SGN November 16, 2018 - Arts Travel - Section 1

Celebrating 44 Years!

Issue 46 Volume 46

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Seattle Gay News S E AT T L E ’ S L G B T Q N E W S & E N T E R TA I N M E N T W E E K LY

Kyrsten Sinema makes LGBTQ history in key US Senate race

Hate crimes up 17% for 2017, FBI says Big increase for third straight year

Krysten Sinema – Photo by Rick Scuteri / AP

WASHINGTON, DC – US Rep. Kyrsten Sinema was tonight declared the winner in the US Senate race in Arizona, becoming the first openly bisexual person elected to the US Senate and just the second openly

LGBTQ person ever elected to the body.

Sinema defeated an anti-LGBTQ challenger to take the seat in an extremely close race that was one of the most watched in

see KYRSTEN SINEMA page 6

Rutgers study finds LGBTQ college students perform well academically despite higher suicide risk

Photo by Sam Edwards / Getty Images

NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ (Nov. 14, 2018) – Approximately 25% of LGBTQ college students reported they had seriously considered suicide during the previous 12 months, according to study findings recently released by the Tyler Clementi

Center at Rutgers University.

Researchers examined the responses of 66,208 lesbian, gay, or bisexual students and 6,607 transgender students to seven

see LGBTQ COLLEGE page 12

Photo by Anadolu Agency / Getty Images

by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer The number of hate crimes in the US reported to the FBI jumped by 17% last

year, according to a new report released by the bureau.

It was the largest increase since 2001, when a surge in attacks on Americans of

see HATE CRIMES page 6

HRC President Chad Griffin announces departure in 2019

HRC President Chad Griffin – Photo courtesy of HRC

WASHINGTON – [On Thursday, November 15] the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), announced that HRC President Chad Griffin has informed the Board of Directors that he will depart the organization in 2019, after seven years

leading the nation’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) civil rights organization. Under Griffin’s leadership, HRC has become a leader in the

see CHAD GRIFFIN page 11

2 Seattle Gay News

November 16, 2018

Celebrating 44 Years!

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OBITUARY

Mariasilvia Spolato, first out Lesbian in Italy, dies at 83

by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer

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.

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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

Mariasilvia Spolato – Photo by Lorenzo Zambello

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November 16, 2018

Mariasilvia Spolato, an Italian LGBT activist and reportedly the first woman to come out as a Lesbian in Italy, has died.

Spolato died on October 31 in a nursing home in Bolzano, a city in the South Tyrol province in northern Italy. She was 83 years old.

She had been admitted to the rest home after developing an infection in one of her legs.

Born in Padua, Spolato went on to graduate in mathematics. She then worked as a university lecturer in Milan and took part in the 1968 riots.

At a March 8, 1972, feminist rally in Rome, Spolato carried a sign proclaiming she was a Lesbian. Her pictures appeared on Italian magazine Panorama shortly thereafter, outing her to everyone she knew.

As a result, Spolato lost her job and her partner, and was shunned by her family.

Although same-sex sexual activity was legalized in Italy in 1890, there were no anti-discrimination laws to protect the LGBT community until 2003.

Spolato had been homeless for many years, moving from town to town before ending up in Bolzano.

Lorenzo Zambello, a photographer who had met her when she was living in the rest home, said everyone in town knew her.

“She had suffered a lot, you could tell from her eyes,” he told the British publication Gay Star News.

“I met her four years ago when I went to the rest home to take pictures of those living there. She didn’t want me to take her pictures at first.

“This spring, she came to me while I was taking pictures of the others and asked me for some pictures. She was in her wheelchair.

Those were the last pictures I took of her.”

Seattle Gay News 3

Real Change launches Second Edition of the Emerald City Resource Guide

Photos courtesy of Real Change

Real Change is proud to announce the Second Edition of the Emerald City Resource Guide. This portable guide to services available in the greater Seattle area connects people without reliable access to technology to the services they need. 50,000 copies of the new edition of this vital guidebook will be distributed starting November 13th.

More than 200 agencies across the city will pick up copies for distribution. Additionally, a peer network of Real Change vendors will help get this guidebook into the hands of those who need it most. Many people experiencing homelessness in Seattle learn about resources through word of mouth.

The guidebook lists over 300 different resources, with the information people need to overcome barriers to finding help.

Services like shelters, meal programs, and legal services are detailed in the guide, as are sections for culturally specific services.

LGBTQIA people and people of color can experience additional barriers to services, and the guide highlights resources that address inequities.

Tim Harris, Founding Director of Real Change, is inspired by the strong reception of the Emerald City Resource Guide and the outpouring of community support that has made regular updates possible.

“I am happy to see that this guidebook is being used in so many ways. I’ve talked to social workers who use it as a quick reference, people who use it to find resources for themselves, and housed Seattleites who have used the guide to start a conversation in their neighborhood.”

“The Emerald City Resource Guide gets vital information into the hands of our neighbors that need it most,” said Jason Johnson, Interim Director of the Seattle Human Services Department (HSD). “The organizations listed provide life-saving shelter, hygiene and food services for people experiencing homelessness. HSD is grateful for Real Change’s leadership in gathering and distributing this information and proud to act as the primary sponsor for the second edition.”

This guidebook was made possible by the generous support of the City of Seattle

The Seattle Public Library presents Pacific Northwest Afro X on Nov. 18

Check out our special program celebrating Black Diasporic artists, along with history and culture, from 3pm to 5pm, Sunday, Nov. 18 at Langston Hughes Performing Arts Institute, 104 17th Ave. S. Library events are free and everyone is welcome. Registration is not required.

Complimentary refreshments will also be provided. The event is for all ages and families.

How is Blackness and African Diasporic culture thriving in the Pacific Northwest?

This event showcases dynamic Black artists who have been cultivating and remixing Black talent in Seattle and beyond.

Drop by for conversations, music, activities, artist talks and a special reading station devoted to Black culture – past and present.

Join the conversation by using the hashtag

conversation #PNWX on social media.

This event is presented in partnership with the Central District Forum for Arts & Ideas and made possible with support from The Seattle Public Library Foundation.

The Library’s dynamic approach to building community that enriches lives includes programming that brings people, information and ideas together to respect and embrace the well-being of the people we serve. We celebrate Seattle’s many cultures by forming strong partnerships with community organizations.

For more information, call 206-3864636 or visit www.spl.org. For ADA accommodations, please contact: leap@spl.org.

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Courtesy of Seattle Public Library

Human Services Department, 211, YWCA Seattle | King | Snohomish, Swedish Medical Center, Coordinated Care, Recovery Café, Nova Fisheries, Community Health Plan of Washington, West Seattle Food Bank, Seattle King County Clinic, Byrd Barr Place, Pioneer Human Services, Solid Ground, Downtown Emergency Service Center (DESC), Jewish Family Services, Neighbor Care, and Evergreen Treatment Services.

The first edition of the Emerald City Resource Guide was published and distributed in March of 2018. 45,000 copies went to over 170 different service agencies across the city, including bus drivers, emergency first responders, Navigation Team members, and shelters. The guidebook will be published every 6 months to keep listings accurate and up-to-date.

ABOUT REAL CHANGE Real Change is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit providing opportunity and a voice for homeless and low-income people while taking action for social, racial, and

economic justice. Over 700 Real Change vendors earn an income selling the weekly, award-winning Real Change newspaper.

The Advocacy and Organizing department takes action on policy and budget decisions on the city, county, and state level, pushing for bold decision making to build a more livable city for all. Over 200 volunteers contribute their skills and time each year to make our work possible.

SUPPORT THE THIRD EDITION The Emerald City Resource Guide is a trusted resource in our community. To keep this guidebook accurate, we need to review content, make corrections, and re-publish on a regular basis. The Third Edition is scheduled for printing in April of 2019.

Please contact Real Change to join us as a sponsor and learn about marketing and publicity benefits to sponsorship. Phone: (206) 441-3247 ext 201 – Email: Development@RealChangeNews.org.

Courtesy of Real Change

Join a conversation on female and LGBTQIA+ actors in Seattle theater on Nov. 20

Mistresspiece Theater – Photo by Sarah Martin

The Seattle Public Library and Mistresspiece Theater are hosting a panel discussion to discuss female and LGBTQIA+ participation in Seattle theater Tuesday, Nov. 20, from 5:30pm to 7:30pm at the Central Library, 1000 Fourth Ave., Level 4, Washington Mutual Foundation Meeting Room 1, 206-386-4636.

Library events are free and everyone is welcome. Registration is not required.

At this Q&A, a panel of actors from Mistresspiece will talk about theater history, where we are now and what’s left to do to reach equity in theater. They will also perform a short scene from their holiday play, “Float.”

The Library brings people, information and ideas together to enrich lives and build community. We support universal access to information and ideas, and form strong partnerships with community organizations to offer performance art that is accessible to all.

For more information, call 206-3864636 or visit www.spl.org. For ADA accommodations, please contact: leap@spl.org.

Courtesy of Seattle Public Library

Celebrating 44 Years!

Seattle Office of Arts & Culture’s Cultural Facilities Fund awards $1.1M to support capital projects throughout the city The Seattle Office of Arts & Culture’s (ARTS) expanded Cultural Facilities Fund announced awards to 28 organizations throughout the City. The Fund was expanded from $250,000 to $1.1 M in 2018 to better support the needs to preserve cultural space and affordability in our rapidly growing city.

Prior to the Fund opening in 2018, ARTS conducted a Racial Equity Toolkit on the expanded Cultural Facilities Fund lowering barriers for eligibility to ensure that the benefits it creates are shared equitably with communities of color, and helping vulnerable organizations fight growing displacement pressures.

The Cultural Facilities Fund supports capital projects at arts and cultural spaces in Seattle. All organizations funded in the 2018 cycle are establishing or seeking to expand to better serve their communities and preserve their cultural traditions. Awardees include Black & Tan Hall, a cooperativelyowned performing arts and restaurant venue which seeks to maintain Rainier Valley as a destination for cross-cultural arts and education events; Friends of Little Saigon creating a safe space to share and practice Vietnamese arts and culture; United Indians of All Tribes Foundation, which operates Daybreak Star Indian Cultural Center, a space for the exhibition and performance of Native arts and culture; Eritrean Community in Seattle, an operational agency for refugees and immigrants of Eritrea and East African descents in Seattle; and Coyote Central an organization working with young adolescents to build skills, creative thinking, self-awareness, and social awareness

Daybreak Star Indian Cultural Center – Photo courtesy of United Indians of All Tribes Foundation

through hands-on projects with professionals in creative fields.

Awardees received between $10,000 and $80,000. The full list of awardees are: Amplifier Foundation, Avole Coffee

LLC, Black & Tan Hall, Byrd Barr Place, Chong Wa Benevolent Association, Community Arts Create, Coyote Central, Delridge Neighborhoods Development Association, Densho, Detective Cookie

Chess Park, Earl’s Cuts and Styles Inc., Ethiopian Community in Seattle, Eritrean Community in Seattle & Vicinity, Filipino Community of Seattle, Freehold Theatre Lab Studio, Friends of Little Saigon, Indie Genius Media, Jack Straw Foundation, La Sala, MLK Family Arts Mentoring & Enrichment Community Center, Multicultural Community Center, Na’ah Illahee, Reel Grrls, Royal Esquire Club, SEEDArts, United Indians of All Tribes Foundation, Vietnamese Cultural Center, and Wing Luke Memorial Foundation.

The Cultural Facilities Fund started in 2012 and is designed to support capital projects that improve Seattle’s arts spaces in significant and lasting ways. The fund’s goal is to help Seattle-based organizations build and improve their facilities in ways that will ultimately advance their missions and strengthen Seattle’s cultural scene by creating greater accessibility.

The Cultural Facilities Fund is part of ARTS cultural space strategy, which includes the Cultural Space program that preserves, creates and activates Seattle’s cultural square footage. To achieve this goal ARTS works with artists and cultural organizations to strengthen their role in charting the future of their creative spaces; works with developers and builders to incorporate arts and culture into new projects; and works with property owners to incentivize the preservation and expansion of arts and culture uses. http://www.seattle. gov/arts/cultural-facilities-fund Courtesy of Seattle Office of Arts & Culture

El Centro de la Raza hosts 2018 House of Queer: annual Christmas Tree Sale Rebuilding Community providing services to Conference thousands, one tree at a time

El Centro de la Raza (The Center for People of All Races), located in Beacon Hill, is selling Christmas trees from November 23 through December 20. We offer fresh and organic trees supplied by a Latino-based, small business owned and operated by Adrian and Evencio Gonzales. They are two brothers from Oaxaca, México.

At this time, we are accepting preorders through November 21. Customers that place pre-orders will receive a discount and are guaranteed to have a faster checkout experience. Trees will be available for pickup and purchase at the Christmas Tree Lot located on the north side of the building at 2524 16th Ave. S. in Seattle. The lot will be open November 23 thru December 20 (or while supplies last), Mondays thru Fridays from 4pm to 8pm, and Saturdays and Sundays from 12pm to 8pm.

Throughout the year, many low-income

individuals and families seek emergency services provided by El Centro de la Raza.

This event helps us raise essential funds needed to support our 43 human services and community-building programs that benefit 14,000+ vulnerable and underrepresented people annually. This holiday season, purchase a tree for your home or donate one to a low-income family in need so that they, too, can celebrate the reason for the season.

“Our Christmas Tree Sale helps us provide services to those who are most in need in our communities throughout the year,” said Estela Ortega, Executive Director.

To place a pre-order or learn more information, including a detailed price list of available trees and pre-order instructions, please visit http://www.elcentrodelaraza. org/events/event/christmas-tree-sales/ or email donor@elcentrodelaraza.org.

Visit us online www.sgn.org

On Saturday, December 1st from 10am3pm at Kent Lutheran Church, 336 2nd Ave. S., Kent WA, LGBTQ Allyship will host their 3rd “House of Queer: Housing Conference.” Allyship is invested in educating our community around housing issues, bringing community together to talk about their housing and neighborhood hopes and dreams, and ensuring access to housing and community resources. This year our theme is “Rebuilding Community.” Our theme represents the strong LGBTQ South King County community that currently exists as well as the new connections, community power and visibility growing in South King County.

Access to affordable housing is a crucial issue for LGBTQ communities as it impacts our safety and visibility as well as access to community, culture, history, direct services and political clout. Where we live has such a profound impact on our well-being that it is imperative LGBTQ voices sit at housing tables and advocate for the health of our community.

WHO: LGBTQ Allyship will host our 3rd “House of Queer: Housing Conference.”

WHAT: This conference brings visibility to South King County LGBTQ communities around their housing and living experiences. There will be a panel of City Council members such as Council Member Krystal Marx from Burien to highlight and share

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strategies addressing the housing crisis and how LGBTQ residents will be uniquely impacted.

There will also be a series of workshops from LGBTQ Renter’s Rights, LGBTQ senior housing issues to a focus group centering South King County LGBTQ residents and their housing experiences.

WHEN: December 1st, 2018 10:00am-3:00pm (registration opens at 10am).

WHERE: Kent Lutheran Church, 336 2nd Ave. S., Kent 98032 (free parking in front of church).

WHY: This conference will offer opportunities for LGBTQ residents, business owners, faith-based leaders, housing providers and community leaders to deepen relationships with each other and organize toward community-led solutions to housing injustices.

For more information and to pre-register, go to http://www.allyship.org.

About LGBTQ Allyship LGBTQ Allyship is a social and economic justice organization in the Puget Sound area. We serve over 3000 individuals and work on access to affordable housing, economic equity, and eliminating youth and senior homelessness in the LGBTQ community through education, advocacy, research and community organizing.

Courtesy of LGBTQ Allyship

Seattle Gay News 5

SINEMA

continued from cover the nation. Sinema joins US Sen. Tammy Baldwin and eight other openly LGBTQ people who have won their races for US Congress so far – a historic number. There are currently just seven openly LGBTQ members serving in Congress.

Victory Fund made Sinema one of its “Game Changer” candidates early on in her campaign. It held fundraisers on her behalf, directly contributed $10,000, and raised more than $97,000.

“An LGBTQ woman winning a US Senate seat in a state that voted for Trump is a game-changer, both for the LGBTQ community and the Democratic party,” said Mayor Annise Parker, president and CEO of the LGBTQ Victory Fund. “Kyrsten’s victory makes clear that an LGBTQ candidate who listens to voters and prioritizes their issues can win elected office anywhere – blue state or red state. It also signals to the Democratic Party that nominating more LGBTQ candidates for high-level positions should be a strategic priority, because their openness and authenticity resonates with independent voters. Now Kyrsten joins Sen. Tammy Baldwin, fresh off a huge re-election victory, in a US Senate that continues to disregard White House attacks on our community and refuses to consider protections that most Americans support. By doubling our influence with two passionate and tough LGBTQ women, however, the US Senate will certainly find our community more difficult to ignore.”

Election Night Results: View election results for the 225 openly LGBTQ Victory Fund–endorsed candidates. The latest updates can be found at victoryfund.org/results2018.

Krysten Sinema – Photo by Christian Petersen / Getty Images

Rainbow Wave by the Numbers: The LGBTQ Victory Fund released several reports on the unprecedented rainbow wave of openly LGBTQ candidates who ran for office during the 2018 election cycle, including one reporting on the total number of candidates who ran, another

looking at the total number of candidates by state, and one analyzing congressional and gubernatorial nominees.

Americans by increasing the number of openly LGBTQ elected officials at all levels of government. victoryfund.org

The LGBTQ Victory Fund works to change the face and voice of America’s politics and achieve equality for LGBTQ

Courtesy of the LGBTQ Victory Fund

HATE CRIMES continued from cover

Muslim and Arab ancestry followed the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

US law enforcement agencies reported a total of 7,175 hate crimes in 2017, up from 6,121 in 2016 and the third consecutive annual increase, the FBI said in its annual hate crime report released on November 13. More than 60% of the incidents were designated as crimes against persons, such as assault and intimidation.

The FBI report is based on data provided voluntarily by law enforcement agencies, leaving it susceptible to gaps in reporting. Last year, more than 16,000 law enforcement agencies took part in the data collection, yet only 2,000 agencies actually reported hate crimes.

Jonathan Greenblatt, CEO and national director of the Anti-Defamation League, noted that at least 92 cities with populations of over 100,000 people “affirmatively reported zero hate crimes.” In other words, the number of hate crimes is likely to be even larger than what is captured in the FBI report.

“This report provides further evidence that more must be done to address the divisive climate of hate in America,” Greenblatt said. “That begins with leaders from all walks of life and from all sectors of society forcefully condemning anti-Semitism, bigotry, and hate whenever it occurs.”

The FBI defines a hate crime as a “criminal offense against a person or property motivated in whole or in part by an offender’s bias against a race, religion, disability, sexual orientation, ethnicity, gender, or gender identity.”

Of 34 bias motivation categories tracked by the FBI, all but five reported an increase.

The victims represented a cross-section of society, with African-Americans and Jews the most frequently targeted victims.

Brian Levin, director of the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism at California State University, said the increase in anti-Semitic attacks was “mirrored by

6 Seattle Gay News

Photo by Win McNamee / Getty Images

increases not only in some large jurisdictions but also a big spike in anti-Semitic rhetoric on the web.”

Levin added that preliminary police data collected by his center show that hate crimes are up in many cities such as New York and Los Angeles this year after a precipitous decline during the first quarter of 2018.

There were 4,832 incidents motivated by race, ethnicity, or ancestry, an increase of 18% from 2016 and accounting for 58% of all hate crimes last year. Nearly half of all racially motivated incidents involved African-Americans. Anti-Hispanic bias accounted for nearly 11% of the incidents.

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Anti-Arab hate crimes, though representative of a small fraction of the overall number, increased by 100%.

Religion-based hate crimes jumped 23%, to 1,564 incidents, the second-highest number on record. There were more than 900 attacks on Jews, accounting for nearly 60% of all religion-based hate incidents.

Anti-Muslim hate crimes fell by 13%, to 273 but still accounted for almost 20% of the religion-based incidents and remained well above historic averages. Anti-Sikh hate crimes more than tripled, to 20 incidents.

The Arab American Institute (AAI) said its analysis of the data showed discrepancies

with state data. For example, the Kentucky State Police reported 41 gender-motivated hate crimes in their state alone, while the FBI report showed 46 such incidents in the whole country, the institute said.

“The FBI data, in what is missing from it, also demonstrates the hate crime reporting system we have in place is failing to respond adequately to hate crime, and thus inform fully the policy remedies we must make to improve our response to hate,” Maya Berry, AAI’s executive director, said.

Celebrating 44 Years!

Visit us online www.sgn.org

November 16, 2018

Seattle Gay News 7

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Celebrating 44 Years!

Say NO! to misogyny, white supremacy and antisemitism

Counter-protest at Seattle City Hall 600 4th Ave, between Cherry St & James St

Saturday, Dec. 1, Noon-4pm The Washington Three Percenters and Redoubt News are planning a Seattle rally on Dec. 1 with the theme “Liberty or Death 2: Rally against Left-wing Media Bias.” They are anti-immigrant white supremacists and misogynists who brazenly espouse their racist views at rallies, on their social media and then claim they are being wrongly labeled. At the Seattle Patriot Prayer rally in August, the Three Percenters provided armed security for a rally filled with bigoted, women-hating speeches that promoted violence against leftists and all opponents of fascism.

Considering the recent murders at the Pittsburgh synagogue, the shooting of two African Americans in a Kentucky grocery store and Trump’s racist rants against Central American refugees, we need to stand united and say NO! If your organization would like to endorse this counter-protest, please contact us at: 12.1.18.seattle@gmail.com 206-722-2453 Co-sponsors: ANSWER Coalition, Freedom Socialist Party, International Socialist Organization, Organized Workers for Labor Solidarity, Party for Socialism and Liberation, Radical Women, Endorsed by: Washington Federation of State Employees Local 304 Photo above: Thousands marched against white-supremacists and fascists in Boston last year. labor donated 11/2018

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Seattle Gay News 9

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Celebrating 44 Years!

HRC President Chad Griffin speaks during a rally and protest against #License to Discriminate near the White House on Wednesday, May 3, 2017, in Washington, D.C.– Photo by Steve Ruark / AP

CHAD GRIFFIN continued from cover

resistance to the Trump-Pence administration, and one of the most politically powerful organizations in the country. HRC has doubled its membership, staff and budget to meet its expanded goals and opportunities. During Griffin’s tenure, HRC has led efforts to win marriage equality, introduce the Equality Act, which would establish explicit federal civil rights protections for LGBTQ people, launched the largest grassroots expansion in the organization’s 38-year history ahead of the 2018 midterms and established new programs to expand protections across the Deep South and around the globe. While HRC’s Board of Directors leads a search process for the next president, Griffin will remain in place to ensure a seamless, smooth transition.

“I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to be a part of this incredible organization at such an important moment in the history of our movement -- and our nation,” said HRC President Chad Griffin. “The true strength of the Human Rights Campaign is in its fearless army of staff and volunteers, who are committed to ensuring full equality reaches every LGBTQ person across America, and around the world. For decades, this organization has shown the world that love conquers hate. But this year, in this election, with the future of our democracy on the ballot and the equality of future generations on the line, we proved that votes conquer hate, too.

“Every single person across this country deserves an equal opportunity to succeed in life, without having to overcome roadblocks put in place by politicians advancing a discriminatory agenda. Even as I step down from my role in this remarkable organization, I remain committed to HRC’s mission and will continue to fight for the rights and dignity of LGBTQ people – and all Americans – as I embark on this next chapter. So now is the

time to fight harder and dig deeper. Because there are still more trails to be blazed. There is still more history to be made and more battles to be won. The LGBTQ community’s brightest days and our grandest victories are still ahead of us.”

The HRC Board will work to establish an executive search process for Griffin’s successor over the coming weeks.

HRC Board Chairs Vanessa Benavides and John Ruffier said in a joint statement, “For seven years, Chad Griffin has led the Human Rights Campaign through an incredibly crucial period in our history while building our political influence and momentum for LGBTQ equality. Thanks to Chad, his leadership team and incredibly talented staff, HRC has never been stronger or better positioned to make progress than it is today.”

HRC Foundation Board Chairs Charlie Frew and Deb Taft said in a joint statement, “Over the last seven years, Chad has expanded the reach of HRC’s key programs to those who need it most. Under his leadership, HRC has made tremendous progress to expand LGBTQ equality in schools, workplaces and communities across the nation and around the globe.”

Under Griffin’s leadership, HRC has doubled its membership from 1.5 million to more than 3 million, and has vastly expanded its electoral influence, becoming one of the most powerful and highly influential political operations in America.

In response to the 2016 election, HRC launched HRC Rising, a $26 million investment in the largest grassroots expansion in its 38-year history to recruit volunteers, mobilize constituents, register voters and grow the organization’s grassroots army.

In the 2018 midterms, HRC endorsed more than 480 pro-equality candidates nationwide, and deployed 150 staff to organize and mobilize voters in more than 70 congressional, targeted Senate and other key races across 23 states. HRC also backed more women and people of color than in

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any election cycle in its history: 45 percent of HRC’s endorsees were women – including 55 percent of non-incumbent candidates – and nearly one-third were people of color. HRC made particularly significant investments in six key states: Wisconsin, Arizona, Nevada, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Michigan, with an eye toward building organization and infrastructure for 2020 and beyond. In the six states alone, all six Senate races were won and picked up seven new pro-equality members of the House.

In the months leading up to Election Day, Griffin barnstormed the country, campaigning for 50 pro-equality candidates at more than 70 events in 47 cities across 23 states.

HRC invested millions in targeted GOTV advertising, mail and direct communication, and grassroots efforts, registered more than 32,000 voters, held 2,200 GOTV events, and knocked more than 100,000 doors over the final days of the election. Exit polling shows that more LGBT voters turned out for the 2018 midterms than in the 2016 midterm elections – with 7 million LGBT people casting ballots and providing the margin for victory in narrow races across the nation.

In 2014, Griffin oversaw the launch of two transformational new initiatives to expand the reach of the organization’s work: Project One America, a campaign to dramatically expand LGBTQ equality across the Deep South through permanent campaigns in Mississippi, Alabama and Arkansas; and HRC Global, which has leveraged HRC’s domestic work to expand the global equality movement.

Previously the work of the Human Rights Campaign was focused exclusively on domestic advocacy.

HRC was also at the forefront of the fight for nationwide marriage equality, marshaling millions of dollars and successfully organizing to secure equal marriage rights legislatively and at the ballot box. HRC co-chaired the Respect for Marriage Coalition, which organized around the Windsor and Perry cases in 2013, and launched

an historic “People’s Brief” in support of Obergefell with more signatories than any Supreme Court amicus brief in history.

Prior to joining HRC, Griffin worked at the intersection of Hollywood and politics, running the successful political and public affairs firm, Griffin|Schake, with business partner Kristina Schake. Griffin led high-profile campaigns around renewable energy, land conservation, stem-cell research, early childhood education, antitobacco and, of course, marriage equality.

He represented and advised high net-worth individuals, families and foundations, as well as some of the nation’s most prominent leaders in the entertainment community, in their political and philanthropic endeavors.

In 2009, Griffin co-founded the American Foundation for Equal Rights (AFER), which orchestrated and lead the federal court challenge and accompanying national public education campaign challenging California’s Proposition 8. AFER’s successful court case, Hollingsworth v. Perry, ultimately led to the U.S. Supreme Court restoring marriage equality to California.

A native of Hope, Arkansas, Griffin got his start volunteering in 1992 at the Clinton Campaign headquarters in Little Rock, working in the press office as Dee Dee Myers’s intern. He then began working in the West Wing press office of President Bill Clinton’s White House at the age of 19, becoming the youngest West Wing staffer ever. He is a graduate of Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service.

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Seattle Gay News 11

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

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

Courtesy of Human Rights Campaign

Rutgers expert discusses HIV testing and prevention for the LGBT Community Recent studies presented nationally HIV Testing and Prevention: Identifying and Reaching At-Risk and Hidden Populations NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ – Rutgers scholar Henry Raymond, an expert in HIV/ LGBT populations, is researching HIV prevalence and behaviors among hard to reach LGBT communities in order to monitor the epidemic and provide data to design appropriate education and intervention strategies in HIV prevention.

While there has been great progress in the prevention and treatment of HIV over the last decade, the disease is still a persistent problem around the world, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Raymond, an associate professor at Rutgers School of Public Health, discusses some of his recent research – which took place in San Francisco – into hidden, hard to reach, populations in order to identify trends and behaviors of LGBT populations that vary by geography, race, and ethnicity.

“While some preventative interventions, such as the use of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) are increasing, there is still a need for targeted strategies that will continue to increase access to HIV testing, prevention and care, and treatment, without making disparities in HIV worse,” said Raymond.

“PrEP is ‘the thing’ in HIV prevention today – statewide and nationally, but there are disparities in uptake and adherence.”

What is the significance of “hidden populations” in your research?

Raymond: The reason they are considered hidden is that they are not usually included as a special population in typical data collection activities. We might want to know about the HIV prevalence among female sex workers, for instance, but in household surveys women are unlikely to admit they engage in sex work and often are not even asked about it. This means we have to use epidemiologic methods to study the incidence, location, and manage-

LGBTQ COLLEGE continued from cover

national surveys, representing 918 fouryear institutions across the United States – the largest sample of this population to be examined in higher education.

“This study provides educators, administrators, and policymakers with new information that is critical to serving the needs of queer-spectrum and trans-spectrum students,” said Maren Greathouse, director of the Tyler Clementi Center, a research unit established in 2013 in memory of the Rutgers University freshman who committed suicide after he was cyberbullied because of his sexual orientation.

The study also found that while LGBTQ students report more than double the rate of depression of their heterosexual peers, they still managed to maintain grade point averages on par with their classmates.

Greathouse noted this as an indicator of the students’ resilience and persistence, as studies show depression can adversely affect academic performance.

The research was funded by Rutgers University and the Tyler Clementi Foundation. For more information, visit the Tyler Clementi Center website [at https://clementicenter.rutgers.edu/news/2018-whitepaper/].

For full study results, [consult the links below]:

Some of Raymond’s recent work was presented at the annual American Public Health Association meeting in San Diego, November, 2018. You can view the studies he presented at the following link: https:// apha.confex.com/apha/2018/meetingapp. cgi/Paper/409908 Henry Raymond – Photo courtesy of Rutgers

ment of the disease. Because of stigma or illegality, hidden populations may also not be involved in prevention planning or other programs, making it difficult to determine exactly how many are being overlooked and neglected. Being able to access these populations and collect data on size and conditions of health will help ensure they are included.

ABOUT RBHS Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences (RBHS) takes an integrated approach to educating students, providing clinical care and conducting research, all with the goal of improving human health. Aligned

with Rutgers University–New Brunswick, and collaborating university-wide, RBHS includes eight schools, a behavioral health network and four centers and institutes.

RBHS offers an outstanding education in medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, public health, nursing, biomedical research and the full spectrum of allied health careers. RBHS clinical and academic facilities are located throughout the state.

Courtesy of Rutgers University-New Brunswick and RBHS

What trends are you finding related to behaviors associated with HIV testing and prevalence?

Raymond: It really depends on where and what population. For example, in San Francisco the trend in new HIV infections among men who have sex with men is going down across all race and ethnic groups, while at the same time the trend in new infection among adult transwomen is high and stable. In contrast to that, New Jersey is seeing more new HIV diagnoses among Black / African American and Latino men who have sex with men compared to white men who have sex with men.

What are the implications of your research findings?

Raymond: That all epidemics are local, and locally obtained data is part of the best practice toolbox that will help to develop policy and adopt programming to address it.

Is there anything from your research that you have found personally surprising?

Raymond: How much these communities appreciate the chance to have their concerns illustrated and communicated by participating in research.

Infographics of Study Results Campus Climate: https://tcc-j2made. s3.amazonaws.com /uploads/2018/09/ Campus_Climate-FINAL.pdf Health Outcomes: https://tcc-j2made. s3.amazonaws.com /uploads/2018/01/ Health_Outcomes_FINAL-1.pdf Academic Outcomes: https://tcc-j2made. s3.amazonaws.com /uploads/2018/09/ Academic_Outcomes-Final.pdf White Paper with full study results: https://tcc-j2made.s3.amazonaws.com/ uploads/2018/09/White-Paper-Final.pdf Broadcast interviews: Rutgers University–New Brunswick has broadcast-quality TV and radio studios available for remote live or taped interviews with Rutgers experts. For more information, contact Cynthia Medina c.medina@rutgers.edu Rutgers University–New Brunswick is where Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, began more than 250 years ago.

Ranked among the world’s top 60 universities, Rutgers’s flagship university is a leading public research institution and a member of the prestigious Association of American Universities. It is home to internationally acclaimed faculty and has 12 degreegranting schools and a Division I Athletics program. It is the Big Ten Conference’s most diverse university. Through its community of teachers, scholars, artists, scientists, and healers, Rutgers is equipped as never before to transform lives.

Courtesy of Rutgers University

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November 16, 2018

Celebrating 44 Years!

HRC hosts nearly 50 students from Historically Black Colleges and Universities at leadership summit

Photo courtesy of HRC

ATLANTA (November 14, 2018) – The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) Foundation, the educational arm of the nation’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) civil rights organization, this weekend welcomed student activists from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) for a three-day leadership summit designed to foster campus environments that are welcoming and affirming to LGBTQ people.

“We were thrilled to welcome these student leaders to the 13th annual HRC Foundation HBCU Leadership Summit,” said Leslie Hall, associate director of the HRC’s HBCU Program. “The dedication of these fierce advocates is inspiring, and we’re excited that they’re returning to their campuses with a renewed commitment to fighting for equality and inclusion. I am truly excited that we had the opportunity to come together, learn from each other, and increase our strength as advocates for the LGBTQ community.”

Karamo Brown, co-host of the hit Netflix series “Queer Eye,” helped launch a partnership between THE HRC and HBCU Buzz, the premier news site covering HBCUs, dedicated to creating the first-ever LGBTQ HBCU Alumni Network. Through this partnership, THE HRC will engage LGBTQ students within the HBCU community to create an HBCU LGBTQ ombudsman, increase campus collaborations with student-driven associations, and produce a biweekly HBCU HRC column filled with HRC opportunities for both students and alumni. Brown, an alumnus of Florida A&M University, will serve as an ambassador to the program. To join the network, [go to https://form.jotform.com/83134452056149].

Ryan Swain of “Pose” and Amiyah Scott from “Star” were also featured as keynote speakers.

For more than a decade, the HRC has held an annual summit for LGBTQ student leaders from many of the nation’s historically Black institutions. This year, the 47 attendees represented 27 HBCUs from 10 states, Washington, DC, and the Virgin Islands: Chaplin University, Dillard University, Fayetteville State University, Fisk University, Fort Valley State Univer-

sity, Hampton University, Howard University, Jackson State University, Johnson C. Smith University, Morehouse College, NC Central University, Norfolk State University, North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, Paul Quinn College, Philander Smith College, Prairie View A&M University, Savannah State University, SC State University, Shaw University, Southern University, Spelman College, Stillman, Texas Southern University, Tuskegee University, University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff, University of the District of Columbia, and the University of the Virgin Islands.

The HRC Foundation’s HBCU Program empowers LGBTQ students to be changeagents on their HBCU campuses and in their communities, and trains them to lead effectively through the intersections of race, religion, gender identity, class, and sexual orientation. At this 13th annual summit, participants developed leadership skills in the key areas of self-awareness, awareness of others, courageous actions, and collaboration to advocate for LGBTQ equality and other social justice issues.

Sessions covered topics including the intersection of race and sexual orientation, mental health and wellness, policing and the Black community, inclusive leadership, and harnessing political power.

The HRC’s HBCU Project was founded to support LGBTQ students at HBCUs by providing resources and trainings to advance affirming and supportive college campuses. The program is supported by the Coca-Cola Foundation. For more information about the HRC’s HBCU Project, visit http://www.hrc.org/blog/topic/hbcu.

The Human Rights Campaign Foundation is the educational arm of America’s largest civil rights organization working to achieve lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer equality. The HRC envisions a world where LGBT people are embraced as full members of society at home, at work, and in every community.

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Courtesy of the HRC

Karamo Brown – Photo courtesy of HRC

November 16, 2018

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