SGN August 5, 2016 - Section 1

Celebrating 42 Years!

Issue 32 Volume 44

Margaret Cho

Lily Tomlin

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SEC 2 PG 1

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Seattle City Council bans Primary election wrap-up: Jayapal leads congressional race, conversion therapy Walkinshaw leads McDermott,

Unanimous vote on August 1 Macri and Shih in 43rd Legislative District

Mayor Ed Murray signs new bill banning conversion therapy in Seattle Photo courtesy of City of Seattle

by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer The Seattle City Council voted unanimously on August 1 to ban conversion therapy for minors.

The new law creates civil penalties for

practicing conversion therapy within the Seattle city limits: a $500 fine for the first offense and $1,000 for every subsequent violation.

It will be enforced by the City’s Office of Civil Rights, either on the complaint of someone subjected to conversion therapy

Pramila Jayapal - Photo courtesy of thenation.com

by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer The August 2 primary election brought few surprises for Washington voters, but mixed results for LGBT candidates.

see THERAPY page 4

Let the Gay-mes begin:

In the hotly contested race to succeed retiring Rep. Jim McDermott in the 7th Congressional District, state senator and human rights activist Pramila Jayapal took a commanding lead, with more than 40% of the votes in a nine-way contest.

Twenty thousand votes behind Jayasee ELECTION page 5

Chen sentenced to 49 years

43 LGBT athletes competing for the murder of his partner and child in Seattle penthouse in 2011 at the Rio Olympics

Soccer player Megan Rapinoe - Photo courtesy of USWNT

by Albert Rodriguez SGN Staff Writer One of the most distinct contingents participating in the 2016 Summer Olympics doesn’t represent any particular sport or country. They represent themselves, but together they represent a community.

A record 43 publicly out LGBT athletes, from many different nations, are competing in Rio de Janeiro during the next two weeks in a variety of events. Eight of them represent Team USA and all are women: Seimone Augustus, Elena Delle Donne, Brittney Griner, and Angel McCoughtry see OLYMPICS page 8

Louis Chen - Photo courtesy of seattletimes.com

by Shaun Knittel SGN Associate Editor Something terrible happened five years ago in a Seattle penthouse. A twoyear-old child was found dead in a master bedroom bathroom. His throat had been slashed from ear to ear. A 30-year-old man was found, also stabbed to death, lying on

the living room floor. They had both been killed more than 24 hours before their bodies were discovered. The killer: the man’s long-term partner and the small boy’s father, Dr. Louis Chen.

After five long years, and nearly a week of testimony and consideration of the punishment the doctor would face, King see CHEN page 5

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Celebrating 41 Years!

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THERAPY

continued from cover or through an investigation directed by the Office of Civil Rights.

The bill was authored by City Councilmember Lorena Gonzalez. “[I]nstead of providing [LGBT youth] the support that they need, there are people out there who believe it’s appropriate to convince these children that their same-sex orientation is somehow a disease, or an illness, or something that can be cured,” Gonzalez said.

“Being gay, lesbian, bisexual, queer, or transgender is not an illness,” Gonzalez said. “Nor is it something that needs a cure.”

City Councilmember Debra Juarez related the experiences of LGBT youth who are subjected to conversion therapy to those of Native American children who were forced into white-run boarding schools by the US government in an attempt to erase their cultural identities.

“Conversion therapy is the 20th century or 21st century version of what happened to my people all in the name of assimilation,” Juarez, who is a member of the Blackfeet Nation, said. “We were forcibly taken from our families, from our children. I am literally one generation removed from that practice.”

“It breaks my heart that we have to pass a law to recognize your humanity,” she said to the LGBT community. “So today, God bless you.”

“We are grateful for the leadership of Councilmember Lorena Gonzalez in protecting LGBTQ youth and their families from the deceptive and harmful practice of conversion therapy,” said National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR) Youth Policy Counsel Carolyn Reyes.

“Today, Seattle has taken a bold step to save children’s lives, and its children have received a clear message that they were born perfect.”

Seattle becomes the fourth US city to ban conversion therapy, after Cincinnati, Miami Beach, and Washington, DC. The

states of California, Oregon, Illinois, Vermont, and New Jersey also prohibit the practice.

State Sen. Marko Liias has introduced

legislation to ban conversion therapy statewide. His bill passed the House in 2014 but has stalled in the Republican-controlled state Senate.

Mayor Ed Murray signs new bill banning conversion therapy in Seattle Photo courtesy of City of Seattle

COMMENTARY: Ending Conversion Therapy

by Councilmember M. Lorena González and Monisha Harrell Special to the SGN A leading advisor to Republican presidenLast month, Washington’s LGBTQ community was able to breathe a sigh of relief: Efforts to further infringe on the rights and safety of the transgender community were thwarted. Proponents of Washington’s version of a “bathroom bill,” Initiative 1515, failed to secure the necessary number of signatures to put their regressive initiative on the ballot.

However, since the failure of Initiative 1515, Indiana Governor Mike Pence, a known supporter of conversion therapy, received the Republican nomination for Vice President of the United States of America, and the GOP added defending and supporting conversion therapy to their official national party platform. This week, the City of Seattle decided to take a different path: the City Council unanimously approved a conversion therapy ban and Mayor Murray signed it into law.

Even though LGBTQ activists have paved the way for gains in social acceptance and civil rights during the last several decades, society still holds misconceptions about what it means to come out and live openly as a queer person. As a result, LGBTQ youth are at risk of being sent to men-

Seattle City Councilmember M. Lorena González Photo courtesy of seattletimes.com

tal health professionals who claim that they can change a child’s sexual orientation or gender identity. Indeed, Dr. Caitlin Ryan, a national leader on social work practice and LGBT health, estimates that one out of every three LGBTQ youth may experience some form of conversion therapy

upon coming out. “Conversion therapists” sometimes resort to barbaric techniques, including electroshock therapy, isolation or submersion in ice baths. Even if parents are well-meaning, this can have profound, negative effects on the health and safety of LGBTQ youth as they transition into adulthood.

Mental health providers and professional medical associations have lined up to caution against and discredit conversion therapy. Not only is there no evidence that same-sex attractions or gender identity can be changed, but those who undergo conversion therapy are also more likely to suffer from depression, attempt suicide, and deal with chemical dependency than their peers who receive love and affirmation. What’s more is that the American Psychological Association recognized that identifying as LGBTQ was not a mental illness nearly four decades ago, not a disease in search of a cure, yet here we are today.

As recent events nationally and locally demonstrate, the LGBTQ community still faces threats to their physical safety and well-being. The unfortunate reality is that conversion therapy is occurring in every corner of the country: from Birmingham to Berkeley, from Spokane to Seattle. Although there is no clear data about the prevalence of conversion therapy, mental health professionals practicing in Seattle report working with individuals who un-

derwent conversion as adolescents. And, at a recent committee hearing, two licensed mental health practitioners who practice in Seattle, provided public comment in support of conversion therapy. Knowing that it can take years to undo the harms caused by conversion therapy, one thing is clear: There is nothing “therapeutic” about forcing children to deny their identities.

To date, five states, two cities, and Washington, D.C., have taken a stand against conversion therapy – and now Seattle. Once again, our city is leading on an issue that is gaining national attention. Taking this step affirms the dignity of LGBTQ youth. It promotes their well-being along their journey toward self-acceptance and acceptance in their communities.

Now, we must look forward. It is time for leaders outside of Seattle to act. Socalled “conversion therapy” does not have a place in Seattle – nor does it have a place in our state or country. We must commit to the truism that being lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or queer is not an illness or a disease – and does not need a cure.

Seattle City Councilmember M. Lorena González sponsored the recent legislation to outlaw conversion therapy for minors in the City of Seattle; Monisha Harrell is Executive Director of Equal Rights Washington

Eastern Washington hospital settles discrimination suit, agrees to change course and treat transgender patients with respect and dignity A Catholic hospital in Eastern Washington has settled claims brought by a transgender woman for the hospital’s refusal to provide her gender-affirming medical care.

She had sought surgery from an experienced provider to whom she was referred by the Washington State Health Care Authority. But when she called to schedule her medical care, she was told that the hospital that employed that provider would not provide care to her because she was transgender, claiming religious reasons. When she sought help from hospital administration, she was told that her request would have to be reviewed by the local bishop and other religious leaders. Finally, she had to obtain care elsewhere, hours away from her home and family.

Legal Voice, a non-profit women’s rights organization serving the five Northwest states, and Denise Diskin of Teller &

Associates in Seattle, represented the woman denied care, asserting that the hospital’s denial violated the Washington State Law Against Discrimination and other patientprotective laws. A settlement was reached in which Legal Voice’s client will receive

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August 5, 2016

Legal Voice is a non-profit fighter for women’s rights - Photo from idealist.org

$50,000, and the hospital will train its staff in providing appropriate, respectful care to transgender patients.

Legal Voice’s client, who agreed as part of the settlement to keep her name and the hospital’s identity confidential, explained, “The fact that the hospital will be training their staff to properly treat and accommodate the LGBT community after this incident is of great importance to me. That is the real victory in all of this.”

The original treatment Legal Voice’s client experienced is part of a broader trend of religious refusals, where people are denied access to safe, affordable health care due to their providers’ moral or religious objections to the procedure or, as in this case, to the patient’s gender identity.

“We are very happy that our client will receive a measure of justice, and that this hospital will change course and ensure its

compliance with Washington’s law prohibiting discrimination,” says David Ward, Legal & Legislative Counsel at Legal Voice.

“We hope to see that kind of change in transgender health care throughout Washington state. All patients are entitled to respect and dignified care.”

Legal Voice is a nonprofit women’s rights legal organization that pursues justice for all women and girls in the Northwest through ground-breaking litigation, legislative advocacy, and educational tools to help individuals understand their rights. More at www.legalvoice.org

Celebrating 41 Years!

CHEN

continued from cover County Superior Court Judge Bill Bowman sentenced Chen to 49 years in prison – the maximum allowed – on June 29. Chen, 44, pleaded guilty to reduced charges in February, wanting to avoid a trial.

The murders sent had shockwaves through the city. Responding police told the media that the crime scene was one of the worst they’d ever seen; blood was everywhere. A total of five knives had been used to slash and stab the victims until they took their last breath. Seattle’s LGBTQ community was shocked to learn that the killer was one of our own. How could this happen?

Why did this happen? The answers to those questions went largely unanswered, until last week when Chen spoke in court.

The court learned that Chen had reportedly wrote himself prescriptions for Xanax and Paxil and was mixing the pills with cough syrup. Chen’s lawyers say the drug use may have aggravated pre-existing severe depression, in addition to paranoia.

Chen told the court he mourns his son daily.

“The tear I caused in the fabric of our universe is profound,” he said during a statement to the judge Thursday. In it he described a good life with plenty of joy shared between Cooper and their son. He told the court a story about their son and how he would jump on his stomach, like the characters in Dr. Seuss’s Hop On Pop. “Most of all,” Chen said of the son he murdered, “he loved Eric.”

Chen said there was little he could say

“that could make things better.”

On June 28, the judge heard from Eric Cooper’s mother, Dawn Miller, and a friend, who spoke to the court by Skype.

Both shared memories of Eric. Cooper’s mother recalled how her son would stop soldiers and veterans to thank them for their service and how he helped hungry people looking for food.

Miller said Cooper called his mother every day.

“I miss those calls more than I can express,” Miller said through tears in her video testimony. “I’ll never be able to hear the sound of his voice again, never have to wait until his laughter subsided to hear a punch line – never again will I hear him tell me about all his future hopes and plans, never.”

Cooper’s friend, Meghan Courtright, joined Miller in asking the judge for the maximum sentence.

“Losing them in such a horrific way is something I will never get over,” she said.

“Eric wanted nothing more from life than to raise his son and help his community.

Eric dedicated his life to his family.”

Several of Chen’s friends and colleagues wrote letters to the court on his behalf, but it did little good, as the judge granted Cooper’s mother’s wish and sentenced Chen to the maximum sentence possible.

During the investigation, it was revealed that Eric Cooper had been stabbed at least 177 times, mostly in his torso and head. The toddler, Cooper Chen, was cut across his neck at least 22 times. Sadly, the boy did not immediately die, and reports indicate that he seemed to have run to his dead father’s body before dying. Louis Chen then put the toddler’s body in the bathtub and tried to kill himself.

Chen’s attorney’s tried to argue that the physician suffered from mental illness and experienced a psychotic break from drinking too much cough syrup. According to court documents, experts for the defense testified during the sentencing phase that Chen’s depression and paranoia were exacerbated by a buildup of dextromethorphan, which they said can, in large amounts, contribute to psychosis.

Chen’s defense lawyers advocated for the minimum mandatory sentence of 24 years, because Chen was considered gentle and thoughtful by colleagues and had a history of hard work. They said he was an example of good deeds but then began to deteriorate mentally.

“He was psychotic to the point that it interfered with his ability to know right from wrong,” said defense attorney Todd Maybrown.

Senior Deputy Prosecutor Don Raz argued that Chen’s crimes were among the “the worst of the worst.”

He said Chen was fueled by rage, not mental illness. He said that fear over the couple’s impending breakup and the possibility of a child-custody battle helped Chen decide to commit the murders.

A psychiatrist who visited Chen several times after the murders testified that Chen suffers from paranoia and psychosis.

Before the killings, Chen reportedly expressed fear that Cooper was trying to take his money and that he initiated surveillance on his computer.

Inside Chen’s apartment, homicide detectives found a variety of medications, along with prescriptions and blood-soaked notes written by Chen. Prosecutors say Chen feared Cooper would report his pre-

scription-drug abuse and the abuse of his prescribing powers as a doctor, or use that information against Chen in a future childcustody dispute.

Raz said the prosecution believes that 49 years is a “reasonable sentence for the taking of two lives in the most horrific way possible.”

Judge Bowen agreed. Too many unknown variables were at play to help the court understand how much and when Chen took the various drugs around the time of the slayings, or to what extent they aggravated his mental condition, Judge Bowman said Friday.

Bowen also said that as a doctor, Chen should have known to seek help instead of self-medicate.

of the LGBT community. With more than 50% of the vote, Macri easily led the field of eight candidates. Shih pulled in close to 26% of the votes.

In the other 43rd District House seat, Speaker Frank Chopp was unopposed.

In the 48th Legislative District, incumbent Democrat Joan McBride pulled in over 77% of the vote against Libertarian challenger Benjamin Judah and will almost certainly win re-election in November. Rep. Laurie Jinkins was unopposed for her 27th District seat. Both McBride and Jinkins are members of the LGBT community.

Gov. Jay Inslee is running 10 points and almost 110,000 votes ahead of Republican challenger Bill Bryant, and polling shows him favored in November.

In the race for lieutenant governor, Seattle State Sen. Cyrus Habib will probably meet Republican Marty McClendon in November.

Former Seattle City Council member Tina Podlodowski trails Republican incumbent Kim Wyman in the race

for secretary of state, but only by three points and 36,809 votes, so she appears to remain competitive for the November general election.

Not all the openly LGBT candidates will appear on the November ballot, however.

State Sen. Marko Liias will not advance to the general election in his run for state treasurer. As SGN goes to press, the top two candidates in the race are Republicans Duane Davidson and Michael Waite. Liias will keep his senate seat, however, since the spot was not up for election in this cycle.

King County Councilmember Dave Upthegrove also failed to get through to the general election in the race for lands commissioner. Upthegrove will keep his seat on the County Council.

Gay Republican and craft brewer Pablo Monroy ran fourth in a field of four in the 31st Legislative District, taking less than 10% of the vote.

Photo courtesy of q13fox.com

ELECTION

continued from cover pal, openly Gay candidates Joe McDermott and Brady Walkinshaw are separated by some 1200 votes for the second spot and a chance in the November general election. McDermott, currently a King County Councilmember, led in early returns, but Walkinshaw took the lead as SGN headed for the presses.

All the leading candidates in the 7th District are Democrats, and the top two will face off in November.

In Seattle’s other congressional district, the 9th, veteran incumbent Adam Smith fended off a challenge from former State Rep. Jesse Wineberry, who charged that Smith had missed more than 90% of last year’s votes in Congress.

Smith won almost 57% of the primary votes and is likely to beat Republican Doug Basler in November.

On the Eastside, incumbent Republican Rep. Dave Reichert looks like a safe bet for re-election in the 8th Congressional District. In an odd twist, the second-place finisher is likely to be retired sportscaster Tony Ventrella. Although

Nicole Macri - Photo courtesy of nwfacts.com

Dan Shih - Photo courtesy of danshih.com

Ventrella withdrew from the race on July 1, ballots had already been printed with his name listed as a candidate, and name recognition carried him through.

Reichert will go up against long-shot candidate Santiago Ramos, a Democrat, in November.

In the 3rd Congressional District, openly Gay State Rep. Jim Moeller will go on to the November election, but he trails incumbent Republican Jaime Herrera Beutler by 30 points and 37,000 votes.

In the US Senate race, incumbent Democrat Patty Murray leads Republican Chris Vance by 25 points and 280,000 votes. Murray is almost certain to win in the November reprise.

In the race for the 43rd Legislative District House seat Walkinshaw gave up in order to run for Congress, Nicole Macri and Daniel Shih will likely face off in the November general election. Macri is a 14-year veteran at the Downtown Emergency Service Center; Shih is an attorney who’s done pro bono work with the ACLU and API Chaya. Both are members

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Photo courtesy of kpc.org

August 5, 2016

Seattle Gay News 5

Mississippi can’t enforce anti-LGBT law during appeal, judge says

US District Judge Carlton Reeves – Photo courtesy of wikipedia.org

by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer The federal district judge who prevented enforcement of Mississippi’s new religious exemption law now says the state may not enforce it while it appeals his ruling.

US District Judge Carlton Reeves ruled on August 1 that allowing Mississippi to enforce the measure at all would be discriminatory and unlawful. “[I]ssuing a marriage license to a gay couple is not like being forced into armed combat or to assist with an abortion. Matters of life and death are sui generis. If movants truly believe that providing services to LGBT citizens forces them to ‘tinker with the machinery of

death,’ their animus exceeds anything seen in Romer, Windsor, or the marriage equality cases,” he wrote, referencing the US Supreme Court’s LGBT rights precedents.

Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant signed the law on April 5, and Judge Reeves prevented it from going into effect on June 30. Bryant had moved for a stay of the judge’s June ruling preventing the law from going into effect, because the state intended to file an appeal of Reeves’s decision.

“The motions are denied,” Reeves wrote on August 1. “The baton is now passed [to the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals].”

The law in question allows individuals, religious organizations, and businesses to use the pretext of “sincerely held religious beliefs or moral convictions” to discriminate against LGBT people.

“Under the guise of providing additional protection for religious exercise, it creates a vehicle for state-sanctioned discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity,” Reeves wrote in his June 30 ruling. “It is not rationally related to a legitimate end.”

Animus is one test that determines if a law is constitutional. Relationship to a legitimate state concern is another. A law that is motivated by animus – irrational hatred of a particular group – or is not related to a legitimate purpose the state should be concerned with is likely unconstitutional.

The Mississippi law violated the First Amendment’s establishment clause and the 14th Amendment’s equal protection clause, Reeves ruled.

Marco Rubio to mark two-month anniversary of Orlando massacre with anti-Gay event

Marco Rubio – Photo courtesy of crooksandliars.com

by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer Florida Sen. Marco Rubio will mark the two-month anniversary of the Orlando massacre with an event organized by Liberty Counsel, the anti-Gay outfit that represented Kim Davis.

Rubio is now trying to rescue his political career from the wreck of his unsuccessful presidential campaign by running for re-election to the US Senate.

He will be featured as the headline speaker at the August 12 event billed as “Rediscovering God in America Renewal Project.” Attorney Matt Staver, who represented Davis in her court cases, will also speak.

An investigation recently found that Staver secretly helped draft anti-LGBT “re-

ligious freedom” legislation in at least 20 states. He is noted for extreme anti-LGBT language.

“We’ve opened the door for every rapist and pedophile,” Staver has charged.

“Frankly, when you look at some of the people behind the North Carolina [LGBT anti-discrimination] law and some of these other laws, who are they?

“They have been identified – some of them that have been advocating this – as pedophiles. Some of this is being financed by those who are actively promoting pedophilia.”

Staver’s wife, who is president of Liberty Counsel, says she carries a handgun into public restrooms to fend off Transgender women.

In the field of Republican presidential candidates, Rubio was considered a moderate, but he was outspoken against LGBT rights on the campaign trail. Nevertheless, he traveled with President Obama to Orlando to pay his respects to the victims of the massacre and their families.

HRC spokesperson Jay Brown accused Rubio of “staggering” hypocrisy.

“To be using the tragedy in Orlando as a time to reflect on his Senate career, when his career and his promises on the campaign trail have been anti-LGBTQ consistently, it’s just staggering to think he would be using this moment for his own personal ambitions,” Brown said.

Trump aide threatens “bloodbath” if he loses Even fellow Republicans question Trump’s sanity

by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer A leading advisor to Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump has threatened a “bloodbath” if Trump loses the election.

Roger Stone, a veteran GOP operative and once a Nixon confidant, told homocon Milo Yiannopoulos on a July 29 Breitbart podcast that he believes voter fraud will be “widespread” in this year’s election and there will be civil unrest if Hillary Clinton is fraudulently elected.

“If there’s voter fraud, this election will be illegitimate,” Stone said, “the election of the winner will be illegitimate, we will have a constitutional crisis, widespread civil disobedience, and the government will no longer be the government.”

He also promised a “bloodbath” if the Democrats attempt to “steal” the election.

Stone’s claims of impending electoral fraud were repeated by Trump himself on August 1.

“I’m afraid the election is going to be rigged, I have to be honest,” Mr. Trump told a rally in Columbus, Ohio. He added that he has been hearing “more and more” that the election may not be honest, but did not elaborate further.

Trump spent months during the Republican primary charging that the GOP’s system of allocating delegates was “rigged” against him.

6 Seattle Gay News

Roger Stone (left) and Donald Trump (right) – Photo courtesy of Zerofiltered.com

Experts say that voter fraud is so rare it is statistically insignificant, however.

“So far, I’ve found about 31 different incidents (some of which involve multiple ballots) since 2000, anywhere in the country,” law professor Justin Levitt, who has studied the issue for years, wrote in 2014.

“To put this in perspective, the 31 incidents below come in the context of general, primary, special, and municipal elections from 2000 through 2014. In general and primary elections alone, more than one billion ballots were cast in that period.”

Meanwhile, even prominent Republicans have publicly questioned their nomi-

August 5, 2016

nee’s sanity.

“Donald Trump is not of sound mind,” senior writer Stephen Hayes wrote in the conservative magazine The Weekly Standard.

He “appears haunted by multiple personality disorders,” David Brooks said in the New York Times.

“Trump is crazy. And you can’t fix crazy,” Michael Bloomberg aide Kevin Sheekey told the New York Times after Trump announced his desire to “hit” Bloomberg.

“We can gloss over it, laugh about it, analyze it, but Donald Trump is not a well

man,” Stuart Stevens, chief strategist to Mitt Romney’s 2012 campaign, tweeted.

Stevens, the most prominent political figure to comment on Trump’s mental health, admitted that he is “no doctor or psychiatrist.” But he charged that the available evidence leads to two possible conclusions: either Trump has a substance abuse problem, which appears unlikely, or “there is something definitely off about him.”

“At best, this is a very damaged person,” Stevens added. “And there’s probably something more serious going on.”

Celebrating 41 Years!

SCOTUS OKs stay in Virginia Trans ruling

High schooler Gavin Grimm – Photo courtesy of aclu.org

by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer The US Supreme Court has stayed a ruling that would allow a Transgender high school student in Virginia to use the school restroom appropriate for his gender identity.

Gavin Grimm won the right to use the boys’ restroom in a 4th Circuit Court ruling this year, but the Gloucester County, Va., school board appealed the decision to the US Supreme Court and asked for a stay pending the high court’s decision.

The 4th Circuit denied the motion for a stay on June 9, causing the school district to petition the Supreme Court to bar Grimm from the boys’ restroom pending a final disposition of the case.

Ruling on August 3, the Supreme Court voted 5-3 to stay the appeals court decision until they could decide whether to hear the case.

All the women on the court – Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Sonia Sotomayor, and Elena Kagan – voted against the stay.

Justice Stephen Breyer joined the court’s conservative members to grant the stay out of “courtesy,” Breyer said.

Breyer and Justice Anthony Kennedy, who also voted to grant the stay, are usually considered reliable votes for LGBT rights.

The stay will remain in place until the justices decide whether to review the 4th Circuit ruling.

The National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR), which filed an amicus brief in the 4th Circuit case on behalf of the World Professional Association of Transgender Health and other medical and mental health organizations, said it looked forward to the Supreme Court’s final decision on the case.

“While disappointing, today’s ruling by the Supreme Court is just a temporary delay,” NCLR Legal Director Shannon Minter said.

“Especially in light of Justice Breyer’s statement that his vote for a stay was a mere ‘courtesy’ to preserve the status quo while the Court considers whether to review the decision, this should not be taken as any sign of where a majority of the Court is leaning on the substantive question of whether Title IX protects transgender students. Across the country, courts and policymakers are recognizing that discrimination against transgender people is sex discrimination. We are confident that if and when this issue reaches the Supreme Court, the Court will affirm that recognition.”

BiNet USA launches #bistories

BiNet USA is a national nonprofit, bisexuality organization – Photo courtesy of binetusa.org

by Shaun Knittel SGN Associate Editor BiNet USA is working to collect stories from people who believe in the values of freedom and opportunity – and agree it’s time to end discrimination against LGBT people nationwide.

According to BiNet, the stories will be collected as part of a program aimed at “raising awareness of the discrimination bi+ people face, as well as the journeys of those who love and support them.”

The Bisexual advocacy group says that 20% of Bisexual people report experiencing a negative employment decision based on their sexual orientation, while 60% report hearing homophobic jokes or comments in their workplace, making it hostile.

BiNet also says that 25% of Bisexual men and 30% of Bisexual women live in poverty. Additionally, it reports that 44% of Bisexual youth report thinking about suicide each month, while 21% of Bisexual youth

report making one suicide attempt in the prior year.

BiNet says that if Bisexual people share their stories of loving a Bisexual or of experiencing discrimination, they could save lives.

“Even though bisexual people make up more than one-half of the lesbian, gay and bisexual population, our stories of discrimination rarely appear in the media or in testimony before legislative committees,” says the BiNet website. “We need to educate the general public, policymakers and mobilize the bi community and our allies to demand change. This project is designed to start fixing this shameful reality by putting a spotlight on the real stories of discrimination bi people face every day. We need your help to do this!

“If you are Bi, and you have experienced discrimination because of your sexual orientation, your voice matters and BiNet USA wants to hear from you. If you are a parent, sibling, aunt/uncle or grandparent of a bi person who has been on a journey to accept your Bi family member, your story matters and Bi Net USA wants to hear from you.

“Sharing your story will help make the case that Americans of all walks of life should believe in protecting their Bi neighbors from discrimination.”

BiNet may follow up with people who share their stories for more information. Go to www.binetusa.org/bistories and fill out the online form. If you have any questions about the project, email bistories@binetusa.org.

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Protect LGBTQ students, AFT says

by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer The American Federation of Teachers (AFT) national convention has passed a resolution calling for national policies to protect LGBTQ students and support their success in schools.

The union of 1.6 million members ranks as the third largest in the country, after the National Education Association (NEA), another teachers’ union, and the Service Employees International Union (SEIU).

The AFT resolution calls for the adoption “of policies that support the safety and educational achievement of LGBTQ students in K-12 as well as postsecondary education, [and] that specifically ensure that transgender students have equal access consistent with their gender identity to sexsegregated facilities and programs…”

“AFT has long been a supporter of the LGBTQ movement, going back to 1970, when their executive council passed a resolution denouncing discrimination against gay and lesbian teachers,” Pride At Work executive director Jerame Davis said in a statement. “This week’s resolution only confirms the important social justice work they have been doing since its beginning.”

Pride At Work is a national LGBT labor organization, like the AFT affiliated with the AFL-CIO. As its model of LGBTQ-friendly school policy, the AFT pointed to a Michigan State Board of Education document titled Guidance on Safe and Supportive Learning Environments for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Questioning (LGBTQ) Students.

The Michigan document specifically recommends that schools: 1. Implement anti-bullying policies explicitly protecting LGBTQ students; 2. Offer professional development opportunities on issues affecting LGBTQ students;

3. Support extracurricular clubs such as GayStraight Alliances; 4. Develop meaningful family engagement and support for families of LGBTQ students; 5. integrate respect for human rights, including LGBTQ rights, across the curriculum; 6. Provide developmentally appropriate resources on LGBTQ issues (e.g., in libraries and faculty resources); 7. Collect and review data to identify disparities and barriers for LGBTQ students; 8. Designate a building-level staff person who is conversant in issues relating to sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression; and 9. Adopt specific policies for ensuring transgender students are treated in a manner consistent with their gender identity, including using chosen names and pronouns; changing names and gender in school records; ensuring student privacy and confidentiality in disclosing private student information; providing access to facilities and programs according to the student’s gender identity; implementing gender-neutral dress codes; and reviewing all gender-based activities.

The AFT also promised it “will support training for union members, staff, and leadership, as well as all instructional staff, school-related personnel, and administrators at the school, district, institutional, and state levels, to deepen understanding of LGBTQ issues and policy implementation to support LGBTQ students, including training specific to the needs of transgender and gender-nonconforming students.”

The union said it would “press states to adopt measures that ensure transgender people full participation in society, including the right to use facilities in accordance with their gender identities, creating a state that is a safe and welcoming place, where communities can recognize the talents and skills of all their residents, regardless of gender identity or expression.”

Roy Moore stays suspended, federal judge rules

Roy Moore claims he isn’t a rogue judge – Photo courtesy of wsj.com

by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer A federal judge has tossed out a lawsuit seeking to reinstate Roy Moore as chief justice of the Alabama Supreme Court.

Moore was suspended from his post as a result of an ethics complaint stemming from his instructions to Alabama judicial officials to ignore the US Supreme Court decision legalizing same-sex marriage.

Moore’s attorneys filed suit against the Alabama Judicial Inquiry Commission, claiming its suspension of Moore violated his First Amendment rights. The Commission is empowered to investigate complaints against state judges.

US District Judge Harold Albritton ruled on August 4 that he would not preempt the state’s review of Moore’s conduct.

August 5, 2016

“The Supreme Court of the United States has long recognized the importance of federal courts not interfering with ongoing state court proceedings, except under very limited circumstances,” Albritton wrote in his brief decision.

Mat Staver, an attorney for Moore, said they had not yet decided whether to appeal Albritton’s ruling.

“Alabama’s automatic removal provision goes against the assumption in law that a person is innocent until proven otherwise,” Staver said in a statement. “This provision should be struck down.”

This is not Moore’s only run-in with the ethics commission. In 2003 he was removed from his post as chief justice for refusing to remove a religious display from public property. He returned as chief justice after the 2012 election.

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OLYMPICS

continued from cover (basketball); Kelly Griffin and Jillion Potter (rugby); Megan Rapinoe (soccer); and Ashley Nee (kayak whitewater slalom).

Delle Donne publicly came out this week, telling Vogue.com that she is happily engaged to her longtime partner Amanda Clifton.

Rapinoe plays professionally for the Seattle Reign FC and is a friend of Seattle Sounders FC captain Brad Evans, who was interviewed in the SGN in June. She was a member of both the gold medal squad at the 2012 London Olympics and last year’s FIFA Women’s World Cup championship team.

Diving star Tom Daley, who is engaged to Oscar-winning screenwriter Dustin Lance Black (Milk), will compete again for Great Britain, or Team GB. He and fellow diver Peter Waterfield just missed out on bronze medals in London, finishing fourth in the 10m synchronized diving competition.

Also competing for Team GB are Nicola Adams (boxing), Tom Bosworth (race walk), Carl Hester and Spencer Wilton (equestrian), and three women’s field hockey players, Helen Richardson-Walsh, Kate Richardson-Walsh, and Susannah Townsend.

The host nation, Brazil, is not entirely the most LGBT-friendly country, even in South America; Argentina is easily the winner there. But four LGBT athletes are representing the land of samba: Larissa

França (beach volleyball), Ian Matos (diving), Mayssa Pessoa (handball), and Julia Vasconcelos (taekowndo).

Meanwhile, our neighbors up north are sending a trio of LGBT participants to Rio. Stephanie Labbe, Marie-Eve Nault, and Melissa Tancredi are all members of Canada’s national women’s soccer team, who are expected to compete strongly and possibly challenge Team USA for gold.

Two athletes in particular are representing countries that are perhaps not best known for embracing gay culture. Dutee Chand, a track-and-field competitor, will become the first Indian sprinter at the Olympics in 36 years, having won two gold medals at the 2014 Asian Junior Athletics Championships. And one of the most attractive Olympians heading to Rio is Tongan swimmer Amini Fonua, who is also half British.

Although men’s gymnastics raises eyebrows, and sets off many gaydars, only one gymnast, Jeffrey Wammes of the Netherlands, is openly gay. Four other LGBT Dutch national team members will accompany him to Brazil: Carlien Dirkse van den Heuvel and Maartje Paumen (women’s field hockey) and Edward Gal and Hans Peter Minderhoud (equestrian).

LGBT athletes from Australia, Finland, France, Germany, New Zealand, South Africa, and Sweden have also qualified for the 2016 Summer Olympics. Joining them are three publicly out head coaches: Jill Ellis (women’s soccer, USA), Alyson Annan (women’s field hockey, the Netherlands), and former American national team coach Pia Sundhage, who leads her native Swed-

ish team into the women’s soccer tournament. Robert Dover is also part of the Team USA equestrian’s contingent as an assistant coach.

Worth noting is American diver and gold medalist Greg Louganis, who is traveling with the US diving team to Rio as both a mentor and personal supporter.

Although the Olympics don’t officially kick off with the Opening Ceremony until August 5, some events have already begun, including Team USA women’s soccer defeat of New Zealand on August 3 in Pool G play and several swimming preliminary heats.

The Rio Games run through August 21.

Swimmer Amini Fonua Photo courtesy @aminifonua

British judge says UK should pay for PrEP

by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer A British High Court judge has ruled that the UK’s National Health Service (NHS), the country’s single-payer healthcare system, can pay for PrEP. NHS had previously claimed it was legally barred from prescribing PrEP – even for at-risk applicants – because it was a preventive measure and therefore should be paid for by local councils.

The ruling came in a lawsuit brought by the National AIDS Trust, Britain’s leading HIV/AIDS service organization.

The NHS says it will appeal.

Using PrEP has been shown to reduce the risk of HIV infection by 86%, but the once-a-day pill costs £400 a month per person, at a time when the country’s government is following an austerity policy.

“This is fantastic news,” National AIDS Trust CEO Deborah Gold said

when the High Court’s ruling was announced. “It is vindication for the many people who were let down when NHS England absolved itself of responsibility for PrEP.” She urged the NHS to act immediately to fund PrEP. “PrEP works,” Gold added. “It saves money and it will make an enormous difference to the lives of men and women across the country who are at risk of acquiring HIV. The delay to commissioning PrEP is both unethical and expensive.”

Councillor Izzi Seccombe of the Local Government Association, which represents Britain’s local councils, said she was “pleased” with the ruling.

“We firmly rejected the argument by the NHS that it should fall to councils,” she told BBC News.

But a spokesman for NHS England said it would appeal the decision because Parliament did not intend for the NHS to pay for preventive medicine.

“NHS England has considered the judgment carefully and has taken legal advice,” NHS said in its statement.

Councillor Izzi Seccombe of the Local Government Association Photo courtesy nhsconfed.org

“Queen’s Counsel has advised that the court’s ruling interprets the legislation governing NHS England’s role and functions in a way that is inconsistent with Parliament’s intention.”

Harry Dodd, one of about 500 Gay men in England who are taking PrEP as part of a clinical study, told BBC News that the court decision was a “huge” relief.

“I’ve seen the panic on the face of previous boyfriends when they are awaiting their [HIV test] results – it’s a huge fear and it affects everything you do,” he said. “To be able to have sex without having that fear hanging over you all the time is huge.”

“Too many people seem to think it will encourage a hedonistic lifestyle, but for me this is about saving lives,” he added.

National AIDS Trust CEO Deborah Gold Photo courtesy thirdsector.co.uk

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Celebrating 41 Years!

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August 5, 2016 Grand Mufti Shawki Allam, Egyptian cleric - Photo courtesy of cnn.com

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ALL PHOTOS BY ERNIE LOU

10 Seattle Gay News

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Celebrating 41 Years!

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August 5, 2016

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August 5, 2016

Celebrating 41 Years!

Gays are sinners but don’t hurt them, Egyptian Muslim cleric says

by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer The chief Muslim cleric in Egypt has condemned the Orlando massacre and said that Muslims may not harm Gays, even though homosexuality is sinful.

Egyptian Grand Mufti Shawki Allam said in an interview with the German publication Süddeutsche Zeitung that Muslims may not harm others, even sinners.

“Yes, it is religiously not allowed and not accepted practice in Islam,” Allam said.

“But that does not give anyone the right to hurt homosexuals or take the law into their own hands.

“Even if we view homosexuality as a religious sin, that does not give anyone the freedom to injure another person in any way. Each person is equally inviolable.

What happened in Orlando is totally unacceptable.”

A grand mufti is the chief religious authority in a number of Sunni Muslim countries and is empowered to issue fatwas, or religious rulings, as well as supervise religious courts. Since Allam’s statement on Gays came in the context of a newspaper interview, it does not carry the force of law as a fatwa would.

Gay sex is not specifically illegal in Egypt, but Gays may be charged under morality laws that carry penalties of up to 17 years at hard labor. The Egyptian government has been cracking down on the local LGBT community, with raids on bathhouses and other popular meeting places.

Although the Orlando shooter claimed allegiance to ISIS, and the group subsequently praised the killings, other Muslim religious leaders have distanced themselves from hate crimes against LGBT people.

Grand Mufti Shawki Allam, Egyptian cleric - Photo courtesy of cnn.com

Even before Orlando, a leading Saudi cleric said that governments should not punish Gays but leave that task to God in the afterlife.

“Even though homosexuality is considered a sin in all the Semitic holy books, it does not require any punishment in this world,” Salman al-Ouda said in an interview with the English-language Israeli newspaper The Jerusalem Post. “It is a sin that will accompany [the Gay person] in the

life after death.”

Al-Ouda is a member of the International Union for Muslim Scholars and director of the Islam Today website, but unlike Allam, who is considered a moderate, al-Ouda is associated with the Muslim fundamentalist Salafist movement.

One of the religious traditions Salafists uphold says that unless sinners explicitly reject God they remain Muslims and therefore may not be killed by other Muslims.

“Homosexuals are not deviating from Islam,” al-Ouda explained. “Homosexuality is a grave sin, but those who say that homosexuals deviate from Islam are the real deviators.

“By condemning homosexuals to death they are committing a graver sin than homosexuality itself.”

Gay Syrian refugee decapitated in Istanbul

by Shaun Knittel SGN Associate Editor Imagine f leeing your native country because of violence, only to end up kidnapped, raped, tortured, and murdered in the new place you hoped would become “home.” It’s appalling.

It is hard to imagine that such a thing could happen to you, or anyone else for that matter, but tragically it can.

On July 25, the decapitated body of a Gay man who f led Syria for Turkey was found so badly mutilated that friends of the man could only identify him by the pants he had on.

Muhammad Wisam Sankari left his home on July 23 in Aksaray in central Turkey and went missing. Two days later, in the Yenkapi quarter of Istanbul – more than 300 miles away – Wisam’s lifeless body was found.

Sadly, say the man’s friends, Wisam had been trying to flee Turkey because he feared for his safety. Friends say he’d been kidnapped and raped by a group of men before.

His housemates told media that Wisam endured daily threats and could not depend on authorities for help because the police did nothing.

“We were staying in a different house before and we had to leave that house just because we are gay,” said one housemate, Rayan. “People around would constantly stare at us. We

Victim Muhammad Wisam Sankari Photo courtesy of newsweek.com

did not do anything immoral. About five months ago, a group kidnapped Wisam… They took him to a forest, beat him, and raped him. They were going to kill him, but Wisam saved himself by jumping at the road. We complained to the police but nothing happened.”

Another friend, Gorkem, who was among friends who went to identify Wisam’s body on Sunday, said, “They had cut Wisam so violently that two knives had broken inside him. They beheaded him. His upper body was beyond recognition – his internal organs were outside.”

According to refugee advocates, Wisam’s story is not unique. Refugees come to Turkey to escape the war in Syria, but for those who are Gay refugees, a new war begins. Turkey is often looked at as more accepting than other Muslim countries, but the government canceled Istanbul Pride this year and

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turned hoses and tear gas on LGBT demonstrators in Taksim Square in June.

“I was kidnapped twice before,” says Diya, another housemate. “They let me go in Cerkezkoy and I barely got home one time. I went to the UN for my identification, but they did not even respond to that. No one cares about us. They just talk. I get threats over the phone.”

“It does not matter if you are Syrian or Turkish, if you are gay, you are everyone’s target,” he said, adding that

many times the very men who attack them for being Gay are the ones who solicit them for sex.

Diya says they live in constant fear and, after Wisam’s murder, can only wonder “who is next?”

“ASAM [the Association for Solidarity with Asylum Seekers and Migrants] and the UN don’t do anything for us,” says Diya. “We can only protect ourselves. We stay together to protect ourselves. We cannot get any information or answers. Just talk.”

Riot police chase LGBT activists while passing rainbow flag Photo courtesy of Murad Sezer/Reuters

August 5, 2016

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Vancouver, BC, adopts Seattle Police Department’s SAFE Place program prog ra m because it shows that cops a nd t he com mu n it y ca n get a long, people ca n help each other out even if they a re st rangers. It also sends a st rong message to would-be cr i m ina ls look i ng to assault, i nti m idate, or rob members of the LGBTQ community that that m ight not be a good idea, t hat t he com mu n it y – wh ich includes straight allies and business owners – is watching them.

“Essent ia l ly you a re suppor t i ng victi ms to enter you r prem ises, assisti ng t hem to ca ll t he pol ice, a nd a l lowi ng t hem to wa it unti l we a rr ive,” Const able Da le Qui r i ng sa id in a shor t video announcing the pro gram.

People can spot SA F E Place locations by a ra inbow- colored deca l in the shape of a police badge, just li ke in Seattle, where the program got its sta r t.

Se cu r it y c onc er n s a r ou nd t h is yea r’s P r ide celebrations were been heightened in t he wa ke of t he mass shooti ng i nside of t he P ulse n ightclub i n O rla ndo, F la., i n wh ich 49 people were k illed.

by Shaun Knittel SGN Associate Editor SA F E Pl a c e, t h e S e a t t le Po l ic e D e p a r t m ent (SPD) p r og r a m launched by SPD LGBTQ Com munity Liaison Officer Jim R itter in May 2015, has been adopted by a number of p ol ic e depa r t ment s a rou nd t he nation.

L a st w i nt e r, R it t e r wa s i nt e rviewed by a Japanese news crew and feat u red i n a stor y t hat was broadca st to m i l l ions of Japa nese d ays later. Wit h help f rom t he loca l so cial justice organization Social Outreach Seat t le, R it t er a nd compa ny have even put t he prog ra m i n K i ng Cou nt y schools as a n a nt i-LGBTQ bullying tool for educators to better protect LGBTQ st udents – or t hose who a re thought to be LGBTQ – who repor t bei ng bul l ied or t h reatened by other students.

However, it wasn’t until last week that the program had yet to officially go inter national.

On July 27, the Vancouver, British Columbia, Police Depa r tment (VPD) a n nounced t he Ca nadia n cit y’s version of SA F E Place to media across the countr y. Police officials li ke the

Courtesy Vancouver Police Department

Curb appeal

How to make your home attractive to buyers

by Jeff Hammerberg, President www.GayRealEstate.com Once a homeowner has decided to sell their home, one of the first things they do is start to clean up the property. Making basic repairs to the interior of your home, such as putting down new flooring or painting the walls, is a start, but if potential buyers never get inside your home, they will never see these improvements. This is why real estate professionals stress “curb appeal,” or the view of your home from the curb. Those listings that have great curb appeal are much more likely to bring in more potential buyers, which in turn results in a greater chance of selling your home quickly. Some potential buyers will walk away if they see an exterior that appears to be in disrepair, even if the interior of the home is amazing.

There are a number of different ways to improve your home’s curb appeal, and while some will cost you a good amount, others are fairly cheap or have no costs associated with them.

The first free thing you can do is to always keep the grass mowed, the f lowerbeds weeded, and the yard in general cleaned up. Dead f lowers, bushes, and other plants should be removed and replaced as needed. This is fairly easy to do if you are living on the proper-

14 Seattle Gay News

ty while you try to sell it, but it could require weekly or biweekly visits if you are not and it’s during the spring or summer. While this takes work, it doesn’t take a lot of money and will keep the property in good shape. For those who have moved out of the area, hiring a neighbor or lawn service to keep the property maintained until it sells is an option.

Painting the exterior is another way of boosting curb appeal. While this takes a little more money and effort than simply keeping the grass mowed, it is worth the work in that it makes the home look newer. A fresh coat of paint can completely change the feel of a property, especially if the house hasn’t been painted in years. Repainting trim and siding can be just as important, especially if they are showing defects.

Sellers are cautioned to keep the color scheme fairly neutral, however - some buyers are turned off by bright colors or unusual shades. Even if you don’t repaint the entire home, painting the front door and doing some touch-ups here and there can do wonders.

Another area to look at for repairs is downspouts and gutters. If the gutter system is fairly old, it may have places that are rusted or that have come unattached from the home. Repairing or completely replacing the gutters can help improve your curb appeal and

August 5, 2016

may save you work later on if the buyer notices the gutters are in disrepair and adds that to the list of items they would like you to replace.

The final step of repairs and upgrades comes in the form of railings, planters, trellises, and the mailbox.

All of these things need to be looked at with a critical eye and repaired or replaced if they are visibly aged or damaged. Railings especially need to be inspected and tightened if they are loose. House numbers and the outdoor light should also be appraised and replaced if needed.

Then there are areas where you can add or improve upon your home’s curb appeal. If you have no landscaping, for example, there are a few different ways of adding plants to the property without spending a lot of time or money. Adding potted flowers or hanging baskets to the porch, for example, is fairly easy to do and is fairly affordable. Adding window boxes is another solution, although this does take more work. The end result, however, can create a very welcoming “face” for your home.

While these are general suggestions that will help increase the curb appeal of any home, your real estate agent will be able to help you with improvements that are specific to your property. Your agent is your best resource when it comes to selling your

home, which is why it’s vital that you work with someone you feel comfortable with. For those in the GLBT community, this often means a Realtor who shares your values. Finding a GLBT real estate agent is easier today than it ever has been thanks to www.GayRealEstate.com. This resource includes a database of real estate professionals located across the country.

Improving your home’s curb appeal is certainly not the only thing that goes into selling a home, and it may not even be the determining factor in the sale, but it can get more potential buyers through the door. While the saying of “you can never judge a book by its cover” does apply, having a great view from the curb certainly can’t hurt.

Courtesy of gayrealestate.com

Celebrating 41 Years!

E-cigarettes to quit smoking

by Andie Lesowske MD Swedish Family Medicine Resident 3 Swedish Medical Center Special to the SGN T he LGBT com mu n it y is d ispro p or t ionat ely i mpact e d by tobacco.

Smok i ng preva lence a mong L GBT i nd ividu a ls i n t he U. S. is h ig her than among the total US population.

This is in pa r t due to the aggressive ma rketing of tobacco products to the com mun it y. More, t he socia l st ress of l ivi ng i n a societ y t hat ca n b e hostile to LGBT people plays a factor in higher smoking rates, par ticularly among LGBT youth. According to the American Cancer Society, tobacco use ta kes the lives of 40,0 0 0 LGBT individuals per year.

Li fe exp ect a ncy is reduced by th ree months for ever y yea r a person smokes, after age 35 yea rs; this equates to an average reduction of 12 years of life. Only a fraction of these deaths are due to lung cancer. W hat is less well k nown is that tobacco sign if ica ntly increases t he r isk of heart attack, stroke and lung disease, including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (aka COPD or emphysema). W hile many people who smoke k now of these hea lth r isks, they a re unable to stop smok ing.

goa l of re duci ng t he exp osu re to ha r m ful tobacco.

T here a re va r ious rea sons why t he st a nd a rd n icot i ne replacement t herapies a re not successf ul. Nico t i ne repla c ement s of fer a l i m it e d a mou nt of n icot i ne at a level not h igh enough for some people. Plus, t he rat e of n icot i ne ef fe ct ca n b e slower wit h t he medici na l n icoti ne t herapies as compa re d to smok i ng tobacco. Fu r t her, a patch, g u m or lozenge fa i ls to reproduce ma ny of t he behaviora l a nd sensor y aspects of smok i ng. However, E - ciga ret tes r epl icat e m a ny of t he b ehav ior a l cha ract er ist ics of smok i ng. I n t he U K, E - ciga ret t es a re t he pr i ma r y a id used i n at tempts to quit smoking.

E - ciga r et t es ca me t o t he U. S. ma rket a round 20 09. T hey were develop e d by a pha r macist i n Ch i na who was a th ree-pack-per-day smoker. ( Nothing unusual in China where more t ha n 30 0 m i l l ion a re reg ula r smokers.) T h is pha r macist saw h is fat her, a lso a heav y smoker, die of lung cancer and decided he wanted a safer smok ing alter native.

E-ciga rettes use batter y power to heat a coil that wa r ms a solution, or “e-juice,” resulti ng i n a vapor t hat ca n be in ha led by the user. Noth ing is bu r ned. T here is no ash. T here is

propylene glycol and vegetable glycer i n. T he f lavors ra nge f rom blueber r y pa nca kes to clove, to va n illa, to ciga r, to you na me it. As for t he nicotine, the amount of nicotine va ries as well. T here a re fou r com mon n icot i ne levels: t h re e, si x, 12, a nd 18 mg. T he lower levels a re recommended for l ight to medium smokers with the higher level for heavier smoker s. E -ju ice is a lso ava i lable without nicotine.

As for my patients usi ng e- cigaret t es for smok i ng cessat ion, t hey st a r t wit h a n e-juice cont a in ing the nicotine level that matches thei r tobacco usage, for example, high nicotine levels for heavier smokers, a nd t hey wea n down t he n icot i ne level over ti me. T he ulti mate goa l is no nicotine use and no vaping.

As I st ated before, it’s t he tox ic chem ica ls that a re created when to bacco a nd f iller products bu r n t hat a re d a ngerous for smokers a nd for the people a round them. Bottom line for e- ciga ret tes, if there is a way to del iver n icot i ne wit hout t he expo su re to tox i ns, one m ight avoid t he hea lth problems associated with to bacco. T hat’s why in Apr il 2016 the Un ited K ingdom’s Roya l College of Physicia ns r e com mende d of fer i ng e - ciga ret tes as a tool for smok i ng c essat ion. P ubl ic Hea lt h E ngla nd

u n k nown. T here have b e en on ly a sma l l nu mber of scient i f ic st ud ies assessing the safety of vaping. Some e-juices were tested a nd cont a i ned ha r m f u l chem ica ls, such a s a nt if reeze (hence the move towa rd F DA reg u lat ion). T he long-t er m hea lt h effects a re a lso un k nown. T he r isk of second-ha nd exposu re to smoked vapor is unclea r. T here is a lso r isk of self-inju r y, as some devices have caught on fi re. We still have a lot to lea r n about e-ciga rettes.

I f you a re i nterested i n quit ti ng smok i ng, c on sid e r u si ng e - c iga rettes. I also encourage you to ma ke a n appoi nt ment wit h you r pr i ma r y ca re provider a nd ask about vapi ng as a tool to quit. Remember, however, that the data on e-ciga rettes is l i m ited. You r provider may not be up to the m inute on this specific resea rch, so I encou rage you to look i nto t he Br it ish d at a for you rsel f: visit P ubl ic Hea lt h Engla nd’s web site at w w w.gov.u k /gover n ment /org a n i s a t io n s / p u bl i c - h e a lt h - e ng l a n d and sea rch “e-ciga rettes.”

For more i n for mat ion on smoking a nd cessation at Swedish ht t p:// www.swedish.org/ser vices/thoracics u r g e r y/o u r- s e r v i c e s / lu n g- c a n c e rsc r e en i ng-p rog r a m /smok i ng- c essation Q u it- sm o k i ng t r e a t m e nt s m ay

The many options of E-cigarettes - Photo courtesy of wikimedia.org

T here a re a nu mb er of rea sons why a person sta r ts smok ing – social c on ne c t ion, st i mu la t ion, ap p et it e suppression, etc. Pa r t of smok i ng’s ef fect on t he body is due to n ico tine, a n addictive subst a nce. At t he a mou nt of n icot i ne absorbe d f rom ciga r et t es, n ic ot i ne caus es l it t le, i f a ny, ha r m. It is t he ca rci nogens, ca rbon monoxide, a nd t housa nds of ot her tox i ns i n tobacco smoke t hat k i l l. M a ny h e a lt h o rga n i z a t ion s promot e smok i ng cessat ion by re pla ci ng toba c co wit h me d ici na l ly l icensed n icoti ne wit h t he ulti mate

no smoke. T here is si mply a l iquid t hat is heat e d i n a sma l l cha mber creating a vapor that can be in haled.

T here a re a few d i f ferent pa r t s to a n E - ciga ret te or vapi ng device, wh ich a l lows a user to custom i z e thei r exper ience. T hey come in different st yles wit h di fferent appea rances, from resembling a traditional ciga ret t e to a moder n box device.

T he most i mp or t a nt custom i zable component is t he e-juice. T he st a nd a rd e -ju ic e is a c ombi nat ion of f lavor i ng a nd n icoti ne dissolved i n

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suppor ted t h is st at i ng: “T here has been an overall shift towa rds the inaccu rate perception of e- ciga ret tes b ei ng as ha r m f u l as ciga ret t es … [yet] t he cu r rent exp er t s est i mat e t hat u si ng e - ciga ret tes is a rou n d 95% safer than smoking.”

No for ma l medica l society in the U. S. has released a simila r statement rega rdi ng e- ciga ret tes for smok i ng cessat ion. However, t he F DA wi l l now be regulating these devices.

There a re health concer ns rega rding E - ciga ret tes as ma ny th ings a re

b e f re e or re duc e d pr ic e t h roug h i n su r a nc e, he a lt h pla n s, or cl i nics. St ate Medica id prog ra ms cover qu it-smok i ng t reat ment s. You ca n ca ll 1-80 0 - QU I T-NOW (1-80 0 -784 8669). Quitline coaches ca n a nswer quest ions, help you develop a quit plan and provide suppor t.

August 5, 2016

Seattle Gay News 15

PrEP Update: The Facts Speak for Themselves St a t i s t i c s ex p o si ng t h e low u p t a k e o n P r E P r eg a r d i ng h ow few p e o p l e r e a l ly a r e o n P r E P we r e p r e s ent e d by G i le a d a t t h e A m e r ica n So ciet y for M ic r obiolog y Confer enc e i n Ju ne. I n r esp on s e, A I DS He a lt h c a r e Fo u n d a t io n (A H F ) h a s r ol le d o ut a n ew n a t ion a l a d c a m p a ig n ch a l leng i ng t h e hy p e ve r su s r e a l it y on p r e - exp osu r e p r ophyla xis for H I V p r event ion.

A H F ’s “O p en L et t er t o t he C D C on P rE P ” a d ca mpa ig n st a r t e d r u nn i ng i n eig ht US m a r ket s o r c it ie s n a t ionw id e: New Yo r k, L o s A nge les, Sa n Fr a ncisc o, At la nt a, Da l la s, Wa s h i n g t o n, D C , S o u t h F l o r i d a a n d S e a t t l e t h e we e k of Ju ly 21, 2 016.

F o l l ow i n g a r e A H F ’s r e m a r k s ab out t hei r ca mpa ig n: L O S A NGE L E S (Ju ly 21, 2 016 ) – Beg i n n i ng t h is we ek, A I DS He a lt hc a r e Fou nd at ion (A H F ) w i l l r ol l o u t a n ew n a t i o n a l a d c a m p a ig n i n t h e US i n t h e fo r m of a n “O p en L et t er t o t he C D C on P rE P.” T h e a d ch a l lenge s t h e hy p e ve r su s r e a l it y s u r r o u n d i ng P rE P, t h e u s e of G i l e a d’s H I V/A I D S t r e a t m e n t m e d ic a t io n Tr uva d a fo r p r e - exp o su r e p rophyla x is a s a n H I V p r event ion t o ol.

T h e c a t a lys t fo r A H F ’s “ O p e n L e t t e r ” a dvo c a cy a d i s t h e a p p a rent la ck of i nt er est i n, a nd low up t a ke of P rE P by b o t h p a t ient s a n d m e d i c a l p r ov i d e r s, a c c o r d i n g t o d a m n i ng st at ist ics p rov id e d d i r e ctly f r om G i le a d t h a t it p r e s ent e d a t t he A mer ica n So ciet y for M ic r obiolog y (A SM ) C o n fe r e n c e i n Ju n e of t h i s ye a r. I n a r e s e a r ch p r e s en t a t ion t it le d, “ R a c i a l C h a r a c t e r i s t ics of F T C / T DF fo r P r e - exp o su r e P r o p hyl a x i s ( P r E P) Us e r s i n t h e US,” G i le a d r ep or t e d t hat just over 49, 0 0 0 t o t a l c u mu l a t ive p r e s c r ip t i o n s fo r Tr u va d a a s P r E P h ave b e e n f i l l e d i n t h e US s i n c e t h e F DA f i r st app r ove d us e of Tr uva d a a s P rE P fou r ye a r s ago. (49,148 t o t a l cu mu la t ive p r e s c r ipt ion s ba s e d o n d a t a r e p o r t e d by 82% of a l l p h a r m a c i e s f r o m Ja nu a r y 1, 2 012 t h r oug h Sept emb er 3 0, 2 015).

A H F c r e a t e d t h e a d vo c a c y a d t o r a i s e awa r en e s s a b o ut ef fe c t ive H I V a n d S T D p r eve n t i o n s t r a t e g i e s, p a r t i c u l a r ly i n l ig h t of s i mu lt a n e o u s s k y r o cke t i ng r a t e s of ST D s r ep or t e d by t he C D C (a nd for wh i c h P r E P of fe r s n o p r eve n t ive p rot e ct ion or b enef it) a mong you ng p e ople, gay men a nd men who have s ex w it h m e n ( M SM ) t h a t sug ge st a w id e s p r e a d a b a n d o n m e nt of t h e cu lt u r e of c ondom us e. A Gu a rd ia n news a r t icle publ ishe d Ju ly 5t h cite d si m i l a r P ubl ic H e a lt h E ng l a n d ( PH E) r esea rch showi ng a d r a m at ic a n d p a r a l l el i n c r e a s e i n ST D s i n t h e s a m e p o p u l a t io n s i n E ng l a n d b et we en 2 012 a nd 2 015.

A H F ’s a d, w r it t en i n t he for m of a n op en let t er t o t he C D C, f i r st ap p ea r e d We d nesd ay, Ju ly 2 0 t h i n t he S o u t h F l o r i d a G a y Ne ws (SF G N ) a n d s t a r t s r u n n i n g t o d ay ( 7/ 21) a nd t omor r ow (7/22) i n s even ot her m a r ke t s n a t io nw id e ove r t h e n ex t we ek.

16 Seattle Gay News

“ Rega r d i ng t h e hy p e ve r su s t h e r e a l it y on P rE P, we h ave G i le a d t o t h a n k fo r l e t t i ng t h e fa c t s s p e a k fo r t h em s elve s, t h a n k s t o it s c om p r e h e n sive r e s e a r c h p r e s e n t e d i n Bo st on l a st m o nt h on a c t u a l P rE P u s a g e a n d u p t a k e,” s a i d M i c h a el Wei n st ei n, P r esid ent of A H F. “G i le a d’s ow n r e s e a r ch shows t h a t d e spit e t h e t r em end ou s hy p e, up t a ke of P r E P h a s b e e n a bys m a l ly low a n d t h a t it i s n o t r e a c h i ng t h o s e m o s t a t r i s k. T h e c o n c u r r e nt explosion of ST Ds a mong populat ion s t a rget e d for P rE P suggest s a n aba ndon ment of t he cu lt u r e of c ondom s. Ta ken t oget her, t hese a r e not go o d i nd ic a t o r s of p r ud ent a nd effe c t ive publ ic h e a lt h st r at eg ie s for H I V a nd ST D p r event ion. We ne e d t o r e c a l ib r a t e a n d r e b a l a n c e p r e ve nt ion ef fo r t s t o a l ig n w it h wh a t p a t ient s wa nt a n d n e e d s o t h a t we c a n a l l a c h i eve b e t t e r s u c c e s s i n p r event i ng new i n fe ct ion s.”

Un d e r t h e h e a d l i n e “A n O p e n L et t er t o t he C D C on P rE P,” A H F ’s a d r e a d s: Fou r ye a r s ago on Ju ly 16, 2 012, t he Fo o d a nd D r ug Ad m i n ist r at ion a p p r ove d u s e of Tr uva d a fo r t h e p r eve nt io n of H I V, wh ic h i s a l s o k now n a s P r e -E xp osu r e P r ophyla xi s ( P rE P) [1]. I n a r e p o r t r ele a s e d

by G i l e a d S c i e n c e s o n Ju n e 2 0, 2 016, t h ey r eve a le d t h e fol low i ng i n for m at ion: 1. 49,14 8 t o t a l c u mu l a t ive p r e s c r i p t i o n s fo r Tr u va d a a s P r E P h ave b e en f i l le d ba s e d on d a t a r e p o r t e d by 82% of a l l p h a r m a c ie s.

W h i l e it i s u n k n ow n h ow m a ny p e o pl e wh o we r e o r ig i n a l ly p r e s c r i b e d t h e d r u g a r e s t i l l o n it , ba s e d on a d her enc e i n for m at ion i n p r ev ious st ud ies, no mor e t ha n ha l f t h e p e o ple a c t u a l ly t o ok t h e d r ug on a ny t y p e of c on sist ent ba sis [2].

T h e r efo r e, we e st i m a t e t h a t a b o ut 25, 0 0 0 a r e st i l l t a k i ng Tr uva d a for p r eve nt ion. O f t h e s e p a t ie nt s 79% wer e m en or ab out 2 0, 0 0 0.

2. We a r e a ssu m i ng a l most a l l of t hes e 2 0, 0 0 0 a r e m en who have s ex w it h men ( MSM ). St ud ies est i m at e t h a t t h e r e a r e 4, 875, 0 0 0 M SM [3] – o r 3.9% of t h e 12 5 m i l l ion a du lt m en i n t he US. A s a r esu lt, we ca n c o n clu d e t h a t l e s s t h a n . 0 4% of MSM a r e t a k i ng Tr uva d a for P rE P. C D C ha s suggest e d t hat 1. 2 m i l l ion men [4] shou ld b e on P rE P but do ct o r s a n d p a t ie nt s a r e no t r e sp on d i ng t o t h a t c a l l i n l a r ge nu mb e r s.

P rE P c a n n o t b e a m aj o r fa c t o r i n p r eve nt i ng H I V wh e n s o few p e o ple a r e on it. O n t he ot her ha nd r e c e nt st u d ie s i n d ic a t e t h a t 6 0% of M SM u s e c o n d o m s r eg u l a rly [5 ], ba s e d on la st s ex a mong H I V-negat ive MSM. 3. A f r i c a n -A m e r i c a n s a r e 12% of t h e US p o p u l a t io n b ut a r e 4 4% of n ew H I V i n fe c t io n s [6 ]. H oweve r, t h ey a r e on ly 10% of p e o ple on P rE P. You ng p e ople a r e most at r i s k fo r n ew H I V i n fe c t io n s, b u t m a d e u p o n ly 7. 6% of P r E P p r e s c r ip t io n s. W h it e s r e p r e s e nt 2 7% of new i n fe ct ion s but m a d e up 74% of t hos e on P rE P. T he men who a r e t a k i ng P rE P a r e t ho s e le a st a t r i sk

August 5, 2016

f r om H I V. 4. P rE P d o e s not p r ot e c t p e o ple f r om ST D s. T he r apid r is e i n r at es of ST D s such a s sy ph i l is, ch la mydia a n d gono r r h e a [7 ] i n d ic a t e t h a t fewe r p e o pl e a r e u s i n g c o n d o m s a nd suggest i ng t he ne e d t o r ei nv igo r a t e s a fe r s ex c a m p a ig n s, wh ic h have su f fer e d g r e at ly a s a r esu lt of t h e C D C’s a l m o st exclu sive fo c u s on P rE P. 5. T h e w i d e - s c a l e a d ve r t i s i n g p r omot ion s of Tr uva d a for P rE P by A I DS orga n i z at ion s a nd c om mu n it y g r o up s f u n d e d by t h e m a nu fa c t u r er G i le a d Scienc es g ives t he i mp r e ssion t h a t P rE P i s ve r y p opu la r eve n t h o ug h t h e r aw nu mb e r s t el l a n o t h e r st o r y. Ba s e d o n t h e l a r ge nu m b e r of m e n wh o s ay t h ey a r e o n P rE P o n h o ok- up sit e s su ch a s G r i n d r, it wo u ld a p p e a r t h a t t h ey a r e se ek i ng u np rot e ct e d sex whet her t hey t a ke t he d r ug or not.

T h e C D C i s t h e n a t ion a l a gency r e s p o n sibl e fo r t h e p r eve nt io n of H I V a n d o t h e r ST D s. A s su ch, we c a l l on you t o r eba la nc e you r p r e ve nt ion ef fo r t s t o a l ig n w it h wh a t p a t ient s wa nt a n d n e e d s o t h a t we c a n a ch ieve b et t e r su c c e s s i n p r e vent i ng new i n fe ct ion s.

T ha n k you.

A I DS He a lt hca r e Fou nd at ion A H F ’s “O p en L et t er t o t he C D C o n P r E P ” a d s h ave b e e n r u n n i ng i n New York (G a y Ci t y Ne ws); L os A n g e l e s (F r o n t i e r s N e w s m a g a zi n e); Sa n Fr a ncis c o (B a y A re a Re p o r t e r); At la nt a (GA Vo i ce); Da l la s (D a l l a s Vo i c e); Wa s h i n g t o n, D C (T h e Wa s h i ng t o n B l a d e a n d M e t ro We e k l y), S o ut h F lo r id a (S o u t h Fl o r i d a G a y Ne ws, Fl o r i d a A ge n d a) a nd Seat t le (S e a t tle G a y Ne ws).

G i l e a d ’s S u p p l e m e n t a l N e w D r u g a p p l i c a t i o n (S N D a) t o t h e F DA for us e of it s A I DS t r e at m ent Tr uva d a fo r H I V p r eve n t i o n wa s app rove d fou r yea r s ago on Ju ly 16, 2 012. I n M ay 2 014, sh o r t ly b efo r e t he I nt er nat iona l A I DS Con fer enc e i n Melb o u r n e, Au st r a l ia, t h e C D C i s s u e d a p u bl i c r e c o m m e n d a t i o n t h a t 5 0 0, 0 0 0 h ig h -r i sk i nd iv idu a l s i n t h e Un it e d St a t e s go o n P r E P. O n Novemb er 2 4, 2 015 t he C D C r e v i s e d it s r e c om m end a t ion upwa r d, sug ge st i ng t h a t 1. 2 m i l l ion p e o ple – i nclud i ng on e i n fou r gay m en – go on P rE P.

d r ug for r e duci ng t he r isk of s exua l ly a c q u i r e d H I V i n fe c t io n. Re t r i e ve d o n l i n e: h t t p: // w w w. f d a . g ov/ N ew s Eve n t s / N ew s r o o m / P r e s sA n nou nc em ent s /uc m 312210. ht m [2] C o h e n SE et a l. (2 014). I m plement at ion of P rE P i n ST D C l i nics: H ig h Up t a ke a nd D r ug D et e c t io n A m o ng M SM i n t h e D e m o n s t r a t io n P r oj e c t. 21s t C o n fe r e n c e on Ret r ov i r us es a nd O p p or t u n ist ic I n fe c t io n s (C ROI ). Re t r i eve d o n l i n e: h t t p: // w w w. c r o i c o n f e r e n c e. o rg /s e ssion s /i mplem ent a t ion -p r ep s t d - cl i n ic s - h ig h - up t a ke - a n d - d r ugd e t e c t i o n - a m o n g- m s m - d e m o - p r oj e ct [3] Jo n e s J M. (2 2 Ju n e 2 016 ).

Sa m e - S ex Ma r r ia ge s Up O n e Ye a r A f t er Sup r eme Cou r t Verd ict. G a llup. Ret r ieve d on l i n e: ht t p://w w w. g a l l u p. c o m / p o l l / 19 3 0 55 /s e x- m a rr i a ge s - o n e -ye a r- s u p r e m e - c o u r tverd ict. a spx [4] C e n t e r s fo r D i s e a s e C o n t r ol a n d P r eve n t i o n. (2 4 N ove m b e r 2 015). Tr a n s c r ip t fo r C D C Te lebr ief i ng: Da i ly P i l l P r event s H I V – New C D C e st i m a t e s u n d e r s c o r e t h e n e e d t o i n c r e a s e awa r e n e s s of a d a i ly p i l l t h a t c a n p r eve nt H I V i n fe c t ion. Ret r ieve d on l i ne: ht t p:// w w w. c d c.gov/m e d ia /r ele a s es /2 015/ t112 4 -h iv p r ep. ht m l [5] P a z -Ba i l ey G e t a l. (2 016 ).

Tr en d s i n c on d om u s e a mong m en w h o h ave s ex w i t h m e n i n t h e Un it e d St a t e s: T h e r ole of a nt i r etr ov i r a l t h e r a py a n d s e r o - a d a p t ive st r at eg ies. A I DS. [6 ] C ent e r s fo r D i s e a s e C ont r ol a n d P r event ion. ( Novemb e r 2 015 ).

D ia g no s e s of H I V I n fe c t ion i n t h e Un it e d St a t e s a n d D e p e n d e nt A re a s, 2 014. Ret r ieve d on l i ne: ht t p:// w w w. c d c . g o v/ h i v/ p d f / l i b r a r y / r e p or t s/su r vei l la nc e/c dc-h iv-su r vei lla nc e -r ep or t-us. p d f [ 7 ] C e n t e r s fo r D i s e a s e C o n t r ol a nd P r event ion. (17 Novemb e r 2 015). Rep or t e d C a s e s of S ex u a l ly Tr a n sm it t e d D i s e a s e s on t h e R i s e, Som e a t A la r m i ng R a t e. Ret r ieve d o n l i n e: h t t p: // w w w. c d c. g ov/ n c h h s t p / n ew s r o o m / 2 015/s t d - s u r ve i l la nc e -r ep or t-p r ess-r ele a s e. ht m l C o u r t e s y o f A I D S H e a l t h c a re Fo u n d a t i o n.

A I DS Hea lt hca re Foundation (A H F ), t h e l a r g e s t g l o b a l A I D S o r g a n i z a t i o n, c u r r e n t ly p r ov i d e s m e d i c a l c a r e a n d /o r s e r v i c e s t o ove r 6 6 6, 0 0 0 i n d iv i d u a l s i n 3 6 c ou nt r ies worldw id e i n t he US, A fr ica, L at i n A mer ica /C a r ibb e a n, t he A si a / P a c i f i c Reg i o n a n d E a s t e r n Eu r op e. To le a r n mor e a b out A H F, ple a s e v i sit ou r web sit e: w w w. a idsh e a lt h. o r g, f i n d u s o n Fa c eb o o k : w w w. fa c eb o ok. c om /a id sh e a lt h a nd fol low us on Tw it t er: @a id she a lt h c a r e a n d I n st a g r a m : @a id sh e a lt h ca r e [1] Fo o d a n d D r ug Ad m i n i st r a t i o n. (2 012). F DA a p p r ove s f i r s t

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18 Seattle Gay News

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Celebrating 41 Years!

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Seattle Gay News 19