Celebrating 41 Years! Issue 5 Volume 43
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Seattle Gay News SEATTLE’S LGBT NEWS & ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY
Alabama marriages set Rare form of syphilis to start February 9 shows up in King County
Southern Poverty Law Center files Three of four cases are men who have sex with men ethics complaint against state judge by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer
AP Photo / Rob Carr
Plaintiffs Cari Searcy (l) and Kim McKeand with their son Khaya
ruling applied to the whole state. U.S. District Judge Callie “Ginny” Granade ruled on January 23 that the Alabama ban Gay and Lesbian marriages are set to be- was unconstitutional, and on January 28 that gin February 9 in Alabama after the federal her decision applied to all same-sex couples judge who struck down Alabama’s ban on see Alabama page 7 same-sex marriages said definitively that her by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer
Health officials say that a rare form of syphilis that can cause blindness has shown up in King County. Six cases of ocular syphilis have been diagnosed in Washington state since mid-December. Four of those cases are in King County, and of the four King County patients, three are men who have sex with men. Two patients have been blinded by the disease. Six cases are said to be an unusually high number, since ocular syphilis affects fewer than one in every million people in the general population each year, according to Dr. Russell Van Gelder, chair of the ophthalmology department at the University of Washington. Even among people with syphilis, the ocular form appears in only 10% of patients, he added. The four King County cases are all men. Three of the four report having sex with other men. Men who have sex with men represent the largest group of syphi-
lis patients in King County. Three of the four are also HIV-positive. People with HIV are often infected with syphilis, too, health officials say. All of the patients reported loss of vision, blurring, having a blue tinge to their vision and seeing “floaters” and flashing lights. Three of the patients were hospitalized to receive intravenous penicillin treatment, but one patient refused care. Nearly 400 cases of syphilis were reported in King County last year, but it is still unclear why the current cluster of ocular syphilis cases has appeared. Health workers have been urged to step up testing for syphilis and to report any vision-related infections promptly. Patients with signs or symptoms of syphilis have been encouraged to get tested. Health officials say that all men who have sex with men, who have had sex in the past year, and are not part of a mutually monogamous relationship should be tested for syphilis, gonorrhea, chlamydia and HIV at least annually – and more frequently if they are at higher risk for disease. see SYPHILis page 5
U.T.O.P.I.A. Seattle welcomes SGN EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW City Council member Nick Licata new officers, launches new support group by Shaun Knittel SGN Associate Editor United Territories of Pacific Islanders Alliance (U.T.O.P.I.A.) Seattle announced this week the organization’s newly elected 2015 board of directors. U.T.O.P.I.A. welcomes Tanya Rachinee as the new U.T.O.P.I.A. Chair and Vice Chair Lory Lealie’e Suluai. In addition Treasurer Isyss Viena and Secretary: Fania Sipili. The new leadership replaces past Treasurer Ului Teulilo, Secretary Kalani Young, Vice President Chase Nahooikaikakeolamauloaokalani Silva and President Taf Mae. U.T.O.P.I.A. Seattle is a charitable association of volunteer members that work against the plight of discrimination in regards to sexual orientation and gender identity. They work to promote and enhance diversity appreciation within the Seattle/Tacoma community by providing educational opportunities, foster cultural appreciation, and provide guidance and counseling to the LGBTQ Pacific community in Washington state and the Pacific Northwest. Rachinee, a Transgender woman and owner of the Ballard Thai Cuisine restaurant Root Table, says that after the initial shock wore off she feels “truly honored to be elected as the new President of U.T.O.P.I.A.” and added that
she is “thankful and so very honored to be a part of this wonderful and loving family.” Family is a word that is appropriate when describing this close group of advocates, activists, and volunteers. Although you do not have to be from the Pacific (Rachinee is originally from Thailand and she serves as Chair), the group’s leadership has traditionally been made up of Native Hawaiians, Samoans, and Tongans. Although Census report data shows the Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander demographic is one of the fastest growing in the nation, they make up only a small minority or percentage in Washington state. Within that already marginalized population exists the even less represented LGBTQ members of the community. But you won’t find any sad story when looking to U.T.O.P.I.A. Due to strong leadership over the years and the greater local Asian and Pacific Islander (A/PI) LGBTQ and allied community’s acceptance of the organization, you will find a very healthy and thriving organization.
Nick Licata
by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer
For the first time since 1998, when the new Seattle City Council takes office in January 2016 Nick Licata will not be in one of the seats. The veteran Council member announced January 22 that he will not run for reelection in November. Not that Licata will spend his new found free time puttering around his garden. He has a new book coming out in January 2016, and plans for organizing projects that will “promote what we do here [in Seattle] nationally.” see U.T.O.P.I.A. page 6 “It seems strange,” Licata tells SGN, “but pro-
gressive networks are not that well developed. How many cities have LGBT Commissions like we do? Nobody knows. How many have Women’s Commissions? Nobody knows. “And we need to know. That’s what drives me.” Licata sees organizing a national network to coordinate what he calls the “urban progressive renaissance” as his next project. “My last big adventure,” he says with a grin. “I hate to make the comparison, but maybe it’s like Teddy Roosevelt going to the Amazon jungle. My ‘River of Doubt.’” Looking back on 17 years on Seattle’s City Council, Licata has plenty of achievements to be proud of. “Paid sick leave – we set national standards,” he says. “Minimum wage legislation – most of the ‘inside job’ was me. “Getting the Council to take positions on national issues – that was not the obvious thing to do. I remember several years ago, we lost 5 to 4 on Burma. But we passed a resolution opposing the war in Iraq. “And the Occupy Seattle resolution – we added the requirement for social investing. Now banks must show they do responsible investing if they want to do business with the City.” Asked what issues still needed to be addressed, Licata replied “Getting the City to divest from fossil fuel investments – oil and coal – it’s challenging, but a worthy project. “Affordable housing – that’s the friendly see LICATA page 5