SGN January 3, 2020 - Section 1

Celebrating 46 Years!

Issue 1 Volume 48

Miryam Gordon: Seattle’s Best Theater of 2019 SEC 2 PG 1

MK Scott: Best Memorable Quotes of 2019 SEC 2 PG 1

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Remembering LGBTQ icon Shaun Knittel

by Sarah Toce Publisher/Editor The Seattle Lesbian Former Seattle Gay News Associate Editor Shaun Knittel passed away in his hometown of Las Vegas, NV on December 30, 2019 at the age of 39 years old. According to his husband, Yee-Shin Huang, via SGN Editor George Bakan, Shaun died in the hospital from complications from diabetes when his liver and kidneys failed.

Shaun Knittel – Photo by Nate Gowdy

Trans activist Julie Berman murdered in Toronto

Canadian Transgender activist Julie Berman was murdered December 22, according to police reports. She was 51.

Toronto police say they discovered Berman in a house in the city’s Harbord Village neighborhood. She had sustained what were described as “serious injuries to her head.”

Although she was still living when police arrived and was transported to a hospital, she subsequently died.

Police initially called her death merely “suspicious,” but they later ruled it a homicide and charged Colin Harnack, 29, of Toronto, with second-degree murder. They did not explain how they determined Har-

see BERMAN page 12

see KNITTEL page 6

Queer the Census

Julie Berman – Photo courtesy of Pride Toronto

by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer

Shaun’s life cause was unequivocally his passion for social justice and equality.

In everything Shaun did – whether it was spearheading marches and rallies for the marriage equality movement through Social Outreach Seattle (SOSea) or his honesty in the face of oppression and adversity right here in these pages – he did it with warmth, perseverance, dignity, and respect.

Photo courtesy of GSBA

by Matt Landers Director of Public Policy & Government Relations GSBA With so much discussion of the thankfully now-abandoned “citizenship question” in the news last year, it should be no surprise that the 2020 Census is fast approaching.

The decennial Census is mandated by the U.S. Constitution to accurately count the number of people living in the country in order to fairly distribute public resources (i.e. tax funds) and to redraw electoral districts of equivalent sizes at all scales of government. The law requires that everyone living in the U.S. fill out the Census. Being

see QUEER THE CENSUS page 12

2 Seattle Gay News

January 3, 2020

Celebrating 46 Years!

Seattle Gay News F O U N D ED 1974 MEMBER

2018

1707 23rd Avenue Seattle, WA 98122 (206) 324-4297 sgn2@sgn.org sgn.org

Deadlines Classifieds | Thursday at Noon Calendar | Tuesday at 6pm Display Ads Space Reservation | Monday at 5pm Ad Copy (non-camera ready) | Tuesday at 5pm Ad Copy (camera-ready) | Wednesday at 5pm Letters to the Editor | Tuesday at 5pm Obituaries | Call the SGN office All others | Tuesday at 5pm

Editor in Chief George Bakan Copy Editor Rick McKinnon (since Dec 2013) Advertising George Bakan • Maggie Bloodstone MK Scott National Advertising Rep. Rivendell Media (212) 242-6863 Staff Writers Mike Andrew • Sara Michelle Fetters Miryam Gordon • Albert Rodriguez Contributing Writers Rev. Barbara Allen • Ron Anders Madelyn Arnold • Alice Bloch Maggie Bloodstone • Beau Burriola Sharon Cumberland • Jessica Davis Tina Gianoulis • Anthony Greer Milton W. Hamlin • Nevin Jefferson Richard Kennedy • Shaun Knittel Liz Meyer • Jason A. Miller Jesse Monteagudo David Nguyen aka Teriyaki Temple Rod Parke • Don Paulson Jerry Peerson • Tim Peter • Jessica Price Scott Rice • Leslie Robinson MK Scott • Mark Segal • Gaysha Starr Sarah Toce • Paul Torres • Janice Van Cleve Ed Walsh • James Whitely Scott Wittet • Rex Wockner Cartoonist Ken Campbell Calendar Editor Rick McKinnon Classifieds Rick McKinnon Photographers Nate Gowdy • Joseph P. Herron MK Scott • James Whitely Production Mike Pham Website Designer Barry Thorsness / Digital Team Works Seattle Gay News is published by Frogs and Ink, Inc. © 2018. Frogs and Ink, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Reprints by permission.

Publication of names, photographs, or likeness of any person, organization, event or business in this publication cannot be taken as any indication of the sexual orientation of the person, organization, event or business.

Opinions expressed in bylined articles, columns, and letters are those of the authors only and do not necessarily reflect the views of the staff or management of this paper.

Seattle Gay News welcomes unsolicited material, including letters to the editor, but reserves the right to edit or reject material. All rights revert to authors upon publication.

We assume no liability for loss or damage of materials, solicited or not. We invite feedback, please write.

And please play safe.

It is our policy that no money shall be refunded if you choose to cancel your ad. Credit will be given for the balance owed.

No exceptions.

In Loving Memory Of Steve Foiles • Scott Roger Alpert Cookie Andrews-Hunt James Leland Moore Randy Peters • Lee Richeson Shaun Shelton • Jim Tully James Arnold

HELP WANTED: Program Administrator African Americans Reach and Teach Health Ministry is accepting applications for a part-time (24 hours a week) Program Administrator. Salary: $21.50 hourly.

AARTH Ministry is a non-religious faith-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization established to provide HIV/AIDS and other chronic disease health education and organization development services.

Individuals interested in joining our team must be committed to health equity, social justice and culturally relevant services. We’re looking for individuals who can support our mission for providing culturally relevant health education and organization development services for health/ social service professionals and institutions serving African American/African-born residents, clients, and patients.

If you have personal and professional experience working collaboratively with African American/African communities and the larger health communities, and are

Visit us online www.sgn.org

open to continuously learning, improving and sharing lessons that support positive change for health outcomes, you’re encouraged to apply. We welcome applications from people who will help us consistently demonstrate the values of relationship building, respect, equity, social justice and collaboration.

The Program Administrator’s duties fall into three primary categories: 1) Program administrative tasks; 2) Data Management; 3) Recordkeeping and Light Bookkeep-

January 3, 2020

ing. In general these duties are carried out as part of a team effort that includes working with the executive director and accountant to manage and process administrative, financial and data systems; working with the program staff to provide program administrative support.

Who May Apply: The position is open to qualified applicants who have threefive years experience working with African American/African communities and health/social service professionals. Persons of color are encouraged to apply.

Work Location: The position is located at the AARTH office 901 Rainier Ave N, Suite B102, Renton WA 98057.

For complete details, contact Dedra Barrow at Dedrab@aarth.org or phone (206) 850-2070. More information about AARTH can be found at www.aarth.org Courtesy of AARTH

Seattle Gay News 3

An open letter to GSBA members and the community

Louise Chernin – Photo courtesy of GSBA

As we are getting ready to celebrate the start of a new decade, I want to thank you for all you do to make our community stronger and our world more just.

As small business owners, I know you work long hours under very challenging circumstances, but it is your commitment to giving back that ensures small businesses and local communities remain vibrant. You are the backbone of our chamber and we are proud to represent your small business voice on a local, county, state, and federal level. To our nonprofit members, thank you for the incredible services, advocacy, and investment in the arts you provide, which gives us the foundation we need, to be able to do our work.

To our corporate partners, thank you for continuing to invest in GSBA, our LGBTQ and allied businesses, and in the education of our students. It is your support that ensures GSBA is able to provide more than 200 free and low-cost programming and advocacy opportunities to our more than 1,400 business members. We are also grateful to the many individuals in our community who retain a community membership in GSBA, demonstrating their support of

having a chamber of commerce dedicated to equality, equity, diversity, and inclusion.

Lastly, to our elected officials who passed record legislation in 2019 to address some of the many inequities which persist for marginalized communities, thank you and let’s continue that good work in 2020.

As much as we should celebrate our wins, we cannot forget the painful injustices so many LGBTQ and marginalized people continue to face across our country.

Hate crimes against transgender and gender-diverse people are increasing, with over 20 transgender women of color losing their lives in hate crimes in 2019. Most recently, Nikki Kuhnhausen, a 17-year-old resident of Vancouver, Washington was murdered in an act of anti-trans violence. Anti-Semitism has also been on the rise, with eight anti-Semitic hate crimes taking place in New York in December alone, including this weekend’s attack during a Chanukah celebration in Monsey, New York. Washington state has the fourth highest number of hate crimes nationwide, according to the most recent FBI data.

It is easy to be overwhelmed with all of this news and want to ignore or turn away

from it all. However, that is not who we are. We are activists and we do not give up. Please use this time to recommit the resources of your precious time and money to donate, volunteer, speak out, and stand up for the values you believe in. Turning anger and sadness into action is the best antidote to despair, a well-understood survival trait of the LGBTQ community.

As your LGBTQ chamber, we will be with you as you start 2020, continuing our work and commitment for economic empowerment and equality for all. Thank you for being a member of the chamber, a donor to the GSBA Scholarship Fund, and a partner in advancing equality for all.

Together we made a difference in 2019 and, with your support, we will continue to do so in 2020.

Warmest wishes for a safe and happy New Year, Louise Chernin GSBA President & CEO

JESSE’S JOURNAL

Remembering Richard Sedlak

by Jesse Monteagudo SGN Contributing Writer Every new year we look back and remember those men and women who left us during the year, leaving behind a legacy of achievement and love. Some of those departed ones were world-famous, while others were personal friends. Richard Sedlak (1949-2019), who died November 6 after a long illness, was one of those friends. But Richard’s passing was not just a loss to those of us who loved him as a friend or family member. In his lifetime, Richard made major contributions to the South Florida community, LGBT and otherwise. In fact, his adult life was a history of achievement.

I first met Richard Sedlak in 1979, shortly after he and I began our careers in activism. Shortly after that Richard was elected president of the Broward County Coalition for Human Rights, this county’s answer to the more famous group in Dade County. Though the BCCHR was never as successful as the more discreet Tuesday Night Group, its very existence contributed to Broward’s activist history and launched a few activist careers, Sedlak’s included.

Around the same time Richard got involved in Pride South Florida, then making its transition from Dade to Broward. He served several terms as Chair of Pride South Florida, running some successful Pride Festivals at the Hollywood Sportatorium and the War Memorial Auditorium in Fort Lauderdale. Richard was also involved in the local leather/SM/fetish community and was a member of the Stingrays MC before he and the late Steve Selwyn founded Saber MC in 1984. Though I was never much of a leatherman I joined Saber MC in 1985 and became a part of Richard’s circle of friends.

Later my partner, the late Michael Greenspan, joined Saber MC and he and Richard also became friends. Richard and I alternated as president of Saber and remained active members until the Club’s dissolution around 2005.

Pride South Florida Board 1985 (TWN). Richard Sedlak is second from the left. This writer is on the right, wearing glasses.

– Photo courtesy of Jesse Monteagudo

But there was more to Richard Sedlak than LGBT activism. An avid seashell collector, he was a valued member of the Broward Shell Club, and served as president for seven years. In gratitude, the Shell Club started a GoFundMe page to raise money for his memorial. Sedlak was also a member of the local Orchid Society, Garden

Club and Bromeliad Society. In his personal life, Richard took loving care of his aged and feeble father and of two successive partners during their final illnesses and deaths from AIDS complications. He was a kind and loving brother, uncle and friend.

Richard Sedlak was one of our community’s greats. Unfortunately, due to illness,

he had to step back from public life during his last years. Our community, wrapped up in the cares and concerns of the day, does not remember Richard and all that he has done to make our lives better. I hope this article restores his memory.

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January 3, 2020

Celebrating 46 Years!

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January 3, 2020

Seattle Gay News 5

Round 2 of Amazon tax fight begins January 13 Kshama Sawant calls for Washington Hall rally

by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer Round 2 of the City of Seattle vs. Amazon fight begins at 6:00 p.m. on January 13 with a rally at Washington Hall, 153 14th Avenue in Seattle.

Newly re-elected Seattle City Councilmember Kshama Sawant announced on Facebook that she will hold her swearing-in ceremony there and launch a new campaign to tax the marketing mega-corporation.

Sawant was a major supporter of the socalled head tax passed by the Seattle City Council in May 2018 and repealed less than a month later.

Although the tax was originally passed unanimously, Amazon and other big employers launched a well-funded campaign to reverse the decision. In the end, only Sawant and fellow councilmember Teresa Mosqueda stuck to their guns and voted to keep the tax.

Amazon struck back by dumping more than $1.5 million into the 2019 City Council elections, aimed at unseating Sawant and electing corporate-friendly candidates.

They failed spectacularly. Sawant was not only reelected but promised on election night to reopen consideration of new taxes

on Amazon and other big businesses.

The January 13 event is intended to make good on that promise.

“Seattle’s voters have shown that they overwhelmingly support taxing large corporations to fund housing and vital services,” Sawant said in a Facebook post.

“With this historic mandate, it’s our movement’s responsibility to strike while the iron is hot.”

Sawant will be joined by Sara Nelson,

international president of the Association of Flight Attendants-Communications Workers of America. A rising star in the labor movement, Nelson has been named

by InStyle Magazine as one of its “50 Badass Women.”

Amazon’s crude intervention in the 2019 election earned it widespread outrage and brought Sawant the support of many who’d previously been critical of her – including City Councilmembers Teresa

Mosqueda and Lorena Gonzalez.

Amazon managed to elect only two of the seven council candidates it backed.

Mosqueda and Gonzalez were not up for election and will remain on the council, giving progressives a large majority.

However, specific tax legislation has not yet been introduced and it remains to be seen whether the new anti-Amazon coalition will hold together once the discussion gets down to particulars.

Community Solidarity Rally Against the Far Right to be held January 5 at Seattle City Hall Community and Labor Against Fascism (CLAF), a coalition of labor and community organizations, is sponsoring a rally Sunday, January 5 from 11am to 3pm at Seattle City Hall to oppose the racist, misogynist and anti-Semitic message promoted by the Washington Three Percenters, who plan to gather at City Hall that day.

CLAF spokeswoman Annaliza Torres expressed concern, “over the rash of recent vandalism of Seattle area synagogues, attacks against the queer community on Capitol Hill; and the revelations about the violent white nationalist ties of Spokane

Valley Republican legislator Matt Shea,” as motivating reasons for the rally. Torres explained that, “the Three Percenters are an ultra-right paramilitary group whose Facebook page defends Matt Shea as a ‘patriot’.” CLAF organizers point to the Three Percenters’ history of their national organization providing security for the notorious and deadly 2017 racist rally in Charlottesville, their collaboration with violent groups like Patriot Prayer and the Proud Boys locally, and their armed presence last June at the Renton Library, where they harassed children attending Drag

Queen Story Hour, as reasons why the community should turn out to say “no” to bigotry in 2020.

Endorsers of the Community Rally Against the Far Right include: Washington Federation of State Employees Local 304; Washington Federation of State Employees Local 1488; Kevin Allen, President Coalition of Black Trade Unionists – Puget Sound Chapter*; Juan José Bocanegra, Director All In for Washington*; Dr. Cairo D’Almeida, President American Federation of Government

Employees Local 1121*; Denise Krownbell, PROTEC17 member and Co-chair Seattle Silence Breakers*; ANSWER Coalition; Freedom Socialist Party; Organized Workers for Labor Solidarity; Party for Socialism and Liberation; Radical Women; Salem AntiFascist Ethos (SAFE); Seattle Revolutionary Socialists; Sex Workers Outreach Project-Seattle; Sparkle Brigade. *For identification only.

Courtesy of CLAF

Seattle Public Library implements new fine-free policy SEATTLE (January 2, 2020) - The Seattle Public Library’s Chief Librarian Marcellus Turner and Seattle Mayor Jenny A. Durkan jointly announced the implementation of Seattle’s fine-free policy.

Starting today, the library will no longer charge daily late fines for overdue materials, a change that was approved by 76% of Seattle voters in August 2019 as part of the 2019 Library Levy renewal. In addition, Mayor Durkan and Chief Librarian Turner announced that an estimated 51,000 patrons whose library accounts were suspended because of overdue fines will be reinstated and will again be able to check out materials. All outstanding late fines on patron accounts will also be cleared.

“We are thrilled to celebrate this new chapter at the Seattle Public Library,” Turner said. “We hope thousands of Seattle residents will rediscover their library this year without the fear of fines that has kept many people away.”

“Every person in Seattle deserves access to opportunity, and that starts with making sure our libraries are open to every resident. Library fines had become a barrier disproportionately affecting our lower-

income residents,” said Durkan. “Fifty-one thousand patrons will have their library accounts reinstated, and residents with overdue balances will be wiped to ensure the residents who can most benefit from our libraries have access to this public treasure.”

By eliminating overdue fines and clearing past fines, the library joins scores of library systems across the country – including large urban areas such as Chicago, San Francisco, Denver, Salt Lake City, and San Diego – in eliminating this barrier to access libraries. Libraries across the country that have eliminated late fines have reported increased library use and little change in return rates for materials.

“Overdue fines have no place in the library of the future,” said Turner. “Rather than encouraging people to bring back materials, they served as a roadblock to the people who stand to benefit the most from free library resources, such as teens and low-income families.”

Research from the Seattle Public Library showed that residents in lowopportunity neighborhoods were more likely to carry unpaid overdue fines on their

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January 3, 2020

accounts and to have suspended accounts because of fines, even though the rate of return was similar to other neighborhoods.

The library continues to urge residents to return their library items. It will send reminders via email, text, and phone.

Patrons will receive notices to remind them when materials are due, as well as when they are past due. Patrons will still be responsible for paying replacement fees for lost or damaged items. Outstanding fees for lost and damaged items will not be waived.

“We’re all part of this great sharing community, but our emphasis is now on returning materials rather than paying a fine if you’re a little late,” Turner said. “It’s the library you love, without the shame, blame, and stress.”

As part of the new policy: • Patrons will now be able to renew items up to three times if no one else is waiting for them • The library will change its notification schedule to help borrowers remember to return their items, and patrons can now sign up for text-message reminders • Patrons who do not return an item within 14 days after its due will have their

library account suspended until they’ve returned the item or paid the replacement fee • The library will consider an item lost if it is not returned after 31 days past its due date, and a replacement fee will be added to the account Patrons can find details on the new policies at spl.org/NoLateFines The library will soon begin implementing other changes funded by the 2019 Library Levy renewal. On Sunday, Jan. 5, all branches will be open for an additional hour, opening at noon instead of 1 p.m. Later in the year, additional hours will be added to select branches, and work will begin to retrofit three Carnegie-era branches most susceptible to earthquake damage. The levy will also fund more support and resources for youth.

Find out more about levy-funded changes to the library at spl.org/levy. For more information, call the library at 206386-4636.

Courtesy of the Seattle Public Library

Celebrating 46 Years!

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January 3, 2020

Seattle Gay News 7

IN MEMORIAM

KNITTEL

continued from cover Before moving to Seattle in 2009, Shaun worked in the U.S. Navy stationed in Naples, Italy from approximately 20052009. Terri Bewig served alongside Shaun.

“He was as at home in the Navy as he was with the Italians and the gay community there, and learned his craft as a journalist and photographer. He taught us as much as he learned, or more, and was loved and respected by so many, at home in any culture,” Bewig recalled.

“When Shaun moved to Seattle he hit the ground running. I never knew a man that worked quite like Shaun did,” said Ceasar Hart, community activist. “He helped mold me into the advocate and activist I am today. He helped shine light on Drag Kings and was a warrior for our community.”

Shaun wasn’t a man without flaws. He just handled them – and moved on. He was genuine in his efforts to better himself – and his community. Throughout his life, he expected and fostered more of the same from others. His commitment to leadership far surpassed his human limitations in many capacities.

SOSea Community Partner of the Year (2014) Ryan Mueller remembered Shaun as a “genuinely proactive soul.”

“Shaun championed community in a way that not only brought it to the forefront of every conversation, but gave it a voice to interact with,” Mueller said. “He didn’t only accept people for who they were, he’d be the type to tell you when you might want to rethink things. His ability to see potential in those around him was surpassed only by his willingness to show his support through his actions.”

Mueller added, “A man of persistence, dedication and compassion, Shaun gave tirelessly to provide a platform to the

Photos by Nate Gowdy

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January 3, 2020

Celebrating 46 Years!

Yee-Shin and Shaun – Photo by Nate Gowdy

unheard while speaking out against social injustice wherever it arose. He brought confidence, focus and a higher consciousness of neighborly duty to so many, his legacy will be heard in the voices of all those he influenced when standing up for our community. Thank you for believing in us, Shaun. You were truly one of a kind.”

Community activist and leading drag queen Gaysha Starr remembered her friend.

“I was privileged to be his ‘Best Person’ at his wedding to his partner Yee-Shin, who he leaves behind,” said Starr. “They moved to Las Vegas a few years ago, but we never seemed to be able to make the time to reconnect. Thank you, Shaun, for all you did for us and for me and showing us for what and how things could be.”

Their wedding was epic – and one to aspire to. It was more of a production than a traditional exchange of the vows…and it was uniquely them. The whole community came out to celebrate, including drag queens “on stage” (alter), then Seattle Mayor Ed Murray, city councilmembers, family, and friends. But despite theatrics, the real show was watching the two men who had fought at the forefront of the marriage equality movement in Seattle and nationally enjoy what they helped create in the first place.

“Shaun was my neighbor, my friend, and a fellow activist. His wedding to Yee-Shin was the first one I attended after samesex marriage was legalized in Washington state,” said Seattle Pridefest Executive Director Egan Orion. “For several years there, he was the Waldo of the local LGBTQ+ community, fighting for marriage equality, writing and editing at the Seattle Gay News, building community

through a non-profit he helped to found, and giving voice to the various issues queer and trans people were facing. When he left Seattle, it was a loss for our community, and now that he’s left the world, it is a loss for us all. Shaun, thank you for your service to the community. Your work and effort lives on even today.”

Pride ASIA founder and activist Aleksa Manila shared, “Shaun was a visionary and could see things with positivity and success against naysayers and pessimists. Shaun was the epitome of a community organizer who went above and beyond expectations.

And above all he loved so much ... it was very clear in his relationships – be it with the Seattle Gay News, Social Outreach Seattle and Pride ASIA ... his friends, family and his dear husband, Yee-shin Huang.

He inspired me in many ways as a drag artist and social activist. I will forever be inspired by his courage and spirit.”

Said community activist Mac S. McGregor, “I met Shaun when he interviewed me for the Seattle Gay News and we became fast friends. He had just founded a non-profit called Social Outreach Seattle to work for Marriage Equality in WA state and asked me to be a part. After we won marriage equality in WA state we talked about how much more work there was to be done. We grew SOSea and worked on many issues for the LGBTQAI community. I became the Trans and gender nonconforming director for SOSea. We did everything from feeding the homeless, to creating a SOSea self-academy to keep our community safer and even provided safe rides home for folks in a big gay van. We saw a problem and we came with real solutions and just did it.

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“He was smart, creative and passionate about working for rights and safety for the LGBTQAI community. One of the things I loved about working with Shaun was that he was a no-nonsense doer. He hated red tape, gatekeepers in the community who would try to control everything and he had a witty, smart ass sense of humor. He and I would many times process hard things that happened in our community with that sometimes dark, witty, smart ass humor.

We always knew that we were a safe place for one another to visit and process with our dark humor. He will be greatly missed.”

“I’m so incredibly sad to learn that Shaun has passed away,” shared Washington Blade International News Editor Michael K. Lavers. “I worked with Shaun when I was at the EDGE Media Network many years ago. He, Yee-Shin and me met up in D.C. shortly after I began at the Blade in 2012. He was a committed journalist and activist who was incredibly passionate about the things in which he believed. He will definitely be missed.”

“The Board of Directors and staff of Seattle Out & Proud / Seattle Pride are deeply saddened to hear of the passing of Shaun Knittel,” Seattle Out & Proud / Seattle Pride Executive Director Krystal Marx said. “The work he did to bring equality to and advance equity in Seattle’s LGBTQIA+ community was instrumental to get us, as a whole, to where we are today.

Our hearts are with his family and friends during this time, and are encouraged only by the enduring impacts his activism and service will have for our community for years to come.”

Community organizer Kelsey Ward remembered Shaun’s big heart:

“Some of my very best memories were with Shaun: SOSea, the march for marriage, election and victory parties, the Lesbian Life Forum, the Body Diversity Project, Intersections, rainbow crosswalks, Safe Spaces, and countless events and benefits,” she said. “I always said I wanted to be Shaun when I grew up and it always made him laugh. When I was the president of the Queer and Allies Club at my college, Shaun drove all the way to Auburn twice to be a guest speaker at two of my events for Gender Neutral Bathroom Week. He made a difference. Here’s the quote that started it all. ‘We are one community, working together.’”

This is where I break the fourth wall. My name is Sarah Toce and I served SOSea as a founding member and vice president from 2012-2014. I wrote this tagline for Shaun and the work he told me he wanted to accomplish together in Seattle’s LGBTQ community: “We are one community, working together.”

This is perhaps Shaun’s greatest legacy as I see it. Because when you were with Shaun, nothing was out of reach if you worked hard enough. We powered through long days and nights to make real, positive change happen in Seattle – and not only did we do it, we did it with flair. We did it with heart. And we did it because it was the right thing to do. Thank you, Shaun. From all of us to you, may you find eternal peace.

A community celebration of life is being scheduled for Shaun. More details soon.

In the meantime, here is his public memorial page: https://www.dignitymemorial. com/obituaries/las-vegas-nv/shaun-knittel-8980967/

January 3, 2020

Seattle Gay News 9

IN MEMORIAM

Shaun and Yee-Shin How one couple’s marriage came to be

by Shaun Knittel SGN Associate Editor EDITOR’S NOTE: The following article first appeared in the Seattle Gay News in our June 21, 2013 issue. Shaun Knittel and Yee-Shin Huang were married May 25, 2013 at Plymouth Church in downtown Seattle. Shaun had written this article several months earlier in anticipation of the event.

My partner … errr … um … lover, boyfriend, fiancé – whatever – proposed to me, without a ring, before same-sex marriage was legal in Washington state, while we were lying in bed together. We’d been dating for over a year, but had known each other for two. He had a roommate and things got weird. She moved out and I’d just moved in.

It was a moment I’ll never forget.

“Two months ago I didn’t think I was ready to live with you,” he said. “But now that you are here that has changed. I can’t imagine you not being here.”

It’s true – two months prior I had asked him to move in with me – and four other people – living in a small, modest Capitol Hill rental. He declined.

“I know, babe, I can’t imagine not falling asleep in your arms every night,” I said, surprising myself at how vulnerable my love for him makes me sound.

“We should probably get married then,” he said.

“Yeah,” I replied. “We probably should.”

And that is the story of how Yee-Shin Huang and I agreed to marry.

HOW DID IT HAPPEN? During the campaign to Approve Referendum 74, Yee-Shin and I were asked to participate in the ACLU of Washington’s Com-

Shaun and Yee-Shin – Photo by Nate Gowdy

equality back in October? Yeah, that was us.

We, meaning Yee-Shin and I, worked our butts off for the people around us who were inspired by what we were doing.

Friends and strangers alike registered to vote and then set out to register others. We grew activists out of inactivists and made voters out of nonvoters. It was a magical time. It would, in November, eventually become a historic time.

Shaun and Yee-Shin at an Approve 74 event – Photo courtesy of Shaun Knittel

day without wedded bliss cheer as they walked out of Seattle City Hall together – legally married. But being the practical (some would say, stubborn) men that we are, Yee-Shin and I decided that we didn’t want anything, or anyone, to tell us when we should get married. Not even the friendly voters we had asked to secure our right to do so. May 25 is our anniversary, not December 9.

Yee-Shin and Shaun with their marriage license – Photo courtesy of Shaun Knittel

munities of Color campaign. We said yes.

In fact, we did what a lot of people did. We put up a yard sign, told our story (again, and again, and again), and became table captains at fundraisers for Equal Rights Washington and Washington United for Marriage.

But we also did many things that most everyone did not do. In April of 2012 we produced and starred in a musical (and I am sooo not musical) to raise $6,000 for the campaign for marriage equality. In July of 2012 I founded a social justice nonprofit, Social Outreach Seattle. First at hand for SOSea – you guessed it – marriage equality.

Remember that march and rally for marriage

When the elusive same-sex marriage became easily obtainable, Yee-Shin and I watched as thousands of same-sex couples rushed out to get married as soon as possible. The excitement was palpable. Love was winning. And all because “the people” voted for it. Gays were finally the popular kids at the lunch table.

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January 3, 2020

WHY WE WAITED Yee-Shin and I are madly in love. However, we didn’t get caught up in the hubbub around the date. Yes, it was fabulous and heartwarming to see all of those people who felt that they could not wait another

May 25, 2011, is when we both knew that, on some level, we were meant to be together. We were on a whirlwind tour of Las Vegas, my hometown. He met my family (I’d never even considered having previous boyfriends meet the family), hung out with my childhood friends, and everything about “us” seemed to make sense. Not surprisingly, we never even had the “boyfriend” conversation or the always awkward, but oh-so-common “So, are we dating?” conversation. Instead, not unlike the marriage proposal, we both just went with it, knowing all the while that it would work.

When you know, you just ... do.

I love Yee-Shin with all of my heart and soul. He is my best friend, cooks better than any chef I’ve ever met, and supports me in everything I do. He is, in my eyes, perfect in every way. His smile melts me whenever I see it. He’s a good person, too. We are sexually compatible, adventurous together, and he is the best part of my day – always. It’s the little things, too. You know what I mean?

I love it when he laughs or when he does something to show me that, despite being two of the busiest people we know, he’s thinking about me. We trust each other and we communicate clearly and always with the purpose of growing our love, not killing it.

I do, take this man as my husband.

There’s just one problem: We don’t know how to get married.

SO HOW DOES IT WORK? Isn’t that foolish? I feel so ignorant writing that down. But I told myself that if I were going to do truth, and this article, any justice, I would have to be honest and say that I, and most Gay men I know, have no idea how to get married.

Take, for instance, the flower girl. Why is she there? What do the flowers mean? “Ring bearer” is equally as confusing. I mean, I’m no idiot, I know that he is the person who is supposed to keep the rings safe and hand them to the bride and groom (or, in our case, the groom and groom). But why is he sometimes 11 years old and other times 35? Is he the best man or … can somebody please tell me what is going on here???

Seeking answers, I turned to the Rev. Brandon Duran, a pastor at Seattle’s Plymouth United Church of Christ, for counsel.

Yee-Shin first met Duran years ago when he attended Taiwanese church on Sundays with his family as a young man. Duran was one of the first people that Yee-Shin felt comfortable to tell he was Gay. His family – my soon-to-be in-laws – knows Duran, and Yee-Shin believes that will add a sense of authenticity for them. Now, we are by no means having a “normal” ceremony. But we don’t want to mock religion either. So, as you can surmise, Rev. Duran has been – forgive the pun – a Godsend.

All of you wedding novices out there take note: Duran made us a cheat sheet of sorts. It is, for all intents and purposes, per-

Celebrating 46 Years!

Shaun and Yee-Shin were married May 25, 2013 at Plymouth Church, Seattle. – Photos by Nate Gowdy

fect! He outlined everything from the Unity Candle and Sand Ceremony to the homily, communion, and the exchanging of vows.

Oh, and about that ring bearer? The good Reverend cleared that up, saying, “Typically [he’s] a little boy who carries the ring (or other symbol of love) during the processional. Actually, the ring bearer is not entrusted with the actual rings and instead is given fakes (a member of the wedding party is typically responsible for them).”

Duran admits, “I have no clue how this started.” He does, however, allude to the fact that it now seems to be all about how cute it is to dress up a young boy in a tux.

Photo by kapchur.us Photography

HOW SPECIAL IS ‘SPECIAL’?

This big day is fast approaching and there is this pressure to make it as special as possible. And I really, really want to for Yee-Shin’s sake, make this the most amazing day ever. I start going through the checklist and don’t you know it – we’ve got everything done! We did it right!

Yeah, right.

Time to call in reinforcements, otherwise known as my husband-to-be’s girlfriends. Alicia Kikuchi and Lauren Husband have literally saved the day. Please, anyone reading this who actually goes to the wedding, it is these two women that you need to thank and say, “It was a beautiful ceremony” to. They whisked Yee-Shin away to Nordstrom and had wine and choc-

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olate tastings, bought bridesmaid dresses (in a shade of blue that was closest to cerulean) and went over a much more thorough and carefully combed-over checklist.

My wedding party is going to be different. I don’t have any girlfriends coming to the wedding who mean more to me than Robert Matencio, otherwise known as the legendary and fabulous Gaysha Starr. So I decided that I will have her, as Best Queen, replace the role of best man. High-fashion day drag at my wedding? Yes, please!

I think this is going to be a special day, indeed.

SO WHY DO WE DO IT? There was a time, not so long ago, that many Gay men would have been telling me that marriage is for straight people and that Yee-Shin and I shouldn’t worry about it.

Marriage isn’t our thing – it’s theirs. And there was also a time, not so long ago, when I agreed with that sentiment.

I was young. I wasn’t in love like I am now. And well … I was foolish.

People, places and things all change with time. And our time is now. Maybe you don’t care about the dresses, the flowers, or the food at weddings. Or perhaps you just don’t believe in marriage as an institution.

But nobody can deny that this moment in our movement’s history is unique. For the first time since I entered my very first Gay bar in 1996, I finally feel like we are all,

somehow, even.

What I mean is that each generation’s experience is different. The struggle with AIDS has changed. Styles change, slang changes, bars open and close, and people change. The elders tell us what we don’t know, and we ask questions that are insensitive or don’t care because – it turns out they were right – we don’t know.

But what I do know is that we are all, each and every one of us, witnessing the time in our history where love and compassion and fairness actually began to win. The big bad wolf is still huffing and puffing – but getting nowhere fast. Like it or not, marriage equality really has become the catapult for the modern Gay rights movement.

Still, when I say “I do” to Yee-Shin on May 25, 2013, I won’t be saying, “I do, to your benefits” or “I do, to the LGBTQ marriage equality struggle.” Instead, I will look the man I love in the eyes and say, “I do take you to be my lawfully wedded husband.” Because for the first time since never, “lawfully wedded husband” applies to Gay men too. Our wedding will look different, the processional will no doubt be different, and many of the invited guests will be dressed differently than at a traditional heterosexual marriage. But what will not be different at our (excuse the term) Gay wedding is the law that says who can and cannot marry in Washington state.

Because on that day, in this special place and time, we will finally be equal.

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Seattle Gay News 11

Let’s be counted in the 2020 Census!

The U.S. Census has never identified the LGBTQ+ community. This has made it very difficult for federal agencies and researchers to accurately track the size, demographics, and needs of our community.

We must be counted!

The GSBA has an excellent article written by Matt Landers (reprinted in this week’s SGN) on why it’s important for our community to queer the census. The article cites the National LGBTQ Task Force, which explains it quite well: “Although the goal of the Census is to count everyone living in the U.S., certain populations are inevitably undercounted.

“Transgender and queer people, LGB people, people of color, immigrants, people who are experiencing homelessness, renters, people living in rural areas, people with low incomes, single-parent households, people with limited English proficiency, and young children are overwhelmingly undercounted in the Census.

“To ensure fair access to democracy and social services funding, it is important for our community to be accurately counted in the 2020 Census.”

Please access the following website to watch a video on why you should stand up and be counted! http://bit.ly/2to459C Interested in helping your community be counted?

King County is currently hiring temporary positions to assist with the census!

The Seattle Census Office is committed to the principle that everyone has the right to be counted. They are especially committed to including historically undercounted and underrepresented populations within

QUEER THE CENSUS continued from cover

counted is critical – it shows the proper size of communities across the country, and helps public agencies and advocates better support their constituents and clients.

There are only 10 questions on the Census, and eight additional questions for each person living in that household.

GSBA is actively working with many partners to ensure that our communities are counted. GSBA sits on the Washington State Complete Count Committee, the Seattle Complete Count Committee, and the King County LGBTQ Census Coalition. There will be outreach to and education for small businesses around the state on how they can help raise awareness and answer questions.

Image courtesy of the National LGBTQ Task Force

that count. Their goal is to conduct this decade’s Census with a grassroots approach – making the count for the community, by the community.

There are thousands of local enumerators needed to canvass the neighborhoods in which they live and are familiar with.

This work will be temporary with flex-

ible work schedules (thus the wages made would not count as earned income against SNAP benefits, TANF, HUD, etc.)

Enumerators visit households to validate the address and follow up on the census questionnaire.

The pay rate is $23/hour in King County, and the only requirements for

employment are U.S. Citizenship, access to an email account, and Selective Service compliance.

Visit 2020census.gov/jobs or call 1-855562-2020.

Why should LGBTQ people care about the Census?

As the National LGBTQ Task Force explains: “Although the goal of the Census is to count everyone living in the U.S., certain populations are inevitably undercounted.

“Transgender and queer people, LGB people, people of color, immigrants, people who are experiencing homelessness, renters, people living in rural areas, people with low incomes, single-parent households, people with limited English proficiency, and young children are overwhelmingly undercounted in the Census. “ T o ensure fair access to democracy and social services funding, it is important for our community to be accurately counted in the 2020 Census.”

The 2010 Census was the first time that any LGBTQ people were able to be included in Census data, but that was only

for same-sex married couples. For 2020, data on unmarried same-sex couples who reside together will also be captured. This still leaves out many sides of our community, including bisexual, transgender, and gender-diverse people, as well as LGBTQ people not in the specific types of relationships enumerated on the form. While the Census may not yet accurately capture the relationships in your household, it is important that every person in your household be counted. LGBTQ people exist within all other different populations that are routinely undercounted and underserved, and it is critical for us to be counted in 2020.

The Census respects how you self-identify (they do not cross-check with other federal forms).

If you do not fill out the Census form by late April 2020, an enumerator will be sent to your house to collect a response from you in-person. To avoid this, fill out your Census survey early.

The Trump administration’s proposed citizenship question was denied by the Supreme Court, and the President abandoned his efforts to add it. Census forms have already gone to print without the citizenship question.

Being counted means being heard. It means having our needs met.

Important Points to Remember about the Census The Census is confidential and no data on individuals can be shared with anyone for 72 years.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS BERMAN

continued from cover nack was a suspect or reveal the identity of the two other people found in the house with Berman.

Berman was well known in the Toronto LGBT community as a founder of The 519, an LGBTQ advocacy and service organization. She had often spoken publicly about violence targeting the Trans community.

“She had experienced a lot of transphobia in her neighborhood. She had been getting bullied by some of the neighbors. She talked about that publicly, on social media, and asked for support,” Berman’s friend, Susan Gapka, told the Toronto Globe and Mail.

“It’s really heartbreaking...the same

12 Seattle Gay News

thing that she was trying to be vocal about happened to her,” said Davina Hader, also a friend of Berman and a fellow member of The 519.

According to CTV News Toronto, Berman had previously reported bullying and harassment to Toronto police, but a police spokesperson declined to say whether her death was associated with prior incidents.

“We don’t have anything to suggest this occurred because of the fact that she was a trans woman,” police Detective Rob Choe told the TV station on December 28.

“It’s being considered, but there is nothing at this point that would lead us to believe that this is the case.”

Toronto resident Monica Forrester, also a Trans activist, said she met Berman when they were teens. She said Berman worked

January 3, 2020

as a hairdresser and workshop facilitator on Trans inclusion at The 519.

“Trans people are really out there,” Forrester said. “They’re working in our banks, everywhere, in the shopping malls, so the visibility is there, but we need to address the violence that trans women face.”

“I don’t know that [Trans women] ever felt safe,” said Olivia Nuamah, executive director of Pride Toronto, “For many in the Trans community, sadly, violence is a part of life.”

In the past couple of years, there have been three violent deaths in Toronto’s trans community, Nuamah said, “Never mind what’s going on in North America more broadly.”

In a statement posted online, Toronto Mayor John tory called Berman’s death a

Courtesy of the GSBA

“devastating tragedy,” and said that “every single day people face violence and hatred because they are Transgender.”

As in the US, Canadian Trans people report being specifically targeted for violence. According to a study published in 2015 by he Trans PULSE project led by professors in several Ontario universities, 20% of Ontario’s Trans people had been physically or sexually assaulted for being Trans and another 34% had been verbally threatened or harassed but not assaulted.

Like the US, the Canadian study noted that many Trans people did not report these assaults to the police. The study revealed that 24% of Trans people reported having been harassed by police.

Celebrating 46 Years!

Thousands of LGBTQ activists to convene in Dallas in January for 32nd annual Creating Change conference: “Love, Learning & Liberation!”

DALLAS (December 2, 2019) – Thousands of LGBTQ advocates, activists, leaders, and allies will gather in Dallas, Texas, for the 32nd Creating Change conference from Wednesday, January 15 through Sunday, January 19, 2020, at the Sheraton Dallas.

The Creating Change conference, run by the National LGBTQ Task Force, is the foremost political, leadership, and skills-building conference for the LGBTQ social justice movement. Since 1988, Creating Change has created opportunities for tens of thousands of committed people to develop and hone their activist skills, build community, and inspire.

This year, in addition to the political focus of the work, the conference will be focusing on the 2020 census and building capacity to ensure everyone is counted.

The primary goal of the Creating Change conference is to build the LGBTQ movement’s political power from the ground up to secure our overarching goal of full freedom, justice, and equality for LGBTQ people and their families in the United States.

This will be the second Creating Change conference managed by Andy Garcia, who is bringing some new changes to the longtime activist gathering as attendance grows and diversifies. Garcia said, “It is clear that 2020 will be a critical year for all of us, including LGBTQ communities. We face a historic election year, some of the most significant Supreme Court cases in our lifetime, ongoing attacks from the current administration, and an epidemic of violence, among other challenges. Creating Change is where LGBTQ advocates, activists, leaders and allies come together to learn and connect with each other, with a focus on creating a welcoming space for queer and trans people of color. We need that now more than ever.”

The keynote speaker for Creating Change 2020 will be Reverend Angel Kyodo Williams, who will kick off this year’s conference at the opening plenary on Thursday, January 16, at 7 p.m. With the alarming murders of trans women of color across the country, the Creating Change conference community will also be rallying to spotlight and build capacity to address this epidemic as well as featuring the resilience, determination, and leadership of the trans community.

Plenaries Opening Plenary Session: Love, Learning and Liberation From the Census to the election, 2020 is going to be historic. We have a lot of work ahead of us against a backdrop of an epidemic of trans women of color being murdered and a rollback of hard-fought gains by the current administration. This plenary aims to set a new tone for the conference and for our movement: one of love, learning, and liberation.

As we create change together, how can we be mindful to center our hearts and our minds?

Opening Keynote Speaker: Rev. Angel Kyodo Williams: Love and Justice Are One Called “the most intriguing AfricanAmerican Buddhist” by Library Journal, Angel Kyodo Williams is an author, activist, master trainer, and founder of Transformative Change. Her newest work, Radical Dharma: Talking Race, Love & Liberation, is igniting communities to have the long overdue conversations necessary to become more awake and aware of what hinders liberation of self and society. aAngel notes, “Love and justice are not two. Without inner change, there can be no outer change. Without collective change, no change matters.”

She was made for these times.

Plenary Session: The Annual State of the Movement Address

Following our Creating Change 2020 theme, “Love, Learning, and Liberation,” Task Force executive director Rea Carey and deputy executive director Kierra Johnson will host the annual State of the Movement plenary. Even as LGBTQ people and their families are under attack by the current administration, we know our community is strong, resilient, creative, and determined. This year, with special guests, we will focus on the issues facing trans women of color, the work being done to address anti-trans violence and systemic discrimination, and moving the movement forward in our work for freedom, justice, and liberation. Come be inspired to fight on, and defeat those who intend to make our lives invisible!

Closing Plenary Session: Queering Immigration: Owning Our Power, Building the Defense Line Immigration will once again be a top issue this election year. This panel will focus on how we can collectively build power by centering the needs and experiences of those most impacted: queer and trans people of color. Our expert panelists will talk about deportation defense, rapid response at the neighborhood, city, and state level, the criminalization of black and brown bodies, legislative victories, and so much more. Our call to action will be the work that still needs to get done: closing the camps, stopping the arrests and deportations, and imagining a world without borders.

The immigration-focused panel will be made up of Sharita Gruberg (she), policy director for the LGBT Research and Communications Project at the Center for American Progress; Oluchi Omeoga (they), a co-creator and core team member of Black Visions Collective, a black-led local organization working in Minnesota; Monserrat Padilla (she), the Coordinator for the Washington Immigrant Solidarity Network; Nancy Haque (she), executive director of Basic Rights Oregon, an LGBTQ political advocacy organization with a focus on transgender justice and racial justice; and Dani Marrero Hi of the Texas Civil Rights Project.

New for this year, the traditional closing plenary brunch will be replaced by a dynamic indoor street fair on Sunday, January 19 with an 11:30 a.m.–1:00 p.m. “Send Off Celebration!” including accessible HIV testing and mammogram screening.

Day-long institutes This year’s Racial Justice Institute encompasses queerness and racial diversity within an expression and experience that centers on resisting with all our brilliance, our joy, and our truth. Keynote speaker and Queer Black Feminist Love Evangelist Alexis Pauline Gumbs will offer a loving reflection and an accessible practice designed to impact how to work together through and across difference and depth. In addition, our second keynote Timothy DuWhite is a black, queer, poz-writer/artist based out of Brooklyn, NY. A majority of his work circles around the intersections of state & body, state & love, and state & mind.

Following our keynotes is a series of afternoon breakout sessions on topics that range in topics from Talking to Kids about Race

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[to] Respectfully United - Allyship Without Tokenization [to] Beyond D&I: Organizing for Racial Equity [to] The Metamorphosis of White Men: Ending our Legacy and Creating a New Story.

Also this year, we are excited to add six new day-long institutes, bringing the total number of these intensive eight-hour sessions to twenty-three. New topics like Disability Justice and Leading in Complex Situations will be held alongside returning favorites like the Trans Institute, the Latinx Institute, and the LGBTQ+ Campus Resource Professionals Institute.

For more information about the day-long institutes see www.creatingchange.org/daylong-institutes-2/.

Workshops and caucuses The conference features over 250 workshop and caucus sessions. Workshops range from 90 minutes to 3 hours, addressing the vast scope of issues relevant to LGBTQ activism and organizing. There are nearly a dozen sessions on campus organizing, several intergenerational dialogues, many workshops focused on healing and wellbeing, art and theater activism, racial and economic justice, trans issues, and a robust track for political advocacy. Caucuses cover a broad range of identities and interests, including caucuses for deaf queer people, lesbians, queer Middle Eastern and North African (MENA) people, LGBTQ people in STEM, LGBTQ Jews, and parents.

Awards SAGE Award for Excellence in Leadership on Aging Issues: Carmen Vasquez Carmen Vasquez was born in Puerto Rico and grew up in Harlem, New York. Among her many accomplishments, Carmen was the founding director of the Women’s Building in San Francisco, and helped found the Lavender Youth Recreation and Information Center in San Francisco and the LGBT Health & Human Services Network. She was a founder and principal author of Causes in Common (a national coalition of reproductive justice and LGBT liberation activists). Her essays have been published in several anthologies, and she has made scores of keynote presentations at conferences and college campuses across the United States. Carmen is the co-chair of the Woodhull Freedom Foundation Board of Directors and the former director of LGBT Health and Human Services.

Haas, Jr. Award for Outstanding LGBTQ Leadership for Immigrant Rights: Stephanie Cho Stephanie Cho is the executive director for Asian Americans Advancing Justice - Atlanta. She brings 20 years of experience in labor and community organizing, strategy planning, and fundraising at the local and national level. Under her leadership over the last three years, AAAJ-Atlanta has worked to protect DACA and end local law enforcement cooperation with ICE. Originally born in South Korea, Stephanie grew up in Oregon.

In 2015, she co-authored “Beyond the Binary: A Tool Kit for Gender Identity Activism in Schools.” Last year, she was a grand marshal for Atlanta Pride.

credited for helping change the focus of leather to community activism. McCarthy continues to judge, teach, and speak at various leather events and has been honored with numerous awards from the leather community. Of Apache, Tewa, and African descent, McCarthy has raised raising six biological children (with 25 grandchildren and 13 greatgrandchildren) and nurtured and protected numerous “leatherkids.” McCarthy will be the first woman of color to receive the Leather Leadership Award.

The Susan J. Hyde Award for Longevity in the Movement, sponsored by Wild Geese Foundation: Monica Roberts Monica Roberts is the founding editor of the award winning TransGriot blog and a longtime award-winning human rights advocate. She has been advocating for the human rights of transgender people for over 20 years, with a focus on the issues affecting Black trans people. Her writing has appeared at Ebony.com, the Advocate, and Black Girl Dangerous, and in the “Unapologetically Trans” monthly column in Houston’s OutSmart magazine. Some of the honors that Monica has received are the 2018 GLAAD Media Award, the Robert Coles Call of Service Award from Harvard University’s Phillips Brooks House Association, the Virginia Prince Transgender Pioneer Award, the Barbara Jordan Breaking Barriers Award from the Harris County Democratic Party, the IFGE Trinity Award, and being named to the 2019 OUT100.

Accessibility The Creating Change conference is committed to radical accessibility. Everyone benefits when everyone participates fully and equitably in every aspect of the conference. When you register online for Creating Change, you can request: ASL interpretation • Spanish translation • Programs in large print • Electric scooters and wheelchairs • Assisted listening devices • Magnifiers, readers, and step stools There will be a staffed Accessibility Table set up near registration, where attendees can ask questions, meet up with an interpreter, and pick up the items listed above.

There will also be an ASL “hub,” where our team of ASL interpreters meet and plan their day. Last year we had over 40 ASL interpreters.

There will also be a People with Disabilities Hospitality Suite where those who need and want to have an opportunity to regroup and relax.

Press credentials Press are invited to the conference, and press credentials are given out as space provides. To request credentials email Sarah Massey and Cathy Renna. Confirmation of credentials will be considered on a rolling basis and as space allows.

The Leather Leadership Award: Judy Tallwing McCarthy Judy Tallwing McCarthy has been involved in the leather/BDSM world since 1969 and in 1987 became first International Ms. Leather. That same year, she was the leather community’s keynote speaker at the 1987 March on Washington. She has also served as co-chair of the National Leather Association from 1988 to 1992. She is widely

The National LGBTQ Task Force advances full freedom, justice, and equality for LGBTQ people. We are building a future where everyone can be free to be their entire selves in every aspect of their lives. Today, despite all the progress we’ve made to end discrimination, millions of LGBTQ people face barriers in every aspect of their lives: in housing, employment, healthcare, retirement, and basic human rights. These barriers must go.

That’s why the Task Force is training and mobilizing millions of activists across our nation to deliver a world where you can be you. For more general information go to www. thetaskforce.org.

January 3, 2020

Seattle Gay News 13

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Celebrating 46 Years!

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