Community Spotlight... We use an alphabet soup to describe ourselves. Some Native Americans honored “Two-Spirits.” See our new Culture section. p. 18
Vol. XV, No. 3
Serving the GLBTQA Community of the Inland Northwest since 1992
March 2006
Marriage equality: Is it a war worth waging?
A panel discussion on marriage equality drew about 60 participants to the main floor ballroom at CenterStage Feb. 11 for the 2nd Quarterly GLBTQ Community Forum sponsored by Stonewall News Northwest. Six panelists addressed the hot-button topic from diverse perspectives. The frequently posed option of civil union versus traditional marriage garnered much attention. Some spoke of rights, some of religion. Some explored complex social and political traditions. There were calls for radical action. And several encouraged alliance-building and wellconsidered dialogue with opponents. “God is Love,” declared the Rev. Dr. Richard Erhardt, minister of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Spokane, an ally and the first panelist to deliver an opening statement. He moved from the First Letter of John to an Old Testament reference to same-sex love [see sidebar on page 20] and then spoke of the joy of walking down the street
Fly your Flags on Fridays! Inside This Issue Arts & Entertainment......................... 12 Be Our Guest......................................... 8 Business Directory . ........................... 21 Calendar............................................... 22 Culture.................................................. 18 Classifieds............................................ 20 Family . ................................................... 8 Healthier Options .............................. 16 In My Opinion........................................ 3 Letters of the Law............................... 19 National / International News.......... 11 No Rest for the Wicked ....................... 6 OUT! in the Middle . ............................ 7 Regional News . .................................... 6
Photos by P. Devine
by Catherine D. Willis
The Rev. Dr. Richard Erhardt, Brooks Goode, Dr. Beth Jones, Cameron Lewis, W. Sagen Smith and Marge Ballack served on the panel that addressed the topic of marriage equality Feb. 11 at CenterStage. Insets, counterclockwise from top, left: Chris Aumack, Robert Cochran and Marvin Reguindin asked questions from the audience; and panelist Beth Jones responded to many of them.
hand-in-hand with his wife. He rued the fact that his gay and lesbian friends cannot engage in this same mundane act without inviting harsh judgment, even bodily harm. He raised this scenario again in the question-and-answer portion of the program when audience member Jill Wagner asked whether time-honored methods of activism had lost their efficacy in our present world. Responded Erhardt, “I really do believe that the simple stuff can be so radical. Just think about it. If every GLBTQ person would just hold hands while walking down the streets of the city of Spokane. Could you imagine what would happen if the City Council tried to pass an ordinance against holding hands?” Panelist Brooks Goode, a longtime legal assistant, generally focused his
remarks on the intricacies of the law. A proponent of civil unions, he cautioned against a push for marriage. Acknowledging the state high court’s pending decision on the constitutionality of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), he said, “I’m not sure how the Supreme Court is going to rule, but I would note
Do we need Pride? Yeah, we do... And when they get rid of the St. Patrick’s Day Parade, they can get rid of ours. – Cameron Lewis
that in my lifetime we have already seen one major change in marriage law in the state of Washington that occurred in the mid-70s, when we established
what’s called ‘no fault divorce.’ The consequences of that were disastrous for women and for children.” Beth Jones, Ph.D., Gonzaga University assistant professor of political science, looked at history. “The institution of marriage itself is undeniably and fundamentally a state or civil issue. Even in Puritan New England, where most people think of the state being almost a theocracy, in many senses, marriage was removed from the position of the church and magistrates – civil magistrates – performed the ceremonies.” She challenged civil unions as they are currently defined in law as an unfair compromise. “To offer a second, secondary status, union to gay and lesbian couples raises questions of the validity, the value and the significance of their
Resource Directory............................. 23 Reviews & Previews ........................... 14 Spokane News....................................... 4 Tell Trinity............................................. 17 Voices...................................................... 2
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Join the Journey ...Come OUT Spokane! A community service announcement:
This year marks the 15th anniversary of Spokane’s annual Pride Celebration. Northern Quest Casino has already jumped on board with OutSpokane to help create the most ambitious Pride Celebration Spokane has ever hosted. Look for the OutSpokane thermometer to the right each month to see our progress toward the $50,000 goal for sponsorships and donations. The Pride Parade and Rainbow Festival will be held on Saturday, June 10. Other Pride Celebration offerings already scheduled throughout June include two EMCC Cruises; PFLAG’s Mom and Pop Breakfast; Pride Foundation’s Rainbow Awards; events featuring Patricia Nell Warren, acclaimed GLBT Hall of Fame author of The Front Runner; the Imperial Sovereign
Court of Spokane activities; a performance and community forum featuring transgender entertainer S. Bear Bergman; and surprises we will be revealing in upcoming weeks. Negotiations are in process to bring both regional and national celebrities to help us commemorate this 15th anniversary in style. Announcements will be made and names will be named as soon as the contractual ink is dry! Join in the planning of this monumental celebration. OutSpokane meets the first and third Thursdays of each month from 7:15 p.m.-8:45 p.m. in the 3rd floor Kress Gallery, Riverpark Square Mall, 808 W. Main Ave. For more information visit www.outspokane.com or call (509) 893-1667.
$50,000 June May
April March
$1,000