ISSUE 5 2
C E L E B R AT I N G
VOLUME 49
47 YEARS
F R I D AY
IN
DECEMBER 24, 2021
PRINT S E AT T L E ’ S L G B T Q I A + N E W S & E N T E R TA I N M E N T W E E K LY S I N C E 19 74
FDA APPROVES INJECTABLE PREP One shot every two months
by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer The US FDA — the agency charged with approving new medications — has given its blessing to an injectable form of PrEP that only needs to be administered once every two months. The official announcement came on December 20. “Today’s approval adds an important tool in the effort to end the HIV epidemic by providing the first option to prevent HIV that does not involve taking a daily pill,” said Dr. Debra Birnkrant, the director of antivirals division at the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research. “This injection, given every two months, will be critical to addressing the HIV epidemic in the US, including helping high-risk individuals and certain groups where adherence to daily medication has been a major challenge or not a realistic option.”
see PREP page 21
Photo by Artem Podrez / Pexels
Seattle performing arts groups face long road ahead with Omicron Despite confidence from first in-person productions, future uncertain
Annalise Dautricourt as Clara (center) in the party scene from George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker®, choreographed by George Balanchine © The George Balanchine Trust. – Photo © Angela Sterling Photography
by Paige McGlauflin SGN Contributing Writer This autumn, several Seattle-based performing arts organizations opened their venues with in-person productions for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic struck in late winter 2020. Eager to welcome audiences back into their spaces, many of these organizations considered their fall performances to be like test runs for how productions would go for the rest
of the year, allowing them to take the first steps into what was once second nature. “Our fall and holiday productions were absolutely test runs for us,” Gary Tucker, director of communications for the Pacific Northwest Ballet, told the SGN in an email. “As the first performing organization back in McCaw Hall following the shut-down, we definitely took baby steps before finding our stride.”
see ARTS page 6
A kiss goodbye A tribute to Ken Campbell
Photo courtesy of Boy Mike
by Boy Mike Special to the SGN The fabulous Ken Campbell passed away on Dec. 13, 2021, but not before leaving his mark on the art world: his political cartoons for the SGN. Ken was very outgoing and kind, and loved his cat Cheeto. He loved his family fiercely. He also literally had hundreds of friends and family on whom he left an indelible mark during his life. We will
never forget how he touched our lives in so many ways. I first met Ken 31 years ago at Neighbours night club. I had a popular Tuesday night show there called “Retroverge,” mixing ’70s disco and ’80s new wave with a show and audience prizes. Ken never missed a night. We quickly became very close friends. At the time, I was the manager of Retro
see KEN CAMPBELL page 4