Issue 38 Volume 38
Celebrating 37 Years!
FRIDAY September 17, 2010 FREE! 25¢ in bookstores & news stands
Fall Travel and Arts: Section 2
Seattle Gay News SEATTLE’S LGBT NEWS & ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY
SGN exclusive interview DADT Saga: Unconstitutional
Sen. Patty Murray ruling, Witt trial begins on the campaign, DADT, and ENDA file photo
with SGN by phone from D.C. After weeks of trailing – or barely tying – her Republican challenger Dino Rossi in the polls, a new Elway poll released that morning showed her leading Rossi by nine points. Asked if she felt relieved by the numbers, Murray laughed. “I do not ever follow polls,” she said. “I go out and talk to the voters and ask for their votes. And in this election, every vote will count.” Asked if she didn’t feel at least a bit nervous when she looked at her polling numbers,
Senator Patty Murray
by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer
Sen. Patty Murray had good reason to be upbeat the day she spoke
see patty murray page 20
The call for the Obama administration, Department of Defense, and Congress to repeal “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” (DADT) reached a fever pitch this month as everyone from pop stars and politicians to ousted servicemembers and Gay rights groups demanded that the discriminatory policy go away. The law, known as “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” was passed in 1993 as part of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1994, and has resulted in the abrupt firing of more than 14,000 men and women because of their sexual orientation, and has led tens of thousands more to voluntarily terminate their careers because of the burden of serving under this outdated law. There are an estimated 66,000 Gays, Lesbians, and Bisexuals currently serving in the U.S. military and an estimated 1 million Gay, Lesbian, and Bisexual veterans of the U.S. armed forces.
associated press
by Shaun Knittel SGN Associate Editor
Major Margaret Witt
reinstate Major Margaret Witt, a Lesbian flight nurse discharged under DADT, began in Tacoma, Washington this week. The trial is just one in a string of trials around the country in regards to DADT. Opponents of DADT are hoping MAJOR MARGARET WITT A federal trial over whether to for another legal victory, or at the
very least to help build momentum for repealing the policy. In 2004, Witt was a member of a squadron based at McChord Air Force Base near Tacoma. She was suspended, investigated for being see dadt page 19
Primary election results Purr’s Barbie says, Democrats opt for Gay, Republicans opt for crazy Mary Hanley
james whitely
chose a spectacularly out-of-themainstream candidate – they are also closer to keeping control of the U.S. Senate. Gay Providence Mayor David Cicilline won his primary election and will become the Democratic candidate in Rhode Island’s 1st Congressional District. He won 37% of the vote against four opponents. The seat was previously held by Democrat Patrick Kennedy, who announced earlier this year that he would not seek reelection. Cicilline served four terms in the Rhode Island state legislature before being elected mayor in 2002 with 84% of the vote. He was reelected in 2006 with 83%. The seat is considered a safe Democratic seat so Cicilline will almost certainly win the general election in November. When he does so, he will join Gay Congressmen Barney Frank (D-Mass.) and Jared Polis (D-Colo.) and Lesbian Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.). Gay Democrat Steve Pougnet is also challenging Republican Openly Gay Providence, Rhode Island, Mayor David Cicilline will become incumbent Mary Bono Mack in a the Democratic candidate in Rhode Island’s 1st Congressional District. California Congressional district. by Mike Andrew ries, Democrats are one step closer She is considered likely to win reSGN Staff Writer to sending a fourth openly Gay election. member to Congress, and – thanks After the September 14 prima- to Delaware Republicans, who see primary page 20
“Thank you for being a friend.”
(l to r) Sylvia O’Stayformore, Barbie, and Art Ruiz
by Shaun Knittel SGN Associate Editor The 1980s were a decade when the television sitcom peaked. At the top was The Golden Girls. Week after week, for seven years, Americans tuned in to watch Bea Arthur, Betty White, Rue McClanahan, and Estelle Getty play Dorothy, Rose, Blanche, and Sophia.
proud to Be Different
We are conveniently located on-site at Lifelong AIDS Alliance below the Thrift Store.
The show was an instant success; it ranked among the top 10 highest-rated programs for six out of its seven seasons. The Golden Girls has been listed as one of the greatest and most influential shows of all time. Behind every episode was the theme of friendship. No matter see barbie page 18
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Seattle Gay News
September 17, 2010
Celebrating 37 Years!
Visit us online www.sgn.org
September 17, 2010
Seattle Gay News
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Seattle Gay News FOUNDED 1973
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2010
Deadlines Classifieds - Thursday at noon Calendar - Tuesday 6pm Display Ads: Space Reservation - Monday 5pm Ad copy (non-camera ready) - Tues. 5pm Ad copy (camera ready) - Wed. 5pm Letters to the Editor - Tuesday 5pm Obituaries - Call the SGN office All others - Tuesday 5pm
Editor In Chief George Bakan Associate Editor Shaun Knittel Editorial Assistant Nick Ardizzone Production William Creswell Calender Editors Mike Andrew and Rick McKinnon Travel Editor George Bakan Advertising Manager Marty Weisbrod Advertising Department Maggie Bloodstone Executive Assistant Mike Andrew Staff Writers George Bakan, Albert S. Rodriguez, Nick Ardizzone, Shaun Knittel Miryam Gordon, James Whitely, Tim Peter Contributing Writers Rev. Barbara Allen, Mike Andrew, Eric Andrews-Katz, Madelyn Arnold, Maggie Bloodstone, Beau Burriola, Jessica Davis, Ron Anders, Jessica Price, Milton W. Hamlin, Nevin Jefferson, Keen News Service, Jason A. Miller, Liz Meyer, Rod Parke, Don Paulson, Scott Rice, Leslie Robinson, Richard Kennedy, Romeo San Vicente, Rex Wockner
HRC counters Target anti-Gay donation by Shaun Knittel SGN Associate Editor After failing to secure an equal donation for pro-Gay candidates from Target, Human Rights Campaign (HRC) officials announced they would donate $100,000 to Win Minnesota, a political action committee that helps fund TV advertisements against Republican Tom Emmer.
Classifieds Mike Andrew and Rick McKinnon Photographers Nick Ardizzone, Joseph P. Herron, Shaun Knittel, James Whitely National Advertising Rep. Rivendell Media (212) 242-6863 Website Designer Barry Thorsness/Digital Team Works Seattle Gay News is published weekly by JT&A, Inc. © 2010, JT&A, Inc., all rights reserved. Reprints by permission.
Publication of names, photographs or likenesses of any person, organization, event or business in this publication cannot be taken as any indication of the sexual orientation of the person, organization, event or business. Opinions expressed in bylined articles, columns, and letters are those of the authors only and do not necessarily reflect the views of the staff or management of this paper. Seattle Gay News welcomes unsolicited material, including letters to the editor, but reserves the right to edit or reject material. All rights revert to authors upon publication. We assume no liability for loss or damage of materials, solicited or not. We invite feedback, please write. And please play safe. It is our policy that no money shall be refunded if you choose to cancel your subscription or ad. However, credit towards any size ad will be given for the balance owed. No exceptions.
HRC President Joe Solmonese said that the donation is partly a response to Target’s donation to MN Forward, a group helping Emmer in the Minnesota Governor’s race. Emmer opposes Gay marriage, and the Target contribution set off a national backlash across the country. In addition to the $100,000 donation, Solmonese says HRC has pledged another $20,000 to LGBT group OutFront Min-
nesota, and $30,000 to individual pro-Gay candidates. “With all of our success in corporate America, we found ourselves at a crossroads recently during HRC’s dispute with Target and Best Buy,” said Solmonese in prepared remarks. “It wasn’t easy and it certainly wasn’t on our list of things to do, but it was the right thing to do.” He added, “The eyes of all fair-minded Americans, and specifically those in the LGBT community, will be on Minnesota on election day.” “We’ve understood long before the Target situation that Minnesota was poised, as is New York, to be the next state to win marriage equality,” said Solmonese. “The scope of our work here is certainly going to move beyond the $150,000.” Solmonese said he would officially announce the donation on September 18 at the group’s annual Twin Cities dinner in Minneapolis. Last month, Target apologized for the donation, but rejected a request by HRC to give an equal amount of money to a proGay candidate. In response, HRC has said it would drop Target and electronics retailer Best Buy, which also contributed MN Forward campaign, from its annual Buying for Equality Guide. “Given the current political and emotionally charged environment, we have concluded that it is best to wait before taking further external action regarding our MN Forward contribution,” Target said in a statement regarding their decision to turn down HRC’s offer. “We believe that it is impossible to avoid turning any further actions into a political issue and will use the benefit of time to make thoughtful, careful decisions on how best to move forward.”
In Loving Memory Of Steve Foiles, Scott Roger Alpert, Cookie Andrews-Hunt, James Leland Moore, Randy Peters, Lee Richeson, Shaun Shelton, Jim Tully, James Arnold
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Seattle Gay News
September 17, 2010
Celebrating 37 Years!
New reports: Teen suicide and violence show school climate unsafe for LGBT students
by Shaun Knittel SGN Associate Editor
GLSEN SURVEY FINDS LGBT STUDENTS AT RISK On September 14, the Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network (GLSEN) released the results of The 2009 National School Climate Survey. The results, a culmination of 10 years of pioneering research documenting the experiences of LGBT students, were alarming. The 2009 survey of 7,261 middle and high school students found that at school nearly nine out of 10 LGBT students experienced harassment at school in the past year, and nearly two-thirds felt unsafe because of their sexual orientation. Nearly a third of LGBT students skipped at least one day of school in the past month because of safety concerns. Since 2009, the survey shows, there has been a decrease in LGBT students hearing homophobic remarks; however, LGBT stu-
Climate Survey data reveals some gains in the availability of resources and supportive educators, thanks in part to GLSEN’s work and that of educators and advocates across the country committed to safe and affirming environments for all students,” said Dr. Joseph Kosciw, GLSEN senior director of research and strategic initiatives. “Nevertheless, it is still the minority of LGBT students who report having sufficient support in school, which may explain why we have not seen greater improvements regarding in-school victimization.” courtesy towleroad
Recently, students across the country headed back to the classroom. With summer vacations behind them and a full school year ahead, tomorrow’s leaders returned to reading, writing, and arithmetic. Beyond the books, the classroom has long been the place where sweetheart crushes manifest, passing notes becomes commonplace, and friendships are forged. Unfortunately, according to two alarming new studies, many LGBT students – from kindergarten to college – returned to school to find harassment, victimization, and violence. On September 14, in a message to America’s students, President Barack Obama urged kids to ignore bullies and treat each other with kindness and respect, saying part of the beauty of life “lies in its diversity.” “If you do take away one thing from my speech, I want you to take away the notion that life is precious, and part of what makes it so wonderful is its diversity,” Obama said from a Philadelphia school during his second back-toschool address, broadcast to thousands of schools across the country on September 14. “We shouldn’t be embarrassed by the things that make us different. We should be proud of them. It’s the things that make us different that make us who we are, that make us unique.” President Obama’s words did not reach 15-year-old Billy Lucas. Last week, Billy’s mother found him dead inside their Indiana barn. He had hung himself – the latest teen to be bullied to death. Billy was a teenager who didn’t quite fit in. He never told anyone he was Gay, but students at Greenburg High School thought he was and bullied him for being different. Little to nothing was done about the situation. The details of his torment are heartbreaking. “People would call him ‘fag’ and stuff like that, just make fun of him because he’s different basically,” said Dillen Swango, a student at Greenburg High School. “They said stuff like ‘you’re a piece of crap’ and ‘you don’t deserve to live.’ Different things like that. Talked about how he was Gay or whatever.” According to Dillen, on the day Billy took his own life, students had told him to kill himself. Billy’s death, along with the countless others in states across the country, should be a wake-up call.
dents’ experiences with more severe forms of bullying and harassment have remained constant. In other words, LGBT students are experiencing a hostile school climate, and that could have an adverse effect on educational outcomes and their psychological well-being.
Billy Lucas commited suicide after repeated bullying from classmates
Some key findings of the 2009 National School Climate Survey include: • 84.6% of LGBT students reported being verbally harassed, 40.1% reported being physically harassed, and 18.8% reported being physically assaulted at school in the past year because of their sexual orientation. • 63.7% of LGBT students reported being verbally harassed, 27.2% reported being physically harassed, and 12.5% reported being physically assaulted at school in the past year because of their gender expression. • 72.4% heard homophobic remarks, such as “faggot” or “dyke,” frequently or often at school. • 61.1% reported that they felt unsafe in school because of their sexual orientation, and 39.9% felt unsafe because of their gender expression. • 29.1% of LGBT students missed a class at least once, and 30.0% missed at least one day of school in the past month because of safety concerns, compared to only 8.0% and 6.7%, respectively, of a national sample of secondary school students. The reported grade point average of students who were most frequently harassed because of their sexual orientation or gender expression was almost half a grade lower than for students who were less often harassed, the report found. In a strange, oxymoronic finding, being “out” in school had positive and negative repercussions for LGBT students. Outness was related to higher levels of victimization, but also higher levels of psychological wellbeing. Students reported that having a GayStraight Alliance (GSA) in school was related to more positive experiences for LGBT students, including hearing fewer homophobic remarks, less victimization because of sexual orientation and gender expression, less absenteeism because of safety concerns, and a greater sense of belonging to the school community. The survey found that the presence of supportive staff contributed to a range of positive indicators, including fewer reports if missing school, fewer reports of feeling unsafe, greater academic achievement, higher educational aspirations, and a greater sense of school belonging. “A look at 10 years of National School
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LGBT EXPERIENCE AT U.S. COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES “POOR” Campus Pride, a national non-profit working to create safer, more LGBT-inclusive colleges, announced the release of a landmark research study. The most comprehensive national research of its kind to date, the “2010 State of Higher Education for LGBT People” documents the experiences of nearly 6,000 students, faculty, staff and administrators who identify as LGBT at colleges and universities across the U.S. The results are poor, revealing significant harassment of LGBT students and a lack of safety and inclusiveness that exists on campuses across the country. “National research has consistently shown that LGBT youth in kindergarten through high school encounter alarming rates of
harassment, discrimination, and bullying. There has never been a comprehensive national study to document what happens when these youth go to college – until now,” said Shane Windmeyer, Campus Pride’s executive director. Some key findings: • LGBT respondents experienced significantly greater harassment and discrimination than their heterosexual allies, and those who identified as Transmasculine, Transfeminine, and gender non-conforming experienced significantly higher rates of harassment than men and women. • LGBT students were more likely than heterosexual students to have seriously considered leaving their institution as a result of harassment and discrimination. • LGBT respondents of color were more likely than their LGBT white counterparts to indicate race as the basis of harassment, and were significantly less likely than LGBT white respondents to feel very comfortable in their classes (60%, 65%, respectively). • Respondents who identified as Transmasculine, Transfeminine, and gender nonconforming have more negative perceptions of campus climate when compared with those who identify within the gender binary. Dr. Susan Rankin, an associate professor of education at Pennsylvania State University and lead author of the report, said, “Unequivocally, the ‘2010 State of Higher Education for LGBT People’ demonstrates that LGBT students, faculty, and staff experience a ‘chilly’ campus climate of harassment and far less than welcoming campus communities. This comprehensive report provides substantive research and the necessary recommendations to assist administrators, educators, advocates, activists, student leaders, and elected officials in making university and college campuses safer and more accepting for all of its community members.” Windmeyer added, “Now is the time to act. It is shocking that it is 2010 and less than 8% of accredited colleges and universities have the responsibility to create safe learning environments for everyone, regardless of sexual identity or gender identity.”
Eric A. Smith Eric A. Smith passed away peacefully in his home in Seattle on August 24, 2010. In life, Eric was best known for his generous nature, his rapier wit, and his no-nonsense approach to life. Eric is survived by his partner of eight years, Srikanth Rao; his father and step-mother, Jack and Dee Smith; his mother, Maggie Beckner; his sisters Linda Natheny and Cindy Stewart, and seven nieces and nephews. Eric will be lovingly remembered by his wide and diverse network of friends – many of whom he considered family. Safe travels, Eric. We miss you!
Harold “Bud” Converse Crovisier Born January 10, 1971, Bud left us on Sunday, September 5, 2010. His energetic and positive outlook will be missed by his loving mother Jan, sister Michaelle, brother K.C., nieces Renée, Katlin, Amanda, and Abigale, godson/nephew Ryan Edward, and nephews Michael and Daniel and many close friends who love him and miss him terribly. He was a survivor of AIDS and diabetes, and a lover of underwater diving, the undersea world, nature, and his dog Barney. He was devoted to God, his family, and his friends. He was a loving son, brother, uncle, friend, and community member. Bud always had a smile and time for friends and family. He was artistic, tidy, and quick of wit. We love you and miss you dearly, Bud. There is an all-invitational service planned celebrating his life on September 20, 2010 at 6 p.m. at Journey of Faith Church (4157 California Ave. SW, Seattle 98116). Donations can be made in his name to Lifelong AIDS Alliance.
September 17, 2010
Seattle Gay News
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INTERNATIONAL getty images
NEWS
by Rex Wockner SGN Contributing Writer
Australian Olympic swimmer Stephanie Rice
Gays to march in Serbia Gays will march in Belgrade, Serbia, on October 10 for the first time since 2001, when marchers in the first pride parade were beaten by nationalists, skinheads, and soccer fans. Dozens of marchers and police officers were injured. A planned pride march last year was canceled under pressure from police and the government, who said they couldn’t protect the marchers from thousands of anti-Gays who planned to attack the event. Opponents of last year’s aborted march had covered walls in the city center with graffiti that said, “We will get you,” “Death to faggots,” and “Blood will flow,” and had spoken openly to reporters about the planned assault. Following the parade’s cancellation, the Swedish ambassador organized a “minipride” at his suburban residence. It was attended by about 50 people.
es in Mexico City since the groundbreaking law legalizing Gay nuptials took effect March 11, city officials said September 6. Fifty-three percent of the marriages have been between men, and 41 foreigners have married a Mexican citizen of the same sex. The nation’s Supreme Court recently upheld Mexico City’s same-sex marriage law and, in a second ruling, also upheld the part of it that legalized adoption by married same-sex couples. The court further ruled that Mexico’s 31 states must recognize same-sex marriages from Mexico City.
Aussie Olympic medalist punished for “faggots” tweet Jaguar has dumped Australian Olympic swimmer Stephanie Rice after she used the word “faggots” in a tweet. Rice won three gold medals at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and holds the world record in the 400-meter women’s individual medley. The car company ended its sponsorship Nearly 400 same-sex deal with Rice, 22, after she tweeted “Suck marriages in Mexico City There have been 398 same-sex marriag- on that faggots” in response to Australia’s
defeating South Africa in a September 4 rugby match. Rice later deleted the tweet and apologized for causing “offense.” The company also reportedly took away the car it was letting Rice drive, which was valued at over $100,000. Openly Gay Australian rugby icon Ian Roberts reportedly called Rice an “idiot” and a “fool” for transmitting the tweet. Openly Gay Australian Olympic diver Matthew Mitcham, also a gold medalist, said he is friends with Rice and that she is “not homophobic” but did use “an extremely poor choice of words.” Mitcham, 22, also said that Gays of his generation “don’t find that term very offensive.” EU-wide recognition of same-sex partnerships urged Members of the European Parliament, including the four presidents of the Parliament’s Intergroup on LGBT Rights, told the European Union’s commissioner for justice, fundamental rights and citizenship on September 7 that much more must be done to uphold same-sex couples’ rights as they move around the EU. “Currently, same-sex couples in a marriage or civil partnership often lose custody, fiscal and consular rights when moving from one EU member state to another – despite EU law guaranteeing freedom of movement,” the Intergroup said. A 2004 EU directive supports freedom of movement for citizens in same-sex unions, but it has seen “patchy application,” the MEPs said. They urged Commissioner Vivian Reding, who is also vice president of the European Commission, to rectify the problems promptly. In response to the MEPs’ actions, the European Region of the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans, and Intersex Association said that while the directive “encourages” equal treatment for same-sex partners, it does not obligate EU member states to recognize the civil status of same-sex partners from other EU nations. As a result, “many same-sex couples effectively have their marriages and registered partnerships de facto voided when they exercise their rights to freedom of movement to countries that do not have an equivalent institution to their civil status,” ILGA-Europe said. That leads to problems with social security, survivor pensions, medical decision-
making, parental ties, and other matters, the group said. In responding to the MEPs’ complaints, however, Reding claimed that current EU law does mandate EU-wide recognition of other nation’s official Gay partnerships. “If you live in a legally recognized samesex partnership or marriage in country A, you have the right – and that is a fundamental right – to take this status, and the one of your partner, to country B. If not, it is a violation of EU law,” she said. “When is this going to happen? Now!” Reding added. “Not in five or 10 years. ... If there is no understanding [from national governments], then more harsh measures have to be applied.” She said she is working on the issues through bilateral meetings. ILGA-Europe, however, disputed Reding’s interpretation of the law, saying: “The response of the Commission was that the legislation is already ... providing for just recognition, and that matters of legislation around the recognition of same-sex partners is a domestic issue for the member states to resolve. [W]e cannot agree with the Commission that the Freedom of Movement Directive is already tackling the gaps that the MEPs highlighted. Many same-sex partners are in fact opting not to travel and reside in a number of EU countries due to the implications that non-recognition of their marriages/registered partnerships has on their lives.” Reding herself must “take political leadership on this issue,” ILGA said, and “initiate actions requiring EU member states to mutually recognize each other’s marriages and partnerships between the persons of the same sex.” “Only legally binding mutual recognition of such marriages and partnerships will ensure that the fundamental EU principle of freedom of movement will be fully applied to married or in-civil-partnership same-sex couples,” the group said. Five of the EU’s 27 nations let same-sex couples marry and 14 offer them civil partnerships. Anti-Gays march in Budapest Budapest saw a “heterosexual pride” parade September 4. About 100 people marched the same route as this year’s Gay pride parade. The anti-Gay marchers said they want the city to ban Gay pride parades. With assistance from Bill Kelley
NATIONAL
NEWS
N.Y. governor signs law protecting LGBT students New York Gov. David Paterson signed a bill September 7 protecting students in New York public schools from bias-based bullying and discrimination. He signed the legislation in a ceremony at the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Community Center in New York City. “The Dignity for All Students Act will provide important new safeguards to ensure that schools are places where students can concentrate on learning and personal growth, not on avoiding taunting or violence,” said Ross Levi, executive director of the Empire State Pride Agenda. The new law targets harassment based on race, ethnicity, religion, disability, sexual orientation, and gender identity and expression. It requires teacher training on discouraging bias-based harassment, inclusion in
by Rex Wockner SGN Contributing Writer coursework of discrimination and harassment awareness, and reporting of bias incidents to the state Education Department. The law marks the first time New York state has legislated explicit protections for Transgender people. A 2007 study by the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network found that 33 percent of LGBT students skip school in any given month because they fear for their safety, compared with only 4.5 percent of the general student population. “For some young people, going to school is tantamount to a daily dose of torture,” commented National Gay and Lesbian Task Force Executive Director Rea Carey. “In too many cases, harassment, taunting and abuse are allowed to go on unabated in our nation’s schools. We have repeatedly seen the tragic consequences of this pervasive problem: Young people are left emotionally damaged, physically hurt, or feel they have no other option than to take their own lives out of hopelessness and despair. Youth who are Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, or Transgender – or simply perceived to be – are often the targets of this abuse. Today, New York said enough is enough.” Fifteen states and the District of Columbia have enacted similar laws to protect Gay/ Lesbian and, in some cases, Transgender students. With assistance from Bill Kelley
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Seattle Gay News
September 17, 2010
Celebrating 37 Years!
NORTHWEST
NEWS
compiled by Rick McKinnon SGN Staff Writer
HEART BREAKS OPEN INTERVIEWS SOUGHT WITH HIV-POSITIVE INDIVIDUALS The creative team behind the upcoming film Heart Breaks Open is curating an anthology about coming to terms with being HIV-positive. They are looking for anyone who is HIV-positive and willing to be interviewed. Interviews will be recorded over the phone, then transcribed and edited for the anthology. Participants have the choice to remain anonymous. Please help by telling your story. To participate or for more information, call (206) 925-3163 or e-mail heart@dualpowerproductions.com. STRAWBERRY THEATRE WORKSHOP PRESENTS BREAKING THE CODE Running Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. at Erickson Theatre Off Broadway (1524 Harvard Ave.) through October 9, Strawberry Theatre Workshop presents Hugh Whitemore’s Breaking the Code, a story of espionage and betrayal about Alan Turing, a British mathematical genius and Gay man, considered the father of the modern digital computer, who is credited with cracking the German Enigma code during World War II. Tickets through September 25: $10, September 30-October 9: $30 general, $15 student, $15 for Thursday performances. For tickets, call 800-838-3006. For more information, visit www.strawshop.org. RADICAL WOMEN RUMMAGE SALE On Saturday, September 18, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Sunday, September 19 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at New Freeway Hall (5018 Rainier Ave. S.), Radical Women will hold their giant rummage sale. Thousands of items, including house wares, sports equipment, collectibles, furniture, books, and clothing. On Sunday, everything is halfprice 10 a.m. to noon, and all you can fit in a bag for $2 from noon to 3 p.m. To donate rummage, volunteer or for more information, call 206-722-6057, 722-2453, or e-mail RWFSPRummageSale@gmail. com. TELENY AND CAMILLE BOOK RELEASE PARTY On Saturday, September 18, at 7 p.m. at the BottleNeck Lounge (2328 Madison St.), there will be a release party for Jon Macy’s graphic novel Teleny and Camille. The book is an adaptation of the anonymous Gay erotic novel Teleny, published in London in 1893 and attributed to Oscar Wilde and his circle of writers and poets. Macy will be in attendance to sign copies of the book, do sketches, and mingle with readers. Attendees will also be able to enjoy featured drink specials and green carnations for their lapels. Teleny and Camille is about a secret love affair between a wealthy young gentleman and an exotic pianist. Though it’s a period piece, Macy assures readers the novel is anything but dry; he has attempted to create a work that evokes the period without becoming a costume drama and keeping its audience at arm’s length. The characters in Teleny and Camille are treated as real people, overcome and undone by long-suppressed passions. For more information, check out their website at bottlenecklounge.com. SEVEN DEADLY SINS: SLOTH On Saturday, September 18, from 9 p.m. to 3 p.m. at Neumos (925 E. Pike St.), Two Knights Events presents Sloth, the latest in the Seven Deadly Sins dance party series. Sloth will feature amazing music, visuals, and eye-popping entertainment. Advance tickets available now at The Lobby Bar and the Baltic Room for $12. A portion of the proceeds benefits Gay City. For more information, visit www.gaycity.org.
GAY SKATE PARTY On Wednesday, September 22 and Wednesday, October 20 from 7-10 p.m. at Skate King Bellevue (2301 140th Ave. NE), Skate King holds their monthly Gay Skate Party. Regular skate rentals free, inline skate rental $4, or bring your own skates. Entry $8 at the door, $5 kids under 18. For more information, visit www.gayskateseattle.com or e-mail info@gayskateseattle.com.
RUMMAGE FOR RECOVERY TO BENEFIT CAPITOL HILL ALANO CLUB On Sunday, September 19, from 10 a.m. MANY VOICES/ONE SONG to 5 p.m. at Dunshee House (303 17th Ave. CONCERT TO BENEFIT E.), SHIFT – A Peer Recovery Network will MULTIFAITH WORKS hold their Rummage for Recovery rummage On Friday, September 24 at 7:30 p.m. at sale to benefit the Capitol Hill Alano Club. Includes BBQ and goodies all day. Creative St. Mark’s Cathedral (1245 10th Ave. E.), arts project will take place inside from noon- the Episcopal Diocese of Olympia sponsors Many Voices/One Song, a musical benefit 3 p.m. for Multifaith Works. Featured performSOJOURNER TRUTH MINISTRIES ers include Japanese American drumming HOSTS STONE SOUL GATHERING group Seattle Kokon Taiko, Seattle Men’s Chorus ensemble Captain Smartypants, FAMILY BBQ On Sunday, September 19 at noon at El Northwest-based community gospel choir Centro de la Raza (2524 16th Ave. S.), the Rob-A-Live Productions, and the Flentrop Sojourner Truth Ministries Christian United Organ. Tickets $20 in advance, $25 at the Church will hold their Stone Soul Gather- door, and can be purchased at www.multiing and Family Day BBQ. This is an annual faith.org/tickets or www.brownpapertickets. summer community event in appreciation com/event/122873. For more information, call (206) 324of fellowship in the spirit. Everyone is welcome! This is a great way to meet others 1520. while having great food and fun. FREMONT OKTOBERFEST For more information, visit www.sojournOn September 24, 25, and 26, at locations ertruthministries.org. around the Fremont neighborhood, join Fremont Oktoberfest’s fall kick-off celebraTHE ELITE HOSTS tion. Voted by USA Today and Orbitz.com FREE ASL LESSONS as one of the top places to toast Oktoberfest, FOR BEGINNERS Have you ever wanted to learn basic this three-day event has an activity for kids American Sign Language? If so, you can get and adults of all ages, and it’s all for a good some beginning ASL instruction at the Elite cause! The Fremont Chamber of Commerce (1520 E. Olive Way). The FREE lessons will is the beneficiary of Fremont Oktoberfest. A portion of the proceeds goes toward funding be held every Tuesday at 7 p.m. in the loft. local schools, art groups, community events and promoting Fremont as the “Center of YOUTH SUICIDE PREVENTION the Universe.” Come run, drink, and play at PROGRAM’S Fremont Oktoberfest! OUTLOUD PROGRAM For tickets, locations, a full schedule of HOSTS BENEFIT AND events, or more information, visit www.freSHOWS YOU ARE NOT ALONE On Tuesday, September 21 from 6-9 p.m. montoktoberfest.com. at Richard Hugo House (1634 11th Ave.), ANNUAL SEATTLE AIDS WALK the Youth Suicide Prevention Program’s AND 5K RUN OUTLoud program presents: You Are Not On Saturday, September 25, the 24th AnAlone, a YSPP video spotlighting the lives of three local LGBTQ youth, risk for sui- nual Seattle AIDS walk and 5K Run will cide, self-harm, and depression, and how to take place. Lifelong offers many programs intervene with a suicidal youth. Hosted by and care services, including: The Chicken Aleksa Manila, with special guest Ed Mur- Soup Brigade, Lifelong’s Food Program, ray. Enjoy a screening of the film, a youth provides nutritious meals and a grocery panel and discussion, a silent auction, and program that feeds people in our commufood and drink. Suggested $25 donation at nity The meals are specifically tailored to meet the medical and cultural needs of each the door. client. The Mental Health Access Project (MHAP) helps break down the financial GSBA CANDIDATE FORUM On Wednesday, September 22 from 11:30 barriers our clients face in accessing mental a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Grand Hyatt Hotel (721 health care. The Evergreen Health Insurance Pine St.), the GSBA will hold their Candi- Program provides assistance to those who date Forum. Deborah Brandt has agreed to are having difficulties paying their insurbe the fabulous emcee, and over lunch she ance premiums. Lifelong is now caring for will question those running for some of the more people than ever before and our need important races in the Seattle area. Unfor- for funds has never been greater. The Seattle tunately, there is not time to feature every AIDS Walk & 5K Run offers our biggest and race, but candidates from many of the other best opportunity to fill our funding gap. The races will be there to mingle before and af- funds we raise make it possible for Lifelong ter the luncheon. Make sure you are an in- to continue our mission of feeding those in formed voter on issues important to both the need, preventing new infections and caring LGBT community and to business. These for those affected by HIV and AIDS. For more information, to donate or volunare critical times and the people who represent us can make a huge difference to our teer, visit www.llaa.org. lives. Tickets $32, $37 for non-members. SEATTLE CENTER FESTÁL: For more information, visit www.thegsba. ITALIAN CULTURAL FESTIVAL org. On Saturday, September 25 from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Sunday, September 26 from 10 SEATTLE GAY & LESBIAN BOOK CLUB AT DUNSHEE HOUSE a.m. to 6 p.m. at Center House, Fisher PaThe Seattle Gay & Lesbian Book Club vilion and Seattle Center Pavilion (Seattle meets every Wednesday at 6 p.m. at Dun- Center, 305 Harrison St.), Seattle Center shee House (303 17th Ave. E. at E. Thomas Festál: Italian Culture Festival, inaugurated St.). All GLBTQ folks in the community are in 1988, will feature food vendors, crafts, welcome to participate in this FREE book puppet theatre, Italian films, a grape-stompclub. The book for September will be Por- ing contest, pizza tossing competition, and trait of the Addict as a Young Man by Bill a bocce ball tournament that honor the “old Clegg. Get ready to learn the real ferocity country” and recognize the remarkable conof addiction, as a very human young man temporary contributions of this dynamic tells you about his battle. It’s harrowing and and artful culture. Admission is free. Anne gorgeously written, and by the time you fin- Burrell, host of Secrets of a Restaurant ish it, you realize it’s also a work of art. For Chef and Worst Cooks in America on the more information, e-mail nickdimartin@ Food Network, highlights “Great Italian earthlink.net or contact Dunshee House at Chefs” cooking demonstrations featuring local chefs from Seattle’s best Italian restau206-322-2437. rants. Special guest appearances by Public Broadcasting Service’s Nick Stellino, host
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September 17, 2010
of Nick Stellino’s Family Kitchen, and John and Caprial Pence. Burrell appears daily at 3 p.m. Also part of the festival: Opera previews. Local luminaries offer live excerpts from the 2010 / 2011 seasons of Seattle Opera, Bellevue Opera, and the Early Music Guild, all presented live on the Classical KING-FM Stage. For more information, visit www.seattlecenter.com. MR. & MISS GAY ASIAN/ PACIFIC ISLANDER PAGEANT On Saturday, September 25, door at 5:30 p.m., pageant at 7 p.m., Neighbours Nightclub, 1509 Broadway (entrance in alley between Broadway and Harvard Ave. off E. Pike St.), and Gaysha Starr present the Mr. & Miss Gay Asian/Pacific Islander Pageant with $500 cash prize to both Mr. & Miss API 2010. Competition categories: National Costume, Swimsuit, Talent, Formal Wear, Q&A. With special performances by Massive Monkees, Smokee as Cher, Arnaldo! Drag Chanteuse and Shanghai Pearl. Tickets: $12 presale at www.brownpapertickets. com/event/126535 or $15 at the door. For advertising, contestant, and sponsorship information, please contact gayshastarr@ gmail.com or teriyakitemple@aol.com. DIVERSE HARMONY PRESENTS BEST FRIENDS FOREVER ENCORE PERFORMANCES On Saturday, September 25 at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, September 26 at 2 p.m., Diverse Harmony, Seattle’s own Glee, presents Best Friends Forever at the Broadway Performance Hall (1625 Broadway). Diverse Harmony is the nation’s first Gay/straight alliance youth chorus founded in 2002. In BFF, it’s senior year, and the choir of Longmont High is preparing for a very important choral competition in another state. As the choir struggles to come up with the money to go on the trip, drama ensues as the control freak queen of the choir and the seemingly shallow but talented new girl vie for the attentions of a sweet, unwitting Gay boy. Tickets $15, free for those under 21. For more information, visit www.diverseharmony.org. FREEDOM SOCIALIST PARTY BIRTHDAY PARTY CELEBRATION FOR SEATTLE FSP ORGANIZER CHRIS SMITH – YOU’RE INVITED! On Saturday, September 25, you are cordially invited to a birthday affair for Chris Smith, suave socialist and free speech agitator, Gay rights warrior and urbane Seattle FSP organizer. At 7:30 p.m., enjoy the Strawberry Theatre Workshop’s production of Breaking the Code, a drama about British mathematical genius Alan Turing, a Gay man who broke the Nazi Enigma code during World War II, as well as archaic social norms. Presented at the Erickson Theatre, 1524 Harvard Ave. (between E. Pike & E. Pine Sts.) Tickets: $18.00. To reserve, call Su at 206-953-5601 or email sudocekal@comcast.net. At 9:30 p.m. enjoy the after-party in the theatre lobby, including roasts and toasts, no host bar, and delectable hors d’oeuvres. $7.00 donation. In lieu of gifts Chris prefers donations to Seattle FSP, his favorite charity! If you are unable to attend the birthday celebration, but would like to make a donation to the Seattle FSP in Chris’ honor, please send a check payable to “FSP” to 5018 Rainier Ave. S., Seattle, WA 98118 - please put “Chris’ Birthday” in the memo line. GLSEN HOSTS CONFERENCE FOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS OF COLOR Register by October 8 at www.glsen. org/washington for GLSEN Washington’s High School Students of Color Organizing Conference on October 30. During the oneday conference, you will learn to build community organizing skills, explore connection between communities of color and the safe schools movement, network with LGBT and allied youth of color from Seattle and Tacoma, develop healthy partnerships with adult allies, and plan to make your school safer for all students, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity/expression.
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Danielle Girdano bikes across America courtesy Daniele Girdano
(counterclockwise from bottom right) Danielle, her partner Wendy, and her father Daniel
by James Whitely SGN Staff Writer Danielle Girdano, a 32-year-old openly Lesbian LGBT activist and athlete, is riding her bicycle across the county in an attempt to open hearts and change minds in towns big and small all throughout America. “Ride the Arc” is a first of its kind multi-state bicycle ride for equality and justice. “It is a 5,000 mile bicycle project for GLBT rights,” Girdano told SGN from the
road. Girdano says she’s doing it for three reasons: to raise awareness about the high LGBT suicide rate, to bring positive attention to LGBT-affirming groups (like PFLAG), and to publicize the need for equal rights for LGBT people. Beginning in Minneapolis, MN on August 9, Girdano is now nearing the end of her ride. She’s just south of Oklahoma City, and she’s got only 200 more miles to go until she reaches her hometown of Dallas, Texas.
The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) is not too happy about rapper 50 Cent’s recent tweets about Perez Hilton. After signing up to the social networking site a few weeks ago, the rapper has become one of the most popular tweeters – but for all the wrong reasons. 50 Cent was reportedly banned from posting photos after he uploaded some X-rated pictures, and now he’s angered GLAAD for tweeting a distasteful joke about Perez Hilton. On September 6, 50 Cent posted a picture of two suited men running away from a screaming mob, with the caption: “Perez Hilton called me a douchebag so I had my homie shoot up a Gay wedding. Wasn’t his
but still made me feel better.” GLAAD has since urged their followers to tweet 50 Cent and make him apologize. Their message read: “Tell 50 Cent to let his fans know that anti-Gay violence isn’t something to joke about.” 50 Cent has deleted the message and tweeted Perez, saying, “Stop being so sensitive it’s a joke. You’re acting like a big baby,” and “My next song will make your sweet ass dance. Lol. Chill Out.” GLAAD spokesman Rich Ferraro said, “It’s wrong to make jokes and promote violence against the Gay community. Taking down the post is not enough. We wanted him to tell his Twitter followers that what he did was wrong.” So what’s the big deal? Well, 50 Cent has over 3 million followers, for one. Using
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With the assistance of a personal trainer named – no joke – Michael Jackson, Girdano began her training in September 2009. She trained six days a week, 10-14 hours a day – and she quit smoking cold turkey. When she first told people what she was doing and why, they said she was either “too fat, too out of shape, or too old.” However, before she knew it, she was getting sponsorship offers from Cliff Bar and Luna. “My dad told me when I was growing up that if you don’t agree with something, do something about it – and if you don’t do something about it, don’t complain about it,” said Girdano. Her father, Daniel, whom she’s named after, is a United States Marine WWII veteran of Iwo Jima. The attitude he passed down to her – that she can accomplish anything she sets her mind to, no matter the circumstances – is keeping her going in the face of resistance, both from the weather and people. According to Girdano, part of the nature of the route is an almost constant headwind, which makes the ride considerably tougher than one would expect. “It’s the craziest thing when you’re going down a hill and you have to pump because it feels like you’re going uphill,” Girdano told SGN. The resistance she’s met from some closed-minded Americans along the way has been even more intense. From a run in with Fred Phelps himself to being shot at with fireworks to threats and hecklers and notices that she’s simply unwelcome, Girdano has felt the brunt of the most anti-LGBT communities in the country. Nonetheless, at each and every city she arrives in, she demounts her bike and talks to people. “We’ve had, so far, eight newspapers and four radio stations [cover the ride] that have never run or aired a story about GLBT people [before.] … It’s fabulous,” said Girdano. You can follow Girdano as she finishes up her ride on Facebook or at www.ridethearc. org. “This project is really about trying to pay it forward for the next generation,” said Girdano. “It’s my hope that the generations that follow will not know what it’s like to not be able to marry, to not be able to adopt a child, or visit their dying partner.”
Thms
50 Cent’s homophobic tweets and closeted rappers
“One of the reasons I picked this route was because it mirrored our community,” Girdano told SGN. Girdano has augmented the 1,300-mile route with supplementary rides ridden with other riders that join her as she passes thorough the towns and cities of America. Along with these rides and her training program, Girdano has already ridden over 5,000 miles. “I’m doing this ride for every GLBT person who has ever been harassed; who has ever borne the brunt of slurs; who has been beaten, threatened, or bashed; and who has been denied a job, a home, or love. The route and the ride mirror our struggle as a people: It’s uphill, hard, long, and requires a tremendous amount of preparation. Rather than a race, it’s a journey of endurance. This ride will give hope and raise awareness. I believe with all my heart that we will enhance lives – and even save them,” says Girdano. According to Girdano, her 1,300 mile ride will be a first for a female cyclist. Girdano will also likely be the fastest person to ever complete the ride as well – by a considerable amount. “I should be at least seven to nine days ahead of the old record holders,” said Girdano. If all goes according to plan, Girdano should end up in Dallas on September 18, on the eve of Dallas’ LGBT Pride Weekend. One would think that an athlete like Girdano has been riding for years and has always been at the pinnacle of human physical endurance, but according to her, that’s not the case. Last year, Girdano had just been laid off as a marketing director for a tobacco company in Dallas and was a two-pack-a-day smoker. She was out of shape and bummed out about losing her job to the recession. “I had a dream one night,” Girdano told SGN. “The dream I had was so incredibly vivid.” She awoke from the dream to see that it was 2:30 a.m., and she turned to her partner, Wendy Swearingen. “Wen, I’m going to ride my bike across the United States for GLBT rights,” she told her partner right then and there. Unable to return to sleep, she began laying out her plans, and went out the very next day to join a gym.
50 Cent (l) and Perez Hilton
Twitter as a platform to spew hate could be very damaging to the LGBT community. Other than the obvious fact that the joke is in no way funny, 50 Cent is playing into a growing sentiment that most rap and hiphop stars are homophobic. But not all rappers feel the same as 50 Cent. In fact, Nicki Minaj, a rapper known for her sexy music videos and sexually explicit lyrics, recently told OUT magazine that she thinks many artists in the rap and hip-hop industry are secretly Gay. “I think there have been many Gay rap-
pers, they just haven’t come out of the closet,” Minaj, who was recently nominated for Best New Artist at the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards on Sunday, told OUT. “Yup, lots of them. They’re lurking around the industry now.” Minaj admitted that a majority of men in hip-hop would “lose credibility” if they came out, and that it’s easier for a female artist to “think girls are dope and sexy.” Minaj has a large Gay following, but has not confirmed her sexual orientation publicly.
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Gay Saudi diplomat asks for U.S. asylum by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer A ranking Saudi diplomatic revealed on September 11 that he has asked the U.S. for political asylum. Ali Ahmad Asseri, first secretary of the Saudi consulate in Los Angeles, told NBC News that Saudi officials refused to renew his diplomatic passport and terminated his job after discovering that he is Gay. Asseri says he asked the U.S. Department of Homeland Security for asylum in August as a member of a “particular social group” that is persecuted in his home country, namely Gays. Being Gay carries the death penalty in Saudi Arabia. Asseri was questioned by a Homeland Security official in Los Angeles on August 30, but U.S. officials have yet to make a decision on his application. Department of Homeland security spokesperson Matt Chandler told SGN that he could not comment on individual requests for asylum because that is forbidden by fed-
eral law. The U.S. State Department was also invited to comment on this case, but they declined to do so. U.S. officials did say, however, that in the past, requests for asylum on the basis of sexual orientation have been honored. Asseri’s lawyer, Ally Bolour, who specializes in asylum cases for Gay and Lesbian clients, said that other Saudis have been granted asylum by the Department of Homeland Security on the basis of sexual orientation. Asseri said in a recent telephone interview with U.S. reporters that has been working at the Saudi consulate in Los Angeles for the past five years. His problems began some months ago, he said, when other consulate employees began to suspect he was Gay and began following him to Gay bars. They also discovered he was friendly with a Jewish woman from Israel. It was some time after these discoveries, Asseri said, that consulate officials began
harassing him, refusing to renew his diplomatic passport or provide him with badly needed medical treatment for a painful back ailment. They also continued to monitor his private life and have demanded that he return to Saudi Arabia. On September 14, Asseri said that he feared for his life – both here in the U.S. and even more so if he had to return to Saudi Arabia. “My life is in a great danger here,” he said, “and if I go back to Saudi Arabia, they will kill me openly in broad daylight. I want my voice to be heard, and I want them to know that I am not alone.” That same day, Asseri told the New York Times that he had received death threats since going public with his request for asylum. “Words cannot express the anger I feel about how I have been treated,” Asseri told reporters. Asseri has also publicly criticized the Saudi royal family and threatened to reveal embarrassing information about Saudi officials living in the U.S. In a recent letter that he posted on a Saudi website, Asseri angrily criticized his country’s “backwardness” as well as the role of “militant imams” in Saudi society who have “defaced the tolerance of Islam.” In that letter, Asseri referred to “four princes” – whom he did not identify by name – “who are paid salaries and allowances from the consulate and do not work,” but live in the U.S., “spending their time
[on] tourism and relaxation as if they were created from light.” Asseri’s request for asylum is highly unusual. No Saudi diplomat is known to have taken such a step since 1994 when Mohammed al-Khilewi, then first secretary for the Saudi mission to the United Nations, was granted asylum after publicly criticizing his country’s human rights record and alleged support for terrorism. Asseri’s application could present an especially awkward dilemma for the Obama administration. On one hand, Saudi government has long been one of the United States’ closest allies in the Middle East. Saudi King Abdullah was warmly greeted by President Obama at the White House last June. On the other hand, the Saudis have also been sharply condemned by the U.S. State Department and human rights groups for religious and political intolerance, including their persecution of Gay people. The most recent State Department human rights report on Saudi Arabia notes that, in addition to denying political and religious rights to minorities, “under Sharia [Islamic law], sexual activity between two persons of the same gender is punishable by death or flogging.” The report noted that in one case reported in Saudi newspapers three years ago, two men in the Saudi city of Al-Bahah were publicly lashed 7,000 times after being found guilty of sodomy.
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HIV-positive detainees lose suit against ICE
by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer A federal district court in San Francisco dismissed the claims of two HIV-positive men that they were denied appropriate medical care while in the custody of ICE (federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement). ICE is the federal agency charged with enforcing immigration laws and arresting undocumented immigrants. It is under the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. The mother of Juan Carlos Baires claimed that he was denied HIV medications after his arrest for being in the U.S. illegally – in spite of the fact that Baires disclosed his HIV status to ICE agents upon his arrest and repeatedly asked for medical treatment while in ICE custody. Baires subsequently died while in custody. The second plaintiff, Teofilo Miranda, also disclosed his HIV status when arrested by ICE agents and was also repeatedly denied appropriate medications. Fortunately for him, he was released by ICE and immediately sought – and received – treatment at a San Francisco hospital.
any medications on his medical transfer form. Although he informed a doctor about the problem, he never received medication. Baires soon developed a pain in his foot and was diagnosed with a fungal infection. An agent allegedly promised Baires’ lawyer that he would get proper medications, but never followed through. Baires eventually got an appointment at an immunology clinic, but was never taken there. Instead, he went to the Kern Medical Center for severe chest pain, where doctors cut the fibrous covering of his muscles to relieve tension. He died the same day of cardiac arrest. Baires had not received medication for 23 days, according to court documents. Teofilo Miranda, also HIV-positive, claimed he was given a similar runaround after being taken into custody. He informed agents of his HIV condition, but did not receive anti-viral medications, despite his repeated requests, because he was not on the medication upon incarceration. Five days before a scheduled appointment with an HIV specialist, Miranda was also transferred to Lerdo, where Dr. Khosrow Mostofi declined to prescribe medication. Miranda said Mostofi instead gave him a fungal cream used to treat athlete’s foot, instructing him to use it on his face. Miranda’s medical records never arrived at Lerdo. When Miranda was released, he went to a hospital in San Francisco and was immediately given anti-viral medication. Throughout their ordeal, ICE “conscientiously implemented policies to ‘ration’ essential medical care,” resulting in mistreatment, and the death of one man, the lawsuit charged.
Judge Breyer ruled that the treatment Baires and Miranda endured was in direct violation of ICE policy, and therefore could not be the responsibility of ICE directors. “The individual defendants – policymakers in Washington D.C. – never interacted with Plaintiffs,” Breyer wrote. “And while they are alleged to have enacted unconstitutional policies, the only policies articulated in the [complaint] are not alleged to have harmed Plaintiffs.” Breyer also rejected claims that ICE directors knew about Baires and Miranda’s medical conditions and were constitutionally bound to ensure they received proper care. Breyer held that federal departments are too big for directors to know each individual’s needs, in spite of media coverage of the poor conditions in which immigrant detainees are held, which Baires and Miranda argued should have alerted ICE directors to their plight. Baires and Miranda’s Americans with Disabilities and Rehabilitation Act claims were also dismissed, and Breyer rejected their claims against four ICE officers who were allegedly informed of the problems but failed to fix them. “Plaintiffs were being seen by a physician, and the fact that the physician is alleged to have been dangerously careless and incompetent does not necessarily vest an individual ICE officer with the discretion to change doctors, change medications, or otherwise alter Plaintiffs’ treatment,” Breyer wrote. ICE was contacted by SGN for comments on this story. A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson did return SGN’s call and promised to research the case and call back with an official comment by September 17. As SGN went to press on September 16, DHS had not yet called.
Judge Charles Bryer – the brother of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer – ruled on September 10 that the plaintiff’s suffering was caused by the actions of individuals, not by ICE policy, and therefore ICE was not responsible. Breyer stated that he was dismissing the suit “without prejudice,” however, meaning that Miranda and Baires’ family can still sue the individual doctors and others who handled their cases. ICE medical policy requires a health screening of all detainees within their first 24 hours at an ICE facility. Detainees with chronic health care needs are then referred to a primary care provider. According to the compliant in this case, detainees are required to “jump through a series of bureaucratic hoops designed to save ICE money before they get treatment….” Some detainees are subject to month-long waits, the lawsuit states. In Baires’ case, the wait was fatal. When he was arrested in 2008, he identified himself as HIV-positive and was given a daily dose of three HIV medications. He was then transferred to the Lerdo Detention Facility, where officials failed to list
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Arson hits Tennessee Lesbians by James Whitely SGN Staff Writer Carol Ann Stutte and her partner, Laura Stutte, a Lesbian couple from Vonore, Tennessee, are afraid to return to the charred ruins of their home after it was burned down and the word “Queers” was spray-painted on the side of their garage in what is being investigated as a potential hate crime. The two claim they were not home at the time of the fire that occurred on Saturday, September 4. “My daughter was supposed to be here. She was sick,” said Carol Stutte. “I was grateful my baby girl didn’t get killed in this fire. She would have been trapped in the basement.” According to Stutte, her daughter would have been home had she not been unwell and made other arrangements. The couple of 15 years feel that they were the target of a hate crime, possibly committed by a neighbor. Carol Stutte says she and her partner have been harassed by a certain neighbor for the last five years. The couple alleges that the neighbor has reportedly threatened to kill them and burn down their house. They filed a police complaint following the most recent threat in August, although the exact details of the complaint have not been released by
the Monroe County Sheriff’s Department. The Sheriff’s Department says that they are considering the possibility of the incident being a hate crime. The couple is currently residing in a safe house. Now, a week and a half later, donations are pouring in from all over the community. “The outpouring has just been tremendous,” said Becky Lucas, president of Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG) of Maryville. As of September 9, about $3,000 in cash had been donated with the help of PFLAG, the Metropolitan Community Church of Knoxville, and Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church. The couple have also received numerous donations of other items, including clothing, furniture, and gift cards. A Facebook group was started in response to the incident. The group, “We support the Stutte family!” can be found easily using a Facebook search. Information on how to donate to the couple can be found on the group’s page. Lucas wants the couple to know they have support in the area. “We want to send a message to this couple and other couples like them: You do have many allies in this area. … Many people in the community are just as outraged as I am,” said Lucas.
“I was grateful my baby girl didn’t get killed in this fire. She would have been trapped in the basement.”
Seattle LGBT Commission announces initial survey results by Shaun Knittel SGN Associate Editor On September 13, the Seattle LGBT Commission announced the preliminary results from a six-week online survey to assess the needs of the LGBT community in Seattle. According to commission officials, marriage equality, safety, and health care emerge as key concerns among LGBT Seattleites. Nearly 1,600 people participated in the survey, which focused on housing, education, health, public safety, and community involvement. “We had such an overwhelming response to the survey. It’s inspiring that 1,600 people took the time to provide their input and feedback about how Seattle can be the best city in the world for LGBT people,” said Lillie Cridland, co-chair of the Seattle LGBT Commission. “We had both multiple choice and open-ended questions on the survey, so we really have a mass of data to sort through.” The survey, which took 10-15 minutes to complete, asked respondents to evaluate the most important issue needing attention within the LGBT community in Seattle. Participants’ top three responses were marriage equality (55.5%), hate crime violence/harassment (39.0%), and healthcare (32.0%). The survey also asked respondents about the biggest issues impacting them personal-
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what the catastrophe, no matter how disheartening the situation, the girls always got through it together. On September 14, that theme played out at Purr Cocktail Lounge. “Thank You For Being A Friend,” an event celebrating the 25th anniversary of The Golden Girls, was far more than a sitcom viewing party; it was a night of community, friendship, and fundraising for a very important cause: combating breast cancer. “My life was personally affected by breast cancer in May of this year,” Barbie Humphrey, owner of Purr Cocktail Lounge, told SGN. “When I was diagnosed, it turned my world upside-down. I lost a close personal friend to this battle last October. My life in-
ly. The top three responses were healthcare (51.6%), marriage equality (49.0%), and lack of jobs in this economy (43.4%). According to commission officials, the results of the community needs assessment will be used by the commission, City departments, nonprofit organizations, and businesses to address the issues raised by the survey. The survey was developed in collaboration with community organizations and was promoted widely within the LGBT community. The commission has only compiled preliminary data and expects to have a more complete analysis next year, including an evaluation of how different demographic groups responded to questions. All results will be shared with the public. “Just looking at the preliminary results, I’m certain that this information will be very helpful for us, other organizations, and the City as we plan for 2011 and beyond,” said Cridland. “We look forward to using this information to bring people together and start talking about solutions.” The Seattle LGBT Commission advises the mayor, Council, and departments about sexual minority issues, recommends policies and legislation, brings the LGBT communities and the larger Seattle community together through long-ranged projects, and ensures that City departments fairly and equitably address LGBT concerns as individuals and as a protected class.
stantly filled with fear.” During the viewing party, created by local events planner Art Ruiz and hosted by local drag personality Sylvia O’Stayformore, patrons bought raffle tickets for a chance to win prizes that ranged from concert tickets to Golden Girls-themed gifts. All of the proceeds went to The Puget Sound affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure, an organization dedicated to combating breast cancer at every front. Up to 75% of the affiliate’s net income goes toward funding grants to local hospitals and community organizations that provide breast health education and breast cancer screening and treatment programs for medically underserved women. Barbie told SGN that her only option for a 100% cure was a mastectomy. She learned all of this days before her 45th birthday. She says she put off the surgery until after Seattle’s 2010 Gay Pride celebrations so she “could tackle the cancer head-on.” “I opted for a double mastectomy and
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reconstruction so I would never have to go through this fear again,” she said. “Today, I am eight weeks cancer-free!” “I’ve wanted to do something with Purr and Barbie for quite some time, but we wanted to make sure it was the right event,” Art Ruiz told SGN. “Having recently installed so many flatscreen TVs throughout the bar, I knew the event would have to be a viewing party of some sort. Purr has a great layout, and it’s very well-known that Barbie has a great staff.” Art says that he has recognized over the years that Barbie has allowed many different organizations to use Purr for their fundraising efforts. “I felt it was time for someone to do something for her,” he said. “She’s been open about her brave battle with breast cancer – it was only right to make Susan G. Komen Puget Sound the beneficiary.” “I’ve always been a big supporter of fundraisers. There are so many people who need help and sometimes we get so caught up in our day-to-day that we forget what is going on around us,” said Barbie. “All it takes is for something to hit close to home to make you realize, ‘What can I do to help?’ I have had so many personal experiences in losing people far too young to disease we have no control over. It leaves you feeling helpless. By using my bar to host fundraisers, it allows all of us to relate, to give, to take away that helpless feeling.” In addition to charitable fundraising, Barbie says she is proud that Purr has become a place for various community teams and organizations to help raise money. “I feel this keeps community groups alive and creates a positive outlet for many people,” she said. “The Gay community has been a true friend to me over the past 15-plus years. By providing a nice place for everyone to feel welcome, and by giving back as much as I can, it makes me feel like I’m doing what I can to help make a difference.” Art says that the decision to choose The Golden Girls as a viewing and party theme came quickly. “The Golden Girls dealt with so many provocative topics – which was ahead of its time,” he said. “Episodes dealt with topics ranging from eating disorders and substance abuse to domestic violence and homophobia. In fact, they had so many Gay-related episodes that I feel it’s what helped make them Gay icons.” The show celebrated its 25th anniversary on September 14, “and there was no way Seattle’s Gay community could go without acknowledging it,” he said. “My favorite thing about The Golden Girls is it takes us back to a time when people laughed,” reflected Barbie. “TV was much more lighthearted, but still dealt with some serious issues. The girls had an amazing bond that left you hoping to have such great friends the older we get. They laughed at themselves as well as each other, but at the end of the day, their friendship was the most important thing.” Friendship is something that Barbie says helped her battle breast cancer. “The overwhelming response and support I received
from this community during my surgery and recovery was unimaginable,” she said. “The love and thoughtfulness came out of the woodwork. Another Gay bar owner said to me, ‘You’re one of us. We’re glad you’re OK.’” Art and Barbie say that they are very happy with the community response at “Thank You For Being A Friend.” The event raised nearly $500 – and the duo isn’t done yet. “October is National Breast Cancer Awareness month so we have a couple more fundraisers in the works,” said Barbie. “Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation aids in research and education in helping to find a cure. The plastic surgeon that is doing my reconstruction is on the Seattle board for Susan G. Koman. She is also a breast cancer survivor and had gone through the same diagnosis and overcame much more obstacles than I had to. I feel I’m a voice and a friend in this community that many people can relate to. Thanks to all for your continued support. Much love for many years to come.”
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a Lesbian, and then discharged. Witt challenged the constitutionality of her discharge and a federal appeals court panel ruled in 2008 that the military could not discharge servicemembers for being Gay unless it proved that the firing furthered military readiness. The case was then sent back to U.S. District Court in Tacoma. Judge Robert Leighton has to determine whether or not Witt’s firing hurt her unit. Throughout the week, Judge Leighton has heard testimony from several of Witt’s former colleagues that say she was an excellent nurse, and that it was her dismissal – not the fact that she is a Lesbian – that caused morale problems in the unit. On September 16, Jill Robinson, who spent 23 years in the Air Force, said she was inspired to join the service after she saw Witt on a recruiting poster. Robinson testified that she saw Maj. Witt as a mentor in the squadron and that her discharge was like “extracting a parent from the family.” Robinson said she found the entire process “crude” and unfair. There was no dialogue or any process. “One day she was just gone,” she said. Robinson added that she apologized to Witt, as she felt she was personally responsible for being “part of an institution that did this to her.” The day’s second witness was Heidi Smidt, who testified that upon hearing of Witt’s initial suspension, her immediate thoughts were that “the loss of Witt was devastating to the Air Force and to the unit.” She believed that the squadron “was losing a very valuable member.”
Former flight nurse Judith Krill, the next witness, served as a unit deployment manager in the same squadron as Witt. In this position, Krill observed families separating as service members left for deployment. Krill testified that at these departures, she saw heterosexual couples and Gay and Lesbian “roommates” alike separating with the same emotions. Krill said she was horrified to learn that Witt had been discharged because she was “the epitome of what you want crew members to be.” The final testimony of the day came from Faith Mueller, now assistant fire chief in the Tacoma Fire Department. Her career provided insight on how different government agencies deal with housing people. Mueller testified that in most Tacoma firehouses, all firefighters sleep in one large room, regardless of gender and orientation. When Mueller was deployed as a Federal Emergency Management Agency volunteer at Ground Zero after 9/11, she slept in a large conference room with hundreds of other volunteers – again, of all genders and sexual orientations. She observed that housing in the Air Force provides much more privacy than that of FEMA or the Fire Department. When Witt was suspended, Mueller felt that “a grave injustice had been done.” Witt’s attorneys, led by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Washington, say that it is the Air Force’s burden to prove that her reinstatement would be a detriment to unit cohesion. ACLU attorney Sarah Dunne says the Air Force has provided no such evidence. The trial is expected to last seven days. JUDGE RULES DADT UNCONSTITUTIONAL On September 9, a federal judge in California ruled that the U.S. military’s ban on openly Gay servicemembers violates the Constitution. U.S. District Judge Virginia A. Phillips said DADT is a violation of due process and First Amendment rights. Instead of being necessary for military readiness, she said, the policy has a “direct and deleterious effect” on the armed services. Citing testimony at a two-week trial in July by experts and former servicemembers, Phillips wrote, “All of these examples demonstrate that the act’s restrictions on speech not only are broader than reasonably necessary to protect the government’s substantial interests, but actually serve to impede military readiness and unit cohesion rather than further these goals.” The judge then granted a request for an injunction to stop the military from discharging openly Gay servicemembers, but allowed the government time to appeal the ruling. American Veterans for Equal Rights (AVER), the LGBT national veterans’ service organization – now in its 20th year – applauded Phillips ruling. “We were particularly pleased with the grounds on which Judge Phillips reached her decision,” said Danny Ingram, National
President of AVER. “The judge noted in her decision that ‘it defies logic that the purposes of the Act could be served by suspending the investigation [of suspected LGBT servicemembers] during overseas deployments, only to discharge a servicemember upon his or her return to a non-combat station.’ AVER has been saying all along that the best proof that DADT hurts the military is offered by the military itself, which regularly ignores the policy and retains known LGBT soldiers in combat situations, to discharge them only when the unit rotates home again. If the military really believed that openly Gay personnel ‘damaged unit cohesion and morale,’ they would get them out of the unit immediately, but they don’t, because commanders on the ground know that the real damage to a modern military unit comes from losing a critical member of the team. DADT jeopardizes the mission.” Log Cabin Republicans brought the suit in October 2004. “As an American, a veteran and an Army reserve officer, I am proud the court ruled that the arcane DADT statute violates the Constitution,” said Log Cabin Republicans Executive Director R. Clarke Cooper. SLDN TO ACTIVE DUTY: DO NOT COME OUT Servicemembers Legal Defense Network (SLDN), a national legal services and policy organization dedicated to ending DADT, reissued a national warning to active duty, guard, and reserve servicemembers after Judge Phillips ruled DADT unconstitutional. “With DADT repeal sitting before the Senate and a federal district court ruling the law unconstitutional, it is critical that servicemembers do not come out,” said Aubrey Sarvis, Army veteran and executive director for SLDN. “DADT remains the law, and servicemembers are still being discharged. SLDN is working with clients right now who are in the discharge process. The Pentagon will continue discharging Gay and Lesbian servicemembers until the law ends. We’re very close to a vote in the senate and we need all hands on deck.” Even with the updated Pentagon Instructions, the language does not change the fact that statements, acts, or same-sex marriage are still grounds for discharge under DADT, including: A servicemember can still be fired if outed by his or her parents; a servicemember can still be fired for revealing his or her sexual orientation while making a statement to the police that would prevent or help solve a crime; a servicemember’s middle school teacher can still out the servicemember 10 years after he or she came out to her in social studies class; a servicemember can still be discharged if he or she reports that someone has threatened to kill them for being Gay; a servicemember can still be fired for saying they would like to return from a combat zone to care for their same-sex partner. The U.S. Senate is expected to vote on DADT next week.
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Murray shot back, “I’m a former pre-school teacher. I don’t get nervous.” Murray, a three-term incumbent, is a senior member of the powerful Senate Appropriations Committee, the Veteran’s Affairs Committee, and HELP (the Housing, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee). She is also co-sponsor of at least six pieces of pro-LGBT legislation, including DADT repeal and ENDA. The day before Murray spoke with SGN, Senate majority leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) promised to bring DADT repeal to the Senate floor for a vote in the week of September 20.
Asked if Reid had the votes in hand for repeal, Murray told SGN, “He said he’ll try to bring the bill to the floor, and we’ll see on Tuesday.” “I can’t believe anyone would vote against it,” she added. To emphasize her point, Murray repeated, “You know, I’ve done so much work on behalf of our veterans – our Gay and Lesbian service members give so much to their country – I can’t believe anyone would vote against it. But we’ll see.” In spite of vocal opposition from Republican senators like John McCain (R-Ariz.), DADT repeal is thought to have a better than even chance in the Senate and would almost certainly pass in the House. ENDA – the Employment Non-Discrimination Act – is another story. It has stalled in both houses of Congress. Murray is a co-sponsor of ENDA, and she reiterated her support for the measure,
which would add sexual orientation and gender identity to federal civil rights laws governing the workplace. “I’ve been a champion for ENDA for a very long time,” she told SGN. “As long as I can remember in the Senate. I’ve stood up for it for many years, in session after session. “ “I think it’s an extremely important issue,” she added. “And I hear a lot about it from voters – especially in the rural communities of our state.” Asked if she thought ENDA could pass the Senate before the November election, Murray was doubtful. “It will probably pass first in the House. And then we’ll see,” she said. “The election will have a big impact.” That is not good news for ENDA supporters. By all accounts, Democrats will lose seats in both House and Senate. If they lose too many, ENDA may be a dead letter till after the 2013 election. “This election is going to make a difference. If the Republicans pick up a number of seats then it will not pass,” Murray warned. SGN also asked Murray about DOMA, the federal Defense of Marriage Act. When it was introduced in 1996, Murray voted for it, along with 84 other senators – 32 of them Democrats, including liberal icon Paul Wellstone (D-Minn.). “Let me tell you about DOMA,” Murray said. “That was 14 years ago. A lot has happened since that time. I’ve worked very hard to expand rights for the LGBT community. I voted for the hate crimes bill, I voted against the marriage amendment, I supported Referendum 71….” A bill to repeal DOMA has been introduced in the House by Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.). To date, there is no companion bill in the Senate. Asked if she would support repeal of DOMA if a Senate bill were introduced, Murray said she would not commit to hypothetical bills. “I don’t know what legislation will come up,” she said. “But I promise you this – whatever it is, I will sit down with the LGBT community and I will hear what the views are before I make a decision.” While Murray has been forthcoming about her views and her 18-year Senate record, her opponent seems determined to dodge all but a few pre-determined issues. Rossi has been asked several times to comment for SGN stories, for example, but has never responded. Asked if her campaign was having better luck trying to get her opponent to engage with her on the issues, Murray just sighed. “That’s a good question,” she said. “I am open and honest and up front about where I stand. He isn’t – or doesn’t want to be.” One of the few issues Rossi really wants to talk about is spending. He accuses Murray of lavish over-spending on projects he labels “earmarks” and “pork.” “I want to remind him that everything I’ve sponsored is part of the regular budget,” Murray shoots back.
“I have voted to cut the budget – in a responsible way – to deal with the deficit. But my first responsibility is to put the people of this state back to work,” she says, citing the federal money she brought home for Boeing, for Mercer Street construction, and other projects. Some observers of the D.C. political scene say the atmosphere in the Senate has never been uglier or more partisan. Asked if that was her own experience, Murray was philosophical. “The life you’re living at the moment always seems like it’s the worst,” she said. “You know,” she continued, “I’ve been in the senate 18 years. I’ve been in the majority, I’ve been in the minority, I’ve been 50/50. I’ve been under Republican presidents, I’ve been under Democratic presidents. I don’t focus on that. I focus on how to do my job for the people of this state. And I’m proud of my record.” A CNN poll released as SGN goes to press on September 16 shows Murray leading Rossi by nine points. A Rasmussen poll released the same day shows Murray up by five. The Rasmussen numbers should especially encouraging to Democrats, since their previous poll, released September 2, showed Rossi up by three points.
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Cicilline was supported by the Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund. “I’m very grateful that the Victory Fund and their supporters believe in this campaign, and I thank you for your hard work on our behalf,” he said after the primary results came in. “Together we really can change politics in Rhode Island and across the country, and make sure that all Americans have a voice in their government. I hope you’ll continue to stand with us as we work hard for a big victory this November.” Delaware chooses embezzler The surprise of the night came in the Delaware Senate race. In a stunning upset, Tea Party-endorsed senate candidate Christine O’Donnell defeated 10-term Congressman and former governor Mike Castle for the Republican nomination. O’Donnell trounced Castle 53-47% and will face Democrat Chris Coons in November. Coons is currently executive of New Castle County, the state’s most populous county. O’Donnell is unlike her Republican primary opponent in every way.
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While Castle was an old-school moderate Republican, O’Donnell is a devotee of Tea Party politics. In her victory speech, she made it a point to thank Glen Beck’s 9/12 Patriots organization, the Tea Party Express, and Sarah Palin. The Tea Party Express is in many ways the most extreme of the organizations grouping themselves under the “Tea Party” brand. It was expelled from the National Tea Party Federation after its president, Mark Williams, posted inflammatory – and some said racist – material on his blog. Also unlike Castle, who had a long and successful political career, O’Donnell has bounced around from losing campaign to losing campaign. She has run for the U.S. Senate three times in five years, finishing a distant third in the Republican primary fight in 2006 before running uncontested for the right to lose to then-Sen. Joe Biden in 2008. Under federal law, Biden was able to run for – and ultimately win – both the Delaware senate seat he held since 1973, and the vice presidency of the U.S. He resigned his senate seat to take the vice presidency. Described in Salon magazine as a “serial debtor” who still owes debts and back wages from her 2008 senate run, O’Donnell has been accused by her former campaign manager of embezzling campaign funds to pay her rent and personal expenses. In 2005, O’Donnell reportedly filed a lawsuit against a conservative nonprofit orga-
nization called the Intercollegiate Studies Institute, asking for $6.9 million in damages for alleged gender discrimination and wrongful termination. As part of that suit, O’Donnell alleged she had been prevented by the organization from getting her master’s degree from Princeton University. It was later revealed by the conservative news magazine Weekly Standard that she had never enrolled at Princeton. Prior to entering politics, O’Donnell ran an anti-masturbation organization called SALT (Saviors Alliance for Lifting the Truth). Pre-primary polling showed Castle beating Coons by 10 points, but Coons beating O’Donnell by 10. Castle announced on September 15 that he would not endorse O’Donnell, and the National Republican Senatorial Committee said it would not put its resources into the Delaware race.
Ellicott Development Company, his campaign was almost entirely self-financed. What’s interesting about Paladino is not his politics, which are pretty typical of the Republican right – he is anti-healthcare reform, anti-tax, anti-choice, and pro-gun (he carries “wherever legal,” he says) – but rather his “sense of humor.” Paladino apparently amuses himself by emailing racist images and hardcore porn to friends and acquaintances. His favorite images focus on President Obama. One e-mail Paladino circulated featured President Obama and Michelle dressed as pimp and hooker, with the caption “Obama Inaugural Ball.” Another showed an African tribesman dancing, with the caption “Obama Inaugural Ball Rehearsal.” Paladino’s tastes in porn reportedly run to images of bestiality, suitably captioned “Whoa. Steady Big Fella.” The Democratic nominee is the very popNew York chooses ular state Attorney General Andrew Cuomo, porn prince son of the equally popular former governor In another stunning upset, former four- Mario Cuomo. Cuomo was considered very term Congressman Rick Lazio was defeated likely to beat either Lazio or Paladino in by a political unknown – Tea Party-endorsed November. Carl Paladino – in the Republican primary for governor of New York. Down ballot races Paladino crushed Lazio 67-33%. In other primary election results, Gay and Lazio had the endorsement of the official Lesbian candidates advanced to the NovemNew York Republican Party, while Paladino ber election. drew his support from Tea Party insurgents. Maryland’s House of Delegates is likely “Insurgent” is hardly the right description to get three new Gay and Lesbian members, for Paladino himself, however. As CEO of bringing the total number of out Maryland
state lawmakers to seven. Among the winners in Maryland is Mary Washington, who would become the second openly Lesbian African-American to be elected to a state legislature anywhere in the country. Her Baltimore district will likely have two Lesbian representatives in the House of Delegates. Incumbent Maggie McIntosh also won her primary. Harry Bronson could become the sixth openly LGBT member of the New York state legislature. Bronson won the Democratic primary in his Rochester-area district. He would be the only out Assembly member from upstate New York if he wins the general election this fall. Washington state’s primary took place in August, with a number of LGBT candidates moving on to the general election. Washington’s legislature will get its first Lesbian House member if Laurie Jinkins wins a seat in Pierce County’s 27th District, and Washington state will get its first openly Gay County Council member if Joe McDermott wins a seat from the 8th Council District on the King County Council. If elected, Jinkins will join four openly Gay state House members, all Democrats – Marko Liias, Jim Moeller, Jamie Pedersen, and Dave Upthegrove. Sen. Ed Murray (D-43) is unopposed. Openly Lesbian attorney Donna Tucker is running for district court judge in the Northeast district, Position 7.
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