Issue 36 Volume 38
Celebrating 37 Years!
FRIDAY September 3, 2010 FREE! 25¢ in bookstores & news stands
TOY STORY p. 5
PRIDE AT WORK p. 9
A/PI PAGEANT p. 25
Seattle Gay News SEATTLE’S LGBT NEWS & ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY
by Shaun Knittel SGN Associate Editor
file photo
George Bush crony Ken Mehlman came out as Gay, many were left saying, “Well, yeah. Everyone knew that.” Like many closeted politicians, entertainers, and clergy before him, Mehlman’s sexual orientation seemed evident to everyone – except to him. In the wake of his official coming out, Mehlman has said that he will change his ways and has begun to Former Chairman of the raise money for Republican National Committee Ken Mehlman marriage equalby Shaun Knittel ity in the U.S. – something he spent many years SGN Associate Editor helping the GOP tear down. When former Republican National Committee chairman and see mehlman page 20
When Alexis Castillo met her wife, Val, in 2004, she knew that they would be together for life. Alexis, 25, a U.S. citizen living in Seattle, and Val, 26, a British Columbia resident, dated for six years and were legally married in Canada in November of last year. Alexis and Val were forced to marry in B.C., Canada, where marriage is legal, because although Washington state allows same-sex domestic partnerships, the federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) trumps that law – meaning Alexis could not sponsor Val for citizenship. Alexis and Val Castillo’s story is one of love; a love that would survive through a citizenship battle, long distance, and federal samesex marriage inequality to emerge as a clear example of just how dangerous DOMA can be.
courtesy alexis castillo
DOMA limitations hit home Murray and Pedersen weigh in for former Seattle resident on Mehlman
Alexis (l) and Val Castillo on their wedding day
see doma page 19
SGN Exclusive Interview Right-wing puppet Gay candidate Manning in masters tie their Kansas receives death threat strings to Dino Rossi
Dan Manning
When Dan Manning of Wichita, Kansas, openly Gay Democratic candidate for the Kansas legislature, returned home from work on August 28, he found a threat on his front door. Someone had pieced together a letter from cut-out words and letters from a newspaper, including “kill” and “will die,” as well as homophobic comments. “Prior to this incident, I had never had a threat on my life,” Manning told the SGN. As an open Gay man, Manning has dealt with hoImage of note left on Dan Manning’s front door
see manning page 20
David and Charles Koch – identified in a recent New Yorker article as the financial backers of the Tea Party – have invested in Republican Dino Rossi’s senate campaign. David and Charles are brothers, who together own 84% of Koch Industries. With annual revenues of $98 billion, Koch Industries is the second largest privately held corporation in the country. It is also the 10th worst corporate polluter in the country, according to the Political Economic Research Institute of the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. According to Federal Election Commission documents, the brothers’ Koch PAC has contributed $5000 to the Rossi campaign. Rossi is running against incumbent Democrat Patty Murray, who
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We are conveniently located on-site at Lifelong AIDS Alliance below the Thrift Store.
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courtesymanningforkansas.com
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by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer
by Shaun Knittel SGN Associate Editor
Dino Rossi
has been targeted for defeat by the national Republican Party. Jane Mayer’s New Yorker article – titled “Covert Operations: The billionaire brothers who are waging a war against Obama” – reveals that the Koch brothers bankrolled see rossi page 21
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Seattle Gay News
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Celebrating 37 Years!
Visit us online www.sgn.org
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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 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.
Youth, meth, and going viral by Leslie Robinson SGN Contributing Writer “In my brief moments of clarity, I knew my life was supposed to be better than this.” Who said that? Who had mere seconds of clarity? Yogi Berra? Dan Quayle? Maxwell Smart? If you guessed Lindsay Lohan, you’re getting warm. The speaker was 26-yearold Jordan Duran, who in an interview with The Seattle Times described his addiction to crystal meth. He was part of a story about young Gays contracting HIV through meth use. As happy a topic as exploding oil rigs. Though there is some happiness connected with Duran’s story: He’s alive. Not long ago you’d have gotten better odds on Mel Gibson joining the diplomatic corps. Duran struggled in his hometown of Puyallup, about 35 miles south of Seattle. By the age of 5, he knew he was different from other boys. In high school, he seized on re-
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.
ligion. Duran even went to a therapist who “specialized” in reversing homosexuality. During his senior year, he came out. After graduation he headed for Seattle, moving in with an older man who apparently took his role as mentor very seriously, arranging official introductions for his protégé – to ecstasy, ketamine, GHB, and then meth. “From the first time I took meth, I was hooked,” said Duran. “It was about escaping from who I was, and meth was the perfect drug to wash it all away.” Chocolate does the same for me, but oddly it doesn’t have that effect on everyone. On his 21st birthday, Duran drank a boatload and then scored some meth. He had unprotected sex with a stranger. A few weeks later it became clear what he’d gotten for his birthday: HIV. And many happy returns. Joshua O’Neal, who does HIV-testing research at a local hospital, told The Seattle Times that three-quarters of those who test
HIV-positive at his clinic have used meth. Said O’Neal, “When you feel invincible, you don’t care about using a condom.” After he tested positive, Duran’s downward spiral got a move on. By 23, he was using meth 20 times each day. Most people don’t do anything 20 times a day, except breathe. He had unsafe sex. Staph infections and MRSA were frequent visitors. He contracted syphilis, which spread to his brain, causing disorientation. He was homeless. Only Dante could do justice to this circle of hell. Finally Duran saw a doctor, who happened to resemble his grandmother. She asked if he was using meth, and told him if he continued to use he’d be dead within six months from an overdose or the HIV. Grandma took no prisoners. Thank goodness. “Up until that point, I was afraid of living, but suddenly I was afraid of dying,” said Duran. He went directly from the doctor’s to an AA meeting, and began the arduous task of getting clean. “Quitting the drugs wasn’t the hard part,” he said. “Feeling my emotions was the hard part.” Duran has been victorious in the smackdown with his emotions – he’s been sober for well over two years. Soon after starting antiretroviral drugs, his viral load was undetectable. He now works for Gay City Health Project, which focuses on Gay men’s health. When someone on the skids comes in and tells him he doesn’t know what it’s like, Duran must struggle not to guffaw. In Seattle’s King County, in the space of a year, about 10 percent of Gay and Bisexual men use crystal meth. For men under the age of 30, the figure is twice as high. Combine that with the studies saying Gay men who use meth are at scary-high risk for contracting HIV, and it all adds up to a real problem: tweaking twinks who can’t think. Leslie Robinson will never kick chocolate. E-mail her at lesarobinson@gmail.com, and visit her blog at www.generalgayety. com.
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 3, 2010
Celebrating 37 Years!
by Shaun Knittel SGN Associate Editor Eduardo Khawam has pledged to collect 1,000 recycled toys and would like to invite you to take part by asking your friends, family, and neighbors to look under the bed, in the closet, attic, or basement for forgotten toys. Their destination? Local charities. Eduardo told SGN he came up with the idea when watching Toy Story 3. He said the movie brought back memories from an experience he had as a 20-year-old man in Venezuela. “On Christmas Eve, my friend and I decided to bring some cookies to an orphanage in a small Venezuelan town at the top of the Andes Mountains,” Eduardo recalled. “We arrived at the orphanage door with our cookies to a sea of loving faces. These tiny tots, who had nothing, were so joyful to receive the cookies we brought. It was a very emotional experience, one that will stay with me for the rest of my life. A
few months ago, I was watching Toy Story 3 and it brought back the memory of those toyless kids in the orphanage and the joy on their faces at receiving a gift. I decided to collect 1,000 toys that were once loved to be shared again by another child.” The toys that Eduardo collects will go to O’Christmas Trees, SeaMar Clinic, Odessa Brown Children’s Clinic, and Treehouse For Kids. “I chose O’Christmas Trees because they are one of my favorite creative and inspirational charities,” Eduardo said. “Every year we decorate a tree to be auctioned off to benefit Providence Mt. St. Vincent. The first year, I was inspired to create a tree of handmade toys beautifully crafted by homeless men and women. Treehouse For Kids is a foster home. It reminded me of the orphanage in Venezuela.” “Every kid deserves a chance to be happy,” he said. “Every child deserves a chance to be joyful, one toy at a time. Kids are our future, and as a community, it is our duty to
“I chose O’Christmas Trees because they are one of my favorite creative and inspirational charities. Every year we decorate a tree to be auctioned off to benefit Providence Mt. St. Vincent.”
courtesy Eduardo Khawam
Eduardo Khawam’s toy story
help them grow.” not possible.” Over the last 15 years, Eduardo has helped “I continue to do events that give me into raise over 15 million dollars for charities spiration, professionally and personally, and that have inspired him. One such example of have an element of giving back,” he said. his dedication One such to philanthropy event, Wine could be traced Tasting & Art to 1999, when for 1,000 Toys, Eduardo rode is in line with a bicycle 2,500 Eduardo’s permiles across sonal belief of the U.S. to giving back to raise money for the commuAIDS. “I had nity or those only trained on in need. The a bike for six event, which months. Most takes place at people told me Gallerias GourI was crazy. I met restaurant still remember (611 Broadway my first 500 East) on Sepmiles – I was tember 9 from ready to give 6-9:30 p.m., up,” he said. “I will feature the was thinking, best in Argen‘Why am I dotinean, Chilean, ing this?’ I was Mexican, and in such physiSpanish wines; cal pain.” live models S u d d e n l y, recreating Frihe said, a rider da’s and Diego from behind Rivera’s work Eduardo Khawam called out to of art; delicious him, saying, food from Chef “You can do it! You are our hero!” Vicente Jimenez; and if you bring a recy“I turned back to see who was calling cled/used toy, you will get a chance to win me a hero and to my surprise it was a man a $500 shopping and dining spree. Eduardo who had lost both legs, pedaling with his asks that you dress to impress. Wine Tasting hands,” said Eduardo. “At that moment, all & Art for 1,000 Toys costs $20 to attend. my negative thoughts disappeared, and it If you cannot make the September 9 motivated me to keep going and finish my event but would like to help Eduardo colgoal. He never knew that he was my hero lect toys or make a donation, e-mail him at and inspiration to finish what I thought was obraube17@yahoo.com.
California doesn’t have Pentagon to meet to defend Prop 8 with Gay partners of some troops by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer
A conservative legal group which sought to compel the state of California to defend Prop 8 in court has failed. California’s 3rd Appellate District Court summarily dismissed their suit on September 2. The Pacific Justice Institute filed a petition with the court on August 30 for an emergency order requiring California’s Attorney General Jerry Brown and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to defend the state’s ban on same-sex marriage. The court did not give a reason for dismissing their request. U.S. District Judge Vaughn Walker ruled Prop 8 unconstitutional on August 4. The state of California has until September 11 to appeal Walker’s decision, but both Brown and Schwarzenegger have said they do not plan to file an appeal. Brown had declined to defend Prop 8 before Judge Walker on the grounds that he was sworn to uphold the state and federal constitutions and therefore could not defend a law he believes is an unconstitutional violation of Californians’ civil rights. Prop 8’s sponsors have already appealed Walker’s decision. The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals may rule that they lack legal standing to do so, however, because they do not represent the state of California and are not responsible for enforcing the state’s laws. Both Judge Walker and the attorneys who argued the case against Prop 8, Ted Olson and David Boies, have said they doubt Prop
8 supporters have standing to file an appeal. In seeking to force Brown to appeal, Pacific Justice Institute sought to avoid the possibility that the 9th Circuit might dismiss the appeal on the technical grounds of legal standing without ruling on the underlying issue of Prop 8’s constitutionality. Brown’s office continues to insist that he will not appeal Walker’s decision. “The attorney general does not believe that he can be forced to prosecute an appeal of a decision with which he agrees,” Brown spokeswoman Christine Gasparac told AP reporters on August 31. The conservative group also named Schwarzenegger in its suit because California’s Constitution gives the governor final say when he and the attorney general disagree on legal issues. Twenty-seven Republican members of the California Assembly sent Schwarzenegger a letter on August 31 saying the governor should defend the rights of voters who passed Proposition 8 almost two years ago. Schwarzenegger also insists he will not appeal Walker’s decision. The 9th Circuit has scheduled oral arguments on the appeal for the second week in December. Pacific Justice Institute describes itself as “a non-profit 501(c)(3) legal defense organization specializing in the defense of religious freedom, parental rights, and other civil liberties.” Dacus was a legislative aide to conservative Sen. Phil Gramm (R-TX) before getting his law degree. He founded Pacific Justice Institute in 1997.
The attorney general does not believe that he can be forced to prosecute an appeal of a decision with which he agrees.
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by Shaun Knittel SGN Associate Editor In an announcement that seems stranger than fiction, Servicemembers United, one of the nation’s largest groups for Gay and Lesbian troops, says that members of a Pentagon working group reviewing a potential repeal of the military’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” (DADT) policy will meet this month with the Gay and Lesbian partners of some troops. Servicemembers United said they would host the meeting – the first ever between military officials and Gay partners – on September 16. According to Alex Nicholson, Servicemembers United executive director, senior members of the Pentagon’s Comprehensive Review Working Group on DADT will attend the meeting. The military has asked the group not to disclose the exact time and location of the meeting to ensure the security and the confidentiality of the partners in attendance, said Nicholson. “The meeting will enable the partners to provide their perspectives on the topic of repeal of DADT, should it occur,” said Pentagon spokeswoman Cynthia Smith. “This engagement is consistent with our comprehensive approach to this review.”
The confirmed meeting is nothing short of historical. Over the last two months, the Pentagon sent out what many deemed derogatory surveys to troops and their spouses while top Pentagon officials made derisive comments in regards to shower and sleeping facilities should Gays be allowed to serve openly. “We are honored to be able to facilitate this meeting between the partners of active duty Lesbian and Gay troops and the leadership and staff of the Comprehensive Review Working Group,” said Nicholson. “The plight of military partners is something that Servicemembers United has led the way on with our Campaign for Military Partners, and we have been pushing for partner input into the review process for quite some time. We are glad that the Pentagon recognizes the value of input from these silent heroes.” The Campaign for Military Partners was launched by Servicemembers United in 2009 to reach out to, recognize, connect, and support the partners of LGBT military personnel. The review of the potential repeal of DADT is due by December 1 to President Obama, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates, and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Mike Mullen.
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INTERNATIONAL MP Sunil Babu Pant
NEWS
by Rex Wockner SGN Contributing Writer
burg, argues that an EU anti-discrimination directive requires that employers treat straight and Gay couples identically regardless of whether a particular nation allows same-sex marriage or registered same-sex partnerships. Römer, a retired Hamburg city employee, has been with his partner, Alwin Ulrich, since 1969 and they registered their relationship under Germany’s national samesex-partnership law in 2001. Because the couple is not married, Römer receives a smaller pension from the city, his attorneys said. Moscow activists file Euro court case Moscow Pride organizers filed suit against Russia in the European Court of Human Rights on August 23 alleging violations of their right to freedom of assembly as guaranteed by the European Convention on Human Rights. A year ago, Gay activists were denied permission to stage pickets against Moscow
Northern District Prefect Oleg Mitvol after he waged a campaign, ultimately successful, to close down the city’s oldest Gay bar, Body and Soul. Russian courts upheld the bans. “Such places, which lead to the moral degradation of citizens and become the source of troubles, should be closed,” Mitvol said at the time. Leading Gay activist Nikolai Alekseev said he has “no doubt” Moscow Pride will win the case. “As soon as the Strasbourg court gives a decision on the ban of the Moscow Gay prides in 2006, 2007 and 2008, we will have a new basis for the improvement of the right of all citizens to freedom of assembly in Russia,” he said. To date, Alekseev and associates have filed 18 lawsuits with the Euro court complaining of discrimination based on sexual orientation. All of the cases remain to be decided. With assistance from Bill Kelley
NATIONAL
NEWS
Kathmandu’s pride parade
Australian election seen as good for Gay marriage Australian marriage equality advocates welcomed the August 21 federal election results, saying the nation is “a huge step closer” to allowing same-sex marriages. Australian Marriage Equality spokesperson Alex Greenwich said that with the balance of power now held by independents in the House of Representatives and by the Greens in the Senate, chances for reform have increased dramatically. “If a major party can be persuaded by the Greens and/or Independents to have a conscience vote, it’s game on,” Greenwich said. “The 2010 election campaign saw the issue of marriage equality move to the center of the political stage, and now the result has seen achieving marriage equality move into the realms of real possibility.” Greenwich said the overall national swing from Labor to the Greens “is partly because Labor betrayed its own principles by opposing marriage equality while the Greens have been the only party representing the 60 percent of Australians who support marriage equality.” He said his group’s heavy leafleting in Gay neighborhoods also cost Labor votes and gained votes for the Greens. “The swing against Labor and to the Greens is particularly pronounced in the ... inner-city seats of Grayndler, Sydney and Melbourne where we distributed 75,000 leaflets highlighting Labor’s anti-equality stance,” Greenwich said.
damage the building, throwing things at it or matters of that sort,” said cathedral defender Emilio González Guzmán, son of Jalisco Gov. Emilio González. The Supreme Court also ruled that samesex marriages and adoptions by married Gay couples that take place in Mexico City must be recognized in all 31 of Mexico’s states. Thousands march in Dublin for same-sex marriage Several thousand people marched in Dublin, Ireland, August 22 demanding legalization of same-sex marriage and denouncing the nation’s new same-sex-partnership law for conferring a second-class status. The march, from City Hall to the Justice Department, was organized by the LGBT activist group Noise. Organizers said the Gay community cannot be pacified with a separate system because that does not create equality. Two thousand at Kathmandu pride parade Some 2,000 people turned out for the first large-scale Gay pride parade in Kathmandu, Nepal, August 25. Openly Gay Member of Parliament Sunil Babu Pant led the procession, riding an elephant. British Ambassador John Tucknott joined the march and U.S. Ambassador Scott DeLisi sent a message of solidarity. Tucknott told The Times of India, “It is about saying yes to embracing diversity.” In an e-mail interview, Pant said: “This festival is to be established as an international one, which it did from this year on. We had foreigners from 15 countries, including India, Japan, U.S., UK, Denmark, France, Norway and Australia, and we expect more international participants from next year on.”
Gays, Catholics clash in Guadalajara Gays and Catholics clashed outside the Roman Catholic cathedral in Guadalajara, Mexico, on August 21 and 22 after Cardinal Juan Sandoval Íñiguez called Gays “faggots” (“maricones”) and accused Mexico City Mayor Marcelo Ebrard of bribing the Mexican Supreme Court to uphold Mexico City’s recent legalization of same-sex marEU lawsuit seeks equal riage and adoption. employment benefits Hundreds of LGBT people staged protests A case before the European Court of Jusand hundreds of Catholics formed what one tice seeks spousal employment benefits for local report called “a human shield” to pro- same-sex couples in the 27 nations of the tect the church. European Union. “Honestly, I was worried that they would The case, Jürgen Römer vs. City of Ham6
Seattle Gay News
September 3, 2010
California Legislature calls for census count of LGBTs The California Assembly passed a resolution August 23 urging Congress and President Barack Obama to require that the next census count LGBT Americans. Introduced by Sen. Christine Kehoe, DSan Diego, the measure passed 49-25. It previously passed the Senate 22-9. “All segments of our nation’s diverse population need to be counted by the U.S. Census,” said Equality California Executive Director Geoff Kors. “By ensuring that the LGBT community is counted, our state and federal government will have the necessary information to address the needs of our community.” Kehoe said, “LGBT families and households are disproportionately underserved and more likely to live in poverty. We call on the U.S. Congress and the president to ensure that every person living in the U.S. is counted and has access to culturally competent health and human services.” California Senate unanimously votes to repeal anti-Gay law The California Senate on August 23 unanimously passed a bill to repeal a 1950s-era law that instructs the California Department of Mental Health to conduct research into the “causes and cures of homosexuality.” The repeal previously passed the Assembly and heads to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger after an Assembly concurrence vote. “It is outrageous that California law requires the state to expend scarce resources in a futile attempt to ‘cure’ homosexuality,” said Equality California Executive Director Geoff Kors. “This offensive code must be stricken from the books immediately.” Assemblywoman Bonnie Lowenthal, DLong Beach and sponsor of the bill, said the Legislature’s overwhelming opposition to the law “speaks volumes about how far we’ve come since 1950.” California Legislature ups the ante in marriage wars The California Assembly passed the Civil Marriage Religious Freedom Act on August 19 in a 46-25 vote. It previously passed the Senate 23-11 and is now en route to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. Introduced by Sen. Mark Leno, D-San Francisco, and promoted by Equality California and the California Council of Churches, the bill redundantly protects clergy members from having to perform civil marriages that conflict with their religious beliefs. It also redundantly protects religious institutions from losing tax-exempt status for refusing to perform any civil marriage, and deepens the distinction in state law between religious and civil marriage by defining the latter as a civil contract that requires a state-
by Rex Wockner SGN Contributing Writer issued marriage license. Both of the “protections” in the bill already exist throughout the U.S., including California. “Opponents of marriage equality have falsely claimed that allowing same-sex couples to marry will force clergy to violate the tenets of their faiths,” said EQCA Executive Director Geoff Kors. “This bill should alleviate any concerns that restoring marriage equality will require clergy to perform weddings inconsistent with their faith.” Scott Long leaves Human Rights Watch Scott Long resigned August 23 as director of Human Rights Watch’s LGBT Rights Program. In a note to friends, Long wrote: “In midJuly I suffered a pulmonary embolism of a fairly unpleasant sort. While running to catch a bus on a New York street, I saw a blinding effusion of white light, amid which several spangled and bell-bottomed figures vaguely resembling ABBA beckoned me to an eternal disco complete with spinning ball. Yanked back from their blandishments by a superior fashion sense, I spent a couple of weeks in intensive care. I had plenty of time lying in a bendable bed with an IV dripping, to compose, like Woody Allen, lists of the things that make life worth living: the last movement of Bruckner’s Third Symphony; “Sit Down, I Think I Love You” as covered by the Staccatos, with that harpsichord and those violins; the closing pages of Lolita; W. H. Auden as sung by Cleo Laine. Somewhere in the middle of the lists, I realized that working for Human Rights Watch wasn’t on them.” Long said he likely will pursue a fellowship at Harvard University, from which he received his Ph.D., and write a book “about what’s moral and what’s immoral about ‘international solidarity,’ and what’s worked and what hasn’t in campaigns for sexual rights.” “Scott’s exemplary dedication and diligence has been an inspiration to us all,” said Hadi Ghaemi, executive director of the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran and a member of HRW’s LGBT Advisory Committee. “His articulate and relentless defense of LGBT rights everywhere is unparalleled, and his tremendous efforts on this front have been a guiding voice for justice and equality.” In addition to amassing a long list of accomplishments during his eight-year tenure at HRW, Long occasionally sparked controversy. In June, HRW issued an apology to British Gay leader Peter Tatchell for what HRW Executive Director Kenneth Roth called Long’s “inappropriate and disparaging comments” about Tatchell in recent years. With assistance from Bill Kelley
Celebrating 37 Years!
NORTHWEST
NEWS
compiled by Rick McKinnon SGN Staff Writer
TRIANGLE RECREATION CAMP’S MARDI GRAS MADNESS From Friday, September 3 to Monday, September 6, join Triangle Recreation Camp for their 2010 fundraiser event Mardi Gras Madness XII. A $25 donation gets you a weekend party pass. Friday: meet and greet. Saturday: costume extravaganza. Sunday: “Fright night” tea dance. For more information, location, or directions, visit www.camptrc.org. NUBIAN PRIDE LABOR DAY BASH On Saturday, September 4 at 7 p.m. at Café Metropolitain (1701 E. Olive Way), Miss Jane and Quyen Luu of Nubian Pride will hold their Labor Day Bash. Celebrate with drink specials, food, and special performances by Miss Diamon St. James, Miss Regine, and Miss Victoria Love. Music by DJ Dana Dub. GSBA’S PRIME TIME EAST On Tuesday, September 7, from 5:30-7:30 p.m. at Embassy Suites Hotel (3225 158th SE, Bellevue), the GSBA will hold Prime Time East. Mix and mingle with others in the elegant atrium while enjoying complimentary appetizers, wine, beer, and a coffee bar. This event is free. For more information, visit www.thegsba. org/events. PBS SHOWS OFF AND RUNNING On Tuesday, September 7 at 10 p.m. on KCTS TV, channel 9, the POV (Point of View) series on PBS will show Off And Running, the story of Brooklyn teenager Avery Brooks Klein-Cloud, a track star with a bright future. She is the adopted African American child of white Jewish Lesbians. After a letter from her birth mother throws her world into chaos, Avery struggles with her true identity as her life begins to unravel. See a trailer at www.pbs.org/pov/offandrunning. THE ELITE HOSTS FREE ASL LESSONS FOR BEGINNERS Have you ever wanted to learn basic American Sign Language? If so, you can get some beginning ASL instruction at the Elite (1520 E. Olive Way). The FREE lessons will be held every Tuesday at 7 p.m. in the loft. SEATTLE GAY & LESBIAN BOOK CLUB AT DUNSHEE HOUSE The Seattle Gay & Lesbian Book Club meets every Wednesday at 6 p.m. at Dunshee House (303 17th Ave. E. at E. Thomas St.). All GLBTQ folks in the community are welcome to participate in this FREE book club. The book for September will be Portrait of the Addict as a Young Man by Bill Clegg. Get ready to learn the real ferocity of addiction, as a very human young man tells you about his battle. It’s harrowing and gorgeously written, and by the time you finish it, you realize it’s also a work of art. For more information, e-mail nickdimartin@ earthlink.net or contact Dunshee House at 206-322-2437. FREEDOM SOCIALIST DISCUSSION SERIES: THE LOGIC OF MARXISM On Wednesdays through September 15 at the Old Firehouse (402 15th Ave. E.) from 7-9 p.m., The Logic of Marxism, by socialist scholar George Novack, will be discussed. This book provides an accessible introduction to Marx’s dialectical materialism and contrasts it with other political philosophies. Free. Drop-ins welcome. Sponsored by Freedom Socialist Discussion Series. For information, call 206-722-2453 or visit www.socialism.com/seattle.
tory’s own collection. free and open to the public. For more information, visit www.volunFor more information, visit www.seattleteerparkconservatory.org. history.org. RAPTURE OF THE DEEP AT BALAGAN THEATRE On Thursday, September 9 through Saturday, September 25, The Balagan Theatre (1117 E. Pike St.) will run Rapture of the Deep, the final production for the Balagan’s Capitol Hill location. Loosely based on the playwright’s own experiences growing up in his own Uncle Jimmy’s shadow, Rapture of the Deep is a new semi-autobiographical play filled with ghosts and demon possession. The play runs Thursday, Friday, and Saturdays at 8 p.m., and Sundays at 7 p.m. This play is presented in part by a grant from the Seattle Office of Arts & Cultural Affairs. Single tickets for all 11 performances are available at the door for $20 each or in advance online for $18 each at www.brownpapertickets.com. September 9 is a pay-whatyou-will performance. Student and senior tickets are $15.
FALL RELATIONSHIP SKILLS CLASS Register by September 8 to take part in the Northwest Network of Bisexual, Trans, Lesbian and Gay Survivors of Abuse’s Fall 2010 Relationship Skills Class. Topics include identifying cultural norms and personal values, accountability, naming and setting boundaries, strengthening support networks, and more! This class is open to Bisexual people and their friends and loved ones, Trans people and their friends and loved ones, other LGBTQ people, and all people regardless of relationship status or history. Suggested donation $90, no one will be turned away for lack of funds. Scholarships and trades available. For more information, accessibility quesGAY CITY UNIVERSITY tions, or to register, contact Yecelica at 206On Saturday, September 11 from 8 a.m. to 568-7777 or yecelica@nwnetwork.org. You may subscribe to the list by sending an e- 4 p.m. at the Northwest School (1415 Summail to northwestnetwork-subscribe@lists. mit Ave.), Gay City University is going back in session. Sharpen your pencils, get out riseup.net. your backpacks, and choose your best backto-school outfit, because Gay City UniverACLU’S 75TH sity is back. Learn more about aging, finanBIRTHDAY PARTY On Thursday, September 9 from 5:30-7 cial strategies for Gay men, dating, film and p.m. at Cal Anderson Park (11th Ave. & E. theater, holistic medicine, fitness/exercise, Olive St.), the ACLU of Washington will Gay/Bi history, politics, literature and writhold its 75th birthday party. Join special ing, home interiors, pop culture, arts and guest Constance McMillen to celebrate the crafts, relationships, sexuality and erotica, freedom to love whomever you choose. gardening, travel, career development, and There will be cupcakes, prom photos, and much more! Enrollment is $20 and includes lunch. Scholarships are available. merriment. Free and open to the public. Gay City Health Project is a multiculFor more information, visit www.aclu-wa. tural Gay men’s health organization and the org. leading provider of HIV and STD testing in King County. Our mission is to promote WALLRUS AT Gay and Bisexual men’s health and prevent CAL ANDERSON PARK On Thursday, September 9 at 6 p.m. at Cal HIV transmission by building community, Anderson Park (11th Ave & E. Olive St.), fostering communication and nurturing Wallrus, an animated wall project lasting self-esteem. To register, go to www.gaycity.org. four years and involving eight animators, will be shown. Initial artist Clyde Petersen ECMCCS begins his animation at 6PM during the PRIDE CAR WASH Capitol Hill art. The spectacle is free and On Saturday, September 11, from 9 a.m. open to the public. He will be working on a music video for Portland based band, The to 3 p.m. at C.C. Attle’s (1501 East Madison Thermals. The project will celebrate the Street), Emerald City Metropolitan Community Church Seattle will hold its annual wonders of travel in outer space. PRIDE Car Wash. Suggested donation: $5$10. Proceeds will go to the church’s “Let CD FORUM PRESENTS Our Light Shine” fund which will be used to THE BLACK CHURCH’S present two community workshops during NEW POLITICS On Thursday, September 9 at 7 p.m. at the October’s LGBT History Month and ComSeattle University LeRoux Conference Cen- ing OUT Month activities. These workter (910 12th Ave.), the Central District Fo- shops are ECMCCS’s attempt to bridge rum for Arts & Ideas (CD Forum) presents the gap between need and required actions “Only On Sundays: The Black Church’s by adults to offer real hope and help to our New Politics.” Join moderator Reverend Queer youth. Research indicates that Queer Flora Wilson Bridges, PhD and a panel of and Transgender young people are more religious leaders for a lively discussion than four times as likely to have attempted around the relevancy of the black church in suicide in the past year than their peers, as Seattle and beyond. The event is co-spon- well as face an increased risk of harassment sored by Seattle University Department of at school, drug and alcohol use, and of being Theology and Ministries. “With this discus- the victims of physical violence. Queer and sion, the CD Forum aims to provide a space Transgender youth are also over-representfor both members and non-members of the ed in the juvenile justice system and in sysSeattle religious community to thoughtfully tems of state care, where policies and pracconsider and respectfully debate the current tices often don’t meet the most basic safeimpact of the black church in our area,” ex- guards. Educators, health providers, service plains CD Forum Executive Director Ku- organizations, and state agencies often lack confidence and competency to help and admani Gantt. Tickets are $5 students and seniors, $7 ad- dress structural issues related to gender and vance, $10 door. Tickets can be purchased sexuality. For more information on the workshops, online at brownpapertickets.com/produccontact Rev. Ray Neal, pastor, Emerald City er/1200 or by calling 1(800) 838-3006. MCC Seattle, at 206-325-2421 or 206-3252421. ECMCCS currently meets for worLEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS ship on Sundays at 11:00 AM in the Chapel PANEL DISCUSSION On Thursday, September 9 from 7:30-9 at University Temple UMC, 1415 NE 43rd p.m. at the Museum of History and Indus- St. try (2700 24th Ave. E.), MOHAI and the FRIENDS OF League of Women Voters are hosting a THE CONSERVATORY stimulating panel discussion focusing on FALL PLANT SALE how voting is changing in the digital age On Saturday, September 11, from 10 a.m. and how women have impacted voting in Washington state. Panelists include Sherril to 3 p.m. at Volunteer Park (1400 East GalHuff, the director of King County Records er St.), the Friends of the Conservatory in and elections; Holly Jacobsen, Voter Ac- Volunteer Park are having their annual Fall tion co-founder and executive director; and Plant Sale. Located on the lawn across from Shanna Stevenson, long-time local historian the Conservatory, the Fall Plant Sale will be and the coordinator of the Washington State selling plants featured in the Conservatory, Women’s History Consortium. The event is as well as specimens from the Conserva-
Visit us online www.sgn.org
September 3, 2010
SEATTLE CENTER FESTÁL: ALOHA HAWAIIAN CULTURAL FESTIVAL On Sunday, September 12, from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. at Center House and Mural Amphitheatre (Seattle Center, 305 Harrison St.), Seattle Center Festál: Aloha Hawaiian Cultural Festival provides a feast for the senses as visitors journey through the sights, sounds and tastes of Hawaii with Hawaiian music and hula, workshops, Hawaiian crafts, keiki-activities, exhibits and ono food. Join many of the over 50,000 Hawaiian Islanders who call Washington their home as they share their homeland’s colorful history. The 2010 Festival features local halau and Hawaiian music groups, hands-on lei making and lauhala weaving workshops, and Hawaiian craft vendors. Learn more about Hawaii’s history with Hawaiian history documentaries and exhibits. Visitors will also experience a day in the life of an ancient Hawaiian with the Hawaiian Living History exhibit where visitors can taste poi, learn to chant, and view ancient Hawaiian artifacts. Special guests this year include award winning ukulele players Herb Ohta, Jr. and Keoki Kahumoku as well as worldrenowned Grammy Award Winning slackkey guitar player Cyril Pahinui. For more information, visit www.seattlecenter.com. MARIJUANA REFORM PUBLIC FORUM On Sunday, September 12 from 7-9 p.m. at Seattle Town Hall (1119 8th Ave.), there will be a public forum for “Where Is Marijuana Reform Heading?” The ACLU of Washington presents a discussion on the history, current status, and future of marijuana-law reform in Washington and the United States. Local and national panelists include travel writer Rick Steves; Keith Stroup, founder of and legal counsel to the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws; Washington state Sen. Jeanne Kohl-Welles; Rob Kampia, co-founder and executive director of the Marijuana Policy Project; and Ethan Nadelmann, founder and executive director of the Drug Policy Alliance. Moderated by ACLU-WA Drug Policy Director Alison Holcomb. For more information, please visit www. aclu-wa.org. WRITING THROUGH CHANGE Starting September 13 and continuing each Monday at Gay City Health Project (511 E. Pike St.), Gay City presents Writing Through Change. All literature and all people deal with change. Through this sixweek, Queer-friendly, writing-intensive workshop, explore the way change manifests through writing. This workshop is open to both women and men. You do not have to be a writer to participate. Instructors: Susan Rees and Kevin Skiena. $25 for the entire six-week series. For more information or to enroll, visit www.gaycity.org. PRISM COMICS QUEER PRESS GRANT DEADLINE The Prism Comics Queer Press Grant was established by Prism to assist in the publication and promotion of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender comics. “The Queer Press Grant continues to be one of the most significant grants dedicated to supporting independent comic books,” says Justin Hall, Prism’s Talent Relations Chair. “The Grant is given to a cartoonist, comics writer/artist or team working on a project with LGBT characters or themes, to assist them in publishing a new project or expanding an existing one. Since 2005, the annual Grant has provided recipients with a substantial sum of money, which has varied according to our fundraising efforts; for the past two years, we have awarded $2000, our highest Grant amount, and hope to continue to increase the amount with the generosity of our donors.” This year’s QPG deadline is September 15. For a full breakdown of the Grant’s guidelines and to fill out an application, please go to prismcomics.org/grant.
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by Barry Thorsness SGN African Correspondent On Monday, we were on the road again. We were off to Mpumalanga in northeast South Africa. It is our first “holiday” – for those who are a bit confused, “taking a holiday” in the rest of the English-speaking world is the same as the American “vacation.” Simply traveling is not a vacation – to me, traveling is getting up in the morning, having a destination in mind, not being really sure how you are getting there, and never being surprised if you get sidetracked and don’t get there at all. Traveling is often hard work and can be very tiring. Not so with a vacation! We loaded the Mercedes with our picnic basket and blanket, and then filled the car with our computers and everything we had. Off to a reservation at the Pine Lake Inn Chalets, a four-star resort on the water in White River, about 15 miles north of Nelspruit. Nelspruit (pronounced “nellsprate”) is one of the larger cities in South Africa and was one of the venues for the World Cup. White River is a small, nondescript town with many resort hotels which cater to those heading north to the spectacular Blyde Canyon and its surrounding waterfalls, or to Kruger Park, one of the most famous game reserves in Africa. Waterfalls, waterfalls, and more waterfalls Staying in a three-bedroom villa on the side of the lake was certainly different than a backpackers’ lodge. Even more different was the cloudy, overcast sky. We are now nine weeks into our travels and had yet to experience a cloudy day. Louis and I got in the car Wednesday morning and drove up through Sabie, with our destinations being Mac Mac Falls, the Mac Mac Pools, Lone Creek Falls, Bridal Veil Falls, Berlin Falls, Lisbon Falls, and more. Going up the steep grades of the highway, it was misty and cool. We had the windshield wipers going. It looked and felt like Scotland – it wasn’t until I was reading the information about the Scots at Mac Mac
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Seattle Gay News
All photos by Barry Thorsness
The African adventure continues Falls that I said to myself, “Duh!” We were hoping Thursday’s weather might be a little better as we were going to travel back through this area and continue north along the Blyde River Canyon. Off to the healer Our day sightseeing was cut short by our appointment with the “healer.” Sharon had booked a “healing session” with Dorene Allsop of White River for late in the afternoon. Louis had e-mailed his doctor at home, worried about his cough that had started three weeks ago when we went to
The Blyde River Canyon is the only true canyon in South Africa, and it is spectacular! We stopped first at the Bourke’s Luck Potholes. The potholes are one of those natural phenomena you marvel at as water falls from pothole to pothole. We were then off to the Three Rondavels. The guidebooks call it a “cinemascope vista.” It’s breathtaking to look down into the canyon and across the lake and up the valley. We had gone from Scotland to Peru in 50 miles! Louis tells me that I drive people crazy when I keep insisting that they stop the vehicle so I can take a pic-
at God’s Window, an unbelievable vista across Africa made up of an incredible mountain valley, sheer cliffs, strange and wonderful rock formations, tree plantations, and brush-clearing fires with smoke in the distance. God’s Window is made up of a fairly large tropical rainforest which you can hike through. It’s an amazing walk, with the sound of birds and the smell of plants with new spring blooms, and it feels very tropical. Spring is coming, and it is getting warmer, 25C-28C (80F-85F), but still chilly at night. It’s the perfect time to travel to Mpumalanga. We had first planned to be here in the summer and had to make plans to take a drug regime to avoid getting malaria. No worries
ture. Today, I was driving myself crazy by jamming on the brakes, pointing at incredible rock formations and vistas, and then trying to find someplace to pull off the highway and walk back and get a picture. At almost every bend in the road, I said, “Wow, look at that!” It’s frustrating when you are watching a whole group of baboons running down the side of the highway and you can’t find a place to stop. Africa is a land of extremes, and traveling here is no exception. On one side of the road was the awesome scenery and vistas. On the other side of the roads, over hills, valleys, and mountains, were tree plantations and shantytowns. We were in logging country – Weyerhaeuser, eat your heart out. The tree farms here dwarf anything I have seen in Washington state with their miles and miles of pine trees at every level of maturity and huge logged “tree cemeteries,” as Louis calls them. These made me feel great sadness, and sometimes even some anger. This was the case when we stopped
of malaria this time of year. We were just a little south of the Tropic of Capricorn.
Groot Marico. Doreen was a spry 87-yearold white, English, retired nurse – hardly what I would have envisioned as an African healer. The “body balancing” session with Dorene was about an hour and a half long. Three days later, Louis’ cough was gone. Spectacular scenery On Thursday morning, we loaded the car with our picnic basket and headed out. It was sunny and perfectly clear. Right outside our hotel, we got sidetracked and watched the monkeys playing and chasing each other around the rooftops. It was a wonderful way to start the day with a great laugh.
September 3, 2010
Back to Joburg On Friday, we left to go back to Joburg with one more stop in mind: the Sudwalla Caves in the heart of the Mankelekele Mountains. After a couple of kilometers up a steep switchback road, we arrived at the caves. Although not breathtaking in beauty as some of the finest caves in the world, they were well worth visiting. We hiked for about an hour on a guided tour, and were amazed at the different caverns and rooms. The cave had its history, too: It was once used by people from nearby Swaziland who were loyal to one of the brothers who was to become king. They fled here from the armies of the other brother as they fought for control. This area of South Africa is settled heavily with Swazi people. We headed back to Joburg on the toll freeway. This may be Africa, but some things never change. I was so glad we were going against the Friday afternoon traffic leaving the city. The traffic going the other direction was hardly moving … just like I-5!
Celebrating 37 Years!
Courtesy of Pride At Work AFL-CIO Special to SGN Pride At Work has endorsed a national march for jobs scheduled for October 2 in Washington, D.C. The One Nation Working Together march was first announced at the NAACP national convention in July. Pride At Work joins 150 national social justice, labor, and community organizations in endorsing the march. Organized around three demands – putting America back to work, quality and affordable public education, and equality for all – the march reflects growing frustration at the slow pace of economic recovery and the apparent lack of political will to address it. “We all deserve a just and fair chance to achieve the American dream. Our national identity is rooted in the ideal that all people – regardless of race, class, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, heritage, or ability – should have the opportunity to fulfill their potential,” One Nation’s website says. “One Nation Working Together will chart a bold, pragmatic path toward a more unified, sustainable, prosperous future by building support for these core principles and policy ideals.” Pride At Work is a national LGBT labor organization affiliated with the AFL-CIO, but including members of Change To Win and independent unions and allies. The endorsement was voted by Pride At Work’s National Executive Board at its Au-
gust meeting. “This is a landmark moment,” said Pride At Work Executive Director Peggy Shorey, “perhaps the first national jobs/justice march in history that specifically includes the LGBT community at a leadership level, highlighting our diversity of sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, calls for an end to ALL forms of workplace discrimination, and calls for the freedom to choose a voice at work.” Pride At Work was invited by One Nation organizers to convene an “LGBT Table, creating a space for organizing, messaging and mobilization directly between national LGBT organizations and the One Nation organizers.” “We are joined by our allies the National Gay & Lesbian Task Force, National Stonewall Democrats, and the National Black Justice Coalition as co-conveners of the One Nation LGBT Table and are reaching out to numerous other LGBT organizations,” Shorey said. The first meeting of national LGBT organizations involved in the One Nation march will be September 2. The LGBT Table is expected to develop outreach materials for local organizers and specific plans for mobilization to support the DC march. Pride At Work in Seattle can be contacted at 206-261-8110 or OutFront.PrideAtWork@gmail.com. Pride At Work’s national office can be contacted through the organization’s website, www.PrideAtWork.org.
Chinese court takes first HIV discrimination case by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer A court in Anqing, Anhui Province, China, agreed on August 30 to hear what is believed to be that country’s first HIV discrimination case. The plaintiff – who wishes to go by the alias Xiao Wu – alleges he was denied a teaching position by the Anqing education department because he tested positive for HIV. According to China Daily, Xiao was tested for HIV, syphilis, and hepatitis C after he passed the written exam and interview for the teaching job. Xiao’s attorney, Zheng Jineng, told China Daily that his client wanted the education department to review its decision and give him the job he deserves. Xiao himself could not be reached for comment. “We understand he was under huge pressure and afraid of media exposure,” Zheng told reporters. The trial is scheduled to begin September 13. “I hope the case can draw the public’s attention and help protect job seekers against any kind of discrimination,” Zheng said. “The state already has laws and regulations forbidding discrimination against HIV carriers when they apply for jobs,” Zheng told China Daily. “But the actual practice by some government departments and employers are in direct conflict with the laws. “The fact that the People’s Court has accepted the case indicates that the rule of law in China is progressing,” he added. The Anqing education department said the issue was one of student safety. “As an education department, we believe that teachers should be responsible for stu-
dents’ sound development. Our decision not to hire him is to protect the students. We definitely won’t change our minds,” said a department staffer identified only as Fang. Lu Jun, the director of the Beijing-based Yirenping human rights organization, told China Daily, “I think [Xiao] will win the case.” Xiao himself is reportedly not so sure. He also told reporters that once his case is reported in the media, all of his friends and relatives would know he was HIVpositive. He said he could not predict how that would impact his future. Xiao Wu was born and raised in rural Anqing. He said that he went through four years of college education in the hope of getting a decent job. He did not reveal how he became HIVpositive. Chinese officials say some 740,000 people in that country are living with HIV/ AIDS. Many face discrimination in employment, education and healthcare because of the stigma attached to the virus. That attitude was illustrated by a mother interviewed by China Daily for their story. Identified only as Yang, her 8-year-old son attends an Anqing primary school. Yang told China Daily reporters that she agreed with the education department’s decision. “I understand Xiao Wu’s suffering but I don’t want an HIV carrier to teach my son,” she said. China Daily is an English language newspaper published by the Chinese government. It is intended to be read by foreign diplomats, business people, and tourists, and therefore carries articles about social issues that would not typically appear in Chinese language publications.
I hope the case can draw the public’s attention and help protect job seekers against any kind of discrimination.
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reuters
Pride At Work endorses Castro apologizes for One Nation Working sending Gays to camps Together march
Fidel Castro
by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer Cuba’s Fidel Castro told the Mexican newspaper La Jornada that it was wrong for the Cuban government to fire Gays from state jobs, imprison them, and send them to work camps in the countryside in the 1960s and early 1970s “Those were moments of great injustice, great injustice!” Castro said in an interview published August 30. “Yes, we did it, us,” Castro told La Jornada. “I am trying to limit my responsibility in all this because, of course, I personally do not hold those kinds of prejudices,” he added. But when pressed by the La Jornada reporter to say whether the Communist Party or some other entity was responsible for what occurred, Castro said, “No. If any person was responsible, it’s me.” He said he had been too busy coping with events such as the 1962 Cuban missile crisis to stop what occurred. “We had so many and such terrible problems, problems of life or death, that we didn’t pay it enough attention,” Castro said. Government media campaigns now dis-
September 3, 2010
courage homophobia and the state has even paid for a few sex-reassignment operations for Transsexuals. Castro took power in January 1959 after a victorious guerilla war. He remained in power till he retired due to illness in February 2008. He was succeeded by his younger brother, Raul Castro. Fidel’s niece and Raul’s daughter, Mariela, is Cuba’s leading Gay rights advocate. Castro’s comments to La Jornada elaborated on past acknowledgments of his government’s mistreatment of Gays. Between 2003 and 2005, Castro gave a series of interviews to the French journalist Ignacio Ramonet, in which he said, “I’d like to think that discrimination against homosexuals is a problem that is being overcome. … Old prejudices and narrow-mindedness will increasingly be things of the past.” Castro nearly died during emergency intestinal surgery in July 2006 and disappeared from public view for four years. The cause of his illness has never been disclosed. In recent months he has made a series of public appearances, including a photo op on August 30 with U.S. journalists Jeffrey Goldberg of The Atlantic and Julia Sweig from the Council on Foreign Relations.
Seattle Gay News
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Seattle Gay News 11
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September 3, 2010
Celebrating 37 Years!
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September 3, 2010
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September 3, 2010
Celebrating 37 Years!
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September 3, 2010
Seattle Gay News 15
GLAD All over sports by Dan Woog SGN Contributing Writer Howard Cosell once called sports “the toy department of human life.” So why would an LGBT legal organization – one whose mission is challenging barriers in areas like
marriage, the military and the workplace – worry about toys like softball, and toy chests like gym class? Because sports is “a social institution writ large – one from which LGBT people are still largely excluded.” That’s the view of Ben Klein, and he should know. He’s an
attorney with Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defender – a Boston-based legal rights organization dedicated to ending discrimination based on sexual orientation, HIV status, and gender identity and expression. Klein works with litigation assistant Jamal Brown on GLAD’s Homophobia in Sports project. Now in its initial, fact-finding phase, the project hopes to use the courts to bring about equal rights for Gay people – just as it’s done in areas such as AIDS law, immigration and education. “GLAD works to ensure equal access to a variety of institutions,” Klein says. “But with the exception of the National Council for Lesbian Rights, sports has not been given the attention it needs. It’s the one area in which it’s still largely acceptable to engage in anti-Gay epithets and harassment.” For the last 20 years, Klein says, LGBT organizations – his and others – have focused on “basic rights” like housing and relationships. Sports “didn’t rise to the top of the priority list,” he admits. “We weren’t even thinking about them.” Now they are. “Athletes are being forced out of sports, or kicked off teams, for being Gay,” Brown says. “And coaches are being fired, or prevented from being hired, because of their sexuality or gender identity.” Taking a lawyerly approach, GLAD realized it needed to assess the situation before rushing to court. Last fall, the organization developed a survey aimed at athletes, coaches, sports-related employees and casual recreation users. The goal was to understand their experiences – positive and negative – in athletics. The most common finding, according to Klein, was “the prevalence of homophobic slurs.” Whether malicious or merely careless, the comments made in locker rooms and on playing fields make LGBT people uncomfortable, wary of coming out – even causing them to leave teams. But is an unwelcoming environment actually illegal? “If there is a clear-cut situation in an educational setting – in a state with an anti-discrimination law that includes sexual orientation – we could bring a case,” Klein replies. In a state without a Gay-rights statute, a case could be filed charging sexual harassment – provided the comments or actions were sexual in nature. In the case of a coach, charges could be brought under “hostile environment” workplace laws. Of course, none of this is a slam dunk.
“It’s hard to find people who are willing to sue, and have a legitimate case,” Klein says. “We can’t just snap our fingers and find the right case.” To bring a harassment claim, someone must report it – for example, pervasive slurs or bullying – to someone in a school or workplace. Then, school officials or employers have to ignore it. Such reporting is rare, Klein says. “People don’t feel comfortable talking about it; they don’t know who to report it to, or they don’t think it will be addressed even if they do say something.” Part of GLAD’s mission, Klein says, is to educate LGBT people, school officials and employers that they must create an environment in which anti-Gay harassment can be reported – and publicize a process for doing so. Lawsuits are a last resort. The surveys have not yet reached a broad spectrum of Gays and Lesbians. “It’s hard to find people having the most significant problems,” Klein says. “They may be less connected to groups we’re targeting, or they feel isolated because of what’s happened to them.” (Anyone wishing to fill out the survey can find it at www.glad.org/sports.) Klein calls sports one of homophobia’s final frontiers. “In our efforts to address various areas of society, the LGBT rights movement in general has paid scant attention to athletics. Some of that may come from a bit of ambivalence in our country about the world of sports.” Some comes from ignorance. “I came out in 1979,” Klein says. “I didn’t think Gay people were athletes. But we can’t address barriers in society without talking about sports.” Despite varying levels of knowledge about – and interest in – sports, GLAD staffers have embraced Klein and Brown’s efforts. “People here are really excited,” says Klein. “They understand the principles behind this.” Brown brings special cachet to the cause. A track star at Ivy League Dartmouth College, Klein calls him “our resident athlete. He has invaluable insights into the sports world. Me – I’m just an aging recreational athlete.” But one with a law degree – and a passion for equal rights, wherever injustice lurks. Dan Woog is a journalist, educator, soccer coach, Gay activist, and author of the “Jocks” series of books on Gay male athletes. Visit his website at www.danwoog. com. He can be reached care of this publication or at OutField@qsyndicate.com.
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Celebrating 37 Years!
james whitely
Gay City’s Eden party a huge success james whitely
Gay City Project’s Eden party
bid on silent auction items, and bought raffle tickets from Gay City’s four “flower boys.” Staff members from Gay City Health Project gave short speeches on their experiences working for Gay City, the personal growth that it’s granted them, and why an organization like Gay City is necessary and relevant. Eden is an annual fundraiser held by Gay City Health Project. According to Jabin, Eden is now in its seventh year. The party was sponsored by Cupcake Royale, Great Western Travel and Cruise, Panevino Wines, and Julia’s Restaurants, as well as many other local businesses. Gay City and Great Western Travel and
Cruise also announced a partnership wherein anyone that books their vacation through Gay City Travel Club and GW Travel, a donation is made in your name to Gay City. To learn more about the new travel/fundraising program, visit www.gwtravelandcruise.com/category/partners/gay-city/. Gay City Health Project is a multicultural Gay men’s health organization and the leading provider of HIV and STD testing in King County. Their mission is to promote Gay and Bisexual men’s health and prevent HIV transmission by building community, fostering communication, and nurturing self-esteem.
Flower boys
by James Whitely SGN Staff Writer Gay City health Project’s Eden fundraiser August 26 Private residence On Thursday, August 26, about 100 people gathered in Seattle’s Blueridge Neighborhood for Gay City Health Project’s Eden garden party. The party, which took place at a private residence just south of Seattle’s
Carkeek Park, lent a spectacular view of the Puget Sound to a well-coordinated and enjoyable night of fundraising and community. Eden raised nearly $8,000 for Gay City. “We were really delighted with the number of people that turned out. … Even the weather cooperated,” said Gay City’s deputy director, Peter Jabin. Free hors d’oeuvres and cocktails were offered to guests as they chatted with friends,
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To win, Democrats must define, defend, and dumb down by Wayne Besen SGN Contributing Writer
can’t make Americans remember the disaster of George W. Bush’s presidency, a mere two years ago. Yet the GOP still has people This past weekend, I attended an event on remembering the alleged nightmare of life Fire Island that featured Sen. Kirstin Gilli- under Jimmy Carter. brand (who was quite lovely and engagWouldn’t the party be much better off if ing). Interestingly, a few donors publicly it cast aside its reticence and threw political expressed displeasure about the Democratic punches against the GOP in the same way Party’s progress on LGBT issues during a that Rachel Maddow, Keith Olberman, and Q&A session. This got me thinking about Jon Stewart do each night? why some Democrats are disappointed with If Barack Obama still thinks he can play the party – and it goes much deeper than nice and make friends with intransigent Revotes on a few key issues. The unease, in publicans, then he is kidding himself. The my view, comes directly from the party’s in- GOP is already planning, if they win back ability to define itself, defend itself, and the the House, to undermine the president’s lestyle in which it communicates. gitimacy and effectiveness by launching a If one is asked to name five defining issues series of frivolous investigations. the Republican party stands for, it would be Of course, the biggest problem the Demeasy: lower taxes (for the rich), pro-business ocrats have is that they often do not know (corporate welfare), discrimination (Gays, how to talk to voters. In the early stages blacks, Muslims immigrants, etc.), family of my career, when I was in broadcasting, values (undermining separation of church news directors taught that to reach a mass and state), and a strong defense (dumb wars audience, reporters had to write at a fifth- to we can’t afford). seventh-grade level. The Republicans get But, if one asks the same question about this, while Democrats talk to the American Democrats, people would be left scratch- people as if they are conducting a college ing their heads. Over the past couple of de- seminar. We hear them yammering about cades, the party has left us with a series of complicated or meaningless terms as public mind-numbing, ever-changing slogans and option, cap and trade, deregulation, ENDA, strategies. and working people. Sure, many of the Democratic party’s is(Today’s real working people would rathsues are laudable and they have had some er be defined by their aspirations, not their success passing legislation. But the merry- current station in life. So, appeal to their go-round of messages has left the party dreams, not their present job.) with an identity crisis. Any experienced Here are four quick examples of the way salesperson understands that without a solid Democratic party officials and politicians brand, the product can’t easily be marketed should start talking to voters about key isor sold. sues: In the absence of a brand, Democrats have Deregulation: “Thanks to Republicans, had to disproportionately rely on prodigy we can’t even feel secure having eggs for politicians, such as Bill Clinton and Ba- breakfast because they have dismantled rack Obama, as well as scaring voters into safeguards that protected us from food poibelieving (rightfully) that Republicans are soning.” too radical to govern. Fear will send many Alternative energy: “Every time we go Democratic voters to the polls in Novem- to the gas pump and use foreign oil, we are ber. However, spooking people into voting pumping up the terrorists. This is why we against the bad guys and mama grizzlies, support homegrown energy innovation.” while important, will not be enough to win Environment: “We will not allow Republong-term. lican policies to ruin our heritage by polAside from defining, the Democrats are luting our blue water and skies with oil and going to have to start defending and stop al- smog.” lowing themselves to be tarred by RepubliENDA: “In a free market, the best worker cans. First, Al Gore was painted as a wimpy, should get the job, regardless of sexual oriserial exaggerator who lacked leadership. entation. We have zero tolerance for disThen, we had war hero, John Kerry, who crimination because it is morally wrong and was swift-boated as a traitor. Now, Barack it is bad for business.” Obama has been mercilessly slimed as a Here is your political lesson for the day communist, Muslim terrorist who wants to in terms of dumbing it down. In the Alaska march into Middle America and take their Republican Senate primary, Sarah Palinguns. endorsed Tea Party favorite Joe Miller ran It is frustrating that the Democratic party an ad against his moderate opponent Lisa
Murkowski that claimed she changes her positions “more often than a moose sheds its antlers.” Lisa Mukowski said of her losing campaign, “We stayed on the high road.” You see, one talked about moose antlers and won. The other took the so-called high road and lost. I can only conclude that the “high road” is the one traveled by losing politicians with U-Hauls in the opposite direction of Washington, D.C. Do we want to win, our do we really just want to keep patting ourselves on the back, boasting about how nice we are? I know it can be difficult to dumb down the rhetoric. But, it is better than feeling stupid on Election Day, watching Republicans trick the American people into voting against their own interests. Note: This column IS NOT a call to stay home and not vote. Nor, is it a call not to donate to the party of your choosing. Personally, I happen to share the view of Rick Rosendall: The trouble is that most Republican politicians are equally spineless, but their party is now controlled not by conservatives but by radical wackjobs. The Democrats, for all their faults, are far, far better on Gay issues. The fact that passage of DOMA and repeal of DADT has been slow going is partly due to Democratic weakness, but more due to Republican obstructionism. So the response to this is to reward the Republicans? Not on this planet.
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doma
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words, same-sex partners in states that allow same-sex marriages, domestic partnerships, or civil unions, are not allowed to sponsor their partner from another country for American residency or citizenship. Because Val is a Canadian citizen and Alexis is an American citizen, she was unable to petition for her lover to live with her in Seattle because they were a Lesbian couple. “We met with an immigration attorney because Val wanted to live in the states with me and I did not want to leave my family and country to move to Canada originally,” Alexis said. According to Alexis, they were given the following options: Val could marry an American man; Val could attend an American school so she could temporarily stay in Seattle (but the financial burden was too much for the young couple); she could invest $100,000 in a U.S.-based company or start her own business; she could find a company willing to sponsor her; she could be hired as a U.N. skilled worker; or she could have an immediate family member who is legal in the states to petition her. The last of the options seemed the cruelest. How could the government not look at Alexis as Val’s family member when they were, in fact, a family? Alexis was Val’s wife, after all. “DOMA is an unconstitutional law that has denied me of one of my basic civil rights – the right to marry who I choose – because she happens to be the same gender,” Alexis argued. “DOMA put me in the situation of having to choose between my family and the love of my life. I shouldn’t be made to choose because of this law.” Alexis admits that life probably would’ve been easier, on a practical level, if they had just broken the relationship off and dated someone in their own country. For Alexis and Val, that was never an option, because they are deeply in love and realized that life wouldn’t be remotely as happy or fulfilling if they weren’t together. “Val and I fought for our love because we couldn’t imagine going on our separate lives without each other,” she said. “I feel like people search their whole lives and sometimes never find the kind of love that she and I have. You can’t just throw that away because the road is rough, you can’t just throw that away because of some unconstitutional immigration law. Val is my best friend, my wife, and my soul mate, and I will keep fighting for our love until the day I take my last breath.”
“WITH THAT ONE KISS, I KNEW SHE WAS THE ONE” On August 19, 2004 Alexis’ life changed forever. The 19-year-old and some friends took a road trip to Vancouver, B.C., to go dancing at a Gay club. That was the first time Alexis had ever gone out as an openly Gay woman or to a Gay club – she was excited, to say the least. “Halfway through the night, while dancing at Celebrities Nightclub on Davie Street, I looked up and saw this gorgeous girl,” Alexis told SGN. “It was like something out of a movie. I had never felt this way before. She walked in front of me and I just stopped dancing and everything around me seemed to just disappear. I didn’t hear any music and I didn’t see anyone but her. We made eye contact and at that exact moment I knew that this girl was going to be something important in my life, I just didn’t know how.” A mutual friend eventually introduced Alexis to Val, and for two months, the two women carried on as friends. As time passed and they got to know one another, Alexis says she realized that when Val described her “dream girl” to her, she thought, “That’s me!” “I knew she was the person I had been waiting for,” said Alexis. “I came up to Canada every single weekend. Deep down, we both knew our next relationship was going to be with each other.” After a trip to Capilano Suspension Bridge, the two women stood over a wishing well. Alexis threw a penny in and wished that Val would kiss her, for the first time, that night. When Alexis dropped Val off at home before returning to Seattle, Val asked her to close her eyes and hold out her hand. “I thought she was going to slap it because we were always being playful and goofy with each other,” Alexis recalled. “Instead, she grabbed my hand and pulled me towards her and kissed me. … My wish had come true.” “With that one kiss, I knew she was the person I was going to spend the rest of my life with,” she said. Over the course of the next few years, Alexis and Val made the best of a longdistance relationship, spending vacations together and seeing each other as often as they could. Then, Val proposed to Alexis on her birthday in front of all their friends on “I MISS MY FAMILY IN SEATTLE February 22, 2009. The two would marry EVERY SINGLE DAY” later that year in Canada under circumstancOn November 7, 2009 Alexis and Val es that neither could have foreseen. Looming over the two women, weighing down on had a small civil ceremony in front of their immediate family and close friends undertheir love, was DOMA. neath the U.S.-Canadian Peace Arch at the border. “DOMA FORCED ME OUT” “It was the best day of my life, next to DOMA is a federal law that defines marriage, for all legal reasons, as a union be- meeting her,” recalled Alexis. “Being from tween one man and one woman. In other a state and a country that doesn’t allow me
to marry my soul mate based on our gender is saddening. I take the term ‘married to my wife’ very seriously and never, not for one second, take it for granted. There was a time when I thought that I would never have the opportunity to legally get married – now that I have, I cherish it every day.” Currently, Alexis and Val are a bi-national couple. They live in Vancouver, B.C., and Val has petitioned for Alexis to become a Canadian resident. “I love it here, but I can’t help but feel cheated by my own country for legally denying me the right to be with the one I love.” “I miss my family in Seattle every single day. I miss my friends,” she said. “While it was my choice to leave them and move to Canada and marry Val, it was, ultimately, a choice I was forced to make by America. It
was the only option we had if we wanted to get married and live together.” Alexis says that she doesn’t like it when same-sex couples are put into a separate category and denied civil rights. “We go through the same daily human struggles,” she said. “We deserve to choose who we marry, and should be able to petition that person if they are from another country without the government and voters stepping in to stop it. I am not asking for special treatment; I am asking for equal treatment.” For other bi-national couples who may be faced with a similar situation, Alexis has some advice: “Do not give up on your love. Val and I are proof that love really does conquer all. It won’t be easy, but it’ll pay off in the end. Keep fighting, and you will find a way.”
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mophobia prior to the incident. “I had come across some very vocal anti-Gay people, but a death threat is very different; it goes to the heart of the community and can inspire fear in an entire community, not only the one that received the threat. It discourages people from stepping up to take a chance and make change in the community. That is unacceptable.” Manning says he met with an FBI special agent and that, as of now, there are no suspects in the case. According to Manning, the test for fingerprints didn’t turn anything up, but he says the FBI is going to test for DNA, as well. He says the note scared him, but also strengthened his resolve to run. “I came forward with this death threat to highlight the hate and bigotry that still exists in our city, state, and nation,” he told SGN. “I could have swept it under the rug and kept quiet about it, but that wouldn’t have done anyone any good. In the LGBT community here, I have seen such apathy and a lack of hope. In the straight community here, I have seen indifference towards LGBT issues. It’s very easy to get comfortable in our lives when things are going well and forget that hate still exists. Keeping this secret would have allowed that to continue. I think it’s important that the community at large is aware of
this and we must all work together to rid our communities of this bigotry.” Manning faces Republican State Representative Brenda Landwehr in the November 2 election. Landwehr condemned the death threat, saying such actions “have no place in America.” Manning said his sexual orientation hasn’t been an issue with voters he has spoken with while campaigning. “Here in central Kansas, specifically Wichita, my constituents are very concerned about many things. My sexual orientation is not one of them,” he declared. “Jobs, education, and economic development are among the major concerns for my constituents. My sexuality is a part of who I am, but it does not define me, and it’s not a major concern in my district.” “Kansas is one of about 30 states where a person can still be fired from his/her job or discriminated against simply for being LGBT,” said Manning. “Many in the LGBT community hide their sexual orientation for fear of hate and discrimination from others in the community. We have made great strides towards equality in Kansas, but we still have a long way to go.” Manning, a former military officer graduating from the United States Military Academy at West Point, says he knows all too well what it is like to live in silence, because he served under “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” (DADT), the U.S. military’s discriminatory policy prohibiting Gays and Lesbians from serving openly. “I made it to first lieutenant before leaving the military as a result of DADT. At first, I
was OK serving under DADT because I really didn’t know, or didn’t want to accept that I was Gay,” Manning admitted. “But as I came to the realization and acceptance of my homosexuality, it became more and more difficult to lie to my friends and Army family about who I really was. I kept quiet, though, because I wanted to serve. I loved what I was doing, and I was proud to be a soldier. When I was outed, it was one of the most difficult times in my life, because I knew that my childhood dream of being in the Army was quickly coming to an end.” “After leaving the military in 2007, I began talking with fellow LGBT West Point and Navy grads about the experiences we all had under DADT, and we decided that it was time to form an affinity group for LGBT West Point graduates and our straight allies,” Manning explained. “As one of the original co-founders, I served as the chair of Knights Out during our organization period.” After all that Manning has been faced with and the obstacles he has overcome, it is important to him that people understand that homophobia and Gay-bashings are not a thing of the past – but should be. “Homophobia and Gay-bashings are far from being a thing of the past, but can be very subtle at times,” said Manning. “Homophobia is in every Gay joke told. It’s every time someone uses the term ‘that’s so Gay.’ It’s caused by a lack of education and understanding. Every time we laugh at one of those Gay jokes, we say it’s OK to stereotype and judge, we say it’s OK to remain uneducated, and we perpetuate the idea that homosexuality is a bad thing. For LGBT persons in many cities and states, they have nothing to worry about, but in some smaller cities and towns, we still have to deal with hate and bigotry on a daily basis.”
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Seattle Gay News asked two local openly Gay political heavyweights, State Senator Ed Murray and Representative Jamie Pedersen, to share their thoughts on a man who, while they fought for equality, used the closet as an excuse to why he stayed on the opposing side of same-sex equality for LGBT Americans. Senator Murray, who has championed Gay rights in Olympia for years, told SGN, “We want people who are in the closet to come out. It is what our cause is about; living openly and being treated equally.” He says that as an out politician dealing with all the public scrutiny associated with that, he is not offended that some people who enter into politics choose to stay in the
closet, because “coming out is part of a process for all of us.” “I have been out since college, so it is difficult to imagine my life any other way at this point,” Murray told SGN. “I think that the examples of closeted politicians and clergy speak for themselves.” “Being out is still the most political act an LGBT person can do,” Murray continued. “Electing LGBT people to office is still the best way to ensure that our issues get addressed.” Murray does not condone Mehlman’s past actions; instead, he reminds us that no one, Gay or straight, is obligated to share the same political agenda. “We should treat him with the kindness we would treat anyone who has struggled with their sexual identity and just come out,” concluded Murray. “We must realize while his politics are not ours, diversity means including different political opinions.” Representative Pedersen, one of Seattle’s most recognizable Gay politicians, told SGN, “I feel sorry for politicians who are in the closet. I am sorry for the pain that they must feel at not being able to be themselves and sorry that our society has not yet gotten to the point where all LGBT people can comfortably come out.” Pedersen says that, although Mehlman may have used his position in politics to harm the Gay community, “Not all closeted politicians support laws that harm our community. Some have actually been great advocates from the closet. Any politician – whether closeted or not, Gay or straight – who uses a position of power to oppress people, especially for political gain, offends me.” Pedersen said that it was love that showed him that living life as a closeted individual was not for him. “After I fell in love the first time, I came to believe that a life without love was empty,” he said. “So living in the closet was not an option for me. The experience of being an out Gay man and not being treated fairly by my government was what drew me into activism and politics.” Pedersen believes that it is important for LGBT politicians to come out. “Having our voices at the table when decisions are made, and having other elected officials know that we are speaking as LGBT people, changes the conversation both inside the government and in society,” he said. “As other leaders get to know us, fear subsides and natural compassion for the injustice we and our families face causes them to want to help by changing the laws that have oppressed us. More generally, having out elected officials and politicians sends the important message to young people that LGBT people are full members of the community.” “I welcome every friend and ally in the struggle for our civil rights,” said Pedersen. “I am glad that Mr. Mehlman’s journey has brought him to the place where he can be out and use his connections and experience to help eradicate some of the injustice that he helped to perpetuate.”
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continued from cover the Tea Party through a front group called Americans for Prosperity. Mayer describes the Koch brothers as “longtime libertarians who believe in drastically lower personal and corporate taxes, minimal social services for the needy, and much less oversight of industry – especially environmental regulation.” Their father, Fred Koch, was one of the founders of the right-wing extremist John Birch Society (JBS) in 1958. Once a rightwing political powerhouse, JBS is today best known for its bizarre conspiracy theories, including the claim that Pres. Dwight Eisenhower was a Communist agent. In addition to Koch PAC’s direct contribution to Rossi’s campaign, the PAC has also funded at least 10 other conservative
groups, which have in turn funneled money for America’s Future got $5,000 from the into the Rossi campaign. According to the Koch brothers and gave the Rossi campaign $2,500. Federal Election Commission: • Sen. Richard Burr’s (R-N.C.) Next Cen• Sen. John Cornyn’s (R-TX) Alamo PAC tury Fund received $27,500 from the Kochs has received $25,000 from Koch PAC since since 2005. It gave $5,000 to Rossi’s cam2006. To date it has donated $10,000 to Ros- paign. • Sen. Saxby Chambliss’ (R-Ga.) Republisi. • Sen. Mitch McConnell’s (R-Ky.) Blue- can Majority Fund has received a whopping grass Committee has received $27,500 from $76,000 from the Koch brothers since 1998. the Kochs since 2005. The committee also It has contributed $5,000 to the Rossi campaign. gave Rossi $10,000. • Sen. John Kyl’s (R-Ariz.) Senate Major• Sen. Richard Shelby’s (R-Ala.) Defend America PAC has received $16,000 from ity Fund got $22,500 from Koch PAC and the Kochs. It also donated $10,000 to Rossi. donated $10,000 to Rossi. • Sen. Lamar Alexander’s (R-Tenn.) Tenn • Sen. Lisa Murkowski’s (R-AK) Denali Leadership PAC received $20,000 from PAC got $6,000 from the Kochs and gave Rossi $5,000. Koch PAC and donated $2,500 to Rossi. • Sen. James Inhofe’s (R-Okla.) Fund for Koch PAC also gave the Senate Consera Conservative Future got $47,000 from Koch PAC, beginning in 1998. It has given vatives Fund $10,000. The Fund has spent $2,773 on an independent expenditure camRossi $5,000. • Sen. Lindsey Graham’s (R-S.C.) Fund paign on Rossi’s behalf.
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Financial relationships among right-wing groups can get very complex. For example, Koch PAC donated $31,000 to Rep. John Boehner’s (R-OH) Freedom Project. That group then donated money to the NRA (National Rifle Association) Political Victory Fund, which in turn gave money to the Safari Club International PAC, which gave $2,500 to Rossi’s campaign. In 2008 SCI PAC spent $93,000 on an independent expenditure campaign against President Obama. It also funded independent expenditure campaigns on behalf of George W. Bush and Rep. Michelle Bachmann (R-Minn.), the head of the Congressional Tea Party Caucus. The Koch brothers’ Americans for Prosperity has a Washington state chapter. It is currently led by former KVI talk show DJ Kirby Wilbur. Wilbur first broke into politics organizing against Hillary Clinton’s healthcare reform plan in 1994. He also chaired the unsuccessful 2005 statewide initiative campaign to repeal a state gas tax increase. Dino Rossi’s campaign was invited to comment for this article, but they did not respond.
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