SGN January 31, 2020 - Section 1

Celebrating 46 Years!

Issue 5 Volume 48

You’ll love She Loves Me at Village Theatre

GLAAD @ The Grammys: The evolution of LGBTQ inclusion in music

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Thousands strike at Swedish-Providence hospitals 3,000 march on January 29

Christian ministers challenge Obergefell with Tennessee lawsuit County clerks threatened

Photo by SEIU 1199NW

by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer About 3,000 hospital workers marched from Swedish Hospital on Broadway to Westlake Park on January 29, dramatically calling attention to a three-day strike called

Photo by Nick Karvounis on Unsplash

by members of SEIU 1199NW. January 29 represents the midpoint of the strike, involving some 8,000 workers at Swedish hospitals in First Hill, Cherry Hill, Ballard, Edmonds, and Issaquah.

see STRIKE page 4

GLAAD calls out rainbow wave at Super Bowl LIV

and claims victory against the American Family Association’s “One Million Moms” anti-LGBT project

Katie Sowers – Photo by Lachlan Cunningham / Getty Images

NEW YORK (January 30, 2020) – GLAAD, the world’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) media advocacy organization, today celebrated an unprecedented level of LGBTQ inclusion scheduled for the broadcast of Super Bowl LIV on Fox. At least five LGBTQ-

inclusive ads will air, and Katie Sowers, the trailblazing gay offensive assistant coach of the 49ers, is set to take the field.

The LGBTQ-inclusive ads [can be found] in GLAAD’s twitter thread: twitter. com/glaad/status/1222993131861422099

see SUPER BOWL page 11

by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer Ninety-five county clerks in Tennessee have been threatened with a lawsuit for issuing same-sex marriage licenses.

Attorney David Fowler, general counsel

for the Family Action Council of Tennessee’s Constitutional Government Defense Fund, sent a letter to the officials accusing them of violating Title XI Section 8 of Tennessee’s Constitution.

see TENNESSEE page 5

SHAMEFUL: Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee signs harmful anti-LGBTQ child welfare bill

Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee – Photo by Robin Rudd / Chattanooga Times Free Press via AP

NASHVILLE (January 24, 2020) – Today, the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), the nation’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) civil rights organization, condemned Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee for signing HB 836, a bill that would allow child welfare organizations –

including taxpayer-funded adoption and foster care agencies – to turn away qualified Tennesseans seeking to care for a child in need, including LGBTQ couples, interfaith couples, single parents, married couples in which one prospective parent has previously

see SHAMEFUL page 5

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Celebrating 46 Years!

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Macy’s shoplifts our benefits, workers say Store closure puts workers at risk

by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer In a January 30 press conference, workers at Macy’s downtown Seattle store charged the company with unfairly taking away health care and other benefits from workers who will be laid off when the store closes next month.

Some 150 employees and their families will be affected, losing not only their jobs but their health care benefits as well. For many, the cost of replacing their employerpaid health benefits with private insurance will be a crippling financial burden.

Those issues would typically be addressed in a severance package negotiated with the employees’ union. But Macy’s has not been forthcoming at the bargaining table, according to UFCW 21, the union that represents Macy’s employees.

In fact, the union says, Macy’s is offering workers at their downtown store much less than it gave employees at its Northgate

store when it closed last summer. Downtown workers – many who have worked at that location for decades – say that is unfair.

Macy’s says it has recently changed policy on severance packages and is not obligated to meet the same standards.

Macy’s and the union will return to the bargaining table February 3, and UFCW 21 spokesperson Sarah Cherin said employees will continue to press their demands for fair treatment.

The store closure comes only two years after Macy’s and UFCW 21 settled on a contact after tough negotiations.

Macy’s workers got support at their press conference from Seattle City Councilmember Teresa Mosqueda, who appeared with her three-month-old daughter Camila Elena.

UFCW 21 is the largest private-sector union in Washington state, with over 45,000 members working in grocery, retail, health care, food processing, and other food industry jobs.

Photo by SEIU 1199NW

STRIKE

continued from cover The union says that hospital managers have contracted with thousands of socalled “temporary workers” to replace striking union members and have threatened to keep union members out of work for an additional two days after the strike is concluded.

4 Seattle Gay News

The strike is an “unfair labor practices” strike – based on charges of intimidation and retaliation by employers against union members.

SEIU 1199NW has been in tense negotiations with Swedish management for many months and says the employer has grown increasingly hostile.

Hospital workers say that short-staffing – the employer refusing to schedule enough workers to adequately cover shifts – creates

January 31, 2020

Seattle Councilmember Teresa Mosqueda speaks at UFCW 21 press conference.

– Photo by Mike Andrew

Photo by SEIU 1199NW

unnecessary risks for patients as well as hospital workers.

Swedish, the largest nonprofit health provider in Seattle, was taken over by Catholic health care giant Providence Health in 2012. Since then, patient care and unionemployer relations have deteriorated, the union says.

“Ever since corporate giant Providence took over Swedish, health care workers have seen management prioritize profits

and executive pay over patients’ needs, causing severe care problems, understaffing, and turnover,” an SEIU statement says.

“Providence has grown into Washington’s largest health care corporation, and now controls over 1,000 facilities in seven states.”

Celebrating 46 Years!

POZSeattle hosts February 2020 Valentine’s Social, Volunteer Recruitment and Potluck Feb. 12 POZSeattle is pleased to present its Valentine’s Social on Wednesday, February 12th from 5:45pm-7:45pm at The Cuff Complex (13th Ave & E Pine St) in the downstairs bar. NOTE: Please bring food for the potluck at 5:45pm; social begins at 6pm. Meet us in the downstairs bar for food, socializing, to catch-up with old friends, to make new ones, and a whole lot of fun.

Thirty minutes after the social begins, POZSeattle will host an informal Volunteer Orientation for anyone who might be interested in helping out with our monthly socials at The Cuff (2nd Wednesday each month) or other POZSeattle events.

Even if you have never been to a POZSeattle event, please join us at 6:30pm to learn more about the volunteer opportunities that we have available for you.

Here is your chance to GET INVOLVED!!

We Are Looking for Volunteers To Lead And/Or Assist On Our Committees For: • Menu Planning and Food Purchasing • Theme Planner/Decorators • Events & Activities Planner • Set-up & Take Down at Our Socials/ Events • Media and Community Relations

• Web Page Master/Facebook Account Administrator • Guest Griller at The Summer BBQs; • Coat Check Wrangler @ The Cuff • Grant Writing/Fundraising Board members will be on hand during the social to discuss what is involved with these activities. If you have the skills, time (2-4 hour commitment per month), and motivation, we’d really welcome and appreciate your help.

POZSeattle is a social organization run by and for Seattle-area HIV-positive folks that is committed to planning and promot-

ing fun, social activities for each other, and our friends, family, and support networks.

We are fully self-supported by your donations. and we are here for all HIVPositive men and women, our friends, family, and support networks, (HIV-Positive or not), regardless of age, shape, size, origin, citizenship, color, sexual orientation, gender expression or identity or any other protected characteristic protected under applicable federal, state, or local laws.

We are always looking for others to help plan and organize our events, men, women, transgender folks, non-binary. Anyone can play with us!!

For questions or more information about this event, to plan your own social event, or to be added to our event promotions email list, email contactpozseattle@gmail.com, visit us on the website at www.pozseattle. com, and/or you can go to Facebook and search “joinPozSeattle” to be added to our group. The Facebook Group is private to protect our members.

Thank you, POZSeattle Events Committee

“Understanding Alzheimer’s & Dementia” GenPRIDE hosts a FREE lunchtime workshop for LGBTQ elders & caregivers Thurs. Feb. 6 at 12th Ave Arts Seattle’s GenPRIDE Center is presenting a free educational workshop for LGBTQ elders and caregivers on Understanding Alzheimer’s & Dementia on Thursday February 6, 11:00am-12:30pm, at 12th Ave Arts (1620 12th Ave just north of E Pine St) on Seattle’s Capitol Hill in the upstairs conference room.

Alzheimer’s is not normal aging, nor is it just being forgetful. It’s a disease of the brain that causes progressive problems with memory, thinking and behavior. Many elders do not have to face Alzheimer’s or other memory issues as they age. But for those who do, it can be a disruptive and dif-

ficult disease, causing major impacts and life changes.

An estimated 135,000 people have Alzheimer’s disease in Washington state and Idaho and there is no known cure or preventative treatment. LGBTQ people are often impacted, whether they suffer from Alzheimer’s themselves or are a loved one or caregiver for someone who is affected.

Recent research has provided new ways to slow down the symptoms of Alzheimer’s and shed new light on how to improve the quality of life for both people with Alzheimer’s and their caregivers. Your loved one does not have to be “lost” to this

disease or isolated from their community.

Come to this free, informative talk to learn more about: • The impact of Alzheimer’s • The difference between Alzheimer’s and dementia • Alzheimer’s disease stages and risk factors • Current research & treatments to address some symptoms • Local resources to assist people with Alzheimer’s and their caregivers Courtesy of Generations Aging With Pride (GenPRIDE)

GSBA Director of Public Policy & Government Affairs Matt Landers appointed to Washington State LGBTQ Commission SEATTLE (January 24, 2020) – The GSBA, Washington state’s LGBTQ and allied chamber of commerce and the largest LGBTQ and allied chamber of commerce in North America, is proud to announce that GSBA Director of Public Policy & Government Affairs Matt Landers has been appointed by Gov. Inslee to the inaugural Washington State LGBTQ Commission. The GSBA is proud to recognize newly appointed commissioners also closely affiliated with the organization – former GSBA scholar Isyss Honnen and GSBA board member Beto Yarce.

Landers began his work with the GSBA in February 2012 and has advocated for small business and LGBTQ civil rights issues across all levels of government.

Landers has a BA from Macalester College [and] an MA from the University of Oregon, and lives in Seattle with his husband.

The Washington State LGBTQ Commission was created by the Washington state legislature in 2019 and signed into law by the governor in April of the same year.

In August of 2019, Gov. Inslee appointed J.

Matt Landers – Photo courtesy of GSBA

Manny Santiago as the commission director. The LGBTQ Commission will work with the LGBTQ community across the state to identify and voice the community needs to state government, and work to ensure LGBTQ issues are addressed within all aspect of government.

“This has been many years in the mak-

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ing. Many people have worked hard and fought for this commission to be formed for a long time,” says Landers. “I am honored to be selected to represent my community and serve on the first-ever LGBTQ Commission for Washington. […] This is the first step in representing community voices in policy making for the state, as well as beginning to allocate appropriate resources to advance equality in the state.”

The full list of appointees are as follows: • Jac Archer, Spokane Human Rights Commission, Spokane County • Marsha Botzer, Ingersoll Gender Center, King County • Lars Erickson, WSDOT, King County • Alvaro Figueroa, Avista Corporation, Spokane County • Karen Goldsen, University of Washington, Island County • Maeve Griffith, City of Spokane, Spokane County • Tobi Hill-Meyer, Gender Justice League, Thurston County • Isyss Honnen, Pride Foundation, King

County • Michelle Kelly-Barroga, Oasis Youth Center, Pierce County • Matt Landers, GSBA, King County • Everett Maroon, Blue Mountain Heart to Heart, Walla Walla County • Jeffrey Robinson, Franklin Co. Dem Committee, Franklin County • Josette Ross, Nisqually Indian Tribe, Pierce County • Steven Sawyer, People of Color Against Aids Network, King County • Beto Yarce, Ventures, Snohomish County

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Seattle Gay News 5

The GSBA is Washington’s LGBTQ and allied chamber of commerce and the largest LGBTQ and allied chamber of commerce in North America. It represents over 1,400 small business, corporate, and nonprofit members who share the values of advancing equality and diversity in the workplace.

Courtesy of the GSBA

HRC to honor Jeremy O. Harris, playwright of Slave Play, and Matthew Lopez, playwright of The Inheritance at the 19th Annual Greater New York Gala NEW YORK CITY (January 27, 2020) – Today, the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) – the nation’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) civil rights organization – announced that it will honor two groundbreaking playwrights with the HRC Equality Award at the 19th Annual HRC Greater New York Gala on Saturday, February 1, at the Marriott Marquis: Jeremy O. Harris, the playwright of Slave Play, and Matthew Lopez, the playwright of The Inheritance.

Harris and Lopez join fellow honorees Naomi Campbell, who is being honored with the Global Advocacy Award; Kristin Chenoweth, who will receive the Ally for Equality Award; and the PVH Corp., which will receive the HRC Corporate Equality Award.

“Jeremy O. Harris’s brilliant Slave Play is a compelling and raw exploration of race, sex, gender, and identity,” said HRC President Alphonso David. “A vital voice for the LGBTQ community, Harris constantly challenges us to rethink the power dynamics within all of our relationships and how our shared past influences our present struggle for justice. We are honored to award Jeremy O. Harris with our Equality Award for his work on and off Broadway.”

“Matthew Lopez’s sweeping, groundbreaking play The Inheritance tells the important story of LGBTQ life in the 21st century, while paying homage to our rich, diverse history,” added David. “For telling this story so powerfully, and for his contributions to the LGBTQ community, it is a true honor for HRC to present Matthew Lopez with the Equality Award.”

TENNESSEE continued from cover

Title XI reads: “The relationship of one (1) man and one (1) woman shall be the only legally recognized marital contract in this state” and that any policy, law or judicial interpretations that challenge that will be ‘void and unenforceable in Tennessee.’”

That provision was passed by Tennessee voters in 2006.

Fowler is representing 11 Christian ministers who are currently challenging the Tennessee Department of Health over the constitutionality of the state’s marriage license. They claim same-sex marriage

SHAMEFUL

continued from cover been divorced, or other parents to whom the agency has a religious objection.

“It’s disturbing that Gov. Bill Lee signed legislation that will harm children in Tennessee,” said HRC President Alphonso David. “Elected officials should protect all of their constituents, not just some. Now, Tennessee has the shameful distinction of being the first state to pass an anti-LGBTQ bill into law this year. This bill does nothing to improve the outcomes for children in care, shrinks the pool of prospective parents, and is a blatant attempt to discriminate against LGBTQ Tennesseans. With many months ahead in the Tennessee legislative session, Tennesseans should make

Jeremy O. Harris (l) and Matthew Lopez – Photos courtesy of HRC

Jeremy O. Harris is a writer and performer living in New York City. His plays include Slave Play (Broadway [Golden Theatre], NYTW), Daddy (Vineyard/The New Group), Xander Xyst, Dragon: 1, and Water Sports; or insignificant white boys (published by 53rd State Press). His work has been presented or developed by Pieterspace, JACK, Ars Nova, The New Group, NYTW, Performance Space New York, and Playwrights Horizons. Harris co-wrote A24’s upcoming film Zola with director Janicza Bravo and will adapt Ales Kot’s 2019 graphic novel The New World for Warner Bros. In television, he is developing a pilot with HBO and consults on its hit series Euphoria. He is the 11th recipient of the Vineyard Theatre’s Paula Vogel Playwriting Award, a 2016 MacDowell Colony fellow, an Orchard Project Greenhouse art-

ist, and under commission from Lincoln Center Theater and Playwrights Horizons.

Harris is a graduate of the Yale MFA Playwriting Program.

Matthew Lopez’s play The Inheritance premiered at London’s Young Vic theatre in 2018 before transferring to the West End later that year. Matthew received the Olivier Award, the Evening Standard Award, the London Critics Circle Award, and the Southbank Sky Arts Award for Best New Play. The Inheritance opened on Broadway last autumn. His other works include The Whipping Man, Somewhere, Reverberation, The Sentinels, and The Legend of Georgia McBride. He is currently writing the musical adaptation of the classic film Some Like it Hot. Set to take place at the Marriott Marquis, the 2020 HRC Greater New York

Gala, the first since the HRC opened its New York office, brings together the HRC’s most active members and supporters in the greater New York area to raise crucial funds in the fight for LGBTQ equality.

Tickets and further information are available at www.hrc.org/events/hrc-greaternew-york-gala.

poses a “grave civil rights issue” and should not be allowed in the state.

“The state’s definition of marriage implicates the civil rights of the ministers in regard to the liberty of conscience guaranteed to them under the Tennessee Constitution and in regard to the US Constitution’s First Amendment promise not to prohibit the free exercise of religion and its prohibition on government-compelled speech,” the letter states.

Fowler is demanding that country clerks use the marriage certificates that were issued before the US Supreme Court’s 2015 Obergefell ruling, which specify the spouses as “husband” or “wife.”

Alternatively, Fowler says, the clerks can stop

issuing marriage licenses altogether until Tennessee amends its constitutional definition of marriage.

If no action is taken within 60 days, the letter warns, the Fowler plans to file a lawsuit in state court on behalf of the ministers.

Fowler seems to be overlooking Article VI, Paragraph 2 of the US Constitution, also known as the Supremacy Clause, which states that federal law overrules state legislation.

In July 2019, the Tennessee legislature – dominated by Republicans – passed legislation designed to impede same-sex marriages by barring people ordained online from performing weddings.

That would mean Universal Life Church ministers and others who belong to nonhierarchical denominations would no longer be able to officiate at weddings. Only priests, rabbis, ministers, people designated through a temple or church, and public officials can do so.

By prohibiting online ordination and forcing couples to seek out an ordained religious official, couples become subject to the dogmas of particular denominations, which may decline to perform a same-sex ceremony based on their religious beliefs.

The Universal Life Church has already filed a lawsuit opposing the statute.

their voices heard – loudly – to ensure that the legislature and Gov. Lee do not continue to target LGBTQ Tennesseans.”

“As this bill becomes law, Tennessee’s LGBTQ community is worried about the introduction of even more discriminatory bills,” said Chris Sanders, executive director of the Tennessee Equality Project. “The governor and the legislature must put a stop to this kind of demeaning public policy.”

HB 836 could have a sweeping, harmful impact on child welfare services by enabling discrimination against LGBTQ people, same-sex couples, interfaith couples, single parents, married couples in which one prospective parent has previously been divorced, or other qualified parents to whom an agency has an objection.

The biggest barrier to placing children with families is a lack of qualified prospective

parents; having the state give contractors and subcontractors a license to discriminate, thereby limiting the pool of prospective parents for no legitimate reason, is unconscionable and an unacceptable use of taxpayer dollars.

The HRC recently released a report, titled “Disregarding the Best Interest of the Child: License to Discriminate in Child Welfare Services,” detailing the harms of efforts to write anti-LGBTQ discrimination by child welfare agencies into law. Statistics suggest that an estimated two million LGBTQ adults in the US are interested in adoption, but the LGBTQ community often remains an untapped resource when it comes to finding families for children and youth in foster care.

Research consistently shows that LGBTQ youth are overrepresented in the

foster care system, as many have been rejected by their families of origin because of their LGBTQ status, and are especially vulnerable to discrimination and mistreatment while in foster care. HB 836 will only exacerbate these challenges faced by LGBTQ young people.

The Human Rights Campaign is America’s largest civil rights organization working to achieve equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer people.

The HRC envisions a world where LGBTQ people are embraced as full members of society at home, at work, and in every community.

Courtesy of the HRC

The Human Rights Campaign is America’s largest civil rights organization working to achieve equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer people.

The HRC envisions a world where LGBTQ people are embraced as full members of society at home, at work, and in every community.

Courtesy of the HRC

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Celebrating 46 Years!

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Celebrating 46 Years!

Michigan officials OK LGBT rights initiative Measure could go on fall ballot

by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer Michigan’s Board of State Canvassers voted to approve the summary language and form of an initiative backed by Fair and Equal Michigan to afford civil rights protections to LGBT Michiganders.

Their approval, announced January 29, allows the group to begin printing and circulating petitions for signature gathering.

The board does not evaluate the substance of initiatives; they only review the petition language to determine whether it’s factual and that the summary accurately reflects what’s on the petition.

Launched earlier this month, the effort would redefine the word “sex” in Michigan’s Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act to include sexual orientation and gender iden-

tity or expression, effectively extending those protections to LGBT people. It would also define “religion” to include the religious beliefs of an individual.

The Michigan Civil Rights Commission, which investigates claims of discrimination against the groups protected by the Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act, has already authorized investigations into LGBT discrimination by interpreting the law’s protection based on “sex” to include sexual orientation and gender identity. The initiative, if passed, would formalize this practice.

The Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act, passed by Michigan’s legislature in 1976, bars discrimination based on religion, race, color, national origin, age, sex, height, weight, familial status, or marital status in the areas of housing, employment, education, and public accommodation.

LGBT activists sought to have sexual orientation included in the original legislation but were unsuccessful.

In 2014, former state Rep. Frank Foster, a Republican, introduced a bill to add sexual orientation to the list of protected groups, but that effort also failed.

The next year, now-Attorney General Dana Nessel launched a ballot initiative that sought to amend the state constitution to include LGBT rights. That drew bipartisan support, but some LGBT activists preferred a legislative route and withheld support. The effort ultimately folded due to funding issues.

Supporters of the initiative said they would begin collecting signatures immediately.

“Today was an important step in the 37 years we’ve all been waiting to be able to

get to this point,” Trevor Thomas, co-chair of Fair and Equal Michigan, said following the vote.

“We will start immediately this week distributing signatures. We’re so fortunate that the LGBTQ community is fired up.”

The group has until May 27 to collect 340,047 valid signatures in order to be eligible for statewide ballot in fall 2020.

Because the petition would amend state statute, the legislature would then have 40 days to decide whether to adopt the measure or let it go to the ballot.

The initiative has backing from several businesses, including DTE Energy, Consumers Energy, the Whirlpool Corporation, and Herman Miller.

Miz Cracker and Kim Chi – Photo courtesy of Sabra / YouTube

Jonathan Van Ness – Photo courtesy of Pop Tarts / YouTube

SUPER BOWL continued from cover

GLAAD also launched a petition today calling on the American Family Association’s “One Million Moms” (OMM) project and its executive director, Monica Cole, to call it quits after the AFA project spoke out against just one of this year’s LGBTQinclusive ads. The Southern Poverty Law Center lists the American Family Association as a designated hate group for its antiLGBTQ activism. The AFA’s OMM project counts under 5,000 followers on Twitter and has a long list of failed online actions against LGBTQ-inclusive brands, including Disney, Mattel, and P&G. The AFA’s OMM project most recently spoke out against a Burger King ad that included the word “damn.”

GLAAD’s petition is available at glaad. nationbuilder.com/onemillionmoms.

At least five LGBTQ inclusive ads are set to air during Sunday’s broadcast, including appearances by: • Pop Tarts: Jonathan Van Ness, nonbinary star of Netflix’s “Queer Eye “ • Sabra: Drag queens Kim Chi and Miz Cracker, former contestants on VH1’s “RuPaul’s Drag Race”

Isis King (l) and Trace Lysette (r) – Photo courtesy of TurboTax / YouTube

Lilly Singh (l) – Photo courtesy of Olay / YouTube

Portia de Rossi and Ellen DeGeneres – Photo courtesy of Amazon / YouTube

• TurboTax: Transgender actresses Trace Lysette (“Transparent,” Hustlers) and Isis King (“When They See Us”), as well as other LGBTQ members of the ballroom community • Olay: bisexual Lilly Singh, host of NBC’s “A Lilly Late with Lilly Singh” and the host of the GLAAD Media Awards in New York on March 19 • Amazon Alexa: Ellen DeGeneres and wife, actress Portia de Rossi “Leading brands have learned that fringe anti-LGBTQ organizations like Monica Cole and her American Family Association’s so-called One Million Moms project are not a reflection of where Americans are,” said GLAAD president and CEO Sarah Kate Ellis. “The level of diverse LGBTQ inclusion from at least five advertisers during advertising’s biggest night, coupled with Katie Sowers’ trailblazing role as offensive assistant coach of the 49ers, mark a rainbow wave at the Super Bowl this year. We can’t wait for American families to see and cheer on LGBTQ icons like Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi, Lilly Singh, Trace Lysette, Isis King, Jonathan Van Ness, Miz Cracker, and Kim Chi – it’s about time.”

GLAAD advocates for brands and companies to include LGBTQ people and fami-

lies across advertising media. GLAAD also tracks LGBTQ inclusion in advertising and during major cultural moments like the Super Bowl.

In 2007, Snickers pulled an ad after it aired during the Super Bowl, [depicting] two men who accidentally kiss and then become disgusted. An alternative version of the ad had the men begin to beat each other.

In 2014, Coca-Cola was celebrated for an ad featuring a diverse collection of American families, including a family with two dads. LGBTQ celebrities, including Ellen DeGeneres and Neil Patrick Harris, have also appeared in Super Bowl ads over the years. DeGeneres appeared in a Beats Music ad in 2014, and Harris appeared in an ad for Heineken Light in 2017, as well as a CBS teaser ad for the Super Bowl in 2013.

Monica Cole and the American Family Association’s “One Million Moms” project claims their mission is to “stop the exploitation of children”; however, nearly all of their public work and actions center on targeting brands [and] networks that include LGBTQ people in programming or ads. Last night, the AFA OMM project spoke out about one Super Bowl ad. Over the past year, the AFA’s OMM project failed numerous times after speaking out against many leading brands for including LGBTQ people in advertising

and programming.

In December 2019, the AFA’s OMM project spoke out against ads from Zola, which featured a same-sex couple on their wedding day, on the Hallmark Channel.

After the Hallmark Channel pulled the ads, GLAAD and many in the LGBTQ community responded. GLAAD worked with the Hallmark Channel to educate them on the AFA’s OMM project, and the decision to pull the ads was shortly reversed.

Super Bowl LIV airs at [3:30pm PT] this Sunday, February 2 on Fox.

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Seattle Gay News 11

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GLAAD rewrites the script for LGBTQ acceptance. As a dynamic media force, GLAAD tackles tough issues to shape the narrative and provoke dialogue that leads to cultural change. GLAAD protects all that has been accomplished and creates a world where everyone can live the life they love.

For more information, please visit www. glaad.org or connect with GLAAD on Facebook and Twitter.

Courtesy of GLAAD

Joint statement in response to murder of 17-year-old Ja’Quarius Taylor in Louisiana

WASHINGTON, DC (January 27, 2020) – In response to the ongoing investigation into the death of 17-year-old Ja’Quarius Taylor from New Orleans as a possible hate crime, National Black Justice Coalition Executive Director David Johns and executive director of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law Kristen Clarke released the following joint statement: “First and foremost, we extend our prayers and support to the family of Ja’Quarius Taylor. The tragic passing of a loved one is heartbreaking. We hope our words and our actions help to honor the memory of Ja’Quarius and keep his name in the light.

“The National Black Justice Coalition (NBJC) and the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law support calls for the FBI to aid the local investigation into the murder of Ja’Quarius Taylor, given evidence suggesting that this was a potential hate crime.

“The dangers faced by young, Black, LGBTQ+ people are disturbing and becoming increasingly violent and fatal. With the increase in reported hate crimes since President Trump took office, we are deeply concerned that there is not a full accounting of

Ja’Quarius Taylor – Photo courtesy of NBJC

the violence that members of our community have faced. It is critical that the FBI support Washington Parish law enforcement by providing the resources necessary to ensure a full and fair investigation.

“Over the past several years, we have seen one too many young, Black, LGBTQ+ people violently murdered, beaten, bullied, and even harassed to the point of suicide. We cannot grow numb to this reality or ignore what is

PFAW joins call for pardon of civil rights icon Bayard Rustin

continuing to happen. Members of the Black community are dying because of crimes inspired by hate and vitriol – from 15-yearold Nigel Shelby, who died by suicide after being bullied for being both Black and gay; to the near fatal attack of Daniela Calderon Rivera; to the murder of Ja’Quarius.

“Out of fear of more retribution and abuse, many Black LGBTQ+ people do not report these crimes to law enforcement.

Furthermore, our nation does not have data on intersectionality, so we should imagine the incidents of hate crimes against Black LGBTQ+ people are worse than reported.

These startling statistics, and the Black people they represent, should inspire each of us to action – to demand full and complete investigations whenever we learn of victims of potential hate crimes and investments in programs and policies to mitigate the impact of racism and homophobia.

“The murder of Ja’Quarius Taylor demands immediate attention – the same level of attention devoted to our brother Trayvon. We’re in this together. Ja’Quarius deserves justice and his family deserves answers. Our community and our country deserve better.”

The National Black Justice Coalition (NBJC) is America’s leading civil rights organization dedicated to the empowerment of Black lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and same-gender-loving (LGBTQ/SGL) people, including people living with HIV/AIDS. The Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization, was formed in 1963 at the request of President John F. Kennedy to involve the private bar in providing legal services to address racial discrimination. Now in its 57th year, the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law is continuing its quest to “Move America Toward Justice.”

The principal mission of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law is to secure, through the rule of law, equal justice for all, particularly in the areas of criminal justice, fair housing and community development, economic justice, educational opportunities, and voting rights.

Courtesy of the NBJC and the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law

PFAW: SCOTUS public charge ruling upholds a “wealth test” for immigrant families Bayard Rustin in 1963 – Photo by Warren K. Leffler / Library of Congress

WASHINGTON, DC (January 28, 2020) – Following the announcement by California state Sen. Scott Wiener and Assemblymember Shirley Weber of their letter to Gov. Gavin Newsom, calling on Newsom to posthumously pardon civil rights icon Bayard Rustin for his 1953 conviction under a law criminalizing same-sex relationships, PFAW President Michael Keegan released the following statement: “People For the American Way wholeheartedly supports Sen. Wiener and Assemblymember Weber in their call for a long-overdue pardon for Bayard Rustin.

Rustin was a person of peace and principle whose unsung leadership within the civil rights movement deserves greater attention. He was doubly harmed during his life by the racist and homophobic climate of the time, and nothing can erase the suffering

he endured. But decades later, his legacy should not continue to be tarnished by an unjust criminal conviction. We call on Gov. Newsom to pardon Rustin and make it clear that California rejects the cruel bigotry that this hero and millions of other people faced, now and forever.”

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January 31, 2020

People For the American Way is a progressive advocacy organization founded to fight right-wing extremism and build a democratic society that implements the ideals of freedom, equality, opportunity, and justice for all. It encourages civic participation, defends fundamental rights, and fights to dismantle systemic barriers to equitable opportunity. www.pfaw.org.

Courtesy of PFAW

WASHINGTON, DC (January 27, 2020) – Following today’s Supreme Court ruling permitting Donald Trump’s “public charge” immigration rule to go into effect, PFAW Political Director and Director of the PFAW Latinos Vote! program Lizet Ocampo released the following statement: “Today’s disturbing 5-4 decision by the Supreme Court, to temporarily lift the stay on denying green cards to hardworking individuals who contribute to the social fabric and economic growth of our communities, is a clear example of how narrow-minded judges impact our everyday lives. Instead of eliminating barriers for immigrant people trying to create better lives, some Supreme Court justices, including Trump’s very own nominees, want to impose a ‘wealth test’ on immigrant families. If this policy becomes permanent, immigrant families will have to choose between food, health care, and other essentials, or preserving their chance for a safer future in the US. It’s ironic that on this third anniversary of Trump’s travel ban against people from predominantly Muslim countries, the highest court in the land continues

to allow policies that target our communities and cripple our collective prosperity.”

People For the American Way’s Latinos Vote! program exposes and counters anti-immigrant, anti-Latino rhetoric and policies. Through electoral work and issuebased campaigns, it holds groups, leaders, and influencers accountable for the harm they do to immigrant and Latino communities. Over six election cycles, it’s run bilingual paid and earned media campaigns in swing states where the Latino vote can be decisive.

People For the American Way is a progressive advocacy organization founded to fight right-wing extremism and build a democratic society that implements the ideals of freedom, equality, opportunity, and justice for all. It encourages civic participation, defends fundamental rights, and fights to dismantle systemic barriers to equitable opportunity. www.pfaw.org.

Courtesy of PFAW

Celebrating 46 Years!

Minneapolis region to host 2022 Gay Softball World Series

MINNEAPOLIS (Janurary 30, 2020) – One of the largest annual gay sporting events in the world will return to Minnesota, as the Minneapolis region secured the 2022 Gay Softball World Series. The Twin Cities Goodtime Softball League, in partnership with Sports Minneapolis, won hosting rights after a presentation to delegates from the North American Gay Amateur Athletic Alliance (NAGAAA) last weekend in Columbus, Ohio. The tournament will be held Aug. 28–Sept. 3, 2022.

The 2022 Gay Softball World Series will feature nearly 900 games taking place at softball complexes in Minneapolis, as well as Burnsville, Eagan, Inver Grove Heights, and South St. Paul. Last year’s tournament in Kansas City, MO, included 207 teams from 45 cities across the US and Canada. The number of teams is expected to increase for the 2022 event.

In addition to a full schedule of games, events are planned every night of the tournament, including the following: • Opening Ceremony • NAGAAA Hall of Fame Induction • Charity Night • Pride Night at a Minnesota Twins game • Closing Ceremony “We are honored to bring the Gay Softball World Series back to the Twin Cities in 2022,” said Greg Fedio of the Twin Cities Goodtime Softball League, who will serve as executive director of the newly formed Twin Cities Gay Softball World

Series Organizing Committee. “We have put together a dedicated committee that is devoted to creating an amazing player experience and is looking forward to hosting teams from the 46 member cities of NAGAAA.” “Securing the 2022 Gay Softball World Series is a very nice win for the Minneapolis region. We are particularly excited to showcase our vibrant and welcoming community to the athletes, as well as their family and friends,” said Melvin Tennant, executive director of Sports Minneapolis.

“We look forward to setting a new standard of excellence for this great event.”

The Minnesota Twins have also pledged their support, becoming the first Major League Baseball team to partner with the

Gay Softball World Series.

“The Twin Cities have played host to many of the country’s top athletic events.

We’re a vibrant and diverse community that celebrates how sports brings communities together. We’re excited to help bring the Gay Softball World Series to Minnesota,” said Miguel Ramos, Minnesota Twins senior director of diversity and inclusion, who traveled to Columbus to help present the bid.

The 2022 edition of the Gay Softball World Series will be the 46th consecutive year of the event. It is the largest annual, LGBT, single-sport, weeklong athletic competition in the world. According to the Twin Cities Gay Softball World Series Organizing Committee, it is expected to bring 5,000 visitors and approximately $7 million to the local economy. The Minneapolis region previously hosted the tournament in 1996 and 2012.

The Twin Cities Goodtime Softball League was founded in 1979 when a group of gay men challenged the Minneapolis Police Department to a charity game.

Since then, it has grown to the third-largest LGBT league in North America, with 35 teams and nearly 600 players. In 2017, the Twin Cities Goodtime Softball League was named “Best Softball League in Minnesota” by CBS affiliate WCCO. Members of this league will form the local organizing committee for the 2022 Gay Softball World Series.

The NAGAAA was founded in 1977 and is an international sports organization comprising men and women dedicated to providing opportunity and access for the LGBT community to participate in organized softball competitions in safe environments.

Sports Minneapolis leads the region in bidding, winning, and executing major professional and amateur sporting events that impact the city of Minneapolis and beyond.

Sports Minneapolis, a division of Meet Minneapolis, has played a major role in securing events such as the Super Bowl, the NCAA Men’s Final Four, the Major League Baseball All-Star Game, the USA Girls’ Jr. Volleyball, CONCACAF Gold Cup soccer, the X Games, and more. Amateur and professional sports events increase visitor spending and tax revenue that benefit the local community. Sports Minneapolis and its partners, including the University of Minnesota, have secured upcoming NCAA championships and major events, such as the 2020 Division I Wrestling Championships, the 2021 Division I Men’s Gymnastics Championships, and the 2021 Division I Men’s Basketball Regional. In addition, Sports Minneapolis and its partners will be the local organizing committee for the 2022 NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Final Four.

Courtesy of Meet Minneapolis

HRC releases annual State Equality Index ratings

WASHINGTON, DC (January 30, 2020) – Today, the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) Foundation and the Equality Federation Institute released their sixth annual State Equality Index (SEI), a comprehensive report detailing statewide laws and policies that affect LGBTQ people and their families and assessing how well states are protecting LGBTQ people from discrimination. This year, 17 states and Washington, DC, achieved the SEI’s highest rating, with Maryland joining those in the top category for the first time.

“As LGBTQ people continue to face an onslaught of attacks from the federal administration in Washington, the Human Rights Campaign’s 2019 State Equality Index (SEI) documents how states were instrumental in advancing equality through pro-LGBTQ legislation, policies, and proposals,” said HRC President Alphonso David. “In the absence of federal nondiscrimination protections for the LGBTQ community, states must put policies in place to ensure equality for their residents, workers, and visitors. In 2020 and beyond, the Human Rights Campaign will continue to work with our partners to defeat antiLGBTQ legislation in the states and secure new protections for our community, both at the state and federal level. Already, we see the promise of even more protections passing state legislatures in 2020, including action taken in Virginia advancing the Virginia Values Act.” Due to the lack of explicit, comprehensive civil rights protections for LGBTQ people at the federal level, the rights of millions of LGBTQ people and their families vary depending on which state they live in.

In 30 states, LGBTQ people remain at risk of being fired, evicted or denied services because of who they are. These top-rated states and Washington, DC, have robust LGBTQ nondiscrimination laws covering employment, housing, and public accommodations.

The SEI’s assessment of statewide LGBTQ-related legislation and policies in the areas of parenting laws and policies, religious refusal and relationship recognition laws, nondiscrimination laws and policies, hate crime and criminal justice laws, youth-related laws and policies, and health

Image courtesy of HRC

and safety laws and policies has placed each state in one of four distinct categories: • 17 states and the District of Columbia are in the highest-rated category, “Working Toward Innovative Equality”: California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington • 3 states are in the category “Solidifying Equality”: Hawaii, Iowa, and New Hampshire • 2 states are in the category “Building Equality”: Utah and Wisconsin • 28 states are in the lowest-rated category “High Priority to Achieve Basic Equality”: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wyoming “The State Equality Index highlights how far we have come in the fight for LGBTQ equality in each state. For years, we’ve been working with our member organizations to pave the way for nationwide protections by winning state and municipal laws that make discrimination illegal.

We’re keeping that momentum going. We have big plans for a future where we can thrive in all the places we call home,” said

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Rebecca Isaacs, executive director of the Equality Federation. “This year, we will work with members on a host of issues, including nondiscrimination legislation in places like Virginia and Ohio. Together, we are impacting the lives of millions of LGBTQ Americans. We can, and we will win this fight.”

Last year, the pro-equality majority in the US House of Representatives passed the Equality Act, a bill to establish comprehensive federal protections for LGBTQ people.

But as the HRC and other civil rights organizations work toward establishing these critical federal protections, accelerating progress at the state level is critical.

This SEI report comes as 38 state legislatures and the District of Columbia have opened their sessions – and with several good bills introduced, including the Virginia Values Act, a bill that would modernize Virginia’s existing human rights laws and provide nondiscrimination protections for LGBTQ people in public employment and housing. In New Jersey, the governor has signed a bill to ban anti-LGBTQ “panic defenses.”

Unfortunately, we have also seen the introduction and passage of bad legislation, including a Tennessee bill that would allow child welfare organizations – including taxpayer-funded adoption and foster care agencies – to turn away qualified Tennesseans seeking to care for a child in need, including LGBTQ couples, interfaith

couples, single parents, married couples in which one prospective parent has previously been divorced, or other parents to whom the agency has a religious objection. In South Dakota, the House of Representatives passed a bill that effectively bars instructors who teach grades K-7 in the state’s public schools from instructing students on gender identity or gender expression.

Advancing LGBTQ nondiscriminaton protections at the state and federal level is supported by a wide swath of Americans.

A recent PRRI survey found that 71% of Americans support LGBTQ nondiscrimination laws like the Equality Act. A map of this patchwork of laws can be found [at https://www.hrc.org/state-maps/].

The HRC’s full State Equality Index report, including detailed scorecards for every state and a preview of the 2020 state legislative session, is available online at www.hrc.org/sei.

January 31, 2020

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The Human Rights Campaign Foundation is the educational arm of America’s largest civil rights organization working to achieve equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer people. The HRC envisions a world where LGBTQ people are embraced as full members of society at home, at work, and in every community.

Courtesy of the HRC

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14 Seattle Gay News

January 31, 2020

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Seattle Gay News 15