SGN February 12, 2021

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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

BIDEN: “PROTECT LGBTQ PERSONS EVERYWHERE” Biden reverses Trump foreign policy: US recommits to protecting LGBTQ rights

by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer The US government has recommitted to uphold LGBTQ rights abroad in a memorandum signed by President Joe Biden.

The document, signed February 4, builds upon a 2011 directive issued by the Obama administration but abandoned under Donald Trump.

Photo by Jacquelyn Martin / AP

see BIDEN MEMO page 10

Capitol Hill Gay club R Place loses lease and begins search for new home Photo by Jennifer DeLeo

by Justin Carder Capitol Hill Seattle SEATTLE (February 1, 2021) – Capitol Hill gay club R Place has lost its lease and is on the hunt for a new location: [According to a message posted by the club,] “This pandemic has been tough on ALL of us. R Place has been a staple in the

Superbly acted Supernova a fiery comet of romantic rapture Stanley Tucci and Colin Firth in Supernova – Photo courtesy of Bleecker Street

gay community for over 35 years. It was our intention to reopen. However, due to unfortunate circumstances beyond our control, it is with the heaviest of hearts that we are unable to renew the lease at our current location. We are grateful to you all for your years of patronage at 619 E Pine St. Many memories were made here!”

see R PLACE page 7

by Sara Michelle Fetters SGN Staff Writer SUPERNOVA Theatres / PVOD on Feb. 16 Sam (Colin Firth) and Tusker (Stanley Tucci) have been together for over two decades. Their love is unbreakable, and nei-

ther is able to imagine what it would be like to spend a single second without the other next to him. But when Tusker is diagnosed with early-onset dementia, the tragic ramifications of how this will change both their lives isn’t lost on either man, and whether they like it or not, things between them are about to unhappily change.

see SUPERNOVA page 17

THIS AD SPACE HAS BEEN GENEROUSLY DONATED BY KRISTIN COSTELLO IN MEMORY OF SGN PUBLISHER GEORGE BAKAN

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Anti-discrimination protections on the way under Democrats

Photo by Jonathan Ernst / Reuters

To the Editor: Democrats’ newly achieved control of the White House and Congress renders virtually inevitable the federal anti-discrimination protection long sought by LGBTQ+ Americans.

President Biden’s administration has made this a priority for his first 100 days per White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki (Washington Blade, 2/5/2021). More importantly, Democrats have taken control of both houses of Congress.

Democrats last controlled the White House and both legislative houses in the 111th Congress (2009 - 2011). LGBT rights then took three leaps forward: Congress repealed statutory support for the military’s

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anti-gay discrimination (2010) and passed an inclusive federal hate crime law (2009).

The Senate also confirmed appointments to the US Supreme Court of Sonia Sotomayor (2009) and Elena Kagan (2010), who joined three other justices to declare the Defense of Marriage Act unconstitutional.

In 2019 every Democrat in the House of Representatives – but only eight Republicans – voted to pass the Equality Act. A companion Senate bill had sponsorship by 43 Democrats and both Independents but only one Republican; Republican control meant no floor vote.

Today Democrats control both houses in 18 states’ legislatures; all 18 have pertinent anti-discrimination laws. Minnesota (1993) and Iowa (2007) enacted such laws when

Democrats controlled their legislatures.

When Virginia Democrats took control of the Old Dominion’s legislature in 2019, less than six months later, they made their state the first in the South to enact a proLGBTQ+ anti-discrimination.

This will nicely supplement the US Supreme Court’s June 2020 Bostock v.

Clayton County, Georgia ruling. The Equality Act will cover not just employment but also housing, education, and public accommodations (e.g., bakeries).

With Democrats in control, our day in the sun as LGBTQ+ Americans has become inevitable.

February 12, 2021

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J. Eric Peters Columbus, Ohio

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OBITUARY

Drew Griffin – Fierce Advocate Aug 22, 1974 – Jan 24, 2021 Drew and I connected in 2017 when I ran for office in the city of Seattle, and was looking for a campaign manager. We had briefly met before at LGBTQ+ events but had never really had any at-length conversations. He met me for coffee to discuss my campaign.

We became fast friends and found that we had a great deal in common; we both had a drive to make a difference in the world, we both worked to eradicate shame around gender and sexuality, our dark—wicked at times—sense of humor, and our common love for both drag performers and sports.

We also both loved being uncles. We had a joke that he was a “gunkle” (gay uncle) and that I was a “trunkle” (trans uncle). He was a unique, highly intelligent, driven advocate for those of us who do not fit into the norms of our day.

In 2019 I got a download from the universe—some might call it a vision. I saw many versions of masculine people gathered together for the purpose of healing and eliminating toxic masculinity and creating a healthier model of masculinity for all of us. I saw cis guys, trans and nonbinary folks, straight, gay, bi, pansexual guys, black, brown, white, native, masculine folks, many religious and ethnic backgrounds, all at the table doing this work together. The first person that I shared this vision with was my dear friend and fellow agent of change, Drew. I shared this vision with him and asked if he was interested in working on this project with me. He gave me a big “Hell yes!” We then embarked on the journey of forming a nonprofit called “Positive Masculinity.” We spent hours planning and sharing with one another how toxic masculinity had affected our lives.

Then we started a once-a-month, face-toface “Positive Masculinity” meeting, where we invited masculine folks to join us to do this deep, inner work. It’s still going strong, and the work is incredibly inspiring. We also began writing a book on the subject, for which we have created many recordings. We have had some of it transcribed, and I will get that task finished. Drew and I recorded our personal experiences with toxic masculinity to where we are now, as well as chapters on how to heal from that, and strategies to make it better. Having grown up in the small town of White Salmon and knowing he was gay from a very young age, Drew lived through bullying because he was different. These experiences helped drive him to make the world a better place for others who do not

“Drew Griffin was a force for good for many. Someone described him as ‘sweet’ and I laughed! Drew was smart, devilishly funny, kind, generous and had as good of comebacks as anyone I've ever known.

"Sweet" didn't come to mind as a description of him in the many years we volunteered together for PFLAG. I was blessed to have him as a colleague and a friend and the work we did together at the WSC laid the groundwork for a better, easier future for those who follow as we Move Equality Forward!”

– Cooper, PFLAG WA State Council President" “Drew led by example. He was a gentle warrior. His brand of advocacy was infectious. He drew people in to whatever issue he was working on. He was a beloved leader who could work across generations and other divides.”

– Joshua Friedes, retired Equal Rights WA “Drew had a powerful vision for how Washington residents could live and work with one another across all our differences. Everywhere my own advocacy work took me, he was there, bringing people together. The word ‘resilient’ doesn't even come close to describing him.”

– Elayne Wylie Co-Executive Director of Gender Justice League Drew Griffin speaking at an event – Photo courtesy of Mac McGregor

creating a virtual regional conference, helping to grow the number of PFLAG chapters in the region, helping existing chapters grow and flourish, and was a part of creating and running several state conferences.

He was also chair of our state PFLAG advocacy committee and did an incredible job of spreading the PFLAG message of love and inclusion across our state. He got me involved with the Washington State Council for PFLAG as well. I will have fond

Volunteerism Award. https://pflag.org/ press-releases/2020Mor ty-ManfordAward-Drew-Griffin#:~:text=resident%20 D r ew %2 0 G r i f f i n%2 0 b e c o m e s%2 0 the,as%20a%20committed%2C%20passionate%20volunteer.

Drew had an incredible creative side, which he used in many productive and fun ways. His longtime friend, roommate and creative partner, Andrew Tasakos produced the “Cooking with Cannabis’’ Bitsy

ative venture, and the whole atmosphere of drag shows which went right along with his advocacy work. He was constantly helping to make safe spaces for LGBTQAI folks to be themselves, share their talents, grow, and have fun.

Drew had a long, drawn-out battle with cancer; he was first diagnosed in 2012 and beat the odds many times. He battled two types of cancer, stayed fit and positive, and was open about his battle publicly in order

(l-r) Drew with Bitsy Bates; Drew with Andrew Tasakos -aka - Bitsy Bates, Benjamin- aka -Sylvia O'Stayformore, Mac McGregor; PFLAG Regional Director; Drew and Mac McGregor at a State PFLAG conference; Drew and Mac McGregor teaching about Positive Masculinity; Drew and Mac McGregor at Alki Pride; Drew, Bitsy Bates and Mac McGregor Vip Party Hempfest – Photos courtesy of Mac McGregor

fit in the majority. Drew’s declining health brought his work on the book to an end a few months ago. I will finish this book, dedicating it to my friend, fellow advocate and co-founder.

Drew was also a powerful advocate for the work of PFLAG. He served on the Washington State Council as both President and VP for different terms, and as the Pacific Northwest Regional PFLAG Director. During that time he led the charge in

memories of carpooling with him to State PFLAG events, where we would blast Freddie Mercury music, as we tooled along singing our queer hearts out. He was extremely passionate about fighting for equality and protections for those in the LGBTQIA community, and put his whole heart and mind into it. In his spare time he also chaired the first-ever Tukwila Pride event.

Last year, PFLAG National gave Drew the Morty Manford award—the LGBTQ+

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February 12, 2021

Bates Show, which you can find episodes of on YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=4LHNhjIpJjs Drag Queens, cooking, cannabis, cocktails and a tall queen producer. Such fun. They last performed on the stage at Hempfest, together with a full-out cooking demo, along with their comical banter. Drew had a way wrangling drag performers, helping write scripts for them, in addition to creating posters and ads for performances. He loved this cre-

to educate and help others going through illness. He became a patient advocate at the Cancer Research Institute, helping other patients stay positive and realize they could still contribute and live. He never let his illness define him, or get him down for long.

He would always come back to the fact that he had too much to do in this world to spend time down about the obstacles before him.

He touched the lives of many, and his spirit will live on in all that he touched.

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History: On repeat

George Stinney mugshot – Photo courtesy of Wikipedia

by Janice Athill SGN Contributing Writer Our school system’s history books have had a way of honoring our nation’s triumphs while excluding its biggest mistakes. If you factor in how many times quotes like “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it” circulate, you would think the inclusion of such mistakes would be a necessary criterion for history books. Without proper documentation of past mistakes, how can you learn?

The United States has a long history of police brutality and unprovoked violence

century. His rights as a human and American citizen were violated beyond belief.

The police and legal system took advantage of his accessibility and youth in one of the most disgraceful displays of “justice” in American history.

After the murder of two white girls, Betty Binnicker, 11, and Mary Thames, 7, the community and police were more concerned with having someone to blame than catching the criminal responsible. George was home in Alcolu, South Carolina, with his younger sister Aime and older stepbrother Johnny (his parents weren’t home) when white police officers came and took the two boys.

spent less than ten minutes deliberating the “facts” before deciding he was guilty.

A mob of 1,500 white anarchists surrounding the courthouse ensured a swift conviction of an innocent child. While witnesses watched a young boy sitting on a stack of books, awaiting the death mask of the electric chair, their reckless disregard for his life set a precedent for the treatment of black boys and men around the country.

Eleven years later, another 14-year-old boy, named Emmett Till, from Chicago, was brutally murdered by two white men in Money, Mississippi. This young Black boy allegedly flirted with a white woman days

before his murder. His cousins witnessed him go into the store where she worked. He bought some candy and they heard him say, “Bye, baby” on his way out.

A few days later, Carolyn Bryant told a different story, which would lead to her husband Roy Bryant and brother J.W. Milam to kidnap Emmett. They used barbed wire to

tie a cotton gin fan to his body and stripped him of his clothes at the Tallahatchie River.

The two men beat him within an inch of his life, gouged out his eyes, and shot him in the head. They then tossed his body into the river, where it would be found bloated and decomposing.

After seeing what racist murderers did to her child, his mother Mamie Bradley decided on an open-casket funeral, which helped give her case national coverage.

Despite collective outrage, the trial that took place two weeks after Emmett’s burial was once again a disgrace. When the two men couldn’t afford legal representation, five local lawyers took their case pro bono.

Carolyn claimed that Emmett had grabbed her and made sexual advances, a lie she is said to have later recanted.

Although a witness positively identified Roy Bryant and J.W. Milam as Emmett’s killers, the all-white jury delivered a “not guilty” verdict in less than an hour. They claimed that the state failed to prove the identity of the body, which was found wearing the ring Emmett got from his father, with his own initials on it. Milam and Bryant were also acquitted of the separate charge of kidnapping, despite witnesses to that crime as well.

Many say that Emmett Till’s death was crucial to our country’s civil rights movement. It’s just a shame that this part of history keeps repeating itself.

In 2012 a 17-year-old Black boy named Trayvon Martin was fatally shot by 28-yearold George Zimmerman. Although the young man was unarmed and minding his own business when he was shot, the trial still ended with a not-guilty verdict. More recently, in 2020, George Floyd was murdered at the hands of several police officers, while witnesses watched and recorded the scene.

These deaths have an uncanny resemblance to the those of George Stinney and Emmett Till, The details that make the stories different are easily countered by the identical, blatant disregard for a Black person’s life.

The same way future leaders are taught the effects of radiation after a nuclear bomb, these poisonous events from our past should be discussed regularly and transparently as a way of educating future civilians on the type of behavior racism breeds into society.

February 12, 2021

Seattle Gay News 5

Emmett Till – Photo courtesy of Wikipedia

from white civilians taking the law into their own hands. The habit our nation has of hiding its disgraces in plain sight has led to the sickening repetition of history.

One of our country’s biggest legal mistakes led to the execution of a 14-year-old Black boy named George Stinney Jr., the youngest person to be executed in the 20th

They released Johnny but accused George of capital murder in March of 1944.

George was questioned without his parents or an attorney present, and the only evidence pointng toward his guilt was a confession handwritten by the arresting officer.

Unchecked racism polluted society.

George was tried by an all-white jury, who

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News from The AMP

AMP artworks taking shape Fabrication of Christopher Paul Jordan’s andimgonnamisseverybody is underway by Architectural Elements in Bellingham, WA. The 20’ x 20’ sculpture will also incorporate bronze pieces that were cast at 2 Ravens Studio in Tacoma. This centerpiece artwork will soon be painted and partially assembled before being transported to Seattle next month and installed on site.

More information about the meanings and inspiration behind this multilayered artwork can be found on The AMP website [https://theamp.org/artwork/andimgonnamisseverybody/].

Meanwhile, the sculptures of We’re Already Here have been fabricated by Davis Sign Company in Seattle. These artworks, which are based on signs carried in collective actions around our region, will be installed in three groupings around the plaza and in Cal Anderson Park. Painting of these pieces will happen next week, and they will be installed on site starting at the end of this month.

An online dedication for these artworks is being planned for April 2021.

February 7 is National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day Started in 1999, National Black HIV/ AIDS Awareness Day (NBHAAD) is a grassroots education effort to raise awareness about HIV and AIDS prevention, care, and treatment in Black communities.

This day is an opportunity to increase HIV education, testing, community involvement, and treatment by organizations among communities of color.

The AMP: AIDS Memorial Pathway has prioritized the collection of stories from people of color, and includes many inspirational and emotional videos from the black community on The AMP website [https://theamp.org/stories/].

One interview, with AMP Community

6 Seattle Gay News

Photos courtesy of AMP

Action Group member and AARTH (African Americans Reach & Teach Health) cofounder Rev. Mary Diggs-Hobson, reveals experiences with AIDS both professional and personal.

Other events and resources connected to National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day are a locally based series of online recorded discussions produced by pcaf [www.pcaf-wa.org/blm-national-blackhiv-aids-awareness-day-2-5-2-7/], and a national conversation on Monday, February 8, at noon PST hosted by BTAN-KC (Black Treatment Advocates Network) titled “HIV is a Racial Justice Issue.”

The Gates Foundation Discovery Center is hosting a free, virtual program on

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Wednesday, February 24, at noon PST, featuring local voices from Seattle’s Black community exploring the power of storytelling, the impact of HIV, and thoughtful ways to take action to end stigma. “Banishing Stigma: Black Voices and HIV” will feature The AMP’s Rosette Royale, along with other artists and activists. Learn more and register [at https://gates.ly/2NauC3X].

The AIDS Memorial Quilt still on display The AMP is proud to be a part of the national virtual exhibition of the AIDS Memorial Quilt, hosting panels online through March 31. You can view the AMP virtual display at www.aidsmemorial.org/

virtual-quilt/wa#AMP. View all Washington State participant displays at www.aidsmemorial.org/virtualquilt/wa.

Help The AMP meet its fundraising goal!

There is just under $100,000 left to raise in order to fully fund The AMP: AIDS Memorial Pathway. Meeting the $2.8M goal will ensure the completion of the artworks, the website, and the AR (augmented Reality) app, as well as the maintenance of all of these components for years to come.

[Donate at https://bit.ly/2Z3MvUN.] Courtesy of The AMP

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Photo by Nate Gowdy

R PLACE

continued from cover The club’s ownership says the club will live on and that a search for a new home is underway, where R Place “will continue to entertain you with our amazing drag shows [and] awesome dancers and DJs who packed the dance floor.”

The club’s announcement comes after months of closure during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, as Seattle’s restaurants are able to again reopen for indoor dining but only at 25% capacity while the spread of the virus remains at dangerous levels. Clubs and

bars like R Place remain shuttered.

The pandemic has been brutal for small businesses and especially challenging for the neighborhood’s remaining gay bars and clubs. In December, Capitol Hill Seattle (CHS) reported on break-ins and squatting that left Broadway’s Neighbours trashed and in need of thousands [of dollars] in repairs.

It hasn’t been all bad news for the neighborhood’s gay bars. Union is working on a classic Capitol Hill four-block move, with plans to reopen later this year. Meanwhile, The Cuff joined the Queer/Bar family to begin 2020.

While landlords have worked on lease and rent issues with many tenants, other

venues are up against the prospect of forging new contracts during the pandemic. R Place’s neighbor Suika also lost its lease, dealing with a separate family estate landlord last year.

R Place’s E. Pine (at Boylston) home has been owned by the Thomas Kramer family for decades. The property is not currently publicly listed for sale, and there are no indications of any permitting activity related to planned development.

The building dates to Capitol Hill’s auto row and is said to have been a Ford Model T showroom complete with a car elevator, whose remnants can still be seen inside the four-story structure.

CHS reviewed the history of the club in 2014 as R Place marked 30 years on the Hill. It first opened on E. Pike, where it was a sports bar tavern with pool tables, only selling beer and wine.

The club is owned by Richard Elander and Steve Timmons, who have been with R Place from its roots in the 1990s.

(UPDATE: Ownership declined to comment beyond their announcement and to corroborate the details of our report.)

It’s not clear what R Place’s final day of business was on E. Pine.

Reprinted from the Capitol Hill Seattle blog

Seattle City Council calls for collaboration with Cuba against COVID pandemic

by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer In a resolution passed at the end of January, the Seattle City Council called for collaboration with Cuba against the COVID19 pandemic.

“The Seattle City Council encourages local medical, health care, scientific, academic, and pharmaceutical institutions to actively explore collaboration with their Cuban counterparts in knowledge transfer and joint collaboration between SeattleKing County and Cuban institutions in prevention of public health, methods of prevention of infection of health workers, innovative treatments, and development of new treatments, vaccines and protocols,” the City Council resolution says.

The document notes that Cuba has dealt effectively with the disease, based on a free healthcare system, “the unified government approach and the robust biopharmaceutical industry.”

According to the resolution, 80% of COVID patients in Cuba recover, while throughout the world the same percentage of patients with complications die.

In contrast, the US now has the world’s highest number of deaths and the most confirmed cases of COVID-19, with Black and Indigenous communities especially hard-hit.

The resolution maintains that Seattle and the entire United States and the world can benefit from collaboration between institutions and governments to fight the pandemic together.

The City Council resolution makes Seattle

Emergency contingent of Cuban doctors and nurses arrives at Italy's Malpensa airport after traveling from Cuba to help Italy fight the spread of coronavirus disease – Photo by Daniele Mascolo / Reuters

one of 15 US cities expressing the desire to collaborate with Cuba in combating COVID19. The list also includes San Francisco, Richmond, and Berkeley, all in California.

In order to foster cooperation with Cuba, the City Council called on the Biden administration and the US Congress to

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remove Cuba from the list of countries accused of sponsoring terrorism and end the US economic blockade of Cuba.

The inclusion of Cuba on that list was a unilateral decision by the Trump administration and has been widely condemned by international organizations.

The resolution was signed by Seattle City Clerk Monica Martinez Simmons, who noted that Cuba has a tradition of sharing its knowledge with other nations, and citing as an example the work of numerous Cuban medical brigades in various parts of the world.

February 12, 2021

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Stonewall awarded $50K Mellon Foundation grant for digitization FT. LAUDERDALE, Fla. (January 13, 2021) – In what can be only described as a seminal event in [its] 47-year history, the Stonewall National Museum & Archives (SNMA) has now taken three major steps in making its holdings available to a worldwide audience.

The SNMA was pleased to learn last week that the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation awarded it $50,000 to begin digitizing its archival collection.

“This is a big step for Stonewall,” said Executive Director Hunter O’Hanian. “Our archive is over 2,700 linear feet, totaling more than 6 million pages of LGBTQ history, from the 1950s to the present day.

With the help of the Mellon Foundation, we will begin the process of digitizing the collection and making it available to researchers, writers and artists around the world.

Accessibility to our collection has long been a strategic goal of the organization.”

With the help provided by the Mellon Foundation, Stonewall will hire a digital consulting firm to help map a plan for next steps. Additionally, the funds will allow the organization to retain a digital manager.

“We are so excited and pleased with this news,” said Jacki Bennett, chair of the board of directors. “Digitizing our impressive collection propels the SNMA’s

Photo courtesy of Stonewall National Museum & Archives

archival leadership forward in exhibiting LGBTQ history and culture to all across time and geographies. We are very grateful to the Andrew Mellon Foundation for its support in this effort.”

“Mellon has been a leader in providing support for organizations like Stonewall.

They have expressed their appreciation for the work we have done in collecting, cataloging, and preserving these important materials,” said O’Hanian. “Not only does digitalization make these materials avail-

able to a larger audience, it ensures the content will be preserved beyond the useful life of the paper they were printed on. Collectively, we are making sure that this history won’t be forgotten.”

Stonewall expects to start its work on the Mellon project in January 2021.

The support of the Mellon Foundation is timely, as the SNMA recently completed a project [that makes] a large portion of its serial collection available in digital format through existing repositories. With the

professional assistance of queer-studies scholar Jackson Davidow, the SNMA now offers digital versions of nearly half of its non-erotic LGBTQ serials/publications.

This goal has been achieved by matching materials with existing institutional digital archives. Access to this material is available on the SNMA’s website StonewallMuseum.org/archives/.

Third, SNMA has finalized plans to replace its outdated electronic database of archival holdings and is in the process of migrating the data to the latest version of Past Perfect, a well-respected software used by archives and museums throughout the county. Once this migration is complete, the entire archival database will be searchable online through the SNMA website. Look for this to be available in March 2021. The SNMA previously posted its entire database of LGBTQ books from the library on the website stonewall-museum.org.

Editor’s note: The Stonewall Museum will be housing a full run of SGN archives at the conclusion of our sort/organization project.

Courtesy of Stonewall National Museum & Archives

Councilmember Mosqueda first candidate to qualify for Seattle Democracy Voucher program SEATTLE (February 4, 2021) – Councilmember Teresa Mosqueda is the first candidate in 2021 to qualify for the Democracy Voucher program after receiving well over the required 400 donations and 400 signatures from Seattle residents.

This is Mosqueda’s second time qualifying for Democracy Vouchers. In 2017, Mosqueda was the first first-time candidate to participate in, and win, a campaign using Seattle’s public campaign financing program. In 2017, Democracy Vouchers made up two-thirds of Mosqueda’s campaign fundraising total.

Mosqueda announced her re-election campaign less than a month ago and with broad community support and quickly qualified for the program. She has raised nearly $30,000 from over 635 donors, an average donation of just over $44 a person, emphasizing the importance of smalldonor contributions and public campaign financing. Mosqueda – a longtime labor leader and advocate for children and families – will continue her focus on issues facing working people, families, and small businesses if re-elected.

“Democracy Vouchers allow all Seattle residents to have a voice in local elections, to support candidates of their choosing, regardless of their economic status,” said Mosqueda. “This program is an innovative tool of political enfranchisement [and] I am honored to continue to prove that the voucher program works, is needed, and is changing elections as we know it. Too often, there are barriers that affect residents’ ability to participate in local elections, discouraging engagement, and leaving folks out. Democracy Vouchers change that. The tremendous early support I have received across Seattle is humbling, and a reflection of my commitment to center poli-

8 Seattle Gay News

Image courtesy of Team Teresa

cymaking on equity and opportunity for all Seattle residents.”

Mosqueda’s record of advocacy and strong support for those facing short- and long-term financial and housing security issues in the ongoing pandemic is reflected in her many early endorsements from community and elected leaders.

“Teresa puts people – including those most impacted by the policies, by the pandemic, by systemic racism – first, and she

February 12, 2021

works hard for Seattle and all of its residents,” said human and immigrant rights advocate and leader Rich Stolz. “Teresa’s leadership is precisely what Seattle’s City Council needs at a time that requires leaders who listen and think creatively about how to put government to work for people and communities.”

“In her time on City Council, Teresa has been a true champion for working families, particularly for those that are often

neglected, made invisible, and have no protections,” said State Sen. Rebecca Saldaña (D-37th District). “From domestic workers to gig workers, she has been there.”

For a complete list of endorsements or to learn more, visit TeamTeresa.org.

Courtesy of Councilmember Teresa Mosqueda

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LIHI celebrates Black History Month SEATTLE – “Now is the time to make real the promises of democracy. Now is the time to open the doors of opportunity to all of God’s children.” —Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. Low Income Housing Institute’s proud commitment to racial equality and justice is demonstrated through the many Black heroes we have honored by naming our buildings after them. Please see below to learn the stories behind the names.

Tyree Scott Apartments (2003) 4000 MLK Jr. Way S, Seattle Tyree Scott was a Seattle civil rights and labor leader who broke down barriers to women and minority workers in the construction industry and also worked to improve working conditions for low-income workers around the world.

Although a powerful force for change, he was known as “a quiet, gracious, and personable man, totally lacking any capacity for self-inflation” and “more interested in results than rhetoric.” Tyree Scott was married to Beverly Sims, who served on the LIHI board for many years. Bio at www. historylink.org/File/8222.

(l-r) Tyree Scott Apartments, Tyree Scott and daughter Ella – Photos courtesy of LIHI

Gossett Place (2011) 4719 12th Ave NE, Seattle Gossett Place honors the legacy of longtime King County Council chair and human rights champion Larry Gossett. Named one of the most influential graduates of the University of Washington, Gossett worked tirelessly for the rights of people of color and disenfranchised populations. He was a founder of the Black Student Union at UW and for 14 years served as executive director of the Central Area Motivation Program (CAMP). Bio at https://depts.washington. edu/civilr/gossett.htm.

(l-r) Gossett Place, Larry Gossett– Photos courtesy of LIHI

Ernestine Anderson Place (2013) 2010 S Jackson St., Seattle Ernestine Anderson Place is named in honor of legendary jazz singer Ernestine Anderson, an international star from Seattle’s Central Area and graduate of Garfield High. In a career spanning more than five decades, she recorded over 30 albums. She was been nominated four times for a Grammy Award. She sang at Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, and the Monterey Jazz Festival, as well as at jazz festivals all over the world. Bio at www. allmusic.com/artist/ernestine-andersonmn0000200777/biography.

(l-r) Ernestine Anderson Place, a CD cover, and Ernestine Anderson at the grand opening of the building – Photos courtesy of LIHI

August Wilson Place (2015) 204 111th Ave NE, Bellevue August Wilson Place is named in honor of famed African-American playwright August Wilson. Wilson’s work includes a series of 10 plays, “The Pittsburgh Cycle,” for which he received two Pulitzer Prizes.

Each play is set in a different decade, depicting aspects of African-Americans’ experience in the 20th century. Wilson moved to Seattle in 1990 and lived here until his death in 2005 at the age of 60. The Seattle Repertory Theater produced many of his plays. August Wilson’s widow Constanza Romero and daughter Azula Carmen Wilson attended the opening. Bio at www.britannica.com/biography/August-Wilson.

(l-r) August Wilson Place, August Wilson, Abbey Lincoln CD cover design and recording, Abbey Lincoln Court – Photos courtesy of LIHI

The Marion West (2016) 5019 Roosevelt Way NE, Seattle The Marion West is named for racial justice champion Marion West, who along with her husband Ray, who was Black, faced discrimination and helped break the color barrier in the U-District by housing African-Americans and students of color in the 1950s. Bio at https://depts.washington. edu/civilr/west.htm.

Abbey Lincoln Court (2016) 2020 South Jackson St., Seattle Located next to Ernestine Anderson Place, this building honors Abbey Lincoln (1930–2010), American jazz vocalist, songwriter, actress, and civil rights activist. A

(l-r) The Marion West, a newspaper clipping, and Marion West with Ed Murray at the grand opening – Photos courtesy of LIHI

dramatic performer whose interpretations were full of truth and insight, Lincoln notably worked with Benny Carter and Max Roach (whom she married). In 1960, she recorded Roach’s civil rights jazz master-

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piece, “We Insist! Freedom Now Suite.”

She appeared on a number of TV shows, including Mission: Impossible and All in the Family, and in several films, including For Love of Ivy with Sidney Poitier and

Beau Bridges, and Spike Lee’s Mo’ Better Blues. Bio at www.arts.gov/honors/jazz/ abbey-lincoln.

February 12, 2021

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President Joe Biden – Official White House Photo by Adam Schultz

BIDEN MEMO continued from cover

Biden announced the memo during a speech at the State Department in which he outlined US foreign policy objectives.

“To further repair our moral leadership, I’m also issuing a presidential memo to agencies to reinvigorate our leadership on the LGBTQI issues and do it internationally,” he said.

“We’ll ensure diplomacy and foreign assistance are working to promote the rights of those individuals, included by combating criminalization and protecting LGBTQ refugees and asylum seekers.”

The memo directs US departments and

agencies working abroad to “promote and protect the human rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender persons everywhere.”

The memo states, “All human beings should be treated with respect and dignity and should be able to live without fear no matter who they are or whom they love.

“Around the globe, including here at home, brave lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and intersex (LGBTQI+) activists are fighting for equal protection under the law, freedom from violence, and recognition of their fundamental human rights.

“The United States belongs at the forefront of this struggle – speaking out and standing strong for our most dearly held values. It shall be the policy of the United

States to pursue an end to violence and discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or sex characteristics, and to lead by the power of our example in the cause of advancing the human rights of LGBTQI+ persons around the world.”

According to the memo, there will be consequences for countries that violate LGBTQ rights. Anti-LGBTQ actions undertaken by countries will be noted when the US considers international aid through the Foreign Assistance Act. The US will also respond to such human rights abuses against LGBTQ people using “the full range of diplomatic and assistance tools and, as appropriate, financial sanctions, visa restrictions, and other actions,”

the memo says.

The memo also sets guidelines for federal agents dealing with LGBTQ refugees fleeing from persecution in their home countries.

The “Departments of State and Homeland Security shall enhance their ongoing efforts to ensure that LGBTQI+ refugees and asylum seekers have equal access to protection and assistance, particularly in countries of first asylum,” the document promises.

It ends by saying that agencies working abroad will also rescind any directives made during the Trump era that may contravene the Biden memo.

CDC releases report confirming LGB people at greater risk of COVID-19 illness, calls for more data collection WASHINGTON, DC (February 4, 2021) – Today, the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), the nation’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) civil rights organization, responded to a report issued today by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) detailing the underlying health conditions that increase the risk of contracting severe COVID-19 are more prevalent among sexual minorities than heterosexual individuals. The HRC’s own analysis of the same data sets show similar risks among transgender people. The CDC also called for more data collection on sexual orientation and gender identity in order to improve knowledge about health disparities.

“This report affirms what LGBTQ advocates and organizations have known all along: that our community is at greater risk and disproportionately affected by the COVID-19 health crisis. It is critical that health disparities in marginalized communities are fully captured by government data collection so they can be swiftly addressed,” said Alphonso David, the Human Rights Campaign president.

“The Trump administration failed to acknowledge the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on LGBTQ people; it is most

welcome that the Biden administration is not politicizing our community’s health and instead is addressing the realities we are facing.

“This study is only the first step. We look forward to more research on the risks for transgender people and people living with HIV, who also share higher risk factors.”

Yesterday, the Journal of the American Medical Association published research showing a connection between people living with HIV and increased hospitalization and death rates among New York State residents. We have yet to see national data on the impact of COVID-19 on people living with HIV. At the beginning of the pandemic, in March 2020, the HRC issued a research brief, “The Lives and Livelihoods of Many in the LGBTQ Community Are at Risk Amidst COVID-19 Crisis,” which outlined the elevated health and economic risks LGBTQ people face during the COVID19 pandemic. Many in the LGBTQ community are particularly vulnerable, as they are less likely to have health coverage and are more likely to smoke or have a chronic illness like asthma. Those predictions are confirmed in this new CDC report.

The HRC’s 2020 research supports the

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February 12, 2021

CDC’s findings and shows similar findings for transgender people. Key statistics from that report note the unique susceptibility of the LGBTQ community to COVID-19: • 37% of LGBTQ adult smokers smoke every day, compared to 27% of nonLGBTQ people.

• 21% of LGBTQ adults have had asthma, compared to 14% of non-LGBTQ people.

• One in five LGBTQ adults aged 50 and above have diabetes.

• 17% of LGBTQ adults do not have any kind of health insurance coverage, compared to 12% of non-LGBTQ adults.

Subsequent research briefs, conducted in partnership with PSB Research, also found that LGBTQ people have been disproportionately impacted economically by the COVID-19 crisis. They are more likely than the general population to have experienced a cut in work hours, with more than half of transgender and transgender people of color lost work hours, while one in five became unemployed. Those reports can be found [at www.hrc.org/resources/lgbtqpeople-and-the-coronavirus-economy].

The Human Rights Campaign has long called for inclusive data collection to ensure that all people are accurately counted. The HRC’s “Blueprint for Positive Change”

includes a call for the Biden administration to establish uniform data collection standards that incorporate sexual orientation and gender identity into federal surveys, and the HRC has signed on to several coalition letters calling for the same.

The HRC also released a report in 2019, “LGBTQ-Inclusive Data Collection: A Lifesaving Imperative,” which revealed how the failure of state and federal officials to collect full and accurate data on sexual orientation and gender identity is causing harm to LGBTQ Americans, who remain largely invisible to the government entities entrusted with ensuring their health, safety, and well-being.

Find a full list of all of HRC’s efforts and COVID-19 resources at [www.hrc.org/ resources/covid-19].

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

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Adopt a Dog Today!

Private adoptions!

We have over 100 dogs from all over the world for you to meet!!!

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10,080 dogs saved out of death row!

Adopt Foster Volunteer Transport Donate CALL US AT (206) 698-8800 or email us at ginger@gingerspetrescue.org

Volunteers wanted to help save historic Seattle Gay Newspapers!

Volunteers are needed to sort through over 250 boxes of Seattle Gay News issues from the 1980s to the 20-teens.

Sorting involves identifying not more than 10 copies of each issue, putting the issues in chronological order and organizing by year. Non-SGN items will be separated out as well as copies that exceed ten per issue.

Boxes will be labelled and issue numbers will be identified per box. Once the boxes are arranged chronologically and we have a list of all the issues, the copies will be organized into complete runs with one copy of each issue in each set.

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Volunteers need to be able to lift boxes up to 40 pounds, stand on a cement floor, and be willing to follow COVID-19 protocols which involve having your temperature taken as you enter the building and wearing a mask at all times.

The work takes place at Seattle City Hall, 600 Fifth Avenue, in the vault that holds records for the Seattle Municipal Archives.

Please contact:

tom4seattle@msn.com to volunteer or to seek further information.

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Before Marjorie Taylor Greene was tossed from House committees, she defended herself with transphobia

by Bil Browning LGBTQ Nation (February 5, 2021) – Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA), a believer in QAnon and other far-right conspiracy theories, has been stripped of her committee assignments in a bipartisan vote of the full House of Representatives.

But as legislators debated her fate, Greene used a unique defense for her outrageous behavior: Twitter allows pornography to be posted to their platform but refuses to allow her to be transphobic.

Taylor Greene repeatedly claimed that the Sandy Hook Elementary School and Parkland High School shootings were fake, and harassed one victim-turned-gun control advocate as he walked down the street.

Despite this, she was assigned by Republican leadership to the Education Committee.

She has a history of inflammatory remarks online as well, including showing support for the claim that the fastest way

Photo courtesy of Screenshot / LGBTQ Nation

to remove House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) from her perch would be “a bullet to the head.” She has also claimed that

space lasers operated by Jewish people started the California wildfires.

Shortly before the 230-199 vote, Greene

gave a rambling statement that matched her history of linking unrelated items into a daring plot against her.

“And when big tech companies like Twitter, you can scroll through and see where someone has retweeted porn,” she said. “But yet when I say that I absolutely believe with all my heart that God’s creation as he created them male and female and that should not be denied, when I am censored for saying those types of things, that is wrong.”

Twitter has a policy against hate speech that includes the LGBTQ community. They have also removed several accounts tied to spreading baseless conspiracy theories about the election, including QAnon believers.

Several of the insurrectionists who attacked the Capitol building last month are believers in the QAnon theory, and the Department of Justice has said it is dangerous.

Reprinted from LGBTQ Nation

31 anti-Trans bills filed in 20 states as GOP targets schoolchildren nationwide

by Alex Bollinger LGBTQ Nation (February 5, 2021) – At least 20 states are currently considering at least 31 bills that would attack the rights of Transgender people – mostly attacking Transgender youth – as more state lawmakers file bills to tear away as the limited rights and protections that currently exist for Transgender people.

Georgia Rep. Philip Singleton (R) filed a bill yesterday that makes the state the seventeenth in the nation to consider a bill that would ban Transgender girls and women from competing in school sports as their gender.

“I just feel like in the time that we’re in right now — in a global pandemic — we’re going into our second year of being in lockdown, and our elected officials have nothing to do other than worry about what’s in someone’s underpants,” said Jen Slipakoff, the mother of a 13-year-old Transgender student-athlete in Georgia.

Arizona, Connecticut, Iowa, Georgia, Hawaii, Kentucky, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, and Texas are all considering bills that would ban Transgender girls and women from school sports this year. Some of the bills also ban Transgender boys and men from competing as their gender as well.

“You can’t claim to be supporting women’s sports when you’re trying to isolate transgender girls from sports,” said Shannon Clawson of Georgia Equality. “You’re attacking and further isolating transgender youth and keeping them from participating in sports that would allow them to learn very important principles about leadership and teamwork.”

Eleven states are also considering bills that would ban gender-affirming care for Transgender minors, even attacking puberty blockers, which must be taken before a person is an adult in order to be effective.

Arizona’s S.B. 1511 is one such bill.

If the bill passes, any health care profes-

Photo courtesy of Shutterstock / LGBTQ Nation

sional who prescribes puberty blockers to a Transgender patient will be committing a class 2 felony, with a recommended sentence of up to 12-and-a-half years in prison, just for prescribing medication to a patient that delays the permanent and life-altering changes that occur during puberty and has been shown to significantly reduce the risk of suicide attempts.

Bills have been introduced that would either ban transgender youth from getting gender-affirming care and punish doctors for providing that care in Alabama, Arizona, Indiana, Iowa, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, New Hampshire, Oklahoma, Texas, and Utah. Montana’s bill already failed in the state’s house, but the others could still pass.

Additionally, the state of South Dakota is considering a ban on Transgender people correcting the gender marker on their birth certificate, even though federal courts have already held that such bans are unconstitutional.

A bill that would require schools to out a Transgender student to their parents if

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they ask a teacher to use the correct pronouns was introduced in Iowa. The bill even allows for schools to pass around “surveys” to ask students if they’re Transgender and then report the information to parents.

“This bill is a disgusting attempt at undermining the safe spaces in Iowa schools,” said Becky Ritland of Iowa Safe Schools. “By allowing this to move forward, the Iowa legislature will be putting thousands of trans students at risk of abuse, neglect, and suicide.”

Alabama’s bill to ban Transgender youth from accessing gender-affirming care would also require schools to out Trans students to their parents.

Indiana is considering a bathroom bill that would make it a crime for someone to use a bathroom that doesn’t correspond to their sex assigned at birth or their “chromosomes.”

The bill even defines “female” as someone who “has at least one (1) X chromosome and no Y chromosome” and “male” as a person who “has at least one (1) X chromosome and at least one (1) Y chromosome.”

Despite the bill’s specificity about chro-

February 12, 2021

mosomes, it does not provide funding for DNA tests to be performed at the entrances of public bathrooms.

LGBTQ Nation used Freedom for All Americans’ bill tracker to find states that are considering anti-transgender legislation, as well as local news articles found via Google. This means that there may be more states considering anti-Transgender bills that are not included here, and lawmakers in other states may introduce more bills this year. Bills that were introduced in both chambers of a single state’s legislature were counted only once.

Additionally, Rep. Greg Steube (R-FL) introduced federal legislation last month in the House of Representatives that would threaten state education funding if Transgender girls and women are allowed to compete in school sports as their gender.

Rep. Steube’s bill will probably not be brought up for a vote because Democrats control the House, and it would violate President Joe Biden’s interpretation of federal law that civil rights legislation that bans discrimination “because of sex” also bans anti-LGBTQ discrimination.

The bills being considered across the country in state legislatures may also face the same legal difficulties and could lead to lengthy legal battles. The Supreme Court decided last year in Bostock v. Clayton Co. that Title VII’s ban on job discrimination “because of sex” includes anti-LGBTQ discrimination, and the same reasoning could apply to Title IX’s ban on discrimination “based on sex” in education.

Whether or not these bills become law, they’re already hurting Transgender youth.

“It’s very unsettling to transgender children who just want to live,” Angela Hale of Equality Texas told the Texas Tribune about her state’s proposed ban on transgender girls in school sports. “They don’t want to have to come down to the Capitol and testify every single legislative session just so that they can live and go about their daily lives.”

Reprinted from the LGBTQ Nation

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BOOKS

LGBTQ ally and author battles Amazon and wins

by Tim Peter SGN Contributing Writer Kathy Baldock puts a giant A in LGBTQIA. Baldock, of Reno, Nevada, is a Christian author, blogger, public speaker, and straight ally of the community. Her first book, Walking the Bridgeless Canyon: Repairing the Breach Between the Church and the LGBT Community, was published in 2014.

Her next book, Forging a Sacred Weapon: How the Bible Became Anti-Gay, is due out later this year. She also posts frequently to Facebook and blogs at www.canyonwalkerconnections.com.

In order to write and speak effectively on the issues facing LGBTQ Christians, she reads extensively – books both for and against homosexuality – and writes reviews of those books on Amazon. Until recently, that is.

Late last year, Amazon began blocking her frequent book reviews without reason. She said she called and wrote to the company multiple times, trying to find out why she was blocked and to get reinstated.

They never responded to her, so she began a petition on Facebook asking her friends and followers to contact Amazon and voice their support for her.

On Thursday, January 28, she posted on Facebook that those protests were successful. “We won… Amazon reinstated my reviews” in big letters as her cover photo.

“Two reporters, Hemant at Friendly Atheist and Frank Mullen, also pressured Amazon PR people on the inside. The story was going to get national coverage, it had ‘legs.’

“Amazon assured one reporter they were going to connect with me with their decision to reinstate. I waited and got this non-apology, non-accountability, nonexplanation response, and the reinstated reviews. Still, I am asking Amazon for direct contact and want an explanation. I will keep you all posted. In the meantime, WE WON…together.”

On Sunday, January 31, she posted an update to her blog, “Two Perfect Storms on My Missing Amazon Reviews,” one storm

Kathy Baldock – Photo courtesy of the author

being the more than a foot of snow that was dumped on the Sierra Nevada Mountains last week, and the other being a combination of all the negative books reviews and subsequent complaints by their authors.

As it turns out, this is not the first time Amazon has shut her down. “About three years ago, there seemed to be a notable lag time between submitting my reviews and seeing them post. One half-hour had become a day, then three days, then six days.”

That was because there were “almost 30 official complaints from Christian authors and publishers about my reviews.” Her friend Brody Levesque, who was a reporter, contacted Amazon on her behalf and got

her reviews reinstated.

“Then, in November 2019, I hit another blockade. I read and reviewed Christopher Yuan’s Holy Sexuality and the Gospel.

Yuan is a major player in the ‘gay’ conversation in the evangelical and conservative church worlds. Per the usual, I submitted the review and waited for it to post so I could share it across my social media platforms. One, two, five days passed. Finally, it posted one night at 11 p.m., but by 8 a.m., it was gone.

“Brody to the rescue again. We found that Yuan and his publisher had engaged Amazon directly to remove my review. Two days, one fired employee, and a long conversation with

a VP of the book’s parent publishing company later, the review was restored. “‘Well, that will never happen again,’ I thought. Until Christmas morning. I received an email from the Amazon Community Guidelines division. It informed me that I had violated standards and that all my reviews had been removed, along with my ability to review any further products. “‘Not this again; haven’t we done this already?’ I was frustrated.”

Brody tried his magic, but his Amazon contacts were no longer there. Then Frank Mullen, an investigative journalist for the Reno Gazette-Journal, saw Hemant’s posts and contacted Baldock to offer assistance.

“And that became the magic that was needed,” she said.

Mullen contacted Amazon and began conversations with Craig X in the PR department, who told him that there was a team looking into the matter, and it was likely that her reviews would be restored, with an apology forthcoming.

In the end, Craig told her the reason for the latest removal of her reviews had nothing to do with homosexuality and Christianity. It was because of her review of Mary Trump’s book, Too Much and Never Enough, about her uncle Donald.

“While I am very conscious about not attacking people or authors in my primary field of focus, I am less careful when it comes to my thoughts on Donald Trump. I am his non-fan.”

She wrote a very negative review of him and called him a “conman.” That word set off red flags across Amazon.

“The use of ‘conman’ was the grain of sand that tipped my scale to ‘banned.’ Though I had submitted that review during the summer and it did not post, I didn’t worry about it.

It was not essential to my work.”

It was that, combined with all the complaints compiled against her over the years, that got her banned. But after many phone calls, emails, and the help of friends, her reviews have been restored. So now you can find her books and reviews on Amazon. com. Happy reading everybody!

ARTS

Music of Remembrance to receive $20,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Arts

SEATTLE (February 4, 2021) – Music of Remembrance has been approved for a $20,0000 Art Works grant to support the commission of Tres Minutos, a new chamber opera by the young composer Nicolas Lell Benavides and librettist Marella Martin Koch.

Overall, the National Endowment for the Arts has approved 1,073 projects across America totaling nearly $25 million that were selected during this first round of fiscal year 2021 funding in the Grants for Arts Projects funding category. The Art Works grants support arts projects that use the arts to unite and heal in response to current events; celebrate our creativity and cultural heritage; invite mutual respect for differing beliefs and values; and enrich humanity.

“The National Endowment for the Arts is proud to support this project from Music of Remembrance,” said Arts Endowment Acting Chairman Ann Eilers. “Music of Remembrance is among the arts organizations across the country that have demonstrated creativity, excellence, and resilience during this very challenging year.”

The one-act opera Tres Minutos tells the

16 Seattle Gay News

The opera will premiere in May 2022 at Seattle’s Benaroya Hall, followed by a performance in San Francisco. It will be combined with public outreach and educational programs to engage the broader community in both cities.

Photo courtesy of Music of Remembrance

story of Nila and Diego, a sister and brother who share family bonds but not citizenship.

Allowed a brief supervised reunion at the US-Mexico border that separates them, they

February 12, 2021

wrestle with questions of identity, duty, and belonging. The opera avoids easy answers, and instead explores the intimate human dimensions of an important issue for our time.

Founded in 1998 by pianist Mina Miller, Music of Remembrance (MOR) fills a unique role throughout the world by remembering the Holocaust through music. With concert performances, educational programs, recordings, and commissions of new works by some of today’s leading composers, MOR honors those of all backgrounds who found the strength to create even in the face of suffering, and those who had the courage to speak out against cruelty. It tells stories that communicate urgent lessons for today, and it looks beyond the Holocaust itself to the experience of others who have been excluded or persecuted for their faith, ethnicity, gender, or sexuality. More at www.musicofremembrance.org.

Courtesy of Music of Remembrance

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FILM

Little Fish an unexpectedly beguiling pandemic romance

by Sara Michelle Fetters SGN Staff Writer LITTLE FISH PVOD Neuroinflammatory affliction (NIA) is an acute Alzheimer’s-like malady that destroys the memories of the afflicted party. It can attack instantaneously. Bus drivers forget how to drive while sitting in an intersection. Musicians no longer know how to play their instruments in the middle of a concert. In other cases, the symptoms show up bit by bit, friends and family slowly watching their loved ones disappear right before their eyes.

Veterinarian Emma Ryerson (Olivia Cooke) and photographer Jude Williams (Jack O’Connell) are passionately in love. They knew they were destined to be together almost from the first moment they met, even if Emma happened to be in a relationship at the time. The two are soon married and in an apparent state of bliss.

But when Jude begins showing early signs of NIA, they are understandably shattered, desperately hoping a cure or treatment will be found before it is too late.

For reasons I shouldn’t have to spend much time explaining, Little Fish isn’t the easiest film to watch at the moment. It’s an unyielding drama that never shies away from the terrifying calamity sitting at its core, making this science fiction romance, the latest from director Chad Hartigan

Olivia Cooke and Jack O’Connell in Little Fish – Photo courtesy of IFC Films

(Morris from American), a rather perfect examination of what it’s like to live under the shadow of a massive global pandemic.

Whether or not that was the original intent, however, is a question left for another day.

Cooke is marvelous. She carries this movie through all of its various ups and downs with magnetic grace. The actress makes Emma come alive, adding layers of depth that leap off the screen. There’s a divine moment where she comes across a

line of people trying to get placement in an NIA study, and the flurry of emotions that cross across her face as she realizes what this might mean for Jude floored me. Cooke is sensational throughout, and never did I feel like there was a false beat or movement to anything she was doing.

This is good, because as captivating as much of Hartigan’s heartbreaking scenario might be, there is an uncomfortable jerkiness to the narrative’s development I fre-

quently found frustrating. The filmmaker’s attempts to have his story mimic the discombobulating effects of NIA is laudable, even if it doesn’t always work. It was hard for me to intimately connect to the potential sudden disappearance of Emma and Jude’s memories, mainly because I never quite bought into their romantic entanglement to begin with.

This is a fairly major issue, and one I do not want to minimize. Still, where Hartigan excels is in his world-building and how he fits all of his beguilingly nonlinear puzzle pieces together with such seamless ease. There is a constant tension bubbling underneath the surface of Emma and Jude’s journey that kept me interested in discovering what was going to happen next. Moreover, there a poetic lyricism to the climactic moments that brought tears to my eyes, the beauteous simplicity of these last few scenes filling my heart with unexpected joy.

This is what makes Little Fish worthwhile. Even though Hartigan could never anticipate his drama would be released under such conditions as those we’re all currently living through, in some ways he couldn’t ask for a better time for his film to do so. He brings a refreshing aura of hope to what initially appears to be a situation entirely absent of it, making this love story a sterling reminder that little things can work miracles, and making authentic human connections – no matter how they occur – a priceless gift worth celebrating.

SUPERNOVA continued from cover

Supernova annihilated me. While this romantic drama from writer-director Harry Macqueen (Hinterland) didn’t surprise or go in a direction I didn’t anticipate, the subtly intoxicating naturalism of its central relationship is so heartbreakingly genuine I couldn’t have cared less. Firth and Tucci are spellbinding, and not once did I refrain from believing their massive love for one another was anything other than pure.

Macqueen structures events to run at a purposefully measured cadence that largely mirrors the unhurried road trip Sam and Tusker are on. While they have a final destination and a date by which they need to be there, neither feels a need to rush. They stop their trusted old camper, last driven when they were both much younger men, at treasured locations from their past and at the homes of beloved friends and family. This may be their final chance to connect as passionately as they are used to, all of which makes this adventure even more important for the both of them.

It also makes this a rather leisurely expedition for audiences, especially considering that none of the stops along the way are all that inventive or inspired. Yet this does not matter. Much like Andrew Haigh’s superlative one-two punch of Weekend and 45 Years, it’s not so much where things are headed as it is the relationship between the two people at the heart of this melodrama that is the most important element. This is vital. It is also exactly what Macqueen focuses on with confident authority.

There’s nothing better than watching Firth and Tucci work their magic. Whether sharing scenes or having individual moments with others, each actor is at the top of their game. They are in complete control throughout, handling even the more schmaltzy bits of Macqueen’s screenplay with delicately authentic panache. They

Colin Firth and Stanley Tucci in Supernova – Photo courtesy of Bleecker Street

deliver the dialogue with emotional precision, everything building to a climactic face-off dripping with so much heartrending honesty that I found myself inching forward toward the edge of my seat as if I were watching a pulse-pounding thriller and not an intimate drama of eternal love.

Tucci is particularly extraordinary. His ability to dig so far into the material that he disappears inside it is astonishing. The actor has a scene near the middle of the picture with youngster Nina Marlin that floored me. She portrays Tusker’s inquisitive niece Charlotte, and the two are outside on the lawn, quietly staring up at the stars as a house party loudly carries on behind them, off in the distance.

It’s a simple enough moment, one involving much chitter-chatter about astronomy and other interstellar consid-

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erations. But more important is what is underneath the dialogue, the way the two actors stare one another down and connect over something so expansive in its reach and seemingly endless in its scope. But Tucci has a way to connect what they’re talking about to basic everyday human occurrences. Through the way he contorts his body or arches the corner of an eye, he allows Tusker to show Charlotte wonders beyond her years, while at the same time sadly hinting at all he’s about to lose, as dementia’s grip upon his psyche continues to intensify.

There is no surprise where things end up. Macqueen doesn’t make much of an attempt to conceal his hand in a third-act reveal that is moderately underwhelming.

But Firth plays the moment beautifully, and I loved the way he and Tucci slip into a

controversially tense discussion with such painfully nonchalant grace. The pair slide into one another’s arms with exquisite ease, and in their doing so, the ramifications of what is being discussed hits home with far more concentrated zeal than it otherwise would have.

Superbly shot by the great Dick Pope (Mr. Turner) and crisply edited by Chris Wyatt (Ammonite), the technical superiority of Macqueen’s sophomore outing behind the camera is never in doubt. Yet when it is all said and done, I can’t help but circle back to Firth and Tucci. They are the reason Supernova affected me so deeply.

The duo allows this melodramatic spectacle to shoot into the upper atmosphere, their riveting magnificence a fiery comet of selfless romantic rapture that’s out of this world.

February 12, 2021

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MEDIA

GLAAD announces nominees for the 32nd annual GLAAD Media Awards

Laverne Cox in Disclosure– Photo courtesy of Netflix

NEW YORK (January 28, 2021) – GLAAD, the world’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) media advocacy organization, announced today the nominees for the 32nd Annual GLAAD Media Awards. Actress Josie Totah (Peacock’s Saved by the Bell), actor and performer D.J. ‘Shangela’ Pierce (HBO’s We’re Here), and actor Jonathan Bennett (The Hallmark Channel’s The Christmas House) announced the nominees via live-stream on GLAAD’s TikTok page.

The 32nd Annual GLAAD Media Awards honor media for fair, accurate, and inclusive representations of LGBTQ people and issues. Since its inception in 1990, the GLAAD Media Awards have grown to be the most visible annual LGBTQ awards show in the world, sending powerful messages of acceptance to audiences globally.

The 32nd Annual GLAAD Media Awards are presented by Gilead and Ketel One Family-Made Vodka.

For a full list of nominees see glaad.org/ mediaawards/nominees. Award recipients will be announced during a virtual ceremony scheduled for April 2021. The 32nd Annual GLAAD Media Awards nominees were published, released, or broadcast between January 1 and December 31, 2020.

GLAAD announced 198 nominees in 28 categories, including two new categories: Outstanding Children’s Programming and Outstanding Breakthrough Music Artist. As LGBTQ representation continues to grow in Kids & Family programming, the new Outstanding Children’s Programming category recognizes television programs created for younger children that showcase LGBTQ people and families. The new Outstanding Breakthrough Music Artist recognizes LGBTQ artists who have achieved a breakthrough in the music industry during the eligibility period and whose songs, music videos, or live performances have made a significant impact on LGBTQ visibility and acceptance.

This year, several categories increased from five to ten worthy nominees to recognize expanding levels of diverse LGBTQ representation across several media genres.

Previously announced 2020 honors for Taylor Swift, Janet Mock, Ryan Murphy, and Judith Light will be handed out at a separate date. Murphy created, directed, produced and/or executive produced six nominees this year (The Prom, The Boys in the Band, Circus of Books, Hollywood, Ratched, 9-1-1: Lone Star).

“During an unprecedented year of crises and isolation, the nominees for the 32nd Annual GLAAD Media Awards reached LGBTQ people with powerful stories and inspired countless others around the world with bold looks at LGBTQ people and issues,” said GLAAD president and CEO Sarah Kate Ellis. “As GLAAD continues to lead the fight for LGBTQ acceptance, this year’s nominees remind us that even in times of political and cultural division, diverse LGBTQ representation and visibility can enlighten, entertain, and create lasting change.”

Streaming services saw a total of 58 nominees, with cable receiving 29 nominations, and broadcast networks receiving 14 nominations. Netflix scored the most nominations of any network, with a total of 26 nominees, followed by HBO Max with 9 nominees. Amazon, Hulu, and HBO received 4 nominations each, while Disney+ and PBS each received 3 nominations.

The Hallmark Channel received its first nomination for The Christmas House.

ABC also received several nominations in the journalism categories this year. ABC received one nomination in both Outstanding TV Journalism Segment and Outstanding TV Journalism - Long-Form (“Dwyane Wade One-On-One: Basketball Legend Opens Up About Supporting Transgender Daughter” and “ABC News Joe Biden Town Hall,” respectively), while ABC News Live also received one nomination in the same two categories (“Faith, Foster Care, and LGBTQ Rights Collide in Supreme Court” and “Pride on ABC News Live: The Landmark Decision,” respectively). In the Outstanding Online Journalism Article category, GoodMorningAmerica.com received a nomination for “Gay Men Speak Out After Being Turned Away from Donating Blood During Coronavirus Pandemic: ‘We aAre Turning Away Perfectly Healthy Donors’” by Tony Morrison and Joel Lyons.

In the midst of a long overdue social movement against racial and ethnic discrimination, several of the nominees at the 32nd Annual GLAAD Media Awards include powerful and impactful stories about LGBTQ people of color. Those nominees include: Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, The Prom, The Craft: Legacy, Twenties, 9-1-1: Lone Star, Love, Victor, Superstore, Star Trek: Discovery, Vida, Sex Education, P-Valley, I May Destroy You, The Half of It, Monsoon, Lingua Franca, The Boys in the Band, I Carry You With Me, Kajillionaire,

18 Seattle Gay News

February 12, 2021

The Wilds, Supergirl, Big Mouth, Dead to Me, Everything’s Gonna Be Okay, Wynonna Earp, Dispatches from Elsewhere, Hollywood, Little Fires Everywhere, Legendary, Queer Eye, RuPaul’s Drag Race, We’re Here, TransGriot, and The Reckoning, among others.

A tip sheet with an additional breakdown of diversity as well as other facts and figures about this year’s nominees is available at: www.glaad.org/releases.

Each year, GLAAD presents noncompetitive Special Recognition Awards to media projects that do not fit into one of the existing GLAAD Media Awards categories. For the 32nd Annual GLAAD Media Awards, GLAAD is presenting Special Recognition honors to eight media projects that spotlighted diverse segments of the LGBTQ community in innovative ways.

The eight media projects are: After Forever (Amazon), Deadline’s New Hollywood podcast, the Happiest Season soundtrack (Facet/Warner Records), Noah’s Arc: The ‘Rona Chronicles (Patrik Ian-Polk Entertainment), Out (Pixar/Disney+), Razor Tongue (YouTube), “The Son” (Little America) (Apple TV+), and Jesse & Joy’s “Love (Es Nuestro Idioma).”

GLAAD has also reinstated the Barbara Gittings Award for Excellence in LGBTQ Media, which honors a pioneering individual, group, or community media outlet that has made a significant contribution to the development of LGBTQ media. The award is named after Barbara Gittings in recognition of her groundbreaking work as editor of The Ladder, and for her appearances as an out lesbian on national news media throughout the 1970s and 1980s.

This year’s recipient of the Barbara Gittings Award for Excellence in LGBTQ Media is Windy City Times, Chicago’s pioneering LGBTQ news publication, established in 1985 by Jeff McCourt, Bob Bearden, Drew Badanish, and Tracy Baim.

Born in the midst of the AIDS epidemic, Windy City Times and its team helped to counter the defamatory coverage of HIV and the LGBTQ community in mainstream media, and sought to amplify LGBTQ voices at a time when acceptance for the community was extremely low. Over the past 35 years, Windy City Times has been Chicago’s main LGBTQ newspaper and has continued to be a leading voice for LGBTQ people and the issues.

Nominees for the 32nd annual GLAAD Media Awards English-language categories: Outstanding Film - Wide Release The Craft: Legacy (Sony Pictures) Happiest Season (Hulu) Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom (Netflix) The Old Guard (Netflix) The Prom (Netflix) Outstanding Film - Limited Release Ammonite (NEON) And Then We Danced (Music Box Films) The Boys in the Band (Netflix) The Half of It (Netflix) I Carry You With Me (Sony Pictures Classics) Kajillionaire (Focus Features) The Life Ahead (Netflix) Lingua Franca (ARRAY/Netflix) Monsoon (Strand Releasing) The True Adventures of Wolfboy (Vertical Entertainment) Outstanding Documentary Circus of Books (Netflix) Disclosure (Netflix) Equal (HBO Max) For They Know Not What They Do (First Run Features) Howard (Disney+) Mucho Mucho Amor (Netflix) Scream, Queen: My Nightmare on Elm Street (Virgil FIlms/Shudder) Visible: Out on Television (Apple TV+) We Are The Radical Monarchs (PBS POV) Welcome to Chechnya (HBO) Outstanding Comedy Series Big Mouth (Netflix) Dead to Me (Netflix) Everything’s Gonna Be Okay (Freeform) Harley Quinn (HBO Max) Love, Victor (Hulu) Saved by the Bell (Peacock) Schitt’s Creek (Pop) Sex Education (Netflix) Superstore (NBC) Twenties (BET) Outstanding Drama Series 9-1-1: Lone Star (FOX) Killing Eve (BBC America) P-Valley (Starz) Ratched (Netflix) Star Trek: Discovery (CBS All Access)

Celebrating 47 Years!

www.gofundme.com/f/seattle-gay-news-needs-your-support-now • VISIT SGN.ORG Supergirl (The CW) The Umbrella Academy (Netflix) Vida (Starz) The Wilds (Amazon) Wynonna Earp (Syfy) Outstanding TV Movie Alice Júnior (Netflix) Bad Education (HBO) The Christmas House (Hallmark Channel) The Christmas Setup (Lifetime) Dashing in December (Paramount Network) La Leyenda Negra (HBO Latino/HBO Max) The Thing About Harry (Freeform) Uncle Frank (Amazon Studios) Unpregnant (HBO Max) Your Name Engraved Herein (Netflix) Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series Dispatches from Elsewhere (AMC) The Haunting of Bly Manor (Netflix) Hollywood (Netflix) I May Destroy You (HBO) Little Fires Everywhere (Hulu) Outstanding Reality Program Deaf U (Netflix) Legendary (HBO Max) Queer Eye (Netflix) RuPaul’s Drag Race (VH1) We’re Here (HBO) Outstanding Children’s Programming “Challenge of the Senior Junior Woodchucks!” DuckTales (Disney XD) “Dogbot” Clifford The Big Red Dog (PBS) “Nancy Plays Dress Up” Fancy Nancy (Disney Junior) The Not-Too-Late Show with Elmo (HBO Max) Summer Camp Island (HBO Max) Outstanding Kids & Family Programming Craig of the Creek (Cartoon Network) Diary of a Future President (Disney+) First Day (Hulu) Kipo and The Age of the Wonderbeasts (Dreamworks Animation/Netflix) The Loud House (Nickelodeon) “Mary Anne Saves the Day” The BabySitters Club (Netflix) “Obsidian” Adventure Time: Distant Lands (HBO Max) The Owl House (Disney Channel) She-Ra & The Princesses of Power (Dreamworks Animation/Netflix) Steven Universe (Cartoon Network) Outstanding Music Artist Adam Lambert, Velvet (More Is More/ Empire) Brandy Clark, Your Life Is a Record (Warner Records) Halsey, Manic (Capitol) Kehlani, It Was Good Until It Wasn’t (Atlantic) Lady Gaga, Chromatica (Streamline/ Interscope) Miley Cyrus, Plastic Hearts (RCA) Pabllo Vittar, 111 (BMT/Sony Music Brasil) Peppermint, A Girl Like Me: Letters to My Lovers (Producer Entertainment Group) Ricky Martin, Pausa (Sony Latin) Sam Smith, Love Goes (Capitol) Outstanding Breakthrough Music Artist Arca, KiCk i (XL) Chika, Industry Games (Warner Records) FLETCHER, The (S)ex Tapes (Capitol) Keiynan Lonsdale, Rainbow Boy (Keiynan Lonsdale) Kidd Kenn, Child’s Play (Island Records) Orville Peck, Show Pony (Columbia/Sub Pop) Phoebe Bridgers, Punisher (Dead Oceans) Rina Sawayama, Sawayama (Dirty Hit/ Avex Trax) Trixie Mattel, Barbara (Producer Entertainment Group/ATO Records) Victoria Monét, Jaguar (Tribe Records)

Outstanding Video Game Assassin’s Creed Valhalla (Ubisoft) Borderlands 3: Guns, Love, and Tentacles (2K Games) Bugsnax (Young Horses) Hades (Supergiant Games) If Found… (Annapurna Interactive) Ikenfell (Humble Games) Immortals Fenyx Rising (Ubisoft) The Last of Us Part II (Sony Interactive Entertainment) Tell Me Why (Xbox Game Studios) World of Warcraft: Shadowlands (Blizzard Entertainment) Outstanding Comic Book Empyre, Lords of Empyre: Emperor Hulkling, Empyre: Aftermath Avengers, written by Al Ewing, Dan Slott, Chip Zdarsky, Anthony Oliveira (Marvel Comics) Far Sector, written by N.K. Jemisin (DC Comics) Guardians of the Galaxy, written by Al Ewing (Marvel Comics) Juliet Takes a Breath, written by Gabby Rivera (BOOM! Studios) Lois Lane, written by Greg Rucka (DC Comics) The Magic Fish, written by Trung Le Nguyen (Random House Graphic) Suicide Squad, written by Tom Taylor (DC Comics) Wynd, written by James Tynion IV (BOOM! Studios) X-Factor, written by Leah Williams (Marvel Comics) You Brought Me the Ocean, written by Alex Sanchez (DC Comics) Outstanding Variety or Talk Show Episode “Andy Cohen Calls for Change So He Can Donate His Plasma” Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen (Bravo) “Black Trans Lives Matter” Full Frontal with Samantha Bee (TBS) “Emily’s Coming Out Story” Red Table Talk: The Estefans (Facebook Watch) “Laverne Cox - Exploring Trans Representation with ‘Disclosure’” The Daily Show with Trevor Noah (Comedy Central) “Lilly Responds to Comments About Her Sexuality” A Little Late With Lilly Singh (NBC) Outstanding TV Journalism Segment “Black Trans Activists on Being the ‘Blueprint for the Struggle for Black Freedom’” MSNBC Live with Hallie Jackson (MSNBC) “Dwyane Wade One-On-One: Basketball Legend Opens Up About Supporting Transgender Daughter” Good Morning America (ABC) “Faith, Foster Care and LGBTQ Rights Collide in Supreme Court” ABC News Prime (ABC News Live) “One-on-One with Transportation Secretary Nominee Pete Buttigieg” State of the Union (CNN) “Trans and Non-Binary People Face Voting Barriers Ahead of 2020 Election” (CBSN) Outstanding TV Journalism – Long-Form “ABC News Joe Biden Town Hall” (ABC) “The Deciders” (CBS) “Pride and Protest: Being Black and Queer in America in 2020” (NBC News NOW) “Pride on ABC News Live: The Landmark Decision” (ABC News Live) “Prideland” (PBS) Outstanding Print Article “20 LGBTQ+ People Working to Save Lives on the Frontline” by Diane Anderson-Minshall, David Artavia, Tracy Gilchrist, Desiree Guerrero, Jeffrey Masters, Donald Padgett, and Daniel Reynolds (The Advocate) “The AIDS Quilt Marches Home” by Jason Sheeler (People) “As Homeless Shelters Brace for Funding Cuts, LGBTQ Youths Take Desperate Measures to Get By” by Samantha Schmidt (The Washington Post)

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“Delaware’s Sarah McBride Makes History as the Nation’s First Openly Transgender State Senator” by Meg Ryan (Delaware Today) “How a March for Black Trans Lives Became a Huge Event” by Anushka Patil (The New York Times) “It’s Time for a New Tipping Point for Transgender Folks in Hollywood” by Tre’vell Anderson (Out) “LGBTQ Americans Are Getting Coronavirus, Losing Jobs. Anti-Gay Bias is Making it Worse for Them.” by Petruce Jean-Charles (USA Today) “Lutheran High School Athletic Trainer, Coach Says She Was Fired for Being Gay”

by Arika Herron (The Indianapolis Star) “States Won’t Collect LGBTQ Data on COVID-19 — and Advocates Aren’t Happy” by Chris Johnson (Washington Blade) “Why Billy Porter is a National Treasure” by Tre’vell Anderson (Essence) Outstanding Magazine Overall Coverage The Advocate Billboard People Plus Variety Outstanding Online Journalism Article “The Battle Over Title IX and Who Gets to be a Woman in Sports: Inside the Raging National Debate” by Katie Barnes (epsnW. com) “Gay Men Speak Out After Being Turned Away from Donating Blood During Coronavirus Pandemic: ‘We are Turning Away Perfectly Healthy Donors’” by Tony Morrison and Joel Lyons (GoodMorningAmerica.com) “Here’s how Reggie Greer Takes on LGBTQ Outreach for Joe Biden in this ‘Very Personal’ Election” by John Gallagher (LGBTQNation.com) “No Medicine, No Food: Coronavirus Restrictions Amplify Health Risks to LGBT+ People with HIV” by Nita Bhalla and Oscar Lopez (Openlynews.com) “An Oral History of Fashion’s Response to the AIDS Epidemic” [series] by Phillip Picardi (VOGUE.com) “Queer Spaces Project” [series] by Nico Lang, Samantha Allen, Marke B., Matt Baume, Steven Blum, Alexander Cheves, Devlyn Camp, Michael Cuby, James Factora, KC Hoard, Sophie Hurwitz, Michelle Kim, and Daniel Villareal (them.us) “Trans Athletes’ Fight for Inclusion in World Rugby” [series] by Dawn Ennis, Alex Reimer, Karleigh Webb, and Cyd Zeigler (Outsports.com) “Trans Freedom Fighters” [series] by Sam Levin (TheGuardian.com) “Trans, Imprisoned — and Trapped” by Kate Sosin (NBCNews.com) “‘You Don’t Belong Here’: In Poland’s ‘LGBT-Free Zones’ Existing is an Act of Defiance” by Ivana Kottasová and Rob Picheta (CNN.com) Outstanding Online Journalism – Video or Multimedia “A Closer Look: Transgender in Kashmir” by Robert Leslie (Business Insider) “I’m an Immigrant Fighting for Queer Rights and Racial Justice” by Abigail E. Disney, Catherine King, Maria Nunez, Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, Patty Quillin, Julie Parker Benello, Susan Sherrerd, and Lynda Weinman (Refinery29) “Stop Killing Us: Black Transgender Women’s Lived Experiences” by Talibah Newman Ometu, Thomas Blount, Juliana Schatz Preston, and Mariah Dupont (Complex World) “They Will See You: LGBTQ+ Visibility in Advertising” by Brent Miller, Otto Bell, and Jordan Shavarebi (Great Big Story) “Why LGBTQ Rights Hinge on the Definition of ‘Sex’” by Laura Bult, Ranjani Chakraborty, Melissa Hirsch, and Sidnee King (Vox)

Outstanding Blog Gays With Kids JoeMyGod Pittsburgh Lesbian Correspondents The Reckoning TransGriot Special Recognition After Forever (Amazon) Deadline’s New Hollywood Podcast Happiest Season Soundtrack (Facet/Warner Records) Noah’s Arc: The ‘Rona Chronicles (Patrik Ian-Polk Entertainment) Out (Pixar/Disney+) Razor Tongue (YouTube) “The Son” Little America (Apple TV+) Spanish-language categories: Outstanding Spanish-Language Scripted Television Series Ana (Amazon/Comedy Central/Pantaya) Élite (Netflix) #Luimelia (Atresplayer Premium) Someone Has to Die (Netflix) Veneno (HBO Max) Outstanding Spanish-Language TV Journalism “Decisión de la Corte Suprema Para Comunidad LGBTQ” Un Nuevo Día (Telemundo) “La Hermana de Aleyda Ortiz Narra Cómo Salió del Clóset y Cómo se lo Comunicó a su Familia” Despierta América (Univision) “Proyecto ser Humano: La Terapia del Engaño” Camilo (CNN en Español) “Refugio para Pacientes de COVID-19 y Comunidad LGBTI en México” Un Nuevo Día (Telemundo) “Sanación Milagrosa” Despierta América (Univision) Outstanding Spanish-Language Online Journalism Article “El Brutal Asesinato de una Mujer Transgénero Conmociona a Puerto Rico y Renueva una Conversación Sobre la Transfobia” por Harmeet Kaur y Rafy Rivera (CNNEspañol.com) “Desapareció en México, Solo se Hallaron sus Restos: La Historia de la Doctora María Elizabeth Montaño y su Importancia para la Comunidad Trans” por Albinson Linares y Marina E. Franco (Telemundo.com) “Entrevistas para el mes del Orgullo LGBT+” por Paula Velasco, Aurora Villaseñor, y Sofía Viramontes (Gatopardo.com) “Elliot Page y el Dilema Social del Género” por Marcos Billy Guzmán (ElNuevoDía.com) “La Historia de un Amor Moderno” por María Torres Clausell (Quién.com) Outstanding Spanish-Language Online Journalism Video or Multimedia “Abril Zamora: Sin Filtros” (Elle España) “Ciudad de México Prohibe las ‘Terapias’ Contra la Homosexualidad” por Elías Camhaji, Jonás Cortés, y Rodrigo Floriano (El País) “La Liga Deportiva de la Diversidad” por Lucía Anaya (VICE en Español) “Mujeres LGBT+ en México: Ari Vera” (Homosensual) “Soy Trans: El Camino a un Nuevo Despertar” por Sarah Moreno, Esther Piccolino, y José Sepúlveda (El Nuevo Herald) Special Recognition (Spanish-Language) Jesse & Joy, “Love (Es Nuestro Idioma)” GLAAD rewrites the script for LGBTQ acceptance. As a dynamic media force, GLAAD tackles tough issues to shape the narrative and provoke dialogue that leads to cultural change. GLAAD protects all that has been accomplished and creates a world where everyone can live the life they love. For more information, visit www. glaad.org or connect with GLAAD on Facebook and Twitter.

Courtesy of GLAAD

February 12, 2021

Seattle Gay News 19

Allyship - an organization of LGBTQ individuals fighting for economic and social justice. www.LGBTQAllyship. org, allyship@yahoo.com, (206) 279-8169.

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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.

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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

20 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.

February 12, 2021

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 47 Years!

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

Amend: The Fight for America

by Janice Athill SGN Contributing Writer If you have never considered the possibility of being in America without being a citizen, consider yourself lucky. For millions of people, being stuck in America yet excluded from all the rights and liberties of a citizen was their reality.

In what could be the most gripping two minutes and fifty-three seconds of the week, the trailer for Netflix’s new sixepisode docuseries Amend: The Fight for America (premiering February 17) dives directly into citizenship in America as defined by the Constitution.

This star-studded series, hosted and executive produced by Will Smith, plans to touch on the original vague notion of “American citizen,” which allowed racism to run rampant and unchecked; it then details how the 14th Amendment defined what it means to be a citizen and the rights guaranteed to them: racial equality, women’s equality, equal protection by and from the government, all citizens deserving of empathy and dignity.

Somehow, in 2021, the protections promised under the 14th Amendment still don’t manage to apply to everyone. Will Smith and the team at Netflix believe that establishing an understanding of how history influenced this can spark the compassion and healing our country needs, and they hope to do so with this compelling documentation and analysis of American history.

“As Americans, we endeavor to form a more perfect union that truly establishes justice and equality for all,” Smith says in his press release statement. “I believe a

Will Smith (l) and Mahershala Ali in Amend: the Fight for America – Photos courtesy of Netflix

deeper understanding of the 14th Amendment is a critical jumping-off point.”

This series is intended to shine a light on the promise of America while hopefully creating the bond we need through shared humanity promoting progress toward the true equality our country lacks.

Find the series at www.netflix.com/ AMEND. From the Netflix press release Featured thought leaders: Sherrilyn Ifill, Bryan Stevenson, David Blight, Brittany Packnett Cunningham, Vanita Gupta,

Kimberlé Crenshaw, Dr. Khalil Muhammad, Garrett Epps, and more Featured talent: Mahershala Ali, Samira Wiley, Samuel L. Jackson, Diane Lane, Laverne Cox, Yara Shahidi, Randall Park, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Sterling K Brown, and more Synopsis: Amend: The Fight for America is a six-part docuseries that explores the 14th Amendment of the US Constitution, which, in 1868, promised liberty and equal protection for all persons, as America’s most enduring hallmark of democracy.

Amend deploys a groundbreaking narrative

format featuring a number of luminaries … breathing life into speeches and writings by the amendment’s most ardent advocates and foes (including Frederick Douglass, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and Andrew Johnson), with insights from an inclusive array of contemporary thought leaders and experts. Executive produced and hosted by Oscar-nominated actor Will Smith and Emmy-winning writer Larry Wilmore, Amend is a powerful, multimedia journey through American history that encourages viewers to question what a “United States” really means.

ARTS

Henry Art Gallery: Monsen Photography Lecture + more Monsen Photography Lecture Thurs., February 18, 5 p.m. (PST) via Zoom The Henry is delighted to welcome Deborah Willis as a Monsen Photography Lecture speaker. Named after Dr. Elaine Monsen, this lecture series brings key makers and thinkers in photographic practice to the Henry.

Willis will draw upon her prolific career as a photographer and a scholar of the history of photography in her presentation, “Staying Engaged: Social Protest, Migrations, and Responses in Art,” where she will address how we stay engaged in contemporary social protest and justice movements through photography. The presentation will be followed by a conversation with Sylvia Wolf, John S. Behnke Director of the Henry.

Deborah Willis, PhD, is a university professor and chair of the Department of Photography & Imaging at the Tisch School of the Arts at New York University.

She is the recipient of a MacArthur Fellowship and a Guggenheim Fellowship, and is the author of The Black Civil War Soldier: A Visual History of Conflict and Citizenship and Posing Beauty: African American Images from the 1890s to the Present,

Set in Motion December 2020 to Februry 2021 “Set in Motion,” the Henry’s first citywide public art exhibition, is in its final weeks of viewing! The work of ten artists from the Pacific Northwest and beyond are presented on sixty public buses throughout the Seattle area until the end of February.

To view artworks, artist statements and bios, as well as location information, [go to https://henryart.org/exhibitions/set-inmotion].

Deborah Willis – Photo by Alice Proujansky

among other publications.

Free and open to the public – reserve your ticket [at https://bit.ly/3a4jM8Y].

Visit us online www.sgn.org

Re/frame: Love’s Many Forms Thurs., February 18, noon & 6:30 p.m.

(PST) Artists have long explored the theme of love, capturing spontaneous expressions of affection and exploring new ways to convey the complex sentiment in all its forms. Join Dr. Ann Poulson, the Henry’s associate curator of collections, as we discuss examples in the Henry’s collection.

Register for noon [at https://henryart. org/programs/re-frame-loves-many-formsnoon-session].

Register for 6:30 p.m. [at https://henryart.org/programs/re-frame-loves-manyforms-evening-session].

February 12, 2021

2021 Critical Issues Lecture Series Learn about contemporary art and practice with the 2021 Critical Issues Lecture Series, presented in collaboration with the School of Art + Art History + Design.

Lectures occur on Fridays and are free and open to the public. Times are PST. Register via the links below.

February 19, 12 p.m.: Eva Barto: https:// henryart.org/programs/critical-issues-incontemporary-art-practice-eva-barto February 26, 12 p.m.: Divya Mehra: https://henryart.org/programs/criticalissues-in-contemporary-art-practice-to-beannounced Fermented Face with Candice Lin Tues., March 2, 1 p.m. (PST) “Fermented Face,” hosted as a part of the Bugs & Beasts Before the Law Colloquium, is a workshop that uses facial massage and a guided meditation to ask questions about bodily borders, ideas of porosity and contamination, and the importance of touch in these contemporary times.

Courtesy of the Henry Art Gallery

Seattle Gay News 21

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February 12, 2021

Celebrating 47 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 spa pool, sundeck and locker room are open by appointment for private rental with your household pod of one to five persons for 90-minute sessions. Sauna is closed until at least Phase 3.

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

€420 billion per year is spent on public sector purchasing in the European Union.

The EU welcomes bids for tenders from companies outside the EU. BBIT SPRL is your Brussels-based guide to EU purchasing.

Let us help you expand your business across the ocean.

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Visit us online www.sgn.org

February 12, 2021

Seattle Gay News 23