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Seattle Gay News SEATTLE’S LGBT NEWS & ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY
One-two punch: Tenth Circuit upholds Utah marriage ruling, judge strikes down Indiana ban america24
by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer In a one-two punch for equality, the Tenth Circuit Court upheld a Federal District Judge’s ruling striking down Utah’s ban on samesex marriages, while a District Judge in Indiana also struck down that state’s marriage ban. Both decisions were announced June 25. In a closely reasoned 65 page decision, the Tenth Circuit upheld the December ruling by Judge Robert Shelby that Utah must allow Gay and Lesbian couples to marry. It was the first time an appellate court ruled on the issue. The Ninth Circuit’s 2013 ruling in the Prop 8 case was decided on narrower grounds. In that case, the circuit court said that California voters could not single out samesex couples and remove their right to marry once it had been granted by a federal court. The Tenth Circuit, however, found that same-sex couples have an affirmative right to marry.
“May a State of the Union constitutionally deny a citizen the benefit or protection of the laws of the State based solely upon the sex of the person that citizen chooses to marry?” the court asked. “Having heard and carefully considered the argument of the litigants, we conclude that, consistent with the United States Constitution, the State of Utah may not do so,” the justices answered. “We hold that the Fourteenth Amendment protects the fundamental right to marry, establish a family, raise children, and enjoy the full protection of a state’s marital laws. A state may not deny the issuance of a marriage license to two persons, or refuse to recognize their marriage, based solely upon the sex of the persons in the marriage union.” University of Utah law professor Clifford Rosky called Wednesday’s ruling, “the most important victory of the entire see UTAH page 9
Don’t discriminate against Trans patients, Insurance Commissioner tells industry
AP Photo / Elaine Thompson
by Shaun Knittel SGN Associate Editor Seattle celebrated its first Gay Pride Week June 24-30, 1974, with a variety of activities at private and public venues around the city. Mayor Uhlman gave the event an official endorsement in 1977, declaring June 25 to July 1 to be Gay Pride Week in the City of Seattle. Keith Luttenbacher, in his July 5, 1977 letter, was one of many who wrote thanking Mayor Uhlman for his support, “especially after the negative press due to Ms. [Anita] Bryant.” Local opponents of Gay rights were incensed by the may-
or’s proclamation, and reactions ranged from letter-writing campaigns to published threats of recall to picketing outside City Hall. Ultimately, Mayor Uhlman’s endorsement of Gay Pride Week gave added significance to the city’s first Gay Pride March, held in 1977. The Gay Rights Movement and the City of Seattle during the 1970s During the decade of the 1970s, Gay rights issues repeatedly found their way onto the municipal agenda, reports the City of Seattle on its website for city archives.
Washington State Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler
by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer
In a June 25 letter, Washington Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler warned insurance companies that exclusions and denial of coverage based on gender identity is a violation of state and federal law. “Transgender people are entitled see 40 years page 14
to the same access to health care as everyone else,” Kreidler said in a statement. “Whether specific services are considered medically necessary should be up to the provider to decide on behalf of their patient.” Currently, some insurers have exclusions for all Transgender services. Today’s announcement makes it clear that disparate access to these and oth-
er medical services is not allowed. Kreidler’s office is currently reviewing all 2015 individual and small employer health plans to determine if they contain any discriminatory exclusions, and to make sure they cover medically necessary services equally for cisgender and see Kreidler page 10