WEDNESD A Y
March 7, 2007 Volume 16, Issue 5 www.stonewallnews.net
News Northwest Serving the GLBTQA Community of the Pacific Northwest since 1992
Stonewall News Northwest turns 15!
Annual Oscar Gala nets more than awards
Now published every other week! Next Issue: Wednesday, March 21st
Photo by Mike Schultz
Ad and Content Deadline: Wednesday, March 14th
Oscar Boys Patrick Thomas, left, and John Smith, center, collect payment for a raffle ticket for a week long vacation in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico at SAN’s Oscar Gala.
Spokane AIDS Network (SAN) 9th Annual Oscar Night Gala at the Davenport Hotel on Feb 25th held true to its form. An evening of charity and
Issues available free throughout the Pacific Northwest and at www.stonewallnews.net THIS ISSUE
Summer Moved On by Michael Breyette Book Review | Page 9 51 Things we can do For Transgender Equality (back next issue) Arts & Entertainment.............................8 Business Directory . ..............................11 Calendar....................................................14 Classifieds (back next issue) “Cody” by Tim Anderson.......................5 National & International........................6 Resource Directory................................12 Reviews & Previews ...............................9 Spokane......................................................2
Fly your Flags on Fridays!
elegance, emceed by Mark Peterson and Debra Wilde, included fine dining, silent and live auctions of donated items, four large ceiling dropped projection screens
WA Domestic Partnerships Bill Passes Senate By Jim Jones Special to Stonewall News Northwest
A small yet significant step was made in Washington State last week towards legally recognizing same-sex relationships. The Senate passed SB 5336, the domestic partnership registry bill. SB 5336 grants just a few of the 300 or so rights granted to heterosexual married couples in Washington State. The bill creates a registry for same sex couples and grants those who are registered the right to visit their domestic partner in the hospital, to make medical decisions and to inherit when no will has been made. The debate on the senate floor was typical; the Republican from Arlington, Val Stevens, tried to link these few rights to the old “slippery slope” fallacy of “this will lead to bestiality, necrophilia and incest.” During debate, Senator Brian Weinstein, D-Mercer Island said it best: “I don’t believe this bill is about bombs exploding. I don’t believe this bill is about having sex with dead people or having sex with animals. What this bill is about is whether or not two people who love each other and have a committed relationship with each other can merely file a form with the Secretary of State and have the state recognize that union and give them just some of the rights that married people have. My good friend (Sen. James Hargrove, DHoquiam), who just said that this bill discriminates against married people – No it doesn’t, because married people already have all these rights.” The most memorable quote came
from the bill’s sponsor, Ed Murray “You have prevented us from marrying; please do not prevent us from caring for each other.” The bill passed 28 to 19 and is expected to have the support of the House as well. Governor Gregoire has said she will sign it into law as soon as it reaches her desk. This is a small step towards marriage equality in Washington State, but it is still a far cry from full marriage equality. Only Federal recognition can grant the right to file joint tax returns, travel freely as a married couple and all of the other 1200 rights that most heterosexuals take for granted. In addition, rights granted by the domestic partnership registry will
Photo by Steve Dawson
telecasting the Oscars, and an Oscar Post Please see OSCARS page 2 More Oscars Photos on page 10
One of the prime sponsors of the domestic partnership bill, SB 5336, Sen. Ed Marray.
not be recognized in a state that has a “Defense of Marriage” amendment to its constitution. Twenty-nine states are still free from these amendments.
Local ex-gay ministry forms By Joyce Crosby Special to Stonewall News Northwest
The Greater Spokane Association of Evangelicals (GSAE) is forming a new transformational ministry, CPR Outreach, which according to its mission statement, is dedicated to “preventing homosexuality and restoring those caught in the lifestyle through the power of Jesus Christ.” There are no less than a dozen mental health professionals in Spokane County who practice reparative therapy in an effort to “deliver” their clients from the “homosexual lifestyle.” This therapy is in blatant opposition to the American Psychological Association’s official statement on the issue: The potential risks of ‘reparative therapy’ are great, including depression, anxiety and self-destructive behavior, since therapist
alignment with societal prejudices against homosexuality may reinforce self-hatred already experienced by the patient. There are also “transformational ministries” that claim by using “reparative or conversion therapy,” they can turn a gay man or lesbian into a heterosexual. However, American Psychological Association President Rodrigo Muñoz, M.D countered, “There is no scientific evidence that reparative or conversion therapy is effective in changing a person’s sexual orientation.” He added, “There is, however, evidence that this type of therapy can be destructive.” In addition to the ministries, several local churches offer ex-gay support groups that reinforce the idea that all people are born heterosexual; therefore GLBT people are defective or sick and Please see EX-GAY page 7