Celebrating 41 Years! Issue 37 Volume 43
SEC 2
We Are The Champions! An interview with Peter Freestone Personal Assistant to Freddie Mercury
pg 1
Review
Seattle Gay News
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Netherlands OKs asylum for Russian LGBT refugees
SEATTLE’S LGBT NEWS & ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY
Drag queen taken against her will, assaulted, but not broken by Shaun Knittel SGN Associate Editor
LGBT Russians can now seek asylum in the Netherlands – Getty Images/huffingtonpost.com
by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer The Dutch government has declared that Russian LGBT refugees are an at-risk group, thereby clearing them for asylum in the Netherlands. Dutch Secretary for Security and Justice Klaas Dijkhoff said in an official letter to his country’s House of Representatives that the status of LGBT Russians in the Netherlands
would be changed so that it’s easier for them to get asylum. Previously, Russian LGBT refugees had to prove they were personally at risk of violence or other persecution. Now they will only have to establish that they are from Russia and give some examples of the dangers LGBT people face in Russia. The Dutch government will also change see asylum page 12
Recent reports of sexual assault on Capitol Hill have reached a level that has many in the neighborhood upset. Granted, the reports are not always police reports filed at the precinct, but are in the form of social media posts. More often than not, a Facebook rant or tweet about rape or sexual assault usually leaves more questions than answers and the validity of such attacks are then called into question. In fact, one claim made by a former Capitol Hill business owner has been found to be false by both the police department and hospitals and clinics in the area who tell Seattle Gay News that no rape kit was used on the date reported. Whenever a person lies about such a terrible crime it has the potential to silence real victims. It is for that reason alone that SPD and other officials don’t issue a statement about the validity of any single person’s claim. But in a community the size of Capitol Hill,
Kaleena Markos – photo by JJ Cariaso Photography
see abducted page 4
Armed “Christian Band sues Kim Davis Patriots” vow to protect and Mike Huckabee for Kim Davis, threaten using their song Ted Cruz fails to crash the party judge, governor
Oath Keepers in Washington D.C. – Mark Peterson/Redux
The band Survivor – Survivor/www.examiner.com
litia will be at the Rowan County, Kentucky, by Mike Andrew courthouse on September 14 when Kim Da- SGN Staff Writer vis returns to her job as County Clerk. The Oath Keepers militia said they The band Survivor has filed a $1.2 milA self-appointed “Christian Patriot” milion lawsuit against Rowan County Clerk
by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer
see Oath keepers page 11
Kim Davis and former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee for using their 1982 hit song “Eye of the Tiger” at a rally when Davis was released from jail September 8. see kim davis page 11
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September 11, 2015
Celebrating 41 Years!
ACLU calls for changing state law on prosecuting police for killings
ACLU response to prosecutor’s decision not to charge Pasco officers in death of Antonio Zambrano The Franklin County prosecutor yesterday announced that the Pasco police officers who shot Antonio Zambrano, a man who had been throwing rocks, will not be prosecuted for killing him. The prosecutor said that the incident did not meet the high standard for criminal prosecution of law enforcement officers under state law, which requires a showing that the officers acted with malice and without good faith. “The prosecutor’s statement clearly shows the need to amend our state law for use of deadly force by law enforcement. The current law makes prosecutors exceedingly unwilling to file charges against police and thereby makes it almost impossible to hold police accountable for wrongfully killing civilians,” said ACLU of Washington execu-
tive director Kathleen Taylor. “Society entrusts law enforcement officers with weapons and the authority to use deadly force. With that trust comes the duty to use that authority with very great care,” said Taylor. “Officers have a responsibility to use deadly force only when absolutely necessary to protect themselves or others against serious bodily harm. Whenever possible, they should find ways to de-escalate encounters with civilians and use alternatives to deadly force.” Prosecutors should not be limited to bringing charges only in cases where they believe that the officer acted with “malice.” Officers should be permitted to use deadly force only when they make a reasonable assessment that they or others are at serious
risk of death or severe bodily harm and that there is no other available means to prevent death or severe bodily harm. “The circumstances surrounding Antonio Zambrano’s shooting death by law enforcement officers were captured on video. The incident shows that cameras alone are not sufficient to bring accountability to law enforcement. State law must be revised to enable prosecutors to hold police officers more accountable for use of deadly force,” said ACLU-WA deputy director Jennifer Shaw. Courtesy of the American Civil Liberties Union of Washington – www.aclu-wa.org
Why I’m fighting for the Equality Act by Senator Patty Murray Special to the SGN This has been an incredible year for LGBT rights. The Supreme Court’s decision in the marriage equality case was a truly historic moment in our country’s history, and a victory for love and for equality. After decades of fighting for equal rights, LGBT Americans are finally guaranteed nationwide marriage equality and the protections and responsibilities that all married couples enjoy. Across the country, we have seen loving couples finally able to join in the bonds of marriage, and there has been an outpouring of support for the LGBT community. As I have traveled around Washington this summer, it has been great to hear from people in our state about the progress we’ve made, and also to discuss the barriers that the LGBT community continues to face. I recently met with local LGBT small business owners in Seattle at Fuel Coffee, and one of the many topics we discussed was
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legislation I recently introduced to advance equality of LGBT Americans: the Equality Act. As we have seen far too often, with every step forward there are some who want to take us back. There is simply no place for discrimination in our country, yet too many remain vulnerable to discrimination or harassment because of who they are, or who they love. In a majority of states, an LGBT person can marry who they love in the morning and be fired from their job in the same afternoon. A building manager or landlord could deny a couple a place to live if they learn of their relationship. An LGBT person can still be denied the opportunity to secure credit, which is a critical step for many looking to buy a home, go to college, or start a small business. And, we’ve heard too many stories of couples being refused service in a restaurant or from those who could provide a cake or flowers for their wedding, including in Washington state.
Some states have protected this prejudice under the guise of religious freedom, but it is nothing short of discrimination. That is why I worked with my colleagues in Congress to introduce the Equality Act. This legislation would ensure equality for LGBT Americans by adding sexual orientation and gender identity to other protected classes, such as race or religion, in existing federal civil rights laws, and would ban discrimination in many areas such as employment, housing, public places, jury service, and access to credit. I’m so proud that Washington state has worked to promote equality, but there is so much more work to do to ensure all Americans are protected and discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity is illegal. I know getting this legislation passed won’t be easy, nothing in Congress ever is, but I am going to continue to fight to ensure equality for all.
September 11, 2015
Seattle Gay News 3
abducted
continued from cover word travels fast, and people are going to hear about it anyway. The only difference is – sometimes they might hear about it inaccurately. It’s an uncomfortable thing – questioning someone who has been raped or sexually assaulted. When I say “questioning” I am talking about an interview. As journalists we often speak to people within hours of an attack or at least within a few days. I’ve spoken to people who seem inconsolable, angry, and hurt. I’ve also spoken to people who are determined to not allow themselves to be broken, are seeking justice and have a strong support system. The point I am making is this: Whenever meeting with a victim of sexual assault or rape you never know what you are going to see, hear or feel by the time it is done. But it is important, nonetheless, to get the word out and however the victim reacts, it is important for them to know how brave they are to tell their story. Following the trend of Facebook posts about these kinds of attacks on Capitol Hill, on Monday, well-known drag entertainer Kaleena Markos published her own allegation of sexual assault. Only this time, and what was different from the rest, Markos alleges that she was kidnapped and taken against her will, just steps away from R Place. Seattle Gay News spoke with Kaleena Markos and she bravely agreed to tell me her story. I feel it is my responsibility to issue a trigger warning for anyone that has been through something similar. While it is important for people to know what is happening to members of our community, it is also important for us to show compassion and care for those who’ve already been inflicted with such a terrible thing. So please read on with caution. Markos told SGN she had just left R Place around 1 a.m., September 4. She admits that she had been drinking but was in no way intoxicated (a claim that is believable due to the fact that she can recall a number of very important details that a truly intoxicated person might have trouble remembering). She was on her way home, walking north on Boylston, where she lives just one block from the nightclub. That is when a car pulled up – an SUV which she describes as “box-like” – with three men who began to strike up a conversation with her. The conversation did not last long and she says she was trying to remember if she’d met these men before, because as a performing artist it is not unusual for people in the audience to remember the entertainer, but for the entertainer to sometimes forget them because of the number of people a drag queen meets in one week alone. “They parked in one of the loading zones in front of my building,” she said. “The driver never said a word during the short conversation. But the guy who was sitting in the front seat, and the guy who was sitting in the back seat both got out of the car.” Markos says they were friendly, asked her where she was going and after telling them she was on her way home (she did not tell them that she had, in fact, already reached home) and had just left R Place. “They asked if R Place was fun and I told them if they hurried up and parked they could make it before last call and that they should go,” she recalls. “I told them from the start that I was an entertainer. I told them I was a drag queen.” Suddenly, she says she was grabbed and shoved into the backseat and the driver immediately sped off. It happened so quickly
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that she says the vehicle was already turning nored what I was saying and became more the corner on Boylston and E. Pike, eventu- aggressive.” ally making their way to Melrose and then Markos did not carry a purse that onto northbound I-5 in a matter of min- night. However, situated in her bra was her utes. iPhone, bank card and ID. Eventually the Keeping her wits about her, while un- man became so aggressive that he got his derstandably freaking out inside, she said hands up under one side of her bra, after she tried to play it cool asking the men, removing most of her clothing, and flipped “Where are you taking me?” She said that the cup containing her personal items the driver remained silent throughout the which she said, “fell to the floor of the vewhole ordeal while the man in the front hicle.” passenger seat and the guy seated next to It was in that moment that Markos says her in the backseat kept changing their sto- she knew that she had to do whatever she ry about the destination. could to get away. She had memorized the “At first they said they were taking me door of the vehicle and says she figured she ‘home,’” said Markos. “I told them that my would have 1 or 2 seconds after throwing apartment was back near where they had the man off of her to unlock and open the picked me up. Then they said they were tak- door before the two men realized what was ing me to their house. Then, finally, the guy happening. She sprang into action, throwin the passenger seat told me, ‘You’ll like ing the man off of her and freeing herself where we are taking you.’” from the vehicle, she ran, wearing nothing Markos, who in heels is all of about 6 but a bra and underwear with no money, foot described her abductors as being well- phone or ID, towards the better lit part of dressed, who looked like any other Capitol the street. When she looked back she saw Hill clubber on a Friday or Saturday night. the driver returning to the SUV and says he She said they were either “Pacific Islander immediately started the vehicle. or Latino” and that they were “brown.” She “I did not know what to expect,” she told also told SGN that they were tall and spoke SGN. “The SUV quickly caught up to me English with no audible accent. with the tires squealing and the men inside During the ride to wherever these men yelling anti-Gay slurs out of the windows – were taking her Markos said she franti- they just sped away.” cally thought to herself about ways to make She made her way to the end of the street them stop the car. and realized she “The only thing was at NE 42nd I could think of St. and 8th Ave. was telling them NE. “I looked a that I had to pee. mess, I am sure. I just kept saying I was crying and that hoping they my makeup was would pull over smeared and I or tell me exactly didn’t have any where we were clothes on,” she going and say that said. “Not to menI could use the retion I did not have stroom there.” my phone to call Her calls to anybody or monuse the bathroom ey to get home.” were met with She said a few silence, she said, women came as the three men by but that they refused to say “seemed scared anything more. off by my appearLeft with just her ance” said Marthoughts alone, kos. Then she she scanned the says a man, who vehicle with her she refers to as an eyes, searchangel, stopped his ing to see where car and allowed the locks on the Kaleena Marko – photo by JJ Cariaso Photography her to use his doors were locatphone to call her ed, where the door handles were at on the boyfriend (he did not answer and she left a doors themselves and if the windows were frantic voice message which prompted him all up or locked somehow. Her ability to re- to call the police). “He was a nice Asian man main calm on the outside and think clearly who did not speak any English,” said Maron the inside may have saved her life. She kos. “He gave me his jacket to cover up with will never know. and drove me home.” The SUV took a University District exit Because of the language barrier and beand the man driving the car came to a stop cause she did not have any way to record his near the freeway, said Markos, with “tree- personal information, she says sadly, she lined streets and not a lot of lights.” She says does not know who the man is. the driver then got out of the vehicle and Once at home and safely inside of her then walked towards a few cars ahead of the apartment she says that SPD arrived within one she was trapped in until she could not minutes. While that was something that see him anymore. Markos was impressed by, she said the quesThe guy in the front passenger seat, who tioning by SPD was what she has come to was doing most of the talking throughout expect. Markos, who is black American and the ordeal, kept chattering on, she said, has had negative experiences with police in while the guy seated next to her began to the past due to what she alleges is racial propull and tug at her blouse trying to expose filing, said that the officers did not seem to her bra. “He kept saying, ‘calm down,’” said know the difference between Transgender Markos. and drag queen and once she realized that, “All I could do was say, ‘I am not a although she says she remained respectful woman. I am a man. A drag queen. There throughout the questioning process, the is nothing in my bra for you,’” she said be- police did not seem to believe her. cause she was confused as to whether or “Because I was upset and not telling not they really understood that she was not them my account in chronological order, Transgender or a cisgender woman even they were getting irritated,” she said. “They though she had told them earlier when they did not seem to care that I was upset. I first drove up to her on Boylston. “But he ig- mean, what had just happened to me was
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traumatic and they were not worried about me, they were worried about the order in which I told them my story.” Markos wanted to be clear and says she is not anti-SPD. She also states that she could tell that the officers were not taking her seriously not because she is black, instead, because she was a man wearing makeup. It made her feel angry and it made her feel like they weren’t going to do anything to help, but she does not advocate for victims to not call the police. It is important to have a record of contact if you want your attackers to be caught and prosecuted. Plus, she says, “You get a card given to you with your case number on it and the name of the officers.” Eventually, after she had answered many questions, sometimes having to repeat herself because she had accidentally referred to the SUV as a “van” and that made the officers re-question her about things, she says she asked them politely to leave. “I’ve seen the videos on TV of people getting all crazy with the police and not being cooperative,” she told SGN. “I am not going to do that. I don’t think it is right and I don’t think it helps.” On Monday morning, at 6:30 a.m. she was contacted by SPD. She notes that a phone call that early in the morning, on a holiday such as Labor Day, was strange. But what happened next, she says, was even more bizarre. “The person on the phone told me that a homeless man was caught trying to break into cars in the U District and when they arrested him my iPhone and other personal items were in a sack the man was carrying with him,” said Markos. “I had the ‘FIND ME’ app turned on for lost iPhones and so when the police turned it on there was a message that popped up alerting them to call my boyfriend,” she said. “But then they told me that I would have to pick up the phone from the U District (not East Precinct which is closer to where I live) and that I couldn’t do it on Monday because it was a holiday and they weren’t open.” “How does it make sense that I get a call from the police on the very same holiday they say they are closed for and told to wait 24 hours to get my property,” she asks. “Even still, I did not know that the police department closes. I mean I can understand a bank or something like that, but the police? It was just very unprofessional.” Once Markos was able to retrieve her property she says she found through an app on her phone that it had been sitting for 24 hours in the driveway of the house nearest the dead end on the street the men took her. She wondered if that is where the driver had disappeared into when she was being attacked in the SUV. She called SPD and relayed the information. She does not know if a detective has been assigned to the case or not. One other issue for her, she says, is that when she picked up the phone, the people at the precinct did not know that these were items that had been lost by her during an assault. “I had to give them my case number and everything” she said. “Wouldn’t you think they police would know all of that already?” While Markos has agreed to work with Social Outreach Seattle (SOSea) as an advocate to resolve the issue with how her case is being handled, she maintains that the focus should not be on the cops but instead on catching the people that did this to her. “They messed with the wrong queen,” she said on Facebook. In the meantime, Markos reminds SGN readers to “be careful.” “Don’t walk alone, don’t be looking at your phone and not paying attention. I never thought this could happen to me, but it did. Just be careful out there and stay safe.”
Celebrating 41 Years!
A victory in the continued fight for LGBT equality in Washington state Department of Health reissues death certificate naming Legal Voice client surviving spouse of deceased partner Though Washington state affirmed same-sex couples’ right to marry in 2012, the ripple effect of this year’s U.S. Supreme Court ruling in Obergefell v. Hodges has resulted in significant victories for LGBT Washingtonians. Legal Voice recently secured one such victory for Joe Krumbach, who has fought since 2013 to obtain legal recognition of his marriage to his deceased husband, Jerry Hatcher. After 14 years together, Joe and Jerry had a religious marriage ceremony in Seattle in 2003. Jerry, a decorated veteran, passed away in 2008. Because Washington had an unconstitutional law on the books that prohibited marriages of same-sex couples when Jerry died, his death certificate did not indicate that he and Joe were married. Last year Joe asked the Washington State Department of Health (DOH) to issue an amended death certificate for Jerry that indicated the couple was married, but the agency denied his request on the grounds that the state did not permit same-sex couples to marry when Jerry died. Legal Voice intervened on Joe’s behalf, arguing that the couple’s religious marriage in 2003 must be recognized as a valid marriage in light of the Obergefell decision. The
DOH agreed with the arguments, and has issued an amended death certificate correctly indicating that Jerry and Joe were married. Legal Voice is now advocating for Joe to receive benefits that are available to spouses of deceased veterans through the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Joe is not alone in his fight for true marriage equality: a woman in Pennsylvania and a man in Texas recently obtained recognition of their marriages to their deceased partners in their pursuit of emotional closure, benefits, and respect. “Every journey starts with a step, and I made that first step,” said Joe Krumbach. “What matters now is the people behind me, the people who will benefit from this.” Legal Voice is a nonprofit women’s rights legal organization that pursues justice for all women and girls in the Northwest through ground-breaking litigation, legislative advocacy, and educational tools to help individuals understand their rights. www.legalvoice. org. Courtesy of Legal Voice Joe Krumbach – www.seattletimes.com
Maria Cantwell last Senate Dem to support Iran deal
Washington Senator Maria Cantwell – dailybail.com
by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer Washington Senator Maria Cantwell became the last Senate Democrat to endorse the Obama administration’s Iran deal on
September 8. Washington’s senior Senator, Patty Murray, has already indicated she supports the deal. With Cantwell’s support, the administration can count on 42 Senate Democrats to back the agreement limiting Iran’s ac-
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cess to nuclear materials and facilities – not enough to win a vote in the Senate, but enough to prevent the issue from coming up for a vote in the first place. “I have decided to support the agreement because this agreement pushes Iran further away from a nuclear weapons threshold,” Cantwell said in a statement. “Because the agreement calls for reduction of highly enriched uranium stockpiles, bringing centrifuges offline and converting key nuclear infrastructure to civilian use, including nuclear reactors, it moves Iran’s breakout time from two months to one year. “Additionally, Iran will be required to allow international monitoring into all supply chains for goods and materials used for its civilian nuclear program.” “The agreement has been unanimously endorsed by the United Nations Security Council,” Cantwell added. “It puts the United States and the world community in a stronger position to take any action necessary if Iran violates this agreement. To verify Iran’s compliance, and to ensure transparency and accountability, the agreement will provide the International Atomic Energy Agency with unprec-
edented access to monitor and inspect Iran’s activities.” Three other Senators also announced support for the deal on September 8 – Ron Wyden (D-OR), Richard Blumenthal (DCN), and Gary Peters (D-MI). The accord was worked out with the Iranian government by the United States and five other countries – the United Kingdom, France, Germany, China, and Russia. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu denounced the agreement and called for harsher measures against Iran – up to and including a military strike. Nevertheless, several Jewish Senators – Blumenthal, Wyden, and Senators Barbara Boxer (D-CA), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Al Franken (D-MN), and Bernie Sanders (IVT) – have endorsed the Iran deal. All six Democratic House members from Washington have also come out in favor, although a resolution rejecting the deal is expected to pass the Republicancontrolled House.
September 11, 2015
Seattle Gay News 5
Neighbours Nightclub celebrates 32 years as Seattle’s biggest Gay nightclub by Shaun Knittel SGN Associate Editor Neighbours Nightclub, Seattle’s biggest LGBTQ dance club, celebrated its 33rd Anniversary (the kick-off of their 33rd year) last Saturday by crowning a new Miss Neighbours XXII, Kaleena Markos, and Mr. Neighbours XXII, Truong Nguyen. The pageant itself is more than 20 years old, but the nightclub has been around for more than three decades. That is virtually unheard of in the nightclub industry. However, Seattle is lucky in that way. The city’s only Lesbian bar, The Wild Rose, has been around for more than two decades, and the same can be said for R Place, Madison Pub and The Cuff, too. As much as people can complain about the LGBTQ nightlife establishments on Capitol Hill, the proof is in the number of years these bars and nightclubs remain open. Each venue has a loyal following that has sustained them through the good times and the bad times. Even now, with all of the hysteria over gentrification and thousands of straight people buying up condos in the neighborhood, none of the LGBTQ bars and nightclubs report struggling to make ends meet. Among the staples of our nightlife community, however, none stands out quite like Neighbours Nightclub does, for a number of reasons. Chiefly, the size of the place means that it has the biggest Pride crowds, the biggest New Year’s Eve celebration and so on. It has also been the target of Nazis, a local terrorist, and more. It has had a mixed crowd long before that was even a thing and to many people, over many decades, Neighbours is home for them in terms of LGBTQ nightlife. “For over three decades Neighbours Nightclub (1509 Broadway, Seattle, WA. 98122) has provided a safe space for anyone wanting to leave all their worries on the dance floor, celebrate a birthday, an engagement (and most recently) same-sex marriage reception, or just party like a rock star nearly every night of the week,” says the club’s management on the business’s official website – www.NeighboursNightclub.com. Neighbours Nightclub opened its doors Labor Day Weekend, 1983, and went on to become Seattle’s longest running and largest LGBTQ nightclubs, and it’s easy to see why: Neighbours Nightclub can hold nearly 1100 people, boasts two levels of fun, an expanded lounge, and offers guests a full food menu, state of the art sound system and light show as well as one of the largest dance floors in the city. That is tough to beat. Over the years Neighbours has won several “Best of Washington,” “Best of Seattle,” and “Best of Seattle Weekly” polls, in addition to receiving various LGBTQ community awards. “One of the reasons why Neighbours Nightclub has been a Seattle staple since the early 1980s is the fact that we are allinclusive; we welcome anyone regardless of sexual orientation, gender expression, or queer identity,” say officials. “Neighbours maintains a hate-free, no hate-speech atmosphere that is welcoming to newbies and some of our most loyal customers alike.” Neighbours Nightclub has also hosted some of the world’s biggest entertainers like International Pop Princess Lady Gaga, the divine Miss Eartha Kitt, to openly Gay pop icon and boy band royalty, Lance Bass, to the vocal stylings of the fashionista himself – Jimmy James. In addition, Neighbours
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Mr. Neighbours XXII Truong Nguyen and Miss Neighbours XXII Kaleena Markos – photo by JJ Cariaso Photography
Nightclub is considered home to mainstream talent like Las Vegas dance diva Kristine W, who boasts the record for most Number One Dance Music hits on the Billboard Dance Music charts. Plus you never know when the cast of a Broadway show will stop by to have a cocktail and perform a number or two; Neighbours hosted the cast of Kinky Boots last year. Some of the Northwest’s best DJs have spun at Neighbours including Almond Brown, Richard J Dalton (c89.5fm), Dana Dub, Brian Gorr, Joe King, Keano (c89.5), Lifeguard (c89.5fm), Lightray (c89.5), Luis, Polo, Skiddle (c89.5fm), Randy Schlager (c89.5fm), Dirty Bit, Bret Law, and Trent Von (c89.5fm). “If camp fun and drag art is your thing, Neighbours has got you covered,” said nightclub management. “Like many LGBTQ bars and nightclubs that opened their doors in the 1980s, drag culture is a part of the very fabric that weaves Neighbours into the local Gay community. Over the years we’ve featured such mainstream drag entertainers as Lady Bunny, DWV (the collective name for drag stars Detox, Willam & Vicky Vox), Latrice Royale, Juju Bee, and more. And if bio queen is more your fit, we regularly host Kitty Kitty Bang Bang, a bio queen staking her claim among the drag artists, dancers, and live vocalists that make up Seattle’s local scene, and have, in the past, featured Wendy Ho onstage, at Neighbours. We’ve also hosted some local talent that have gone on to “RuPaul’s Drag Race” fame – Jinkx Monsoon (winner RPDR season 5) and BenDeLaCreme (star of RPDR season 6).” In addition, Seattle’s most celebrated drag queens have hosted shows and grew their careers on the Neighbours stage. Current talent includes: Aleksa Manila, Isaac Scott, Gaysha Starr, Drew Paradisco, Atasha Manila, Jessica Paradisco, Roxy Doll, Tanya Rachinee, and Anastasia Beaverhausen, Drag King Ceasar Hart, and on occasion, La Saveona Hunt, Amora Dior Black, and the Lady Chablis. Past Neighbours Nightclub Queens include: Latrina
September 11, 2015
Bidet, Vesta Bhule, Ric Chyka, LaVanda Dela Rosa, Kristin Dior D, Roxy Doll, Mark Finley, ChoCha Fresca, La Gorda, Ebony La Face Ice, Kahlua Ice, Toni James, Marcy Kraft, Shaka Kwan, Crystal Lane, Boy Mike, Sean Paul, Penelope, Rosita, Smokee, Jada Starr, Teriyaki Temple, and Coco Vaughn. Aside from their very own Neighbours Nightclub pageant, Neighbours is also home to Darcelle XV and Company’s La Femme Magnifique Washington and Washington Plus regional pageant, the annual Latino Pageant, Miss Gay Seattle (the longest running pageant in the history of drag pageantry, it predates the 1969 Stonewall Riots which led to the modern LGBTQ equality movement), Seattle Pride Pageant, and the Nubian Pride Pageant to name a few. Every Sunday, Neighbours Nightclub hosts Noche Latina, Seattle’s longest running Latin Dance Music party. Produced by local LGBTQ Latino/a advocacy organization, Entre Hermanos, and hosted by local drag icon La Gorda, Noche Latina has seen mainstream Latin artists such as Fedro, Christian Chavez, Maria Jose – and many, many more. In addition, Noche Latina and Neighbours Nightclub have hosted Southern California party crew Club Papi on occasion. Neighbours Nightclub has also hosted some of the biggest events and longest running club nights in Seattle including parties for or produced by AJAXX 63, c89.5fm all ages Listener Appreciation Parties, Chance Fashion Shows, Hot Flash Women’s Parties, Manhunt, Grindr, and Rock Lobster ‘80s night, as well as hosting their signature Halloween, New Year’s Eve and Pride parties. And don’t forget our 18+ dance night Exposed – every Wednesday night from 9 p.m.-2 a.m. At the end of the day, however, it is their philanthropy that has kept Neighbours Nightclub a Seattle staple for all these years. “Our connection to the local Capitol Hill and LGBTQ community is something we cherish,” said Neighbours Nightclub General Manager Steve Tracy. “Neighbours
Nightclub has helped raise money and hosted events for local charities and nonprofits – not to mention donated funds, space, product – to Asian/Pacific Islander (API) Council, Bailey-Boushay House, Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, Capitol Hill Alano Club (CHAC), Chicken Soup Brigade, Entre Hermanos, Gay City Health Project, GLSEN, GSBA, Hands Off Washington, The Imperial Sovereign Court of Seattle, Lifelong AIDS Alliance, 9.11 in New York, Northwest AIDS Foundation, Northwest Harvest, Pennies From Heaven, POCAAN, Seattle Men in Leather, the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, the Abbey of St. Joan, United Ebony Council, Youth Suicide Prevention Program, Social Outreach Seattle and more.” “The neighborhood has changed and then changed again,” he reminds everyone. “We survived both waves of HIV/AIDS, economic downturn of 2008, and a number of other hardships throughout the years. But we’ve also given so much to the community and we receive that love in return. It’s pretty fantastic. I’ve been with the company since the early days so I can attest to the fact that Neighbours is a part of the very fabric that makes Capitol Hill what it is to so many people.” The nightclub has been owned by the same man who opened it in 1983 – Moe Elassiouti. Elassiouti was born to a poor family in a small town in Egypt and lost his father at an early age. Because of this, he was thrust into the role of patriarch. In his 20s, he traveled to Germany to escape Third-World poverty and worked as a bartender and waiter at a local resort while attending a hotel and restaurant management school there. He fell in love with a young German woman and the two were married shortly after meeting. The couple eventually settled in Vancouver, B.C., where they opened a cabaret on Robson Street called Sahara Nights, a Middle Eastern-style venue with belly dancers who performed nightly in a Moroccan decor. Over the years, the club began to attract a Gay clientele and Elassiouti’s desire to give the customers what they wanted resulted in the transformation of the venue into a little dance club called Neighbours. In the early ‘80s, he expanded the business by opening Neighbours Seattle on Capitol Hill. The location was Bogart’s, a beer and sandwich place that didn’t do well. According to news reports from those days, business was slow in the beginning due to strong competition from the nearby club The Brass Rail, later known as The Brass Connection. Also, Neighbours did not serve liquor, and The Brass Rail did. Neighbours served only beer and wine in the beginning. About a year after opening business slowly increased, and by 1988 Neighbours was fully licensed to serve liquor. From then on it seems there’s been no looking back. Seattle Gay News would like to congratulate Neighbours Nightclub for their success and thank the club’s ownership, management and staff over the years for being a safe place for LGBTQ people, a venue that allows the community to raise funds for important causes, and for always keeping a part of the community alive by just existing in the way that they do. We wish you continued success.
Celebrating 41 Years!
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Fired for being Gay: Tennessee man sues for discrimination by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer
A Tennessee man has filed a federal lawsuit against his former employer, charging that he was fired because he is Gay. James Thompson worked as a staffing coordinator for the Abacus Corporation until June this year, when he was fired. He had no previous issues at work, he said. “Never been written up, never been put on probation,” Thompson told WSMV-TV in Nashville. Thompson is suing in federal court because Tennessee state law does not protect LGBT residents against discrimination. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) ruled on July 15 that Title VII of the Federal Civil Rights Act of 1964 protects all LGBT workers under the section prohibiting discrimination on the basis of sex. This case could be the first court test for the new EEOC interpretation of Title VII. According to Thompson, a June incident with another employee triggered his firing. The employee launched into a tirade against same-sex marriage in the workplace, Thompson said. When Thompson confronted him, the man cursed at him and stormed out of the building. Thompson subsequently fired him. A few days later, Abacus VP Bill Lund asked to meet with Thompson to discuss the inci-
Oath keepers continued from cover
would protect Davis and prevent federal marshals from re-arresting her if she tries to prevent deputy clerks from issuing marriage licenses to Lesbian and Gay couples. Davis was released from jail September 8 after spending a week there on federal contempt of court charges resulting from her refusal to issue licenses to samesex couples. One of the conditions of her release was that she not interfere with her
Kim Davis
continued from cover Rally organizers blasted the song through huge speakers as Davis walked out of Carter County Detention Center to join Huckabee onstage. The song became a hit after it was used in the movie Rocky III. “The song has motivated thousands through the years to reach beyond their limits. Its use for the release of Kim Davis does not support my views or my politics,” band co-founder Jim Peterik told Billboard magazine. “I have contacted my publishers to make sure this usage is stopped immediately.” Peterik co-wrote the song with the band’s guitarist Frankie Sullivan who expressed his own outrage in a Facebook post: “NO! We did not grant Kim Davis any rights to use The Eye Of The Tiger. I would not grant her the rights to use Charmin! C’mon Mike, you are not The Donald but you can do better than that – See Ya really SoooooooonnnnnnN!!!!!!” Huckabee, a Republican presidential hopeful, organized and hosted the rally and seemed determined not to share the limelight with any of his rivals for the Republican nomination.
James Thompson – wkrn.com
dent. “After that meeting he actually asked me if I was gay,” Thompson recalled. “And the following working day he terminated me.” Thompson is seeking $400,000 in damages from his former employer. He told reporters he hoped his story would raise awareness about discrimination against
LGBT employees in the workplace. “What I want to see come out of this is for the discrimination to stop,” he said. “Not just for gays, bisexuals, lesbians, all discrimination.” Abacus released a statement in response to Thompson’s suit. “It is Abacus Corporation policy not to
comment on the facts relating to pending litigation,” the company said. “Abacus firmly believes Mr. Thompson’s allegations are without merit and will be proven to be mere fabrications. Abacus is extremely confident it will be fully exonerated in this matter.”
deputies, who have been issuing the documents as required by law. Armed Oath Keepers have previously blocked U.S. Marshals from arresting cattle rancher Cliven Bundy for illegally grazing his cattle on protected federal land in a 2014 standoff at his ranch. They also appeared in Ferguson, Missouri, claiming to “help” police keep order in the town during protests after the police shooting of Michael Brown. Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes announced yesterday that he had reached out to Davis’ lawyers at Liberty Counsel to
offer the protection of his group, which he says is already forming a presence in Rowan County. Rhodes said in a statement that his offer has nothing to do with same-sex marriage, but is based on his conviction that Davis had been illegally detained by the federal judge who held her in contempt for violating multiple court orders. Rhodes said that the Rowan County sheriff should have blocked U.S. Marshals from detaining Davis, but since neither the sheriff nor the Kentucky Governor Steve
Beshear were willing to act on behalf of Davis, the Oath Keepers would do so instead. “As far as we’re concerned, this is not over,” Rhodes said, “and this judge needs to be put on notice that his behavior is not going to be accepted and we’ll be there to stop it and intercede ourselves if we have to. If the sheriff, who should be interceding, is not going to do his job and the governor is not going to do the governor’s job of interceding, then we’ll do it.” Rhodes is a former aide to Republican Congressman Ron Paul.
When Texas Senator Ted Cruz showed up uninvited, Huckabee’s campaign aides physically blocked him from getting to the stage. “This was our event,” Huckabee explained in an interview with Newsmax. “My team put it together. We’re the ones who recruited the people not only to be on the program, but we’re the ones who coordinated the effort. We’re the ones who secured the permits, the staging. “We had no idea Ted Cruz was going to show up until the day before and he didn’t call us, he called several other people on the program and asked about it. Of course anybody is welcome, it’s a free rally. He can come. But he’s not free to come to an event that we’re putting together and invite himself on the program…”
licenses to all qualified couples and Deputy Clerk Brian Mason began issuing them the day after Davis was taken to jail. Mason, who has worked in the office about 18 months, told Reuters he had not spoken to Davis since her release but plans to continue issuing the forms even if she objects. As for Davis’s supporters in the community, “I’ve seen comments on the videos online, but I pay no attention to them,” Mason said. Judge Bunning ordered Davis not to interfere with her deputies when they issued marriage licenses, but her attorneys have hinted that she will not allow them to continue to do so. Davis wants her name removed from the license documents so she will have no responsibility for sanctioning same-sex marriage. “If [the deputy clerks] can issue licenses under someone else’s authority ... Kim Davis would not stand in the way of that,” one of her attorneys, Roger Gannam, told CNN on September 8. Meanwhile HRC demanded that Davis fulfill the legal requirements of her job as County Clerk. “It is imperative that Kim Davis follow the law and allow same-sex couples to access their constitutional right to marry the
person they love. Period.” HRC Legal Director Sarah Warbelow said in a statement. “While Davis has the right to believe whatever she likes, as a public official she has no legal basis to refuse to follow the Supreme Court’s ruling in Obergefell v. Hodges. The overwhelming majority of public officials across this country are following the law, and history will not judge her kindly. It’s far past time for this needless ordeal to end.”
September 11, 2015
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Davis’s deputy says he’ll defy her Davis was released from jail on the orders of U.S. District Judge David Bunning because marriage licenses were being issued to same-sex couples in her absence, thus satisfying Bunning’s order to comply with the U.S. Supreme Court’s Obergefell decision. Five of the six deputy clerks who serve under Davis made it plain they would issue
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Majority says “Do your job!” A new poll shows that an overwhelming majority of likely voters think Davis should carry out the law as the Supreme Court interprets it. Sixty-six percent of the participants in a Rasmussen poll released September 8 said elected officials should comply with federal court rulings. Only 26% said officials should be free to ignore court rulings because of religious objections. The survey included 1,000 likely voters interviewed on September 6 and 7, and has a three-point margin of error.
asylum
continued from cover their assessment of conditions in Moscow and St. Petersburg, which until now had been listed as “safe” places for LGBT people. In his letter, Dijkhoff noted that Russia has passed anti-LGBT laws that have “further fueled anti-Gay sentiments among the population.” “The law also gives radical groups carte
blanche to attack, intimidate or discriminate against LGBTIs, because authorities hardly take action against acts of violence against them” Dijkhoff added. “This is very good news for Russian LGBTI asylum seekers,” said Tanja Ineke, chair of COC Nederlands, said to be the oldest LGBT organization in the world. “We are counting on the Russian LGBTI asylum seekers who are fearing deportation to also be allowed to remain in the Nether-
lands.” In 2006, the Dutch government granted similar “special status” to Iranian refugees. In the past, however, the Dutch government has been hostile – or at best indifferent – to most LGBT asylum seekers. In 2012, then-Immigration Minister Gerd Leers advised LGBT foreigners who faced dangers in their own countries to “be extremely circumspect in their behavior,” or in other words to hide their sexual ori-
entation to avoid persecution in their home countries. Leers then denied asylum to applicants from Uganda, Senegal, and Sierra Leone. In 2011, the Dutch government introduced temporary residency permits for foreign partners of Dutch citizens who wanted to live in the Netherlands but were not legally qualified to enter the country because they were not married to their Dutch partners.
New “real world” PrEP study shows 100% success rate by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer
A new PrEP study by researchers at Kaiser Permanante Medical Center in San Francisco has shown a remarkable 100% success rate. The findings, published in the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases, are based on more than 600 participants studied over a two-year period. The average age of the study participants was 37, and 99% were Gay or Bisexual men. The average length of individual PrEP usage was 7.2 months. The research was what is called an “observational study.” In other words, research was done only with a test group, but without a control group. According to lead author Jonathan Volk, this was to test PrEP in a “real world” context, not in the highly controlled atmosphere of a clinical trial. “[It] suggests the treatment may prevent new HIV infections even in a high-risk setting,” Volk said. “Until now, evidence supporting the ef-
ficacy of PrEP to prevent HIV infection had come from clinical trials and a demonstration project.” Researchers found that although none of their PrEP subjects got HIV, 30% of participants did get a STI (sexually transmissible infection) within six months after the study started. This number then jumped to 50% after one year. In addition, 41% admitted they used condoms less, compared to the 56% who said their use of condoms remained unchanged. This suggests that many used the drug as a way of not using condoms anymore, researchers said. “Without a control group, we don’t know if these STI rates were higher than what we would have seen without PrEP,” coauthor Julia Marcus said. “Ongoing screening and treatments for STIs, including hepatitis C, are an essential component of a PrEP treatment program.” The fact that study participants were engaging in higher risk sexual behaviors – as evidenced by the STI rate – but still remained free of HIV infections argues for the effectiveness of PrEP. Last year, the World Health Organiza-
Truvada – www.aidsunited.org
tion recommended that every single sexually active Gay and Bisexual man should be on PrEP. On the other hand, AIDS Healthcare Foundation CEO Michael Weinstein op-
poses PrEP, calling it a “party drug” that discourages Gay men from using condoms. The antiretroviral drug Truvada was approved for use in PrEP therapy in 2012.
ter quality photographs. When the Madison researchers controlled for differences in photo quality, participants were unable to tell who was Gay and straight. In another test, Cox and his team manipulated what participants understood about “gaydar” by feeding different explanations of “gaydar” to three different groups. The researchers told one group that “gaydar” is real, told another that “gaydar” is stereotyping, and did not define “gaydar” at all for the third group. The researchers then showed participants in each group images of individuals coupled with stereotypical cues about each one – “he likes shopping,” for example, or “he is emotionally sensitive.” The group that was led to believe that “gaydar” is real stereotyped much more often than the other groups, assuming that men were Gay based on the stereotypical cues. “If you tell people they have gaydar, it legitimizes the use of those stereotypes,” Cox says. One problem with stereotype-based “gaydar,” Cox says, is that Gay people are such a small section of the population that any characteristic that is assumed to be common to them is likely to be common to a large number of straight people as well. “Imagine that 100 percent of gay men wear pink shirts all the time, and 10 percent of straight men wear pink shirts all the
time,” Cox explained. “Even though all gay men wear pink shirts, there would still be twice as many straight men wearing pink shirts. So, even in this extreme example, people who rely on pink shirts as a stereotypic cue to assume men are gay will be wrong two-thirds of the time.” Stereotypes also promote discrimination and even aggression against Gays, Cox added. In a 2014 study on prejudice-based aggression, Cox and one of his co-authors, Patricia Devine, had participants play a game with a hidden subject in another room that involved asking the participants to administer electric shocks to the subject. When the research team implied that the subject was Gay using a stereotypic cue, participants shocked him far more often than when the research team explicitly told them he was Gay. “There was a subset of people who were personally very prejudiced, but they didn’t want other people to think that they were prejudiced,” Cox says. “They tended to express prejudice only when they could get away with it,” by pretending they didn’t pick up on the clues that the subject was Gay. Cox hopes his research counteracts the “gaydar” myth and exposes it as something more harmful than most people realize. “Recognizing when a stereotype is activated can help you overcome it and make sure that it doesn’t influence your actions,” Cox said.
“Gaydar” is just stereotyping, study says
Gaydar – Chris Gash
by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer “Gaydar” – the ability to sense whether people are Gay or straight based on their behavior and appearance – is not real, researchers at the University of WisconsinMadison say in a new study. Their findings, published in the Journal of Sex Research, call the idea of “gaydar” a myth, and say it is based on harmful stereotypes about Gay people. “Most people think of stereotyping as inappropriate,” lead author William Cox
12 Seattle Gay News
said. “But if you’re not calling it ‘stereotyping,’ if you’re giving it this other label and camouflaging it as ‘gaydar,’ it appears to be more socially and personally acceptable.” Previous studies by other researchers in 2008 and 2010 concluded “gaydar” was real, but the Madison study refuted the earlier findings. In one of the older studies, for example, participants were asked to identify the sexual orientation of random people by looking at their photos. Cox and his team found that the quality of the photos varied, however, with Gay people being featured in bet-
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