SGN February 7, 2020 - Section 1

Celebrating 46 Years!

Issue 6 Volume 48

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Seattle Gay News S E AT T L E ’ S L G B T Q N E W S & E N T E R TA I N M E N T W E E K LY

BUTTIGIEG WINS IN IOWA Pete Buttigieg’s Iowa victory a milestone in US history

WASHINGTON, DC (February 6, 2020) – After days of speculation and partially reported results, it is official: Pete Buttigieg won the Iowa caucuses. It is a milestone moment for the LGBTQ community and all of America, with Pete becoming the first openly LGBTQ person in history to win a presidential primary.

The impact of the moment was evident in a speech he gave in New Hampshire Tuesday night, saying his victory “validates for a kid somewhere in a community wondering if he belongs or she belongs or they belong in their own family.” His use of the pronoun “they” in the closely watched speech is emblematic of the transformation an openly LGBTQ presidential candidate can have on the race and the country.

Pete Buttigieg – Photo by Nate Gowdy

see IOWA page 4

Coalition announces California governor “Queer the Census WA pardons Bayard Rustin 2020” campaign to boost LGBTQ+ participation in upcoming census

SEATTLE (February 4, 2020) – On January 21, 2020, a coalition of 14 LGBTQ+ community organizations [launched] a website highlighting the importance of LGBTQ+ people filling out the 2020 Census. WWW. QueerTheCensusWA.org addresses the challenges that LGBTQ+ people face with the

2020 census and provides practical strategies in navigating the census form. The [website], called Queer the Census Washington, is in Spanish and English and accommodates unique features for community members living with disabilities.

see QUEER THE CENSUS page 12

Bayard Rustin in 1963 – Photo by Warren K. Leffler / Library of Congress

by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer California Gov. Gavin Newsom posthumously pardoned Gay civil rights icon Bayard Rustin on February 5.

Rustin, who died in 1987, had been arrested in Pasadena in 1953 for having sex with two other men in a parked car. He served 50 days in jail and had to register as a sex offender.

see RUSTIN page 11

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Celebrating 46 Years!

Seattle Gay News F O U N D ED 1974 MEMBER

2018

1707 23rd Avenue Seattle, WA 98122 (206) 324-4297 sgn2@sgn.org sgn.org

Deadlines Classifieds | Thursday at Noon Calendar | Tuesday at 6pm Display Ads Space Reservation | Monday at 5pm Ad Copy (non-camera ready) | Tuesday at 5pm Ad Copy (camera-ready) | Wednesday at 5pm Letters to the Editor | Tuesday at 5pm Obituaries | Call the SGN office All others | Tuesday at 5pm

Editor in Chief George Bakan Copy Editor Rick McKinnon (since Dec 2013) Advertising George Bakan • Maggie Bloodstone MK Scott National Advertising Rep. Rivendell Media (212) 242-6863 Staff Writers Mike Andrew • Sara Michelle Fetters Miryam Gordon • Albert Rodriguez Contributing Writers Rev. Barbara Allen • Ron Anders Madelyn Arnold • Alice Bloch Maggie Bloodstone • Beau Burriola Sharon Cumberland • Jessica Davis Tina Gianoulis • Anthony Greer Milton W. Hamlin • Nevin Jefferson Richard Kennedy • Shaun Knittel Liz Meyer • Jason A. Miller Jesse Monteagudo David Nguyen aka Teriyaki Temple Rod Parke • Don Paulson Jerry Peerson • Tim Peter • Jessica Price Scott Rice • Leslie Robinson MK Scott • Mark Segal • Gaysha Starr Sarah Toce • Paul Torres • Janice Van Cleve Ed Walsh • James Whitely Scott Wittet • Rex Wockner

GenPRIDE hosts Signing Party for Wills & Other Legal Documents Feb. 12

Q. What should I bring to this signing party?

A. Bring your photo ID and printed copies of all the legal documents you want to sign and have witnessed or notarized.

Cartoonist Ken Campbell Calendar Editor Rick McKinnon Classifieds Rick McKinnon Photographers Nate Gowdy • Joseph P. Herron MK Scott • James Whitely Production Mike Pham Website Designer Barry Thorsness / Digital Team Works Seattle Gay News is published by Frogs and Ink, Inc. © 2018. Frogs and Ink, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Reprints by permission.

Publication of names, photographs, or likeness of any person, organization, event or business in this publication cannot be taken as any indication of the sexual orientation of the person, organization, event or business.

Opinions expressed in bylined articles, columns, and letters are those of the authors only and do not necessarily reflect the views of the staff or management of this paper.

Seattle Gay News welcomes unsolicited material, including letters to the editor, but reserves the right to edit or reject material. All rights revert to authors upon publication.

We assume no liability for loss or damage of materials, solicited or not. We invite feedback, please write.

And please play safe.

It is our policy that no money shall be refunded if you choose to cancel your ad. Credit will be given for the balance owed.

No exceptions.

In Loving Memory Of Steve Foiles • Scott Roger Alpert Cookie Andrews-Hunt James Leland Moore Randy Peters • Lee Richeson Shaun Shelton • Jim Tully James Arnold

There are many legal documents that are literally matters of life and death. Some cover the unexpected situation in life if you or a loved one were to become unconscious or incapacitated. These documents can spell out who should manage your health care, your finances, your children, or your pets if you can’t take care of such matters yourself.

Some legal documents control what happens when you die: what services, ceremonies, and arrangements should be made, how any money or property you leave behind gets distributed, and who will make those decisions for you after you’re gone. These legal documents are especially important for LGBTQ people, who may face discrimination in healthcare or legal challenges from members of their family of origin.

These crucial legal documents take many forms – Wills, Powers of Attorney, Health Care Directives, and more – but they all have one thing in common: to take effect and be legally binding, you need to date and sign them in the presence of witnesses or a Notary Public. Some documents require both witnesses and a Notary Public to certify your signature. Plus, whenever you change or update the document, you have to again date and sign the new version, in the same manner as before. Arranging this signing ceremony can be a major stumbling block to putting your current legal documents into effect.

Are you creating or updating a Will,

Visit us online www.sgn.org

Power of Attorney, Health Care Directive, or another legal document that needs witnessing or notarizing? Come to a free, fun Signing Party for Legal Documents at Seattle’s GenPRIDE Center, offered in partnership with the Lavender Rights Project! Bring your photo ID and your legal documents as ready-to-sign, printed copies.

We’ll have a Notary Public in attendance and can witness each other’s signing of our documents, so you can leave the party with all your documents signed and dated, legal and official.

Signing Party for Wills & Other Legal Documents February 12, 6:00 - 7:30 pm GenPRIDE Center 401 Broadway E Suite 223 (above Broadway QFC) Seattle, WA 98102 (2nd floor, south of gym) genprideseattle.org Here are some common questions and answers about this event: Q. Is there any fee required for the notarizing of my document? Do I have to be a member of GenPRIDE? A. No. This event is totally free and open to the public.

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Q. I don’t have a printer at home. Can you print out my document if I bring it as a digital file on a USB drive or save it to the Internet?

A. It’s best if you bring printed copies of the documents you want to sign, so that you know they are printed & formatted correctly and are ready-to-sign. If you need help getting documents printed, please contact us several days in advance and see if we can print them out for you.

Q. I need some advice on what to include in my legal document, before I sign it.

A. This event is focused exclusively on dating and signing documents that are ready-to-sign. There are many resources, both local and online, that can help you draw up or update your Will, Health Care Directive, or another legal document so that it clearly states your wishes in the appropriate format for Washington State. The Public Library has many resources available. You could also contact the Lavender Rights Project (https://www.lavenderrightsproject.org/ or (206) 639-7955) for legal assistance and advice, especially on legal issues important to LGBTQ people and their loved ones.

Q. Do I have to arrive right at 6:00 pm?

Do I have to make an advance reservation?

A. This is a fun, drop-in event, so come by anytime between 6:00 and 7:30 pm. The longer you stay, the more document signings you’ll be able to witness for others.

There will be light snacks & refreshments available. An RSVP is welcome, but not required, at http://bit.ly/gp-signingparty.

Courtesy of GenPRIDE

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Note to Dems: Maybe Biden isn’t the “most electable” Buttigieg, Sanders top Iowa caucuses

Photos by Nate Gowdy

by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer For someone whose candidacy is based on the premise that he’s the “most electable” Democrat to put up against Donald Trump, Joe Biden is sure having problems winning an election.

Biden is now in fourth place in the Iowa caucus count, with barely 15% of the raw votes.

Because of the peculiarities of the Iowa

IOWA

continued from cover The LGBTQ Victory Fund was Buttigieg’s first national endorsement. He was endorsed in June 2019 on the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Uprising.

Mayor Annise Parker, president and CEO of LGBTQ Victory Fund, released the following statement about the victory: “Pete’s victory is a transformational moment in American history, upending tra-

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caucus process, Bernie Sanders placed first in raw vote totals and second in delegates.

Pete Buttigieg showed just the opposite – second in votes and first in delegates.

Elizabeth Warren is in third place in both, with a showing that will keep her in the mix as candidates shift their operations to New Hampshire.

Although Biden refused to comment on the Iowa results, his supporters are said to be shaken by his poor finish.

And well they might be. Iowa caucus-

goers are neither Bernie Bros nor ideological purists. In fact, they told ABC News entrance pollsters that what they wanted was to select a candidate who could beat Donald Trump.

As they arrived at caucus sites, a whopping 61% of the attendees said that electability mattered to them more than issues.

Only 37% said they would hold out for a candidate who agreed with them ideologically.

Clearly, they don’t see Biden as the can-

didate who can do the job.

That leaves this question open – if not Biden, who? Can Sanders or Warren convince voters that they can win with an energetic, movement-building campaign? Is Buttigieg convincing when he claims to be able to deliver Midwestern moderates? Or maybe the winning candidate is still waiting in the wings. Michael Bloomberg? John Kerry?

Stay tuned for the New Hampshire and South Carolina primaries.

ditional notions of electability and proving America is ready to elect its first openly gay president. Just twelve years ago, no serious contender for the presidency publicly supported the right of LGBTQ people to marry.

LGBTQ people were effectively banned from the military. But Monday night, Iowa decided Pete is the best candidate to defeat Donald Trump and lead our country into a new decade, a powerful statement of our nation’s progress.

“With all results in, we can now fully appreciate the historic moment that played

out Monday night. Running against some of the most recognizable names in American politics, Pete overcame the obstacles and the odds to finish first place in the Iowa caucuses. It is an incredible achievement for an openly gay candidate and speaks to Pete’s ability to build a broad coalition among voters in cities, suburbs, and rural areas. Voters want the antithesis of Donald Trump and they see that in Pete. Now there is no question we are on a journey to elect the first openly gay president of the United States – and that is astounding.”

More information is available at victoryforpete.com.

February 7, 2020

The LGBTQ Victory Fund works to change the face and voice of America’s politics and achieve equality for LGBTQ Americans by increasing the number of openly LGBTQ elected officials at all levels of government.victoryfund.org Courtesy of the LGBTQ Victory Fund

Celebrating 46 Years!

Photos by Nate Gowdy

Visit us online www.sgn.org

February 7, 2020

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Jayapal statement on Senate impeachment vote “In spite of this unprecedented obstruction, the House did its job, and Donald Trump will forever be an impeached president.

“Since the House impeached President Trump, more and more damning information about the President’s abuse of power has come to light. Instead of pursuing the full truth, Senate Republicans eagerly enlisted themselves to be President Trump’s co-conspirators covering up the President’s misconduct without even caring to find out the extent of his misconduct. It is a disgrace

Photo by Nicholas Kamm / Getty Images

WASHINGTON, DC (February 5, 2020) – US Rep. Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), a member of the House Judiciary Committee and co-chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, today issued the following statement after the Senate voted to acquit President Trump after the House voted to impeach him for abuse of power and obstruction of justice: “Instead of showing courage, all but one Republican senator today exemplified cowardice. In putting party and politics over country and Constitution, Republicans drove a stake in the heart of our democracy.

“The case for convicting and removing President Trump was overwhelming and irrefutable: President Trump endangered the sanctity of our elections by inviting foreign interference in our most sacred democratic institution. He betrayed our national security, violated the sacred trust of the American people, and threatened the very future of our democracy. At every turn, the President and his administration obstructed the House, refusing to turn over even a single document or provide even a single witness.

that Mitch McConnell refused to give the American people what they deserve and what the Constitution demands: a fair trial with witnesses and impartial justice.

“President Trump will be held accountable one way or another – whether through the courts or the ballot box – and the American people and history will not forget the Republicans’ cowardice.”

Courtesy of Rep. Pramila Jayapal

Sen. Murray statement on vote to convict President Trump WASHINGTON, DC (February 5, 2020) – US Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA) issued the following statement today after voting “guilty” on both articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump.

“I’ve said many times throughout this trial that each senator’s decision to choose fairness or a cover-up, and country or party, is theirs alone to make and live with – and that this isn’t just about this president, it’s about every future president. I am now on the record, representing millions of people in my home state of Washington, in say-

ing it is unacceptable for a president, now or ever, to ask a foreign country to interfere in our election for their own benefit. I want every American to know my strong feeling is that we, the people, elect our presidents, they owe their office to the American people, and Americans must be their priority. I am grateful to every senator who stood up for this fundamental American principle today.”

Courtesy of Sen. Patty Murray

Rep. Smith statement on the 2020 State of the Union WASHINGTON, DC (February 5, 2020) – Rep. Adam Smith (D-WA) released the following statement after President Trump’s State of the Union address.

“President Trump used the State of the Union to mislead the American people and lie about critical issues. The American people need the truth – not a twisted and distorted vision that bears no resemblance to reality.

“Trump touted the strength of the economy, claiming that reversing the economic policies of the previous administration has paved the way for the economic gains of

today. This is just wrong. GDP growth is hardly the best ever, as President Trump has claimed, and has slowed in the wake of the Republican tax cuts. In the first three years of the Trump administration, the US GDP grew by 2.4%, 2.9%, and 2.3% respectively.

“Numerous previous presidents have averaged well above Trump’s GDP growth levels: Johnson averaged 5.3%; Clinton averaged 3.9%; Reagan averaged 3.5%; Carter averaged 3.3%; and Eisenhower averaged 3%.

“Trump is not even performing above the post-World War II average of 2.9% per year.

“The truth is that economic growth Trump claims credit for began during the Obama administration. In the 36 months before Trump took office, 8.2 million jobs were created under President Obama, compared to just the 6.7 million jobs gained under Trump in his first three years. In addition, the Trump tax plan signed into law at the beginning of 2018 will add $1.9 trillion to the deficit over the next decade, leaving our kids to foot the bill for this giveaway to corporations and the wealthy.

“Trump also said he will ‘always pro-

Lambda Legal responds to the State of the Union WASHINGTON, DC (February 4, 2020) – Tonight, after President Donald Trump delivered his State of the Union address, Sharon McGowan, chief strategy officer and legal director at Lambda Legal, issued the following statement: “At tonight’s State of the Union Address, President Trump doubled down on his agenda of hate and division. Filled with blatant lies and race-baiting rhetoric, tonight’s speech must be a call to action for all people who believe in our shared humanity and the right of every person to equal justice and dignity under law. By weaponizing religious liberty arguments, this administration has relentlessly attacked not only the LGBT community but also women, communities of color, and religious minorities. And by using tonight’s State of the Union to bestow the Presidential Medal of Freedom on Rush Limbaugh, President Trump displays his utter disdain for the overwhelming majority of our country who neither look like him nor

share his cynical worldview.

“As we expected, the president bragged about his Federalist Society–inspired packing of our courts, including the Supreme Court, with judges with long records of anti-LGTBQ bias. These judges are already wreaking havoc on sacred constitutional protections, and will undermine the legitimacy and integrity of our judicial system for generations to come. Like this president, many of these new judges do not even attempt to hide their disdain for LGBT rights, and as demonstrated in a recent case involving a Trump judge, their disrespect for the very identity of transgender people.

Sadly, there is no reason for us not to expect more of the same for as long as Donald Trump is the president and Mitch McConnell controls the Senate.

“The president, again, has laid down a marker. We at Lambda Legal, again, will do likewise. We will continue to fight this administration in the courts and in part-

nership with our allies in the US Congress.

We will continue our legal battles to overturn the ban on transgender military service and to block the effort to discharge service members living with HIV. We will continue to fight the pernicious effort to invite health care workers to deny care to LGBTQ patients at their most vulnerable moments.

And we will continue to work to ensure all the rights, responsibilities, and benefits of marriage, so long denied, are fully extended to LGBTQ couples and their families.

“The times demand no less.”

Lambda Legal is a national organization committed to achieving full recognition of the civil rights of lesbians, gay men, bisexuals, transgender people, and everyone living with HIV through impact litigation, education and policy work. www.lambdalegal.org Courtesy of Lambda Legal

tect patients with pre-existing conditions.’

But the Trump administration is actively pursuing a lawsuit today that would completely dismantle the Affordable Care Act, including its protections for pre-existing conditions, and has offered no serious legislation to protect pre-existing conditions. His actions are not protecting patients; they are leaving millions of Americans at risk from losing their health care.

“Beyond domestic issues, Trump said we are stronger than ever in foreign relations. That could not be further from the truth. The Trump administration’s policies have severely undermined our credibility on foreign policy and diplomacy, which threatens our national security. For example, he abandoned the Kurds in Syria after decades of support and cooperation, and we drew dangerously close to another war with Iran when Trump ordered the killing of Soleimani without fully considering the consequences. Trump has actively undermined key alliances such as NATO, sided with Russia instead of our own intelligence agencies, and abandoned career diplomats and foreign service officers that are the backbone of our foreign policy. Our long-standing alliances are in jeopardy due to his shortsightedness and bravado. The damage done in just his first term will take years to repair.

“In all of his exaggerations and lies, the President failed to mention an existential threat facing the United States and the world: climate change. Failure to acknowledge and address this threat is unacceptable and will impact our children and country for years to come.

“The challenges facing the United States are not going to be easy to address, but our country deserves leadership that is at least honest with the American people.”

Courtesy of Rep. Adam Smith

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Equality California thanks Gov. Newsom for pardoning Bayard Rustin, openly Gay civil rights icon SACRAMENTO, Calif. (February 5, 2020) – Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Wednesday that he will pardon openly gay civil rights icon Bayard Rustin, who was arrested in in 1953 in Pasadena, California, and convicted of “vagrancy” for violating a morality offense that was often used to discriminate against and criminalize LGBTQ+ and Black communities and has since been repealed.

Equality California, the nation’s largest statewide LGBTQ+ civil rights organization, joined California Legislative LGBTQ Caucus Chair Sen. Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) and Legislative Black Caucus Chair Assemblymember Shirley Weber (D-San Diego) in requesting the governor’s pardon of Rustin two weeks ago.

The organization released the following statement on Wednesday from Executive Director Rick Zbur: “Civil rights champion Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. said, ‘The time is always right to do what is right.’ For our friend

Gov. Newsom, that time is today. We are grateful to the governor for demonstrating our California values by pardoning civil rights hero Bayard Rustin – a trusted aide to Dr. King – and for creating a system for other LGBTQ+ people to seek pardon from unjust convictions. Today, Gov. Newsom, and indeed the entire Golden State, did what is right.”

RUSTIN

that Rustin was Gay, but he lived in a period of US history when it was not possible to be both out and politically active. When King’s enemies began to leak false rumors that King and Rustin were lovers, Rustin was forced to leave the SCLC. Although as a young man Rustin had been a Communist, he eventually drifted to the right in his older age and spoke against the anti-Vietnam war movement.

Newsom pardoned Rustin at the request of California’s legislature.

“In California and across the country, many laws have been used as legal tools of oppression, and to stigmatize and punish LGBTQ people and communities and warn

continued from cover Rustin is best known as the protégé of the African American labor and civil rights leader A. Phillip Randolph and as an associate of Martin Luther King, Jr. Rustin was the lead organizer for the 1963 March on Washington, at which King delivered his famous “I Have a Dream” speech. He also helped organize the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), which King headed, and the famous Freedom Rides through the South.

Both Randolph and King were aware

Equality California is the nation’s largest statewide LGBTQ civil rights organization. It brings the voices of LGBTQ people and allies to institutions of power in California and across the United States, striving to create a world that is healthy, just, and fully equal for all LGBTQ people. It advances civil rights and social justice by inspiring, advocating, and mobilizing through an inclusive movement that works tirelessly on behalf of those it serves. www. eqca.org Courtesy of Equality California

Bayard Rustin in 1963 – Photo courtesy of AP

others what harm could await them for living authentically,” Newsom said in a statement.

He thanked those who pushed for Rustin’s pardon and encouraged others in similar circumstances “to seek a pardon to right this egregious wrong.”

Newsom also issued an executive order creating what he called a “new clemency initiative” to identify others who had been convicted of same-sex encounters and enable them to apply for pardons. He encouraged Californians to apply for clemency for people they believe meet that criteria, with details and updates available at www.gov.ca.gov/clemency.

According to the Associated Press, Newsom’s office could not say if other states have taken similar steps.

As mayor of San Francisco in 2004, Newsom ordered city officials to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples. Courts overturned his order, but same-sex marriage briefly became legal in California in 2008.

From November 2008 through June 2013, Proposition 8 foreclosed the possibility of marriage equality, but same-sex marriages resumed after the Supreme Court decision in Hollingsworth v. Perry struck down Prop 8.

HRC marks Black History Month and celebrates Black LGBTQ leaders WASHINGTON, DC (February 1, 2020 ) – Today, the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), the nation’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) civil rights organization, marked the beginning of Black History Month – and a celebration of the long history of Black leadership in the LGBTQ movement, including the ways in which Black LGBTQ and allied trailblazers have been and remain at the center of the fight for equality.

“As we mark the beginning of Black History Month, we celebrate those who made enormous sacrifices in their own lives to blaze a trail toward greater freedom and equality. At the same time, we must also confront the barriers that continue to exist for Black people and Black LGBTQ people,” said HRC President Alphonso David.

“Black LGBTQ people were key leaders in the civil rights movement, and Black leaders have been at the forefront of the struggle for LGBTQ equality from the very start.

At this juncture in our ongoing struggle to realize America’s promise of equality and justice for all, we know that our work is not complete until the most marginalized within our LGBTQ community have achieved equality. This Black History Month and beyond, let us celebrate our progress, let us be inspired by our history and let us recommit to the work ahead.”

Throughout this month, the HRC will lift up the history of Black leadership within the LGBTQ community and high-

Photo courtesy of AP

light a new generation of Black leaders who are fighting violence, discrimination, and injustice and building a brighter, more inclusive, and healthier future for all.

On February 7 in honor of National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day, the HRC’s HIV and Health Equity team is hosting an event at the HRC’s DC headquarters with author and activist George Johnson, The Body editor Kenyon Farrow, and journalist and LGBTQ advocate Emil Wilbekin for a discussion about health, faith, and relationships in the Black LGBTQ community. Joining the conversation will be J. Maurice McCants-Pearsall,

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director of the HRC’s HIV and Health Equity Program; Tori Cooper, director of Community Engagement for the HRC’s Transgender Justice Initiative; and Michael Vazquez, director of the HRC’s Religion and Faith Program. Those interested in this event may RSVP at hrc.im/HRCVoices.

In a recent op-ed in USA Today, David wrote, “Racial equity and inclusion cannot simply be a sliver of our work – it must be the core of our work.” Building on [its] 40-year history in the fight for equal justice and opportunity, the HRC is committed to ensuring that the organization is living into its principles on racial equity and inclusion and delivering on [its] mission of achieving full equality for all.

That fight to protect and uplift LGBTQ people of color must include intensifying efforts to address major health and safety injustices the community faces – from the disproportionate impact of HIV and AIDS on people of color, particularly Black and Latinx LGBTQ people, to the epidemic of violence targeting the LGBTQ community, especially Black transgender women.

One in two gay and bisexual Black cisgender men will be diagnosed with HIV in their lifetime, and almost half of Black transgender women in the US are living with HIV. In the United States in 2019 alone, at least 26 transgender and gender-nonconforming people, mostly Black transgender women, died due to violence.

To address these injustices, the HRC has deepened its efforts around combating the HIV and AIDS epidemic, and recently launched the Transgender Justice Initiative, which is informed, built, and led by transgender and nonbinary people. The initiative will advance new HRC projects and resources that address the urgent needs of the transgender and nonbinary community.

The HRC is also working to protect one of the most fundamental rights of our democracy – the right to vote. Ahead of the critically important upcoming 2020 election, the HRC and Stacey Abrams’ Fair Fight are partnering to help combat voter suppression, which all too often target members of the LGBTQ community, including people of color. This partnership is bringing together the organizations’ expertise in voter protection and voter mobilization to ensure fair and open elections in 2020 and beyond.

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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

QUEER THE CENSUS continued from cover

The US Census affects many government functions, especially for marginalized LGBTQ+ individuals, including distribution of government funds that ensure communities receive critical needed services in different sectors such as, urban planning, health, education, fair representation in elections, and determination of redistricting. For example, after the 2010 census, Washington state added a congressional seat, increasing its representation from nine seats in Congress to ten.

“The current president and his administration are doing everything possible to deny the significance of the LGTB community in our society, including slashing the funding of important government programs, like providing service to people living with HIV/AIDS,” said Fernando Luna of Entre Hermanos, one of the coalition partners. “It is essential that every LGBTQ+ persons stand up and be counted to ensure equitable distribution of funding and the provision of social services.”

The Washington coalition includes the following: • Alliance of People with disAbilities • Black Lives Matter

• Entre Hermanos • Gay City • Gender Justice League • Greater Seattle Business Association (GSBA) • Ingersoll Gender Center • LGBTQ Allyship • National LGBTQ Task Force • Peer Seattle • POCAAN (People of Color Against AIDS Network) • Q-Law Foundation • South King County LGBTQ Task Force • Seattle UTOPIA For the most up-to-date LGBTQ+ census

events, latest census info, and culturally relevant LGBTQ+ strategies in being counted, visit www.queerthecensuswa.org.

Queer the Census Washington coalition deploys LGBTQ leaders and organizations to strategize, plan, and collaborate around the 2020 census with an intersectional equity lens that will guide strategies toward increasing LGBTQ+ participation in Washington State.

Courtesy of the GSBA

Unbound: Beautiful 2020 – first exhibit in Healing through the Arts series SEATTLE (February 3, 2020) – Columbia City Gallery is pleased to announce the first exhibit in its National Endowment for the Arts–funded Healing through the Arts series, which examines arts and the healing process in the Asian-American and immigrant communities of Southeast Seattle.

“Unbound: Beautiful 2020” features artwork created by participants of the behavioral health art therapy program at Asian Counseling & Referral Services (ACRS). Vietnamese artist Chau Huynh of the ACRS art therapy program curates “Unbound,” which runs from February 19 to March 29, 2020. An artists’ reception, which is free and open to the public, will be held Saturday, February 22, 5-7pm.

ACRS offers culturally appropriate arts curricula to support recovery. Art therapy helps people address mental health and promotes the creative process. In art-making, clients do not have to follow the rules of language and can express their feelings in a nonlinear and creative way. [The ACRS] studio provides an inclusive, safe, and professional environment where clients are empowered to discover

their internal strengths and develop self-appreciation that contributes to their recovery.

The exhibit will be an opportunity for clients to share stories of living as immigrants, their ancestral histories, and their experiences of healing through art, as well as for their community to see their heritage and creativity displayed in a gallery. This exhibit was funded, in part, by a Challenge America grant from the National Endowment for the Arts.

Columbia City Gallery is a nonprofit artists’ collective that brings together emerging and professional artists working in diverse media. The gallery provides exhibit space for its member artists and for community exhibits that reflect the diversity of the neighborhood and address contemporary issues. The gallery is a program of SEEDArts and has received funding from the Seattle Office of Arts and Culture, 4Culture, and the National Endowment for the Arts. Learn more at columbiacitygallery.com.

Courtesy of SEEDArts

Photo courtesy of SEEDArts

HISTORY: Virginia Values Act passes, extending long-delayed critical protections to LGBTQ Virginians RICHMOND, VA (February 6, 2020) – Today, the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), the nation’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) civil rights organization, celebrated the passage of the Virginia Values Act through both chambers of the Virginia General Assembly, a bill that will grant nondiscrimination protections to Virginians on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity, and several other characteristics. Similar legislation passed through the Virginia Senate several times in recent years but was blocked by anti-equality lawmakers in the House of Delegates. In the 2019 election, voters in the commonwealth elected pro-equality majorities to both houses of the General Assembly, making this victory possible. The legislation must now go through a few more procedural votes before heading to the governor’s desk.

In addition to sexual orientation and gender identity, the bill also extends protections to Virginians on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions, age, marital status, disability, and status as a veteran. Virginia will be the first state in the South to have nondiscrimination protections for LGBTQ people, the first state in over a decade to add sexual orientation and gender identity to existing nondiscrimination law, and the first state since 1993 to add a prohibition on discrimination in public accommodations (protecting all Virginians) where none existed before.

“Today, history was made in Virginia, and LGBTQ Virginians are one step closer to being protected from discrimination. No one should be discriminated against simply because of who they are or whom they love,” said HRC President Alphonso David. “This day would not have been possible without the years and years of tireless work from advocates across the commonwealth, or the voters in Virginia that filled the halls of the General Assembly with pro-equality champions who fulfilled their promises. The HRC is proud to have worked to elect pro-equality lawmakers across Virginia in 2019, and we are thrilled to see that effort culminate in this important victory today. We’re especially grateful for the leadership of Senate Majority Leader Dick Saslaw, Speaker Eileen Filler-Corn, Sen. Adam Ebbin, and Delegate Mark Sickles, each of whom made this day possible. We also thank the patrons in each chamber, Sens.

Jennifer Boysko and Jennifer McClellan in the Senate and Dels. Mark Levine and Delores McQuinn in the House.”

Virginia is home to 257,400 LGBTQ adults. Under current Virginia law, LGBTQ people are not explicitly protected from discrimination, meaning they are at risk of being fired, evicted, or denied service in restaurants or stores. Virginia is one of only five states without protections in public accommodations for any protected class. The new law will bring Virginia into the 21st century, and into alignment with Virginia voters, by modernizing and expanding existing human

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rights law.

The bill requires private employers with six or more employees to comply with the new protections. In addition, all state government employees and school board employees will be covered under the law. It will also update Virginia’s Fair Housing Act to protect LGBTQ people from discrimination.

For years, the Human Rights Campaign has worked with Equality Virginia and others to expand Virginia’s nondiscrimination protections to include LGBTQ people. However, despite majorities in both the House and Senate supporting the legislation, former Speaker Kirk Cox refused to bring the legislation up for a vote. Cox and former House Majority Leader Tim Hugo not only acted counter to members of their own caucus and the Virginia public but also counter to the desires of their own base. According to polling, LGBTQ nondiscrimination protections have overwhelming support among Virginians, including a majority of Virginia Republicans.

Over the past several elections, the HRC has successfully elected pro-equality champions at every level of Virginia’s state government.

In August 2019, the Human Rights Campaign endorsed 27 candidates and committed to invest over $250,000 to elect pro-equality candidates across Virginia. The endorsements marked the beginning of HRC’s largest ever field, digital, and direct-mail program in the Commonwealth of Virginia.

From Northern Virginia to Hampton Roads, HRC field organizers were deployed

to mobilize 1.2 million “Equality Voters” across the commonwealth. In 2018, the HRC used sophisticated analytics to identify and mobilize 57 million “Equality Voters” nationwide who prioritize LGBTQ-inclusive policies, including marriage equality, equitable family law, and laws that would prohibit discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity. In Virginia’s 2019 state legislative elections, the HRC targeted and turned out these voters in the 27 districts where the HRC made an endorsement.

The HRC is a proud member of the Virginia Values Coalition. The Virginia Values Coalition was founded on the shared belief that discrimination is wrong and that we are called to treat others as we want to be treated.

Members include national and regional organizations, along with faith leaders, parents, law enforcement officers, veterans, and people of all political ideologies committed to protecting their LGBTQ neighbors from discrimination.

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

Celebrating 46 Years!

HIV vaccine trial terminated No evidence the vaccine was effective

by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer Researchers said on February 3 that they would terminate the world’s largest clinical trial of an HIV vaccine.

The $120 million study, conducted by the HIV Vaccine Trials Network (HVTN) based at Seattle’s Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, was launched more than three years ago and involved 5,407 volunteers in South Africa.

“There was great hope and expectations around this vaccine candidate,” said Mitchell Warren, executive director of AVAC, a global HIV prevention organization that has been promoting vaccine development for 25 years.

“It’s incredibly disappointing.”

The National Institute of Allergy and

Infectious Disease (NIAID) and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation split the cost of the project, with the South African Medical Research Council providing facilities and personnel.

“An HIV vaccine is essential to end the global pandemic, and we hoped this vaccine candidate would work. Regrettably, it does not,” said NIAID Director Anthony S. Fauci.

“Research continues on other approaches to a safe and effective HIV vaccine, which I still believe can be achieved.”

The clinical trial, labeled HVTN 702, began with high hopes in October 2016. It enrolled 5,407 sexually active, HIV-negative men and women between 18 and 35 years of age at 14 sites across South Africa.

Researchers randomly assigned half of the participants to receive two doses of the

HIV vaccine, while the other half received placebo injections. The trial was supposed to last until July 2022. But initial evaluation of the data on January 23 demonstrated that it was “futile” to continue. There were 129 infections in the vaccinated group and 123 in those who received the placebo.

“There’s absolutely no evidence of efficacy,” said Glenda Gray, who heads the study and is president of the South African Medical Research Council (MRC). “Years of work went into this. It’s a huge disappointment.”

First results had been promising. The vaccine triggered a strong immune response, but when an independent monitoring board analyzed the outcomes last month, they found no evidence the vaccine was working, said Dr. Larry Corey, former president of Fred Hutchinson and principal investigator

for the HVTN. The trial in South Africa was considered especially promising because it was based on a vaccine tested in Thailand that was the first to show even the slightest effectiveness. Scientists tweaked the Thai vaccine to increase its potency and target the strain of HIV most common in South Africa. They also added booster shots to the regimen in hopes of inducing long-lasting immunity.

“We’ll learn from this, but we need to press on,” Corey said. “This epidemic is continuing at amazing rates in South Africa and probably the rest of sub-Saharan Africa.”

The most effective way of preventing new HIV infections continues to be use of antiretrovirals, both as PrEP and to reduce viral load in HIV-positive patients to an undetectable level.

HRC to honor actor and playwright Liv Hewson with the Visibility Award at the 2020 HRC Austin Gala Dinner AUSTIN, TX (February 3, 2020 ) – Today, the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) – the nation’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) civil rights organization – announced that actor and playwright Liv Hewson will be honored with the HRC Visibility Award at the 2020 HRC Austin Gala Dinner on Saturday, February 8, at the JW Marriott.

“Liv Hewson is a dynamic actor and rising LGBTQ star,” said HRC President Alphonso David. “As an actor and playwright, Liv has been an outspoken advocate on uplifting and including LGBTQ voices and narratives.

Through their versatile representation as a nonbinary person on and off the screen, they are moving LGBTQ visibility forward like never before. We are incredibly excited to honor Liv Hewson with the HRC Visibility Award at the 2020 HRC Austin Gala Dinner.”

Actor Liv Hewson has been a vocal advocate for LGBTQ representation, often sharing their own experience as a nonbinary person. “There just isn’t one way to be

Liv Hewson – Photo courtesy of HRC

nonbinary,” said Hewson to Gay Star News.

“There isn’t one way to play around with gender and there’s no wrong way to look and be nonbinary.”

Liv Hewson is best known for their role alongside alongside Charlize Theron, Nicole Kidman, and Margot Robbie in Jay Roach’s gripping drama Bombshell. Lionsgate

released the film in December 2019 to widespread critical acclaim and awards attention.

Most recently, Hewson starred in a queer role on Netflix’s Let It Snow, based on the popular young adult novel of the same name by bestselling authors John Green, Maureen Johnson, and Lauren Myracle. They also previously starred opposite Drew Barrymore and Timothy Olyphant in Netflix’s hit comedy series, “Santa Clarita Diet.” The series ran for three critically acclaimed seasons and garnered considerable praise for Hewson’s breakout performance as Abby, the headstrong daughter of newly zombified Sheila (Barrymore) and Joel (Olyphant). Liv’s television presence also includes Australian miniseries “Homecoming Queens”; the second season of Jane Campion’s critically acclaimed crime drama “Top of the Lake: China Girl” opposite Elisabeth Moss and Nicole Kidman; Marvel’s “Inhumans”; and the 2016 Viki series “Dramaworld.” Hewson’s on-screen credits also include Puzzle, which was acquired by Sony Pictures Classics at the 2018 Sundance Film

Festival, as well as the big-screen adaptation of the bestselling young adult novel Before I Fall, which premiered at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival.

Set to take place at the JW Marriott, the 2020 HRC Austin Gala Dinner brings together the HRC’s most active members and supporters in the greater Austin area to raise crucial funds in the fight for LGBTQ equality.

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

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

HRC to honor actress Jamie Clayton, teacher Sam Long at annual Time to THRIVE Conference WASHINGTON, DC (January 31, 2020) – Today, the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) Foundation, the educational arm of America’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) civil rights organization, announced that it will honor actress Jamie Clayton and Winchester, Colorado, high school biology teacher Sam Long during the organization’s seventh annual Time to THRIVE Conference, held February 14-16 at the Renaissance DC Downtown Hotel in Washington, DC. Singer and songwriter Shea Diamond will perform at the Feb. 14 opening event, and US Reps. Angie Craig (D-MN) and Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) will speak at the conference.

Jamie Clayton is an actress who currently stars as Tess Van De Berg in Showtime’s “The L Word: Generation Q.” She is also known for her roles on two Netflix original series: Nomi Marks on “Sense8” and Sasha Booker on “Designated Survivor.” Clayton’s authentic performances have resonated with audiences, especially LGBTQ youth, throughout her acting career. In 2011, she was honored as one of Out magazine’s “Out 100.”

“Jamie Clayton has been blazing trails as an openly transgender actress with her exceptional work on ‘Sense8’ and ‘The L Word,’” said HRC President Alphonso David. “Her portrayal of transgender characters has given LGBTQ youth, especially transgender youth, someone to look up to and aspire to be. Jamie continues to inspire us through her visibility and willingness to speak out on behalf of LGBTQ youth everywhere, and we are proud

Jamie Clayton (l) and Sam Long – Photo courtesy of HRC

to honor her at Time to THRIVE.” Sam Long, a biology teacher at Standley Lake High School in Westminster, Colorado, is the co-founder of Colorado Transgender/Nonbinary Educators Network.

The community-organizing group works to support transgender and nonbinary teachers and others working in the education system. Long’s presence in the classroom as an openly transgender teacher, along with his advocacy work, sets an example for LGBTQ youth everywhere.

“Sam Long perfectly represents the values that Time to THRIVE stands for, and we’re thrilled to be honoring him at this year’s conference,” said David. “The conference was founded to provide training and resources to educators and other youth-service providers across the country, ensuring that they have the tools they need to teach and serve all youth.

That’s exactly what Sam does every day in the classroom and beyond.”

Singer, songwriter, and advocate Shea Diamond released her debut EP “Seen It All”

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through Asylum Records in 2018 and that same year performed at the HRC’s National Dinner, and multiple HRC events across the country. A proud Black transgender woman from the South, she also participated in the HRC’s Americans for the Equality Act video series last spring, which featured actors, athletes, influencers, and musicians calling on Congress to advance the Equality Act. “Shea Diamond’s powerful story and message of resilience and hope resonates with LGBTQ youth across the country,” said David. “Through her music, Shea uses her voice to amplify the experiences of her community, and to assert a truth that everyone needs to hear: that we all deserve our piece of the American pie. We are so excited to welcome Shea at this year’s Time to THRIVE.” In 2018, Rep. Angie Craig made history as the first openly lesbian and LGBTQ congressperson elected from Minnesota. Since her election, Craig has supported the Equality Act and has been a strong voice for the rights of all LGBTQ people. Rep. Eleanor Holmes Norton has been a voice for equality since her election in 1991, championing protections for the LGBTQ community in Washington, DC. Norton has also met with Black transgender activists to hear and respond to their concerns about the rise in violence against Black transgender women in DC. “Reps. Craig and Norton are key advocates for LGBTQ equality in the US House of Representatives,” said David. “When LGBTQ youth hear from these leaders at Time to THRIVE, they will see the strength

of their support in Congress and beyond. We are thrilled to welcome both of these strong and inspiring women to Time to THRIVE.” The HRC’s Time to THRIVE Conference is the premier event to promote safety, inclusion, and well-being for LGBTQ and questioning youth. The event brings together a wide range of youth-serving professionals to discuss best practices for working with and caring for LGBTQ youth and their families in schools, community centers, health care settings, and beyond. It is co-presented by the National Education Association and the American Counseling Association. BBVA Compass, AT&T, and Toyota are presenting sponsors of the event.

The Time to THRIVE Conference features 65 workshops by more than 45 national and grassroots organizations dedicated to improving the lives of LGBTQ youth. The HRC’s Youth Ambassadors will also be featured at the conference.

Additional speakers and honorees will be announced at a later date. To register, visit www.TimeToTHRIVE.org.

February 7, 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

HOME SERVICES HEALTH SERVICES

RELIGIOUS SERVICES St. Patrick’s Catholic Church Welcomes LGBTQ Community Members!

Join us for Sunday Service at 10:30 a.m. that is sign language interpreted or Wednesday service at 6 p.m.

2702 Broadway E. Seattle, WA 98102 · www.stpatrickseattle.org

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February 7, 2020

Celebrating 46 Years!

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