Celebrating 41 Years! Issue 19 Volume 43
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Seattle Gay News SEATTLE’S LGBT NEWS & ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY
National faith leaders sign letter urging lawmakers to reject anti-LGBT discrimination bills cloaked falsely in “Religious Freedom” Also call for laws prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity
WASHINGTON D.C. – On Wednes- to divide people into ‘us’ vs. ‘them’ – bills day, April 29, the Human Rights Campaign that can only lead to discrimination,” said (HRC) Foundation, the educational arm Jeff Krehely, Vice President and Chief Founof the nation’s dation Officer largest Lesbian, at HRC. “By Gay, Bisexual, speaking in a and Transgenunified voice, der (LGBT) these leaders civil rights orare setting an ganization, anexample of innounced that clusion, and 17 national resounding the ligious leaders, alarm on how from California these discrimito the nation’s natory bills are capital, added harmful to all their names to of society, not a historic statejust those of us ment calling for in the LGBT an end to “relicommunity.” gious refusal” In the bills that allow letter, the leadhrc.org discrimination ers note that reagainst LGBT people. ligious freedoms are already guaranteed “Today, leaders from different faith tra- and protected in the U.S. Constitution, and ditions – and from across the country – join assert that laws should forbid people from in condemning legislation that uses religion see hrc page 3
SCOTUS turns down challenge to New Jersey conversion therapy ban by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer The U.S. Supreme Court will not hear an appeal challenging New Jersey’s ban on socalled “conversion therapy,” the justices said on April 4. This is the second time the Supreme Court has refused to hear an appeal against a law banning the practice of trying to “convert” Lesbian and Gay patients to straight. Last year the court dismissed a similar appeal against Florida’s ban. Conversion therapy, also called reparative therapy, is rejected by all major American medical, psychiatric, psychological, and professional counseling organizations. It often involves practices described as “torture” or “brainwashing,” including isolation, sleep deprivation, electro-shock treatments, and corporal punishment. The New Jersey law prohibits use of such techniques on minors. It was passed and
The Supreme court turned down an appeal challenging the ban on “conversion therapy” – nigra.org.uk
signed by Governor Chris Christie in 2013. The Supreme Court decision not to hear an appeal in the New Jersey case leaves in place a September 2014 ruling by the Third Circuit Court that the ban is constitutional. see SCOTUS page 6
Seattle City Library teams up Habitat for Humanity’s PRIDE BUILD is this June – with Pride ASIA and others for Transgender visibility your help is needed by Shaun Knittel SGN Associate Editor
habitat.org
by Shaun Knittel SGN Associate Editor There are families in need and when we, as a society, tend to “give back” it is usually around the holiday season. There is something about overeating for Thanksgiving that reminds us, as a collective society, to donate food to a homeless shelter or volunteer at a soup kitchen at a mission or church. Likewise, the Christmas spirit sometimes
makes it seemingly impossible for people to receive gifts (often times things they did not need or maybe even want) without them also collecting canned food to pass out to a shelter or donating a toy for children whose parents don’t have any money for the holiday and so on. It’s a beautiful thing, really. Maybe people do stop and think though, when it isn’t a holiday, about those same families in need or about the veteran who see habitat page 4
On Sunday, May 3, nearly 100 people filed into the auditorium at the Central Branch of the Seattle Public Library to watch a documentary film Kumu Hina, presented by Pride ASIA, Seattle U.T.O.P.I.A. (United Territories of Pacific Islanders Alliance), in collaboration with Three Dollar Bill Cinema (Seattle Lesbian & Gay Film Festival & TRANSLATIONS), Gender Justice League and Seattle Public Library, for an afternoon of entertainment, culture competency, and Transgender visibility – free of charge. And the outcome from the event has been quite amazing. I think it is important to note that we live in a city where a film like Kumu Hina is supported by the public library. Kumu Hina is a powerful film by Dean Hamer and Joe Wilson about the struggle to maintain Pacific Islander culture and values within the Westernized society of modern day Hawaiʻi. It is told through the lens of an extraordinary Native Hawaiian who is both a proud and confident māhū, or Transgender woman, and an honored and respected
kumu, or teacher, cultural practitioner, and community leader. Imagine a world where a little boy can grow up to be the woman of his dreams, and a young girl can rise to become a leader among men. Welcome to Kumu Hina’s Hawai’i. During a momentous year in her life in modern Honolulu, Hina Wong-Kalu, a native Hawaiian māhū teacher uses traditional culture to inspire a student to claim her place as leader of the school’s all-male hula troupe. But despite her success as a teacher, Hina longs for love and a committed relationship. Will her marriage to a headstrong Tongan man fulfill her dreams? An incredible docu-drama that unfolds like a narrative film, Kumu Hina reveals a side of Hawai’i rarely seen on screen. The film was highly educational, but what was perhaps even more of a take away for the audience in attendance, was the knowledge shared by panelists representing Pride ASIA, Gender Justice League, and U.T.O.P.I.A. Seattle. Panelists answered any number of questions from audience members and the conversation was moderated by Ro Yoon, a well-known LGBTQ A/PI advocate and HIV/AIDS prevention specialist.