Celebrating 42 Years! Issue 38 Volume 44
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Seattle Gay News SEATTLE’S LGBT NEWS & ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY
Gay Holocaust exhibit opens Fundraiser scheduled for at Seattle Holocaust Olympia drag king attacked Center for Humanity outside of LGBTQ event
Holocaust exhibit in Belltown from Sept. 11 - Oct. 31 – Image courtesy of germanpulse.com
by Shaun Knittel SGN Associate Editor SGN previewed the exhibit “Nazi Persecution of Homosexuals, 1933–1945,” which is on display at the Henry and Sandra
Friedman Holocaust Center for Humanity (2045 Second Ave.) in Belltown, from September 11 through October 31. I’m happy to report that it will leave you not only educated but filled with a sense of justice, because although nothing can or will bring back the many thousands of lives lost, the documen-
Parker Perry (Lila Hadway) – Photo courtesy of newnownext.com
by Shaun Knittel SGN Associate Editor Drag King Ceasar Hart, producer of the monthly Small Town, Big HART’s Drag Revue in Hoqiuam, Wash., has announced
see HOLOCAUST page 8
that proceeds from door, Jell-O shots, and a raffle for a $100 bill will go to Parker Perry Z, who struggles to pay for medical bills after an alleged bashing over Labor Day weekend in Olympia. The fundraiser is scheduled for September 17, from 10 p.m. to 1 a.m. at Simpson Avenue Grill, 825 see DRAG KING page 13
restrictions NCAA joins North Restroom harm Trans students, Carolina boycott Human Rights Watch says
NCAA President Mark Emmert – Photo courtesy of lostlettermen.com
by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer The NCAA, which organizes most collegiate sports in the United States, announced on September 12 that it was pulling seven post-season sporting events out of North Carolina venues because of that state’s anti-LGBT law known as HB 2. The NBA has already moved its 2017
All-Star Game from Charlotte, N.C., to New Orleans because of the law. “Based on the NCAA’s commitment to fairness and inclusion, the Association will relocate all seven previously awarded championship events from North Carolina during the 2016-17 academic year,” the NCAA said in a statement. “The NCAA Board of Governors made
see NCAA page 16
Students at Nathan Hale High School hold stickers for new gender-neutral bathrooms – Photo by Elaine Thompson
by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer Transgender students are harmed by school rules that prevent them from using restrooms and other facilities that correspond to their gender identity, according to a new report from Human Rights Watch.
“Barring transgender students from facilities that are safe, comfortable, and gender affirming is discriminatory, and that discrimination causes real harm,” the watchdog group says in a report released September 14. “It places transgender students at heightened risk of harassment, assault, and bullying; impedes their ability to see TRANS BATH page 8
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New campaign answers question: Transgender people are _______? TRANSform WA to increase understanding of what it means to be Trans by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer A new statewide campaign launched on September 15 aims to increase public understanding of the Transgender community. TRANSform Washington, funded by a grant from the Pride Foundation, “celebrates the dignity, diversity, and humanity of transgender and gendernonconforming people,” the group says in its initial press release. The campaign’s website, TRANSformWashington.com, features the statement “Transgender people are _____” and then fills in the blank with photos and stories from Trans people who are parents, grandparents, musicians, health care practitioners, children, students, and so on. “Just 23% of people in Washington say they personally know someone who is transgender. So it’s not surprising the general public doesn’t understand what it means to be a transgender or gender-nonconforming person,” said Project Coordinator Jeremiah Allen, who is a Transgender man and parent to three children. The campaign is designed to help solve that problem by introducing cisgender people to their Trans neighbors and coworkers. “We want people to go to the website,” Allen told SGN, “and they will see the stories of trans people.” For example, the campaign website features Cheryl, a retired Transgender woman in her seventies who lives in Gig Harbor with her husband Tom. “I want to demonstrate to the world that we are successful people who live lives of
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good work and positive success,” she says. In addition, Allen said, the campaign will do outreach to Washington businesses and community groups with an educational project. Nicole Browning, board president of the Pride Foundation, said, “As a lesbian and an ally, I have learned so much from my transgender colleagues, friends, and family. I am excited to be a part of this effort so I can better support my community and understand the diverse lived experiences of transgender and gender-nonconforming people at this critical time in our state.” The campaign emphasizes that Transgender people come from every walk of life, every ethnicity, and every corner of the state. Unfortunately, one of the things all Trans people have in common is that they face greater discrimination and violence because of their gender identities. Just two months ago, a coalition of Republicans and Christian extremist groups tried and failed to gather enough signatures to get an initiative on the ballot repealing Washington’s 10-year-old non-discrimination protections for Transgender people. “We want to increase public understanding that all of us, including our transgender friends, family members, coworkers, neighbors, and children, deserve the freedom to live our lives with privacy, safety, and dignity,” said TRANSform Washington Advisory Committee member Rochelle Long of Renton, who is the mother of four children, including one Transgender child. “What’s great about our state is that
Washingtonians believe everyone should treat each other with understanding and respect, and expect the same in return,” added TRANSform Washington Advisory Committee member Lucas Leek, a Transgender man who lives and works in Spokane. “We believe all Washingtonians deserve to be safe, to be their true selves, and to live free from discrimination.”
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Nicole Browning, board president of the Pride Foundation – Photo courtesy of pridefoundation.org
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BENEFITING
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GSBA candidate forum by Shaun Knittel SGN Associate Editor With Washingtonians a few weeks away from receiving their general election ballots in the mail, the Greater Seattle Business Association (GSBA) is hosting a candidate forum that will feature candidates who, aside from some of them being LGBTQ, are competing in some of the state’s most important and exciting races this cycle. The forum, sponsored by AHF Pharmacy and Victory Fund, is scheduled for September 21 at 5 p.m. at Erickson Theatre Off Broadway (1524 Harvard Ave.). Tickets to the forum cost $15 for GSBA members and $20 for non-members. All ages are welcome to attend. “GSBA is proud to offer the only forum organized by and for the LGBT community in our region,” the organization said in a message to ticket buyers. “Come early to meet the candidates and to hear firsthand how these candidates respond to issues of concern to our community. This is our time to have our voices heard around LGBT and small business issues.” The event will be moderated by Deborah Brandt. Register, have some wine from Precept, and mingle with the candidates from 5 to 6 p.m.; the forum program will
run from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Community partners include Capitol Hill Chamber of Commerce, Entre Hermanos, Gay City, Gender Justice League, Legal Voice, Pride Foundation,
QLaw Association, Seattle Counseling Service, and Ventures. SGN and The Seattle Lesbian are media sponsors. “These are the candidates who will be
making the important decisions that impact your day-to-day life, from the workplace to the classroom and even to the voting booth,” said the GSBA in an email invite sent to members and supporters of their organization. “In a year when LGBT students are directly targeted by enemies of equality, how will Erin Jones and Chris Reykdal work to ensure an inclusive, equitable, and fair public education system for all our children as Superintendent of Public Instruction?” asks GSBA. The invite went on to say, “Tina Podlodowski is running for Secretary of State and looking to become Washington’s first statewide LGBT elected official. Brady Walkinshaw is running to represent one of the most LGBT districts in Congress. How do they propose to make our region a national leader?” Nicole Macri and Dan Shih are competing for the legislative seat that has been occupied by an LGBT person longer than any other in the country. The GSBA says it will ask the candidates how they will lead our community in coming years. The GSBA concludes, “Hear from all these candidates and where they stand on the important issues for the LGBT community.” To register for the GSBA Candidate Forum go to http://thegsba.org/events/eventdetails/2016/09/22/gsba-events/1667.
Diverse Harmony
Gay Romance Northwest starting their 15th season! Meet-Up at Seattle Public Library Sept. 24 After Rhonda Juliano created Diverse Harmony in 2002, we are singing into our 15th season stronger than ever! We finished our 14th season by taking 62 singers to
our 4th GALA Festival in Denver this last July where both Diverse Harmony and our a cappella group, Spectrum, performed in front of over 2,000 admiring fans! GALA had youth choruses perform from New York City, Washington D.C., Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Phoenix, Portland and Seattle! There were over 130 youth singers and Diverse Harmony brought almost half! Spectrum performed in two Blockbuster concerts and together, our groups sang in 6 different concerts! We are taking that momentum and opening our 15th season with Spectrum’s “Broadway Basics” concert! Please join us on September 23, 2016 at 7pm at Seattle
First Baptist Church (1111 Harvard). The concert is free with a suggested donation of $20. Join us for a great evening!
Support Diverse Harmony! As we begin our 15th season, please consider donating to Diverse Harmony either with your time or with funds! Sheet music is expensive and concert planning takes a lot of time! Consider giving back to Diverse Harmony to celebrate our 15th season! Every $15 or even 15 minutes of time makes a major difference to the amazing youth involved in Diverse Harmony. Help continue to provide a musical home for our youth every Monday and Tuesday night by mailing checks to: Diverse Harmony, 1111 Harvard Ave, Seattle, WA 98112 – Or contact us at info@diverseharmony.org or visit our website at www.diverseharmony.org!
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The Seattle Public Library will cohost the 2016 Gay Romance Northwest (GRNW) Meet-Up, the LGBTQ Romance Fiction Conference of the Pacific Northwest, from noon to 6 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 24 at the Central Library, 1000 Fourth Ave., 206-3864636. As part of Seattle Writes, the 2 016 GRNW MeetUp will be free and open to the public, but registration is required. Parking is available in the Central Library garage for $7. Attending authors and panelists will include: Astrid Amara, Eric Andrews-Katz, Jove Belle, Dev Bentham, Austin Chant, L.C. Chase, Charley Descoteaux, CJane Elliot, Rhys Ford, Ginn Hale, Lou Harper, Tobi Hill-Meyer, Laylah Hunter, Isabella, Amanda Jean, Nicole Kimberling, Morticia Knight, Christopher Moss, M.J. O’Shea, EE Ottoman, J.K. Pendragon, Alex Powell, A.K. Rose, E.J. Russell, Andrea Speed, Karelia Stetz-Waters, Tracy Timmons-Gray, Yolanda Wallace and Sheri Lewis Wohl. Schedule of events: Noon to 1pm: Registration and swag giveaways – Level 1, Microsoft Auditorium: 1 pm to 2 pm: Opening remarks – Level 1, Microsoft Auditorium; 2 pm to 3 pm: Panel discussions – Levels 1 and 4; 3 pm to 4 pm: Character type love match – Level 1, Microsoft Auditorium; 4
pm to 6 pm: Book fair and author meet and greet – Level 4, Washington Mutual Foundation Meeting Room 1. Swag giveaways during registration are first-come, first-served and while supplies last. Select titles will be available for sale during the book fair. T h e Gay City Library will be holding a LGBT book drive during the conference. For every LGBT book you donate to the book drive, you will receive a raffle ticket and a chance to win prizes during the conference. The Gay Romance Northwest Bookfair will be open 12 pm - 6pm and is open to library patrons and attendees to browse books for sale and giveaways from attending authors. Meet authors and get books signed during the Meet & Greet from 4pm – 6pm. As part of Seattle Writes, the 2016 GRNW Meet-Up will be free and open to the public, but registration is required: http://grnw2016.brownpapertickets.com/ This conference is presented in partnership with Old Growth Northwest and Gay City: Seattle’s LGBTQ Center. This event will be recorded for future podcast. For more information, call the Library at 206-386-4636, visit GRNW’s website or Ask a Librarian, www.spl.org
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tation of the crimes, celebration of the lives of the victims, and the conversation about how it all happened might surely lead to stopping anything from happening like this ever again. SGN was given a tour on Monday of the traveling exhibition produced by the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. While it is a known fact that the Nazis persecuted and murdered Gay men alongside other “undesirables,” what is not as known is the number of these men who died or their personal stories. The current exhibit does not, however, leave out any detail. In its entirety, the collection of photos (and in some cases personal property) of the people impacted by the Holocaust is impressive. The Holocaust Center for Humanity describes the exhibit thus: “Through reproductions of historic photographs and documents, this exhibition explores the rationale, means, and impact of the Nazi regime’s persecution of homosexuals, which left thousands dead and shattered the lives of many more.” It is important to note that you must plan your visit; reservations are required for all exhibits. Reserve tickets online or call 206-582-3000. You can attend with a small group of friends or as a couple or set up a corporate or student group visit. Tickets are priced surprisingly well for the plethora of items, information, and resources you receive once you are at the exhibit: adult are $10, students and seniors are $5. At the exhibit you learn that while male homosexuality remained illegal in Weimar Germany under Paragraph 175 of the criminal code, German homosexual-rights activists became worldwide leaders in efforts to reform societal attitudes that condemned homosexuality. Many in Germany regarded the Weimar Republic’s toleration of homosexuals as a sign of the nation’s decadence. The Nazis posed as moral crusaders who wanted to stamp out the “vice” of homosexuality in order to help win the racial struggle. Once they took power in 1933, the Nazis intensified persecution of German male homosexuals, ranging from the dissolution of homosexual organizations to internment in concentration camps. Lesbians were not regarded as a threat to Nazi racial policies and were generally not targeted for persecution. Similarly, the Nazis generally did not target non-German homosexuals unless they were active with German partners. Ilana Cone Kennedy, director of education at the Holocaust Center for Humanity, was tour guide for the SGN visit to the museum. I cannot say enough good things
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secure an education and participate fully in the life of their schools; and can cause damage to their physical and emotional health… “For these students, being barred from facilities is not an abstract legal question but a daily source of frustration and isolation.” The 23-page report, titled “Shut Out: Restrictions on Bathroom and Locker Room Access for Transgender Youth in US Schools,” was compiled following the decision in August 2016 by several state legislatures, including North Carolina and Texas, to challenge federal guidelines on Trans access to restrooms and other gender-segregated facilities. For its report, Human Rights Watch interviewed 74 Trans students and more than 50 parents, teachers, administrators, and service providers in the states of Alabama, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Texas, and Utah.
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about how knowledgeable she is about the subject. Also, she conducted the tour in a way that allowed for conversation to take place and really showed her understanding, within the greater context of current LGBTQ persecution, aside from just the historical implications the Nazi persecution of Gay men has had on the world. Ms. Kennedy explained that the Nazis believed that male homosexuals were weak, effeminate men who could not fight for the German nation. They saw homosexuals as unlikely to produce children and increase the German birthrate. The Nazis held that inferior races produced more children than “Aryans,” so anything that diminished Germany’s reproductive potential was considered a racial danger. As the exhibit explains, SS chief Heinrich Himmler directed the increasing persecution of homosexuals in the Third Reich. In most cases, the Nazis were oddly prepared to accept former homosexuals into the “racial community” provided that they became “racially conscious” and gave up their lifestyle. While it is painfully understood that most of our LGBTQ history before Stonewall has been systematically hidden or lost, this exhibit goes into great detail about how and why this sort of thing happened in Nazi Germany. On May 6, 1933, students led by Storm Troopers (Sturmabteilung, or SA) broke into the Institute for Sexual Science in Berlin and confiscated its unique library. Four days later, most of this collection of over 12,000 books and 35,000 irreplaceable pictures was destroyed, along with thousands of other “degenerate” works of literature in the book burning in Berlin’s city center. The remaining materials were never recovered. Magnus Hirschfeld, the founder of the Institute and a pioneer in the scientific study of human sexuality, was lecturing in France at the time and chose not to return to Germany. Our tour guide explained to SGN that the destruction of the Institute was a first step toward eradicating an openly Gay culture from Germany. Police closed bars and clubs such as the “Eldorado” and banned publications such as Die Freundschaft (Friendship). In this early stage the Nazis drove homosexuals underground, destroying their networks of support. In 1934, the Gestapo (the secret state police) instructed local police forces to keep lists of all men engaged in homosexual activities. The Nazis used these “pink lists” to hunt down individual homosexuals during police actions. On June 28, 1935, the Ministry of Justice revised Paragraph 175. The revisions provided a legal basis for extending Nazi persecution of homosexuals. Ministry officials expanded the category of “criminally
indecent activities between men” to include any act that could be construed as homosexual. The courts later decided that even intent or thought sufficed. On October 26, 1936, Himmler formed within the Security Police the Reich Central Office for Combating Abortion and Homosexuality. Josef Meisinger (executed in 1947 for his brutality in occupied Poland) led the new office. The police had powers to hold in protective custody or preventive arrest those deemed dangerous to Germany’s moral fiber, jailing indefinitely – without trial – anyone they chose. In addition, homosexual prisoners just released from jail were immediately rearrested and sent to concentration camps if the police thought it likely that they would continue to engage in homosexual acts. According to the exhibit, 1937 to 1939 were the peak years of the Nazi persecution of homosexuals. During that time the police increasingly raided homosexual meeting places, seized address books, and created networks of informers and undercover agents to identify and arrest suspected homosexuals. On April 4, 1938, the Gestapo issued a directive indicating that men convicted of homosexuality could be incarcerated in concentration camps. Between 1933 and 1945 the police arrested an estimated 100,000 men as homosexuals. Most of the 50,000 men sentenced by the courts spent time in regular prisons, and between 5,000 and 15,000 were interned in concentration camps. The Nazis began to send homosexuals to concentration camps immediately after they came to power in January 1933. In the camps Gay men had to wear a pink triangle (which, for many years before the creation of the rainbow pride flag, was the symbol around which the community rallied). Prisoners marked by pink triangles to signify homosexuality were treated harshly in the camps. According to many survivor accounts, homosexuals were among the most abused groups in the camps. Much like today’s right-wing Christians who believe that Gays can be “cured,” the Nazis also believed homosexuality was a sickness that could be cured and designed policies to “cure” homosexuals of their “disease” through humiliation and hard work. Guards ridiculed and beat homosexual prisoners upon arrival, often separating them from other inmates. One avenue of survival available to some homosexuals was castration, which some criminal justice officials advocated as a way of “curing” sexual deviance. Homosexual defendants in criminal cases or concentration camps could agree to castration in exchange for lower sentences. Later, judges and SS camp officials could order castration without the consent of a homosexual prisoner. According to the United States Holo-
caust Memorial Museum, Rudolf Hoess, commandant of Auschwitz, wrote in his memoirs that homosexuals were segregated in order to prevent homosexuality from spreading to other inmates and guards. Personnel in charge of work details in the Dora-Mittelbau underground rocket factory or in the stone quarries at Flossenbürg and Buchenwald often gave deadly assignments to homosexuals. For some prisoners, sexuality became a means of survival. In exchange for sexual favors, some kapos (prisoners who rose to leadership positions) protected a chosen prisoner, usually of young age, giving him extra food and shielding him from the abuses of other prisoners (homosexuals themselves very rarely became kapos due to the lack of a support network). In the end, for many reasons, there are no known statistics for the number of homosexuals who died in the camps. Personally, I found it refreshing that, as you go from panel to panel, looking at the various photos and documents on display, the image of Adolf Hitler only appears two or three times. If you are like me, you tire of everything about the Nazi party or the Holocaust resting on him alone. That is too easy and too boring – not to mention inaccurate. Instead, the exhibit relies on the accounts of people who died and in some cases, lived through it all. Hitler was perhaps the reason why much of the genocide came about, but he was certainly not the only person involved or the only person who thought to murder Jews, gypsies, homosexuals, and others. Kudos to the creators of this exhibit for showcasing that. Support for the exhibit comes from Gilman Family Foundation, Pride Foundation, Greater Seattle Business Association, Carter Subaru, 1st Security Bank, Congregation Tikvah Chadashah, and Lifelong AIDS Alliance. Additionally, Claims Conference, 4 Culture, Verizon, Seattle Office of Arts & Cultural Affairs, and Comcast are sponsoring the exhibit. Also, as an added bonus, photos from Robin Hammond’s evocative photo project “Where Love is Illegal,” which tells the story of LGBTQ persecution today, are on display at the museum. So you essentially get to see two exhibits for the price of one. The Holocaust Center for Humanity teaches tolerance and citizenship through lessons of the Holocaust. Established in 1989, the Center supports teachers in the public and private schools of Washington State and in the Pacific Northwest, making it possible to introduce Holocaust studies into their curricula. The Holocaust Center for Humanity is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. For more information visit the center online at www.HolocaustCenterSeattle.org.
The report examines how transgender youth are adversely affected by discriminatory policies that bar them from using bathrooms and locker rooms matching their gender identity. It also examines the preferences of some of the students involved. While all students should be able to access options consistent with their gender identity, the report notes, some students expressed a desire to use “all-gender” options because they did not identify as male or female or because they experienced harassment in gendered facilities. One Texas student, identified as Willow K., said she was harassed in her eighth-grade gym class because she was required to use the boys’ locker room. “I had to strip down into my girly underwear in front of a bunch of guys who would call me these rude names, and I couldn’t go to the bathroom [or girls’ locker room] to change…and it made me so uncomfortable,” she said. In seventh grade, she added, she had been assaulted by a group of football players in the locker room, making the
school’s requirement that she use the boys’ locker room particularly difficult. Alexis J., a self-described genderfluid 19-year-old, also from Texas, described a gym class. “I had to strip down to girly underwear in front of a bunch of dudes,” she said. “And they’re like, ‘faggot.’ And this was freshman year, so they’re just vicious.” Tanya H., the mother of a 9-year-old Transgender boy named Elijah, recalled, “A year ago at this time, he was having a really hard time, and he’d go into the girls’ bathroom and girls would yell, ‘There’s a boy in here!’ and he couldn’t go to the boys’ bathroom, and so he stopped going to the bathroom. There were a lot of meltdowns.” When Elijah mentioned suicide and was briefly hospitalized, his mother spoke to administrators to ensure that he would be treated as a boy when he started at a new school in the fall. “He was kind of worried about going to a new school, and he said, ‘If I can go as a boy, OK,’” Tanya reported. “He’s just fallen into it, and he’s so
much happier…He’s making friends who know him as a boy.” Human Rights Watch also identified a number of cases where Trans students who did not have access to a gender-appropriate bathroom or locker room simply avoided all school bathrooms and locker rooms, with predictably negative consequences for their overall health. Cassidy R., a self-described agender 18-year-old in Utah, said, “I know a lot of my friends just didn’t go to the bathroom and suffered a lot of infections and health problems because of that.” According to health experts, avoiding bathroom use for extended periods of time is linked to dehydration, urinary tract infections, and kidney problems. “Politics aside, schools should ensure that the rights of Transgender youth are respected and protected on campus,” Ryan Thoreson, a fellow in the LGBT rights program at Human Rights Watch said. “Schools aren’t doing that if Transgender students spend their days worrying about something as basic as finding a safe and accessible bathroom.”
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Nearly one third of people diagnosed with mental health issues also abuse substances. Please join the entire behavioral health community during National Recovery Month to spread the word, seek support, or reach out to those struggling in our community. To learn more, visit Sound Mental Health at www.smh.org.
Strengthening our community one life at a time
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DRAG KING
continued from cover Simpson Ave, Hoquiam, WA 98550. “Sadly, over Labor Day weekend one of our cast members and number one supporter of the Grays Harbor community was attacked outside a bar in Olympia after performing for a fundraising benefit for Capital City Pride,” Ceasar Hart said in a statement on the event’s official Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/ events/339047413104212/. “The damage was extensive, and the community reached out to Small Town, Big HART’s to see what we could do to help,” said Hart. “When the community speaks, we listen.” Hart says that by coming together as a community they plan to not only to raise money but to “help make this experience a little less horrible for Parker and his family.” Additionally, Hart says that the fundraiser will serve as a vehicle to “raise awareness that violence and hatred can no longer happen.” “We will not sit by or stand for abuse against an innocent human,” said Hart, who was a co-emcee of Seattle’s Pride Parade, current Mister Neighbours title holder, and founding member of Social Outreach Seattle. “This happens every second of every day to members of the LGBTQIA [community] across the globe. Stop the VIOLENCE! Stop the HATE!” Parker Perry Z is the drag king character created by Lila Hadway. Hadway has performed as Parker for 10 years. Hadway says the attack that took place in Olympia left her scared for her safety and the safety of other performers. Hadway told KOMO News that just after midnight August 28, as she was loading up her gear after a benefit show at the Fourth Avenue Tavern, a Transgender friend of hers was heckled and Hadway’s own wife, Angela, was threatened. That’s when Hadway says she stepped in. Hadway told KOMO, “I was like ‘hey can we just leave this alone?’” When things began to get out of hand and as a man approached her, she let him know that she was a woman dressed like a man. “The guy said, you look like a man so I’m going to fight you like a man. So he
walked up and blasted me twice in the left side of my face,” Hadway said. At first, citing little evidence and not enough witnesses to the attack, Olympia Police Departmen did not classify the attack as a possible hate crime and shockingly closed the case within days of the incident. However, when Hart and others began to make noise about the alleged mistreatment of the case, the Olympia PD opened the case again and is asking anyone that may have witnessed the incident to contact them immediately at 360-753-8300. “Since the night of the incident, more information has become available leading police to investigate a possible hate crime involving sexual orientation or gender identity in addition to the assault,” police said in a news release. Police said officers investigated a disturbance downtown that morning involving 10 to 13 people. Police say racial slurs and insults about sexual orientation may have been made by people in the disturbance. The suspects are at large, but no description has been made available to the public. Olympia PD said it has two liaison officers with to LGBTQ community “who are available to assist in gathering information and ensuring our community members are safe and heard.” Anna Schlecht, co-chair of Capital City Pride, said Hadway helped raise money the night of her attack benefiting her organization. Capital City Pride, which has been around more than 25 years, is both a Gay-rights advocacy group as well as host of Olympia’s annual Pride festival. Aside from Capital City Pride, Olympia is home to several support groups, such as Stonewall Youth, PFLAG, Pizza Klatch, Community Youth Services, and SAGE. At the event this Saturday, Hart says there will be a comedy show starting at 8 p.m. that will run until about 9:30 p.m., which is when the $5 door charge will begin for the drag show. “Please bring tipping money, as performers are donating tips from their first and second numbers,” said Hart, adding, “Last-performance tips are for performers.” Ceasar Hart would like to thank the Simpson Avenue Grill for making the event possible on such short notice. “Let’s pack this place to show Parker
Perry the love and support we should be giving during a time like this,” concludes Hart. “There is never a reason to physically assault another human being unless protecting oneself against this type of horrible hate. Your community is with you, Parker, through every step of this, and we are all deeply sorry this happened.” The attack is not something that is characteristic of Olympia residents. Like most communities, there can always be the need for a better understanding between the LGBTQ community and other residents. Olympia received high marks in terms of its acceptance of community members, as one of three Washington cities to receive the top score for LGBT inclusiveness by the Human Rights Campaign. The 2015 Municipal Equality Index rates cities across the nation based on their protection of civil rights for the LGBTQ community. Olympia, Seattle, and Bellevue each scored 100 out of 100 possible points. Cities were evaluated for their nondiscrimination laws, municipal services, employee treatment, law enforcement practices, and overall relationship with the LGBTQ community. The Human Rights Campaign reports that 47 cities earned perfect scores in 2015 compared with 38 cities in 2014. The average score was 56 points. It remains to be seen if this attack, and others like it (which residents in Seattle and Olympia say are on the rise this year) will negatively impact its HRC rating. Other Washington cities on the 2015 index include Tacoma, which fell just short of perfection with a score of 99; Pullman at 59; Spokane at 71; Vancouver at 64 points, and Vashon at 79. Olympia PD officials say, “Hate crimes are illegal, unacceptable, and hurt all in the community. No one should threaten or assault you based upon bias. The Olympia Police Department pledges to vigorously investigate hate crimes and to work towards removing barriers to reporting of these crimes.” The Olympia PD advises that if you have been the victim of a hate crime, know of, or have witnessed a hate crime, report it immediately by calling 911. Actions you can take to help responding officers and investigators, according to Olympia PD, are to identify witnesses to the crime and encourage them to help the police docu-
ment what happened, and help the police preserve evidence of the crime (document your injuries; provide a medical release if you sought medical treatment; give a full account of what happened; provide a description of people, vehicles, and weapons if they were used; remember what was said by the perpetrator). A person is guilty of malicious harassment if he or she maliciously and intentionally commits a crime because of his or her perception of the victim’s race, color, religion, ancestry, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, or mental, physical, or sensory handicap. A hate crime can include causing physical injury to the victim or another person; physical damage to or destruction of the property of the victim or another person; or threatening a specific person or group of persons and places that person, or members of the specific group of persons, in reasonable fear of harm to person or property. Hate crimes are referred to as malicious or harassment or bias crimes. Malicious harassment is a class C felony (RCW 9A.36.080 - Malicious Harassment). Some members of the LGBTQ community might not want to come forward and report a crime if they are a victim. Sensitivity and mistrust sometimes still remain between members of the LGBTQ community and several police jurisdictions across the country. However, they say, as do Seattle police officials, that it is important to report hate crimes because a person who commits a hate crime cannot be brought to justice and held accountable for his or her acts if the crime is not reported. In addition, collecting accurate data on the number of hate crimes is one of the only ways in which police, prosecutors, elected officials, and community organizations can determine the extent of the problem of hate crimes in our community. “Unlike other crimes that target individuals, bias-related crimes have a tremendous effect on an entire community,” say Olympia police officials. “When one person is targeted because of his or her race, religion, ethnic origin, sexual orientation, or other characteristic, others in the community who were not the direct targets of the hate crime may also feel at risk. Tensions between different communities can also arise as a result of hate crimes.”
Homocon Peter Thiel: Trump promised to appoint me to SCOTUS by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer Donald Trump has promised to appoint homocon Peter Thiel to the US Supreme Court, the Huffington Post reports, based on information from someone described as “a source close to the PayPal co-founder.” Other sources are quoted as saying that people in Trump’s “inner circle” are also talking about Thiel as a potential Supreme Court nominee. Thiel, one of the founders of PayPal, is perhaps best known as the financial backer of the Hulk Hogan lawsuit against Gawker that bankrupted the gossipy website. Trump “deeply loves Peter Thiel,” a source told Huffington Post reporter Ben Walsh. Perhaps Trump sees a kindred spirit in Thiel. Thiel’s motive for paying Hogan’s legal bills was said to be payback for Gawker outing him in a story, so he at least has a vengeful streak in common with Trump. Trump and Thiel also share a flair for financial risk-taking. Thiel now heads Clarium Capital, a global hedge fund with $700 million in assets under management. He is also a managing partner in Founders Fund, a venture capital fund with $2 billion in assets under management. Thiel is also a co-founder and investment committee chair of Mithril Capital Management and co-founder and chairman of Valar Ventures.
Peter Thiel – Photo courtesy of queerty.com
He was ranked #4 on the Forbes Midas List of 2014, with assets estimated at $2.2 billion. On the other hand, Trump and Thiel also share an aversion to democracy, at least for groups they perceive as outsiders. While Thiel calls himself a libertarian, he has long expressed skepticism about democratic government. For example, in 2009 Thiel wrote an essay for the Libertarian blog Cato Unbound, in which he said, “I no longer believe that freedom and democracy are compatible.”
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In the same article, he also wrote, “Since 1920, the vast increase in welfare beneficiaries and the extension of the franchise to women – two constituencies that are notoriously tough for libertarians – have rendered the notion of ‘capitalist democracy’ into an oxymoron.” Thiel is also anti-college. In addition to his investment operations, he runs a fellowship that gives promising students $100,000 to drop out. “Education,” he said in a 2011 interview with the National Review, “is a bubble in a
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classic sense.” While he has contributed to promarriage-equality groups, Thiel has also given large sums of money to right-wing political causes. In 2009, Thiel helped fund college student James O’Keefe’s “Taxpayers Clearing House” video, a satirical look at the politics behind the Wall Street bailout. O’Keefe went on to produce ACORN undercover sting videos, but through a spokesperson, Thiel denied involvement in – or even knowledge of – the ACORN sting. In July 2012, Thiel made a $1 million donation to the Club for Growth, a fiscally conservative 501(c)(4), making him the group’s largest contributor. According to its website, the Club for Growth wants to cut income tax rates (especially at the top levels); repeal the estate tax; pass a balanced budget amendment; cut welfare programs, Social Security, Medicaid, and Medicare; deregulate banks and investments brokers; and pass NAFTAstyle free trade treaties. Thiel has also given almost $2 million to the Seasteading Institute, in hopes of creating artificial island settlements in international waters that would not be subject to the jurisdiction of any government. According to the Daily Mail newspaper, Thiel was inspired to do so by Ayn Rand’s novel Atlas Shrugged.
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22nd Anniversary of Violence Against Women Act: Sen. Patty Murray issues statement and HUD issues new guidelines by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer Washington’s senior US senator, Patty Murray, and the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) both marked the 22nd anniversary of the landmark Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) on September 13. “Ever since the Violence Against Women Act passed twenty-two years ago, women and families across the country have had an extra layer of protection and safety tools they need to get themselves out of dangerous domestic violence situations,” Murray said in a statement. “This law has been a critical element in our work to protect women, hold abusers accountable, and help train law enforcement and other professionals to understand the unique challenges facing victims and survivors of violence. I am especially proud of my work in the last reauthorization to ensure that women from all backgrounds, including Native American women, are
Washington US senator Patty Murray – Photo courtesy of kuow.org
protected by these important VAWA provisions. I credit Deborah Parker of the Tulalip Tribes, who so bravely shared her personal story, with helping me to get this done – and I will make sure voices like hers continue to be heard in Congress. “It is my hope that as we move forward to fight domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking, more women
NCAA
continued from cover this decision because of the cumulative actions taken by the state concerning civil rights protections.” The board “emphasized that NCAA championships and events must promote an inclusive atmosphere for all college athletes, coaches, administrators, and fans.” “Fairness is about more than the opportunity to participate in college sports, or even compete for championships,” said Mark Emmert, NCAA president. “We believe in providing a safe and respectful environment at our events and are committed to providing the best experience possible for college athletes, fans, and everyone taking part in our championships.” “The NCAA Constitution clearly states
Mark Emmert – Photo courtesy of ncaa.org
are empowered to come forward – to share their story like Deborah did, and to inspire others to take action to get themselves, or loved ones, out of dangerous situations. I stand proudly with those women who have endured abuse, and will keep fighting to get them the resources they need to get back on their feet.” Murray led a two-year fight to reauthorize VAWA, finally pressuring Republican House leaders into allowing a vote on her bipartisan reauthorization bill in February 2013, after it had expired in 2011. The original bill was authored in 1994 by Joe Biden, then a senator from Delaware. HUD marked the anniversary by issuing new guidelines making it easier for lowincome women to get enforcement of Fair Housing Act provisions that protect them from sexual harassment and assault. “On the 22nd anniversary of the Violence Against Women Act, HUD makes it clear that no one should have to choose between calling 9-1-1 and being evicted,” HUD Secretary Julián Castro said
in a statement. “A home should be a sanctuary where everyone can live without the threat of violence or harassment. The actions we take today will work together to protect the housing rights of victims of harassment and survivors of domestic violence.” The new HUD rules set standards for evaluating claims of “hostile environment harassment” and “quid pro quo harassment” in housing. “Hostile environment harassment” means subjecting a person to unwelcome conduct that is so severe or pervasive that it interferes with or deprives the person of the right to use and enjoy the housing. “Quid pro quo harassment” involves unwelcome requests or demands – sexual favors, for example – that make housing conditional on submission. The HUD rules also clarify when housing providers or agencies may be held liable under the Fair Housing Act for illegal harassment or other discriminatory housing practices.
our values of inclusion and gender equity, along with the membership’s expectation that we as the Board of Governors protect those values for all,” said Susquehanna University President Jay Lemons, vice chair of the Board of Governors and chair of the ad hoc committee on diversity and inclusion. “Our membership comprises many different types of schools – public, private, secular, faith-based – and we believe this action appropriately reflects the collective will of that diverse group.” The NCAA decision included events scheduled for this year as well as 2017: • 2016 Division I Women’s Soccer Championship, College Cup • 2016 Division III Men’s and Women’s Soccer Championships • 2017 Division I Men’s Basketball Championship, first/second rounds • 2017 Division I Women’s Golf Cham-
pionships, regional • 2017 Division III Men’s and Women’s Tennis Championships • 2017 Division I Women’s Lacrosse Championship • 2017 Division II Baseball Championship North Carolina Republicans characterized the NCAA decision as “an assault to female athletes across the nation.” “Perhaps the NCAA should stop with their political peacocking – and instead focus their energies on making sure our nation’s collegiate athletes are safe, both on and off the field,” GOP spokesperson Kami Mueller added. On the other hand, Hillary Clinton tweeted her support for the boycott. “The @NCAA is right to pull tournament games from North Carolina because of the anti-LGBT HB2 law. Discrimination has no place in America. -H”
Republican lawmakers intervene in Tennessee divorce case Try to preserve discriminatory state laws by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer Fifty-three Republican state legislators have teamed up with a Christian antiGay group in Tennessee to intervene in the pending divorce of two women who are arguing over child custody. The Family Action Council of Tennessee (FACT) announced that its legal arm, known as the Constitutional Government Defense Fund, is representing the legislators in filing a motion to intervene in the divorce case of Sabrina Renae Witt vs. Erica Christine Witt. The Witts were legally married in Washington, D.C., in April 2014, when same-sex marriage was legal there but still prohibited in Tennessee. They subsequently had a child, conceived by Sabrina through artificial insemination. In its Obergefell decision last year the US Supreme Court made their marriage valid throughout the country, but in Tennessee there is still no state law allowing samesex marriage and there are several ancillary laws that make reference to “husband” or “wife” but not to same-sex couples. When the Witts filed for divorce, Erica
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Erica Witt (non-biological parent) (l) and attorney Virginia Schwaam (r) – Photo courtesy of wbir.com
– the nonbiological mother of their child – asked for joint custody. In June, however, Knox County Circuit Court Judge Greg McMillan ruled that Erica Witt has no legal rights under Tennessee law to involvement with the couple’s daughter because the relevant Tennessee statute dealing with parenting rights in cases of artificial insemination speaks only about the “husband” of the birth mother and does not cover the mother’s same-sex spouse.
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The motion filed by the Family Action Council on behalf of the GOP legislators appears to endorse the position taken by McMillan in his ruling. The motion contends the lawmakers’ “unique and substantial interest in the legislative power and process will be impeded, impaired, and/or nullified” if courts interpret a state law “to apply to any persons other than a man and woman joined together as ‘husband’ and ‘wife.’”
In a press release, David Fowler, a lawyer who is executive director of FACT and a former Republican state senator, said the 53 legislators “are defending the will of the people.” “They understand the importance of this case constitutionally,” he said. “This is not a case involving the policy that should be applicable in situations such as this. Rather, this case involves a very important constitutional question: Does the US Supreme Court’s Obergefell decision authorize judges to determine for state legislative bodies what policies it must have relative to custody issues in divorce proceedings? “If it does, then matters of family law, which have historically been within the constitutional powers of the states to determine, will have essentially been judicially taken from the states and placed in the hands of federal judges,” Fowler said. In his ruling, Judge McMillian authorized an appeal, putting the divorce action on hold pending a state court of appeals decision on whether to hear the issue. “Given the novelty of this issue, the court thinks it appropriate to see if the appellate courts want to address this,” the judge said.
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South Africa bans anti-Gay US preacher by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer American pastor Steven Anderson, who once said Gays should be stoned to death as recommended in the Bible, will not get a visa to enter South Africa. The country’s Home Affairs Minister Malusi Gigaba announced the decision September 13. “Mr Steven Anderson and members and/or associates of his church are prohibited from entering the Republic of South Africa,” Gigaba said at a press conference in South Africa’s parliament building. “This prohibition will be implemented in terms of section 29(1)(d) of the Immigration Act. This section affords the department the legal means to prohibit a foreigner who is a ‘member of or adherent to an association or organization advocating the practice of racial hatred or social violence.’ “I have considered carefully the merits of this matter… we have a duty to prevent harm and hatred in all forms. Against the LGBTI [as] against any other person in a democratic state. “I have informed the [Director General] that I have designated Steven Anderson and members and/or associates of his church as undesirable persons. Undesirable persons are barred from traveling to South Africa for periods determined by the department.” South African law bars “foreigners likely to promote hate speech or advocate violence” from entering the country. Gigaba
Steven Anderson – Photo courtesy of youtube.com
said Anderson was likely to be “unwilling to respect our constitutional protections against hatred and discrimination.” A petition with more than 60,000 signatures called on the South African government to bar Anderson from entering the country. Anderson, who heads up the Arizonabased Faithful Word Baptist Church, intended to visit Johannesburg with 17 associates in a missionary-style excursion on September 18, hoping to “win souls” for his extremist Christian right views. He and his supporters then planned to go to Botswana to set up a branch of his church. Anderson is perhaps best known for advocating the killing of LGBT people, quoting Biblical passages to justify his position. “ ‘If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death. Their blood shall be upon them.’ That, my friends, is the cure for AIDS. It was right there in the Bible all along,” he once said. In addition, Anderson has also insulted one of South Africa’s anti-apartheid heroes, Archbishop Desmond Tutu. “People like Desmond Tutu go parading around and talk about their pro-homosexual beliefs but they did not get that from the Bible, and any Bible-believing Christian will know that,” Anderson said. “The religious leaders are a bunch of perverts themselves, like that Desmond Tutu who goes around in a pink dress,” he added, referring to the violet cassock Tutu wears as a prelate of the Anglican Church.
A country of our own? by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer A Russian-born German activist wants to set up a separate country for LGBT people, with limited immigration and citizenship rights for straights. Viktor Zimmerman is the executive officer of Germany’s Gay Homeland Foundation, and he believes the only way to ensure LGBT people’s safety is by creating a separate homeland exclusively for us. “We need a cultural and political center, where we can develop new, better ways of Gay living that are more suited to our nature,” Zimmerman told Vice magazine in an interview. “Bringing gay people together in a creative and affirmative environment will release a tremendous energy,” he said. “Thousands of gay artists, writers, sculptors, filmmakers, and songwriters will be brought together in one spot. There would be no more cultural oppression from the hetero; all the public spaces would be decorated with gay artwork.” Zimmerman added that his proposed Gay country will also provide “a safe haven for millions of gay people” who are currently living in “dangerous circumstances.” “Our purpose is to establish a free, independent, and democratic Gay state,” he said. “We strive to initiate one or more selfadministrated settlements for Gay people, and look to promote their economic, cultural, and political development.” Zimmerman said he had not yet decided where the new Gay country would be located, but “it should be somewhere where there is sufficiently cheap and habitable land available in a warm climate by the seaside.” Perhaps South America, he suggested, or “a friendly Buddhist country in southeast Asia.” “The next step would be taking a longterm lease on a moderate-sized territory from an existing country,” he continued. “The territory will be used to establish a settlement on conditions of extraterri-
Viktor Zimmerman of Gay Homeland Foundation – Photo courtesy of vice.com
toriality. Legally, it would still remain the territory of the host country, but we could administrate it according to our own laws.” Eventually, Zimmerman foresees negotiating a treaty of independence with the host country. “Legally, the foundation of the gay state is viable,” he says. “There have been precedents for the establishment of new states via treaties, such as the creation of the Vatican state, and there have been multiple legal precedents for the peaceful acquisition of land. There have also been precedents for international recognition of non-territorial sovereign entities, such as the Order of Malta.” Immigration of new Gay citizens will be key to keeping the country viable, Zimmerman added. “We all know how Gay babies are made – there are millions of them being born into this world year by year, without any effort
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on our side,” he explains. “All we need is for a fraction of them to pack their stuff together and move to the Gay state.” On the other hand, immigration of straight people would be discouraged, he said. “[T]heir numbers will be limited and they will not be in charge.” There has been at least one previous attempt to launch an all-Gay country. In 2004, a group of LGBT campers proclaimed the “Gay and Lesbian Kingdom of the Coral Islands,” based on several small coral atolls off the coast of Australia. On September 13, 2004, the campers proclaimed their independence from Australia and promptly declared war on their former mother country. Since Australia failed to respond, the LGBT rebels claimed, they were legally entitled to independence. “Homosexual people have honestly endeavored everywhere to merge ourselves in
the social life of surrounding communities and to be treated equally,” their declaration of independence begins. “We are not permitted to do so. In vain we are loyal patriots, our loyalty in some places running to extremes; in vain do we make the same sacrifices of life and property as our fellow citizens; in vain do we strive to increase the fame of our native land in science and art, or her wealth by trade and commerce. In countries where we have lived for centuries, we are still cried down as strangers... in the world as it is now and for an indefinite period…I think we shall not be left in peace.” Some of the original founders still live in the country’s self-proclaimed “capital,” a campsite named Heaven on the country’s largest island of Cato. The country is currently “ruled” by Emperor Dale Parker Anderson.
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