SGN November 2, 2018 - Section 2

Seattle Gay News

Issue 44, Volume 46, November 2, 2018

Arts & Entertainment

McCarthy and Grant shine in eloquently moving Can You Ever Forgive Me?

Richard E. Grant and Melissa McCarthy in Can You Ever Forgive Me? – Photo courtesy of Fox Searchlight

by Sara Michelle Fetters SGN A&E Writer CAN YOU EVER FORGIVE ME? Now playing

Once upon a time Lee Israel (Melissa McCarthy) was a vaunted celebrity biographer who chronicled the lives of artists like Katherine Hepburn, Tallulah Bankhead

see FORGIVE ME? page 7

Delicately intimate What They Had an emotional powerhouse

Blythe Danner and Hilary Swank in What They Had – Photo courtesy of Bleecker Street

by Sara Michelle Fetters SGN A&E Writer WHAT THEY HAD Now playing

After her mother Ruth (Blythe Danner) leaves the house to walk the streets during a raging snowstorm, California chef Bridget (Hilary Swank) rushes home to Chicago

see WHAT THEY HAD page 5

Pacific Musicworks’ Mike Daisey’s exquisite Monteverdi concert A People’s History a riveting both exciting and sublime reflection on America

Monteverdi Masterworks – Photo by Bill Mohn

by Sharon Cumberland SGN A&E Writer PACIFIC MUSICWORKS MONTEVERDI MASTERWORKS TRINITY LUTHERAN, LYNNWOOD October 26 The sanctuary of Trinity Lutheran Church in Lynnwood was a wonderful setting for Pacific MusicWorks’s presentation of sacred

music by the baroque master, Claudio Monteverdi (1567-1643). The sanctuary’s soaring nave, raked floor, and comfortable pews were particularly well-suited for sacred music, and allowed everyone in the audience to see and hear the musicians clearly. Thirteen performers – eight singers and five instrumentalists – filled the space with psalms, sacred sonnets, and sections of the mass that were simultaneously exciting and sublime.

see MONTEVERDI page 3

Mike Daisey – Photo by Sabrina Fonseca

by Miryam Gordon SGN A&E Writer A PEOPLE’S HISTORY WITH MIKE DAISEY SEATTLE REPERTORY THEATRE Through November 25 Mike Daisey has an uncanny ability to cut subject matter down to bite-sized incisive bits of information. If you have never

heard him opine, you owe it to yourself to pay a visit, at least once, to his current sitdown at Seattle Repertory Theatre!

In this iteration, in his A People’s History, Daisey has decided to compare, in his roundabout, talk-about-everything-at-once way of discussing things, his own public school U.S. history education during high school (i.e., the textbook used in his classroom) with Howard Zinn’s seminal book,

see PEOPLE'S HISTORY page 3

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Celebrating 44 Years!

Monteverdi Masterworks performers (top l-r) Zachary Lenox, Reginald Mobley, Teresa Wakim, Ross Hauck, (below l-r) Danielle Sampson, Thomas Segen, Brenna Wells, and Matthew Treviño – Photos courtesy of Pacific Musicworks

MONTEVERDI continued from cover

Director Stephen Stubbs played the chitarrone – a six-foot tall bass lute – while leading his singers and an orchestra consisting of violins, harp, harpsichord and cello. For PMW regulars, the pleasure of hearing Tekla Cunningham’s baroque violin and Henry Lebedinsky’s baroque organ and harpsichord never fails to delight. Toma Iliev provided an exciting violin and Maxine Eilander the lovely harp, joined by David Morris on baroque cello and fantastic-looking lirone. I know “lirone” doesn’t mean “lion” (it means “lyre”), but every time I see this tawny-gold instrument with its unusual curlicue sides – like a lion’s mane – I think of baroque representations of the lion of Venice.

A leonine lirone is an apt, if inaccurate, association since Venice was truly present in the evening’s program. Monteverdi composed his sacred masterworks, “Selve morale e spirituale” for the basilica of San Marco where he was the composer and choir director for thirty years. Anyone presenting these works must put together a program from the 37 individual pieces included in the collection, and Stephen Stubbs is just

the scholar to do it. He balanced the program by selecting pieces that shifted the mood from the despair of a frustrated lover ashamed of earthly passions and the mourning of the Blessed Virgin for the fate of her child, through the promises of the psalms of David and the joy of the resurrection. The wonderful voices singing these pieces are trained for the special demands of baroque music. Danielle Sampson’s ethereal soprano, Reginald Mobley’s powerful counter-tenor, and Matthew Treviño’s astounding basso were particular standouts, along with Ross Hauck’s always nuanced and powerful tenor.

Each half of the program also treated the audience to lively orchestral sonatas –

by Dario Castello and Marco Uccellini – in which the voices of the cello and the violins are so clear that you can almost hear the words in every note. I particularly enjoyed the back-and-forth between the two violins in Uccellini’s “Aria sopra la Bergamasca” based on a lively dance form. It captured the celebratory dimension of Venice (think Carnavale!) without diminishing the sacred and serious purpose of Monteverdi’s choral music.

And what a great choir it was! The eight singers were divided between high and low voices – three sopranos and a counter-tenor

over and against two tenors, a baritone and a bass. PMW turns to wonderful singer-specialists who are sought after internationally, but who come to Seattle on a regular basis to sing with this famous ensemble. I was particularly moved by the soprano duet “Jubilet tota civitas” – a question and answer of rejoicing for martyr and healer, Saint Blaise – and by the paired “Crucifixus” and “Et resurrexit” – a quartet of solemn men proclaiming the death of Christ followed by an ecstatic soprano duet proclaiming the resurrection of Christ. The finale, “Gloria in excelsis Deo” fused all the musical forces, vocal and orchestral, into a thrilling finale.

And since the visual is an integral part of any live performance, I was very pleased that the three soprano women wore three different shades of blue, from sky blue with a cloud of shawl, to the navy blue of the ocean, to a pattern of lights and darks that evoked the earth. It was a beautiful embrace of the natural world within the formality of the music – and seemed very Venetian to at the same time. These are the kinds of celebratory touches that reinforce the elegance and thoughtfulness of PMW. I hope Pacific MusicWorks will record this brilliant concert (a particularly well balanced selection of Monteverdi’s 37 works

from “Selve morale e spirituale” compared to those you can hear on YouTube) so that more people will become familiar with this marvelous music. As the Christmas season approaches we look forward to, and are accustomed to hearing, the expected pleasures of Handel’s Messiah, Bach’s Christmas Oratorio, and a welcome array of classical music to rival the banalities of secular holiday songs. Monteverdi’s masterworks offer another mosaic of sacred music to enrich a holiday season that, after all, originated with devotion of two millennia of Christians, but that includes all people who love the beauties and complexities of baroque sacred music.

And speaking of Christmas, don’t miss Pacific MusicWork’s upcoming concert “Christmas in Rome” which will include Stradella’s Cantata per il Santissimo Natale and Corelli’s Christmas Concerto December 7th at Epiphany Parish and December 9th at Trinity Parish, both in Seattle. Just to give you opera-lovers a heads up – plan now to see PMW’s production of Handel’s Samson this coming May, 2019. Check it out at www.pacificmusicworks.org.

not vote or own property! White men were

That is a taste of where Daisey started in his Chapter 8. Chapter 8 repeats on November 15th. Each of the 18 chapters repeats once in this cycle. Daisey’s shows always, these days (I haven’t seen every single one, but quite a few), have a table, some minor set decoration – in this case a large map of the United States with radiating pin-pointed lines, some water, a cloth for wiping his face, and his notes for the evening. He sits down and begins.

Daisey has a wide-ranging intellect and curiosity and a voracious appetite for research. Then he regurgitates it to us in a measured unhyperbolic manner, and sprinkles in a few jokes. Maybe they aren’t jokes – they’re just comments that are timed to sound funny!

He also certainly points at himself and his likely-mostly-white audience and includes us in the culpability of the white culture we inhabit. If you feel fragile about that, you won’t enjoy that at all – but it’s clearly time that we wake up to our privilege, and he’s a guy who will help us do that.

While sitting and talking to the audience is more toward the fringes of “theater,” it

embodies the tradition of entertainments of old, the “sitting around a camp fire talking” kind of event. Regardless, somehow Daisey makes it riveting! His talents, apart from his ability to synthesize on our behalf, include an uncanny ability to keep our attention while “doing” nothing but talking. It’s why he’s celebrated around the country.

If you have been feeling like wandering around begging people to “explain our current situation” to you, you can do no better than to attend and listen! In this case, to listen a LOT, you’ll need to come back to the theater a number of times and pay an additional $25 each time. But in any one evening, you’ll walk away with at least a nugget or two of more refined thinking courtesy of Daisey’s distillation.

For more information, call 206-4432222 or go to www.seattlerep.org.

November 2, 2018

Seattle Gay News 3

PEOPLE'S HISTORY clearly in control. continued from cover

A People’s History of the United States.

He started, with Chapter 1, in 1492, when Christopher Columbus “sailed the ocean blue” over toward the New World. He’ll end, 18 specific performances later, in the present. He says that is 27 hours of planned speaking, but those who attend Daisey’s performances know his 90-minute events are often at least 15 minutes longer. (There are 18 monologues; these are the “chapters”; they repeat once each during the run of this Seattle production.)

Daisey’s “Opening Night” performance was about the turn of the 20th Century (Chapter 8) when politics was surprisingly similar to 2018! Businesses were owned by oligarchs (says Daisey), the 8-hour day was still decades from common use, social welfare programs were only NONgovernmental (until the Great Depression), children worked for hours every day since there were no child labor laws. Women did

Daisey relates that Taylorism came into being when a man named Taylor published a book in 1911 about mechanizing workers’ lives, observing and documenting laborers’ movements, and reducing laborers into “labor” and into commodities that could be interchanged.

He then relates that this period became about resistance. Daisey suggests that the fact that workers could work in more densely populated factory conditions and the fact that they could talk to each other gave rise to sharing of information and experiences. So, perhaps those discussions included discussing the economic construct of “socialism.”

These workers likely felt the weight of The Man on their backs quite keenly!

From there, Daisey discusses unionization and reminds us of why we have the regulations we have today, protecting workers’ rights, creating the “weekend” we know now. But he also dives into the corruption of the union bosses and how that system worked together, too.

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Discuss your opinions with SGNCritic@ gmail.com or go to www.facebook.com/ SeattleTheaterWriters. More articles can be found at MiryamsTheaterMusings. blogspot.com.

ART AND CULTURE

“Beyond the Frame – To Be Native” Seattle Public Library presents free symposium Nov. 16 & 17

Photo courtesy of Seattle Public Library

Learn the story of Indigenous peoples, both past and present. At the turn of the 20th century, Edward S. Curtis began a decades-long mission to photograph Native peoples ... people he mistakenly thought were on the edge of extinction. But today, we know his work leads not to a lost past – it drives us to a thriving present. What does it mean to be native, beyond the frame?

During National American Indian Heritage Month, join scholars and historians as they examine Edward S. Curtis and Native American and First Nations cultures. This conference will take place Friday, Nov. 16 from 6:30pm to 8:30 pm and Saturday, Nov. 17 from 8:30am to 5pm at the Central Library, 1000 Fourth Ave., 206-386-4636.

Library programs are free and open to

the public. Registration is recommended not required. Parking is available in the Central Library garage at the regular rates. Please check back soon for the full schedule.

The Seattle Public Library will host a two-day symposium where we look at themes and concepts that deepen our understanding of “Beyond the Frame – To Be Native” with a variety of scholars, historians, and students in lectures, panels, group discussions and performances.

This symposium examines the work of Edward Curtis, while recognizing the need to move beyond the frame of his work. We will explore the concepts of authenticity in art, tribal sovereignty, environmental activism and Indigenous ways of knowing.

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS Friday, Nov. 16 • 6:30pm to 8:30pm – Reception with keynote speaker Ken Workman, performance by Alaska Kuteeyaa Dancers, spoken word by Delia Gomez, film screening directed by Fabian Romero and light refreshments.

Saturday, Nov. 17 • 8:30am – Registration • 9am – Opening Session • 10am – First breakout sessions • Noon – Lunch and Plenary Speaker (Level 4, Washington Mutual Foundation Meeting Room 1. Registration is required.)

• 2pm – Second breakout sessions • 4pm – Third breakout sessions The Library’s dynamic approach to building community that enriches lives includes programming that brings people, information and ideas together to respect and embrace the well-being of the people we serve. We celebrate Seattle’s many cultures by forming strong partnerships with community organizations.

For more information, visit www.spl.org/ beyondtheframe, call 206-386-4636 or Ask Us at https://www.spl.org/. For ADA accommodations, please contact: leap@spl.org.

Watch history come alive at the Seattle Public Library’s 2018 McLellan/O’Donnell Living History Series Nov. 18 Humanities author Clay Jenkinson will give a presentation and lecture on Edward S. Curtis, a photographer whose work focused on the American West and on Native American tribes, for The Seattle Public Library’s 2018 McLellan/O’Donnell Living History Series from 2pm to 4pm, Sunday, Nov. 18 at Broadway Performance Hall, 1625 Broadway.

Library events are free and open to the public. Registration is required at https://www.spl.org/event-calendar?tru mbaEmbed=view%3Devent%26eventid %3D129660404 Jenkinson will discuss Curtis’ life and work (slipping into the character of Curtis now and then), including Curtis’ work with JP Morgan, his many visits to the heart of Indian America, his relationship with Theodore Roosevelt, and the compilation of Curtis’ 20 volumes of his book North American Indian. Jenkinson will also

At the presentation, you’ll also see a working model of the camera that Curtis used to discuss and show examples of the techniques of lantern slide photography.

Clay Jenkinson – Photo courtesy of Seattle Public Library

talk about some of the more controversial issues around Curtis’ work, such as cultural appropriation, his treatment of his wife and family, the ways in which he cajoled Native Americans into showing him sacred objects or dressing in a sacred way, and divulging cultural secrets.

Performer Bio Jenkinson, a Rhodes and Danforth scholar, is a co-founder of the modern Chautauqua movement. He has dedicated the better part of his life to researching the historical characters he portrays and to defining the “living theatre” of Chautauqua. Previous characters have included Thomas Jefferson, Meriwether Lewis, J. Robert Oppenheimer and John Steinbeck.

Jenkinson hosts the weekly syndicated radio program, “The Thomas Jefferson Hour.” He is director of the Dakota Institute, a columnist for the Bismarck Tribune, and founder/chief consultant of the Theodore Roosevelt Center at Dickinson State University.

About the Program The McLellan/O’Donnell Living History Series was established by an endowment created by the McLellan and O’Donnell families to ensure that our community would enjoy programs that bring history to life for generations to come. The Living History Series is supported by The Seattle Public Library Foundation and media sponsor The Seattle Times.

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

For more information, call the Library at 206-386-4636 or Ask Us at https://www. spl.org/. For ADA accommodations, please contact: leap@spl.org.

BOOKS

Launching Nick DiMartino’s Italian Fairytale – DRAGONWEED

by Nick Di Martino Special to the SGN Good morning, gay book lovers.

On Sunday, November 11, my 72nd birthday, I’ll be launching at University Book Store my twentieth and longest novel, the first volume of my Italian Fairytale. This lovely 550page book, DRAGONWEED, with cover and illustrations by Fazaad Feroze, is a comic gay epic inspired by the Arabian Nights and the Brothers Grimm, the chronicles of Oz and the tales of Boccaccio – by every book I’ve read and treasured from Bomba the Jungle Boy to Platero and I. DRAGONWEED is the first of three linked novels, with the next two coming out this spring. As a lifelong book addict, I’ve tried to use everything I’ve loved to give you all the delights of my reading life in one eightpart story.

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I wrote the first draft in 1981. Discouraged from trying to break into the straight publishing world, I defiantly began writing a very personal gay spin on a fairytale for

November 2, 2018

my own amusement. It was not one of those anthropologically intricate inventions like Middle Earth or Dune, but a notch more light-hearted like Narnia or Oz. The result was a series of eight short novels, carrying some characters forward over decades.

I quickly lost faith in all that insanity. I boxed it up. I put the box into storage under the porch. The rain didn’t soak that box. The mice didn’t chew that box. AIDS changed the world, but it didn’t touch that box. When I had to move, I found in my storage a big box labelled The Devil in Love containing eight novels from a happier time. Thirty years later, in 2013, I read my own fairytale.

It was funny and exciting and full of surprises. Characters made me laugh. The plot did unexpected things. When one of my favorite characters was killed, I found myself crying over my own book.

I realized that this utterly original fairytale deserved to be polished and shared.

It has become the centerpiece of my life’s work. I’ve been revising and improving my Italian Fairytale ever since. It’s now consolidated into three volumes, each consisting of several linked novels. It’s the best reading experience I will ever create in this lifetime, designed to give new pleasures with every reading, my payback check for a lifetime of reading joy.

Please help me celebrate my 72nd birthday and the launch of DRAGONWEED, the first volume of my Italian Fairytale, on Sunday, November 11, at 3pm at the University Book Store (4326 University Way NE). Free parking in the rear. Hope you can join us!

Celebrating 44 Years!

Finding truth in family tragedy Writer/director Elizabeth Chomko on bringing her acclaimed Alzheimer’s drama What They Had to life

by Sara Michelle Fetters SGN A&E Writer WHAT THEY HAD Now playing My great-grandmother suffered from Alzheimer’s. When I was a freshman in college I would sometimes borrow a friend’s car and drive from Seattle down to Olympia to visit with her at the care facility my grandfather, my mother and her siblings decided was the best place for her. I did this oftentimes without letting anyone in my family know I was doing it, mainly because it was something I felt was personal and intimate just between the two of us. We would sit together quietly for an hour or so and she would gently hold my hand. For some reason she always remembered who I was, and as such the doctors felt it was good that I would visit every so often to help her hold on to important pieces of her past.

While these trips were fewer and further between than I maybe would have liked them to be (I was just getting used to being a collegiate scholar, after all), and as difficult as these moments between us could be, there’s something priceless about them that moves me towards tears every time I think back on them. I loved my great-grandmother deeply. I think she knew me better than almost anyone else, and before Alzheimer’s grabbed a hold of her psyche I can’t help but believe that there was an unspoken understanding between us where she knew more about what I was secretly dealing with in regards to my struggles with gender identity than I did, just the touch of her hand letting me know that no matter how traumatic things were she was going to continue to love me no matter what.

Writer/director Elizabeth Chomko based her extraordinary debut drama What They Had on experiences pulled from her own life. While a fictional film, elements of it were pulled straight from her own memories watching her family figure out the best course of action when her own beloved

WHAT THEY HAD continued from cover

with her college-aged daughter Emma (Taissa Farmiga) along for the ride to help find her. When she arrives at the airport her brother Nick (Michael Shannon) lets them know mom’s been found and is currently at the hospital with their father Burt (Robert Forster). But their problems are far from over. Ruth’s memory loss and dementia due to Alzheimer’s is reaching the point where maybe she should no longer be living in the family home. Additionally, Burt might not be the best person to be caring for her.

Nick has found a place he thinks is perfect for their mother, but he needs Bridget to convince their dad to sign the paperwork so she can get a placement. If Burt refuses, he then hopes his sister will see the bigger picture and make the decision for him.

Bridget can do that because her parents gave her power of attorney back when Ruth was initially diagnosed. But as she’s been living in California she wants to assess all that’s happening and try to do what’s best for everyone before she makes a decision, this period of review angering her brother as he doesn’t understand why it’s taking his younger sibling so long to reach what he views is the only logical conclusion.

Writer/director Elizabeth Chomko’s What They Had is magnificent. Incredibly acted by its stellar all-star cast, most notably the core quartet of Swank, Shannon, Danner and Forster, the movie manages to avoid nearly every “family dealing with illness” cliché one could ever imagine.

Instead, Chomko grounds her debut drama

Hilary Swank, Blythe Danner, and Taissa Farmiga in What They Had – Photo courtesy of Bleecker Street

grandmother was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. As such, for anyone who has lived through similar experiences her story here is a heartrending revelation. The filmmaker is unafraid to let humor and tragedy collide in order for the emotional typhoons that are

an essential part of a narrative such as this ring with an electrifying authenticity they never would have possessed otherwise.

“Thank you for saying that,” says Chomko after listening to my recollections about my great-grandmother and my observations as to why I think her film works as well as it does. “Thank you for sharing your story. I appreciate that. I’m sorry about your family, too. This disease; it takes a toll.

There’s like a generational grief. It’s not just about the person losing their memory.

It’s also, quite frankly, it’s painful to be forgotten. With that being the case, the grief that I had watching my family struggle with her loss – that was something I just wanted to kind of capture as best I could. It was a story I knew I needed to tell.”

The filmmaker was making a brief pit stop in Seattle before heading out to showcase What They Had at the Orcas Island

Film Festival. The plot follows California chef Bridget (Hilary Swank) as she is pulled back to her hometown of Chicago to help her brother Nick (Michael Shannon) decide what would be the best thing for their ailing mother Ruth (Blythe Danner). Her dementia due to her battle against Alzheimer’s is getting progressively worse, and Nick doesn’t believe their devout Catholic father Burt (Robert Foster) is currently the best person to be caring for their mom. As she has power of attorney over their parents, he wants Bridget to sign off on his plan to place her in a care facility, and while Burt is adamantly against this plan, in the end whether he likes it or not ultimately this is his daughter’s decision to make and no one else’s.

Featuring incredible performances from all four leads (as well as a fifth, magnetically

in ways that are frequently astonishing, the inherent humanity sitting at the core of the narrative she has so fastidiously constructed revealed layer-by-layer as events progress. Unlike the recent Still Alice, which was admittedly also nicely acted and won Julianne Moore a well-deserved Academy Award, this effort eschews melodramatic treacle in order to achieve something deeper, longer-lasting and far more memorably intimate. In short, this is one of 2018’s best motion pictures, one I hope people take the time to search out and see.

Inspired by her own grandmother’s battle with Alzheimer’s, Chomko doesn’t let cheap sentiment slip itself inside her story.

Instead, she chooses to showcase the truth.

Sometimes it’s shockingly funny, uproarious laughter birthed from almost unimaginable trauma. Sometimes it’s heartbreakingly upsetting, the unrelentingly brutal way the disease attacks its intended victim causing unfathomable hardships every member of the family must find a way to deal with. This psychological minefield can also bring people together in ways they maybe never have thought possible beforehand, each step of the journey its own impenetrable mystery that needs to be solved before the next footstep in the sands of time can be taken.

Chomko knows all of this because she lived through it. As such she doesn’t sugarcoat any piece of this drama. Watching Bridget, Nick and Burt try to come to an agreement as to the best course of action as it affects Ruth put more than a few lumps in my throat, all of their discussions and disagreements coming from a place of love and concern which allowed them to resonate on

an even deeper level than they would have otherwise. These moments can explode with humor at the most unforeseen yet also the most naturalistic of instants, things just as quickly shifting back to tearful melancholy or outright grief at the drop of the hat.

As stated, the acting is universally sublime. Swank, the holder of two Oscars for Boys Don’t Cry and Million Dollar Baby, delivers one of the finest performances of her career, the lived-in magnificence of her deeply passionate and multifaceted work as Bridget absolutely incredible. This is made even more impressive considering all that Chomko asks of her. Bridget’s indecisiveness as to what she should do isn’t an easy thing to portray, those years of constantly being told by her conservatively Catholic father about what she should be doing with her life leading her to constantly second guess just about every decision she makes. Swank brings a stirring, confident rigidity to the story that’s overflowing in emotional permutations, all of which adds an additional layer of believability to the proceedings that give it additional weight and magnitude.

Danner might have the most difficult task, forced to showcase Ruth’s declining mental state without allowing her performance to become too flamboyantly showy, too overtly sentimental or too artificially constrained for it to resonate in a meaningful way. The actress manages a complicated balancing act where she navigates through a myriad of tight emotive corners and in the process makes her character grow in powerful majesty as she pushes through toward the tragic exit of this cryptic psychological maze. It’s a beautiful, elegantly lithe performance that builds to a stirring moment of

intimacy between mother and daughter that left me a euphoric mess of cascading tears and quiet laughter, and I can’t imagine this story being told without her being a part of it.

Shannon and Forster are equally up to the challenge, each finding a way to give their respective character a magnetic vibrancy that’s utterly unique to them and to no one else. The former rarely gets the chance to be as funny as he is here. At the same time, by finding the humor in this situation Shannon allows Nick’s anger and rage to have a ferocious energy that’s captivating in its jarring suddenness. As for Forster, he’s nothing short of perfect. The selflessness of Burt’s unwavering love for Ruth is tinged with a form of patriarchal male privilege coupled with a healthy dollop of Catholic guilt that’s far more nuanced than I would have thought possible. It’s an endearing turn that in the hands of a lesser actor could have been didactic and off-putting, Forster finding the innate humanity of the character with hypnotic ease.

It’s Chomko’s script that might be the true revelation. Having gone through my own family travails when my beloved greatgrandmother fought against Alzheimer’s when I was a freshman in college, What They Had spoke to me with such astonishing clarity I almost couldn’t believe it.

Chomko constructs these characters and their situations in ways that are refreshing in their candor and specificity. I saw facets of my own family’s story splashed right there up on the screen, and it is that glorious ability to tap into the viewer’s everyday life that ultimately gives the film its undeniable majesty. As I said earlier, this is one of 2018’s best films. See it at once.

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Seattle Gay News 5

Elizabeth Chomko – Photo courtesy of IMDb

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see CHOMKO page 6

CHOMKO

continued from page 5 subtle supporting turn from Taissa Farmiga as Bridget’s college-aged daughter Emma), Chomko’s drama has a stunning ability to mine difficult emotional terrain with an observational restraint that suits the material nicely. While the film wears its heart on its sleeve, it is equally willing to let the audience laugh at any number of surprising moments, things briskly moving through a myriad of emotions ranging from anger, compassion, understanding and regret with a beguiling specificity I found stunning.

“I didn’t set out to be a filmmaker,” comments Chomko unprovoked. “It just ended up being a very organic process for me. I was a playwright and an actor, and I just felt like, frankly, at my grandfather’s funeral, I felt like I didn’t know what to do with this feeling of loss and grief and not wanting to accept that this was the end of this family lore. I didn’t want to think this was the end of my grandparent’s love story. I couldn’t accept that this grief was just what we had to go through. You get to that place of grief where you just want to climb out of it, that physiological response of there’s got to be a workaround to get over it. You feel like there’s got to be a shortcut. I’m the eldest grandchild. There had to be a way for me to tell their story and help everyone heal.

“I wrote the screenplay very quickly and I didn’t expect any of this to happen with it. It [the screenplay] just kind of kept guiding me to continue to work on it and work through whatever it was that I was trying to work through. From whatever organic place that all came from, I think it allowed other people to want to be a part of this journey. I just am incredibly fortunate that those other people were the kind of collaborators that I ended up with. Those were good moments.

This was a good thing.”

One of those good things happened to be Chomko’s script winning the prestigious Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting.

“That was a wonderful day,” says the filmmaker happily, “I did not expect to win by any stretch. I got the call from Robin Swicord, who’s the head of the committee, and then I heard the rest of the committee on speakerphone. I don’t remember what was said, but I got off the call and I remember bursting into tears. We had this luncheon where they all spoke about the script and what it meant to them, speaking to all of us who had won. Just hearing these committee members validate this story and my voice as a storyteller was everything. It was life-changing.”

“The Nicholl really got the film a bit more exposure,” continues Chomko after a quiet moment or two of reflection. “It certainly helped with my confidence, but it also got the film just more momentum and exposure. It got people to start to notice [the script] and to read it. Our producer, Albert Berger, he was on the Nicholl committee, so he and his partner Ron Yerxa, they decided they would come on as producers.

“They’re legends. They’re so beloved by the independent film community. It just really gave the project a validity and a sense that these A-list actors we were talking to like Hilary and Michael would really be able to trust that they were coming aboard something good. It was their presence as producers that actually allowed us to show the script to Hilary. Thankfully, she read it and loved it. Hilary really helped me see that character, Bridget, which was sort of an enigma to me because it was like the one that was the most me. Her insights helped push the details forward. She became this woman that I was trying to conjure. More, Hilary really was a partner and a champion.

She just helped at every stage. Hilary helped keep the project to keep moving forward.”

Her affinity and connection to the material is instantly obvious. A two-time Academy Award winner for Boys Don’t Cry and Million Dollar Baby, Swank’s performance as Bridget ranks right up there with the best the actress has ever given. What makes her

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Blythe Danner and Hilary Swank in What They Had – Photo courtesy of Bleecker Street

work even more impressive is that her character spends almost as much time observing what the others are doing and saying as it pertains to Ruth as she does trying to figure out for herself what’s the best thing to do for her mother. There is a level of heartfelt indecision to her performance that’s uncomfortable to witness, Swank allowing Bridget to live in the moment in ways that are truthful, heartfelt and unbearably poignant.

pent-up rage bubbling beneath the surface that Shannon unleashes with a sudden ferocity that can be startling, comedy and tragedy intermingling with a deft precision I personally found incredible.

“He’s such a great actor,” flatly states the director. “He just is. You know the moment you meet him he’s going to do something incredible and you just hope you’re lucky enough to catch it with the camera.

“I’m not sure what the right thing is. I don’t want to just bully through it all, to bulldoze through these questions. I want to try to figure it out.

A woman discovering her agency for the first time or for the first time in her own family, I think that’s a story deserving of being told. It’s such a female trajectory. It’s a female coming of age.”

“That’s the challenging thing, isn’t it?” asks Chomko candidly. “The conventional wisdom about screenwriting is that you want to have a hero who’s got agency, who’s got an objective, and they will pursue that objective no matter what obstacles get in their way. But what happens if that objective is that you don’t quite have your agency developed? How do you deal with that type of indecision in the midst of a crisis? I think that’s a female experience. I think that’s what it means to sometimes be female in a nutshell. It’s often a female challenge. All these men telling you what you need to be doing, what the right thing is, never giving you the freedom to make your own decisions and live your own life. That’s just some of what Bridget has been dealing with and yet now, in this instance, she’s the one with all the power. How do you deal with that?

“I’m not sure what the right thing is. I don’t want to just bully through it all, to bulldoze through these questions. I want to try to figure it out. A woman discovering her agency for the first time or for the first time in her own family, I think that’s a story deserving of being told. It’s such a female trajectory. It’s a female coming of age.

“That’s something Hilary and I really connected on in a very instinctual way. She lived in that beautifully. I think it makes Bridget a real woman, a woman that I know and I am. Hilary really showed that. It was a joy to be able to show that in a character with her. It was such a joy, I think, for us to be able to do this together.”

As essential as it was to showcase this side of the story in such exacting, if slightly prickly, detail, it was equally important to Chomko to bring humor and levity into the film. This is mainly accomplished through Shannon’s Nick, the overworked, overstressed bar owner, the one who has constantly been trying to help their father care for Ruth as he’s the only one still living in Chicago. The director grants the actor the freedom to make the character his own. But as funny as he can be there is an exhausted

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“The role, Nick, he started off as being inspired by my uncle. But then as I was writing the script, Hilary’s character is very much me and the things that I struggle with about myself. I’m a pleaser, and I’m a caretaker, and I’m always worried about what everybody else needs. I have that voice in my head that is like, what are you doing?

Just be honest. Who cares what they think?

Stop being a liar. You’re being such a chicken-shit about it.

“It was that voice that helped Michael’s character develop as it did, and he just seemed to tap into that without my even having to say anything. It’s like he heard those two voices in my head, understood what it is they’re constantly trying to figure out and instantly knew what facet of that he was supposed to be playing. Michael and Hilary together, they just stepped into that. They just got it. I have no idea how. It’s a testament to how amazing both of them are.

“With Michael specifically, I just think he got this guy. He knew who Nick was.

We didn’t really talk that deeply about it.

We didn’t have a lot of time to prepare. The approach that I had was like there was so much that I had to deal with and consider, so much I had to do and make decisions about and oversee, that I really just wanted all of the actors to take these characters who were perfect for them and then make them their own. I thought everyone was perfectly cast.

I wanted them to run with it. And if a line didn’t work, I wanted them to say something else. I wanted to do things a few different ways. I knew if there were any problems that we would find a way to figure them out.

“Michael tapped right into that. He just got the guy. For whatever reason, it just felt like such an easy thing for him. It looked so effortless. He’s a guy who can do anything.

Michael is one of the greatest actors of our generation. I mean it. He can do anything.”

It’s apparent speaking with Chomko just how impressed she was with the collective efforts of her cast, continually singing their praises at every opportunity. No more so

than when she gets to Danner, who arguably had the most difficult task in the entire film portraying Ruth with a care, sensitivity and a restraint that allowed the character’s mental struggles to resonate on a personal level and not feel melodramatic or facile. “She’s wonderful,” says the director when asked about the actress. “I can’t sing her praises enough. Blythe was so brave to come into this with very little time to do any kind of preparatory work, and she knew nothing about Alzheimer’s. She had never encountered or spent any time with memory loss in her family. She really took an incredible leap of faith to play this character. She threw herself into my hands and just sort of let go in the most beautiful way.

I was constantly amazed.

“She did do research. She looked at a lot of the family video that I have of my grandmother. That was who I wanted to really celebrate in the film and Blythe responded and understood that. My grandmother just became this sort of childlike presence and childlike spirit. She was this ghost kind of hovering in the margins. Blythe is really lyrical with her depiction of this, and I think it’s so beautiful. It feels very true to the way that I remembered my grandmother being.”

As for Forster, in many ways Burt is the driving force behind all the underlying angst, turmoil and trauma Bridget and Nick are being forced to deal with. But, as belligerent and as unyielding as he appears, everything this man does still comes from a place of unadulterated, unvarnished love. Love for his granddaughter. Love for his son. Love for his daughter. And, most of all, an undying love for his wife.

“Robert is just a special actor,” remarks Chomko. “That character is so vital to the story. I think he’s a product of growing up the way he grew up on the farm. Men of that generation who served in the military, it’s a Midwestern sort of boundary-lessness to kind of tell your generation how to live, right? Let me tell you what your problem is.

I’ll tell you what your problem is. There’s your problem. You gotta just do this. It’s that easy. It’s that simple. These were the standbys men like this were raised on. It’s all they know.

“Of course, life is complicated and has only, I think, gotten more complicated for subsequent generations. Certainly as it concerns gender dynamics, and that was something that was very important to me as a woman to spotlight. It was just instinctual to me to emphasize that.

“I mean, I didn’t set out with a political agenda, but this is the kind of stuff I think about. I think that those gender dynamics, as you get older, I think there’s a kind of thing where you think to yourself, ‘You young kids. You think you know everything.’ And, of course, we do, we do think we know everything. But that doesn’t mean the older generation actually has all the right answers, either. This was something I felt like I needed to explore.

“There’s this domineering streak. It’s just that kind of conventional Midwestern morality. Church, parish, family; that’s what you’re loyal to. You don’t ask ques-

Celebrating 44 Years!

tions. You don’t get weird about it. You just sort of put your head down and do their version of the right thing. But here’s this situation where there is no right thing, right?

How does that unravel when suddenly we have to look at everybody else’s morality?

Or of these other generations and the diasporas of moving to a place in California with totally new, totally different moral codes? How does that then unravel this kind of old school, Midwestern morality?

Robert had to portray all of that and more. I just think he’s a tremendous actor.”

As for the movie itself, while Chomko is understandably happy about the critical response to her debut, it is the reactions from audiences that she takes the most pleasure in. “I wish I would have had a movie like this 16 years ago when my grandmother was diagnosed,” she states plaintively. “I was 21 and absolutely devastated because she was 68 and way too young. I think if there had been a movie like this, I just might have had a little more hope because I think Alzheimer’s is brutally painful, and it only gets more painful

as things progress. As things got worse with her, she just died a few months ago actually, but as things got worse with her, I kind of look back on those earlier days where she was still in that place where we were still having fun and where I was able to hang out with her as though we were schoolgirls together and imagining this could’ve been what she was like at 12. It was like being able to time travel with her. That was a precious thing. It was something to be enjoyed.

For audiences, though, I think the questions about morality and mortality; those

FORGIVE ME? continued from cover

and Estee Lauder. But now, in 1991, years after her heyday, the author barely has the money to keep a roof over her head and buy her beloved feline its favorite brand of cat food. It doesn’t help that no one wants to hire her because she comes across as being mean and uncaring while also having something of a foul mouth. It also doesn’t help that she’s a raging alcoholic who refuses to admit she has a drinking problem. Heck, even Lee’s agent (Jane Curtin), someone who believes in her talent, wants little to do with the author, their last one-on-one meeting devolving into a shouting match where far too many unkind, if still truthful, words ended up being splashed between them as if they were verbal neutron bombs.

And then, seemingly just like that, everything changes. Almost by chance Lee lucks into a new money-making enterprise that not only puts food on the table, but also makes her feel like a successful writer again. Thanks to her intimate knowledge of various celebrities due to her biographical research skills, she discovers she has a knack for crafting forged typed letters purportedly written by the likes of Dorothy Parker and Noël Coward (just to name two). She is so good at it she’s able to turn her life around in a metaphorical blink of an eye. But when collectors grow suspicious that these letters might be something less than genuine, Lee is forced to bring friend and fellow drunkard Jack Hock (Richard E. Grant) into her confidence and utilize him as a middleman to help facilitate additional sales. All the while the FBI is getting closer to busting up the author’s little impersonation game, and if she’s not careful the next place she’s going to be doing any writing will be behind bars at a federal penitentiary.

Adapted from Lee Israel’s best-selling memoir Can You Ever Forgive Me?, director Marielle Heller (The Diary of a Teenage Girl) and screenwriters Nicole Holofcener (Enough Said, Lovely & Amazing) and Jeff Whitty have done a tremendous job bringing this fantastical story to the screen. Featuring a performance from McCarthy that’s an undeniable triumph and arguably the Bridesmaids Academy Award-nominee’s best work yet, the movie leaps over author biopic clichés to become something incred-

Melissa McCarthy in Can You Ever Forgive Me? – Photo courtesy of Fox Searchlight

ible. It’s a tremendously entertaining motion picture overflowing in laughs, tears, insights and numerous other indelible moments, all of it centered on an unforgettable character whose larger-than-life antics confirm once again that truth truly is far stranger than fiction could ever hope to be.

The heart and soul of the movie is the relationship between Lee and Jack. Their “meet cute” moment is anything but, the two making fast friends in a local New York City gay bar as they get increasingly sloshed.

What follows is a pure friendship with more than its fair share of speed bumps and potholes. This only makes their bond all the more believable, allowing their emotional fissuring as Lee’s forgery scheme starts to fall apart to feel heartbreakingly authentic as they slowly turn on one another for reasons neither of them fully comprehend One of the great, unsung character actors of the past three-plus decades, Grant is gifted a role far beyond the ones he’s typically been offered these past few years.

It is a spectacular reminder of just how marvelously talented he’s always been, and whether in films as varied as Robert Altman’s Gosford Park, Jane Campion’s The Portrait of a Lady, Philip Kaufman’s Henry & June, Bruce Robinson’s Withnail & I and

even Michael Lehmann’s Hudson Hawk, his ability to steal scenes from his oftentimes more vaunted co-stars has always been second to none. His Jack is more than an early ’90s effete gay caricature. Instead, he is a soulful wanderer trapped in the middle of a world and a society that doesn’t know what to do with him, his excessive neediness to assist Lee while battling his own self-destructive tendencies to undo anything good that might be happening to him a continual wonder to behold.

It helps considerably that McCarthy burns up the screen as Lee Israel. A perfect melding of actress and role, after seemingly being content to slum in a handful of forgettable comedies like the harmless Life of the Party, the disastrous The Happytime Murders and the ghastly Identity Thief, the talented comedian elevates her game to a level I don’t think she’s ever quite risen to before.

McCarthy’s performance is a complex thing of brutal beauty, the level of regret, angst, anger and despair bubbling beneath the surface just plain spectacular. But there is an underlying beauty to Lee that cracks through the façade of her distrusting and frightened exterior, the innate joy she feels as each letter brings unabashed happiness to those she’s selling them to fueling her

are all there to ponder if they want to.

If their families are dysfunctional, well then I hope that by watching this they get the chance to feel that they’re not alone. I think that’s what I hope that people take away from the film. But whatever they feel, whatever they feel, I just hope that feeling is what they take home with them. That, really, is the only thing I could ever really, truly hope for.”

creative engine as it has never been energized before. The way McCarthy is able to bounce back and forth between so many assorted emotional plateaus is extraordinary, and I’d be lying if I didn’t admit to being gobsmacked by just how much I was moved by a pair of climactic monologues that don’t so much bring this story to conclusion as much as they encapsulate all the various themes Heller, Holofcener and Whitty have been cleverly playing coy with for the majority of their film’s breathlessly paced 106 minutes.

It should be said that there were times where I was unexpectedly taken out of the story. While none of the supporting actors give a bad performance, a couple of them are so recognizable (most notably McCarthy’s frequent collaborator and husband Ben Falcone) they unfortunately stand out inside the feature for reasons that have nothing to do with the narrative. They just don’t vanish into the proceedings as easily as the two headlining stars do, and other than a spellbinding Dolly Wells as a bookshop owner, who Lee has romantic longings for, most of the secondary characters don’t have that much room to live and breathe within the confines of this story as richly as I hoped they would. I’ll also say that when the hammer falls and the FBI make their move, Heller rushes things somewhat, and I felt like the brutally sharp edge of the knife the majority of her film had been delicately dancing a jig upon was inadvertently dulled somewhat because of this.

Not that it matters. Brandon Trost’s (The Disaster Artist) clever, painterly cinematography is a constant revelation, while editor Anne McCabe (Margaret) cuts many of the signature scenes together in ways that are viscerally enthralling even when they’re just showcasing quiet little moments of two people drinking scotch in a dimly lit bar. Much like she did with the criminally underappreciated The Diary of a Teenage Girl, Heller’s empathetic attention to detail cuts through all the bull while also never allowing the crap to rise to the surface with any lasting urgency. Instead, she allows Can You Ever Forgive Me? to focus on the truth above everything else, in the end constructing a personalized drama of creativity, friendship, regret and recompense I’ll be pondering each and every little facet of for quite some time to come.

Watch films by Transgender filmmakers, then try “speed friending” at the Seattle Public Library Nov. 12

Join us for an evening of short films made by transgender filmmakers, followed by a speed friending activity, from 6pm to 7:30pm, Monday, Nov. 12 at The Seattle Public Library, University Branch, 5009 Roosevelt Way NE, 206-684-4063.

Library events are free and open to the public. Registration is not required. Free parking is available in the branch parking lot.

We have two public single occupancy rest-

rooms located upstairs and one single occupancy restroom in the basement adjacent to the event.

Tired of impersonal dating apps and looking for a way to meet other queer and trans folks in a friendly environment? Look no further! Join us for some fun movies, speed friending and refreshments. After the film screening, everyone will have a chance to get to know each other during an activity with discussion prompts.

FILM SCREENINGS Rebellious Essence (Uporni Duh), directed by Ana Cigon; 2017; Slovenia; 5 min. This kaleidoscopic animation follows a psychedelic genderfluid cat requesting a passport at the Office of the Ministry for Cat Affairs, only to be met by the bureaucratic nightmare of clerks demanding to know the cat’s gender.

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Pastor Megan – “I Am Beautiful” on Cosmopolitan.com, directed by Jason Ikeler; 2017; USA; 4 min. Reverend Dr. Megan Rohrer opens up about faith and gender as an out transgender minister. Content Warning: swearing or verbal abuse, implied violence, discussion or depiction of rape.

Purity, directed by Pedro Vikingo; 2018; Spain; 5 min.; in Spanish with English subtitles. A refreshing, celebratory look into the truth, spirit and hearts of trans children in Spain.

Time Marches On and So Do We, directed by Kim Boekbinder and Jim Batt; 2017; USA; 4 min. Narrator Laverne Cox takes us on an animated journey through trans history and resistance. Content Warning: implied violence.

Angela, directed by Sean Horlor and Steve Adams; 2016; Canada; 11 min.

Explore a week in the life of Angela, a

Canadian roller derby jammer and transgender rights activist.

This event is presented in partnership with Three Dollar Bill Cinema and TWIST: Seattle Queer Film Festival.

The Library brings people, information and ideas together to enrich lives and build community. We support universal access to information and ideas, and form strong partnerships with community organizations like Three Dollar Bill Cinema and TWIST: Seattle Queer Film Festival to offer performance art and films that are accessible to all.

For more information, call the Library at 206-684-4063 or Ask Us at https://www. spl.org/

November 2, 2018

Seattle Gay News 7

Poetically violent Suspiria a brutally bloody dance of death

by Sara Michelle Fetters SGN A&E Writer SUSPIRIA Now playing Living in a bleak, barren netherworld residing between past and present, between pleasure and pain, between love and hate, sits director Luca Guadagnino’s (Call Me

by Your Name, I Am Love) and screenwriter David Kajganich’s (A Bigger Splash) unrelentingly corrosive reimagining of Dario Argento’s 1977 horror masterwork Suspiria.

Not so much a remake as a total reinvention, this is a movie dripping in crippling, almost assaultive atmosphere, detailing the levels of female torment, pain, grief and agony that exist within the confines of a world built on patriarchal artifice and that’s still reeling from the wounds of a war that destroyed virtually everything it came into contact with.

This is not a movie interested in delivering comforting niceties to its viewing audience, and as such sitting through all 152 mesmerizing minutes of it without squirming is a practical impossibility.

Pretentious? At times. Unfocused? I could see how some are going to think so. Exploitive? Insulting? Deranged? Mawkish? Disgusting? It won’t surprise me a lick if a few viewers walk out of the theatre thinking all of that and so much more. But the simple truth is that Guadagnino’s take on Suspiria is all of those things yet is also the exact opposite of every single one of those descriptive sentiments. It is a movie of opposite extremes, a polarizing descent into madness, art, imagination and self-sacrifice that only grows in power as events progress towards their shockingly carnal conclusion. In short, this is likely the love it-hate it event epic of 2018, and I can’t imagine we’ll see its like again soon at any point in the foreseeable future.

Only the bones resemble Argento’s masterpiece. Both films concern an American ballet student abroad. Both are set within a dance studio that is secretly controlled by witches. But in all honesty that is really where the similarities end. Guadagnino’s effort isn’t as interested in scaring the living daylights out of its audience so much as it is in leaving them in a constant state of unsettling shock, forcing them to ponder a plethora of themes and ideas that are both attractive and repellant in the very same breath. It also wants to analyze the aftereffects of trauma and oppression, especially as it pertains to women, all of which is inherently intriguing.

Whether it answers any questions or offers up new topics for discussion, however, is a different matter entirely. As masterfully composed as all of this mayhem and bloodshed is, there are times where I couldn’t help but wonder if Guadagnino and Kajganich were truly the right two people for this particular job. More specifically, I wondered if they were the right MEN to be undertaking this challenge. There is an observational timidity to the experience of watching their film that’s mildly distracting, and while their scenario is a fascinating one overflowing in topical ideas worth scrutinizing, it’s hard not to imagine what a female director might have made out of all of this if given the opportunity.

Yet, Guadagnino’s film still borders on incredible while also fitting in a box labeled “essential” as far as all 2018 theatrical releases are concerned. It explodes onto the screen with an intimately shocking gracefulness that’s hypnotizing, things having an immaculate devilish fluidity that grows in cantankerous viciousness until the point its rage-filled venom can no longer be contained. But when that moment comes, when this anger is unleashed, it comes from a place of mourning, a place of sacrifice and most of all a place of love, the selfless act of a simple caress or a comforting embrace enough to make the problems of a fractured soul melt away into blissful nothingness with surprising ease.

8 Seattle Gay News

Suspiria – Photo courtesy of Amazon Studios

Split into six acts and one epilogue, the plot follows American Susie Bannion (Dakota Johnson), an unknown dance prodigy who has journeyed to Berlin in the winter of 1977 to study with the renowned Helena Markos Dance Company. She makes instant friends with fellow dancer Sara (Mia Goth) while also catching the eye of revered choreographer and instructor Madame Blanc (Tilda Swinton). But the dance company hides a terrifying secret.

It is a coven for witches, all of the instructors devoted disciples of the mysterious and secretive Markos. She claims to be the fabled Mater Suspiriorum, the Mother of Sighs, one of three ancient sorceresses who reportedly leave death and destruction in their wake. In Susie, practically the entire coven believes they have found the perfect human instrument to bring their beloved Mother Markos back to full strength, Madame Blanc the only one who isn’t certain the American dancer is a suitable candidate for the magical procedure they’re all hoping to successfully perform.

There are other narrative strands at work, too, including Sara’s search to find her missing best friend Patricia (Chloë Grace Moretz) and an elongated subplot involving an elderly Jewish psychologist, Dr. Josef Klemperer, who begins to suspect the goings on inside the Helena Markos Dance Company are lethally supernatural. These pieces of the puzzle add additional insights as to what is going on while also planting hints as to where things are likely going to end up.

Kajganich’s script layers these additional pieces in with cunning precision, Sara’s story in particular an emotional whirligig that left me bruised, broken and shattered by the time it came to conclusion.

As magnificent as she is, and she’s pretty stunning, I’m not entirely certain why exactly Swinton is playing three different characters, including Klemperer under layer upon layer of old age makeup and via the pseudonym Lutz Ebersdorf.

But this doesn’t make her anything short of spectacular, and there’s a final scene between the actress and Johnson during the epilogue that filled my eyes with so many natural tears I worried for a moment that I wouldn’t have enough tissue to sop them all up. There’s also a magnificent sequence right before all hell literally breaks loose and drowns the dance studio in rivers of blood that I was positively floored by, Swinton giving herself over so completely to the material she practically disappears inside the celluloid never to reemerge.

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Then there is Johnson. Susie is not an easy character to portray and yet the Fifty Shades of Grey actress is up to the challenge. The dancer’s initial passivity is only a façade, the young woman analyzing all that is happening down to the most benign detail. Johnson couples this with the athletically vile physicality of the dance numbers, tossing herself to and fro with dreadful abandon, bringing the abhorrent darkness lurking at the center of the choreography into the cold light of day with cocksure conviction. It all builds to scenes during the sixth act and in the epilogue that I don’t want to talk about in any detail other than to say the actress is magnificent. Johnson takes command of the character and of the film, her ability to take what was once unseen and ephemeral and suddenly make it visibly concrete extraordinary.

I can’t say I understood all of what Guadagnino and Kajganich were attempting. I also won’t claim that I liked every choice they made for the material, most notably musician Thom Yorke’s adventurous score, which sounds just incredible on its own outside of the film but is disconcerting and illfitting when utilized within it. But none of this changes just how monumentally transfixing this new Suspiria ends up being.

Guadagnino doesn’t so much improve upon Argento’s original (which isn’t possible) so much as he makes his interpretation exist as its own, ingeniously idiosyncratic entity outside of the original source material. Watching it cast its bloody, violently unhinged spell is a thing of poetical majesty, ultimately making it a viewing experience I’m not soon to forget.

Harmless Johnny English returns for a third mission

Rowan Atkinson and Ben Miller in Johnny English Strikes Again – Photo courtesy of Universal Pictures

by Sara Michelle Fetters SGN A&E Writer Johnny English Strikes Again Now playing

Working at an exclusive preparatory school secretly training his pupils in all of the minute intricacies of becoming a master spy, Johnny English (Rowan Atkinson)

see JOHNNY ENGLISH page 13

Celebrating 44 Years!

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Seattle Gay News 9

10 Seattle Gay News

November 2, 2018

Celebrating 44 Years!

Visit us online www.sgn.org

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Seattle Gay News 11

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November 2, 2018

Celebrating 44 Years!

Well-made Mid90s inauthentic cultural tourism

by Sara Michelle Fetters SGN A&E Writer MID90S Now playing Stevie (Sunny Suljic) is a wide-eyed 13-year-old living in Los Angeles with his single mother Dabney (Katherine Waterston) and abusive older brother Ian (a suitably belligerent Lucas Hedges). Not sure what exactly it is he’s looking for, one day the youngster spies a group of kids skateboarding in front of a downtown store. Getting up the guts to wander into their skate shop, Stevie is surprised by how quickly this tight-knit group welcomes him as one of their own. Soon he’s hanging with them all the time, learning to skate, going to parties and stirring up all types of trouble. It’s all part of a wild 1995 summer Stevie, his new friends and his family aren’t soon to forget, the memories that are going to be made certain to last all of their respective lifetimes.

The directorial debut for actor Jonah Hill (who is also wrote the film’s script), Mid90s feels like something of a wellcomposed, authentically acted Kids knockoff (which just so happened to be released in 1995) more than it does anything else.

Filled with as many troublesome scenes as it does emotionally affecting ones, the movie is akin to something resembling a well-intentioned vanity project but one that is filled with observations that are too obvious, too facile and far too underdeveloped to resonate on the level I’m almost certain Hill intended them to.

Suljic, last seen to such devastating effect in Yorgos Lanthimos’ The Killing of a Sacred Dear, is admittedly a fascinating young talent. Stevie is searching for friendship, he wants a father figure as his brother is too destructively violent and too overflowing in self-loathing to fit the bill, and watching him bond with this group of skateboarders isn’t without its various pleasures. Suljic brings a winning innocence to his performance that’s haunting, and as he keeps doing whatever he can to fit in and become one of the group the emotional cost of each new experience or situation is innately devastating. The young actor is nothing short of remarkable, and as many reservations as I have with the film as a whole his spellbinding work as the story’s protagonist thankfully is not amongst them.

I also liked the collection of non-actors, Na-kel Smith, Olan Prenatt, Gio Galicia and Ryder McLaughlin, Hill assembled to portray the skateboarders. Their collective friendship, including all of its hardships, feels authentic, each actor able to make the script’s dialogue their own and in the process give it a lived-in authority

JOHNNY ENGLISH continued from page 8

is called out of retirement by the British Prime Minister (Emma Thompson) to stop a dangerous cybercriminal. They’ve targeted the country’s infrastructure and also downloaded the identities of every undercover agent currently out in the field. That’s why English is the man for this job. He’s an analog agent who hasn’t worked for MI7 in over seven years, and as such he’s not in any of the databases this mysterious figure has been able to hack into and download.

Reunited with trusted associate Bough (Ben Miller), English becomes convinced mysterious Russian Ophelia (Olga Kurylenko) is the key to figuring out the identity of this nefarious hacker. She works for an American tech billionaire (Jake Lacy) who is currently in negotiations with the Prime Minister to take over control of all of Great Britain’s cybernetic security. With Bough by his side English continues to investigate, even after he’s told in no uncer-

Lucas Hedges and Sunny Suljic in Mid90s – Photo courtesy of A24

it likely wouldn’t have had otherwise. At the same time, I also didn’t feel as if any of them were portraying fully-formed, threedimensional characters, but instead were nothing more than inner-city street kid archetypes, each a various trope who only exists to help Stevie’s story move towards a conclusion. Smith, masterfully portraying the group’s most talented member and erstwhile leader, is particularly stuck between a rock and a hard place, and while his character Ray is the most magnetic and intelligently nuanced of the quartet he is also a stock piece of cliché who comes perilously close to being the offensive “magical negro” stereotype straight out of What Dreams May Come, The Green Mile or The Legend of Bagger Vance.

Thankfully, Hill doesn’t take Ray quite that far, allowing Smith ample freedom to try and give the character an inner complexity that isn’t in the script. But that the director still gets close to this risible stereotype is in and of itself problematic, as are moments in the middle of the film where Stevie joins the gang at a late-night party where they’re joined by a gaggle of junior

and senior-aged teenage girls. What follows is a moment between two drunken children in a closed room where some sort of initial sexual exploration takes place involving Suljic and Brigsby Bear and “Ray Donovan” actress Alexa Demie. I honestly don’t have a problem with what Hill is showcasing here. Stuff like this happens. We all know it whether we want to acknowledge it or not, and I imagine a lot of our own first forays into sex weren’t as different as we’d like to admit.

The issue is that I’m not entirely certain Hill has any concept of what it is he’s showing or why it is so disconcerting. There is a veiled sexism in this exchange that’s unsettling, the way Demie’s character is portrayed as some sort of hypersexual manic pixie dream girl who only exists to make Stevie’s heretofore unknown fantasies come to life understandably rubbing me the wrong way. It’s like all of this is some sort of hardscrabble piece of street kid wish fulfillment and nothing else, Hill seemingly more content in composing images of this world than he is in finding the hard, harsh truths residing within it.

Juxtapose all of this with something like Andrea Arnold’s American Honey or Sean Baker’s dual whammy of Tangerine and The Florida Project, and for all its narrative passion and visual eloquence (vaunted cinematographer Christopher Blauvelt shoots things with a magnetic attention to detail that’s riveting) Mid90s almost can’t help but come up short. Unlike Baker or Arnold, neither filmmaker exactly born and bred in the worlds their stories were depicting, Hill feels like more of a tourist just visiting these neighborhoods than he does a passionate cinematic anthropologist excited about studying them in a realistic way. His attempts at analyzing and dissecting this culture have no resonance, no deeper meaning, all of which makes his handling of Stevie’s summertime adventures come off as inauthentic. For all his obvious skill behind the camera, Hill’s debut left me too anxious, questioning and somewhat angry for me to be able to feel comfortable extolling any of its many virtues, and even if I reassess those feelings at some point in the future I honestly don’t see them changing anytime soon.

tain terms by his superiors he’s looking in the wrong direction. But this is one formerly retired secret agent who doesn’t know when to quit, and even if he has to drop his pants or put on a suit of armor he’s going to do whatever it takes to save the day.

Johnny English Strikes Again is the long-in-coming third chapter in the reasonably popular spy comedy series featuring British favorite Atkinson. Much like 2003’s Johnny English and 2011’s Johnny English Reborn, I can’t help but suspect fans of the series (and of the actor) will enjoy themselves for all of the sequel’s refreshingly brief 88 minutes. Everyone else will likely wonder what all the fuss is about or how this character has garnered three features in the span of 15 years. It’s an eitheror proposition, finding any sort of middle ground close to impossible.

I tend to be in that latter group. Make no mistake, Atkinson is a unique talent. From Bean to “Black Adder” to all sorts of movies and television shows in-between, he has an engaging ability to generate laughter in a variety of indescribably creative ways.

I’m continually impressed by him. I am just equally almost always underwhelmed by the projects he’s the primary star of. They just don’t do a lot for me, and while I hardly detest any of his efforts I cannot say I would have felt at all terrible had I never watched any of them in the first place.

That’s the case here. There are some terrific gags, not the least of which is an inspired extended bit where English descends into a virtual reality simulation only to accidentally walk right out into the middle of the real world thinking he’s still confined inside the safety of a control room.

The whole sequence allows Atkinson to be in peak form, showcasing his physical and verbal talents in equal measure. There are also some decent moments between him and Miller that couldn’t help but get me to giggle a time or two, and it also goes without saying that a viciously irritated Thompson is good for a whole barrel full of laughs all by herself.

But there’s just no point to any of it, at least none that I found continuously amusing. William Davies’ (Puss in Boots) script

isn’t exactly intricate or difficult to follow, which would be totally fine, considering this is a comedic parody of spy thriller tropes, if the majority of the jokes didn’t feel so obvious. There’s little here that comes off as risky or particularly adventurous, everyone content to go through the silly, absurdist motions more than they are in trying to add any real comedic mayhem into the material. It’s pleasantly ho-hum and is content to be so, and while that will work for some viewers for me that’s just not a trait I can get excited about.

There’s little more to add. I don’t dislike Johnny English Strikes Again. It’s perfectly harmless and I have nothing against Atkinson trotting this character back out for a third escapade. But much like its predecessors, I’m never going to watch it again. More, I’m not sure I feel like I needed to give it a look in the first place. These comedies just aren’t my brand of tea, and as such I’d rather not drink another cup anytime soon.

November 2, 2018

Seattle Gay News 13

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14 Seattle Gay News

November 2, 2018

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UNICORN• • POST OPTIONS •WILDROSE • HOT HOUSE

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E. PIKE ST. • CHOP SUEY • MADISON PUB • DIESEL BAR • PONY • UNION

WILDROSE - 1021 E. Pike - 324-9210 ZIPPY’S GIANT BURGERS GLO’S - 1621 E. Olive Way - 324-2577 5633 Airport Way S - 466-5954 HOT MAMA’S PIZZA E.328-2914 Pine St. - 322-6444 LOVER’S 9614 14th Ave SW - 763-1347 - 25801 104th Ave. SE - (253) 852-1720 BABELAND - 707 E. Pike St. -- 700 (206) JAZZ ALLEY - 2033#17 6th Ave. E. - 441-9729 BATHS CLUB Z - (men) THE FANTASY SHOP CASTLE SUPERSTORE 1117 Pike near Boren - 622-9958 Broadway 604 Central Ave. S - (253) 850-8428 1017 E.JULIA’S Pike St- -300 (206) 204-0126 Ave. E. - 860-1818 HOT HOUSE SPA & SAUNA - (women) Minor #10 624-0070 - 682-2935 NASHVILLE’S CLUB Z - (men) CASTLE SUPERSTORE #17 SPORTS BAR (Drag Shows) DIEGO KREMWERK PELLICER -- 1809 2215 4th Ave.Ave. S - (206) MADISON PUB 1315 E. Madison 325-6537 SW corner of Pike & 11th 1117 Pike near Boren - (206) 622-9958 1017 E. Pike St - 204-0126 114 - Railroad Ave. N - (253) 852-0909 DOGHOUSE LEATHERS NEIGHBOURS 1509 Broadway 324-5358 DOGHOUSE LEATHERS HOT HOUSE(stairs SPA &behind SAUNAWildrose) - (women)- 568-3240 1312 E. Pike St. - (206) 257-0231 OUT WEST - 5401California Ave. SW 1312 E. Pike St. - 257-0231 SW corner ofSTEAM Pike & WORKS 11th - (men) EMERSON SALON - 909 E. Pike St. - (206) 323-7437 THE PINE BOX - 1600 Melrose Ave - 588-0375 Summit - 388-4818 EMERSON SALON - 909 E. Pike St. - 323-7437 (stairs behind1520 Wildrose) - (206) 568-3240 FANTASY UNLIMITED POCO WINE ROOM HASHTAG - 3540 Stone Way N - 946-8157 STEAM WORKS - (men) 2027 Westlake Ave. (206) 682-0167 THE HERON INN & WATERGRASS DAY SPA 1408 E. Pine St. - 322-9463 NEW YORK EXCHANGE 1520 Summit Ave - (206) 388-4818 1510 1st Ave (206) 624-1784 117 Ave. - E. (877) 883-8899 POKE BAR - 1542 12th Ave - 402-5178 225Maple Broadway - 726-3300 HASHTAG - 3540 Stone Way N - (206) 946-8157 info@theheron.com 88 KEYS - 315 2nd Ave. S. - 839-1300 PONY - 1221 E. Madison St. - 324-2854 ONYX LEATHER - 1605 12th Ave. #8 - 328-1965 LEGENDS - 55Ave. Bell St - (206) 849-5596 BALTIC ROOM - 1207 Pine St. - 625-4444 HERBAN PURR - 1518 11th - 325-3112 RESTAURANTS & BARS OZ - 3831 Stone Way N - 251-0630 HERB(N) ELEMENTS THE BOTTLENECK LOUNGE R PLACE - 619 E. Pine - 322-8828 PANACHE 11013 Lake City Way NE (206) 535-8769 E. Madison - 323-1098 RE-BAR - 1114 Howell at Boren - 233-9873 225 Broadway E. - 726-3300 88 KEYS - 3152328 2nd Ave. S - (206)St. 839-1300 LAUGHING TATTOO C.C. ATTLE’S GRILLE ROOTBUDDHA TABLE 2213 NW Market St. - 420-3214 RUCKUS CAFE 1465 E Republican St. - 257-4805 DARBY’S BALTIC ROOM - 1207 PineBAR St. -&(206) 625-4444 1534 Broadway - (206) -329-8274 1701 E. Olive Way - 726-0565 SEATTLE EAGLE 314 E. Pike - 621-7591 THE 5th FANTASY 211 Ave. SESHOP - (360) 357-6229 THE BOTTLENECK LOUNGE THE NEW YORK2222 XCHANGE - 441-5449 THE CANTERBURY - 534 15th Ave. E. - 322-3130 SHORTY’S 2nd Ave 9630 16th Ave. SW - 762-3299 LOVER’S 2328 E. Madison St. - (206) 323-1098 CHANGES IN WALLINGFORD 225 Broadway E. - (206) STOUT -1530 11th726-3300 Ave - 397-3825 TABOO ADULT 3959 Martin WayVIDEO E, Suite D - (360) 456-7300 CAPITOL CIDER - 818 E Pike St. - (206) 397-3564 2103 N. 45th - 545-8363 TOULOUSE PETIT ONYX LEATHER 9813 16th SW -E767-4855 JAKES - 311Ave 4th Ave. - (360) 956-3247 C.C. ATTLE’S BAR & GRILLE THE CRESCENT - 1413 E. Olive Way - 720-8188 601Ave. Queen Ave N - 432-9069 1605 12th #8 - Anne (206) 328-1965 TOYS IN BABELAND - 707 E. Pike St. - 328-2914 1701 E. OliveTHE Way - (206) 726-0565 CUFF COMPLEX UNICORN - 1118 E Pike - 325-6492 OZ - 3831 Stone Way N - (206) 251-0630 UNDER U 4 MEN THE CANTERBURY PACIFIC NORTHWEST SHOP 709 Broadway Ave. E. - 324-6446 534 15th Ave. E - (206) 322-3130 4411 Wallingford Ave. N. - (206) 535-6920 UNCLE IKE’S CHANGES IN WALLINGFORD MAPLE 2310 E ROSE Union INN St - 1-800-GET-DRUGS PANACHE - 225 Broadway E. - (206) 726-3300 2103 N. 45th - (206) 545-8363 112 (800) 570-2007 501Reservoir 15th AveRd E -- 1-800-GET-DRUGS PONDER - 2413 E Union - (206) 420-2180 THE CRESCENT 9822 15th Ave SW - 1-800-GET-DRUGS RUCKUS - 1465 E Republican St - (206) 257-4805 1413 E. Olive Way - (206) 720-8188 WILD AT HEART TABOO ADULT VIDEO THE CUFF COMPLEX 1111 NW Leary Way - 782-5538 9813 16th Ave SW - (206) 767-4855 1533 13th Ave. - (206) 323-1525 ANDY’S - 1401 W. 1st Ave. - (509) 747-0304 TRUE LOVE ART GALLERY & TATTOO DIESEL BAR - 1413 14th Ave. - (206) 322-1080 THE BLIND BUCK 1525 Summit Ave. - (206) 227-3572 GLO’S - 1621 E. Olive Way - (206) 324-2577 204 N. Division St. - (509) 343-9425 UNDER U 4 MEN HOT MAMA’S PIZZA LOVER’S GLOBE BAR AND KITCHEN 709 Broadway Ave. E - (206) 324-6446 700 E. Pine St. - (206) 322-6444 193N. Telegraph Road - (360) 752-1862 204 Division St. - (509) 443-4014 UNCLE IKE’S JAZZ ALLEY - 2033 6th Ave. - (206) 441-9729 RUMORS NYNE BARCABARET AND BISTRO 2310 E Union St - 1-800-GET-DRUGS JULIA’S - 300 Broadway Ave. E - (206) 860-1818 1119 - (306) 671-1849 232 W.Railroad Sprague Ave. - (509) 474-1621 501 15th Ave E - 1-800-GET-DRUGS KREMWERK - 1809 Minor Ave. #10 - (206) 682-2935 9822 15th Ave SW - 1-800-GET-DRUGS THE LUMBER YARD WILD AT HEART 9619 16th Ave. SW - (206) 695-2007 1111 NW Leary Way - (206) 782-5538 ADULT AIRPORT VIDEO 2 MADISON PUB - 1315 E. Madison - (206) 325-6537 21635 Pacific Hwy S - 878-7780 NEIGHBOURS - 1509 Broadway - (206) 324-5358 OUT WEST 5401California Ave. SW - (206) 937-1540 LOVER'S THE PINE BOX - 1600 Melrose Ave - (206) 588-0375 ADULT AIRPORT VIDEO 193 Telegraph Road - (360) 752-1862 POCO WINE ROOM 11732 Airport Road - (425) 290-7555 RUMORS CABARET 1408 E. Pine St. - (206) 322-9463 LOVER’S - 112 SE Everett - (425) 353-3607 1119 Railroad - (360) 671-1849 POKE BAR - 1542 12th Ave - (206) 402-5178 LOVER’S - 3402 Broadway - (425) 252-8754 PONY - 1221 E. Madison St. - (206) 324-2854 QUEER BAR - 1518 11th Ave - (206) 687-7491 R PLACE - 619 E. Pine - (206) 322-8828 LOVER’S RE-BAR - 1114 Howell at Boren - (206) 233-9873 ADULT AIRPORT VIDEO 2 25801 104th Ave. S.E. - (253) 852-1720 ROOT TABLE 2213 NW Market St. - (206) 420-3214 21635 Pacific Hwy S - (206) 878-7780 THE FANTASY SHOP SEATTLE EAGLE - 314 E. Pike - (206) 621-7591 SECRETS 604 Central Ave. S. - (253) 850-8428 SHORTY’S 2222 2nd Ave - (206) 441-5449 22862 Pacific Hwy S - (206) 878-8480 NASHVILLE’S SPORTS BAR (Drag Shows) STOUT -1530 11th Ave - (206) 397-3825 114 - Railroad Ave. N. - (253) 852 - 0909 TOULOUSE PETIT 601 Queen Anne Ave. N - (206) 432-9069 UNICORN - 1118 E Pike - (206) 325-6492 ADULT AIRPORT VIDEO UNION - 1318 E. Union St. - (206) 328-1318 11732 Airport Road - (425) 290-7555 WILDROSE - 1021 E Pike - (206) 324-9210 LOVER’S - 112 SE Everett - (425) 353-3607 ZIPPY’S GIANT BURGERS LOVER’S - 3402 Broadway - (425) 252-8754 9614 14th Ave SW - (206) 763-1347 1533 13th Ave. - 323-1525

DIESEL BAR - 1413 14th Ave. - 322-1080 RETAIL SHOPS

• RUCKUS

E. THOMAS ST.

• JULIAʼS

DENNY WAY

• UNCLE IKEʼS

E. UNION ST.

LATACOMA CONNER

THE HERON INN & WATERGRASS DAY SPA SUPERSTORE 117 CASTLE Maple Ave. - (877) 883-8899 - info@theheron.com 6015 Tacoma Mall Blvd. - (253) 471-0391 CLUB SILVERSTONE 739½ St. Helens Ave. - (253) 404-0273 THE FANTASY SHOP DARBY’S CAFE 2301 6thS.E. Ave.- (360) - (253)357-6229 272-6640 211 5th Ave. LOVER’S LOVER’S 7002 Tacoma Mall Blvd., #F - (253) 475-2271 3959 Martin Way E. Suite D - (360) 456-7300 PACIFIC NORTHWEST SHOP JAKES - 311 4th Ave. E. - (360) 956-3247 2702 N. Proctor St. - (253) 752-2242 THE MIX - 635 St. Helens Ave. - (253) 383-4327 RAINBOW CENTER MAPLE ROSE INN Ave. - (253) 383-2318 2215 Pacific 112 SHAKABRAH Reservoir Rd - (800) JAVA570-2007 CAFE 2618 6th Ave. - (253) 572-2787

OLYMPIA

PORT ANGELES SPOKANE TRI-CITIES

ANDY’S 1401 W. 1st Ave. - (509) 747 - 0304 STRAY NIGHTCLUB CLUB OUT & ABOUT 415 327 W. Sprague - (509) 624 543-3796 - 4450 W. Lewis Ave. St., Pasco - (509) NYNE BAR AND BISTRO 232 W. Sprague Ave. - (509) 474 -1621

TUKWILA LOVER’S - 530 Southcenter Blvd. - (206) 248-5085 TACOMA CASTLE SUPERSTORE 6015 Tacoma Mall Blvd. - (253) 471-0391 CLUB SILVERSTONE 739½ St. Helens Ave. - (253) 404-0273 THE FANTASY SHOP 2301 6th Ave. - (253) 272-6640 LOVER’S 7002 Tacoma Mall Blvd., #F - (253) 475-2271 THE MIX - 635 St. Helens Ave. - (253) 383-4327 RAINBOW CENTER 2215 Pacific Ave. - (253) 383-2318 SHAKABRAH JAVA CAFE 2618 6th Ave. - (253) 572-2787

TRI-CITIES

CLUB OUT & ABOUT 327 W. Lewis St., Pasco - (509) 543-3796

TUKWILA LOVER’S

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INCLUDE: Date, time, location, contact phone # for publication (if possible), brief description of event & sponsoring organization. DEADLINE: Tuesday 5pm.

ACCESSIBILITY: Is your event accessible to LGBTQ people with visible or hidden disabilities? See Jean’s List webpage www.scn.org/activism/calendar/disabilities. html for Marla Nonken’s disabilities accommodations lists.

NOTE: 10-digit dialing has come to the Seattle area.

The (206) area code must now be used to dial local calls. Location of meetings/events is in Seattle unless otherwise noted.

SATURDAY - November 3

DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME ENDS TONIGHT! STANDARD TIME RESUMES SUNDAY AT 2AM (set clocks back one hour Sunday morning) Green Seattle Day. 9am. See website for City of Seattle park locations. Have a hand in planting Seattle’s future forests. All tools provided. For more information and to sign-up visit www.greenseattle.org Seattle Frontrunners Fun Run. 9am. Greenlake (outside Evans Pool). Every Saturday. GLBT running & walking club sponsors weekly runs, monthly potlucks, track & field activity, annual Run With Pride. (206) 4488518. www.seattlefrontrunners.org.

Positively Living Coffee Social. 10am-12 noon. Cupcake Royale, 1111 E Pike St. Every Saturday. Casual social get-together for the HIV community. (206) 9571600. Sponsored by LIfelong.

New Beginnings (SLAA). 12-1pm. SASG, 115 15th Ave E #201, O’Neil Room. Meets daily. Sex and Love Addicts Anonymous is a 12-step/12-tradition-oriented fellowship of men and women who share their experience, strength and hope to overcome sex and love patterns of addiction.

(206) 322-2437; www.sasgcc.org.

Pride Day at Seattle U Volleyball. 1pm. Redhawk Center, 14th Ave & E Cherry St. We are holding our Pride Match to celebrate openly Gay Head Coach, James Finley, who has also been a huge proponent of LGBTQ rights and inclusion. We want to celebrate him as well as promote LGBTQ clubs and organizations both on SU campus and in the Seattle area. For more information, contact Seattle U Athletics Training at (206) 398-4678 or Carol Cunningham, Marketing & Promotions Assistant (859) 583-4934.

Oasis Youth Center in Tacoma - For Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender & Questioning Youth, Ages 14-25. 6pm-12 midnight. Call for location & details. Every Saturday. (253) 671-2838. www.oasisyouthcenter.org.

12th Annual Simple Cup Show. 6:30pm. KOBO Gallery, 604 S Jackson St. Showcasing ceramic artists from North America and Japan. FREE admission. www. koboseattle.com Suzanne Westenhoefer. 7pm and 9:30pm. The Triple Door, 218 Union St. Fearless, bold, unapologetic and freaking hilarious. Tickets: thetripledoor.net; (206) 838-4333.

SUNDAY - November 4

DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME ENDS THIS MORNING! STANDARD TIME RESUMES SUNDAY AT 2AM (set clocks back one hour Sunday morning) Center for Spiritual Living. 8:25, 9:45, 11:30am. 5801 Sand Point Way NE. Blessings & we hope to see you soon! (206) 527-8801 ext 203, www.cslseattle.org Gay Men’s Bowling in Everett. 9:30am. Glacier Lanes, 9630 Evergreen Way, Everett. Every Sunday. Spectators welcome. Join us for lunch afterwards! Sponsored by the Snohomish County Gay Men’s Task Force. For info email John at johndmarsh@mac.com; www.gaysnohomish.org University Lutheran Church. 9:30am Worship, 10:30am Coffee Fellowship, 11am Adult Forum & Education Hour. 1604 NE 50th St. All are welcome. We choose love. (206) 525-7074. universitylutheranseattle.org Central Lutheran Church. 10am Worship. 1710 11th Ave (just north of E Pine St). An open & affirming church, which in Lutheran churches is called “Reconciled in Christ.” “We seek to share God’s love with all people regardless of race, age, gender or sexual orientation.”

All are welcome. (206) 322-7500.

East Shore Unitarian Church. 10am Sunday Service.

12700 SE 32nd St, Bellevue. An open & affirming congregation. (425) 747-3780.

Gethsemane Lutheran Church. 10am Worship. 911 Stewart St. A downtown faith community centered in justice. An open & affirming congregation. (206) 682-3620.

Plymouth Church United Church of Christ. 10am Worship. 1217 6th Ave. Love your (LGBTQ) neighbor as yourself. (206) 622-4865, plymouthchurchseattle.org Queen Anne United Methodist Church. 10am Worship. 1606 5th Ave W. (206) 282-4307.

University Congregational United Church of Christ.

9am all ages education; 10am Worship. 4515 16th Ave NE. UCUCC is an open & affirming congregation. (206) 524-2322; www.universityucc.org.

Wallingford United Methodist Church. 10am Worship.

2115 N 42nd St. A progressive congregation. In 1984 Wallingford UMC became the 9th reconciling Methodist church in the U.S. (206) 547-6945.

November 3 thru November 11 E, Suite 201. Every Sunday. Sex Addicts Anonymous is a fellowship of men & women who share their experience, strength & hope with each other so they may overcome their sexual addiction & help others recover from sexual addiction or dependency. Seattle SAA helpline (206) 237-8828, SAA International Service Organization 1-800-477-8191. (206) 322-2437; www.sasgcc.org Pride League Bowling. 6:30pm. West Seattle Bowl, 4505 39th Ave SW. Every Sunday. Regular league bowling. Jeff, (206) 932-3731; leagues@wsbowl.com.

Integrity/Puget Sound. 7pm Worship & Fellowship. St. Mark’s Cathedral, Thomson Chapel, 1245 10th Ave E. Integrity is an international ministry of Gay & Lesbian Episcopalians, their friends & families, dedicated to education, support & service within the Church & the GLBT community. (425) 226-2746.

Noche Latina - Latino Night. 10pm. Capitol Lounge, 916 E Pike St. Every Sunday. Go-go dancers at 10:30pm; drag show at midnight. 21+ ID required. $10 cover. Co-sponsored by Entre Hermanos.

MONDAY - November 5

All Pilgrims Christian Church. 10:30am Worship.

500 Broadway E. Come as you are. All are welcome.

A congregation of the Disciples of Christ & the United Church of Christ. (206) 322-0487, www.allpilgrims.org St. Clement’s Episcopal Church. 10:30am Worship.

1501 32nd Ave S. Great music. Dynamic preaching.

Holy communion. Encountering the transformative and unconditional love of God in Christ. Join us! www. stclementseattle.org Seattle Sunday Bowling. 10:30am. West Seattle Bowl, 4505 39th Ave SW (at SW Oregon St). Open bowl every Sunday for the GLBT community & friends. You don’t have to worry about how you bowl! $6.50 + $3 shoe rental. (425) 785-4729.

Welcome Table Christian Church. 9:45am Meditation; 10:30am Worship; Labyrinth 2nd Sundays 1-4pm. 1322 S Bayview St. Where people of all genders and sexualities, and families of all shapes & sizes are welcome and celebrated. A welcoming and affirming community since 1987. welcometablecc.org Emerald City Metropolitan Community Church Seattle. 11am Worship. Chapel at University Temple United Methodist Church, 1415 NE 43rd St. MCC is a progressive Christ-centered faith community committed to providing a nurturing environment for individual & community growth thru Jesus Christ while celebrating unity in diversity. MCC is Seattle’s oldest Gay-friendly church. (206) 325-2421, www.mccseattle.org.

Meditation for GBT Men. 11am-1pm. Cal Anderson House, 400 Broadway. Suitable for beginning & experienced meditators. Sponsored by Dharma Buddies.

Contact Forrest Rode, (206) 920-6117, or Doug Allison, doug.l.allison@gmail.com. Find us under “Dharma Buddies” on Meetup.com or at DharmaBuddies.org. (Women are invited to contact our sister meditation group at www.

LotusSisters.org.)

St. Paul’s Episcopal Church. 11:15am (also 7:30am, 9am, 5pm). 15 W Roy St. We are an accepting, progressive, Anglo-Catholic parish, renewing its people for their Christian lives in today’s world through worship, spiritual formation, engagement in the arts, and acts of compassion. www.stpaulseattle.com Holy Covenant International Christian Community Church. 12 noon. 4525 19th Ave NE. Outreach to the LGBT community. holycovenantccc@gmail.com Just for Today (NA). 12-1:15pm. SASG, 115 15th Ave E, Suite 201. Every Sunday. Drop-in 12-step Narcotics Anonymous group open to anyone in recovery. (206) 322-2437; www.sasgcc.org New Beginnings (SLAA). 12-1pm. SASG, 115 15th

Visit us online www.sgn.org

Ave E #201, O’Neil Room. Meets daily. (See Saturday listing at noon for details.)

Paths to Recovery Al-Anon Family Group. 12-1:30pm.

Seattle University Student Center, 901 12th Ave, Room 122. Every Sunday. LGBTQ supported. The Al-Anon Family Groups are a fellowship of relatives & friends of alcoholics who share their experience, strength & hope in order to solve their common problems. We believe alcoholism is a family illness & that changed attitudes can aid recovery. Greater Seattle AIS 24-hour number (206) 625-0000; www.seattle-al-anon.org Orca Swim Team Workout. Sun: Afternoon; Mon/ Weds/Fri: Evenings; Tues/Thurs: Mornings. Seattle University, Redhawk Center, 14th Ave & E Cherry St. Pre-registration required. Orca Swim Team workouts are for both competitive & recreational swimmers. www. orcaswimteam.org Knights of Mantra Monthly Meeting. 3pm. The Cuff, 1533 13th Ave. Meets 1st Sunday each month. K of M/ Jet Chapter is a fun-loving leather/Levi social & charitable organization that raises money for various causes & organizations. (206) 329-0886. www.facebook.com/ kofmjetchapter/ Rain City Soccer Club - Kickabout. Sunday afternoon usually at 3pm. Location varies. Join us for Seattle’s mostly-weekly mostly-LGBTQ pickup soccer game. We play an organized, 2-hour scrimmage on nice fieldturf surface. Sometimes there is a brief training/practice session before we play. Usually there is a “one-beer” after the scrimmage. To sign up visit www.raincitysoccer.org 55th Annual Mr., Miss & Ms. Gay Seattle Pageant.

5pm door; 6pm show. Neighbours, 1509 Broadway.

Tickets: $20 advance, $25 at door, $50 to compete.

Sponsored by the Imperial Sovereign Court of Seattle and the Olympic & Rainier Empire. www.facebook.com/ ISCSORE; www.imperialcourtofseattle.org.

PFLAG/Whatcom County (Bellingham) Monthly Meeting. 5pm. Community Food Co-op Bakery, 405 E Holly St, Bellingham. Meets 1st Sunday each month.

Parents & Friends of Lesbians & Gays is a national support organization for parents, spouses, & families of GLBT persons, as well as those minorities. www.whatcompflag.org; PFLAG/Puget Sound: (206) 325-7724.

Seattle Jazz Vespers. 6-8pm. Seattle First Baptist Church, Seneca St & Harvard Ave. Meets 1st Sunday each month (October-June). The historic Gothic sanctuary of Seattle First Baptist Church is offered to the best jazz groups in the city to perform 100 minutes of their own popular music. FREE. For info (206) 325-6051, www.seattlefirstbaptist.org/sjv.

Shame to Grace (SAA). 6-7:30pm. SASG, 115 15th Ave

November 2, 2018

New Beginnings (SLAA). 12-1pm. SASG, 115 15th Ave E #201, O’Neil Room. Meets daily. (See Saturday listing at noon for details.)

SOBER On Meds. 1-2pm. SASG, 115 15th Ave E, Suite 201. Every Monday. 12-step group open to anyone in recovery & living on a medicine regimen. (206) 3222437; www.sasgcc.org Strength Over Speed (SOS). 2-3:30pm. SASG, 115 15th Ave E, Suite 201. Peer support for Gay and Bisexual men recovering from crystal meth addiction. www.strengthoverspeed.org. (206) 322-2437; www. sasgcc.org Orca Swim Team Workout. Evening. Seattle University, Redhawk Center, 14th Ave & E Cherry St. (See Sunday afternoon listing.)

Freely Speaking Toastmasters. 7pm. Seattle Unity Church, 200 8th Ave N. Every Monday (except holidays & the last Mondays in August & December). Seattle’s only LGBT speaking club. www.FreelySpeaking.org Trans Youth Group. 7-8:30pm. Lambert House, 1818 15th Ave. Every Monday. A chance for youth to talk with others about their experiences & concerns related to identifying as Transgender. www.lamberthouse.org Destiny/Unity AA Meeting in Tacoma. 7:30-8:30pm.

Christ Episcopal Church, 310 N “K” St, Tacoma. Every Monday. LGBTQ-friendly AA meeting. (253) 474-8897.

(Also meets Fridays.)

Lambert House Art Night. 7:30-9:30pm. 1818 15th Ave. Every Monday. Bring your ideas & let’s have some fun.

(206) 322-2515, www.lamberthouse.org Washington Gender Alliance Support Group Meeting in Shoreline. 7:30pm. Center for Human Services, 17018 15th Ave NE, Shoreline. Every Monday. www. washingtongenderalliance.com

TUESDAY - November 6

ELECTION DAY BE SURE TO VOTE!!!

Ballots must be postmarked or turned in today by 8pm. Need help? Call King County Elections at (206) 296-8683.

Orca Swim Team Workout. Morning. Seattle University, Redhawk Center, 14th Ave & E Cherry St. (See Sunday afternoon listing.)

New Beginnings (SLAA). 12-1pm. SASG, 115 15th Ave E #201, O’Neil Room. Meets daily. (See Saturday listing at noon for details.)

LGBTQ+ Group. 1:15-2:15pm. Orion Center, 1828 Yale Ave. Every Tuesday. A group for LGBTQ youth ages 13-24 & their allies. Sponsored by Youthcare.

(206) 622-5555. defeatHIV Community Advisory Board (CAB). 5:307:30pm. Cal Anderson House, 400 Broadway @ E Jefferson St. Meets 1st Tuesday each month. CAB builds community involvement in order to advance defeatHIV’s clinical research into a potential gene therapy cure for HIV infection. If you want to learn more about our efforts to ensure that all of Seattle’s communities that are affected by HIV have a strong voice in the cure research of defeatHIV, please come to one of our community dinner meetings. More info, contact Michael Louella, (206) 667-5810; mlouella@fredhutch.org Gay Men’s Task Force of Snohomish County in Everett. 6-8pm. Snohomish Health District, 3020 Rucker Ave Ste 309A, Everett. Meets 1st Tuesday each month.

Open to all Gay & Bisexual men in Snohomish County.

“We will be discussing issues concerning the local Gay community & value your opinion, voice, comments, suggestions & attendance. Come join us as we build community in Snohomish County.” David, (425) 339-5238.

LGBTQ Questioning & Allied Youth Drop-in Group in Renton. 6-8pm. Renton Area Youth Services (RAYS), 1025 S 3rd St, Renton. Every Tuesday. Confidential.

Snacks provided. Bring friends or come alone - anyone 12-18 is welcome. Questions? Call Sarah Hardin, (425) 271-5600 ext 155, or email sarahh@rays.org Strength Over Speed (SOS). 6-7:30pm. SASG, 115 15th Ave E, Suite 201. Peer support for Gay and Bisexual men recovering from crystal meth addiction. www.strengthoverspeed.org. (206) 322-2437; www. sasgcc.org Diverse Harmony. 6:30-9pm. Seattle First Baptist Church, 1111 Harvard Ave. Every Tuesday. Diverse Harmony is the nation’s first Gay/Straight Alliance Youth

Seattle Gay News 15

Chorus. Youth ages 13-22 are welcome regardless of sexual orientation. www.diverseharmony.org No Man’s Land - For Female-Identified Youth, Ages 22 & Under. 7-8:30pm. Lambert House, 1818 15th Ave. Every Tuesday. Topics range from family issues to school happenings to like/lust/love relationships. All Queer females welcome. Come discuss how smart. strong Queer women live their lives. (206) 322-2515, www.lamberthouse.org Tuesday Night Sex Addicts Anonymous (GLBTQI).

7-8:30pm. All Pilgrims Christian Church, 500 Broadway E (enter at 509 10th Ave E; buzz in, Colonial room).

Every Tuesday. SAA is a fellowship of men & women whose primary purpose is to stop addictive sexual behavior & help others recover from sexual addiction.

Seattle SAA helpline (206) 237-8828. SAA International Service Organization 1-800-477-8191.

Different Drummers. 7:15-8:30pm. Every Tuesday.

Hand drumming classes for Gay men. It’s easy, it’s fun & anyone can do it! Learn traditional African & AfroCaribbean rhythms & basic hand drumming techniques.

Experience connection, community & spirituality. Drums are provided. For info & location call Dennis at (206) 363-4500 or www.outdrum.com Men’s Discussion Group. 7:30-9pm. SASG, 115 15th Ave E, Suite 201. Every Tuesday. Peer group for Gay & Bi men. (206) 322-2437; www.sasgcc.org Here & Now Gay & Lesbian AA Meeting in Tacoma.

7:30pm. Christ Episcopal Church, 310 N “K” St, Tacoma.

Every Tuesday.

Spiritual Empowerment. 7:30-9pm. SASG, 115 15th Ave E, Suite 201. A vibrant drop-in workshop for those of any spiritual belief. (206) 322-2437; www.sasgcc.org Seattle Otters Water Polo Team. 8-9:30pm. Medgar Evers Pool, 500 23rd Ave E (at E Cherry St). Every Tuesday & Thursday. GLBT & GLBT-friendly co-ed water polo team is open to all who want to play. Beginners & experienced players welcome. Check our website for up to the minute details, or call the Otter Hotline (206) 414-8797. www.otterpolo.com.

Seattle Poetry Slam. Doors 8pm, Show 8:30pm. Rebar, 1114 Howell St. Every Tuesday. A spoken word poetry event that features a weekly open mic, feature poet, and slam (poetry competition). Come out and express yourself. LGBTQ- & QTPOC-friendly; all genders welcome. $5. 21+. seattlepoetryslam.org

WEDNESDAY - November 7

Mature Friends Walk Around Greenlake. 11am. Meet up at 10:50am with a group of older men gathered at the north end of the parking lot that is next to the boathouse along the southwest side of Greenlake. Every Wednesday. Walk around Greenlake followed by lunch at a local restaurant. www.maturefriends.org New Beginnings (SLAA). 12-1pm. SASG, 115 15th Ave E #201, O’Neil Room. Meets daily. (See Saturday listing at noon for details.)

True Colors: Connecting LGBTQ Teens in Shoreline.

4-5pm. Every Wednesday. Discussing your important issues, building a supportive community. For information, location & to REGISTER call Lindsay Bagley (206) 362-7282 x 8018 or email lbagley@chs-nw.org Living Positively. 5-7pm. Lifelong, 1016 E Pike St., 3rd Fl. Every Wednesday. Social and support group for the HIV community with various topics for discussion and conversation. (206) 957-1600 or www.lifelong.org.

Sponsored by Lifelong.

GLOBE (GLBTQ Loving Ourselves, Becoming Empowered): A Support Group for GLBTQ+Youth (14-20) serving Snohomish County & surrounding communities. 6-8pm. Phone or email for location. Every Wednesday. Sponsored by PFLAG Everett. Brenda, (425) 263-2908. globeleaders@hotmail.com Queer Seattle Book Club. 6pm. SASG, 115 15th Ave E (upstairs). Every Wednesday. This month’s title is “Horse Crazy” by Gary Indiana, a worst-case scenario of an injudicious romance. https://faculty.washington. edu/swittet/SGLBookClub/ Southeast Seattle Lesbian Evening Group. 6pm.

Southeast Seattle Senior Center, 4655 S Holly St. Meets 1st Wednesday each month. RSVP to Kate Hawkins (206) 722-0317. www.sessc.org. FREE. Lotus Sisters Meditation & Dharma Discussion North. 6:15-8pm. Ravenna Bryant neighborhood. Every Wednesday. Call (206) 525-7295 for location. www.

LotusSisters.org.

Center for Spiritual Living. 6:30pm-Meditation, 7pmService. 5801 Sand Point Way NE. Blessings & we hope to see you soon! Info (206) 527-8801 ext 203, www.cslseattle.org Seattle Frontrunners Fun Run. 6:30pm. Volunteer Park, 14th Ave E & E Prospect St. Every Wednesday.

Meet at Black Sun sculpture across for museum. (See Saturday at 9am.)

Orca Swim Team Workout. Evening. Seattle University, Redhawk Center, 14th Ave & E Cherry St. (See Sunday afternoon listing.)

Ingersoll All-Trans Drop-In Support Group. 7-9pm.

Seattle Counseling Services, 1216 Pine St, Suite 300.

Every Wednesday. All Transgender, Gender Variant, Gender Queer, Gender Questioning, allies, family & friends are welcome. This is a drop in group to get & give support, social interaction & information for the whole Gender community. No fee, donations welcome. www. ingersollcenter.org Mature Friends Weekly Bridge Group. 7pm. Wallingford Community Senior Center, lower level of Good Shepherd Center, 4649 Sunnywide Ave N. Every Wednesday. All levels welcome. MF is a social organization for Gay men & women, 40 years & over. www. maturefriends.org PFLAG/Renton Monthly Meeting. 7pm. St Luke’s Episcopal Church, 99 Wells Ave S, Renton. Meets 1st

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community calendar

Wednesday each month. Parents & Friends of Lesbians & Gays is a national support organization for parents, spouses & families of GLBT persons, as well as those minorities. PFLAG/Renton: 425-235-4139. PFLAG/ Puget Sound: (206) 325-7724. www.seattle-pflag.org.

Mature Friends Pinochle Group. 7:30pm. Wallingford Community Senior Center, lower level of Good Shepherd Center, 4649 Sunnywide Ave N. Meets 1st & 3rd Wednesday each month All levels welcome. MF is a social organization for Gay men & women, 40 years & over. www.maturefriends.org Washington Gender Alliance Open Support Meeting in Everett. 7:30-9pm. Everett United Church of Christ, 2624 Rockefeller Ave, Everett. Every Wednesday.

Trained peer facilitators lead a structured support meeting helping people deal with issues of gender identity & expression. All adults are welcomed, including those who are questioning, allies, or identify as FTM, MTF, Transgender, Queer, or Intersex, among others. (360) 445-2411; www.washingtongenderalliance.com.

Pride Skate Seattle. 8:30-11pm. Southgate Roller Rink, 9646 17th Ave SW. Meets 1st Wednesday each month. $8 admission includes skate rental. Must be 18+, with 21+ bar. Performances, roller skating, and fun! See you there! www.southgaterollerrink.com

THURSDAY - November 8

Orca Swim Team Workout. Morning. Seattle University, Redhawk Center, 14th Ave & E Cherry St. (See Sunday afternoon listing.)

BABES Women’s Support Group/Lunch Meeting.

12-2pm. Call for location. Every Thursday. The BABES Network is a peer led agency; a sisterhood of women facing HIV together. (206) 720-5566 or 888-292-1912; www.babesnetwork.org.

New Beginnings (SLAA). 12-1pm. SASG, 115 15th Ave E #201, O’Neil Room. Meets daily. (See Saturday listing at noon for details.)

Safe and Sober (AA). 12-1pm. SASG, 115 15th Ave E, Suite 201. Open meeting of Alcoholics Anonymous.

(206) 322-2437; www.sasgcc.org Seattle Prime Timers Cards. 2pm. Ballard NW Senior Center, 5429 32nd Ave NW. near The Locks. Meets 2nd Thursday each month in the Arts & Crafts Room on the 2nd floor to play Hearts, Cribbage or Bridge depending on who shows up. Beginners are welcome. On Metro routes 44 and 17X. Oasis Youth Center in Tacoma - For Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender & Questioning Youth, Ages 14-25. 4-10pm. Call for location & details. Every Thursday. (253) 671-2838, www.oasisyouthcenter.org (Also Fridays 4-10pm & Saturdays 6pm-12 midnight.)

Capitol Hill Arts Walk. 5-8pm. Participating shops & galleries in the Pike/Pine corridor. 2nd Thursday each month. Keep your eyes out for curbside A-boards that mark each participating venue. Pick up a walking map from any location & you’re on your way. Enjoy refreshments & meet the featured artists as you stroll the Hill. www.caphillchamber.org Pongo Live! Poetry Reading and Fundraiser. 6-8pm, Washington Hall, 153 14th Ave. Featuring Seattle poets, program participants, and mentors reading the words of Pongo teen poets. FREE. For more information and to register, visit https://www.eventbrite.com/e/pongolive-poetry-reading-fundraiser-tickets-51442299302.

Sponsored by Pongo Teen Writing Project.

Queer Parent Networking Dinners. 6-8pm. NW Network Community Engagement Center - phone, email or visit website for location. Meets 2nd Thursday each month. Open to all LGBT, Two-Spirit, Queer & Questioning families - including parents, co-parents & other people who have a significant role in the life of a child.

RSVP requested to facilitate planning for dinner and childcare. (206) 568-7777 or qpnd@nwnetwork.org. www.nwnetwork.org B-GLAD (Bisexual, Gay, Lesbian, Trans & Questioning Adolescent Drop-In Group). 6:30-8pm. Call for location. Every Thursday. Sponsored by Youth Eastside Services, which offers many programs for GLBT youth.

(425) 747-4937.

Boys Group - For Male-Identified Youth, Ages 1422. 7-8:30pm. Lambert House, 1818 15th Ave. Every Thursday. Youth take the opportunity to talk about issues that relate to their everyday lives, with the facilitation of a male volunteer. (206) 322-2515 ext 16. www. lamberthouse.org PFLAG/Tacoma Monthly Meeting. 7pm. First United Methodist Church, 621 Tacoma Ave S, Tacoma. Meets 2nd Thursday each month. Parents & Friends of Lesbians & Gays is a national support organization for parents, spouses & families of GLBT persons, as well as those sexual minorities. www.pflagtacoma.org; PFLAG/Tacoma: (253) 234-9790. PFLAG/Puget Sound: (206) 325-7724.

21st Century Bowling. 7pm. West Seattle Bowl, 4505 39th Ave SW. Every Thursday. Regular league bowling.

Jeff, (206) 932-3731; leagues@wsbowl.com.

Buddhism & Recovery. 7:30-9pm. SASG, 115 15th Ave E, Suite 201. Every Thursday. A meditation/recovery group. (206) 322-2437; www.sasgcc.org Gay Fathers Association of Seattle. 7:30-9pm. Group Health, 201 16th Ave E, Central Bldg, Lower Atrium.

Every Thursday. Support meetings for Gay fathers & Gay men who are currently or previously married. Safe, anonymous, non-judgmental environment of caring fathers & friends. You are not alone. For information,

November 2, 2018

community events & “questioning” visit www.gfas.org or our message board at http://groups.yahoo.com/groups/ gayfathersseattle Gay Male Sexuality & Relationships. 7:30-9pm.

SASG, 115 15th Ave E, Suite 201. Every Thursday.

Ongoing support group open to Gay and Bisexual men.

(206) 322-2437; www.sasgcc.org [NOTE: Please contact the facilitator prior to attending.]

Seattle Otters Water Polo Team. 8-9:30pm. Medgar Evers Pool, 500 23rd Ave E (at E Cherry St). Every Tuesday & Thursday. (See Tuesday listing at 8pm.)

FRIDAY - November 9

GenPRIDE Rainbow Walk. 9-10am. Volunteer Park, 14th Ave E & E Prospect St - meet at the Black Sun sculpture across from the Seattle Asian Art Museum.

Sponsored By Generations Aging With Pride (GenPRIDE). Info: (206) 413-6742.

Ageless in Recovery (AA). 12-1pm. SASG, 115 15th Ave E, Suite 201. Every Friday. A drop-in AA group for 55+. (206) 322-2437; www.sasgcc.org New Beginnings (SLAA). 12-1pm. SASG, 115 15th Ave E #201, O’Neil Room. Meets daily. (See Saturday listing at noon for details.)

Road to Recovery (SLAA). 12-1:30pm. SASG, 115 15th Ave E, Suite 201. Every Friday. Ongoing 12-step group for sex and love addicts. (206) 322-2437; www. sasgcc.org Oasis Youth Center in Tacoma - For Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender & Questioning Youth, Ages 14-25. 4-10pm. Call for location & details. Every Friday.

(253) 671-2838, www.oasisyouthcenter.org (Also Thursdays 4-10pm & Saturdays 6pm-12 midnight.)

LGBTQ & Allies 18+ Free Friday Night Drop-In Volleyball. 6-7:45pm. Miller Community Center, 330 19th Ave E. Every Friday. 206-684-4753.

Orca Swim Team Workout. Evening. Seattle University, Redhawk Center, 14th Ave & E Cherry St. (See Sunday afternoon listing.)

Strength Over Speed (SOS). 6-7:30pm. SASG, 115 15th Ave E, Suite 201. Peer support for Gay and Bisexual men recovering from crystal meth addiction. www.strengthoverspeed.org. (206) 322-2437; www. sasgcc.org Congregation Tikvah Chadashah. 7pm. Call/see website for location. Puget Sound’s Gay & Lesbian Jewish Congregation where all are welcome holds Shabbat services the 2nd Friday each month. An oneg Shabbat follows services. (206) 355-1414; www.tikvahchadashah.com.

Game Night. 7pm-11pm. SASG, 115 15th Ave E, Suite 201. Every Friday. Card games, board games and fellowship. (206) 322-2437; www.sasgcc.org Lambert House Queer Movie Night. 7-9:30pm. Lambert House, 1818 15th Ave. Every Friday. Lambert House is a nationally-recognized activities & resource center for GLBT & questioning youth, ages 14-22. (206) 322-2515, www.lamberthouse.org Rain Country Dance Night. 7-11pm, lessons at 7:15pm.

The Cuff, 1533 13th Ave. An evening of country-western dancing for the LGBTQ community. FREE. www.raincountrydance.org.

Destiny/Unity AA Meeting in Tacoma. 7:30-8:30pm.

Christ Episcopal Church, 310 N “K” St, Tacoma. Every Friday. LGBTQ-friendly AA meeting. (253) 474-8897.

(Also meets Mondays.)

LGBT Friday Night Al-Anon Family Group. 8-9pm.

SASG, 115 15th Ave E, Suite 201 - in the O’Neill Room.

Every Friday. The Al-Anon Family Groups are a fellowship of relatives & friends of alcoholics who share their experience, strength & hope in order to solve their common problems. We believe alcoholism is a family illness & that changed attitudes can aid recovery. Greater Seattle AIS 24-hour number (206) 625-0000; www. seattle-al-anon.org; (206) 322-2437; www.sasgcc.org

SATURDAY - November 10

(See previous Saturday for ongoing activities.)

A Gathering of Men in Edmonds. 8:15-11:30am.

Edmonds UUC, 8109 224th St SW, Edmonds. Meets 2nd Saturday each month. Men gather monthly for drumming, singing, storytelling & sharing of life experience. We create a safe, confidential & sacred space in which a man can speak his truth from the heart, to heal & empower himself. We are fiercely non-political, non-sectarian & non-judgmental. All men are welcome. www.agatheringofmen.org Georgetown Art Attack. 6-9pm. Meets 2nd Saturday each month. Reflects the industrial-strength character of the neighborhood. For information stop into Georgetown Records at Airport Way S & S Vale or visit www. georgetownneighborhood.com Ballard’s Second Saturday Artwalk. 7-10pm. Pick up maps at participating shops & galleries located in the Ballard business district (Ballard Ave NW & NW Market St area). Meets 2nd Saturday each month. Enjoy an evening of art as local galleries & businesses showcase artists from Ballard & beyond. (206) 784-9705; visitballard.com Seattle Men in Leather Veterans Day Boots ‘n’ Buzzcuts. 8pm-midnight. The Cuff Complex, 1533 13th Ave. Barbers and bootblacks will be available to trim your hair to a regulation length and spit shine your books for a recommended $15 per service to benefits SML’s 2018 club charity. Please donate more for flat tops, tall boots and other large tasks. seattlemeninleather.org

SUNDAY - November 11

(See previous Sunday for ongoing activities.)

VETERANS DAY Lotus Sisters Guided Meditation. 11am-1:30pm.

SASG, 115 15th Ave E, Suite 201. Meets 2nd Sunday each month. Senior students lead the meditation, provide dharma talks or reflections & lead discussion.

(206) 329-5908; www.LotusSisters.org. (Meets in 2nd floor meeting room; no elevator.)

No Safeword Writers Group. 1pm. See website for location. Meets 2nd & 4th Sunday each month. NSWG exists to provide mutual support for members’ efforts.

Support is in the form of critique & commentary on each other’s work, information about publishing opportunities, & discussion of issues facing writers. NSWG’s primary focus is erotic writing - but they welcome anyone who writes. The only requirements are to write, to attend, & to be respectful. For info & location, www.nosafewordwritersgroup.org Author Reading: Nick DiMartino. 3pm, University Book Store, 4326 University Way NE. DiMartino reads from “Dragonweed,” the first in a new fantasy/adventure trilogy involving a magic book.

Dignity/Seattle. 6pm-Prayer Service. Ravenna United Methodist Church, 5751 33rd Ave NE. Meets 2nd Sunday each month. Dignity/Seattle is the local chapter of the nationwide organization of GLBT Roman Catholics.

“We celebrate our inherent dignity with pride in liturgy, mutual support, work for justice, & social activities.”

Gender-inclusive & relationship affirming liturgies & prayer services. All welcome. (206) 325-7314.

Ski Buddies Monthly Potluck. 6-8:30pm. Mountain to Sound Outfitters, 3602 SW Alaska St. Come & hear about all the great ski trips & winter activities Ski Buddies has planned. Whether you snow board, downhill, cross-country, or telemark, there are trips & events for you. Bring a potluck dish to share. Ski Buddies is a nonprofit GLBT & GLBT-friendly club which meets regularly thruout the fall & winter, offering camaraderie & deeply discounted skiing adventures for all levels of skiers & snowboarders. www.skibuddies.org

COMMUNITY RESOURCES

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

American Veterans for Equal Rights - www.aver.us Another Gay Social Club! - www.meetup.com/AnotherGay-Social-Club/ Bellingham/Whatcom County - www.theslowlane. com/guide.html BiNet Seattle is a mixed gender, social group for Bisexuals, their partners & other Bi-friendly folks - www. binetseattle.org.

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

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

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

Celebrating 44 Years!

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 - (206) 250-5002; LGBTMSConnection@gmail.com. Support group for LGBT persons with MS and their partners and their caregivers. Sponsored by the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.

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

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

Northwest Lesbian & Gay History Museum Project - gayhistnw@aol.com 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: www. pflagwsc.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/ 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

SoundQCal.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

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-DiscussionGroup/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; 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, in Seattle, 1818 15th Ave @ E Denny Way; (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; Oasis Youth Center: for GLBTQ youth, ages 14-25, in Tacoma, (253) 671-2838, www. oasisyouthcenter.org; OUT There Adventures: www. outthereadventures.org; Parents, Family & Friends of Lesbians & Gays (PFLAG)/Puget Sound: (206) 3257724, www.seattle-pflag.org; Peace for the Streets by Kids from the Streets (PSKS) Drop-In Center & Young Adult Shelter: 1609 19th Ave @ E Pine St., (206) 7268500; www.psks.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; Renton Area Youth Services (RAYS): LGBTQ, questioning and allied youth drop-in group, ages 12-18 - Sarah Hardin, (425) 271-5600, ext 155; sarahh@rays.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; 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

November 2, 2018

Seattle Gay News 17

community calendar

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.

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) 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.sasgcc.org 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 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.South-

Visit us online www.sgn.org

21 [LICENSED MASSAGE - NON-SEXUAL] 10 [HOUSEMATES] 11 [FOR RENT]

14 [HELP WANTED] LOOKING FOR STAGE/SET DESIGNER

Help with stage/space and lighting design ideas for night club walls and decor. Should be able to handle a hammer, paint, and color coordination ideas. Please include your resume with portfolio and/or experience. info@edenseattle.com 43/3

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19 [HOME SERVICES] TIDY'S HAUL IT ALL

offers a professional appliance and junk removal service at a competitive price. Free estimates. Tidy, 206-354-8949. 49/6

EXCEPTIONAL BODYWORK

Given by highly trained LMP. I specialize in injury treatment, acute, chronic, and repetitive stress motion.

I have a studio on CapHill, and one just north of the UW. Insurance accepted. Matt Shafer, LMP, 206-2357766. 41/12

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22 [FOR SALE]

19 [PET SERVICES]

37 [BODYWORK]

KITTY CO. – WE EXCLUSIVELY SERVE CATS

Capitol Hill based provider of in-home cat sitting services. Licensed, bonded, insured and meticulous about your cat care needs. Book now for peace of mind while you’re away. Gay owned! www.kittycoseattle.com; 206-612-1533 39/3

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20 [HEALTH & WELL-BEING] ENERGY/BODYWORK

Therapeutic massage. 30 years experience. Relaxation, major/minor injuries, chronic muscle pain. Small Ballard home office/studio. Massage table or massage chair. Convenient parking. (I’m a Gay-friendly straight male graphic artist, web author.) First session 50% off = $45/1.5 hours (travel extra). By appointment only.

References available. Chris Pringer, Reiki Master, 206286-0899. If you get a voice message mentioning “extension #,” please hang up and call back again; otherwise, please leave a message. Brochure, testimonials, etc. via chalicebridge.com/BMI-Brochure.html. 44/21

FREE & ANONYMOUS HIV & STD COUNSELING/TESTING Walk-In or by Appt GAY CITY HEALTH PROJECT 517 E. Pike St. M-F: 3pm-8pm; SAT: 12:30pm-5pm More Info & to Schedule Appt 206-860-6969 ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

EROTICALLY CHARGED nude full body rubdown from playful top, stimulating the senses. Get seduced. Incalls in Renton area. Scott, 206-355-4469. 51/3

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GREAT MASSAGE

Given by highly-trained, clean-cut, handsome guy.

I have two private studios, one on CapHill, and one just north of the UW. Call/text Matt, 206-235-7766. In/ out calls. 41/12

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38 [MEN]

RAIN CITY JACKS

RCJ is Seattle’s private club hosting hundreds of group jack-off events since 2005. Hot, friendly, and genuine male bonding for men 18+ only. Email or visit our web site for information. info@raincityjacks.org; www. raincityjacks.org. 42/12

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Vamoose

PETS OF THE WEEK Adoption Center

Sunday – Wednesday | 11 a.m. – 6 p.m.

Thursday – Saturday | 11 a.m. – 8 p.m.

13212 SE Eastgate Wy, Bellevue, WA 98005 (425) 649-7563 | adoption@seattlehumane.org

Is your life missing a furry friend? Now is the perfect time to open your world to a pet in need.

Coldwell Banker’s Homes for Dogs program with Adopt-a-pet.com has helped place 20,000 dogs into homes across the country. Could your place be the next happy ending for a pet in need? Make your house a home by visiting the shelter and bringing back the pet of your dreams.

Adoption Special:

As with all of our cats, Vamoose is spayed, microchipped and vaccinated. All of our cats go home with a certificate for an examination by a King County veterinarian. PLUS, most cat adoptions include 30 days of pet insurance from Trupanion – a great way to start off on the right paw!

Dax

Love is Ageless. Adopt a Senior Pet (All November) November is Adopt-a-Senior-Pet-Month at Seattle Humane in Bellevue. Choose to adopt a senior pet and you’ll receive all of the perks of pet companionship, but without the puppy messes and hard work of early years’ training. Love is ageless! To help you find your soulmate, adoption fees are waived on all cats and dogs ages 8 and up through November at Seattle Humane. Adorable grey muzzles and snuggle buddies await! It’s the perfect time to give a senior pet their best golden years! Check out available new best friends at seattlehumane.org.

18 Seattle Gay News

Meet Vamoose, a sweet 10-year-old brown and orange torbie! Vamoose is a pretty girl with lovely colored fur who is currently looking for a quiet home to relax in. She has spent much of her life living outside with limited human interaction, so she'll need a patient and understanding adopter who will give her the time she needs to grow her confidence and become the best loving kitty she can be. Vamoose would thrive in an experienced adult-only home with another kitty companion to further her growth in self-confidence. Meet Vamoose today at Seattle Humane – she can't wait to start a new life with you.

Meet Dax, a handsome 4-year-old Lab mix with a great smile! Dax is what you might call a wallflower.

When he's comfortable, he's happy to just hang out but it can take him a while to become comfortable with new people. Once he determines you mean no harm, he snuggles right in for a good neck scratch and massage. He loves being outside walking with you on a leash and could be the perfect hiking companion. Dax would rather be with you than home alone, he can be anxious when not with his human pack. His separation anxiety can be managed and our adoption counselors can tell you how. Meet the charming Dax today at Seattle Humane!

All of our dogs go home spayed or neutered, microchipped, and vaccinated. Each pet will go home with a certificate for a complimentary veterinary examination.

PLUS, most dog adoptions include 30 days of Trupanion pet insurance and six weeks of on-campus training classes – a great way to start off on the right paw!

November 2, 2018

Celebrating 44 Years!

Visit us online www.sgn.org

November 2, 2018

Seattle Gay News 19