SGN December 11, 2020

Celebrating 46 Years!

Issue 50 Volume 48

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

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

Ve’ondre Mitchell Seattle teen named as Youth Ambassador for Human Rights Campaign

The Human Rights Campaign announced on Monday, December 7, that Ve’ondre Mitchell (she/her) from Seattle, Washington has been named a member of the 2021 class of HRC Foundation Youth Ambassadors, joining nine other LGBTQ advocates across the country. HRC Foundation Youth Ambassadors serve two-year terms, and this is Ve’ondre’s first year.

Ve’ondre Mitchell – Photo courtesy of HRC

see MITCHELL page 7

Mayor Jenny Durkan: I’ve had enough!

Won’t run for reelection

Is Mayor Pete going to China?

Photo by Elaine Thompson / AP

by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer Embattled Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan announced on December 7 that she will not run for re-election in 2021.

In a video announcing her decision, Durkan said she wanted to focus on getting Seattle through the COVID-19 pandemic rather than running for re-election.

see DURKAN page 6

Photo by Chuck Kennedy / PFA

by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer President-elect Joe Biden is considering a high-profile ambassadorship for Pete Buttigieg, possibly sending him to China, accord-

ing to a new report on the Axios website.

Buttigieg himself was said to be lobbying the Biden transition team for the United Nations ambassadorship, a post that would

see BUTTIGIEG page 11

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Celebrating 46 Years!

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OBITUARY

CORRECTION The Seattle Gay News celebrated the life of Allena Pearcy Gabosch in last week’s edition. Unfortunately, due to a typographical error, we misstated the date of Allena’s death in our print edition. Allena died on November 25, 2020 – NOT November 15, 2020. The Seattle Gay News deeply regrets this error.

Allena Gabosch – Photo courtesy of Mac McGregor

Sir Elton John and David Furnish join line-up saluting HIV/AIDS survivors Dec. 16

by Mark S. King My Fabulous Disease blog My friends, My T-cells might have doubled at this news. Sir Elton John and David Furnish have delivered a special video message for “Mark S. King’s 60th Birthday Bash” saluting long-term HIV/AIDS survivors, joining Greg Louganis, Javier Munoz, and dozens of long-term survivors and community members who will make appearances. (See details below.)

The birthday bash is happening next Wednesday, December 16, at 7 p.m. EST [4 p.m. PST], streaming live on Facebook and YouTube.

Register free right now at www.Markis60.com. Registered guests will also receive a special link to an interactive “After Party” following the big event. If you care to donate, your gift will benefit The Reunion Project, a national network of long-term survivors. [https://www.tpan. com/reunion-project] More surprises are in store. What a privilege it is to share this birthday with all long-term survivors who are hitting major life milestones we never thought possible.

We deserve a little celebration!

Thanks for watching, and please be well.

Mark [http://markskingcom/] Sir Elton John and David Furnish have sent a special video message of support for long-term HIV/AIDS survivors, joining a growing list of celebrity guests for “Mark S. King’s 60th Birthday Bash” on December 16. The event will also feature appearances by Olympian Greg Louganis, Broadway Hamilton star Javier Munoz, and dozens of long-term HIV/AIDS survivors who will be sharing personal greetings.

“I don’t know if I have ever had an experience where everyone simply said ‘yes,’” said birthday celebrant Mark S. King. “From the technical producers to the heads of national agencies to all of my fellow long-term survivors, people understood that joyful celebration is anything but frivolous to those of us who are hitting major life milestones that once felt impossible.

“This video message from Sir Elton and David is the latest example of people taking a moment for gratitude and maybe even a big grin. We have struggled through the HIV/AIDS pandemic for decades, and that continues, but it hasn’t taken away our joy.

In fact, the community of those living with HIV/AIDS and our allies, the friendships and inspiration we share, has been the most

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December 11, 2020

rewarding thing in my life.”

The streaming event is free but donations to The Reunion Project [https://www. tpan.com/reunion-project], a national network of long-time survivors, are also accepted on the event registration page at www.Markis60.com.

The one-hour event will stream at 7:00 p.m. (EST) [4:00 p.m. (PST)] on Wednesday, December 16, from the “My Fabulous Disease” page of Facebook and Youtube, and will be hosted by Charles Sanchez, star

of the web series, “Merce”, and co-hosted

by HIV community ally and editor Olivia G. Ford. Registered guests will also receive a special link to an interactive “After Party” on Zoom following the birthday event.

For more information, to register free, or to make a donation to The Reunion Project, please visit the event page at www.

Markis60.com.

Courtesy of Mark S. King and My Fabulous Disease blog

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A true story based on an untrue story

by Tom Orr SGN Contributing Writer I’m going to keep this short, as the lyric I wrote for my Holiday Spectacular Jingle Bell Jock! several years ago does most of the heavy lifting here. It was 2009 and I had the chance to put on the Christmas show of my dreams, as if Andy Williams, Judy Garland and Tom of Finland had collectively spawned a yuletide television special cabaret hybrid, with a Guest Mrs. Santa Claus every night and two co-stars who appeared as The Elves Themselves in Act One and The Parents in Act Two, whose daughter Ivy Maria threw an epic tantrum on Christmas morning when she didn’t get everything on her wish list, in a 12 minute narrative with parody lyrics set to songs from Follies and Thoroughly Modern Millie and some of my most ambitious musical storytelling that I had ever attempted or achieved.

As 2010 neared, I wanted to do a Year in Review and a Decade in Review. Michael Jackson and Bea Arthur had both recently died, so I included tributes to them, and the first 10 years of this New Millennium yielded a nod to the Pop Culture Vampire Zeitgeist of the Twilight books and films and the TV series “True Blood” based on Charlaine Harris’ Sookie Stackhouse novels, plus a “What If Rodgers & Hammerstein had Written A Musical Version of Brokeback Mountain?”, telling the plot of the film and adding a snarky commentary to the tune of “The Lonely Goatherd” from The Sound of Music.

I added my own original words to five classical instrumentals from Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker Suite for a bizarre medley of nontraditional carols for Channukah, Kwanzaa, Solstice, Nothing (for the Atheists and Agnostics) and a finale capturing the true meaning of the season: Shopping!

There was a song about managing your holiday stress (“Let It Go!’ to the familiar melody of “Let It Snow!”), an epic medley of filthy parodies of Christmas standards, a kick ass opening number, a yule log on the TV decorating the crazy cavalcade set decorated with tchotchkes, tinsel, tacky toys and two Tannenbaum trees (one was a Hannukah bush) oh, and a nervous breakdown in song revealing the sordid and seamy underbelly and ugly reality of American Consumerism and institutionalizing convenient untruths that teach children to lie as a fundamental backbone of the United States economy and our society itself.

Wait?! What?!

Yes, I let the brainsquirrels run rampant on the treadmills of my mind and focused a jaundiced lens on The Gigantic Hoax of Santa Claus and how it teaches our kids not to trust anyone, especially their parents. It fell just short of comparing the mythos of Saint Nicholas with the Nativity and Birth of Jesus Christ, but the subtext was plain: we deliberately mislead and deceive young innocents with false and fanciful stories and bastardized folklore as filtered through hundreds of years of pagan rituals being cannibalized in an ever increasingly whitewashed and homogenized version of a manufactured milquetoast midwinter monstrosity posing as a religious rite that has ultimately become a justification for grotesque orgiastic displays of gratutious spending, credit/debt abuse and vast materialistic greed.

“The pinnacle of cynical is me on Christmas Eve?” Indeed.

Do I really believe all that? At a time in my own life and the downward spiral of human civilization on the brink of the Apocalypse where it’s hard to believe in anything, I can honestly say I Don’t Know.

I do know however that it was fabulously cathartic to write and perform this ditty, and I’m very proud of what the lyric accomplishes in a very short time with a densely worded and intricately rhymed text that manages to illuminate some dark ideas and elucidate quite abstract rhetoric. That and the tantrum as Ivy Maria, channeling

Photo courtesy of Tom Orr

my inner evil 7-year-old redheaded monster devil spawn brat in a hissy fit.

It saved me ten years of therapy to get all that holiday angst out. Let It Go! Let It Go! LET IT GO! “I DON’T BELIEVE IN SANTA!” to the tune of “I Don’t Remember Christmas” from Starting Here, Starting Now music by David Shire original lyrics by Richard Maltby Orriginal Lyrics by Tom Orr from Jingle Bell Jock! A Holiday Spectacular 2009 and Dirty Little Showtunes! Rancho Mirage 2012 I REMEMBER VERY CLEARLY ONE DAY IN THE LIVING ROOM WHEN THE THINGS THAT I HELD DEARLY WERE ALL SHATTERED, AND BY WHOM: IT WAS ONE DAY AFTER CHRISTMAS …

SIX-YEARS-OLD AND THREEFEET-TALL …

CALMLY GOING ‘BOUT MY BUSINESS, SHOWING OFF MY CHRISTMAS HAUL TO A NEIGHBOR GIRL WITH ICEBLUE EYES WHO LIVED TWO DOORS AWAY …

SHE UNCOVERED ALL THE GROWN-UPS’ LIES [syncopated] WHEN SHE CAME TO PLAY THAT DAY! SHE REVEALED THERE’S NO TOOTH FAIRY; SQUEALED THE TRUTH ON SANDMAN TOO …

SHE SAID, “I DON’T BELIEVE IN SANTA, BUT THE EASTER BUNNY’S

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TRUE!” I WAS DROWNED IN DISILLUSION! WHAT I FOUND BROUGHT ME TO TEARS: A MERE FRAGMENT OF A PRICE TAG LABELED “CLEARANCE SALE AT SEARS”!

ALL THE SHORTS SAID “PENNEY’S BOYS’ SHOP”?

ALL THE SPORTS GEAR READ “BIG FIVE”?

ALL THE TOYS FROM “SANTA’S TOY SHOP” DOWN THE CHIMNEY DID NOT ARRIVE? MY EYES GLAZED AND I WAS THINKING, AS I GAZED AT THAT EMPTY PLATE, ALL THESE YEARS, MY MOM’S BEEN DRINKING MILK! THE COOKIES? MY DAD ATE! IF THEY’RE LYING ABOUT SANTA, THERE GOES EVERYTHING I KNEW …

AND IF YOU CAN’T TRUST YOUR PARENTS, THEN, FOR CHRIST’S SAKE, TELL ME “WHO?”!

I LOOKED UP THE WORD “SOPHISTICATION”.

I BELIEVE IT MEANS WE’VE BEEN DECEIVED. IS IT FAIR THAT THEIR PREVARICATION IS THE FOUNDATION / OF OUR DAMN NATION?

REALLY JUST AN ACTOR IN A SUIT …

ONCE THEY BUST YOUR LITTLE BUBBLE, YOU’LL DISTRUST YOUR FRIENDS AND FOLKS! IF THEY FUSSED WITH ALL THAT TROUBLE, / THEN WHAT ELSE MUST BE A HOAX? I’M RABBINICAL YET CLINICAL; SEE, THERE’S NOTHING I BELIEVE …

YES, THE PINNACLE OF CYNICAL IS “ME” ON CHRISTMAS EVE! IT’S OKAY TO FEEL MISGIVING …

LOOK AT ME! I’M THE LIVING PROOF! ‘CAUSE I DON’T BELIEVE IN SANTA …

AND I DON’T BELIEVE IN SASQUATCH …

AND I DON’T BELIEVE IN THE SANDMAN …

AND I DON’T BELIEVE IN THE SECRET …

AND I DON’T BELIEVE IN OPRAH …

YOU MAY CLAIM THAT I’M A COMMIE …

YOU CAN BLAME MY DAD AND MOMMY THAT THEIR PRECIOUS LITTLE TOMMY IS A BITTER JADED POOF! To see a clip of the song being performed in Jingle Bell Jock!, go to https:// youtu.be/rGF79sVMGrg

THEY MAY TAKE AWAY YOUR CHILDHOOD, HENCE YOUR INNOCENCE TO BOOT …

SAY THE SILLY FAT MAN’S

Tom Orr is a Poet, Playwright, Producer, Performer, Protestor and Provocateur, A Musical Comedy Cabaret Porn Star best known for his satirical parody lyrics in I Feel A Thong Coming On, The Devil Wears Nada!, Jingle Bell Jock!, and the award-winning smash hit musical revue Dirty Little Showtunes!

December 11, 2020

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Need help finding work? Free job-search service by local libraries expands partnership and coverage SEATTLE (December 7, 2020) – To help the region’s workers recover from job loss and unemployment, the Seattle area’s library systems have banded together to offer one-on-one help with job searches, job skills, technology help and more.

Your Next Job (spl.org/YourNextJob) is a free job search service started in July 2020 by the Seattle Public Library with the King County Library System (KCLS) and the Seattle Jobs Initiative. As of December 7, Sno-Isle Libraries has joined the partnership to bring Your Next Job’s personalized job search assistance to people in Snohomish and Island Counties.

“We’re really excited to join this regional partnership in support of job seekers and promoting information literacy skills,” said Sno-Isle Libraries adult services coordinator Emily Felt. “It’s a great service.”

Your Next Job is open to all job seekers who live in any of the three library districts, and it does not require a library card to use. It offers free, one-on-one help with job searching and unemployment information using online meetings, email, texting, or phone calls.

Your Next Job was started as a community resource to help workers who lost hours or a job as coronavirus restrictions forced many businesses to cut staff hours or eliminate positions this year. The service was especially designed to serve job seekers who lack digital proficiency, have limited English language or work skills, and those with a disability.

“With the addition of Sno-Isle to this unique partnership, Your Next Job is able to reach even more people who face barriers to finding employment,” said Marion Scichilone, assistant managing librarian at the Seattle Public Library, who helped design the service. “We are thrilled to work with fellow library systems and partners like Seattle Jobs Initiative to respond to the devastating loss of jobs in our community as a result of COVID-19.”

“The crisis in jobs and employment caused by the pandemic impacts all of our communities, regardless of which library system serves them,” said Audrey Bar-

bakoff, community engagement and economic development manager at KCLS. “That’s why KCLS, the SPL, and now SnoIsle have come together in an innovative partnership to support job seekers throughout our region with Your Next Job.” One-on-one job support in 11 languages The Seattle Public Library’s website serves as the entry portal for Your Next Job. Job seekers can access the service at webpages in English (spl.org/YourNextJob), Spanish (spl.org/SuProximoTrabajo), and simplified Chinese (spl.org/YourNextJobzh). Your Next Job services are available for speakers of Amharic, Arabic, Chinese, English, Korean, Oromo, Russian, Somali, Spanish, Tigrinya, and Vietnamese.

Job seekers can also access Your Next Job by calling 206-386-4636 or emailing jobhelp@spl.org.

Applicants submit their contact information, describe the help they need, choose their available days and times, and pick their preferred method of contact. Your Next Job appointments are available Monday through Saturday.

Appointments are held with a librarian who can offer help with basic technology skills, a new unemployment claim, suggesting new work skills, reviewing resume resources, applying for a new job, finding interview coaching resources, and referrals to workforce and social service organizations.

Librarians can also suggest a variety of

KCLS named five-star library by Library Journal ISSAQUAH, WA (December 9, 2020) – The King County Library System (KCLS) received a five-star library rating from Library Journal (LJ) in its 13th annual review of US public libraries. KCLS is one of five libraries in its category to receive five stars from the LJ Index of Public Library Services. Out of the 5,608 public libraries that LJ reviewed, KCLS was one of 262 to earn the Star Library title.

These ratings reflect overall excellence across seven categories, based on per-capita statistics: physical circulation; circulation of electronic materials; library visits; program attendance; public internet computer use; Wi-Fi sessions; and – new this year – electronic retrievals. The new category measures the use of online content, including databases, and will help build a more complete picture of digital library use.

A Star rating not only means that the library delivers a strong return on investment, it also shows that KCLS is one of the strongest performers among its peer library systems across the country.

“KCLS is pleased to be named a fivestar library once again,” said KCLS

Executive Director Lisa Rosenblum. “We are committed to providing the highest standard of service to all King County residents, and are proud to be recognized nationally by Library Journal for our performance.”

The 2020 ranking is based on fiscal year 2018 data collected from the Institute of Museum and Library Services Public Library Survey.

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Founded in 1942, the King County Library System (KCLS) is one of the busiest public library systems in the country. Serving the communities of King County (outside the City of Seattle), KCLS currently has 50 libraries and more than 740,000 cardholders. In 2019, residents checked out more than 5.6 million digital e-books and audiobooks through Rakuten OverDrive, making KCLS the No. 3 digital circulating library in the world. In 2011, KCLS was named Library of the Year by Gale/Library Journal.

Courtesy of KCLS

free online classes and self-study resources.

All three library systems, for example, offer online proctoring and certification in Microsoft and Adobe software programs.

However, Your Next Job can’t help customers with existing unemployment claims. The Washington Department of Labor and Industries manages all claims once they are filed.

In follow-up surveys by the Seattle Public Library, job seekers who received help through Your Next Job described the support they received as attentive, helpful, tailored to their needs, and compassionate.

“That might seem like a small thing, but when you’re out in the woods and you don’t know where your next meal is coming from, it was pertinent to me to have someone say: ‘I hear you, and we’re trying to help,’” said one patron who had been helped by Your Next Job. While each session is limited to 30 minutes, librarians know many customers will need more than one appointment to get adequate support. “It’s a relationship that takes time to build,” Sno-Isle Libraries’ Emily Felt said, “especially in the vulnerable space of the job search.”

DURKAN

continued from cover Although the pandemic does present the City with huge challenges, Durkan has been burdened with many more political issues than public health alone.

Her net favorable ratings tanked over the summer in the wake of violent police response to protests following the killing of George Floyd. In fact, Durkan saw a 31-point drop in her favorability margin.

This led to a petition to recall her from office, a petition that garnered 43,000 signatures before it was quashed by the State Supreme Court.

The Seattle LGBTQ Commission, the Seattle Human Rights Commission, and the powerful UFCW 21 union – the largest private-sector union in the state – called for her to resign.

Durkan also antagonized Seattle’s Black community by seeming to pin the blame for police violence on former Chief Carmen Best, who was forced out of her position in August.

A spokesperson from King County Equity Now said, “We acknowledge [Durkan’s] decision not to run as a clear, overwhelming referendum by Seattlites – and particularly Black Seattlites – that the old normal is no longer acceptable. Leadership must be pro-Black, visionary, representative, and accountable to the people – not the Chamber [of Commerce].”

Seattle City Council member Kshama Sawant, who represents Capitol Hill and the Central District, supported the recall effort against Durkan. In return, Durkan supported the recall petition launched against Sawant.

Additional partners Additional Your Next Job partners include the Seattle Jobs Initiative, the Puget Sound Welcome Back Center, Building Our Bridge, and the Korean Community Service Center.

The Puget Sound Welcome Back Center at Highline College provides support for internationally educated professionals entering the job market in their field of study. Many are unemployed or underemployed because their skills are not recognized.

Building Our Bridge and Korean Community Service Center are communitybased organizations that provide support services for immigrants and refugees.

These partnerships provide in-language navigation services.

More information The Library brings people, information, and ideas together to enrich lives and build community. The Seattle Public Library’s buildings are currently closed, but we are providing Curbside Service for pickup of holds at 11 locations. Find out more at spl.org/Curbside, and find updates on our reopening process at the Library’s Road to Reopening page.

The Seattle Public Library has many other free online services, resources and programs available while its physical buildings remain closed. You can also contact the Library with any questions by phone at 206-386-4636. Staff are ready to answer questions and direct you to helpful resources and information during this challenging time.

Courtesy of the Seattle Public Library

“Mayor Jenny Durkan was elected with major backing from big business, including an unprecedented $350,000 check from Amazon alone,” Sawant said in a statement.

“She has served their interests well.”

Local political consultant Heather Weiner wasn’t surprised about the mayor’s announcement, because Durkan “obviously resented her job.”

Weiner told The Stranger that the only thing Durkan seemed to enjoy about being mayor was antagonizing Donald Trump, not making policy decisions or interacting with constituents.

Now that Trump is out, Durkan “no longer has that as a foil,” Weiner said. “I wonder if she would have stuck around if Trump – God forbid – would have won.”

Weiner said that anyone serious about running for mayor should announce within the next month. City Councilmembers Teresa Mosqueda and Lorena Gonzalez have been mentioned as possible candidates, but neither offered hints about any future political aspirations. Shaun Scott, Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) member and former District 4 City Council candidate, also declined to say whether he was considering running.

Cary Moon, who ran against Durkan in 2017, said she is not running. However, she added that she would be “very excited about a visionary, fearless, far-left candidate” and she promised to “do anything I can to help them win.”

Lance Randall, SEED Seattle’s Director of Economic Development and interim executive director, is a candidate, having filed his registration statement back in February.

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HRC Youth Ambassadors – Image courtesy of HRC

MITCHELL

gram and the class of 2021 members can be found at https://www.hrc.org/resources/ youth-ambassadors.

“This program is designed to amplify the important voices of teens and young adults, and engage them in helping HRC Foundation improve the lives of LGBTQ youth at home, at school, at work and beyond,” said HRC Foundation’s Director of the Youth Well-Being Program and the Time to THRIVE Conference Dr. Vincent Pompei. “These youth have real and meaningful contributions to make to HRC’s work and to their communities.”

As Youth Ambassadors, these LGBTQ advocates will represent the HRC Foundation, sharing their experiences to raise awareness about the most pressing issues facing LGBTQ youth today. They will also lend their voices to HRC Foundation programs that support LGBTQ youth, including All Children – All Families, Youth Well-Being, Welcoming Schools and HRC’s eighth annual Time to THRIVE conference in February.

Following is a short biography of Ve’ondre. More information on the pro-

Ve’ondre Mitchell is a 16-year-old proud Black/Latinx trans woman of color. She is currently in her junior year of high school and is a fierce advocate on social media.

Since she was a child, Mitchell has been driven to unapologetically live her truth, and she finds innovative and creative ways to educate and lift up the voices that need to be heard! Mitchell shines a light on popular topics of interest by sharing her experiences, giving advice and hopes and demonstrating self-confidence and self-love by sharing educational videos to a large online audience. To make changes and spread awareness in her school and her community, Mitchell strongly believes in trans visibility. She demonstrates this by singing in school assemblies, coaching her school dance team, participating in the Black Student Union, doing enlightening interviews and marching and protesting against racial and gender inequality.

continued from cover

Courtesy of HRC

Ve’ondre Mitchell – Photo courtesy of HRC

Seattle Human Rights Commission recognizes 2020 Human Rights Day Award winners SEATTLE (December 8, 2020) – Across the globe, Human Rights Day is celebrated annually on December 10, because on December 10, 1948, the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights – the first global articulation of human rights.

On July 22, 1963, twenty-two activists from ages 13 to 22 occupied Seattle City Hall for four days to protest housing segregation in the city. In response, Mayor Gordon Clinton established the Seattle Human Rights Commission, which drafted an “open housing” ordinance banning racial discrimination in housing. The bill included an emergency clause that would have allowed the Seattle City Council to pass it immediately, but the Council did not. The Council chose to put the bill on the ballot for a public vote, rather than face the backlash from white homeowners, who eventually voted against the bill.

On December 14, 2012, the Seattle City Council filed Resolution 31420, which designated Seattle as a “Human Rights City” – one of a small set of such cities worldwide.

That commitment meant the City would incorporate the universal human rights principles, stated in the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights, into its operations, interactions, values, and model for governing and administration.

The City of Seattle committed to ensuring that its residents had their human rights – clean water, healthy food, affordable housing, healthcare, due process, access to education, and employment opportunity – and that they were respected.

This year, the Commission honors the moment that we are in, centers (and leans into) our original story and our mission, stands ready to amplify the voices of com-

Marcus Harrison Green – Photo courtesy of Seattle HRC

munity, spotlights the Black experience in Seattle, and lifts up those in our community focused on doing the work of ensuring that the sanctity of life is upheld and the human rights of Seattleites are preserved.

This year, the winner of the Individual Human Rights Leader award is Marcus Harrison Green, the editor of the South Seattle Emerald. Marcus is a columnist for the Seattle Times and has written numerous pieces on issues relating to race, criminal justice, and gentrification. His founding of the South Seattle Emerald has granted a voice to the Black community and is creating a living record of the community’s culture and concerns. In the words of his

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nominator, “his writing and documentation of the protests this past summer in South Seattle was amazing.”

The winner of the Human Rights Coalition award is the Trans Women of Color Solidarity Network, which is a BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and people of color), Trans grassroots-run and Black-led collective that values self-sovereignty, building community, and maintaining low barriers for accessing the support it offers.

It advances the lives of Trans women, femmes, two-spirit people, and people of color living in Washington State by ensuring that basic needs are met. It works for the eradication of violence against Trans

December 11, 2020

people of color, advocating for their basic human rights: housing, healthcare, and freedom from police violence. In the words of its nominator on what makes the Trans Women of Color Solidarity Network’s accomplishment outstanding, it’s “the sheer [number] of people they support on an ongoing basis, ensuring their clients’ livelihood and protection.”

The winner of the Human Rights Organization award is Choose 180, which is one of the top alternative pathway programs in the criminal legal space of Seattle. The organization transforms the lives of youth and young adults by partnering with institutional leaders – connecting them with the necessary networks, and giving them the skills necessary to find and stay on the right path. Choose 180 is working toward a future where youthful behavior is decriminalized and young people are offered restorative practices in lieu of traditional prosecution. In place of the schoolto-prison pipeline, it seeks a community that will exist to help young people realize their potential and provide them with the tools necessary to achieve their goals. In the words of the nominator, “the work and success of the program marks a trailblazing direction in reimagining criminal legal systems as we see them.”

Congratulations to all the winners. We thank each of them for their hard work in the community and look forward to their future contributions.

Join us on December 10, 2020 at 6 p.m.

PST as we celebrate them and Human Rights Day with a virtual event. Register at https://bit.ly/SHRC_HRD2020.

Courtesy of the Seattle Human Rights Commission

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Northwest Youth Corps program empowers LGBTQ teens to celebrate their identities while gaining life and job skills serving at local National Parks [EDITOR’S NOTE: The Seattle Gay News received the following press release on Friday evening, October 9, 2020. In scanning our incoming email the following week, we inadvertently overlooked it. Fortunately, we came across it this past weekend and are pleased to now publish this story of Northwest Youth Corps and their work with LGBTQ teens.]

October 11th is National Coming Out Day, an annual LGBTQ awareness day to support LGBTQ people in “coming out of the closet.” While this great day of support and solidarity for the LGBTQ community helps many teenagers feel empowered to “come out,” there can be a very difficult period afterwards where young people struggle to navigate the new challenges this transition brings.

The non-profit Northwest Youth Corps (NYC), running youth development/conservation service programs since 1984, witnessed firsthand how LGBTQ youth often have many obstacles to overcome after they “come out,” whether involving family, losing friends, or not knowing how to deal with new situations. NYC’s move to create Rainbow Crews – serving teens identifying as LGBTQ+ – began when they recognized the need to be much more purposeful in supporting this community and wanted to help these young teenagers be better prepared to navigate their lives ahead.

In 2020, with support from the National Park Foundation and REI, NYC was able to offer two Rainbow Crew sessions this past summer in partnership with the National Park Service. With strict COVID-19 safety protocols in place these crews successfully completed important conservation work partnering with Mount Rainier National Park, Ebey’s Landing National Historical Preserve, and Lewis and Clark National Historical Park. These local National Parks have been huge supporters of the Rainbow Crews and exemplify their commitment in striving to be a place where people from all backgrounds feel both welcomed and are represented.

In 2016, with help from OUT There Adventures, an outdoor education organization designed to specifically help meet the needs of LGBTQ young people, and funding from the National Park Foundation, who were excited to support this new diversity, equity, and inclusion initiative, NYC created the first single identity LGBTQ conservation crew. The program offers a paid service-learning experience comprised of crewmembers serving 5 weeks with partnering National Parks, working on park maintenance and habitat restoration projects for 6-8 hours a day with daily education and life skills lessons afterwards, allowing participants to also earn high school credit. Most importantly, the Rainbow Crew provides a space for young people to be themselves, share stories and discuss common challenges.

“The National Park Service has been charged with helping to preserve and tell all of America’s stories. [https://www.nps.gov/ subjects/tellingallamericansstories/index. htm] This includes the ongoing struggle to recognize LGBTQ heritage [https://www. nps.gov/subjects/tellingallamericansstories/lgbtqheritage.htm] as embodied in places like Stonewall Inn National Monument,” [https://www.nps.gov/ston/index. htm] said Chip Jenkins, Superintendent of Mount Rainier National Park. [https:// www.nps.gov/mora/index.htm] “We are

8 Seattle Gay News

proud to work with the Northwest Youth Corps LGBTQ Rainbow Conservation Crew to ensure all people feel welcome in their national park.”

This summer the Rainbow Crew spent four weeks improving Mount Rainier National Park by brushing four miles of the Kautz Creek Trail, installing three water bars on the Eagle Peak Trail, and building substantial retaining walls along trails near Longmire. The crew also helped park staff conduct a bat survey.

“When I joined the first Northwest Youth Corps LGBTQ crew at sixteen, I was forever changed by the sense of belonging and support that I felt, for the first time in my life, as a queer person, from queer people,” said a Leader-In-Training from session-two of the summer 2019 season. This same young person credits his Rainbow

Crew experience for giving him the confidence and skills to be successful on a wilderness crew, and for his new-found desire to be a professional firefighter.

As the parent of one Rainbow Crew participant said, “Y’all are building more than trails and footbridges, y’all are building confidence and strength in our kids who are at highest risk.”

The award-winning Rainbow Crew (The Corps Network’s 2020 Project of the Year – corpsnetwork.org) is being funded through the generous support of the National Park Foundation and REI with additional support from the Dawkins Charitable Trust. Learn more about the Rainbow Crew at www.nwyouthcorps.org

1984 to offer teenagers an education-based, work experience modeled after the historic Civilian Conservation Corps of the 1930’s.

Our core purpose is to provide opportunities for youth and young adults to learn, grow, and experience success. Our programs focus on education, challenge, community, leadership and empowerment, giving youth critical life skills and confidence.

Youth leave Northwest Youth Corps knowing that they can overcome obstacles, solve problems, make friends, and attain their objectives in life.

Northwest Youth Corps serves over 1,000 youth annually in Washington, Oregon, Idaho and California. Learn more at https://www.nwyouthcorps.org.

About the Northwest Youth Corps Northwest Youth Corps was created in

Courtesy of Northwest Youth Corps

The Corps Network’s 2020 Project of the Year:

Rainbow Conservation Crew, Northwest Youth Corps (OR, WA)

Photo courtesy of Northwest Youth Corps

“At The Corps Network’s annual National Conference in Washington, DC, we celebrate the important service Corps provide to communities and young people across the country by honoring Corps who have taken on especially noteworthy endeavors within the past year. Projects of the Year are innovative and show a Corps’ ability to work with partner organizations to give Corpsmembers a positive experience and provide the community with meaningful improvements.”

In recent years, as part of an organizational commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, Northwest Youth Corps (NYC) has launched several single-identity crews. This includes the Corps’ ASL Inclusion program, as well as Native American and all-women crews. NYC’s offerings also now include the Rainbow Conservation Crew, a program for LGBTQ youth.

December 11, 2020

Single-identity crews are designed to create access to a Corps experience for populations that may be underserved in the Corps community. These programs give participants an opportunity to learn and develop skills alongside peers and Crew Leaders with whom they can relate; Corpsmembers can feel supported and empowered in expressing their true selves in a way they might not experience on a “mixed” crew.

These programs also help integrate the identities of these members into the larger environmental movement.

Unlike some facets of identity, such as perceived race or ability, people who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or “questioning” are often an invisible demographic. NYC’s move to create a single-identity LGBTQ+ crew began when they recognized the need to be much more purposeful in supporting this community.

For example, many NYC programs involve

tent camping. After surveying NYC alumni who are members of the LGBTQ community, and consulting an attorney in the field, the Corps developed a policy that recognizes the rights of Corpsmembers to use sleeping accommodations that match their identified gender. In order to more fully support LGBTQ Corpsmembers and staff, however, NYC realized the need to accompany this policy with employee training and resources.

In 2016, NYC contacted OUT There Adventures (OTA), an outdoor education organization designed to specifically help meet the needs of LGBTQ young people.

OTA Co-Founder Elyse Rylander offered valuable advice and training. In 2017, OTA and NYC partnered to field the first “Rainbow Conservation Crew” with funding from the North Face Explore Fund and Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest.

This program served nine members and

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Photo courtesy of Northwest Youth Corps

two leaders. NYC redoubled their efforts to build a more effective program in 2018, which earned a grant from the National Park Foundation and partnership with Mount Rainier National Park. In 2019, with funding from the National Park Foundation and increased support from project partners, NYC doubled the size of the program from its first year.

During the summer of 2019, NYC fielded two sessions of the Rainbow Crew. During the first four-week session, Crew Leaders led 10 youth in service projects at Lewis and Clark National Historical Park and Olympic National Park. Crewmembers removed invasive plants, cleared a blowdown, and helped create sustainable trails through building check steps, turnpikes, retaining walls, and drainage structures.

During the second five-week session, 10 LGBTQ youth served at Mount Rainier National Park. Here, the crew worked at multiple sites, using various tools to create a safer riverbed crossing, maintain clear

pathways to a campground, and complete other projects to make recreation more accessible and assist the park’s trails and habitat restoration teams.

In addition to completing projects, Corpsmembers participated in a total of 450 hours of structured education. Each participant had the opportunity to earn at least one full credit in physical education and a quarter credit for Natural Resource Education.

The Rainbow Crew offered more than a career-building experience, however. As NYC says, “it is important to remember that equity means valuing different cultures on their own terms and not merely expecting people to assimilate.” The Rainbow Crew provides a space for young people to be themselves, share stories and discuss common challenges. Unfortunately, it is estimated that LGBTQ young people comprise 40 percent of the youth homeless population. Additionally, data suggests LGBTQ youth have a suicide rate three

times greater than heterosexual teens. If managed properly, an affinity group like the Rainbow Crew can potentially provide not just a life-changing experience, but lifesaving experience. In 2019, the program received applications from across the country, suggesting there is a large audience of LGBTQ youth eager for this type of experience.

“When I joined the first NYC LGBTQ crew at sixteen, I was forever changed by the sense of belonging and support that I felt, for the first time in my life, as a queer person, from queer people,” said a LeaderIn-Training from session-two of the summer 2019 season. This same young person credits his Rainbow Crew experience for giving him the confidence and skills to be successful on a wilderness crew, and for his new-found desire to be a professional firefighter.

As the parent of one Rainbow Crew participant said, “Y’all are building more than trails and footbridges, y’all are building

confidence and strength in our kids who are at highest risk.”

As a result of the Rainbow Crew, NYC has been strengthened two-fold. First, members of the Rainbow Crew increase their skills and self-esteem and often later decide to join NYC’s traditional programming. Second, NYC’s agency partners increasingly look to the Corps to help them connect with underserved communities and provide a warmer welcome to everyone on our public lands.

This program made possible with support from the National Park Foundation and AmeriCorps.

The Corps Network – Strengthening America Through Service and Conservation – corpsnetwork.org.

Courtesy of The Corps Network

NBJC mourns the death of Skylar Heath

Image courtesy of NBJC

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WASHINGTON, DC (December 2 2020) – The National Black Justice Coalition (NBJC) mourns the death of Skylar Heath.

Skylar Heath, a 20-year-old Black transgender woman, was killed in Miami, Florida, on November 4, 2020, from a reported gunshot wound. There has been a gap in the timing concerning reports of her death because of unanswered questions and a lack of clear details. Her death is now being investigated as a homicide.

Family and friends gathered on November 21 to celebrate Skylar’s life. She has been remembered as a kind and gentle soul with a warm personality who loved her family and close friends dearly.

“We now have a record of 46 murdered trans, gender-nonconforming, and nonbinary kin in 2020, and there are still weeks that remain in the calendar year,” said NBJC’s executive director David J. Johns.

“More than half of the victims (61%) are Black trans women, 85% are trans women of any race, and more than half are under the age of 30. We know that a key issue is stigma and shame around gender, sex, and sexuality.

“We have to help people accept themselves and their desires. We have to normalize love of and for Black trans people.

We have to speak up when we see incidents of violence, ignorance, harassment, and trauma. We have to stop this violence.”

Violence against trans, gender-nonconforming, and nonbinary people in the US this year has far surpassed prior years on

record. In 2020, an average of four murders have been reported for each month, with a serious spike during summer.

“No member of the community is immune,” continued Johns. “Even Laverne Cox, actress and trans activist, was recently the victim of a transphobic attack. What we have is an epidemic of violence that is not being addressed effectively at any level.

It is crucial that protective legislation be passed, that we ramp up educational efforts to eliminate stigma, and that we don’t wait until people are a news headline to care.”

To get involved in changing your local laws, you can learn more [at https:// prosperitynow.org/putting-prosperitywithin-reach-how-do-i-advocate-forpolicy-change]. To learn how to increase safety and inclusion, [visit www.hrc.org/ resources].

Anyone with information on the death of Skylar Heath has been asked to contact Miami Police Department Homicide Detective A. Gonzalez at 305-471-2400 or Miami-Dade County Crime Stoppers at 305-471-8477.

December 11, 2020

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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. Courtesy of the NBJC

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HRC calls on Senate to reject US Court of Federal Claims nominee Stephen Schwartz WASHINGTON, DC (December 8, 2020) – Today, the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), the nation’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) civil rights organization, called on the US Senate to oppose the nomination of Stephen Schwartz to the US Court of Federal Claims.

“Schwartz has made his career by actively working to undermine LGBTQ rights – from defending North Carolina’s House Bill 2, which mandated discrimination against LGBTQ people, to supporting Gloucester County School Board’s discriminatory restroom policy that segregated transgender students from their peers,” said HRC President Alphonso

David. “Schwartz is unqualified and unfit for any court, yet the Republican leadership in the Senate is attempting to advance his nomination through the lame duck with only days until President-elect Biden takes office. The United States Senate must reject the nomination of Stephen Schwartz.”

Stephen Schwartz has a record of working to undermine the rights of LGBTQ people. Schwartz worked to defend North Carolina House Bill 2, a law restricting access to gender-appropriate facilities and prohibiting municipalities from protecting LGBTQ people from discrimination.

Mr. Schwartz represented the North Carolina legislators intervening in litigation against the governor and subsequently the

Department of Justice to ensure a strong defense of the discriminatory bill. He also served as counsel to the Gloucester County School Board, defending the school board’s discriminatory restroom policy that segregated transgender students from their peers. Mr. Schwartz argued that Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 does not protect students from discrimination on the basis of gender identity.

Schwartz also has a deeply troubling recording on a range of civil rights issues – from efforts to have the Supreme Court reconsider the Fourth Circuit’s decision to strike down problematic voter ID law, to supporting Arizona’s law refusing to provide driver’s licenses to Deferred Action

Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients, to defending Louisiana against constitutional challenges to multiple state laws restricting access to reproductive care.

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

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

Courtesy of the HRC

Supreme Court again rejects challenge to Trans-affirming school policies WASHINGTON, DC (December 7, 2020) – The Supreme Court today declined to hear Parents for Privacy v. William P. Barr et al., allowing school districts to continue to affirm transgender students by allowing them to use the same restrooms and locker rooms as their peers.

In 2018, the American Civil Liberties Union and the ACLU of Oregon moved to intervene on behalf of Basic Rights Oregon (BRO) in a case about transgender students’ rights. The case involved a chal-

lenge brought to the Dallas School District’s practice of permitting a boy who is transgender to use the same restrooms and locker rooms as other boys. The plaintiffs in the case claimed that merely protecting the rights of transgender students violates the rights of non-transgender students.

BRO intervened to defend the school’s policy. The lower courts sided with BRO and the school. Today’s cert denial leaves the affirming policy in place. BRO has spent over 20 years advocating for legal

protections for the LGBTQ community in Oregon, and has supported transgender students and families in Dallas and beyond.

Chase Strangio, deputy director for trans justice with the ACLU’s LGBT & HIV Project, had the following response: “The Supreme Court has once again said that transgender youth are not a threat to other students. As we look towards state legislative sessions that will likely continue the attacks on trans youth, the decision not to take this case is an important and power-

ful message to trans and nonbinary youth that they deserve to share space with and enjoy the benefits of school alongside their nontransgender peers. We will continue to fight in courts, in legislatures, and in our families and communities to ensure that all trans people feel safe and belong.”

Courtesy of the ACLU

New federal contractors’ rule creates “essentially limitless” religious exemption WASHINGTON, DC (December 7, 2020) – The US Department of Labor’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) today issued a final rule that dramatically expands the ability of federal contractors to claim religious exemptions from federal nondiscrimination and equal employment opportunity laws and regulations. Lambda Legal Director of Law and Policy Jennifer Pizer, issued the following statement: “It is hard to overstate the harm that the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs is visiting on LGBTQ people, women, religious minorities, and others with the sledgehammer it is taking to federal nondiscrimination protections. For nearly 80 years, it has been a core American principle that seeking and receiving federal tax dollars to do work for the American people means promising not to discriminate against one’s own workers with those funds. This new rule uses religion to create an essentially limitless exemption allowing taxpayer-funded contractors to impose their religious beliefs on their employees without regard to the resulting harms, such as unfair job terms, invasive proselytizing, and other harassment that make job settings unbearable for workers targeted on religious grounds.

“The Department of Labor has crafted a grotesquely overbroad exemption that will be used by many federal contractors as a totally improper, catch-all defense to discrimination complaints. The rule allows contractors, including large for-profit companies, to use the special treatment designed for religious organizations if they

merely ‘affirm [] a religious purpose in response to inquiries from a member of the public or a government entity.’ This adds yet another gaping hole to the Swiss cheese the Trump administration has been systematically making of our country’s essential civil rights protections.”

Lambda Legal Senior Attorney Sasha Buchert added: “There are almost 4 million employees who work for federal contractors, including another 1.6 million who work for federal grantees impacted by this

10 Seattle Gay News

December 11, 2020

rule. Already, from one-third to one-half of the 8.1 million LGBTQ employees nationwide report facing discrimination on the job. This rule effectively allows almost any federal contractor to claim a right to fire a person, deny health benefits, or take other forms of discriminatory action for marrying a same-sex partner or coming out as transgender, or who the employer or wouldbe employer discovers is transgender, for living in accordance with their gender identity. The harm to those who already face

pervasive discrimination is incalculable.”

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 policy work. More at www.lambdalegal.org.

Courtesy of Lambda Legal

HEALTH

SLAA New Beginnings 12 Step Program continues online in Seattle Sex and Love Addicts Anonymous is a 12 Step Program in the tradition of Alcoholics Anonymous. SLAA New Beginnings is a Seattle-based self-help group dedicated to our own recovery and sobriety which has meetings every day of the year at noon PST. Our members come together to address an obsessive/compulsive pattern – either sexual or emotional (or both) – in our relationships or activities which we find increasingly destructive in our lives – in

our careers, in our families, or in our sense of self-respect. We are LGBTQ-friendly, as addiction transcends sexual orientation and gender identity.

Our meetings, conducted remotely over phone or video, have members who join us from Seattle and all over the country. All adults 18 or older who think they might have an addictive pattern in their sexual and emotional relationships, including but not limited to compulsive fantasy, sexual/

social anorexia, romantic obsession, or any other repeatable habits that affect their relationships, are welcome to join us. We meet daily at noon. Dial into the call at (978) 990-5190 and use access code 4464975#, or on the FreeConferenceCall.com app, join meeting ID dominicslaa.

Courtesy of SLAA New Beginnings

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HRC and Tent Partnership for Refugees join forces with more than 20 global businesses to support over 1,000 refugees in North America NEW YORK (December 8, 2020) – Today, the Human Rights Campaign Foundation (HRC), the educational arm of the nation’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) civil rights organization, and the Tent Partnership for Refugees, a network of over 130 major companies committed to integrating refugees, have joined forces to mobilize businesses in North America to support LGBTQ refugees. Altogether, 23 companies have announced their collective commitment to provide mentorship opportunities to approximately 1,250 LGBTQ refugees over the next three years.

At the North American Business Summit on LGBTQ Refugees, convened virtually

by Tent and the Human Rights Campaign, these companies recognized the challenges for LGBTQ refugees as they seek to integrate into their new communities. The businesses have each pledged to mentor at least 50 LGBTQ refugees via their LGBTQ Employee Resource Groups – preparing refugees to enter the job market and [offering] access to employment opportunities.

Eyewear company Warby Parker has committed to mentoring LGBTQ refugees in New York, whereas Hilton will mentor refugees in Dallas and Washington DC, and Under Armour will focus its mentoring activities in Austin and Baltimore. Accenture, an HRC Platinum corporate partner, is expanding its commitment to inclusion by mentoring refugees in Toronto.

Other major companies, spanning sectors from health care to hospitality and from consulting to financial services, have also stepped up to mentor LGBTQ refugees across North America. They include: ADP, AT&T Mexico, Bain & Company, CIBC, CompuCom, GSK, Chobani, Finastra, Huron, IBM, Ipsos, Kearney, Medtronic, Nomura, SAP, Scotiabank, Softchoice, TD Bank Group, and Von Wobeser y Sierra.

“Refugees have been disproportionately affected by the economic crisis, with many losing their jobs – and we know that LGBTQ refugees face even bigger hurdles,” said Hamdi Ulukaya, CEO of Chobani and founder of Tent. “Especially in the current economic climate, I am incredibly proud of the companies standing up for human rights and dignity, including Chobani. The business community must use its power to build more inclusive communities that protect the most vulnerable among us.”

Mr. Ulukaya was joined at the summit

by Alphonso David, president of the Human Rights Campaign and a former refugee from Liberia; and Samantha Power, former US ambassador to the United Nations and a member of President Obama’s cabinet.

“LGBTQ refugees and asylum seekers are fleeing the same persecution and violence facing refugees across the world.

Many are fleeing places where simply being who they are puts them in danger of imprisonment or even death,” said David. “LGBTQ refugees, like all people, deserve the ability to not only survive but to thrive as newcomers. Partnering with Tent and the business community on this initiative will impact the lives of countless LGBTQ refugees.”

Many LGBTQ refugees have been forced to flee their home countries due to persecution directly related to their sexual orientation or gender identity. Sixty-nine countries still criminalize same-sex relations, and nine may impose the death penalty. Transgender people face incredible levels of discrimination and violence without legal recourse in countries around the globe. While there are no official figures available, it is estimated that Canada, Mexico, and the US each host thousands of LGBTQ refugees and asylum seekers.

“There are still far too many countries

that persecute people for who they love or who they are,” said Ambassador Power, who serves on Tent’s Advisory Council. “While we must do more to provide a safe haven for those who need to flee, we must also do more to help them stand on their feet when they’re resettled in their new homes. Businesses mentoring LGBTQ refugees is a step in the right direction – and will make a meaningful difference in refugees’ lives.”

“Businesses and communities thrive when our teams are inclusive, equitable, and diverse. As business leaders, we have a responsibility to ensure that anyone entering the workforce has the opportunity and resources they need to achieve their professional goals,” said Neil Blumenthal, co-founder and co-CEO of Warby Parker.

“Mentorship plays a critical role in that and our team is honored and excited to support LGBTQ+ refugees through this program. At Warby Parker, we’ve always strived to create an environment where our teams can bring their authentic selves to work. Our hope is that

we can provide that support to the LGBTQ+ refugee community as they seek new and continued employment opportunities.”

“As a business founded on the noble premise that international travel can be a bridge to world peace, Hilton is proud to join with Tent, HRC, and others in support of LGBTQ refugees,” said Laura Fuentes, Hilton’s chief human resources officer.

“Our team members are eager to demonstrate our values of hospitality and offer career guidance and skills development to our refugee partners, empowering them to bring their full, true selves to work each and every day.”

With more and more refugees displaced for longer periods of time, businesses have a critical role to play in helping refugees integrate economically in their new host communities. The Tent Partnership for Refugees mobilizes the global business community to improve the lives and livelihoods of 30 million refugees who have

been forcibly displaced from their home countries. Founded by Chobani’s founder and CEO Hamdi Ulukaya in 2016, it is a network of over 130 major companies committed to including refugees. Tent believes that companies can most sustainably support refugees by leveraging their core business operations – by engaging refugees as potential employees, entrepreneurs, and consumers. More at www.tent.org.

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

Photo by Wilfredo Lee / AP

BUTTIGIEG

continued from cover keep him closer to the centers of political power in the US. That spot has already been filled, however, by Linda Thomas-Greenfield.

Axios reports that Buttigieg was also under consideration for secretary of veterans affairs but that initial discussions for that post “didn’t firm up.”

He is reportedly still being mentioned for other domestic posts, including the Departments of Transportation or Commerce.

But Buttigieg has signaled to the transition team that he’s most interested in the foreign policy or national security realm,

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Axios’s sources said.

Biden reportedly likes Buttigieg personally, having said of him, “I don’t think I’ve ever done this before, but he reminds me of my son Beau. I know that may not mean much to most people, but, to me, it’s the highest compliment I can give any man or woman.”

Buttigieg reciprocated the friendly feeling, having been one of Biden’s first rivals to endorse him after the South Carolina primary.

If Buttigieg is sent to China, it will be a reversal of US government practice. The Beijing post has often gone to senior politicians toward the middle or end of their careers, like former Washington governor Gary Locke, as a way to signal US respect

for China.

A Buttigieg nomination, on the other hand, would invert that model by sending a relative newcomer to Beijing, but it would give the Chinese an opportunity to get to know a potential future president. That also happened with George H.W. Bush in 1974, when President Ford appointed him to the US liaison office in Beijing.

Some of Buttigieg’s backers are said to be unhappy with an ambassadorial post.

They would prefer that Buttigieg get a domestic cabinet role in which he can build relationships with Black voters, who largely rejected his candidacy.

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Music of Remembrance launches “Stormy Seas” on Dec. 13

MOR continues its virtual concert season with “Stormy Seas”, featuring a world premiere about child boat refugees and a musical tribute to Ladino heritage On Sunday, December 13, Music of Remembrance (MOR) continues its season of all-new virtual concerts with its second program, “Stormy Seas”. The concert will be available online for two weeks beginning Sunday, December 13, 2020. Information is available at www.musicofremembrance.org.

“Stormy Seas” (streaming Dec. 13 Dec. 27) features the world premiere of Iranian-American composer Sahba Aminikia’s work of that title. It tells five inspiring true stories of young people who braved the peril of setting sail in search of safe shores: from Nazi Germany; from communist Cuba; from war-torn Vietnam; from Taliban-infested Afghanistan; from an orphanage in Ivory Coast. The work is a testament to hope and courage, and an appeal to our shared humanity.

The program also explores the oftenoverlooked story of Greece’s Sephardic communities in the Holocaust. It takes us on a timeless journey with poignant settings of two Ladino songs of love and loss.

Rodas Recordada by Canadian composer Sid Robinovitch, based on a haunting Ladino ballad, has revealed a fascinating arc from the island of Rhodes to the city of

Seattle. The concert also includes chamber works by three wartime Dutch composers whose lives and music deserve to be better known: Dick Kattenburg; Géza Frid and Max Vredenburg.

MOR’s season’s theme, “Endurance of Hope,” represents a message of strength and perseverance. “At a time when the pandemic has sent us on a voyage that none of us could have expected,” remarks Artistic Director Miller, “our season’s theme is also one of journeys: journeys in search of safety and freedom, of identity, of hope in the face of daunting odds, and odysseys to new lives in new lands. Remembering these stories strengthens our resolve to prevent human tragedies from happening again.”

Tickets for virtual concerts are on sale now: www.musicofremembrance.org

About Music of Remembrance Now in its 23rd year, MOR remembers the Holocaust through music and honors the resilience of all people excluded or persecuted for their faith, nationality, ethnicity, gender or sexuality. In addition to rediscovering and performing music from the Holocaust, MOR has commissioned and premiered more than 30 new works by some of today’s leading composers, drawing on the Holocaust’s lessons to address urgent questions for our own time.

About the Music of Remembrance ensemble MOR’s stellar ensemble is drawn from the ranks of the Seattle Symphony. Special guests include pianist Jessica Choe, baritone José Rubio, mezzo soprano Karen Early Evans, soprano Tess Altiveros, and guitarist Michael Partington.

“Stormy Seas” Program (Dec. 13 Dec. 27) • Max Vredenburg – Lamento (1952) – Susan Gulkis Assadi, viola; Jessica Choe, piano • Dick Kattenburg – String Trio (1938) – Mikhail Shmidt, violin; Susan Gulkis

Assadi, viola; Walter Gray, cello • Two Ladino Songs – Adio Querida – José Rubio, baritone – Alvores lloran por luvias –Karen Early Evans, mezzo soprano – Laura DeLuca, clarinet; Walter Gray, cello; Michael Partington, guitar – World Premiere, arrangement by Sid Robinovitch • Sid Robinovitch – Rodas Recordada (2005) – Tess Altiveros, soprano; Karen Early Evans, mezzo soprano; José Rubio, baritone – Laura DeLuca, clarinet; Walter Gray, cello; Michael Partington, guitar • Géza Frid – String Trio, Op. 1 (1926) – Mikhail Shmidt, violin; Susan Gulkis Assadi, viola; Walter Gray, cello • Sahba Aminikia – Stormy Seas (2020) – World Premiere Commissioned by Music of Remembrance – Child performers: Lila Noelle Bahng; Vritika Gupta; Mikayla Sanchez; Mia Habermann; Makayla Burley; Victoria Evans – Ensemble: Laura DeLuca, clarinet; Mikhail Shmidt, violin; Walter Gray, cello; Jessica Choe, piano; Erich Parce, director; Andrew Mayatskiy, video producer Courtesy of Music of Remembrance

Showtunes Theatre Company showcases local favorites Billie Wildrick & Cayman Ilika in special musical theatre concert event On November 13, 2020, two of the Pacific Northwest’s premier leading ladies joined together – at an appropriate social distance – to create a special evening of musical theatre magic and a one-of-a-kind live streaming concert event experience, TOUCHING VOICES: Billie Wildrick and Cayman Ilika. With the guiding hand of Musical Director and newly appointed Artistic Director of Showtunes Theatre Company Nathan Young at the helm, Wildrick and Ilika shined the spotlight on more than a dozen gems from the American Songbook in a sterling showcase that reveals exactly why these two powerhouse divas are among the most sought after singing actors in the Seattle theatre demimonde.

The first in a planned series of several online concerts, TOUCHING VOICES is the only Showtunes project to come to fruition before the second wave of COVID19 restrictions released by Washington Governor Jay Inslee, including new limitations on singing in public and the temporary prohibition of musical ensembles.

Under the new Quarantine Guidelines, a soloist may be joined by a single musician, barring any musical theatre outside of Act One of Song & Dance, if the sole role of Emma is accompanied by the one-man band contraption Dick Van Dyke played in Mary Poppins.

Speaking of P.L. Travers’ mystical no-nonsense nanny, the title character is just one of many signature starring roles already assayed by the formidably talented Cayman Ilika, a prodigiously accomplished and experienced thespian despite her relative youth. She has already built an impressive resume with a broad scope of material and a wide range – from Mary

18 Seattle Gay News

Poppins and Patsy Cline to Nancy in Oliver!, Julie in Showboat, Maria Von Trapp in The Sound of Music and Nellie Forbush in South Pacific – with both a flair for serious fare and seasoned comic chops. She is in fine form here, knocking songs like Carole King’s “Beautiful” out of the park and also showing a more introspective side with Norah Jones’ “The Nearness of You.” Similarly blessed with a distinctive voice, diverse dramatic gifts, a knack for comedy, funky style and quirky beauty, Billie Wildrick has firmly ensconced herself locally as both a compelling musical theatre actor (most recently as the smothering mother Margaret in the acclaimed Showtunes concert version of Adam Guettel’s The Light In The Piazza) and a skillful stage director (her 2019 production of Frank Loesser’s Guys & Dolls at Village was marked by its kinetic energy and a certain je ne sais Issaquah).

Following a poignant and beautiful opening duet with Ilika on Jason Robert

December 11, 2020

Brown’s “I’d Give It All For You,” the stylish Wildrick quips, “You’re in your living room ... and you don’t have to wear pants!”

We can see that this concert is indeed made up of all sorts of Songs For A New World, a post-Pandemic Lockdown milieu where Musical Theatre and Cabaret are reinvented for a Zoom Room with a View The entertainment continues with a mutual admiration society in song, as the two shower each other with praise and positivity in the unlikely “You Shine,” from the cult favorite Carrie: The Musical. Here the duo displays their remarkable affinity for harmonizing with an impeccable vocal blend, which they later employ to stirring effect on a string of The Great White Way’s most fabulous duets, including a haunting “In Lily’s Eyes”, the soaring two hander for the estranged brothers in The Secret Garden; “You’re Never Fully Dressed Without A Smile” from Annie; “No One Is Alone” from Into The Woods; “You’ll Never Walk Alone” from Carousel;

and “I Will Never Leave You” from Side Show.

Wildrick scores with a whimsical take on Jonathan Coulton’s “The Future Is Now,” as well as a searing rendition of Stephen Sondheim’s anthemic “There Won’t Be Trumpets,” cut from Anyone Can Whistle, the inaugural musical for Showtunes! at its start two decades ago; in fact the germ of an idea for this concert began last February, when the pair partnered on the Kander & Ebb classic “Sing Happy!” to kick off the SHOWTUNES! 20th Anniversary Gala Fundraiser, raising over $50,000 in one night for the illustrious organization less than a week before Quarantine shut down the world and canceled the company’s planned summer staging of Jerry Herman’s Tony Award winner La Cage aux Folles.

Showtunes has extended the window for streaming TOUCHING VOICES: Billie Wildrick and Cayman Ilika for FREE through Christmas! To watch, visit https:// tinyurl.com/touchingvoices.

While the future of musical theatre, cabaret and live entertainment is uncertain, Showtunes is planning to continue its streaming concert series with a special Valentine’s Day concert in February and a multi-generational evening of entertainment featuring both younger artists and veteran performers in March. Your support is always welcome and donations to the 501(c) (3) non-profit are 100% tax deductible.

If you would like to make a contribution, please visit one of the links below: ht t ps://app. a r ts-people.com /index. php?donation=show https://paypal.me/showtunestheatre?locale. x=en_US

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Rainbow City Concert Band presents “The Duke’s Swing-Along Nutcracker” Dec. 20 at 2pm As part of the Rainbow City Performing Arts’ (RCPA) 2020-2021 season entitled Rainbow Connections, RCPA presents “The Duke’s Swing-Along Nutcracker.” RCPA tips its hat to sister band, the San Francisco Lesbian/Gay Freedom Band, who first performed the inclusive and engaging “Dance-Along Nutcracker” concert back in the 80’s! RCPA invites its friends and family to dust off their dancin’ shoes, push their couches up against the wall, watch out for Fido, and swing along from home!

For our Rainbow Connections Season this year, we want to take a holiday tradition, The Nutcracker, and present the swing version by Duke Ellington. One of the most longstanding ways that humans connect is through movement and dance. This live stream performance will feature RCPA’s Purple Passion Swing Band, its full Rainbow City Concert Band, and spotlight its Percussion Section! The Northwest Swing Dance Company will also lead our audience in a quick swing lesson so everyone can impress their neighbors! Special guest performer Noelle Fabian Dragon will take the stage alongside the Purple Passion Swing Band as a Swing Clarinetist! “The Duke’s Swing Along Nutcracker” livestream will begin on Sunday December 20 at 2pm PST. Artistic Director Tim Norris says, “RCPA’s 2020-2021 Rainbow Connections

Season embarks on a new journey and continues to inspire diverse, equitable, and inclusive environments for music expression. Now more than ever, RCPA wishes to celebrate the many different ways people connect.”

Everyone is welcome to attend RCPA’s livestream event free on Facebook and Vimeo. More information is available at http://rainbowcityband.com. Donations can be made to http://links.rainbowcityband.

com/swing or by texting “swing” to 44321.

RCPA is a 501(c)(3) non-profit group that provides opportunities for people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and allied to share their musical talents through public performances. They foster music education, friendships and community giving. In addition to Rainbow City Concert Band, RCPA also includes Purple Passion Swing Band and Combo, Rainbow City

Marching Band, SpinOUT Color Guard, and other small ensembles.

More information about Rainbow City Band can be found at http://www.rainbowcityband.com and at https://www.facebook. com/RainbowCityPerformingArts. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram @rainbowcityband.

Courtesy of Rainbow City Band

Cyndi Lauper announces 10th annual Home for the Holidays benefit concert NEW YORK (December 7, 2020) – Cyndi Lauper – the Grammy-, Emmy-, and Tony-winning icon and advocate – has announced that her 10th annual Home for the Holidays benefit concert will premiere on Friday, December 11 exclusively on her TikTok at 8 p.m. EST, with an additional stream Sunday, December 13 on Lauper’s YouTube and Facebook handles at 8 p.m. EST. This 10th iteration of her beloved benefit concert is a remarkable achievement and a momentous occasion for Lauper and True Colors United, the organization she co-founded 12 years ago to prevent and end homelessness among lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and questioning (LGBTQ) youth. One hundred percent of the net proceeds of Home for the Holidays goes to support the work of True Colors United to prevent and end this urgent issue.

For more information, to set a reminder, and to watch on TikTok, YouTube, and Facebook, [go to] truecolorsunited.org/ homefortheholidays.

Hosted by Lauper, this year’s Home for the Holidays boasts a jaw-dropping line-up that befits the significance of the concert’s 10th anniversary. This year’s event will feature appearances and performances by: Adam Lambert, Amanda Shires & Jason Isbell, Bette Midler, Billie Eilish, Billy Porter, Billy Steinberg, Boy George, Brandi Carlile, Brittany Howard, Carson Kressley, Cher, Dolly Parton, Harvey Fierstein, Henry Rollins, Jackson Browne, Judy Gold, Justin Tranter, Kim Petras, King Princess, Kinky Boots, LL Cool J, Meg Myers, Phoebe Bridgers, Sharon Osbourne, Shea Diamond, Taylor Swift, Tom Kelly, Tracy Young, Whoopi Goldberg, and Youth Pride Chorus.

The Home for the Holidays livestream will premiere exclusively on TikTok on December 11, as part of TikTok’s “Giving Szn,” a month-long program that partners with notable charitable organizations to raise awareness and fundraise for a variety of causes that are important to the TikTok community. The concert will livestream again on Lauper’s YouTube channel and Facebook page on Sunday, December 13.

United Nations, which honors and celebrates major recording artists for outstanding achievement in using their music and celebrity platform to advocate for social justice worldwide.

Home for the Holidays is free to watch, with fans encouraged to donate to True Colors United via donation button and stickers on TikTok, YouTube, and Facebook, as well as through Text-to-Give (Text TrueColors to 24365) and www.truecolorsunited.org.

Home for the Holidays is proud to have the support of the following: Presenting Sponsor TikTok; Diamond Sponsor: AEG; Gold Sponsor: The Estée Lauder Companies; Silver Sponsor: Stifel; and Bronze Sponsors: ABC, Dr. Keith Bell - Licensed Acupuncturist, Donenfeld Management, So What Management, and Western Digital.

For more information please visit: www. truecolorsunited.org/homefortheholidays True Colors United, co-founded in 2008

by Cyndi Lauper, implements innovative solutions to youth homelessness that focus on the unique experiences of LGBTQ young people. Through a broad array of training and education, youth action, technical assistance, and advocacy programs, True Colors United is creating a world where all young people can be their true selves.

Lauper will pop on to chat with fans during all livestreams.

“It’s been a crazy year, but I am grateful for so many things: my immensely talented and generous friends who keep showing up for us year after year; the technology that is going to make it possible to bring our virtual concert to more people than ever; and all of our partners who help True Colors United do the work that we do. The Home for the Holidays concert is 10 years and over 100 artists in, and has raised over $3 million, which is beyond what I could have imagined when we began. Most importantly though, we are truly helping LGBTQ young people experiencing homelessness.

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And to all of the fans who watch, donate, and celebrate with us, you are family. And I thank you,” [said] Lauper.

The concert will also feature the premiere of an animated PSA, with voiceover

by Lauper, that launches the first-ever global campaign on LGBTIQ+ youth homelessness. True Colors United has partnered with the United Nations Human Rights Office on this groundbreaking campaign to bring focus to the fact that LGBTIQ+ young people everywhere deserve a safe place to call home.

During last year’s Home for the Holidays concert, Lauper was presented the inaugural High Note Global Prize by the

December 11, 2020

True Colors United has built a welcoming, more inclusive society for LGBTQ youth experiencing homelessness. By collaborating with service providers, government and community leaders, and young people from all across the country, it’s made it easier for LGBTQ youth experiencing homelessness to get the help they need.

Whether it is free trainings on LGBTQ inclusion for thousands of stakeholders, sharpening the skills of young leaders who have experienced homelessness, or ensuring that communities across the country have the funding and programs they need, True Colors United is leading the way to end youth homelessness once and for all.

Courtesy of Mighty Real Agency

Seattle Gay News 19

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American Ballet Theatre presents Touché first-ever male pas de deux The ability to see oneself on screen has never been more important than today.

Touché, meaning “touched” in French, is American Ballet Theatre’s first-ever male pas de deux and reflects our universal desire to connect with each other.

Touché brings to the stage an important love story of two male dancers navigating lust and intimacy. Choreographer Christopher Rudd, alongside Intimacy Director Sara Lozoff, sought to highlight the importance of normalizing queer love, desire, and relationships.

Featuring recently promoted ABT Principal Dancer Calvin Royal III and corps de ballet dancer João Menegussi, Touché is one of four new creations on a program celebrating ABT’s 80th Anniversary, ABT Today: The Future Starts Now on YouTube.

Under diligent health and safety protocols, dancers and choreographers lived in cabins in Silver Bay, NY, for four weeks to bring this groundbreaking work to life.

Touché is moving the conversation forward on diversity and inclusion in dance and our culture at large.

Watch Touché Trailer at https://vimeo. com/471108950 Watch Touché Performance at https:// www.youtube.com/watch?v=3O0fXIIemd E&feature=youtu.be&t=1305 Courtesy of American Ballet Theatre – www.abt.org

Calvin Royal III and João Menegussi in Touché – Photo by Matador Content

“Christmas B-Sides & Rarities” **Live-Streaming** A Non-Holiday Holiday Event Dec. 21 WHO: West of Lenin & B-Sides WHAT: “Christmas B-Sides & Rarities” **Live-Streaming** WHEN: Monday, December 21st, 2020 @ 7:00pm PST WHY: To celebrate the dark and bluesy side of the holidays STREAM LINK: https://bit.ly/2L6jPa4 TICKETS: Pay-What-You-Can Donation About “Christmas B-Sides & Rarities” **Live-Streaming** As the COVID-19 pandemic has all but derailed and wrecked everyone’s holiday plans we’d like to offer a bit of balm for those abraded expectations. Join us for the reboot of our darkly colorful, occasionally cynical, often funny, and decidedly musical variety show, “Christmas B-Sides & Rarities!” We guarantee it will not only offer an ideal distraction for your seasonal woes, but a perfect antidote to the overly cheery, relentlessly commercialized traditional Christmas fare.

This season’s one-night variety show features the storytelling talents of Jim and Olivia Jewell, Glen Erik Hamilton, Paul Shipp, Joe Zavadil and Gerard Menendez.

You’ll hear new music from Mazonowicz, Brittany Allyson and Uncle Eray and his band. We’ll revisit some “Christmas B-Sides” hits of yore from Rob MacGregor and Cole Hornaday and celebrate the triumphant (albeit animated) return of celebrated Seattle comedy duo Gude/Laurance. So, let’s all pour a drink, turn our faces toward the warmth of our computer screens, our backs to the cold, indifferent night and confirm the best way to survive the holidays is through a concentrated group effort.

Recommended for viewers 18 years of age.

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About “Christmas B-Sides & Rarities” “Christmas: B-Sides & Rarities” began in 2010 as a tribute to a local actor who lost his battle with alcoholism and evolved into a semi-regular cabaret celebration of the season with a dark, occasionally cynical, often funny, barrage of theatre, music, poetry and more. The Christmas show eventually splintered into multiple themes; 2013 saw “Baseball: B-Sides & Rarities” and later “Seattle: B-Sides & Rarities” as well.

December 11, 2020

About West of Lenin West of Lenin is a state-of-the-art, intimate black box theatre and studio space located in Seattle’s Fremont neighborhood. Owned and operated by Seattle theater entrepreneur AJ Epstein, West of Lenin is also available as a rental venue. A well-equipped and intimate space it offers a wide range of programming, from inhouse and guest produced plays, to musical events, readings and more, West of Lenin is

a local entertainment destination.

West of Lenin Social Media Website: WestofLenin.com Twitter: @WestofLenin Facebook: /WestofLenin Instagram: @WestofLenin Courtesy of West of Lenin

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FILM

2020 Georgetown Super 8 Film Festival Walking Tour Dec. 12 - Jan. 10 Award-winning films from the 2020 Georgetown Super 8 Film Festival, a community-centered film festival in the Duwamish Valley, will be playing on monitors strategically located outside of several Georgetown businesses as part of a COVID-friendly walking tour kicking off on December 12th. Individuals and small groups (from the same household) can go on this self-guided tour anytime until January 10th. Audio from the films can be heard on your own device using a QR code. Most short films are less than 3 minutes long and the entire tour is expected to take between 90 minutes and 2 hours including the approximately 2.5 mile walk.

Opening December 12 in conjunction with Georgetown Art Attack from 6-8 p.m. and closing January 10 (after second art attack). Screens will be operational each day from mid-day and may be turned off at night.

Like many organizations, the Georgetown Super 8 Film Festival had to get creative in 2020 in response to the global pandemic that hit right as filmmakers were finishing their films. Plans for the usual large screening event were put on hold in favor of an online festival this past June. It is a shame because the GS8 received a grant from the

• All City Coffee (1205 S Vale St) Where the Cats Play by Davis Creative Productions – Youth Filmmaker Award The Ghosts of Georgetown by Hazel, Lucy, and Emma (neighborhood 5th, now 6th graders) – Youth Filmmaker Award • Georgetown Records (1201 S Vale St) A Glimpse of the Connections Museum

by Neil Rhoades and Alyson StonerRhoades – Jonathan Marlow’s Award Runner-Up Return of Robot by Grant Crawford – Brennan Chamber’s Award and Shannon Gee’s Award Runner-Up

Photo by Janet Neuhauser

Duwamish River Opportunity Fund and the planned event would have been epic. However, we expect the walking tour will be a safe and fun way to get people to these businesses and put a bit more life into the streets.

To view ALL films from the GS82020 festival and learn more about the program

AND the GS82020 Walking Tour, visit www.georgetownsuper8.com.

The 2020 Georgetown Super 8 Film Festival Walking Tour (Dec. 12 - Jan 10) will screen at the following locations:

• Jelly Fish Brewing (917 S Nebraska St) In Search of the Perfect Beer by John Krull & Yukari Romano – Filmmakers Choice Award West Nebraska by Just John – Shannon Gee’s Award

HEALTH

Holiday season an ideal time for a refresher on proper lifting LAKE CITY, WA (December 9, 2020) – From digging out boxes of holiday decor and hauling packages to and from the home, to hiding gifts away on higher shelves at the back of your closet, the holiday season requires its fair share of bending, lifting, and reaching.

This, coupled with the cooler weather, makes December an ideal time for a refresher on proper lifting methods, says Lake City physical therapist assistant Tom Spencer.

“Back pain and injury can put a real damper on the holiday season, yet it’s one of the most common conditions we treat as medical professionals,” said Spencer, clinic director of Peak Sports & Spine Physical Therapy in Lake City.

“Fortunately, it’s also a condition that’s preventable. One of the ways to keep the spine healthy is learning and practicing proper lifting techniques.”

Needless to say, preventing back pain is a key concern when someone does a lot of bending and lifting. After all, approximately 80% of all Americans will experience back pain at some point in their lives, making it one of the top causes of disability in the US. The back, however, should not be one’s only area of concern when lifting.

“When we talk about proper lifting techniques, we’re talking about protecting the back, yes. But we’re also looking to minimize strain on the entire body,” Spencer said. “The goal is to put yourself in a position that allows the body’s musculoskeletal system to work as one cohesive unit, without putting too much strain on one area, such as the lower back, hips, or shoulders.”

Taking this all into consideration, Spencer offers the following tips for proper lifting: • Warm up: Don’t ever assume your body is ready to lift heavy objects without first being thoroughly warmed up. Take the time to stretch your lower back, legs, and hips. Also, do a few jumping jacks, high

• 9 LB Tavern (6009 Airport Way S) Figure Man by Anthony Thambynayagam – People’s Choice Award and Brennan Chamber’s Award Runner-Up Block Party by Clint Berquist – Duwamish Longhouse and Friends of Georgetown History Award Runner-Up • El Sirenito (5901 Airport Way S) Hold Fast by Chris Pfeifle – Lyn McCracken’s Award Runner-Up Endemic by Kevin Coulton – Rana San’s Award Runner-Up

• studio e (609 S Brandon St) “Private appointments during the week.

Open for drop-in visits between 1-5 p.m. on Saturdays (5 people max). Contact Dawna Holloway for appointment 206.762.3322.”

The Great Paralysis by Stephen Leonard Samelko – Rana San’s Award letters to [and from] Pablo by Rana San – Jonathan Marlow’s Award • Brother Joe (5629 Airport Way) Headstones by Jesse Moore & Patty Foley – Lyn McCracken’s Award Special Olympics by Cedar Bushue & Jean-Paul Builes – Spirit of GS8 Award

Photo by Any Lane from Pexels

knees, or lunges to get your blood flowing.

• Get close: Avoid reaching for heavy or moderately sized objects. Get nice and close to the box or object to minimize the force (in the arms, shoulders, and back) necessary to lift the item.

• Bend and lift with the knees: We’ve all heard this before, and that’s because it’s true. Keep your back straight and body upright as you lower yourself to the object in question. Then, use your legs to rise into a standing position.

• Get a grip: If you can’t get a strong, comfortable grip on an object – even if you know you can carry the weight – don’t push your luck. Find someone to help or an alternative way of moving the object from point A to B, such as a handcart or dolly.

• Reverse the steps: When you get to where you’re going, set the item down just as you picked it up, but in reverse. Keep it close to your body, and lower with your legs. Move slowly and deliberately. You can just as easily injure yourself while setting objects down as by picking them up.

“As you’re lifting something, also try to

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keep from twisting or reaching while carrying the weight,” Spencer added. “Don’t rush through the process of lifting, and if you’re tired, save the task for later.”

Finally, if you feel pain during or after lifting, or you have an injury or condition you believe is keeping you from moving properly, visit a physical therapist for a full assessment.

Peak Sports & Spine Physical Therapy is made up of seven independently owned physical therapy clinics that provide rehabilitation services in the greater Seattle Eastside metro region. The Peak Sports & Spine team consists of highly skilled licensed physical therapists, physical therapist assistants, and athletic trainers that help restore patients to their highest possible levels of function. For more information, visit peaksportsandspinept.com.

Courtesy of Peak Sports & Spine Physical Therapy

December 11, 2020

About Georgetown Super 8 Georgetown Super 8 is dedicated to the creation and sharing of amateur Super 8 films to foster inclusive dialogue, ensuring a diversity of community voices can define, document, and tell the story of their everchanging neighborhood.

About the Judges • Lyn McCracken – Documentary Filmmaker and Northwest School Faculty • Rana San – Artist and Artistic Director at Northwest Film Forum • Shannon Gee – producer and director, known for Massive Monkees: The Beacon (2016) and An American Hero: Frank Nishimura (2016) • Jonathan Marlow – Producer and Cinematographer known for Fatal Pulse • Duwamish Longhouse – The mission is to promote the social, cultural, and economic survival of Seattle, Washington’s aboriginal Duwamish Tribe.

• Friends of Georgetown History – Organization dedicated to celebrating the neighborhood of Georgetown’s many contributions to Seattle’s early years. Puts on the Haunted History Tour each year.

• Brennan Chambers – Technical Director for the Northwest Film Forum Courtesy of Georgetown Super 8 Film Festival

Seattle Gay News 21

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December 11, 2020

Celebrating 46 Years!

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FILM

Friday Harbor Film Festival presents The Director Series

Documentary films on-demand and on-line at fhff.org The Director Series presents Benjamin Ree’s The Painter and the Thief, now playing on-demand at fhff.org through Sunday, December 13. A scheduled livestream filmmaker Q&A session will follow. Audience members are welcome to participate. The cost to view this film is $5.95.

The Painter and the Thief follows young Czech artist Barbora Kysilkova as she relocates from Berlin to Oslo to launch her career as a painter. In April of 2015, her two most valuable, large-format paintings are stolen – with care – in broad daylight from the window fronts of Galleri Nobel in Oslo’s city center.

Desperate for answers about the theft of her paintings, Barbora is presented with an unusual opportunity to reach out to one of the men involved in the heist – Norwegian career criminal, Karl “Bertil” Nordland.

Filmmaker Benjamin Ree begins to document the story after Barbora unbelievably invites her thief to sit for a portrait, capturing the unlikely relationship that ensues as the equally damaged duo find

The Painter and the Thief – Photo courtesy of Neon

common ground and form an inseparable bond through their mutual affinity for art.

The Director Series provides movie lovers the opportunity to view impactful documentary films highlighting heroic adven-

tures, sustainable agriculture, marine ecology, social justice, the environmental crisis, and human-interest stories.

Next up in The Director Series is the Bristol Bay trilogy – Red Gold (by direc-

tors Travis Rummel and Ben Knight), and The Breach, and The Wild (both by director Mark Titus) – celebrating the Pebble Mine permit denial. These important feature films will screen December 14-31. View all three films for only $3.

Friday Harbor Film Festival will present films on-demand 24/7 for 10-14 days each month through September. Each will include a scheduled livestream, interactive Q&A with the filmmaker and expert panelists discussing the issues raised by the film. Q&A sessions will be recorded and be available on-line free of charge.

The 9th annual Friday Harbor Film Festival is scheduled for October 14-24, 2021.

FHFF is planning a hybrid event, including in-person venues and on-line screening.

Filmmakers are encouraged to submit their entries for consideration for both The Director Series and the October FHFF through the Film Freeway link at fhff.org beginning December 15.

Courtesy of Friday Harbor Film Festival

Immaculately composed Mank a frustratingly empty disappointment

by Sara Michelle Fetters SGN A&E Writer MANK Netflix There are several things to like, maybe even love, about David Fincher’s spunky Hollywood golden age historical reinvention Mank. Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross’ inspired score. Donald Graham Burt’s (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button) superlative production design. Trish Summerville’s (Red Sparrow) magnificent costumes. Amanda Seyfried’s lively, captivatingly magnetic performance as silent-era star Marion Davies.

Yet, for my money Fincher’s latest is a disappointing slice of Hollywood hooey.

Working from a script written by his late father Jake Fincher, it’s obvious this longgestating project is a labor of love for the director. But although immaculately made, and as strong as the ensemble might be, it didn’t take long for this lionizing biography of Oscar-winning Hollywood legend Herman J. Mankiewicz to rub me the wrong way. It is an exercise in technically precise tedium, and as flawed as they may be, I’d much rather watch Fincher’s Alien3 and Panic Room on repeat for the entirety of December if it meant I never had to think about Mank ever again.

The key portions take place in flashback during 1930. Invited by his former writing partner and friend Charlie Lederer (Joseph Cross), former New York playwright and current Hollywood screenwriter Herman “Mank” Mankiewicz (Gary Oldman) spends a fateful weekend at San Simeon. This is the fabled playground of newspaper tycoon William Randolph Hearst (Charles Dance). He lives there with his mistress, actress Marion Davies, who also happens to be Lederer’s cousin, which is what allows both he and Mank to become frequent guests of the larger-than-life newspaper tycoon.

The elder Fincher’s nonlinear script flashes between 1940 and the writing of a script which will become Citizen Kane (given the tentative title “American”), events at San Simeon and an increasingly drunken Mank demolishing his relationship with studio heavyweights Irving Thalberg (Ferdi-

Amanda Seyfried and Gary Oldman in Mank – Photo courtesy of Netflix

nand Kingsley) and Louis B. Mayer (Arliss Howard). There’s also the establishment of the Writers Guild and the California gubernatorial campaign of Upton Sinclair (Bill Nye), amongst other events, as roughly a decade of rambunctious Hollywood history sprints across the screen over the course of the picture’s 130 minutes.

Fincher’s eye is as good as ever. He stages moments that blow the mind. His use of sound, how he blocks a scene, the way actors and props are so precisely placed within a frame, all of it is masterful. Unfortunately, this technical virtuosity is in service to a story that’s so haphazardly structured that watching the finished feature becomes more of a studious endeavor than it is a pleasurable one. Worse, I didn’t feel like I learned anything of consequence, the director never convincing me Mank was someone I needed to be spending so much time observing.

There are a few more issues that both confuse and vex me. One is a technical matter. It’s clear Fincher is emulating the structural formality of Hollywood in the 1930’s and ’40’s, and while Erik Messerschmidt’s lush B&W cinematography is pretty enough to look at, formatting the frame in a 2.20:1 widescreen aspect ratio instead of the 1.37:1 Academy ratio utilized

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by Orson Welles for Citizen Kane baffles me. But this is a nitpicky issue, and I won’t deny that, but considering every other cinematic trick of the trade Fincher utilizes, this one still rubbed me the wrong way and I’d be remiss if I didn’t say so.

One of my other primary problems is plain bizarre. While historical biography does not mean the viewer is going to get documentary-like exactitude as far as adherence to fact is concerned, there is an implied presumption that basic truths are going to be adhered to. Mank blatantly refuses to do that. It’s stupid. More to the point, it’s egregiously noticeable in ways that stick out like a sore thumb.

Case in point, there is a key reference to Universal Pictures landmark monster movies (Dracula, Frankenstein, Bride of Frankenstein, The Mummy, The Wolfman, etc.) showcasing Mank’s disdain for them and their studio. Problem is, this happens before the majority of the pictures had been made, let alone released. Fudging dates is one thing, but this is absurd, the laziness of the moment taking me out of the story entirely while also making it even more difficult to believe any of what was happening up on the screen might have taken place.

Seyfried is very good, and many of the

scenes at San Simeon are superb. The majority of the supporting players slip into their roles with ease, and if one does choose to watch Citizen Kane directly before giving Fincher’s opus a gander it’s likely they’ll appreciate this effort a bit more than they otherwise may have. As for that aforementioned Reznor/Ross score, it’s outstanding, and if not for their even more exhilarating work on Pixar’s Soul (releasing Dec. 25 on Disney+), I’d almost go so far as to say it’s one of the year’s best.

If only I had cared? If only I felt any of this mattered? If only I was interested in the story being told and felt like I was learning something about Herman J. Mankiewicz, his part in the making of Citizen Kane and gaining new insights into Hollywood’s Golden Age that I’d never have garnered without watching the movie? Then maybe I’d be willing to cut Fincher some slack, to give his latest the benefit of the doubt and feel like viewers should take a chance on it even with a handful of noticeable flaws.

But that’s not the case, Mank nothing more than a metaphorical celluloid sled of failed dreams and misguided ambition burning to ash in a fiery furnace fueled by frustratingly combustible emptiness.

December 11, 2020

Seattle Gay News 23

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

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

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

Report domestic violence and sexual assault.

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

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

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

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

Sponsored by the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.

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

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

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

24 Seattle Gay News

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

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

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

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

December 11, 2020

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

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

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

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

(425) 339-5298.

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

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

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

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

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

Celebrating 46 Years!

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

FILM

Frameline Voices announces lineup, new platform partners, and renewed mission ing a 10-part docuseries following a world tour of stars from “RuPaul’s Drag Race”.

Jasper graduated with high honors from Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism in 2015, winning a Pulitzer grant awarded to top students, as well as the Henry N. Taylor Award for best foreign student and a DuPont/Judy F. Crichton Award for best thesis film.

Were You Gay in High School? – Photo courtesy of Frameline

SAN FRANCISCO (December 7, 2020) – Today, Frameline Distribution – the world’s only non-profit LGBTQ+ film distributor, serving cinemas, broadcasters, over the top platforms, educational institutions, film festivals, and the LGBTQ+ community at large – announced the acquisition of four new films as part the signature short film distribution program, Frameline Voices.

The films are: Carving Space, a documentary about queering mainstream skateboarding culture by director Annie Dean-Ganek; Flood, a dramatic short highlighting social disparity by writer/director Joseph Amenta; Mr. Navajo, a biography of a Two Spirit Navajo committed to his community by directors Jasper Rischen and Saila Huusko; and Were You Gay in High School?, a comedic short about navigating sexual identity by co-writer and director Niki Ang and cowriter and cinematographer Karen Du. The four films will launch online and over the top (OTT) Friday, December 25 on Here TV, America’s original LGBTQ+ network, and will also be accessible on other platforms in the coming months, including Alaska Airlines, GagaOOLaLa, Revry, Teen Vogue, and YouTube. The expansion of the Frameline Voices program is made possible through a generous Media Arts grant from the National Endowment for the Arts.

“We are thrilled to relaunch the Voices program with a spotlight on creators and their fresh and entertaining films that amplify, celebrate, and support LGBTQ+ culture,” said Lindsey Hodgson, Frameline’s Director of Distribution & Educational Programming. “As Frameline Voices continues to expand and grow, we look forward to continuing to empower LGBTQ+ filmmakers and increase accessibility of their work to viewers around the globe.”

Frameline Voices is a curated program of impactful short films representing experiences unique to LGBTQ+ people and communities. As part of its renewed mission, Frameline Voices will expand the mainstream media representation of LGBTQ+ people through career development of LGBTQ+ creators and the exhibition of their work. Since its inception in 2011, Voices’ films have been viewed over 4 million times and have been accessed from nearly every country in the world.

Carving Space Director: Annie Dean-Ganek Cast: Jeffrey Chung, Leo Baker Unity Skateboarding, founded in 2016

by Jeffrey Cheung and his partner Gabriel Ramirez in Oakland, CA, seeks to create a safe space and visibility for queer skateboarders within the hetero-masculine mainstream skateboarding culture. Carving Space follows Unity and affiliated queer skate activists – including 2019 US Olympic Skateboarding team member, Leo Baker – as they provide spaces and voices to the often-overlooked queer community.

Flood Director: Joseph Amenta Cast: Sanjay Pavone, Isabelle Franca A teenage boy takes his younger sister on an adventure wearing face paint and glitter on her tenth birthday. They experience small joys while turning a blind eye to the harsh reality of a hardscrabble existence. It isn’t until their celebration is interrupted that the cost of their freedom is exposed.

Mr. Navajo Director: Jasper Rischen & Saila Huusko Cast: Zachariah George Zachariah George is a 25 year-old Native American living in the rural outcrop of White Rock, New Mexico. Going by the moniker, Mr. Navajo, George wears two hats – the first as a public figure renowned for event speaking and singing in the Navajo language; the second is as an advocate for LGBT communities.

Were You Gay in High School?

Director: Niki Ang Cast: Sierra Puett, Alex Song Two queer women recall their awkward, closeted high school days of kissing boys and straight-girl crushes.

Filmmaker Biographies Carving Space Director: Annie Dean-Ganek (Pronouns: She/Her/Hers) Annie is a queer skater from Boston, MA and works in the film/TV industry in Los Angeles as a set lighting technician.

Visit us online www.sgn.org

Her work includes projects for Spotify, Lenovo, Hollywood Reporter, Al Jazeera, NBA, BuzzFeed, Kevin Hart, and Oprah Winfrey. She became inspired to make this documentary after her first exposure to other queer skaters during a Unity Skateboarding meet-up in L.A. She brought together her knowledge and passion for skateboarding and filmmaking for the making of Carving Space.

Flood Director: Joseph Amenta (Pronouns He/She/They/Them) Joseph has produced, written, and directed several short films which have screened internationally via broadcast and festivals including Haus (2018), Cherry Cola (2017) and Wild Youth (2015). Flood premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2019, when Joseph was also selected for participation in the TIFF Talent Lab. They are currently in development on their first feature film, Tribe, for which they received the Toronto Screenwriting Conference Breakthrough Artist Award for their script.

Mr. Navajo Co-Director: Saila Huusko (Pronouns: She/Her/Hers) Saila Huusko is a documentary filmmaker and journalist. For three years she was the in-house filmmaker for the conflict resolution NGO founded by Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Martti Ahtisaari.

While there, she worked around the world, including in South Sudan and Afghanistan. Saila graduated with honors from the Columbia Journalism School and earned her BA from Middlebury College. She was a Rotary Peace Fellow at the University of Queensland in Australia. She recently directed Reading North for Al Jazeera’s Witness documentary strand.

Mr. Navajo Co-Director: Jasper Rischen (Pronouns: He/Him/His) Jasper Rischen is a documentary filmmaker and photographer originally from The Netherlands and based in Los Angeles.

He recently shot a new documentary project in the Republic of Congo and is direct-

December 11, 2020

Were You Gay in High School?

Director: Niki Ang (Pronouns: She/Her/Hers) Niki Ang is a queer, Singaporean-Chinese American writer and director who was born and raised in Singapore before moving to the States at a young age. Her short film, Were You Gay In High School?, was awarded the Frameline Completion Grant and the Inside Out re:Focus Fund and premiered in 2020. Her first feature film script, Wide Open Spaces, was accepted into the 2020 class of the CAPE New Writers Fellowship and featured on the 2020 CAPE List in partnership with The Black List.

Previously she was a producer/director at BuzzFeed Motion Pictures where her work amassed over 250 million views across digital platforms such as YouTube, Facebook, Amazon, and Hulu. She currently lives in Los Angeles with her wife and is the quintessential middle child.

About Frameline Distribution Established in 1981, Frameline Distribution is the only nonprofit distributor that solely caters to LGBTQ+ film. Frameline’s collection has over 250 award winning films that are distributed globally to universities, public libraries, film festivals, and community organizations. In 2008, Frameline Distribution launched Youth in Motion, a program that provides free LGBTQ+ films and curriculum resources to middle and high schools in all 50 states.

2011 saw the creation of Frameline Voices, a digital showcase of free, streaming content highlighting diverse LGBTQ+ stories, with an emphasis on films by and about people of color, trans and gender-expansive persons, youth, and elders.

About Frameline Frameline’s mission is to change the world through the power of queer cinema. As a media arts nonprofit, Frameline provides critical funding for emerging LGBTQ+ filmmakers, inspires and educates thousands of students in schools nationwide with free films and curricula through Youth in Motion, and creates an international stage for the world’s best LGBTQ+ film through the San Francisco International LGBTQ+ Film Festival and year-round screenings and cinematic events. For more information on Frameline, visit www.frameline.org.

About Here TV Here TV (www.heretv.com) launched in 2004, making it the world’s first SVOD LGBTQ+ video service and is available on all major US cable operators including Xfinity, Spectrum, Cablevision, FiOS, U-Verse, Cox, as well as Amazon, Roku, Sling and the Here TV app (www.here. tv) where it can be viewed on all iOS and Android mobile devices. Here TV reaches millions of viewers and has produced Academy Award-winning films, in addition to receiving four Daytime Emmy Award nominations.

Courtesy of Frameline Distribution

Seattle Gay News 25

26 Seattle Gay News

December 11, 2020

Celebrating 46 Years!

It’s time to start healing.

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

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

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

Sacred Rain Healing Center

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

Healthy Environment!

DONATE TO SGN TODAY! www.gofundme.com/f/ seattle-gay-news-needsyour-support-now Visit us online www.sgn.org

December 11, 2020

Seattle Gay News 27