Celebrating 46 Years! Issue 41 Volume 48
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POLICE DEDICATE 100 COPS TO BLM PROTESTS Gay protest streamer arrested outside East Precinct
by Renee Raketty SGN Staff Writer Seattle’s Capitol Hill once again became the location of more protests this past week as members of the Black Lives Matter movement responded to developments in the news such as the release of Derek Chauvin, the Minneapolis police officer seen kneeling on the neck of George Floyd before his death, on Wednesday and news of another police involved shooting death of Jonathan Price in Wolfe, Texas, which resulted in a protest on Monday.
see PROTESTS page 10
Photo by Renee Raketty
State Sen. Pedersen introduces police accountability bill State Sen. Jamie Pedersen – Photo by Ted S. Warren / AP
by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer State Sen. Jamie Pedersen (D-43), chair of the Senate Law and Justice Committee, will introduce a bill to beef up police accountability for police by making it easier to decertify
officers who violate standards of conduct. “It is important that when we have officers who have abused the public trust that we have an efficient mechanism to quickly eliminate their ability to have a taxpayerfunded badge and gun,” Pedersen said.
see PEDERSEN page 8
SCOTUS OKs lawsuit against Kim Davis Thomas and Alito call for reversal of Obergefell
Supreme Court Justices Thomas and Alito – Photos courtesy of United States Supreme Court
by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer The US Supreme Court will allow a lawsuit against Kim Davis to go forward, the high court said in an October 5 decision. Davis is the former Rowan, Kentucky,
county clerk who refused to issue marriage licenses to Gay couples that lawfully applied for them after the high court’s Obergefell decision legalizing same-sex marriage. Davis claimed that her First Amendment free exercise of religion rights
see KIM DAVIS page 9
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Celebrating 46 Years!
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Washington Lawyers for the Arts announces WLA Legal Advice Week (Oct. 19-23) Washington Lawyers for the Arts is pleased to announce WLA Legal Advice Week (“WLA LAW”) for September. This is a week-long pro bono telephone clinic where artists and arts professionals statewide can get 30 minutes of free advice related to their legal issues. WLA LAW runs October 19-23. The telephone legal clinic is replacing WLA’s monthly in-person clinics for the foreseeable future. WLA LAW is open to artists and arts organizations throughout Washington
State. Legal issues must relate to an artistic discipline but can cover a wide range of areas such as: Copyright, Trademark, Publicity Rights, Licensing, Fair Use, Business Formation, Contract Review. NOTE: Legal issues involving patent, employment, criminal, tax and family law are not appropriate for WLA LAW. ARTISTS and ARTS ORGANIZATIONS visit https://www.thewla. org/wla-law-ar tist-request-form?mc_ cid=1048f08cb9&mc_eid=7d8b4e5ade TO
PARTICIPATE ATTORNEYS visit https://www.thewla. org/wla-law-volunteer-attorney-form?mc_ cid=1048f08cb9&mc_eid=7d8b4e5ade TO PARTICIPATE Intakes for the October virtual clinic will be accepted until the evening of Thursday, October 15th. Courtesy of Washington Lawyers for the Arts
GSBA Scholarship Fund application opens on National Coming Out Day, Oct. 11 SEATTLE (October 7, 2020) – The GSBA Scholarship Fund will again open to applicants across Washington on Sunday, October 11 – National Coming Out Day – as it celebrates its thirtieth year, making it the oldest LGBTQ scholarship program in the US. Applications are due by Friday, January 8, 2021, at 5:00 p.m. PST. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, LGBTQ and allied students are facing unprecedented challenges on top of increased financial stress, as classes have been moved online [even though] college campuses have often been the first welcoming spaces young LGBTQ community members encounter. In addition to financial assistance, the GSBA Scholarship Fund provides virtual community space and lifelong connections to help future LGBTQ leaders succeed in all areas of their lives. The GSBA Scholarship Fund awards scholarships to students who exhibit leadership potential, demonstrate strong academic abilities, and are actively involved in their school and community organizations. This financial support is for students pursuing any kind of postsecondary education, including public or private colleges and universities, community college, associates degrees, trade schools, and certificate programs. Applicants must be Washington State residents but can attend any accredited educational institution anywhere in the world. The GSBA doesn’t ask citizenship status of applicants. “[Being a GSBA scholar] has enabled me to feel some security even as the political and financial state of this country is anything but secure,” said Rowan Postyeni, a three-year GSBA scholar. “The GSBA has given me a network of other passionate individuals to connect with, and the opportunity to branch out to have important conversations I may have not had otherwise. I’ve always been introverted, but I’ve learned how to still have a voice where it matters, and speak accordingly. With the help of the GSBA, I’ve been able to develop my own story, with experiences shaped by the genuine humanity of others to create a truly remarkable narrative.” The average scholarship amount is $8,300 annually per student. A unique aspect of the GSBA Scholarship Fund is the GSBA Guarantee, a commitment to support students for up to four years of their undergraduate education. In addition, the Beeks Family Open Arms Fund provides
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emergency financial assistance to scholars in need. Since the pandemic began, many scholars have utilized this program to help pay for rent, groceries, utility bills, textbooks, and more. Financial barriers, often due to family estrangement, are a primary factor for LGBTQ students who aren’t able to complete their education. By significantly decreasing (and in many cases, eliminating) this barrier, the GSBA has paved the way for students to focus on their academics and connect to the community around them. According to the National Center for Graduation Statistics, the six-year graduation rate for first-time, full-time undergraduate students who began seeking a bachelor’s degree at four-year colleges in fall 2012 was 62%. Comparatively, 81% of all GSBA scholars have graduated from college, and for those who have been awarded three or more years of support, this increases to a 91% graduation rate. GSBA scholars also engage in yearlong events to connect students with LGBTQ peers from around the state and provide tailored learning opportunities, such as the Leadership Immersion Weekend, a threeday LGBTQ community building and learning experience, which continued in 2020 in a virtual format. “Especially during this time of social isolation, the GSBA has leaned even further into our role of creating space for scholars to build community with one another,” said Taylor Briggs, the GSBA’s scholarship program manager. “Over the past several months, we have hosted several virtual social hangouts and leadership development opportunities. It’s been really cool to see scholars who have never actually met in person getting to know each other and learning together.” Also continuing in virtual format this year, is the program’s annual fundraiser gala: EQUALUX, which will take place as a weeklong online auction, culminating with EQUALUX 2020: A Virtual Concert
for Our Scholars on Saturday, November 21, at 6:00 p.m. (PST) on Facebook Live and YouTube Live. In 2019, over $1.6 million was raised at EQUALUX, allowing $600,000 to be invested in 60 scholars in 2020. To learn more about the GSBA Scholarship Fund and to apply, visit thegsba.org/scholarship-home. Since its founding in 1990, the GSBA Scholarship Fund has invested over $4.5 million in LGBTQ students who exemplify leadership potential, strong academic ability, and community involvement and dedication. The scholarship program works to empower students with marginalized intersectional identities within the LGBTQ community and provides not only financial support for LGBTQ students but a network of support, skills-based workshops, and leadership training. Throughout its 30-year history, the GSBA Scholarship Fund has awarded 827 scholarships to 490 students. In 2020, $600,000 was invested in 60 LGBTQ and allied students. Established in 1981, the GSBA is Washington State’s LGBTQ and allied chamber of commerce and is the largest of its kind in North America. The chamber represents over 1,400 small business, corporate, and nonprofit members who share the values of promoting diversity, equity, equality, and inclusion in the workplace. The GSBA proudly serves as a connector across the region, bringing communities together through business while advocating for civil rights and small business. The GSBA also promotes LGBTQ tourism through Travel Out Seattle, advocates for small businesses in Seattle’s Capitol Hill neighborhood through the Capitol Hill Business Alliance (CHBA), and invests in the next generation of LGBTQ and allied leaders through the GSBA Scholarship & Education Fund. Courtesy of the GSBA
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OBITUARY
IN MEMORIAM Jack Anderson 1936-2020 A pioneer in Seattle’s Gay community has died. Jack Anderson, 84, came to Seattle as a psychologist specializing in juvenile justice and became an advocate for the gay community. He was one of the first counselors for Seattle’s LGBTQ community at a time when homosexuality was a crime and being openly gay meant being considered mentally ill. Mr. Anderson also wrote the first Seattle advice column for gays, which was later nationally syndicated. While serving on the board of the Dorian Group, an early and effective gay organization in Seattle and Washington State, Mr. Anderson also became involved with a group that eventually hired a lobbyist to work on the decriminalization of homosexuality, which succeeded in 1976. He worked throughout his remaining life to improve the acceptance and understanding of his community. When, in 1983, Mr. Anderson learned of the severity of the HIV/AIDS crisis he immediately got to work. He called people together and, through the Dorian Group, sponsored a first-of-its-kind public presentation of the epidemic at the Mayflower Hotel, which was well attended. Then he marshaled doctors, nurses, and adminis-
Probably few of those clients were aware of Jack’s previous careers in juvenile justice reform and as a nationally-known jazz organist. He was a polymath, and a real character.” said Tim Burak, Former Manager of the AIDS Prevention Project. After his long career in Seattle in psychology and gay activism, Mr. Anderson became a real estate investor who worked with Country Doctor to buy one of his buildings for expansion of their Dental Clinic, serving a low income population. Recently, he reflected, “I felt good about how this real estate deal benefitted marginalized lowerincome residents in the community.” Mr. Anderson resided at Horizon House and leaves behind many friends who will miss him. His younger sister Jann said, “I found Jack to be one of the sweetest, most wonderful people I’ve ever known.” His sister Jill said, “Jack was a loving, protective brother with a sense of mischief and a quirky sense of humor. After moving to Horizon House, he called me on Skype nearly every day and treated me to either a comedy routine featuring Reverend Raymond and Nurse Gladys or a private concert on the keyboard. When he could no longer use Skype, we talked on the phone every
music played a central role in his life once again. In addition to giving him a real sense of purpose and bringing him a lot of joy, he relished playing for his neighbors and his
trators to understand the crisis and create plans. He provided consultation services to the King County AIDS Prevention Project for many years, all the while losing some of his own friends to the crisis. He organized groups, workshops and appeared on radio and television to help prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS. “Jack was one of the most important influencers in the years of gay rights, the HIV/AIDS epidemic, and the expansion of the legal rights of all LGBTTQ people. His friendship was a powerful rudder in the many years of journeying with him,” Rev. Michael Ingersoll said. Jack Carter Anderson was born in Dallas, Texas, during a time when he knew he was different, but, “You just couldn’t be gay in Texas back then,” he said. At 24, he moved to Los Angeles to pursue a career as an accomplished jazz musician. At the same time, he earned a Master’s Degree in psychology at Pepperdine University. This, while working full-time as a bandleader, providing live music for a children’s television show. He later used his training to pioneer in therapy treatments for young patients being held in juvenile detention in Orange County, CA. He became an expert in that field and was recruited to work in Seattle as State Director for the National Council on Crime and Delinquency for Washington State. “I felt like I was doing some good on a larger scale,” he said recently. “In the early, horrible years of the AIDS epidemic, Jack provided counseling support for some of the clients of the AIDS Prevention Project, who experienced emotional crises after receiving a positive HIV test result.
day. I will miss the times we had together. Music played an important role throughout Jack’s life but it went on hiatus for several years until his later years when
friends, culminating in recording the beautiful CD “My Romance” as a gift for his friends. “Jack’s music has been a continuing thread throughout his life, giving him
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Jack Anderson
meaning, purpose, and a deepened way to connect with others.” On behalf of his entire family, his sister Jill added, “I want to thank his loving, supportive friends for their care during his final days. A special thanks to Horizon House and Hospice for their excellent care.” Jack formed many friendships in his life. Michael Ingersoll, John Chaney, Doug Shaw and Stephen Phillips formed Jack’s “Twilight Team” to help Jack in his final months and Hospice. The Team wishes to thank everyone at Horizon House and especially Bret Lucero his Hospice nurse who with the Supported Living staff made his end calm and gentle. “We helped Jack as a small repayment for Jack’s help to so many in his caring life,” his Twilight Team said. Memorial Remembrances may be directed to the Horizon House Residents Assistance Fund, Lifelong www.lifelong. org/give or a charity of your choice.
Seattle Pioneers in the gay community: Dr. Bill Ferguson, Dr. Bob Deisher, Jack Anderson and Dr. Harold Johnson
October 9, 2020
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Antifascist counterprotesters outnumber Proud Boys three to one SEATTLE (October 2, 2020) – On Saturday, September 26, 2020, over two dozen labor union members, Black Lives Matter campaigners, and leftists from the Seattle area traveled to Portland, Oregon, as part of a Labor for Black Lives/Labor Against Fascism contingent to the counter-rally against a national callout by the far-right Proud Boys. Initiated by Radical Women and the Freedom Socialist Party, the Washington participants joined Oregonians at the “Bloom Rally” held in Peninsula Park, standing against the bigotry of the self-described “Western chauvinist” group. It was soon clear that the Black Lives antifascist gathering far outnumbered the rightwing group assembled at Delta Park three miles away. Despite some inaccurate media reports, there were over 1,000 counterprotesters, versus a little over 200 who came to support the white nationalist, misogynist, homophobic reactionaries. A picket line led by labor advocates from Washington and Oregon began the day at Peninsula Park with banners and signs. Locals of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) plus Organized Workers for Labor Solidarity (OWLS) proudly displayed their banners. Rank-and-file electricians, carpenters, ironworkers, office workers, teachers, school staff, nurses, grocery workers, janitors, tech workers, and [others] chanted “When Proud Boys come to town, union labor tears them down.”
“Look at all the different unions represented here!” said AFSCME Local 88 member Jordana Sardo of Portland. “The crossborder solidarity with labor folks from Seattle coming to Portland is inspiring and energizing after all the attacks we’ve experienced from the right wing and the cops all summer.” Joel Vancil, a member of ProTech 17 and OWLS, was proud to have traveled from Seattle. “It’s important that so many of us drove down for this. I felt like a lot of news articles were sowing seeds of fear. Everyone here is standing up to that. We always need to come out against fascists and the more of us there are, the less dangerous they are.” With signs such as “Hit the far right with a feminist left,” sidewalk protesters joined the rally inside the park. The sun came out and a sense of camaraderie prevailed, with medics sharing masks and face wipes, legal observers from the National Lawyers Guild making sure everyone had their emergency number, and volunteers sharing snacks and water. Trail mix donated by one volunteer included the inspirational note “Thank you for opposing the white supremacists in Portland today.” Holding a sign that read “Smash fascism with socialist feminism,” Radical Women organizer Gina Petry summed up the event. “It was a good day. We outnumbered the right. We outorganized the right. We are stronger than the right.” Courtesy of the Freedom Socialist Party
Photo courtesy of Radical Women
Seattle Pride community is running in first-ever nationwide LGBTQIA+ virtual 5k/10k event, Pride Stride SEATTLE (October 5, 2020) – The first nationwide LGBTQIA+ virtual 5k/10k Pride Stride is kicking off in Seattle on National Coming Out Day, October 11, with the event continuing through the end of October. Participants of Pride Stride will run or walk at their own pace, on their own route, anytime before October 31. People who want to participate can register at PrideStride.org/ Seattle, and a portion of each $39.95 registration fee will be donated to Seattle Pride. Each registrant will be mailed a finisher medal, shirt, fanny pack, rainbow cuff, and more, so that they can run or walk in style. To further encourage participation, Seattle Pride is inviting registered runners and walkers to stop by its Vote with Pride campaign booths (Capitol Hill, Burien, and Bellevue) between noon and 4 p.m. on Sundays in October. Those who wear their finisher medals can enter to win a weekly prize of two round-trip airline tickets provided by Alaska Airlines. “With more than 30 Pride organizations across the nation participating, we’re encouraging our Seattle Pride community to run or walk in this uplifting, fun, and safe event during these challenging times,” said Seattle Pride Executive Director Krystal Marx. “We’re excited to have another opportunity to bring our community together through this virtual event.” For serious runners looking for a race-like experience, they can submit their finish times and find out where they compare to other virtual participants on a leaderboard. Runners and walkers can also download finisher certificates and upload photos, and are encouraged to share photos of their Pride Stride by tagging @PrideStrideOfficial and @SeattlePride on Facebook.
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Image courtesy of Pride Stride
Seattle Pride is a 501c(4) not-for-profit organization that produces the Seattle Pride Parade, Seattle Pride in the Park, and other Pride-related events and promotions, as well as year-round statewide advocacy in support of diversity, inclusivity, and equal human rights for all. The Seattle Out & Proud Foundation is Seattle Pride’s 501c(3) nonprofit foundation that provides grants and sponsorship sup-
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port to community-based LGBTQIA+ organizations statewide and educates members of the public about the LGBTQIA+ community and the rights of its members, to eliminate discrimination against and further the civil rights of members of the LGBTQIA+ community, and to connect, inspire and strengthen the LGBTQIA+ community by promoting the arts and supporting leadership development.
To learn more about the Seattle Pride and Pride-related events, grants and advocacy, visit www.seattlepride.org, subscribe to its e-newsletters and advocacy alerts, and follow on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn @SeattlePride and on Twitter @ OurSeattlePride. Courtesy of Why For Good
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Seattle Pride’s successful Vote with Pride launch spurs regional expansion and collaboration with Drag Out the Vote SEATTLE (October 5, 2020) – On the heels of yesterday’s Vote with Pride campaign launch event – and with just four weeks to go until election day – Seattle Pride and Drag Out The Vote have announced a collaboration to bring even more attention to the importance of getting out the vote among the LGBTQIA+ community. On Sunday, October 18, on Seattle’s Capitol Hill, the Vote with Pride event will feature an added boost of glitter and glam to its weekly voter registration and voter participation efforts with the special one-day addition of three Drag Out the Vote’s Drag Ambassadors – Aleksa Manila, Vincent Milay, and Gaysha Starr. All three Seattle-based drag artists will be on-site in patriotic attire along with Seattle Pride volunteers from noon to 4 p.m. at the corner of Broadway and Pine Street on the Seattle Central College campus for this festive, first-of-its-kind event. “We’ve seen a lot of firsts this year,” said Gaysha Starr, who will be casting her first ballot since presenting as female full-time and completing a legal name change. “This year, the election is more important than ever, with so much at stake from basic human and civil rights, a global pandemic, and an economy suffering from both. Having drag queens and kings helping to get out the vote has never been done before...not like this, honey.” As on every Sunday through Nov. 1, Seattle Pride volunteers will be out with their weekly pop-up event registering voters, offering US Census forms, and distributing free Vote with Pride voter kits, including yard signs, window signs, campaign stickers and more. The collaboration on Oct. 18 with Drag Out the Vote is one more effort to engage voters of all struts of life to sashay their way to the ballot box, particularly 18-25-year-olds, queer people, people of color, and queer people of color.
Vote with Pride at Broadway and Pine – Photo by Nate Gowdy
Ipsos/Reuters poll. “With more than five percent of adults in the state identifying as LGBTQIA+, it’s important that we get as many as possible within our community to register and vote, as our collective voice can be quite powerful,” according to Austin. Drag Ambassador Aleksa Manila said, “Voting matters to me because as an immigrant FilipinX or API descent, trans-genderqueer drag activist, social worker, and US citizen, I want to exercise my right to vote and help shape the future of our com-
events will take place at these convenient locations: Sunday, Oct. 11 (noon –4 p.m.) • Seattle (Seattle Central College, corner of Broadway & Pine) • Bellevue (Bellevue Downtown Park, corner of NE 1st Street & 102nd Avenue NE) • Burien (north side of the Burien Library near the parking lot, 400 SW 152nd Street) Sunday, Oct. 18 (noon –4 p.m.) • Seattle (Seattle Central College, cor-
at www.SeattlePride.org for a chance to win pair of Alaska Airlines tickets to be awarded each week, plus a grand prize, which includes a Fjällräven Kånken Rainbow Pack, $100 Nordstrom gift card, and more. To enter, people simply complete actions within three categories – voter education, get out the vote, and advocacy. Each question, or task, will be worth points – the more points a participant accumulates during the week, the more times they are entered into the week’s prize drawing to be announced at the end of the five-week campaign. Drag Out the Vote is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that works with drag performers in all 50 states to promote participation in democracy. It educates and registers voters at drag events online and offline, by organizing local and national voter activations. Led by fierce drag kings and queens across the nation, it advocates for increased voter access and engagement in 2020 and beyond. Learn more at www. dragoutthevote.org.
Drag Out the Vote with (l-r) Dylan Austin, Aleksa Manila, Gaysha Starr, and Vincent Millay – Photos courtesy of Why for Good
“Since the sixties, drag has blended art and activism,” said Dylan Austin, a Seattle Pride board member who also works with Drag Out the Vote promoting participation in democracy. “Drag queens and trans women ignited the Stonewall uprising in 1969, and ever since drag performers have commanded attention and been at the forefront speaking their minds on many of our most pressing public issues. Now they are uniting to increase voter turnout.” “Between LGBTQIA+ equality, transgender rights, queer workplace protections, BIPOC representation and equity, HIV/ AIDS prevention and treatment, and genderaffirming healthcare, we have to see strong voter turnout in 2020 and beyond. The issues most important to the LGBTQIA+ community require leadership and action from equality-minded elected officials, and voting is the least we can do to make that kind of progress,” added Austin. While the Human Rights Campaign estimates that LGBTQIA+ registered voters vote at a higher rate than the general public, the fact remains that one in five LGBTQIA+ adults is not currently registered to vote, according to a national Williams Institute and
munity. A vote isn’t just for one person; it impacts the lives of millions of people.” “Voting for me is...not just about queer rights but climate change policies and healthcare. We need to focus on what is important and all work together toward a future which is based on loving each other, and our planet,” added Drag Ambassador Vincent Milay. With the added help from their drag ambassador friends, Seattle Pride plans to distribute 1,000 campaign signs throughout it five-week Vote with Pride campaign. “It’s an especially important time for the LGBTQIA+ community, BIPOC communities, and others who have experienced a history of oppression and marginalization to mobilize and take action,” said Seattle Pride Executive Director Krystal Marx. “Given the response we saw in just our first weekend, plus the calls we’ve received from people outside of Seattle requesting Vote with Pride signs, we’ve decided to expand our presence to two additional pop-up locations – one in Bellevue and the other in Burien – beginning next Sunday and running through Nov. 1,” added Marx. The remaining Vote with Pride pop-up
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ner of Broadway & Pine) – featuring Drag Out the Vote’s Drag Ambassadors Aleksa Manila, Vincent Milay, and Gaysha Star • Bellevue (Bellevue Downtown Park, corner of NE 1st Street & 102nd Avenue NE) • Burien (north side of the Burien Library near the parking lot, 400 SW 152nd Street) Sunday, Oct. 25 (noon –4 p.m.) • Seattle (Seattle Central College, corner of Broadway & Pine) • Bellevue (Bellevue Downtown Park, corner of NE 1st Street & 102nd Avenue NE) • Burien (north side of the Burien Library near the parking lot, 400 SW 152nd Street) Sunday, Nov. 1 (noon –4 p.m.) • Seattle (Seattle Central College, corner of Broadway & Pine) • Bellevue (Bellevue Downtown Park, corner of NE 1st Street & 102nd Avenue NE) • Burien (north side of the Burien Library near the parking lot, 400 SW 152nd Street) Throughout the five weeks of the Vote with Pride campaign, the public is invited to submit their election-related efforts online
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Seattle Pride is a 501c(4) not-for-profit organization that produces the Seattle Pride Parade, Seattle Pride in the Park, and other pride-related events and promotions, as well as year-round statewide advocacy in support of diversity, inclusivity, and equal human rights for all. The Seattle Out & Proud Foundation is Seattle Pride’s 501c(3) nonprofit foundation that provides grants and sponsorship support to community-based LGBTQIA+ organizations statewide and educates members of the public about the LGBTQIA+ community and the rights of its members, to eliminate discrimination against and further the civil rights of members of the LGBTQIA+ community, and to connect, inspire, and strengthen the LGBTQIA+ community by promoting the arts and supporting leadership development. To learn more about the Seattle Pride and Pride-related events, grants and advocacy visit www.seattlepride.org, subscribe to its e-newsletters and advocacy alerts, and follow on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn @SeattlePride and on Twitter @OurSeattlePride. Courtesy of Why For Good
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PEDERSEN
continued from cover Pedersen’s proposal would give more power to civilian overseers than law enforcement representatives and would expand the criteria for decertification to include the use of excessive force – something not currently done by the state. The bill would change who hears decertification cases – reducing the number of law enforcement representatives and replacing them with citizens, plus a police
chief or sheriff – and make a similar shift on the state’s training commission board. “The community’s perspective in how officers should be trained and how officers should be decertified has been a part of the equation that has been missing in the traditional approach,” said Anne Levinson, a former Seattle police oversight official and municipal court judge who helped draft the bill. Under Washington’s current law, police can be decertified only for a narrow set of circumstances. Often, the process drags out for years after complaints of serious misconduct.
According to the Seattle Times, most officers under review are able to keep their certification. Critics say the system is designed more to protect officers’ careers than to hold them accountable. If the changes proposed by Pedersen take effect, Washington would be among the states with the most robust decertification systems, according to Roger Goldman, an emeritus law professor at St. Louis University. “It’s certainly much more progressive, and it’s in the direction many states are going,” said Goldman. “Washington has a
long way to make up because its law was so narrow.” Certification by the state is required to be a police officer in Washington, and revoking it can permanently disqualify someone from working as a police officer. However, the state rarely takes that action under existing laws, decertifying an average of 13 per year of the about 11,000 officers statewide, according to a Seattle Times investigation.
Durkan Digest: My plan to further address the homelessness crisis SEATTLE (October 5, 2020) – It’s been a hard year for all of us. Every day, we learn about more chaos from this White House and the other Washington. The lack of national leadership has led to an intensifying pandemic, an economic downturn, a civil rights reckoning, and a climate crisis. These crises have impacted all of us in Seattle, especially individuals experiencing homelessness. Seattle’s homelessness crisis has been years in the making, and its roots run deep, touching racial inequity, economic disparities, mental health treatment, rising housing costs, mental health, substance use disorder, and so much more. As we embarked upon lasting, meaningful progress, COVID-19 has presented new challenges to our community and homelessness response. COVID-19 has led the City to take a series of additional steps, including creating new hygiene resources with closed businesses and City facilities, building new shelter capacity, deintensifying and adding new health measures at some of our more crowded shelters, and increasing testing. As we enter the second year of the pandemic in 2021, my budget focuses on making the necessary investments to protect our most vulnerable communities while moving more individuals off the street and into safer places. Following City Council’s decision to defund the Navigation Team and override my veto, I also put forward my plan to address unauthorized encampments. Since 2017, the City has worked to transform our shelter system to provide 24/7 services and case management that more effectively transition individuals from homelessness into housing. In 2017, the City had approximately 1,000 overnight basic shelter beds, 750 24/7 shelters, and 255 spaces at sanctioned encampments. Now, the City now has more than 1,500 24/7 shelters, 500 basic shelter spaces, and more than 300 tiny homes. In all of the City’s shelters, we have taken a series of actions to create new safety and health measures including physical distancing. My 2021 budget proposes spending approximately $150 million to address our homelessness crisis, which includes support for 2,300 shelter beds and tiny homes, permanent supportive housing, sustaining hygiene resources deployed during COVID-19, and a new plan to surge shelter and housing resources for individuals living unsheltered. My plan increases shelter by as much as 425 beds while significantly increasing resources for some of our City’s most effective programs for housing, including rapid rehousing and diversion: Leasing up to 300 hotel units Making 125 units of enhanced, 24/7 shelter available Increasing rapid rehousing to exit 231 households from homelessness Increasing diversion to support 130 more households find safer places
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Photo by Ted S. Warren AP
With our recent investments in affordable housing and permanent supportive housing, we expect 600 new units of permanent supportive housing to open in record time by 2021. While I am hopeful that the City Council and I will find agreement on increasing housing and shelter resources, one area of continued disagreement is the role of the City to conduct outreach to unsheltered individuals and address the city’s most hazardous encampments. Right now, we have thousands of individuals living in doorways, parks, and sidewalks, and many encampments pose public safety and public health hazards to both the residents of the encampment and surrounding community. Over the summer, the City Council repeatedly to defund the Navigation Team as part of the 2020 budget without a workable plan for the City to address hazardous encampments. The Navigation Team includes City employees who work to provide shelter and COVID-19 resources, assist individuals with storage, conduct site inspections, provide garbage and waste services, [offer] housing and service referrals, and coordinate requests with City departments, residents, and businesses. The team has focused on outreach and services during COVID-19 response, conducting a limited number of unauthorized encampment removals – and only for extreme circumstances – since March. With the City Coun-
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cil’s decision to override my veto, the City is moving forward to suspend their operations. Both in my budget and through legislation, I have proposed alternative approaches to outreach and engagement – both in 2020 and 2021. However, I believe the City must play some role to coordinate and humanely address encampments across our city, and it is my hope that City Council will work with my office on this issue in the coming days. Our residents and businesses expect our city government to find solutions – even when we may disagree. As always, please continue to write me at Jenny.Durkan@seattle.gov, reach out via Twitter and Facebook, and stay up to date on the work we’re doing for the people of Seattle on my blog. Mayor Durkan signs new executive order to evaluate police functions, identify areas to transition to civilian response Following the mayor’s 2021 proposed budget, which includes $60 million in reductions to the Seattle Police Department (SPD) budget, the mayor signed a new executive order (EO) to create a roadmap to transforming policing. The EO creates an accountable and transparent timeline to evaluate SPD functions and identify areas of police response that can be transitioned to civilian and community-based responses.
“The roots of institutions that have historically marginalized Black, Indigenous, and People of Color communities run deep. In addition to reductions proposed by former Chief Best, Chief Diaz, and me to the Seattle Police Department, my budget reflects a historic $100 million investment in BIPOC communities and continued investments in alternatives to policing. With 800,000 9-1-1 calls in our city, it will take thoughtful analysis and deliberate action to truly transform policing. With this executive order and real community investments, we’re committing ourselves to a rigorous, transparent, and community-led discussion on issues of policing and community safety,” said Mayor Durkan. The mayor’s 2021 proposed budget also creates a Seattle Emergency Communication Center (SECC) and a new Safe and Thriving Communities division in the Human Services Department (HSD). The new division at HSD will house all of the department’s safety programs, including the Victim Advocates unit, which is currently transitioning from the SPD to the HSD. The SECC is the first step toward unifying emergency response across the city and addressing the goals of reducing dispatches for the SPD and substituting alternate responses from other City departments or community-based organizations. Courtesy of Mayor Jenny Durkan
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LGBTQ+ young adults encouraged to apply for OUTAthlete Program from the OUT Foundation NEW YORK (October 1, 2020) – It can be hard for many LGBTQ+ young adults to find a place where they feel comfortable participating in fitness, and the OUT Foundation and its local chapters in Portland, ME; Miami, FL; and New Orleans, LA are partnering with local CrossFit gyms across the country to change that. Enrollment is now open, and interested applicants are encouraged to apply at iamout.org/outathlete before the October 31, 2020 deadline. Preference will be given to applicants who live in the Greater New England, Louisiana, and South Florida areas. “The OUT Foundation provides access to fitness, health, and wellness to the LGBTQ+ community,” said Eddie Plata, executive director of the OUT Foundation. “In service of our mission, we have been working to develop local chapters across the country and are partnering with them to set LGBTQ+ young adults up for a healthy lifestyle through our successful OUTAthlete Program.”
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Recipients will be chosen and notified by December 1, 2020, and the OUT Foundation will work with them to find a local, inclusive CrossFit facility where they can begin their fitness journey in January of
2021. “We were fortunate enough to host an athlete as part of the OUTAthlete Program, and he has been such an asset to our community,” said Joe Fecker, owner of CrossFit Milk District. “This program has helped him become a coach here, which we are very grateful for, and we are proud to be a part of this phenomenal program.” Now supporting its third class of athletes, the OUTAthlete Program has helped over 30 athletes in 28 cities. OUTAthletes receive a yearlong membership to a local LGBTQ+ friendly CrossFit gym, nutrition coaching, 30% off all OUTAthletics apparel, healthy meals, a networking group of current and former OUTAthletes, gifts from our sponsors, monthly educational sessions, and more. “I am incredibly thankful for the opportunity to be a part of the OUTAthlete Program, and I am now a proud trainer at Crossfit Milk District,” said OUTAthlete Logan Downs. “The OUT Foundation gave me support as a coach and a com-
petitive athlete, and I love being part of a large LGBTQ+ athletic community that the OUTAthlete program has helped foster.” The OUT Foundation’s mission is to remove the barriers that block LGBTQ+ individuals’ access and participation in fitness, health, and wellness to ensure their success. We believe that no matter who you are, where you’re from or where you’re going – you deserve a safe place to be yourself and to better yourself. The OUT Foundation is dedicated to creating opportunities for the LGBTQ+ community to come together and sweat for a cause. Learn more at www.iamout.org. The OUT Foundation is a recognized 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. US Registered Charity EIN #822606139. All donations are tax-deductible in accordance with IRS regulations. Courtesy of the OUT Foundation
KIM DAVIS
continued from cover would be infringed if she were forced to issue licenses for marriages she viewed as ungodly. She also argued that the legal doctrine of “qualified immunity” protected her from lawsuits naming her personally. Plaintiffs in the case are two Gay couples – David Ermold and David Moore, and James Yates and Will Smith. The Supreme Court ruling allows their suit to go forward. Danger for marriage equality The high court’s decision was technically unanimous, but a concurring opinion by Justice Clarence Thomas raised serious concerns about the future of the Obergefell decision in an increasingly right-wing court. Thomas, joined in his opinion by Justice Samuel Alito, agreed with the court’s decision not to take up the case, but only on narrow technical grounds. In a scathing opinion, Thomas attacked the Supreme Court’s 2015 Obergefell decision and said it “bypassed the democratic process” and left people with religious objections to same-sex marriage “in the lurch.” “Davis may have been one of the first victims of this Court’s cavalier treatment of religion in its Obergefell decision, but she will not be the last,” Thomas wrote. “Due to Obergefell, those with sincerely held religious beliefs concerning marriage will find it increasingly difficult to participate in society without running afoul of Obergefell and its effect on other antidiscrimination laws.” Thomas said the Obergefell ruling “enables courts and governments to brand religious adherents who believe that marriage is between one man and one woman as bigots, making their religious liberty concerns that much easier to dismiss.” “This petition provides a stark reminder of the consequences of Obergefell,” Thomas continued. “By choosing to privilege a novel constitutional right over the religious liberty interests explicitly protected in the First Amendment, and by doing so undemocratically, the court has created a problem that only it can fix.” Concerns for the future of marriage equality mount as Trump Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett is known to be an adherent of a cult-like traditionalist Catholic organization and an opponent of LGBTQ rights.
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Kim Davis – Photo by Timothy D. Easley / AP
James Yates (r) and his partner William Smith Jr. – Photo by Timothy D. Easley / AP
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PROTESTS
continued from cover WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 7TH The Seattle Police Department announced on Wednesday it’s Community Response Group (CRG) – over 100 officers and sergeants from all five precincts patrolling the city – to “respond to demonstrations, freeing up patrol officers to handle 911 calls.” The CRG has been operating for a week and their presence has been noticed as protesters and police engage on the streets of Seattle. The SPD also states that between demonstrations, the CRG has responded to more than 400 calls and arrives at “priority one calls faster than average; usually in under 7 minutes.” In addition, CRG has been meeting with residents and business owners during roll calls it’s held in the Chinatown-International District, Rainier Beach and Ballard. The SPD did not immediately respond to a question from the Seattle Gay News about whether or not
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a roll call would be held in the Capitol Hill neighborhood. Later that night, the police scanner stated 20-30 people, dressed in black, had gathered at Seattle Central College and began marching through the streets of Capitol Hill. A flyer distributed in the neighborhood stated they would be marching at 8 p.m. to protest a “piece of shit” that “murdered George Floyd.” The flyer included the picture of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin who posted a 1 million dollar bond on Wednesday to secure his release from jail. The SGN declined to attend the Wednesday protest after the march’s sponsor posted on Twitter that same morning that “ALL CAMERAS ARE COPS” and that they were issuing a “dispersal order” and that a failure to do so “could result in your camera being smashed.” MONDAY, OCTOBER 5TH A protest march in response to the policeinvolved shooting death of Jonathan Price in Wolfe, Texas, was held in Seattle on Monday. Price was shot by police outside a gas
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station where he had attempted to intervene in a domestic dispute between a couple. He was tased and, seconds later, shot several times, resulting in his death. Wolfe City police officer Shaun David Lucas has since been arrested on investigation of murder. The Seattle demonstration rallied at Seattle Central College on Capitol Hill after 8 p.m. The protest march stepped off from Broadway & E. Pine St., westbound onto E. Pine St., and headed downtown. The demonstration was followed by a squadron of bicycle cops, several police vehicles and two vans full of Seattle Police officers in riot gear. At one point, a loudspeaker issued a garbled warning that the marchers may be subject to arrest. When it reached downtown the protest march headed north through the Belltown neighborhood toward Denny Way intersecting with Denny Way near the I-90 interchange and the Pink Elephant Car Wash sign. Turning east onto Denny Way the protest march continued past the Whole Foods store at Westlake and the protesters began their steep climb up Capitol Hill via
Denny Way as the protest march returned to the Hill. Along the way the march came to a brief halt near the Seattle Times offices at Boren Ave. & Denny Way to address a medical issue with a protester. A few blocks away the march again stopped briefly on Denny Way on the I-5 overpass on between Stewart St. and Melrose Ave. perhaps to let everyone catch their breath. When the protest march returned to Capitol Hill the protesters returned to the SPD East Precinct at 12th Ave. & E. Pine St. After a few verbal taunts, the march continued north on 12th Ave. for a block or two and then turned west off 12th Ave. to end at Cal Anderson Park. This writer did not observe any arrests or property damage during the demonstration. However, several objects were strewn about the roadway in an effort to slow police. SATURDAY, OCTOBER 3RD The “End Police Violence” march, sponsored by Autonomous Seattle, took to the streets of Capitol Hill on Saturday, October
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3rd. The crowd gathered at Cal Anderson Park after 7 p.m. and began marching down Broadway. Later, the march traveled down narrow streets chanting: “Get out of your homes and into the streets!” The demonstrators then turned west onto E. Olive Way – stopping momentarily near the Starbucks at Summit Ave E. A few in the crowd left the group and began to vandalize the building. This writer heard breaking glass. It was here when a heavy police presence emerged from behind the group and gave an order to disperse. The police stopped a march support vehicle and began making arrests as the participants started heading east on E. Denny Way. A smaller group then reorganized at Cal Anderson Park until bike police swept them and several unhoused individuals out of the park. A standoff near E. John St. and 11th Ave. and, later, outside the East Precinct ended without incident. Several protesters appeared to suffer injuries and one could be heard crying out in pain while receiving treatment. Pepper spray exposure appeared to be the most common injury. A journalist, David Obelcz, who streams his video content online under the name Malcontent Tango, was struck in the back with a baton by police. He agreed to speak with the SGN this week. “Over the last month, I had reported that the Seattle Police appeared to be more in compliance with the August 10, 2020,
federal court order. Unlike prior protests where medics, legal observers, and press were targeted, my experience and talking to others was that the SPD was doing it less,” he said. “That isn’t to say press, streamers, and legal observers weren’t targeted during this quieter period. There was the Summer Taylor Vigil on August 26 that had the press pepper-sprayed, pushed down, and their equipment smashed. “The August 10, 2020, federal court order states that the press, as defined in the order, and legal observers do not have to follow a dispersal order. If the police declare an unlawful assembly or riot, then compliance is required. We reviewed 40 minutes of video on three different devices from October 3 and could not find where the Seattle police publicly declared an unlawful assembly. SPD did issue multiple dispersal orders, and there were several inaudible announcements by the Starbucks. “SPD has used the tactic of declaring a riot or unlawful assembly after the fact in the past. For example, on August 16, 2020, SPD claims they made a riot declaration. The audio indicates that an unlawful assembly declaration was first made, but only after the Seattle Police had engaged with protesters for almost 50 minutes. A riot declaration followed later that evening after most protesters had dispersed. “Without a declaration of an unlawful assembly, police had no right to enjoin the press to disperse on October 3. The video collected on multiple cameras shows I com-
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plied with the officer’s order. I moved faster than other protesters, stating I was complying with their request numerous times, and still got hit with a baton. The thud is heard in the audio track as the ‘pole cam’ shakes from the impact. “Seattle Police also never announced what direction to disperse in, and moved protesters through narrow residential streets, assuring that dispersal was impossible. Individuals should not be required to wear body armor and other protection to document the police and protester’s actions. The rights of a free press to operate in this country is supposed to be guaranteed by the First Amendment, and I shouldn’t have to add bruises to the growing list of injuries I am acquiring during this process. In a statement released on the the SPD Police Blotter, the police said an explosive had been thrown at them near the Starbucks and that 16 individuals were arrested for property destruction, assault, failure to disperse, and rendering criminal assistance. Gay streamer arrested During the early morning hours on Saturday, Joey Wieser, who is Gay, was visiting a friend near the SPD East Precinct on Capitol Hill when a protest broke out in front of the precinct. Wieser went over to video stream the protest online to his 12,386 Facebook followers. However, he found himself the subject of his own stream when he was rushed by several SPD police officers and arrested.
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Detective Patrick Michaud later spoke with the SGN via e-mail on Saturday about the arrest. “Yes, we arrested Joey early this morning for trespass at the East Precinct.,” he said. “He was identified and released as is standard procedure for a trespass arrest. Charges will be sent over to the prosecutor’s office for review.” Wieser later joked about the incident on Facebook: “I usually like being manhandled by 3 men at once.... but with my consent! Wieser has seen his public profile rise as a result of his coverage of the Black Lives Matter movement in Seattle. He is also one of the litigants in a large civil rights lawsuit against the City of Seattle and the State of Washington for its conduct during the demonstrations. THIS WEEKEND Several large demonstrations are planned this weekend. The Black Indigenous Coalition will march to the East Precinct on Friday at 5 p.m. The group will gather at Broadway and E Pine St. Likewise, a “Defund SPD” rally will be held on Saturday, October 10th, in conjunction with a “Defend SPD” rally, which both will be held at Green Lake Park from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Finally, the “Indigenous People’s Day of Rage” will be held on Sunday, October 11th at 2 p.m. The group plans to gather at the John T. Williams Memorial Totem Pole at the Seattle Center.
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House passes resolution condemning unwanted, unnecessary medical procedures performed on immigrant women without their consent WASHINGTON, DC (October 2, 2020) – The United States House of Representatives passed a resolution today urgently condemning the unwanted, unnecessary medical procedures – including partial and full hysterectomies – performed on immigrant women without their full, informed consent at the private, for-profit Irwin County Detention Center in Ocilla, GA. HR 1153 – co-sponsored by 225 members of Congress and led by US Reps. Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), Annie Kuster (NH-02), Sheila Jackson Lee (TX-18), Sylvia Garcia (TX-29), and Lois Frankel (FL-21) – also calls on the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to take a series of specific actions, including immediately complying with all related investigations. “This resolution mandates a real investigation must happen but it also sends a clear message to doctors contracted by private, for-profit incarceration facilities everywhere that we will not stand by and allow you to treat people this way,” said Rep. Jayapal. “We will not stand by and allow history to repeat itself – a shameful history of medical abuse targeting Black people, Indigenous people, people of color, immigrants, poor people, and people with disabilities. The women at Irwin, those who have been released and those who have been deported are brave and resilient, and I want them to know that the United States Congress sees you, hears you and will never stop fighting for you.” “Reports of unwanted medical procedures being performed on migrant women are heartbreaking and horrifying, and I’m glad we have passed this resolution condemning this appalling treatment,” said Rep. Kuster. “Today, the House reaffirmed what we already knew: everyone has the right to make informed decisions about their own bodies, and ICE’s failure to protect the women in its care is unacceptable. Women have the right to make their own reproductive choices – women can choose when and if they get pregnant. Some of these women were planning to have children, but they no longer have that choice after they say they received hysterectomies and other gynecological surgeries without their consent while in ICE custody. Immediate action must be taken to hold accountable those responsible for performing these procedures and ensure women who have been subjected to this treatment are given the support they need.” “It is imperative that we, as members of Congress, fulfill our duty to the American people and get to the bottom of what happened to the women being held at the Irwin County Detention Center. Just because someone is an immigrant, is undocumented, or detained for deportation, it does not mean that they can be denied their due process rights under the laws of this land and the United States of America’s constitution,” said Rep. Jackson Lee. “As a woman and a mother, I am appalled and horrified by what has been happening to these women at the Irwin County Detention Center, and I believe that we owe it to them to fully investigate their claims.” “This past weekend, several of my colleagues and I visited the Irwin ICE Detention Center, and what we heard and saw was outrageous and heartbreaking,” said Rep. Garcia. “We were told stories about how there are women in the facility who don’t understand what happened to their bodies. Another woman relayed how a doctor inserted his hands in her vagina without
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Photo courtesy of U.S. Rep. Pramila Jayapal
gloves. What these women were subjected to is assault, and we must all recognize it as such. Today’s resolution makes it absolutely clear that we condemn the unwanted and unnecessary medical procedures performed on these women, and we must fully investigate how this was allowed to happen. This is the worst human rights violation I have ever seen, and it is happening right here in America. We must put an end to this and ensure justice for every migrant woman whose body was violated without their full and informed consent.” “The allegations of mass hysterectomies being forced on immigrant women have revealed gross human rights violations,” said Rep. Frankel. “Mass hysterectomies have a long and shameful history in the United States, and forced sterilization has been used to further white supremacy, ableism, and other forms of discrimination.” The resolution passed less than one week after members of the House Judiciary Committee and Congressional Hispanic Caucus led a congressional delegation to the Irwin County Detention Center. It was there that they heard firsthand from numerous women who had unnecessary gynecological procedures – including surgeries involving their reproductive organs – performed on them by Dr. Mahendra Amin without their knowledge or consent. Many
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of the procedures resulted in sterilization. Today’s resolution also comes just one week after lawmakers on the House Judiciary Committee sent a letter to DHS Acting Secretary Chad Wolf calling on him to urgently take specified actions and immediately respond to a set of pressing document requests. Additionally, 173 members of Congress urged DHS Inspector General Joseph Cuffari to open an immediate and full investigation in mid-September. Investigative reporting by the New York Times released this week confirmed that Dr. Amin consistently performed surgeries on immigrant women’s reproductive organs, “even when it did not seem medically necessary at the time and nonsurgical treatment options were available.” The Times found striking similarities in the medical records and patient files they reviewed, and medical experts concluded that there is a “pattern of excessively aggressive surgical intervention without adequate trial of medical remedies.” This new reporting was consistent with what at least five attorneys told Reo. Jayapal during a Sept. 16 legal briefing after the initial release of Dawn Wooten’s whistleblower report. Today’s resolution condemns performing unwanted and unnecessary medical procedures without the full, informed consent of individuals. It also recognizes that everyone
deserves to control their own reproductive choices and make informed choices about their bodies. Additionally, the resolution says that further accountability, oversight, and transparency is necessary to protect people in the custody of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The resolution also calls on the DHS to take a series of specific actions, including pausing the removal of any individual who experienced any medical procedure at the Irwin County Detention Center and allowing individuals who may have experienced an unnecessary or nonconsensual procedure to have immediate access to adequate, safe, and consensual medical treatment. Additionally, it calls on the DHS to immediately comply with all related investigations and records requests related while ensuring affected individuals are able to freely participate in any investigation without fear of reprisal. Finally, the resolution demands that the DHS hold all individuals involved in these incidents accountable and bring them to justice. The resolution was endorsed by 54 organizations: the AFL-CIO; African Communities Together; Alianza Nacional de Campesinas; American Friends Service Committee; American Immigration Lawyers Association; Amnesty International USA; Asian Americans Advancing Justice | AAJC ; Asian Pacific Institute on Gender- Based Violence; Casa de Esperanza: National Latin@ Network for Healthy Families and Communities; Center for Gender & Refugee Studies; Center for Victims of Torture; Church World Service; Congregation of Our Lady of Charity of the Good Shepherd, US Provinces; Freedom for Immigrants; Human Rights First; In Our Own Voice: National Black Women’s Reproductive Justice Agenda; Jewish Women International; Justice for Migrant Women; MoveOn; NARAL; National Advocacy Center of the Sisters of the Good Shepherd; National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum (NAPAWF); National Coalition Against Domestic Violence; National Council of Jewish Women; National Fair Housing Alliance; National Immigration Law Center; NETWORK lobby for Catholic Social Justice; Oxfam America; People’s Action; Planned Parenthood Federation of America; Project On Government Oversight; Project South; Southeast Asia Resource Action Center (SEARAC); SPLC Action Fund; T’ruah: The Rabbinic Call for Human Rights; Tahirih Justice Center; UnidosUS; United We Dream; Women’s Refugee Commission; Asian Americans Advancing Justice- Atlanta; Church Council of Greater Seattle; Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights (CHIRLA); Georgia Detention Watch; Georgia Latino Alliance for Human Rights (GLAHR); Illinois Accountability Initiative; Iowa Coalition Against Domestic Violence; Khmer Anti-deportation Advocacy Group (KhAAG); Maine Coalition to End Domestic Violence; Mekong NYC; National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum (NAPAWF) Seattle Chapter; OneAmerica; Vermont Network Against Domestic and Sexual Violence; Washington State Coalition Against Domestic Violence; and Wind of the Spirit Immigrant Resource Center. The full resolution is available [at https://bit.ly/30JB461]. Courtesy of Rep. Pramila Jayapal
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Rep. Jayapal on voting to deliver additional COVID-19 relief to individuals, families, and businesses across Washington WASHINGTON, DC (October 1, 2020) – US Rep. Pramila Jayapal (WA-07) issued the following statement after voting to deliver another round of critical COVID19 relief to individuals, families, and businesses in Washington and throughout the country: “My office has heard directly from thousands of constituents across our community who have been devastated by this unprecedented public health and economic crisis. Like millions throughout the country, they need help paying bills, putting food on the table, and making ends meet during these dire circumstances. I’m proud
to pass another robust relief package that delivers them urgent assistance, and I call on the Senate to immediately do the same. “As nearly one million new people file for unemployment each week, this package fully restores the $600 a week of expanded unemployment assistance, sends stimulus checks to individuals regardless of their immigration status, and renews moratoriums on evictions and foreclosures. As at least 27 million people have lost their health care, this package opens a special health insurance enrollment period and increases subsidies to the maximum amount. And as small businesses continue to see their doors
shutter, this package gets more relief out to help cover payrolls through grants – not loans. It also creates a $120 billion grant program for restaurants, and continues the essential Payroll Support Program for airlines to keep workers employed. “Critically important for our region, the relief package also includes $238 billion for states and $179 billion for local governments to invest in their communities. Finally, this relief package invests $50 billion in childcare as families struggle to withstand the crisis, $15 billion in the USPS as we protect mail delivery from this administration’s coordinated sabotage, and
additional funding for elections so every voice is heard during the most important election in recent memory. “While this package takes urgently needed steps to help those in our community, I won’t stop fighting to get additional relief out to individuals, families, workers, and small businesses. Our response must match the scale of this crisis, and I am committed to doing the work necessary to make that happen.” Courtesy of Rep. Pramila Jayapal
Rep. Smith applauds House passage of updated HEROES Act
U.S. Rep. Adam Smith – Photo courtesy of U.S. House of Representatives
WASHINGTON, DC (October 1, 2020) – Rep. Adam Smith (D-WA) released the following statement today after the House of Representatives passed HR 925, the updated HEROES Act, which would address the continued public health crisis and provide desperately needed support for struggling families and essential workers. “We have surpassed 200,000 COVID19 deaths and 7 million cases in the US – it is long past time for Senate Republicans to take action. The updated HEROES Act makes clear that House Democrats are willing to do what is necessary to provide our communities, workers, and families urgently needed health and economic relief
amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. “Like the HEROES Act passed by House Democrats in May, this bill includes vital support to communities including aid to state, local, and tribal governments; an extension of small business relief through the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and expanded unemployment benefits; another round of direct payments to individuals and families; rental assistance and an extension of the eviction moratorium; and enhanced food security benefits. Importantly, the bill also makes investments to combat the pandemic itself with money for testing, contact tracing, vaccine distribution, and personal protective equipment.
“Nine months into the pandemic, it is unconscionable that President Trump and his administration still refuse to take the pandemic seriously and congressional Republicans remain unwilling to act. Individuals, families, and businesses across the country are still struggling. It is imperative that congressional Republicans and the White House finally face the reality of this crisis and work with House and Senate Democrats to advance legislation that meets the needs of our communities.” Courtesy of Rep. Adam Smith
Rep. Smith successfully includes provision in updated HEROES Act to support youth achievement center in King County WASHINGTON, DC (October 3, 2020) – Rep. Adam Smith (D-Wash.) successfully included a provision in the Updated HEROES Act, which passed the House last night, that would help transit agencies make the most of unused land for communitybased organizations and housing. “Innovative and valuable projects across the nation are being held up due to an unnecessary roadblock in transferring land from transit agencies to local nonprofits and community-based organizations,” said Rep. Smith. “This includes progress on the Youth Achievement Center here in King County, a vital initiative to bring housing, health care services, jobs training and education, and other services to youth. I am proud to have secured inclusion of a provision that would give federal entities an easier path to transfer unused land to nonprofits and community-based organizations. I applaud the tireless efforts of Councilmember Zahilay, Peter Rogoff, and others who raised this issue and continue to work to meet the needs of King County through the development of the Youth Achievement Center and other projects.”
“Government has an obligation to use our resources expeditiously and effectively to meet the needs of the community,” said King County Councilmember Girmay Zahilay. “Underutilized publicly owned land can be a vital resource to build new foundations in historically marginalized areas of our country. Transferring ownership over for new housing, commercial centers, and facilities for necessary services is the pathway to thriving communities. Congressman Adam Smith has been an incredible federal partner in achieving this vision. By relaxing federal red tape and bureaucratic hurdles, he and his team will ensure designated publicly owned land in King County (and possibly the entire country) can be quickly transferred to communities and used for housing and other needed amenities.” “This provision will support Sound Transit in partnering with nonprofit organizations to help turn our surplus properties into wins that will advance equity for the residents of our communities,” said Sound Transit CEO Peter Rogoff. “We are grateful to Congressman Smith for his tireless
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support for building not only transit investments but other community infrastructure that our residents need to thrive.” Current federal law makes it difficult for nonprofit organizations and other nongovernmental organizations to acquire unused lands from transit agencies to create projects that will benefit the local communities. Rep. Smith’s provision included in the updated HEROES Act removes this red tape, making it easier to transfer land from the federal entities to local organizations to make way for projects that benefit local communities. This would help support housing and other community-based organizations working to expand housing and other services to their communities, including the Youth Achievement Center in King County. Community-based organizations in Washington State and across the country are working to bring projects to life that will better serve the needs of communities such as providing affordable housing, access to health care, and other services for underserved communities. Nonprofits that were already struggling for resources have been
hit even harder by the COVID-19 pandemic. This provision would alleviate a significant roadblock these organizations face so they can more easily kick-start valuable projects and fully realize their innovative ideas.
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FILM
Full lineup announced for the 25th Annual Seattle Queer Film Festival Virtual film festival to feature 40+ programs over 11 days
Breaking Fast – Photo courtesy of SQFF
Three Dollar Bill Cinema has announced the full lineup of film screenings and special programs for the 25th Seattle Queer Film Festival (SQFF) taking place October 15-25. Tickets and passes are on sale now. The largest festival of its kind in the Pacific Northwest will be completely virtual. For the first time in the film festival’s history, audiences outside of the greater Seattle region can easily be a part of the film festival community. The virtual festival’s viewing footprint extends to all of Washington, Oregon, and Idaho. The Seattle Queer Film Festival features the latest slate of queer cinema from across the globe. The lineup of 43 programs is comprised of narrative features, documentaries, short film programs, panel discussions, workshops, and companion question & answer sessions with filmmakers, producers, and film subjects. Audiences in the Pacific Northwest will have a 72-hour viewing window to watch each film program. The window begins once viewing starts. All films will be available to screen on Thursday, October 15. Specific watch times will be suggested to coordinate with live Q&As. “25 Years of queer film exhibition and LGBTQIA+ visibility is a significant and
exciting milestone for Three Dollar Bill Cinema,” said Kathleen Mullen, Interim Executive Director. “I want to thank the founders of this organization and the scores of people who have brought our mission to life year after year. For the staff and board of directors, it was integral to find a way to take the festival online and ensure our community could come together virtually, celebrate our 25th year, and view some entertaining and enlightening films. The expanded geographic footprint, including all of Washington, Oregon, and Idaho, allows Three Dollar Bill Cinema to reach smaller, rural communities that might not otherwise have access to independent queer cinema and the Seattle Queer Film Festival experience.” It was paramount for the festival programming staff to center stories by, for, and about those in the LGBTQ2IA+ community often relegated to the margins of the screen. Cooper Sealy, SQFF programmer, assembled a QTBIPOC (queer, trans, black, indigenous, people of color) committee to curate a series of films and programs titled Many Rivers to Cross: Diaspora Stories. “In 1992, Ruby Rich coined the term New Queer Cinema attempting to reckon
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with a newly emerging body of work, by members of the queer community, that brazenly, relentlessly, and audaciously told the stories of queer lives,” said Cooper Sealy, programmer and QTBIPOC committee lead. “Within three years, the Seattle Queer Film Festival (then the Seattle Lesbian & Gay Film Festival) was born. I’m honored to be a programmer in the 25th year of its life; SQFF is still doing the work of making space to feature the lives of LGBTQ2IA+ people from around the world without apology. Happy Bornday, Seattle Queer Film Festival! 25 and going strong.” The festival takes place from October 15-25. All-access passes to view all of the programs included in this year’s film festival are $125 for Three Dollar Bill Cinema members, $150 for non-members, and $199 for a household all-access pass. Individual tickets range from $5-$20, and four programs are free. For the film lineup, film descriptions, tickets and passes, and more visit https://threedollarbillcinema.org. HOW TO WATCH SQFF You can watch Seattle Queer Film Festival programming from anywhere in Washington, Oregon, and Idaho. Once you buy a pass or tickets, starting October 15 you can start watching on the CineSend portal, which is watch.threedollarbillcinema.org. All films will be available for viewing October 15-25, 2020. Once you start watching a film, i.e., click on the link, you have 72 hours to watch it or finish watching it. (NOTE: Even if you click play on your link on the last day (October 25), you still have 72 hours from that moment to watch the film.) All of the films have suggested viewing times to give structure to the festival and
for people to come together to participate in the live chat on Facebook and youtube live. These suggested viewing times coincide with Q&As with filmmakers and other special guests, so if you want to interact through chat and make it more like a real festival experience, join us at those times! In celebration of Seattle Queer Film Festival’s 25th Anniversary, a live conversation with director Jeffrey Schwarz, moderated by former Three Dollar Bill Cinema executive director, Jason Plourde, will be held following the film on Friday, October 16, at 6:00 pm. In conjunction with the screening of EQUAL, Cheyenne Jackson, director Stephen Kijak, and Jai Rodriguez will be doing a live Q&A on Sunday, October 18 at 7:00 pm. And GOSSAMER FOLDS will have a live Q&A at 8:00 pm. on Thursday, October 22 with director Lisa Donato (an alumn of SQFF), Alexandra Grey, and Yeardly Smith (voice of Lisa Simpson). Just as with in-person screenings, there are capacity limits, established by film distributors and producers, that the Seattle Queer Film Festival is obliged to adhere to. So getting your tickets, ticket package and/or pass as soon as possible is recommended. THE FULL LINEUP Opening Film: BREAKING FAST Dir. Mike Mosallam; 2020; USA; 92 min.; in English and Arabic with English subtitles Mo (Haaz Sleiman, The Visitor, Nurse Jackie), a practicing Muslim living in West Hollywood, has just endured a painful breakup, so he decides to be especially observant during Ramadan this year –
Celebrating 46 Years!
www.gofundme.com/f/seattle-gay-news-needs-your-support-now • VISIT SGN.ORG
Gossamer Folds – Photo courtesy of SQFF
– directed by Hong Khaou • SUBLET – directed by Eyton Fox • THE STRONG ONES (LOS FUERTES) – directed by Omar Zúñiga • TWO OF US (DEUX) – directed by Filippo Meneghetti
and this includes no romantic encounters. Enter Kal (Michael Cassidy), a handsome, charming all-American who surprises Mo by offering to break the daily fast with him. As the month-long holiday progresses, their nightly ritual feeds a growing bond between them across the cultural divide. But is it just friendship, or something more? Centerpiece Film: GOSSAMER FOLDS Dir. Lisa Donato; 2019; USA; 95 min. In 1986, the parents of ten-year-old Tate (It star Jackson Robert Scott) uproot their urban family and move to the suburbs. When their familial bonds start to break down, Tate escapes next door. There, he finds solace in his neighbors: a retired college professor and his transgender daughter, Gossamer (Alexandra Grey, Empire), a seamstress who longs to escape to New York and become a fashion designer. GOSSAMER FOLDS, featuring an original song performed by Sarah McLachlan, is rich with multilayered characters and a heartwarming tribute to the power of friendship. Closing Film: AHEAD OF THE CURVE Dir. Jen Rainin; 2020; USA; 95 min. With a fistful of credit cards, a lucky run at the horse track, and chutzpah for days, Franco Stevens launched Curve, the best-selling lesbian magazine of all time. Groundbreaking from its start in 1990, it was a visionary celebration of lesbian life. In this documentary, with the future of Curve uncertain, Stevens and director Jen Rainin explore lesbian visibility, community, legacy, and the need to evolve, through the use of archival footage and interviews with LGBTQ+ leaders, artists, and “celesbians,” including Melissa Etheridge, Jewelle Gomez, Denise Frohman, Kate
Kendell, and Lea DeLaria. Winner of the Audience Award for Best Documentary at aGLIFF 2020 (the All Genders, Lifestyles, and Identities Film Festival.) 25th Anniversary Special Presentation: VITO Dir. Jeffrey Schwarz; 2011; USA; 93 min. Few films connect to the impetus and ideals that encapsulate Three Dollar Bill Cinema’s 25 years more than VITO. As a young film student, Vito Russo was present at the Stonewall riots, after which he would become one of the most outspoken and inspiring activists for LGBTQ equal rights. Russo is most known for writing The Celluloid Closet, a groundbreaking book that explored the ways in which gays and lesbians were portrayed on film, and how these negative images were at the root of society’s homophobia. He continued writing, lecturing, speaking out, and acting up until his death from AIDS in 1990. A live conversation with director Jeffrey Schwarz, moderated by former Three Dollar Bill Cinema executive director, Jason Plourde, will be held following the film on Friday, October 16, at 6:00 pm. Narrative Features ALICE JÚNIOR – directed by Gil Baroni • CICADA – directed by Matt Fifer & Kieran Mulcar • COCOON – directed by Leoni Krippendorff • DEATH DROP GORGEOUS – directed by Michael J. Ahern, Christopher Dalpe, & Brandon Perras-Sanchez • ELLIE & ABBIE (AND ELLIE’S DEAD AUNT) – directed by Monica Zanetti • FORGOTTEN ROADS – directed by Nicol Ruiz Benavides • GODDESS OF FORTUNE – directed by Ferzan Ozpetek • LOLA – directed by Laurent Micheli • LUZ – directed by Jon Garcia • MILKWATER – directed by Morgan Ingari • MONSOON
Visit us online www.sgn.org
Documentary Features THE CAPOTE TAPES – directed by Ebs Burnough • CURED – directed by Bennett Singer • THE DILEMMA OF DESIRE – directed by Maria Finitzo • DISRUPTOR CONDUCTOR – directed by Sharon Lewis • EQUAL EPISODE 3 – directed by Stephen Kijak (SID & JUDY, Opening Night SQFF 2019) • KEYBOARD FANTASIES: THE BEVERLY GLENN-COPELAND STORY – directed by Posy Dixon • THE MILLENNIAL EXPERIENCE – directed by Alex Crozier • OUR DANCE OF REVOLUTION – directed by Phillip Pike • SURVIVING THE SILENCE – directed by Cindy L. Abel • UFERFRAUEN - LESBIAN LIFE AND LOVE IN THE GDR – directed by Barbara Wallbraun (US Premiere) • THE WHISTLE – directed by StormMiguel Florez Short Film Programs BOYS SHORTS • CHANCE ENCOUNTERS • GIRLS SHORTS • THE KIDS ARE ALRIGHT: YOUTH SHORTS • PLUGGED IN: SCI-FI SHORTS • QUEERING THE NARRATIVE • SATURGAY MORNING CARTOONS • SPECTRUMS OF THE SPIRIT: INDIGENOUS SHORTS • BOUNDARIES: TRANSGENDER SHORTS • ULTRAVIOLET • WALK MANY WORLDS: QTBIPOC SHORTS Films with Seattle Connections 2 DOLLARS – directed by Robin Cloud • A HEADLAMP OR TWO – directed by Beth Terwilleger • A HEADLAMP OR TWO: CREATING DANCE DURING A PANDEMIC LOCKDOWN – directed by Bruno Roque • AJE IJO SERIES (4th INSTALLMENT FINALE): IMMORTAL • BLUE SUIT – directed by Kevin J. Nguyen • CURED – directed by Patrick Sammon • DISSONANCE – directed by Kim Garcia • FLOURISH – directed by Heather María Ács • LOOK AT WHAT THE LIGHT DID NOW – directed by Brian Imakura • MES CHÉRIS – directed by Ethan Folk & Ty Wardwell • MILKWATER – directed by Morgan Ingari • SECOND PARENT – directed by Penny Pinjung Chen • SURVIVING THE SILENCE – directed by Cindy L. Abel • THE MILLENNIAL EXPERIENCE – directed by Alex Crozier • WERE YOU GAY IN HIGH SCHOOL? – directed by Niki Ang
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Many Rivers to Cross: Diaspora Stories (BIPOC Focus) ALICE JÚNIOR • FORGOTTEN ROADS • OUR DANCE OF REVOLUTION • THE DATING GAME • WALK MANY WORLDS: QTBIPOC SHORTS Free Programs THE DATING GAME • HOW TO BE A TRANS ALLY • HOW TO BE AN EFFECTIVE ALLY • VITO - 25th Anniversary Screening SPONSORSHIP Three Dollar Bill Cinema’s Annual Premier Sponsor is BECU. The Official Presenting Sponsors of the Seattle Queer Film Festival are the Jack Daniels Family of Brands, Tequila Herradura, Chambord Liquor, and Korbel Champagne. Additional sponsors include Seattle Pride, Kontent Partners, Seattle Children’s Hospital, Arts Fund, 4Culture, Seattle Office of Arts & Culture, KCTS9, Tito’s Handmade Vodka, Ste. Michelle Winery, Quisenberry & Associates, Goethe Pop Up, GSBA, and the Consulate General of Canada in Seattle. About the Seattle Queer Film Festival Started as the Seattle Lesbian & Gay Film Festival in October 1996, the Seattle Queer Film Festival has grown into the largest event of its kind in the Pacific Northwest, gaining industry and audience recognition for showcasing the latest and greatest in queer film, from major motion picture premieres to emerging talent. An important venue in the Seattle film scene, the festival provides unique opportunities for visiting and local filmmakers to engage and entertain the Greater Seattle region’s LGBTQ and allied community. For more information, visit https://threedollarbillcinema.org/sqff About Three Dollar Bill Cinema Three Dollar Bill Cinema is a 501(c) (3) nonprofit arts organization that provides access to films by, for, and about lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) people and a forum for LGBTQ filmmakers to share and discuss their work with audiences. Annual programs include the Seattle Queer Film Festival, Translations: Seattle Transgender Film Festival, Three Dollar Bill Outdoor Cinema, and Reel Queer Youth. For more information, visit threedollarbillcinema.org/ Courtesy of Three Dollar Bill Cinema
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Allyship - an organization of LGBTQ individuals fighting for economic and social justice. www.LGBTQAllyship. org, allyship@yahoo.com, (206) 279-8169. American Veterans for Equal Rights - www.aver.us Another Gay Social Club! - www.meetup.com/AnotherGay-Social-Club/ Bellingham/Whatcom County - www.theslowlane. com/guide.html BiNet Seattle is a mixed gender, social group for Bisexuals, their partners & other Bi-friendly folks - www. binetseattle.org. Bremerton/Kitsap County - www.outwestsound.org Capitol Hill Alano Club - www.chacseattle.org Cascade Rainbow Community Center (Mount Vernon) - (360) 840-8499 and on Facebook. Central Washington University GALA Hotline: (509) 963-1994. Channel Q 103.3 FM - LGBTQ+ Talk Radio Network News and information, pop culture and music. radio.com COLAGE unites people with LGBTQ parents and caregivers into a network of peers and supports them as they nurture and empower each other to be skilled, self-confident, and just leaders in our collective communities - www.colage.org DIFFA/Northwest (Design Industries Foundation Fighting AIDS). (206) 763-8885; www.diffanorthwest. org DOMESTIC VIOLENCE & SEXUAL ASSAULT: Crisis Clinic, (206) 461-3222 (24 hour line); King County Sexual Assault Resource Center (KCSARC) - 24-hour crisis line for information, support, & medical & legal assistance: 1-888-99-VOICE; Northwest Network support & advocacy for Bisexual, Trans, Lesbian & Gay Survivors of Abuse & Dating Violence, (206) 568-7777 (voice), 517-9670 (tty), www.nwnetwork.org; Pierce County Domestic Violence Helpline: Teresa, (253) 798-4166; Seattle Counseling Service for Sexual Minorities - offers on-going support groups for men: 323-1768; Seattle Police Dept Domestic Violence Unit, (206) 684-0330; State Wide Domestic Violence Hot Line, 1-800-562-6025. In an emergency call 911. Report domestic violence and sexual assault. Equal Rights Washington - (206) 324-2570; www. equalrightswashington.org Everett/Snohomish Cty - www.gaysnohomish.org Freely Speaking Toastmasters - www.freelyspeaking.org Gay City promotes wellness in LGBTQ communities by providing health services, connecting people to resources, fostering arts, and building community. Gay City Health Project’s Wellness Center provides anonymous & confidential HIV/STD testing. 517 E Pike St. More info or to schedule an appointment, (206) 860-6969. www.gaycity.org Gay & Lesbian National Hotline (GLNH): 1-888-THEGLNH (1-888-843-4564). Non-profit, peer-counseling, information & local resources telephone hotline for GLBT people across the country. Generations Aging With Pride empowers elder LGBTQ adults to live with pride and dignity by promoting, connecting, and developing innovative programs and services that enhance belonging and support, eliminate discrimination, and honor the lives of older members of our community - (206) 393-3400; info@gapseattle.org; gapseattle.org GLSEN/WA - Gay, Lesbian, Straight Education Network - (206) 330-2099; www.glsenwa.org Greater Seattle Business Association (GSBA) - (206) 363-9188; www.thegsba.org HIV/AIDS Program, Seattle/King County Dept of Public Health, provides confidential/anonymous information about & testing for HIV/AIDS. (206) 205-7837. For a comprehensive list of HIV/AIDS service organizations see the GSBA Guide or visit www.thegsba.org or call Lifelong AIDS Alliance, (206) 328-8979. Imperial Sovereign Court of Seattle & the Olympic & Rainier Empire - www.facebook.com/ISCSORE; www. imperialcourtofseattle.com Lambert House - (206) 322-2515; www.lamberthouse. org LGBT Library - 517 E Pike St. Open Mon-Fri 2-8pm; Sat 2-5pm. A wide range of fiction and non-fiction for the LGBT community and allies can be borrowed free of charge. LGBT MS Connection - (425) 785-8593; lgbtmsconnections@comcast.net. Support group for LGBT persons with MS and their partners and their caregivers. Sponsored by the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. Lifelong AIDS Alliance - (206) 328-8979, www.lifelongaids alliance.org Lion’s Main Art Collective - www.lionsmain.org MEN: Gay City: (206) 860-6969, www.gaycity.org; Knights of Mantra: (206) 329-0886, www.jetchapterkofm.com; Mature Friends: Gay men & women 40 & over, www.maturefriends.org; Northwest Bears: www. nwbears.com; The Olympians: www.TheOlympians. net; POZSeattle: www.pozseattle.com; Q-Squared: www.qsquared.org; Rain City Jacks: www.raincityjacks. org; Seattle Gay Couples: www. seattlegaycouples.org; Seattle Men in Leather: www.seattlemeninleather. org; Seattle Prime Timers: Gay & Bi men 40 & over, www. seattle primetimers.org; Tacoma Older LGBT: www. tacomaolderlgbt.org. (See also listings under Bisexual, Parenthood, People of Color, Transgender.) MUSIC: Diverse Harmony: www.diverseharmony. org; Rainbow City Band: 1-866-841-9139 ext 2126; rainbowcityband@onebox.com; www.rainbowcity band. com; Seattle Men’s Chorus and Seattle Women’s Chorus: (206) 388-1408, (206) 323-0750. www.seattlechoruses.org. Northwest Lesbian & Gay History Museum Project - gayhistnw@aol.com
20 Seattle Gay News
community resources Northwest Rainbow Alliance for the Deaf - www. nwrad.org Olympia/Thurston County - www.RainbowCenterOly. org Out & Equal Workplace Advocates/Seattle Regional Affiliate supports the work of LGBT employees and the growing number of ERGs (Employee Resource Groups) making a difference within local companies, including Alaska Airlines, Amazon.com, Amgen, AT&T, Bank of America, Deloitte, Macy’s, Microsoft, Russell Investments, Safeco Insurance, Starbucks Coffee, Xerox. www.outandequal.org/affiliates/seattle Out & Proud Grays Harbor Coalition - http://outandproudgh.org PARENTHOOD: Families Like Ours provides a gateway for LGBT families interested in adoption & provides a network of safe placement agencies, training, support & resources: (206) 441-7602, www.familieslikeours. org; Family Works offers support, information & activities for LGBT families: (206) 694-6727, www.familyworksseattle. org; Gay Fathers’ Association of Seattle offers support groups & social activities: www.gfas. org; Proud & Loud Families - Northwest, www.meetup.com/proudand-loud-families-northwest, plfnorthwest@aol.com; Queer Parent Networking Dinners: (206) 568-7777, qpnd@nwnetwork.org, www.nwnetwork.org; Rainbow Families of Puget Sound: www.rainbowfamiliesps.org PFLAG is the national organization for parents, families, allies, and LGBTQ people united for equality with chapters in Seattle, Bellevue/Eastside, the Puget Sound region and across Washington state. PFLAG Seattle: (206) 325-7724, info@pflagseattle.org, and www.pflagseattle.org; PFLAG Bellevue/Eastside: (425) 483-6642, info@bellevue-pflag.org, http://community. pflag.org/PFLAGBellevue; PFLAG Pacific Northwest: www.pnwpflag.org; PFLAG Washington State Council: www.pflagwsc.org. Peer Seattle (formerly Seattle Area Support Groups) is a non-profit organization that builds community and cultivates powerful, healthy lives by providing emotional support and personal development services to those affected by HIV/AIDS, the Queer communities, and those who love them. Our work is done in a spirit of safety, trust, inclusiveness, and celebration of individual differences. (206) 322-2437; www.peerseattle.org PEOPLE OF COLOR: AARTH (African American Reach & Teach Health Ministry), (206) 850-2070, www.aarth.org; Asian/Pacific Islander Queer Network Program at API Chaya, (206) 467-9976; Center for MultiCultural Health, (206) 461-6910, www.multiculturalhealth.org; Entre Hermanos, GLBT Latinos/as, (206) 322-7700, www.entrehermanos.org; Ile LaiLai, (206) 781-3565, iya@ilelailai.org; Men of All Colors & Cultures Together (MACCT), (206) 923-8313, macctseattle@yahoo.com, www.macctsea.org; Northwest Two Spirit Society, https://www.facebook.com/ groups/nw2spiritsociety/, Nubian Pride Productions, nubianpride@gmail.com; People of Color Against AIDS Network (POCAAN) offers rapid HIV testing, M-F, 10am-5pm, (206) 322-7061, www.pocaan.org and on Facebook; QBASS - Queer Black Alliance of the South Sound, (253) 256-1846, weareqbass@gmail. com; Sistah 2 Sistah, LBT women of African descent, (206) 322-7061, (206) 255-8951; Somos Seattle, somosseattle.org; Trikone-Northwest, GLBT South Asians, (425) 985-4376, www.trikonenw.org; Two-Spirit Honor Project, 1-866-685-0164; U.T.O.P.I.A. Seattle, www.utopiaseattlewa.org; VietQ Greater Seattle, vietqorganization@gmail.com Pierce County AIDS Foundation - (253) 383-2565; www.piercecountyaids.org Pride Foundation - (206) 323-3318; www.pridefoundation. org Pride Lives - www.facebook.com/PrideLives/ Pride Radio 93.3 HD2 Project NEON is a program of Seattle Counseling Service providing FREE information & services to Gay & Bi men to reduce health risks associated with methamphetamine use. (206) 323-1768. www.crystalneon.org Public Health-Seattle & King County Online Comprehensive Health Information for Sexual Minorities: www.kingcounty.gov/healthservices/health/personal/ glbt.aspx Q Law: The GLBT Bar Association of WA - (206) 682-6711; www.q-law.org Q Law GLBT Legal Clinic - (206) 235-7235. Queer Geek! - queergeekseattle.org Rainbow Center - Resource Center for Tacoma/Pierce County LGBTIQA community. Through education, advocacy and celebration, the Rainbow Center expands resources, and safe space for the LGBTQIA community.
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Sponsors Tacoma Pride Festival. (253) 383-2318, www. rainbowcntr.org SEAMEC interviews, researches & rates candidates for public office on issues of concern to the LGBT community. www.voteseamec.org Seattle Area Support Groups & Community Center (SASG) i- SEE LISTING for Peer Seattle. Seattle Bisexual Women’s Network - BiSeattle.wixsite. com/SBWN and on Facebook. Seattle Counseling Service for Sexual Minorities is a community mental health service for GLBT persons & their families providing comprehensive mental health services on a sliding scale. (206) 323-1768. Seattle LGBTQ Commission - (206) 684-4503. www/ seattle.gov/lgbtq Seattle Out & Proud - (206) 322-9561; www.seattlepride.org Seattle Police Department Sexual Minorities Community Advisory Council: kim.bogucki@seattle.gov Seattle PrideFest - www.seattlepridefest.org Servicemembers Legal Defense Network - (202) 328-3244; www.sldn.org Sex Workers Outreach Project - https://seattle. swopusa.org Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, The Abbey of St. Joan - (206) 860-3666; www.theabbey.org Snohomish Health District HIV/AIDS Program provides free confidential/anonymous HIV counseling & testing 9am-5pm Monday-Friday, until 7pm Tuesdays. (425) 339-5298. South Sound Q Calendar - LGBTQ events in Tacoma, Olympia & Sound Puget Sound area; www.SouthSoundQCal.com Spokane/Inland Northwest - www.outspokane.com; www.stonewallnews.net SPORTS & RECREATION: Bent Car Guys: www. bentcarguys.org; Border Riders Motorcycle Club: www.borderriders.com; Bottom Dwellers Scuba Club: www.bottomdwellers.org; Capitol Hill Cyclers: join their Facebook group or email capitolhillcycling@ groups.facebook.com or jordan.l.simonson@gmail.com; Cascade Flag Football: www.cascadeflagfootball.org; Cascade Flyers: www.cascadeflyers.org; Emerald City Mudhen Rugby: www.mudhenrugby.com; Emerald City Softball Association: www.emeraldcitysoftball. org, www.eteamz.com/womensecsa; Ethyl Forever Car Club: ethylforever@hotmail.com; Festival of the Babes: www.festivalofthebabes.com; Olympic Yacht Club: www.oycnw.org; OutVentures: outdoor education & recreation activities, www.outventures.org; Pacific Northwest Gay Rodeo Association: www.pacificnwgra.org; Puddletown Squares: www.puddletownsquares.org; Rain City Soccer: www.raincitysoccer.org; Rain Country Dance Association: a country-western dance organization catering to the LGBTQ community but open to all, www.raincountrydance.org; Sea Dawgs: LGBT ice hockey - SkateSeaDawgs@gmail.com and on Facebook; Seattle Frontrunners: www.seattlefrontrunners.org; Seattle Gay Basketball Association: www. seattlegaybasketballassociation.com; Seattle Orca Swim Team: www.orcaswimteam.org; Seattle Otters Water Polo: www.otterpolo.com; Seattle Quake Rugby: www.quakerugby.com; Seattle Tennis Alliance: www. seattletennisalliance.org; Seattle Unified Bowling Association (SUBA): magee98106@aol.com, www. teamseattle.org/bowling.htm, www.theprideleague. com, Century 21 League; Seattle Volleyball Club: www.seattlevolleyballclub.com; Ski Buddies: www. skibuddies.org; Team Seattle Gay Sports Network is an umbrella organization for a wide range of local GLBT sports activities, (206) 367-4064, www.teamseattle.org (see website for comprehensive list of sports clubs); Triangle Recreation Camp at Bender Creek: recreational camping for GLBT folks. Must be 21; ID required. trc@ camptrc.org, www.camptrc.org, 1122 E Pike St #1069, Seattle 98122-3934. Strength Over Speed - www.strengthoverspeed.org Tacoma/Pierce County - Rainbow Center, 2215 Pacific Ave, Tacoma, a resource center for the LGBTIQA community of Pierce County, (253) 383-2318, www. rainbowcntr.org Three Dollar Bill Cinema - TWIST: Seattle Queer Film Festival; Translations: Seattle Transgender Film Festival; Outdoor Cinema at Cal Anderson Park. www. threedollarbillcinema.org TRANSGENDER: Emerald City Social Club: (425) 827-9494; Gender Alliance of the South Sound: www. SouthSoundGender.com; Gender Diversity: www. genderdiversity.org; Gender Justice League: www.genderjusticeleague.org; Gender Odyssey: www.genderodyssey.com; Hermanos Trans Latino & Foreign-Born
Support Group: (206) 322-7700; Ingersoll Gender Center: (206) 329-6651, www.ingersollcenter.org; Lion’s Main Art Collective: www.lionsmain.org; The New BoyZ Club: www.olympiaftmgroup.webs.com; Olympia Trans Discussion Group: www.facebook.com/pages/ Olympia-Trans-Discussion-Group/262449878114; [trans] ACTION: Trans* & Gender Non-Conforming Sex Workers’ Support Group - a safe, peer-led space. mail@utopiaseattle.org; TRANSform Washington: transformwashington.com; Trans Resource & Referral Guide: kctransguide.org; Trans Women of Color Solidarity Network: Funding the collective liberation of Trans women of color – https://m.facebook.com/ TWOCSolidarityNW/; Washington Gender Alliance: (360) 445-2411, www.washington genderalliance.com WOMEN: Aging Ballard Lesbian Exchange (A.B.L.E.): We are Lesbians 60 years (generally) and up, living (mostly) in the north half of Seattle. The purpose of the group is to connect, socialize and support each other. ruthemilyvogel@gmail.com; Aging Lesbians in South Seattle (ALISS) - Lesbian Group at the Southeast Seattle Senior Center. This is a gathering primarily for Lesbians but all are welcome to attend. Kate, (206) 722-0317; www.sessc.org; BABES: support groups for HIV+ women. (206) 720-5566, 1-888-292-1912; Coming Out Women Support Group of Tacoma: www. comingoutwomen.org; Festival of the Babes: www. festivalofthebabes.com; Mature Friends: Gay men & women 40 & over, www.maturefriends.org; Puget Sound Old Lesbian Organizing for Change: http:// psoloc.org, (253) 777-3357; Older Lesbians Organizing for Change/WA State Chapter: gloria@oloc.org, mary@oloc.org, www.oloc.org; Pacific Northwest Lesbian Archives: www.pnwlesbianarchives.org; RainshadowWomen: RainshadowWomen@aol. com; Seattle Bisexual Women’s Network: BiSeattle. wixsite.com/SBWN; Seattle Girls of Leather: www. sgol.org; Tacoma Lesbian Concern (TLC): www.tacomalesbianconcern.org; Tacoma Older LGBT: www. tacomaolderlgbt.org; Women of West Seattle (WOWS): a fun, member-driven social group for Lesbians, http:// groups.yahoo.com/group/womenofwestseattle; YWCA Women’s Health Outreach: providing low or no-cost mammograms for income eligible 40+ LBTQ individuals. Follow us at http://lbtqhealth-ywca.blogspot.com, twitter.com/ingridWHO or email lbthealth@ywcaworks. org, (206) 461-4493. (See also listings under Bisexual, Parenthood, People of Color, Transgender.) YOUTH: B-GLAD (Bisexual, Gay, Lesbian, Trans & Questioning Adolescent Drop-In Group): Youth Eastside Services offers many programs for GLBT youth, including B-GLAD, (425) 747-4937; Coyote Central: www.coyotecentral.org; Diverse Harmony: www.diverseharmony. org; GLSEN/Washington State (Gay, Lesbian, Straight Education Network) & Washington State GSA (Gay-Straight Alliance) Network: GLSEN works to create safe schools for LGBT students. WA GSA Network supports youth-led GSA’s to fight harassment & homophobia in Washington state schools. (206) 330-2099; www.glsenwa. org; www.wagsa.org. GLOBE (GLBTQ Loving Ourselves, Becoming Empowered): a support group & HIV/STD prevention program for GLBTQ youth, 14-20, in Everett, (425) 263-2908, www. globeyouth.org; It Gets Better Project: www.itgetsbetter.org; Lambert House: an activities & resource center for LGBT youth, 14-22, 1818 15th Ave @ E Denny Way, with additional support groups organized in smaller towns throughout King County, (206) 322-2515, www. lamberthouse.org; Lifelong HEYO (Health Education Youth Outreach): for LGBTQ youth, ages 16-24: (206) 957-1665; www.llaa.org/HEYO; www.MatthewsPlace. com; The Mockingbird Society: (206) 323-KIDS (5437), www.mockingbirdsociety.org; New Horizons: social services and shelter for homeless youth, 2708 3rd Ave (in Belltown), (206) 374-0866, http://namin.org; Oasis Youth Center: for GLBTQ youth, ages 14-25, in Tacoma, (253) 671-2838, www.oasisyouthcenter. org; OKAY! LGBTQ+ Outreach for Kent Area Youth: (253) 859-0699 ext 3034. OKAY! is an open support group for youth ages 13-19 who identify as LGBTQ+. A program of Kent Youth & Family Services; OUT There Adventures: www.outthereadventures.org; Parents, Family & Friends of Lesbians & Gays (PFLAG)/ Puget Sound: (206) 325-7724, www.seattle-pflag.org; Pizza Klatch: weekly lunchtime support groups for LGBTQ youth in Thurston County, www.pizzaklatch. org; Prism: for LGBTQ youth, 14-21, in Puyallup Cherise.Alexander@ multicare.org; www.facebook. com/PuyallupPrism; Proud Out Wonderful (POW!): for LGBTQ youth, 13-21, in South King County, (206) 326-9112, www.facebook.com/proudoutwonderful; Q Youth Resources: in Kitsap County - (360) 698-3335; www.kchaf.org; Roots Young Adult Shelter: 1415 NE 43rd St., (206) 632-1635; www.rootsinfo.org; Safe Schools Coalition: www.safeschoolscoalition.org; (206) 451-SAFE, (206) 451-7233 (non-emergency), 1-877-SAFE-SAFE (1-877-723-3723) (crisis line); Seattle Young People’s Project (Queer Youth Resource Board): (206) 860-9606, www.sypp.org; Street Youth Ministries (SYM): (206) 524-7301 ext 111; www. streetyouthministries.org; Teen Link: (206) 461-4922, 1-888-431-TEEN; The Trevor Project: 866-4-U-Trevor; www.thetrevorproject.org; True Colors - Connecting LGBTQ Teens: in Shoreline, (206) 362-7282 x 8018, lbagley@chs-nw.org; The Vera Project: fuels personal & community transformation through collaborative youthdriven engagement in music and art. (206) 956-8372; theveraproject.org; Vista Youth Center: for LGBTQ, questioning and allied youth, ages 14-21, in Kennewick, (509) 396-5198, www.vistayouthcenter.org; YouthCare/ Isis Program (Transitional Living Home for LGBTQ Young Adults, 18-22): (206) 522-8412; YouthCare/ Orion Center Young Adult Shelter: 1828 Yale Ave @ Stewart St. (206) 622-5555; Youth in Focus: (206) 723-1479; www.youthinfocus.org; Youth Suicide Prevention Program (OUTLoud-GLBTQ): (206) 297-5922, ext 116, 1-800-273-TALK, www.yspp.org
Celebrating 46 Years!
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October 9, 2020
Seattle Gay News 21
It’s time to start healing.
Sacred Rain Healing Center is open for therapeutic massage & acupuncture six days a week. Strict COVID precautions followed, with client arrivals staggered & deep sanitizing between every treatment. Masks required to enter the facility & during treatment.
Outdoor sauna, spa pool, sundeck, lockers, indoor chill spaces are all dormant until King County hits Phase 3 reopening. Open Monday through Saturday 10am - 8pm Temporarily closed Sunday
Sacred Rain Healing Center
1100 NW 50th St. Seattle ~ 206.789.6288 ~ sacredrainhealing.com ~ info@sacredrainhealing.com
22 Seattle Gay News
October 9, 2020
Celebrating 46 Years!
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October 9, 2020
Seattle Gay News 23