SGN January 27, 2017 - Section 1

Celebrating 43 Years!

Issue 4 Volume 45

ArtsWest : Mothers and Sons

Rufus Wainwright interview

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WOMXN’S MARCH

“We shall over-comb” – Photo courtesy of wpxi.com

by Janice Van Cleve Special to the SGN Over 160,000 women and their supportive men and children marched in Seattle on January 21 to protest the presi-

dency of Donald Trump. They marched in solidarity with half a million women in Washington DC, 50,000 in Philadelphia, 750,000 in Los Angeles, and thousands see WOMXN’S MARCH page 5

Trump regime “disappears” LGBT community

Former Office of National AIDS Policy director Amy Lansky – Photo courtesy of youtube.com

by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer Only minutes after Donald Trump was sworn in as president, and even as he was still delivering his belligerent and graceless inaugural address, Trump operatives took

down the LGBT page on the White House website.

Under the Obama administration, the website’s “Issues” tab featured a section on LGBT rights, an issue Obama’s team consee LGBT DISAPPEARS page 16

Ed Murray defiant as Trump signs orders on immigration

Seattle Mayor Ed Murray – Photo courtesy of yahoo.com

by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer Seattle Mayor Ed Murray was defiant after Donald Trump signed executive orders dealing with immigration and sealing

off the country’s border with Mexico.

Trump signed orders on January 25 concerning the construction of his border wall with Mexico, increasing deportations, and see MURRAY DEFIANT page 7

Ed Murray racks up key union endorsements

Mayor Ed Murray – Photo by Jon Lok/The Seattle Times

by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer With more than nine months to go until the election, Ed Murray is racking up endorsements in his bid to be re-elected mayor of Seattle.

On January 25, Murray’s campaign announced that he’d received early endorsements from nine key labor unions representing several economic sectors.

The unions endorsing Murray are as folsee MURRAY ENDORSED page 15

Photos by Roy Wilkie

2 Seattle Gay News

January 27, 2017

Celebrating 41 Years!

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January 27, 2017

Seattle Gay News 3

Statement from the organizers of the Womxn’s March on Seattle On Saturday, January 21, in solidarity with the Women’s March on Washington and over 670 marches worldwide, 200,000 people marched peacefully in support of justice and equity through the streets of Seattle. This is nearly four times the number of people we expected based on Facebook and Eventbrite RSVPs. Judkins Park reached its 60,000 person capacity by 9:30 a.m. and attendees filled surrounding blocks and overflow areas, waiting along the march route to jump in.

The Indigenous Sisters Resistance led the march, some in traditional regalia, in a powerful demonstration of sound, song and prayer. Thousands of marchers had not left Judkins Park by the time the first marchers crossed into Seattle Center around 1 p.m. The route was filled with people from Judkins to Seattle Center for almost three hours, with the last attendees reaching Seattle Center around 4:15 p.m.

The organizers would like to thank: Our featured speakers: Washington State Senator Rebecca Saldana, CEO of Planned Parenthood of the Great Northwest and Hawaiian Islands Christine Charbonneau, Executive Director of the Chief Sealth Club Colleen Echohawk, and Executive Director of the American Muslim Empowerment Project Aneelah Afzali; Our talented rally performers, Bernadette Bascom and Lindsay Zae Summers; The incomparable Mistress of Ceremonies, Charmaine Slye; Our brilliant and inspiring soapbox speakers; The hundreds of different organizations that partnered with our march to bring their causes to the forefront of this movement; Our indispensable 800+ volunteers who took on tasks small and large to make the day a success; The vibrant neighborhoods that lent us their streets and cared for our attendees; The City of Seattle Office of Economic Development Events Task Force;

4 Seattle Gay News

January 27, 2017

Over 100,000 people marched from Judkins Park to the Seattle Center for the Women’s March – Photo courtesy of kcts9.org/mcknight

The elected officials who marched among the people, sent statements of support, and continue to fight for the disenfranchised; The bald eagles that led us out of the park and onto the streets; And finally, we thank YOU, the attendees of this march, for traveling from near and far in bigger numbers than we had ever dreamed of, for remaining peaceful despite long periods of waiting and standing, for showing up for speaking out against injustice and committing to an equitable future for all.

As we regroup to identify next steps in #marchingforward, we remind the world of our core mission, and implore people to let this march be the beginning of the greatest movement toward equity and social justice the world has ever seen. In the days ahead, with the passion of the Womxn’s March fresh in our minds and forever in our memories, we pledge the following: We vow, in our daily lives, to question the status quo; to conscientiously and con-

stantly ask who isn’t at the table; to bring up equity in the most banal situations so that it becomes embedded in our personalities and our souls, regardless of comfort levels and polite dominant culture norms.

We vow to trust womxn, to lift them up, to lift up people of color, LGBTQI people, and people of other abilities, and trust these people as leaders in this movement, and in our professional lives.

We vow to value the words, actions and involvement of marginalized people and neighborhoods of color more than we value statements from politicians.

We vow to be brave in our discussions, and to pursue the intersectionality of our experiences.

We vow to confront the daunting complexities and subtleties of oppressions with open minds and the promise to believe the oppressed.

In awe and gratitude, The Womxn’s March on Seattle Organizing Team

Celebrating 41 Years!

WOMXN’S MARCH continued from cover

more in Chicago, San Francisco, Paris, Berlin, London, Mexico City, Prague, and Sydney. Altogether over 50 demonstrations were recorded in California cities and towns alone. Millions around the world pushed back against the misogynous, racist, narcissistic, hateful rhetoric of the new incumbent in the White House.

“Not My President” was the universal chant, but there were many more creative and graphic signs in the crowds.

Some of the more colorful were: • “I can’t believe we still have to protest this shit!”

• “We shall over comb.”

• “Our vaginas brought you into this

world and our vaginas can vote you out!”

• “Our rights are not up for grabs and neither are our pussies.”

• “If our vaginas shot bullets, you wouldn’t think of regulating them.”

• “Just say NYET.” • “I’ve seen smarter cabinets at IKEA.” • “I didn’t come from your rib. You came from my vagina.”

Seattle’s march started in Judkins Park in the Central District. It was labeled “Womxn’s March” with an “x” to symbolize the intersection of sexism, racism, classism, inequality, and a host of other right wing agendas. Judkins Park is large but it was shoulder to shoulder for the opening rally. The crowds overflowed into the adjacent streets. City buses were jammed to capacity on the routes to the park and thousands made their way there on foot.

After the rally, we squeezed onto the

streets. There were people pouring in from side streets overflowing the capacity of the road and slowing us to barely a crawl.

From the back of the crowd people started a “wave roar” which swept like a tsunami from the tail to the head of the march, further energizing the crowd. It brought to mind Helen Reddy’s song: “I am woman, hear me roar / In numbers too big to ignore / And I know too much to go back an’ pretend.” Native American women led the march in recognition that this was originally their land and all the rest of us are immigrants. As if to bless that lineup, a pair of brilliant bald eagles circled above us.

Once we squirted out onto Jackson Street we were able to make a little more forward motion. Spectators on the sidelines cheered us with encouraging support.

There were so many marchers that even as the lead surged down 4th Avenue, Jackson Street was still choked sidewalk to side-

walk and others were still emerging from the park! This was history in the making.

This was solidarity with protests happening all over the world. It really felt like a new beginning welling up against the retrograde white 1% in the new federal administration. The march concluded victoriously at Seattle Center, but it was several hours before the tail caught up.

I ducked out of the march at Madison Street, satisfied that I had participated in this great moment to the limits of my feet.

Never in the history of the world has the new leader of any nation been so universally rejected. Well, almost universally. Nobody marched in Moscow.

Janice Van Cleve is a writer in Seattle.

Allyson Keene, the protagonist in her book, America: Course Correction, is needed now more than ever. Copyright 2017.

As a first-time marcher, the Womxn’s March on Seattle was an uplifting experience!

by MK Scott SGN Contributing Writer On January 21, 2013, the country had lots of excitement as President Obama was sworn in for his second term. The inauguration was held on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day and most felt the dark days were over.

Four years later to the day of that historical moment, on January 21, 2017, another history-making day happened and it wasn’t Donald Trump’s day, it was a day of The People and what a swell time it was.

While the national Women’s March on Washington was taking place in the other Washington, other cities including Seattle marched (actually walked) 3.6 miles from Judkins Park to Seattle Center.

This was personally my boyfriend’s and my first march and it was such an uplifting experience for both of us.

From Gay couples walking hand in hand or people draped in rainbow flags to men and women with children of all cultures it was bigger than any Pride parade I had been to.

News reports estimated that the crowd was about 130,000, but from our eyes it was close to 200,000.

It was comforting to know there are that many people who think alike. They stand up for being in a democracy, maybe

Seattle Women’s March – Photo by Brian Matt

not always a liberal one, but a democracy none the less. The level of creativity in that crowd, and the diversity of age and gender, shows that we will be able to weather the next year or how ever long he’s there.

Let’s talk about the signs. I had assumed that people would be chanting or yelling their gripes, but it was the sign that spoke volumes of what we all wanted to say.

From “No One Grabs my Pussy” to “This is Not Normal” with seniors with signs, “Why am I still protesting this same shit?” to “My Body, My Choice.”

One theme that was constant were signs with the late Carrie Fisher image on it, with the message of “A Woman’s Place is in the Resistance” or “We are the Resistance.”

When we finally got to Seattle Center,

the energy was positive and hopeful for the first time in months and if they ever have a march like this again, we are in it for the long haul.

MK Scott is a Seattle-based blogger.

Check out his blog at outviewonline.com

Seattle joins women around the world in historic Women’s March

by Shaun Knittel SGN Associate Editor If there was any doubt in anyone’s mind whether or not “the people” would rise up to push back against newly-elected President Donald Trump, the historic January 21 Womxn’s March on Seattle: Washington state answered with a strong message of peaceful protest, intersectionality, and unified message that love really will Trump hate. Seattle’s march, with an estimated 150,000 participants (far exceeding all expectations from organizers and participants alike), joined in solidarity with dozens of “sister” events from across the globe; putting the first-ever Women’s March on Washington directly into the pages of history and the single most successful March on Washington of all time – totaling over 3 million participants by last count. It wasn’t just a success; it was a reckoning.

Donald J. Trump, businessman, reality television star, and all around terrible

person, was sworn in as the nation’s 45th President, January 20, much to the shock of the nation who, for all intents and purposes had either been “feeling the Bern” for Senator Bernie Sanders and his so-called “political revolution” and its sights set on Democratic glory and the White House, or surmised that the famous pantsuit draped, glass ceiling breaker Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton would beat the orange man with funny hair for the highest office in the land. You could almost feel the collective hearts of the world break as we so desperately wished that outgoing President Barack Obama (and the most captivating and adored FLOTUS since Jackie Kennedy, Michelle Obama) and best friend and Vice President Senator Joe Biden would be able to continue on for “Four more years!

Four more years!”

As reality began to sink in, it seemed as though, in some odd twist of cruel fate, that all reality was actually lost, and people – young and old, citizen or undocumented,

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LGBTQ or hetero – took to the streets in cities and towns across the world to let Trump know that for many of the millions of people he was #NotMyPresident.

Predictably, and like clockwork, the anarchist so-called protestors showed up to smash windows, threaten police officers and set limousines on fire. However unpredictably, later in the evening of Trump’s inauguration spectacle, protestors who were otherwise non-violent throughout the day, turned into a frenzy at the University of Washington as they confronted pro-Trump, Milo Yiannopolous fans, resulting in the shooting of a 30-year-old man who is lucky to have survived. Other reports include ridiculous skirmishes between the antis and people whom they perceived to be a supporter. At the protest a high school student was assaulted because he was wearing a hat with the American flag on it which somehow the anti-Left took as proof of purchase for the Trump presidency and began to beat and punch and kick this kid – ultimately

busting his nose open and dousing him with blue paint. Additionally at the Yiannopolous UW event (designed to incite violence it seemed) anarchists threw bottled, rocks, and – you guessed it – paint, at the police.

Yiannopolous speech finished and the crowds diminished which led many to wonder, “What will the Women in the World March look like?” the following day.

Organizers of the Women’s March said, “Thank you to the millions of people around the world who, on January 21, came together to raise our voices. But our march forward does not end here. Now is the time to get our friends, family and community together and MAKE HISTORY.” The organizers also successfully raised $2,038,726. (2% more than their original goal of $2 million.)

Officially, organizers say that more than 5 million people participated around the world.

January 27, 2017

Seattle Gay News 5

see SEATTLE MARCH page 8

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January 27, 2017

Celebrating 41 Years!

Statement from King County Council Chair Joe McDermott

by Joe McDermott King County Council Chair Special to the SGN In light of the flurry of executive orders

by President Trump over the past week, it couldn’t be more important to articulate our core values here in King County. All residents, regardless of immigration status or where they’re from, must hear loud and clear from everyone that this county is safe, welcoming and supportive.

While we normally celebrate these values throughout the year, from Pride, to Martin Luther King Jr Day (the namesake of our county), to Bumbershoot to the Chinatown-ID Summer Festival, I’m heartbroken that in 2017 we are being forced to assert and reaffirm – rather than to celebrate.

We are all immigrants in some form or another, whether from the past few years, decades or going back over a thousand years. Far too many by force, and far too many fleeing oppression – but I know that all of us want lives for ourselves and loved ones that build community and create more opportunity for the next generation. That

Joe McDermott – Photo courtesy of info.kingcounty.gov

truly is the American Dream.

We are strengthened by new people moving here from other countries, econom-

ically, socially and culturally. But America has a fairly terrible track record when it comes to embracing that point of view.

From “No Irish,” to the exclusionary policies that prevented Asians, Eastern Europeans and Jews at the start of the last century, to the “restricted” list that would prevent people from escaping war-torn countries in the Middle East because of an irrational fear that they are “terrorists coming to destroy America.” These are all examples of when we have fallen short.

Those policies and that thinking played a role in one of America’s darkest periods exactly 75 years ago: the rounding up and internment of Japanese citizens, both native born and those who immigrated to our country.

With the Executive Order signed by President Trump this week, it appears he wants to reopen these tragic, and plainly disgusting, chapters of our history and punish local communities that have vowed to protect the innocent from persecution, imprisonment, and relocation.

New residents in our communities here in King County and around the country

know better than most the promise of the American Dream. It is up to all of us who have been here only slightly longer to stand up for their rights to pursue that dream just as we do the same.

Now, more than ever, we must continue to reaffirm and assert our King County values – welcoming all who live in our communities, especially those who have come here to escape injustice or to find more opportunity for their family. When we do that together – in our homes, our neighborhoods, in our city, around our county, in our state – we send one clear message that will drown out a President bent on dividing our country: “You are safe. You are welcome. And we will not go back to the days when people are segregated and forced out of our country because of the color of their skin, the language they speak, the religion they practice, or the person they love.”

MURRAY DEFIANT continued from cover

punishment for so-called “sanctuary cities.”

The same day, Murray held a press conference at City Hall denouncing Trump’s plans.

“Today is one of the worst days for immigrants in America since Japanese internment,” Murray said in a statement.

“Just days after hundreds of Seattleites volunteered to support more than 1,000 members of our immigrant community, President Trump sent a message back. He doesn’t respect our values and will exercise his power to threaten immigrants and our federal funding.

“I want to assure Seattle residents that while they are right to be alarmed about President Trump’s divisive vision, they should not be concerned that this city will be bullied into stepping away from its commitments and values. The City of Seattle will continue to protect the rights guaranteed to the city and its people by the United States Constitution and will challenge any unconstitutional policies that threaten the security of our communities.

“We are a nation of laws, and we are committed to defending our residents, our values, and the Constitution in the court of law. We will not be intimidated.”

In 1986, Seattle declared itself a “city of refuge” for immigrants fleeing civil wars in Central America. In 2007, a City Council resolution instructed Seattle police not to ask for proof of immigration status when they encounter residents.

More than 400 jurisdictions across the country, including megacities New York, Los Angeles, and Boston, as well as smaller towns like Burien, now follow the same practice. Trump has threatened to withhold federal funds if they refuse to cooperate with his deportation plans.

According to Murray’s office, Seattle received $85.3 million in federal funding in 2015, the last year for which analysis is complete. About $40 million went to the city’s Human Services Department, $15 million to the city’s transportation department, $12 million to the Office of Housing, and $9.4 million to the Seattle Police Department.

The balance went to other city agencies.

Nevertheless, Murray insisted, “I am willing to lose every single penny to protect those people!”

Governor backs Murray Murray got plenty of backing from Washington Gov. Jay Inslee and Seattle’s

An immigrant herself, Indian American Pramila Jayapal vows to stand up for immigrant rights and protections – Photo courtesy of wastateleg.org

congressional representatives.

“We will not be intimidated or divided.”

Inslee said.

“The president this week has reminded us that people’s voices are more important than ever. Together, we will resist any effort that would violate Washington’s values, take away the opportunity for higher education, or break up hard-working families.

“We will not stand by and allow Huskies and Cougars, and so many others to be turned away from their campuses and our state. They are dreamers, and we will not allow this order, or any order, to keep them from their dreams.

“We are not powerless. We will resist any attempt to reduce our nation’s already small contribution to aiding people and families who fall victim to global humanitarian crises.

“Any attempt to compromise the ability of our law enforcement agencies to focus on their job of keeping our communities safe will be resisted,” the governor promised.

Congressional leaders also condemn Trump “It’s deeply disappointing but not surprising to see President Trump turn his divisive, campaign rhetoric into the actions we are seeing today,” Sen. Patty Murray said in a statement.

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“There’s no question the US immigration system is in need of a serious overhaul, but targeting hard-working families, constructing an extremely costly wall, and burdening law enforcement in cities in Washington state and across our country does not even begin to address the complexities of this issue and in fact could set us back.

I urge this administration and the Republicans in Congress to work with Democrats on comprehensive immigration reform that truly works for families, for the economy, and for the security of our country.”

The 7th Congressional District’s newly elected representative, Pramila Jayapal, took to the floor of the House to denounce Trump.

“As an immigrant myself, I understand the sacrifices and hardships that immigrants experience,” she said.

“My parents sacrificed their very small life savings to send me to the United States at the age of 16, by myself, to pursue college, and that’s why I stayed in my district last Friday [inauguration day] to host an immigration roundtable which directly impacted constituents.”

“Like many of us, Mr. Speaker, they have heard reports that this new administration intends to deport millions of people across our country rather than working towards a comprehensive reform of our immigration system, similar to the one that

was passed in the other chamber with 68 bipartisan votes – unfortunately, never brought to the floor of this chamber. I heard from children, Mr. Speaker, afraid to go to school out of fear that their parents will be taken away while they are at school. I heard from people whose lives are still in limbo because they have no idea what’s going to happen next. But despite their fear, they still are ready to stand together and fight for their futures and their courage and resilience is truly inspiring. We owe it to them to fight alongside them.”

Rep. Adam Smith of the 9th Congressional District was also critical of Trump.

“I am dedicated to fixing our immigration system. A comprehensive solution must include immediate changes to our inhumane and costly private immigration detention facilities that lack proper safety oversight,” he said.

“Allowing immigrants to become productive members of our society will only strengthen our communities, our economy, and our country’s future. I applaud our region’s local mayors and Gov. Inslee for stating clearly that Washington state will remain a safe haven for those in search of safety. Our local leaders understand that maintaining safe communities and protecting the rights of recent immigrants do not conflict with one another.”

January 27, 2017

Seattle Gay News 7

Neighborhood Matching Fund announces NEW funding opportunities for community-initiated projects Now provides increased access to funds, simpler application, and more Seattle Department of Neighborhoods’ popular Neighborhood Matching Fund (NMF) offers new funding opportunities for community members in 2017. The program features added flexibility, a simpler application, and faster review and award processing. Its two funds – the Small Sparks Fund and the new Community Partnership Fund – continue to support community projects that build stronger neighborhoods and communities such as park improvements, public art, community gardens, cultural festivals, community organizing and so much more. For 2017, the NMF Program has more than $3 million dollars to award to community projects!

The Community Partnership Fund combines two former funds into one. It provides funding up to $100,000 with three opportunities to apply. Applicants will also receive decisions on their funding requests within

eight weeks. The deadlines for the Community Partnership Fund are March 27, June 26, and September 25 by 5pm.

The Small Sparks Fund provides funding up to $5,000 per project (increased from $1,000), and the fund continues to accept applications on a rolling basis. This fund is perfect for small community projects or activities such as Neighbor Day, Night Out, Earth Day, Parking Day, Spring Clean and others.

In addition, recurring community events can now be funded every other year instead of only once. To learn more, the Neighborhood Matching Fund team is hosting workshops across the city about the program guidelines, requirements and application process. The workshop dates are: • Wednesday, January 25 – 2100 building º The Art Room (2100 24th Avenue

South, 98144) • Thursday, February 2 – Phinney Neighborhood Center – Room 6 (6532 Phinney Avenue N, 98103) • Tuesday, February 7 – Neighborhood House – Room 207B (6400 Sylvan Way SW, 98126) • Wednesday, February 15 – Bailey Gatzert Elementary (1301 East Yesler Way, 98122) • Wednesday, March 1 – University Heights – Room 209 (5031 University Way NE, 98105)

contact a Neighborhood Matching Fund Project Manager before applying at 206233-0093 or NMFund@seattle.gov.

More than 5,000 projects have occurred across the city since this program began in 1988. To learn more about the Neighborhood Matching Fund and its support to community-initiated projects, visit seattle. gov/neighborhoods/neighborhood-matching-fund. The website provides details on the criteria and requirements for both funds, along with instructions for the online application process.

To RSVP call 206-733-9916 or go online at www.surveymonkey.com/r/SNJDYDH. Workshops will be offered throughout the year.

The NMF team is available to advise community groups on ways to develop successful applications and projects. Community members are strongly encouraged to

Courtesy of Seattle Department of Neighborhoods

the Ink Cards App. If you have the equipment, you can print at home, or download the file and get cards printed locally.

SEATTLE MARCH continued from page 5

“On January 21, 2017 we will unite for the Women’s March on Washington,” said organizers, adding, “We stand together in solidarity with our partners and children for the protection of our rights, our safety, our health, and our families – recognizing that our vibrant and diverse communities are the strength of our country.”

“Because women’s rights are human rights,” remind officials.

All proceeds went to logistics and expenses to put on the Women’s March on Washington (DC).

The Women’s March on Washington is a women-led movement that brought together people of all genders, ages, races, cultures, political affiliations and backgrounds “to affirm our shared humanity and pronounce our bold message of resistance and self-determination.”

“Recognizing that women have intersecting identities and are therefore impacted by a multitude of social justice and human rights issues, we have outlined a representative vision for a government that is based on the principles of liberty and justice for all,” said organizers. “As Dr. King said, “We cannot walk alone. And as we walk, we must make the pledge that we shall always march ahead. We cannot turn back.”

“Our liberation is bound in each other’s,” continued officials. “The Women’s March on Washington includes leaders of organizations and communities that have been building the foundation for social progress for generations. We welcome vibrant collaboration and honor the legacy of the movements before us: the suffragists and abolitionists, the Civil Rights Movement, the feminist movement, the American Indian Movement, Occupy Wall Street, Marriage Equality, Black Lives Matter, and more, by employing a decentralized, leader, full structure and focusing on an ambitious, fundamental and comprehensive agenda.”

Although there is no official or legal relationship between The Women’s March on Washington and the sister marches around the country and world,” organizers said, “These sister marches reflect the vibrant, organic, grassroots nature of this movement.

We appreciate the global demonstration of solidarity and are happy that those who cannot make it to D.C. have local options.”

Although the national march stole the spotlight – and rightfully so – Seattle turned up. There’s no doubt about that and the feeling in the air was that we were all reminding each other about each other.

Asking, “How are you?” and actually meaning it. People donned the now fa-

8 Seattle Gay News

STEP 2: MAKE THEM YOUR OWN Write down your thoughts. Pour your heart out on any issue that you care about, whether it’s ending gender-based violence, reproductive rights and women’s health, LGBTQIA rights, worker’s rights, civil rights, immigrant rights, religious freedom, environmental justice or anything else.

If you need some inspiration, check out the Women’s March Unity Principles and #WhyIMarch hashtag.

STEP 3: SHARE IT WITH THE WORLD & SEND IT TO YOUR SENATOR Before you send it, take a photo of your postcard and use the #WhyIMarch tag when posting it to social media.

NOTE: Remember to write a return address on the postcard.

Womxn’s March on Seattle – Photo by Jason Redmond/AFP/Getty

mous pink colored “pussy hats” as far as the eye could see.

When the Seattle march began it soon became noticeable that more and more marchers continued to show up. It was a tremendous feeling to look out in front of you and only see people instead of pavement, and then to turn around to look at the exact same scene behind me. The marchers were, literally, a sea of people. Several broadcast news outlets, KING 5 in particular, filmed from above the enormous crowd as their helicopter hovered nearby.

Marchers included the usual suspects such as Seattle Mayor Ed Murray (who has gained federal notoriety this week for opposing Trump after he signed an executive order on immigration reform or crackdown) and other elected officials. The swath of people was made up almost entirely of young folks but in all truth – representation from any group of humans imaginable was on hand.

The feeling of the day was one of determination at first. Everyone showed up to march and make a point dammit! And we were going to do just that! Things got really exciting though when, as the march went on, photos of the solidarity marches just like the one we were participating in, were beginning to inspire the world. It’s not every day you get to be a direct part of history.

Officials say they are empowered by “the legions of revolutionary leaders who paved the way for us to march, and acknowledge those around the globe who fight for our freedoms. We honor these women and so many more.”

They are: Bella Abzug, Corazon Aquino, Ella Baker, Grace Lee Boggs, Berta Cáceres, Rachel Carson,, Shirley Chisholm,

January 27, 2017

Angela Davis, Miss Major Griffin Gracy, LaDonna Harris Dorothy, bell hooks, Dolores Huerta, Marsha P. Johnson, Barbara Jordan, Yuri Kochiyama, Winona LaDuke , Audre Lorde, Wilma Mankiller, Diane Nash, Sylvia Rivera, Barbara Smith, Gloria Steinem, Hannah G. Solomon, Harriet Tubman, Edith Windsor and Malala Yousafzai.

Several hashtags were used throughout the march such as #WomensMarch, #WhyIMarch and #IMarchFor to, as organizers put it, “Tell the various and unique stories that bring people to our movement.”

Organizers are asking that you “please post your photos to social media and tag us using the handle @womensmarch!”

In addition, the people behind the national event have developed “10 Actions, 100 Days.” Starting Sunday, they pledged to list an action that they say “We all care about” for everyone to follow.

STEP 1: WRITE A POSTCARD According to officials, “Write a postcard to your Senators about what matters most to you – and how you’re going to continue to fight for it in the days, weeks and months ahead. We’re offering printable postcards for you to download.”

“You can go it alone, or consider inviting some friends, neighbors and fellow Marchers over for a drink or dinner sometime in the next ten days to talk about your experience and fill out your postcards,” said organizers.

You can get the official card printed (available to download at the official website www.womensmarch.com), design your own, or be one of 10,000 people who can get a free Women’s March Postcard using

The Women’s March on Washington (WMW) has also launched its Youth Ambassador program specifically targeting the activism, interests and unique perspectives of our child, adolescent and teenage populations.

“We aim to provide a platform of civic engagement where our youth can make their voices heard,” said officials.

“WMW Youth Ambassadors are rockstar youth who are inspiring their communities through advocacy and activism.

They are not waiting to grow up to “be the change.” They are the change and deserve a place at the table,” say organizers. “They have distinct voices and are exemplary leaders in their communities.”

“We call on young defenders of human rights to join us as we stand behind the WMW Youth Initiative’s principles: 1) Fight against forces of evil, not persons doing evil.

2) Our diversities are the strength of this country.

3) Nonviolence is a way of life for courageous people.

4) Community is the framework for the future. Engagement is crucial.

5) Honor the champions of human rights, dignity, and justice who have come before us.

6) Honor our community by first honoring and respecting ourselves.

7) We have the power to change the future.

Areas of advocacy can include but are not limited to: Social Justice, Environmental Advocacy, Education/Schools, Violence/ Juvenile Justice and Health & Wellness.

To make sure we don’t miss any of the future actions, signup to get notified at the website. https://www.womensmarch.com

Celebrating 41 Years!

Visit us online www.sgn.org

January 27, 2017

Seattle Gay News 9

Photos by Roy Wilkie

10 Seattle Gay News

January 27, 2017

Celebrating 41 Years!

Visit us online www.sgn.org

January 27, 2017

Seattle Gay News 11

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Seattle, Wa 98122 (206).325--.3992 www.mossalley.com Seattle’s most progressive auto shop!

12 Seattle Gay News

January 27, 2017

Celebrating 41 Years!

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January 27, 2017

Seattle Gay News 13

Trump executive orders harm healthcare

by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer Immediately after his inaugural parade, Donald Trump adjourned to the Oval Office, where he signed an executive order commanding his new officials not to enforce key provisions of the Affordable Care Act (ACA, or Obamacare).

On January 23, he followed up with an executive order reimposing the so-called “gag rule” barring federal funding from international aid groups that provide information about reproductive choice.

While the order about the ACA was introduced by Trump Chief of Staff Reince Priebus as a measure “to lessen the financial burden of Obamacare,” it actually imposes burdens on insured individuals while lifting them from employers and insurance companies.

Trump instructs the Secretary of Health and Human Services and other federal officials “to waive, defer, grant exemptions from, or delay the implementation of any provision or requirement of the Act that would impose a fiscal burden on any State or a cost, fee, tax, penalty, or regulatory burden on individuals, families, health care providers, health insurers, patients, recipients of health care services, purchasers of health insurance, or makers of medical devices, products, or medications.”

As an example of what could happen, look at contraceptive services: The part of the ACA that requires contraceptives be provided to insured women free of co-pays or deductibles is not actually written in the law passed by Congress. It was part of the Obama administration’s guidelines for enforcement of the ACA. According to a University of Pennsylvania study, that interpretation saved women $1.4 billion in out-of-pocket spending from 2012 to 2015. Another estimate found savings of $483 million in a single year.

But those savings for the individual women are also “fiscal or regulatory bur-

From left foreground: VP Pence, Trump and Reince Priebus as Trump signs healthcare order Evan Vucci/AP

dens” on their employers, their insurance providers, or their states – whoever is paying for their health care – and according to Trump’s new orders, the Obama guidelines need not be enforced.

Trump’s order also commits his administration to “encourage the development of a free and open market in interstate commerce for the offering of health care services and health insurance…”

Selling insurance policies across state lines – “interstate commerce” in the language of the executive order – has been one of the standbys of Republican health care schemes. Supposedly it helps to lower insurance prices by increasing competition.

In fact, it would allow insurance companies to market substandard policies without regulation by state insurance commissioners.

At his January 24 confirmation hearing, Health and Human Services (HHS) nominee Tom Price refused to say how aggressively he’d enforce Trump’s order. He also refused to say whether HHS would wait for Congress to pass a replacement for Obamacare before dismantling the law’s enforcement mechanisms.

On January 23, Trump followed up his ACA order with an executive order to stop federal money from going to international groups that perform or provide information on abortions.

According to White House press spokesperson Sean Spicer, Trump “wants to stand up for all Americans, including the unborn.”

Trump’s action marks a return to the so-called “Mexico City Policy” created in 1984 by then-President Ronald Reagan.

The policy was rescinded by Bill Clinton, reinstated by George W. Bush, and re-rescinded by President Obama in 2009.

The policy requires nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) receiving federal funding to agree to “neither perform nor actively promote abortion as a method of family planning in other nations.”

Mass resignation at State Department Entire management team resigns as Trump appointee takes charge

by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer Donald Trump’s State Department is in chaos after an entire layer of senior management officials quit rather than deal with the new president’s transition team.

Four top officials resigned on January 25, as Secretary of State nominee Rex Tillerson was being briefed on the department.

Those leaving are: • Undersecretary for Management Patrick Kennedy, • Assistant Secretary of State for Administration Joyce Anne Barr, • Assistant Secretary of State for Consular Affairs Michele Bond, and • Ambassador Gentry O. Smith, Director of the Office of Foreign Missions.

All are career foreign service officers who have served under both Republican and Democratic administrations, according to the Washington Post.

Tillerson was reportedly seeking a replacement for Kennedy, who has been at his post for the past nine years. Kennedy had been actively involved in trying to facilitate the transition to a Trump administration and “and was angling to keep [his] job under Tillerson,” the Post said.

Besides the four who quit January 25,

14 Seattle Gay News

Patrick Kennedy – Photo courtesy of americasdiplomats.com

Assistant Secretary of State for Diplomatic Security Gregory Starr left the State Department on January 20, and the Director

January 27, 2017

of the Bureau of Overseas Building Operations, Lydia Muniz, departed the same day.

That means that almost all the senior

officials that manage the State Department, its overseas posts, and its personnel are gone.

Several senior foreign service officers in the State Department’s regional bureaus have also left their posts since the election.

“It’s the single biggest simultaneous departure of institutional memory that anyone can remember, and that’s incredibly difficult to replicate,” said David Wade, who served as State Department chief of staff under Secretary of State John Kerry.

“Department expertise in security, management, administrative, and consular positions in particular are very difficult to replicate and particularly difficult to find in the private sector.”

According to Ambassador Richard Boucher, who served as State Department spokesman for Colin Powell and Condoleezza Rice, career foreign service officers are crucial to a functioning State Department, as well as to implementing the new president’s agenda, whatever it may be.

“You don’t run foreign policy by making statements, you run it with thousands of people working to implement programs every day,” Boucher said. “To undercut that is to undercut the institution.”

Celebrating 41 Years!

BOOKS

2017 Queer press grant now accepting submissions LOS ANGELES, CA – PRISM COMICS is now accepting submissions for this year’s QUEER PRESS GRANT. The Prism Comics Queer Press Grant is specifically awarded to independent queer comic book creators. The Grant was established

by Prism Comics in 2005 to assist in the publication and promotion of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Intersex, Asexual (LGBTQIA) comics and has fostered many important works.

Comic books, comic strips, webcomics and graphic novel projects are all eligible.

Entries are judged first and foremost by artistic merit, followed by concerns such as financial need, proposal presentation and the project’s contribution to the LGBTQIA community.

And we are pleased to announce that ELIZABETH BEIER, Oakland-based bisexual cartoonist and recipient of the 2016 Queer Press Grant, will be taking over the position of PRISM COMICS QUEER PRESS GRANT CHAIR. In addition Elizabeth will also be interviewing queer comics creators to create profiles of them for the Prism Comics website.

“Given the results of the 2016 election, it is more important than ever to elevate the voices of queer cartoonists, gaining exposure for them, and hopefully inspiring others. I’m excited to help the Queer Press Grant move forward, and shine a spotlight on stories from the LGBT community” – Elizabeth Beier, Prism Comics Queer Press Grant Chair.

Prism Comics would like to thank comics creator, JON MACY, for his tireless dedication cultivating new queer comics talent as the Queer Press Grant Chair for the last five years. We are very grateful.

In passing the torch, Jon says “The Queer Press Grant is in great hands. Elizabeth is a powerful storyteller who has all the skills for the job, as well as a heart that wants to help others. I know she will take the grant further, and to new places in the future.”

For more information on the QPG please visit the Queer Press Grant page on

Image courtesy of prismcomics.org

the Prism Website. For the Grant Application please visit: http://www.prismcomics. org/queer-press-grant-application/ Submissions close March 1, 2017 at 5 pm PST. Entries are judged first and foremost by artistic merit, followed by concerns such as financial need, proposal presentation, and the project’s contribution to the LGBT community. They are reviewed by the Prism Board, past recipients of the Grant, and Prism’s Advisory Board.

The Recipient of the Grant will be announced at one of Prism Comics’ panels at WonderCon Anaheim 2017 – March 31 April 2, 2017.

Since its inception, the Queer Press Grant has been awarded to: • 2006: Megan Gedris – YU+ME • 2007: Justin Hall – True Travel Tales • 2007: Tommy Roddy – Pride High • 2008: Pam Harrison – House of the Muses

MURRAY ENDORSED continued from cover

lows: • SEIU 775, representing home care workers • UNITE HERE 8, representing hotel and restaurant workers • Seattle/King County Building & Construction Trades Council, representing 19 affiliated unions • AFSCME Council 2, representing county and city employees • Laborers 242, representing hod carriers and general laborers • IBEW 77, representing electrical workers • Professional and Technical Employees 17, the largest union representing City of Seattle workers • Sheet Metal Workers 66 • IAM 751, representing aerospace machinists In the 2013 election, many unions supported Murray’s opponent, then-incumbent Mike McGinn, but since taking office in 2014, Murray has won over organized labor with an ambitious program of proworker legislation.

Less than six months into his first term, Murray signed a historic ordinance raising Seattle’s minimum wage to $15 per hour.

He also backed successful measures to offer paid sick leave to city employees and give secure scheduling to hourly workers.

“I am proud of our record [of] raising

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David Rolf – Photo courtesy of seiu775.org

• 2009: Ed Luce – Wuvable Oaf • 2009: Eric Orner – Storybox • 2010: Tana Ford – Duck • 2010: Jon Macy – Fearful Hunter Errors • 2011: Robert Kirby – Three • 2012: Christine Smith – The Princess • 2012: Blue Delliquanti – O Human Star • 2013: Hazel Newlevant – If This Be Sin • 2014: Calvin Gimplevich – Wolfmen • 2014: Emiliano Quale – Wolfmen • 2015: Dave Davenport – Stray Bullet • 2016: Elizabeth Beier – Bisexual Trials • 2016 Catherine Esguerra – Eighty Days

PRESS GRANT please go to http://www. prismcomics.org/donate/ And buy ALPHABET, the full color Anthology from Stacked Deck Press featuring new full-color comics works from over 45 creators who have received and submitted to the QPG. Visit prismcomics. org to get your copy. A generous portion of ALPHABET sales goes to support the QPG. Prism Comics is an all-volunteer, nonprofit organization founded in 2003 to support and promote LGBTQ comics, professionals and readers – prismcomics.org Courtesy of Prism Comics

The $2000 Queer Press Grant is funded by donations from comic book professionals, readers, and the fundraising efforts of Prism Comics members.

TO DONATE TO THE QUEER

wages and providing basic protections for working people,” Murray said in a statement.

“We set the tone with [the] $15 minimum wage and have not slowed down our commitment to reducing income disparities, protecting basic rights, and investing in the future of our city and our families.”

In his statement, Murray promised to “continue showing leadership in our shared progressive values. From expanding family and medical leave and securing the rights of immigrant families to addressing ongoing gender inequity, we have more work to do. I look forward to working with partners in labor and business to continue our national leadership and send a clear message that Seattle is committed to a healthy, inclusive, prosperous future for all.”

“Mayor Ed Murray has been a leader and champion for low-wage workers,” said David Rolf, President of SEIU 775. “He stepped forward and made the $15 minimum wage a reality through principled negotiation and a focus on improving people’s lives. He deserves our support.”

In November, Murray also backed I-124, a union-sponsored ballot measure to protect hotel workers from sexual harassment and unfair workloads.

“Mayor Murray has not only assured low-wage hourly workers receive a needed raise, he has helped expand protections for thousands of workers who make our food, clean hotel rooms, and do the work that is too often overlooked,” said Erik Van Ros-

sum, president of UNITE HERE 8, which represents hospitality workers.

“We are proud to support the mayor and look forward to working with him in the coming years as we face national challenges and local opportunities.”

Murray also won the hearts of building trade unions with his successful backing of Sound Transit 3 and a renewal of Seattle’s affordable housing levy, persuading voters to approve record investments in Seattle’s roadways and housing stock, and creating thousands of construction jobs.

“For his entire career in the legislature and now City Hall, Mayor Murray has fought for critical investments in our roads, sidewalks, and quality of life,” said Monty Anderson, executive secretary of the Seattle/King County Building & Construction Trades Council.

“Improving safety and traffic flow means family-wage jobs and a direct benefit in our region’s economy.”

So far, Murray has drawn only token opposition from Socialist Workers candidate Mary Martin and from Alex Tsimerman, known for his regular heckling at Seattle City Council meetings. Nevertheless, Murray has wasted no time accumulating campaign funds – more than $227,000 so far, according to disclosure reports.

January 27, 2017

Seattle Gay News 15

Trump order endangers LGBT Syrian refugees

by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer Donald Trump will soon sign executive orders suspending the US Refugee Admissions Program and banning people from Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, or Yemen from entering the US. His orders will have devastating consequences for thousands of LGBT refugees fleeing Iraq and Syria.

According to an HRC study, titled “Helping LGBTQ Refugees and Asylum Seekers in the Age of ISIL,” the jihadi group “continues to actively target and execute Gay men,” leaving them no option but to try to escape to countries like the United States.

“ISIL has unleashed a reign of terror against civilians and vulnerable minorities living in areas it has seized, including barbarous violence against LGBTQ people,” the HRC report warns.

“ISIL’s extreme ideology is interpreted by its followers to require the death penalty for those who engage in sexual relations outside of heterosexual marriage, including same-sex sexual relations.

“Therefore, gay and bisexual men in particular, or men alleged to have sex with men, have been publicly identified as targets for violence and have been methodically hunted down through social media and through their phone logs.

“When caught, many are subjected to extreme violence, including torture. The methods that ISIL has used to murder gay and bisexual men have

LGBT DISAPPEAR continued from cover

sidered especially important. Now it’s gone.

In fact, the only use of the word “gay” on the Trump regime website refers to the happy and carefree Coolidge administration.

The Office of National AIDS Policy (ONAP) website has also been disabled by Trump’s people. A trip to their site merely shows an empty podium bearing the presidential seal and the message “Sorry, the page you’re looking for can’t be found.”

Reporter Kenneth Walsh wrote on inau-

HRC President Chad Griffin – Photo by Joshua Yospyn for the Washington Post via Getty

been incredibly vicious.

“ISIL has tied nooses around these men’s necks and dragged them behind trucks, burned them alive, thrown them off buildings, stoned them to death, and glued their rectums shut and abandoned them in the desert to die.”

“President Trump’s attacks on immigrants and refugees are a direct assault on America’s most fundamental values,” HRC

President Chad Griffin said.

“Donald Trump’s unjust and unconscionable executive orders make life more dangerous for countless LGBTQ people, and could equal a death sentence for those trying to escape violence and persecution from places such as Syria. No wall, no matter how high, can block America’s promise of liberty and justice for all.”

According to Pew Research Center, the

US admitted 12,486 Syrian refugees in 2016, 9,012 Somalis, and 7,853 Iraqis. Refugee Resettlement Watch suggests that at least one-third of Iraqi refugees are members of the country’s Nestorian Christian minority, and not Muslims at all.

guration day, January 20, that “…a source in the HIV/AIDS research community tells me Trump has already closed the Office of National AIDS Policy…”

The ONAP was formed in 1993 under the Clinton administration to coordinate government efforts to reduce the number of HIV infections in the United States.

The director of ONAP under President Obama, Amy Lansky, tweeted a series of final farewells from her whole staff on January 4, in expectation of the end of the agency.

When asked for a comment, Lansky told Walsh, “I have no information on what the

Trump administration may or may not do with regards to ONAP.” In addition to the LGBT page, Trump officials also purged the Civil Rights and Climate Change pages from the White House website.

On January 24, BuzzFeed reported that US Department of Agriculture (USDA) scientists had been forbidden from publishing any summaries of scientific papers funded by the department.

BuzzFeed said it had obtained an email sent on January 23 – “Day One” of the new order, according to Donald Trump – directing USDA staff, including some 2,000

scientists employed by the Agricultural Research Service (ARS), “to stop communicating with the public about taxpayer-funded work.”

ARS Chief of Staff Sharon Drumm sent the email, BuzzFeed reported.

“Starting immediately and until further notice, ARS will not release any public-facing documents,” she wrote. “This includes, but is not limited to, news releases, photos, fact sheets, news feeds, and social media content.”

Billionaires finance TV ads for Jeff Sessions nomination

by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer Have you seen the TV ads promoting Jeff Sessions – of all people – as a civil rights hero, and asking you to phone your senators to demand he be confirmed as attorney general?

Curious about who paid for them?

The ads themselves only tell you that they were paid for by a group called “45Committee.” Forty-five, of course, refers to Donald Trump, now the 45th president, but who makes up the committee?

The group is actually the advocacy arm of a super PAC called “Future45” formed in March 2015 to target presumptive Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton.

Its earliest donors were hedge-fund billionaires Kenneth Griffin and Paul Singer, GOP megadonors who contributed $250,000 apiece. Investor William Powers also gave $100,000, and Linda McMahon, the former CEO of World Wrestling Entertainment and two-time Republican candidate for US Senate, contributed $200,000 to the group.

Future45 spent more than $3.3 million on advertising through February 2016, and

16 Seattle Gay News

Trump with Todd Ricketts – Photo courtesy of CBS Chicago

then went dormant. It relaunched in September with a new infusion of money from TD Ameritrade founder J. Joe Ricketts and billionaire Sheldon Adelson.

January 27, 2017

After its rebirth, the PAC aired its signature TV ad, “The Crook,” comparing Clinton to Richard Nixon.

As a super PAC, Future45 can raise an

unlimited amount of money, but it must disclose its donors and cannot coordinate with campaigns. Its 501(c)(4) group, the 45Committee, can also receive unlimited amounts of money, but it does not have to disclose its donors.

According to a Politico report, Chicago Cubs owner Todd Ricketts (J. Joe’s son) has assumed control of both groups, telling wealthy donors they can support Donald Trump and his cabinet picks anonymously.

Since it was formed, Future45 has raised almost $13.7 million, with $12.3 million of that being donated in September 2016, according to Federal Election Commission records.

Adelson, who along with his wife Miriam gave the group $10 million that month, has reportedly donated as much as $25 million since then. J. Joe Ricketts has donated at least $1 million to the committee.

Future45 spent almost $9.4 million on ads targeting Clinton, according to the Center for Responsive Politics (CRP). The 45Committee has spent at least $7.3 million on ads opposing Clinton or supporting Trump, according to CRP data.

No data have yet been reported on spending to support the Jeff Sessions nomination.

Celebrating 41 Years!

Pride at Work condemns new anti-immigrant executive orders Washington, January 25, 2017 – Today at the White House, the President announced several executive orders that deny entry to the United States for citizens of certain countries, authorizes the construction of a wall at the southern border, and punishes sanctuary cities that provide safety and security for undocumented people.

Pride at Work Executive Director Jerame Davis reacted strongly: “The President’s new executive orders

on immigration are shameful and dangerous. These actions will do nothing to make our nation more safe or secure. For many LGBTQ immigrants who’ve fled repressive regimes, deportation to their country of origin could be a death sentence.

“Rather than serving a rational public interest, these executive orders are punitive in nature and designed to intentionally harm the populations they target. We should never allow fear and ignorance to dictate our national policy, yet that’s exactly what is

happening with these orders.

“These proposals will cost taxpayers millions of dollars on top of the harm they do to the individuals swept up in the chaos they create. Families will be destroyed, lives will be lost. We are better than this.”

unions, and it organizes in the spirit of the union movement’s historic motto, “An injury to one is an injury to all.”

Pride at Work organizes mutual support between the organized labor movement and the LGBTQ community for social and economic justice. It seeks full equality for LGBTQ workers in our workplaces and

Texas Supreme Court accepts case challenging spousal benefits for same-sex couples

by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer The Texas Supreme Court said on January 20 that it will review a case challenging taxpayer-funded benefits for same-sex couples in the city of Houston.

The suit was brought by an anti-LGBT group, Texas Values, and two Houston taxpayers. They claim their tax dollars are going to fund conduct they find abhorrent – namely, same-sex marriage – and that Lesbian and Gay marriages are still against Texas state law.

The suit initially prevailed in a Texas trial court, but that decision was reversed by an appeals court.

Texas Values boss Jonathan Saenz “has been on a relentless crusade against LGBT rights ever since his wife dumped him for another woman,” Right Wing Watch reported.

“Texas deserves to have the rule of law

Jonathan Saenz – Photo courtesy of Flickr

upheld. Today’s decision is an important step in defending our state’s marriage laws and protecting taxpayers’ right to not be forced by government to fund illegal same-sex benefits,” Saenz said in a statement after the Supreme Court agreed to hear his appeal.

“We thank the Texas Supreme Court for agreeing to hear this important case, and we thank Gov. Greg Abbott, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, Attorney General Ken Paxton, and over 70 other elected officials and key leaders for their support in ensuring this important case was heard. We look forward to making our case directly before the Texas Supreme Court soon,” concluded Saenz.

On October 3, 2016, Texas Values formally asked the Texas Supreme Court to hear the case. Later that month, Abbott, Patrick, and Paxton filed a joint legal amicus brief in support of the lawsuit.

The brief urged the court to reinstate a temporary injunction on same-sex spousal

benefits for Houston city employees until the court could offer more clarity.

The brief went on to say that while the US Supreme Court decision in Obergefell obligates the state to grant and recognize samesex marriages, it does not bind state courts to offer spousal benefits to same-sex couples.

Texas courts should read Obergefell very narrowly, Texas Values argues, so that it does not “create rights” that would be “contrary to the values and traditions of Texans.”

In its defense, the City of Houston says that Obergefell requires it to treat married same-sex couples exactly the same as it treats married opposite-sex couples.

“The issue here is not whether employee benefits are a fundamental right,” the city’s response brief explains. “It is simply whether same-sex spouses must be allowed the same employee benefits as opposite-sex spouses.”

A new LGBT march on Washington?

by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer An activist in Brooklyn, New York, has announced plans for a new LGBT march on Washington on June 11.

David Bruinooge announced what he is calling the National Pride March on Facebook. The march will coincide with Capital Pride, DC’s annual Pride celebration, and organizers hope to draw numbers big enough that they send a message to the Trump administration not to tamper with LGBT rights.

“I was watching the events [of the Women’s March] unfold on TV, and I was very proud and inspired by all the women, the strong women in our country who were kind of taking this to the street and getting their voices heard,” Bruinooge told the Washington Blade.

“And in the back of my mind as an openly Gay man I thought, the Gay community should be doing something like this to follow up on the momentum.”

Ryan Bos, executive director of the Capital Pride Alliance, contacted Bruinooge to bring the march into the program of official Capital Pride events.

Bos also counseled Bruinooge to change the name of the event, originally “Gays on the Mall,” to the more inclusive “National Pride March.”

“This will be an ALL-inclusive and peaceful event,” reads the announcement on Facebook.

The last major LGBT protest in DC was the 2009 National Equality March, organized by veteran activists David Mixner

Washington D.C.’s last LGBT march was the national Equality March on October 11, 2009 – Washington Blade file photo by Michael Key

and Cleve Jones. The march called for full equality for LGBT people in all matters of civil law, in all 50 states. At that time, only five states had legal same-sex marriage. It drew a crowd in the hundreds of thousands.

The first LGBT march on Washington, the National March for Lesbian and Gay Rights, coincided with the tenth anniversary of Stonewall in 1979. Organized under the slogan “We Are Everywhere,” the march called for the repeal of anti-LGBT

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laws and of discriminatory policies. It drew an estimated 125,000 marchers.

Eight years later, 300,000 attended the Second National March for Lesbian and Gay Rights. Again the march called for an end to discrimination against Lesbians and Gays, but this time demands for AIDS funding were also added.

By 1993, bisexuals were recognized in a national march, then called the March on Washington for Lesbian, Gay, and Bi Equal

Rights and Liberation. Local organizers in Seattle and some other areas also recognized Transgender people, finally giving the LGBT community its signature letters.

By the time of the Millennium March in 2000, Trans folks were officially included in the demands. The Millennium March drew criticism, however, for neglecting LGBT people of color and people living with HIV/AIDS.

January 27, 2017

Seattle Gay News 17

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18 Seattle Gay News

January 27, 2017

Celebrating 41 Years!

Visit us online www.sgn.org

January 27, 2017

Seattle Gay News 19