SGN May 1, 2020

Celebrating 46 Years!

Issue 18 Volume 48

FRIDAY May 1, 2020 FREE!

25¢ in bookstores & newsstands

GLAAD’S “TOGETHER IN PRIDE: WE ARE NOT ALONE” RAISES $225,000

SEE PG 6

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

DURKAN DIGEST:

New Seattle economic forecast highlights the significant impact of the pandemic

impact of this pandemic, what we know for certain that the effect on our workers, small businesses, nonprofits, and artists will be

see DURKAN page 14

SCOTUS rejects one more Republican challenge to the ACA

Photo by Jeff Malet Photography / Newscom

by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer The US Supreme Court has rejected yet another Republican challenge to the Affordable Care Act (ACA, or Obamacare).

In an 8-to-1 decision announced on April 27, the high court ruled that insur-

Translations: Seattle Transgender Film Festival ONLINE May 7-10

I Am Samantha as a part of Shorts: Joy & Catharsis – Photo courtesy of Three Dollar Bill Cinema

Photo by Ted S. Warren / AP

SEATTLE (April 26, 2020) – This week, the City Budget Office released [its] latest economic forecasts and revenue projections for Seattle. Although there is still much uncertainty about the total economic

THREE DOLLAR BILL CINEMA PRESENTS

ance companies are entitled to federal subsidies designed to make health insurance affordable for high-risk customers.

Justice Sonya Sotomayor wrote the majority opinion, with almost all her colleagues joining in whole or in part. Only Justice Samuel Alito dissented.

see ACA page 5

Translations: Seattle Transgender Film Festival is online this year due to the COVID19 crisis so people from around the country/ world can attend.

A group of very dedicated people are

working on making the festival happen along with Three Dollar Bill Cinema and the Northwest Film Forum.

see TRANSLATIONS page 8

Lambda Legal and Immigration Equality urge ICE to release detainees living with HIV

Michael S. Williamson / The Washington Post via Getty Images

BEAUMONT, TX (April 24, 2020) – Today, Lambda Legal and Immigration Equality, along with co-counsel Vinson & Elkins, submitted a letter to [Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)] demanding the release of two asylum seekers living with HIV who are currently detained at the IAH Secure Detention Facility in eastern

Texas. The men were severely persecuted in Cuba because of their political activism and sexual orientation. They have been detained in the US since October 2019.

The legal advocates pointed to a court order filed this week in the US District Court for the Central District of California

see ICE page 5

Seattle Gay News F O U N D E D 1974 MEMBER

2018

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2 Seattle Gay News

Lt. Governor Habib announces the Washington Mask Challenge Dear Friends, My office just launched the Washington Mask Challenge [https://www.ltgov. wa.gov/mask-challenge], a statewide initiative to encourage Washingtonians to make, wear, and donate homemade cloth face masks. I’m hoping you will join me in taking up this challenge!

The Washington Mask Challenge is a partnership between the State of Washington, United Way, and Serve Washington. The program will facilitate homemade mask donations from the general public to organizations in need such as nursing homes, homeless shelters, food banks, and more. These organizations regularly work with at-risk populations, but they are not requesting N95 or other manufactured masks for themselves, because those masks must be reserved for frontline healthcare providers. Instead, you can sup-

port our state’s essential workers by following these simple instructions [https://www.ltgov. wa.gov/how-to-make-a-mask] to make and send cloth masks.

Gov. Inslee has urged Washingtonians to participate in the challenge, saying: “While Washingtonians are staying home and staying healthy, they can support those working on the frontlines by participating in the Washington Mask Challenge.

I thank Lt. Governor Habib for leading this effort, and I ask my fellow Washingtonians to use this as an opportunity to give back to those who have kept all of us afloat through this difficult time.”

This program follows new CDC [https:// www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/ prevent-getting-sick/cloth-face-cover.html] and DOH [https://www.doh.wa.gov/Portals/1/Documents/1600/coronavirus/ClothFacemasks.pdf] guidance advising the gen-

eral public to wear masks while performing essential activities. It is important to note that cloth masks are not meant as a replacement for social distancing or proper hand washing, which are still necessary to limit the spread of the novel coronavirus.

To participate in the Washington Mask Challenge, please visit WAMaskChallenge. org.

Sincerely, Cyrus Habib Lt. Governor Washington State P.S. The Washington Mask Challenge is also a great hands-on learning opportunity for kids!

In the Neighborhood a collaborative network and resource hub for everything COVID-19 related in Seattle Hello George, Hope you are doing well during this time.

I wanted to reach out in hopes of spreading awareness about an incredible new platform – In the Neighborhood – created as a resource hub for everything COVID-19 related in Seattle – https://www.intheneighborhood.net/ Inspired by the creativity and compassion of our neighbors during this difficult time, In the Neighborhood was created out of an urgent need to create a space of gathering still accessible to all.

Founded by Raphael Gaultier, Anna Ferkingstad and Pari Gabriel, In the Neighborhood is a collaborative network and

May 1, 2020

resource hub for everything COVID-19 related in Seattle.

It’s purpose is to house all the various resources that people have been sharing that include: food resources (where to get a meal, where to donate to a food bank, which businesses are offering take-out in under-served communities, and more), health resources (where to get tested, clinics that are open, etc.), where to apply for support, resources for artists and freelancers, ideas on what to do isolated at home, and so much more.

The platform was built with the intention of making these resources as accessible and as easy to use for the communities that need it most.

Additionally, there is a volunteer sec-

tion to give members of the community a chance to offer their skills up for service in case a small business is looking for a person with a particular set of skills. This was created with the intention to call upon the people of Seattle to support their local businesses however they can. The response has been incredible so far, which has shown us how much community matters in this city.

Thank you so much, Jared JDK Comms Founder

Celebrating 46 Years!

Visit us online www.sgn.org

May 1, 2020

Seattle Gay News 3

FILM

THREE DOLLAR BILL CINEMA & NORTHWEST FILM FORUM

Announce the 15th Annual Translations: Seattle Transgender Film Festival screening ONLINE May 7-10 Exploring powerful themes of trans joy, catharsis, and resistance One of a handful of dedicated transgender film festivals in the world, Translations: Seattle Transgender Film Festival is taking its 15th edition ONLINE! With a vision of bringing the festival’s powerful, connective, and joyful messages to the global film community, Three Dollar Bill Cinema and Northwest Film Forum have expanded their long-standing partnership to feature 32 films from countries including France, Ecuador, Canada, the Philippines, Samoa, Finland, Hong Kong, and the United States.

“A 10-person programming committee of trans, non-binary, and queer folx came together to program, organize, and make this festival happen in its 15th year,” says Kathleen Mullen, Interim Executive Director of Three Dollar Bill Cinema. “We are so excited to pivot and bring Translations and transgender stories online.”

“Having grown up transgender in rural Washington, I know how important it is for young people who can’t make it to festivals in cities like Seattle, to be able to see themselves on screen, to know that there is a strong community of filmmakers like them, and have a way to connect,” explains Jonah

Kozlowski, Education Manager of Northwest Film Forum and Translations Screening Committee Member.

“Despite challenges posed by COVID19, Northwest Film Forum and Three Dollar Bill Cinema view online screenings of Translations as an important opportunity to engage global audiences and ensure that transgender stories continue to be centered,” says Vivian Hua, Executive Director of Northwest Film Forum.

Tickets and passes are on sale now. [https://www.goelevent.com/ Translations/e/Search] Individual tickets for screenings and panels are pay-what-you-can, $0-25. VIP Passes include a $25 membership to TDBC that grants $3 off ticket admission to this year’s Seattle Queer Film Festival (Oct. 15-25, 2020), and discounted passes are available to artists, seniors, students, and TDBC and NWFF members.

All pass and ticket sales will be shared equally between TDBC and NWFF, supporting both organizations while their daily operations have been disrupted by COVID19. The galas of both of these 25-year-old

film organizations have been postponed in 2020 due to the physical distancing mandate, constricting their fundraising cycles at a key time of year.

FESTIVAL HIGHLIGHTS OPENING NIGHT, MAY 7: LINGUA FRANCA, a feature film in international competition at Venice Days and BFI London Film Festival. A compelling and romantic drama starring and directed

by Isabel Sandoval, a transgender Filipina woman. Including a Facebook Watch Party hosted by drag diva Aleksa Manila and copresented with Pride Asia!

LIVE PANELS: “The Fruitbowl Podcast LIVE: An Oral History of Queer Sex” with Creator/Host DaveQuantic and Guests including a guest appearance from Sam Berliner (former Translations Festival Director and now Festival Consultant) and “Writing and Casting Transgender Characters” with Elayne Wylie of Gender Justice League and Trans Pride. The panel will feature Isabel Sandoval, director of our opening night feature LINGUA FRANCA, and other special guests.

SHORT FILM PROGRAMS: Exciting and compelling shorts made by and about transgender experiences with art and activism, well-being, and humorous approaches to life. Includes: BE-WELL, ART & RESISTANCE, JOY & CATHARSIS, and a special program on the new trend in trans-made episodics, TRANSWEBISODICS (A SAMPLING).

INTROS for feature films and shorts programs will be part of the line-up and a special Q&A for OUT LOUD will immediately follow the film with directors.

FACEBOOK WATCH PARTIES can be found at facebook.com/groups/translations2020.

CLOSING NIGHT, MAY 10: SO PRETTY, an ensemble piece about free love, community, and activism that revolves around a group of transgender and queer friends in New York City. This screening will include an intro by director and star Jessie Jeffrey Dunn Rovinelli.

Courtesy of Northwest Film Forum

Kenyan courts uphold ban on GLAAD Media Award-nominated LGBTQ film Rafiki (April 29, 2020) – The LGBTQ film Rafiki lost its long-awaited freedom of expression ruling in Kenya’s high courts, according to a statement issued on Wednesday by the film’s director, Wanuri Kahiu.

“It is with a heavy heart that I share news about the court ruling for Freedom of Expression and the unconstitutionality of banning Rafiki,” wrote Kahiu. “We lost this time. Rafiki remains banned in Kenya and freedom of expression of any LGBT themed work remains silenced. We will appeal and continue our fight for freedom of expression.

“Thank you for supporting us thus far.

Stay safe. A luta continua!” her statement concluded.

“It is a sad day for freedom of expression and freedom of speech in Kenya,” Kahiu told GLAAD exclusively on Wednesday.

“The ruling upholding the ban on Rafiki denies the right of all narratives, including that of LGBTQ people. We will continue to fight for the rights of all.”

Despite the ruling preventing the film from being shown in Kenya, Rafiki is still available to the public. Fans of the film and supporters of global LGBTQ equality can watch Rafiki online on Amazon Prime [www.amazon.com/Rafiki-SamanthaMugatsia/dp/B07QDVQPH4]. Watch (or watch again) and share with friends and supporters, to share this important story.

Watching and sharing are two small ways LGBTQ people and allies can support LGBTQ storytelling in Kenya from their own homes.

Bursting with the colorful street style and music of Nairobi’s vibrant youth culture, Rafiki is a tender love story between two young women in a country that still criminalizes homosexuality. Kena and Ziki have long been told that “good Kenyan girls become good Kenyan wives,” but they yearn for something more. Despite the political rivalry between their families, the girls

4 Seattle Gay News

Rafiki – Photo courtesy of Film Movement

encourage each other to pursue their dreams in a conservative society. When love blossoms between them, Kena and Ziki must choose between happiness and safety.

“Rafiki is a beautiful story about love that deserves to be celebrated, not censored,” said GLAAD president and CEO Sarah Kate Ellis. “Wanuri Kahiu is a gifted filmmaker and we applaud and join her continued efforts to fight back against the injustices facing LGBTQ media images in Kenya and other parts of the world. LGBTQ people will never be silenced. I hope our community and allies around the world watch Rafiki and loudly share its message.”

Rafiki first premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in May 2018 and was eventually released in the US in April 2019. It features remarkable performances by newcomers Samantha Mugatsia and Sheila Munyiva, and has been called a hip tale of first love “reminiscent of the early work of Spike Lee” (Screen Daily) that’s “impossible not to celebrate” (Variety)!

May 1, 2020

Rafiki, which is Swahili for “friend,” is adapted from Ugandan writer Monica Arac de Nyeko’s 2007 Caine Prize–winning short story “Jambula Tree.”

Rafiki is currently nominated for a GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Film - Limited Release [www.glaad.org/ mediaawards/31/2020 nominees], for the 31st Annual (2020) GLAAD Media Awards.

Initially banned prior to its premiere in Kenya for its positive portrayal of queer romance, Rafiki then won a landmark supreme court case (in the fall of 2018) beginning to chip away at Kenyan antiLGBTQ legislation, lifting the ban for one week and allowing it to potentially qualify as Kenya’s entry for the 2019 Academy Awards. (However, another film was eventually chosen.)

Kahiu decided to continue challenging the ban in the Kenyan courts. She believed that the government’s ruling had broader freedom of expression implications for her country and that her film should not con-

tinue to be banned in its home country.

However, in April 2020, the courts did not agree.

Kahiu has been very outspoken about the film’s potential to change the freedom of expression laws in Kenya. She previously had been told that the film could play in Kenya if she changed the ending to make it “more remorseful.” She refused. In fact, she worked with a lawyer throughout the film’s production to be prepared ahead of time to fight any potential ban.

“It’s not about the representation of LGBT issues from around the world,” Kahiu says of the ban. “The concern is us seeing ourselves in a particular way.”

Earlier this year, Kahiu spoke about LGBTQ images on panels during the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos, including one panel hosted by the Female Quotient alongside Ellis and the Ariadne Getty Foundation.

Courtesy of GLAAD

Celebrating 46 Years!

COVID-19: Nuevas tablas de datos del PNUD revelan enormes diferencias en las capacidades de los países para hacer frente a la crisis y recuperarse de ella NUEVA YORK (29 de abril de 2020) – El Programa de las Naciones Unidas para el Desarrollo (PNUD) dio a conocer hoy dos nuevas tablas de datos que ponen de manifiesto enormes diferencias en las capacidades con las que cuenta cada país para enfrentar y recuperarse de la crisis del COVID-19.

La pandemia es más que una emergencia sanitaria mundial. Es una crisis sistémica del desarrollo humano cuyo impacto sin precedentes se está haciendo ya patente en las dimensiones económicas y sociales del desarrollo. Por ello, resulta absolutamente esencial poner en práctica políticas públicas dirigidas a reducir las vulnerabilidades y a fomentar las capacidades necesarias para enfrentar las crisis, tanto a corto como a largo plazo.

Preparación de los países para responder al COVID-19 El primer tablero de datos del PNUD, sobre preparación, presenta indicadores como nivel de desarrollo, el de desigualdad y la capacidad de los servicios sanitarios y el acceso a internet para 189 países con la finalidad de evaluar la capacidad de respuesta de cada uno de ellos ante los múltiples efectos de una crisis como la del COVID-19.

Todas las sociedades del mundo son vulnerables a las crisis, pero sus capacidades de respuesta difieren de manera significativa.

Por ejemplo, los países más desarrollados – los ubicados en la categoría de desarrollo humano muy alto – tienen un pro-

ICE

continued from cover that requires ICE to re-evaluate whether people with certain risk factors, including people living with HIV, should be released from ICE detention to prevent the risk of serious illness or death due to COVID-19.

“It is impossible for people held in ICE detention to abide by public health guidance about social distancing and frequent handwashing when they have limited access to soap and cleaning materials and are in frequent contact in small spaces with people who have potentially been exposed to the coronavirus,” Lambda Legal staff attorney Puneet Cheema said. “While no one should be subjected to detention by ICE simply because they seek asylum in the United

ACA

continued from cover The case – Maine Community Health Options vs. United States – revolved around a part of the ACA called “risk corridors,” which provided financial backup to insurers when they wrote policies for individuals who were previously unable to get health insurance.

Typically, health insurance companies want to write policies for young, healthy, and rich customers. That’s because they think they will get more revenue in the form of insurance premiums then they will have to pay out in claims.

Older people and people with preexisting conditions – who are often people of color and LGBT people, because of discrimination in access to health care – are not desirable insurance customers, because the insurers fear they will have to pay out more than they get in premiums. When those individuals applied for health insurance, they

vive en situación de pobreza multidimensional o es vulnerable a ella, y más del 40% de la población mundial carece de protección social alguna.

La pandemia del COVID-19 nos recuerda también que las perturbaciones en un lugar son contagiosas y tienen consecuencias en otras regiones. Por ejemplo, en algunos países, como Kirguistán, una parte significativa de su PIB procede de las remesas. Otro ejemplo lo ofrecen países tan distintos como Montenegro, Maldivas y Cabo Verde, que dependen fuertemente del turismo (en el caso de Maldivas, casi un 60% del PIB), uno de los sectores más afectados por los confinamientos y las prohibiciones de viajar.

Photo courtesy of Shutterstock

El Programa de las Naciones Unidas para el Desarrollo es el principal organismo de las Naciones Unidas dedicado a poner fin a la injusticia de la pobreza, la desigualdad y el cambio climático. A través de nuestro trabajo con una extensa red de expertos y aliados en 170 países, ayudamos a las naciones a construir soluciones integradas y duraderas para las personas y el planeta. Pueden obtener más información en www.undp.org o seguirnos en @UNDP.

medio de 55 camas de hospital, más de 30 médicos y 81 enfermeras por 10.000 personas, en comparación con las 7 camas, 2,5 médicos y 6 enfermeras que encontramos en los países menos adelantados.

Además, debido a los confinamientos generalizados la brecha digital se ha acentuado más que nunca. En el mundo hay 6.500 millones de personas (85,5% de la población) que todavía carecen de una conexión fiable a Internet de banda ancha, lo que restringe su capacidad para trabajar y continuar con su educación.

Las vulnerabilidades de los países en crisis como la del COVID-19 La preparación es una cosa. Pero cuando la crisis golpea de verdad, ¿cuál es grado de vulnerabilidad de los países a sus consecuencias? El segundo tablero del PNUD, sobre vulnerabilidades, presenta indicadores que reflejan las susceptibilidad de los diferentes países a los múltiples efectos de esta crisis.

El mayor riesgo lo asumen las personas que actualmente viven en la pobreza. A pesar de los recientes avances en su reducción, alrededor de una de cada cuatro personas todavía

States, in this precarious and extraordinary period where people who are detained are at increased risk of being exposed to COVID19, ICE must let our clients – who are asylum seekers living with HIV – go.”

“Ramón and Ivan fled Cuba to seek safety in the United States and now they fear for their lives,” said Bridget Crawford, legal director for immigration equality.

“ICE could release them today. They are both parole eligible with qualifying sponsors. But despite warnings from experts on the dire consequences of COVID-19 for people in detention, and the steps taken by jails, prisons, and judges in the criminal context to release those in custody, ICE and [the Department of Homeland Security] continue to put these men in mortal danger. Instead of being treated with dignity, these asylum seekers have been shackled, kept in the dark

about the COVID-19 outbreak, and denied basic necessities to keep themselves safe.”

The clients in this matter are identified by pseudonyms as Ivan and Ramón to protect their identities. They are seeking humanitarian relief in the United States and are at risk of retaliation at the hands of their persecutors or by ICE and facility staff.

Both Ivan and Ramón came to the United States seeking asylum from persecution due to their sexual orientation, political opinion, and HIV status. They are currently detained at the IAH Secure Adult Detention Facility in South Livingston, TX. Read the letters at www.lambdalegal. org/in-court/legal-docs/20200427_letter_ do-custody-redetermination-letter.

Working on the case are Puneet Cheema, Avatara Smith-Carrington and Tara Borelli for Lambda Legal and Bridget

Crawford for Immigration Equality, along with Thomas S. Leatherbury, Kent Piacenti, Lindsey Pryor, and Jeremy Gonzalez with Vinson & Elkins LLP.

were either denied outright or charged much higher premiums – in many cases so high that insurance became unaffordable.

The whole point of the ACA was exactly to insure people who previously were not able to afford health insurance, and to get insurance companies to write them policies, it was necessary for the federal government to promise insurers money to compensate them for the additional payouts they would have to make when they took on high-risk customers.

Under the risk corridor program, insurers that set their premiums too high paid a percentage of their excess profits to the government. Meanwhile, insurers who set their premiums too low were to be reimbursed a percentage of their losses. That way, insurers enjoy some cushion against catastrophic loss if they set premiums too low.

The risk corridors were a temporary program, which expired after 2016. But many insurers that were entitled to payments under the risk corridor program never received those payments, largely due to a Republican

effort to undermine the program.

An estimated $12 billion that was due to insurers but remained unpaid was at issue in the court decision.

Beginning in 2013, Florida Republican Sen. Marco Rubio began pushing for legislation to end the risk corridor payments.

Congress enacted a “rider” in its appropriations bills for 2014, 2015, and 2016 seeking to prevent the federal government from making most of the payments it owes under the risk corridors program.

The core issue in Maine Community is whether this rider actually cut off these payments.

ates something like a contract between insurers and the federal government. The ACA “imposed a legal duty of the United States that could mature into a legal liability through the insurers’ actions – namely, their participating in the healthcare exchanges,” she ruled.

In other words, insurers were told that they would be entitled to benefit from the risk corridor program if they agreed to sell plans on the Obamacare exchanges.

If the government were to back out of this arrangement after an insurer upheld its part of the bargain, it would not be honoring its legal obligation.

Rubio’s rider, Sotomayor ruled, merely stated that “none of the funds made available by this Act” should be used for the risk corridor program. It did not say that no federal funds whatsoever could be used, only funds appropriated under the specific bill that the rider was attached to. Therefore, she concluded that the government still owes insurers the money they were promised.

Visit us online www.sgn.org

“The government should honor its obligations” According to Justice Sotomayor’s opinion, the case turns on “a principle as old as the Nation itself…The Government should honor its obligations,” and pay the insurance companies the money due them under the risk corridor program.

Sotomayor wrote that the ACA cre-

May 1, 2020

Courtesy of the UN Development Programme

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 public policy work.

Immigration Equality is the nation’s leading LGBTQ immigrant rights organization.

It represents and advocates for people from around the world fleeing violence, abuse, and persecution because of their sexual orientation, gender identity, or HIV status.

Courtesy of Lambda Legal

Seattle Gay News 5

GLAAD’s “Together in Pride: You Are Not Alone,” highlights the LGBTQ response to COVID-19 and raises over $225,000 for CenterLink and local LGBTQ centers including Gay City

Melissa Etheridge performs – Image courtesy of GLAAD

LOS ANGELES (April 26, 2020) GLAAD, the world’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) media advocacy organization, today hosted a digital event to highlight the LGBTQ response to COVID-19 and to raise money for CenterLink and local LGBTQ centers affected by COVID-19. “Together in Pride: You Are Not Alone” [www.glaad.org/ togetherinpride] hosted by Billy Eichner and Lilly Singh, brought the LGBTQ community together with messages of acceptance and honored LGBTQ heroes providing direct services during COVID-19.

The event raised an initial donation of over $225,000 for the LGBTQ community centers that are members of CenterLink. Donations are still being collected [https://bit.ly/3aIKKA7]. The Ariadne Getty Foundation (AGF), GLAAD’s largest donor, made a donation of $150,000 to the event. Ariadne Getty, president and executive director of the AGF, said, “LGBTQ community centers and GLAAD are cornerstones of the community, and we are proud to help their important work to help LGBTQ people everywhere.”

Video clips from the livestream event are available below and can be found on GLAAD’s Twitter [http://twitter.com/glad].

Behind-the-scenes photos from the “Together in Pride: You are Not Alone” livestream can be found [at https://bit. ly/2KB1bni].

Video highlights from the night: • Billy Eichner interviewed Mayor Pete Buttigieg & Chasten Buttigieg about the election: https://bit.ly/2VFdo0G • A special message from Barbra Streisand to the LGBTQ community: https://bit. ly/35apHoD • The cast of Jagged Little Pill on Broadway sang “You Learn”: https://bit.

6 Seattle Gay News

ly/2SsYk4n • Mj Rodriguez and George Salazar recreated their duet of “Suddenly Seymour” from the Pasadena Playhouse production of Little Shop of Horrors: https://bit. ly/3aEUnj3 • Tyler Oakley and Wilson Cruz interviewed the executive directors of local LGBTQ centers who are offering frontline/direct services to LGBTQ people in need: https://bit.ly/2y52isD, https://bit. ly/2yKA8TU • Jonathan Van Ness talked with Lilly Singh about breaking down stigma around living with HIV: https://bit.ly/2YbDI40 • Actor Brian Michael Smith interviewed Dr. Darien Sutton, a gay doctor in NYC who is on the front lines of COVID-19: https://bit.ly/2KFAq16 During the event, GLAAD also premiered an exclusive clip from the upcoming Hulu series Love, Victor [https://bit. ly/2xcMio6]. Inspired by and set in the world of the GLAAD Media Award–winning film Love, Simon, the series follows Victor, a new student at Creekwood High School, on his own journey of self-discovery, facing challenges at home, adjusting to a new city, and learning about his sexual orientation. Love, Victor premieres June 19 on Hulu.

Hosts Billy Eichner and Lilly Singh interviewed LGBTQ notables throughout the event, which also featured several musical performances from talent including Kesha, Melissa Etheridge, Mj Rodriguez and George Salazar, Alex Newell, and the cast of Broadway’s Jagged Little Pill. The event also featured interviews with executive directors of local LGBTQ centers and Dr. Darien Sutton, an attending emergency physician currently working to fight the COVID-19 pandemic in NYC. Participants included Barbra Streisand,

May 1, 2020

Billy Porter, Mayor Pete & Chasten Buttigieg, Rosie O’Donnell, Matt Bomer, Wilson Cruz, August Getty, Gigi Gorgeous & Nats Getty, Sean Hayes, Adam Lambert, Dan Levy, Tatiana Maslany, Ross Mathews, Javier Muñoz, Tyler Oakley, DJ Shangela Pierce, Bebe Rexha, Brian Michael Smith, Patrick Starrr, Sharon Stone, Jonathan Van Ness, Michelle Visage, and GLAAD president and CEO Sarah Kate Ellis.

The “Together in Pride: You Are Not Alone” livestream raised critical funds for CenterLink, a coalition of more than 250 LGBTQ community centers from 45 states, Puerto Rico, the District of Columbia, as well as Canada, China, Mexico, and Australia. During the epidemic, LGBTQ community centers are still providing critical services such as medical care, shelter for homeless LGBTQ youth, mental health counseling, filling prescriptions, providing hot meals and check-in phone calls for older adults, and hosting virtual support groups to decrease social isolation. LGBTQ community centers could be forced to shrink their services, meaning two million LGBTQ people who use the centers each year could go without care and community.

“During this truly unprecedented time, tonight’s event brought together some of the world’s biggest stars to send necessary messages of support, solidarity, and community to LGBTQ people across the world, as well as the heroes on the frontlines battling this pandemic,” said Ellis. “LGBTQ people are disproportionately affected by COVID-19, and we have a responsibility to highlight the impact of this pandemic on our community, as well as to ensure that LGBTQ people are not left behind. The funds raised for CenterLink will help to support the community centers providing direct and life-saving services to LGBTQ people at a time when they need it most.”

“LGBTQ centers are the heart of the community, and throughout the COVID19 pandemic these centers have continued to provide vital connectivity and services, pivoting to virtual programming, modifying in-person services when possible, and ensuring that their communities have resources and support when they need it the most,” said Denise Spivak, interim CEO of CenterLink.

Official media partners Bustle, Entertainment Weekly, the Los Angeles Blade, LGBTQ Nation, Logo, Metro Weekly, NBC Out, People, Pride Media (Advocate, Out, Pride.com, PLUS), Queerty, The Randy Report, them, Thomson Reuters Foundation (Openly), the Washington Blade, and the Windy City Times helped to share GLAAD’s “Together in Pride: You Are Not Alone” livestream across their social channels, sending messages of acceptance and affirmation to the LGBTQ community.

GLAAD has also launched a COVID19 portal on its website [www.glaad.org/ publications/coronavirus-overview], which provides the latest news updates, self-care tips, how-tos, stories of inspiration from LGBTQ leaders, and more to help the LGBTQ community through this unprecedented time.

The impact of COVID-19 on LGBTQ people has been far-reaching. In March, GLAAD joined over 100 LGBTQ organizations [https://bit.ly/2yPxDj0] in an open letter calling on US public health officials and media to address the heightened vulnerability of LGBTQ people to COVID-19.

Among other factors, the LGBTQ community experiences higher rates of cancer, HIV, and tobacco use – all of which factor into higher susceptibility to negative outcomes from COVID-19. Additionally, LGBTQ people continue to experience discrimination and unwelcoming attitudes in

Celebrating 46 Years!

medical settings, and as a result, many are reluctant to seek medical care.

GLAAD also joined AIDS United and over 90 organizations in calling on Congress to recognize the increased vulnerability of people living with HIV to COVID19 [https://bit.ly/3cPQJo0]. Prior to the livestream, GLAAD also launched a storytelling campaign on its site to spotlight LGBTQ people responding to COVID-19 and to remember community members lost in the pandemic.

On April 15, CenterLink released a letter [https://bit.ly/3aCXSqg] signed by over 160 LGBTQ community centers to House and Senate leaders, asking them to include nonprofits that serve the LGBTQ population in future relief packages. The letter states: “The reality is [that] more assistance is needed for LGBT community centers.

They are providing critical services such as medical care, mental health counseling, virtual support groups, filling prescriptions, providing hot meals and check-in phone calls for older adults, serving as shelters for homeless youth, distributing nonperishable food items and hygiene products, case management, HIV testing, and hosting virtual engagement activities to decrease social isolation. Given the current financial crisis and loss of revenue, LGBT community centers could be forced to shrink their services, meaning tens of thousands could go without care.” The letter continues, “We urge Congress to expand the eligibility for

(l-r) Host Billy Eichner with Pete Buttigieg and husband Chasten – Image courtesy of GLAAD

nonprofits to participate in future stimulus packages. LGBT community centers are relying on you so that we can continue to provide critical and essentially needed services in response to the COVID-19 crisis.”

Sarah Kate Ellis and Erich Bergen served as executive producers of the “Together in Pride: You Are Not Alone,” [with] GLAAD Media Award producers

and staff members Anthony Ramos, Bill McDermott, Mark Hartnett, and Rich Ferraro.

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

Support wanes for LGBTQ+ people facing religion-rooted business discrimination WASHINGTON, DC (April 23, 2020) – Today at 4:30 p.m. ET/1:30 p.m. PT, two national faith leaders discussed changes in American values that [make] it less objectionable than previously for businesses to claim religion-based discrimination policies. PFLAG National presented its weekly “Something to Talk About Live” series on Facebook and YouTube, featuring Rev. Troy Perry, founder of the Metropolitan Community Church, and Pastor Jay Bakker, son of Tammy Faye and Jim Bakker and founder of Revolution Church. The event is part of a newly announced program called “PFLAG Connects,” which extends PFLAG’s support, education, and advocacy efforts further into the digital space [pflag.org/connect].

The 30-minute discussion was rooted in the role of allies in supporting LGBTQ+ people in their faith tradition. According

to the recently released “2019 American Values Atlas” by PRRI [www.prri.org/ research/broad-support-for-lgbt-rights/], there has been a slight but noticeable decline in opposition to religiously based refusals to provide business services to gay or lesbian people.

Bakker, whose progressive Revolution Church meets in bars, bowling alleys, and online, shared optimism that allies in conservative faith traditions are speaking out and sharing support for LGBTQ+ people.

“I think there is this instinct in people’s hearts that this is the right thing,” he said.

“Even my own father, who is very conservative, speaks a lot about LGBTQ+ issues.

So we’re having good conversations. Good things are happening,” Bakker continued.

“I have seen a lot more acceptance in the faith community. One example of that

is the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints,” said Rev. Perry, who performed the first same-sex wedding in the US in 1969.

Both faith leaders agreed that the key to making a faith community, and thus the broader community, more inclusive is to continue to have conversations, especially as allies, with church, mosque, and temple leaders. As Rev. Perry shared, “Once parents become involved and they love their children, they can change a lot of things.”

In addition to “Something to Talk About Live!” weekly, topic-driven conversations, PFLAG Connects offers local chapters ways to provide virtual support meetings, a weekly newsletter, advocacy tools to engage with lawmakers, and PFLAG Academy Online learning sessions, both live and on demand.

Learn more about the PFLAG Connects

program at pflag.org/connect.

PFLAG is the first and largest organization for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) people, their parents and families, and allies. With over 400 chapters and 200,000 members and supporters crossing multiple generations of families in major urban centers, small cities, and rural areas across America, PFLAG is committed to creating a world where diversity is celebrated and all people are respected, valued, and affirmed. To learn more, visit pflag.org or Facebook (/ pflag), or follow us on Twitter (@pflag) or Instagram (@pflag).

Courtesy of PFLAG

US Supreme Court decisions in employment discrimination cases will impact millions of LGBT workers LOS ANGELES (April 29, 2020) – The US Supreme Court is expected to announce its decisions in the coming weeks on three cases that address whether Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits workplace discrimination on the bases of sexual orientation and gender identity.

Two of the cases – Bostock v. Clayton County, Georgia and Altitude Express Inc v. Zarda – address sexual orientation, and the third case, Harris Funeral Homes v.

Stephens, addresses gender identity. The Supreme Court’s decisions will determine whether LGBT people across the country are protected under federal law if they are subject to employment discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity.

In a recent chapter in the Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Politics, Williams Institute researchers found that discrimination against LGBT people continues to be widespread. Despite public support for LGBT-inclusive nondiscrimination laws across the country, 27 states currently do not have statewide statutory protections for LGBT people in employment, housing,

or public accommodations.

“If the court holds that Title VII does not prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity, millions of LGBT employees will be left without any protection from employment discrimination whatsoever,” said chapter co-author Christy Mallory, state and local policy director at the Williams Institute. “And all LGBT people will face a patchwork of protections under various state and local laws and private corporate policies – protections that can change as they move or get new jobs. This inconsistency could create particular hardships right now, as many people in the US, including LGBT people, are facing under or unemployment.”

Recent research There are an estimated 7.1 million lesbian, gay, and bisexual workers (ages 16 and older) in the US and half of them – 3.4 million LGB people – live in states without express statutory protections against sexual orientation discrimination in employment.

Approximately one million workers

Visit us online www.sgn.org

(ages 16 and older) identify as transgender in the US and more than half of them – 536,000 people – live in states without express statutory protections against gender identity discrimination in employment.

In a recent report from the Williams Institute, 60% of LGB people reported being fired from or denied a job, and 48% reported being denied a promotion or receiving a negative evaluation, compared to 40% and 32% respectively among heterosexuals.

A 2017 survey by NPR, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and the Harvard School of Public Health found that 59% of LGBTQ respondents believed that there were fewer employment opportunities in the area where they lived due to their LGBTQ identity.

According to the 2015 US Transgender Survey, 30% of respondents reported that they had experienced unfair treatment in the workplace in the prior year, and 16% reported losing a job due to their gender identity or expression.

A recent study found that between 2012

and 2016, 9,127 charges alleging sexual orientation or gender identity discrimination were filed with the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. About half of them included claims of discriminatory terminations and harassment.

That study also found proportionately more allegations of serious discrimination issues, including harassment, discharge, and retaliation, in states without antidiscrimination statutes.

For more information on the impact of the Court’s decision on LGBT people, read the Williams Institute’s amicus briefs [https://williamsinstitute.law.ucla.edu/publications/title-vii-cases-amicus-briefs/].

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The Williams Institute at UCLA School of Law, a think tank on sexual orientation and gender identity law and public policy, is dedicated to conducting rigorous, independent research with real-world relevance.

Courtesy of the Williams Institute

FILM

Lingua Franca – Photo courtesy of Three Dollar Bill Cinema

TRANSLATIONS continued from cover

Instead of canceling the festival due to the COVID-19 crisis we felt that we needed it. We hope you will join us for the 15th Anniversary of Translations!

More than 95% of the work that will be screened and presented has been made by transgender, gender queer, and non-binary filmmakers and participants!

A programming committee of transgender/ non-binary/ queer folx put together the festival along with Three Dollar Bill Cinema and Northwest Film Forum.

We would love for you to be involved, help spread the word, and attend the festival online. We have a wonderful line-up of screenings and panels for you to watch over the weekend!

Community participation: FB Watch parties at www.facebook. com/groups/translations2020/ including opening night with Aleksa Manila hosting, intros from filmmakers before the films, two panels that you can join by Zoom (register first).

Tickets: Pay what you can tickets $0-$25. Tickets sales go directly to support Translations and the work of Three Dollar Bill Cinema and Northwest Film Forum. Purchase tickets at least an hour before the screening time to access the link and password.

BUY A PASS and relax all weekend with Translations! You can see all 12 programs for less than $5 each if you are TDBC or NWFF member. Check out all the pass options.

For more information, visit https:// threedollarbillcinema.org/ Online Festival Guide at https://threedollarbillcinema.org/translations/films OPENING NIGHT: LINGUA FRANCA Thursday, May 7 @ 7pm In this engrossing drama, undocumented Olivia spends her days taking care of Olga, a Russian-Jewish grandmother in Brighton Beach, Brooklyn. When the man she’s secretly paying for a green-card marriage backs out, she becomes involved with Olga’s grandson Alex, a handsome but troubled young man who doesn’t realize she is trans.

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Kelet – Photo courtesy of Three Dollar Bill Cinema

The winsome Olivia, played by director Isabel Sandoval, draws viewers into this story of love and survival as a transgender woman trying to live her life with joy and strength.

SHORTS: BE WELL Friday, May 8 @ 4pm “The only constant in life is change,” philosophized Heraclitus of ancient Greece. This series of shorts explores what trans people know all too well: that life is a movable force where traditional attitudes, institutions, and internal stresses must be challenged to BE WELL. THE RIGHT GIRLS Friday, May 8 @ 6pm In this documentary about friendship and perseverance, three young transgender women from El Salvador and Honduras go on a 2,400-mile journey with the high-profile migrant caravan.

TRANS-WEBISODICS (A SAMPLING) Friday, May 8 @ 8:15pm As the new frontier of entertainment, episodic web series are naturally well positioned to represent genders and sexualities in formation. These four series hand-picked for Translations employ humor, wit, and

May 1, 2020

expressive visuality to present the cutting edge of culture.

KELET Saturday, May 9 @ 12pm This exquisitely filmed documentary follows the exceptional life of 20-year-old Kelet, a Finnish Somali trans woman living in Helsinki who dreams of becoming a model in Vogue magazine. Winner of the Audience Award at the DocPoint Helsinki Documentary Film Festival, this story explores trans rights, racism, beauty standards and gendered norms in society.

The Fruitbowl Podcast LIVE: An Oral History of Queer Sex with Creator/Host Dave Quantic and Guests Saturday, May 9 @ 2pm Join creator Dave Quantic and moderator and past interviewee Sam Berliner as they discuss the evolution of the FRUITBOWL project and the creative process behind both the podcast and the FruitBite video series. Sam and Dave will discuss the similarities and surprising differences that have emerged and talk about the unique perspectives that members of the trans community bring to the table.

OUT LOUD Saturday, May 9 @ 4pm OUT LOUD chronicles the ups and downs of the first season of the Trans Chorus of Los Angeles, the largest group of transgender and gender-nonconforming people anywhere in the world who come together regularly to sing. As the choristers gear up for their 2016 public debut, they share their life stories and reveal what it means to be trans in America. This extraordinary chorus doesn’t just make music – it’s making history.

SHORTS: JOY & CATHARSIS Saturday, May 9 @ 6:15pm Far too often we are dramatized as tragic, deceptive, and villainous. We are fetishized and exploited as objects of the cis gaze. The cultural imagination consumes us when we overcome obstacles, so they can celebrate our bravery and authenticity.

Joy reminds us not to inflict this violence on ourselves. Catharsis acknowledges and allows us to release the pain of this violence. By telling our own stories, we radically claim our birthright to take up space and celebrate the power of our bodies, desires, and futures.

see TRANSLATIONS page 13

Celebrating 46 Years!

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May 1, 2020

Seattle Gay News 9

10 Seattle Gay News

May 1, 2020

Celebrating 46 Years!

Visit us online www.sgn.org

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Celebrating 46 Years!

FILM

So Pretty – Photo courtesy of Three Dollar Bill Cinema

TRANSLATIONS continued from page 8

MARK Saturday, May 9 @ 8:30pm Mark existed. Marks were made. Marks were found.

Writing & Casting Transgender Characters with Elayne Wylie Sunday, May 10 @ 2pm Join us for a conversation about the impact and process of casting transgender characters. The casting process should start in the conceptualization and writing, with an understanding of the history of representation in the medium. Panelists will explore the nuances of decisions filmmakers have to make throughout the writing and production process, and the impact of these choices on actors, productions, and audiences.

SHORTS: ART & RESISTANCE Sunday, May 10 @ 4:30pm In times like these, we turn to artists and radical resisters to express and share their actions and creations in ways we find resonant, provocative, comforting, and/or challenging. From public calls to action through peaceful demonstrations and “guerrilla” performances to deeply personal conversations in private places, this lineup offers us ways to see ourselves as belonging to each other in and through radical resistance, which often begins with owning the meaning of who we are to ourselves.

Mark – Photo courtesy of Three Dollar Bill Cinema

CLOSING NIGHT: SO PRETTY Sunday, May 10 @ 7pm Tonia, a transgender German visual artist, comes to New York City, where she meets Franz, an American academic working on a new exhibition on German author Ronald M. Schernikau. They talk politics, art, and love, go dancing, fuck, protest, and organize alongside their friends, Paul, Erika (a transwoman and musician), and Helmut (a transmasculine political radical).

Follow us on Instagram @translationsfilmfestival, Facebook www.facebook. com/seatransfilm/ and Twitter @3dollarbillcine Three Dollar Bill Cinema strengthens, connects, and reflects diverse communities through queer film and media.

Courtesy of Three Dollar Bill Cinema

Visit us online www.sgn.org

Out Loud – Photo courtesy of Three Dollar Bill Cinema

May 1, 2020

Seattle Gay News 13

Town Hall Seattle and South Seattle Emerald launch Life on the Margins podcast to spotlight, elevate, and amplify historically marginalized voices

SEATTLE (April 28, 2020) – Town Hall Seattle and the South Seattle Emerald announced today a collaboration on a new podcast. Life on the Margins will strive to share stories not just about marginalized communities but from within and alongside them. The first season will run for six episodes and explore the impact of the current coronavirus pandemic, among other topics.

“This podcast came about because [my co-hosts and I] were seeing a need that wasn’t met, and conversations that weren’t being had with any regularity on a lot of mainstream platforms,” said Life on the Margins co-host and South Seattle Emerald founder Marcus Harrison Green. Green is joined by co-hosts Enrique Cerna, former Crosscut and KCTS-9 senior correspondent; and Jini Palmer, host of Town Hall’s In the Moment podcast.

Every year, Town Hall selects exceptional local artists and scholars for paid residencies where they engage with its programs and collaborate with the programming team to develop original events for the community. While in typical years, residents would be given the literal keys to Town Hall, in consideration of the current global crisis and the local stay-home order, the pre-existing residency platform model will be altered slightly to accommodate a podcast residency with Life on the Margins.

The first episode features former Washington Gov. Gary Locke and Seattle-based writer, speaker, and author Ijeoma Oluo. It explores how to grapple with the bias and

DURKAN

continued from cover felt deeply for months and years to come.

It will be tough, but just as Seattle has overcome challenges in the past, we will overcome this too.

Before this pandemic, a mere eight weeks ago, Seattle had 3% unemployment and one of the most booming economies in the country. The new forecasts show a new devastating reality that will continue in the following weeks and months: significant job loss, high unemployment and significant impacts to the City budget, including a potential $300 million reduction in revenue for 2020. This is approximately a 20% loss in our general fund for this year alone.

Understanding that our sales tax and business taxes would face significant impacts, I asked City departments in March to put a hold on or cut nonessential and non-COVID-19-related hiring, travel, spending, and contracts.

While this will create significant savings, the City must work to rebalance our budget while also [providing] additional resources for the crisis response to the most vulnerable in our community. The truth of the matter is, we have some tough decisions ahead of us. Those decisions will be made thoughtfully, and we will continue to prioritize the needs of those who need support the most.

To help our businesses, workers, and most vulnerable at scale, the City’s efforts alone won’t be enough. An important part of both assistance and recovery is resources from the state and federal governments, and I will continue to do everything possible to get the region the resources we need to get through this pandemic and to rebuild a strong, equitable city.

As we think about the 2020 budget, the City’s continued crisis response to COVID19, preparing to reopen, and long-term recovery, my team is focused on three priorities: decreasing the community spread [of] COVID-19, creating plans to reopen that

14 Seattle Gay News

• Episode 3: Tuesday, May 19 at 1 pm • Episode 4: Tuesday, June 2 at 1 pm • Episode 5: Tuesday, Jun 16 at 1 pm • Episode 6: Tuesday, Jun 30 at 1 pm

stigma being unleashed during the crisis, and is available now at www.townhallseattle.org/podcasts. To celebrate the launch of the podcast, the second episode will be available in one week, on Tuesday, May 5; subsequent episodes will be released biweekly. Interested listeners can also follow the podcast on Twitter: @TalkMarginsPod. About the hosts Marcus Harrison Green is the publisher of the South Seattle Emerald and a columnist with Crosscut. Growing up in South Seattle, he experienced firsthand the neglect of news coverage in the area by local media, which taught him the value of narratives. After an unfulfilling stint working for a Los Angeles–based hedge fund in his twenties, Marcus returned to his community determined to tell its true story, which led him to found the South Seattle Emerald. He was named one of Seattle’s most influential people by Seattle Magazine in 2016.

Enrique Cerna is a veteran journalist who has worked in Seattle media for 45 years. Cerna worked for 23 years at Cascade Public Media’s KCTS-9 and retired in prioritize worker and community safety, and short-term assistance and long-term economic recovery for our workers and businesses.

My office and I will continue to focus on actions that get workers, families, and small businesses the relief they need. This week alone, we opened the doors of our libraries to increase the number of hygiene locations available to those experiencing homelessness, put a cap on the fees delivery app companies charge so more money can go directly to small businesses, and transmitted a plan to City Council to put $14 million towards rental assistance, small businesses and meals [https://bit.ly/2W4FIbS].

As always, remember to stay home and stay healthy. And, if you need to leave your house, be smart about it by keeping six feet from other people and wearing a mask.

Delivery Fee Cap and Relief for Small Business The mayor signed an executive order putting a 15% commission cap on third-party delivery service companies and requiring that 100% of tips go to drivers. The announcement builds on measures over the last two months by the mayor to help small businesses during the pandemic. The necessary statewide “Stay Home, Stay Healthy” order caused restaurants to rely solely on delivery and takeout services for revenue, and many restaurants use third-party delivery services to meet the needs of their customers and keep their staff safe. The 15% commission cap will remain in place until restaurants are allowed to offer dine-in service in the city of Seattle.

Mayor Durkan and the City of Seattle have worked to implement a series of actions that support artists, nonprofits, small businesses, and workers, including: • Deferring utility payments for customers impacted by COVID-19; • Implementing a temporary moratorium on residential, small business, and nonprofit evictions to provide relief for working people financially impacted by COVID-19;

May 1, 2020

February 2018 from his role as senior correspondent. He anchored current-affairs programs, moderated statewide political debates, interviewed major newsmakers, and produced and reported stories throughout Washington state and for national PBS programs. Cerna has earned nine regional Emmy awards and numerous other journalistic honors. He is a member of the National Association of Television Arts and Sciences Northwest Chapter Silver Circle for his work as a television professional. Cerna is active in the community. He has served on numerous nonprofit boards over the years. In March, he was appointed by Gov. Jay Inslee to the Washington State University Board of Regents.

Jini Palmer is a filmmaker and multiinstrumentalist, [as well as] the digital media manager at Town Hall Seattle. She is the host and producer of Town Hall’s In the Moment podcast as well as Town Hall’s Science, Civics, and Arts & Culture podcast series.

When: • Episode 1: Tuesday, April 28 at 1 pm • Episode 2: Tuesday, May 5 at 1 pm • Creating temporary restaurant loading zones to facilitate curbside pickup at restaurants; • Announcing a small business relief package that included deferred business taxes and a $2.5 [million] stabilization fund; • Creating a new Arts Recovery Package to provide immediate financial relief to artists and cultural organizations that have been impacted by COVID-19; • Providing 6,250 Seattle families and 1,800 workers with $800 in grocery vouchers; • Providing rent relief to tenants of cityowned facilities • Partnering with United Way of King County and King County to invest $5 million in rental assistance to help families stay in their homes; and • Building the #SupportSeattleSmallBiz map to help residents find restaurants, bars, cafés, and breweries offering takeout or delivery in their neighborhood.

• The City has also created a comprehensive resource page for residents and small businesses impacted by COVID-19 [www. seattle.gov/mayor/covid-19]. This page will be updated as more information becomes available.

Parks, Farmers Markets, and Stay Healthy Streets Last weekend, the City announced additional guidelines for safe use of city parks, greenways, and local farmers markets. As part of the #KeepItMoving campaign, the City allowed major parks to remain open throughout the weekend but required that residents keep moving and not play sports, picnic, or barbecue. City also opened two neighborhood greenways in West Seattle and the Central District to allow safe exercise opportunities free of cars.

The City also granted U District and Ballard farmers markets one-time permits to operate. We saw vendors and customers alike largely following physical distancing guidelines and innovation from vendors, includ-

Where: https://townhallseattle.org/podcasts/life-on-the-margins-podcast/ Cost: Free Special thanks to the Wyncote Foundation NW, ArtsFund, Boeing, Microsoft, 4Culture, and City of Seattle Office of Arts & Culture.

Town Hall Seattle is a 501(c)(3) founded in 1998 and housed in a landmarked historic building. A vibrant gathering place in the heart of Seattle, Town Hall fosters an engaged community through civic, arts, and educational programs that reflect— and inspire—our region’s best impulses: creativity, empathy, and the belief that we all deserve a voice. Learn more at townhallseattle.org.

Founded as a platform that authentically depicts the dynamic voices, culture, arts, ideas, and businesses that fall within South Seattle’s borders, the South Seattle Emerald acts as a powerful megaphone, amplifying the voice and experience of South Seattle. It was created as a service to the community it chronicles, to be “for the community, by the community, to the community.” Learn more at southseattleemerald.com.

Courtesy of Town Hall Seattle ing drive-throughs, prepacking, and quick transactions. There were a few changes that needed to be made on-site to accomplish physical distancing requirements, but with the markets associations’ partnership, these changes were quickly implemented. The farmers markets continue to be collaborative and responsive partners, and we look forward to our ongoing work together in these unprecedented circumstances.

Customer compliance is critical to ensuring the continued operation of our famers markets. If you plan on shopping at a farmers market this weekend, please make sure to follow mandatory physical distancing measures. Before you shop, please review this list of customer responsibilities and expectations [https://bit.ly/2zFpQ83]. Farmers markets are such beloved community hubs, and they provide affordable, healthy food for residents across our city. We’re so grateful for the [service] they provide our residents, and we appreciate that residents are adjusting quickly to new public health guidance and expectations.

Following the success of last weekend’s Stay Healthy Streets program, this weekend we are opening up six additional miles of calm residential streets to allow for safe social distancing while walking, rolling, running, skating, and biking. Greenwood, Othello and Rainier Beach, and Beacon Hill communities will be able to access essential services, recreate, and walk their dogs near their homes while protecting their neighbors by keeping six feet apart 24/7..

We’re also extending the Central District route to include E. Columbia St., creating a total of nine miles of Stay Healthy streets. Stay Healthy streets builds off the 196 miles of Seattle’s bike facilities and trails [https://bit.ly/35bU1zg]. Read more about the Stay Healthy Streets program on the SDOT Blog [https://bit.ly/3d7OfBN].

To subscribe to the Durkan Digest, visit www.seattle.gov/mayor.

Courtesy of the Seattle Office of the Mayor

Celebrating 46 Years!

MUSIC

Salish Sea Early Music Festival: Thank You! ... and a “Journey with Dr. Burney”

Phtoo courtesy of Salish Sea Early Music Festival

We so miss sharing the remainder of our season with you! ... but are delighted to witness the many creative ways people are reaching out to protect and invigorate their neighbors near and far.

We are pleased to have you as part of our fellowship of musicians and music lovers! The free will donations you provide at the door comprise the bulk of our funding.

Some of you have generously donated additional much needed support which applies to the whole season. As just three-sevenths of our performances took place this year, and knowing that almost all of our musicians have lost the majority of their income during these months, we felt it appropriate to provide each musician a small but significant one-time COVID-19 bonus to lighten this burden ... and we’re particularly thankful to our special donors, all of whom have enabled this opportunity. There remain additional funds which will provide a valuable resource for next year’s festival.

We look forward to seeing you in 2021!

In the meantime we invite you to embark on a “Journey through Europe with Dr. Burney”, through the reference recording of our final performance on March 10 in Seattle to

be found through the following link: https://soundcloud.com/simphonienouvelle/a-journey-with-dr-burney Handel tussles with a local singer at the Golden Falcon and encounters Dr. Burney while enjoying a dish of coffee at the Exchange Coffee House. On to Paris! Dr. Burney marvels at composer Balbastre’s exquisite harpsichord depicting Rameau’s opera Castor et Pollux and Rameau himself, who Burney encountered a few years earlier. In Venice Dr. Burney meditates on the other-worldly attributes of Antonio Vivaldi, he has an opportunity to hear Frederick the Great play his flute in Berlin, and receives accolades from Haydn.

Susie as Dr. Burney is wonderful! With great care we fashioned a lovely suite from Rameau’s opera Castor et Pollux, perfectly suiting our instruments and revealing Rameau at his best, inspired by Burney’s account of Balbastre’s harpsichord and the opera and ballet transcriptions for chamber music performances for Louis XIV (constituting our first concert this season). Also included are sonatas by Vivaldi (cello), Handel and Frederick the Great (flute) and Haydn (solo and accompanied harpsichord).

Seattle Opera receives $2.3 million federal loan

Seattle Opera’s La bohème – Photo by Elise Bakketun

SEATTLE (April 24, 2020) – Yesterday, the Seattle Opera received a $2.3 million loan under the federal Payroll Protection Program (PPP), a federal government stimulus program. The Seattle Opera had previously announced the cancellation of its May La Bohème performances, along with the loss of employment for everyone involved with the production. On March 25, the company also announced furloughs for 12 administrative staff and pay reductions for the remaining staff who earn more than $50,000 annually.

The PPP funds will allow the company to rehire most of the people who had been scheduled to work on La Bohème, including orchestra, chorus, stage management, and stage crew, plus wardrobe, costume, hair, and makeup crew. Administrative staff who had been put on furlough will be

rehired for eight weeks, and those who had salary reductions will be restored to full pay for eight weeks (with a mandated cap of $100,000 in annual salary).

“We expect to bring approximately 180 individuals back on the payroll for a finite period of time thanks to the PPP,” said general director Christina Scheppelmann. “I am very pleased [that the] Seattle Opera received this loan, which will go as intended to our employees. These are unprecedented and uncertain times for all.

We are looking forward to the return of live events at the Opera Center and McCaw Hall once it is safe to do so. We also look forward to being part of the recovery and healing of our community. But the health and safety of our workforce and customers remains our top priority.”

Visit us online www.sgn.org

Even as McCaw Hall’s stage remains dark, the Seattle Opera continues to provide music and opera learning to those in the Pacific Northwest and beyond. Starting April 25, 2020, 98.1 Classical KING-FM will broadcast recordings of previous Seattle Opera performances, beginning with Verdi’s Aida. Broadcasts will be available on the radio and at king.org every Saturday morning at 10 a.m. Pacific time.

The company is also presenting a threepart recital with mezzo-soprano Sarah Larson and pianist Jay Rozendaal, as well as children’s programs and opera talks at www.seattleopera.org/athome.

Established in 1963, the Seattle Opera is committed to serving the people of the Pacific Northwest with performances of the highest caliber and through innovative educational and engagement programs for all. Each year, more than 95,000 people attend Seattle Opera performances, and more than 400,000 people of all ages are served through school performances, radio broadcasts, and more. By drawing our communities together, and by offering opera’s unique fusion of music and drama, we create life-enhancing experiences that speak deeply to people’s hearts and minds.

Connect with Seattle Opera on Facebook, Twitter, SoundCloud, and on 98.1 Classical KING-FM. Courtesy of the Seattle Opera

May 1, 2020

Seattle Gay News 15

NEA: Congress should grant Census Bureau a 120-day extension due to the COVID-19 pandemic WASHINGTON, DC (April 28, 2020) – National Education Association President Lily Eskelsen García released the following statement in response to the U.S. Census Bureau’s request to Congress to push back the statutory deadlines for reporting census data.

“The census makes visible the strength of our communities, which includes every student, parent, and family in our country.

An accurate census is key to getting our public schools and communities the resources they need to serve all students for the next decade – regardless of where they live, what language they speak at home, or whether they are black, brown, or white. And it will be used to reapportion the 435 seats in the U.S. House of Representatives, as well as to redraw legislative and school board districts around the country. The COVID-19 pandemic has made it unsafe right now to have census takers go door-to-door, a key component to ensuring that everyone, especially people in the hardest to count communities, are included in the 2020 census.

That is why Congress should pass legislation granting the U.S. Census Bureau an 120-day extension to ensure every person is counted, while also providing the 2020 census with the funding necessary to safely complete an accurate and equitable count. With so much at stake, it would be wrong to let the current health crisis make students and communities suffer for a decade because the count was incorrect.”

16 Seattle Gay News

Photo by Feifei Cui-Paoluzzo / Getty Images

The National Education Association is the nation’s largest professional employee organization, representing more than 3 mil-

May 1, 2020

lion elementary and secondary teachers, higher education faculty, education support professionals, school administrators, retired

educators and students preparing to become teachers. Learn more at www.nea.org.

Celebrating 46 Years!

Allyship - an organization of LGBTQ individuals fighting for economic and social justice. www.LGBTQAllyship. org, allyship@yahoo.com, (206) 279-8169.

American Veterans for Equal Rights - www.aver.us Another Gay Social Club! - www.meetup.com/AnotherGay-Social-Club/ Bellingham/Whatcom County - www.theslowlane. com/guide.html BiNet Seattle is a mixed gender, social group for Bisexuals, their partners & other Bi-friendly folks - www. binetseattle.org.

Bremerton/Kitsap County - www.outwestsound.org Capitol Hill Alano Club - www.chacseattle.org Cascade Rainbow Community Center (Mount Vernon) - (360) 840-8499 and on Facebook.

Central Washington University GALA Hotline: (509) 963-1994.

Channel Q 103.3 FM - LGBTQ+ Talk Radio Network News and information, pop culture and music. radio.com COLAGE unites people with LGBTQ parents and caregivers into a network of peers and supports them as they nurture and empower each other to be skilled, self-confident, and just leaders in our collective communities - www.colage.org DIFFA/Northwest (Design Industries Foundation Fighting AIDS). (206) 763-8885; www.diffanorthwest. org DOMESTIC VIOLENCE & SEXUAL ASSAULT: Crisis Clinic, (206) 461-3222 (24 hour line); King County Sexual Assault Resource Center (KCSARC) - 24-hour crisis line for information, support, & medical & legal assistance: 1-888-99-VOICE; Northwest Network support & advocacy for Bisexual, Trans, Lesbian & Gay Survivors of Abuse & Dating Violence, (206) 568-7777 (voice), 517-9670 (tty), www.nwnetwork.org; Pierce County Domestic Violence Helpline: Teresa, (253) 798-4166; Seattle Counseling Service for Sexual Minorities - offers on-going support groups for men: 323-1768; Seattle Police Dept Domestic Violence Unit, (206) 684-0330; State Wide Domestic Violence Hot Line, 1-800-562-6025. In an emergency call 911.

Report domestic violence and sexual assault.

Equal Rights Washington - (206) 324-2570; www. equalrightswashington.org Everett/Snohomish Cty - www.gaysnohomish.org Freely Speaking Toastmasters - www.freelyspeaking.org Gay City promotes wellness in LGBTQ communities by providing health services, connecting people to resources, fostering arts, and building community. Gay City Health Project’s Wellness Center provides anonymous & confidential HIV/STD testing. 517 E Pike St. More info or to schedule an appointment, (206) 860-6969. www.gaycity.org Gay & Lesbian National Hotline (GLNH): 1-888-THEGLNH (1-888-843-4564). Non-profit, peer-counseling, information & local resources telephone hotline for GLBT people across the country.

Generations Aging With Pride empowers elder LGBTQ adults to live with pride and dignity by promoting, connecting, and developing innovative programs and services that enhance belonging and support, eliminate discrimination, and honor the lives of older members of our community - (206) 393-3400; info@gapseattle.org; gapseattle.org GLSEN/WA - Gay, Lesbian, Straight Education Network - (206) 330-2099; www.glsenwa.org Greater Seattle Business Association (GSBA) - (206) 363-9188; www.thegsba.org HIV/AIDS Program, Seattle/King County Dept of Public Health, provides confidential/anonymous information about & testing for HIV/AIDS. (206) 205-7837. For a comprehensive list of HIV/AIDS service organizations see the GSBA Guide or visit www.thegsba.org or call Lifelong AIDS Alliance, (206) 328-8979.

Imperial Sovereign Court of Seattle & the Olympic & Rainier Empire - www.facebook.com/ISCSORE; www. imperialcourtofseattle.com Lambert House - (206) 322-2515; www.lamberthouse. org LGBT Library - 517 E Pike St. Open Mon-Fri 2-8pm; Sat 2-5pm. A wide range of fiction and non-fiction for the LGBT community and allies can be borrowed free of charge.

LGBT MS Connection - (425) 785-8593; lgbtmsconnections@comcast.net. Support group for LGBT persons with MS and their partners and their caregivers.

Sponsored by the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.

Lifelong AIDS Alliance - (206) 328-8979, www.lifelongaids alliance.org Lion’s Main Art Collective - www.lionsmain.org MEN: Gay City: (206) 860-6969, www.gaycity.org; Knights of Mantra: (206) 329-0886, www.jetchapterkofm.com; Mature Friends: Gay men & women 40 & over, www.maturefriends.org; Northwest Bears: www. nwbears.com; The Olympians: www.TheOlympians. net; POZSeattle: www.pozseattle.com; Q-Squared: www.qsquared.org; Rain City Jacks: www.raincityjacks. org; Seattle Gay Couples: www. seattlegaycouples.org; Seattle Men in Leather: www.seattlemeninleather. org; Seattle Prime Timers: Gay & Bi men 40 & over, www. seattle primetimers.org; Tacoma Older LGBT: www. tacomaolderlgbt.org. (See also listings under Bisexual, Parenthood, People of Color, Transgender.)

MUSIC: Diverse Harmony: www.diverseharmony. org; Rainbow City Band: 1-866-841-9139 ext 2126; rainbowcityband@onebox.com; www.rainbowcity band. com; Seattle Men’s Chorus and Seattle Women’s Chorus: (206) 388-1408, (206) 323-0750. www.seattlechoruses.org.

Northwest Lesbian & Gay History Museum Project - gayhistnw@aol.com

Sponsors Tacoma Pride Festival. (253) 383-2318, www. rainbowcntr.org SEAMEC interviews, researches & rates candidates for public office on issues of concern to the LGBT community. www.voteseamec.org Seattle Area Support Groups & Community Center (SASG) i- SEE LISTING for Peer Seattle.

Seattle Bisexual Women’s Network - BiSeattle.wixsite. com/SBWN and on Facebook.

Seattle Counseling Service for Sexual Minorities is a community mental health service for GLBT persons & their families providing comprehensive mental health services on a sliding scale. (206) 323-1768.

Seattle LGBTQ Commission - (206) 684-4503. www/ seattle.gov/lgbtq Seattle Out & Proud - (206) 322-9561; www.seattlepride.org Seattle Police Department Sexual Minorities Community Advisory Council: kim.bogucki@seattle.gov Seattle PrideFest - www.seattlepridefest.org Servicemembers Legal Defense Network - (202) 328-3244; www.sldn.org Sex Workers Outreach Project - https://seattle. swopusa.org Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, The Abbey of St. Joan - (206) 860-3666; www.theabbey.org Snohomish Health District HIV/AIDS Program provides free confidential/anonymous HIV counseling & testing 9am-5pm Monday-Friday, until 7pm Tuesdays.

(425) 339-5298.

South Sound Q Calendar - LGBTQ events in Tacoma, Olympia & Sound Puget Sound area; www.SouthSoundQCal.com Spokane/Inland Northwest - www.outspokane.com; www.stonewallnews.net SPORTS & RECREATION: Bent Car Guys: www. bentcarguys.org; Border Riders Motorcycle Club: www.borderriders.com; Bottom Dwellers Scuba Club: www.bottomdwellers.org; Capitol Hill Cyclers: join their Facebook group or email capitolhillcycling@ groups.facebook.com or jordan.l.simonson@gmail.com; Cascade Flag Football: www.cascadeflagfootball.org; Cascade Flyers: www.cascadeflyers.org; Emerald City Mudhen Rugby: www.mudhenrugby.com; Emerald City Softball Association: www.emeraldcitysoftball. org, www.eteamz.com/womensecsa; Ethyl Forever Car Club: ethylforever@hotmail.com; Festival of the Babes: www.festivalofthebabes.com; Olympic Yacht Club: www.oycnw.org; OutVentures: outdoor education & recreation activities, www.outventures.org; Pacific Northwest Gay Rodeo Association: www.pacificnwgra.org; Puddletown Squares: www.puddletownsquares.org; Rain City Soccer: www.raincitysoccer.org; Rain Country Dance Association: a country-western dance organization catering to the LGBTQ community but open to all, www.raincountrydance.org; Sea Dawgs: LGBT ice hockey - SkateSeaDawgs@gmail.com and on Facebook; Seattle Frontrunners: www.seattlefrontrunners.org; Seattle Gay Basketball Association: www. seattlegaybasketballassociation.com; Seattle Orca Swim Team: www.orcaswimteam.org; Seattle Otters Water Polo: www.otterpolo.com; Seattle Quake Rugby: www.quakerugby.com; Seattle Tennis Alliance: www. seattletennisalliance.org; Seattle Unified Bowling Association (SUBA): magee98106@aol.com, www. teamseattle.org/bowling.htm, www.theprideleague. com, Century 21 League; Seattle Volleyball Club: www.seattlevolleyballclub.com; Ski Buddies: www. skibuddies.org; Team Seattle Gay Sports Network is an umbrella organization for a wide range of local GLBT sports activities, (206) 367-4064, www.teamseattle.org (see website for comprehensive list of sports clubs); Triangle Recreation Camp at Bender Creek: recreational camping for GLBT folks. Must be 21; ID required. trc@ camptrc.org, www.camptrc.org, 1122 E Pike St #1069, Seattle 98122-3934.

Strength Over Speed - www.strengthoverspeed.org Tacoma/Pierce County - Rainbow Center, 2215 Pacific Ave, Tacoma, a resource center for the LGBTIQA community of Pierce County, (253) 383-2318, www. rainbowcntr.org Three Dollar Bill Cinema - TWIST: Seattle Queer Film Festival; Translations: Seattle Transgender Film Festival; Outdoor Cinema at Cal Anderson Park. www. threedollarbillcinema.org TRANSGENDER: Emerald City Social Club: (425) 827-9494; Gender Alliance of the South Sound: www.

SouthSoundGender.com; Gender Diversity: www. genderdiversity.org; Gender Justice League: www.genderjusticeleague.org; Gender Odyssey: www.genderodyssey.com; Hermanos Trans Latino & Foreign-Born

Support Group: (206) 322-7700; Ingersoll Gender Center: (206) 329-6651, www.ingersollcenter.org; Lion’s Main Art Collective: www.lionsmain.org; The New BoyZ Club: www.olympiaftmgroup.webs.com; Olympia Trans Discussion Group: www.facebook.com/pages/ Olympia-Trans-Discussion-Group/262449878114; [trans] ACTION: Trans* & Gender Non-Conforming Sex Workers’ Support Group - a safe, peer-led space. mail@utopiaseattle.org; TRANSform Washington: transformwashington.com; Trans Resource & Referral Guide: kctransguide.org; Trans Women of Color Solidarity Network: Funding the collective liberation of Trans women of color – https://m.facebook.com/ TWOCSolidarityNW/; Washington Gender Alliance: (360) 445-2411, www.washington genderalliance.com WOMEN: Aging Ballard Lesbian Exchange (A.B.L.E.): We are Lesbians 60 years (generally) and up, living (mostly) in the north half of Seattle. The purpose of the group is to connect, socialize and support each other. ruthemilyvogel@gmail.com; Aging Lesbians in South Seattle (ALISS) - Lesbian Group at the Southeast Seattle Senior Center. This is a gathering primarily for Lesbians but all are welcome to attend. Kate, (206) 722-0317; www.sessc.org; BABES: support groups for HIV+ women. (206) 720-5566, 1-888-292-1912; Coming Out Women Support Group of Tacoma: www. comingoutwomen.org; Festival of the Babes: www. festivalofthebabes.com; Mature Friends: Gay men & women 40 & over, www.maturefriends.org; Puget Sound Old Lesbian Organizing for Change: http:// psoloc.org, (253) 777-3357; Older Lesbians Organizing for Change/WA State Chapter: gloria@oloc.org, mary@oloc.org, www.oloc.org; Pacific Northwest Lesbian Archives: www.pnwlesbianarchives.org; RainshadowWomen: RainshadowWomen@aol. com; Seattle Bisexual Women’s Network: BiSeattle. wixsite.com/SBWN; Seattle Girls of Leather: www. sgol.org; Tacoma Lesbian Concern (TLC): www.tacomalesbianconcern.org; Tacoma Older LGBT: www. tacomaolderlgbt.org; Women of West Seattle (WOWS): a fun, member-driven social group for Lesbians, http:// groups.yahoo.com/group/womenofwestseattle; YWCA Women’s Health Outreach: providing low or no-cost mammograms for income eligible 40+ LBTQ individuals. Follow us at http://lbtqhealth-ywca.blogspot.com, twitter.com/ingridWHO or email lbthealth@ywcaworks. org, (206) 461-4493. (See also listings under Bisexual, Parenthood, People of Color, Transgender.)

YOUTH: B-GLAD (Bisexual, Gay, Lesbian, Trans & Questioning Adolescent Drop-In Group): Youth Eastside Services offers many programs for GLBT youth, including B-GLAD, (425) 747-4937; Coyote Central: www.coyotecentral.org; Diverse Harmony: www.diverseharmony. org; GLSEN/Washington State (Gay, Lesbian, Straight Education Network) & Washington State GSA (Gay-Straight Alliance) Network: GLSEN works to create safe schools for LGBT students. WA GSA Network supports youth-led GSA’s to fight harassment & homophobia in Washington state schools. (206) 330-2099; www.glsenwa. org; www.wagsa.org. GLOBE (GLBTQ Loving Ourselves, Becoming Empowered): a support group & HIV/STD prevention program for GLBTQ youth, 14-20, in Everett, (425) 263-2908, www. globeyouth.org; It Gets Better Project: www.itgetsbetter.org; Lambert House: an activities & resource center for LGBT youth, 14-22, 1818 15th Ave @ E Denny Way, with additional support groups organized in smaller towns throughout King County, (206) 322-2515, www. lamberthouse.org; Lifelong HEYO (Health Education Youth Outreach): for LGBTQ youth, ages 16-24: (206) 957-1665; www.llaa.org/HEYO; www.MatthewsPlace. com; The Mockingbird Society: (206) 323-KIDS (5437), www.mockingbirdsociety.org; New Horizons: social services and shelter for homeless youth, 2708 3rd Ave (in Belltown), (206) 374-0866, http://namin.org; Oasis Youth Center: for GLBTQ youth, ages 14-25, in Tacoma, (253) 671-2838, www.oasisyouthcenter. org; OKAY! LGBTQ+ Outreach for Kent Area Youth: (253) 859-0699 ext 3034. OKAY! is an open support group for youth ages 13-19 who identify as LGBTQ+. A program of Kent Youth & Family Services; OUT There Adventures: www.outthereadventures.org; Parents, Family & Friends of Lesbians & Gays (PFLAG)/ Puget Sound: (206) 325-7724, www.seattle-pflag.org; Pizza Klatch: weekly lunchtime support groups for LGBTQ youth in Thurston County, www.pizzaklatch. org; Prism: for LGBTQ youth, 14-21, in Puyallup Cherise.Alexander@ multicare.org; www.facebook. com/PuyallupPrism; Proud Out Wonderful (POW!): for LGBTQ youth, 13-21, in South King County, (206) 326-9112, www.facebook.com/proudoutwonderful; Q Youth Resources: in Kitsap County - (360) 698-3335; www.kchaf.org; Roots Young Adult Shelter: 1415 NE 43rd St., (206) 632-1635; www.rootsinfo.org; Safe Schools Coalition: www.safeschoolscoalition.org; (206) 451-SAFE, (206) 451-7233 (non-emergency), 1-877-SAFE-SAFE (1-877-723-3723) (crisis line); Seattle Young People’s Project (Queer Youth Resource Board): (206) 860-9606, www.sypp.org; Street Youth Ministries (SYM): (206) 524-7301 ext 111; www. streetyouthministries.org; Teen Link: (206) 461-4922, 1-888-431-TEEN; The Trevor Project: 866-4-U-Trevor; www.thetrevorproject.org; True Colors - Connecting LGBTQ Teens: in Shoreline, (206) 362-7282 x 8018, lbagley@chs-nw.org; The Vera Project: fuels personal & community transformation through collaborative youthdriven engagement in music and art. (206) 956-8372; theveraproject.org; Vista Youth Center: for LGBTQ, questioning and allied youth, ages 14-21, in Kennewick, (509) 396-5198, www.vistayouthcenter.org; YouthCare/ Isis Program (Transitional Living Home for LGBTQ Young Adults, 18-22): (206) 522-8412; YouthCare/ Orion Center Young Adult Shelter: 1828 Yale Ave @ Stewart St. (206) 622-5555; Youth in Focus: (206) 723-1479; www.youthinfocus.org; Youth Suicide Prevention Program (OUTLoud-GLBTQ): (206) 297-5922, ext 116, 1-800-273-TALK, www.yspp.org

May 1, 2020

Seattle Gay News 17

community resources Northwest Rainbow Alliance for the Deaf - www. nwrad.org Olympia/Thurston County - www.RainbowCenterOly. org Out & Equal Workplace Advocates/Seattle Regional Affiliate supports the work of LGBT employees and the growing number of ERGs (Employee Resource Groups) making a difference within local companies, including Alaska Airlines, Amazon.com, Amgen, AT&T, Bank of America, Deloitte, Macy’s, Microsoft, Russell Investments, Safeco Insurance, Starbucks Coffee, Xerox. www.outandequal.org/affiliates/seattle Out & Proud Grays Harbor Coalition - http://outandproudgh.org PARENTHOOD: Families Like Ours provides a gateway for LGBT families interested in adoption & provides a network of safe placement agencies, training, support & resources: (206) 441-7602, www.familieslikeours. org; Family Works offers support, information & activities for LGBT families: (206) 694-6727, www.familyworksseattle. org; Gay Fathers’ Association of Seattle offers support groups & social activities: www.gfas. org; Proud & Loud Families - Northwest, www.meetup.com/proudand-loud-families-northwest, plfnorthwest@aol.com; Queer Parent Networking Dinners: (206) 568-7777, qpnd@nwnetwork.org, www.nwnetwork.org; Rainbow Families of Puget Sound: www.rainbowfamiliesps.org PFLAG is the national organization for parents, families, allies, and LGBTQ people united for equality with chapters in Seattle, Bellevue/Eastside, the Puget Sound region and across Washington state. PFLAG Seattle: (206) 325-7724, info@pflagseattle.org, and www.pflagseattle.org; PFLAG Bellevue/Eastside: (425) 483-6642, info@bellevue-pflag.org, http://community. pflag.org/PFLAGBellevue; PFLAG Pacific Northwest: www.pnwpflag.org; PFLAG Washington State Council: www.pflagwsc.org.

Peer Seattle (formerly Seattle Area Support Groups) is a non-profit organization that builds community and cultivates powerful, healthy lives by providing emotional support and personal development services to those affected by HIV/AIDS, the Queer communities, and those who love them. Our work is done in a spirit of safety, trust, inclusiveness, and celebration of individual differences.

(206) 322-2437; www.peerseattle.org PEOPLE OF COLOR: AARTH (African American Reach & Teach Health Ministry), (206) 850-2070, www.aarth.org; Asian/Pacific Islander Queer Network Program at API Chaya, (206) 467-9976; Center for MultiCultural Health, (206) 461-6910, www.multiculturalhealth.org; Entre Hermanos, GLBT Latinos/as, (206) 322-7700, www.entrehermanos.org; Ile LaiLai, (206) 781-3565, iya@ilelailai.org; Men of All Colors & Cultures Together (MACCT), (206) 923-8313, macctseattle@yahoo.com, www.macctsea.org; Northwest Two Spirit Society, https://www.facebook.com/ groups/nw2spiritsociety/, Nubian Pride Productions, nubianpride@gmail.com; People of Color Against AIDS Network (POCAAN) offers rapid HIV testing, M-F, 10am-5pm, (206) 322-7061, www.pocaan.org and on Facebook; QBASS - Queer Black Alliance of the South Sound, (253) 256-1846, weareqbass@gmail. com; Sistah 2 Sistah, LBT women of African descent, (206) 322-7061, (206) 255-8951; Somos Seattle, somosseattle.org; Trikone-Northwest, GLBT South Asians, (425) 985-4376, www.trikonenw.org; Two-Spirit Honor Project, 1-866-685-0164; U.T.O.P.I.A. Seattle, www.utopiaseattlewa.org; VietQ Greater Seattle, vietqorganization@gmail.com Pierce County AIDS Foundation - (253) 383-2565; www.piercecountyaids.org Pride Foundation - (206) 323-3318; www.pridefoundation. org Pride Lives - www.facebook.com/PrideLives/ Pride Radio 93.3 HD2 Project NEON is a program of Seattle Counseling Service providing FREE information & services to Gay & Bi men to reduce health risks associated with methamphetamine use. (206) 323-1768. www.crystalneon.org Public Health-Seattle & King County Online Comprehensive Health Information for Sexual Minorities: www.kingcounty.gov/healthservices/health/personal/ glbt.aspx Q Law: The GLBT Bar Association of WA - (206) 682-6711; www.q-law.org Q Law GLBT Legal Clinic - (206) 235-7235.

Queer Geek! - queergeekseattle.org Rainbow Center - Resource Center for Tacoma/Pierce County LGBTIQA community. Through education, advocacy and celebration, the Rainbow Center expands resources, and safe space for the LGBTQIA community.

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Seattle Gay News 19