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4 • BAY AREA REPORTER • February 2-8, 2017
Volume 47, Number 5 February 2-8, 2017 www.ebar.com PUBLISHER Michael M. Yamashita Thomas E. Horn, Publisher Emeritus (2013) Publisher (2003 – 2013) Bob Ross, Founder (1971 – 2003) NEWS EDITOR Cynthia Laird ARTS EDITOR Roberto Friedman BARTAB EDITOR & EVENTS LISTINGS EDITOR Jim Provenzano ASSISTANT EDITORS Matthew S. Bajko • Seth Hemmelgarn CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Ray Aguilera • Tavo Amador • Race Bannon Erin Blackwell • Roger Brigham Brian Bromberger • Victoria A. Brownworth Brent Calderwood • Philip Campbell Heather Cassell • Belo Cipriani Richard Dodds • Michael Flanagan Jim Gladstone • David Guarino Liz Highleyman • Brandon Judell • John F. Karr Lisa Keen • Matthew Kennedy • Joshua Klipp David Lamble • Max Leger Michael McDonagh • David-Elijah Nahmod Paul Parish • Sean Piverger • Lois Pearlman Tim Pfaff • Jim Piechota • Bob Roehr Donna Sachet • Adam Sandel • Khaled Sayed Jason Serinus • Gregg Shapiro Gwendolyn Smith • Sari Staver • Jim Stewart Sean Timberlake • Andre Torrez • Ronn Vigh Ed Walsh • Cornelius Washington Sura Wood ART DIRECTION Jay Cribas PRODUCTION/DESIGN Max Leger • Ernesto Sopprani PHOTOGRAPHERS Jane Philomen Cleland • FBFE Rick Gerharter • Gareth Gooch Lydia Gonzales • Jose Guzman-Colon Rudy K. Lawidjaja • Georg Lester • Dan Lloyd Jo-Lynn Otto • Rich Stadtmiller Steven Underhil • Dallis Willard • Bill Wilson ILLUSTRATORS & CARTOONISTS Paul Berge • Christine Smith ADVERTISING/ADMINISTRATION Colleen Small VICE PRESIDENT OF ADVERTISING Scott Wazlowski – 415.829.8937 NATIONAL ADVERTISING REPRESENTATIVE Rivendell Media – 212.242.6863
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We won’t shut up P
resident Donald Trump is upending the status quo in less than two weeks in office. The change that Trump and his senior strategist, Steve Bannon, promised during the campaign has managed to sow chaos while doing nothing to “Make America Great Again.” In fact, the opposite has happened. With his travel ban to seven predominately Muslim countries, Trump has torn apart families for no other reason than an unfounded fear that those countries are havens for terrorists. Never mind that according to Politifact, since 9/11 no fatal attacks have been carried out by anyone from those countries listed – Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen (there have been a few non-deadly attacks by individuals from two of those countries, Iran and Somalia, the site reported). According to New America, a think tank that has compiled information on terrorist activities in the U.S. since 9/11, the majority of attackers have come from within our borders. Suspiciously, Trump did not include majorityMuslim countries where terrorists have actually come from but where he has business interests. No conflict there – not. Trump fired acting U.S. Attorney General Sally Yates Monday night after she ordered Justice Department attorneys not to defend Trump’s travel ban, in what’s being called the “Monday Night Massacre,” a nod to the Nixon power grab during the Watergate era. Trump said in a statement that Yates “betrayed” him. We think Yates was standing up for the Constitution. As a holdover from the Obama administration, Yates would have been replaced anyway once the Senate confirms Trump’s pick, Alabama Senator Jeff Sessions, but she did what she thought was right up until the end. Bannon has also secured a seat on the principals committee of the National
Security Council while the status of two generals was downgraded. That’s scary, considering Bannon’s white nationalist and anti-immigrant beliefs. Now Trump’s chief political operative is sitting in on national security briefings – as one of the key White House decision makers. Bannon, in an interview last week, also railed against the media, saying it should “keep its mouth shut.” “I want you to quote this,” Bannon said in an interview with the New York Times “The media here is the opposition party. They don’t understand this country. They still do not understand why Donald Trump is the president of the United States.” We have a message for Bannon: we do understand who is president and we will not shut up. We will continue calling attention to the hypocritical, backward policies Trump proposes, and continue covering people who are stridently protesting their disagreements with the administration. Now is no time for complacency. Tuesday morning, the LGBT community dodged a bullet when the White House issued a statement saying Trump would leave intact President Barack Obama’s 2014 executive order that prohibits
Marching in unity by Gwendolyn Ann Smith
O
n January 21 a massive demonstration centered on women’s rights and other issues drew millions of people to venues across the world. The event, known as the Women’s March, dwarfed the sparsely attended presidential inauguration held in Washington, D.C. the day before. It was also marked by its witty, properly-spelled protest signage and the pink hand-knit, crowd-sourced “pussy hats.” The protest was not solely for women’s rights; participants cited a laundry list of issues important to them, including worker’s rights, immigration reform, health care, the environment, racial equality, and, of course, LGBTQ rights. In the wake of the march, in spite of its successes, many took to social media and other outlets to express ways the event missed the mark. Many argued that people of color were not centered as well as they should have been, while others were dismayed by what seemed to be a shifting stance on pro-choice issues. Perhaps most relevant to this column, however, were concerns about trans inclusivity at the event. I will admit a bias. I feel that trans people, at least in the San Francisco Bay Area, were well included. I’ve heard similar things from friends and family at a couple of other marches. Nevertheless, I have to assume that trans inclusion would vary wildly between an estimated 408 events. I also know that while I personally did not feel a lack of inclusion, my own experience is not universal, and only represents my own self. I mentioned the signs above, and yes, there were some great signs out there. I laughed along with some of the most snarky ones. But I’m also well aware of signs that stated things like “No Uterus = No Opinion,” which would
mean that my own two cents as a trans woman – in an event that includes LGBTQ rights within its mission – is clearly devalued. That sign was not alone, and joined others that may have strayed a bit off message. By the same token, some in the trans community also felt uncomfortable with the pussy hats, which served as a clear and very visible part of the event. The design, a simple, knitted beanie sporting cat ears, fashioned out of bright pink yarn, was a cheeky way to show solidarity in the face of President Donald Trump’s now-infamous statements about sexual assault. As I mentioned above, millions of people took part in these events, and some had never participated in such a march before. Many first timers are not going to be exactly “on message.” That’s not to say that there weren’t some there who I’m sure did harbor ill will toward transgender people, but I suspect these were a minority in many cases. At any rate, I would think of this as a time to
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discrimination by federal contractors against LGBT employees. That, of course, is good news, but it doesn’t mean LGBTs can breathe easier. In fact, the Human Rights Campaign held a news conference Tuesday to warn that anti-LGBT action could soon come from the White House. Most likely, according to HRC and other organizations, Trump could issue an executive order extending a broad license to discriminate against LGBT people under the guise of “religious liberty.” Such a “license to discriminate” order would have chilling effects on the community. After all, the White House’s statement Tuesday did not say that the administration would not take other actions to limit legal protections for LGBT people. The license to discriminate order, should it be issued, would be a boon to Trump supporters, who constantly rail against equality and seem to think that businesses have a right to flout anti-discrimination laws. They do not. According to the Williams Institute, an LGBT-focused think tank at UCLA School of Law, studies have shown that LGBTs continue to experience discrimination in the workplace, either in hiring, pay, or promotions because of their sexual orientation. This affects our health, quality of life, and earning potential. The Williams Institute also pointed out more and more companies, including the top 50 government contractors and top 50 Fortune 500 firms have “specifically linked internal LGBT non-discrimination policies to improving their bottom line.” As a businessman, Trump should appreciate that fact, not seek to undermine it with a bigoted executive order. Trump’s penchant for governing via Twitter is showing the limits of 140-character decrees. The executive orders he has signed so far are sloppy and not well thought out. He’s apparently not consulting his own Cabinet secretaries or congressional leaders. What he has done is surround himself with unqualified people who depend on Fox News or Breitbart News (where Bannon used to be an executive), two right-wing sites whose accuracy is often suspect. That doesn’t bode well for our democracy.t
teach, and a place to explain why a given sign may offend or exclude. It would also be a time and a place to consider one’s own feelings about a given sign or symbol. Yes, it’s probably impossible to go too deep into any topic in a massive throng of people marching with purpose, and I think that is why so many are exploring their Christine Smith feelings post-event. I do want people to consider one important thing about this march, and the way that – setting aside signs and hats – those of us who are trans and those who are fighting for woman-specific issues can and should work together. For one – and I cannot stress this enough – trans women are women. The things that affect women can affect all women. We can all face discrimination based on our gender, no matter how we arrived at it. By the same token, issues of access to women’s health services can affect a broad swath of transgender people, including many who identify as non-binary or trans masculine. There is room for all of us to discuss similar needs and find common ground here. More so, as many smarter than I have pointed out, both the trans movement and the abortion rights battle are issues focused on body autonomy. We should have the right to augment our bodies as we see fit as transgender people, as well as having the right to terminate an unwanted pregnancy as one desires. Right now, on this last point, the stakes are very, very high. See page 14 >>