SGN August 28, 2020

Celebrating 46 Years!

Issue 35 Volume 48

FRIDAY August 28, 2020 FREE!

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BIDEN & HARRIS at the DNC SEE PAGE 8

Seattle Gay News S E AT T L E ’S L GB T Q

N E W S & E N T E R TA I N M E N T W E E K LY

CHAOS IN SEATTLE

Photo by Renee Raketty

Seattle Black Lives Matter protesters riot over Wisconsin police involved shooting

Vigil spirals into chaos as police push peaceful demonstration from outside State Patrol station

Outrage among marchers leads to trail of property damage, arson

Police deploy “non-lethal” munitions against protesters, make arrests

by Renee Raketty SGN Staff Writer Outraged over the police involved shooting of Jacob Blake in Kenosha, Wisconsin, Black Lives Matter protesters marched

through the streets of Seattle on Monday night. The demonstration kicked off at 9pm at Cal Anderson Park, headed downtown and ended up back about midnight near the Seattle Police Department’s East Precinct.

see RIOT page 12

SPD sergeant on leave over anti-BLM remarks Called protestors “cockroaches”

by Renee Raketty SGN Staff Writer Black Lives Matter protesters held a march and vigil outside the Washington State Patrol station at E Roanoke St &

The Seattle Police Department (SPD) has placed a sergeant on administrative leave while it investigates his conduct during and August 13 Black Lives Matter protest.

see VIGIL CHAOS page 16

Mariners join sports strike against police violence

Photo by Renee Raketty

by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer

Harvard Ave E on Wednesday night that quickly spiraled into chaos, arrests and minor injuries. This march and vigil was organized by Every Day March (EDM).

The organizers held signs, chanted and

Photo courtesy of Seattle Mariners / Twitter

In an August 25 statement on its website, the SPD said the investigation was sparked by “multiple inquiries about a video showing a member of the public expressing concern about statements made by the sergeant, as well as his driving while on duty.”

see SPD page 6

by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer The Mariners have joined the spreading professional sports strike against police violence in the wake of the police shooting of Jacob Blake in Kenosha, Wisconsin.

The team announced on August 26 that they were calling off their scheduled game against the San Diego Padres that night.

Citing Mariners sources, the Seattle Times reported that Mariners manager Scott Servais spoke with Padres manager

see MARINERS page 7

2 Seattle Gay News

August 28, 2020

Celebrating 46 Years!

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August 28, 2020

Seattle Gay News 3

THIS AD SPACE HAS BEEN GENEROUSLY DONATED BY KRISTIN COSTELLO IN MEMORY OF SGN PUBLISHER GEORGE BAKAN

4 Seattle Gay News

August 28, 2020

Celebrating 46 Years!

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PRIDE AT WORK OP-ED:

Remember unions on Labor Day This Labor Day, remember that a strong union contract is still the best protection LGBTQ workers can have.

Here in Washington state, we have protections in state law and many municipal ordinances for LGBTQ workers, and now we also have the US Supreme Court’s June ruling that LGBTQ people are protected from workplace discrimination.

But LGBTQ workers get extra protections from their unions that the law doesn’t provide, like representation and the collective power of your co-workers.

What’s more, through the collective bargaining process, you and your union can

negotiate fully inclusive health care, mandatory inclusion training, appropriate bathroom access for everyone, and more.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, it became increasingly clear that the power imbalance in many of our workplaces has a drastic impact on our daily lives. Lack of personal protective equipment, refusal to enforce basic safety protocols, and other irresponsible behavior by some employers put many essential workers at great risk.

All of this leads back to how much power we have in our workplaces. Workers in unions have tools and support to combat these shortcomings.

So this Labor Day, let’s commit to changing the power dynamic at work. If your workplace has a union, join and pay your dues. If you’re already a member, get involved with your union. If you don’t have a union, there are folks who can help with that too.

Let’s stand together and create workplaces in which all our people can thrive.

Pride At Work is an LGBTQ labor organization affiliated with the AFL-CIO, Washington State Labor Council, and MLK Labor.

MUSIC

Disco Vinnie’s Xanadu 40 tribute raises $1,200 for ONJ’s Cancer Research Centre

DJ Disco Vinnie – Photo by Jerry Nordstrom-Weston

by MK Scott SGN Contributing Writer With the dance clubs closed, the only way to enjoy a Sunday Tea Dance is virtually.

That is what DJ Disco Vinnie did last Sunday (August 23rd) on Twitch TV. The nearly 5-hour podcast raised over $1,200 for Olivia Newton-John’s Cancer Research Centre.

The show was all about Olivia and ELO (Electric Light Orchestra) and the 40th anniversary of the movie and soundtrack of ‘Xanadu’. The biggest treat of them all was that ONJ was watching and even sent a short video of thanks for the support.

Other affiliated artists from The Tubes (She’s a Beauty) and Andy Gibb (Shadow Dancing) were also part of the set.

Another bonus was Vinnie’s video chat with NW native, Matt Lattanzi, who made his film debut as a dancer in the film and captured the heart of Olivia and married her; their 11-year union produced a daughter, Chloe.

During the interview it was nice to hear Matt tell stories of being on the set with Olivia and Gene Kelly (Sunday would have been Kelly’s 108th Birthday.) Next to Matt was a cut out figure of his younger self, from the Xanadu “All Over the World”

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Matt Lattanzi – Photos by Michelle Lattanzi

dance number. Lattanzi also spoke about appearing in some of Olivia’s racier music videos from the mid-80s, including, 1985’s ‘Soul Kiss’ that was shown soon after.

Now Lattanzi lives in Portland with his current wife, Michelle (a fellow high school alum) and wouldn’t mind collaborating

again in the future, as he mentioned in the chat room during the podcast.

Special thanks to Disco Vinnie for the SGN shout out and congratulations for a super fun night.

August 28, 2020

Seattle Gay News 5

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Gay activist leads Sawant recall

by MK Scott SGN Contributing Writer What a week! After the “Recall Kshama Sawant” campaign was launched, led by Ernie Lou, it was announced that he had been terminated as development director of Three Dollar Bill Cinema (TDBC). His independent contractor role there, which had only just started on July 15, was to set up a virtual fundraiser due the cancellation of April’s annual in-person dinner and auction, due to COVID-19.

An article on the KUOW site on Friday, August 21, citing an anonymous source, claimed that Lou was terminated because of his involvement in the recall campaign.

By Sunday, the story had been updated after speaking with both Lou and TDBC’s interim executive director, Kathleen Mullen.

By phone, Mullen said, “The original story was completely inaccurate by the media. The reasons for the termination were not related to the Sawant recall.” Mullen said that Lou had been working with TDBC for a little over a month, but she felt that it was not a good fit.

Mullen said the reaction she has gotten to these events has been mixed.

TDBC’s official statement was as follows: “Three Dollar Bill Cinema (TDBC) is saddened that an inaccurate media story is being played out in news outlets and on social media about Ernie Lou’s departure from TDBC. This inaccuracy is causing distress to people within our community and also our small nonprofit organization.

Mr. Lou – a longtime volunteer to TDBC and valued member of our community – was hired as a short-term contractor to help us fundraise during these challenging times due to COVID-19. While we can’t speak publicly about the specifics of employment matters, we want to clarify that Mr. Lou’s departure is not connected to the Recall Kshama Sawant initiative.”

Ernie Lou told me via email that he was given no warning, in fact they gave him no options or choices. “There was no discussion or negotiation,” he said. “In fact, if they were open to talking about options, I would have talked to them about how I could transition off of the Recall Sawant Campaign over an agreed upon schedule. But, unfortunately, I was not given any options.

“We had a Google Meet Video call last Thursday, August 20, 2020 at 12:30pm. In addition to myself, Telved Delvet, Board Member and Kathleen Mullen, Interim Executive Director, were participating.

Telved started by talking about how Kathleen and I have been working together and how there are areas of improvement in terms of process, and how we can work better together and off load tasks from Kathleen. This lasted for only 30 seconds.

“Then Telved told me that they had just learned of my involvement in the Recall Sawant Campaign and how this blindsided them. I did acknowledge that I probably should have given them a heads up but I always thought that the activities you did in your personal life were personal and if you didn’t perform these activities while doing the business that was all that mattered. I informed them that I had started the Recall Sawant Campaign back in June 2020 and that Three Dollar Bill Cinema (TDBC) had hired me on July 15, 2020.

“I was working 150% in raising money for TDBC since I knew about their financial situation. [Their largest fundraiser, their Annual Auction & Dinner this past April was cancelled due to COVID-19.] Then Telved went on to spend the next approximately 9:30 of the 10:00 minute video call focused on the Recall Sawant Campaign.

Telved stated that they had received angry emails from Community Groups and Community Members upset that they had hired

6 Seattle Gay News

Photo courtesy of Ernie Lou

the head of the Recall Sawant Campaign.

Telvel mentioned that it came up in a sponsorship meeting in the last 24 hours. Telved said given the controversy, the potential impact to sponsorships, they had no other choice but to terminate my contact.”

Lou told KIRO’s Dave Ross that he didn’t think TDBC needed to be told about the recall effort, since he had started fundraising for the campaign weeks before his work there started. (Both Mullen and board president Clay Warner are Facebook friends with Lou. Mullen confessed she isn’t on Facebook much and didn’t recall seeing Lou’s postings about the Recall.)

He said that he truly wanted to help TDBC for its 25th anniversary this October and thinks that both he and TDBC are victims of Sawant’s supporters’ bullying.

When asked about the responses from the community, he told me, “I have been humbled by the overwhelming support from the LGBTQ Community. Members of the LGBTQ Community have posted on Facebook and have sent emails to TDBC stating their anger and displeasure with my wrongful dismissal.” The typical email and Facebook posts focused on: “Our LGBTQ community has won our rights through hard-won victories, which have been fought by queer people who were willing to express political dissent and speak their truth. Silence = Death.”

“Mr. Lou had simply exercised his right to use his LGBTQ+ voice to participate in the political process. He expressed political dissent and spoke the truth and you as now trying to Silence his Queer Voice.

None of us are safe from our rights being taken away by changing political climates, and it is absolutely necessary that we are vigilant about LGBTQ+ voices being supported on all levels.”

August 28, 2020

If that sentence sounds familiar, it is because it is a direct quote from an open letter to the community that Interim Executive Director, Kathleen Mullen and Board President Clay Warner signed earlier this year. Values espoused vs values acted upon.

I agree fully that we must be vigilant about LGBTQ+ voices being supported on all levels. Silence = Death. “[Sawant] is the leftist version of the right-wing version of Trump,” Lou told KING-5. “She’s a cancer in Seattle.”

According to KING-5, Lou said he was fed up after recent demonstrations, which included a sit-in at City Hall and a march

SPD

continued from cover In the now-viral video, an unmarked SUV apparently tries to run down protestors marching on the sidewalk. The driver is later revealed to be a police officer.

One speaker says to him, “I saw you hit almost a bunch of people,” and asks why the officer was driving “up on the sidewalk.”

The driver responds that he was “trying to catch a bad guy” but failed because “he ran like a roach.”

“Don’t you think you could have hurt somebody, seriously hurt somebody?” someone asks.

“No…I’m a professional,” the officer answers.

When asked “Are you the one that called them like a bunch of cockroaches?” the driver responds, “Yes, yes,” and later says, “I think it’s very, very [inaudible]… running like cockroaches.”

The officer then complains about the City Council cutting the SPD’s budget, say-

to the home of Mayor Jenny Durkan, two of six charges he levels against the sitting council member in his long-shot effort to recall her.

“She was leading the protestors. She was egging them on. That’s not her role,” Lou said.

Lou said the effort has raised $30,000, although the city’s Public Disclosure Commission shows that no donations have been reported.

Lou is asking for donations of less than $25, which he said is to make sure the effort to unseat Sawant is grassroots. However, the Seattle Municipal Code also allows for those types of donations to be made without donors having to provide a name, address, or employer, and to avoid typical reporting requirements.

If the recall effort is approved by the courts, the group would then still need to collect thousands of signatures from registered voters in Sawant’s council district, after which a special election would be held.

When asked if he would continue to support Three Dollar Bill, Lou responded, “Three Dollar Bill Cinema (TDBC) has been a tremendous asset to our LGBTQ+ community for 25 years. I have been attending the Seattle Queer Film Festival almost every year since I came out in 1997.

I have been a supporter and volunteer for the organization. I would like to continue to support them and I have done everything I could to de-escalate the situation.

In fact, I reached out to TDBC Board President Clay Warner this past Saturday evening, August 22, 2020. We had a very honest and direct 90-minute conversation.

We talked about how pretty much 100% of the corporate sponsors and about 80-85% of TDBC’s donors and supporters would support the Recall Sawant Campaign.

He acknowledged the emails they were receiving criticizing them for letting me go and that they were silencing a “Queer Voice”. I told him that I would not lie and that I would tell the truth about what I was told on the video call and that my contract was being terminated because of my involvement in the Recall Sawant Campaign. I had hoped that TDBC would release an updated statement and issue an apology but unfortunately, I’m still waiting.”

MK Scott a Seattle-based arts and public affairs blogger. Check out his work on uniteseattlemag.com.

ing he “used to love Seattle” but now the city is “dirty” and “gross.”

He adds, “they pay me like 200 grand a year to babysit…these knuckleheads every night because they smash up all the businesses.”

The video’s narrator gives a badge number, but according to the Seattle Times, the SPD has not confirmed the identity of the sergeant, and an attempt to reach the officer with the badge number was unsuccessful.

The SPD’s Office of Police Accountability (OPA) will conduct the investigation. The SPD said on August 25 that it would not release any information about the incident beyond the brief notice on its website. The department had previously refused to answer questions about the video, saying only that it had been referred to the OPA. According to the police, the OPA has more than 1,500 complaints about police misconduct during Black Lives Matter protests.

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Seattle Pride awards $31K to local LGBTQIA+ nonprofits as COVID-19 continues to impact community need SEATTLE (August 25, 2020) – As COVID-19 continues to impact our community, many nonprofit organizations are feeling the pinch as they struggle to keep up with the growing need and diminishing funds.

Seattle Out & Proud (also known as “Seattle Pride”) is hoping its latest round of community grants – totaling $31,000 – will provide some much-needed assistance to the six organizations that will share the funds.

“As the needs in our community – and the LGBTQIA+ community in particular – continue to grow, we want to do our part to help the recipient organizations which are contributing in such meaningful ways,” said Seattle Pride Executive Director Krystal Marx. “We celebrated Pride Month in June, but Seattle Pride’s work continues year-round in helping nonprofits across the region that are doing so much to assist those in the LGBTQIA+ community and to advance diversity, inclusivity, and equal human rights for all.”

Twice each year, Seattle Pride awards grants to charitable organizations that support the local LGBTQIA+ community, with $127,000 donated since 2017. This summer’s community grant recipients [are the following]: • LGBTQ Allyship ($5,000) – Building power among LGBTQIA+ communities and allies statewide to work towards economic, racial and gender justice. “We are grateful for the support of Seattle Pride in bolstering LGBTQ Allyship’s work in addressing LGBTQ+ marginalized senior invisibility, social isolation and economic challenges during COVID-19. Seattle Pride’s grant will provide much needed educational opportunities and community support to enhance our senior community’s resilience and fortitude during these challenging times.” —Debbie Carlsen, Executive Director, LGBTQ Allyship • Feeding el Pueblo Fund ($5,000) – A GoFundMe community food drive to bring culturally relevant foods to South King County Latinx communities in Burien, Des Moines, Normandy Park, SeaTac, and White Center. “We offer gratitude to Seattle Pride for its generous donation to our community effort. As a result of the pandemic, many of our communities have

MARINERS

continued from cover Jayce Tingler while the Padres were taking batting practice around 4:45 p.m.

A group of players from each team met around 5 p.m., just after the Padres were finishing batting practice.

Mariners veterans Dee Gordon, Kyle Seager, and Marco Gonzales met with Tommy Pham, Austin Hedges, and Manny Machado on the field to discuss the situation and notify the Padres of the team vote.

Gordon later tweeted a statement on behalf of his teammates: “There are serious issues in this country. For me, and for many of my teammates, the injustices, violence, death, and systemic racism is deeply personal. This is impacting not only my community but very directly my family and friends. Our team voted unanimously not to play tonight. Instead of watching us, we hope people will focus on the things more important than sports that are happening. – Dee Strange-Gordon” Gonzales, who is the Mariners’ player representative with the MLB Players Association, also tweeted: “I am extremely proud to be a part of this group. We have listened, loved, and supported one another through this tough time. But I’m heartbro-

Seattle Pride Board Member Stephanie Bailey Presenting 2019 Award – Photo courtesy of Seattle Pride

experienced loss, grief, and great uncertainty. A way that we offer support for the healing of our community is to offer food items that are connected to our cultural roots, which comfort us in times of uncertainty.” —Roxana Pardo Garcia, Community Leader & Volunteer Campaign Lead, Feeding el Pueblo • National Film Festival for Talented Youth (NFFTY) ($3,000) – Encourages and acknowledges young artists working in media arts, promoting their accomplishments through festivals and programs, and celebrating their talent and the compelling stories they tell. “In a pandemic year when funders are pivoting their focus from the arts, which is perpetually in danger of being deemed ‘not essential,’ Seattle Pride is steadfast in uplifting the voices of underrepresented and marginalized storytellers.

NFFTY is grateful for the continued support of Seattle Pride, which underwrites our featured LGBTQIA+ filmmaker showcase and provides a cash award to a promising queer filmmaker.” —Dan Hudson, Executive Director, NFFTY • Seattle Public Schools’ Our Students, Their Stories Project ($8,000) – Seattle Public Schools’ project highlights the stoken for my brothers and teammates who fear for their lives and their families lives on a daily basis. This isn’t about baseball right now. It’s about justice, equality, and understanding. Thank you to our Mariners family for supporting us and standing up for what’s right.”

The Mariners organization released a statement supporting the decision made by the players: “The Seattle Mariners respect the team’s decision to not play tonight’s game. The Seattle Mariners stand with our players as they speak out with their words and actions against social injustice.”

The Padres released a statement that read: “We understand the Mariners’ decision to postpone tonight’s game, and we support the players’ efforts to use their platform to bring awareness to the very serious issue of racial injustice impacting our country today.”

The sports strike began on August 26 when the Milwaukee Bucks basketball team failed to take the court in their playoff game against the Orlando Magic.

In the wake of the Bucks’ decision, the Milwaukee Brewers decided not to play their game against the Cincinnati Reds on Wednesday evening. The WNBA called off its three Wednesday games. Major League Soccer also cancelled five matches.

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ries of LGBTQIA+ students across the district via a portrait storytelling book and photo exhibit depicting LGBTQIA+ staff, students, and their families. “Seattle Public Schools is tremendously grateful to Seattle Pride for its generous donation to support the ‘Our Students, Their Stories’ portrait/ storytelling project. This project captures images and stories from LGBTQIA+ staff, students, and their families across the district. The project will culminate in a book and photo exhibit that will be used as educational material for staff training, and for students across all grade levels.” —Lisa Love, Manager/Health Education, Seattle Public Schools • Three Dollar Bill Cinema ($5,000) – Strengthens, connects, and reflects diverse communities through queer film and media.

“We are so thrilled and thankful to receive the grant from Seattle Pride. We will be using it for our 25th anniversary programming at the Seattle Queer Film Festival to support our free workshops, panels, and diversity and inclusion initiatives during the virtual festival. We are dedicated to creating a space for LGBTQIA+ visibility with film and community online.” —Kathleen Mullen, Interim Executive Director, Three Dollar Bill Cinema • YWCA ($5,000) – Works to eliminate race- and gender-based disparities in housing, economic advancement, and health. “YWCA is proud to be a recipient of a Seattle Pride grant to support GenRising, YWCA’s diverse group of young professionals under the age of 45. GenRisers engage underrepresented communities in inclusive philanthropy and are the next generation of philanthropists, policy influencers, and leaders. Thanks to this generous support, our fall GenRising event will explore how we can advance racial justice for Black women in philanthropy and the nonprofit community.” —Fran Kreman, Foundation Giving Officer, YWCA of Seattle & Snohomish Counties “I’m so proud of the diversity of organizations and grassroots efforts that our grant program is supporting in this time of community need,” added Marx. “Our community has many faces, and we’re all in this together – including our extended family of supporters, funders, and community partners.”

One longtime community partner – Sound Credit Union – was particularly helpful this year, enabling Seattle Pride to award its $5,000 grant to the Feeding El Pueblo fund to address food insecurity in the Highline community of South King County.

“Sound is proud to partner with Seattle Pride. The cultures of both organizations believe in creating communities which are inclusive [and] diverse and bring everyone together in unity,” said Jennifer Reed, Sound Credit Union’s vice president for public relations. “When we heard Seattle Pride had to cancel the in-person parade, we wanted to reallocate our sponsorship funds to continue our support of the organization and initiatives important to the community during the pandemic. Feeding El Pueblo is a wonderful cause that brings us together, across many cultures, around food, while helping fight hunger injustice.”

Earlier this year, Seattle Pride announced a special round of grantmaking totaling an additional $25,000 to organizations providing direct COVID-19-related services, including El Centro de la Raza, Entre Hermanos, FEEST, the Ingersoll Gender Center, PFLAG, the COVID-19 Relief Fund for Undocumented People, UTOPIA Seattle and Ventures. For a complete list of Seattle Pride grants by year, visit SeattlePride.org.

August 28, 2020

Seattle Gay News 7

Seattle Out & Proud/Seattle Pride is a 501c(4) not-for-profit organization that produces the Seattle Pride Parade, Seattle Pride in the Park, and other Pride-related events and promotions, as well as yearround statewide advocacy in support of diversity, inclusivity, and equal human rights for all.

The Seattle Out & Proud Foundation is Seattle Pride’s 501c(3) nonprofit foundation, which provides grants and sponsorship support to community-based LGBTQIA+ organizations statewide [and] educates members of the public about the LGBTQIA+ community and the rights of its members, to eliminate discrimination against and further the civil rights of members of the LGBTQIA+ community, and to connect, inspire, and strengthen the LGBTQIA+ community by promoting the arts and supporting leadership development.

To learn more about the Seattle Pride and Pride-related events, grants and advocacy, visit www.seattlepride.org, subscribe to our e-newsletters and advocacy alerts, and follow us on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn @SeattlePride and on Twitter @ OurSeattlePride.

Courtesy of Seattle Out & Proud/Why for Good

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Joe Biden’s speech at the Democratic National Convention

Photo by Andrew Harnik / AP

Read Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden’s speech to the 2020 Democratic National Convention, as prepared for delivery [https://www.cnn.com/2020/08/20/ politics/biden-dnc-speech-transcript/index. html – includes link to full video of Kamala Harris’ speech] Good evening.

Ella Baker, a giant of the civil rights movement, left us with this wisdom: Give people light and they will find a way.

Give people light.

Those are words for our time.

The current president has cloaked America in darkness for much too long. Too much anger. Too much fear. Too much division.

Here and now, I give you my word: If you entrust me with the presidency, I will draw on the best of us not the worst. I will be an ally of the light not of the darkness.

It’s time for us, for We the People, to come together.

For make no mistake. United we can, and will, overcome this season of darkness in America. We will choose hope over fear, facts over fiction, fairness over privilege.

I am a proud Democrat and I will be proud to carry the banner of our party into the general election. So, it is with great honor and humility that I accept this nomination for President of the United States of America.

But while I will be a Democratic candidate, I will be an American president. I will work as hard for those who didn’t support me as I will for those who did.

That’s the job of a president. To represent all of us, not just our base or our party. This is not a partisan moment. This must be an American moment.

It’s a moment that calls for hope and light and love. Hope for our futures, light to see our way forward, and love for one another.

America isn’t just a collection of clashing interests of Red States or Blue States.

We’re so much bigger than that.

8 Seattle Gay News

We’re so much better than that.

Nearly a century ago, Franklin Roosevelt pledged a New Deal in a time of massive unemployment, uncertainty, and fear.

Stricken by disease, stricken by a virus, FDR insisted that he would recover and prevail and he believed America could as well.

And he did.

And so can we.

This campaign isn’t just about winning votes.

It’s about winning the heart, and yes, the soul of America.

Winning it for the generous among us, not the selfish. Winning it for the workers who keep this country going, not just the privileged few at the top.

Winning it for those communities who have known the injustice of the “knee on the neck”. For all the young people who have known only an America of rising inequity and shrinking opportunity.

They deserve to experience America’s promise in full.

No generation ever knows what history will ask of it. All we can ever know is whether we’ll be ready when that moment arrives.

And now history has delivered us to one of the most difficult moments America has ever faced.

Four historic crises. All at the same time.

A perfect storm.

The worst pandemic in over 100 years.

The worst economic crisis since the Great Depression.

The most compelling call for racial justice since the 60’s. And the undeniable realities and accelerating threats of climate change.

So, the question for us is simple: Are we ready?

I believe we are.

We must be.

All elections are important. But we know in our bones this one is more consequential.

America is at an inflection point. A time

August 28, 2020

of real peril, but of extraordinary possibilities.

We can choose the path of becoming angrier, less hopeful, and more divided.

A path of shadow and suspicion.

Or we can choose a different path, and together, take this chance to heal, to be reborn, to unite. A path of hope and light.

This is a life-changing election that will determine America’s future for a very long time.

Character is on the ballot. Compassion is on the ballot. Decency, science, democracy.

They are all on the ballot.

Who we are as a nation. What we stand for. And, most importantly, who we want to be.

That’s all on the ballot.

And the choice could not be clearer.

No rhetoric is needed.

Just judge this president on the facts.

5 million Americans infected with COVID-19.

More than 170,000 Americans have died.

By far the worst performance of any nation on Earth.

More than 50 million people have filed for unemployment this year.

More than 10 million people are going to lose their health insurance this year.

Nearly one in 6 small businesses have closed this year.

If this president is re-elected we know what will happen.

Cases and deaths will remain far too high.

More mom and pop businesses will close their doors for good.

Working families will struggle to get by, and yet, the wealthiest one percent will get tens of billions of dollars in new tax breaks.

And the assault on the Affordable Care Act will continue until its destroyed, taking insurance away from more than 20 million people – including more than 15 million people on Medicaid – and getting rid of the protections that President Obama and

I passed for people who suffer from a preexisting condition.

And speaking of President Obama, a man I was honored to serve alongside for 8 years as Vice President. Let me take this moment to say something we don’t say nearly enough.

Thank you, Mr. President. You were a great president. A president our children could – and did – look up to.

No one will say that about the current occupant of the office.

What we know about this president is if he’s given four more years he will be what he’s been the last four years.

A president who takes no responsibility, refuses to lead, blames others, cozies up to dictators, and fans the flames of hate and division.

He will wake up every day believing the job is all about him. Never about you.

Is that the America you want for you, your family, your children?

I see a different America.

One that is generous and strong.

Selfless and humble.

It’s an America we can rebuild together.

As president, the first step I will take will be to get control of the virus that’s ruined so many lives.

Because I understand something this president doesn’t.

We will never get our economy back on track, we will never get our kids safely back to school, we will never have our lives back, until we deal with this virus.

The tragedy of where we are today is it didn’t have to be this bad.

Just look around.

It’s not this bad in Canada. Or Europe. Or Japan. Or almost anywhere else in the world.

The President keeps telling us the virus is going to disappear. He keeps waiting for a miracle. Well, I have news for him, no miracle is coming.

We lead the world in confirmed cases.

We lead the world in deaths.

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Kamala Harris’ speech at the Democratic National Convention Read Democratic vice presidential nominee Kamala Harris’ speech from the 2020 Democratic National Convention, as prepared for delivery [https://www.cnn. com/2020/08/19/politics/kamala-harrisspeech-transcript/index.html – includes link to full video of Joe Biden’s speech] Greetings America.

It is truly an honor to be speaking with you.

That I am here tonight is a testament to the dedication of generations before me.

Women and men who believed so fiercely in the promise of equality, liberty, and justice for all.

This week marks the 100th anniversary of the passage of the 19th amendment. And we celebrate the women who fought for that right.

Yet so many of the Black women who helped secure that victory were still prohibited from voting, long after its ratification.

But they were undeterred.

Without fanfare or recognition, they organized, testified, rallied, marched, and fought – not just for their vote, but for a seat at the table. These women and the generations that followed worked to make democracy and opportunity real in the lives of all of us who followed.

They paved the way for the trailblazing leadership of Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton.

And these women inspired us to pick up the torch, and fight on.

Women like Mary Church Terrell and Mary McCleod Bethune. Fannie Lou Hamer and Diane Nash. Constance Baker Motley and Shirley Chisholm.

We’re not often taught their stories. But as Americans, we all stand on their shoulders.

There’s another woman, whose name isn’t known, whose story isn’t shared.

Another woman whose shoulders I stand on. And that’s my mother – Shyamala Gopalan Harris.

She came here from India at age 19 to pursue her dream of curing cancer. At the University of California Berkeley, she met my father, Donald Harris – who had come from Jamaica to study economics.

They fell in love in that most American way – while marching together for justice in the civil rights movement of the 1960s.

In the streets of Oakland and Berkeley, I got a stroller’s-eye view of people getting into what the great John Lewis called “good trouble.”

When I was 5, my parents split and my mother raised us mostly on her own. Like so many mothers, she worked around the clock to make it work – packing lunches before we woke up – and paying bills after we went to bed. Helping us with homework at the kitchen table – and shuttling us to church for choir practice.

She made it look easy, though I know it never was.

My mother instilled in my sister, Maya, and me the values that would chart the course of our lives.

She raised us to be proud, strong Black women. And she raised us to know and be proud of our Indian heritage.

She taught us to put family first – the family you’re born into and the family you choose.

Family, is my husband Doug, who I met on a blind date set up by my best friend. Family is our beautiful children, Cole and Ella, who as you just heard, call me Momala. Family is my sister. Family is my best friend, my nieces and my godchildren. Family is my uncles, my aunts – my chitthis. Family is Mrs. Shelton – my second mother who lived two doors down and helped raise me. Family is my beloved Alpha Kappa Alpha .– our Divine 9 – and my HBCU brothers and sisters. Family is the friends I turned to when my mother – the most important person in my life – passed away from cancer.

And even as she taught us to keep our family at the center of our world, she also pushed us to see a world beyond ourselves.

She taught us to be conscious and compassionate about the struggles of all people.

To believe public service is a noble cause and the fight for justice is a shared responsibility.

That led me to become a lawyer, a District Attorney, Attorney General, and a United States Senator.

And at every step of the way, I’ve been guided by the words I spoke from the first time I stood in a courtroom: Kamala Harris, For the People.

I’ve fought for children, and survivors of sexual assault. I’ve fought against trans-

national gangs. I took on the biggest banks, and helped take down one of the biggest for-profit colleges.

I know a predator when I see one.

My mother taught me that service to others gives life purpose and meaning.

And oh, how I wish she were here tonight but I know she’s looking down on me from above. I keep thinking about that 25-yearold Indian woman – all of five feet tall – who gave birth to me at Kaiser Hospital in Oakland, California.

On that day, she probably could have never imagined that I would be standing before you now speaking these words: I accept your nomination for Vice President of the United States of America.

I do so, committed to the values she taught me. To the Word that teaches me to walk by faith, and not by sight. And to a vision passed on through generations of Americans – one that Joe Biden shares.

A vision of our nation as a Beloved Community – where all are welcome, no matter what we look like, where we come from, or who we love.

A country where we may not agree on every detail, but we are united by the fundamental belief that every human being is of infinite worth, deserving of compassion, dignity and respect.

A country where we look out for one another, where we rise and fall as one, where we face our challenges, and celebrate our triumphs – together.

Today . . . that country feels distant.

Donald Trump’s failure of leadership has cost lives and livelihoods.

If you’re a parent struggling with your child’s remote learning, or you’re a teacher struggling on the other side of that screen, you know that what we’re doing right now isn’t working.

And we are a nation that’s grieving.

Grieving the loss of life, the loss of jobs, the loss of opportunities, the loss of normalcy.

And yes, the loss of certainty.

And while this virus touches us all, let’s be honest, it is not an equal opportunity offender. Black, Latino and Indigenous people are suffering and dying disproportionately.

This is not a coincidence. It is the effect of structural racism.

Of inequities in education and technol-

ogy, health care and housing, job security and transportation.

The injustice in reproductive and maternal health care. In the excessive use of force by police. And in our broader criminal justice system.

This virus has no eyes, and yet it knows exactly how we see each other – and how we treat each other.

And let’s be clear – there is no vaccine for racism. We’ve gotta do the work.

For George Floyd. For Breonna Taylor.

For the lives of too many others to name.

For our children. For all of us.

We’ve gotta do the work to fulfill that promise of equal justice under law.

Because, none of us are free . . . until all of us are free . . .

We’re at an inflection point.

The constant chaos leaves us adrift. The incompetence makes us feel afraid.

The callousness makes us feel alone.

It’s a lot.

And here’s the thing: We can do better and deserve so much more.

We must elect a president who will bring something different, something better, and do the important work. A president who will bring all of us together – Black, White, Latino, Asian, Indigenous – to achieve the future we collectively want.

We must elect Joe Biden.

I knew Joe as Vice President. I knew Joe on the campaign trail. But I first got to know Joe as the father of my friend.

Joe’s son, Beau, and I served as Attorneys General of our states, Delaware and California. During the Great Recession, we spoke on the phone nearly every day, working together to win back billions of dollars for homeowners from the big banks that foreclosed on people’s homes.

And Beau and I would talk about his family.

How, as a single father, Joe would spend 4 hours every day riding the train back and forth from Wilmington to Washington. Beau and Hunter got to have breakfast every morning with their dad. They went to sleep every night with the sound of his voice reading bedtime stories. And while they endured an unspeakable loss, these two little boys Always knew that they were deeply, unconditionally loved.

Our economy is in tatters, with Black, Latino, Asian American, and Native American communities bearing the brunt of it.

And after all this time, the president still does not have a plan.

Well, I do.

If I’m president on day one we’ll implement the national strategy I’ve been laying out since March.

We’ll develop and deploy rapid tests with results available immediately.

We’ll make the medical supplies and protective equipment our country needs.

And we’ll make them here in America. So we will never again be at the mercy of China and other foreign countries in order to protect our own people.

We’ll make sure our schools have the resources they need to be open, safe, and effective.

We’ll put the politics aside and take the muzzle off our experts so the public gets the information they need and deserve. The honest, unvarnished truth. They can deal with that.

We’ll have a national mandate to wear a mask-not as a burden, but to protect each other.

It’s a patriotic duty.

In short, I will do what we should have done from the very beginning.

Our current president has failed in his most basic duty to this nation.

He failed to protect us.

He failed to protect America.

And, my fellow Americans, that is unforgivable.

As president, I will make you this promise: I will protect America. I will defend us from every attack. Seen. And unseen.

Always. Without exception. Every time.

Look, I understand it’s hard to have hope right now.

On this summer night, let me take a moment to speak to those of you who have lost the most.

I know how it feels to lose someone you love. I know that deep black hole that opens up in your chest. That you feel your whole being is sucked into it. I know how mean and cruel and unfair life can be sometimes.

But I’ve learned two things.

First, your loved ones may have left this Earth but they never leave your heart. They will always be with you.

And second, I found the best way through pain and loss and grief is to find purpose.

As God’s children each of us have a purpose in our lives.

And we have a great purpose as a nation: To open the doors of opportunity to all Americans. To save our democracy. To be a light to the world once again.

To finally live up to and make real the words written in the sacred documents that founded this nation that all men and women are created equal. Endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights. Among

them life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

You know, my Dad was an honorable, decent man.

He got knocked down a few times pretty hard, but always got up.

He worked hard and built a great middleclass life for our family.

He used to say, “Joey, I don’t expect the government to solve my problems, but I expect it to understand them.”

And then he would say: “Joey, a job is about a lot more than a paycheck. It’s about your dignity. It’s about respect. It’s about your place in your community. It’s about looking your kids in the eye and say, honey, it’s going to be okay.”

I’ve never forgotten those lessons.

That’s why my economic plan is all about jobs, dignity, respect, and community.

Together, we can, and we will, rebuild our economy. And when we do, we’ll not only build it back, we’ll build it back better.

With modern roads, bridges, highways, broadband, ports and airports as a new foundation for economic growth. With pipes that transport clean water to every community.

With 5 million new manufacturing and technology jobs so the future is made in America.

With a health care system that lowers premiums, deductibles, and drug prices by building on the Affordable Care Act he’s trying to rip away.

With an education system that trains our people for the best jobs of the 21st century, where cost doesn’t prevent young people from going to college, and student debt doesn’t crush them when they get out.

With child care and elder care that make it possible for parents to go to work and for the elderly to stay in their homes with dignity. With an immigration system that powers our economy and reflects our values.

With newly empowered labor unions. With equal pay for women. With rising wages you can raise a family on. Yes, we’re going to do more than praise our essential workers.

We’re finally going to pay them.

We can, and we will, deal with climate change. It’s not only a crisis, it’s an enormous opportunity. An opportunity for America to lead the world in clean energy and create millions of new good-paying jobs in the process.

And we can pay for these investments by ending loopholes and the president’s $1.3 trillion tax giveaway to the wealthiest 1 percent and the biggest, most profitable corporations, some of which pay no tax at all.

Because we don’t need a tax code that rewards wealth more than it rewards work.

I’m not looking to punish anyone. Far from it. But it’s long past time the wealthiest people and the biggest corporations in this country paid their fair share.

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continued from page 9 For our seniors, Social Security is a sacred obligation, a sacred promise made.

The current president is threatening to break that promise. He’s proposing to eliminate the tax that pays for almost half of Social Security without any way of making up for that lost revenue.

I will not let it happen. If I’m your president, we’re going to protect Social Security and Medicare. You have my word.

One of the most powerful voices we hear in the country today is from our young people. They’re speaking to the inequity and injustice that has grown up in America. Economic injustice. Racial injustice. Environmental injustice.

I hear their voices and if you listen, you can hear them too. And whether it’s the existential threat posed by climate change, the daily fear of being gunned down in school, or the inability to get started in their first job – it will be the work of the next president to restore the promise of America to everyone.

I won’t have to do it alone. Because I will have a great Vice President at my side.

Senator Kamala Harris. She is a powerful voice for this nation. Her story is the American story. She knows about all the obstacles thrown in the way of so many in our country.

Women, Black women, Black Americans, South Asian Americans, immigrants, the left-out and left-behind.

But she’s overcome every obstacle she’s ever faced. No one’s been tougher on the big banks or the gun lobby. No one’s been tougher in calling out this current administration for its extremism, its failure to follow the law, and its failure to simply tell the truth.

Kamala and I both draw strength from our families. For Kamala, it’s Doug and their families.

For me, it’s Jill and ours.

No man deserves one great love in his life. But I’ve known two. After losing my first wife in a car accident, Jill came into my life and put our family back together.

She’s an educator. A mom. A military Mom. And an unstoppable force. If she puts her mind to it, just get out of the way.

Because she’s going to get it done. She was a great Second Lady and she will make a great First Lady for this nation, she loves this country so much.

And I will have the strength that can only come from family. Hunter, Ashley and all our grandchildren, my brothers, my sister.

They give me courage and lift me up.

And while he is no longer with us, Beau inspires me every day.

Beau served our nation in uniform. A decorated Iraq war veteran.

So I take very personally the profound responsibility of serving as Commander in Chief.

I will be a president who will stand with our allies and friends. I will make it clear to our adversaries the days of cozying up to dictators are over.

Under President Biden, America will not turn a blind eye to Russian bounties on the heads of American soldiers. Nor will I put up with foreign interference in our most sacred democratic exercise – voting.

I will stand always for our values of human rights and dignity. And I will work in common purpose for a more secure, peaceful, and prosperous world.

History has thrust one more urgent task on us. Will we be the generation that finally wipes the stain of racism from our national character?

I believe we’re up to it.

I believe we’re ready.

Just a week ago yesterday was the third anniversary of the events in Charlottesville.

Remember seeing those neo-Nazis and Klansmen and white supremacists coming out of the fields with lighted torches? Veins bulging? Spewing the same anti-Semitic bile heard across Europe in the 30’s?

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Photo by Andrew Harnik / AP

Remember the violent clash that ensued between those spreading hate and those with the courage to stand against it?

Remember what the president said?

There were quote, “very fine people on both sides.”

It was a wake-up call for us as a country.

And for me, a call to action. At that moment, I knew I’d have to run. My father taught us that silence was complicity. And I could not remain silent or complicit.

At the time, I said we were in a battle for the soul of this nation.

And we are.

One of the most important conversations I’ve had this entire campaign is with someone who is too young to vote.

I met with six-year old Gianna Floyd, a day before her Daddy George Floyd was laid to rest.

She is incredibly brave.

I’ll never forget.

When I leaned down to speak with her, she looked into my eyes and said “Daddy changed the world.”

Her words burrowed deep into my heart.

Maybe George Floyd’s murder was the breaking point.

Maybe John Lewis’ passing the inspiration.

However it has come to be, America is ready to, in John’s words, to lay down “the heavy burdens of hate at last” and to do the hard work of rooting out our systemic racism.

America’s history tells us that it has been in our darkest moments that we’ve made our greatest progress. That we’ve found the light.

And in this dark moment, I believe we are poised to make great progress again. That we can find the light once more.

I have always believed you can define America in one word: Possibilities.

That in America, everyone, and I mean everyone, should be given the opportunity to go as far as their dreams and God-given ability will take them.

We can never lose that. In times as challenging as these, I believe there is only one way forward. As a united America. United in our pursuit of a more perfect Union.

United in our dreams of a better future for us and for our children. United in our determination to make the coming years bright.

Are we ready? believe we are.

This is a great nation.

And we are a good and decent people.

This is the United States of America.

And there has never been anything we’ve been unable to accomplish when we’ve done it together.

The Irish poet Seamus Heaney once wrote: History says, Don’t hope on this side of the grave, But then, once in a lifetime The longed-for tidal wave

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Of justice can rise up, And hope and history rhyme This is our moment to make hope and history rhyme.

With passion and purpose, let us begin – you and I together, one nation, under God – united in our love for America and united in our love for each other.

For love is more powerful than hate.

Hope is more powerful than fear.

Light is more powerful than dark.

This is our moment.

HARRIS

continued from page 9 And what also moved me about Joe is the work he did, as he went back and forth.

This is the leader who wrote the Violence Against Women Act – and enacted the Assault Weapons Ban. Who, as Vice President, implemented The Recovery Act, which brought our country back from The Great Recession. He championed The Affordable Care Act, protecting millions of Americans with pre-existing conditions.

Who spent decades promoting American values and interests around the world, standing up with our allies and standing up to our adversaries.

Right now, we have a president who turns our tragedies into political weapons.

Joe will be a president who turns our challenges into purpose.

Joe will bring us together to build an economy that doesn’t leave anyone behind.

Where a good-paying job is the floor, not the ceiling.

Joe will bring us together to end this pandemic and make sure that we are prepared for the next one.

Joe will bring us together to squarely face and dismantle racial injustice, furthering the work of generations.

Joe and I believe that we can build that Beloved Community, one that is strong and decent, just and kind. One in which we all can see ourselves.

That’s the vision that our parents and grandparents fought for. The vision that made my own life possible. The vision that makes the American promise – for all its complexities and imperfections – a promise worth fighting for.

Make no mistake, the road ahead will not be not easy. We will stumble. We may fall short. But I pledge to you that we will act boldly and deal with our challenges honestly. We will speak truths. And we will act with the same faith in you that we ask you to place in us.

We believe that our country – all of us, will stand together for a better future. We already are.

We see it in the doctors, the nurses, the home health care workers and the frontline workers who are risking their lives to save

This is our mission.

May history be able to say that the end of this chapter of American darkness began here tonight as love and hope and light joined in the battle for the soul of the nation.

And this is a battle that we, together, will win.

I promise you.

Thank you.

And may God bless you.

And may God protect our troops.

Courtesy of CNN people they’ve never met.

We see it in the teachers and truck drivers, the factory workers and farmers, the postal workers and the Poll workers, all putting their own safety on the line to help us get through this pandemic.

And we see it in so many of you who are working, not just to get us through our current crises, but to somewhere better.

There’s something happening, all across the country.

It’s not about Joe or me.

It’s about you.

It’s about us. People of all ages and colors and creeds who are, yes, taking to the streets, and also persuading our family members, rallying our friends, organizing our neighbors, and getting out the vote.

And we’ve shown that, when we vote, we expand access to health care, expand access to the ballot box, and ensure that more working families can make a decent living.

I’m inspired by a new generation of leadership. You are pushing us to realize the ideals of our nation, pushing us to live the values we share: decency and fairness, justice and love.

You are the patriots who remind us that to love our country is to fight for the ideals of our country.

In this election, we have a chance to change the course of history. We’re all in this fight.

You, me, and Joe – together.

What an awesome responsibility. What an awesome privilege.

So, let’s fight with conviction. Let’s fight with hope. Let’s fight with confidence in ourselves, and a commitment to each other.

To the America we know is possible. The America, we love.

Years from now, this moment will have passed. And our children and our grandchildren will look in our eyes and ask us: Where were you when the stakes were so high?

They will ask us, what was it like?

And we will tell them. We will tell them, not just how we felt.

We will tell them what we did.

Thank you. God bless you. And God bless the United States of America.

Courtesy of CNN

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RIOT

continued from cover The West Precinct at 8th Ave and Virginia St sustained broken windows, graffiti and damage to a police transport vehicle.

Later, the East Precinct at 12th Ave and E Pine St sustained property damage from graffiti and fire. A trail of property damage was also observed along the route.

Blake was shot Sunday by Kenosha Police reportedly after trying to break up a fight between two women. A video shows him being shot in the back seven times as he was getting back into his vehicle. His children were in the car at the time of the incident. He is still recovering in a Milwaukee hospital room from his wounds.

A Seattle SWAT team in a tactical vehicle followed by several dozen officers came down E Pine St and turned onto 12th Ave to break up the protest. One protester was arrested for arson and an officer was hurt, according to an SPD statement on Tuesday.

The Seattle Gay News has since learned that a 19-year-old man from Anchorage, Alaska, is being held by authorities and will likely face federal criminal charges for arson in U.S. District Court on Thursday. The suspect, Desmond David-Pitts’ younger brother, Daelyn Polu, had been shot and killed in February by an Anchorage Police officer.

The SPD also said Monday that an individual had thrown several incendiary devices at the Seattle Police Officer Guild building in the 2900 block of 4th Ave S. Police are still investigating.

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VIGIL CHAOS continued from cover

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lit candles in honor of Summer Taylor, who died during a demonstration on I-5 on July 4th when she was struck by a speeding vehicle. The Washington State Patrol say they had blocked traffic but believe the driver had entered the freeway through an exit ramp. A 27-year-old man, Dawit Kelete, pleaded not guilty to the charges stemming from the collision.

At the Wednesday night event the Seattle Police Department asked the march support vehicles, which protect protesters from oncoming traffic, to move or be towed. Although this writer was unable to see from her position, it was reported that police broke out a support vehicle window and arrested the driver. His vehicle was then towed. Washington State Patrol officers were also on the scene.

Then, the police kept pushing the protesters back to Harvard Ave E, with pepper spray and smoke bombs. Later, they pushed the protesters down Harvard with blast balls or flash bangs. The street was

littered with umbrellas, clothing and other items the protesters had dropped during the retreat.

The police pushed the protesters into a nearby residential area and began to sweep the streets one by one on foot and with patrol cars. This writer could see a line of protesters being marched out of Roanoke Park.

Once the police and crowd had dispersed, a small number of protesters returned on-foot to the State Patrol station to continue their peaceful protest. The Seattle Fire Department was also observed treating a demonstrator on Harvard. She was transported in a private ambulance to the hospital. Her injuries are unknown.

The unrest followed a riot on Monday and a mostly peaceful protest outside the Seattle Police Officer’s Guild building on Tuesday, where protesters called for an end to qualified immunity for law enforcement officers.

Police claim recent damage to Capitol Hill businesses is also linked to demonstrators at Wednesday’s Black Lives Matter march and vigil.

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Durkan Digest: Updates on COVID-19 relief and the 2020 budget SEATTLE (August 21, 2020) – Our city has faced urgent challenges, including a pandemic, a civil rights reckoning, skyrocketing unemployment, the closure of small businesses, a $326 million shortfall to our budget, and immense needs in our community. While our challenges are truly unprecedented, Seattle has led the way in pioneering and supporting so many new programs to address the needs of our residents and small businesses. Since the beginning of March, my administration – working with the City Council – has shifted quickly and has provided $233 million to address COVID-19 and deliver direct aid to city residents and businesses.

On July 31, I vetoed the City Council’s legislation that would have spent 90% of our emergency funds, understanding COVID-19 will be a multiyear crisis facing our residents and businesses and has already had a significant impact on our budget. Over the past week, City Council leadership and I reached agreement to provide an additional $45 million in COVID19 relief to our communities across 2020 and 2021 while also ensuring that the City retains approximately $50 million to address budget shortfalls [from] 2020 and 2021 and emergencies.

This joint effort will help us invest more in proven programs we have established in communities that have been most directly harmed by the COVID-19 pandemic, including people experiencing homelessness, renters, immigrants and refugees, and small business owners. While I had significant concerns about the original proposal, this agreement on the emergency spending plan shows that we can reach agreements that address our shared priorities. Across Seattle, we know that more unites us than divides us. We also know that the problems that we face are complex.

As I have said, the people of Seattle expect us to work together to get things done and to deliver on the kind of transfor-

mative change our communities are rightly asking for as it relates to the Seattle Police Department and community safety. Chief Best, Deputy Chief Diaz, and I outlined a vision to reimagine policing and address issues raised by the Black community, Indigenous community, and communities of color, while continuing to ensure adequate resources to provide public safety throughout our city. As part of the 2020 budget, we proposed a 10% reduction, and as part of the 2021 budget, we initially identified approximately 20% in reductions.

Today, I vetoed a series of bills related to the 2020 budget. It’s no secret that there has been significant disagreement in recent weeks between Chief Best, myself, and the City Council on the 2020 rebalanced budget – specifically as it relates to the Seattle Police Department’s budget and the Human Services Department budget – specifically regarding the navigation team and how the city addresses hazardous encampments.

All summer we have been looking to collaborate with Council to find a path forward on these tough issues. The bills Council passed on the budget did not have the level of collaboration I think we need, and more importantly, that the city expects of us.

I vetoed these bills, sending them back to Council to address the following issues: • Cuts of 100 officers, including layoffs of 70 sworn officers in 2020 despite legal and labor limitations of “out of order” layoffs; • The effective elimination of the navigation team, including outreach workers in the Human Services Department, without any alternative approach to address hazardous encampments; • Cuts to the salaries of the Chief of Police and her leadership team; • Cuts and changes to the SPD that could implicate the City’s obligations under the federal consent decree; • Borrowing $13 million from other City funds for new spending this year when the City faces an unprecedented budget deficit

Photo courtesy of The Office of the Seattle Mayor

of $326 million; and • Taking an additional $3 million from the Rainy Day fund to increase Council’s budget by 17%.

As Council reconsiders the next actions related to these bills, I believe we can continue conversations on how we can partner to make needed changes in a consistent, thoughtful, and deliberate manner. I truly believe we can reach consensus.

As always, please continue to write me at Jenny.Durkan@seattle.gov, reach out via Twitter and Facebook, and stay up-to-date on the work we’re doing for the people of Seattle on my blog.

Mayor Durkan announces free citywide testing at Chief Sealth High School in West Seattle While visiting the Rainier Beach High School free citywide testing site to join King County and Seattle Parks and Recreation to hand out free masks, Mayor Durkan announced the expansion of City of Seattle testing at the Chief Sealth High School Athletic Complex, in the Westwood neighborhood of West Seattle. With the addition of this new walk-up testing facility, the City expects to administer approximately 4,000 tests daily and more than

75,000 tests monthly across all four sites.

While the City continues to urge anyone with symptoms to get tested, the West Seattle Bridge closure has presented a significant challenge for residents on the peninsula. The Chief Sealth location is key to advancing testing equity for the community and city.

King County dedicates $41 million to COVID-19 related rental assistance and eviction prevention King County Executive Dow Constantine announced over $41 million in funding for eviction prevention and rental assistance that will help up to 10,000 households experiencing COVID-related economic challenges remain safe and stable in their homes.

Individuals and families throughout King County economically impacted

by COVID-19 due to illness, lost wages, and unemployment may apply for assistance through the King County Eviction Prevention and Rent Assistance Program announced by Constantine. The new program dedicates $41.4 million for emergency housing aid and is expected to assist 7,700 to 10,000 households across the region.

Courtesy of Mayor Jenny Durkan

Multriracial coalition launches campaign for equitable 2021 redistricting process SEATTLE (August 26, 2020) – The Washington Census Alliance (WCA) – a statewide coalition of 92 Black- and Brownled community organizations – today announced a campaign to increase and protect community input in the 2021 redistricting process alongside WinWin Action, the Voting Justice Coalition, the League of Women Voters, and Fix Democracy First.

On Tuesday, a public panel discussion on redistricting featured Rep. Mia Gregerson (33rd Legislative District), Rep. Pellicciotti (30th Legislative District), Sen. Sam Hunt (22nd Legislative District), and spokespeople from the Colville Tribe of Indians and Yakama Nation, whose tribal lands were heavily impacted by the 2011 redistricting process.

The event drew over 100 attendees, representing tribes and community organizations across Washington.

Yvette Joseph of the Colville Tribe of Indians, who ran for state representative in the 7th District in 2004, spoke about how a history of inequitable redistricting impacts Native lands: “The district boundary splits the reservation right down the middle, and half of my family, who lives on the other side of the highway, wasn’t able to vote for me.

We want to see district lines go along our reservation boundaries, instead of cutting reservations in half.”

The organizations are calling on the Washington State Legislature to include women and people of color among the appointees for the 2021 redistricting commission. The commission has never included a person of color in its 40-year history, and only three of the 12 voting members have been women. The group is also calling for an increase in the number of public meetings that communities can attend to provide feedback, as well as the inclusion of more languages at these meetings.

Doresty Daniel, a representative of Asian Pacific Islander Coalition (APIC) Spokane, who works primarily with the Marshallese community, shared the importance of having a statewide coalition of color collaborating on redistricting. “People from the Marshall Islands don’t feel heard, and it’s difficult for us to participate in things like redistricting,” she said. “We’re still learning the system here in the US. This is something new to me, and I hope I’ll be able to get together with this coalition to bring out the voice of the Marshallese community here in Spokane.”

State legislators present at the event voiced their support for a more equitable redistricting process.

“We’ve been fighting for fair representation at all levels for years,” said Rep. Mia Gregerson (33rd LD). “We really appreciate this

Visit us online www.sgn.org

effort: this huge coalition coming together with one voice makes it a lot easier for us.”

Rep. Mike Pellicciotti (30th LD) echoed this support. “Even before the legislative session, we’re doing everything we can to make sure that when the redistricting commission comes together, all voices are heard,” he said.

The WCA has been to outreach events to educate community members about redistricting and to gather their input – particularly from communities of color, who have historically been denied power and access in the redistricting process.

Based on early input, the WCA has outlined preliminary goals for the new 2021 districts: 1. Honoring tribal boundaries by keeping Native communities together within districts; 2. Creating a majority-minority legislative district in central Washington; and 3. Keeping communities of color together within districts.

“Our fight started with the Census because we knew how critical a complete count was toward winning fair representation for communities of color in Washington State,” said Denisse Guererro, a lead organizer with Washington Census Alliance.

“We’re 30% of the state, but only 16% of the legislature, and with just one Native legislator in Olympia. That’s why we need people and

women of color on the commission making sure district lines honor tribal boundaries and keep communities of color together.”

“A lot of people feel like the legislative districts drawn after 2010 pit communities against each other,” added Margot Spindola, a lead organizer with Latino Community Fund, “by dividing the Yakama Nation across two districts, while packing the parts of the valley’s Latino community in one district and splitting them from others – the end result being the dilution of voting power for Natives and Latinos in central Washington. We’re determined to not let that happen again. Fair districts would keep communities together, not split them apart.”

August 28, 2020

Seattle Gay News 19

The Washington Census Alliance is a statewide coalition of 90 organizations led by and working in communities of color.

It advocates for the unique needs of our communities. Together, it’s launching an unprecedented relational organizing campaign to ensure that historically undercounted communities throughout Washington state are counted in the 2020 census.

More at wacensusalliance.org.

Courtesy of the Pyramic Communications

www.gofundme.com/f/seattle-gay-news-needs-your-support-now • VISIT SGN.ORG

HRC: New CDC data shows LGBTQ youth are more likely to be bullied and have attempted suicide than straight cisgender youth

(August 26, 2020) – Last week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released the national Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance (YRBS) results for 2019. It’s clear from the national data that many LGBTQ young people continue to suffer higher health and suicide risks than their peers.

This follows the same trends present in a Human Rights Campaign (HRC) analysis of the 2015 and 2017 data: LGBTQ students are more likely to experience victimization, violence, and suicidality. In many areas of the data, transgender students are facing more disparities in 2019 than they were in 2017. The data show that 43% of transgender youth have been bullied on school property; 29% of transgender youth, 21% of gay and lesbian youth, and 22% of bisexual youth have attempted suicide.

“Since the YRBS began including data on sexual orientation in 2015 and gender identity in 2017, we’ve seen consistently that LGBTQ youth face greater health disparities than their cisgender straight peers,”

said HRC senior director for programs and partnerships Ellen Kahn. “This data continues to make clear a truth that we’ve long known: that LGBTQ students are not getting the support, affirmation, and safety they need and deserve. We must ensure that adults are doing everything possible to support LGBTQ youth, especially those who are living at the intersections of multiple marginalized identities. Complete and robust data collection for our entire community is vital to putting systems and structures in place to support LGBTQ students.

The Human Rights Campaign Foundation will continue to provide resources for LGBTQ students and educators across the country and will work with our network of youth-serving professionals to be sure they have the resources and tools they need.”

In 2019, many states collected gender identity data. Data for 14 of these states across more than 107,000 youth are included in publicly available files on the CDC’s website. Below are initial key findings from the HRC’s original analysis of

these 2019 data: • 29% of transgender youth have been threatened or injured with a weapon on school property, compared to 7% of cisgender youth; transgender youth were more likely in 2019 to have been threatened or injured with a weapon on school property than reported in 2017.

• 16% of gay and lesbian youth and 11% of bisexual youth have been threatened or injured with a weapon on school property, compared to 7% of straight youth.

• 43% of transgender youth have been bullied on school property, compared to 18% of cisgender youth; transgender youth were more likely in 2019 to have been bullied on school property than reported in 2017.

• 29% of gay or lesbian youth and 31% of bisexual youth have been bullied on school property, compared to 17% of straight youth.

• 29% of transgender youth have attempted suicide, compared to 7% of cisgender youth.

• 21% of gay and lesbian youth and 22% of bisexual youth have attempted suicide, compared to 7% of straight youth.

The full YRBS results can be found [at www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/data/yrbs/ reports_factsheet_publications.htm].

These data underscore the need and urgency for youth-serving professionals to be well equipped to meet the needs of LGBTQ youth. The HRC Foundation has many resources for LGBTQ students and educators, including our Welcoming Schools program, resources for LGBTQ youth, and resources specific to COVID-19. …Youth-serving professionals who have attended the annual HRC Foundation’s Time to THRIVE conference are 64% more likely to say they are prepared to promote physical safety of LGBTQ youth than youth-serving professionals who haven’t attended Time to THRIVE. Courtesy of the HRC

Lambda Legal urges Supreme Court to uphold ruling protecting LGBTQ foster youth and parents WASHINGTON, DC (August 20, 2020) – Today, Lambda Legal submitted a friendof-the-court brief on behalf of itself and 26 local, state, and national organizations that serve LGBTQ youth urging the US Supreme Court to uphold an appellate court ruling denying Catholic Social Services’ (CSS) request that Philadelphia be ordered to contract with CSS for foster parent licensing and recruitment while allowing CSS to refuse to license same-sex couples to foster children who can’t safely return to their own homes.

“The sheer breadth of what CSS is asking from the Supreme Court should trouble everyone concerned about the wellbeing of children in foster care – especially LGBTQ foster children,” said M. Currey Cook, counsel and youth in out-of-home care project director at Lambda Legal. “Allowing foster care agencies to discriminate against same-sex couples seeking to foster sends a clear message to LGBTQ youth in care that there’s something unacceptable about who they are and that they aren’t equal under the law. It also exposes them to harm due to lack of family home placements likely to meet their needs.

“Moreover, if the court grants a broad religious exemption to agencies that contract with the government to perform these public services, LGBTQ youth will be left vulnerable to actual physical harm.

Some LGBTQ children could be refused life-saving services, others denied supportive placements, and some even forced to undergo futile, damaging attempts to ‘change’ their identity,” Cook added.

“LGBTQ youth are disproportionately represented in foster care compared to their non-LGBTQ peers, largely due to rejection by their families. They too often also face discrimination in society at large. Nationally and at every level, governments have a compelling interest and legal obligation not to cause further harm to these vulnerable young people by permitting discrimination of any kind in our child welfare systems.”

CSS filed the lawsuit, Fulton v. City of Philadelphia, in May 2018 after the City notified CSS that it could no longer violate

the terms of its government contract and Philadelphia’s nondiscrimination law by refusing to license same-sex couples. CSS also sought a preliminary injunction to halt Philadelphia’s application of the nondiscrimination law to CSS so it could continue its discriminatory foster care licensing policies when acting for the local government. The US District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania denied CSS’s request in July 2018, as did the US Court of Appeals for the 3rd Circuit in April 2019. CSS then asked the Supreme Court to review the ruling, which it agreed to do in February. Oral argument in the case is scheduled for November 4, 2020.

In the amicus brief, Lambda Legal alerted the Supreme Court to the serious harm to the well-being of LGBTQ youth in Philadelphia’s foster care system and foster care systems nationwide if government-funded providers were permitted to turn away same-sex couples and thereby (i) send the damaging message that same-sex parents are not good parents and not equal under the law, (ii) reduce the pool of homes likely to care properly for LGBTQ youth, or (iii) refuse to serve or otherwise discriminate against LGBTQ youth.

Joining Lambda Legal are three national organizations (CenterLink; the Trevor Project; and the True Colors Fund), four Pennsylvania organizations (Bradbury-Sullivan LGBT Community Center; the Mazzoni Center; the Pennsylvania Youth Congress; and William Way LGBT Community Center), and 19 local organizations from across the country: the Hudson Pride Center (New Jersey); Inside Out Youth Services (Colorado); the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center (New York); the LGBT Center of SE Wisconsin; the LGBTQ Center of Southern Nevada; Lambert House LGBTQ Youth Center (Washington); Louisville Youth Group Inc. (Kentucky); Montrose Center (Texas); One-N-Ten (Arizona); Out Boulder County (Colorado); the Pacific Pride Foundation (California); the Q Center (Oregon); the Resource Center (Texas); the Ruth Ellis Center (Michigan); True Colors,

20 Seattle Gay News

August 28, 2020

Inc. (Connecticut); the Sacramento LGBT Community Center (California); the San Francisco LGBT Center (California); the San Diego LGBT Community Center (California); Source LGBT+ Center (California); and the Transgender Resource Center of New Mexico.

The City of Philadelphia’s Fair Practices Ordinance includes a nondiscrimination provision which states that no “[p] roviders [shall] discriminate or permit discrimination against individuals in…public accommodation practices whether by direct or indirect practice of exclusion, distinction, restriction, segregation, limitation, refusal, denial, differentiation or preference in the treatment of a person on the basis of…sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, [or] familiar [sic] status[.]”

In addition to enforcing city law and ensuring contractual compliance with an agency it funds, the City’s decision was consistent with its obligations under federal and state law and the US Constitution to ensure the well-being of all children in its care, including LGBTQ youth.

As highlighted in the brief, years of empirical research show that LGBTQ individuals suffer negative health outcomes – such as depression, anxiety, substance abuse, and suicidality – when they are subjected to discrimination and stigma. Discrimination sanctioned or permitted by the government can be a matter of life or death for an LGBTQ young person: the Trevor Project, a suicide prevention hotline for LGBTQ youth (and one of the service providers participating in this brief), reports that [it] saw a significant spike in calls from transgender youth in crisis in the aftermath of President Trump’s August 2017 tweet announcing a ban on transgender service members and another spike when the administration walked backed federal protections for transgender students.

Lambda Legal and its partners will continue to fight against any attempt via court action or legislation to legitimize harm to LGBTQ youth and families or limit the number of homes available for children in need.

Read the brief at www.lambdalegal.org/ in-court/legal-docs/fulton_pa_20200820_ amicus.

For more information on Lambda Legal’s advocacy around this issue, please visit the website for the Every Child Deserves a Family Campaign (ECDF). Lambda Legal is proud to be a founding member of the ECDF and co-chair of the ECDF state coalition with Family Equality Council.

Also, read about Marouf v. Azar, Lambda Legal’s case on behalf of a samesex couple who were turned away by a government-funded, faith-based agency when they tried to foster a refugee child in Texas [www.lambdalegal.org/in-court/ cases/marouf-v-azar] and Rogers v. HHS, Lambda Legal’s case on behalf of a samesex couple who were turned away by a government-funded, faith-based agency when they tried to foster a child in South Carolina [www.lambdalegal.org/in-court/cases/ rogers-v-us-department-health-humanservices]. The federal trial courts in both cases have held that our clients’ have valid claims.

Lambda Legal is also suing the HHS in Family Equality v. Azar for the administration’s decision simply to stop enforcing existing federal nondiscrimination rules protecting LGBTQ parents, foster and adoptive parents, and children in the child welfare system nationwide [www.lambdalegal.org/in-court/cases/family-equality-vazar].

Authoring the brief for Lambda Legal were attorneys M. Currey Cook and Senior Counsel Jennifer Pizer. The case is Fulton v. City of Philadelphia.

Lambda Legal is a national organization committed to achieving full recognition of the civil rights of lesbians, gay men, bisexuals, transgender people, and everyone living with HIV through impact litigation, education and public policy work.

More at www.lambdalegal.org.

Courtesy of Lambda Legal

Celebrating 46 Years!

Former Navy, Army & Air Force secretaries join MMAA in SCOTUS brief WASHINGTON, DC (August 26, 2020) – Joined by the 75th US Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus, the 23rd US Secretary of the Air Force Deborah Lee James, and the 22nd US Secretary of the Army Eric Fanning, the Modern Military Association of America (MMAA) filed a brief last week with the Supreme Court of the United States in Fulton v. City of Philadelphia, a case that could decide whether adoption and foster care agencies can use taxpayer funds to discriminate against qualified LGBTQ parents.

In the brief, the MMAA and the former service secretaries say that the court’s deci-

sion could have substantial consequences for LGBTQ service members, spouses, and family members – and therefore the military itself.

“Allowing the discrimination urged here would directly harm LGBTQ service members and their families, and, faced with being relocated to areas where discrimination might impede them from accessing vital services, many LGBTQ people will be discouraged from enlisting or continuing their service. That would undermine important military interests.”

The MMAA and the former service secretaries argue that “LGBTQ service mem-

bers and their families are vital to military success. Removing obstacles to building a fulfilling home life improves the wellbeing of individual service members, and the happiness of their families, and consequently the effectiveness of the military overall.”

“By contrast, permitting government contractors to opt out of serving LGBTQ military families impairs those vital goals.

When the government can ask Americans to sacrifice for their country but is compelled to authorize its agents to treat some of them as second-class citizens, it impairs the overall ability of the military to recruit

and retain the best people, and that affects military readiness and effectiveness.”

You can read the full brief [at https://bit. ly/34Bhiwn].

The Modern Military Association of America is the voice of the LGBTQ military and veteran community. It fights hard for LGBTQ service members, veterans, and their families. If you appreciate its work, show make a tax-deductible donation at https://modernmilitary.org.

Courtesy of the Modern Military Association of America

GLAAD premieres ad on Fox & Friends about LGBTQ discrimination and the Equality Act as coverage of the Republican National Convention begins NEW YORK (August 24, 2020) – GLAAD, the world’s largest LGBTQ media advocacy organization, today premiered an advertisement that spotlights the lack of protections still facing the LGBTQ community in the United States, the Trump administration’s opposition to those protections, and the Equality Act as the solution. The ad, entitled “The Conversation,” depicts a gay man speaking with his mother, a Trump supporter, about how the administration’s firm rebuke of the Equality Act has harmed LGBTQ Americans.

The 30-second spot premiered on Fox News’ Fox & Friends this morning and will air during the show each morning this week in the New York and Washington, DC, markets. The ad will continue to run throughout 2020 across digital media.

To view the ad and for more information about the statements in the ad, [go to] glaad. org/equalityact.

The advertisement ends with a call for viewers to support of the Equality Act, which extends comprehensive protections against LGBTQ discrimination including in housing, education, and public accommodations. Viewers are directed to glaad. org/EqualityAct to take action and learn more about the information in the ad.

In May 2019, the House of Representatives passed the Equality Act, 236 to 173.

It has not moved in the US Senate, nor even come up for a vote.

The ad is the latest example of GLAAD’s ongoing work to ensure that Americans are educated on the Trump administration’s record on LGBTQ issues and that media covers them accurately.

GLAAD’s Trump Accountability Project, which has documented over 160 antiLGBTQ attacks in policy and rhetoric from the Trump administration since President Trump took office, was launched in November 2016 following the election. Days ago, President Trump tweeted a LGBTQ campaign video asserting that Trump is “the strongest ally that gay Americans have ever had in the White House.”

In the new ad, the actor states: “Ma, do you know that I could be evicted for being gay? Or turned away at the ER? Donald Trump opposes the bill that would change that.” President Trump first voiced opposition to the Equality Act in May 2019.

Recently, The Trump administration’s Department of Housing and Urban Development moved to bar trans people from homeless shelters, the Justice Department filed a brief in favor of allowing adoption agencies to turn away qualified gay couples, and the Department of Health and Human Services moved to block trans people from

Image courtesy of GLAAD / YouTube

the Affordable Care Act, a move that a federal judge blocked this month. Last year, the Trump administration filed an amicus brief to the Supreme Court arguing to allow employers to legally fire someone for being LGBTQ and to legalize anti-gay discrimination in the workplace.

“So much is at stake for LGBTQ Americans right now, yet LGBTQ issues have been nearly invisible from the national media narrative since Donald Trump’s election in 2016 and are not being talked about enough in this year’s election coverage. At a time when Americans are entrenched in their own media bubbles, this ad shows why the Equality Act is critical to LGBTQ people and those who love them, and how the Trump administration and Republicans in Congress are blocking its passage,” said GLAAD president and CEO Sarah Kate Ellis. “Because of media outlets like Fox News, many LGBTQ people and allies are not aware that anti-discrimination protections are still unavailable to LGBTQ

Visit us online www.sgn.org

people and that the Trump administration is actively fighting against the Equality Act. Given Fox News’s track record on spreading misinformation or keeping LGBTQ issues invisible, it’s critical that we reach those viewers with what they need to know about what’s at stake for LGBTQ people at this pivotal moment in our history.”

The [Republican National Convention] announced it would go without a traditional policy platform in 2020 and that any move to amend the 2016 platform would be ruled out of order. The Washington Blade reported that the 2016 platform calls for ending marriage for LGBTQ couples, supports medically debunked conversion therapy, and objects to enforcing civil rights laws to ensure that transgender people can use public accommodations consistent with their gender identity.

“Donald Trump claimed he would support the LGBTQ community in his 2016 Republican National Convention speech, but what his administration has given us

is exactly the opposite. GLAAD is launching this ad to counter the lies and misinformation we expect to be peddled about his administration’s LGBTQ record. Media should center these mistruths and educate Americans who love their LGBTQ friends and family and may not know just how devastating President Trump and his administration have been for us,” said Ellis.

August 28, 2020

Seattle Gay News 21

GLAAD rewrites the script for LGBTQ acceptance. As a dynamic media force, GLAAD tackles tough issues to shape the narrative and provoke dialogue that leads to cultural change. GLAAD protects all that has been accomplished and creates a world where everyone can live the life they love. For more information, go to www. glaad.org or connect with GLAAD on Facebook and Twitter.

Courtesy of GLAAD

Allyship - an organization of LGBTQ individuals fighting for economic and social justice. www.LGBTQAllyship. org, allyship@yahoo.com, (206) 279-8169.

American Veterans for Equal Rights - www.aver.us Another Gay Social Club! - www.meetup.com/AnotherGay-Social-Club/ Bellingham/Whatcom County - www.theslowlane. com/guide.html BiNet Seattle is a mixed gender, social group for Bisexuals, their partners & other Bi-friendly folks - www. binetseattle.org.

Bremerton/Kitsap County - www.outwestsound.org Capitol Hill Alano Club - www.chacseattle.org Cascade Rainbow Community Center (Mount Vernon) - (360) 840-8499 and on Facebook.

Central Washington University GALA Hotline: (509) 963-1994.

Channel Q 103.3 FM - LGBTQ+ Talk Radio Network News and information, pop culture and music. radio.com COLAGE unites people with LGBTQ parents and caregivers into a network of peers and supports them as they nurture and empower each other to be skilled, self-confident, and just leaders in our collective communities - www.colage.org DIFFA/Northwest (Design Industries Foundation Fighting AIDS). (206) 763-8885; www.diffanorthwest. org DOMESTIC VIOLENCE & SEXUAL ASSAULT: Crisis Clinic, (206) 461-3222 (24 hour line); King County Sexual Assault Resource Center (KCSARC) - 24-hour crisis line for information, support, & medical & legal assistance: 1-888-99-VOICE; Northwest Network support & advocacy for Bisexual, Trans, Lesbian & Gay Survivors of Abuse & Dating Violence, (206) 568-7777 (voice), 517-9670 (tty), www.nwnetwork.org; Pierce County Domestic Violence Helpline: Teresa, (253) 798-4166; Seattle Counseling Service for Sexual Minorities - offers on-going support groups for men: 323-1768; Seattle Police Dept Domestic Violence Unit, (206) 684-0330; State Wide Domestic Violence Hot Line, 1-800-562-6025. In an emergency call 911.

Report domestic violence and sexual assault.

Equal Rights Washington - (206) 324-2570; www. equalrightswashington.org Everett/Snohomish Cty - www.gaysnohomish.org Freely Speaking Toastmasters - www.freelyspeaking.org Gay City promotes wellness in LGBTQ communities by providing health services, connecting people to resources, fostering arts, and building community. Gay City Health Project’s Wellness Center provides anonymous & confidential HIV/STD testing. 517 E Pike St. More info or to schedule an appointment, (206) 860-6969. www.gaycity.org Gay & Lesbian National Hotline (GLNH): 1-888-THEGLNH (1-888-843-4564). Non-profit, peer-counseling, information & local resources telephone hotline for GLBT people across the country.

Generations Aging With Pride empowers elder LGBTQ adults to live with pride and dignity by promoting, connecting, and developing innovative programs and services that enhance belonging and support, eliminate discrimination, and honor the lives of older members of our community - (206) 393-3400; info@gapseattle.org; gapseattle.org GLSEN/WA - Gay, Lesbian, Straight Education Network - (206) 330-2099; www.glsenwa.org Greater Seattle Business Association (GSBA) - (206) 363-9188; www.thegsba.org HIV/AIDS Program, Seattle/King County Dept of Public Health, provides confidential/anonymous information about & testing for HIV/AIDS. (206) 205-7837. For a comprehensive list of HIV/AIDS service organizations see the GSBA Guide or visit www.thegsba.org or call Lifelong AIDS Alliance, (206) 328-8979.

Imperial Sovereign Court of Seattle & the Olympic & Rainier Empire - www.facebook.com/ISCSORE; www. imperialcourtofseattle.com Lambert House - (206) 322-2515; www.lamberthouse. org LGBT Library - 517 E Pike St. Open Mon-Fri 2-8pm; Sat 2-5pm. A wide range of fiction and non-fiction for the LGBT community and allies can be borrowed free of charge.

LGBT MS Connection - (425) 785-8593; lgbtmsconnections@comcast.net. Support group for LGBT persons with MS and their partners and their caregivers.

Sponsored by the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.

Lifelong AIDS Alliance - (206) 328-8979, www.lifelongaids alliance.org Lion’s Main Art Collective - www.lionsmain.org MEN: Gay City: (206) 860-6969, www.gaycity.org; Knights of Mantra: (206) 329-0886, www.jetchapterkofm.com; Mature Friends: Gay men & women 40 & over, www.maturefriends.org; Northwest Bears: www. nwbears.com; The Olympians: www.TheOlympians. net; POZSeattle: www.pozseattle.com; Q-Squared: www.qsquared.org; Rain City Jacks: www.raincityjacks. org; Seattle Gay Couples: www. seattlegaycouples.org; Seattle Men in Leather: www.seattlemeninleather. org; Seattle Prime Timers: Gay & Bi men 40 & over, www. seattle primetimers.org; Tacoma Older LGBT: www. tacomaolderlgbt.org. (See also listings under Bisexual, Parenthood, People of Color, Transgender.)

MUSIC: Diverse Harmony: www.diverseharmony. org; Rainbow City Band: 1-866-841-9139 ext 2126; rainbowcityband@onebox.com; www.rainbowcity band. com; Seattle Men’s Chorus and Seattle Women’s Chorus: (206) 388-1408, (206) 323-0750. www.seattlechoruses.org.

Northwest Lesbian & Gay History Museum Project - gayhistnw@aol.com

22 Seattle Gay News

community resources Northwest Rainbow Alliance for the Deaf - www. nwrad.org Olympia/Thurston County - www.RainbowCenterOly. org Out & Equal Workplace Advocates/Seattle Regional Affiliate supports the work of LGBT employees and the growing number of ERGs (Employee Resource Groups) making a difference within local companies, including Alaska Airlines, Amazon.com, Amgen, AT&T, Bank of America, Deloitte, Macy’s, Microsoft, Russell Investments, Safeco Insurance, Starbucks Coffee, Xerox. www.outandequal.org/affiliates/seattle Out & Proud Grays Harbor Coalition - http://outandproudgh.org PARENTHOOD: Families Like Ours provides a gateway for LGBT families interested in adoption & provides a network of safe placement agencies, training, support & resources: (206) 441-7602, www.familieslikeours. org; Family Works offers support, information & activities for LGBT families: (206) 694-6727, www.familyworksseattle. org; Gay Fathers’ Association of Seattle offers support groups & social activities: www.gfas. org; Proud & Loud Families - Northwest, www.meetup.com/proudand-loud-families-northwest, plfnorthwest@aol.com; Queer Parent Networking Dinners: (206) 568-7777, qpnd@nwnetwork.org, www.nwnetwork.org; Rainbow Families of Puget Sound: www.rainbowfamiliesps.org PFLAG is the national organization for parents, families, allies, and LGBTQ people united for equality with chapters in Seattle, Bellevue/Eastside, the Puget Sound region and across Washington state. PFLAG Seattle: (206) 325-7724, info@pflagseattle.org, and www.pflagseattle.org; PFLAG Bellevue/Eastside: (425) 483-6642, info@bellevue-pflag.org, http://community. pflag.org/PFLAGBellevue; PFLAG Pacific Northwest: www.pnwpflag.org; PFLAG Washington State Council: www.pflagwsc.org.

Peer Seattle (formerly Seattle Area Support Groups) is a non-profit organization that builds community and cultivates powerful, healthy lives by providing emotional support and personal development services to those affected by HIV/AIDS, the Queer communities, and those who love them. Our work is done in a spirit of safety, trust, inclusiveness, and celebration of individual differences.

(206) 322-2437; www.peerseattle.org PEOPLE OF COLOR: AARTH (African American Reach & Teach Health Ministry), (206) 850-2070, www.aarth.org; Asian/Pacific Islander Queer Network Program at API Chaya, (206) 467-9976; Center for MultiCultural Health, (206) 461-6910, www.multiculturalhealth.org; Entre Hermanos, GLBT Latinos/as, (206) 322-7700, www.entrehermanos.org; Ile LaiLai, (206) 781-3565, iya@ilelailai.org; Men of All Colors & Cultures Together (MACCT), (206) 923-8313, macctseattle@yahoo.com, www.macctsea.org; Northwest Two Spirit Society, https://www.facebook.com/ groups/nw2spiritsociety/, Nubian Pride Productions, nubianpride@gmail.com; People of Color Against AIDS Network (POCAAN) offers rapid HIV testing, M-F, 10am-5pm, (206) 322-7061, www.pocaan.org and on Facebook; QBASS - Queer Black Alliance of the South Sound, (253) 256-1846, weareqbass@gmail. com; Sistah 2 Sistah, LBT women of African descent, (206) 322-7061, (206) 255-8951; Somos Seattle, somosseattle.org; Trikone-Northwest, GLBT South Asians, (425) 985-4376, www.trikonenw.org; Two-Spirit Honor Project, 1-866-685-0164; U.T.O.P.I.A. Seattle, www.utopiaseattlewa.org; VietQ Greater Seattle, vietqorganization@gmail.com Pierce County AIDS Foundation - (253) 383-2565; www.piercecountyaids.org Pride Foundation - (206) 323-3318; www.pridefoundation. org Pride Lives - www.facebook.com/PrideLives/ Pride Radio 93.3 HD2 Project NEON is a program of Seattle Counseling Service providing FREE information & services to Gay & Bi men to reduce health risks associated with methamphetamine use. (206) 323-1768. www.crystalneon.org Public Health-Seattle & King County Online Comprehensive Health Information for Sexual Minorities: www.kingcounty.gov/healthservices/health/personal/ glbt.aspx Q Law: The GLBT Bar Association of WA - (206) 682-6711; www.q-law.org Q Law GLBT Legal Clinic - (206) 235-7235.

Queer Geek! - queergeekseattle.org Rainbow Center - Resource Center for Tacoma/Pierce County LGBTIQA community. Through education, advocacy and celebration, the Rainbow Center expands resources, and safe space for the LGBTQIA community.

August 28, 2020

Sponsors Tacoma Pride Festival. (253) 383-2318, www. rainbowcntr.org SEAMEC interviews, researches & rates candidates for public office on issues of concern to the LGBT community. www.voteseamec.org Seattle Area Support Groups & Community Center (SASG) i- SEE LISTING for Peer Seattle.

Seattle Bisexual Women’s Network - BiSeattle.wixsite. com/SBWN and on Facebook.

Seattle Counseling Service for Sexual Minorities is a community mental health service for GLBT persons & their families providing comprehensive mental health services on a sliding scale. (206) 323-1768.

Seattle LGBTQ Commission - (206) 684-4503. www/ seattle.gov/lgbtq Seattle Out & Proud - (206) 322-9561; www.seattlepride.org Seattle Police Department Sexual Minorities Community Advisory Council: kim.bogucki@seattle.gov Seattle PrideFest - www.seattlepridefest.org Servicemembers Legal Defense Network - (202) 328-3244; www.sldn.org Sex Workers Outreach Project - https://seattle. swopusa.org Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, The Abbey of St. Joan - (206) 860-3666; www.theabbey.org Snohomish Health District HIV/AIDS Program provides free confidential/anonymous HIV counseling & testing 9am-5pm Monday-Friday, until 7pm Tuesdays.

(425) 339-5298.

South Sound Q Calendar - LGBTQ events in Tacoma, Olympia & Sound Puget Sound area; www.SouthSoundQCal.com Spokane/Inland Northwest - www.outspokane.com; www.stonewallnews.net SPORTS & RECREATION: Bent Car Guys: www. bentcarguys.org; Border Riders Motorcycle Club: www.borderriders.com; Bottom Dwellers Scuba Club: www.bottomdwellers.org; Capitol Hill Cyclers: join their Facebook group or email capitolhillcycling@ groups.facebook.com or jordan.l.simonson@gmail.com; Cascade Flag Football: www.cascadeflagfootball.org; Cascade Flyers: www.cascadeflyers.org; Emerald City Mudhen Rugby: www.mudhenrugby.com; Emerald City Softball Association: www.emeraldcitysoftball. org, www.eteamz.com/womensecsa; Ethyl Forever Car Club: ethylforever@hotmail.com; Festival of the Babes: www.festivalofthebabes.com; Olympic Yacht Club: www.oycnw.org; OutVentures: outdoor education & recreation activities, www.outventures.org; Pacific Northwest Gay Rodeo Association: www.pacificnwgra.org; Puddletown Squares: www.puddletownsquares.org; Rain City Soccer: www.raincitysoccer.org; Rain Country Dance Association: a country-western dance organization catering to the LGBTQ community but open to all, www.raincountrydance.org; Sea Dawgs: LGBT ice hockey - SkateSeaDawgs@gmail.com and on Facebook; Seattle Frontrunners: www.seattlefrontrunners.org; Seattle Gay Basketball Association: www. seattlegaybasketballassociation.com; Seattle Orca Swim Team: www.orcaswimteam.org; Seattle Otters Water Polo: www.otterpolo.com; Seattle Quake Rugby: www.quakerugby.com; Seattle Tennis Alliance: www. seattletennisalliance.org; Seattle Unified Bowling Association (SUBA): magee98106@aol.com, www. teamseattle.org/bowling.htm, www.theprideleague. com, Century 21 League; Seattle Volleyball Club: www.seattlevolleyballclub.com; Ski Buddies: www. skibuddies.org; Team Seattle Gay Sports Network is an umbrella organization for a wide range of local GLBT sports activities, (206) 367-4064, www.teamseattle.org (see website for comprehensive list of sports clubs); Triangle Recreation Camp at Bender Creek: recreational camping for GLBT folks. Must be 21; ID required. trc@ camptrc.org, www.camptrc.org, 1122 E Pike St #1069, Seattle 98122-3934.

Strength Over Speed - www.strengthoverspeed.org Tacoma/Pierce County - Rainbow Center, 2215 Pacific Ave, Tacoma, a resource center for the LGBTIQA community of Pierce County, (253) 383-2318, www. rainbowcntr.org Three Dollar Bill Cinema - TWIST: Seattle Queer Film Festival; Translations: Seattle Transgender Film Festival; Outdoor Cinema at Cal Anderson Park. www. threedollarbillcinema.org TRANSGENDER: Emerald City Social Club: (425) 827-9494; Gender Alliance of the South Sound: www.

SouthSoundGender.com; Gender Diversity: www. genderdiversity.org; Gender Justice League: www.genderjusticeleague.org; Gender Odyssey: www.genderodyssey.com; Hermanos Trans Latino & Foreign-Born

Support Group: (206) 322-7700; Ingersoll Gender Center: (206) 329-6651, www.ingersollcenter.org; Lion’s Main Art Collective: www.lionsmain.org; The New BoyZ Club: www.olympiaftmgroup.webs.com; Olympia Trans Discussion Group: www.facebook.com/pages/ Olympia-Trans-Discussion-Group/262449878114; [trans] ACTION: Trans* & Gender Non-Conforming Sex Workers’ Support Group - a safe, peer-led space. mail@utopiaseattle.org; TRANSform Washington: transformwashington.com; Trans Resource & Referral Guide: kctransguide.org; Trans Women of Color Solidarity Network: Funding the collective liberation of Trans women of color – https://m.facebook.com/ TWOCSolidarityNW/; Washington Gender Alliance: (360) 445-2411, www.washington genderalliance.com WOMEN: Aging Ballard Lesbian Exchange (A.B.L.E.): We are Lesbians 60 years (generally) and up, living (mostly) in the north half of Seattle. The purpose of the group is to connect, socialize and support each other. ruthemilyvogel@gmail.com; Aging Lesbians in South Seattle (ALISS) - Lesbian Group at the Southeast Seattle Senior Center. This is a gathering primarily for Lesbians but all are welcome to attend. Kate, (206) 722-0317; www.sessc.org; BABES: support groups for HIV+ women. (206) 720-5566, 1-888-292-1912; Coming Out Women Support Group of Tacoma: www. comingoutwomen.org; Festival of the Babes: www. festivalofthebabes.com; Mature Friends: Gay men & women 40 & over, www.maturefriends.org; Puget Sound Old Lesbian Organizing for Change: http:// psoloc.org, (253) 777-3357; Older Lesbians Organizing for Change/WA State Chapter: gloria@oloc.org, mary@oloc.org, www.oloc.org; Pacific Northwest Lesbian Archives: www.pnwlesbianarchives.org; RainshadowWomen: RainshadowWomen@aol. com; Seattle Bisexual Women’s Network: BiSeattle. wixsite.com/SBWN; Seattle Girls of Leather: www. sgol.org; Tacoma Lesbian Concern (TLC): www.tacomalesbianconcern.org; Tacoma Older LGBT: www. tacomaolderlgbt.org; Women of West Seattle (WOWS): a fun, member-driven social group for Lesbians, http:// groups.yahoo.com/group/womenofwestseattle; YWCA Women’s Health Outreach: providing low or no-cost mammograms for income eligible 40+ LBTQ individuals. Follow us at http://lbtqhealth-ywca.blogspot.com, twitter.com/ingridWHO or email lbthealth@ywcaworks. org, (206) 461-4493. (See also listings under Bisexual, Parenthood, People of Color, Transgender.)

YOUTH: B-GLAD (Bisexual, Gay, Lesbian, Trans & Questioning Adolescent Drop-In Group): Youth Eastside Services offers many programs for GLBT youth, including B-GLAD, (425) 747-4937; Coyote Central: www.coyotecentral.org; Diverse Harmony: www.diverseharmony. org; GLSEN/Washington State (Gay, Lesbian, Straight Education Network) & Washington State GSA (Gay-Straight Alliance) Network: GLSEN works to create safe schools for LGBT students. WA GSA Network supports youth-led GSA’s to fight harassment & homophobia in Washington state schools. (206) 330-2099; www.glsenwa. org; www.wagsa.org. GLOBE (GLBTQ Loving Ourselves, Becoming Empowered): a support group & HIV/STD prevention program for GLBTQ youth, 14-20, in Everett, (425) 263-2908, www. globeyouth.org; It Gets Better Project: www.itgetsbetter.org; Lambert House: an activities & resource center for LGBT youth, 14-22, 1818 15th Ave @ E Denny Way, with additional support groups organized in smaller towns throughout King County, (206) 322-2515, www. lamberthouse.org; Lifelong HEYO (Health Education Youth Outreach): for LGBTQ youth, ages 16-24: (206) 957-1665; www.llaa.org/HEYO; www.MatthewsPlace. com; The Mockingbird Society: (206) 323-KIDS (5437), www.mockingbirdsociety.org; New Horizons: social services and shelter for homeless youth, 2708 3rd Ave (in Belltown), (206) 374-0866, http://namin.org; Oasis Youth Center: for GLBTQ youth, ages 14-25, in Tacoma, (253) 671-2838, www.oasisyouthcenter. org; OKAY! LGBTQ+ Outreach for Kent Area Youth: (253) 859-0699 ext 3034. OKAY! is an open support group for youth ages 13-19 who identify as LGBTQ+. A program of Kent Youth & Family Services; OUT There Adventures: www.outthereadventures.org; Parents, Family & Friends of Lesbians & Gays (PFLAG)/ Puget Sound: (206) 325-7724, www.seattle-pflag.org; Pizza Klatch: weekly lunchtime support groups for LGBTQ youth in Thurston County, www.pizzaklatch. org; Prism: for LGBTQ youth, 14-21, in Puyallup Cherise.Alexander@ multicare.org; www.facebook. com/PuyallupPrism; Proud Out Wonderful (POW!): for LGBTQ youth, 13-21, in South King County, (206) 326-9112, www.facebook.com/proudoutwonderful; Q Youth Resources: in Kitsap County - (360) 698-3335; www.kchaf.org; Roots Young Adult Shelter: 1415 NE 43rd St., (206) 632-1635; www.rootsinfo.org; Safe Schools Coalition: www.safeschoolscoalition.org; (206) 451-SAFE, (206) 451-7233 (non-emergency), 1-877-SAFE-SAFE (1-877-723-3723) (crisis line); Seattle Young People’s Project (Queer Youth Resource Board): (206) 860-9606, www.sypp.org; Street Youth Ministries (SYM): (206) 524-7301 ext 111; www. streetyouthministries.org; Teen Link: (206) 461-4922, 1-888-431-TEEN; The Trevor Project: 866-4-U-Trevor; www.thetrevorproject.org; True Colors - Connecting LGBTQ Teens: in Shoreline, (206) 362-7282 x 8018, lbagley@chs-nw.org; The Vera Project: fuels personal & community transformation through collaborative youthdriven engagement in music and art. (206) 956-8372; theveraproject.org; Vista Youth Center: for LGBTQ, questioning and allied youth, ages 14-21, in Kennewick, (509) 396-5198, www.vistayouthcenter.org; YouthCare/ Isis Program (Transitional Living Home for LGBTQ Young Adults, 18-22): (206) 522-8412; YouthCare/ Orion Center Young Adult Shelter: 1828 Yale Ave @ Stewart St. (206) 622-5555; Youth in Focus: (206) 723-1479; www.youthinfocus.org; Youth Suicide Prevention Program (OUTLoud-GLBTQ): (206) 297-5922, ext 116, 1-800-273-TALK, www.yspp.org

Celebrating 46 Years!

www.gofundme.com/f/seattle-gay-news-needs-your-support-now • VISIT SGN.ORG

Labor Day special feature: List of union-made beers

by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer The Labor Day picnic is a traditional and beloved end-of-summer event, and no part of the event is more beloved than ice-cold beer.

So if you like a beer or two – or more – on Labor Day, why not get into the spirit of the occasion and buy union-made beer?

Our community’s history with union beer goes all the way back to 1973, when Harvey Milk teamed up with the Teamsters to boycott Coors beer – then an anti-union and anti-Gay company. Now you can enjoy union-made

Coors with a clear conscience, knowing they treat their workers, including LGBT ones, as well as any employer in the industry.

Here’s a short list of beers and ales made by members of the International Association of Machinists (IAM), International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT), United Autoworkers (UAW), United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW), International Union of Operating Engineers (IUOE), and International Union of Electronic Workers-Communication Workers of America (IUE-CWA).

Not only do these unions represent expert beermakers, canners, bottlers, and beer truck drivers but they are among the most progressive, pro-LGBT unions in the country.

• Beck’s • Budweiser • Coors Light • Henry Weinhard’s • Miller Genuine Draft • Red Stripe • Rolling Rock • Sam Adams • Shock Top

Want some grilling items to go with your beer? Here’s a list of union-made and unionpacked hotdogs, burgers, and other items.

• Ball Park franks • Butterball turkey tenderloins, drumsticks, burgers, and franks • Dearborn Sausage Company • Empire Kosher chicken and turkey • Farmer John • Foster Farms poultry • Hormel beef, pork, and chicken franks • Omaha Steaks • Oroweat buns • Sara Lee buns

The 2020 MEN IN DANCE Festival postponed until 2021 2020 Virtual Celebration Festival announced for first weekend in Oct. The Board of Producers and the MID Support Board are announcing that the 13th Festival of MEN IN DANCE, originally scheduled for October 2-4 and 9-11, 2020 has been postponed until October 2021. In its place, the organization is producing and presenting a Virtual Celebration, its first, to run online October 2, 3, and 4, 2020 at 8pm. This Virtual Festival will feature new choreographic works of five artists, several of whom were chosen during a juried selection process this past spring. There will also be online interviews with Guest Art-

ist Micaela Taylor, (a Cornish College of the Arts Dance BFA alumna, now directing her own company in Los Angeles) who had originally been invited to set a new piece on Seattle male-identifying dancers for the 2020 Festival. She will now present an original work of her own, filmed for this presentation. Also included is Daniel Ojeda (Boise, Idaho), who had appeared in MID’s 2019 Adjudicated Choreography Showcase, and who with his dancers won the distinction of being the top choice of the audiences and professional adjudicators at

that event, giving him an immediate slot in the 2020 Festival. The other artists are Tommy Lewey (Indianapolis, IN), Dance Novella (British Columbia and New York), and Bruce McCormick (Los Angeles, CA).

These talented artists will create, film, and submit their original works for this presentation, and will help us to continue to provide an evening of exciting, diverse and challenging male-identified concert dance!

This event is FREE, but we encourage you to make a donation at menindance.org, so that we can continue to operate during

this devastating pandemic. Your donation will help to ensure that we can continue to bring our unique MEN IN DANCE Festival, as well as our Adjudicated Choreographers Showcase to the Seattle community, fulfilling our mission of supporting and producing cutting-edge male-identifying concert dance, in all of its color! Mark your calendars to watch at http://watch.menindance.org.

Courtesy of Men in Dance

The Tony Lee in Seattle honored with affordable housing award from national coalition WASHINGTON, DC (August 24, 2020) – The Affordable Housing Tax Credit Coalition (AHTCC) today announced that The Tony Lee in Seattle is a 2020 recipient of the Charles L. Edson Tax Credit Excellence Award in the Large Metropolitan category, recognizing affordable housing developments and organizations that have demonstrated especially impactful use of the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (Housing Credit).

Announced each year from the nation’s capital, the awards honor Housing Credit developments that are strengthening communities, improving residents’ opportunity, and boosting economies in urban, suburban, and rural areas across the country. The awards come at a time when the COVID-19 pandemic and its economic impact have intensified the need for affordable housing, compounding the challenge facing at-risk families and individuals already struggling to pay rent.

Developed by the Low Income Housing Institute (LIHI), designed by Runberg Architecture Group, and built by Walsh Construction Co., The Tony Lee provides 70 new affordable homes built on the site of a former fire station. The homes are colocated with a subsidized preschool operated by the Refugee Women’s Alliance.

The Tony Lee was made possible by no less than nine city departments, many public and elected officials, a Seattle City Council vote, and stakeholder community organizations [that] played an active role in design development. To finance this property, Boston Capital provided more than $6 million in equity through the 4% Housing Credit,

and loans were provided by Umpqua Bank.

The Tony Lee is located at 2820 NE 127th Street in Seattle’s Lake City neighborhood.

“LIHI’s Tony Lee Apartments will bring opportunities to so many families and individuals in Lake City. By emphasizing access to early childhood education, this project displays a deep commitment not only to providing immediate relief but also to building sustainable success,” said US Rep. Pramila Jayapal (WA-07). “By providing affordable homes coupled with neighborhood access, we are making strides toward realizing housing as a human right.

That’s why I am so excited for the future of these communities.”

“The Housing Credit continues to spur development of affordable homes that go above and beyond for the families they serve,” said AHTCC Executive Director Emily Cadik. “The Edson Award winners this year demonstrate how innovative and high-quality affordable housing can transform communities and help meet the need for education, child care, health care, and other services vital to a community’s support system for at-risk families and individuals.”

“We are thrilled to receive the Charles L. Edson Tax Credit Excellence Award,” said LIHI Executive Director Sharon Lee. “We view this award as validation of community-centric mixed-use projects that provide affordable housing and crucial services to neighborhoods that need them.

Thank you to the city of Seattle for transferring surplus property by Lake City’s Fire Station 39 to LIHI, and to our partners for bringing this beautiful building to life.”

Visit us online www.sgn.org

“Congratulations to the winners of the Charles L. Edson Tax Credit Excellence Award from the state of Washington,” said Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-WA). “Affordable housing is such a crisis across the United States, and here in Washington state, we have been working hard to find solutions.

I’m so proud of the work the awardees are doing to help create stronger and healthier communities. The Tony Lee, Gardner House, and Mercy Magnuson Place will add more than 300 combined affordable units in our state and provide critical services to their communities.”

“The Edson awardees highlight the creative and innovative solutions that exist to combat the nation’s lack of affordable housing,” said AHTCC President and WNC, Inc. Executive Vice President Michael Gaber. “As the impact of COVID-19 continues to create hardships for a growing number of families and working people across the country, now more than ever we need effective tools like the Housing Credit to provide stable, affordable homes.”

Since 1986, the Housing Credit has financed more than three million homes for low-income households, including veterans, senior citizens, individuals with disabilities, essential workers, and families with children. Through public-private partnerships, the Housing Credit offers a proven track record of financing safe, decent affordable homes in communities where they are needed most.

For more information about the 2020 Edson Awards, please visit taxcreditcoalition.org/edson-awards/.

For more info about The Tony Lee and LIHI contact Aaron Long at LIHI at 206957-8022, aaronl@lihi.org or visit www.

LIHI.org

August 28, 2020

Seattle Gay News 23

Founded in 1988, the AHTCC is a trade organization of housing professionals who advocate for affordable rental housing financed using the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (Housing Credit). AHTCC’s forprofit and nonprofit members – including syndicators, investors, lenders, developers, legal and accounting professionals, and state allocating agencies – seek to preserve, expand, and improve the Housing Credit and complementary programs through legislative outreach and education.

Courtesy of LIHI

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August 28, 2020

Celebrating 46 Years!

It’s time to start healing.

Sacred Rain Healing Center is open for therapeutic massage & acupuncture six days a week. Strict COVID precautions followed, with client arrivals staggered & deep sanitizing between every treatment. Masks required to enter the facility & during treatment.

Outdoor sauna, spa pool, sundeck, lockers, indoor chill spaces are all dormant until King County hits Phase 3 reopening.

Open Monday through Saturday 10am - 8pm Temporarily closed Sunday

Sacred Rain Healing Center

1100 NW 50th St. Seattle ~ 206.789.6288 ~ sacredrainhealing.com ~ info@sacredrainhealing.com

Visit us online www.sgn.org

August 28, 2020

Seattle Gay News 25

26 Seattle Gay News

August 28, 2020

Celebrating 46 Years!

DONATE TO SGN TODAY! www.gofundme.com/f/seattle-gay-newsneeds-your-support-now

Visit us online www.sgn.org

August 28, 2020

Seattle Gay News 27