Celebrating 41 Years! Issue 16 Volume 42
FRIDAY April 18, 2014 FREE!
25¢ in bookstores & newsstands
Seattle Gay News
Scout Leader hires lawyer AP
Geoff McGrath
hired an attorney after the Boy Scouts of America revoked his membership because he is Gay. Boy Scouts of America (BSA) Geoffrey McGrath, the openly revoked McGrath’s memberGay scoutmaster and his host ship after asking him if he is church in Rainier Beach have by Shaun Knittel SGN Associate Editor
an avowed homosexual. BSA’s inquiry came following McGrath’s statement about his sexual orientation prompted by a journalist’s question. Deron Smith, Director of BSA
SGN EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW:
SEATTLE’S LGBT NEWS & ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY
Public Relations said, “The Boy Scouts of America does not proactively inquire about the sexual orientation of our members. We don’t believe the topic of sexual orientation has a role in Scouting and it is not discussed unless it is deliberately injected into Scouting. Today, this individual provided both Scouting national leadership and the media with information that led to his removal as a leader. The BSA does not have an agenda on the matter of sexual orientation; we remain focused on working together to deliver the nation’s foremost youth program of character development and values-based leadership training.” McGrath continues to lead Troop 98 scout meetings at Rainier Beach, with his pastor, Rev. Monica Corsaro’s blessings, who said, “Geoffrey is an evangelical for the Boy Scouts. He loves the Boy Scouts. We just want to be able to serve in the context we’re in.” BSA allows Gay scouts, but still won’t allow Gay leaders. McGrath and Rev. Corsaro believe BSA is infringing on their religious freedom, since the or-
ganization expects churches to choose their scoutmasters. Their attorney, Peter Mullenix, said, “We are still exploring our legal options, and we hope no litigation is necessary. We want to work with the Boy Scouts toward a resolution that works for the kids of the Rainier Beach United Methodist Church. With that said, it may be time for the courts to revisit the question of whether a congressionally chartered, non-sectarian corporation is allowed to violate the states’ discrimination statute.” “The Supreme Court, in a 5-4 decision, allowed the Scouts to do so in 2000 because the Scouts claimed that the presence of Gay scouts would affect their ability to take a moral stand against homosexuality,” he said. “We don’t think they can still make that claim, particularly when, we believe, they knew about Geoff’s orientation when they approved his leadership. We also don’t think the Boy Scouts, which claim to be a non-sectarian organization, should be interfering with the religious decision of the see MCGRATH page 14
U.S. Senator Patty Murray
Laurie Jinkins
discusses anti-bullying bill with UW students Joshua Bessex
Legislative Photography
Nicole Masangkay, UW Queer Student Commission director, speaks during a discussion held by Senator Patty Murray at UW
by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer Laurie Jinkins
by Doug Hamilton SGN Contributing Write Washington State Representative Laurie Jinkins jokingly refers to herself as “The Lesbian Mafia” because it is kind of hard to be a one-member mafia. But she is the only estrogen representative of the five elected officials
who form the so-called “LGBT caucus” of openly Gay or Lesbian State Legislators in Olympia – the others being State Senators Jamie Pedersen and Marko Liias, State Representative Jim Moeller and newly appointed State Representative Brady Walkinshaw. Laurie is busy post-session preparing for her April 23rd campaign kickoff, a bid for a third
U.S. Senator Patty Murray visited the University of Washington April 17 to discuss her newly introduced anti-bullying bill with local students and community leaders. Murray, working with Wisconsin Senator Tammy Baldwin, introduced the Tyler Clementi Higher Education Anti-Harassment Act on March 27. The bill would require all colsee Jinkins page 6
term in the 27th Legislative District, where she’s just served two consecutive 2-year terms. As she runs for re-election this time, she faces a very different political landscape. The SGN contacted Representative Jinkins and asked her how this time around will be different from 2012.
leges and universities that receive federal funding in any form – in short, almost all institutions of higher education in the United States – to develop anti-bullying policies. The measure also establishes a Department of Education grant program to support campus anti-bullying programs. In an emotional introduction, Murray told the story of one of her interns, Kristopher Sharp, who had been harassed and had see Murray page 14