ISSUE 32
C E L E B R AT I N G
VOLUME 49
47 YEARS
F R I D AY
IN
AUGUST 6, 20 21
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
KRYSTAL MARX SEATTLE PRIDE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR EYES CONGRESS
Krystal Marx, deputy mayor of Burien, announced she will seek to unseat Adam Smith in the 9th Congressional District by Renee Raketty SGN Contributing Writer From the beginning, Krystal Marx has been an unlikely candidate. She first ran for elected office in 2018, when she was elected to the Burien City Council. Since then, she has made waves in the city — throwing out the status quo and emerging as a voice for all, including the less affluent or politically connected. She has been the target of those on the right who view her positions to be too left-leaning for the suburban city.
Photo by Nate Gowdy
PrEP to be covered in insurance plans A win for some, but holes remain in federal plan to end HIV epidemic
The Treasury, Labor, and Health and Human Services Departments issued joint guidance in late July requiring insurance companies to cover the cost of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) prescriptions for insured recipients of the medication. The decision was made in part to increase
see KRYSTAL MARX page 4
WA to follow CDC’s new mask recommendations as the Delta COVID variant continues to spread
Photo by Tony Webster
by Paige McGlauflin SGN Contributing Writer
Marx, who became deputy mayor in 2019, is seeking reelection to her Burien City Council seat. She found herself in a competitive race in the August 3 primary, appearing on the ballot next to five other candidates. However, she leads the vote total at press time and will go on to the Nov. 2 general election. Marx will face off against Stephanie Mora, a small business advocate who is calling for an increase in police officers and a limited approach to social services in the city.
Photo by Anna Shvets / Pexels
the coverage of certain preventive services under the Affordable Care Act and in alignment with the federal government’s goal of ending the HIV epidemic by 2030. Companies have 60 days following the decision to cover the medication, which includes brand names Descovy and Truvada, depending on insurance plans.
see PREP page 19
by Hannah Saunders SGN Contributing Writer On July 27 the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued new guidance for vaccinated individuals. A day later, Gov. Jay Inslee gave a press conference in support of the new recommendations. These updates came after an increase of coronavirus cases caused by the Delta variant, the most promi-
nent variant of the virus, which is now circulating through our communities. It is not abnormal for viruses to continuously mutate in order to find easier (and more destructive) ways to infect their hosts. The Delta variant, also classified as variant B.1.617.2, was first identified in India last year. What scientists and researchers
see MASK UPDATE page 10