SGN August 22, 2014 - Section 1

Celebrating 41 Years!

Issue 34 Volume 42

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Seattle Gay News SEATTLE’S LGBT NEWS & ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY

Ali Muhammad Brown to investigators: “My mission is vengeance”

schi neighborhood on June 1, has admitted to fatally shooting a Skyway man about one month earlier Ali Muhammad Brown, the con- and slaying a West Orange, New victed sex offender charged with Jersey college student, according killing two Gay men in Seattle’s Le- to King County court filings made

by Shaun Knittel SGN Associate Editor

public on Wednesday.

Brown, 29, told investigators he killed the four men as part of a plot to gain revenge against the U.S. for military actions in the Middle East.

On July 21, John K. Pavlovich, de-

tective with the King County Sheriff ’s Office, and Cloyd Steiger, a Seattle Police Homicide Detective, conducted an audio recorded interview with Brown at the Essex County Detention Center in New Jersey where Brown was in custody on charges stemming from a West Orange robbery on June 25 and the Seattle murders from June 1. At that time, Det. Steiger was investigating the double homicide murder of Ahmed Said, 27, and Dwone Anderson-Young, 27, and Det. Pavlovich had been investigating the April 27 Skyway murder of Leroy Henderson, 30.

Court documents say spent cartridge casings stamped “F C 9mm Luger” link Brown to each of the four murders. At the time of the July 21 interview by detectives Pavlovich and Steiger, a motive had not yet been established, nor had Brown yet confessed to the killings.

During the July 21 recorded interview Det. Pavlovich says Brown, “stated that he strictly followed the Muslim faith and as part of his beliefs, he had become angry with “evil” that the government was allowing to take

place in the United States, and was also angry with the role the United States government was taking in the countries of Iraq, Iran and Afghanistan that had led to the death of innocent civilians and children there.”

He also mentioned to the detectives that drug use was an evil act.

According to the court documents, Brown stated that, as part of his beliefs, if a “man sees evil then he must take action against that evil.”

Then, on July 29, Det. Pavlovich says he learned Brown had confessed on July 25 to Essex County Task Force Det. Sgt. McEnroe and Det. Crawley, to the murder of Brendan Tevlin, 19.

BRENDAN TEVLIN, JUNE 25 Tevlin had reportedly just returned home from his first year of college at the University of Richmond in Virginia when he was found shot to death inside an SUV in the parking lot of an apartment building in West Orange, New Jersey, June 25.

New Jersey authorities say that Brown, Jeremy Villagran, 19, and see Brown page 15

Feds will protect Florida too: Federal judge strikes Trans employees, down same-sex marriage ban www.govexec.com

Arlene Goldberg

Department of Labor says

Arlene Goldberg and Carol Goldwasser

by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer Patricia Shiu

On August 19, the U.S. Department of Labor issued the following statement from Patricia Shiu, director of the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs: The federal government holds contracts with about 200,000 establishments, and these contractors and subcontractors play an important role in making our country work. They provide food, clothing, energy, transportation,

medical treatment and thousands of essential services all around the country. As the director of the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs, I oversee the agency that enforces laws that prohibit these employers from discriminating in employment on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, disability, status as a protected veteran or sex. see TRANS page 13

Federal District Judge Robert A. Hinckle ruled on August 21 that Florida’s law barring samesex marriage is unconstitutional and unenforceable.

Florida law violates the due process and equal protection clauses of the U.S. Constitution, Hinckle found, and the state’s rationale for denying marriage to Gay and Lesbian couples not only has no rational basis, but would fail an even higher level of judicial scrutiny.

“The undeniable truth is that the Florida ban on same-sex marriage stems entirely, or almost entirely, from moral disapproval of the practice,” Hinckle wrote in his opinion, and “moral disapproval alone cannot sustain” a ban restricting marriage to opposite-sex couples.

“Liberty, tolerance, and respect are not zero-sum concepts,” the judge added. “Those who enter opposite-sex marriages are harmed not at all when others, including these plaintiffs, are given the liberty to choose their own life partners and are shown

U.S. District Judge Robert Hinkle

the respect that comes with formal marriage.”

Like most other federal rulings, Hinckle’s has been stayed pending appeal.

The judge ruled in two lawsuits that had been consolidated into a single hearing. In one, the ACLU represented eight married couples and one widow who wanted Florida to recognize their marriages just as the state would have if they were opposite-sex spouses. SAVE, an LGBT rights organization, also joined the suit. see Florida page 13

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Celebrating 41 Years!

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GNI’s NakedFest: A First-Time Experience

by Jesse Monteagudo SGN Contributing Writer As everyone knows, Gay Naturists International (GNI) had to cancel its annual Gathering this year because of a scheduling conflict. Instead, GNI hosted its firstever NakedFest at Camp Ramblewood in northern Maryland, a venue more convenient than the Poconos for those of us who travel the Auto-Train from Florida. Holding NakedFest in early August also worked to my advantage, since my day job kept me from attending the late-August Gathering, year after year. Though I have been a proud member of GNI since 2000, NakedFest 2014 is the first time that I attended a GNI event.

I am not the only first-timer. Up to onethird of the 300-plus men who attended Naked Fest were there for the first time. Some of them, like me, signed up for all seven days, some came for the first or the second half of the Fest, a few for two days, and at least one man signed up for one day. (He had such a good time that he later signed up for a second day.) Camp Ramblewood, a campground for alternative lifestyles, is an ideal place for NakedFest. (It already hosts International Men Enjoying Naturism’s “other” Gathering.) It is conveniently located between Baltimore

and Philadelphia. It offers isolation and privacy while still being close enough to a town (Darlington) in case of an emergency. The weather was ideal (if a bit rainy) though both the nights and the swimming pool were a tad bit cold for a South Floridian. The Camp staff was very accepting and tolerant – having seen it all, they did not find a group of naked men running around to be too startling. The meals were regular camp food, though one evening the Camp boss brought a chef in from a nearby Indian restaurant, who cooked some Indian delicacies for our dining pleasure. Now that is what I call class.

NakedFest offered its participants plenty to do; certainly enough to keep a naked boy happy for seven whole days. At the same time, I never felt any pressure to do anything. One highlight of NakedFest was Kendall’s oneman show, “Clothes get in the way.” Another highlight was the daily social hour, a time of gaiety (in both senses of the words) when GNI members “dressed” in outrageous outfits that conformed to the day’s particular theme. But not even the social hour could compete with the nightly disco, with professional DJs who played everything from old school oldies to the most avant-garde hits. (They also played at the social hour.) Though my dancing ability is atrocious (I did not inherit the Cuban dance gene) I managed to close the disco almost every night, while enjoying every minute of it.

The residents of Cabins 1 and 2, located next to the disco, kept our spirits up (so to speak)

by hosting nightly parties where they generously shared their ample supply of liquor with those of us who were less favored. They even turned up the suds machine, turning Camp Ramblewood into a foam party. For those who do not like disco, NakedFest had nightly movies and ritual drumming by the lake.

However, all things considered, what I most enjoyed about NakedFest 2014 were the men; especially all the new friends that I made that week. The 300+ men who attended NakedFest ranged from 25 to 89; and came from all over the USA, Canada, the United Kingdom, Germany, Switzerland and other countries. One truly adventurous couple came all the way from New Zealand, leather gear and all. Almost 40% of the attendees were under 50; a welcome statistic for those of us who worry about attracting younger men to nudist events. NakedFest featured racial as well as age diversity; with AfricanAmerican, Asian and Latino men along with the (still mostly) whites present. There was even a Friday evening, Kabbalat Shabbat Service by the lake, for Jews and those who love us. Finally, Mr. Bob Morton, Executive Director of the Naturist Action Committee, was in attendance, to remind us that the right to be naked can be a serious business. All in all, I had a great time at NakedFest, and so did most of the people there. The Board of GNI is seriously considering continuing NakedFest as an annual event along with the venerable Gathering. If they do so, I plan to be there. courtesy of Linda Morin

WEDDING ANNOUNCEMENT MATTY MORIN AND PETER TOUCHARD

Ms. Linda Morin announces the marriage of her son Matty Morin and Peter Touchard to take place on the Playa at Burning Man on August 27 at sundown at the “Embrace” Art installation. Matty and Peter reside in San Francisco. Matty, a long time resident of Seattle, and Peter from Los Angeles became engaged one year ago at Burning Man. LOVE SPRINGS ETERNAL FROM THE HUMAN HEART.

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Peter Touchard and Matty Morin

Celebrating 41 Years!

ECSA elects five to its Hall of Fame as softball postseason begins

Emerald City Softball Association’s fall league is under way as nine Seattle teams prepare for 2014 Gay Softball World Series in September

by Tony Stasiek Special to the SGN

• Chris Larson: An ECSA player since 1996, Larson has represented Seattle at eight World Series. He is the league’s former A/B Division assistant commissioner and has managed or coached multiple successful teams.

• Floyd McIsaac: Best known as the owner of Changes in Wallingford, McIsaac has sponsored ECSA teams for 25 consecutive years. No matter the teams’ win-loss records, McIsaac’s support has helped countless ECSA players become a bigger part of the league’s community.

• Randy Robison: An ECSA player for 13 years, Robison served eight years on the ECSA Executive Board and has coached or managed numerous successful teams. He is a nine-time ECSA all-star.

The Emerald City Softball Association’s 35th regular season may have wrapped up in July, but many in the league and its members have kept busy as the postseason gets under way.

In addition to sending more than twodozen teams to tournaments throughout the late summer and fall – including nine teams representing Seattle in the 2014 Gay Softball World Series – and watching its Fall Ball league hit the fields, the ECSA inducted five members to its now-32-member ECSA Hall of Fame in late July.

This inductee group is the largest in the league’s 35-year history, Hall of Fame Director Dug Wehage says. Hall of Famers were nominated and voted upon by eligible ECSA members and curEach Hall of Famer received recognition at a rent Hall of Famers. New members include: private dinner on July 28 as well as at the ECSA Awards Party on August 3. The league also • Sara Fetters: The league’s outgoing B Di- handed out its 2014 regular-season awards at vision assistant commissioner and an ECSA the August 3 event. Gage Webster of the Dirty member since 2001, Fetters has been a seven- Dawgs, Rick Dillon of the Knights and Jesse time all-star in the league’s B and C divisions Tabisula of the Plastix took home MVP awards and has coached championship teams in the in their respective divisions.

C and D divisions. She is the first TransgenAn additional 82 of the league’s 500der member of the ECSA Hall of Fame. (Fet- some players received all-star or commisters also writes for the Seattle Gay News). sioner’s-award honors.

• Dan Haugen: A member of the ECSA for August 3 also represented the beginning 16 seasons, Haugen also spent 14 years in Min- of the league’s popular Fall Ball season, neapolis’ Twin Cities Goodtime Softball League which runs through September 14.

– giving him 30 years of experience in North Not to be outdone, 16 Seattle teams parAmerican Gay Amateur Athletics Association ticipated in the Portland Cup tournament softball. He designed the current ECSA logo and on August 9-10, helping the Rose City celhas contributed to many World Series teams. ebrate its largest Gay-softball event ever. The

Seattle Maulers took home first place in the C Division. More ECSA teams will head to tournaments in Vancouver, British Columbia, and San Diego, in coming weeks.

The cream of the crop will represent the ECSA at the 2014 Gay Softball World Series, September 22-27 in Dallas.

A record nine teams – the Dirty Dawgs, Knights, Maulers, Browns, Xtreme, Muffin Tops, Fat Cats and Rainiers – have qualified to make the trip, joining more than 5,000 participants from the U.S. and Canada in one

of the world’s largest LGBT sporting events.

It doesn’t come cheap: Hotels and flights for the weeklong tournament can easily exceed $1,000 per person. Most teams will be fundraising via car washes, bar events and much more in the coming weeks. For a full list of upcoming events, check out facebook. com/ecsa.opendivision/events.

For more information about the ECSA, please visit emeraldcitysoftball.org or contact marketing/communications director Tony Stasiek at marcom@seattlegaysoftball.com.

Not so fast! Roberts tells Virginia couples PAUL J. RICHARDS / AFP / Getty Images

Chief Justice John Roberts

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On August 20, Chief Justice John Roberts stayed a ruling by the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals, and put marriage prospects on hold for Virginia’s Gay and Lesbian couples. Marriages had been scheduled to begin August 21.

In a July decision, the Fourth Circuit upheld the opinion of a lower court that Virginia’s ban on same-sex marriages is unconstitutional. Since Virginia’s Governor Terry McAuliffe and Attorney General Mark Herring agreed with the ruling and said in advance they would not defend state law, the Fourth Circuit did not stay its decision.

Prince William County Clerk Michele McQuigg did not agree, however, and she filed an appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court.

When the Fourth Circuit turned down her petition to stay their ruling pending a Supreme Court decision, McQuigg asked Roberts to intervene.

In his August 20 decision, Roberts did not say whether the high court would hear McQuigg’s appeal, but he did put a stop to marriages until further notice.

Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring, who supports marriage equality, also thought the stay was a good idea.

“Although it is painful to keep Virginia’s same-sex couples and their children waiting any longer to enjoy the rights guaranteed by the Fourteenth Amendment, the rule of law requires that this court be afforded the time

needed to settle the question,” he said.

Pro-equality groups hoped for swift action from the justices.

“This Supreme Court’s stay of yet another freedom to marry ruling underscores the urgency of the court’s granting a full review and bringing the country to national resolution by next year,” said Freedom to Marry President Evan Wolfson.

“It is time for the Supreme Court to affirm what more than thirty courts have held in the past year: marriage discrimination violates the Constitution, harms families, and is unworthy of America.”

Lambda Legal, which represented plaintiffs in the Virginia case, promised to “do everything in our power to make sure this issue is decided as quickly as possible so same-sex couples can marry in Virginia.”

Utah officials have also appealed a circuit court ruling on marriage to the Supreme Court. The court is not obligated to hear appeals, and will usually do so only if lower court rulings are in conflict or if the justices feel that important legal issues are unresolved.

To date, though, no federal appeals court has ruled against same-sex couples seeking the right to marry.

Same-sex marriage is now legal in 19 U.S. states plus the District of Columbia: California, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington state.

August 22, 2014

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by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer

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Celebrating 41 Years!

Smithsonian to feature LGBT popular culture courtesy of Smithsonian

“Will and Grace” memorabilia at Smithsonian

Among the items being donated are pieces from the hit TV show “Will and Grace.”

Show creators David Kohan and Max The Smithsonian Institution is adding Mutchnick with TV network NBC are hundreds of artifacts documenting LGBT donating original scripts, casting ideas, popular culture to its collection, the mu- political memorabilia used in the show, seum announced August 19. and the series finale. The network agreed

by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer

to donate props, including a pill bottle and flask, a sign from “Grace Adler Interior Design” and character Will Truman’s framed college diploma.

Kohan told The Associated Press that the Smithsonian’s interest in the show featuring Gay principal characters was a validation they never dreamed about when the sitcom began airing in 1998.

“Will and Grace” ran through May 2006 depicting a group of Gay and straight characters, with the main characters ending up coupled and with children.

“These particular guests that were invited into people’s living rooms happened to be your gay friends,” Kohan said. “I don’t think people really had the opportunity to have that before, and it served to, I think, make people recognize that your close friends were gay.

“The fact that it’s in the American history (museum), maybe we were a part of something that was bigger than we ever imagined,” Kohan added.

“Will and Grace” used comedy to familiarize a mainstream audience with Gay culture, said Curator Dwight Blocker Bowers. It was daring and broke ground in the same way “All in the Family” did in the 1970s around issues of bigotry and tolerance, Bowers said.

The “Will and Grace” collection is part of a larger effort by the museum to docu-

ment LGBT history, “an area that has not been well understood at the museum,” AP said. Curators are collecting materials from LGBT political, sports, and cultural history.

Other artifacts include the diplomatic passports of Ambassador David Huebner, the first openly Gay U.S. ambassador confirmed by the Senate, and his husband; materials from the LGBT community center in Baltimore; and photography collections from Patsy Lynch and Silvia Ros documenting LGBT rights activism.

From sports history, the museum will receive a tennis racket from former professional player Renee Richards who won a landmark New York Supreme Court decision for Transgender rights after she was denied entry to the U.S. Open in 1975.

“There have always been gender non-conforming people in the U.S., and we’ve made contributions and lived life since the beginning of the country,” said Curator Katherine Ott who focuses on sexuality and gender.

“It’s not talked about and analyzed and understood in the critical ways in which it should be. So for us to build the collection means we can more fully document the history of this country.”

The Smithsonian maintains 19 museums and a zoo in the Washington, DC area. The LGBT exhibits will be housed in the National Historical Museum.

California Senate kills porn safety bill Supporters vow to bring it back

Shutterstock

by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer A bill designed to protect porn actors by requiring the use of condoms during film shoots died in a California Senate committee on August 14.

The bill, known as AB 1576, would have extended similar legislation passed by Los Angeles County – the center of U.S. porn production – to the whole state of California, but

the committee adjourned for the current legislative session without discussing it.

The bill, like the LA County ordinance, was introduced in 2012 after several porn actors tested HIV-positive.

California Assemblyman Isadore Hall of Compton, the prime sponsor of the bill, said he would re-introduce it in the next legislative session. The bill is important, Hall said, because health and safety on porn sets is a workers’ rights issue affecting people no one

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else wants to stand up for.

“Here is the dirty little secret about porn production in California: It’s just work,” Hall said. “Take away the racy titles and creative storylines found in many of these films and adult film actors become, well, just workers.”

Hall said the move to protect their health was like other civil rights struggles.

“Black people weren’t freed overnight,” Hall said. “It took a process. Anytime you want to give people a voice, it’s a fight.”

AIDS Healthcare Foundation Executive Director Michael Weinstein, a community supporter of the measure, said he also would not give up on it.

“It’s not going to discourage us,” Weinstein promised. “It took a very long time to get needle exchange in California. Almost 20 years.”

Weinstein said that the legislation had made significant progress in the two years it has been before the California legislature. Last year, it never got out of committee, he noted, while this year it passed in the full Assembly.

With more some $11 billion in annual sales worldwide, the porn industry is a huge part of California’s economy. It reportedly generates 10,000 to 20,000 production-related jobs, most of them in LA County.

The industry has set up its own political group, the so-called Free Speech Coalition, to argue against government regulations.

Free Speech Coalition spokesperson Diane Duke said the industry saw the bill as an “assault” on their business.

“The assault had unintended consequences – it unified performers and producers in ways that we haven’t seen in decades,” Duke said in a statement.

“Out of this grows a stronger industry, one

not intimidated by harassment campaigns like AB 1576. But the battle is not actually over, for we must always work to make sure our productions are safe and legal, that our performers have a strong voice in their own sexual health, and to keep a thriving industry in California.”

The AIDS Healthcare Foundation is no political lightweight either. A multimilliondollar agency with more than 200 clinics worldwide, it took in more than $188 million in grants, donations, and government contracts in 2012, and Weinstein is recognized as a leading spokesperson on HIV/AIDS issues.

Weinstein maintains that condom use on porn shoots is already mandated under existing state and federal regulations.

“Regardless of whether AB 1576 became law this year, condom use already is – and has been – the law in California under existing Cal/OSHA authority,” he said in a statement. “The porn industry has simply chosen to ignore these laws, with few, if any, repercussions to date for producers.”

Weinstein added that Cal/OSHA, the agency charged with enforcing workplace health and safety regulations, has been overhauling and expanding regulations that would cover the adult film industry.

“When enacted later this fall, these updated OSHA regulations could, in fact, make the need for a bill like AB 1576 moot,” he said.

Recent reports indicate that since the LA County ordinance requiring condoms on porn shoots went into effect, the number of permits for porn movies has dropped 90%.

Porn producers said they were moving their business to places where health and safety regulations are less strict, but critics of the industry charged that producers were simply shooting illegal unpermitted films.

August 22, 2014

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Lambda Legal sues on behalf of American Military Partner Association for VA benefits for same-sex spouses

WASHINGTON, DC – Lambda Legal and Morrison and Foerster LLP have filed suit against the Secretary of Veterans Affairs on behalf of the American Military Partner Association (“AMPA”) arguing that the denial of benefits to same-sex spouses of veterans living in states that refuse to recognize their marriages is in violation of the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision striking down the so-called Defense of Marriage Act. “Gay and lesbian veterans have served their country and risked the ultimate sacrifice to fulfill their duty to this nation,” said Susan Sommer, Director of Constitutional Litigation at Lambda Legal. “Married veterans and their spouses, wherever they live, need critical veterans benefits, earned through years of often perilous service, to take care of their families.

No member of our community should be left behind just because their home state continues to discriminate against their marriage.”

AMPA, the petitioner in the case, is an advocacy organization dedicated to supporting partners and spouses of LGBT troops and veterans. The petition filed in the Federal Circuit Court yesterday argues that the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in United States v. Windsor striking down Section 3 of DOMA specifi-

cally flagged as unconstitutional the deprivation of veterans benefits to same-sex spouses.

The VA should not rely on discriminatory state marriage bans that have been declared unconstitutional by federal courts far and wide throughout the country as the basis to deny these spousal benefits now. The petition further states, “Having weathered the federal government’s past, longstanding discrimination against them, lesbian and gay veterans and their families find themselves once again deprived of equal rights and earned benefits by the government they served and the nation for which they sacrificed.”

“It is simply unacceptable to see AMPA’s members not only discriminated against in their home states where their marriages are disrespected, but also turned down by the federal government for basic veterans benefits for their spouses,” said Stephen Peters, president of AMPA, Marine veteran, and spouse of an active duty Marine. “Our members will be denied pension and survivors benefits, home loan guarantees, and other earned veterans benefits.”

Those with questions or concerns about discrimination or denial of a protection to which they are entitled should contact Lambda Legal’s Help Desk at 1-866-5428336 or visit www.lambdalegal.org/help.

Read the petition to the court at http:// Morrison and Foerster LLP. www.lambdalegal.org/in-court/legaldocs/ampa_us_20140819_ampa-petitionLambda Legal is a national organizafor-review?mc_cid=4ce2a8c5a8&mc_ tion committed to achieving full recognieid=95186fb95e tion of the civil rights of lesbians, gay men, bisexuals, transgender people and those Susan Sommer is handling the case for with HIV through impact litigation, eduLambda Legal, with Paul Castillo and Tara cation and public policy work.

Borelli. She is joined by Andrew WoodmaThe American Military Partner Assonsee, Jessica Roberts, and Jessica Palmer of ciation (AMPA) is the nation’s largest or-

ganization for the partners, spouses, and families of America’s LGBT service members and veterans. Founded by same-sex military partners in 2009 as the Campaign for Military Partners, AMPA is committed to education, advocacy, and support for our “modern military families.” For more information, visit www.militarypartners.org.

Courtesy of Lambda Legal

Indiana marriage ban struck down AGAIN Brent Drinkut / The Star

Same-sex couple Traci and Leanne van de Bossche waiting in line for marriage license in Marion County clerk’s office in Indianapolis

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August 22, 2014

by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer Federal District Judge Richard L. Young ruled on August 20 that Indiana state law barring recognition of out-of-state same-sex marriages is unconstitutional.

In this case, Bowling v. Pence, one plaintiff sought a divorce and another couple wished to have their Iowa marriage recognized by Indiana, as it would have been, had they been an opposite-sex married couple.

It was the second time Young had struck down Indiana’s marriage laws. In a previous ruling on June 25, Young ruled that the state’s ban on same-sex marriages was unconstitutional in its entirety. Young did not stay that ruling, and a number of Gay and Lesbian couples married in Indiana before the decision was stayed by the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals.

The Seventh Circuit will hear oral arguments in that case, Baskin v. Bogan, on August 26. Young’s ruling on out-of-state marriages has been stayed pending appeal to the Seventh Circuit.

“Where you live should never determine your ability to have your marriage recognized,” said HRC Legal Director Sarah Warbelow about Young’s August 20 ruling. “These discriminatory bans only serve to harm LGBT families, and they should be erased from our nation’s laws once and for all.”

In his latest ruling, Young challenged earlier claims by Indiana Governor Mike

Pence that the state’s marriage ban remains “in full force and effect” and should be enforced by state officials.

In another previous ruling, Young had dismissed a suit against Pence on the grounds that the governor did not have direct authority to enforce the state’s marriage laws, yet Pence then issued orders to officials to ignore Young’s ruling that same-sex couples could marry.

In his latest decision, Young accused Pence of trying to have things both ways.

“The Governor has repeatedly represented to this court that he does not have any authority to enforce, or other role respecting,” the state’s marriage law, the judge wrote.

“Based on this representation and an absence of statutory authority allowing the governor to issue executive decrees telling other elected officials how to do their jobs, the court previously granted summary judgment in favor of the Governor.”

In his August 20 order, Young made it clear he was annoyed by the governor’s apparent reversal.

“The court, after witnessing the Governor do what he claimed he could not do, reverses course and finds him to be a proper party to such lawsuits. The court wishes to reiterate that it finds the Governor’s prior representations contradicting such authority to be, at a minimum, troubling.”

Young’s August 20 ruling is now the twentieth federal court decision striking down state marriage bans.

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TRANS

Florida

Today, we issued guidance clarifying that sex discrimination extends to gender identity and transgender status. This follows an announcement Secretary Perez made in June that the department is updating enforcement protocols and antidiscrimination guidance to clarify that we provide the full protection of the federal non-discrimination laws that we enforce to transgender individuals. And it follows President Obama’s signing of Executive Order 13672 adding sexual orientation and gender identity as independent categories protected by Executive Order 11246, which OFCCP enforces.

So what does this mean? It means honoring our commitment to upholding equality in America’s workforce. Being entrusted with taxpayer dollars is a privilege, and with that privilege comes a promise to open doors to all of America’s workers. I believe that success for OFCCP and for federal contractors isn’t simply about compliance. It’s about creating a workplace culture that actively embraces diversity. Inclusiveness isn’t just good for workers; it’s smart for business. When employees can work without fear, when they can comfortably bring their whole selves to the job, companies benefit from the diverse perspectives and enthusiasm those workers bring to the job.

In the other case, one plaintiff couple wanted to get married in Florida, and another wanted their marriage recognized in Florida. They were represented by private attorneys.

“I am overjoyed that the state we made our home in will soon recognize that what Carol and I had was marriage,” said plaintiff Arlene Goldberg. Her wife and partner of 47 years, Carol Goldwasser, died, and Goldberg wishes to be recognized as Goldwasser’s widow.

Four Florida state judges have also found state law unconstitutional, and other lawsuits are pending in state courts. Those decisions only affect Broward, Miami-Dade, Monroe, and Palm Beach counties, however.

Hinckle’s ruling strikes down Florida law statewide. A Florida state appellate court ruling upholding the county courts’ decisions would also have the same effect.

Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi has appealed the state court decisions and is expected to appeal the federal ruling as well.

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Irish approve of same-sex relationships, new poll says Good news for upcoming marriage vote

A new poll by The Sunday Times says that 86% of the Irish people approve of same-sex relationships.

The findings are welcome news for Irish Gay and Lesbian couples ahead of a planned referendum on same-sex marriage.

Kieran Rose, of Ireland’s Gay and Lesbian Equality Network said the poll shows that public opinion has swung towards equal treatment for same-sex couples.

“This is another welcome demonstration of the transformation in attitudes to lesbian and gay people and of the generosity of Irish voters in their willingness to extend equal status and dignity to lesbian and gay people and lesbian and gay headed families,” Rose said in a statement.

“It is clear from this poll and other recent polls public opinion firmly accepts that lesbian and gay people and families headed by lesbian and gay couples should be afforded the same respect, legal status and protections that are available to the rest of society.

“The widespread public support for more almost 1,500 civil partnerships that have already been celebrated all across Ireland and the growing political and public support shows that Ireland is ready for the next step in the 20 year journey to civil marriage and full Constitutional equality for lesbian and

gay people and families.”

In 2010 the Dail, Ireland’s parliament, passed a civil unions bill, and the government launched a review of the country’s constitution to determine how to legalize same-sex marriage. In November 2013, the Irish government said it would hold a referendum in 2015 on a constitutional amendment to legalize Gay and Lesbian marriages.

The exact date of the referendum has not yet been set, but Ireland’s Taoiseach (Prime Minister) announced in July that it would be held in the first four months of 2015.

Almost 85% of Irish citizens identify themselves as Roman Catholic, and laws protecting the Irish LGBT community are relatively recent. Same-sex sexual relations were legalized only in 1993 after the European Court of Human Rights ruled that laws criminalizing Gay sex violated international law.

There are no legal provisions for Irish citizens to change their gender, and anti-discrimination laws passed in 1998 and 2000 still do not protect Transgender people.

In Northern Ireland, an internally selfgoverning part of the United Kingdom, civil protections against anti-LGBT discrimination are in place and include Trans people, but same-sex marriage bills have been rejected several times by the area’s parliament.

In the North, nationalists who want to join the Republic of Ireland generally support marriage equality, while unionists who want to remain part of the UK generally oppose it.

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August 22, 2014

by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer

Seattle Gay News

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Brown

continued from cover Eric Williams, 18, had pulled up next to Tevlin at a stoplight. Brown and Villagran got out and one of them briefly spoke with Tevlin before Brown, who was standing at the passenger side, fired 10 shots – eight of which struck Tevlin.

Brown then climbed into Tevlin’s car, moving the slain man’s body to the passenger seat, and drove to Villagran’s apartment, The Associated Press reported.

A “JUST KILL” Detective Pavlovich says that Brown described Tavlin as a “just kill” – describing a “just kill” as a target that was an adult male, and not a woman, child or elderly person nor in the company of any women, children or elderly persons.

According to court documents, during the interview, which was audio-recorded, Brown said he was motivated to murder out of a “mission of vengeance.”

“My mission is my mission between me and my lord,” said Brown. “That’s it.”

“My mission is vengeance,” he continued, “for the lives, millions of lives are lost every day. Iraq, Syria, Afghanistan, all these places where innocent lives are being taken every single day. All these lives are taken every single day by America, by this government.”

“So a life for a life,” Brown is recorded as saying. “This is why this happened in West Orange.”

Brown was then asked about the “Seattle and King County” murders, according to the court documents, in which Brown replies, “Same thing.”

Reading the court documents, which include Det. Pavlovich’s official statement regarding the July 25 interview between Brown and the New Jersey detectives it is clear to see that investigators asked Brown several times to clarify that he was, indeed, taking responsibility for the murder of Leroy Henderson.

Brown simply responds, “Yes, I am.”

When asked to explain what happened that night Brown becomes defiant and says, “Let them come out here and I’ll explain it to them.”

The detectives remind Brown that Pavlovich and Steiger had already spoken to him earlier in the week, on a Monday, Brown once again claims responsibility for killing Henderson – and this time around – for executing Said and Anderson-Young.

In a chilling dismissal of how serious the four murders are, Brown tells detectives the he is “just doing my small part” to avenge the actions of the United States in the Middle East.

Now that Brown had admitted to the four murders, Det. Pavlovich returned to New Jersey because Brown wanted to eliminate Latoya White, a Tacoma, Washington resident Brown fathered a baby with, from having been present or assisting him during the Henderson murder.

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Brendan Tevlin

Leroy Henderson

LEROY HENDERSON, APRIL 27 Leroy Henderson was found lying in the northbound lane of travel nearest to a residence in the 12000 block at 68th Avenue South in an area of unincorporated King County known as “Skyway” at 11:44 a.m. A resident had called 911 to report hearing the sounds of multiple gunshots being fired. That call was followed by another, this time from a motorist reporting an injured male in the roadway.

According to court documents, several King County Deputies responded and found Henderson bleeding from multiple gunshot wounds. Medics attempted to treat his wounds but were unsuccessful and the man was pronounceddeadatthesceneby12:13a.m.,April28.

Detective Pavlovich was assigned the case and according to his statements to the King County prosecutors, five 9 mm spent cartridge casings were found in the roadway, within a few feet of Henderson’s body, all of which were head stamped with “F C 9mm Luger.”

Later that morning, an autopsy on Henderson was conducted by the King County Medical Examiner’s Office revealing that Henderson had sustained ten separate gunshot wounds and a total of six intact or partially deformed 9 mm bullets were recovered from the victim’s body.

Detective Pavlovich needed more than just spent bullet casings so he checked video surveillance systems near the area where Henderson had been shot. A home near the murder scene was equipped with a 4-channel video recording system and 4-cameras – two of which were mounted to the front of the home and capture the street (including the sidewalk) and entire roadway in front of the home. The cameras were motion activated and the images that were recorded would ultimately lead officials to Brown.

According to Det. Pavlovich, around the time of the shooting, footage revealed a light colored SUV passing the residence, traveling northbound, with headlights on at a normal rate of speed. Then Henderson is seen walking past the house. He is walking alone, southbound, in the middle of the northbound lane of traffic.

The SUV from before, traveling at a lower rate of speed and with its headlights turned off, begins to slow and brake lights appear as it approaches the spot where Henderson was shot.

LATOYA WHITE Good detective work and cooperation between the Seattle Police Department and King County Sheriff ’s detectives is why Brown was charged with murder while on the run to New Jersey.

After a “lengthy review” of the surveillance video footage, Det. Pavlovich narrowed the suspect vehicle down to a 2006-2009 Dodge Durango. With an agreement from South King County Auto Theft Emphasis Unit detectives, Pavlovich contacted Sgt. Robert Vallor with the Seattle Police Department on June 9, to ask if there were any recent cases in which a light color Dodge Durango vehicle were associated. The following day, Pavlovich was contacted by Det. Steiger, informing him that two men had been found shot inside of one of the victim’s vehicles and spent 9mm

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cartridge casings head stamped “F C 9mm Luger” had been recovered at the scene also.

One of the victim’s, Ahmed Said’s vehicle was processed for evidence and SPD Latent Print examiners recovered a palm print, on the interior of the back seat driver’s side window, belonging to Ali Muhammad Brown.

According to court documents, Seattle detectives discovered Brown had been arrested in Siskiyou County California in early April by the California Highway Patrol. At the time, Brown had been driving a Silver ’08 Dodge Durango registered to Latoya White – the mother of his baby girl.

Brown was not in custody, however, on either April 27 or June 1, investigators said.

and following a positive ID by the victim, Brown was subsequently located and arrested July 18 in possession of the S&W 9mm “M&P” semi-automatic pistol that had been originally purchased by Latoya White.

During Det. Pavlovich’s August 3 recordedinterview with Brown, Brown spontaneously stated, “I took the gun and the car without her permission. Simple as that. She had nothing to do with it, nothing to do with the car, nothing to do with the gun. I stole the gun from her. Okay.”

WEST ORANGE, NEW JERSEY After allegedly killing Henderson, Said and Anderson-Young, Brown took off to West Orange, New Jersey, where officials say Brown is originally from.

Back in Washington, Det. Pavlovich and Det. Johnson served Latoya White with a search warrant for her apartment and Dodge Durango on June 12 and 16 respectively.

According to Pavlovich, Brown had stolen a Smith and Wesson 9mm “M & P” handgun from White’s apartment. She told detectives that both ammunition for the handgun and the original box that the handgun was packaged in were at the apartment, but the gun was not. The additional ammunition for the handgun was in the Dodge Durango.

Detective Pavlovich states in the court documents that he and Det. Johnson recovered two 9mm fired cartridge casings head stamped “F C 9mm Luger” in the vehicle. A trace on the gun shows that it was purchased

by White on April 11 in Lakewood, Washington. She purchased two boxes of “Federal” brand 9mm ammunition – head stamped “F C 9mm Luger” – consistent with the cartridge casings recovered from the street where Henderson was killed and from the scene where Said and Anderson-Young were killed.

Days later Det. Pavlovich would learn of the same bullet casings being found where Tevlin was murdered in New Jersey.

Additionally, officials learned that Brown had attempted a robbery and carjacking in the Point Pleasant Beach, New Jersey area on June 29 (where Brown left behind a backpack that contained a fully loaded magazine for an S&W 9mm “M&P” semi-automatic pistol.

Then, on July 14, Brown committed another robbery in West Orange, New Jersey;

KING COUNTY PROSECUTOR FILES ADDITIONAL MURDER CHARGE King County prosecutors Wednesday charged Ali Muhammad Brown with firstdegree aggravated murder in the April 27 shooting of Leroy Henderson. Brown had already been charged with aggravated murder in the June 1 shooting deaths of Said and Anderson-Young. In addition, Brown has been charged by New Jersey prosecutors for his alleged June 25 murder of Tevlin.

“The investigation in King County and New Jersey reveals that this defendant is responsible for a series of murders, none of which appear to be provoked, and all of which show an extreme level of violence,” King County Prosecutor Dan Satterberg said in a statement.

An aggravated murder conviction in Washington is punishable by death or life without parole.

“The defendant was on a bloody crusade, executing four innocent men ... with the same murder weapon, over the course of approximately two months, and all under the common and single scheme of exacting “vengeance” against the United States government for its foreign policies,” King County prosecutors said in court documents.

“Ali Muhammad Brown took the lives of three members of our community, and, with these charges, he will face justice,” Seattle Mayor Ed Murray said. Murray was particularly impacted by the double-homicide of Said and Anderson-Young after having met with the families of the victims and helping to organize a candlelight vigil in their honor.

“The charging documents reveal disturbing details about Brown’s motive for committing these murders, which appears to have been based on anti-American sentiment and an extreme interpretation of the Muslim faith.

While Brown invoked his faith, we must be clear that Brown’s views and his actions do not reflect the values of Muslims.”

“In this moment of grief, we, as one community, across all faiths and religions, races and ethnicities, genders and sexual orientations, can and must renew our resolve to stand firm against violence and hatred of all kinds,” Murray said.

Brown, according to his criminal record, was also wanted on warrants for failure to register as a sex offender after pleading guilty in March of 2012 to communicating with a minor for immoral purposes, and was sentenced to a year in jail; in addition, Brown served federal prison time for conspiracy to commit bank fraud in connection with a plot to defraud several banks. In that case, between January 2002 and November 2004, Brown and three other men defrauded U.S. Bank, Bank of America, Key Bank, Washington Mutual, Wells Fargo and Boeing Employees Credit Union by depositing counterfeit and fake checks, then withdrawing funds before the checks were returned, according to charging documents filed in U.S. District Court.

Brown currently remains in-custody – without bail – in Essex County, New Jersey, where he awaits prosecution for the various crimes he committed there. He has yet to appear in court in King County, Washington to be arraigned for the three murder charges filed here.

August 22, 2014

Seattle Gay News 15

AHMED SAID AND DWONE ANDERSON-YOUNG, JUNE 1 Brown is accused of executing Dwone Anderson-Young and Ahmed Said, two members of Seattle’s LGBTQ community, after he lured the two men into meeting him by posing as Gay on the mobile hookup app Grindr, June 1. In what has been described by King County Senior Deputy Prosecutor Wyman Yip as two “extremely violent, senseless and seemingly unprovoked” murders, Brown shot the two men in the 500 block of 29th Avenue South, just steps away from Anderson-Young’s house.

Anderson-Young’s mother heard the gunshots, but did not immediately know that her son had been shot a few yards from where she lay in bed.

Detectives say Said was shot multiple times in the face at close range and also in the back, as was Anderson-Young. Brown then drove off in Said’s car, which was later found abandoned in South Seattle, leading to police linking Brown to the slayings after they found his fingerprints and three spent 9-mm shell casings inside Said’s car.

Latoya White told police that her 9-mm semiautomatic handgun was missing and that Brown had access to the gun.

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