SGN Sep 7, 2018 - Part 1

New Village

Seattle Gay News

Saying goodbye to Barbara Bailey

by Jenny Durkan Mayor of Seattle

INDIA: World’s most significant gay law reform

Historic day as one-fifth of the world’s LGBTs set free from criminalization

LONDON, UK (6 September 2018) –India’s Supreme Court has just struck down section 377 of its penal code. This means the court has decriminalised homosexuality and it affects 18% of the worlds LGBTs.

This is arguably the most significant judicial ruling in the long and ongoing battle for LGBT rights.

see BARBARA BAILEY page 4

Our friend Barbara Bailey died this [past Labor Day] weekend, and Seattle grew suddenly dimmer. Few things challenge our sense of mortality and purpose more than the death of someone who seemed immortal. Barbara was such a person. Born and raised here, she loved Seattle and poured herself into making it better. Barbara was relentless in everything she did. Her determination was a strength and was her most defining characteristic.

John McCain’s Senate seat – from bad to worse

however, is even worse.

Peter Tatchell, Director of the Peter Tatchell Foundation: “This historic legal ruling sets free from criminalization almost one-fifth of the world’s LGBT+ people. It is the biggest, most impactful gay law reform in human history.

INDIA page 13

21 arrested at Westin Hotel

Hotel workers demand better wages, job security

by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer

Labor Day lived up to its name this year, as hundreds of Westin Hotel workers and supporters rallied outside the hotel, with some blocking Fifth Avenue till they were arrested by police.

The Labor Day protest was the latest in a long series of local and national escalations between hotel workers represented by UNITE HERE and the Marriott corporation, which now owns the Westin.

Besides the demonstration in Seattle,

5 see JON KYL page 11

A message from Pride Foundation’s Kris Hermanns On my last day … lasting memories

Dear Friends,

On my last official day in my role as CEO of Pride Foundation, I am leaving with a sense of profound gratitude for each and every one of you who makes our community so special.

I continue to be deeply moved by the outpouring of support you have consistently shown Pride Foundation and me personally, and I could not be more grateful to have gotten to do this work alongside you for the past seven years.

All we have accomplished together is a poignant reflection of your commitment to one another and to the belief that, together, we can build a better world for all of us.

It has been the privilege and honor of my life to have been given the opportunity to lead such an important organization at such a critical time. While my role in this organization may be changing, you are still my community and, fundamentally, this work is core to who I am.

The trust and faith you have put in me is a gift I will always cherish. During the times when I was afraid or unsure about how to move forward, I always knew that we were in this together and that we would, as a community, find the right path forward – that if we collectively held on to our values and our beliefs, we would make the seemingly impossible attainable.

Leaders are only as good as the people they are surrounded by – and I have clearly been surrounded in this role by a community of compassionate, courageous, and generous people.

I will never be able to fully express how much the past seven years have meant to

me, but please know how deeply grateful I am. So thank you – for allowing me to be a part of this work with you, for giving me endless reasons to be hopeful, and for continuing to fight every single day for a world where we all get to be our full selves in the communities we call home.

With appreciation,

Kris Hermanns Chief Executive Officer Pride Foundation

P.S. I also want to thank everyone who has donated to the Kris Hermanns Home is Where the Heart is Fund – https://pridefoundation.org/krisfund. Because of your generosity, we now have a fund that has grown to over $117,000, which will help ensure LGBTQ youth in rural communities across the Northwest have access to the critical resources they need to reach their full potential.

Courtesy of Pride Foundation

Rest in peace, John. From your Seattle Prime Timer friends.

John Mark passed away on August 23, 2018 at age 84. Our friend and fellow Seattle Prime Timer was taken from us by cancer. He was a kind man, a friend to all he met, and an active participant in our club and community activities. One of his friends called him “an exceptional human being.” He also enjoyed one-on-one activities with club members such as going to the Silent Movie Mondays at the Paramount Theatre and enjoying the original 1928 “Mighty Wurlitzer” organ instrument accompaniment to the movies. John owned a rather large organ which he enjoyed playing. He also was a bit of a car buff and owned a Nash Rambler that is over 50 years old and which he kept in immaculate condition. John had worked as a Public Health Officer and as an electrician. As a young man he had been a Catholic Seminarian and he was true to those values throughout his life. From time to time he would send some of his friends mailings with clippings on topics of interest to him, which sometimes contained copies of the Catholic Corporal and Spiritual Works of Mercy. During his last weeks he would remind visitors that in visiting him, they were performing a Corporal Work of Mercy.

The Corporal Works of Mercy are these kind acts by which we help our neighbors with their material and physical needs: Visit the sick; Bury the dead; Feed the hungry; Clothe the naked; Visit the imprisoned; Shelter the homeless; Give drink to the thirsty.

The Spiritual Works of Mercy are acts of compassion, by which we help our neighbors with their emotional and spiritual needs: Instruct; Advise; Console; Comfort; Forgive; Bear wrongs patiently.

Responding to an article on “Writing an Obituary by Ted Verdone” which was reprinted in our July 2014 Newsletter, John prepared his own “In Memoriam” document which he sent to the Club and other key individuals in his life. We present it below with only a few modifications.

IN MEMORIAM

John Henry Mark

Born: November 16, 1933

Died: August 23, 2018

John Mark, 84, of Seattle, Washington, died Thursday, August 23rd at Covenant Care in Seattle. He was born in Allentown, Pennsylvania, the only child of Helen M. Gesting and John A. Mark, who have preceded him. Shortly after the death of his father in 1939, when he was five years old, he and his mother moved to Colorado Springs, Colorado, and then to Los Angeles, California, where they lived until the Second World War. After moving back to the East Coast, his mother re-married in 1943, and he grew up in Somerville, New Jersey, County

Seat of Somerset County, where he attended public and parochial schools.

After graduation from St. Peter’s High School in New Brunswick, New Jersey, he worked for Electrolux Corp., JohnsManville Corp. and then The Englander Company. He began studies for the priesthood at Glastonbury Latin School at Glastonbury (Benedictine) Monastery in Hingham, Massachusetts, graduated from St. Jerome’s College Seminary with a B.A. (Department of Philosophy) in Kitchener, Ontario, Canada, attended Mount St. Mary’s Seminary in Emmitsburg, Maryland, and was ordained a priest in the Old Roman Catholic Church at St. Augustine’s Cathedral in Brooklyn, New York.

He attended Rutgers University in New Brunswick, New Jersey, where he completed the Environmental Health Curriculum in the School of Public Health. His Public Health experience in several Health Departments and with The Port of New York Authority included positions of Sanitary Inspector, Registered Sanitarian, and Assistant Public Health Educator. He became a licensed Health Officer in New Jersey and moved to Seattle in 1980, leaving his public health career, which he loved, due to prejudice, bigotry and homophobia; discrimination, which he experienced in housing and employment, during the 1960’s and 70’s on the East Coast.

After moving to Seattle in 1980 he was employed as a manufacturers’ representative for custom-made Energy Efficient Insulating Windows & Doors, as a salesman for Metro Motors specializing in Mercedes-Benz automobiles, and as a Counseling Group Manager for Associated Catholic Cemeteries for the Archdiocese of Seattle. He eventually became a self-employed Electrical Contractor which he very much enjoyed, having had over 40 years’ experience doing residential electrical work since he was a young man.

John was a disciplined and healthconscious person, and never had an addiction to alcohol, nicotine, caffeine or drugs. He enjoyed home improvement projects, cars, photography, reading, housekeeping, classical music, especially organ, which he taught himself to play. He was very involved with the anti-circumcision movement in this country and was part of a nationwide network of organizations and individuals educating the public by raising consciousness about this needless and barbaric surgery performed on baby boys. He was an invited guest speak-e at The First International Symposium on Circumcision held in Anaheim, California in March 1989, and was the founder and director of the Circumcision Information Resource Center of Washington, appeared on radio and television, and presented educational programs on the subject for various groups.

He never married, had no children, and out-lived his parents, relatives, and most of his cousins. He is survived by many friends and acquaintances in Seattle, San Diego, and throughout the country, due to various organizations that he was involved with over the years. He had been a member of the Seattle Men’s Chorus, Ethyl Forever Car Club, AMC Rambler Club, Seattle Electric Vehicle Association, and Seattle Chapter of the American Guild of Organists, Secular Humanists of Washington, Spreckels Organ Society, FOG (Fellowship of Older Gays) in San Diego, Seattle Prime Timers, and Ageless Men’s Support Group in Seattle.

A memorial for John is being planned. If you would like to be involved or attend, please contact us at info@seattleprimetimers.org.

Barbara’s commitment to action made her an early pioneer for LGBTQ+ rights. Her bookstores – B. Bailey Books and Bailey/Coy Books – were nationally beloved independent bookstores that regularly brought communities together and hosted renowned authors. They were also safe and welcoming spaces for the LGBTQ+ community, particularly for those just coming out and during the height of anti-LGBTQ+ actions. In Barbara’s bookstores, there was no shame and nothing secret or hidden – “our” books were placed prominently next to all the New York Times best sellers. Barb warmly welcomed everyone to the store, often loudly with a laugh, a hearty greeting or an exclamation about the latest political outrage.

Barbara championed civil rights here in Seattle for communities of color and for the LGBTQ+ community. From the AIDS crisis, to the fight for equal rights, to marriage equality – Barb was on the front lines helping in any way she could and was always leading with her energy and her heart. She hosted countless fundraisers for organizations, candidates and causes close to her heart. There was no job too big or too small for Barbara Bailey.

Throughout her life, Barbara was most relentless in her positive nature and her love of friends and family. She built community, forged connections and reveled in the accomplishments of others. Whether through walks at Cal Anderson, gatherings at her house or the crew at Chevy – Barbara Bailey built a large extended family. She made every individual know that they were singularly impor-

tant. We all thought we were her favorite. She cheered on public good and fought against any injustice. Her mark on Seattle cannot be overstated; Capitol Hill would not be Capitol Hill, were it not for Barbara. She went to school there, lived there, built a business there and cheered the neighborhood on

like few others. No LGBTQ+ person would have been elected to any office in this region were it not for Barbara Bailey. She always stood by her principles, and she inspired others through her work.

She made life so fun, for so many along the way. Her absence is so hard to bear, and

we will miss her even more than we know. Always and forever, she will be an incredible example of a leader who demanded equity, justice and fairness for all.

Courtesy of the Office of the Mayor

Suicide rates in Washington continue rising

Health officials promote individual and community action during September’s Suicide Prevention Month

OLYMPIA – Suicide rates in Washington have continued to rise, and health officials at the Department of Health want people to take five actions urged in the national “#Bethe1to” suicide prevention campaign.

“We want people to know there are steps they can take that can help prevent suicide,” said Secretary of Health John Wiesman. “Learning these may be vitally important to those you love and care about.”

In 2017, 1,300 Washingtonians died by suicide, and from 2006 to 2017, suicide in Washington state increased by an average of 2.5% annually.

The national #Bethe1to campaign highlights five actions people can take to help prevent suicide:

1. Be the one to ask. Ask the tough question. When somebody you know shows warning signs, ask them directly: “Are you thinking about killing yourself?” Take an

WESTIN

thousands of Marriott workers mobilized in San Francisco, Boston, Honolulu, Detroit, San Jose, and San Diego, with over one hundred people arrested in the protests nationally.

Marriott’s union contracts have expired in many cities across the country without the company being able to reach an agreement with workers in the ongoing negotiations. Although Marriott is the most profitable hotel company in the world, with revenue of almost $23 billion in 2017, its hotel employees say they often have to take second jobs just to pay their bills.

According to their union, UNITE HERE, Marriott hotel workers are fighting for contracts that will allow them to support their families with dignity, to work in safe conditions, and to win basic job security.

“Marriott is the largest and richest hotel company in the world,” said UNITE HERE Local 8 President Erik Van Rossum, who was arrested in the civil disobedience action.

“Their success is the result of the hard work of thousands of UNITE HERE members across the country. Today, we said ‘Enough!’ to jobs that produce billions in revenues for Marriott but don’t provide workers the ability to support themselves and their families.”

UNITE HERE Local 8 represents hotel and restaurant workers in Washington and Oregon, including 400 workers at the Westin.

“I have worked at the Westin Seattle as a housekeeper for four years, and I still don’t have a regular schedule or hours” said

online screening [at http://helpyourselfhelpothers.org].

2. Be the one to keep them safe. Do they have access to medications, firearms, or other means of suicide? Ask if they’ve thought about how they would do it, and separate them from anything they could use to hurt themselves. Learn more from WA’s Safer Homes Coalition [https://depts. washington.edu/saferwa].

3. Be the one to be there. People thinking about suicide can feel a burden to their loved ones. If your friend is thinking about suicide, listen to their reasons for feeling hopeless and in pain. Listen with compassion and empathy without judgment. Now Matters Now [https://www.nowmattersnow.org/skill/suicidal-thoughts] has videos of people who have experienced suicidal thoughts [sharing] what individuals can do to help manage those thoughts.

4. Be the one to help them connect.

Help your friend connect to a support system, whether it’s 800-273-TALK (8255), the crisis text line (text “HEAL” to 741741), family, friends, faith-based leaders, coaches, co-workers, health care professionals, or therapists, so they have a network to reach out to for help. 2-1-1’s online database [https://win211.org/search] is another way to find local resources.

5. Be the one to follow up. Check in with the person you care about on a regular basis. Making contact with a friend in the days and weeks after a crisis can make a difference in keeping them alive. Send a caring contact [https://zerosuicide.sprc.org/toolkit/treat/ interventions-suicide-risk]. This could be a phone call, text, email, or letter.

If you want to connect with someone anonymously, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255,

chat [https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/ chat], or text “HEAL” to 741741 to text with a trained crisis counselor.

More information on suicide prevention in Washington and the state’s Suicide Prevention Plan is online: https://www.doh. wa.gov/YouandYourFamily/InjuryandViolencePrevention/SuicidePrevention and www.doh.wa.gov/Portals/1/Documents/ Pubs/631-058-SuicidePrevPlan.pdf.

The DOH website [https://www.doh. wa.gov] is your source for a healthy dose of information. Find us on Facebook [https:// www.facebook.com/WADeptHealth] and follow us on Twitter [https://twitter.com/ WADeptHealth]. Sign-up for the DOH blog, Public Health Connection [https:// medium.com/wadepthealth].

Courtesy of the Washington State Department of Health

Local 8 member Anelita Vergara.

“Because of Marriott programs like ‘Make a Green Choice’ [which asks guests to opt out of daily room cleaning], there are fewer hours for housekeepers, and I never know if I will be able to work enough to support my family. We’re going to keep fighting until one job is enough for Marriott workers.”

Among those arrested were the Washington State Labor Council’s President, Jeff Johnson, and Secretary-Treasurer, Lynne Dodson.

“Housekeepers are paid far too little, sexually harassed on a regular basis, and asked to work at a pace where they suffer frequent injuries on the job, and yet the Marriott Westin in Seattle has not shown them the dignity that they deserve or the wherewithal to support their families with one job,” Johnson told the SGN

“This is a disgrace and must change. It was an honor to support these proud workers by doing civil disobedience on Labor Day. The Marriott and the City of Seattle chose to turn peaceful civil disobedience

into an arrest for 21 people. And the truth is, if it would help these workers, then we would continue to do civil disobedience tomorrow, the day after, and the day after.”

“The Marriott makes billions in revenue, and fails to invest in the ones who do the work to make them successful,” Dodson added. “One job should be enough to make a living, and the Marriott workers deserve their fair share of the wealth they create!”

NARAL Pro-Choice Washington participates in civil disobedience at U.S. Supreme Court

Tiffany Hankins NARAL Pro-Choice Washington Executive Director arrested in nation’s capital, protesting SCOTUS nominee

NARAL Pro-Choice Washington Executive Director Tiffany Hankins was arrested [on Tuesday, September 4] in civil disobedience action at the United States Supreme Court and released the following statement:

“A woman’s fundamental right to determine if and when to start a family is on the line with the nomination of Brett Kavanaugh,” said NARAL Pro-Choice Washington Executive Director Tiffany Hankins. “The rollback of decades of hard-fought rights are at stake and we will not stand idly by and allow it to happen. Every senator must vote NO to the nomination of anti-choice nominee Brett Kavanaugh. I have come from my home state of Washington and am here to stand for the millions of women who deserve to maintain control of their own

personal and private bodily autonomy.” Confirmation hearings begin [on Tuesday, September 4] for Donald Trump’s Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, who would be a surefire vote to gut Roe v. Wade, criminalize abortion, and punish women. With only a fraction of his record being released late last night, thousands of Americans are refusing to let the anti-choice Trump administration hide Kavanaugh’s record and the threat to our fundamental freedoms. Kavanaugh was chosen because of his extensive anti-choice record. If confirmed, women are at risk of being punished when they gut and overturn Roe v. Wade and criminalize abortion.

Courtesy of NARAL Pro-Choice Washington

HRC: Kavanaugh’s refusal to answer basic questions on Obergefell is unacceptable, reveals the threat he poses to LGBTQ people

WASHINGTON –[On September 7], the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), the nation’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) civil rights organization, responded to Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh’s repeated refusal to answer basic questions from Sen. Kamala Harris on whether the landmark Supreme Court case Obergefell v. Hodges, legalizing marriage equality throughout the United States, was decided correctly.

“Brett Kavanaugh’s refusal to answer very basic, very direct questions about the

Supreme Court’s historic ruling bringing marriage equality nationwide is alarming and completely unacceptable,” said HRC

President Chad Griffin. “The Obergefell decision is settled law. If this nominee cannot so much as affirm that or the fundamental equality of LGBTQ people and our families, he should not and must not be granted a lifetime appointment to our nation’s highest court.”

Last month, the Human Rights Campaign released a comprehensive report on the threats Brett Kavanaugh poses to LGBTQ

people. This was followed by the release of videos featuring Lillian, a young transgender woman in Alaska, and Laura, a resident of Maine and mother of a transgender son, Jack; both videos focus on the threats to the safety and dignity of LGBTQ people by this nomination. The HRC has also mobilized more than 20,000 calls to the Senate demanding Kavanaugh be held accountable on views regarding LGBTQ people.

From nondiscrimination protections to health care to LGBTQ military service, Kavanaugh is a nominee clearly hand-

picked by anti-LGBTQ organizations to undermine the progress for equality.

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

SUED! Lambda Legal is taking Trump to court for Kavanaugh documents

WASHINGTON, DC (September 4, 2018)

As the US Senate today started the confirmation hearings for Brett Kavanaugh, President Trump’s nominee for the US Supreme Court, Lambda Legal and American Oversight filed a lawsuit to compel the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to immediately produce records related to Kavanaugh’s work in the George W. Bush White House. The lawsuit, filed in US District Court for the District of Columbia, challenges the agencies’ failure to respond to a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request filed in August that sought documents related to Kavanaugh’s involvement in Bush administration policies that discriminated against LGBTQ children, families, and relationships.

“The American people and members of the United States Senate face an urgent question: is Brett Kavanaugh qualified for a lifetime appointment on the Supreme Court?” said Sharon McGowan, Legal Director and Chief Strategy Officer at Lambda Legal. “There is a black hole of critical information missing from Kavanaugh’s record. To move ahead with these confirmation hearings is irresponsible and will undermine the legitimacy of the Supreme Court for decades.

“The George W. Bush White House was one of the most homophobic administrations in recent history, and Brett Kavanaugh was at the center of the action” McGowan added. “The few records we have been allowed to see from his time in the White House show

he was their ‘point person’ on faith-based initiatives and that he was directly involved in negotiating a deal with the Salvation Army that would have allowed them to discriminate against LGBTQ workers while still receiving hundreds of thousands in taxpayer dollars. This is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to Kavanaugh’s involvement in Bushera scandals that were a threat to the LGBTQ community, including the push to ban samesex marriage through a federal constitutional amendment, and the secret efforts to fund anti-LGBT propaganda. The public deserves to know what else is hiding in his record.”

Lambda Legal originally filed eight

separate FOIA requests for documents and communications related to Kavanaugh’s time serving as the White House Staff Secretary from 2003 to 2006. Kavanaugh has referred to his tenure as White House Staff Secretary as “the most instructive” years in his professional development. However, Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Senate Republicans have refused to request documents covering that period from the National Archives, blocking access to this critical information and keeping the American people in the dark about Kavanaugh’s history.

“For a nominee whose track record

remains largely hidden, the Senate is moving through Brett Kavanaugh’s confirmation process with unprecedented haste,” said Austin Evers, executive director of American Oversight. “The fraction of Kavanaugh’s records that have been released to the public came to light only as a result of aggressive litigation. Given that Kavanaugh’s confirmation to the Supreme Court could shape the lives of Americans for decades to come, the public has a right to know how he handled these issues in the Bush White House.”

The full text of the lawsuit and other documents related to the case can be found here: https://www.lambdalegal.org/in-court/legal-docs/dc_ lambda_20180904_foia

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 public policy work.

American Oversight is a nonpartisan, nonprofit ethics watchdog committed to holding the Trump administration accountable. Through public records requests and litigation, American Oversight identifies and extracts evidence of corruption, misconduct, or conflicts of interest in the administration.

Courtesy of Lambda Legal

Vice President Joe Biden to headline HRC’s 22nd annual National Dinner

WASHINGTON – [On September 5], the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), the nation’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) civil rights organization, announced that the 47th vice president of the United States, Joe Biden, will headline the Human Rights Campaign’s 22nd annual National Dinner on Saturday, September 15.

Biden will join former attorney general of the United States Eric Holder; Stacey Abrams, the Democratic nominee for governor of Georgia, who is energizing statewide grassroots support; trailblazing Virginia Delegate Danica Roem; and Nevada Secretary of State candidate Nelson Araujo as the featured speakers for the weekend. The weekend of events, held in Washington, DC, helps to raise necessary and crucial funds in the fight for LGBTQ equality.

“From his earliest days in the US Senate to his eight years as vice president, Joe Biden has been a bold and tireless champion of equality. Today, he is building on that extraordinary legacy of public service through the work of the Biden Foundation,” said HRC President Chad Griffin. “Vice President Biden and the Biden Founda-

tion have tackled issues of LGBTQ equality with vigor, helping to shine a spotlight on the detention, torture, and murder of LGBTQ people in Chechnya and working to accelerate acceptance in communities here at home. Vice President Biden is a strong voice for the vulnerable and a bold advocate for LGBTQ people, and we’re honored to have him join us this year as we

continue to blaze new trails, together.”

Vice President Biden was the first sitting vice president of the United States to express his personal support for marriage equality and helped lead the most proLGBTQ administration in our nation’s history. Since leaving office, Vice President Biden has continued to champion the rights of LGBTQ people in America and glob -

ally, and the Biden Foundation continues to build upon the Bidens’ lifelong commitment to advancing equality, including fighting for equal treatment, dignity, and justice for LGBTQ people. Recently, the Biden Foundation announced two new initiatives: a three-year partnership with the YMCA of the USA to foster LGBTQ inclusion in communities across the country, and a public education and family acceptance campaign called “As You Are” to encourage LGBTQ people to share their stories of acceptance and rejection to help change our culture to ensure a bright future for all LGBTQ young people.

More information is available at www. hrcnationaldinner.org.

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

Study finds sexual minority US adults are poorer than their straight peers

LOS ANGELES (September 6, 2018)

– Sexual minorities in the US have fewer economic resources than their straight peers, and the gap is more pronounced among women, according to a new study by the Williams Institute at the UCLA School of Law.

Researchers analyzed data gathered from 14,051 participants in the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health and found that sexual minority women were more likely to be near poor, receive public assistance, and report economic hardship in the past year. In addition, sexual minority women were less likely to graduate from college and were twice as likely to be unemployed, compared to heterosexual women. Among women, sexual orientation inequities in homeownership were more pronounced for whites than racial minorities. However, rates of homeownership were the lowest for Black and Latina sexual

minority women and were the highest for heterosexual white women.

“Socioeconomic status is a major contributor to health and disease throughout a person’s life,” said lead author Kerith Conron, Blachford-Cooper Distinguished Scholar and research director at the Williams Institute. “Understanding the extent and nature of sexual orientation differences in socioeconomic status is essential to reducing health inequities, particularly as the population of sexual minorities grows and ages.”

Fewer sexual orientation differences in economic status existed for men. Sexual minority men were more likely than their straight peers to have a college education. Yet they earned less and were more likely to report economic hardship in the past year than straight men, which could indicate that sexual minority men face wage discrimination.

In addition, socioeconomic status among men differed by race. White sexual minority men were less likely than white heterosexual men to be among the highest earners. But Black and Latino sexual minority men did better economically than their Black and Latino heterosexual peers.

“These patterns suggest that multiple forms of inequality, as well as factors that promote resilience, must be considered in analyses of the diverse LGBT community,” said Conron. “Moreover, findings emphasize the need to include LGBT measures in large surveys conducted by the US Census Bureau, including the American Community Survey and the Survey of Income and Program Participation, in order to better track, understand, and respond to observed economic inequities.”

The report, “Sexual orientation and sex differences in socioeconomic status: a population-based investigation in the

JON KYL

continued from cover

McCain was in the Senate from 1987 until his death last month. During the course of his career there, he managed to vote for almost all the anti-LGBT measures before that body.

• In 1993, he opposed Bill Clinton’s initiative to remove the ban on Gay and Lesbian armed services members.

• In 1996, he voted for the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA).

• In 2006, McCain was a vocal supporter of an Arizona state constitutional amendment to bar same-sex marriage.

• And in 2010, he opposed repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.

McCain’s dismal record was relieved only by his opposition to the federal marriage amendment in 2004 and 2006, and his vote in favor of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) in 2013.

Sad to say, Kyl’s record of hostility to the LGBT community lacks even that saving grace.

National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health,” appears in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health and is co-authored by Kerith Conron[;] Shoshana K. Goldberg, Research Assistant Professor at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill; and Carolyn T. Halpern, Professor, Department of Maternal and Child Health, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill.

The Williams Institute at UCLA School of Law, a think tank on sexual orientation and gender identity law and public policy, is dedicated to conducting rigorous, independent research with real-world relevance.

Courtesy of the Williams Institute

In 1996, Kyl also voted for DOMA. Six years later, he voted not to add sexual orientation to the federal definition of hate crimes. In 2004 and 2006, he also voted for a constitutional ban on same-sex marriage. His votes on reproductive choice are not any better.

In 2008, he voted that fetuses, so-called “unborn children,” should be eligible for CHIP, the Children’s Health Insurance Program. He also voted to prohibit federal Health and Human Services grants from going to organizations that perform abortions.

Kyl voted against the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act in December 2009 and the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010, in part because they required health insurance providers to cover contraceptive care.

HRC: One year after Trump gave order to discriminate against Dreamers, we need action

WASHINGTON – [On September 5], the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), the nation’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) civil rights organization, called for action one year after Donald Trump and Mike Pence attempted to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, a widely popular federal policy that gives a renewable two-year period of “deferred action” to individuals who immigrated to the United States as children. The HRC continues to call on the White House to reinstate DACA, and on Congress to pass a clean DREAM Act to protect nearly two million Dreamers, including an estimated 75,000 LGBTQ Dreamers who could face unique risks and harms if deported from the only home they’ve ever known.

“It makes no sense why the TrumpPence White House would continue to attempt to terminate a program that helps young people live productive lives and makes our country stronger,” said HRC Government Affairs Director David Stacy. “We have arrived at this point because Donald Trump and Mike Pence have spent the past 20 months fanning the flames of anti-immigrant sentiment, further dividing the American people and harming more than a million Dreamers, including 75,000 LGBTQ young people.”

The Human Rights Campaign joined coalition partners last year in demanding a clean DREAM Act and consistently challenging the Trump-Pence White House’s callous attempts to hijack the federal budget process in order to end programs that help Dreamers. The HRC has also worked to reveal the high stakes of inaction through a video series that shared the deeply moving personal stories of individual LGBTQ Dreamers. Accord-

ing to research by the Williams Institute, about 267,000 undocumented adults identify as LGBTQ and about 75,000 of the Dreamers those who would have been eligible for DACA – are LGBTQ.

One of those LGBTQ Dreamers is Yuridia, a 22-year-old queer DACA recipient and sexual violence survivor. It was only after she received DACA [status] that she was able to report her abuser to the police. Another one is Mo, an LGBTQ Dreamer who faces the tragedy of deportation after

nearly a lifetime in the only country he’s ever known. Viktor, a queer Dreamer from Texas, is proud to call this country his home.

The Human Rights Campaign is proud to join with its allies, like United We Dream and UnidosUS, to draw attention to the intersectional nature of social justice movements and how efforts to roll back any of our rights impact us all.

DACA recipients can still renew their status. Visit RenewMyDACA.com to learn more.

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

Religious liberty: Do you have the right not to believe in Jesus?

by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer

An Oregon lawsuit is testing how the First Amendment religious liberty rights of non-Christians will be applied in the workplace.

Ryan Coleman is suing his employer for firing him after he refused to attend mandatory Bible study. The employer, Dahled Up Construction, has not denied Coleman’s charges but characterized the Bible study sessions as an “opportunity” offered to employees.

Company owner Joel Dahl told The Oregonian newspaper that he conceived of his business as a “second chance” employer. He had served prison time for attempted second-degree assault and struggled with drugs and alcohol, he said, and when he started his construction company in 2016, he hoped to hire other formerly incarcerated people.

Coleman has a past felony conviction and served a prison sentence for child neglect and for selling methamphetamines. But he’s been clean and sober for years, and recently won custody of his 10- and 14-year-old sons.

Coleman told the Washington Post that after being hired by Dahl’s company in October 2017, he woke up excited every morning to work with his painting crew.

“It’s tough to find a job like that,” he said.

Coleman added that he didn’t know about the Bible study sessions until after he started working for Dahl. Coleman is not a practicing Christian and told Dahl multiple times that he wasn’t comfortable attending the Bible study.

According to Coleman, he first asked Dahl if he could schedule other meetings or appointments during Bible study hour but was told that the religious meetings were mandatory.

When he explained to Dahl that he had different beliefs, Coleman says that Dahl

responded, “If you want to keep your job, everybody needs to attend. If not, I’m going to be forced to replace you.”

Coleman says he told Dahl in an April 2018 phone call that he had a right not to attend the Christian Bible study, at which point he was fired, according to court documents.

Coleman’s attorney, Corinne Schram, said she knows of no other reason that Coleman was let go. Coleman was able to find another job after he was let go from Dahled Up

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Construction, but he has stepped away from that job since gaining custody of his sons.

Dahl’s attorney, Kent Hickam, has given different explanations of the Bible study sessions to different news outlets. He told The Oregonian that the Bible studies were required, essentially confirming Coleman’s charges.

But he told the Washington Post that the sessions were a “weekly, motivational team-building exercise” held at a homeless shelter. He said the sessions were scheduled at the end of an afternoon shift. Employees who attended would be paid for that hour, and employees who did not attend would not be paid.

When asked to clarify whether the session was mandatory for employees, Hickam answered, “There’s a lot of great lessons to be learned from the Bible, and I think it’s wonderful he made this opportunity available for his employees.”

Coleman is suing for $50,000 for loss of income, and an additional $750,000 for mental stress and humiliation. He said he hopes his case will show others that they are entitled to stand up for their beliefs, even if they differ from their employers’.

“It doesn’t matter if you believe in Allah or Buddha or anybody,” Coleman said. “It should not be used against you if you’re trying to make a paycheck for a company you enjoy working for. It’s your right.”

India Supreme Court overturns colonial-era law criminalizing same-sex relationships

WASHINGTON – [On September 6], the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), America’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) civil rights organization, celebrated a historic decision by the Supreme Court of India overturning Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code, a British colonial-era law dating back to 1861 that criminalized consensual sexual relationships between adults of the same sex.

“This monumental decision by India’s Supreme Court finally ends a deeply discriminatory law that violated the dignity and most fundamental human rights of LGBTQ people in India,” said HRC Global Director Ty Cobb. “We congratulate the plaintiffs in this case and the LGBTQ advocates who worked tirelessly for decades to achieve this tremendous victory. We hope this decision in the world’s largest democracy and second most populous country will set an example and galvanize efforts to overturn similar outdated and degrading laws that remain in 71 other countries.”

“The soul of this nation had been bruised and battered because of this archaic law,” said Harish Iyer, a 2018 HRC Global Innovator and Indian LGBTQ advocate who was involved in the legal challenge to Section 377. “Today, we have reaffirmed our right to our bodies and our right to love. The rainbow flag is proudly hoisted in our hearts and minds as we celebrate this victory.”

In July, the Supreme Court of India held four days of hearings on six cases involving Section 377. While previous governments had argued in favor of retaining the harmful law, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government announced at the hearings that it would defer to the Supreme Court in deciding whether to decriminalize same-sex relationships between consenting adults. Today’s verdict comes at the end of almost two decades of legal battles, which saw parts of Section 377 criminalizing same-sex conduct overturned by the Delhi High Court in 2009 then reinstated by the Supreme Court in 2013.

With a population of more than 1.3 billion, India is the world’s largest democracy and was the most populous of 72 countries that criminalize same-sex relations. In up to 10 countries, same-sex relations may be punishable by death. The Indian Supreme Court’s decision could significantly influence upcoming court cases and galvanize decriminalization efforts in other British Commonwealth countries, including in neighboring countries Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Malaysia, and Singapore.

INDIA

continued from cover

I hope it will inspire and empower similar legal challenges in many of the 70 countries that still outlaw same-sex relations, 35 of which are member states of the Commonwealth.

“Ending the ban on homosexuality is just a start. There are still huge challenges

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

to end the stigma, discrimination, and hate crime that LGBTs suffer in India.

“Indian LGBTs now revert to the legal status of noncriminalization that existed prior to the British colonizers imposing the homophobic Section 377 of the criminal code in the nineteenth century.”

Courtesy of the Peter Tatchell Foundation