SGN March 21, 2014 - Section 1

Celebrating 41 Years!

Issue 12 Volume 42

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Seattle Gay News SEATTLE’S LGBT NEWS & ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY

Man burned in KOMO chopper crash is a member of the Gay community Nbcnews.com

by Shaun Knittel SGN Associate Editor Richard Newman, 38, was driving along Broad Street in Seattle Tuesday morning when a KOMO news helicopter crashed onto his car, engulfing his red car in flames and killing chopper pilot Gary Pfitzner and photographer Bill Strothman. The King County Medical Examiner’s office announced Wednesday that Pfitzner, 59, died of blunt force trauma to the head, torso and extremities, and Strothman, 62, died of blunt force injuries to the head, neck, torso and extremities.

The crash was ruled an accident.

Newman, an openly Gay man and member of the Emerald City Softball Association (ECSA), nearly died as well. He spent an unbearable 90 seconds trapped inside his burning car before he was able to get out on his own.

As he ran from the car, according to witnesses, Newman was still on fire. A Fisher Plaza security guard ran to Newman’s aid.

Newman suffered second- and third-degree burns on his back and arms and he’s also being treated for a head wound and a broken rib. The KOMO helicopter came crashing down nearly right on top of him. Some witnesses say it is a miracle he survived.

Two other drivers whose vehicles burned escaped uninjured.

One of those drivers, Kallie Meno, was near Newman when the chopper came down. She was the driver of the white SUV who was able to get away uninjured.

Meno was stopped at a red light when she saw the helicopter take off and then dive right over her.

“When you see it go side to side, it looked like something out of a bad movie,” she told KING 5. “Just looked through my rearview mirror and saw the fire and heard all of the crunching and the noises of it hitting.”

Meno says she ran from her vehicle, leaving it for fear she would be killed. When she saw her chance, she returned to the vehicle see newman page 4

TVONE.TV

Joycelyn Elders

by Shaun Knittel SGN Associate Editor The United States should join other nations that allow Transgender people to serve in the armed forces, a commission, led by a for-

mer U.S. surgeon general, said in a report released last week, that concludes there is no medical reason for the decades-old ban and calls on President Barack Obama to lift it.

The five-member panel, convened by a think tank at San Fran-

cisco State University, said Department of Defense regulations designed to keep Transgender people out of the military are based on outdated beliefs that require thousands of current service members either to leave the service or to forego the medical procedures and other changes that could align their bodies and gender identities.

“We determined not only that there is no compelling medical reason for the ban, but also that the ban itself is an expensive, damaging and unfair barrier to health care access for the approximately 15,450 Transgender personnel who serve currently in the active, Guard and reserve components,” said the commission led by Dr. Joycelyn Elders, who served as surgeon general during Bill Clinton’s first term as president, and Rear Adm. Alan Steinman, a former chief health and safety director for the Coast Guard.

The White House on Thursday referred questions to the Department of Defense.

NBCNews.com

Panel says DoD regulations Democratic lawmakers banning Transgender military sign letter on anti-LGBT discrimination service are outdated

President Obama

by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer

Senators Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell, and Seattle-area Congressmen Jim McDermott and Adam Smith joined 191 other Democratic lawmakers in a letter asking President Obama to issue an executive order barring anti-LGBT discrimination by federal contractors.

“We are writing to urge you to fulfill the promise in your State of see DoD page 13 the Union address to make this a

‘year of action’ and build upon the momentum of 2013 by signing an executive order banning federal contractors from engaging in employment discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) Americans. As you have said before, ‘now is the time to end this kind of discrimination, not enable it,’” the letter began.

With ENDA (the Employment Non-Discrimination Act) stalled see letter page 7

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Seattle Gay News

March 21, 2014

Celebrating 41 Years!

Norm Kent: Publisher and Activist

by Jesse Monteagudo SGN Contributing Writer Those of you who have been to South Florida may know me as a Senior Features Correspondent (along with Tony Adams) for South Florida Gay News (SFGN), the area’s leading LGBT publication. Recently SFGN honored “The Out 50:” the 50 most influential people in South Florida’s LGBT community.

Missing from the list was SFGN publisher Norm Kent. This is understandable; as it would not be proper for Norm to “honor” himself in his own paper. However, as a freelance contributor, I do not have such restraints. In my humble opinion, Norman Elliott Kent’s contributions to our community have earned him a place among our best and brightest.

I first met Norm Kent in the early 1980’s, when I was involved with another Gay attorney, the late Stephen Jerome. Norm was already famous as a lawyer when he decided to try his hand at Gay journalism by starting The Express (1999). At the time, I was writing for The Weekly News (twn), a survivor from the 1970s that was already showing signs of stagnation.

Norm’s Express shook up South Florida’s journalistic establishment and improved the competition (twn included) by its example. Norm sold The Express to Window Media in 2003 but came back, bigger and better, with SFGN (2009).

If Norm Kent’s contributions to our community were limited to his publishing endeavors, they would have earned him a place among our greats. But Norm’s resume goes further than that. Many of us enjoyed his morning drive radio talk show – broadcast on WFTL-1400 AM from 1989 to 1997 and on WFTL-850 AM from 2002 to 2005.

For much of that time, Norm broadcast his show from a window-side table at the Flo-

Visit us online www.sgn.org

Norm Kent

cused of breaking Florida’s lewd and lascivious law. He has sued local governments in Florida on behalf of his clients’ civil rights. Norm’s work for LGBT rights and equality is well-known; and needs not be repeated here. Less known is Norm’s years of work on behalf of marijuana law reform.

He has chaired the Board of Directors of the National Organization for Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML) and defended clients’ use of medical marijuana. The decriminalization of marijuana, once considered to be a pipe dream, is now closer to reality than ever before. Twenty states now allow for the medical use of cannabis; and even conservative Florida might join that number if the voters approve a state constitutional amendment this November.

In addition to his SFGN articles, Norm Kent is the author of “The Pot Warriors Manifesto.” He also contributes to counterpunch.org and bilerico.com. Those who are interested in Norm the lawyer should check out browardlawblog.com; where he shares his wisdom about legal (and other) matters.

ridian Restaurant on Las Olas Boulevard; which allowed Fort Lauderdale personalities to drop by for a chat and the masses to watch him at work from the sidewalk.

But it is as an attorney and an activist that Norm Kent will be most remembered.

He has successfully defended many clients, This article originally appeared in South including Gay men who were falsely ac- Florida Gay News’ “Out 50” issue.

March 21, 2014

Seattle Gay News 3

q13 fox news

Richard Newman

MO’s headquarters, after refueling on Tuesday morning. Witnesses also reported seeing the helicopter rotate before it crashed.

“It pitched sideways. It was off balance, and you could tell right away something wasn’t right,” said Bo Bain, an excavation foreman at a nearby construction project who watched the aircraft take off. “The helicopter was struggling to stay up. It spun around, hit the top of the tree and landed on the street.”

Seconds later, “It was just a fireball. The whole thing burst into flames,” he said.

Firefighters who arrived at the scene before 8 a.m. found a “huge black cloud of smoke” and two cars and a pickup truck engulfed in flames, Seattle Fire Department spokesman Kyle Moore said.

Fuel running down the street also was on fire, and crews worked to stop it before it entered the sewer, Moore said.

NTSB investigators are looking into the possibility the main rotor of the helicopter somehow hit the tail.

Seattle Mayor Ed Murray noted the normally bustling Seattle Center was relatively quiet at the time of the incident. Had it been a busier day, “this would have been a much larger tragedy,” he said.

In response to the crash, the city will review its policies about permitting helicopter pads, Murray said.

Current rules in Seattle allow helipads to be used downtown and in some commercial zones and industrial areas. They can be used only for public service, emergency medical care and for news agencies, mayor’s office spokesman Jeff Reading said.

The last helicopter crash in Seattle was in November 1999, when a KIRO-TV news helicopter collided in midair with another helicopter over Lake Union. No one died, there were only minor injuries, after both pilots landed safely at nearby helipads, according to an NTSB report.

Other major cities have experienced helicopter crashes as TV stations rush to cover the news from above. Two news helicopters collided in midair in Phoenix in 2007 as the aircraft covered a police chase, sending fiery wreckage plummeting onto a park. Four people in the helicopters were killed.

The crash prompted changes at the stations in how they operated their helicopter crews.

In Seattle, colleagues and family members remembered the two men who were killed in the crash Tuesday morning.

KOMO is a block from the Space Needle.

Workers at the station rushed to the window when they heard the crash and that’s when they realized their reporters were now in the position of covering their colleagues’ deaths.

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Seattle Gay News

released a statement about Newman, saying, “As a part-time employee at Public Health, Richard is a true public servant, helping us combat disease by doing HIV testing in our community. Richard is highly regarded and deeply valued by his teammates and managers in our HIV/STD program. I send my heartfelt wishes to Richard and his loved ones on his road to recovery.”

Public Health – Seattle & King County released the following statement: “We were stunned to learn of the injuries sustained by our colleague Richard Newman from today’s terrible helicopter crash. In his role with Public Health, Richard does exceptional work in helping to reduce the impact of HIV and STDs in our community. We’re very proud to have him on our team. We send our thoughts and heartfelt wishes to Richard, his family and loved ones on his road to recovery, as well as our deepest condolences to the families of the others our community lost today, Bill Strothman and Gary Pfitzner.”

Newman has been described as “an avid softball player” with the Emerald City Softball Association.

ECSA officials have wished Newman a speedy recovery. “Our thoughts are with Richard Newman of the Seattle Phoenix, who is at Harborview Medical Center recovering from injuries sustained in today’s helicopter crash outside Seattle Center,” ESCA Open Division posted on their Facebook wall.

Mourners on Wednesday left flowers at the crash site to remember former KOMO veteran photographer Bill Strothman and pilot Gary Pfitzner.

The funeral for the pilot killed in Tuesday’s news helicopter crash in Seattle will be Saturday in Issaquah.

KOMO says the funeral for Pfitzner will be at noon Saturday at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church. The service is open to the public.

NbcNews.com

and drove it to a nearby parking lot, parked, and then told investigators what she saw.

She says that what happened on Tuesday morning near the Space Needle has forever changed the route she’ll take to get to work and that it hasn’t sunk in yet, what it means to survive.

“It really is life-altering and makes you think about everything,” she said. “It’s a great reminder of how precious life is.”

Life is precious, and it is something that Newman, along with his husband and family, are reminded of even now as he remains in serious condition in the intensive care unit at Harborview. Initially Newman was listed in critical condition, but was upgraded to serious condition by Tuesday afternoon. Harborview spokeswoman Susan Gregg reports that Newman will need surgery for his burns.

Those concerned about Newman’s recovery breathed a sigh of relief on Wednesday when it was announced that he was taken off a machine and was breathing on his own. Still, it is important to note that his recovery is far from over. Lucky for Newman, Harborview is well-equipped to treat him.

“The good news is he’s got less of his body burned, he’s young, he’s in a good place – he’s at a Level 1 burn and trauma center for four states that does this and has the volume to do this and has really good outcomes,” said Gregg.

Newman’s family nembers from Bellingham as well as his husband are at the hospital.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said during a Wednesday afternoon press conference that investigators will look at all possible scenarios in determining what caused the incident.

Authorities aren’t publicly ruling out anything and they have witness statements, video footage, maintenance records and communications to aid them in their search for what went wrong.

“There are a number of scenarios and we’re looking into all of those,” said Dennis Hogenson of the NTSB. “There are too many variables.”

NTSB will issue a preliminary report by the end of this week or early next week indicating what investigators know at that point, said officials. A definitive cause of the crash isn’t likely to be determined at that time; however, the final report won’t come out for up to a year.

The helicopter wreckage was moved to a secure hangar in Auburn, where investigators will deconstruct every part of it, Hogenson said. They need to inventory which parts are there, and which are missing, he said.

Witnesses reported hearing unusual noises coming from the aircraft as it lifted off from the helipad on top of Fisher Plaza, KO-

One of them, Denise Whitaker, said on the street shortly after the crash: “It is definitely a tragic scene down here. It is a difficult time for all of us this morning.”

Dan Lewis described Strothman as someone “who really knew how his pictures could tell a million words.”

“He was just a true gentleman,” Lewis said on the air. “We’re going to miss you guys. And thanks so much for all that you gave to us.”

Strothman’s son, Dan Strothman, is also a KOMO video journalist.

The Strothman family said in a statement that the former KOMO photographer was a “great man, a kind soul, a devoted husband, a loving father and brother.”

Richard Newman’s family also released a statement to thank the community for an outpouring of support on Wednesday.

“We want to thank everyone for their enormous support, encouragement, and prayers, including community members, police, firefighters, and anyone else who was involved,” said the family in a statement.

The family particularly thanked KOMO TV security guard Brian Post, who is credited with coming to Newman’s aid while he fled his vehicle, still on fire.

“I used my hand at first and then his jacket to get the flames out,” Post, a former police officer, told KOMO TV. “We want to send a special thank you to Brian Post, a KOMO TV security guard, to whom we are very grateful,” said Newman’s family in the statement. “Our hearts go out to the friends and families who have lost loved ones in this horrible tragedy.”

Newman works primarily as a clinical trials project manager at Genelex in Seattle, but also works as a disease intervention specialist with the King County Public Health Department.

King County Executive Dow Constantine

Celebrating 41 Years!

Anti-Gay Mark Miloscia comes out as Republican Anti-Gay, anti-choice Democrat Mark Miloscia has finally come out politically, switching to the Republican Party to run for the state Senate in the 30th District.

As a Democratic state Rep. from 1999 to 2012, Miloscia managed to combine a 91% positive rating from the Washington State Labor Council (WSLC) with a dismal record on reproductive rights and LGBT rights.

His schizophrenic politics came home to roost in 2012, however, when he left the state legislature to run for State Auditor. His candidacy got little support from traditionally Democratic constituencies, a result, he claimed, of prejudice against his Catholic faith.

In an angry speech to the WSLC Political Convention in May 2012, Miloscia all but demanded an endorsement from the labor body, warning them not to be distracted by what he called “wedge issues” – in other words R-74, the marriage equality referendum, which was then on the ballot.

The WSLC ended up endorsing R-74 and rejecting Miloscia, and he gathered less than 10% of the vote in the primary. His bit-

terness towards his former friends has apparently not abated to this day.

In a typically self-pitying statement, Miloscia announced that he had switched parties because the Democrats were intolerant of his views.

“Today, it’s the Republican Party that offers a big tent, welcoming different views, from moderates like Secretary of State Kim Wyman and Senator Steve Litzow, to conservatives in Eastern Washington,” Miloscia wrote. “Washington State Republicans don’t insist that everyone believe and vote exactly the same way to run for office.”

He conveniently omitted the fact that both Wyman and Litzow supported R-74, which he opposed. Litzow, in fact, was a guest at the wedding of then-Senator and now Mayor Ed Murray and Michael Shiosaki.

SGN called Miloscia to give him the opportunity to speak for himself on LGBT issues – specifically whether he regards marriage equality and reproductive choice as settled law, or whether he would try to roll back these rights – but he failed to return the call.

Miloscia was originally set to run against Democratic incumbent Senator Tracey Eide, but Eide subsequently announced she

washingtonstatewire.com

by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer

Mark Miloscia

would retire from politics.

“Shortly after my re-election in 2010, I decided that this term would be my last and that I would pour myself into this term and then open the door for someone else. That time is here,” Eide said in her statement, apparently denying that Miloscia’s challenge

drove her from the seat.

A Democratic candidate for the 30th District Senate seat has not yet stepped forward. The district is centered on Federal Way in southwest King County. It currently has a Democratic Senator, one Democratic Representative, and one Republican one.

Race is on for 37th District Senate seat Facebook

munities for LGBT issues.

“Very early on I worked to build a coalition between immigrants and the LGBT community,” she explained. “Hate Free Zone signed on to an amicus brief in the Andersen case, the 2006 state Supreme Court case on marriage equality.

“There was a lot of resistance to that position. It never occurred to me – maybe I was naïve, maybe I was just hopeful – but many of our members were annoyed I’d done that.

“I remember we sat in a meeting for hours, a very emotional meeting – it was a very deep, extremely difficult discussion – but we worked through it, and on the marriage issue this last time [R-74] we threw down in a really significant way.”

Jayapal was an early supporter of Ed Murray in his successful race for Mayor, and he has reciprocated with an endorsement of Jayapal, as have former County Executive and Deputy HUD Secretary Ron Sims, County Council member Larry Gossett, and City Council members Sally Clark, Mike O’Brien, Tim Burgess, and Tom Rasmussen.

Jayapal also won the endorsement of union powerhouse UFCW 21, which rep37th Legislative District Democrats resents some 43,000 grocery, retail, health, might run for Kline’s Senate seat, to date and other workers. Known for its aggresby Mike Andrew sive political program, UFCW 21 was also neither has entered the race.

SGN Staff Writer an early backer of R-74, the state marriage equality referendum.

PRAMILA JAYAPAL Immigrant rights activist Pramila JayaJayapal has spent two decades working for RORY O’SULLIVAN pal will face off against tenants’ rights at- human rights, first as founder and executive O’Sullivan, a former staffer for Congresstorney Rory O’Sullivan and Democratic director of One America – formerly Hate Free man Jim McDermott, is currently the managParty stalwart Louis Watanabe in the race Zone – and currently with the Center for Coming attorney for the King County Bar Assofor the 37th District State Senate seat be- munity Change. ciation’s Housing Justice Project, a free legal ing vacated by Adam Kline.

Jayapal told SGN that previously she had service helping renters who face eviction.

The 37th District stretches from Madi- been “working from the outside” to “make In that capacity “I’ve seen how state polison Street south through Rainier Valley to legislative bodies places that really reprecies impact people’s lives,” O’Sullivan told Renton and Tukwila, and is arguably the sent the people,” and now hoped to be able SGN, “for example, when the state doesn’t most diverse, and most solidly Democrat- to do so “from the inside.” fully fund the Housing Trust Fund. I’ve ic legislative district in the state. Kline, “There’s a lot to be accomplished,” in spent my whole career providing legal aid to who has represented the district in the spite of the state Senate’s apparent gridlock, people impacted by that.”

Senate since 2000, announced his retire- she added. “I have a history of working He now hopes to be elected to the Senate to ment earlier this year. across parties – being able to find at least use what he says is “experience uniquely suitWhile there has been speculation that some common ground.” ed to the [state Senate] position – I was legislaone of the district’s Representatives, ShaAs an example, Jayapal cites her work tive aide to [Congressman] Jim McDermott.” ron Tomiko Santos or Eric Pettigrew, building support among immigrant com-

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March 21, 2014

Running against fellow progressives Jayapal and Watanabe is “terrific,” O’Sullivan says. “The 37th District will be represented by someone who understands our values, and who represents the folks who are most impacted by [state budget] cuts.”

O’Sullivan says he is undismayed by Jayapal’s high-powered endorsements.

“I think it’s a wide-open race,” he told SGN. “The 37th District is the kind of place where you have to go out and knock on doors, and meet voters one on one. If we do that, I think we’ll be successful.”

O’Sullivan has been endorsed by Washington Public Campaigns director Alice Woldt, campaign finance reformer Marcee Stone, and LGBT activists Ben Crowther, Josh Friedes, Thomas Pitchford, and Janice Van Cleve.

LOUIS WATANABE Perhaps the least known of the three leading candidates for the 37th District Senate seat, Watanabe describes himself as an “educator, union activist, community leader, and progressive Democrat.”

Watanabe was the founder of Dynamical Systems Research, which became Microsoft’s first corporate acquisition. Then, after 18 years in the engineering and software industry, he was offered a teaching job.

Watanabe started teaching business and statistics at Bellevue College in April 2002.

He also served as business counselor at the Bellevue Entrepreneur Center helping small businesses get off the ground.

Watanabe also became an active member of the National Education Association (NEA), the country’s largest teachers’ union, and began to identify himself as a social activist.

“Through the National Education Association, Congressman John Lewis became my inspiration for persistence in making a better world,” he says.

Watanabe is currently a member of the board of directors of the Metropolitan Democratic Club of Seattle.

Seattle Gay News 5

Most conservative Washington state Supreme Court Justice to retire Flickr

Washington Supreme Court Justice James Johnson

by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer Washington Supreme Court Justice Jim Johnson, characterized by the Seattle Times as the court’s “most conservative member,” announced his retirement March 17.

Johnson said he would step down on April 30.

“This has been a difficult decision,” Johnson said in a statement, but “recent health concerns have led me to decide that this was the right time to retire from the bench and spend time with my family and traveling.”

Johnson earned his right-wing reputation with votes against Native American fishing rights, funding education, and marriage equality, and for individual property rights and aggressive police tactics.

In the 2006 Andersen v. King County case, in which a majority of the court ruled that Gay and Lesbian couples did not have a right to marry, Johnson wrote a stunningly bigoted concurring opinion, in which he was joined by then-Justice Richard Sanders.

Johnson’s argument in Andersen was so egregious that even Chief Justice Barbara Madsen, who wrote the majority opinion, found it “particularly inappropriate.”

In his opinion, Johnson cited spurious “scientific findings” that same-sex couples could not be successful parents, and put forward a theory of “the unique and binary biological nature of marriage and its exclusive link with procreation and responsible child rearing.”

“Professed homosexuals,” Johnson added, already had the right to marry – they could marry people of the opposite sex.

More recently, Johnson was the only Justice to dissent from the high court’s order to the state legislature to fully fund state schools, and he became increasingly hostile to his colleagues’ determination to monitor the state’s progress on this issue.

As a private attorney, Johnson helped Tim Eyman draft Initiative 601, which capped the state budget; Initiative 747, a 1% cap on annual increases to property taxes; and Initiative 872 that abolished party-based primary elections.

Governor Jay Inslee is expected to appoint a replacement for Johnson, and voters will have an opportunity to accept or reject that individual in November.

Jim Johnson should not be confused with his court colleague Charles Johnson, who also voted with the majority in Andersen, but has since said he regretted his decision.

Tennessee appeals marriage ruling

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Seattle Gay News

Flickr

The Attorney General of Tennessee has appealed the March 14 ruling of a federal judge that would have compelled the state to recognize Gay and Lesbian marriages from other jurisdictions.

Attorney general Robert Cooper filed the appeal – and a demand for a stay of the judge’s ruling – on March 18.

“We intend to take all necessary steps to defend the law. We have filed a motion for a stay and a notice of appeal,” said Sharon Curtis-Flair, spokesperson for Cooper’s office.

Federal District Judge Aleta A. Trauger ordered state officials to recognize the marriages of three same-sex couples who had been married in other states and subsequently moved to Tennessee.

The couples are Dr. Valeria Tanco and Dr. Sophy Jesty, who are now University of Tennessee professors; Army Reserve Sergeant First Class Ijpe DeKoe and his husband, fine arts graduate student Thom Kostura; and Matthew Mansell and Johno Espejo, who were married in San Francisco and then moved to Tennessee for work.

The couples filed suit with assistance from the National center for Lesbian Rights in October 2013.

In considering the request for a preliminary injunction preventing Tennessee from enforcing the discriminatory law,

Judge Trauger wrote that “all relevant fed- ruled against same-sex marriage, but the government now recognizes same-sex mareral authority indicates that the plaintiffs Circuit Court is expected to reverse the low- riages, and three states are now under court in this case are indeed likely to prevail er court’s finding. order to recognize marriages performed in on their claims that the Anti-Recognition As a result of USA v. Windsor, the federal other jurisdictions.

Laws are unconstitutional.”

The plaintiffs, she noted, filed the case only on their own behalf, so the temporary ruling affects only the state’s treatment of the three couples.

Trauger added that at some point in the future, probably after further rulings, “in the eyes of the United States Constitution, the plaintiffs’ marriages will be placed on equal footing with those of heterosexual couples and ... proscriptions against same-sex marriage will soon become a footnote in the annals of American history.”

“Tennessee now joins several other states—including Utah, Oklahoma, Ohio, Virginia, Illinois, Kentucky, and Texas—in which a federal court has ruled that states must allow same-sex couples to marry or recognize the marriages of couples who married in other states since the Supreme Court’s ruling last June requiring the federal government to recognize the marriages of same-sex couples,” the National Center for Lesbian Rights said in a statement.

Same-sex marriages are now being performed by 17 US states, eight Native tribes, and the District of Columbia. Federal District Courts in four additional states have found bans on same-sex marriage unconstitutional, with appeals pending in US Circuit Courts.

Attorney General Robert E. Cooper, Jr. In one state – Nevada – the District Court

by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer

Celebrating 41 Years!

WASHINGTON STATE MR. & MS. LEATHER ORGANIZATION (WSMLO) – 22ND ANNUAL WASHINGTON STATE LEATHER PRIDE WEEK MARCH 14-23 www.wsmlo.org “REVEALING QUEER” – LGBT HISTORY AT MOHAI FEBRUARY 14-JULY 6 Seattle’s Museum of History and Industry (860 Terry Ave. N. in South Lake Union) present “Revealing Queer,” a landmark exhibit on the history of the Puget Sound region’s LGBTQ community. Admission: $14 general; $12-student/senior/military/ teacher; children under 14 free when accompanied by an adult. Museum hours: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. daily, Thursdays until 8 p.m.

First Thursdays FREE. www.mohai.org.

GREATER SEATTLE BUSINESS ASSOCIATION – 2014 WESTERN BUSINESS ALLIANCE SUMMIT MARCH 20-23 www.thegsba.org

GAY CITY ARTS – “INNER OUT” – FEATURING KT SHORES On Thursday, March 27 thru Saturday, March 29, at 8 p.m., and Sunday, March 30, at 6 p.m., at Calamus Auditorium at Gay City (517 E. Pike St.), join Gay City Arts for “Inner OUT” – featuring KT Shores.

Physics, food fights, and gender nonconformity blend into this meditation on the nature of things inspired by conversations between the artist and her young son.

This installation in the cycle is a one-woman spectacle – part science experiment/confessional, part cocktail party/ritual – “Inner OUT” profoundly and absurdly exalts and questions our human condition through the lens of Queer art and culture, parenting, and food. A poem written in dance, film, and JellO. Audience warning: contains some nudity, language, and Jell-O. Tickets: $18 general, $12 student/senior. www.gaycity.org.

OUT & EQUAL – NORTHWEST REGIONAL CAREER FAIR On Friday, March 28, from 10 a.m.-3 p.m., at Perkins Coie (1201 3rd Ave., 48th Fl.) join Out & Equal for their first career fair where they bring together employers and job seekers who share values of diversity and inclusion. Speak with employers, apply for open positions, get questions answered, and hear from leading businesses who have pioneered welcoming workplaces for diverse professionals. Out & Equal is a consortium of LGBT employee affinity groups in major local and national corporations. www.outandequalseattle.org

32ND WASHINGTON STATE MR. & MS. LEATHER CONTEST MARCH 22 On Saturday, March 22, doors at 6 p.m., contest at 7 p.m., at The Cuff Complex (1533 13th Ave.), Washington State Mr. & Ms. Leather Organization (WSMLO) presents the 32nd Washington State Mr. & Ms Leather Contest.

A Meet & Greet will be held on Friday, March 21, from 8:30-10 p.m., at Doghouse SEATTLE MEN’S CHORUS – Leathers (1312 E. Pike St.). The Victory “TOTALLY WICKED” Brunch and Emerald Leather Awards will MARCH 29 & 30 be held on Sunday, March 23, with brunch On Saturday, March 29, at 8 p.m., and at 11 a.m., and awards presentation at noon. Sunday, March 30, at 2 p.m., at McCaw Hall (321 Mercer St.), join the Seattle Men’s 5TH ANNUAL NUBIAN PRIDE Chorus with special guest Megan Hilty for KING & QUEEN PAGEANT – “Totally Wicked” – a concert featuring the “STILL STANDING” music of Steven Schwartz, including songs On Saturday, March 22, doors at 6 p.m., from Godspell, Pippin, Wicked, Enchanted, pageant at 7 p.m., at Neighbours Night- and a whole lot more! Tickets: $58, $68, club (1509 Broadway), join King A’kashe $78. Advance tickets can be purchased by Le‘Shyne Hilton-Black and Queen Celys calling 206-388-1400 or online at www.flySt. James Black for the 5th Annual Nubian inghouse.org.

Pride King & Queen Pageant. Over $1,000 SMC presents their Friends and Famin cash and prizes. Tickets: $10 advance, ily preview concert on Saturday, March $15 at the door. www.brownpapertickets. 22, at the Renton IKEA Performing Arts com/event/525307.

Center (400 S. Second St., Renton). Tick-

Letter

continued from cover in the Republican-controlled House after being passed by the Senate last year, an executive order banning discrimination by the largest U.S. employers seems to be the only way for the federal government to protect LGBT rights in the workplace.

According to a Williams Institute study, there are as many as 600,000 LGBT employees of companies that do business with the federal government.

“We are committed to doing all that we can in Congress to get ENDA to your desk this year;” the Senators and Congress members said, “however, there is no reason you cannot immediately act by taking this important step. This executive order would provide LGBT people with another avenue in the federal government they could turn to if they were the victim of employment dis-

ets are available at the door or in advance by calling 206-388-1400. SMC presents an Outreach Concert on Saturday, April 5, at 7 p.m., at South Whidbey High School Performing Arts Center (5675 Maxwelton Rd., Langley, WA). Tickets for the Outreach Concert and benefit for CADA (Citizens Against Domestic & Sexual Abuse) are $35.

360-675-7057.

EMERALD CITY SOFTBALL ASSOCIATION – 2014 SEASON KICKOFF PARTY On Sunday, March 30, from 3-6 p.m., at World Sports Grille (731 Westlake Ave. N.), join ECSA players, family and friends to celebrate the beginning of softball season.

Opening Day is April 6. Players are eligible to win a bat or sporting goods gift cards. http://seattlegaysoftball.com

and Princess. Join them as they bring you a show packed with incredible non-stop entertainment and energy. There will be a cash bar available to keep you hydrated. As a result, this is 21+ event.

Tickets are $15 at the door. Limited advanced ticket purchase at Brown Paper Tickets are only $10, and saves you $5 off the price! http://bpt.me/615351 (Purchaser responsible for associated fees when using BPT.) Also starring tonight, Rainier 40 Eric Bonesteel and Olympia 43 Rodeo Drive, as they present Investitures, presenting their Reign Titles for the 43rd Monarchy of the Court of Seattle.

Doors open at 6:00pm, Investitures will start at 6:30pm, and the Ball begins at 7:00pm. You don’t want to miss this!

NORTHWEST BEARS – “SPRING THAW XX” APRIL 10-13 www.nwbears.org

IMPERIAL COURT OF SEATTLE – IMPERIAL PRINCE & PRINCESS BALL The Imperial Sovereign Court of Seattle and their Most Imperial Hignesses, Imperial Prince 39 Jacob Howe and Imperial Prncess 27 DonnaTella Howe invite you to the 2014 Imperial Prince and Princess Ball and Investitures – “Once Upon a Stepdown.”

Come one, come all! Come as your favorite fairy tale hero, heroine, villain or such, as Storybrooke is taking over Velocity Dance Center (1621 12th Ave) on April 5.

Magic is here as we celebrate the year of Jacob and DonnaTella and their year representing the Court of Seattle as Prince

Q-SQUARED MEN – Q-SPRING 2014 APRIL 25-27 Q-Spring, a celebration of self and Spring for Gay, Bisexual and Transgender men, is a chance to gather with other men to reflect on, embrace, and celebrate who you are, where you have been, and where you are headed. Discover new parts of yourself and enjoy the company of other men in a nonjudgmental, attitude-free atmosphere.

For more information and to register, visit www.qsquared.org or phone 253-216-3997.

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Seattle Gay News 7

crimination by a federal contractor.”

“In 1941, President Roosevelt prohibited discrimination in defense contracts on the bases of race, creed, color, or national origin,” the letter noted. “In subsequent executive orders, Presidents Roosevelt, Truman, Eisenhower, Kennedy, and Johnson expanded these protections to ensure that taxpayer dollars are not used to discriminate.”

In addition to Murray, Cantwell, McDermott, and Smith, Washington state Congress members Susan DelBene, Denny Heck, and Rick Larsen also signed the letter. None of the state’s Republican Congress members signed.

In the House, the letter was circulated by the LGBT Equality Caucus, along with Reps. Frank Pallone (D-NJ) and Lois Capps (D-CA); while ENDA’s chief sponsor in the Senate Jeff Merkley (D-OR) circulated the letter in that chamber with Sens. Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and Tom Harkin (D-IA).

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New York man wins HIV discrimination suit Flickr

John Doe

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by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer A federal court awarded a New York hotel worker more than $500,000 in damages after he was fired from his job because of a dispute over his HIV status.

Antonio Muñoz was an assistant office manager at the Manhattan Club, described by the New York Daily News as a “boutique hotel and timeshare” in midtown Manhattan.

He started working there in 2007, was recognized as an “Exemplary Manager” in 2008, but was fired in February 2011 when he filed a discrimination complaint against the hotel.

Munoz said the trouble started when he was diagnosed as HIV-positive in 2008. He then asked to be transferred from the night shift because his antiretrovirals caused him to feel drowsy at night.

According to court documents, his supervisor denied the request. Even after he produced a doctor’s note, his supervisor not only turned him down, she suggested that he quit, the suit says.

Eventually the hotel did transfer Muñoz to a day shift, but it didn’t last. His supervisor told him he would be put back on nights starting April 30, 2010, prompting Muñoz to file a “complaint of disability discrimination” with

the hotel’s Human Resources Department.

Not long after, Muñoz received a scathing evaluation “full of falsehoods,” his filing documents say. He was fired in February 2011 after an anonymous complaint was leveled against him.

Over the next year Muñoz struggled to find work and lost his apartment to foreclosure.

“I fell into a depression,” he told the Daily News.

Muñoz eventually found a job as a social worker, and his suit against his former employer reached a successful conclusion on March 13, when a federal jury awarded him $185,000 in compensatory damages and $347,500 in punitive damages.

Muñoz said he was “ecstatic” over the verdict, but the money was never the point.

“At least I know that I was able to tell my story,” he told the Daily News. “I’m working now. I can move on with my life. I did this because I was wronged.”

Muñoz’s lawyer, Gregory Antollino, called the ruling “completely fair.”

“The law protects people who complain about discrimination at the workplace,” Antollino added. Federal law prohibits both discrimination against HIV-positive individuals, and retaliation against employees who complain about workplace discrimination.

Celebrating 41 Years!

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Celebrating 41 Years!

DOD

continued from cover “At this time there are no plans to change the department’s policy and regulations which do not allow Transgender individuals to serve in the U.S. military,” said Navy Lt. Cmdr. Nate Christensen, a defense department spokesman.

The report says that while scholars have yet to find government documents ex-

plaining the basis for the ban, which has existed in medical fitness standards and conduct codes since the 1960s, it appears rooted in part in the psychiatric establishment’s long-held consensus, since revised, that people who identity with a gender different from the one assigned at birth suffer from a mental disorder.

The ban also was apparently based on the assumption that providing hormone treatment and sex reassignment surgeries

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would be too difficult, disruptive and expensive. But the commission rejected those notions as inconsistent with modern medical practice and the scope of health care services routinely provided to non-Transgender military personnel.

The panel’s work was commissioned by the Palm Center, a think tank based at San Francisco State that is funded in part by a $1.3 million grant from Jennifer Pritzker, a Chicago billionaire and former Army

lieutenant colonel who came out as Transgender last year.

At least a dozen nations, including Australia, Canada, England and Israel, allow Transgender military personnel. Transgender rights advocates have been lobbying the Pentagon to revisit the blanket ban in the U.S. since Congress in 2010 repealed “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” the law that barred Gay, Lesbian and Bisexual individuals from openly serving in the military.

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New study on effects of meth use on HIV-positive men wellingtonretreat.com

Crystal Meth

by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer A new study by researchers at the University of California San Diego (UCSD) indicates that meth – unlike other party drugs – has a negative impact on the health of HIVpositive men, even when they are on antiret-

rovirals and have an undetectable viral load.

It has been known that HIV-positive people who use meth have a higher risk of cognitive impairment and faster progression to AIDS than those who do not.

The reason for this association is unclear, however. It may be that meth use impedes patients’ adherence to their medication

regimen, it may be that meth-related risk behaviors lead to worse outcomes, or it may be that there are physiological factors that explain the differences.

To address these questions, UCSD researchers evaluated use of methamphetamine and other recreational drugs in 50 men who have sex with men (MSM) with a viral load below 50 copies and on long-term antiretroviral therapy.

Their conclusion was that men who used meth had greater T-cell activation and proliferation than nonusers, meaning greater HIV activity, even though they had an undetectable viral load. The study also produced evidence that meth users may have a deeper DNA reservoir of HIV than nonusers.

Use of other recreational drugs did not have a significant impact on levels of immunologic or virologic markers.

The study went on for one year, and the subjects were asked to complete a monthly internet-based questionnaire about antiretroviral adherence and recreational drug use.

The UCSD researchers defined “meth use” as reporting use in at least one survey over the one-year study period. They used frozen peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) to assess standard markers of immune cell activation and proliferation and to measure total HIV DNA and cellular HIV RNA. The men in the study averaged 46 years in age and had taken antiretrovirals for an average 4 years. Forty-two percent of the subjects were white, 20% were black, and 4% Hispanic. CD4 counts averaged 637, and

all men had a viral load below 50 copies.

Sixteen men reported using meth, 20 marijuana, 13 other club drugs, 12 alcohol, and 11 cocaine.

Men who used meth did not differ from nonusers in age, length of time on antiretrovirals, T-cell counts or sexually transmitted infections. Meth users and nonusers also did not differ in self-reported adherence to antiretrovirals.

However, meth users had significantly higher cytomegalovirus (CMV) shedding in semen, a trend toward more HIV shedding in semen, and a trend toward a lower CD4/ CD8 ratio, which is considered a negative health outcome.

Compared with men who did not use meth, those who did had significantly higher levels of activated T-cells, and proliferating T-cells, including both CD4 and CD8 cells.

Increased proliferation of all T-cell subsets analyzed (naive, central memory, transitional memory, effector memory CD8s) suggested to the investigators “a general and unspecific effect of meth in these cells in vivo,” that is in living patients.

The impact of meth use on T-cell activation and proliferation, the researchers proposed, “could explain meth-related comorbidities” in HIV-positive people who use meth.

The trend toward a deeper DNA reservoir and more HIV RNA in seminal plasma among meth users, the UCSD team speculated, “could explain increased HIV transmission and worse HIV disease progression” in meth users.

CDC warns about antibiotic-resistant gonorrhea courtesy of

John Doe

Officials at the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) are warning about a “major public health challenge” – strains of gonorrhea bacteria that are resistant to the antibiotics commonly used to treat the disease.

This is a concern because gonorrhea is one of the most common STDs in the United States, with some 820,000 cases diagnosed every year. Gonorrhea is a bacterial infection that used to be easily treatable with antibiotics, but CDC officials say the bacteria are “remarkably adept” at adapting to common antibiotics.

During the 1990s and early 2000s, gonorrhea developed resistance to several common drugs that used to be able to treat it.

This means that the rate of gonorrhea infections will increase, the CDC warned.

The CDC analysis revealed that gonorrhea cases rose in eight U.S. cities between 1991 and 2006. Researchers have concluded that if 10% of gonorrhea cases are resistant to the recommended treatment, there will be a 7% increase in overall gonorrhea infections.

The analysis focused on a strain of gonorrhea that no longer responds to ciprofloxacin, the primary antibiotic that the CDC used to recommend as a treatment.

Now, a cocktail of two antibiotics is the last effective treatment against gonorrhea, the CDC said. But there are already some signs that those last-resort antibiotics may not remain effective for long.

Last year, researchers in Canada found that nearly 7% of patients at a Toronto clinic

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by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer

were infected with a gonorrhea strain that did not respond to any medications at all. As the number of available treatments dwindles, that emerging resistance “could have even more substantial health and economic consequences,” the CDC researchers said.

Untreated gonorrhea can cause severe and lasting health issues in both women and men. It puts women at risk for pelvic inflammatory disease, which can lead to ectopic pregnancies or infertility. In rare cases, it can also lead to infertility in men. Both genders would be at greater risk for contracting HIV if their gonorrhea goes untreated.

The National Coalition of STD Directors believes it could be a matter of two years or less before untreatable gonorrhea strains spread throughout the country.

The CDC said it is trying its best to stay ahead of the gonorrhea bacteria.

In 2007, the agency stopped recommending ciprofloxacin to treat gonorrhea, after more than 13% of patient samples displayed resistance to that drug.

Since then, the agency has updated its guidelines twice as gonorrhea has continued to evolve. Last summer, CDC officials partnered with the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases to try to develop two new treatments for the disease.

Gonorrhea is not the only disease where antibiotic treatments are losing their effectiveness. Global health officials are also concerned about emerging antibiotic resistance in potentially deadly diseases like malaria, tuberculosis, and whooping cough.

Celebrating 41 Years!

All Pilgrims offers FREE Recovery, Intimacy and Relationships Workshop and keep us safe. Relationships are a part of growth and need to be looked at as something beautiful and not shameful.”

We would like to hear from you. Your feedback is valuable. Please take a few minutes to fill out our confidential recovery and faith survey at www.allpilgrims. org/recoverysurvey.

“God calls you into the future and promises to meet you there. We would love to share our journey as you experience the great things God has for you,” says Pastor Greg Turk. “All Pilgrims Christian Church is a faith-community which truly values and celebrates diversity. Through God’s love and with Christ’s example we set aside all human barriers and divisions and invest ourselves in the healing of prejudice, exclusion and hatred. We are open to, and affirming of, the full participation of all as equal members in this one body: people of all colors, ages, economic circumstances, sexual orientations, gender or Transgender identities, physical and mental abilities, education levels and conditions of health.”

For more information, contact Victor B. DeLosSantos, CDP Recovery Intern. Office: 206-322-0487. CDP Intern: 206-7244900. E-mail: office@allpilgrims.org. Web: www.allpilgrims.org.

All Pilgrims / Wikipedia

Are you struggling with intimacy in new and old relationships in your recovery journey? Are you ready to have that longoverdue conversation about re-connecting with your inner-self, who has the ability to give and receive love?

Reclaim the journey that God intends for you. Join us on Saturday, April 5, from 9:00 am to noon at All Pilgrims Christian Church (500 Broadway E. at E. Republican St.) and discover a recovery-community that celebrates YOU for who you are. All are welcome at All Pilgrims. Come and join us in a safe and compassionate environment as we are led in discussion by therapist Derrek Zietz, M.S., LMHCA, NCC, around issues of Active Listening, Feelings and Needs, Conflict Resolution, and Intimacy.

Victor De Los Santos, SCCC Chemical Dependency Professional intern states “as a person in recovery, I hear countless stories in the self-help meetings of members in our community having a difficult time reengaging in personal relationships. There is the unwritten rule in the recovery community that you should not be in a new relationship until you have at least a year clean and sober. I’ve seen so many friends in recovery relapse because they are lonely and need intimacy in their life. I wanted to provide a safe space where we can begin dialogue and learn additional tools on how to stay sober

Courtesy of All Pilgrims Christian Church

All Pilgrims Christian Church

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