislation of this type if it reached his desk, saying, “I just don’t believe in domestic partnerships.” He said he believes domestic partnerships and
marriage are virtually identical, and he asserted that because Nevadans voted in 2002 to ban same-sex marriage, they likewise would oppose the domestic partnership bill. In Nevada, a vote of two-thirds in each house of the legislature is required to override a Governor’s veto. Neither the Senate nor Assembly passed the bill with a vetoproof majority. However, on May 30, the Senate managed to override the Governor’s veto, in a 14-7 vote. The next day, the Assembly did the same, overriding the Governor’s veto 2814. The Nevada domestic partnership law took effect October 1. Lee Cagley and Larry Davis were the first couple to be issued the certificate, and were congratulated by Secretary of State Miller. “This gives us the legal rights to act for each other’s benefit,” said David. “It’s a wonderful privilege, and we’re grateful.” Cagley, 58, and Davis, 48, said they’ve been in a relationship for three years, and held a commitment ceremony on October 7, 2007, in Las Vegas, Nevada. They also were married in California on August 3, 2008, before voters there overturned Gay marriage in the state. Nevada joins 16 other states that have laws recognizing domestic arrangements outside of marriage.
October 9, 2009
Seattle Gay News 17
not limited to, the right to work our jobs and go to school free of harassment and discrimination, the right to safety in our daily lives and protection from hate crimes, the right to equitable healthcare and to donate blood, the right to equitable immigration policies, the right to marry, and the right to serve in the military openly.” “Many bills currently exist to address some of these issues,” said Equality Across America, adding, “but we do not support a piecemeal strategy. We seek one federal solution to full equality.” The importance of such a high-profile senator endorsing the National Equality March indicates that senior leadership in D.C. is beginning to listen. In a year that has seen a resurgence of activism within the Gay movement, the lesson learned in 2009 may just be that actions really do speak louder than words. As the date for the march approaches, the number of its supporters continues to grow, as do the number of solidarity marches planned to take place in nearly every state. For more information about the National Equality March and Equality Across America visit the official website at www.equalityacrossamerica.org.
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Giving up on finding boyfriends by Michael Raitt SGN Contributing Writer
ally almost nonexistent. Yes, I still date, and yes, I still have sex with other men. I know counselors are trained to help people feel better, but sometimes we face the stark reality in the Gay world that some people can’t get a boyfriend. A counselor wouldn’t say to a 70-year-old that he’ll get a boyfriend when he hasn’t had one in the past. Make sense? Something for you to think about. I sometimes wish that counselors could be honest about the stark reality. –Frustrated
Hey Michael, I have been looking for a boyfriend and I have been here for [many] years. Nada, no luck. I have lost a lot of weight, made a lot of improvements in my life, yet I see a lot of my friends getting boyfriends, when I’m not. I had a long good talk with a good friend of mine. He brought up a powerful point: Perhaps we aren’t meant to have boyfriends. I now feel that friends and counselors keep saying to me, “You will get a boyfriend in the future,” Thank you for your e-mail. Your frustrawhen, frankly, right now there’s nothing – the chance of getting a boyfriend is re- tion is clear, and I know you are not the only
who has these experiences and feelings. I can only advise you based on my observations and experiences. Here are a couple of things to think about. First, over the years of being a therapist and friend, I have been looking for that component/trait/magic that brings two people together. I have looked at personality, but I ruled that out because just as many miserable people get into relationships as nice people. I’ve looked at body type, but I ruled that out because I have seen every manner of body type be in a relationship, and the combinations are endless. I’ve seen fit with fit, unfit and unfit, fit with unfit and it goes on. I’ve looked at income, but I ruled that out. I know just as many highly successful, wealthy men/women who are single as I do women/men who make little to nothing who are in relationships. I’ve looked at appearance, but I ruled that out. I know several men who are considered “gorgeous” who are lonely and single, as well as some who are not traditionally handsome in happy, loving relationships. I’ve looked at sobriety, and guess what? I ruled that out, too. I know clean/sober guys both single and in a relationship, as well as addicts both single and in a relationship. There is just one variable that seems to influence whether men/women are single or in relationship. It sounds weird, but that variable that seems to influence whether someone gets a
boyfriend/girlfriend is whether they believe they will be in a relationship or not – not whether they want it. There is a group of men/women who believe they will always be in a relationship. They cannot conceive of being single for longer than a few months. Likewise, there is a group of women/men who, equally, cannot conceive of themselves of ever having someone who will love them, even though it is something they desperately want. I think it is this belief that influences a couple of other important factors in getting and keeping a relationship. When you have a strong belief system, you come across as more confident and confidence is communicated non-verbally. Remember, 80% to 85% of communication is non-verbal. It doesn’t matter what you look like, but if you are communicating confidence, that is much more attractive to another than lack of confidence. Belief systems run deep in our psyche and can effect how we come across to others. If you believe deeply that you are not good enough to have a boyfriend, that will come across as lack of confidence. Confidence is not something we can usually pinpoint concretely, but it is something we all feel or don’t feel in others. I cannot over-emphasize the importance of confidence. You demonstrate your confidence in many ways. One way to show your confidence is to not be too needy or want to spend every waking minute with the new person. Generally, people who get too
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Celebrating 36 Years!
Pub:HERALD RETAIL Tag Line: Color Info: ready anticipating that it won’t work out. This is a turn-off. It is hard to believe in this day and age, but some guys don’t know how to communicate during a date. They spend the whole time talking about themselves or talking too little about themselves. Some guys think that they will get and maintain a boyfriend by wearing their sexuality on their sleeve. This means that they think someone will choose them because of their sexual prowess – whether they are good in bed. This rarely works because it leaves the other person wondering what else there is. People who want a relationship are looking for the type of person you are, and not just how you are in bed. Here are some thoughts to start with, a very complex interplay which starts with a
couple of basic principles: what you believe and how confident you are. I’d have you reflect upon those. You certainly can give up and never pursue a relationship. That is definitely an option. It is not an option I’d recommend. I encourage you to continue to get insight about how you show up to others and what image they are getting about you. Good luck. Michael Raitt, MA LMHC, is a therapist and a contributing writer to the SGN. He writes a bi-monthly column in the SGN. If you would like to comment on this column, ask a question you’d like him to write about, or suggest another topic of interest, please contact him at askingmichael@comcast. net.
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close too quickly, and too jealous too early, put others off as not being confident about themselves. I’d have you reflect upon these points and anything else that might be going on that may be getting in the way of you projecting confidence. Another important ingredient in getting a boyfriend is maintaining the connection once you have found a potential candidate. I have never found one person who can’t get a date. The issue is usually getting to the second or third date to start dating regularly and building a relationship. I’ve got no way of knowing how your dates go, but I would recommend that you get more insight into how you show up in dates and what, potentially, is driving guys away. Sometimes anxiety overtakes one because they are al-
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Seattle Gay News 19
UFCW president pledges support for ENDA Courtesy of Pride At Work AFL-CIO UFCW International President Joseph Hansen pledged at a Seattle conference that his union would endorse ENDA (the Employment Non-Discrimination Act giving federal protection to LGBT workers). UFCW represents 1.3 million workers in the retail, grocery, and food processing industries. UFCW Local 21 is one of the largest union locals in Washington State, with over 35,000 members. Hansen was in Seattle attending a UFCW 21 steward’s conference at Seattle Center. At the end of the day-long conference, UFCW invited its community allies to a reception where Hansen spoke and took questions from the audience. In response to a question from Pride At Work, Hansen said “Our Executive Board hasn’t taken [ENDA] up, but I promise you when I get back [to UFCW headquarters in DC] I will bring it to the Executive Board. I think we should endorse it and I think we will endorse it.”
UFCW leadership is drafting a letter on ENDA to be sent to members of the US House of Representatives, according to spokesperson Amber Sparks. UFCW is currently campaigning for passage of healthcare reform – “with a strong public option,” Hansen said – and the Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA) which would make it easier for workers who wanted a union to organize and win a first contract. UFCW was also one of the earliest endorsers of Pres. Barack Obama. Like many UFCW locals, UFCW 21 sent staff out of state to campaign for Obama during the primaries and the general election. Pride At Work spokesperson Mike Andrew also thanked UFCW 21 for their efforts on the Approve Referendum 71 Campaign. UFCW 21 is not only campaigning for its own members to approve the state’s domestic partnership law, but has also made its phonebanking facilities available for use by Washington Families Standing Together. UFCW 21 Director of Governmental Relations Sarah Cherin has also been assigned
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to put paid staff time into the campaign. UFCW 21 President Dave Schmitz added, “We absolutely support equal domestic partnership benefits. We haven’t gotten that in all our contracts, but we have won it in our grocery contracts and our hospital contracts. We will keep fighting for equal protection for all our members and all our families.” “UFCW represents many LGBT workers in the Seattle area,” Andrew said, “and they clearly have put a lot of thought into what it means to represent LGBT workers. They’ve been outstanding on Referendum 71, and they will add weight to the campaign for ENDA.” Pride At Work is an LGBT labor organization. It is affiliated with the AFL-CIO, but it also includes members of Change To Win and independent unions. Pride At Work can be contacted at 206-261-8110 or OutFront. PrideAtWork@gmail.com.
hate crimes continued from cover
hate crimes legislation to remain a standalone bill. While many conservative Republicans opposed the bill because of the hate crimes amendment, some progressive Democrats like Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) voted No because of their opposition to provisions in the underlying defense authorization. Many Republicans complained bitterly that they would have had to vote for proLGBT legislation in order to support military spending. In a notable turn of phrase, Rep. Roscoe Bartlett (R-Md.) said the hate crimes measure would “pervert” annual funding for national security. Rep. Mike Pence (R-Ind.) also denounced what he called “unrelated, divisive, liberal social policy.” In the Washington state delegation Democrats Norm Dicks, Jay Inslee, Rick Larsen, Jim McDermott, and Adam Smith and Re-
publican Dave Reichert voted Yes. Democrat Brian Baird and Republicans Doc Hastings and Cathy McMorris-Rodgers voted No. The defense authorization for 2010 was reported out of a joint House-Senate conference on October 7, with the hate crimes amendment attached, reflecting the complex legislative history of the hate crimes bill. Passage of new hate crimes legislation was never in doubt in the House, where the stand-alone bill passed 249-175 on April 29. Democratic party leaders in the US Senate faced a more challenging task than their House colleagues, however. Senate rules require that 60 Senators agree to bring a measure to a vote, and Senate Democrats feared that if even one conservative Democrat defected to the Republican side on this issue, the bill would never even come to the floor. Senate Majority Leader Sen. Harry Reid (D-Nev.) decided to attach the hate crimes bill to what would normally be considered a must-pass Defense Department bill in an attempt at an end run around the expected Republican filibuster. The defense authorization with its attached hate crimes amendment passed the Senate by a margin of 87-7 on July 23. In addition to the Democrats’ hate crimes amendment, it also carried several Republican amendments that Reid allowed as a compromise to get the unanimous consent necessary to allow the bill to advance. The most controversial of those amendments – one by Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-S.C.) providing for the death penalty for some kinds of hate crimes – was stripped from the bill by the conference committee. Another Sessions amendment, adding assaults on US military personnel to the list of covered crimes, remains in the bill. The House also followed the Senate’s prior action in stripping funding for the F-22 aircraft. The White House had said Pres. Obama
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would veto the defense bill – including the hate crimes provision – if funding for this program remained in the legislation. The Senate had voted to eliminate the F-22 funding in its version of the legislation, but the House version included $369 million in funding. Now that the Defense Authorization – with its hate crimes amendment – has passed in the House, it must come up for a vote in the Senate, where it is almost certain to pass as well. Pres. Obama has indicated he would sign the legislation, provided it reached his desk without F-22 funding. The HRC said it expected Senate action as early as next week, but Sen. Reid’s spokesperson Jim Manley said he didn’t know when the conference report would come to the Senate floor for a vote.
does it raise essential funds through corporate sponsorship, ticket, raffle, silent auction and program book recognition page sales; but it also is an important event where over 3,000 like-minded and dedicated LGBT
people and allies can connect, energize and focus on the work that lies ahead for the community. HRC is America’s largest civil rights organization working to achieve LGBT equality.
By inspiring and engaging all Americans, HRC strives to end discrimination against LGBT citizens and realize a nation that achieves fundamental fairness and equality for all.
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mark the second time a sitting president has spoken at an HRC dinner. The first to speak with the group was former President Bill Clinton in 1997, which, incidentally, was the first time a sitting president had ever directly addressed a Gay rights organization. Additionally, U.S. Rep. Patrick Kennedy will present the first-ever Edward M. Kennedy National Leadership Award to Judy and Dennis Shepard. The award is named in honor of the late Senator Edward M. Kennedy (D-Mass.), a champion in the fight for LGBT equality. “We are honored to share this night with President Obama, who has called upon our nation to embrace LGBT people as brothers and sisters,” said HRC President Joe Solmonese. “It is fitting that he will speak to our community on the night that we pay tribute to his friend and mentor Senator Edward Kennedy, who knew that, as president, Barack Obama would take on the unfinished business of his nation – equal rights for the LGBT community, and for every person who believes in liberty and justice for all.” Joining President Obama and Rep. Kennedy at this year’s dinner are pop music sensation Lady Gaga, the cast members from network TV’s Glee, and a performance by Gavin Creel, a two-time Tony Award nominee, currently starring in the Broadway revival of Hair. The HRC National Dinner is the single largest annual fundraiser for HRC. Not only
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Celebrating 36 Years!
And be sure to check out the official BUMP after party at Chapel!
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