SGN May 10, 2019 - Section 1

Celebrating 45 Years!

Issue 19 Volume 47

FRIDAY May 10, 2019 FREE!

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Artswest’s Office Hour a powerful commentary on gun violence SEC 2 PG 1

Seattle Opera’s Carmen is a great show!

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

Cuba cancels annual LGBT parade Blames “international context”

Grand marshals announced for 2019 Seattle Pride Parade Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan, Jinkx Monsoon and community groups representing LGBTQ progress selected to lead 45th annual Seattle Pride Parade on June 30

Photo courtesy of AFP / Getty

by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer The Cuban government has cancelled the country’s 12th annual “Conga against Homophobia and Transphobia.”

The event had been scheduled for May 17, the International Day Against Homophobia. Other LGBT events will go on as scheduled.

see CUBA page 13

HRC announces unprecedented support for the Equality Act from 200+ of the nation’s leading businesses

Mayor Jenny Durkan – Photo courtesy of Seattle Pride

Seattle Pride has announced the community and LGBTQ leaders who will serve as the 45th Annual Seattle Pride Parade grand marshals – leading off the

nation’s fourth largest pride parade of more than 200 groups and 60,000 individuals marching in support of LGBTQ pride.

see SEATTLE PRIDE page 4

Seattle Pride announces music lineup celebrating LGBTQ+ arts Thunderpussy to headline Seattle Pride’s Volunteer Park Pride Festival on June 8

Photo courtesy of HRC

WASHINGTON, DC (May 8, 2019) – Today, the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) announced that more than 200 of the nation’s leading businesses have now joined the HRC’s Business Coalition for the Equality Act. With combined operations in all 50

states, headquarters in 29 states, more than $4.5 trillion in revenue, and more than 10.4 million employees across the United States, these companies know how important it is to have a federal legal standard that guarantees

see EQUALITY ACT page 11

Seattle Pride is kicking off this year’s Pride celebration with their annual Volunteer Park Pride Festival from noon to 7pm in Volunteer Park (14th Ave, E & E Prospect St.)on Saturday, June 8. The event is Pride’s annual celebration of queer arts, music,

performance and culture. The free event will feature a beer garden, food trucks, local crafts fair, sponsor and community nonprofit informational booths, and is highlighted by live concert performances.

see VPPF MUSIC page 5

Come down to see AJ Randave or Anthony Perez at Renton Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram for all of your transportation needs!

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Don’t worry if your current vehicle needs servicing or repairs, we also have a full service and parts department available!

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May 10, 2019

Celebrating 45 Years!

Seattle Gay News F O U N D ED 1974 MEMBER

2018

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

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

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

MARK MY WORDS

Gay men beheaded, world almost silent We won’t stand for violence

by Mark Siegel Philadelphia Gay News

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

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

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

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

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

And please play safe.

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

No exceptions.

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

Last week my husband said, “Appreciate the privilege.” He was responding to my complaints regarding the hectic schedule I have due to being named one of the grand marshals of the upcoming World Pride Parade [in New York City] that celebrates Stonewall 50.

He was right. It is a privilege – one that I never thought I’d live to see. While I should be happy, last week I read something that led me to one of the deepest depressions I’ve had in years.

The butcher of Saudi Arabia, Mohammad Bin Salman Al Saud, had beheaded 37 people, and one of them he crucified – publicly displaying his body as a deterrent to others. Four of those victims had been accused of homosexuality.

Only two weeks prior, the Sultan of Brunei ruled that homosexuals should be stoned to death. In Egypt, a person can be arrested for waving a rainbow flag. The presidents of both Poland and Brazil blamed gay people for everything wrong in their countries. Hamas leaders in the Gaza strip have said “death to homosexuals,” and family members of those leaders have gone into exile in both Canada and the U.S. In Libya, the number of LGBT people that have been killed since the revolution is unknown.

This is genocide: “The deliberate killing of a large group of people.” Some countries have spoken to it, but has anyone taken action?

Here’s what could be done to any country that supports genocide against the LGBT community:

Visit us online www.sgn.org

Mohammed Bin Salman Al Saud – Photo by Fayez Nureldine / Getty Images

• Investigate as war/genocide crimes at the World Court • United Nations sanctions • Airline restrictions • Restrict financial institutions • Restrict envoys at the embassies • Trade restrictions • Facilitate cultural exchanges • Implement student-exchange programs While we might complain about an international lack of action, many in our own community use rhetoric that gives cover to horrendous slaughter.

Killing gay people once happened in this country, and if you asked today’s trans community, you’d discover that it is still happening at an alarming rate, especially to trans people of color.

Countries can take action on an international stage. Leaders of those countries can live with the actions they do and do not take. Individuals can take steps in their own backyards. It is a collective fight against oppression.

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I wish I could give you some answers, but each of you will have to decide which battle you want to wage. Stopping genocide is a battle; how we fight it and what tools we use is the issue. One suggestion I might make is to be visible, because what’s visible cannot be ignored. That was the action we took 50 years ago.

At the very least, every LGBT person or government with the slightest sense of humanity, should be demanding action against the blood-thirsty, crucifying, bonesawing butcher of Saudi Arabia.

Mark Segal is the nation’s most-awardwinning commentator in LGBT media. You can follow him on Facebook at www.facebook.com/MarkSegalPGN or Twitter at https://twitter.com/PhilaGayNews.

Courtesy of Philadelphia Gay News

Seattle Gay News 3

2019 Seattle Pride Grand Marshals: Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan, Jinkx Monsoon, Bailey-Boushay House, Camp Ten Trees, Seattle Children’s Gender Clinic, UTOPIA Seattle – Images courtesy of Seattle Pride

SEATTLE PRIDE continued from cover

This year the Seattle Pride Parade will include the following six grand marshals – two individuals and four community organizations – as announced by Seattle Pride President Kevin Toovey: • Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan – As Seattle’s first self-identified lesbian mayor – and just the second woman elected to the position – she’s leading the way for other women and lesbians who are severely underrepresented in all levels of government, especially executive positions.

• Jinkx Monsoon – Seattle’s favorite drag performer, actor/singer/comedian Jinkx Monsoon received national fame as the fifth season winner of TV’s “RuPaul’s Drag Race” as well as raves for the original one-act cabaret musical The Vaudevillians among other performance accolades – along the way serving as a supporter and advocate for those who identify as non-binary.

• Bailey-Boushay House – Established in 1992, Bailey-Boushay House (operated

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by Virginia Mason Medical Center) was at the forefront of the AIDS crisis and served as a pioneer and national model as a place where those with HIV/AIDS could find compassionate care, and to live their last days with dignity, even as many faced fear and isolation.

• Camp Ten Trees – As a summer camp for children who are questioning or who identify as LGBTQ, Camp Ten Trees is a safe place for diverse youth to come together and form a community that is truly their own – and where all are welcomed and engaged. In addition to traditional camp activities, campers engage in ageappropriate workshops exploring identity, issues of oppression/privilege, youth coalition building, social justice and more.

• Seattle Children’s Gender Clinic – As one of only five such facilities in the U.S. caring for youth with gender identity concerns, The Gender Clinic (operated by Seattle Children’s) provides expert genderaffirming care for youth whose gender identity is different from their sex at birth.

• UTOPIA Seattle – United Territories of Pacific Islanders’ Alliance (UTOPIA) provides sacred spaces to

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strengthen the minds and bodies of LGBTQ Pacific Islanders, along with support and access to critical life-stabilizing resources which enable those in the community to lead fulfilling lives, while also in helping reclaim their identities lost through colonization with community organizing, political engagement and cultural stewardship.

Nominations for grand marshal were solicited from the community last year, and final selections were made earlier this year by the Seattle Pride Board which notified those who were selected based on their individual merits and significant impact within the LGBTQ community, but are not required to identify as gay, bisexual, transgender or queer.

“This year’s grand marshals are shining examples of what it means to be a leader, advocate and role model,” said Seattle Pride President Kevin Toovey. “Each of them embodies LGBTQ progress, and we look forward to having them lead us in solidarity in our 45th annual Seattle Pride Parade as we celebrate the present, envision the future and honor our past.”

This year’s Seattle Pride Parade will also be commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall rebellion which became a national movement in support of diversity, inclusion and equality.

The parade begins at 11am on Sunday, June 30 at Fourth Avenue and Union Street in downtown Seattle and proceeds down Fourth Avenue between Union Street and Denny Way – followed by the Seattle PrideFest at Seattle Center. The parade will livestream on KIRO-TV’s website and Facebook page, in addition to a one-hour special airing on KIRO-TV at 11:35pm that evening.

This year’s Seattle Pride presenting sponsors are Alaska Airlines, Premera Blue Cross, T-Mobile, Starbucks and Uber.

To learn more about the Seattle Pride Parade and other Pride-related events, visit www.seattlepride.org and follow Seattle Pride on Facebook @SeattlePride and on Twitter @OurSeattlePride.

Courtesy of Seattle Pride

Celebrating 45 Years!

Thunderpussy

Betty Wetter

DJ Kirk

Left at London

SassyBlack

Whitney Mongé

VPPF MUSIC continued from cover

The “can’t-miss” music lineup, which celebrates LGBTQ+ arts, features nationally recognized local artists. The festival will be hosted by popular drag queen Betty Wetter, KEXP’s Marco Collins, and DJ Kirk known for his disco, house R&B, and dance beats – and will be headlined by Seattle-based band and phenomenon, Thunderpussy.

Thunderpussy’s quartet – Molly Sides (vocalsl), Whitney Petty (guitar), Leah

Julius (bass), and Ruby Dunphy (drums) – breaks through all rock ‘n’ roll stereotypes.

The band’s highly popular self-titled debut album Thunderpussy (Stardog Records/ Republic Records) produced by Sylvia Massy, features their hit single “Speed Queen.” The track begins with a revving engine and arena-size percussion before snapping into a muscular and majestic riff and vocal proclamation, “Long live the Speed Queen.” Certain to draw audiences to the Festival, Thunderpussy is expected to deliver an unforgettable performance.

Visit us online www.sgn.org

J GRGRY

In addition, the musical lineup includes: • Left at London – a trans woman known for her intimate and accessible pop writing sensibility as well as her introspective lyricism focused on subject matter specific to her life.

• SassyBlack – an unexplored galaxy made of fist-pump, funk, and beat-fertility known for her blend of experimental hiphop, unpredictable syncopation and neonwomanism.

• Whitney Mongé – raised with rhythm and blues in her blood, her powerful smoky voice and guitar playing draws in listeners, coining her own genre, Alternative Soul.

• J GRGRY – a musician that elicits joyous inclusiveness and challenges the status quo, his mighty melodies bring people together.

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Seattle Gay News 5

To learn more about the Volunteer Park Pride Festival and other Pride-related events, visit www.seattlepride.org and follow Seattle Pride on Facebook and Instagram at @SeattlePride, and on Twitter at @ OurSeattlePride.

Courtesy of Seattle Pride

Mother’s Day: celebrate Mom and good union jobs

by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer

Photo courtesy of UFCW

Your mom worked hard to raise you, and if she’s like most modern moms, she also worked hard at a job to help feed you and keep a roof over your head.

Honor her and her hard work – and honor the work of millions of moms like her – by making sure to buy her some union-made candy this Mother’s Day. Many top-grade chocolates are made by workers represented by the Bakery, Confectionary, Tobacco Workers, and Grain Millers (BCTGM) and the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW).

Ghirardelli, Hershey’s, Russell Stover, and See’s chocolates are all union-made.

Buy Mom some flowers too. Many union markets have floral sections, and they’ll be happy to help you.

The same markets will have bakeries for Mom’s favorite cake, and deli sections – often with catering services – where you

can get all the makings for a Mother’s Day brunch.

You can find a full list of union grocery stores in Western Washington at the UFCW 21 website: https://www.ufcw21.org/shopunion/.

UNITE HERE 8 also has a list of caterers on its website, or if you’d rather take Mom out, a list of union restaurants: https://www.unitehere8.org/2006/01/local8-caterers/.

If you expect visitors from out of town, or if you have to travel to Mom, UNITE HERE also has a list of union hotels: http:// www.fairhotel.org/.

Finally, if you want to get Mom a special gift, Macy’s, Macy’s Furniture Gallery, Del-Teet Furniture, and Woodside Braseth Gallery are all union shops. So is C. C. Filson if Mom’s the outdoorsy type.

By the way, the unions that will help you celebrate your mom are also leaders in the fight for a democratic and inclusive union movement that defends LGBT rights.

Burien Pride presents Drag Queen Bingo May 31 Main Pride Festival in Town Square Park June 1

BURIEN, Wash. – Mark those calendars! Burien Pride 2019 will commence on Friday, May 31 for Drag Queen Bingo! The festivities continue a second day on Saturday, June 1 for the Burien Pride festival in Town Square Park (480 SW 152nd St., Burien)!

Back for its third successful year, Burien Pride is a family-friendly weekend that includes a little something for everyone. A kid-friendly area will include arts, crafts, games, and more. For the first time, an extended beer garden layout will give the 21+ crowd a fun time of their own! And who could forget the street fair that started it all?

Bands on the main stage will feature all LGBTQ+ acts this year, including Xolie Morra & The Strange Kind, Whitney Monge, Jamie Nova Sky, HallowQueen, and the Seattle Premiere Queen Tribute

band. Burien Pride will be hosted by Burien DJ Taryn Daly of the Rock KISW 99.9 FM! A featured performance by The Dames of Drag also returns!

Burien Pride sponsorship is available by calling (206) 433-2882 or emailing burienpride@gmail.com. Additional information can be found at burienpride.com.

Burien Pride is an annual celebration produced by Discover Burien, a 501 (c)(3) non-profit corporation. Discover Burien exists for economic development, education and promotion of the Burien Business Community. To learn more about Burien Pride or Discover Burien, please visit burienpride.com or discoverburien.org.

Courtesy of Burien Pride Burien Pride – Photo by Steph Brusig

40th anniversary sparks nostalgia and promotes community Emerald City Softball Association will host members in a historic group portrait May 12 On Sunday, May 12, the Emerald City Softball Association, the Pacific Northwest’s largest softball organization geared towards the LGBTQ community, will host more than 500 of its members to commemorate its 40th year in existence. The ECSA started in 1980 in Seattle as a group of friends playing ball and to have a safe place for LGBTQ players to partake in the competition and spirit of softball. It is now one of the oldest and largest gay softball leagues in the nation.

As a 501(c)(3) the league is run solely by dedicated volunteers that understand its importance to the community. “I joined the league 27 years ago and had just recently come out. Not knowing or having a lot of gay friends, I joined the ECSA as a way to get involved in the local community.

Now almost three decades later I have made unbreakable bonds and life changing memories,” League Commissioner Frank Pichinini said.

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The Emerald City Softball Association’s longevity is representative of the community and its allies. Over the last 40 years the league has partnered with countless local business to provide the best experience for our players.

The all-league photo will be taken on Sunday, May 12 at 1pm at the North SeaTac Park (Des Moines Memorial Dr. S. and S 128th St, in SeaTac, WA). For more information on the league go to www.emeraldcitysoftball.org or visit us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ecsa.opendivision.

Courtesy of Emerald City Softball Association

Celebrating 45 Years!

Visit us online www.sgn.org

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Celebrating 45 Years!

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Celebrating 45 Years!

Photo courtesy of HRC

EQUALITY ACT continued from cover

all employees the same rights and protections – no matter where they live. Expected to receive a vote in the U,S House of Representatives soon, the bipartisan legislation also has unprecedented support from nearly 70% of Americans, hundreds of members of Congress and more than 500 statewide and national organizations, including social justice, religious, medical, and child welfare organizations.

“Today, the HRC’s Business Coalition for the Equality Act has surpassed more than 200 companies urging Congress to pass comprehensive nondiscrimination protections for LGBTQ people,” said HRC President Chad Griffin. “Every LGBTQ person deserves to earn a living, raise their families, and live their lives free from discrimination.

And these leading companies know that protecting their employees and customers from discrimination isn’t just the right thing to do – it’s also good for business.”

The bipartisan Equality Act would finally add clear, comprehensive nondiscrimination protections for LGBTQ people to our nation’s civil rights laws. Currently, 50 percent of LGBTQ Americans live in the 30 states that still lack statewide legal nondiscrimination protections, leaving their residents and visitors at risk of being fired, denied housing, or refused service because of who they are or who they love.

Discrimination is a real and persistent problem for LGBTQ Americans. HRC polling has found that nearly two-thirds of self-identified LGBTQ Americans report experiencing discrimination. The Equality Act would extend existing civil rights protections to LGBTQ people by prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity across key areas of life, including employment, housing, credit, education, public spaces and services, federally funded programs, and jury service.

Recent polling shows that a growing majority of Americans support federal nondiscrimination protections and LGBTQ equality. A recent survey by PRRI found that seven in 10 Americans (71 percent) support laws like the Equality Act. In addition, post-election polling from the HRC found that 60 percent of voters in the 2018 midterms opposed the Trump-Pence

administration’s reported plans to define gender entirely by sex assigned at birth, thereby potentially excluding transgender people from civil rights protections.

Overall, voters also identified protecting the rights of groups targeted by the TrumpPence administration as their top reason for voting to flip the US House.

In March, the HRC launched a public awareness and advertising campaign called “Americans for the Equality Act.” Filmed by award-winning directors Dustin Lance Black and Paris Barclay, the series debut video featured Academy Award–winning actress Sally Field and her son Sam Greisman. The campaign has so far also featured transgender singer and songwriter Shea Diamond, actress Justina Machado, US Olympian Adam Rippon, “Queer Eye”’s Karamo Brown, and “Modern Family”’s Jesse Tyler Ferguson and his husband Justin Mikita.

The more than 200 of the nation’s leading businesses who now support the Equality Act include A.T. Kearney Inc.; Abercrombie & Fitch Co.; Accenture; Adobe Systems Inc.; ADP; Advanced Micro Devices Inc.; Airbnb Inc.; Alaska Airlines; Alcoa Corp.; Ally Financial Inc.; Altria Group Inc.; Amalgamated Bank; Amazon.com Inc.; American Airlines; American Eagle Outfitters Inc.; American Express Global Business Travel; Apple Inc.; Applied Materials Inc.; Arconic; Ascena Retail Group Inc.; Aspen Skiing Company LLC; AT&T Inc.; Atlassian; Bain & Co. Inc./Bridgespan Group; Bank of America Corp.; Bayer US LLC; BASF Corp.; BD; Best Buy Co. Inc.; Biogen; Boehringer Ingelheim USA Corp.; Booz

Visit us online www.sgn.org

Allen Hamilton Inc.; Boston Scientific Corp.; Box Inc.; Bristol-Myers Squibb Co.; Broadridge Financial Solutions Inc.; Brown-Forman Corp.; Caesars Entertainment Corp.; Capital One Financial Corp.; Cardinal Health Inc.; Cargill Inc.; Chevron Corp.; Chobani; Choice Hotels International Inc.; Cisco Systems Inc.; Citigroup Inc.; Citrix Systems Inc.; CME Group Inc.; CNA Financial Corporation; the Coca-Cola Co.; Compass Bancshares Inc. (BBVA Compass); Corning; Converse Inc.; Cox Enterprises Inc.; CSAA Insurance Group; Cummins Inc.; CVS Health Corp.; Danone North America; Darden Restaurants Inc.; Deloitte LLP; Dell Technologies Inc.; the Depository Trust & Clearing Corp.; Diageo North America; the Dow Chemical Co.; Dropbox Inc.; E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Co. (DuPont); Eastern Bank Corp.; Eaton Corp.; eBay Inc.; Ecolab Inc.; Edison International; Ernst & Young LLP; the Estée Lauder Companies Inc.; Evolent Health Inc.; Exelon Corp.; Expedia Group; Facebook Inc.; First Data Corp.; Food Lion; Gap Inc.; General Electric Co.; General Mills Inc.; General Motors Co.; Giant of Maryland LLC; Gilead Sciences Inc.; Glassdoor Inc.; Google Inc.; the Guardian Life Insurance Co. of America; Gusto; HERE North America LLC; the Hershey Co.; Hewlett Packard Enterprise Co.; Hilton Inc.; HP Inc.; HSF Affiliates LLC; HSN Inc.; Hughes Hubbard & Reed LLP; Hyatt Hotels Corp.; IBM Corp.; IHS Markit Ltd.; IKEA Holding US Inc.; Ingersoll-Rand Company; Insight Enterprises Inc.; Intel Corp.; InterContinental Hotels Group Americas; Iron Mountain Inc.; John

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Hancock Financial Services Inc.; Johnson & Johnson; JPMorgan Chase & Co.; Juniper Networks Inc.; Kaiser Permanente; Kellogg Co.; Kenneth Cole Productions Inc.; KPMG LLP; Lendlease Americas Inc.; Levi Strauss & Co.; Linden Research Inc.; Lush Fresh Handmade Cosmetics; Lyft Inc.; Macy’s Inc.; Mars Inc.; Marriott International Inc.; Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Co.; Mastercard; Medtronic PLC; Merck; Meredith Corp.; MGM Resorts International; Microsoft Corp.; Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams; Moody’s Corp.; Morgan Stanley; Nationwide; Navient; Navigant Consulting Inc.; Netflix Inc.; Nike Inc.; Northrop Grumman Corp.; Nuance Communications; Office Depot Inc.; Oracle Corp.; Patreon Inc.; Paul Hastings LLP; PepsiCo Inc.; Pfizer Inc.; Pinterest Inc.; the PNC Financial Services Group Inc.; PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP; Procter & Gamble Co.; Pure Storage Inc.; QUALCOMM Inc.; Realogy Holdings Corp.; RE/MAX LLC; Replacements Ltd.; Rockwell Automation Inc.; Royal Bank of Canada; S&P Global Inc.; Salesforce; SAP America Inc.; Seagate Technology plc; Shire PLC; Shook, Hardy & Bacon LLP; Shutterstock Inc.; Siemens Corp.; Sodexo Inc.; Spotify USA Inc.; Square Inc.; SurveyMonkey Inc.; Symantec Corp.; Synchrony; Takeda Pharmaceuticals USA Inc.; Target Corp.; Tech Data Corp.; TIAA; T-Mobile USA Inc.; TPG Global LLC; TransUnion; Turner Construction Co.; Twitter Inc.; US Bancorp; Uber Technologies Inc.; Ultimate Software; Under Armour Inc.; Unilever Englewood; United Airlines; United Parcel Service Inc.; Univision Communications Inc.; Verizon Communications Inc.; Visa Foster; Warby Parker; WeddingWire Inc.; Wells Fargo & Co.; Whirlpool Corp.; Williams-Sonoma Inc.; Workday Inc.; Wyndham Hotels & Resorts Inc.; Xerox Corp.; Yelp Inc.; Yext Inc.; Zillow Group; and Zimmer Biomet Holdings Inc. The Human Rights Campaign is America’s largest civil rights organizations working to achieve equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer people.

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

Courtesy of the HRC

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Lambda Legal to Tenth Circuit: Affirm ruling for nonbinary intersex veteran seeking an accurate U.S. passport DENVER, Colo. – Lambda Legal last night [May 8] filed a brief in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit urging the court to uphold a lower court ruling that the State Department cannot rely on its maleor-female-only gender policy to withhold a U.S. passport from Dana Zzyym, a U.S. Navy veteran who is intersex and nonbinary, and does not identify as male or female.

The brief argues that the district court correctly determined the State Department exceeded its authority under the Passport Act when it denied Dana’s passport application based solely on personal characteristics and, separately, the agency did not adequately engage in reasoned decisionmaking, particularly in light of several U.S. states now issuing gender neutral identity documents and that the “X” gender marker is duly authorized by the UN agency charged with setting forth global requirements for passports.

“It makes no sense that the State Department would insist that a passport applicant be untruthful, much less deny a vital travel and identity document solely based on an applicant’s gender,” Lambda Legal Counsel Paul Castillo said. “Dana has lost countless personal and professional opportunities over the past four years because the agency wants to force them to carry and present false identity documents.

No law-abiding citizen should be blocked from leaving the country just because of who they are.”

The State Department originally denied Dana’s passport application because Dana could not accurately choose either male or female on the passport application form, and the form does not provide any other gender marker designation. In November 2018, Dana was among the first Coloradans to obtain a driver’s license with a genderneutral “X” gender marker after the State of Colorado changed its policy in response to Dana’s federal lawsuit against the U.S. State Department.

“It’s absurd that the State Department would rather me just randomly check a box: male or female. It’s not who I am, and it would expose me to greater scrutiny when my Colorado driver’s license now shows ‘X’” said Zzyym. “I’m not going to lie on my passport application, and I shouldn’t have to.”

Lambda Legal urges the Tenth Circuit to affirm a lower court ruling from the U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado issued in September 2018, preventing the agency from relying on its binary-only gender policy as a basis to deny a U.S. passport to nonbinary intersex citizen, Dana Zzyym.

that accurately reflects their gender. The Court issued its rulings in favor of Zzyym on November 22, 2016, on September 19, 2018, and on February, 2019.

At least eleven countries issue passports with gender markers other than “F” (female) or “M” (male), including Australia, Bangladesh, Canada, Denmark, Germany, India, Malta, Nepal, New Zealand and Pakistan. Most countries that offer a third marker in the sex field on passports use “X,” a gender marker option that is recognized by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), a United Nations agency that sets forth international travel document standards. Additionally, twelve U.S. states and the District of Columbia now permit nonbinary gender options on identity documents, such as driver’s licenses and birth certificates. Recently, all the major U.S. air carriers announced they would soon follow suit, allowing passengers to select a gender-neutral marker “X” and “U” in addition to male and female when purchasing a ticket. With major U.S. airlines registering passengers with gender-neutral markers, having inaccurate passport information could complicate and potentially prevent nonbinary people from traveling.

Dana Zzyym – Photo courtesy of Lambda Legal

Background Dana Zzyym, who uses the genderneutral pronouns “they,” “them” and “their,” was born with ambiguous sex characteristics. Shortly after Dana’s birth, their parents and doctor decided to raise them as a boy.

As a result, Dana underwent several irreversible, painful and medically unnecessary surgeries that didn’t work, traumatized Dana and left them with severe scarring.

Many years later, after serving six years in the U.S. Navy and then attending Colorado State University, Dana began researching surgeries and came to understand they had been born intersex. Drawing on personal experience, they began educating the public about issues facing intersex and non-binary people. Dana currently serves as associate director for Intersex Campaign for Equality.

As part of their work, Dana was invited to attend the International Intersex Forum

in Mexico City in October, 2014, at which time Dana applied for a U.S. passport.

The application requires that the applicant select a gender marker of either “male” or “female.” It also requires first-time applicants to submit evidence of citizenship, such as a birth certificate, which in Dana’s case lists their sex as “unknown.” Notwithstanding the information on their birth certificate and the fact that Dana’s doctors with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs confirm Dana was born with intersex traits, Dana’s application for a passport was denied.

In October 2015, Lambda Legal filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado, asserting that the U.S. State Department violated the due process and equal protection components of the Fifth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, as well as the federal Administrative Procedure Act, by denying Dana a passport

Read more about the lawsuit, Zzyym v.

Pompeo, here: https://www.lambdalegal. org/in-court/cases/co_zzyym-v-pompeo.

Read the Tenth Circuit brief here: https:// www.lambdalegal.org/in-court/legal-docs/ zzyym_co_20190509_-response-brief-ofappellee Handling the case for Lambda Legal are Paul D. Castillo, Puneet Cheema, Camilla B. Taylor, and Dru Levasseur, joined by pro-bono co-counsel Emily E. Chow, Ann E. Prouty, and Rory F. Collins of Faegre Baker Daniels LLP. Lambda Legal is a national organization committed to achieving full recognition of the civil rights of lesbians, gay men, bisexuals, transgender people and everyone living with HIV through impact litigation, education and policy work. Read more at www.lambdalegal.org Courtesy of Lambda Legal

Jayapal statement on anniversary of Trump’s family-separation policy WASHINGTON, DC (May 7, 2019) – Today, Rep. Pramila Jayapal (WA-07) issued the following statement marking the one-year anniversary of the Trump administration’s zero-tolerance family-separation agenda: “Today on the one-year anniversary of the Trump’s family-separation policy, our country is still reeling from the horrors of this zero-humanity policy. Worse, the Trump administration still has no idea exactly how many children they tore from their parents, and we continue to uncover new evidence showing that the Trump administration never had any intention of

reuniting children with their families.

“I was the first member of Congress to go into a federal prison and talk to parents who had been cruelly separated from their children. None were able to say goodbye, and many described hearing their children screaming for them after the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) forcibly separated them. Most parents had gone weeks without talking to or knowing where their children were. The vast majority were seeking asylum, doing what any parent would do in trying to protect their children from violence and even death. The harm done to these children is – as we heard in testimony

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May 10, 2019

before the Judiciary Committee – irreversible and extremely damaging to their futures.

“My Dignity for Detained Immigrants Act, HR 2415, would stop Trump from imposing a blanket policy of separating families by creating a presumption of release and heightening the burden to detain primary caregivers caring for or traveling with a child. We will also continue to push for answers from this administration as we uncover the facts of the family separation policy and hold Trump, DHS, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) accountable.

“In our country’s history, immigration has never been just about policy. It has always been about who we are and what we are willing to stand up for. Together, we must continue to stand alongside immigrant families and communities, speak out, and right the wrongs of this administration to keep families together. I will never forget the stories and the voices of the parents I met with – and I promise to do everything I can to ensure that every family torn apart is reunited and that this never happens again.”

Courtesy of Rep. Pramila Jayapal

Celebrating 45 Years!

Cops routinely mistreat Trans people, NCTE says

by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer Police routinely mistreat Transgender people, a new report from the National Center for Transgender Equality (NCTE) says.

The report is based on research into the practices of 25 police forces in the United States and was released May 7. Seattle was not one of the cities studied.

The document also referenced data from the NCTE’s 2015 Transgender Survey, which found that more than half of Trans people who had been in contact with US police forces had been mistreated. More than half also said they would be uncomfortable calling local police when they need help, out of fear of potential mistreatment.

Of the 25 police forces studied, the NCTE found that: • No department explicitly requires regu-

lar training on Transgender interaction policies for all members of all ranks.

• No department required officers to record the name currently being used by an individual they contact, or to distinguish that from the individual’s legal name.

• No department explicitly provides for Transgender individuals to be transported along with individuals of the same gender identity.

• Only two departments explicitly prohibited sexual conduct between officers and those in their custody.

• Out of the sixteen departments with holding facilities, only four adequately address access to hormone medications.

• Out of the sixteen departments with holding facilities, 10 failed to provide specific guidance on housing placement for Transgender individuals.

• A majority of departments (16 of 25) fail to provide search procedures for Transgen-

der individuals and/or require officers to perform searches based on sex as assigned at birth or genitalia.

• Only nine of the 25 departments include gender identity and/or expression language in their nondiscrimination policy.

US police forces are in need of “reform and oversight,” the report concludes. The report recommends that police forces across the US should adopt policies to accommodate Transgender people.

Mara Keisling, executive director of the NCTE, said that most anti-trans abuse in the United States continues to be directed at transgender people of color.

“If we ever hope to end this crisis, police departments must evolve to meet the needs of the communities they have sworn to serve,” Keisling said.

“The solutions we offer can lead these communities and our nation’s law enforcement to a more equitable future, but we

must get there together.”

According to the NCTE’s 2015 US Transgender Survey: • A majority of transgender people (58%) who interacted with police in the last year were mistreated, by being verbally harassed, repeatedly misgendered, physically assaulted, or sexually assaulted, including being forced by officers to engage in sexual activity to avoid arrest.

• One in eight (17%) Black Transgender people report having been physically assaulted, sexually assaulted, or forced to engage in sex with an officer to avoid arrest.

• One in three Black Trans women said the officers they interacted with assumed they were engaged in sex work.

• A majority (57%) of transgender people said they would be afraid to ask the police for help.

370,000 LGBT people in Michigan are vulnerable to discrimination LOS ANGELES (May 7, 2019) – Michigan’s legal landscape puts the state’s 311,000 LGBT adults and 61,000 LGBT youth at risk of discrimination and harassment. The social, economic, and health effects of stigma and discrimination against LGBT people negatively impact Michigan’s economy by tens of millions of dollars each year, according to a new study by the Williams Institute at the UCLA School of Law. The study documents the prevalence and impact of several forms of stigma and discrimination against LGBT individuals in the state, including harassment and discrimination in employment, housing, and public accommodations; harassment and bullying in schools; and family rejection of LGBT youth.

“Michigan has an opportunity to create a more supportive climate for LGBT people by, for example, adding sexual orientation and gender identity to the Elliot-Larsen Civil Rights Act, adding sexual orientation and gender identity to the state’s hate crimes law, and banning the use of conversion therapy on youth,” said lead author Christy Mallory, State & Local Policy Director at the Williams Institute.

CUBA

Key findings of the report include the following: Many LGBT people in the state experience economic instability.

28% of LGBT adults in Michigan reported having an annual household income below $24,000, compared to 20% of non-LGBT adults, according to Gallup data. Similarly, 25% of LGBT adults in Michigan reported that they do not have enough for food compared to 15% of nonLGBT adults.

10% of LGBT adults in Michigan reported that they were unemployed, compared to 5% of non-LGBT adults, according to Gallup data.

The 2015 US Transgender Survey found that 19% of transgender respondents in Michigan were unemployed and 30% were living in poverty.

LGBT people in the state experience negative health outcomes associated with stigma and discrimination.

LGBT adults in Michigan are significantly more likely to have been diagnosed with a depressive disorder and to be current smokers than non-LGBT adults: 44% of LGBT adults in Michigan reported having

been diagnosed with a depressive disorder compared to 21% of non-LGBT adults, and 38% of LGBT adults in the state are current smokers compared to 20% of nonLGBT adults, according to data from the 2015-2016 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System surveys. Depression and smoking are two health outcomes that have been linked to experiences of stigma and discrimination.

53% of LGB students in the state had seriously considered suicide compared to 17% of non-LGB students in the prior year, according to data from the 2017 Michigan Youth Risk Behavior Survey.

LGB students in Michigan were also more likely than non-LGB students to report smoking cigarettes, drinking, and using marijuana in the prior [year], according to data from the 2017 Michigan Youth Risk Behavior Survey.

Health disparities for LGBT people negatively impact the state’s economy.

Reducing the disparity in major depressive disorders between LGBT and nonLGBT people in Michigan by 25% to 33.3% could benefit the state’s economy by $122.5 million to $163.9 million annually.

Reducing the disparity in current smoking by the same proportion could benefit the state’s economy by $107.9 million to $143.8 million in increased productivity and reduced health care costs each year.

Discrimination can lead to lower earnings and unemployment, which can result in an increased reliance on public benefits.

For example, discrimination in the workplace against transgender people annually costs Michigan approximately $256,000 in state Medicaid expenditures.

Read the report [at https://williamsinstitute.law.ucla.edu/wp-content/uploads/ Michigan-Economic-Impact-May-2019. pdf].

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

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

continued from cover Cuba’s National Center for Sex Education (CENESEX) said in a Facebook post that the parade had been canceled because of “new tensions in the international and regional context...” The group is led by Mariela Castro, the daughter of Raúl Castro, who is the younger brother of Cuban revolutionary founder Fidel Castro, was Fidel’s successor as president of Cuba, and is still First Secretary of Cuba’s Communist Party.

The Conga Against Homophobia started after Raúl took over the Cuban presidency after Fidel retired. Foreign observers attributed government approval of the parade to Mariela’s influence with her father.

Now there are concerns that with Raúl retired from the presidency, Cuban government policy may revert to positions less favorable to LGBT rights. Cuban LGBT activists condemned the cancellation and questioned the government’s motives.

Activist Norge Espinosa Mendoza called the move “a new step backwards.”

“The enemies of a more diverse and progressive Cuba will be happier now,” he wrote on Facebook. “Not allowing [the parade] is a signal that...we are not welcome.”

Gay rights activists Isbel Diaz Torres (r) and Jimmy Roque Martinez, speak during an interview in Havana, Cuba, May 7, 2019.

– Photo by Alexandre Meneghini / Reuters

Referring to anti-LGBT rallies staged

by Cuban Christian groups, Isabel Díaz Torres told the Reuters news agency that the government could be “once more ceding to pressure from religious fundamentalism that has shown itself to be quite active recently.”

New Facebook groups have been set up

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calling for people to “march for our rights.”

According to CENESEX, it was officially canceling the Conga against Homophobia and Transphobia “in compliance with the policy of the Party, the State, and the Revolution.”

Last year, Cuba was apparently moving to legalize same-sex marriage in its new

constitution but removed the clause after protests by Catholic and evangelical religious groups.

President Miguel Díaz-Canel publicly backed marriage equality last September, saying it was “part of eliminating any type of discrimination in society” but eventually backed down.

May 10, 2019

Seattle Gay News 13

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Celebrating 45 Years!

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