SGN November 30, 2018 - Section 1

Celebrating 44 Years!

Issue 48 Volume 46

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Three Dollar Bill Cinema’s An Evening with AUNTIE MAME returns Dec. 12 SEC 2 PG 1

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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

Patty Murray to Betsy DeVos: Drop new Title IX rules

Joined by survivors of campus sexual assaults

Trump asks Supreme Court to intervene now and implement the Transgender military ban

Even though four federal courts have blocked it

Photo courtesy of the Office of Sen. Patty Murray

by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer Flanked by survivors of campus sexual assaults, Washington’s senior US senator, Patty Murray, called on Education Secretary Betsy DeVos to drop her new Title IX rules and return to protecting students from sexual assault.

Title IX is the federal law that requires schools receiving money from the US government – almost all public and private schools in the US – to protect their students and staff from discrimination based on sex.

see SEN. MURRAY page 5

Lambda Legal: DOJ request for Supreme Court review on Transgender military ban is premature

Photo by Sgt. Brett Miller / US Army

SEATTLE (November 23, 2018) – The US Department of Justice (DOJ) today asked the US Supreme Court to review three preliminary federal district court rulings that have kept the Trump admin-

istration from implementing its discriminatory plan to prevent transgender people from serving in the US armed services.

see LAMBDA LEGAL page 6

Photo by Andrew Harrer-Pool / Getty

WASHINGTON, DC (November 23, 2018) – The Trump administration filed petitions for cert before judgment today in three cases challenging Trump’s transgender military ban: Doe v. Trump, Stockman v. Trump, and Karnoski v. Trump.

The National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR) and GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders (GLAD), who represent plain-

tiffs in both Doe and Stockman and were the first to challenge the ban, characterized the filing as an unusual attempt by the administration to bypass the standard appeals process.

There are four lawsuits in total challenging the transgender military ban, and

see TRANS BAN page 6

In advance of World AIDS Day: The impact of the HIV/AIDS epidemic on Black communities Statement from National Black Justice Coalition

NBJC Executive Director David Johns – Photo courtesy of NBJC

WASHINGTON, DC (November 29, 2018) – In recognition of World AIDS Day on December 1 and to call public attention to the disproportionate impact of the AIDS

epidemic on Black communities, David Johns, executive director of the National Black Justice Coalition (NBJC), released

see NBJC page 11

2 Seattle Gay News

November 30, 2018

Celebrating 44 Years!

Seattle Gay News F O U N D ED 1974 MEMBER

2018

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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

LGBTQ Allyship presents House of Queer: Rebuilding Community conference in Kent Saturday, Dec. 1 Where we live impacts our economic opportunities, health care, educational access and civic power. Even in states where LGBTQ individuals enjoy civil rights, housing discrimination, high rates of youth and senior homelessness, disproportionately impacted by rising costs of housing and lack of culturally competent housing and homeless services are challenges faced by Washington and King County LGBTQ individuals.

We need strong communities and organizations challenging LGBTQ implicit bias in housing and homelessness systems, policies and practices. LGBTQ Allyship started building LGBTQ housing leaders 3 years ago with our LGBTQ Housing Leadership Institute and House of Queer Housing conference. We recognize the strength in building impacted and allied leaders using a strong anti-oppression, intersectional (race, class, gender, age, gender identity, ability, immigrant or housing status and sexual orientation) lens in advocacy and systems change.

LGBTQ Allyship presents House of Queer: Rebuilding Community conference on Saturday, Dec. 1, from 10am to 3pm at Kent Lutheran Church, 336 2nd Ave S., Kent WA 98032. This conference is free and a light breakfast and lunch will be provided for registered attendees.

Accessibility information: Wheelchair accessible, door close to parking lot, parking lot across from church, request of attendees to be scent free, some parts will be video recorded, workshops will have mics for better hearing.

To register and for more program details, visit http://allyship.org/programs/ housing-justice/2018-house-of-queer/

Visit us online www.sgn.org

Photo courtesy of Allyship

2018 HOUSE OF QUEER This year our 2018 House of Queer conference sets the foundation for a bigger vision of community building and organizing around LGBTQ housing issues in South King county (SKC). Our keynote panel Includes city officials and state senators in SKC sharing how local government is addressing housing concerns, especially for LGBTQ residents. We will also feature LGBTQ SKC leaders sharing the lay of the land around faith communities, homelessness, activism/community building, business, direct services, housing and civic engagement.

LGBTQ South King County residents will receive a $30 stipend to be part of an LGBTQ Housing Listening Session/Focus Group around LGBTQ housing challenges and solutions. Your feedback will manifest in a South King County LGBTQ Housing report.

Other workshops include a LGBTQcentered renter’s right and best practices in advocacy training as well as a panel of housing developers on best practices to working with community to address marginalized community displacement.

Lastly we have a presentation of the 2018

Aging in Community: LGBTQ Inequities in Senior Services and Housing report on key findings and next steps. This fabulous workshop is a partnership between GenPride and Allyship.

The conference will end with a Call to Action where you will learn of concrete ways you can make a difference in housing affordability and housing discrimination in South King and Seattle.

November 30, 2018

Seattle Gay News 3

Allyship wants to thank our sponsors who have made this conference possible, accessible and free!

Sponsors include: Seattle Foundation, Pride Foundation, Amerigroup Washington, Washington Low Income Housing Alliance, UFCW 21, Seattle Children’s Hospital, MLK Jr County Labor Council, Capitol Hill Housing, Molina Health Care, SEIU 1199NW, Homesight, Nexus Youth and Families, Multi-Service Center, Housing Development Consortium, U.T.O.P.I.A. Seattle, White Center Community Development Association, and Verity Credit Union.

Courtesy of LGBTQ Allyship

Announcing Pride Foundation’s 2018-2019 Community Grant Recipients!

It is official!

Your incredible support has made possible another record-breaking year for Pride Foundation!

We are thrilled to announce that we have awarded $550,000 to 96 organizations across the Northwest – the largest amount we have granted through our Community Grants program in our history.

This investment supports the remarkable organizations in our region who are building a better, safer, and more welcoming world for LGBTQ people and our families.

Our investment in their work is possible because of the generosity of supporters like you – thank you.

We hope you will join us at one of our Year-End Community Celebrations across the region to celebrate these amazing groups and the critical work that is fueling lasting change in our communities.

Since our founding in 1985, Pride Foundation has awarded nearly $75 million, and we would not have been able to make this year’s historic investment in our community without you.

From the bottom of our hearts, thank you.

With excitement and gratitude, Katie Carter (she/her) Acting CEO Pride Foundation

MONTANA: 406 Pride in Billings is working throughout Eastern Montana to build unity, acceptance, and fellowship that will ensure LGBTQ people are respected as full members of society at home, at work, and throughout their community.

OREGON: The Oregon Community Health Workers Association in Portland is a unified voice to empower and advocate for community health workers that is working to increase professional peer support for transgender community members in navigating the healthcare system.

Photo courtesy of POCAAN

2018-2019 GRANTEE SNAPSHOT We hope you take a moment to read more about all of this year’s extraordinary grantees! [pridefoundation.org/community-impact/current-grantees/] Here is a snapshot of some of the amazing work happening in our region: ALASKA: Choosing Our Roots in Anchorage is addressing the needs of LGBTQ youth experiencing homelessness

through community-based host homes and case management with wraparound services and leadership opportunities for youth participants.

IDAHO: Idaho Coalition Against Sexual and Domestic Violence in Boise is engaging LGBTQ young people throughout Idaho in creating their own solutions to gender violence fueled by multiple oppressions through the Youth Transformative Organizing Network.

EASTERN WASHINGTON: Greater Spokane Progress is advancing racial equity in the work of their non-partisan network through training and education that identifies the impacts of racial disparities on the LGBTQ community, and supports LGBTQ organizations in developing plans to advance racial equity.

W E STER N WASH I NGTON: POCAAN (formerly People of Color Against AIDS Network) provides comprehensive, multicultural HIV awareness and prevention messages to address health disparities in marginalized communities, while also organizing the development of 2019 Black Pride.

For more information about Pride Foundation, visit pridefoundation.org

GLAAD celebrates House Democrats selecting Nancy Pelosi as their next Speaker of the US House NEW YORK (November 28, 2018) – GLAAD, the world’s largest LGBTQ media advocacy organization, today praised the Democratic majority in the US Congress for solidifying their intention to make California Rep. Nancy Pelosi the next Speaker of the US House of Representatives when the new Congress convenes in January.

“Long before LGBTQ visibility and acceptance became mainstream topics of discussion, Nancy Pelosi stood side by side with LGBTQ Americans during the community’s most pivotal moments – from the HIV and AIDS crisis to today fighting back against the proposed ban on transgender service members,” said Sarah Kate Ellis, president and CEO of GLAAD. “Congresswoman Pelosi was with us when many were against us. As the current administration aims to erase LGBTQ people from the fabric of this nation at every turn, we need an ally like her holding the Speaker’s gavel and fighting for acceptance of all Americans.”

Speaker-elect Pelosi is a longtime ally of the LGBTQ community. Most recently, Pelosi condemned the Trump administration for asking the Supreme Court of the United States to affirm its ban on transgender Americans from openly serving in our armed forces, calling the move “cruel.”

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

Courtesy of GLAAD GLAAD President and CEO Sarah Kate Ellis and Speaker-elect Nancy Pelosi – Photo courtesy of GLAAD

Adam Smith statement on Trump border deployment order WASHINGTON, DC (November 23, 2018) – House Armed Services Committee Ranking Member Adam Smith (D-Wash.) released the following statement about President Trump’s order regarding deployment of the military to the southern border: “I strongly oppose the President’s recent change in policy granting the military expanded authority regarding the use of lethal force, detention and search of civilians, and crowd control on our southern border. This guidance is unwise, unnecessary, and likely illegal. It is unwise because the President is creating a dangerous situation where thousands of armed troops are being asked to operate under vague and

unclear rules of engagement. It is unnecessary because there is no evidence that the US Border Patrol isn’t capable of handling the situation on its own. The guidance is likely illegal because the military is prohibited from conducting law enforcement activities in the United States by the Posse Comitatus Act. “This deployment has been a politically motivated stunt from its inception, and it is putting the US military in an inappropriate position while undermining service members’ ability to train and perform their appropriate functions. At its core, this political stunt continues to be an exercise in fear-mongering with the intention of

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November 30, 2018

inaccurately portraying asylum seekers as dangerous. Even more troubling, this decision appears to be driven by a group of antiimmigration fanatics in the White House who refuse to listen to legal and policy advice from experts while not even involving senior [Department of Defense] and military leaders in the policy deliberations.

“I am extremely disappointed with the way that the administration has been stonewalling Congress. The public deserves transparency regarding the decision to initiate this deployment, and the justification for a change in the authority under which our troops are operating. We need to know what the mission is, what exactly our

troops are doing, how long the deployments will last, and how much it is going to cost.

“President Trump’s actions have potentially grave implications for the rule of law, and it is essential that Congress get to the bottom of this misuse of our armed forces.

For these reasons, the border deployment will be among the first oversight issues that the Armed Services Committee takes up in the new Congress.”

Courtesy of House Armed Services Committee Democrats

Celebrating 44 Years!

SEN. MURRAY continued from cover

The Obama administration interpreted the law to require aggressive actions against sexual harassment and assault in schools, as well as to protect the rights of Transgender students. DeVos, on November 16, reversed the Obama-era rules with new instructions which would take away protections for Trans students and make it much harder to discipline students for sexual harassment and assault.

In her November 28 press conference, Murray said the new rules introduced by Secretary DeVos moved the country backward.

“I’m calling on anyone who cares about students’ safety to join me in urging Secretary DeVos to withdraw this rule, start over, build on the progress we’ve made instead of moving us backward, and work with us

and women and survivors across the country to draft a rule that truly addresses the scourge of sexual assault in our classrooms, our campuses, and wherever our students live and learn,” Murray said.

Murray is the ranking Democrat on the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, which has jurisdiction over federal support to schools.

“Secretary DeVos’ proposed Title IX rule makes it clear she did not listen to students and survivors who bravely asked her to listen to their stories, hold schools accountable, and give students the resources and support they need when they are attacked, assaulted, or harassed,” said Sen. Murray.

Murray was joined by Sen. Maggie Hassan (D-NH), also a member of the HELP Committee, and advocates and sexual assault survivors from End Rape on Campus and Know Your IX, two activist organizations.

Transgender guidelines disappear from federal website Meanwhile, in a further action marginalizing Transgender people, the “Gender Identity Guidance” page disappeared from the federal Office of Personnel Management (OPM) website.

The OPM oversees federal employees and their working conditions. The Obama administration had issued detailed guidance protecting Transgender people in the workforce, but on November 23 the page explaining those guidelines disappeared.

It was replaced by generic language with no content specific to Transgender people.

The Obama-era guidance laid out definitions for terms related to Transgender identities and outlined specific expectations for respecting Transgender employees. These included ensuring that Trans workers could dress according to their gender identity, that they were to be called by their preferred names and pronouns, and that they were

allowed to use restrooms and locker rooms consistent with their gender identity.

“Transitioning employees should not be required to have undergone or to provide proof of any particular medical procedure (including gender reassignment surgery) in order to have access to facilities designated for use by a particular gender,” the guidance stated.

“Under no circumstances may an agency require an employee to use facilities that are unsanitary, potentially unsafe for the employee, located at an unreasonable distance from the employee’s work station, or that are inconsistent with the employee’s gender identity.”

On the new site, that language and any reference to Transgender people is now gone, although the page does still state that discrimination on the basis of gender identity is prohibited, consistent with an executive order President Obama issued that is still in effect.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Freedom to Marry global statement on Taiwan referendum results Today, voters in Taiwan passed three referenda – Questions 10, 11 and 12 – that seek to delay the freedom to marry for same-sex couples and roll back national curriculum standards that teach students to respect their LGBT peers. Question 10 aimed to restrict same-sex couples from marriage, Question 11 opposed LGBTinclusive portions of the Gender Equity Education Act, and Question 12 backed separate and unequal status for same-sex couples. In addition, voters rejected Questions 14 and 15, which supported marriage for same-sex couples and the Gender Equity Education Act. In May 2017, Taiwan’s Constitutional Court ruled that marriage is a fundamental right protected under Taiwan’s constitution, ordering the legislative Yuan to update the civil code to allow same-sex couples to marry by May 2019.

Evan Wolfson, founder of Freedom to Marry, released the following statement in response to the referendum results: “Tonight, we send our support to advocates and families in Taiwan who are hurting after a disappointing election result.

Over the last year, anti-LGBT organizations – bankrolled and instigated by US-based groups like the National Organization for Marriage – spent millions

Photo by Ritchie B. Tongo / European Pressphoto Agency

on scare tactics and deceit, in an effort to spread lies about gay and lesbian people and harm families.

“While the results of the referenda are not what we hoped for, it is clear that the movement for marriage in Taiwan will not be deterred. Nothing about tonight’s votes

undermines the landmark court ruling affirming that the freedom to marry is a right guaranteed by Taiwan’s constitution.

And nothing changes the clear mandate from the court: that by May 2019, lawmakers must update the civil code to allow same-sex couples to marry.

“A healthy democracy requires more than merely subjecting the rights of a minority to the whim of a public vote. Democratic institutions, including the Constitutional Court, are the cornerstone of Taiwan’s democratic society – and we stand with local advocates as they renew their call for elected leaders to uphold the important safeguard function that courts play, and respect the constitutional rights of all Taiwanese people, including the freedom to marry.

“In the 25 countries around the world where same-sex couples have the freedom to marry, people have seen that families are helped and no one is hurt – and the divisiveness and fear generated by opponents in Taiwan, leading to the disappointing votes today, will quickly fade.

People will embrace respect for same-sex couples, affirm their love and commitment, and move again to support the freedom to marry. 1.1 billion people around the world now live in a freedom to marry country; the people of Taiwan deserve no less.

“Because every day of denial is a day of real injury, indignity, and injustice, it is time to fulfill the command of the Constitution and end exclusion from marriage without further delay.”

Courtesy of Freedom to Marry

Greek LGBT activists charge police cover-up in murder of Zak Kostopoulos

by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer Greek LGBT activists are charging local police with a cover-up in the murder of drag performer and activist Zak Kostopoulos.

Kostopoulos – also known by his stage name, Zackie Oh – was killed in downtown Athens on September 21.

According to witnesses, he fled into a nearby jewelry store when a brawl broke out on the street and became trapped in the store when its security door closed and automatically locked behind him. When he broke a window trying to escape, the storeowner and the owner of a neighboring store beat and kicked him into unconsciousness.

Videos show medics and police arriving on the scene. Kostopoulos received first aid but fell and knocked over a café table as he tried to walk away. Police then jumped on Kostopoulos’s prostrate body, handcuffing him and dragging him to a waiting police van.

Police subsequently said Kostopoulos was a known drug addict and had tried to escape the scene before they could question him about the alleged “vandalism” to the jewelry store.

The police version is refuted by the official coroner’s report, however. According to the coroner, Kostopoulos died of cardiac

Photo by Marios Lolos / Justice for Zak/Zackie

arrest resulting from the physical injuries he received during the assault. His toxicology report also came back clear of any illicit substances.

Since September 21, LGBT activists and Kostopoulos’s family have called for a more thorough police investigation of his death. They have also called for an end to what they have called a “media witch hunt” branding Kostopoulos as a thief and junkie.

Visit us online www.sgn.org

The coroner’s report sparked new demands for authorities to investigate Kostopoulos’s death as a murder. When the report became known, thousands of activists hit the streets of Athens in a demonstration calling for “justice for Zak.” “Today we mark two months since the brutal murder of Zak in the center of Athens,” Kostopoulos’s friend Zoe Kokalou told Gay Star News at the demonstration.

November 30, 2018

Kokalou is a member of the group Justice for Zak/Zackie, which has accused police of “an unprecedented operation of covering up the murder, misinforming the public, and revictimizing the victim…

“During this period of time, we are witnessing with great grief how Zak is constantly defamed. Police, instead of investigating the accused for murder, investigates the victim himself as suspect,” Kokalou said.

“We appeal to all people who were present in the site of murder to come and testify in order for Zak’s memory to be vindicated.

“Their testimonies will also ensure that there will be no more victims. We appeal to the Greek government to investigate all potential responsibilities for Zak’s murder whether these are related to the police or the first responders that did not provide him with first aid in the place of the attack.”

Kokalou’s group charges that Kostopoulos’s murder “was an act of barbarism and growing fascism.”

Greek police are often linked to the neo-Nazi Golden Dawn party, now the third-largest political party in Greece.

LGBT activists have charged Greek police with failing to investigate gay bashings, and even of standing by and watching while LGBT people are assaulted by neo-Nazis.

Seattle Gay News 5

TRANS BAN continued from cover

all four federal courts to hear these cases have issued preliminary injunctions halting the ban from moving forward while the case is being heard in court. In issuing the preliminary injunctions, the courts each determined that the plaintiffs challenging the ban – who include current service members, ROTC and military academy students, and enlistees – would ultimately prevail. If the Supreme Court were to grant the administration’s request, it would consider this term whether to lift the injunction while the cases proceed in the lower courts. Excluding transgender people who meet military standards undermines readiness and would dramatically upend the lives and families of thousands of trans service members and enlistees, and disrupt the military as a whole.

“There is no urgency here and no reason for the court to weigh in at this juncture,” said Jennifer Levi, GLAD Transgender Rights Project Director. “The injunctions preserve the status quo of the open-service policy that was thoroughly vetted by the military itself and has been in place now for more than two years. This is simply one more attempt by a reckless Trump administration to push through a discriminatory policy. The policy flies in the face of military research and dozens of top military experts.”

“The great majority of people in this country recognize that transgender people who can meet the same standards as others should have an equal opportunity to serve,” said Shannon Minter, NCLR Legal Director. Allowing President Trump’s ban to be implemented would upend thousands of lives and weaken our armed forces.”

“As Americans come together and give thanks for the sacrifices made by our brave service members and their families, the Trump-Pence administration is focused on undermining our military by tripling down on this discriminatory ban,” said Rick Zbur, executive director of Equality California which brought the Stockman case on behalf its members. “There are thousands of transgender service members bravely serving the nation with distinction. The administration ought to be thanking them for their service – not trying to score political points by purging them from our military.”

Oral argument in Doe v. Trump is currently scheduled to be held on December 10 in the DC Circuit Court of Appeals.

For more information, go to NCLR and GLAD’s website outlining the history and status of the Trump-Pence transgender military ban: https://notransmilitaryban.org/.

LAMBDA LEGAL continued from cover

The three preliminary rulings include one out of the US District Court for the Western District of Washington in the lawsuit, brought by Lambda Legal and OutServeSLDN and joined by the State of Washington, challenging the constitutionality of the proposed ban.

“Today, the US Department of Justice announced its intent to short-circuit established practice, asking the US Supreme Court to review a preliminary district court ruling before the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals has even had an opportunity to rule,” Lambda Legal Counsel Peter Renn said. “This highly unusual step is wildly premature and inappropriate, both because there is no final judgment in the case and because even the preliminary issue on appeal has not yet been decided. It seems the Trump administration can’t wait to discriminate. Yet again, the Trump administration flouts established norms and procedures.

There is no valid reason to jump the line now and seek US Supreme Court review before the appellate courts have even ruled on the preliminary issues before them.”

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Plaintiffs Point Alumni Ryan Karnoski, Staff Sergeant Cathrine “Katie” Schmid and Drew Layne – Photos courtesy of Lambda Legal

Background June 30, 2016: The United States Department of Defense (DOD) adopted a policy permitting transgender people to serve in the military based on a nearly two-year DOD review [that determined] that there was no valid reason to exclude qualified personnel from military service simply because they are transgender.

July 26, 2017: President Trump tweeted that “the United States Government will not accept or allow transgender individuals to serve in any capacity in the U.S. Military.”

August 9, 2017: NCLR and GLAD filed Doe v. Trump, the first lawsuit filed to stop the ban, challenging its constitutionality and requesting that the court issue a nationwide preliminary injunction to stop it from taking effect while the case is being heard in court.

August 25, 2017: President Trump issued a memorandum ordering Secretary of Defense James Mattis to submit “a plan for implementing” the ban by February 21, 2018. Secretary Mattis delivered this (the “Mattis Plan” and panel report) to President Trump on February 22, 2018.

October 30, 2017: The United States District Court for the District of Columbia ruled that Doe v. Trump plaintiffs had established a likelihood of success on their claim that President Trump’s ban violates equal protection, that the plaintiffs would be irreparably harmed without a preliminary injunction to stop the ban, and that the public interest and balance of hardships weighed in favor of granting injunctive relief and temporarily halting the ban while the case is heard by the court.

March 23, 2018: President Trump accepts the “Mattis Plan” and issues a memorandum in which he “revoked” his August 25 memorandum.

April 20, 2018: Defendants file a motion

to dissolve the October 30 nationwide preliminary injunction enjoining the transgender military ban issued by the US District Court for the District of Columbia; a motion to dismiss the plaintiffs’ Second Amended Complaint; and a Motion for Summary Judgment.

May 11, 2018: Plaintiffs file their crossmotion for summary judgment, as well as motions in opposition to the defendant’s motions to dissolve the injunction and dismiss the plaintiffs’ complaint.

August 6, 2018: Judge Colleen KollarKotelly denies the defendants’ Motion to Dismiss and Motion to Dissolve the Preliminary Injunction.

August 27, 2018: Defendants filed a notice of appeal to the DC Circuit Court of Appeals of Judge Kollar-Kotelly’s denial of their motion to dissolve the preliminary injunction preventing enforcement of the transgender military ban.

September 21, 2018: The defendantsappellants filed their opening brief in the DC Circuit Court of Appeals.

October 22, 2018: Plaintiffs-appellees filed their opposition to the defendants’ appeal, asking the DC Circuit Court of Appeals to leave in place the preliminary injunction blocking enforcement of the transgender military ban.

October 29, 2018: A wide array of former military leaders, veterans’ and civil rights organizations, women’s groups, military scholars and historians, and states went on record opposing President Trump’s ongoing efforts to exclude transgender people from military service, in thirteen friend-of-thecourt briefs filed in the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia.

NCLR and GLAD have been at the center of the legal fight challenging the TrumpPence transgender military ban since filing

Doe v. Trump, the first of four cases filed against the ban, on August 9, 2017.

“It is unconscionable that the Trump administration seems to be in such a rush to discriminate against perfectly qualified soldiers, sailors, marines, air force pilots, and patriotic Americans seeking only to serve their country,” said Andy Blevins, executive director of OutServe-SLDN. “Let the 9th Circuit have the opportunity to rule on this preliminary issue on appeal. Let the process play out as it should.”

Lambda Legal and OutServe-SLDN filed the lawsuit, Karnoski v. Trump, in August 2017, on behalf of nine individual plaintiffs and three organizational plaintiffs: the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), the Seattle-based Gender Justice League, and the American Military Partner Association (AMPA). The State of Washington later joined the lawsuit. The district court in December 2017, granted the plaintiffs motion for a preliminary injunction preventing implementation of the ban, which the DOJ chose not to challenge on appeal, and the court reaffirmed that preliminary ruling in April after the Trump administration released an implementation plan. The administration appealed that latter ruling to the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, which heard oral argument on October 10, 2018. The 9th Circuit previ-

ously denied the DOJ’s request to stay the preliminary injunction during the appeal, thereby allowing transgender people to continue serving, and the DOJ declined to ask the Supreme Court for a stay while the appeal proceeded.

“The Trump-Pence administration’s desperate desire to discriminate against transgender service members knows no bounds,” said HRC National Press Secretary Sarah McBride. “The administration is in a rush because they know that every day that transgender people continue to enlist and serve with distinction is another day that the courts and the public see this irrational policy for what it is. There is simply no reason to circumvent the traditional judicial process in pursuit of banning qualified, patriotic Americans from serving their country, and we thank Lambda Legal and Outserve-SLDN for their representation in this critical case.”

In addition to Karnoski v. Trump, the administration also asked the Supreme Court to review the preliminary rulings in Stockman v. Trump and Doe v. Trump, lawsuits also challenging the ban [and] filed by the National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR) and GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders (GLAD). Doe v. Trump was filed

in the US District Court for the District of Columbia that the DOJ appealed [sic] to the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia. Stockman v. Trump was filed in the US District Court for the Central District of California and is also on appeal to the 9th Circuit.

Read more about Karnoski v. Trump here: https://www.lambdalegal.org/ in-court/cases/karnoski-v-trump The Lambda Legal attorneys working on the case are: Peter Renn, Diana Flynn, Camilla B. Taylor, Tara Borelli, Paul Castillo, Sasha Buchert, and Kara Ingelhart. They are joined by co-counsel Peter Perkowski of OutServe-SLDN. Also on the legal team are pro-bono co-counsel at Kirkland & Ellis LLP and Newman Du Wors LLP.

November 30, 2018

Through strategic litigation, public policy advocacy, and education, GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders works in New England and nationally to create a just society free of discrimination based on gender identity and expression, HIV status, and sexual orientation. www.GLAD.org The National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR) was the first national LGBTQ legal organization founded by women and brings a fierce, long-standing commitment to racial and economic justice and our community’s most vulnerable. Since 1977, we have been at the forefront of advancing the civil and human rights of LGBTQ people and their families through impact litigation, public policy, and public education. Decades ago, the NCLR launched the first LGBTQ Immigration Project, the Transgender Rights Project, the Youth Project, and the Elder Law Project, and began working to end conversion therapy through what is now our Born Perfect campaign. www.nclrights.org Equality California is the nation’s largest statewide LGBTQ civil rights organization. It brings the voices of LGBTQ people and allies to institutions of power in California and across the United States, striving to create a world that is healthy, just, and fully equal for all LGBTQ people. It advances civil rights and social justice by inspiring, advocating, and mobilizing through an inclusive movement that works tirelessly on behalf of those it serves. www.EQCA.org Courtesy of the NCLR

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

Courtesy of Lambda Legal

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DNC press statement on Mike Pence’s World AIDS Day event [On November 29, 2018], Mike Pence hosted the White House’s World HIV/AIDS Day event. During the event, Pence failed to acknowledge the LGBTQ community for the second year in a row and lied about the administration’s record combating HIV. Here are some of the lies he told, and some of the truths he forgot to mention: THE LIES HE TOLD Pence boasted about the success of the Ryan White HIV/AIDS program, despite the fact the Trump administration diverted funds from the program to offset the costs of its family separation policy. (Poz: “Trump Agency Is Using Federal HIV Funds to Separate Immigrant Families”) Pence celebrated the 15th anniversary of PEPFAR, calling it “one of the most successful investments in health care and humanitarian aid in American history,” while Trump’s budget proposal slashed the initiative’s funding. (Daily Beast: “Trump’s Budget Cut for HIV/AIDS Would Kill 300,000 People Per Year, Report Says”) Pence claimed Trump brought a “renewed energy and focus” to the battle against HIV/ AIDS. I mean, come on. [see below] THE TRUTHS HE FORGOT TO MENTION Trump fired the remaining members of the Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/ AIDS after several members quit because Trump “doesn’t care” about the issue.

(Huffington Post: “Trump Terminated All Members of HIV/AIDS Council Without Explanation”)

NBJC

continued from cover the following statement: “We recognize those we have lost to the HIV/AIDS epidemic and acknowledge the work still required to end the epidemic.

Today, given scientific, medical, and social advancements, no one has to die as a result of HIV/AIDS. Ending the epidemic in our lifetime is not a question of resources but a question of will. Will we fight to ensure that those most neglected and ignored receive the health care and legal protections we all need to thrive?

“In spite of noteworthy improvements in HIV testing and treatment for many commu-

Vice President Mike Pence – Photo by Mandel Ngan / Getty

Trump still hasn’t appointed anyone to lead the White House Office of National AIDS Policy. (Washington Blade: “Trump needs AIDS wake-up call”) Trump announced the “deploy or get out” rule, which could remove HIV+ military personnel from service. (Newsweek:

“How Trump’s ‘Deploy or Get Out’ Policy Could See People with HIV Kicked Out of Military for No Reason”) Pence, while governor of Indiana, opposed a needle exchange program and exacerbated the local HIV/AIDS crisis.

(Politico: “How Pence’s slow walk on needle

exchange helped propel Indiana’s health crisis”)

nities, Black people still experience the highest infection and mortality rates. It is not the case that Black people engage in riskier sexual behavior, nor can we blame increases rates on myths about brothers on the down low. Black people are disproportionately impacted because of racism and systems set up to deny us access to health care, preventive medicine like PrEP, and stigma, which forces many to avoid being tested or engaging in conversations about sexual health.

“AIDS needs a cure, but our communities also need resources that cannot be developed in a laboratory. Black and Brown people, LGBTQ people, and poor people need better access to quality and affordable healthcare, administered by medical providers who are culturally competent.

Our communities need resources to deal with the trauma that results from transatlantic enslavement, anti-Blackness, and white supremacy. Our country needs policies that provide uniform and basic human rights professions to everyone.

“The National Black Justice Coalition pledges to continue the fight for federal policy solutions [that] can save lives. The NBJC has developed the Words Matter HIV Toolkit to support members of our community in having conversations to eliminate stigma and increase testing, treatment, and support. We hope that it serves as a critical resource for everyone engaged in working woke and affirming that Black lives matter.

To end the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the Black community, in our lifetime, it will

require each of us to do more and be better at eliminating HIV stigma and fostering welcoming environments where everyone feels safe and supported. On this day, let us remember that the fight against HIV/AIDS is far from over, and we have all of the tools needed to win.”

Courtesy of the Democratic National Committee

The National Black Justice Coalition (NBJC) is America’s leading civil rights organization dedicated to the empowerment of Black lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and same-gender-loving (LGBTQ/SGL) people, including people living with HIV/AIDS. Courtesy of the NBJC

AHF to talk housing solutions at Sanders Institute gathering LOS ANGELES (November 28, 2018) – The Sanders Institute announced [its] inaugural conference, the Sanders Institute Gathering, late last week. Scheduled to be held in Burlington, Vermont, from Thursday, November 29th through Saturday, December 1st, 2018, the array of speakers come from both the national and international progressive community.

Among the participants will be AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) and several AHF officials. In late 2017, the AHF launched the Healthy Housing Foundation (HHF), part of a community-based effort to address the exploding housing and homelessness crisis in Los Angeles and elsewhere in the US. Since then, the Healthy Housing Foundation has purchased three underutilized single-room-occupancy hotels (SROs) on Skid Row in Los Angeles and a motel in Hollywood, adaptively reusing and repurposing the buildings as nearly 600 housing units for homeless and/ or extremely low-income individuals. The HHF is also well underway with design and planning a newly built 680-unit affordable housing tower in Ft. Lauderdale, FL. “The Sanders Institute Gathering is an important opportunity for progressives to discuss, debate, compare notes, and

strategize. We are grateful to Jane Sanders for creating this very special opportunity for the AHF, and its new subsidiary the Healthy Housing Foundation, to present our ideas on housing justice,” said Michael Weinstein, president of the AHF and a scheduled panelist at the event. “The Sanders Institute understands that affordable housing has become the number one economic inequality issue in many American cities and it must be addressed.”

Founded in 2017 on the belief that a vital democracy requires an informed electorate, civil discourse, and bold ideas, the Sanders Institute focuses on progressive solutions to economic, environmental, racial, and social justice issues.

David Driscoll, co-founder and executive director of the young nonpartisan think tank, said that the event will host, “elected officials, organizers, educators, economists, writers, artists, and emerging leaders from a full spectrum of experience and expertise.”

Mayors Carmen Yulin Cruz (San Juan, Puerto Rico), Bill deBlasio (New York, NY), Ada Colau (Barcelona, Spain), and Michael Tubbs (Stockton, CA) will be on a mayors’ roundtable. Labor leaders such as UE President Peter Knowlton, APWU

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President Mark Dimondstein, NNU Co-President Jean Ross, and former NNU Executive Director RoseAnn Demoro will be speaking. Yanis Varoufakis (former finance minister of Greece), Nikki Ashton (member of the Canadian parliament), Bernie Sanders (Vermont US senator), David McWilliams (Irish author/economist), and others will discuss international cooperation and the need for a Progressive International movement.

Other speakers include well-known names like Danny Glover, Stephanie Kelton, Shaun King, Naomi Klein, Ben Jealous, Tulsi Gabbard, Winona LaDuke, Bill McKibben, Nina Turner, Simon Sinek, Cenk Uygar, and James Zogby. Other exemplary researchers and policy developers like Jane Kim, Robert Pollin, Chirlane McCray, Michael Weinstein, Radhika Balakrishnan, Matt Nelson, Brenda Torpy, Joseph Geevargese, Karin Ryan, Jo Beardsmore, Diane Archer, Ron Goldfarb, and John Davis[, among others,] will be part of the program – which includes fifteen of the Institute’s eighteen fellows. More information on the conference and speakers can be found at www.sandersinstitutegathering.org.

Jane Sanders, co-founder and fellow, said, “the selection of topics and speakers will

ensure that the conference is insightful and relevant, as we discuss some of our nation’s most pressing issues and share innovative solutions. Medicare for All, the climate crisis, housing issues, criminal justice, workers’ rights, international cooperation, civil rights, and austerity in Puerto Rico are some of the issues that will be addressed.”

“Social justice, economic justice, and human dignity will be focuses threaded throughout the conference,” said Driscoll, concluding, “The core intent of The Sanders Institute Gathering is to share replicable policies, develop actionable steps, establish ongoing networks, and articulate a progressive vision.”

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The AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), the largest global AIDS organization, currently provides medical care and/or services to over 1,000,000 individuals in 42 countries worldwide in the US, Africa, Latin America/Caribbean, the Asia/Pacific Region, and Eastern Europe. To learn more about AHF, please visit www.aidshealth. org and www.facebook.com/aidshealth, and follow AHF @aidshealthcare.

Courtesy of the AHF

Stem Cells versus Joint Replacement Surgery What is the answer for you?

One journalist’s experience with stem cell therapy PART ONE of a Three Part Series

Pinnacle Integrative provider Jennifer D’Andrea with a patient. – Photo courtesy of Pinnacle Integrative

by E. Joyce Glasgow Special to the SGN This is Part ONE of a three article series documenting my personal experience with stem cell therapy and continuing results that will be appearing in the Seattle Gay News.

I used to love to walk and took for granted simple physical actions like walking, standing, navigating steps and hills, kneeling, squatting, getting up and down from a chair, a toilet or the floor. As the years have passed and I have grown older, with more and more wear and tear on my knee joints, I found that the osteoarthritis and pain in my knees kept growing, and getting increasingly worse especially with the cold and damp Seattle weather. My right knee especially had sharp, stabbing pains when walking and I began to limp around, moving slowly, with some good days, when it was warmer and dryer weather and then suddenly bad days in damp weather, not really in my control, even being careful of my diet, taking turmeric and Omega 3 oils which are natural anti-inflammatories, and glucosamine for joints. My primary care doctor ordered x-rays and found that I had no cartilage left in my right knee, my situation was bone on bone and I had developed bone spurs. My left knee had almost no cartilage and had developed bone spurs as well, but thankfully wasn’t as constantly painful as my right, and I used my left leg to compensate for the difficulties with my right knee.

I could no longer squat or bend down to sit on the floor, or kneel, nor could I comfortably and safely get up and down from a very low chair or toilet without excruciating pain and having to hold on to something stable

12 Seattle Gay News

to help propel me upwards back on to my feet. I realized how easy it is to take one’s knees for granted until they don’t want to work anymore. It was very disillusioning and made me feel very old, weak and rather helpless and I feared that I would have to live this way for the rest of my life, unless reluctantly facing knee replacement surgery, which seemed like an incredibly invasive course to take. Since I live up a number of flights of stairs and have no helpers, I could not imagine how I would be able to get in and out of the house during the long healing process from surgery, when it is preferable to be able to stay somewhere without the challenge of a lot of stairs and have some personal help available. As the years passed, I noticed that all this pain I felt was really starting to take its toll on me emotionally as well as physically and I was getting increasingly depressed.

My perspective on day-to-day life and being successfully ambulatory began to erode. Destinations which were a twoblock walk suddenly seemed like a mile away and impossible to reach on foot. It was exhausting just to get around or even think about it! I stopped going places that I normally would enjoy because of the anticipated pain and added exertion of energy outweighing the desire and enthusiasm to go. I found myself having to find ways to adapt to physical situations which had become difficult, for example, letting the stream of younger, able-bodied, fast moving people go up and down stairways at train stations and I would wait to be the last one, quiet and alone, hobbling slowly up and down, carefully holding the handrails for strength and support and for fear of mechanical knee failure and falling. It was a dark time!

November 30, 2018

About a year ago, I ran into a Capitol Hill neighborhood friend whom I had not seen in a long time, now in her seventies.

She relayed that she had received stem cells for her osteoarthritis in both her knees, and was thrilled by the results. She had used the stem cells extracted from her own body.

Even though it had only been about two months since her injections, she already had noticed a positive change in her mobility, and her pain had diminished quite a lot.

Hearing this gave me a lot of hope for my own situation. Maybe this would be a positive, less invasive procedure I could explore to get healing in my knees without being cut open in surgery! This could be miraculous!

Stem cells have been being used for quite some time to rebuild cartilage in disintegrating joints and for other bodily repair, it just had not been on my radar and I had not seen much coverage in the news about it, probably because the stem cells are not covered at all by insurance the way surgery is, so having it done can cost thousands out of pocket, which many people cannot afford to pay. I mulled the idea around in my brain for a while, feeling emotionally hopeful and adventurous about finding a more revolutionary solution for my physical issues than surgery and began paying more attention when I started seeing notices on Facebook for free stem cell seminars in Seattle. One in particular caught my eye.

Daniel Rasmussen, a graduate of the Seattle area based naturopathic school, Bastyr University, with a Masters of Science in Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine, runs a clinic in the Medical Dental Building in downtown Seattle called Pinnacle Integrative Heath (https://pinnacleintegrative. com), where he specializes in acupuncture, diet, nutrition and stem cells. He was giving

one of his free, explanatory talks on stem cells, to be held in a small meeting room at a hotel in Seattle. I was impressed when I called about it, because I am vegan and eat organic food as much as possible and when I asked about the complimentary lunch included, was told that they only serve a meal of fresh food from Puget Consumer Co-ops or Whole Foods. I thought we were on the same page about food, acupuncture and naturopathic healing, so I thought this was the seminar for me.

Rasmussen explained stem cells very well and talked about the different sources for the cells. He talked about umbilical stem cells and stem cells from our own bodies, Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP), extracted from our own blood. He preferred using umbilical cord stem cells, that come from umbilical cords of mothers who give birth by Cesarean, because they were fresh new cells and he believed that they have a stronger ability to promote tissue building and healing than cells from our own aging bodies. Some in the audience, including myself, were concerned about the sourcing of these cells but were assured that all the cells are thoroughly vetted and collected and tested carefully and do not come from any sources that might be compromised by diseases. He also explained how important it is to maintain an anti-inflammatory diet during the healing process so that the stem cells can work properly to mend and heal, eliminating all inflammatory foods including all sugar, gluten, all grains, dairy, alcohol, processed foods, GMO’s, soy, foods with pesticides or other chemicals or preservatives, and caffeine, and concentrate instead on organic vegetables, good fats like avocadoes and olive oil, nuts and seeds and healthy, protein sources like

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wild fish or non-meat proteins for non-meat eaters and drinking lots of water. He also includes four acupuncture treatments, without any additional cost, as part of the protocol, which I was excited to hear as I have gotten great results from having acupuncture in the past. While the stem cells themselves are not covered by Medicare or other

I began my anti-inflammatory diet and a few days later I got my stem cell injections, one vial in each knee, in mid-summer, 2018.

Before the injections, I was given a very effective half hour acupuncture treatment with electric stimulation around both knees to increase the blood flow around my knees to prepare the area for the injections to be

be dissuaded from doing the injections, because as I said, my extreme reaction was unusual. After resting for the weekend, my knees started feeling a lot better and I was able to go about my regular, pre-injection activities and was quite relieved to be doing so. I had been weighed at my primary care clinic one day before my injections and when I was weighed again nine days later, I had already lost an astounding seven pounds, effortlessly, just by maintaining my anti-inflammatory diet. I was thrilled and surprised. I went into Pinnacle the next week to be fitted for a comfortable leg brace on my right knee. This brace has done wonders to keep pressure off my knee and to help anatomically. I found that I started having pains in my feet after the injections as my weight began to shift around. Nurse

dients to avoid; sugars, grains of any kind, gluten, dairy, caffeine, alcohol and soy, miraculously shed the pounds. With this large weight loss, I also had some of the pressure taken off my knees and I could walk more fluidly with less of the original pains in my knees. I still had issues with my right knee, the worse of the two, going up and down stairs and up and down hills, but was very encouraged by the improvement and hopeful for the further success of my stem cell therapy.

I began my prescribed physical therapy visits almost three weeks after my injections, twice a week at ATI, a large physical therapy company, with a number of offices in the Seattle area, referred by Nurse D’Andrea. I choose the University District office and it was an excellent

Daniel Rasmussen – Photo courtesy of Pinnacle Integrative

insurance, all the other necessary healing therapies surrounding the stem cell therapy like the prescribed series of physical therapy treatments, any blood or other lab tests necessary and durable medical equipment (DME), like leg braces, etc., are covered

by Medicare and private insurance companies. For anyone confused about stem cell sources, stem cells are not taken from any human embryos.

At the free seminar, I realized how many of us are suffering from failing, aging bodies and how many are looking with hope to stem cells as an answer for them.

Many in the room had gone to their doctors for consultations about knee or hip replacement surgery or were about to but did not want to take that harsh step if there was a better alternative. There were about thirty women and men there, mostly in their 50s to 70s, some with canes and crutches and with difficulty walking, all there to be proactive about their futures and to explore the best outcomes possible for more normal, pain-free living.

I decided that I wanted to do the stem cell procedure, but had the major hurdle of cost.

I could not afford the thousands of dollars out of pocket necessary for the stem cells, even on a long-term payment plan, generally about $5,000 to $6,000 for one small, precious vial of stem cells, and I needed at least one vial per knee. The clinic does have an offer to do a discount on one or multiple vials for their potential patients who attend one of their seminars beforehand. I proposed to Daniel Rassmussen that I write a threepart honest episodic account, over time, of my experience with the stem cells and subsequent results, as a documenting journalist (for better or worse) and write it for the Seattle Gay News, a paper that I had written for, a number of years in the past. I thought there would be a number of older readers of SGN who would be very interested in hearing how stem cells worked out for me, when considering their own physical circumstances and possible healing procedures. Rassmussen and several of his office colleagues are members of the Seattle Gay community and he was very open to exchanging me the stem cells for my personal, three part written account of my continuing experience and results in the Seattle Gay News.

optimal. This was the first of four, half -hour electrical stimulation acupuncture treatments included, once a week for the first four weeks from the day of injections. The four acupuncture treatments over the next month were performed by two of the clinic’s very knowledgeable and gentle acupuncturists, Nicole Johnson and Maria Arvola.

The stem cell injections were painless with the use of a topical cold spray anesthesia and only took a couple of minutes total.

The procedure was performed by Jennifer D’Andrea, the Medicare certified, Family Nurse Practitioner at Pinnacle Integrative Health. She holds a Master of Science in Nursing and has advanced training in Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) Therapy and Stem Cell Therapy. She said that the injections might give me a feeling of “fullness” in my knees and she was right. The first hour or so, I had a very strange, unusual feeling in my knees. After that, for some reason, while sitting in the chair at my afternoon dental appointment, a couple of hours later, I suddenly began to have excruciating pain in both my knees and could barely walk or move my knees without being in agony. I didn’t know why I was feeling so badly but managed to get home with the help of a cab and went directly to bed, where I stayed and slept for most of the weekend waiting for the pain to subside. I called the doctor who told me that because I had a sensitive system I was having a healing crisis and that was a good thing because it meant that the stem cells were going to work full force.

He said that I was the first of the many umbilical cell recipients that they have treated at the clinic to have such a strong physical pain reaction. My primary care doctor was not surprised when I told her what happened because she said that injections of any kind in the knees can cause some pain. I recommend, that if you do the stem cell injections, whether umbilical cord or PRP injections, that you plan to do them when you have nothing else planned the same day following the treatment or even for a couple of days afterwards and that you do not drive yourself to your appointment.

Have someone else take you and pick you up afterwards or plan to take an Uber, Lyft or cab home, just in case you have unexpected pain afterwards. However, do not

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D’Andrea and Rasmussen at work. – Photo courtesy of Pinnacle Integrative

D’Andrea suggested that I buy a pair of Hoka’s at REI for better support and cushioning and these shoes have been wonderful and have provided me with the ability to withstand walking and standing on hard surfaces, without fatigue or pain.

During the first three weeks or so I had to summon up an incredible amount of discipline to maintain my anti-inflammatory diet.

Eating at home and being able to provide myself with organic, simple, pesticide free food with no additives was great. However, if I was out and about and hungry, it became difficult to find any food that I could eat because most is prepared or processed in some way with hidden ingredients like sugar, soy, sodium, preservatives, gluten, grains, GMO’s and residual pesticides.

That was very hard on days when I was super hungry. One day, during the difficult diet transition, I could not resist temptation one time and went into a Thai restaurant for vegetables with rice noodles and peanut sauce. When I told Nurse D’Andrea, she let me know, in no uncertain terms that that one meal was “junk food” and would inflame my body for three weeks! After hearing that and considering the amount of effort I was putting into the diet, I no longer fell prey to temptation. The thought of three weeks of inflammation being a result of a one-time craving put everything into sober perspective! One saving grace was that I managed to find organic, vegan protein bars with only one gram of sugar, that I keep with me when out, to have as a snack, until my next homemade meal. I have learned to adapt, while out, to going to have a healthy meal at a convenient PCC, Madison Market or Whole Foods store, where I can find simple, ingredient-identified salad bar items to choose from. It then became easier to follow the diet when hungry outside of my home.

By the end of four weeks I had effortlessly lost sixteen pounds and was amazed at how just being completely alert to ingre-

choice. I have a wonderful physical therapist, who spent some time, in my early series of visits, doing some very needed deep tissue massage work on my legs, which was incredibly helpful. I then would go to exercise in their gym where I would do 15 minutes on the recumbent bike as well as leg strengthening exercises and some kettle bell exercises, gradually being given greater challenges. Everyone there is pleasant and helpful and I am impressed at it being some of the best, most practical and effective on-going physical therapy that I have ever had before. My prescribed exercises are also easy to do at home.

After six weeks since my injections, I had lost another six pounds, for a grand total of a twenty-two-pound weight loss in only six weeks! I started walking on flat ground with even more ease and grace, without a limp and even with a faster gait than I had been able to achieve in a long time. I found myself looking forward to walking places and was delighted by my progress. Especially in week five and six I noticed that some activities had become easy and pain free, simple things like just moving my legs to get out of bed, without pain, were a delightful surprise. I began walking about a mile at a time, in some circumstances, and was actually able to do it without problems. The left knee and leg were getting much stronger and pain free. I still had issues with the right knee on stairs and hills but the right continued to improve also, just more slowly. I will update readers on my continuing progress and healing in two upcoming SGN follow-up articles.

For more information on Stem Cell Therapy, acupuncture, nutrition, diet, lifestyle change and upcoming free Stem Cell seminars in the Seattle area, contact Daniel Rasmussen at (206) 624-0397. https://pinnacleintegrative.com. Please mention that you saw this article in the Seattle Gay News.

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