SGN May 22, 2020

Celebrating 46 Years!

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Trump’s attack dogs turn on Blade DC reporter

Blade reporter Chris Johnson – Washington Blade photo by Michael Key

by Kevin Naff Washington Blade Washington Blade political reporter Chris Johnson last week challenged White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany,

over her opposition to marriage equality and the administration’s preparedness for the upcoming Supreme Court decision on whether Title VII applies to sexual orientation and gender identity.

see BLADE page 3

Biden: “I stand with LGBTQ+ people”

Statement by Joe Biden on the International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia, and Biphobia

Photo by Cliff Owen / AP

(May 17, 2020) – Today, on the International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia, and Biphobia, I stand with LGBTQ+ people and their allies around the world to celebrate and champion the inherent dignity and worth of all persons, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity.

Around the globe, including here at home, brave LGBTQ+ activists are fighting for equal protection under the law, freedom from violence, and recognition of their fundamental human rights. The United States should have their backs.

see BIDEN page 10

New HRC research brief

Albania more LGBT-friendly “Supporting Safety of LGBTQ Children and Youth: than 30 US states Risk Factors of Child Abuse and Neglect Country bans conversion therapy

during COVID-19”

Photo courtesy of HRC

In a groundbreaking new issue brief, the Human Rights Campaign Foundation summarized how LGBTQ people could face disproportionate economic and health risks amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. As the virus continues to affect communities across the globe, growing attention has

been given to the safety risks facing children and youth.

The following research brief released today (May 19) provides information about the risk that LGBTQ children and youth,

see LGBTQ YOUTH page 5

Photo by Get Shkullaku / AFP

by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer The small Balkan country of Albania has banned so-called “conversion therapy,” making it more LGBT-friendly than 30 US states.

According to the AFP news service, Albania’s order of psychologists has determined that the practice – which seeks to make LGBT people straight – is harmful and should not be practiced.

see ALBANIA page 15

2 Seattle Gay News

May 22, 2020

Celebrating 46 Years!

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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.

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ACLU suing Tennessee to ensure vote by mail for all To the editor, Last Friday, we filed a lawsuit with the ACLU of Tennessee and partners to ensure vote by mail is an option for all eligible Tennessee voters during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The state currently only allows a narrow set of excuses for people to qualify to vote by mail. Not included in that list is social distancing or self-quarantining in response to a highly contagious virus that has no vaccine yet. That’s why we’re in court.

The fact is, most states already allow any eligible voter to vote by mail. But in Tennessee, a vast majority may now be forced to either vote in person or avoid voting altogether for fear of becoming ill. And with multiple elections coming up state-

wide, this could disenfranchise thousands of voters.

As time moves closer to the end of primaries and November’s general election, this case could not be more urgent. Tennessee joins the extensive litigation and advocacy work that our staff has taken on nationwide to protect voters since the outbreak began.

Our attorneys are also in Georgia, Montana, Ohio, Texas, Virginia, Missouri, and South Carolina to ensure that no one has to choose between their health and their right to vote. And we’re urging the Senate to build on last week’s House bill that mandates vote by mail and early voting nationwide.

In a critical election year and a global pandemic, the failure to remove dangerous and needless barriers to the ballot isn’t just wrong.

It’s playing politics with people’s lives.

So we’ll be here, defending all our civil rights and liberties for as long as necessary.

And with passionate activists like you fighting along with us, I know we’ll persevere – today and always.

itbart and RedState and many more lesserknown figures, Trump deploys them to trash, threaten and intimidate anyone in the media deemed critical of his administration.

Make no mistake: We have a White House that openly threatens reporters, disdains the First Amendment and emboldens its supporters to insult and intimidate journalists at outlets large and small.

Fortunately, Johnson is a pro and we have a pretty thick skin in the LGBTQ media. But we’re at a dangerous crossroads, folks. Trump and his cronies are determined to dismantle our government

and with it, democracy itself. Americans everywhere and from both parties need to speak out and vote in November if we are to reclaim the country from this madness.

Kudos to Johnson and the other members of the White House press corps, who are working at personal risk to merely ask questions of this corrupt administration.

May 22, 2020

Seattle Gay News 3

Thank you for your support, Dale Ho ACLU Voting Rights Project Director P.S. We want to make sure you have all you need to vote safely and easily in 2020. If you still need to cast your vote in the presidential primary, check out our resource to find voting guidelines for your state and if an absentee ballot is possible [https://bit.ly/2LHqG6T].

BLADE

continued from cover They were legitimate questions, especially given the gravity of the upcoming high court ruling, which could bar employment discrimination against LGBTQ workers in all 50 states.

And McEnany’s record of opposition to LGBTQ rights is long and well documented. She’s now a senior adviser to the president of the United States, unlikely as that may seem, so her views are relevant as the government prepares for the ramifications of a potentially sweeping ruling on job protections for LGBTQ workers.

McEnany followed the lead of her three immediate predecessors in the job, avoiding the question and acting exasperated in the process.

After the briefing, Trump’s toadies in the right-wing twitterverse and blogosphere jumped into action, attacking Johnson with personal insults and anti-gay slurs. The instantaneous attacks came by the hundreds.

Johnson was called “Chrissy” and “light in the loafers” and labeled a “gaystapo clown.” Of course, the ever-charming and predictable “faggot” slur was deployed.

This was no coincidence. Trump has an army of mindless sycophants ready to defend him from any hint of challenge or criticism. From the big guns like Fox News and Rush Limbaugh to the bloggers at Bre-

Visit us online www.sgn.org

Kevin Naff is editor of the Washington Blade. Reach him at knaff@washblade.com.

Courtesy of the Washington Blade

UW ACTU seeks 2,000 patients for potential new COVID-19 treatment A study is now enrolling participants to determine whether a treatment combining a low dose of hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin can prevent hospitalization and death in people with COVID-19.

Dr. Ann Collier, professor of medicine, Division of Allergy and Infectious Diseases at the University of Washington School of Medicine, explains the national study is looking to enroll 2,000 patients at sites across the country. This research project is separate from another hydroxychloroquine clinical study at UW Medicine, but the results will complement each other.

To enroll, call or text 206-773-7129 or email actu@uw.edu. https://youtu.be/VBa6tkbrwYs

WHO: People aged 18 and up with symptoms of fever, cough, or shortness of breath and confirmed active COVID-19 as determined by an FDA approved RNA test less than 96 hours before entering the study who do not need to be hospitalized.

WHY: To see if the investigational use of low dose Hydrochloroquine (HCQ) & Azithromycin (AZITHRO) will prevent hospitalization and death in people with symptomatic COVID-19.

WHAT: Participants will be randomized (like flipping a coin) to one of two groups: Arm A: HCQ (orally twice a day for 7 days) and Azithro (2 capsules orally on the first day; then one capsule daily for four additional days).

Arm B: Placebo for HCQ (orally twice a day for 7 days) and placebo for Azithro (2 capsules orally on the first day, then one capsule daily for four additional days).

Dr. Ann Collier – Image courtesy of UW Medicine / YouTube

HOW LONG: Treatment will be for 7 days with 23 weeks of follow-up.

HOW: Giving a medical history; keeping a study diary to record symptoms and adherence to the treatment regimen; and completing 11 telephone visits. ($50 compensation at day 20.)

A subset of participants who agree will undergo self-collected nasal swabs, staffcollected nasal swabs, and blood draws.

(Up to $50 more compensation.)

HOW DOES IT WORK? Study Treatment During the first few days of the study you will be taking study medication. Nei-

ther the study staff nor you will know whether you have been randomly assigned to receive study drugs of Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) and Azithromycin (Azithro) or look-alike placebos. You will take: HCQ (or placebo) as 2 pills twice per day for one day, then 1 pill twice per day for 6 more days (with food or glass of milk) AND Azithro (or placebo) as 2 pills on first day and 1 pill on the next 4 days Study Activities Included in this Study Kit are: • Contact numbers for study site members and information on who to contact if you are feeling worse.

• A diary to write down your symptoms, temperature (if you have access to thermometer), any medications you are taking, and if you took your study medications.

You will be contacted by the study site on a regular basis during the first three weeks and then again after 3 and 6 months.

After 3 weeks you will return your symptom/medication diary to the study site, either in person or as instructed by the study site.

To enroll, call or text 206-773-7129 or email actu@uw.edu.

Courtesy of ACTU

Williams Institute: More than 200,000 LGBT adults in California at high risk for COVID-19 illness LOS ANGELES (May 21, 2020) – Over 200,00 LGBT people in California have one or more medical conditions that put them at high risk of COVID-19 illness, including asthma, diabetes, heart disease, or HIV, according to a new study by the Williams Institute at UCLA School of Law. Approximately 361,000 LGBT adults in the state were in fair or poor health before the pandemic began.

In addition, about 612,000 LGBT Californians were living below 200% of the federal poverty level prior to the pandemic. An estimated 251,000 of them were working in industries facing substantial job losses, such as hospitality, health care, retail, and construction. The economic fallout of the pandemic is likely to significantly impact these LGBT people due to their preexisting vulnerabilities.

Using data from the California Health Interview Survey, researchers examined the health and economic characteristics that may increase vulnerability to COVID-19 for the nearly 1.7 million LGBT adults in California.

“California is home to nearly 15% of all LGBT adults in the United States,”

said author Kathryn O’Neill, public policy analyst at the Williams Institute. “And our studies found that many of them were facing health and economic challenges even before the pandemic. It is important that we have data on the impact of COVID-19 on the LGBT population in order to develop interventions that address their specific combination of needs.”

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May 22, 2020

Key findings Demographics • California is home to nearly 1.7 million LGBT adults, including 1,646,000 lesbian, gay, and bisexual people of any gender identity and 109,000 transgender people of any sexual orientation.

• The majority (92%) of LGBT adults in California live in urban areas.

Health • 361,000 LGBT adults in California have fair or poor health.

• Many LGBT adults in the state have underlying medical conditions that elevate their risk of serious illness related to COVID-19:

◦114,000 ◦ have diabetes. ◦81,000 ◦ have heart disease. ◦At ◦ least 114,000 have HIV. • 134,000 LGBT adults in California do not have health insurance.

• 150,000 LGBT adults in California have delayed or foregone needed medical care because of cost, or lack of insurance.

Economic vulnerabilities • Before the coronavirus pandemic, 612,000 LGBT adults in California lived below 200% of the poverty line.

• 814,000 LGBT adults in California were employed in industries that have been heavily impacted by the pandemic, including health care and social assistance, retail, leisure and hospitality, professional and business services, and construction. ◦251,000 ◦ LGBT people employed in these industries earned below 200% of the poverty line.

• 140,000 LGBT adults were unemployed before the pandemic began.

• Over 300,000 LGBT adults in California experienced food insecurity before the pandemic began.

Currently, California’s COVID-19 monitoring systems do not collect data on sexual orientation or gender identity, making it impossible to track the impact of the virus on LGBT people. A bill introduced in the California legislature, SB 932, would require monitoring systems to include questions to identify LGBT people. If passed, California would become the first state in the country to collect such data.

Read the brief on LGBT health vulnerability [at williamsinstitute.law.ucla.edu/ publications/covid19-health-lbgt-ca]. Read the brief on LGBT economic vulnerability [at https://williamsinstitute.law.ucla.edu/ publications/covid-economics-lgbt-ca].

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

Celebrating 46 Years!

HRC and PSB Research release data on the economic impact of COVID-19 on LGBTQ communities of color

Photo courtesy of HRC

WASHINGTON, DC (May 21, 2020) – Today, the Human Rights Campaign Foundation, the educational arm of the Human Rights Campaign, the nation’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) civil rights organization, released new data outlining the economic impact of COVID-19 on LGBTQ communities of color. The research, released in partnership with PSB Research, builds on prior data

showing that LGBTQ people are disproportionately impacted economically by the pandemic, and shows that LGBTQ people of color are more likely to have become unemployed due to the virus, to have had their work hours reduced, and to have asked for delays in paying their rent or bills.

“This new data, showing that LGBTQ communities of color are facing the severe economic consequences of this pandemic,

LGBTQ YOUTH

of the media as well as leading national professional associations such as the American Psychological Association.

Take a look at our issue brief, Supporting Safety of LGBTQ Children and Youth: Risk Factors of Child Abuse and Neglect During COVID-19. [https://assets2.hrc.org/ files/assets/resources/COVID19-ChildAbuse-051820.pdf]

continued from cover

of which there are at least 2 million in the United States alone, will face amidst COVID-19, as well as resources available to them as they navigate these times.

As the economic and health consequences of COVID-19 become reality to families across the globe, the increased risk of child abuse has especially garnered the attention

Visit us online www.sgn.org

Courtesy of HRC

is unfortunately not surprising,” said HRC President Alphonso David. “We know that multiply marginalized populations are at an increased risk of contracting the virus and suffering its effects – vulnerable communities are facing higher death rates than the general population across the country. We must acknowledge that these communities, particularly LGBTQ people of color, face systemic biases that are placing them at greater risk. Understanding this data is the first step towards addressing these injustices as we build towards recovery.”

The data shows that: • 38% of LGBTQ people of color have had their work hours reduced, compared to 29% of white LGBTQ people and 24% of the general population • 22% of LGBTQ people of color became unemployed, compared to 14% of white LGBTQ people and 13% of the general population • 19% of LGBTQ people of color have asked for delays in payments on bills, compared to 14% of white LGBTQ people and 12% of the general population • 14% of LGBTQ people of color have asked for delays in rent payment, compared to 8% of white LGBTQ people and 7% of the general population • 23% of LGBTQ people of color have checked if their account has overdrafted, compared to 13% of white LGBTQ people and 10% of the general population The data also shows, unsurprisingly, that across all demographics, many feel that they are worse off financially than they were a year ago, and have taken measures to spend less and change their budgets: • 38% of LGBTQ people of color say they are somewhat or much worse off financially than a year ago, compared to 45% of white LGBTQ people and 36% of the general population.

• 53% of LGBTQ people of color have spent less money, compared to 50% of white LGBTQ people and 49% of the general population.

• 33% of LGBTQ people of color have changed their household budget, compared to 29% of white LGBTQ people and 27% of

the general population.

The HRC is releasing this data as more than 100 lawmakers call for the Trump administration to collect data on LGBTQ COVID-19 patients, and as 2.4 million workers in the United States filed jobless claims last week, bringing the nine-week total number to more than 38 million. Read the full report at [www.hrc.org/resources/ the-impact-of-covid-19-on-lgbtq-communities-of-color].

The new data builds on the HRC’s previously released reports, “The Economic Impact of COVID-19 on the LGBTQ Community” and “The Lives and Livelihoods of Many in the LGBTQ Community are at Risk Amidst COVID-19 Crisis,” published earlier this spring. The HRC has previously called attention to the disproportionate impact the virus has had on marginalized communities and has called for more inclusive data collection for years.

Read more about HRC’s efforts during COVID-19 [at www.hrc.org/campaigns/ covid-19].

May 22, 2020

Seattle Gay News 5

The Human Rights Campaign Foundation is the educational arm of America’s largest civil rights organization working to achieve equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer people. The HRC envisions a world where LGBTQ people are embraced as full members of society at home, at work, and in every community.

PSB Research is a global insights and analytics consultancy. For more than 40 years, PSB has provided actionable insights and guidance for corporate, government, and public sector clients in over 100 countries. With deep expertise across qualitative and quantitative research and social and predictive analytics, PSB brings an integrative approach to helping clients solve their most complex challenges and win in highly competitive situations. PSB is a member of the BCW Group of companies, which is part of WPP (NYSE:WPP), a creative transformation company.

Courtesy of the HRC

Jayapal’s Paycheck Recovery Act

With wide-ranging support, Rep. Jayapal introduces Paycheck Recovery Act to keep workers in their jobs, stop mass unemployment, and deliver direct relief to businesses of all sizes SEATTLE (May 19, 2020) – US Rep. Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), co-chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, introduced HR 6918, the Paycheck Recovery Act, today as a policy solution that delivers working people immediate relief and certainty while matching the scale of the current public health and economic crisis. The Paycheck Recovery Act ends mass unemployment, keeps workers connected to their paychecks, returns millions of workers who have been laid off or furloughed since March 1 back to payroll and health care, and prevents employers of all sizes from being forced to close permanently. HR 6918 is co-sponsored by 93 members of Congress from across the ideological spectrum, including many Frontline members. Text of the legislation is available [at https://bit.ly/2zd4r6g]. A white paper is also available [at https://bit.ly/2X8dGN0].

“Mass unemployment is a policy choice, and we must choose differently by passing an urgent proposal that matches the scale of this crisis while delivering certainty and direct relief to workers, businesses of all sizes, and the economy,” said Rep. Jayapal. “The Paycheck Recovery Act will end mass unemployment, put workers back on their paychecks and health care, and keep businesses from closing permanently while ensuring workers aren’t forced to return to work before it is safe to do so.”

At a time when the unemployment rate is at its highest level since the Great Depression and more than 37 million workers have lost their jobs during [the COVID-19 pandemic], the Paycheck Recovery Act would deliver certainty and stability by covering the full wages of workers earning salaries up to $90,000 and ensuring that employers can rehire those laid-off or furloughed since March 1. It does this in a quick and direct manner by utilizing existing payroll tax infrastructure instead of relationships with banks and lending institutions.

The Paycheck Recovery Act is not just an economic recovery plan; it’s a public health plan too. At a time when at least 27 million people have lost their health care and 87 million are uninsured or underinsured, this legislation returns individuals to their employersponsored benefits, including health care.

As more than 100,000 small businesses have already closed permanently and thousands of others are unable to pay their essential expenses, HR 6918 covers a portion of operating costs, such as rent, to ensure that businesses can reopen when the pandemic ends. It does this without picking winners and losers, covering businesses of all sizes, including nonprofits and state and local governments.

The Paycheck Recovery Act is estimated to cover more than 36 million workers and cost less than what has already been spent on two rounds of Paycheck Protection Program loans, which have failed to successfully stabilize unemployment. Proven to be a highly effective program in other parts of the world – from European countries like Germany and Denmark to Asian countries like Singapore and South Korea – direct grants to businesses to keep workers on payroll is overwhelmingly supported by the public. A recent Data for Progress and Tufts University poll found that 79% of those surveyed supported the proposal.

While HR 6918 is co-sponsored by nearly 100 members of Congress, the idea for a paycheck guarantee also has bipartisan, bicameral support. Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Mark Warner (D-VA), Doug Jones (D-AL), and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) have unveiled a similar proposal – the Paycheck Security Act – to cover the wages and benefits of employees at businesses and nonprofits affected by COVID-19. Additionally, the proposal has been endorsed by Nobel Prize–winning economists, former Federal

6 Seattle Gay News

U.S. Rep. Pramila Jayapal – Photo courtesy of Rep. Pramila Jayapal

Reserve chairs and vice presidents, labor leaders, business owners, and major national groups across the country.

“We must act to ensure that millions more workers are paid for as long as this crisis endures by making support for employers who keep workers on payroll simpler, faster, and more universal,” said AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka. “The Paycheck Recovery Act does just that.”

“A bold and workable solution that addresses the true severity, scope, and potential duration of the financial crisis that small business owners and their employees are facing,” said Main Street Alliance Executive Director Amanda Ballantyne. “It is exactly the type of policy that will secure our small business economy and keep millions of workers in their jobs and homes until the threat of the virus has passed.”

“This type of bill is vital to ensuring that the economy is ready to restart when the pandemic ends by protecting the health, safety, and long-term economic well-being of working people across America,” said SEIU President Mary Kay Henry.

“The Paycheck Recovery Act is critically needed to avoid job losses and support businesses of all sizes as COVID-19 continues to ravage the economy,” said chief economist of Moody’s Analytics Mark Zandi.

“Rep. Jayapal’s proposal would definitely be a shot in the arm not just for myself but for so many of the millions of small business owners around the country,” said Melba Wilson, the owner of a third-generation family-owned restaurant in Harlem, NY. “Helping businesses to keep paying their workers is the most effective way to stop millions of Americans from being laid off and protect access to health care at a time when it is especially needed,” said Nobel Prize–winning economist Joseph Stiglitz.

“Rep. Jayapal’s Paycheck Recovery Act is a smart, quick, and effective way to channel aid to workers through their firms,” said former chair of the Federal Reserve Janet Yellen.

“It can keep businesses, large and small, from shuttering and their workers on the payroll.”

“Rep. Jayapal’s Paycheck Recovery Act

May 22, 2020

is another step forward in this fight, because it would provide much-needed relief by helping employers keep workers paid and out of the unemployment line and by keeping workers enrolled in employer-sponsored benefits, including health care – something that’s paramount during a global pandemic,” said NEA President Lily Eskelsen García.

“The Paycheck Recovery Act is the type of bold legislation that deserves support because it could have a major impact on reducing the number of jobs lost permanently – including small business and union jobs – while including provisions to ensure that aid is not misused to unjustly enrich companies,” said the former director of the National Economic Council and national economic advisor Gene Sperling.

“This urgently needed legislation will help ensure that America’s workforce and businesses remain intact,” said IAM President Robert Martinez, Jr. “It would end the current wave of mass layoffs, bring previously displaced workers back onto their employers’ payroll, prevent employers from being forced to permanently close their doors, and keep workers connected to their employer-sponsored health care.”

“It’s clear that Congress needs to do more to stop the economic devastation we are facing as we combat this pandemic,” said former chief economist at the US Department of Labor Heidi Shierholz. “Rep. Jayapal’s bold proposal will keep workers paid, eligible for benefits, and connected to their employers.”

“This is the best economic policy, but it’s also going to save lives and help our medical professionals because the vast majority of Americans will have the means to stay healthy and be helpful,” said Association of Flight Attendants-CWA, AFL-CIO President Sara Nelson.

“Millions of Americans have lost their jobs,” said Former Secretary of the US Department of Labor Robert Reich. “They need help immediately. The Paycheck Recovery Act is the fastest and most efficient way of getting it to them.”

“During the last recession, unemployment and under-employment hit Black and brown

communities the hardest, and the scale of our current unemployment crisis will deepen our racial wealth gap,” said Center For Popular Democracy Co-Executive Director Jennifer Epps-Addison. “Keeping working people on payroll at their employers is the best way to allow working people to minimize the economic dislocation that is compounding our public health crisis.”

“The payroll guarantee idea is a big policy intervention that solves several problems at once – a vast improvement over the PPP,” said former vice chairman of the Federal Reserve Alan S. Blinder.

“The government is shutting down businesses. It should cover workers’ paychecks and benefits. It’s that simple,” said Progressive Caucus Action Fund Executive Director Liz Watson. “Rep. Jayapal’s Paycheck Recovery Act would do exactly that.”

Today’s legislation is co-sponsored by US Reps. Haley Stevens, Adam Schiff, Sean Casten, Katie Porter, Mark Pocan, Veronica Escobar, Alma S. Adams, Ph.D., Nanette Diaz Barragán, Karen Bass, Joyce Beatty, Donald S. Beyer Jr., Earl Blumenauer, Lisa Blunt Rochester, Suzanne Bonamici, Brendan Boyle, Julia Brownley, G.K. Butterfield, Joaquin Castro, André Carson, Judy Chu, David N. Cicilline, Katherine Clark, Yvette D. Clarke, Emanuel Cleaver, II, James E. Clyburn, Steve Cohen, Gerald E. Connolly, Peter DeFazio, Rosa DeLauro, Debbie Dingell, Adriano Espaillat, Dwight Evans, Marcia L. Fudge, Ruben Gallego, Jesús G. “Chuy” García, Sylvia R. Garcia, Vicente Gonzalez, Raúl M. Grijalva, Deb Haaland, Alcee L. Hastings, Jahana Hayes, Denny Heck, Steven Horsford, Sheila Jackson Lee, Hakeem Jeffries, Henry C. “Hank” Johnson Jr., Joseph P. Kennedy, III, Ro Khanna, Ann Kirkpatrick, John B. Larson, Barbara Lee, Susie Lee, Andy Levin, Mike Levin, Ted W. Lieu, Alan Lowenthal, Tom Malinowski, Carolyn B. Maloney, James P. McGovern, Grace Meng, Joseph D. Morelle, Jerrold Nadler, Grace F. Napolitano, Joe Neguse, Eleanor Holmes Norton, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ilhan Omar, Frank Pallone, Jr., Chellie Pingree, Ayanna Pressley, Jamie Raskin, Cedric L. Richmond, Lucille Roybal-Allard, Bobby L. Rush, Tim, Ryan, John Sarbanes, Mary Gay Scanlon, Jan Schakowsky, Kim Schrier M.D., José E. Serrano, Donna Shalala, Mikie Sherrill, Adam Smith, Darren Soto, Jackie Speier, Thomas R. Suozzi, Rashida Tlaib, Lori Trahan, Juan Vargas, Filemon Vela, Nydia M. Velázquez, Bonnie Watson Coleman, and Peter Welch.

Groups supporting the Paycheck Recovery Act include Americans for Financial Reform; the American Federation of Teachers; AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka; the Asian Counseling and Referral Service; the Asian Pacific Islander Coalition of Washington; the Association of Flight AttendantsCWA, AFL-CIO; CAIR Washington; the Center for American Progress; Center for Economic Policy Research; the Center for Popular Democracy/CDP Action; the Climate Justice Alliance; Color of Change; the Communications Workers of America; Community Change Action; the Congressional Hispanic Caucus; the Duwamish River Cleanup Coalition; the Economic Policy Institute; the GSBA: Washington’s LGBTQ Chamber; Indivisible; the International Association of Machinists; the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers; International Community Health Services; the Main Street Alliance; MoveOn; the National Domestic Workers Alliance; the National Education Association; Pacific Northwest Ballet; People’s Action; the Seattle Aquarium; Seattle Children’s Theatre; SEIU; the Sierra Club; UAW Western States; UNITE HERE; the Woodland Park Zoo; 350 Seattle; and other organizations.

Courtesy of Rep. Pramila Jayapal

Celebrating 46 Years!

144 organizations to Congress: 2020 Census COVID-19 plans can’t keep communities undercounted for yet another decade WASHINGTON (May 13, 2020) – The Census Counts campaign, housed at the Leadership Conference Education Fund, led 143 other organizations in urging Congress to take action to prevent an inaccurate 2020 census in the wake of [the COVID19 pandemic] by supporting significant enhancements to the methods that have been specifically designed to count historically undercounted communities. The US Census Bureau needs a clear and detailed plan that includes increases in outreach so that it can execute these census operations in a way that is safe [and] fair, and doesn’t leave communities behind.

“The people and communities getting hit the hardest by job loss and illness right now are the same ones the census has missed for decades. As the Census Bureau moves to keep people safe by extending the 2020 census timeline, we have to ensure historically undercounted communities aren’t, once again, being denied a chance to receive the funding, resources, and political power they deserve,” said Beth Lynk, Census Counts campaign director, the Leadership Conference Education Fund. “The Census Bureau [needed] to step up its plan to increase outreach to communities that have been historically undercounted even before we were facing a national public health crisis. Getting counted in the 2020 census is a way to strengthen our communities, and everyone deserves that chance.”

Without significant enhancements to support the following operations, rural, low-income, and remote communities, people of color, LGBTQ people, people with disabilities, and other populations more likely to be missed could be denied their fair share of representation and resources: • Door-to-door counting of households who have not yet responded to the census – the most complex, labor-intensive census

operation; • Hand-delivering census packets in rural and remote communities, on American Indian reservations, in areas recovering from natural disasters, in much of Alaska, and in Puerto Rico; • Counting people experiencing homelessness; and • Facilitating outreach to households with limited internet access.

In a letter sent to the US Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs and the US House Committee on Oversight and Reform, the groups recommended the following enhancements to the 2020 Census plan and operations: • Send at least two additional census mailings during the extended self-response period from May through early August; • Update the 2020 Census Integrated Communications Campaign, including extending the advertising program during Nonresponse Follow-Up (NRFU), adding new languages, adjustments in COVID19 messaging, and nonresponse targeting, among other improvements; • Expand staffing of the Census Questionnaire Assistance operation for all languages; • Update guidance for stakeholders supporting the 2020 census with regard to phone and SMS-related issues; • Reimagine the Mobile Questionnaire Assistance operation in response to COVID-19 with an expanded framework that includes both “mobile” assistance and fixed locations, as well as a larger staff; • Schedule operations for counting people experiencing homelessness; • Provide key data to stakeholders to support effective outreach strategies and continue their “get-out-the-count” efforts; and • Ensure a robust and accurate postenumeration survey operation.

The letter is available [at https://bit. ly/2WIJWY6] and is signed by the following organizations: the Leadership Conference Education Fund; Census Counts Campaign; Advancement Project California; Advocates for Children of New Jersey; Alabama Coalition for Immigrant Justice; American Arab Anti Discrimination Committee; American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME); American Federation of Teachers; American Library Association; American Muslim Voice Foundation; Americans for Indian Opportunity; APANO; APAPA Texas; Arab American Institute (AAI); Arkansas United; Asian American Federation; Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund (AALDEF); Asian Americans Advancing Justice - AAJC; Asian Americans Advancing Justice - Asian Law Caucus; Asian Americans Advancing Justice - Atlanta; Asian Americans Advancing Justice - Los Angeles; Asian Americans Advancing Justice | Chicago; Asian and Pacific Islander American Vote (APIAVote); Asian Law Alliance; Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance; Association of Asian Pacific Community Health Organizations (AAPCHO); ATNJ Education Fund; Austin Asian Complete Count Committee; Big Sky Chamber of Commerce; Bill Wilson Center; Black Belt Community Foundation; Boat People SOS Inc; California Association of Nonprofits; California Community Foundation; California Native Vote Project; California State Senate; Center for Civic Policy; Center for Employment Training; Center for Law & Social Policy (CLASP); Central American Resource Center; Children’s Defense Fund-Ohio; City of San Jose; Color Of Change Education Fund; Colorado Latino Leadership Advocacy and Research Organization;

Common Cause Education Fund; Common Cause New Mexico; Community Health Partnership of Santa Clara and San Mateo Counties; ConXion to Community; Cupertino Chamber of Commerce; EARLY MO; Empowering Pacific Islander Communities (EPIC); Empowerment Congress of Doña Ana County; Equality California; Fair Count Inc.; Fair Immigration Reform Movement/Community Change; Faith in Public Life; Foothill-De Anza Community College District; Forefront; Forward Together; Georgia Association of Latino Elected Officials (GALEO); Hispanic Federation; Hispanic Interest Coalition of Alabama; Human Rights Campaign; Immigrant Resettlement & Cultural Center; Impact Fund; Innovation Ohio Education Fund; International Children Assistance Network (ICAN); International Rescue Committee; Japanese American Citizens League - San Jose Chapter; Kentucky Nonprofit Network; Kentucky Youth Advocates; LA Voice; Latino Community Foundation; Latino Network; Latino Policy Forum; League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC); League of Women Voters Education Fund; League of Women Voters of Connecticut; Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition; Massachusetts Voter Table; Mi Familia Vota Education Fund; Michigan Nonprofit Association; Montana Nonprofit Association; MontPIRG Leadership Fund; Morgan Hill Unified School District; NAACP Legal Defense & Educational Fund, Inc.; NALEO Educational Fund; National Action Network; National Association of Jewish Legislators; National Center for Transgender Equality; National Coalition for Literacy; National Coalition of 100 Black Women - Central Alabama; National Coalition on Black Civic Participation; National Community Action Partnership; National Congress of American Indians; National Council of Asian Pacific Americans; National Disability Rights Network; National Education Association; National LGBTQ Task Force; NAVA Education Project; NC Child; Nebraska Civic Engagement Table; New York Immigration Coalition; NextDayBetter; Nonprofit VOTE; Northwest Health Foundation; Ohio Census Advocacy Coalition; Oklahoma Policy Institute; Padres & Jovenes Unidos; Pars Equality Center; Partnership for America’s Children; PICO California; Poder Latinx; PolicyLink; ProgressNow NM Education Fund; Proyecto Juan Diego; Raíces; ReadyNation; San Jose/Silicon Valley NAACP; Santa Clara County Office of Education; Services, Immigrant Rights and Education Network (SIREN); Silicon Valley Community Foundation; Silicon Valley Independent Living Center; Silver State Equality-Nevada; South Asian Network; Southeast Asia Resource Action Center (SEARAC); State Voices; The Arc of the United States; The Florida Civic Engagement Table (FLCET); The Health Trust; The Ohio Women’s Public Policy Network; The United Methodist Church - General Board of Church and Society; Together We Count; UnidosUS; Union for Reform Judaism; United Presbyterians of Wilcox County, Inc.; United Way Bay Area; United Way of the Columbia Willamette; United We Dream; Vietnamese American Roundtable; Virginia Civic Engagement Table; Voices for Progress; YWCA USA; and ZERO TO THREE. The Leadership Conference Education Fund builds public will for federal policies that promote and protect the civil and human rights of all persons in the United States. For more information, visit leadershipconferenceedfund.org.

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“Pride 2020 Drag Fest: A Weekend to Support Our Queens”

Over 100 of NYC’s greatest drag performers join Marti Gould Cummings & The Only Productions’ virtual performance event NEW YORK (May 19, 2020) – Political activist and New York City drag staple Marti Gould Cummings and The Only Productions today announced the largest digital drag festival during Pride 2020.

More than 100 performers are scheduled to appear during “Pride 2020 Drag Fest,” an official event of NYC Pride and supported by national LGBTQ advocacy organization GLAAD. The virtual performances will run each day from 6:30 to 8pm EST beginning on Friday, June 19, and through Sunday, June 21, 2020. The video events will stream on NYC Pride and GLAAD’s Facebook pages. Viewers can contribute directly to each performer during their scheduled time through donations to their Venmo profiles and donation platforms highlighted during the broadcast.

“Since before Stonewall our drag community and our trans community have rallied to stand up and fight for equality and justice,” said Marti Gould Cummings. “As we grapple with the new normal of our daily lives we must continue in the footsteps and carry on the spirit of Pride. We may not be able to meet in person this year, but Pride will live on as we gather digitally to celebrate our drag community and honor the legacy of Masha P. Johnson, Sylvia Rivera, and the activism that so many LGBTQ icons ushered in.”

Performers slated to appear during “Pride 2020 Drag Fest” include “RuPaul’s Drag Race” alums Jan, Heidi N. Closet, Nicky Doll, Shuga Cain, Brita Filter, Milk, Honey Davenport, Jiggly Caliente, [and] Dusty Ray Bottoms, plus NYC drag stars, including Jasmine Rice LaBeija, Sherry Vine, Shequida, Pixie Aventura, Horrorchata, Merrie Cherry, and over 100 others. For a full list of talent, visit www. nycpride.org/events/pride-2020-dragfest.

According to Vice.com: “While nearly all businesses in the US have been threatened by the outbreak, bars and nightclubs that cater to the LGBTQ community are particularly vulnerable because they already operate under extremely small margins.”

Many drag performers have started hosting virtual performances, while several LGBTQ bars and nightclubs have launched crowd-

Marti Gould Cummings – Photo courtesy of GLAAD

funding pages to support employees.

“You cannot have Pride without a little (or a lot) of drag. This performance of gender expression has been a staple of the LGBTQIA+ community throughout its history, bringing with it a sense of vibrancy and power that can be felt at every NYC Pride event,” Shawn Kobetz, partnerships manager for NYC Pride. “We at NYC Pride are proud to stand with our drag friends and family from around the world during these trying times. We hope this event provides much-needed support and entertainment for our community.” Last week, NYC Pride began announcing virtual events to celebrate Pride 2020 and bring NYC’s LGBTQ community together, including a special broadcast event with WABC-TV Channel 7.

Marti Gould Cummings is a NYC-based drag artist, television personality, and political activist. Throughout their nearly decadelong drag career, Marti has been a regular fixture in the nightlife world who uses their platform to spread a message of equality, acceptance, and kindness. Marti has appeared across media outlets including the New York Times, the New York Daily News, People, and “Good Morning America” online, to speak about LGBTQ issues and, most recently, about COVID-19’s impact on LGBTQ New Yorkers. Last year, they became the first drag performer to formally

Image courtesy of GLAAD

interview a major presidential candidate when they interviewed Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand during her presidential candidacy.

Marti has sold out concerts at 54 Below, Lincoln Center’s Big Apple Circus, and Dixon Place, and they regularly tour the world with Atlantis Cruises. They have also been seen on Fusion television’s “Shade Queens of NYC,” “The Marti Report” on LOGO, “Dragged” on Yahoo!, and “The X Change

As a federal judge rules LA must house the homeless, AHF renews its offer of the 74-room Valley Haven Hotel LOS ANGELES (May 19, 2020) – As the coronavirus pandemic continues its deadly course and meaningful action on the homelessness crisis in Los Angeles remains largely at a standstill, the AHF today renewed its offer of a turnkey 74-room Van Nuys hotel – an offer first made to government officials and agencies over two months ago – for its use to temporarily house the homeless and/or isolate suspected coronavirus patients.

Last week, in response to mounting health concerns for the homeless and ongoing inaction on the homelessness crisis by Los Angeles officials, US District Court Judge David O. Carter issued a sweeping ruling compelling local LA governments to develop a plan for providing emergency shelter or housing for 6,000 to 7,000 homeless individuals currently living near freeway overpasses and underpasses in Los Angeles.

The plan is due to the court by this Friday (May 22).

Los Angeles city and county officials continue to fall abysmally short in their efforts to provide emergency shelter or housing for the homeless during the pandemic. According to the Los Angeles Times, LA has only housed three homeless people under Gov. Newsom’s ambitious Project Roomkey, his statewide call to action [for] hotel owners and local governments and agencies to quickly house 15,000 of the state’s homeless during the pandemic.

The AHF’s Healthy Housing Foundation (HHF) first offered use of its Valley Haven hotel to government officials more than two months ago – on March 15 – following Gov. Newsom’s statewide call to action. At the time, Housing Is a Human Right (HHR) and the Healthy Housing Foundation, the housing advocacy and housing provider divisions of AHF, applauded the efforts of Gov. Newsom to swiftly address the coronavirus cri-

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sis in California. The AHF also urged both state and local legislators to move quickly to protect unhoused residents and vulnerable tenants.

The AHF purchased the Valley Haven in January of this year to repurpose it as homeless and extremely-low-income housing for its Healthy Housing Foundation program but had not yet leased it out when the pandemic hit.

“We tried repeatedly to make this property available for use to alleviate the crisis during the pandemic,” said Michael Weinstein, president of the AHF. “It’s really a beautiful, turnkey facility well-suited to the task. If we can somehow cut through the red tape, we are only too happy to put it to use sheltering those in need during this crisis.”

Courtesy of the AHF

Rate” on The Build. Marti has been named to the OUT 100 list and serves on the board of directors for the Ali Forney Center for Homeless LGBTQ Youth, the advisory board of Equality NY, and the NYC Nightlife Advisory Council, and is a national cochair of Drag Out the Vote.

“COVID-19 has closed LGBTQ safe spaces, including community centers, bars, and nightclubs that served as lifelines for so many LGBTQ people, and it has also delivered an unexpected and urgent financial loss to talented performers and employees who worked in these spaces,” said GLAAD Chief Communications Officer Rich Ferraro. “Both during Pride month and beyond, our community needs to join together to support drag performers and other talent who have always supported us.”

More information about “Pride 2020 Drag Fest: A Weekend to Support Our Queens” visit www.nycpride.org/events/ pride-2020-dragfest.

Heritage of Pride, Inc. is the volunteerdirected organization behind the official NYC Pride roster of events. Heritage of Pride’s mission is to work toward a future without discrimination where all people have equal rights under the law. It does this by producing LGBTQIA+ Pride events that inspire, educate, commemorate, and celebrate our diverse community.

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.

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BIDEN

continued from cover We belong at the forefront of this struggle – speaking out, standing strong for our most dearly held values. We should be sending a clear message that bigotry is bigotry, prejudice is prejudice, and hate is hate, no matter where we find it. American leadership must mean moral leadership in the fight for equality for all.

The Obama-Biden administration took unprecedented steps to ensure that our government delivered real progress on the promise of equality, both at home and abroad. From signing the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act into law, to repealing “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” to supporting marriage equality, we fought to advance the civil liberties of LGBTQ+ people in the United States and, for the first time ever, established the advancement of LGBTQ+ equality as a foreign policy goal.

Instead of building on this progress, the Trump-Pence administration has done everything it can to undermine LGBTQ+ rights: giving safe harbor to hate and rolling back protections for LGBTQ+ persons, blocking the ability of transgender individuals to openly serve their country, denying LGBTQ+ people access to critical health

Photo by Adam Schultz / Biden for President

care, and failing to address the epidemic of violence against transgender people, among other odious policies.

Today, many LGBTQ+ people in the United States live in fear, and LGBTQ+ activists in other countries, who are often fighting desperately for their rights and personal safety, are no longer sure that the United States is their friend and ally.

As president, I will reinvigorate and expand US efforts to advance the human rights of LGBTQ+ people at home and around the world.

The United States will again be a beacon of hope for people anywhere in the world who suffer violence and discrimination for the simple fact of who they are or who they love. We will strengthen the

coalition of countries determined to eliminate discrimination and violence based on sexual orientation and gender identity.

Anything less would be un-American.

Former Vice President Joe Biden is the presumptive Democratic nominee for president.

PFAW: Instead of the pandemic, Republicans focus on another anti-ACA judicial nominee WASHINGTON, DC (May 20, 2020) – Following today’s Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on the nomination of Cory Wilson to the US Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit, PFAW Executive Vice President for Policy and Program Marge Baker released the following statement: “Instead of using critical Senate time to address the coronavirus pandemic that is threatening lives and communities,

Republican leadership today forced the Senate Judiciary Committee to take up the nomination of yet another anti–health care Trump judicial nominee, Cory Wilson.

Wilson today tried to downplay his past comments calling the Affordable Care Act ‘perverse’ and ‘illegitimate.’ But as several Democrats on the committee pointed out, Wilson’s extreme rhetoric on health care strongly indicates he would bring that hos-

tility to the bench, as does Wilson’s refusal today to recuse himself if an ACA-related case comes before the 5th Circuit. That is unconscionable at a time when tens of thousands are dying in the United States from a pandemic that makes access to health care more vital than ever.”

People For the American Way is a progressive advocacy organization founded

to fight right-wing extremism and build a democratic society that implements the ideals of freedom, equality, opportunity, and justice for all. It encourages civic participation, defends fundamental rights, and fights to dismantle systemic barriers to equitable opportunity. More at www.pfaw.org.

Courtesy of PFAW

AHF welcomes ViiV’s success with injectable HIV prevention medication LOS ANGELES (May 20, 2020) – The AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) today welcomed news shared by ViiV Healthcare (majority owned by GSK, with Pfizer Inc. and Shionogi Ltd. as shareholders), a drug company specializing in HIV medications, that a study it conducted shows that its longacting, injectable HIV prevention medication cabotegravir (CAB LA) is 69% more effective than daily pills in preventing HIV acquisition in the patient protocol known as pre-exposure prophylaxis, or PrEP. The company announced results of an interim analysis Sunday evening, also reporting that it would end the global study of its new HIV prevention medication early and offer all study participants access to CAB LA. The remarkable efficacy of CAB LA resolves some of the AHF’s earliest and sharpest criticisms of the original PrEP protocol: its total reliance on patient adherence to a daily pill regimen for its maximum preventive effect.

“We commend ViiV Healthcare for its tremendous breakthrough with cabotegravir and thank the company for suspending its study to make CAB LA readily available to all study participants,” said Michael Wohlfeiler, MD, JD, chief of medicine, US, for the AHF. “As an injectable, two-month dosed medication that’s demonstrated significantly greater efficacy than the current form of pre-

exposure prophylaxis, cabotegravir offers an exciting way forward to far simpler and more effective HIV prevention.”

ViiV’s study cohort included 4,600 men who have sex with men (MSM) and transgender women who have sex with men in studies from over 40 sites around the globe. The study compared cabotegravir (CAB LA) injections administered every two months to the current standard of care, daily oral emtricitabine/tenofovir disoproxil fumarate 200 mg and 300 mg (FTC/ TDF) tablets, an HIV/AIDS treatment medication manufactured by Gilead Sciences and branded as Truvada.

“From the very beginning of this debate, the AHF voiced significant concerns about PrEP’s reliance on patient adherence to a daily pill regimen to achieve its preventive benefit,” Michael Weinstein, president of AHF. “ViiV’s remarkable study results here validate many of our earlier criticisms and concerns about PrEP. Cabotegravir looks to be an exciting new addition to the world of HIV prevention.”

Since the FDA approved Gilead’s Supplemental New Drug Application (sNDA) to market its AIDS treatment medication Truvada for use as PrEP on July 16, 2012, the AHF has repeatedly expressed concerns about the prevention protocol, particularly its reliance on patients’ adherence to daily pill dosing.

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May 22, 2020

“Were We Prepared for PrEP? Five Years of Implementation,” an article coauthored by Michael Weinstein, AHF president; Otto Yang, MD, ScD, scientific director for the AHF; and Adam Carl Cohen, PhD, MPH, the AHF’s director of advocacy and policy research, was published as a “Viewpoint” article in the October 4, 2017, edition of AIDS, an official journal of the International AIDS Society (IAS).

The article noted that the AHF, “… voiced concerns that PrEP would be difficult to implement because of healthcare barriers, have limited efficacy because of poor adherence, and increase risky sexual behaviors and transmission of other sexually transmitted infections. However, it also pointed out that the characterization that the AHF was “ardently anti-PrEP” was an “inaccurate oversimplification” of the AHF’s position as the AHF recognized that “there is no doubt that PrEP is highly effective when taken correctly.”

And in a January 2017 AHF press release headlined “AHF: NIH Finally Waking Up to Drawbacks of PrEP,” the AHF expressed optimism at the news that the National Institutes for Health (NIH) were participating in the first-ever trials of an injectable, longer-acting form of pre-exposure prophylaxis – ViiV’s cabotegravir.

The AHF referenced a CNBC News article (“Single Shot at Doctor’s Office May Be

Future of HIV Prevention,” Dec. 26, 2016), on the study, citing Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, who told CNBC: “The ultimate reason for the trial is that many people who take Truvada have difficulty with having to take a pill every single day…That really becomes prohibitive, and sometimes people don’t adhere really well.”

In the same press release, Weinstein stated “We have said since the beginning of this debate that an injectable or timedrelease form of a medication to prevent HIV acquisition would be a superior option than relying so heavily on patient adherence to a daily pill regimen.”

The AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), the largest global AIDS organization, currently provides medical care and/ or services to over 1.4 million people in 45 countries worldwide in the US, Africa, Latin America/the Caribbean, the Asia/ Pacific region, and Eastern Europe. To learn more about the AHF, visit www.aidshealth.org or www.facebook.com/aidshealth and follow it on Twitter and Instagram: @aidshealthcare.

Courtesy of the AHF

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www.musicofremembrance.org/watch-and-listen/look-or-touch

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INTERNATIONAL NEWS

For many LGBTI communities, there is no shelter in place

have been forced to stay with family due to loss of livelihood and inability to cover their living expenses, and who are experiencing homophobic and transphobic abuse and trauma from family members and roommates. They are being outed regarding their work as LGBTI human rights defenders as well as about their identities.

A new report by Outright Action International, “Vulnerability Amplified” [https:// outrightinternational.org/content/vulnerability-amplified-impact-covid-19-pandemic-lgbtiq-people], highlights the elevated risk of family or domestic violence as a major concern for LGBTI people who are forced to take shelter with family members.

by Urooj Arshad Freedom House A few days ago I attended a Facebook Live session in which transgender leaders in Pakistan were discussing the devastating impact of COVID-19 on their communities.

As a queer Pakistani woman with deep ties to the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and intersex (LGBTI) communities back home, I know how easy it is for their fragile patchwork of support to fall apart, especially for transgender people, who often depend on work in the informal economy.

During the call, transgender leaders talked about the fact that the concept of social distancing does not work in their context, because they live in cramped conditions at the deras, homes shared by several members of the transgender community from the same lineage. These homes are necessary because many transgender people are rejected by their biological families or not able to be fully themselves when living with them. Social distancing rules have also affected the incomes of transgender people, who sometimes have to support both biological families and their families within the guru-chella system. (A guru is an elder in the community who takes care of one or more younger transgender people, known as chellas.) As a result, transgender people in Pakistan, like LGBTI communities in many other parts of the world, are experiencing a threat to their very existence.

At Freedom House’s Dignity for All program, where I work, we provide emergency assistance, rapid-response funding, and security support to human rights defenders and civil society organizations facing threats or attacks due to their efforts to uphold the rights of LGBTI people. Since the start of the pandemic, we have observed the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on these communities. They were already under

People line up for groceries in Peru, where the government has limited movement based on gender amid the coronavirus outbreak. – Photo by Myriam B / Shutterstock.com

pressure due to criminalization, stigma, violence, and discrimination, and now they are being pushed even further to the margins.

Unique vulnerabilities Governments’ responses to COVID-19 have often intensified the criminalization of LGBTI people under the guise of public health. This pattern includes, for example, a raid on an LGBTI youth shelter in Uganda in March, after which 23 people were formally charged with “a negligent act likely to spread infection or disease” and “disobedience of lawful orders.” In the Philippines, law enforcement officials have been publicly

Hungary bans recognition of Trans citizens

by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer The Hungarian parliament passed a law May 19 barring legal recognition of Transgender people.

The legislation came in the form of amendments to the country’s birth, death, and marriage registry, changing to word “sex” to “sex at birth” in references to gender markers on legal documents. Under the new law, Hungarians can no longer carry documents reflecting their gender identity, but only ones showing the gender they were assigned at birth.

The amendments were part of a large legislative package submitted by Deputy Prime Minister Zsolt Semjen, head of the Christian Democratic party.

“Given that the complete change of the biological sex is not possible, it is necessary to state in law that there is no possibility to change it in the registry of births, marriages and deaths, either,” an explanation accompanying the legislation said.

The Christian Democratic Party is allied with Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s right-wing Fidesz Party, a group that has its origins in the underground resistance to Hungary’s former Communist government.

The legislation has come under strong criticism from rights groups, which are asking Hungary’s president to refrain from signing the bill into law and send it for review to the nation’s Constitutional Court.

The move is only the latest in a long string of actions distancing Orban’s government from the European Union (EU), of which Hungary remains a member.

The European Parliament, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, the Council of Europe’s Commissioner for Human Rights, and the Hungarian Psychological Society have expressed their disapproval to the Hungarian government.

“This decision pushes Hungary back toward the dark ages and tramples the rights of transgender and intersex people,” Amnesty International Hungary international researcher Krisztina Tamas-Saroy said in a statement. “It will not only expose them to further discrimination but will also deepen an already intolerant and hostile environment faced by the LGBTI community.

“Everyone’s gender should be legally recognized, and everyone must be allowed to change their legal name and gender markers on all official documents.”

Dunja Mijatovic, the Council of Europe’s Commissioner for Human Rights, earlier asked Hungary’s parliament to reject the amendments, calling on authorities to “ensure that transgender people have access to expeditious and transparent procedures for changing their names and gender or sex in the civil registry, and on identity cards, passports, educational certificates, and other similar documents.”

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humiliating LGBTI people for violating curfew. The government in Hungary proposed a law that would end legal recognition of transgender people in the midst of the crisis.

Restrictions on movement are also affecting LGBTI communities in unique ways, making food insecurity the most significant challenge to emerge from this crisis. In many countries, LGBTI people rely heavily on informal employment, and they need to be able to leave their homes to work and access food. Moreover, in Panama and Colombia, stay-at-home orders are being enforced on a binary gender basis, with men and women allowed to leave the house on different days, which is especially worrying for nonbinary and transgender people who may get stopped and questioned. Border closures are preventing those facing danger or persecution from seeking safety or accessing gender-affirming care and antiretroviral therapies (ARTs).

Unfortunately, the effects of official restrictions are frequently compounded by atrocities committed at home by family members. We are hearing from LGBTI human rights defenders in sub-Saharan Africa, North Africa, and Central Asia who

ALBANIA

continued from cover All registered therapists in the country must belong to the order, and their decision effectively bans the practice. Its decisions are final and “legally valid,” Altin Hazizaj, head of the LGBT rights group Pink Embassy told the AFP. “This is the final decision, which does not need to go through either the legislative or executive to enter into force,” said Hazizaj.

The decision, announced May 15, is “significantly important for LGBTI adolescents,” Pink Embassy said in a statement.

“Although reports of the use of such therapies in Albania have been [few], allowing them has been a serious concern.”

While religious affiliations in Albania significantly declined under the Communist government in power between 1945 and 1990, the country is culturally Muslim, Greek Orthodox, and Roman Catholic – none of them friendly to LGBT rights.

“Social attitudes towards the LGBT community are... among the most unfavorable at the European level,” Pink Embassy said in its statement.

In the past few years Albania has made

May 22, 2020

Falling through the cracks COVID-19’s disparate impact on LGBTI communities is a direct outcome of preexisting and often official discrimination. Given that some 70 countries still criminalize same-sex relations, it is little wonder that LGBTI people and their families are in many cases ineligible or practically unable to receive government subsidies and food deliveries for low-income residents, particularly when the aid is distributed by police, as in Sri Lanka. Victor Madrigal-Borloz, the UN independent expert on protection against violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity, said at a recent townhall-style meeting that “there is an inextricable relationship between legal recognition and access to relief.”

As we begin to assess the incredible damage to LGBTI civil society around the world, it is important to remember that this is an unprecedented crisis, and we don’t yet have a road map as to how to effectively address the challenges it presents. What we do know, based on other humanitarian crises, is that LGBTI communities often fall through the cracks because the mainstream humanitarian response is not sensitive to their needs, and because the communities themselves are rarely equipped to endure and recover from such extreme conditions. We must advocate for and invest in an LGBTI-sensitive humanitarian response and continue to dedicate resources to supporting LGBTI civil society writ large. Without these investments, it is not clear who would still be able to take up the human rights struggle after the pandemic has passed.

Reprinted with permission progress in protecting LGBT rights. Samesex relationships were decriminalized in 1995, and a law against discrimination based on sexual orientation was passed in 2010.

Conversion therapy is banned in 20 US states and Washington DC. The practice is banned nationwide in Argentina, Brazil, Ecuador, Malta, Samoa, Taiwan, and Uruguay. Germany also banned it earlier this month. A nationwide ban is pending in Canada.

In March 2018, the European Parliament passed a resolution condemning the practice and urging member states to ban it.

Data from other countries show that people who have experienced the therapy are 8.4 times more likely to commit suicide, the Pink Embassy said. Also, they are 5.9 times more likely to experience severe depression.

Medical experts consider psychological or religious interventions to change an individual’s sexual orientation pseudo-scientific, ineffective, and often harmful.

The most controversial techniques involve physical torture – administering electric shocks as subjects view images of homosexual acts, or injections of the male hormone testosterone.

Seattle Gay News 15

Janelle Monáe doesn’t know time either

The queer icon talks “too on the nose” pandemic, LGBTQ representation and Pride plans

by Chris Azzopardi Q Syndicate “HOMECOMING” SEASON 2 AMAZON PRIME Premieres May 22 I really hadn’t planned on telling queer powerhouse singer-actress-activist Janelle Monáe that I made food for my boyfriend the night before I got on Zoom with her.

That afternoon, Monáe was feeling it all. This global pandemic, the quarantining.

She told me she can’t even create right now because she doesn’t have the mental bandwidth. When we linked up, her mind was understandably heavy and momentarily adrift. While talking about Amazon’s second season of its thriller “Homecoming”, Monáe accidentally called her character – a war vet who we first meet on a boat, alone and drifting, unsure of how she got there – an “ex-veterinarian.” “I said veterinarian,” she started, realizing her slip-up. “It’s that quarantine mind!”

Then I diverted her attention to her neosoul album Dirty Computer, a life-affirming celebration of queerness released in 2018.

I began by telling her about my night before we Zoomed, when my spiraling mind happened to find a rare moment of pure, unencumbered joy within that album as I prepared for our virtual chat. Songs from Dirty Computer had my boyfriend and I bopping in the kitchen. Emerging from her face was a smile so wide I could almost see my reflection in it. It was like I’d cracked a code. A pandemic-era topic universal enough that it got even Janelle Monáe curious that she, during a promo tour for a TV show, couldn’t help but ask me a question everybody is asking everybody because all we do is cook now: “What were y’all eatin’?”

Monáe’s in isolation too of course, trying to navigate not merely how to be an artist but if that’s even possible for her right now. From lockdown, she at least looks put together. Greeting me like the bots she sings about, she says, “Hi, I’m Janelle and I don’t know who I am today.” She appears to be reclining on a couch, a white top hat perched on her head; her virtual backdrop is appropriately one for “Homecoming.” In August, Monáe leads the cast of the slaverythemed horror film Antebellum, which was initially scheduled to be released in April.

And though it was just in February, it seems like another life when Monáe opened the Oscars and celebrated diversity and being, as she proclaimed on national TV during her performance, a “black queer artist.” Previously, in 2018, she came out as pansexual, after years of telling the press she was dating androids.

So no wonder she was looking forward to headlining NYC Pride Island on June 27.

In a statement, she called it a “dream.” But summer gatherings, including NYC Pride Island, have been canceled.

Monáe is still doing what she can; recently, she took part in a special performance for Verizon’s Pay It Forward Live, when she and Verizon made donations to small businesses owned by those in the LGBTQ community and other minorities affected by COVID-19.

“Stay up, Chris,” she gently consoles as we wrap, offering the same kind of brighteyed hopefulness contained in “Americans,” one of the songs that, for a few dazzling minutes, took me out of life as we now currently know it. She continues: “And send my love to your boyfriend.” Even in a pandemic, even when she’s not creating, Monáe has so much to give.

How are you coping with everything that’s happening right now?

I don’t know. I probably won’t know until, like, next month. Time is not real to me. I feel

16 Seattle Gay News

Janelle Monáe – Photo courtesy of Q Syndicate

like I’m in a warped, alternate universe, especially watching everybody walking around with masks and avoiding each other, and dealing with an administration who hides information and is putting capitalism above the health and well-being of our people. I have no grasp of reality right now.

It’s like living in the twilight zone.

Yeah. I write too much science-fiction to be dealing with this shit right now. It’s too on the nose. (Laughs.)

How does “Homecoming” fit into the kind of stories you want to be telling?

We’re on a journey with her as she discovers her identity, and I think when you go back into her past there are some decisions that she makes that I just would not make as a human. But when I was creating her backstory and understanding her motivation I realized that this person could have been dealing with a lot of childhood trauma, and it gave reason to why she is the way she is.

I think that this show has a lot to say about capitalism over citizenship and community, and the well-being of our citizens. I think it has a lot to say about how we treat ex-vets and mental health. And it’s a character study on minorities and those who are marginalized and how they go on their rise to being powerful and also having their freedom through living in their truth, so that was super important to me.

And the show’s queer representation – how is the fact that your character just happens to be in a relationship with a woman meaningful to you?

Like you said: representation. It always matters. You think about the number of shows that are greenlit and films that are greenlit, and we’re still in that minority.

It’s still not equal in terms of storytelling.

May 22, 2020

There are so many cis, het-normative stories, and that’s not a reflection of the real world.

I don’t want to give away too much, but there is a strong presence of (queerness) in “Homecoming.” I hope the folks feel seen.

How would this kind of representation have changed your life as a young woman growing up in Kansas City?

I would probably feel less alone. I’d be more intrigued. When you grow up in small towns and you have large families, and when being Baptist and going to church is the center of your family and your household – in addition to going through that and trying to love yourself and finding out who you are and what you want to be and deciding how you want to live your life – I think that having that representation would have made things easier for a lot of us.

When was the first time you identified with someone from the LGBTQ community and what did that mean to you?

That’s a really good question. There were, of course, a lot of artists who have come before me that have walked in their truth, like (openly queer singer-songwriter and activist) Meshell Ndegeocello. Even if they didn’t say, “Hey, I’m gay,” there was just a certain freeness that I got when I looked at David Bowie, a freeness I got that blurred the lines of gender. And I’ve always felt a part of everything, and as I find out more about myself and who I am, I look at myself and all of us as experiences. I just don’t believe in those binaries. But I love identifying as a woman, and I’m not mad when I’m not called a woman. I feel so a part of everything, and I am a part of everything.

Earlier this year, you tweeted #IAmNonBinary. Does that mean you’re using they and them pronouns now?

I use free-ass-motherfucker pronouns.

That’s the pronoun that I use. Absolutely.

Over the years you’ve gradually taken on more of an activist role, both as a vocal advocate but also in the way you’ve chosen projects. Your art is clearly a conduit for your messaging of unity and empowerment. How do you see yourself evolving as an activist and artist?

I never considered myself an activist. I think there are really people out on the front lines who are doing that groundwork in our communities. I have a mic; I have a studio; I’m doing film. I’m doing all those things.

And I’ve never considered myself that.

People have kind of placed that label on me, but I don’t feel pressure. I think I feel more pressure just as a citizen to lend my support and my voice. I think even if I never wrote another song in my life, if I saw something happening to someone who couldn’t protect themselves or take care of themselves and they were in a marginalized group, then I’m gonna say something about it. That’s just been me since I’ve been little. I’ve never allowed people to bully my little sister or people who were helpless and couldn’t defend themselves. I’m just not gonna stand for that. I guess I look at myself as anti-bully, and I will whoop your ass in different ways if you try to oppress or harm other people that I love and I care about. And I care about my community.

How do you feel about where we’re at now with LGBTQ representation? And what do you hope is next in that regard?

I think it’s getting better. I think we have a long way to go. I think it’s a more nuanced conversation because we’re dealing with sexuality and we’re dealing with gender. A lot of it is a journey, it’s not just a destination. And there’s new terminology that’s coming, and we have to be open and nonjudgmental within our community.

I’ve definitely received a lot of judgment, and I can’t say that I haven’t judged myself, but at this point I think that life is a mystery. We are uncovering truths about us, just like this show does, and the more information we have, we should never feel ashamed to lean into that gray area. Don’t become a prisoner or a slave of your past.

Move forward accordingly once you discover who you are and what it is that you want to be.

But I want to say that I think that we still have a lot more work to do in terms of allies. Folks who are more privileged, who are the majority and the minority, I think that they can share the mic.

Are you currently creating? And while I have Dirty Computer on my mind – will you make music with the queer community in mind for your next work?

I don’t know what kind of music I’m gonna make. I’m not in a musical space. I’m not inspired. I’m just not inspired right now.

I mean, I want to be; I want to be using this time and come out with five albums. But my heart is just so broken right now with everything that’s going on. So I’ve been DJing; that’s been inspiring. Deconstructing songs, my favorite songs. And I’ve been listening to Childish Gambino, and I love Megan Thee Stallion’s Savage remix with Beyoncé. Been listening to that. But I’ve just been trying to figure out how to put my boots on the ground and how to thrive in a pandemic.

It’s affected me. I’m not a black, single mom with five kids or a single parent trying to make ends meet because she got laid off.

I’m not in that position. We’re in this, but we’re not all in the same boat. And for me, I feel a sense of urgency to figure out how we can come together as citizens. Once I get that down pat and understand what this all means and I can get some foundation then maybe I can go to a creative space, but right now my mental real estate is dealing with this pandemic.

You were supposed to perform at

Celebrating 46 Years!

NYC Pride Island this summer. What message would you like to send out to all the dirty computers of the world who will be celebrating Pride in a very different way this year?

I love you. I was looking forward to being there, but all of our health is important. I would hate to be irresponsible and hold a concert and bring people together and then people pass away as a result of us trying to have a concert right now. But I have a feeling that in the future I will come back. The organizers of Pride New York are trying to put together something special that I may be a part of, so just keep your ears glued. [NOTE: On May 15, it was announced that Monáe would be among the performers taking part in NYC’s virtual pride celebration on June 28.]

And to answer your last question: I did say I wasn’t really inspired to make music, but because I am a dirty computer at heart, whatever I do is always going to be through the lens of being a part of the LGBTQIA+ communities. That is who I am, so I can’t help but to have that perspective. So I’m sure whenever I start making music (laughs) I will still be a free-assmotherfucker making music.

As editor of Q Syndicate, the LGBTQ wire service, Chris Azzopardi has interviewed a multitude of superstars, including Cher, Meryl Streep, Mariah Carey and Beyoncé. His work has also appeared in The New York Times, Vanity Fair, GQ and Billboard. Reach him via Twitter @chrisazzopardi.

Courtesy of Q Syndicate

Janelle Monáe in Homecoming – Photo courtesy of Amazon Studios

PBS announces LGBTQ+ Pride Month programming starting May 26 PBS celebrates Pride Month with PRIDELAND, a Short-Form Digital Series and New One-Hour Special with host and actor Dyllón Burnside, exploring LGBTQ+ identity in the U.S. South PBS is celebrating LGBTQ+ Pride Month with the launch of PRIDELAND a new one-hour special and short-form digital series following host and actor Dyllón Burnside (from FX’s “Pose”) on a journey across the South. The six-episode, shortform series will launch on PBS Voices, a new documentary-focused YouTube Channel by PBS Digital Studios, beginning Thursday, May 26. A one-hour companion special, also hosted by Burnside, will premiere on Friday, June 12 at 9:00 p.m. ET (check local listings) on PBS, PBS.org and the PBS Video App. Viewers and PBS station members can also view additional LGBTQ+ series, documentaries and specials via PBS.org, the PBS Video App and PBS Passport (contact local PBS station for details) in June.

NEW PBS PRIMETIME PREMIERES One-Hour Special: PRIDELAND Friday, June 12, 9:00-10:00 p.m. ET on PBS Follow Dyllón Burnside on a journey across the American South to meet diverse members of the LGBTQ+ community.

From a lesbian rodeo champ in Texas to an African American mayor ally in Alabama, he discovers how LGBTQ+ Americans are finding ways to live authentically and with pride in the modern South.

NEW PBS DIGITAL STUDIOS PREMIERES Episode 1: “Out, Proud & Southern: Dyllón Burnside’s Story” Tuesday, May 26 on PBS Voices Dyllón Burnside begins his journey by setting the stage of the series with his personal story of growing up in Pensacola, Florida. He explores what the South means to him, and why he left after getting fired from his church for coming out. He returns to discover that the South is home to more queer people than any other region in the U.S. with

Image courtesy of PBS

more than one third of all LGBTQ+ adult Americans live below the Mason Dixon line.

He also learns that the region has the most negative LGBTQ+ policies in the country and meets different people fighting for equal rights, starting with Carmarion D. Anderson, HRC Alabama State Director, the first transgender woman of color to hold such a leadership position.

Episode 2: “An Openly Gay Pastor’s Journey to Acceptance in the Bible Belt” Tuesday, June 2 on PBS Voices The LGBTQ+ experience is as diverse and varied as the individuals who comprise it. While some still find rejection close to home, others are finding more and more acceptance in communities of origin or those they create. In this episode, Dyllón

Visit us online www.sgn.org

Burnside introduces viewers to Rob Lowry, an openly gay minister at a small, but mainstream church in Jackson, Mississippi. He was offered the job before the church knew he was gay, but they accepted him with open arms when he told them he would only take the position if he could lead while openly gay. Lowry is creating just that kind of community – open to all who take the command to “love thy neighbor as thy would thyself” to heart and in practice.

Episode 3: “Polyamory, Demisexuality, and Being Transgender in the South” Tuesday, June 9 on PBS Voices Dyllón Burnside sits down with a group of diverse LGBTQ+ members to learn how to embrace sex positivity and maneuver the modern dating scene. They talk candidly

May 22, 2020

about asexuality, polyamorous relationships and how to manage diverging expectations in the queer community.

Episode 4: “The Heartwarming Story of One of Alabama’s First SameSex Adoptions” Tuesday, June 16 on PBS Voices Dyllón Burnside is invited into the home of a lesbian couple who would not let anyone, or any law get in the way of them getting married and adopting the child of their dreams. He listens to how they have overcome the unique challenges of forming a family in the South and learns what obstacles remain for other LGBTQ+ people in their home state of Alabama.

see PBS page 18

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PBS

continued from page 17 Episode 5: “Championing LGBTQ+ Healthcare in Mississippi” Tuesday, June 23 on PBS Voices Dyllón Burnside meets Scott Rodgers, M.D. and Lillian J. Houston, M.D., two doctors who founded the Center for LGBTQ Health at the University of Mississippi Medical Center, one of the few LGBTQ+ clinics in Mississippi to provide quality healthcare without fear of discrimination. In many parts of the South it’s legal for doctors to deny services to LGBTQ+ people based on their religious beliefs. To make matters worse, the South has the highest concentration of people living with HIV/AIDS in the U.S. These doctors and their team are determined to address these issues head-on.

Episode 6: “The Bakery Battleground: The Mississippi Baker Standing Up For Gay Rights” Tuesday, June 30 on PBS Voices Dyllón Burnside examines the crucial role of allies in advancing LGBTQ+ rights and how religious beliefs have sometimes been used as a pretext for discrimination.

In this episode, he visits Mitchell Moore, a baker in the heart of the Bible Belt who risks his business, Campbell’s Bakery, to take a stand for LGBTQ+ rights PBS ENCORE PRESENTATIONS “THE LAVENDER SCARE” Friday, June 12 at 10:00 p.m. ET Learn the untold story of how tens of thousands of homosexual federal workers were either fired or denied employment in the 1950s, stirring outrage in the gay community and starting an LGBTQ rights movement with an unlikely hero at the forefront.

PBS FREE STREAMING (PBS Video App, PBS.org & PBS Digital Studios) The following LGBTQ+ programming will be available on the PBS Video App and PBS.org from Monday, June 1-Tuesday, June 30: AMERICAN EXPERIENCE “Stonewall Uprising: The Year That Changed America” Explore what happened when police raided the Stonewall Inn, a gay bar in New York City on June 28, 1969. The streets erupted into violent protests that lasted for six days and marked a major turning point in the modern gay civil rights movement.

WHAT I HEAR YOU SAY “When Did You Become Gay” Take a closer look at the words used to describe LGBTQA communities through storytelling, analysis, and humor. This episode of WHAT I HEAR YOU SAY explores sexuality, gender fluidity, and the language used to describe LGBTQA communities from 3 unique perspectives: an activist (Kristin Russo), a professor (Moya Bailey), and a media personality (Tyler Ford).

FRONTLINE “Growing Up Trans” Just a generation ago, it was adults, not kids, who changed genders. But today, many children are transitioning, too — with new medical options, and at younger and younger ages. In Growing Up Trans, FRONTLINE takes viewers on an intimate and eye-opening journey inside the struggles and choices facing transgender kids and their families.

Image courtesy of PBS

PBS DIGITAL STUDIOS Series ORIGIN OF EVERYTHING “History of the Word Gay” The word “GAY” has a long history in the English language, but why did “GAY” stop meaning “happy” and start referring “same sex relationships?” Watch this week’s episode of Origin of Everything to find out.

THE ART ASSIGNMENT “What Art Tells Us About Gender” There is a huge range of ways that gender has been understood and represented in the history of art. PBS Digital Studios looks at a few examples that show us gender is a concept that has never been fixed: Hermaphroditos by the ancient Greeks, Titian’s Venus of Urbino, Baule portrait masks, the photographs of Claude Cahun and Marcel Moore, and Maya stone carvings.

PBS Short Film Festival “LOVE WINS” LOVE WINS tells the story of two women, Jan (83) and Emily (89), who met and fell in love during a time when doing so was strictly taboo. During this time, they raised a family while living completely in the closet. After 45 years of living a double life, Jan and Em finally got married and are now community activists and proud flagwaving members of the social movement that changed history.

“ODE TO PABLO” Challenged to a basketball game by local boys, Pablo, a queer, deaf Latino, agrees to play. He does not reveal much about himself but lets his basketball skill speak for itself.

He is enjoying the game, when an unexpected incident makes it clear to the other teens that Pablo is deaf. Despite assumptions about each, and, however brief, Pablo makes a connection with one of the boys.

FIRST PERSON First Person explores gender identity and sexuality, covering LGBTQ issues through first-person narratives. The show aims to humanize issues that are often underrepresented in the media or presented as political or moral issues, detached from the people who are living them on a dayto-day basis. them.us was the official media partner for this series.

“RANI” Rani is a social outcast, transgender woman who sets out to take care of an abandoned child. Set on the streets of Pakistan, she is determined to do the right thing amid waves of challenges.

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May 22, 2020

“THE HIDDEN VOTE: Are Gay Rights Gun Rights” Meet Vincent, who grew up a Demo-

crat in North Carolina, but is now a conservative, pro-gun activist who thinks gays should take up arms after the Pulse shooting. Meet Mitchell, who grew up conservative but is now a progressive voter who does not think the solution is more guns. They also happen to be dating.

PBS PASSPORT PRESENTATIONS The following LGBTQ+ programming will be available for streaming on PBS Passport from Monday, June 1-Tuesday, June 30: AMERICAN MASTERPIECE “Man in an Orange Shirt” Two love stories, 60 years apart, chart the changes and challenges in gay lives in England – from the era of jail terms to the onset of dating apps. Vanessa Redgrave stars in this drama scripted by best-selling novelist Patrick Gale.

WE’LL MEET AGAIN “Coming Out” Join Ann Curry as people who first met during the early days of the LGBT movement reunite. Tom longs to find the friend who helped him accept his sexuality while Paul searches for the student activist whose courage changed his life.

For more information on PBS’s Pride Month programming, the new PRIDELAND one-hour special and digital series, and PBS Voices, visit PBS.org and the PBS YouTube Channel. Viewers are also encouraged to engage in online conversation by tagging @PBS and using #PridelandPBS and #PBSVoices on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

About PBS Streaming PBS programming is available for streaming concurrent with broadcast on all station-branded PBS platforms, including PBS.org and the PBS Video App, available on iOS, Android, Roku, Apple TV, Android TV, Amazon Fire TV, Samsung Smart TV and Chromecast. PBS station members can view many series, documentaries and specials via PBS Passport. For more information about PBS Passport, visit the PBS Passport FAQ website.

digital programming for YouTube and Facebook Watch, designed to engage, enlighten and entertain online audiences. The PBS Digital Studios network has more than 23 million subscribers, generating an average of 50 million views a month and has acquired more than 2.6 billion views lifetime views. Currently, the Studio has 20 original series streaming online, including eight series from PBS member stations.

Series include the Webby Award-winning “It’s Okay to Be Smart,” “Physics Girl” and “Crash Course,” as well as popular series such as “Two Cents” and “PBS Space Time.”

About PBS PBS, with more than 330 member stations, offers all Americans the opportunity to explore new ideas and new worlds through television and digital content.

Each month, PBS reaches over 126 million people through television and 26 million people online, inviting them to experience the worlds of science, history, nature and public affairs; to hear diverse viewpoints; and to take front row seats to world-class drama and performances. PBS’ broad array of programs has been consistently honored by the industry’s most coveted award competitions. Teachers of children from pre-K through 12th grade turn to PBS for digital content and services that help bring classroom lessons to life. Decades of research confirms that PBS’ premier children’s media service, PBS KIDS, helps children build critical literacy, math and social-emotional skills, enabling them to find success in school and life. Delivered through member stations, PBS KIDS offers high-quality educational content on TV – including a 24/7 channel, online at pbskids.org, via an array of mobile apps and in communities across America. More information about PBS is available at www.pbs.org, one of the leading dot-org websites on the internet, or by following PBS on Twitter, Facebook or through our apps for mobile and connected devices. Specific program information and updates for press are available at pbs.org/ pressroom or by following PBS Pressroom on Twitter.

Courtesy of PBS

About PBS Digital Studios PBS Digital Studios produces original,

Celebrating 46 Years!

MUSIC

Evan Stults announces retirement from Seattle Men’s Chorus after 36 years

by Evan Stults Seattle Men’s Chorus

Evan Stults – Photo courtesy of Seattle Choruses

With great gratitude, I’m letting folks know that I’m leaving my position as the pianist for Seattle Men’s Chorus, after 36 years (!) with the group. I had a plan. I was going to wrap up at the end of our season this summer, after the GALA Choruses Festival in Minneapolis. But in this COVID-19 world, the season is already over. No more concerts! I was eagerly looking forward to playing a final round of performances, to joyfully experience that time with all the singers, the band, and the crew. I talked with Artistic Director Paul Caldwell and Executive Director Karen Lane about my decision in late February, right before everything changed. But here we are now – I feel like a quarantined teen who isn’t going to have a chance to go to prom, no more concerts!

The chorus has had a profound impact on my life, particularly by meeting my husband Joe 30 years ago. And it gave me a privileged front row seat for experiencing the journey of LGBTQ+ people in the US and beyond, with all of our progress and setbacks. In particular, being part of this organization through the worst of the AIDS experience

was fundamentally life changing.

Along the way, I’ve loved the collaboration, the music-making, and the mission.

I love the rehearsal process and playing as a collaborative musician. I’ll continue working as a pianist. But now I’m going to use the time in my life differently. Boy, I’d guess there have been well over a thousand rehearsals, 400+ mainstage concerts, hundreds more community performances, tours, fantastic guest artists, and lord knows how many versions of “Silent Night.”

So I give a heartfelt thank you to the singers, to all my pals in the band and crew over the years, to the staff and volunteers, and to so many supporters in the audience. And thank you to Dennis Coleman who had such a tremendous impact on my musicianship, and to Paul for continuing to provide such strong artistic leadership for the group. I have an incredible sense of appreciation for all my SMC (and SWC) colleagues and friends, and gratitude for the experience.

And now – Seattle has such fantastic musicians, let’s look forward to an awesome new player for the chorus!

Courtesy of Seattle Choruses

Music of Remembrance online May 18-25 with For a Look or a Touch – Jake Heggie and Gene Scheer’s compelling musical drama

For a Look or a Touch – Photo by Cory Weaver

From May 18 until May 25, Music of Remembrance will be streaming composer Jake Heggie and librettist Gene Scheer’s compelling musical drama about the persecution of gays during the Holocaust – https://www.musicofremembrance.org/ watch-and-listen/look-or-touch. This is a topic that is too little known and too rarely discussed.

In 2007 Music of Remembrance commissioned composer Jake Heggie and librettist Gene Scheer to create the musical drama For a Look or a Touch. The work’s title refers to a provision in Paragraph 175 – the pre-Nazi German law criminalizing

homosexuality – under which people could be arrested simply for an affectionate glance or an innocent caress. The Reich considered homosexuality a symptom of “racial degeneracy,” and homosexuals were incarcerated in prisons and concentration camps.

Through the rigorous enforcement of Paragraph 175, the Nazis murdered thousands and shattered the lives of countless others.

For a Look or a Touch was inspired by the true love story of Manfred Lewin and Gad Beck, two young men who were doubly targeted as both Jewish and gay. Manfred was murdered in Auschwitz, but his journal with its poetic entries about his love

Visit us online www.sgn.org

with Gad was preserved and now resides in the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. Gad survived harsh imprisonment and lived until 2012.

Jake Heggie and Gene Scheer tell their story with deep compassion that never descends to pathos or sentimentality. The music, of heart-stopping beauty, conveys a wisdom that helps us to appreciate those touched by the Holocaust in all of their complicated humanity. It’s also a profound meditation on memory itself, and on the struggle we face in confronting the ghosts of our own pasts.

MOR’s performance from 2016 at the

San Francisco Conservatory of Music features charismatic baritone Michael Mayes as Manfred and the late great musical actor Robert Orth as Gad. The production was directed by Erich Parce. MOR’s instrumental ensemble, all members of the Seattle Symphony, is conducted by Joseph Mechavich. To access the streaming performance May 18 through May 25, visit https://www.musicofremembrance.org/ watch-and-listen/look-or-touch

May 22, 2020

Seattle Gay News 19

Courtesy of Music of Remembrance

Tacoma Arts Live’s “2020 Gala: Garden of Delights” moves to a Virtual Event via YouTube Live and Facebook Live on Friday, May 29 at 7:30 p.m.

Due to the extension of Governor Inslee’s “Stay Home” mandate, Tacoma Arts Live’s annual gala takes a new shape as it pivots from the traditionally formal, in-person occasion to a creative digitally produced live experience. Tacoma Arts Live’s “2020 Gala: Garden of Delights” is a fundraiser to support education through the arts programs on Friday, May 29 at 7:30 p.m. The Gala will stream on YouTube Live [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5al5zxzLljOCLoBL6vA8Qw] and Facebook Live [https://www.facebook.com/TacomaArtsLive/] and is free to view and guests are encouraged to register in advance to participate in the auction.

The event will share entertainment provided by Enjoy Productions and several deluxe auction packages. Additionally, an online silent auction begins May 23 through June 1.

Patrons who already purchased tickets to the in-person Gala will receive a Party Package delivered to their home that includes specialty cocktail ingredients and other festive party surprises to enjoy during the main event. Guests who register in advance to bid online will be invited to join an exclusive virtual happy hour that will share step-by-step instructions to create their cocktails for the night.

Tacoma Arts Live has developed one of the largest arts education programs in the nation. This annual gala supports Tacoma Arts Live’s education through the arts programs, which serve between 55,000 students, teachers, and family members annually through a rich blend of services in the South Sound region and beyond. Tacoma

Image courtesy of Tacoma Arts Live

Arts Live invests in the future by providing dynamic programs that focus on shared growth and expression and using the arts as a tool for social development.

Costumes are encouraged! Guests can have some fun at home by dressing up in Garden of Delights themed costumes! Think forest creatures, gnomes, fairies, and more.

The Tacoma Arts Live “2020 Gala: Garden of Delights” is free to watch [https://www.tacomaartslive.org/events/ calenda r/eventdetail /170 0/-/tacomaa r ts-l ive -2 02 0 -vi r t ua l-ga la-ga rden-

of- d el ig ht s? ut m _ s o u r c e = C o py %2 0 of%20Gala%20PR%2002.27.20&utm_ c a m p a ig n = P r e s s%2 0 Rel e a s e%2 0 -%2 0 0 5. 2 0. 2 0 %2 0 G a l a%2 0 & u t m _ medium=email], but to participate in giving, we ask that guests register early for the online auction. To make a donation in advance, call Tacoma Arts Live Box Office at 253.591.5894, toll-free at 1.800.291.7593, or online at TacomaArtsLive.org.

The core of Tacoma’s Historic Theater District, Tacoma Arts Live’s mission is to

energize the community through live performance. Founded in 1979, Tacoma Arts Live is a non-profit organization recognized for leadership in presenting worldclass performing artists, providing one of the largest arts education programs in Washington State, and preserving Tacoma’s historic theaters. Learn more at TacomaArtsLive.org.

Courtesy of Tacoma Arts Live

GAMES

Hollywood

Across 1 Disney canine 6 Word after “Hail Mary” 10 A little behind 14 Bright, to editors 15 For most students 16 With mouth wide open 17 Bear 18 Penetrate slowly 19 Burning software 20 Murphy, whose three favorite icons from Hollywood are in this puzzle 21 Pillow Talk star 23 Bad day for Caesar 25 Plug extension 26 Orbital high point 29 Old people may take them out for a blow job 34 Lullaby composer 35 Anatomical passage 36 Milk, in a way 37 With 38-Across, GWTW Best Supporting Actress winner 38 See 37-Across 40 Poem of Sappho 41 Ebenezer’s exclamation 42 With respect to 43 Mound accessory 47 Dorothyís home 49 Prep for a marathon, with “up” 50 Fork feature 51 The first Chinese American Hollywood movie star 55 Startled cry 58 One with a foamy head 59 Voyeur’s confession 60 Writer Dykewomon 62 Male escort

20 Seattle Gay News

63 Conn of Grease 64 The Wizard of Oz producer Mervyn 65 They’re performing, in Fame 66 Leave in the text 67 Rimbaud’s room Down 1 Peter the Great, for one 2 Prefix for fruit for Rita Mae Brown 3 China setting 4 ___ in the Garden of Good and Evil 5 Drench Trump in a Russian video 6 Colombian coins 7 Mapa of Switched at Birth 8 Chiang Kai-___ 9 Really sucked 10 Martin of Ed Wood 11 Processes wine or cheese 12 That’s bull, to Frida 13 Ghostbusters role 21 Witherspoon of Legally Blonde 2 22 Part of UHF 24 She danced with Whoopi in Ghost 26 Can’t bear 27 Madrid museum 28 One of the “Maneater” singers 29 Joltin’ Joe 30 Cut glass 31 Archaeological sites 32 Former NFL player Tuaolo 33 Tennis star that goes either way?

39 Kopay’s team 41 Tend tots 44 Wearer of wax wings 45 Locale for Brando’s Apocalypse Now 46 Brady Bunch hair style, at times 47 Family 48 Kushner’s ___ in America

May 22, 2020

50 Namely 51 Mamma Mia! band 52 Not even once, to Dickinson 53 Straight, to mixologists 54 Get one’s feet wet

55 Dixie Chicks’ “Goodbye ___” 56 Organic compound 57 Danny of The Court Jester 61 DeLaria of comedy

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 22, 2020

Seattle Gay News 21

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 23