Celebrating 43 Years! Issue 7 Volume 45
20 years of RENT: Skyler Volpe interview
Seattle Asian American Film Fest.
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SEC 2 PG 1
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Ed Murray wins key union State Supreme Court endorsement rules against anti-LGBT Richland florist
Mayor Ed Murray – Photo by AP Photo/Elaine Thompson
by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer Seattle Mayor Ed Murray won a key endorsement in his race for re-election on February 15, when he secured the support
of the Martin Luther King County Labor Council (MLKCLC). The MLKCLC includes some 150 union locals representing more than 80,000 worksee ED MURRAY page 4
(l) Rob Ingersoll and Curt Freed – Photo courtesy of king5.com
by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer The Washington State Supreme Court has ruled unanimously that Pasco florist Barronelle Stutzman was correctly pros-
ecuted and fined for refusing to create floral arrangements for a same-sex wedding. Stutzman claimed that she refused to sell wedding flowers to Robert Ingersoll see FLORIST page 3
King County among first in nation CDC: Overall HIV rates to achieve a global milestone in down, but rising for the fight against HIV/AIDS Gay men 25-34
King County Executive Dow Constantine – Photo courtesy of gogreenconference.wordpress.com
King County is one of the first counties in the United States to reach a major milestone set by the World Health Organization to confront the HIV/AIDS epidemic. Public Health – Seattle & King County achieved the goal three years ahead of schedule. Health officials celebrated the achieve-
ment but warn against complacency. King County is among the first major metropolitan regions in the United States – and possibly the first – to reach a major see HIV/AIDS MILESTONE page 4
Blood collection sample – Photo by Sherry Yates Young
by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer Overall rates of HIV infection in the US are down, according to a new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report, but they are on the rise for Gay men
aged 25-34. The report, presented on February 14 at the Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections, includes data for the years 2008 through 2014. see CDC page 6