SGN January 1, 2021

Page 1

Celebrating 46 Years! Issue 1 Volume 49

FRIDAY January 1, 2021 FREE!

25¢ in bookstores & newsstands

DONATE TO SGN TODAY!

www.gofundme.com/f/seattle-gay-news-needs-your-support-now • VISIT SGN.ORG

Seattle Gay News S E AT T L E ’S L GB T Q

N E W S & E N T E R TA I N M E N T W E E K LY

GOFUNDME THANK YOU – A LETTER OF GRATITUDE

SGN readers donate $15,705 in 2020 As 2020 comes to a close and we reflect on this difficult year, we pause to give thanks that despite the hardships we are still here. 2020, a year that none of us could have possibly predicted. 2020, four numbers that represent so much loss for so many people. It has been a liar, a cheat, and a deceiver through a horrific virus that has no discrimination. Although 2020 has left behind mangled rubbish for many of us, organically, even the most delicate plant can break through the rot and start new growth and rejuvenation. This is my hope for 2021.

see GOFUNDME page 11

George Bakan – Photo courtesy of The Legacy Project

Will HIV-positive people get vaccine priority?

2020: A year in review for Seattle’s LGBTQIA+ community

Photo by Thirdman from Pexels

by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer While scientific opinion seems to say that COVID-19 vaccines are safe for people living with HIV, it’s not clear when vaccines will be available to that population. If many HIV/AIDS advocates have their way, HIV-positive people – regardless of their degree of viral suppression – will be among the first groups to be immunized. But where everyone falls in line is not at all right now, given the complex calculations involving age, job risks, and under-

lying health conditions. Adding to the uncertainty is the fact that decisions will ultimately be left to individual states and county health departments. It is not even clear how many doses of the vaccine will be available and when. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) has been developing guidelines for state and county health departments on which groups should be prioritized for the COVID-19 vaccines.

see COVID-19 & HIV page 5

Photo by Renee Raketty

by Renee Raketty SGN Contributing Writer 2020. I’m eager to turn the page not because I believe all the hype that 2021 will make everything better for my community or myself, but because with the new year comes new hope. Here, I reflect back on 2020. I don’t intend to cover everything that happened and, clearly, I’m going to miss a lot. I don’t even care to talk about the very thing that I have become known for writing about, the Black Lives Matter movement and the

protests. Nor, do I wish to reflect on the COVID-19 pandemic. These are two topics that bring me great anxiety and, honestly, I could write small books about. The Black Lives Matter movement in the wake of the death of George Floyd last May was the largest in United States history and included protests in every state, including the District of Columbia. Here in Seattle, we remember the dates that resulted in violence, property damage and police abuses. I myself was attacked by a Seattle Police Department officer on July 25, 2020. I now

see LOCAL NEWS 2020 page 9


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.
SGN January 1, 2021 by SGN (Seattle Gay News) Archives - Issuu