Celebrating 44 Years! Issue 11 Volume 46
Matter-of-fact Love, Simon easy to love SEC 2 PG 1
SGN EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW Randy Rainbow to join SMC & SWC in concert SEC 2 PG 1
Seattle Gay News
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NCLR and GLAD file brief The HRC releases new TV ad campaign urging the 8th Circuit to find sexual orientation discrimination prohibited under Title VII of the Federal Civil Rights Act
highlighting the lives of LGBTQ Southerners as part of the #LoveYourNeighbor campaign
Stills from HRC’s #LoveYourNeighbor campaign
Thomas F. Eagleton United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit
ST. LOUIS, Mo. – [On March 14], the National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR) and GLBTQ Legal Advocates &
Defenders (GLAD) filed a friend-of-thecourt brief urging the US Court of Appeals
see NCLR page 12
TUPELO, Miss. – [On March 14], the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) Foundation, the educational arm of the nation’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) civil rights organization, released two television advertisements that will be airing for two weeks in the Northeast Mississippi media market, which includes the cities of Tupelo, Columbus,
and Starkville. The ads – a part of HRC’s #LoveYourNeighbor campaign – focus on stories of LGBTQ Mississippians and their allies, and discuss acceptance in the South. The #LoveYourNeighbor campaign is a storytelling project focused on sharing the experiences of LGBTQ people and allies across the South, particularly in Alabama,
see HRC page 13
Huge changes for Seattle Lambda Legal applauds ruling against Oregon judge who refused to Women’s Pride 2018 marry same-sex couples Local heroes Aleksa Manila, Lifelong, and Tina Podlodowski to receive top honors A portion of proceeds to benefit TIME’S UP legal defense fund
Seattle Women’s Pride 2018 honoree Aleksa Manila
by Sarah Toce Special to the SGN The 6th annual Seattle Women’s Pride will take place on Saturday, June 16, 2018,
from 6:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. with a brandnew location and swagger. Sole Repair Shop, Capitol Hill’s premiere event space, has teamed up with Seattle Women’s Pride
see SWP page 6
SALEM, OR – The Oregon Supreme Court today [March 15, 2018] affirmed a determination by the Oregon Commission on Judicial Fitness and Disability that Judge Vance D. Day had violated state rules of judicial ethics when he devised a scheme to avoid marrying same-sex couples by instructing court staff to investigate the gender of marriage applicants and represent that he was unavailable if they were of the same sex, among other charges. The Court also upheld the three-year suspension the Commission had levied on Judge Day. Lambda Legal Senior Attorney Peter Renn and Fair Courts Project Attorney Ethan Rice, who filed a friend-of-the-court brief in support of the Commission to the Oregon Supreme Court, issued the following statements: “Courts must be open for business to everyone, regardless of one’s sexual orientation. No government employee can refuse to serve a member of the general public based on bias or prejudice, much less a judge entrusted with public office who takes an oath to perform judicial duties fairly and impartially,” Renn said. “Although judges are not required to perform marriages, they must refrain from bias or prejudice when they choose to do so.” “A judge is a public official, not a priest, and is required to perform the duties of the office without bias or prejudice,” Rice said.
“We applaud the Oregon Supreme Court for reaffirming that responsibility. Judicial ethics rules that include anti-discrimination provisions on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity are critical to ensuring fairness in the courts, and to maintaining public confidence in the impartiality of courts. The Oregon Supreme Court reasserted the importance of enforcement of these rules in its decision.” The Oregon Supreme Court’s ruling mirrors that of all disciplinary tribunals across the country to have considered the issue: a judge’s refusal to perform marriages for same-sex couples on equal terms as for different-sex couples violates judicial conduct rules. Lambda Legal’s Fair Courts Project works to preserve judicial independence and improve access to justice for all people. The success of Lambda Legal’s work in the courts depends on the assurance that LGBT individuals and everyone living with HIV will receive fair and impartial treatment. Read Lambda Legal’s amicus brief here: https://www.lambdalegal.org/in-court/ legal-docs/day_or_20170502_amicus-brief Read about Lambda Legal’s fair courts work here: https://www.lambdalegal.org/ issues/fair-courts-project Courtesy of Lambda Legal