SGN Sep 27, 2019 - Part 1

Seattle Gay News

Donald Trump is the smoking gun, Pramila Jayapal says

Urges short impeachment process

by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer

“We don’t need to investigate any longer,” Seattle-area Rep. Pramila Jayapal said on September 24, as House Speaker Nancy Pelosi formally announced an impeachment inquiry against Donald Trump.

“The crimes have been committed in clear daylight. People should stop looking for a secret smoking gun. Donald Trump is the smoking gun,” Jayapal said in an interview.

Jayapal noted that Trump admitted he asked Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to investigate presidential rival Joe Biden and his son, Hunter Biden, in return for US military assistance to the Ukraine.

Jayapal called for Trump’s impeachment in May, making her the first in the Washington state congressional delegation to do so. Now, all six of her Democratic colleagues have joined her, along with US Sen. Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell.

Murray said on her Twitter account that

HRC and Jonathan Van Ness join LGBTQ advocates across US on Capitol Hill for fall Lobby Day

WASHINGTON, DC (September 26, 2019) – Today, the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), the nation’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) civil rights organization, announced that “Queer Eye”’s Jonathan Van Ness will join the organization and hundreds of LGBTQ members

and volunteers on Capitol Hill to meet with members of Congress and encourage support for issues critical to the LGBTQ community – including calling for the US Senate to pass the Equality Act [and] opposing the Trump-

Trump’s dealings with Ukraine were reminiscent of his campaign’s back-channel communications with Russia during the 2016 presidential race.

“This is gross corruption and a clear threat to our democracy. Anyone who doesn’t speak out is complicit,” she wrote. see IMPEACHMENT page 11

Lambda Legal urges Oregon appellate court to uphold ruling against anti-LGBT bakery, again

PORTLAND, OR – [September 20, 2019] – Lambda Legal has urged the Oregon Court of Appeals once again to affirm its 2017 opinion upholding a 2015 ruling by the Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries

(BOLI) that the owners of a Portland-area bakery violated the state’s nondiscrimination statutes when they refused to bake a

Seattle Gay News

Allyship’s 8th Annual Just Desserts will be held on Sunday, October 13th, from 6pm to 8pm (doors at 5:45pm), at New Holly Gathering Hall, 7054 32nd Ave S, Seattle WA 98118. Tickets are $70 and can be purchased via http://allyship.org/event/2019just-desserts/ by mailing a check to LGBTQ Allyship at 3518 S Edmunds St, Seattle WA 98118.

Just Desserts is LGBTQ Allyship’s biggest fundraiser of the year and will feature gourmet desserts from local restaurants and bakeries throughout the Pacific Northwest! All proceeds from Just Desserts will benefit Allyship’s programming to increase LGBTQ affordable housing, promote economic equity, and build leadership in vulnerable LGBTQ communities. We will be enjoying desserts, raffling off some amazing prizes, and embracing our community.

We are so excited to have State Senator Claire Wilson, District 30 (Federal Way and Kent), as our keynote speaker! For 25 years at the Puget Sound Educational Services District, Claire Wilson was an administrator in early education and family involvement. Claire proudly identifies as a lesbian woman (first out lesbian senator in Washington state) and mother. A long-term resident of the 30th Legislative District, born and raised in Washington state, Claire has lived in South King County since 1999. Senator Wilson was a key sponsor in the 2019 passage of the first statewide LGBTQ Commission.

Aleksa Manila will be our emcee for the evening! “Drug counselor by day, drag queen by night.” Aleksa Manila is Seattle’s sweetheart of fundraising and everything fabulous! She’s been Miss Gay Filipino, Miss Gay Seattle and Empress of the Imperial Sovereign Court of Seattle and the Olympic & Rainier Empire among many of her crowns. She has been recognized for her social activism and community leadership by Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan, the Greater Seattle Business Association (GSBA), Seattle Women’s Pride, Public Health – Seattle &

King County and so on. Follow her journey at www.AleksaManila.com.

And announcing our 2019 Just Desserts showcased artist: Sam I Am! Sam I Am (they/them) is a theater maker, performance artist & Drag King. Two-time Bumbershoot performer and playwright of They/ Them the Musical, Sam is committed to new forms of authentic storytelling, primarily creating art within their Queer community. Next up: Their business @PerfectPronouns holds space for visibility for us all and opens Fall 2019.

Thank you Table Captains for your continued support: Fair Work Center, Lois Thetford, Emma Moreno, MLK Jr. Labor Council, Josh Fike, Lisa Karl, Troy Hewitt, Kari Lerum, Mac McGregor, Allyship staff (Tobias Gurl & Lydia Rubenstein), Jason Plourde, Eleta Wright and Debbie Carlsen. We are so excited to celebrate our work with you, eat dessert with you, and raffle off some prizes with you! Please come join us!

Courtesy of LGBTQ Allyship

ROOTS Young Adult Shelter milestone anniversary marked by new home, new executive director, and new capital campaign

SEATTLE (September 25, 2019) –ROOTS (Rising Out Of The Shadows) Young Adult Shelter, the largest emergency shelter of its kind in the state, entered its 20th year of operation with an unprecedented challenge: the loss of its space due to redevelopment of the property in which it operates. Today, the organization announced that it has secured a location in the University District and will not only continue to serve its vulnerable population of 18-25-year-olds but grow and expand opportunities to end homelessness.

“Unfortunately, displacement of vital services feels commonplace in Seattle these days, with tight resources, fiscal limitations, and gentrification knocking on the doors nearest to people most in need of a hand up, including our sister organization Peace for the Streets by Kids from the Streets (PSKS), [which] recently announced [its] closure at the end of this year,” said Arthur Padilla, ROOTS interim executive director.

“Knowing our and other organizations’ sustainability struggles, we perceived the need for a strategic shift, and through sharing our story, a landlord came forward to sell us a building that became a viable option to secure ROOTS’s future.”

ROOTS’s new building is located on 19th Avenue NE in Seattle’s University District. By purchasing the nearly 18,000-squarefoot space near the University of Washington, ROOTS is positioned to serve more unsheltered people and has a unique opportunity to partner with other like-minded organizations. Seattle-based firm Dean Alan Architects with principal Angela Gee will lead the redevelopment of the building.

Tasked with the vision of ROOTS in its new home will be a new permanent executive director. A national search for an executive director led ROOTS staff and the board of directors to Jerred Clouse, previous senior programming manager of Seattle’s Downtown Emergency Service Center. Under his leadership, the organization will undergo the strategic planning process, work in partnership with like-minded community organizations, and execute a capital campaign to raise the necessary funds to support the new home.

Washington state Rep. Frank Chopp (D-Seattle) has been a vital resource to ROOTS through the search for capital for a new home. “We can’t afford to have anyone, especially our young people, on the streets,” said Chopp. “I was proud to work with ROOTS to make sure we didn’t lose this safe space. Thank you to everyone at ROOTS for saving lives. I will continue to work on building as many affordable homes as possible so we can continue to invite young people off the streets, into permanent housing, and onto hopeful futures.”

Fundraising is underway, with an exciting award given by the City of Seattle’s Human Service Department in the amount of $100,000. The funding will be used in programming to support 18-25-year-olds that have been harmed by the criminal justice system.

In addition to raising capital from the city, state, and funders, ROOTS will hold its most lavish gala, Rise Up for Homeless Young People on the heels of its 20th anniversary, and it promises to be an opulent masquerade ball like none other, to be held on Friday, October 25, 2019, at the University District’s art deco hotel Graduate Seattle. Tickets prices range in options and prices from $50 to $500. The ticket price and individual gifts during the event will directly impact unsheltered young people and support the organization’s move to its new facility.

Can’t make the Rise Up gala but still want to support ROOTS?

ROOTS has been a self-sustaining cash flow–positive organization for 20 years. Unfortunately, the current situation in real estate means ROOTS cannot operate anywhere near the same budget any longer. To continue vital services, the organiza-

tion needs additional funding for operating costs in addition to building out its new home. Here are additional ways you can make an impact on the lives of young people in your community:

• Donate today! Make a difference and give a hand up by donating online at www. rootsinfo.org/get-involved/donate/.

• Civic action: Contact your representatives – make servicing our homeless young adult community the priority when voting.

• Volunteer! ROOTS wouldn’t be open every single night of the year if it weren’t for volunteers. Learn more at www.rootsinfo.org/get-involved/volunteer/.

Founded in 1999 with the vision that everyone deserves a safe place to call home, ROOTS (Rising Out Of The Shadows) was Seattle’s first overnight shelter designed to meet the unique needs of homeless young adults aged 18-25 years old. The organization’s mission is to build community and foster dignity through access to essential services and a safe place to sleep for young adults experiencing life on the streets. Since its inception, ROOTS has served over 8,500 unique guests and provided them with hot dinner, breakfast, laundry, showers, clean clothing, hygiene items, and referral services. In 2017, ROOTS added on-site case management that resulted in 87 guests’ exiting shelter into housing, and in 2018 showed an increase of over 100 guests placed in housing. With young adults and other lowincome persons in mind, ROOTS advocates for social justice and long-term solutions for the communities it serves. For more information, visit www.ROOTSinfo.org.

Courtesy of ROOTS

October 3 reproductive rights rally to commemorate first victim of the Hyde Amendment

SEATTLE (September 23, 2019) – A

coalition of community groups and abortion rights defenders will gather in Westlake Park on October 3, from 5 to 7 p.m., to call for strengthened reproductive rights and to commemorate the first woman known to die after the Hyde Amendment barred federal funds from being used for abortions. On October 3, 1977, Rosie Jimenez, a Latina college student and single mother, died in McAllen, Texas, from complications of an unsafe abortion because she couldn’t afford to pay the cost of a clinical procedure.

Numerous restrictions have greatly narrowed access to abortion. These include physician and hospital requirements, narrowing time limits based on fetal development, the ability of medical providers to refuse services on the basis of “conscience,” mandatory counseling and waiting periods, and parental permission requirements. All these barriers pose major difficulties, especially for working, poor, and rural

women, many of whom are people of color. Although Washington funds abortions for Medicaid patients, the number of clinics in the state has declined from 95 in 1982 to 19 today. As of 2017, 59% of Washington counties had no clinics that provided abortions, and 10% of Washington women lived in those counties (source: Guttmacher Instutitute). Clinics and patients are frequently targeted by opponents.

University of Washington student Ava Sharifi, an immigrant rights activist, says, “Young people should not need to fear for their future family planning. Regardless of race, creed, or wealth, every person needs to be allowed options that will ensure the best life for themself and their family. We must fight for reproductive justice to ensure that the health and safety of future generations are not threatened in the name of playing politics.”

Rally organizers say their goal is “to bring home the need for a strong movement that demands ‘Our bodies! Our choice!’

regardless of race, immigration status, age, or gender identification.” The event will feature speakers and cultural performances on a range of issues relating to reproductive justice. There will be information tables and a children’s play area.

The Rosie Jimenez Day Rally for Reproductive Justice is co-sponsored by the Gender Justice League, Radical Women, Red Union, Seattle Clinic Defense, the Seattle DSA Queer and Feminist Caucus, and the Sex Workers Outreach Project - Seattle. Endorsers include Community & Labor Against Fascism, the Freedom Socialist Party, Juan Bocanegra, Organized Workers for Labor Solidarity, Rosie’s Machinists 751, Seattle Revolutionary Socialists, and the Seattle Women’s Commission.

The public is invited to attend, participate in the organizing, and donate to cover costs at http://bit.ly/rosiejimenezdonate. For additional information or to get involved, contact rwseattle@mindspring. com or call 206-722-6057. Facebook event: http://bit.ly/rosiejimenez

You can find fiery Radical Women writings on the RW webpage. Learn more about RW through The Radical Women Manifesto, an exhilarating exploration of Marxist feminist theory and organizing methods. Buy a copy or read it on Google Books. Donations are appreciated! As a grassroots group, Radical Women is sustained by support from people like you. Please contribute online or mail a check, payable to Radical Women, Seattle Office 5018 Rainier Ave. S., Seattle, WA 98118. Courtesy of Radical Women

The AMP presents ECHOES, an evening of performance, remembrances and stories

Micki Flowers to host concert benefiting Seattle’s forthcoming AIDS Memorial Pathway

ECHOES A BENEFIT CONCERT FOR THE AMP: AIDS MEMORIAL PATHWAY MOORE THEATRE

October 14 @ 7:30pm

The AMP: AIDS Memorial Pathway will present ECHOES, an inspiring and powerful benefit concert on October 14, at 7:30pm at the Moore Theatre, 1932 Second Avenue in Seattle. Hosted by Micki Flowers, a former health reporter for KIRO-TV and a longtime HIV/AIDS advocate, ECHOES is a multimedia and multi-disciplinary concert that will feature music, dance and storytelling from a diverse lineup of local activists and performers. Throughout the night, the audience will have opportunities to make donations toward this historic memorial.

The AMP, scheduled for completion in 2020, will be located in the plaza over Seattle’s Capitol Hill light rail station and the north edge of Cal Anderson Park. Utilizing various forms of public art and technology, the memorial will offer visitors opportunities for remembrance of, reflection on and participation in the ongoing fight to end HIV/AIDS.

“ECHOES is a celebration of life, a sharing of memories and a recognition of all those affected by HIV and AIDS,” said Jason Plourde, project manager for The AMP. “ECHOES will offer an opportunity to experience our shared history, move toward healing and directly contribute to the creation of the AIDS Memorial Pathway.”

The concept for ECHOES was created by Michael Byron-Ingersoll, who will also serve as director of the concert. Byron-Ingersoll is a long-time activist and fundraiser in the greater Seattle community. He has worked with many AIDS organizations, including AIDS Housing of Washington, Bailey-Boushay House, Rosehedge, Multifaith Works and the Lion Building, among others. His professional acting and directing career includes work with SHOWTUNES Theatre Company, Village Theatre, ACT, Seattle Musical Theatre, Twelfth Night Productions and Driftwood Players.

“I still feel the loss of dozens of my friends who battled HIV/AIDS,” said Byron-Ingersoll. “They will never be gone from my heart or mind, and they come alive when I speak of them and share stories about them. What I recall is an echo of the energy and spirit of who they were. That echo has been my inspiration for the creation of our concert. The stories we share and the performances we see are meant to help us experience the many echoes that we all carry in our hearts.”

Four Seattle area activists will share personal stories and recount how their lives have been impacted by HIV and AIDS at the benefit concert:

DeAunte’ Damper recently made history when he was appointed the LGBTQ chair of the Seattle King County chapter of the NAACP, a first in the organization’s 110year history. He also serves as a peer navigator for POCAAN, a multicultural social service agency serving marginalized communities in Seattle and greater King County.

Bill Hall is a Tlingit native from southeast Alaska and a longtime HIV/AIDS activist. He is currently working with the Seattle Indian Health Board and Urban Health Institute as an advocate for the city’s Native community. Hall is a standing Community Advisory Board member of both the Fred Hutch defeatHIV research program and Seattle Children’s Center for Diversity and Health Equity.

Pat Migliore has been a volunteer at Seattle AIDS Support Group (SASG) for the last 35 years and helped found the BABES Network, a program offering peer support for women living with HIV that is now a run by the YWCA. Pat has taught in Seattle schools for many years and currently teaches HIV and AIDS education to

grades 5-12 and at local colleges.

Steve Parsons was the first co-facilitator of SASG. He also served on its board of directors and coordinated the organization’s volunteers for many years. He is the founder and executive director of OutKitsap (which continues as the Kitsap Pride Network).

Interspersed between the personal stories will be performances by the following artists and arts organizations:

Alexandria Henderson is a frequent performer in local and regional professional theater. She has been seen most recently as Elle Woods in Showtunes Theatre Company’s Legally Blonde and Ali in the 5th Avenue Theatre’s production of Mamma Mia!

Justin Huertas is an award-winning playwright, composer, lyricist and actor. He’s best known in Seattle for his original musical Lizard Boy and for his most recent musical, The Last World Octopus Wrestling Champion. His next musical, Lydia and the Troll, premieres at Seattle Rep in the spring of 2020. His acting credits include The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee at Village Theatre and Tiny Beautiful Things at Seattle Rep.

The Seattle Men’s Chorus (founded 1979) and Seattle Women’s Chorus (founded 2002) comprise the largest community choral organization in North America. Both choruses stand out among the largest LGBTQ-identified choruses in the world. The choruses comprise one of the Pacific Northwest’s largest, most vibrant and suc-

cessful music organizations, performing a range of classical and popular music. They are a leading voice for the LGBTQ community and provide a bold and powerful force for LGBTQ and social justice.

Nathan Young and Showtunes Theatre Company present unique theatrical experiences celebrating material from Broadway’s past, present and future with concert versions of rarely staged musicals, and are dedicated to the appreciation, preservation and advancement of musical theater.

Whim W’Him is an award-winning Seattle-based contemporary dance company founded in 2009 by former Pacific Northwest Ballet principal dancer and choreographer Olivier Wevers. It showcases innovative dance in collaboration with global artists. The company aims to provide a platform, centered on choreography and dance, for artists to explore their craft through innovation and collaboration and is committed to producing work that engages and challenges audiences.

Billie Wildrick is an award-winning actor and director based in Seattle. Her acting credits include the 5th Avenue Theatre’s productions of Pajama Game, Carousel and Guys and Dolls; ACT Theatre’s Vanities, First Date and Das Barbecü; and Seattle Children’s Theatre’s Seussical. Her most recent directing credits include Annie at the 5th Avenue Theatre and The Champagne Widow at Café Nordo.

“We are thrilled to present this amazing group of performers and speakers who have

been fierce advocates for those affected by HIV and AIDS,” said The AMP’s founding chair, Tom Rasmussen. “The stories and performances, like the forthcoming memorial, will honor both our past and our future and serve as a reminder of our shared need to be active, remain vigilant and stand ready to fight discrimination however it may arise.”

Tickets for ECHOES are $25 for general admission and $100 for premium general admission (seating in the first three rows of the theatre) and are available online at https://www1.ticketmaster. com/echoes-a-tribute-concert-benefiting-the-amp-aids-memorial-pathway/ event/0F0056FD9BA22DE0; by phone 800-745-3000; and in person at the Paramount Theatre box office at 911 Pine St. Box office hours are Monday through Friday, 10am-6pm.

About The AMP: AIDS Memorial Pathway

The AMP, community driven and collaboratively funded, will use public art to create a physical place for remembrance and reflection, utilize technology to share stories about the epidemic and the diverse community responses to the crisis, and provide a call to action to end HIV/AIDS, stigma and discrimination. For more information about The AMP, visit theamp.org

Courtesy of The AMP

LGBTQIA Week at Highline College

honors the resistance 50 years later

Free events scheduled Oct. 7-11

DES MOINES, Wash. – Fifty years ago, a gay club, called the Stonewall Inn, was raided by eight New York police officers and detectives.

Fifty years ago, gay and transgender patrons were forced to produce identification and feared arrest.

Fifty years ago, the 1969 Stonewall Riots ensued as a result.

And 50 years ago, in what is widely considered to be the start of the gay rights movement, members of the LGBTQIA+ community united in solidarity to say “enough is enough.”

Highline College’s LGBTQIA Week is a series of events that coincides with National Coming Out Day on Oct. 11 and is free and open to all.

With the theme “50 Years: Still Honoring the Resistance, Transforming Our Community,” this year’s ninth annual LGBTQIA Week will dive deeply into the history of the movement while also providing resources and workshops throughout the week.

Keynote Karama Blackhorn, who identifies as a Two-Spirit organizer and cultural educator, will open the week with the presentation, “Out of the Closets, Into the Streets! Queer Activism and Coming Out 50 Years Later.” They will provide messages of healing, transforming and will explore understanding the responsibilities

communities have for the next 50 years.

The week will also include the third annual Resource Fair, featuring information from more than 60 on- and off-campus groups and organizations, such as the LGBTQ Allyship, Tacoma’s Rainbow Center and The Seattle Lesbian, to name a few.

Highline College is located at 2400 S 240th St, Des Moines WA. For more information on Highline College’s LGBTQIA Week, visit http://lgbtqia.highline.edu/.

Event Schedule

All events are free and open to the pub-

lic and will be held on the college’s main campus. For the full event descriptions and presenters’ photo, check out the LGBTQIA Week 2019 event schedule.

Monday, Oct. 7

10-11:30am – Building 8, Mt. Constance – Speaker Karama Blackhorn: “Out of the Closets, Into the Streets! Queer Activism and Coming Out 50 Years Later”

12:15-1:45pm – Building 7 – Speaker Be Steadwell: “Queerness Love and Song”

Tuesday, Oct. 8

9-10:30am – Building 7 – Speaker Armando Ibañez: “Our Existence Through Filmmaking”

12:15-1:45pm – Building 7 – Speaker Joshua Magallanes: “Love and Critical Consciousness: Creating a Tapestry of Transparency”

Wednesday, Oct. 9

10-11:30am – Building 7 – Speakers Alé Abreu and Ganesha Gold Buffalo: “Land and Body”

12:30-2pm – Building 8, Mt. Constance – Speaker Mikey Xi: “Re-Centering Ballroom: A Re-Introduction to Pop Culture’s Oldest En Vogue Influence”

Thursday, Oct. 10

11:30am to 1:30pm – Building 8, Mt. Townsend Resource Fair with DJ Dos Leches and DonnaTella, MC and performer

Friday, Oct. 11

12:30-2pm – Building 8, Room 204, Inter-Cultural Center – Pizza & Pose

A map of Highline College can be found online at https://www.highline.edu/campus-guide/locations-and-directions/

Courtesy of Highline College

HRC hasn’t always defended LGBTQ people of color – we’re changing that

by Alphonso David, opinion contributor

USA Today, September 26, 2019

Four hundred years after the first African slaves were brought to the shores of North America, we still have a responsibility to confront – honestly and without qualification – the painful truth that the United States continues to oppress people of color on the basis of race.

At this juncture in our history and in our ongoing struggle to realize America’s promise of equality and justice for all, we must confront this fact with unambiguous moral clarity and make intentional commitments to act as individuals, organizations, and institutions.

For me, this is deeply personal.

A few weeks ago, I became the first person of color to lead the Human Rights Campaign, the world’s largest civil rights organization working to achieve equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) people.

Stepping into this role, I feel an acute responsibility to ensure the Human Rights Campaign fully lives up to its mission by becoming the organization I wished had been there for me.

I was born in the United States, but at a very young age, my family moved to Liberia, a nation built by freed slaves from America seeking to build a future of their own. A few years later, my life was turned upside down by a violent coup that forced my family to flee.

Because my brother and I are American citizens, our family was fortunate to find refuge in the United States. Suddenly, I was a teenager growing up in Baltimore navigating a new reality.

For the first time, I was confronted with what it means to be black in America, and therefore to be treated like an outsider. In fact, in those formative years of my life, I

was the “other” in just about every room that I was in.

At the same time, I was as a gay man beginning to understand my sexual orientation. When I finally came out to my parents, my father – who I so admired – told me that he wished I’d never been born. Over time, he came to accept that my sexual orientation was not something I could change. But for a crucial period in my life, I understood as so many others do too, the pain of being rejected by those you love the most.

I know that many LGBTQ people have similar stories, or know someone who does. And that is why there must be space and room for everyone in this movement, including at the Human Rights Campaign.

The truth is that LGBTQ people of color have long been marginalized within our community – and by our organization. They have seen their contributions to our collective history diminished or forgotten, and their needs and priorities sidelined.

While we have fought and won important battles on issues, including marriage equality, we have historically failed to also engage in consistent and meaningful work to address the impact of racial inequality on LGBTQ people across all aspects of their lives – including on issues such as voter suppression, health and economic disparities, and violence. It is our responsibility to make that right and to demonstrate our commitment every day.

Living up to our mission – to realize a world where LGBTQ people are embraced as full members of society at home, at work, and in every community – requires that the Human Rights Campaign fully represent the diversity and breadth of the LGBTQ community through our staff, programs, values, and priorities.

There is no doubt that the Human Rights Campaign has come a long way, especially over the last few years. We’ve increased recruitment of LGBTQ people of color on staff [and] stepped up investments in our HBCU program, voting rights work, and other programs that specifically serve and engage communities of color. For example, in 2017, the Human Rights Campaign and the NAACP partnered to turn out Alabama voters to help elect Doug Jones to the US Senate and defeat Roy Moore.

We’ve done big, bold things that have expanded rights for all LGBTQ people. But we simply cannot achieve full equality while LGBTQ people of color continue to be oppressed. We must lean into our responsibility to advocate for those within our community who are multiply marginalized and shut out by systems and institutions because they are people of color and LGBTQ. We must also address the ways racism shows up in our own community and confront it head-on.

This is why I believe that racial equity and inclusion cannot simply be a sliver of our work – it must be the core of our work.

We must actively challenge systems, laws, and policies that disproportionately disadvantage LGBTQ people of color. We must challenge leaders and individuals who target communities of color through hateful policies and rhetoric that threaten to undermine our fundamental rights. We must deepen our support of, and partnerships with, organizations leading the fight against racial oppression. Our staff and volunteer leadership must reflect the great diversity of the LGBTQ community. And we must all lean into the conversations that deepen our understanding about race, racism and implicit bias and how it impacts our communities and our institutions.

We recently delivered a statement of principles on racial equity and inclusion to our boards, our volunteer leadership, and our staff in order to be clear about our goals and to guide our work. Today, I am sharing these commitments unequivocally and publicly – in part, to ensure that in the years to come, we will be held accountable, and that our organization put down the marker.

As the Human Rights Campaign approaches its 40th year, we have much to be proud of. But we also have to engage in real self-reflection to strengthen this organization in the decades ahead. We owe it to our three million members and supporters fighting each day to build on our momentum for change. We owe it to young LGBTQ people of color yearning to see themselves in us and in our work. And we owe it to ourselves, to our mission, and to our organization to become stronger by coming together.

Alphonso David, an LGBTQ civil rights lawyer and advocate, is the president of the Human Rights Campaign. Follow him on Twitter @AlphonsoDavid.

Courtesy of the HRC

OutRight comments on President Trump’s address the United Nations General Assembly

Photo by Drew Angerer / Getty Images

While the president mentioned the dedication of the US to decriminalization of same-sex relations, which is still a reality in 68 countries around the world, the overall theme of the speech was one of nationalism.

“The future does not belong to globalists, the future belongs to patriots,” said the president, noting that only by achieving individual greatness can countries thrive, advocating for immigration bans, and the importance of safeguarding tradition and culture.

Jessica Stern, executive director of OutRight Action International commented:

“Throwing in a reference to opposing the criminalization of same-sex relations while at the same time stating that the national supersedes the international, and that tradition and culture are sacred, is one more example of President Trump’s hypoc-

risy. LGBTIQ people across the world, including in the US, do not feel safe or protected within their borders and are often attacked under the guise of tradition. In all too many places, international standards have been the only avenue for LGBTIQ people to have our rights recognized, to seek remedy for crimes committed against us, and for pushing nations to accept that human rights belong to all, including, explicitly, LGBTIQ people.”

Every day around the world, LGBTIQ people’s human rights and dignity are abused in ways that shock the conscience. The stories of their struggles and their resilience are astounding, yet remain unknown – or willfully ignored – by those with the power to make change. OutRight

Action International, founded in 1990 as the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission, works alongside LGBTIQ people in the Global South, with offices in six countries, to help identify community-focused solutions to promote policy for a lasting change. We vigilantly monitor and document human rights abuses to spur action when they occur. We train partners to expose abuses and advocate for themselves. Headquartered in New York City, OutRight is the only global LGBTIQ-specific organization with a permanent presence at the United Nations in New York that advocates for human rights progress for LGBTIQ people.

Courtesy of OutRight Action International

GLAAD statement on Trump mentioning LGBTQ “Global Campaign” at UN General Assembly

Howdy, folks – President Trump [on Tuesday, September 24] used his remarks at the 2019 United Nations General Assembly to promote his so-called “global campaign” to decriminalize being LGBTQ, an effort that was created under the Obama Administration.

GLAAD’s Zeke Stokes issued the following statement after hearing President Trump’s remarks:

“Actions speak louder than words @realDonaldTrump and @RichardGrenell. Here’s the real record: 125 attacks in policy and rhetoric since he took office.” – Zeke Stokes, Chief Programs Officer for GLAAD

Also, according to GLAAD’s Trump Accountability Project, the Trump Administration has attacked LGBTQ Americans 125

How much would you pay someone to pray for you? How about NOT to pray for you?

by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer

A study published in the September issue of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences indicates that both believers and nonbelievers readily put a monetary value on thoughts and prayers.

Researchers selected a sample of 436 residents of North Carolina after the state was devastated by Hurricane Florence last year. They then divided the group into Christians, agnostics, and atheists. No other religious or spiritual groups were considered in the study.

About a third of the group were directly affected by Hurricane Florence, while the rest were asked to base their responses on some other hardship they had experienced.

Each participant was given $5 “in support of their hardship,” and then asked how much of that – if anything – they’d be willing to pay for the thoughts and prayers of strangers. For the purposes of the study, the strangers were recruited online.

When a participant stipulated a price, one of the strangers received a note outlining the participant’s struggles and asking them to either pray for them or keep them in their thoughts.

Researchers discovered that Christian believers had a very clear hierarchy of value when it came to prayers.

Prayers from a priest were worth an average of $7.17 to Christians in need.

Prayers from less exalted Christians were valued at $4.36, while mere thoughts from another Christian were cheaper still at $3.27.

On the other hand, atheists and agnostics were so averse to “thoughts and prayers” that they said they would pay someone not to pray for them.

They also had a clear value hierarchy. On average, they were willing to pay a priest $1.66 not to pray for them, and more than twice that, $3.54, to ensure that a runof-the-mill Christian did not pray for them.

“It may reflect the political climate we are in,” lead researcher Linda Thunström told The Guardian newspaper. “Some of these people might feel they hear the phrase ‘thoughts and prayers’ all the time, and perhaps it provokes something in them.”

“Thoughts and prayers weren’t just meaningless for atheists. They were literally worth avoiding,” Hemant Mehta explained at The Friendly Atheist website.

“It’s the difference between listening to a song you’ve never heard before and having to sit through the most annoying song in the world. You can deal with the former, but you just might pay money to avoid the latter.”

times (in policy and rhetoric) since the president took office in 2017. Worth mentioning: Trump has been silent on important international issues involving the LGBTQ community, including the anti-LGBTQ attacks on Chechnya and his refusal to condemn Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro for his antiLGBTQ rhetoric.

IMPEACHMENT

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None of the state’s three Republican representatives have joined in the call for impeachment, however. Predictably, they are now accusing Democrats of “a rush to judgment.”

“This is yet another example of the hyperpartisan political climate today. Instead of waiting for all the facts, House Democrats are jumping to unfounded con-

VAN NESS

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Pence administration’s discriminatory ban on transgender service members.

“As the Trump-Pence administration continues its attacks on the LGBTQ community, it’s more important than ever for members of Congress – from both parties –to stand up for their LGBTQ constituents,” said HRC Government Affairs Director David Stacy. “The Human Rights Campaign’s fall Lobby Day provides a critical opportunity for our grassroots army of volunteers to make the case for pro-equality policies and legislation directly to the leaders who represent them in Congress. We are grateful to the nearly 76 participants who will make their voices heard, and to the lawmakers who continue to fight for the rights of their LGBTQ constituents.”

Participants will hold 124 meetings with congressional offices to discuss issues critical to the LGBTQ community, including, but not limited to the following:

• Calling the US Senate to the pass the Equality Act, bipartisan legislation that would add clear, comprehensive nondiscrimination protections for LGBTQ people to our nation’s civil rights laws.

• Opposing the Trump-Pence administration’s attempts to enact a discriminatory ban on transgender military service members.

• Support the PrEP Access and Coverage Act to expand the access to and affordability of PrEP to prevent transmission of HIV.

clusions,” Rep. Cathy McMorris-Rodgers said in a statement.

“I will be reviewing the facts before making any decisions on what’s best for the American people.”

McMorris-Rodgers is part of the House Republican leadership team. Neither Rep. Jaime Herrera-Beutler nor Rep. Dan Newhouse would make a statement about impeachment. Herrera-Beutler merely congratulated Trump on his decision to publish the transcript of his call with Zelensky.

• Supporting the FAMILY Act to ensure paid family and medical leave.

• Supporting the Voting Rights Advancement Act to reauthorize a key provision of the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

Jonathan Van Ness will also join HRC volunteers and members on Capitol Hill today. Van Ness, who is nonbinary, is best known for his role on Netflix’s “Queer Eye.” His recently released memoir “Over the Top: A Raw Journey to Self-Love,” provides a powerful look into Van Ness’ journey to embrace self-love and acceptance.

The HRC’s Lobby Day is a critical cornerstone of the organization’s federal advocacy efforts in Washington. The HRC’s staff work throughout the year to win support for pro-LGBTQ legislation, at all levels of government. This work is complemented by the HRC members and volunteers who were able to talk to and influence their representatives, both on Lobby Day and throughout the year. This critical constituent feedback can help convince members of Congress to take a powerful stance on LGBTQ issues, and advocate for their constituents.

The Human Rights Campaign is America’s largest civil rights organization working to achieve equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer people. The HRC envisions a world where LGBTQ people are embraced as full members of society at home, at work, and in every community.

Courtesy of the HRC

OREGON

wedding cake for a lesbian couple because doing so violated the owners’ religious beliefs. The U.S. Supreme Court vacated the Court of Appeals’ 2017 ruling this past June and asked that court to reconsider its decision in light of the Supreme Court’s 2018 ruling in favor of a Colorado baker in Masterpiece Cakeshop v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission

“Two years ago, the Oregon Court of Appeals issued a thorough and thoughtful decision that recognized our precious freedoms of religion and speech are not licenses to ostracize LGBT people as second-class pariahs,” said Jennifer C. Pizer, Senior Counsel and Director of Law and Policy at Lambda Legal. “Nothing has changed, except perhaps that those who seek to use their constitutional rights to harm others by exempting themselves from civil rights laws may feel emboldened.

“Nearly seven years ago, Rachel and Laurel Bowman-Cryer decided to get married in order to provide greater stability for their two special-needs children. But what began with a sense of excitement and celebration turned into a humiliating ordeal when the proprietors of Sweetcakes by Melissa, Aaron and Melissa Klein, refused to serve them, citing Leviticus and calling same-sex relationships an ‘abomination,’” Pizer said. “This cruel rejection hit Rachel and Laurel like a punch to the stomach, and unsurprisingly caused them to fear similar rejections in other situations – from florists and caterers to venue rentals.

“Rachel and Laurel just wanted to order a wedding cake, but the Kleins’ callous rejection shattered the innocence and joy

of their wedding planning and to this day affects their daily interactions, their selfesteem and their sense of security. This court recognized the extent of this harm two years ago, and we urge the court to do so again.”

Laurel and Rachel had been together 10 years and were adoptive parents to two special needs children when they decided to get married. In planning for the wedding, Rachel went with her mother to a wedding cake tasting having been invited by Melissa Klein of Sweetcakes by Melissa in the Portland suburb of Gresham, which she co-owns with her husband, Aaron Klein. It was the same bakery business where, two

years earlier, Rachel and Laurel purchased a cake for Rachel’s mother’s sixth wedding. Rachel had scheduled the tasting with Melissa. However, when they arrived, they were met by Aaron, who, when he learned that the wedding was for a lesbian couple, said, “We don’t do same-sex weddings.” He then called same-sex relationships an “abomination,” citing Bible verses.

BOLI determined that the Kleins had violated the Oregon Public Accommodations Law and, because their conduct caused serious emotional harm to Rachel and Laurel, assessed damages of $135,000 against the Kleins. The Kleins appealed, and the Oregon Court of Appeals upheld

the Bureau of Labor and Industries’ determination in December 2017. The Kleins, represented by the anti-LGBTQ legal organization First Liberty Institute of Plano, Texas, then petitioned the Oregon Supreme Court for review, and, after the Oregon Supreme Court denied review, sought review by the U.S. Supreme Court.

The case is Klein dba Sweetcakes by Melissa v. Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries. Read Lambda Legal’s friendof-the-court brief filed in the Oregon Court of Appeals on behalf of Rachel and Laurel Bowman-Cryer here: https://www. lambdalegal.org/in-court/legal-docs/or_ klein_20190920_supplemental-brief-ofamici-curiae

Lambda Legal included the BowmanCryers’ story in the friend-of-the-court brief it submitted in 2017 to the U.S. Supreme Court on behalf of itself and 12 other organizations in Masterpiece Cakeshop v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission Read that brief here: https://www.lambdalegal.org/in-court/legal-docs/us_masterpiece-cakes_20171030_amicus-brief

Lambda Legal Senior Counsel and Law & Policy Director Jennifer C. Pizer is representing Rachel and Laurel BowmanCryer with local co-counsel Paul Thompson of Kivel & Howard LLP in Portland, Oregon.

Lambda Legal is a national organization committed to achieving full recognition of the civil rights of lesbians, gay men, bisexuals, transgender people and everyone living with HIV through impact litigation, education and policy work. See more at: www.lambdalegal.org

Courtesy of Lambda Legal

Seattle lawyer lowers the bar

Veteran’s advocates call for national boycotts and demand disbarments at evictions law firm

SEATTLE, WA – August 5th, 2019 was only one court day after the tragic suicide of the 38-year-old LGBT head attorney for a Seattle-based veteran’s advocacy group (Veterans for Guardianship & Probate Reform, S.P.C.– https://www.vgpr.io/) that had actively worked to remove former U.S. Attorney for the Western District Annette Hayes.

Yet at 9:05 a.m. in Room W-325 of Seattle’s King County Courthouse, Seattle evictions attorney Evan Loeffler stood in front of the judge’s bench, face-to-face with King County, WA Court Commissioner Henry Judson demanding the court refuse to postpone the case even one hour. In doing so, Evan Loeffler demanded the court deny the right to counsel for key members of a veteran’s advocacy group Loeffler is alleged to be illegally trying to evict, according to extensive documents in the court record.

If Loeffler appeared to display an attitude of invincibility, it may have resulted from Melinda and Evan Loeffler’s lucrative career evicting thousands of unrepresented people – including defenseless veterans, widows, orphans, the disabled and terminally ill.

The Loefflers are expected to gain national infamy within the legal profession for their efforts to fight postponing the case due to the suicide, according to the Seattle-based veterans’ advocacy group with a national mandate who refer to Loeffler’s action as an historic benchmark in legal practice.

“We researched the issue of an attorney dying in the middle of a case, and we couldn’t find a single example of any party objecting to a postponement. Not one, ever. Based on our research, what the Loefflers tried to do appears to be unprecedented in the history of the legal profession in the United States,” said a paralegal for the veteran’s group. “We are working with several veterans’ groups and several national media channels to expose what would seem to be among the lowest points in the history of the practice of law.”

Although the Loefflers have an ethical duty to make a good faith effort to resolve the property title dispute for the benefit of the Loeffler’s client, the veteran’s group emphatically state that the Loefflers have been unwilling to even discuss any manner of settlement, and appear to have acted contrary to their clients, the Kangs, interest in violation of the practice rules of the Washington State Bar Association – at a cost to the Kangs estimated by the veteran’s group in excess of $50,000 and rising.

One fact that does not appear in the court record is if the Loefflers have explained to their clients, the Kangs, the Loefflers’ past differences with a key member of the veteran’s group. In 2014, Evan Loeffler’s personal client, William “Luke” Lukoskie, the self-proclaimed tofu tycoon based on Vashon Island, WA illegally nearly doubled the rent of a terminal cancer patient for having a livein caregiver, which is rent-exempt under law. Lukoskie then threatened to shoot her professionally trained service dog, according to multiple legal declarations in the 2014 King County, WA court record. With full access to all of these facts, Evan Loeffler agreed to evict the cancer patient contrary to his legal rights.

The family member who had fought the eviction – one of the same veteran’s advocates the Loefflers are now alleged to be illegally attempting to evict – made clear in the court record evidence of Lukoskies’ predatory practices, including consistently renting his several properties to vulnerable women whom he then harassed and surveilled, sexual harassment of employees, opioid use, human trafficking, FDA violations at Lukoskies’ tofu manufacturing plant, tax evasion, and other criminal activity. Regardless of the law or the facts presented in the court record, Evan Loeffler aggressively litigated against the dying cancer patient and his family who died within days of the eviction.

According to witnesses, Loeffler was allegedly hysterical about both the evidence entered into the court record about his widely reviled client Lukoskie, and the several law enforcement investigations of Lukoskie that followed. According to allegations of the veterans’ group, the Loeffler’s ongoing eviction efforts are at their client’s, the Kang’s, expense, who may now be paying a potentially run-on bill for the Loeffler’s personal revenge. It is unclear if the Loefflers have disclosed this conflict to their clients, the Kangs, who have not been available for comment.

“Evan Loeffler’s actions are in serious violation of the practice rules of the Washington State Bar and uniquely unprofessional. We intend to hold he and the staff of his law firm accountable and are organizing a national effort within the veteran’s community to call for a boycott of his client’s businesses as well as the organizations Loeffler’s affiliated with. We are coordinating efforts to disbar him and his staff attorneys involved in illegal conduct,” said one of the paralegals for the veteran’s group. “We ask that anyone with a business or social relationship with Melinda and Evan Loeffler please consider the actions of the Loeffler’s law firm against veteran advocates, vulnerable people, and their practices. We are asking anyone with knowledge of any of the Loeffler’s or their law firm’s illegal or unethical practices to contact us. They may remain anonymous if they prefer.”

Regardless of their daily contributions to Seattle’s homeless crisis, the Loefflers would like you to know what great folks they are. On their law firm’s website, Evan Loeffler boasts of his Porsche, his fashion guidelines, and his sailing hobby. Ironically, Evan and Melinda Loeffler, who make a fortune evicting the defenseless, appear to want you to believe they are advocates for the homeless.

According to the dedicated web page for the self-defined philanthropists on Social Venture Partners/SVP, Melinda Loeffler is on the Community Outreach Committee for the nonprofit Washington Multi-Family Housing Association (WMFHA), and Evan is a member of the WMFHA Government Affairs Committee, involved in lobbying efforts to make eviction laws more aggressive. And he’s a Seafair clown.

Evan Loeffler’s clowning extends to his humor articles, depending on one’s definition of humor. Posted on his law firm’s website, topics include his opinion that his abuse of a child was amusing; a description of his apparently obsessive-compulsive collections practices; his opinion of law enforcement officers as “donut engorged;” and references to his own clients as “morons,” “retards,” and “imbeciles” – not the people he evicts, the property owners who retain his legal services. Notwithstanding the fact that many of his own clients are gay, Loeffler’s humor articles include both direct and thinly veiled homophobic references.

Perhaps most telling about the direction of Evan Loeffler’s moral compass, and the philosophical and psychological foundation of the Loefflers’ allegedly intoxicated abuse of power emboldened by decades of regularly litigating unopposed against thousands of vulnerable people from whom they make a killing evicting, may be found in Evan Loeffler’s own description of his experience hunting:

“Suddenly, I wasn’t a young lawyer blundering through the woods but a hunter. Waves of testosterone coursed through my body as I took aim at this obviously distraught, defenseless, fuzzy animal…I pulled the trigger.”

Evan Loeffler’s humor would unlikely be a surprise to the distraught and defenseless victims of the Loeffler’s eviction practices that make them homeless. Loeffler just pulls the trigger. Nor is his humor a surprise to housing advocate attorneys who regularly see Loeffler in court. The references “sadistic,” and “arrogant” were used consistently, as well as “the most abrasive [and/or] unprofessional attorney [they] have encountered in [their] careers.” Insiders testify that the entire Loeffler law firm is alleged to act strictly at the direction of Loeffler in lockstep with his ethical and moral example, potentially exposing clients and his own legal staff to significant liability.

Melinda and Evan Loeffler’s eviction practice is not limited to the thousands of people they evict through their Seattle, WA law firm supported by staffers Jeana K. Poloni, Brant M. Olson and Carinne E. Jaeger in addition to Melinda and Evan Loeffler. The Loefflers also broadcast their eviction tactics to Washington state’s legal profession through “how-to” online seminars with Lorman Education Services, in addition to live presentations and publications in affiliation with the King County and Washington State Bar Associations.

Contrary to their public relations efforts and apparent attempts to purchase social capital, Melinda and Evan Loeffler’s actions may provide more clarity as to their contributions to society. The Loefflers are alleged to have illegally and repeatedly attacked members of the Seattle veteran’s group, misrepresented key facts of the case, and ignored federal laws, according to allegations by members of the veterans’ group in court documents.

The late attorney for the veterans’ group who committed suicide was one of the occupants of the disputed property whom the Loefflers were trying to evict. As mentioned, the following court day after the suicide the Loefflers immediately attempted to demand the court deny any delay of the hearing and thus deny legal representation to the rest of the veteran advocates. The Loefflers continue to attempt to illegally evict the remainder of the veteran advocates to this day according to current court records.

Members of the veterans’ group are now actively seeking the disbarment of Loeffler and his legal staff – multiple complaints are being filed with the Washington State

Bar Association. In addition, separate legal actions are being brought against the Loefflers and their client Kang for damages resulting from Loeffler’s practice violations and misrepresentations alleged by members of the veteran’s group in the court filings, according to their representatives.

Loeffler’s clients in the disputed property occupied by the veteran’s group are Rajinder S. Kang and his husband. Based in Canada, the Kangs appear to be somewhat less transparent in their practices than the Loefflers. Raj Kang works in customer service as a truck rental clerk at Ryder’s Oakville, Ontario branch near Toronto. On the surface, Mr. Kang appears to have transformed his job with the Ryder Truck Rental office into the purchase of several million dollars of Seattle-area properties –personally, not through a business.

Exactly what role if any the Loefflers and their legal staff may have played in the flow of millions of mysterious dollars flowing over the border from Canada is yet unclear. More clear is the fact that Loeffler & Co are aggressively working to facilitate the Kang’s business interests, together with the Kang’s Renton, WA-based realtor, Phillip Rodocker of John L. Scott who has aided the Kangs in the purchase of several properties in the Seattle area.

As the causes of homelessness are being endlessly discussed around the greater Seattle area with countless white papers being circulated, committee meetings about committee meetings, and endless hand-wringing, Melinda and Evan Loeffler will be driving their Porsche all the way to the bank and sailing off into the sunset as one of the state’s greatest profiteers of homelessness.

As unfortunate as the Loeffler’s actions against the veteran’s advocates are in this ongoing case, the big questions now being asked are: why are King County courts allowing the Loeffler’s extensively documented alleged illegal actions and defiance of federal law to go unchecked, how many innocent, defenseless people have Melinda and Evan Loeffler, together with their staff attorneys, stripped of their legal rights and made homeless, and most of all, why do the Washington State Bar Association’s Hearing Officers allow these people to continue to practice law?

Also called into question are Loeffler’s affiliations – why are the King County, WA, Washington State, and American Bars publishing Loeffler’s materials? How credible are the attorney ratings by AVVO and Martindale-Hubbard?

What is the basis for Washington Law and Politics Magazine’s “Washington Super lawyer” designation, as well as Seattle Metropolitan Magazine’s “Top 100 Lawyers rating?” Exactly what have they reviewed or checked?

Evan Loeffler may be a Seafair Clown, but when it comes to adding to Seattle’s legions of homeless – regardless of the methods, it appears – Melinda and Evan Loeffler are not clowning around.

For their part, the director of the veteran’s group’s only comment is the same quote that may be found on their website: “The limits of tyrants are defined by the endurance of those whom they attempt to oppress.”

If you want to join them in their efforts to endure, they may be reached by email at info@vgpr.io, or through their website.

This is the first installment in a yearlong investigative series titled “Your Courts, Their Fraud:” Next in the Series –Part Two: King County, WA Commissioner Henry Judson’s invisible role in homelessness and guardianship/probate fraud.

Reprinted courtesy of Activist Post –https://www.activistpost.com/2019/09/ seattle-lawyer-lowers-the-bar.html