SGN August 19, 2016 - Section 1

Celebrating 42 Years!

Issue 34 Volume 44

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Seattle Gay News SEATTLE’S LGBT NEWS & ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY

SCOTUS Hobby Lobby Union to Starbucks: decision overrides Title Stop buying from antiVII, federal judge says LGBT supplier

Photo by Paul Zilly, Teamsters 117

Photo courtesy of pridesource.com

by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer A federa l judge r uled on Aug ust 18 that the US Supreme Cou r t decision k nown as the Hobby L obby case

a l lows some pr ivat e busi nesses to discr im inate against LGBT employees if they do so on the basis of thei r owners’ religious beliefs.

US Distr ict Cour t Judge Sean Cox so r u le d i n a n E qua l Employment see HOBBY LOBBY page 6

by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer

Twenty Teamsters union members and community supporters leafleted the lunchtime crowd in front of Starbucks corporate headquarters on August 17.

Organized by the Teamsters LGBT Caucus with support from Pride At Work (an LGBT labor organization affiliated with the AFL-CIO) and the Martin Luther King County Labor Council (MLKCLC), the union supporters handsee STARBUCKS page 5

Trump campaign Pastors sue Illinois reshuffle just makes it over conversion worse therapy ban

Trump’s new campaign manager Kellyanne Conway – Photo courtesy of newsmax.com

by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer Dona ld Tr ump’s latest ca mpa ign r eshu f f le – m a d e i n r esp ons e t o ma nager Pau l Ma na for t’s i nc rea si ngly problemat ic associat ion wit h Russia n a nd U k ra i n ia n ol iga rchs –

may only ma ke matters worse for the Republican nom inee.

Replacing Manafor t as Tr ump’s campaign manager will be Kellyanne Conway, a veteran political operative who previously backed Ted Cruz. see TRUMP SHUFFLE page 6

Conversion therapy ban supporter Kelly Cassidy – Photo courtesy of bigstory.ap.org

by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer Five Illinois pastors are suing the state in federal court over a law banning conversion therapy for minors.

The legislation, known as the “Youth Mental Health Protection Act,” makes it

illegal for any “mental health provider” to engage in “sexual orientation change efforts” with a person under the age of 18. Providers are also prohibited from referring a patient to anyone else for purpose of attempting to change their see PASTORS page 8

2 Seattle Gay News

August 19, 2016

Celebrating 41 Years!

Doug Titus Memorial Letter to the Editor: I was glad that I attended the Memorial Service for Doug Titus, which was held at Gift of Grace Lutheran Church in Wallingford on Saturday, August 13th, which was a beautiful sunny day.

Doug and I had been friends for over 25 years, and since we were both Car Lovers we attended many functions of the defunct Ethyl Forever Car Club of which we both were members and of which Doug had once been the president. Ethyl Forever had been one of the original and oldest gay car clubs in the country.

Doug was a very friendly and outgoing person who always had a ready smile and something pleasant to say when he saw you.

Every year he held his wonderful 12th Night Post-Christmas Party at his home in West Seattle, to which I was always invited and received an invitation and which I often attended.

I was happy to have seen Doug again this June at the annual Gay Pride Parade in downtown Seattle, which is one of the largest parades held in the city.

However, this year he was not driving one of his convertibles, but instead he was walking, which was a bit surprising and unusual. And, since I was standing right at the metal barricade on the 4th Avenue parade route he saw me and came over to say

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“hello“ and shake my hand. Needless to say, I was happy to have seen him so recently, although briefly, which was just a couple of weeks before he died, but I thought at the time that he did not look very well.

H is Memor ia l Ser vice was quite

wel l-at t ende d a nd sever a l p e ople, i n clu d i ng mys el f, st o o d up a n d spoke about their memor ies of Doug.

T he ser vice was conducted by Pastor Sha ron Busch, who spoke highly of Doug a nd recounted ma ny of h is ach ievements i n life, as well as h is love of old ca rs, especially his fondness for Cor vai rs.

A fter the hour-long ser vice we were invited to a reception in the basement of the church where we were treated to tasty foods and beverages, and where it was more tha n 10 degrees cooler t ha n in t he sa nct ua r y upst a i rs wh ich un for t unately was not a i r- cond it ioned a nd where the temperat u re was a very uncomfortable 86 degrees.

I was ver y i mpresse d wit h t he two beauti f ul bouquets of f lower s i n memor y of Doug, which were a gift from George Ba ka n, t he editor of t he Seattle Gay News. Those who k new Doug will cer ta inly m iss h im, a s he wa s a wonder f u l p erson who was a lways pleasa nt, che er f ul, a nd f un to be wit h.

May He Rest in Peace.

John Mark

Photo by Brian Matt

August 19, 2016

Seattle Gay News 3

Mayor, Seattle City Council endorse I-124 Measure would protect hotel workers

by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer The Seattle City Council passed a resolution August 15 endorsing I-124, a ballot initiative that would give the city’s hotel workers extra protections against sexual harassment and on-the-job injuries.

The resolution was sent to the Council

by Mayor Ed Murray, who asked councilmembers to back the initiative.

Seven councilmembers agreed, with only Councilmember Tim Burgess voting no. Burgess said he wanted the Council to remain neutral on the measure.

Councilmember Kshama Sawant was absent and reportedly out of the country.

She is on record as supporting the initiative, however.

Speaking in favor of the initiative, Councilmember Lorena González said she had worked in a hotel while in college but had the “luxury of working in reception.”

“But I understand these are real struggles for workers,” González said. “It reminds me of when I worked as a migrant farm worker...and how hard these women work to be able to put food on the table for their families.”

Advocates gathered to support I-124 Photo courtesy of twitter.com

Initiative-124 would: • offer hotel workers protection from sexual harassment and assault by equipping workers with panic buttons in case of emergencies; • require hotels to post a sign in each room stating that the hotel protects workers and that hotel operators can ban abusive guests for up to three years; • require hotel operators to ensure that

workers can access affordable health and family care; and • limit the square footage that hotel housekeepers are required to clean in one shift.

According to UNITE HERE Local 8, which represents hotel and restaurant workers in the Pacific Northwest, many women hotel employees complain about harassment and even sexual assault by guests.

The union also says that the injury rate among hotel workers is very high – even higher than for mineworkers. According to a report from Puget Sound Sage, of 1,000 Las Vegas hotel workers surveyed, “95 percent reported workplace pain, and 60 percent experienced severe or very severe back pain.”

“Seattle will soon make a $1.5 billion public investment in the hotel industry through the publicly funded expansion of the Washington State Convention Center,” UNITE HERE 8 President Erik Van Rossum said in May, when I-124 was launched.

“Initiative 124 will ensure that this investment is consistent with our values – creating safe and harassment-free working environments, expanding access to quality health care coverage, and securing harmony between workers and employers.”

The Seattle Hotel Association, which represents hotel owners and operators, opposes I-124, charging that “I-124 is policy written in isolation,” or in other words, without consulting hotel owners. The owners’ group also said that the initiative would create “confusing workplace rules.”

In an April blog post, the Washington Restaurant Association said the initiative would “implement a wide range of onerous workplace provisions on hotel employers.”

Dueling endorsements in 7th Congressional District race

by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer State Sen. Pramila Jayapal and State Rep. Brady Walkinshaw both picked up key endorsements in their race to succeed retiring Rep. Jim McDermott in the 7th Congressional District.

Jayapal picked up the endorsement of Rep. Adam Smith on August 15.

“I’ve watched Pramila work for the last 15 years, delivering real results for the people of the Puget Sound region, both as an organizer and as an elected official,” Smith said in a statement.

“I’ve worked closely with her on a number of issues, from immigration reform to minimum wage, and am impressed with her ability to work towards real solutions while bringing strong coalitions together.

Rarely do we have the opportunity to elect someone to the House who brings this level of vision, experience, leadership, and relationships to the table.”

Smith represents the 9th Congressional District, which borders the 7th. As the executive director of OneAmerica, a Seattlebased human rights organization, Jayapal worked with the state’s congressional delegation on a number of legislative issues.

On August 12, Jayapal also got the endorsement of state Senate Democratic leader Sharon Nelson. Nelson had been backing King County Councilmember Joe McDermott, who failed to make it through the primary.

Joe McDermott – no relation to the congressman he was seeking to replace – endorsed his other primary opponent, Walkinshaw, on August 11.

4 Seattle Gay News

Pramila Jayapal – Photo courtesy of pramilaforcongress.com

“Brady is the leader we need in Congress,” Joe McDermott said in a press release.

“Brady is a bridge-builder who reaches across the aisle to solve real problems, and the communities of the 7th District need a partner in Congress who will focus on getting things done. That’s why he’s earned the support of dozens of his colleagues and local community leaders, and I will be proud to partner with him as our next representative.”

Both Jayapal and Walkinshaw are Democrats, seeking to represent what is probably the most Democratic congressional district in the state. Jayapal ran away with the primary, getting more votes than her two leading rivals – Walkinshaw and Joe McDermott – combined.

Walkinshaw has gotten strong support from his colleagues in the state legislature, with endorsements from 30 current and six former lawmakers. Jayapal has won endorsements from a list of progressive activists and officeholders, from Sen. Bernie Sanders to King County Councilmember Larry Gossett, plus backing from the Washington State Labor Council.

The 7th Congressional District takes in most of Seattle north of Madison Street and west of I-5, plus Edmonds, Mountlake Terrace, Lake Forest Park, and Shoreline in the north, and Burien and Normandy Park in the south.

Jim McDermott is retiring after representing the district in Congress since 1989.

Brady Piñero Walkinshaw – Photo courtesy of bradywalkinshaw.com

August 19, 2016

Celebrating 41 Years!

Geisha of a Different Kind launches classes LGBTQ author reading and for LGBTQ older adults panel discussion at Capitol in Seattle Hill Branch Library, Aug. 22 The Seattle Public Librar y will host C. Winter Han readi ng f rom G eish a of a D if feren t Kind: Race and Sexualit y in G a ys i a n A m er i c a, fol lowe d by a pa nel on t he exp er iences of L G BTQ Asia n-A mer ica ns f rom 6pm t o 7: 3 0 p m M o n d a y, A u g u s t 2 2 at t he Capitol H i l l Bra nch, 425 H a r v a r d Av e . E . , 2 0 6 - 6 8 4 - 4 71 5.

Libra r y event s a re f re e a nd ever yone is welc ome. Reg ist r a-

t i o n i s n o t r e q u i r e d . F r e e p a r ki ng i s ava i l a bl e i n t h e u n d e rg rou nd ga r age. E nt er a nd ex it t h e g a r a g e o n H a r v a r d Av e . E .

T h e p a n el w i l l b e m o d e r a t e d by A l e k s a M a n i l a , fo u n d e r o f P r i d e Asia. Pa nel ists wi l l i nclude t he f o l l ow i n g s p e a k e r s : N h a n T h a i , G ays h a St a r r, Ta nya R a c h i n e e.

T h is event is presented i n pa r tnership with P r ide Asia.

Sig n up fo r fa l l cl a s s e s fo r L G BT Q p e ople age 50 a nd old er sp ons o r e d by G e n e r a t i o n s w it h P r i d e i n p a r t n e r sh ip w it h L i felo ng Re c r e a t io n, S e a t t l e P a r k s a n d Re c r e at ion.

Reg ist r at ion is now op en for t he fol low i ng cla ss es: • N u t r i t i o n fo r L i fe – T hu r s d ays, O c t o b e r 13t h a n d 2 7t h a n d Novemb er 10 t h f r om 1-3 pm • Tai Chi – Mondays, October 3rdNovember 28th from 5:30-6:30 pm

20 Taylor Farms workers had been fired in retaliation for supporting the union, Bloch said.

August 19, 2016

Seattle Gay News 5

continued from cover

Photo by Paul Zilly, Teamsters 117

of LGBT employees because of their sexual orientation and retaliation against union supporters. More than

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To sig n up for one or mor e cla sse s, pl e a s e c a l l C a r ol a t 2 0 6 - 6 8 4 42 4 0.

For quest ion s r elat e d t o G ener at io n w it h P r id e, ple a s e c a l l K a t h le en at 2 0 6 -543 - 6 412.

There is a small fee for classes, however, the Parks and Recreation Department has a generous scholarship program for LGBTQ older adults.

Eva Mendoza, a Taylor Farms worker in Seattle to raise local awareness of their struggle, told SGN the story of one Gay coworker, a friend of hers and a fellow union supporter, who was sexually harassed by his female shift lead.

“She would rub her breasts in front of him,” Mendoza recalled, “and grope him. Once she even grabbed his genitals and said ‘Does this turn you on?

Does this give you a boner?’”

When the man complained to management, they moved the woman to a different workstation but took no disciplinary action against her.

Another friend, this time a Lesbian, was denied the opportunity to work the same shift as her wife, even though opposite-sex couples are regularly assigned the same shifts. Other LGBT workers who are perceived as pro-union by the company have been bullied and assaulted at work, Mendoza said.

“Starbucks has long maintained that it is a corporation committed to equality,” said John Scearcy, Secretary-Treasurer of Teamsters Local 117, based here in Seattle.

“If that is the case, why do they purchase food from a company that allows LGBT workers to be physically assaulted and harassed at work? Money is the most powerful thing in business, and if Starbucks has any integrity, they would invest in food suppliers that have basic standards for human decency.”

“I’m glad the Teamsters have brought attention to the issue in the labor community here,” said MLKCLC Executive Secretary Nicole Grant.

“Starbucks’ complacency in the face of hate crimes against LGBT workers from one of their suppliers is cowardly and deplorable. The Seattle labor movement proudly backs our brothers and sisters in California fighting for safe working conditions and a union. We will be educating all our affiliates about this.”

STARBUCKS ed out flyers recalling the classic ACT UP “Silence = Death” format.

“Starbucks remember: Silence = Abuse,” they read.

According to Teamsters staffers, the union has no beef with Starbucks, but they want Starbucks to stop buying produce from a particularly abusive vendor, Taylor Farms.

If you’ve ever eaten at Subway, KFC, Pizza Hut, Taco Bell, or Chipotle, or bought bagged produce from Safeway, QFC, or Ralph’s, chances are you’ve had Taylor Farms products.

“It’s a Jekyll and Hyde situation [with Starbucks],” Teamsters staffer Doug Bloch told SGN. Bloch is the political director for Teamsters Joint Council 7 in California, the union organization that hopes to represent some 900 Taylor Farms employees.

“Starbucks has an excellent policy when it comes to freedom of association – in other words, the right to form a union – and sexual orientation and gender protections. They also have the same standards for their suppliers. But they have a blind spot when it comes to Taylor Farms.”

Taylor Farms is the largest processor of fresh vegetables in North America.

The Teamsters already represent more than 2,000 Taylor Farms workers in Salinas, Calif., in the heart of that state’s agricultural belt.

But when they tried to organize about 900 additional workers in the company’s processing operation, the company “viciously fought” unionization efforts, Bloch says.

He means “viciously” quite literally. National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) investigators found the company guilty of more than 50 unfair labor practices, including harassment

• E n h a n c e F i t n e s s – M o n d ay, We d n e s d ay a n d F r i d ay, O c t o b e r 7t h-D e c emb er 6 t h f r om 3:15 - 4:15

HOBBY LOBBY continued from cover

O pp or t u n it y Com m ission ( E E O C) lawsuit brought on behalf of a Transgender employee of Michigan-based RG & GR Funeral Homes.

T he EEOC received a compla i nt from the employee and found on her behalf, order ing her employer to allow her to wea r the sk i r t-suit the funeral home designates as dress code for female employees.

According to the EEOC, the pro h ibit ion aga i nst d isc r i m i nat ion on t he basis of sex i n Title V I I of t he Civi l R ights Act of 196 4 a lso pro tects gender identity and expression a nd ba rs employers f rom discr i m inating against Trans employees.

Judge Cox d isag re e d, however.

He a rgued that the Supreme Cour t’s Hobb y L obb y de cision – a l lowi ng employers to opt out of cer ta in provisions of Oba maca re – a lso a llows t hem to d isrega rd Tit le V I I i f t he civil r ights law would infr inge thei r religious liber ty.

I n ot her word s, H o b b y L o b b y tr umps Title VI I. “ T hus, t he quest ion b e c om es whether the law at issue here, Title VII and the body of sex-stereotyping case law that has developed under it, imposes a substantial burden on the ability of the Funeral Home to conduct business in accordance with its religious beliefs,” the judge wrote.

RG & GR Harris Funeral Home – Photo courtesy rggrharris.com

“The Court concludes that the Funeral Home has shown that it does.”

C ox c it e d t he f u ne r a l hom e’s websit e, wh ich says t hat t he compa ny’s “h ighest pr ior it y is to honor God in a ll that we do as a compa ny and as individuals.”

One of t he f unera l home’s owner s, t he judge cont i nue d, b el ieves t hat t he “Bible teaches t hat a p erson’s sex (whet her ma le or fema le) is a n im mutable God-given gif t a nd that it is wrong for a person to deny

his or her God-given sex.”

C ox a l s o c r it i c i z e d t h e E E O C for not t r y i ng t o r e a ch a negot iat e d a c c om mo d at ion w it h RG & GR b e for e su i ng t o forc e t hem t o c omply w it h Tit le V I I. “I f a lea st rest r ict ive mea ns is ava i lable to ach ieve t he goa l, t he gover n ment must use it,” Cox wrote in his decision.

“T his requi res the gover n ment to show a deg re e of sit uat iona l f lexibi l it y, creativit y, a nd accom moda-

t ion when put at ive i nt erest s clash with religious exercise. It has failed to do so here. The EEOC’s br iefs do not cont a i n a ny i ndication t hat t he EEOC has explored t he possibi l it y of a ny accom modations or less rest r ictive mea ns that m ight work under these facts.”

ACLU attor ney Josh Block, whose group filed an am icus br ief suppor ting the EEOC, said the implications of the r uling were troubling. “ It wou ld m e a n a ny r el ig ious employer wou ld sudd en ly have a defense to f i r ing someone in violation of a ny civil r ights law as long as it was based on religious belief,” Block said.

“It’s a very odd decision, and there are a million different ways it can and should be reversed,” which he expects will happen when the district court ruling is appealed, Block said.

Cox’s r uling also showed that the dissenters in Hobby Lobby were right about the potentially sweeping impact of that decision, Block added.

“T hey sp eci f ica l ly wa r ned what t he major it y was doi ng would open up this Pandora’s box,” he said. “The major ity said, ‘No, it won’t.’ This is a sor t of a vi ndication of what t he dissenters were saying all along.”

Cox was appointed to the federa l bench by George W Bush.

TRUMP SHUFFLE continued from cover

Conway has also worked for Jack Kemp, Dan Quayle, Newt Gingrich, Fred Thompson, and Mike Pence.

In a 2011 speech at the Conservative Women’s Network, Conway urged women to “embrace fem ininity, not fem inism.” In 2013 she advised a group of House Republicans to stop talking about rape altogether in the wa ke of Missour i senator ial candidate Todd A k in’s gaffe about “legitimate rape.”

Also coming aboard as campaign CEO will be former Breitbart chairman Stephen Bannon, an old friend of Trump’s from the candidate’s 2008 “birther” days.

Accordi ng to for mer Breitba r t repor ter Ben Shapiro, Bannon was responsible for tur ning the Breitbart website into an “alt-right go-to website, with [homocon Milo] Yiannopoulos pushing white ethno-nationalism as a legitimate response to political correctness, and the comment section tur ning into a cesspool for white supremacist meme-makers.”

Shapiro has also labeled Bannon “a legitimately sinister figure” who has cheated Breitba r t investor a nd Ted Cr uz suppor ter Rober t Mercer out of millions of dollars.

Mercer was persuaded to invest in Bannon’s website while Bannon was planning to emba rk on a round

6 Seattle Gay News

Unofficial Trump advisor, Roger Ailes – Photo courtesy of hollywoodreporter.com

of Cr uz-bash ing to benef it Tr ump, Shapiro suggests. Curiously enough, Mercer’s spokesperson at the time was Tr ump’s new campaign manager, Kellyanne Conway.

Veteran Republican media hack and alleged serial sexual harasser Roger Ailes has also come aboard the Trump campaign as an unofficial advisor.

Ailes, who worked for Richa rd Nixon, Ronald Reagan, both Bushes, and Rudy Giuliani, was forced out of his job running Fox News in the midst of multiple accusations of sexual harassment by Fox’s female staffers.

While working for George H. W. Bush, he reportedly advised the presi-

August 19, 2016

dent not to wear a short-sleeve shirt because he’d “look like a fucking faggot.”

It’s a word Ailes is fond of, according to people who know him.

According to CNN Money, three people came to them with the same stor y about a discussion Ailes had with Politico CEO Fred Ryan.

Ailes told Ryan that he wanted fair cover age f rom Polit i c o t hat wou ld m e n t i o n F ox N ews’s s u c c e s s e s, not just it s c ont rover sies. He a lso wa nted Polit ico to stop t a k i ng t a l ki ng p oi nt s f r om “ t h a t fa g got D a v id Br o ck,” t he fou nd e r of m e d ia watchdog Med ia Mat ters.

“Why am I not surprised?” Brock told

CNN Money when called for comment.

T h e ch a nge s t o Tr u m p’s c a m pa ig n t ea m were sa id to have b e en m a d e on t he a dv ic e of h is son-i nlaw Ja r e d Ku sh n e r, who t old t h e c a nd id a t e t h a t h i s p r ev iou s t e a m was st i f l i ng h is p ersona l it y.

“Tr ump’s ca mpa ign has now entered t he hospice phase,” conser vative pundit and Tr ump cr itic Cha rlie Sykes tweeted. “He k nows it’s dying a nd he wa nt s to su r rou nd h i msel f with his loved ones.”

Celebrating 41 Years!

Look for the union label…when you buy weed

by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer The United Food and Commercial Workers union (UFCW) is revolutionizing the recreational cannabis industry.

The union – which represents 1.4 million retail, food, food processing, and health workers – announced on August 15 that two lines of cannabis products will carry the union label, indicating that the goods were made by UFCWrepresented workers.

Tacoma-based UFCW Local 367 now represents workers at Perma Cannabis, and the union label will appear on Perma’s AK-47 and Gorilla Glu lines.

Perma products are available through six retailers with locations in Tacoma, Buckley, Covington, Lacey, Lynnwood, and Woodinville.

“This label will help customers choose a quality product that is made by my hard-working co-workers with the quality of jobs we want in the state,” said Janie Wallace, one of the UFCW processors at Perma.

“My grandfather was a longshoreman, and I’m proud to continue in the UFCW

Photo courtesy of permacannabis.com

family in this emerging industry.”

“This represents the first recreational cannabis processor in the country” to have a union contract, said Local 367 communications director Nathe Lawver.

“The workers who made this product for the most part have better wages and

better benefits than other folks in the industry.”

While Perma is the first processor to unionize, Lawver said his local is working to organize at least 15 other firms.

UFCW plans to organize workers who are involved in the industry “from

seed to sale,” Lawver said, meaning that those working as growers, processors, and retail employees would all be eligible for representation.

“We’re the only local in the state to have contracts with workers in the [recreational] cannabis industry,” he added.

UFCW 367 is also organizing retail workers at medical marijuana dispensaries. In June 2015, workers at the Cannabis Club Collective, a medical marijuana dispensary in Tacoma, approved the first-ever union contract for cannabis workers in Washington state.

Other UFCW locals have also been busy organizing medical marijuana workers.

In March, for example, South Coast Safe Access, which employs 22 people in Santa Ana, Calif., signed a labor agreement with UFCW 324. Last year, employees at Minnesota Medical Solutions ratified a contract under the auspices of UFCW 1189.

JESSE’S JOURNAL Death of a Gay Spirit: Mark Thompson

by Jesse Monteagudo SGN Contributing Writer One of the most important LGBT books published in the 1980s was Gay Spirit: Myth and Meaning (St. Martin’s Press, 1987); and one of the most important LGBT writers of our time was its editor, Mark Thompson. Thompson, at the time cultural editor of the Advocate, collected some of his own articles and interviews from that paper with essays by other queer authors, philosophers and spiritual leaders. Published during the first years of the AIDS epidemic, Gay Spirit sought to define and explain gay spirit, what Thompson called “the psychic and creative energies generated by people we now call gay.” Gay Spirit: Myth and Meaning also established Thompson as a major LGBT writer, editor and photographer, a career that ended when Thompson died on August 12. Thompson’s death followed that of his husband, the famous Episcopal priest and activist Malcolm Boyd (Gay Priest) by only 18 months.

Mark Thompson, who was 63 when he died, grew up in California and was a founding member of the Gay Students Coalition at San Francisco State University. According to Thompson’s 2009 memoir, Advocate Days & Other Stories, Thompson first found a copy of the Advocate in 1968, when Thompson was 14 and the newspaper was but a year old. Thompson began to write for the Advocate in 1975 and continued to do so for two decades, ending his career there in 1994 when he edited Long Road to Freedom: The Advocate History of the Gay and Lesbian Movement (St. Martin’s Press). “The Advocate was fortunate to have Mark Thompson’s innate and studied spiritualism at the maga-

Mark Thompson – Photo by Stephen Elson

zine while it was transitioning from community chronicler to national news platform,” Jeff Yarbrough, the paper’s former editor in chief, told advocate.com. “Thompson gave voice to a part of gay life and culture that no one else could.”

In January 2000 the Lambda Book Report named Gay Spirit: Myth and Meaning one of “100 Lesbian and Gay Books That Changed Our Lives,” in a list compiled by someone named Jesse Monteagudo. Not one to sit on his laurels, Thompson followed Gay Spirit with an equally important anthology about kinky sex and the people who practice

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it: Leatherfolk: Radical Sex, People, Politics, and Practice (Alyson, 1991). In 1994 Thompson published Gay Soul: Finding the Heart of Gay Spirit and Nature (Harper), for which he interviewed and photographed sixteen gay writers, healers, teachers and visionaries (including Malcolm Boyd). In 1997 Thompson finished his Gay Spirit/Gay Soul Trilogy with the autobiographical Gay Body: A Journey Through Shadow to Self (St. Martin’s Press). Thompson’s last anthology was 2011’s The Fire In Moonlight: Stories from the Radical Faeries (White Crane Books/ Lethe Press) where, as in Leatherfolk, he

August 19, 2016

studied and honored a gay subculture that exists outside the norm.

Though Thompson happily married Boyd when it became legal in California (2013), he opposed LGBT assimilation and conformity: “Going for the promised land of full equality under the law is all fine and well,” Thompson said in an interview that appears in markthompsongayspirit.com. “But what is going to happen when the last sodomy law is toppled and homophobia no longer tolerated? Will we then be free? Free to be what?”

“I believe there is something intrinsically queer about being gay, no matter how much we try to normalize it,” Thompson continued. “It is that queerness – and what is at the root of it – that presents the big mystery question in our lives. It’s not something we can just check off a list and say, OK we’re all safely out of the closet and now we are done with it. We simply can’t stop being curious about the myths and mysteries of same-sex attraction and love.”

A long-time AIDS survivor, Thompson worked as a clinical psychologist with LGBT youth and people living with HIV and AIDS. In 2007, the Lambda Literary Foundation gave Thompson one of its Pioneer Awards and in 2009 the City of West Hollywood honored Thompson and Boyd with the Rainbow Key Award “for their outstanding contributions to the gay and lesbian community.”

Though Thompson will no doubt get some posthumous kudos, his biggest monument are the series of books that he wrote or edited, books that continue to give us food for thought about the meaning of being gay.

Seattle Gay News 7

PASTORS

continued from cover sexual orientation.

Additionally, the law prohibits individuals from advertising conversion therapy services in a manner that represents homosexuality as a “mental disease, disorder, or illness.”

The law was enacted in August 2015.

Illinois is one of five states that ban conversion therapy for youth under 18.

Laws in California and New Jersey have already been sustained in legal challenges, but an attorney for the Illinois pastors said the prohibitions in those states did not include clergy.

In the Illinois case, the plaintiffs say that the law violates their First Amendment freedom of religion and free speech rights.

“The law in Illinois is broader than the other laws, which were aimed at licensed counselors,” said John Mauck, a lawyer representing the pastors. He added that his clients are not seeking to overturn the entire law but only want religious counselors to be exempted.

The pastors also insisted – in the face of contrary scientific evidence – that their conversion efforts are effective.

“In I Corinthians 6:9, the Apostle Paul writes to those who had overcome many sins, including homosexuality, stating, ‘such were some of you’ but you were changed through God’s healing,” one of the plaintiffs, Pastor Steven Stultz of NuChurch Apostolic Ministries, said.

“I have personally witnessed many people change their sexual orientation through counseling and know it is possible. The government is interfering into someone’s private decisions. This ban

John Mauck, lawyer for the Illinois pastors – Photo courtesy of graceconference.com

“However, this law undermines the dignity and integrity of those who choose a different path for their lives than politicians and activists prefer.

“Each person should be free to receive biblical and spiritual counseling from the pastor of their choice to help them orient their sexuality.”

The Attorney General’s office said it will defend the law but would not comment on the case. Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan is a three-term incumbent and a Democrat. Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner, who signed the bill banning conversion therapy, is a Republican.

on counseling creates fear in the people most in need of comfort and support.”

“We are most concerned about young people who are seeking the right to choose their own identity. This is an essential human right,” Mauck added.

Trump to anti-Gay rally: Vote for me and see things happen

by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer “If you get everybody out to vote…we will win, and you will see things happen for the evangelicals,” Donald Trump told a Christian-right rally in Orlando.

“You will see things happen that you won’t believe, and most important for religion, you’re gonna see things happen. For religion. All religions,” Trump said, adding that “once I win I will do my thing that I do very well.”

“It’s probably, ma i n ly t he on ly way that I will get to heaven, so I better do a good job.”

The event where Trump spoke, billed as “Rediscovering God In America,” was sponsored by two anti-LGBT evangelical groups: Liberty Counsel, the group that defended Kim Davis; and the American Renewal Project, whose stated goal is to “mobilize conservative Christian viewers and inspire right-wing pastors to run for elected office.”

Former Trump rival and current Trump endorser Marco Rubio also spoke.

Although the anti-LGBT rally was scheduled on the two-month anniversary of the Orlando massacre, Trump never uttered a word about Pulse nightclub or made any direct reference to the LGBT community.

He did promise religious leaders that he would put an end to federal tax regulations that prevent their churches from getting involved in politics.

“We’re gonna get your voice back.

We’re gonna get it back,” he said.

Trump also seemed to acknowledge that he was not the Christian right’s first choice among the Republican presidential contenders.

“I hate to tell you, folks,” Trump said, “you got two choices. You got two choices. You’ve got two choices, and one choice, you’re not going for that choice.

So I feel confident. I feel confident.”

Tr ump a lso repeated h is i n f la mmator y accusat ions aga i nst P resident Oba ma a nd h is r iva l for t he presidency, Hilla r y Clinton.

“I made the statement before that Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton,

these are the founders of ISIS. These are the founders of ISIS. Because of bad judgments,” he said.

“These are the founders. And some say, ‘Well, that’s not very nice.’ Nice? If they said it about me it’d be fine. If I say something about them it’s terrible…

“I said they get the Most Valuable Player Award. ISIS is going to present them with the Most Valuable Player Award, you know, like in high school,” Trump continued, calling them “bad people, with bad judgment, and at the top we have an incompetent leader.”

Pathetic homocom endorsement of Trump On the same day Trump spoke at the anti-LGBT rally, a Gay Republican and former candidate for mayor of Orlando – Randy Ross – spoke at a Trump rally in Kissimmee, Fla. Calling himself a “50-year-old man who is a Republican that happens to be Gay, who is an American,” Ross added, “I will not go back in the closet because I am supporting Donald J.

Trump for president.”

Ross also blamed Hillary Clinton because the Clinton Foundation – run by her husband – takes “money from the countries of people that behead gay people.” He also criticized President Obama for pushing for increased gun control after the shooting in Orlando and for not saying the words “radical Islamic terrorism.”

Ross neglected to mention t hat Tr ump also has financial ties to antiLGBT foreign gover nments, including licensing his name to a golf club in Dubai and leasing his New York est ate to t he late Libya n dict ator Muammar Gaddafi.

Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort also worked as a political consultant for former Ukrainian president Victor Yanukovych and reportedly received secret cash payments of up to $12.7 million from a Yanukovych slush fund. Yanukovych is an ally of anti-Gay Russian president Vladimir Putin.

Trump continues to promote anti-LGBT support alongside conservative Christian right wings – Photo courtesy of therightscoop.com

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U.S. Navy makes history by naming ship after LGBTQ civil rights leader Harvey Milk Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus also selects Navy veteran Paula Neira as first transgender woman to sponsor a Navy ship

Harvey Milk – Photo courtesy of socialworkhelper.com

On Tuesday, August 16, at a ceremony in San Francisco, the U.S. Navy made history by naming a new Military Sealift Command ship after Harvey Milk, the former Navy diver and pioneer in the LGBTQ civil rights movement who was assassinated in 1978. In another historic first, Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus selected transgender Navy veteran Paula Neira as a sponsor of the ship, along with U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA). The Human Rights Campaign (HRC), the nation’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) civil rights organization, released the following statements in response to the momentous event:

leadership in ensuring all sailors have the dignity and respect they deserve.”

“Like Harvey Milk, hundreds of thousands of LGBTQ service members have defended our freedoms by serving in the military,” said HRC spokesperson Stephen Peters, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran and spouse of an active duty Marine. “Secretary Mabus’ decision to name a ship after Har-

“Today’s historic ceremony is so much more than naming a ship after the legendary Harvey Milk. It is further evidence of the profound progress on LGBTQ equality we continue to make as a nation,” said HRC President Chad Griffin. “In his bold and unabashed advocacy, Milk inspired LGBTQ people for generations. And in her tireless career and service, Paula Neira has played a major role in lifting the ban on transgender service members.

As we work to achieve our shared vision of equality for all LGBTQ people, we are grateful to the United States Navy and Secretary Ray Mabus for their continued

Visit us online www.sgn.org

vey Milk, as well as select transgender Navy veteran Paula Neira as one of its sponsors, speaks volumes about his inspiring commitment to strengthen our military and its future -- a future where all service members are respected and supported for the selfless sacrifices they make each and every day.”

During World War II, Harvey Milk served aboard the submarine rescue ship, USS Kittiwake. He also served as a Navy diving instructor before being discharged at the rank of lieutenant junior grade in 1955. In 1977, Milk was elected to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, becoming one of the first openly gay people elected to public office. He was assassinated in City Hall a year later. During his life, Milk was a major advocate for people coming out and is often remembered by one of his most powerful quotes, “If a bullet should enter my brain, let that bullet destroy every closet door in the country.”

In 2009, Milk was posthumously awarded the U.S. Medal of Freedom and, in 2014, the U.S. Postal Service honored Milk with a postage stamp dedication. HRC’s San Francisco Action Center and Store in the Castro District is located in the historic home of the civil rights legend. The location is the former home of Milk’s Castro Camera, where Milk worked, lived, and organized the political campaigns that eventually led him to his historic election.

Paula Neira graduated with distinction from the United States Naval Academy in 1985 and served another six years before resigning her commission in order to live as

her authentic self. A qualified Surface Warfare Officer, she served at sea and ashore including mine warfare combat during Operation Desert Storm. After leaving the Navy, she became a registered nurse, certified in emergency nursing and specializing in adult emergency and trauma care. She is also an attorney and member of the Maryland bar. For more than a decade, Neira has served as one of the nation’s leading experts on transgender military service. She is also the first transgender Navy veteran to have her official military service record corrected to reflect her proper name.

Senator Feinstein served on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors with Milk, and discovered his body after hearing the gunshots that killed him and Mayor George Moscone. Feinstein, who succeeded Moscone as mayor, has been a strong supporter of LGBTQ rights, earning a perfect score of 100 in HRC’s latest Congressional scorecard.

The Human Rights Campaign is America’s largest civil rights organization working to achieve equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer people.

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

Courtesy of Human Rights Campaign – www.hrc.org

Paula Neira – Photo courtesy of huffingtonpost.com

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Rentboy.com CEO strikes plea deal

by Shaun Knittel SGN Associate Editor The ex-CEO of Gay escor t website Rentboy.com is close to striking a plea deal in his prostitution and money laundering case, according to new court filings.

According to the New York Post, lawyers for Jeffrey Hurant and Easy Rent Systems Inc. say they are in the midst of “finalizing the details of a plea agreement” with feds in a letter filed Wednesday to Brooklyn federal court Judge Margo Brodie.

The judge granted their request to adjourn a hearing scheduled for Thursday pending the resolution.

The lawyers asked for a “change of plea hearing” for the last week in August. According to NYPost.com, Hurant will likely plead guilty, though it’s unclear to what charges.

A lawyer for Hurant and a spokeswoman for the US Attorney’s Office both declined to comment.

Photo courtesy of nydailynews.com

Hurant faces up to 20 years but will probably get far less as part of the deal.

Hurant, along with six staffers were arrested in a raid at the Union Square New York City offices last year. Charg-

es against the workers were eventually dismissed.

Prosecutors said the site made $10 million between 2010 and 2015 operating as an online brothel that allowed es-

corts to pay for ads touting their sexual services.

Hurant, who has been free on bond, has defended his business as being perfectly legal.

American Family Association speaks for the Almighty: Sorry Hillary, God says you can’t be president

by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer American Family Association (AFA) spokesperson Bryan Fischer says that Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign violates the will of God. Speaking with a caller on his “Focal Point” show on American Family Radio, Fischer said that “you could make a pretty good biblical case…that only men are supposed to hold political office.”

“That’s always the pattern in the word of God,” he said. “The kings were all males; when you had a departure from that with Jezebel and Athaliah, it was not a good thing; it did not work out well.

“Leadership in the church is reserved for men; leadership in the home is reserved for men. In other words, in

Bryan Fischer – Photo courtesy of splcenter.org

God’s economy, he has designed leadership and authority in society and in the church and in the home to be exercised by men.”

The remarks about women in politi-

cal office are only the most recent in a long list of outrageous statements from Fischer.

Fischer teamed up with fellow antiLGBT extremist Scott Lively, for exam-

ple, to promote the idea that Hitler was Gay and based Nazism on secret Gay ideology. He also supports the practice of kidnapping the children of same-sex couples and smuggling them into “normal” homes.

In 2011, he said that people of color “rut like rabbits” because federal assistance programs incentivize “fornication rather than marriage.”

In 2012, Fischer characterized Muslims as demon-worshipers and “parasites who must convert or die.”

While the AFA has distanced itself from some of Fischer’s most extreme statements and demoted him from his post of Director of Issues Analysis, it shares his basic analysis.

In 2010 the Southern Poverty Law Center listed the AFA as an anti-LGBT hate group and charged it with knowingly spreading false propaganda.

NEWSFLASH: Hillary Clinton is the Antichrist, Bryan Fischer says

by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer Less than 48 hours after telling his radio audience that God does not approve of women being elected to political offices, Bryan Fischer revealed on August 15 that Hillary Clinton is the Antichrist – or at least that she is driven by the same evil spirit.

Clinton is “an enemy of religious liberty,” Fischer declared, just like President Obama, who is driven by a “profound anti-Christ impulse.”

“The same spirit that will one day animate the Antichrist is the same spirit that is at work in Hillary Clinton,” Fischer said.

“She opposes Christ, she opposes

biblical Christianity, she’s hostile to it, she seeks to repress it, she seeks to punish it, and she seeks to stif le it.

That is the spirit of the Antichrist, and it is at work in Hillary Clinton.”

Fischer did not explain how he came to k now that Clinton is the Antichrist, since she is reportedly a church-going Methodist.

Two days before Fischer announced that Clinton is the Antichrist, one of his Christian right colleagues, Charisma News senior editor Jennifer LeClaire, came to a different conclusion.

Citing a new video titled “Hilary Clinton – The Antichrist or the Illuminati Witch?” LeClaire admitted, “I don’t believe Hillary is the Antichrist, but the fact that so many people are ut-

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terly convinced is telling.”

An August 9 PPP poll in North Carolina showed that although Clinton is leading Trump in that state, a large number of Trump supporters believe Clinton “is the devil.”

In fact, 41% of Trump voters told PPP that Clinton is the devil, while 17% weren’t sure one way or the other.

On the other hand, 42% of Trump voters said that Clinton is not Satan.

None of Clinton’s supporters believe she is the devil, by the way, although 3% said they could not be sure.

Across the state as a whole, 32% of respondents said Clinton was the devil or weren’t sure, while 68% said she is not.

The replies broke sharply by race, with 27% of whites saying Clinton was the devil, but only 1% of people of color agreeing.

August 19, 2016

Anti- Hillary Jennifer LeClaire – Photo courtesy of charismamag.com

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GAY SOFTBALL WORLD SERIES: More than 185 teams from 43 cities across the U.S. and Canada are participating in six days of events in Austin, TX through Saturday, August 20 Nissan celebrates 40th Annual Gay Softball World Series

Nissan is furthering its partnership with the North American Gay Amateur Athletic Alliance (NAGAAA) again this year to sponsor the 40th Annual Gay Softball World Series (GSWS) from August 15 to 20 in Austin, Texas. This is the second year Nissan is sponsoring the series and is expanding the partnership with local NAGAAA softball leagues at LGBTQ and Pride events through the end of 2016, including Long Beach Pride, L.A. Pride, Capital Pride, Nashville Pride, San Francisco Pride, New York City Pride, Atlanta Pride and Orlando Pride as well as Northalsted Market Days in Chicago.

“Pride is about bringing our community together. So, we’re thrilled that we can extend our partnership with Nissan to work more closely with our local gay leagues as well as celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Gay Softball World Series together in Austin,” said Chris Balton, commissioner of NAGAAA. Created in 1977, the North American Gay Amateur Athletic Alliance Open Division is a not-for-profit international sports organization comprised of men and women dedicated to promoting amateur athletics for the LGBTQ community. The organization was formed after the first Gay Softball World Series in 1976.

“Our LGBTQ outreach is a point of pride for employees and helps us attract not only new customers to the Nissan brand but also potential employees,” said Erich Marx, director, Marketing, and executive sponsor of Gay Straight Alliance at Nissan.

“The Gay Softball World Series is a great fit for Nissan and gives us a chance to get involved in the community and present a compelling, personalized experience with our vehicles and our brand.”

More than 185 teams from 43 cities across the United States and Canada are participating in six days of events, including opening and closing ceremonies, a multi-division tournament and community events. The series is expected to draw more than 15,000 athletes, coaches and fans.

Since 2013, Nissan has scored a perfect 100 in the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) Corporate Equality Index for its LGBTQinclusive policies and commitment to the community. The company was among the fastest risers in the history of the index.

Nissan’s Gay Straight Alliance Network (GSAN) is the driving force behind the company’s LGBTQ outreach efforts.

Nissan also offers inclusive benefits and Championing Diversity workshops for employees, and a “Diversity and Inclusion” team works closely with advocacy groups such as the HRC to drive a culture of equality in the workplace. Other Nissan LGBTQ sponsorships include the National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association, and a number of regional events and groups.

Nissan will showcase one of its own allstars at the series, the 2016 Maxima, also known as the “4-Door Sports Car.” The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) designated the 2016 Maxima as a Top Safety Pick Plus with a “Superior”

rating for front crash prevention for those models equipped with Forward Emergency Braking.

For more information about the 2016 Nissan Maxima, please visit www.nissanusa.com.

About Nissan North America In North America, Nissan’s operations include automotive styling, engineering, consumer and corporate financing, sales and marketing, distribution and manufacturing. Nissan is dedicated to improving the environment under the Nissan Green Program and has been recognized annually by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as an ENERGY STAR® Partner of the Year since 2010. More information on Nissan in North America and the complete line of Nissan and Infiniti vehicles can be found online at www.NissanUSA. com and www.InfinitiUSA.com, or visit the U.S. media sites NissanNews.com and InfinitiNews.com.

About Nissan Motor Co. Nissan Motor Co., Ltd., Japan’s secondlargest automotive company, is headquartered in Yokohama, Japan, and is part of the Renault-Nissan Alliance. Operating with more than 247,500 employees globally, Nissan sold 5.32 million vehicles and generated revenue of 11.38 trillion yen (USD

103.6 billion) in fiscal year 2014. Nissan delivers a comprehensive range of more than 60 models under the Nissan, Infiniti and Datsun brands. Nissan leads the world in zero-emission mobility, dominated by sales of the LEAF, the first mass-market, pureelectric vehicle. It is the best-selling EV in history.

For more information on our products, services and commitment to sustainable mobility, visit our website at http://www. nissan-global.com/EN/.

About NAGAAA NAGAAA was formed to encourage the participation of gay men and lesbians in organized softball competition. Currently, over 800 teams in 43 leagues across the United States and Canada are members of NAGAAA. Teams representing these leagues participate in the NAGAAA Gay Softball World Series (GSWS), hosted each year in a different member city.

The NAGAAA Open Division teams consist of men/women mixed teams or exclusively male teams. We have five divisions of play – A, B, C, D and Masters (individuals that have reached 50 years of age).

These division designations pertain to the competitive level of play, with “A” being the most skilled, and the “D” supporting the more recreational levels of play.

Courtesy of Nissan and NAGAAA

Logo courtesy of nagaaasoftball.org

Game-play action – Photo courtesy of nagaaasoftball.org

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