SGN November 25, 2022

ISSUE 47

C E L E B R AT I N G

VOLUME 50

48 YEARS

F R I D AY

IN

NOVEMBER 25, 202 2

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

CLUB Q TRAGEDY SHOCKS NATION

by Benny Loy SGN Contributing Writer Last Saturday, just before midnight, a shooter entered the LGBTQ+ nightclub Club Q and immediately opened fire on its patrons and staff. Five persons were killed and 18 were injured in the horrific event. Two heroic patrons rushed the gunman as bullets and broken glass rained down on those trying to hide or flee.

They managed to take a pistol from the attacker and hit him with it. This allowed them to pin him to the ground and subdue him. Their bravery halted the attack and saved multiple lives.

see CLUB Q page 16

Photo by Isaiah Downing / Reuters

Pride Speaks: Policy, advocacy, and the future Starbucks to close of Washington’s Broadway & Denny store Queer community Union plans big rally December 9 Photo by A.V. Eichenbaum

by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer Starbucks will close its Broadway & Denny location on December 11, the company told workers in a November 21 announcement.

According to Starbucks, the location has become “unsafe” and therefore must close.

“Unfortunately, despite several mitigating efforts, safety and security incidents at

our Broadway & Denny store have continued to escalate,” Andrew Trull, a Starbucks spokesperson, said.

Starbucks Workers United (SBWU) — the union organizing the company’s employees — rejected the official explanation, charging Starbucks with retaliation.

see STARBUCKS page 4

Moderator Jupiter Peraza – Photo by Georgia Skerritt

by Georgia Skerritt SGN Intern On Thursday, November 17, members of Washington state’s LGBTQ+ community gathered to discuss policy and advocacy plans for the coming year at Pride Speaks, a quarterly speaker series focusing on “issues impacting the LGBTQIA+ community… viewed through an LGBTQIA+ lens.”.

The event was put on by Seattle Pride, in partnership with Blended Pride, the LGBTQ+ employee resource group of Chateau Ste. Michelle Winery. Guests arrived at 6 p.m. for a casual community mixer, complete with food and wine to taste, and then convened in the nearby theater for a panel discussion.

see SPEAKS page 5

2

SGN

NOVEMBER 25, 202 2

C E L E B R AT I N G 4 8 Y E A R S!

ORIGINALLY SEATTLE GAY NEWS FOUNDED 1974 MEMBER 509 10th Ave E Seattle, WA 98102 (206) 324-4297 info@sgn.org sgn.org

SUPPORT INDEPENDENT JOURNALISM

DONATE TO SGN TODAY!

Publisher Angela Cragin Editor-in-Chief A.V. Eichenbaum Copy Editor SGN Staff • Richard Isaac Advertising Maggie Bloodstone, Advertising Manager National Advertising Rep. Rivendell Media (212) 242-6863 Staff Writers Lindsey Anderson • Mike Andrew Sara Michelle Fetters • Daniel Lindsley

SHOW YOUR PRIDE! seattlegaynews.redbubble.com

Contributing Writers Alice Bloch • Maggie Bloodstone Sharon Cumberland • Carter Hemion Jack Hilovsky • Benny Loy • Isabel Mata Gaysha Starr Social Media Team Lindsey Anderson • A.V. Eichenbaum

Merch Store!

Photographers Nate Gowdy • SGN Staff Comics Otts Bolisay Production Mike Pham SGN is published by Angela Cragin. © 2022. All Rights Reserved. Reprints by permission.

Publication of names, photographs, or likeness of any person, organization, event or business in this publication cannot be taken as any indication of the sexual orientation of the person, organization, event or business.

Opinions expressed in bylined articles, columns, and letters are those of the authors only and do not necessarily reflect the views of the staff or management of this paper.

SGN welcomes unsolicited material, including letters to the editor, but reserves the right to edit or reject material.

All rights revert to authors upon publication.

We assume no liability for loss or damage of materials, solicited or not. We invite feedback, please write.

And please play safe.

It is our policy that no money shall be refunded if you choose to cancel your ad. Credit will be given for the balance owed.

No exceptions.

In Loving Memory Of George Bakan

Scott Roger Alpert Cookie Andrews-Hunt James Arnold Ken Campbell Belial Darshan Steve Foiles Shaun Knittel James Leland Moore Don Paulson Randy Peters Lee Richeson Shaun Shelton Jim Tully

Follow SGN

VISIT US ONLINE SGN.ORG

In this Issue

LOCAL NEWS 4 A&E 8 FILM 12 BOOKS 15 NATIONAL NEWS 16 INTERNATIONAL NEWS 18 NOVEMBER 25, 202 2

SGN

3

Local News

Photo by A.V. Eichenbaum

STARBUCKS continued from cover

In a statement, SBWU noted that December 9, the next-to-last day the store will be open, marks the anniversary of SBWU being formed in Buffalo, New York.

“The Broadway & Denny location was the first store to unionize in Seattle, and one of the first locations to organize in the country,” a union spokesperson said.

The Broadway & Denny store also participated in the “Red Cup Rebellion” on November 17, joining more than a hundred Starbucks locations in a nationwide oneday strike. The strike coincided with the company’s Red Cup Day promotion, when customers are urged to buy reusable holiday cups from Starbucks locations.

Customers who chimed in on Twitter were also suspicious of the company’s assertions about safety.

“The one at Broadway & Denny?” one person tweeted. “That’s the heart of Capitol Hill… It’s on the same block as the train station and a popular hamburger joint, a block from a popular park. That is some major crap. Those other businesses are just fine.”

In July, Starbucks also closed five other Seattle-area stores, allegedly for safety reasons, including the Olive Way store on Capitol Hill. At that time SBWU filed unfair labor practice charges against the company for retaliation.

Union rally December 9 As Starbucks was announcing its plan to close the Broadway & Denny store, SBWU announced plans for a rally right on the doorstep of Starbucks corporate headquarters. The December 9 rally marks the oneyear anniversary of the union’s formation, when workers at a Starbucks in Buffalo, New York, voted to unionize.

Starbucks headquarters is at Utah Avenue South and South Lander Street in Seattle’s SoDo district. The rally will last from 7:00 a.m. until 10:00 a.m. A September 13 rally at Starbucks headquarters drew hundreds of people, mostly Starbucks workers and other union supporters.

Starbucks has begun first contract bargaining with the union at several locations, but union bargaining teams report that the company’s lawyers show up at the table only to excuse themselves for a “caucus” after a few minutes. The union bargaining team is then left sitting alone in the room for hours, until the scheduled session ends.

The union has condemned this as a stalling tactic designed to wear down and demoralize union members.

4

SGN

Red Cup Rebellion – Photo courtesy of SBWU

NOVEMBER 25, 202 2

C E L E B R AT I N G 4 8 Y E A R S!

SPEAKS

continued from cover Given this post-Roe world and increasingly harmful legislation and rhetoric targeting LGBTQ+ issues, a heightened sense of uncertainty can be felt throughout the community. So panelists and guests came together to address these concerns and plan the next steps in the state of Washington and beyond.

The panelists The moderator was Jupiter Peraza, a Trans, Latina woman based in San Francisco, who is a program associate at the Transgender District, focusing primarily on immigrant rights, trans rights, and voter mobilization. While introducing the panelists and discussion, Peraza touched upon her own experience with being Queer and Trans.

“Transness is not just an identity but also a way of interpreting the world,” she said.

One panelist was Nico Quintana (he/ they), an Indigenous and Latinx Transmasculine person who is currently the lead attorney for the Lavender Rights Project.

Quintana came out as Trans in 1997 and ha s been a community organizer ever since, slowly moving into the legal field.

He explained that the majority of his work is with legal programs that provide services to BIPOC and Trans communities in Washington state, specifically focusing on the support of Black Trans women. “Being a lawyer can be a pretty fucked-up profession, and I think more people need to be a

Photo by Georgia Skerritt

punk and come in to disrupt the system,” Quintana said.

Panelist Mattie Mooney is currently working as a senior program coordinator for Transgender health at Swedish Hospital. They are also a co-founder of the Trans Women of Color Solidarity Network, which

Panelist Nico Quintana – Photo by Georgia Skerritt

was established in 2018 and has since donated over $1 million to Trans women of color throughout Washington state; it is also part of the work group that created the Gender-Affirming Treatment Act in Washington state (which was passed into law in 2021). About their work in the healthcare system, Mooney said, “We’re squeaky wheels, we’re troublemakers, we’re in arguments with people all the time, which [...] is really what you need to get anything done in healthcare.”

Mooney also discussed their experience as a child of African immigrants and how that cultural upbringing informed their journey. “Transness has always been very deeply spiritual and very deeply ingrained in my culture as a Liberian person, and so too is it deeply ingrained in a lot of other BIPOC cultures,” they said.

Panelist Li Nowlin-Sohl identifies as a biracial (white and Chinese), gendernonconforming woman and works as an attorney for the ACLU’s LGBTQ+ project.

Prior to that, she worked with the ACLU of Washington. Nowlin-Sohl cited her intersectionality as a motivator for her work.

“Being Queer and being biracial kind of means that I feel like I don’t fully fit in anywhere,” she said. “That intersectionality helps me approach my work with an eye towards belonging and making sure that everyone is included.”

She also discussed her experience in litigation, explaining the importance of Queer engagement and leadership within the legal system: “The law is a huge tool of oppression, particularly against LGBTQ individuals, so having people from our community in there working to fight the law is critically important while acknowledging that it’s deeply flawed and problematic.”

Panelists Li Nowlin-Sohl (l) and Mattie Mooney (r) – Photo by Georgia Skerritt

VISIT US ONLINE SGN.ORG

NOVEMBER 25, 202 2

Trans rights and future legislation The panel eventually moved on to discuss the future of legislation and advocacy, specifically in regard to one major point of contention in current politics: Trans youth.

In the face of almost 240 anti-LGBTQ+ laws being passed this year, the preservation of Trans youth rights is a key priority for the community all across the country.

“These bills are about controlling bodies. They are about enforcing gender norms and erasing LGBTQ+ and specifically Trans folks,” said Nowlin-Sohl.

“Unfortunately, for the next couple of years, I think we’re going to be playing defense,” she continued, explaining that the future of Washington state will likely be focused on preserving whatever rights residents already have and maintaining legislation that will keep our youth and their families protected.

“The priority is keeping families intact... keeping people safe, keeping them alive, and not letting them be erased,” she said.

Quintana also discussed a sense of selfawareness for those working in the legal realm, even if they are working for the protection of BIPOC and Trans people. “How we respond to urgency matters,” he said.

“We can easily perpetuate white supremacy, anti-Black racism, and transphobia if we don’t pause and see how we are upholding what has been done and enforced before.”

Later on, Quintana encouraged his fellow panelists and audience members to shift leadership to those most affected by these bills. “What we can do differently going forward is we can actually hire Trans, BIPOC folks to be leading and be paid to run community defense efforts in these vulnerable states,” he suggested. “Solutions to these issues are only good when they are actually coming from the communities most impacted, because they know firsthand what will be most helpful.”

Nowlin-Sohl followed up on these ideas, adding a reminder to the audience that “justice is not going to be found in the courthouse.” She again emphasized the importance of giving attention to both legal efforts and on-the-ground community organizations and education resources.

“When it comes to making change, I really do think that we need to prioritize finding and giving leadership to communities that are the most impacted. It should never be cis people making decisions for us,” Quintana said. “How we do this work matters in building the next generation of leaders.”

While the current legal landscape of the US is daunting and tense, I walked away from this discussion as a better-educated member of the community. In the midst of this year’s anti-LGBTQ+ legislation and rhetoric, the recent Pride Speaks event was a profound and compelling reminder of the transformative power of Queer resiliency.

For more information on upcoming events and ways to support the community, please visit https://www.seattlepride.org.

SGN

5

Seattle Pride Spotlight

Washington state sees influx of LGBTQIA+ supporters elected

From top (l-r) Patty Murray, Mary Yu, Mark Liaas, Adam Smith, Suzan DelBene, Steve Hobbs, Leesa Mannion, Claire Wilson, Jesse Salomon, Jamie Pedersen, Manka Dhingra, Javier Valdez, Claudia Kauffman, Laurie Jinkins, Bill Ramos, Beth Doglio, Emily Alvarado, Nicole Macri, and Tana Senn – Courtesy photos

Queer candidates keep on winning!

While many candidates in Washington state displayed their support of Queer people

during their campaigns, a few were a part of the community. Mary Yu, who was running for reelection to state Supreme Court Position 1, and Marko Liias, who was running for reelection to his position in the Washington State senate representing District 21, both won, with Yu earning 97.3% of the votes cast.

Both candidates have spoken openly about their support for the Queer community. According to his biography, Liias is the co-chair of the LGBTQ caucus and worked to protect LGBTQIA+ children and communities throughout Washington. Part of his advocacy has been championing bills that require public schools to adopt policies that protect Trans kids from bullying, increase access to HIV medication, and ban conversion therapy.

Although Yu’s position as a state Supreme Court justice means she is not enacting policy and must remain strictly nonpartisan in her decision-making, she has expressed pride for her LGBTQ+ community and promised to “make sure that our life experiences are given all due consideration in court decisions and that everyone from our community is treated with respect when they access our courts.” She also promised to “lend my voice on behalf of our youth who often have no power to change the institutions that feed the bias and intolerance that they face.”

A seasoned judge, Yu made history upon her first appointment to the Supreme Court.

“I was the first member of the LGBTQIA+ community to serve on the Supreme Court, because I believe we must be visible and at the table where decisions about our lives are made,” she told Seattle Pride. “I was also the first judge to preside over a samesex marriage in the state of Washington as soon as the law allowed us to marry.”

6

NOVEMBER 25, 202 2

by Lindsey Anderson SGN Staff Writer With vote counting and runoffs expected to continue into December in certain parts of the country, election buzz is still circling around “the red wave” that wasn’t, and the rainbow tsunami that blew the Democratic Party out of the water. Four hundred and thirty-six out LGBTQ+ candidates won their races in the 2022 general election across the nation, with historic victories for New Hampshire’s James Roesener, the first out Trans man elected to a state legislature; SJ Howell, the first Nonbinary person elected to Montana’s state legislature; and Leigh Finke, the first Trans person elected to Minnesota’s state legislature.

Patty Murray won another term after a hard-fought battle against competitor Tiffany Smiley. Despite Smiley’s strong ad campaigns and millions of dollars in donor money, Murray won a comfortable victory.

In a roundtable with Queer voters in Capitol Hill, she promised to continue advocating for the community’s rights, including those of Trans children, since the GOP continues to target them.

While there were historic wins across the country, thanks in part to the recordbreaking voter turnout by young people, Washington elections boasted great progress for LGBTQ+ supporters. Thanks to Seattle Pride’s voting guide and election-related events, thousands of Queer Washington residents showed up at the polls to give their support to candidates who are working hard to ensure a future of equality for all.

SGN

While there were historic wins across the country, thanks in part to the record-breaking voter turnout by young people, Washington elections boasted great progress for LGBTQ+ supporters.

Federal candidates Seattle Pride evaluated two federal candidates, Suzan DelBene and Adam Smith.

Both earned high marks from the organization, with DelBene rating a 3.5 out of 4 and Smith standing at a solid 3.

DelBene, who won her election with 72.37% of the vote, has represented Washington’s First Congressional District since 2012 and has always stood strong as an advocate for Queer issues. “Every Congress, I introduce a resolution to recognize June 26 as ‘LGBTQIA+ Equality Day’ across the United States,” she said to Seattle Pride. “The resolution honors the anniversary of three landmark Supreme Court victories that moved our country towards equality for LGBTQIA+ Americans, including Lawrence v. Texas (June 26, 2003), United States v. Windsor (June 26, 2013), and Obergefell v. Hodges (June 26, 2015). I will continue fighting for LGBTQIA+ equality.”

In her career, DelBene has cosponsored the Respect for Marriage Act and the Safe Schools Improvement Act of 2021, which requires states to establish policies to prevent bullying and harassment on account of race, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, or

religion. She also co-sponsored the Therapeutic Fraud Prevention Act, which bans commercial conversion therapy. DelBene supported the Equality Act, the Do No Harm Act, and the International Human Rights Defense Act of 2019 as well.

Adam Smith also won his election, with 71.57% of the vote. As a representative for Washington’s Ninth Congressional District, Smith has cosponsored the Equality Act, which, if passed, would amend the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to include gender, gender identity, and sexual orientation as prohibited categories regarding discrimination. Like his colleague DelBene, Smith also supports making June 26 LGBT Equality Day and has also cosponsored a bill to recognize the International Day against Homophobia and Transphobia.

Smith promised Queer voters that he would continue to fight for them. When President Trump banned Trans service members from the military, Smith stood up against him. Now, he is aiming his sights on passing the Equality Act. “The priority is the passage of the Equality Act, which I am an original cosponsor of,” he said. “I voted for it when it passed in the House and will continue to advocate for its passage in the Senate.”

C E L E B R AT I N G 4 8 Y E A R S!

Secretary of State Washingtonians voted to retain Secretary of State Steve Hobbs, who was appointed to the position in 2021. Seattle Pride rated Hobbs a 3.1 out of 4 for his dedication to the Queer community. Hobbs beat his competitor, Julie Anderson, with 65.28% of the vote.

So far, Hobbs has supported the GenderAffirming Care Act, which helped to establish the Washington State LGBTQIA+ Commission, and has promoted access to benefits for Queer veterans. Hobbs has vowed to use his office as an open space for dialog when it comes to advancing Queer rights, and he is currently working on the project “Love, Equally,” which will commemorate Washington’s passage of samesex marriage ten years ago.

“The Office of the Secretary of State oversees elections, cybersecurity and information response, corporations and charities, state archives, and state libraries, but also serves as an executive advocate for disproportionately affected communities,” Hobbs said. “Helping our LGBTQIA+ friends and neighbors navigate housing security begins with a commitment from the leading Washington voices to better educate the public to the best our resources allow.”

Prosecuting Attorney In a close election, Leesa Manion beat out Federal Way’s mayor, Jim Ferrell, with just 57.52% of the vote to become King County’s new prosecuting attorney, after serving as chief of staff for the former prosecuting attorney, Dan Satterberg. Manion made headlines earlier this year after favoring community-based diversion programs over more criminal prosecutions for fentanyl dealers in King County.

Manion received a 3.8 rating from Seattle Pride and has already secured resources to form a new Hate Crimes Unit in the Prosecuting Attorney’s Office. “Hate crimes against a person’s sexual orientation is the second most common type of hate crime charged by the PAO. Of the 223 hate crimes filed by the PAO between 2018 and 2021, 39 involved hate against a person’s sexual orientation,” she said. “Hate crimes against a person’s gender or gender expression is the third most common type of hate crime charged by the PAO. Of the 223, 21 involved hate against a person’s gender or gender expression.”

Manion believes that one of the best ways to help communities is to learn from the people in them. That is why she employs mostly BIPOC, female, and/or LGBTQIA+ people in the Prosecuting Attorney’s Office. “I will continue to advance diversity and inclusion within the PAO. I will also invite the participation of the LGBTQIA+ community in the work of our office — both to improve regular and continued engagement with the LGBTQIA+ community and to learn how best to share PAO outcomes on work that directly impacts our LGBTQIA+ community,” she continued.

“As an elected leader, I will also lend my voice to speak out on issues important to our LGBTQIA+ community by speaking out against hate and speaking in favor of legislation to support and advance LGBTQIA+ rights and inclusion.”

State Senate Several candidates vied for seats in the state Senate as well, including many members of the Queer community, like Claire Wilson, who won her race with 54.5% of the vote. “First and foremost, I identify as a Lesbian woman, coming out when I was 19 years old. I bring this perspective to every aspect of my work in the Washington State Senate,” she said to Seattle Pride.

Wilson represents Federal Way, which she admits “has a history of antiLGBTQIA+ sentiment and a strong religious, conservative faction.”

Wilson says she is committed to fighting for social issues important to her. “As one of four LGBTQIA+ lawmakers in the Washington State Senate, I will continue to press on local and statewide social justice issues related to our LGBTQIA+ community, as well as issues related to police accountability, the delivery of services and supports, and other legislation that is inclusive of all protected classes.”

Another state senator who won reelection

VISIT US ONLINE SGN.ORG

in 2022 was Jesse Salomon, who Seattle Pride rated 2.4 out of 4. Salomon previously worked in the Senate to pass legislation against hate crimes and bullying, particularly against members of the Queer community. “My hate crimes bill explicitly added criminal penalties for assault and harassment based on one’s gender identity and expression. It also increased civil penalties and allowed victims to sue for a variety of damages after suffering a hate crime,” he explained.

Jamie Pedersen, who will again represent Legislative District 43 following his reelection, was also rated highly by Seattle Pride, with a 2.9. Pedersen is passionate about working with community organizations to make sure that LGBT+ people have access to housing and legal name change rights.

“I am working with QLaw, Gender Justice League, and other stakeholders on legislation that will allow Trans folks to seal records of their name changes,” he said.

“I will continue to advocate for safe housing and other spaces for Queer youth. I am working on a capital budget request for Lambert House.”

Another state senator who has promised to support Trans rights is Manka Dhingra, who won her seat as the senator for District 45 with 63.2% of the vote. “I have been a big supporter of bills that mandate insurance coverage for gender-affirming care, access to HIV drugs for individuals on Medicaid, and antibullying statutes to name a few,” she said of her support for the Queer community.

Winning in a landslide, with 84.6%, was Javier Valdez, who will represent the 46th District. Valdez admitted he has more to learn when it comes to advocacy for the LGBT+ community, but he is willing to put in the work and stand firm for the rights of Queer and Trans voters. “I think that the biggest issues that we will see in the next few legislative sessions will be protecting and expanding access to gender-affirming and reproductive healthcare,” he said. “Our previous legislation on LGBTQIA+ homelessness and access to healthcare will also need to be updated.”

Claudia Kauffman, who will represent Washington’s 47th District, has always been a proponent of same-sex marriage and hopes to “remove barriers.” “While in the Senate [in] 2007–2010, I voted for the Domestic Partnership bill and supported marriage equality,” she said. She has also been an advocate for Queer Native Americans and hopes to help bring more resources to the Native American AIDS Project.

House of Representatives Washington State’s House of Representatives races saw members of the LGBTQ+ community competing, including Laurie Jinkins and Jessica Wadhams.

Jinkins won reelection with 71.4% of the vote. “As the first Lesbian elected to the legislature and speaker of the House, I consider myself a leader in advancing rights for the LGBTQIA+ community,” she said.

Jinkins chaired both Tacoma’s Hate Crimes Task Force and Hands Off Washington, “the first statewide grassroots Queer organization in Washington.”

As mentioned, Jinkins has served as speaker of the Washington House, and while this means she no longer sponsors legislation, she is continuing to promote pro-Queer laws by working with the bicameral LGBTQIA+ caucus.

Wadhams lost her race for a seat from the 39th District to Republican Carolyn Eslick.

State representatives who will be joining Jinkins in the House, advocating for legislation that advances the rights and causes of LGBTQ+ people, include Bill Ramos (Fifth District), who leads the Members of Color Caucus; Beth Doglio (22nd District), who served on the LGBTQIA+ State Legislative Caucus and helped get Gender X identities on driver’s licenses; and Emily Alvarado (34th District), who has served as a community housing justice leader, as well as Nicole Macri (34th District); and Tana Senn (41st District), both of whom helped to pass laws that ban conversion therapy.

Hundreds of Queer lawmakers and allies won hard-fought battles to make a difference. Thanks to voters, Americans are now hopefully looking toward a bright future, and lawmakers are now getting to work, preparing to make those dreams a reality.

NOVEMBER 25, 202 2

SGN

7

Arts & Entertainment

Nominees announced, voting opened for Game Awards

from (l-r) Ranni the witch from Elden Ring – Photo courtesy of FromSoftware, Apex Legends's first Trans character, Catalyst – Photo courtesy of Respawn Entertainment, and Ashly Burch – Courtesy photo

by Daniel Lindsley SGN Staff Writer The nominees for all categories of the Game Awards (TGA) have been announced, and voting will be open on the event’s website and official Discord server until the evening of December 8, when the ceremony will be held in LA and streamed all over the world.

One could think of TGA as the Oscars of video games. Even if video games aren’t “your thing,” you can still have an impact on this event and the future of the industry.

TGA claims to “bring together a diverse group of game developers, game players, and notable names from popular culture,” and “elevate voices that represent the future of the medium.” Let’s see how it’s doing on LGBTQ+ representation this year.

said in an interview with WTTW Chicago that he “worked up a fairly detailed background for [the developer], and then they took it from there.”

Martin, then, could be credited for developments in this direction. A major deity in Elden Ring’s epic fantasy setting splits themself into separate male and female beings, who each court the rulers of other realms.

And as in Dark Souls III, the player can choose to “marry” a certain character, but this one is feminine-presenting no matter what, so if the player’s avatar is femme, then the game can end in a Queer honeymoon to the stars.

Some might argue that the Queer representation here is incidental, and still not the strongest, since genderfluid deities are common enough in historical pantheons, and it was cheaper for the company to use one 3-D model and voice actor for the player’s marriage option. It’s a good point, but it would also be a mistake not to bring up Elden Ring when, on the back of some Queer vibes, its developers could bring home an armful of pretty trophies.

Starting with a show-stealer FromSoftware’s latest and greatest fantasy action game, Elden Ring, has nominations in a whopping seven categories: Game Direction, Narrative, Art Direction, Music/ Score, Best Role Playing Game, Audio Design, and the big one, Game of the Year.

Beyond a single character in its breakthrough piece, Dark Souls, FromSoft’s games hadn’t had any Queer representation, and what was there wasn’t necessarily good.

In fact, in Dark Souls III, a character who can be “married” as part of the story will switch their gender to keep their relationship with the other player’s avatar heterosexual.

Elden Ring is better off from the beginning. In the process of customizing an avatar, instead of choosing between two sexes or genders, the player is given the option of two body types, Type A or Type B. FromSoft is late to the party with this kind of feature, even among other Japanese developers. As far back as 2020, the cozy yet addictive Animal Crossing: New Horizons gave players the gender-neutral presets of “Cool” and “Cute.” New Horizons won TGA’s award for Best Family Game that year.

Beyond the player’s avatar, though, there are a few Queer elements in Elden Ring’s narrative. It was written by Game of Thrones author George R.R. Martin, who

Breaking the MMO mold Japanese developer Square Enix’s MMORPG Final Fantasy XIV Online (FFXIV) has won plenty of awards since its debut in 2010, even while competing against genre giants like World of Warcraft, Guild Wars 2, and flashy newcomer Lost Ark. But now it’s up for a second stab at Best Ongoing Game and Best Community Support, after winning both categories last year.

This MMO still bears a few of the genre’s many gender-related woes. One of its playable “races,” a staple of the fantasy genre, has the ridiculous sexual dimorphism for which games of its kind are often criticized.

That is, the male members are monstrous slabs of muscle, while the female members are thin bikini models.

Unlike World of Warcraft, however, FFXIV has other options for those who want them. The dimorphism of the majority of playable, in-game races is much milder, with one being almost entirely androgynous. Another race flips the trend on its

8

NOVEMBER 25, 202 2

SGN

head, where even the shortest female member is taller than the tallest male.

Combine those features with generally robust character creation tools and Square Enix’s gradual removal of virtual outfits’ gender restrictions, and it’s easy to see why FFXIV has a significant Queer following.

The game’s side stories feature a few Queer characters, too.

Respawn Entertainment’s Apex Legends and Bungie’s Destiny 2 are also competing for Best Ongoing Game and Best Community Support. Both games are first-person shooters, each of a different subgenre, and they’ve made strides in representation over their lifetimes.

Apex Legends has had a playable, explicitly nonbinary character since launch day, but this year, Bungie introduced an explicitly Trans character as well. Her callsign is Catalyst, and she’s voiced by Meli Grant, who is Trans herself.

Destiny 2’s plot may be more concerned with existential threats to humanity than relationships, gender, and sexuality, but with some digging into lore entries found in-game, players have discovered that many of the game’s most iconic characters are Queer. Readers who wish to vote for a local developer should look no further, since Bungie is based in Bellevue.

Impacts and adaptations Along with a few other games lauded for their eco-consciousness, artsiness, or emotional depth, I Was a Teenage Exocolonist has been nominated for the Games for Impact award. As part of the growing genre of “deckbuilders,” Exocolonist blends that trading card-esque gameplay with a life simulation, in which the protagonist grows up over time, and can build relationships with a huge cast of gender-diverse characters praised for their “authentic” representation.

In a similar vein, the Innovation in Accessibility award might go to Naughty Dog’s nextgeneration reboot of The Last of Us, which has an impressive suite of features. Beyond highly customizable subtitles, it has tools for vision-impaired and sightless gameplay, like audio-descriptive cinematics, high-contrast mode, and an “enhanced listen” mode that

helps players navigate the game world by haptic feedback and sound alone.

A review by the gaming accessibility site Can I Play That says that the features are far from perfect, even after being refined in The Last of Us Part II. But they’re highly ambitious for a game in the stealth action genre, which is far more difficult to adapt than this award category’s other, less action-focused nominees.

The Last of Us series notably features complex, Queer main characters. The same goes for As Dusk Falls, also a nominee for its accessibility.

And speaking of Queer main characters, Arcane: League of Legends — a popular animated Netflix series that shocked audiences by coming from one of the most notoriously toxic games out there — has been nominated for Best Adaptation.

In Arcane, the punchy, pink-haired punk Vi ends up falling for the refined and privileged Caitlyn, both women. Some fans ship it, and others say it’s a shame the latter is a cop.

Finally, prolific voice actress Ashly Burch is poised to win her first TGA for Best Performance, after two previous nominations in 2017 and 2019. Burch has been a prominent figure in gaming since the days of early YouTube, when her sketch comedy show Hey Ash, Whatcha Playin’? catapulted her into roles in well-known game series like Borderlands and Life Is Strange, as well as a few beloved TV shows.

Burch came out as Queer in early July this year, tweeting that she was “one of those old fashioned Pansexuals you may have heard of. Probably not a shocker — like half the characters I play are members of the rainbow fam.”

Horizon: Forbidden West’s main character Aloy isn’t explicitly Queer (although some fans speculate that she may be Asexual), but many of Burch’s previous nominations, and her wins from other gaming events, have come from that role.

You can see the rest of the nominees and vote on winners at https://thegameawards. com.

C E L E B R AT I N G 4 8 Y E A R S!

VISIT US ONLINE SGN.ORG

NOVEMBER 25, 202 2

SGN

9

Episode 41: Andy Iwancio It's the Holiday Issue! Ash and Lindsey talk Christmas horror flicks, Trans history through the ages, Hallmark movies, and more! Special guest Andy Iwancio discusses the difference

between a marriage and a commitment ceremony, comedy in Seattle, and the PNW EDM community.

Andy Iwancio: @andyiwancio on all platforms

Check out Comedy for Suckers every first Wednesday at the Octopus Bar!

FIND US WHEREVER YOU LISTEN TO PODCASTS! 10

SGN

NOVEMBER 25, 202 2

C E L E B R AT I N G 4 8 Y E A R S!

VISIT US ONLINE SGN.ORG

NOVEMBER 25, 202 2

SGN

11

Film

Colorfully imaginative Strange World is worth exploring

Strange World – Photo courtesy of Disney

by Sara Michelle Fetters SGN Staff Writer STRANGE WORLD Theaters Strange World is a gloriously weird adventure that’s like the ungainly love child of a Dr. Seuss storybook melded with Fantastic Voyage, that revels in the goofy cosmic sensibilities of a random episode of the classic 1960s television series Lost in Space. It’s Disney riffing in ways that are reminiscent of The Emperor’s New Groove and Lilo & Stich, making this Journey to the Center of the Earth-style adventure a visually imaginative treat the whole family is certain to enjoy.

Searcher Clade (voiced by Jake Gyllenhaal) is the son of the famed explorer Jaeger Clade (Dennis Quaid). A quarter century ago, on an expedition with his father to forge a path through the impassable mountain range that surrounds their small homeland of Avalonia, Searcher encounters a strange green plant with seedpods that generate an electric spark. His discovery changes the course of their civilization.

It also creates an unexpected rift between parent and child that was never allowed to heal.

Now Searcher is widely considered Avalonia’s savior, since his strange plant has led to technological innovations that boggle the mind. But he’s content to be a devoted husband, loving father, and committed farmer, with his exploring days far behind him. But when his country’s charismatic and fearless leader Callisto Mal (Lucy Liu) literally lands on his front lawn asking for his help to save Avalonia, who is Searcher to refuse?

What follows is a colorfully bizarre adventure where there is always something eye-popping happening. It’s a family affair as circumstances conspire for his flyingace wife Meridian (Gabrielle Union) and teenage son Ethan (Jaboukie Young-White) to tag along for the ride aboard Callisto’s massive airship. Along the way, he will also unexpectedly reunite with Jaeger, and by the time the climax rolls around, three generations of Clades will work together to hopefully win the day and save Avalonia from extinction.

12

SGN

None of that should be construed as a spoiler. As overflowing in wild imagination as the visuals in Disney’s latest animated yarn undeniably prove to be, the actual story structure concocted by screenwriter and co-director Qui Nguyen (Raya and the Last Dragon) does leave a tiny something to be desired. The character dynamics do not go anywhere unexpected, and the final outcome is never in doubt.

Not that I ended up caring about much of that. The performances from the talented vocal ensemble are universally outstanding.

The animation is continually spectacular. The central set pieces are exhilarating, suspenseful, and, best of all, fun. Nguyen and lead director Don Hall — an Academy Award winner for Big Hero 6 — bring this ship home with exhilarating aplomb, the film’s climax surprisingly touching and subtly heartfelt.

The underground world Searcher and the rest of this ragtag crew stumble and bumble their way into is something else. Straight lines all but disappear. Every facet of it is alive, the entire thing an organism unto itself cohesively working together to make the environment thrive and prosper. But that also means outsiders could be dangerous threats, no matter how benign they may appear, and this includes Searcher and the rest of the Clades.

This causes a relationship to develop between Ethan and one of this unexplored realm’s indigenous inhabitants, a blobby, fluorescent-blue thingamabob the young man nicknames “Splat.” They learn to communicate without language, developing a selfless bond that allows them to tackle any obstacle with courage and conviction.

But their friendship also adds insight and

context to the larger, overarching themes that are at play. Villains, heroes... none of that matters. Everything and everyone has to learn to live in harmony; otherwise disaster is inevitable. Not only do Searcher and Jaeger have to resolve their differences, but it soon becomes clear that both of the older men are going to have to learn that Ethan must have the opportunity to chart his own path as well — no matter what it may be or with whom he falls in love.

I knew how it was going to turn out.

There are no surprises as far as the outcome is concerned. But in Strange World, precious little is as it seems, and there is always something astonishing lurking inside the frame to ooh and aah over. This is one new land of indescribable wonder worth exploring, probably multiple times.

Strange World – Photo courtesy of Disney

NOVEMBER 25, 202 2

C E L E B R AT I N G 4 8 Y E A R S!

Benoit Blanc returns to unpeel a rhapsodically entertaining Glass Onion

Glass Onion A Knives Out Mystery – Photo courtesy of Netflix

by Sara Michelle Fetters SGN Staff Writer GLASS ONION Now in theaters / Netflix (Dec. 23) Famed detective Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) has been invited by billionaire tech mogul Miles Bron (Edward Norton) to participate in a weekend “murder mystery” getaway with a few of his closest friends: Connecticut governor Claire Debella (Kathryn Hahn), influencer Duke Cody (Dave Bautista) and his girlfriend Whiskey (Madelyn Cline), former supermodel turned fashion designer Birdie Jay (Kate Hudson) and her fiercely protective assistant Peg (Jessica Henwick), and brilliant scientist Lionel Toussaint (Leslie Odom Jr.). Also unexpectedly joining them is Andi Brand (Janelle Monáe), Miles’ former business partner, whose ouster from their company was far from amicable.

That’s the setup for Glass Onion, writerdirector Rian Johnson’s ingenious sequel to 2019’s Academy Award–nominated

box office smash Knives Out. Suffice it to say: someone will die, everyone remaining upright is a suspect, and it is up to Blanc to uncover the killer’s identity before more bodies violently crash to the floor. It doesn’t get more straightforward than that.

While different in tone and structure from the previous film, this one is even more rapturously entertaining than its predecessor. It is also quite a bit funnier. The first third is hysterical, in fact, as Blanc bumbles around Bron’s personal Greek island and all its grotesque, overproduced grandeur as if he were Jacques Clouseau’s illegitimate offspring and not the second coming of Hercule Poirot. The shambling cadre of overexcited lunatics who make up the remainder of the core cast are equally goofy, each acting as if they’re cartoonishly auditioning for a part in a remake of 1985’s slapstick classic Clue.

Everyone except for Monáe’s Andi. She’s in a different motion picture, and that’s by design. Rigid and aloof, her body a temple of controlled fury, Andi is a coiled serpent aching to strike but unflappable enough to wait

for the precise moment to do so. She’s the oil in this party’s water, and it’s clear there’s more to this confident woman of precious few words than initially meets the eye.

But it’s all a ruse. Johnson and his talented ensemble are toying with the viewer.

What appears to be a light and fluffy lark quickly morphs into something far more devilishly engrossing. It’s as if the filmmaker has taken The Last of Sheila and combined it with Ten Little Indians and then put his own macabre “eat the rich” spin on it. It’s shockingly meticulous in language, visual style, and just plain old cinematic joie de vivre.

Things move backward and forward in the blink of an eye. Guests remove the masks they present to the everyday world — only to reveal new disguises they’ve meticulously crafted to keep themselves from facing the harsh repercussions of all they’ve done to achieve their wealth. Truth becomes fiction, lies are transformed into facts — and at the center of it remains Benoit Blanc, staring straight into the beating

Janelle Monáe in Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery – Photo courtesy of Netflix

VISIT US ONLINE SGN.ORG

NOVEMBER 25, 202 2

heart of this house of transparent cards so as to ascertain truths as whimsically clever as they are poignantly perceptive.

The entire cast is excellent, and it’s clear that Craig is having the time of his life stepping back into Blanc’s comfortable shoes and twirling his signature cigar. Norton has a manic energy channeling his inner Elon Musk that’s invigorating; his clueless buffoonery is next-level sublime. Hahn, Odom Jr., Cline, and Henwick all make a lasting impression, while Bautista again shows he’s a comedic force of nature who should never be taken for granted.

Yet, make no mistake: Glass Onion is all about Monáe and Hudson. The latter channels the same type of manic pixie dream girl charm she brought to her Oscar-nominated role in Almost Famous. But the glamour is fading. The allure of a comforting smile and the captivating fluttering of an eyelash isn’t what it used to be. They conceal a withering reality, where time is an enemy and the thought of gracefully aging into obsolescence is beyond comprehension. Hudson is sinuously magnetic, delivering arguably the best performance of her career.

This makes what Monáe achieves as the understandably aggrieved Andi all the more impressive: a bewitching tour de force and a transformation unlike any I’ve seen in 2022. The way she slowly but surely begins to dominate the picture is glorious.

Making it even better is how her castmates subtly stand aside to give their fellow actor room to shine, almost as if each understands that this is Monáe’s showcase, so it’s best to cede her the spotlight.

Much like Knives Out, Johnson has a lot on his mind. With Glass Onion, the filmmaker gets to dive headfirst into an assortment of hot topics dealing with everything from wealth inequality to climate change to corporate malfeasance to political extremism. Johnson knows how to deliver these messages with such ebullient panache that audiences likely won’t realize they’re being given civic and economic lessons until the messages to take root.

Netflix reportedly spent something like $400 million to make Benoit Blanc mysteries with Johnson, and a third chapter will undoubtedly be on the way sooner rather than later. Knives Out set an impossibly high bar. Glass Onion vaults over it with rhapsodic ease. Anyone who thinks Johnson isn’t capable of excelling to even greater heights in the future hasn’t been paying close enough attention.

SGN

13

14

SGN

NOVEMBER 25, 202 2

C E L E B R AT I N G 4 8 Y E A R S!

Books

Yah Yah Scholfield is the next big thing in horror writing

by Lindsey Anderson SGN Staff Writer There’s a new name stirring things up in the horror genre, and the next generation is here for it! Yah Yah Scholfield is one of the newest LGBTQ+ horror writers to hit the scene, with her haunting new book On Sundays She Picked Flowers. Inspired by one of her all-time favorite authors, Toni Morrison, Scholfield is bringing her take to the genre and making it unapologetically her.

The art is the artist Scholfield brings her experiences as a Black, autistic, Queer person into all her work. “I can’t separate myself from the art. For me, the art is the artist,” she said.

“I went into it knowing this is going to be very much a Lesbian situation. This is going to be very much a Black and autistic situation. I can’t separate that from me, and I wouldn’t want to separate that from my characters, so it’s like, a natural expression.”

What makes Scholfield’s characters so relatable to readers is the fact that she writes from a position of honesty. “For me, it’s authenticity. Because I have all these experiences, and it is my lived experiences, I don’t think about them outside of myself. I know I can only speak for myself, I can only speak for my own… so I don’t know what to say for someone who isn’t Black and isn’t Queer and isn’t autistic. I write what I experience.”

It was Scholfield’s identity that led her to her love of writing and dreams of becoming a published author. “Let’s go back to me in elementary school. I’m just your average, regular-jugular autistic kid. I feel like I don’t fit in anywhere. Reading and writing are the only outlets. I read The Bluest Eye for the first time and I was like, this is how writing should make you feel. Writing should make you feel breathless and tense and excited. Writing should be… when you put down a book… it will haunt you.”

I know I can only speak for myself, I can only speak for my own… so I don’t know what to say for someone who isn’t Black and isn’t Queer and isn’t autistic. I write what I experience.”

The Gen Z Toni Morrison Reading the work of Toni Morrison inspired Scholfield to create work that was authentically hers, just as Morrison had done when she first started publishing her work back in the ’70s. “Ever since then, I was like, this is what I want to do. I want people to feel the way I feel reading Toni Morrison. Everything about her, even away from her art: her personality, the way she carried herself, the way she was so sure of her principles. One of my biggest

hurts is that I will never get to meet her.

She inspires all my work.”

On Sundays, She Picked Flowers is inspired by Scholfield’s love of Morrison.

“The biggest thing was Toni Morrison’s Beloved, and just like my own process of healing… I wanted the kind of horror that I wanted to read when I was younger and the kind of horror that I still want to read now.

I did the Toni Morrison thing of writing the story that I wanted to read,” she said.

Yah Yah Scholfield – Photo courtesy of the author

Image courtesy of the author

VISIT US ONLINE SGN.ORG

While writing her authenticity was freeing for Scholfield, it came at a cost. After finishing her final draft of her first novel, she couldn’t find anyone willing to take it on and publish it. “Originally, in 2019, I was going to have it published under my friend’s company, OniHouse Press, but then the company went bankrupt in 2020,” she said.

“I ended up just taking it on myself and editing it and working on it and decided… to self-publish it, just so I could have more control over the process and have the experience that I wanted to.”

Self-publishing doesn’t always work out for new authors, but after six years of writing, revising, and editing, she was able to finally put out her first novel in 2021. Fans have mostly reacted positively to Scholfield’s debut, but she hopes that they can take away more than just an average scare.

“I hope they feel haunted, I hope they take horror, I hope they take little nightmares and self-reflection away,” she said.

“And I hope, especially for other Black people who get a chance to read my book, I hope it’s a mirror. I hope they get a chance to read it and go, ‘Yes exactly, I know what this feels like. I know what you’re talking about.’”

“I don’t know. I just hope the people who read my book can go, ‘Yes, and thank you,’ and then ‘More, please,’” she added.

What’s next?

For those asking for more, Scholfield is ready to deliver. “I’m working on a few things right now. I’m working on a gothic, sci-fi, horror novella called It’s Warm in Here. I’m working on a collection of short stories. And the highlight of everything: I’m working on We Cut Heads, which I plan to be an all-Black retelling of Sweeney Todd,” she said.

While her latest projects are still in the “all vibes” stage, she’s hoping to at least see a release date for her novella by next February.

NOVEMBER 25, 202 2

Eventually, Scholfield would like to explore other genres, like romance and sci-fi, but she says right now horror has her heart.

“I’ve always been a super huge lover of horror.

Ever since I picked up Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark, it was over for me, I was like, ‘Yup.’ “I love being scared, I love to scare people, and I love anything to do with the strange and unusual. I was always that kid that would look up the top ten creepiest things, NoSleep and Creepypasta: I was always that kid. It was natural to me, and because I always wanted to read horror that featured me and people who look like me and people who act like me, it felt just like good. In the best way possible, if that makes any sense. It’s just like a natural outpouring of myself.”

Revitalizing the genre She’s hoping that her art can help revitalize the horror genre, which has historically been dominated by straight, cis, white men. “I hope I bring a new way of looking at horror. I feel like for a long time, horror has been this realm of old, annoying white men, like the worst white men you could imagine. It’s like the forefront of misogyny, transphobia, homophobia, violent hate crimes, racism — oh my goodness, the list goes on — ableism, oh my goodness.

“I hope I’m bringing the opposite of what Stephen King brings. [Instead of] ‘Why did you have to say the N-word’ men, I want to give ‘Okay, period.’ Instead of aggravation, I want people to feel that they see themselves in this. I have this knowledge that it’s possible to be in something.”

She is inspired by other creators who have been praised for bringing diversity into the genre of horror and hopes she can do the same thing. “I hope I am to horror books and short stories and literature what Jordan Peele is to horror movies. I want someone to be like, ‘Okay, duh, Yah Yah Scholfield horror, let’s get into it.’ I want to be the bar if that makes sense.”

Scholfield is not only setting the bar for a new generation of horror, but she’s raising the expectations of what authentic, haunting, and beautiful storytelling can look like.

Nothing can stop Scholfield, who is shaping up to be Gen Z’s Toni Morrison, changing the game when it comes to crafting modern horror classics.

SGN

15

National News

Photo by Jack Dempsey / AP

CLUB Q

continued from cover This terrible event has cut the LGBTQ+ community deeply; one survivor, in an interview with Colorado 9News stated, “Our safe space is no longer our safe space.

And, we are a broken community.”

That the tragedy occurred during Transgender Awareness Week added salt to the wounds. Last Sunday was Transgender Remembrance Day, a time to honor Transgender and gender-nonconforming people who lost their lives to anti-Trans violence.

Two of the five victims of the shooting were Trans.

Derrick Rump Bartender and co-owner of Club Q Derrick Rump was 38 years old at the time of his passing. He was said to have provided a valuable service by being a good listener and friend to patrons. A friend of Rump, Anthony Jaramillo, told CBS News that Rump was “loving, supportive, with a heavy hand in his drink pouring, and just a really good listener [who was not] afraid to tell you when you were wrong instead of telling you what you wanted to hear, and that was really valuable.”

Another close friend, Rueben Warren, posted on Facebook: “Words can’t even begin to form on the hurt, pain, and anger I have inside — Truly a blessing to me, and

I’m going to miss seeing that bright smile, and charming personality.”

Ashley Paugh Ashley Paugh was a 35-year-old wife and mother to an 11-year-old daughter. Her sister-in-law Stephanie Clark told NBC News that Paugh was not a member of the LGBTQ+ community but was at Club Q to enjoy some stand-up comedy with a friend.

Her nephew, Jaden Harris, wrote on Facebook, “He took away the most beautiful soul away from our family and many others over this ignorant, hateful, despicable act.”

Raymond Green Vance Raymond Green Vance was celebrating a birthday with friends, family, and his girlfriend. He was 22 years old and had just gotten a job at a FedEx distribution center; he was excited to save up money to afford an apartment. His family said in a statement to Colorado 9News that he was “a kind, selfless young adult with his entire life ahead of him.”

“Though he is supportive of the LGBTQ+ community, he himself is not a member of it,” his family said.

According to the statement, “His closest friends describe him as gifted, one-ofa-kind, and willing to go out of his way to help anyone. His absence will leave irreparable heartbreak in countless lives.”

Daniel Davis Ashton One was Daniel Davis Ashton, a 28-year-old Transgender man and bartender at Club Q. Two years ago, he moved to Colorado Springs to be closer to his family. His mother told the Associated Press, “It’s just a nightmare that you can’t wake up from. I keep thinking that they’ve made a mistake and that he’s really alive.”

She remarked on how the tragedy happened during Transgender Remembrance Day. “They were doing a celebration of life for those people that had died. And instead, they lost their lives.”

Ashton was a bartender and participated in the venue’s performances. He had proclaimed himself “the Master of Silly Business” and was said to be a light in the lives of those close to him.

Kelly Loving We also mourn the passing of Kelly Loving, a 40-year-old Transgender woman who was visiting during a weekend trip from Denver. She was described by close friend Natalee Bingham to the New York Times as “like a Trans mother to me… It’s like I lost my real mother, almost.”

Bingham had been on a FaceTime call with Loving before the shooting and recalled her last words to her mother figure: “Be safe. I love you.”

16

SGN

Richard Fierro speaks during a news conference outside his Colorado Springs home on Monday, November 21. The retired Army major was one of the men who tackled the gunman inside Club Q. He was at the club to watch his daughter's friend perform in a drag show. "I'm not a hero," he told CNN. "I'm just a guy that wanted to protect his kids and wife, and I still didn't get to protect her boyfriend." he told CNN. His daughter's boyfriend, Raymond Vance, was killed in the shooting.– Photo by Jack Dempsey / AP

NOVEMBER 25, 202 2

C E L E B R AT I N G 4 8 Y E A R S!

Photo by Isaiah J. Downing / Reuters

How does this keep happening?

For survivors and loved ones of the 2016 Pulse shooting, this horrific attack has dredged up their trauma and grief. Christine Leinonen, who lost her son in the Pulse shooting, told USA Today after learning about the Colorado Springs attack, “Everything comes flooding back.”

In a statement to USA Today, the Human Rights Campaign’s incoming president, Kelly

National news highlights

by Daniel Lindsley SGN Staff Writer Trans rights teeter in North Carolina Trans residents of North Carolina, and their allies, are worrying for the future of gender-affirming health care in the state, after almost enough Republicans won state-level elections to override Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper’s vetoes to potential anti-Trans legislation.

“Before I came out, I was thinking about those laws, and I was like, I know I’m male, but do I really want to deal with this?” recalled 16-year-old Callum Bradford. “Can’t I just go back to when I was innocent and untouched by hate?”

North Carolina’s 2016 anti-Trans legislation, which restricted access to public restrooms and prevented municipalities from enforcing new anti-discrimination laws, was early inspiration for the more recent wave of anti-Trans bills.

VISIT US ONLINE SGN.ORG

Robinson, said, “From Pulse to Colorado Springs to so many other lives stolen from us — this has occurred for far too long.”

Anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric and hate crimes have been rising, especially against the Trans community, along with accusations of child grooming. In May, President Biden warned, “Since that time, there has been much progress. But we continue to witness disturbing setbacks and rising hate and violence target-

ing LGBTQI+ people in the United States and around the world. This is wrong.”

From LGBTQ+ clubs to Pride events like the one in Idaho this last June, when a U-Haul full of white nationalists who intended to riot was stopped, no space feels truly safe. Living out and proud is a courageous act, especially considering that some wish to dim our light.

Pulse shooting survivor Chris Hansen

told USA Today what he wanted to tell the survivors of the Club Q shooting: “Don’t give up and don’t stay in the dark. They have to remember that as long as they’re alive, there is still hope. And as long as you’re still living, there is love, and love wins and you can’t allow this 22-year-old take away your happiness, your brightness, your love, your community, your strength.”

Even during the Trump era, though, those policies came with a hefty cost. Sports tournaments, businesses, and conventions essentially boycotted North Carolina in response, costing the state around $3.76 billion in revenue. The state withdrew the legislation just a year later, and settled in federal court in 2019.

For people like Bradford, potentially life-saving medical care is contingent on state Democrats holding a united front against veto overrides. His father has been researching apartments in Virginia just in case that front fails.

Gay marriage poised for federal protections On Wednesday last week, the Senate cleared a bill protecting same-sex and interracial marriage, moving it forward and giving the US a chance to make such unions part of federal law.

Democrats were unified in the decision, while just 12 Republicans voted in favor of the bill. The final vote in Congress could come anytime this month, as the bill’s Democratic supporters are eager to pass it while they maintain control of the House.

“It will make our country a better, fairer place to live,” said Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer. He also called the bill a chance for the Senate to “live up to its highest ideals.”

Biden expressed complete support for the bill after the vote: “Love is love, and

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer – Photo by J. Scott Applewhite / AP

Americans should have the right to marry the person they love.”

To bring more Republicans on board with the legislation, supporters have negotiated an amendment that would clarify that it

NOVEMBER 25, 202 2

would not affect any rights of individuals or private businesses already enshrined in law. Another amendment would explicitly prohibit polygamy, after far-right critics brought that idea out of left field.

SGN

17

National/International News

Meet Randi Weingarten – “the most dangerous person in the world”

Randi Weingarten – Photo by Cliff Owen / AP

by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer According to Mike Pompeo — Donald Trump’s CIA director (2017–18) and secretary of state (2018–21) — the most dangerous person in the world is American Federation of Teachers (AFT) President Randi Weingarten.

In a November 18 interview with Semafor, Pompeo said Weingarten was “the most likely to take this republic down.”

“I get asked,” Pompeo said, “‘Who’s the most dangerous person in the world? Is it Chairman Kim, is it Xi Jinping?’ The most dangerous person in the world is Randi Weingarten…

“If you ask, ‘Who’s the most likely to

take this republic down?’” he explained, “it would be the teachers unions, and the filth they’re teaching our kids, and they fact they don’t know reading or writing.”

Weingarten, president of the 1.7 million– member union since 2008, clapped back in her own interview with Semafor.

“He needs to fund his campaign,” Weingarten told the media outlet. “He doesn’t have a base, so he is trying to get millions from the anti-union, anti-public-education billionaires like Betsy DeVos.” Weingarten also said that Pompeo, who is thought to be eyeing a potential 2024 White House bid, is trying to use the same “extremist” platform GOP candidates used in the previous election cycles, noting that he wants to form his campaign on “hate and division.”

“Pompeo is desperate to be labeled as the extremist in the Republican presidential primary,” Weingarten said. “He’s using the same strategy, the extremist strategy that didn’t work for them in 2018, 2020, and 2022. And he’s flooding the zone with disinformation. And what’s dangerous about that is that it will lead to violence. He’s decided to use his campaign to foment hate and division.”

As president of a large national union, Weingarten is often mentioned as “the most powerful Lesbian in the country.” Her competition for that title is, curiously enough, another union president — Mary Kay Henry, president of the 1.9 million–member Service Employees International Union (SEIU).

Prior to her election as AFT president

International news highlights

by Daniel Lindsley SGN Staff Writer Latin American moms fight for Queer kids, adults Since 2017, the Latin American Movement of Mothers of LGTB+ children has been lobbying governments across regions that differ wildly in attitudes on sexual minorities. Argentina and Uruguay have pioneered marriage equality and Trans rights, but other countries have no similar protections.

“It’s all about recognizing the strength and power that we have as mothers to accompany our kids and help other families,” said Alejandra Muñoz of Mexico City.

She said of her son, who was bullied so viciously at school after coming out that he spent lunch with the teachers, “He’s constantly at risk of being yelled at, or worse, in the streets because of his sexuality.”

18

SGN

Members of the Latin American Movement of Mothers of LGTB+ Children – Photo by Natascha Pisarenko / AP

The organization’s head, Patricia Gambetta, said, “Our main battle is to make sure our children enjoy the same rights in all of Latin America.” So far, the cause has members in 14 countries, and it has no intention of stopping.

Even in countries with laws protecting same-sex marriage, such as Mexico, social

NOVEMBER 25, 202 2

conservatism hasn’t gone away overnight.

“Irrespective of what legal regime a youth finds themselves in, prejudice and discrimination in the region continue to be commonplace,” said LGBT rights researcher Cristian Gonzalez Cabrera.

in 2008, Weingarten served for 11 years as president of the United Federation of Teachers (AFT Local 2), representing some 200,000 educators in the New York City public school system.

Weingarten holds degrees from Cornell University’s School of Industrial and Labor Relations and the Cardozo School of Law. She worked as a lawyer for the Wall Street firm of Stroock & Stroock & Lavan from 1983 to 1986. She is also an active member of the Democratic National Committee.

Born in 1957 and raised in Rockland County, New York, Weingarten now resides in the Inwood neighborhood of New York City with her spouse, Rabbi Sharon Kleinbaum.

Welsh fans, players struggle to field rainbow wear in Qatar The Welsh soccer federation announced on Monday last week that they’ve asked FIFA to clarify some reports, which claim that Wales fans were prevented from bringing rainbow hats into the World Cup stadium in Qatar.

Specifically, the federation said that fans and staff alike were “asked to remove and discard their Rainbow Wall bucket hats before entry,” adding that it was “extremely disappointed.”

“The [federation] has collated information on these alleged incidents and will be addressing the matter directly with FIFA.” Then on the same day, the federation released a statement on a different piece of rainbow attire, the One Love armbands that were be worn by the players of seven European nations.

“FIFA has made it clear that it will impose sporting sanctions if our captains wear the armbands on the field of play,” the federation said. “As national federations, we can’t put our players in a position where they could face sporting sanctions, including bookings, so we have asked the captains not to attempt to wear the armbands in FIFA World Cup games.”

The federation did add, however, that it was prepared to pay fines that would normally apply to breaches of kit regulations.

C E L E B R AT I N G 4 8 Y E A R S!

VISIT US ONLINE SGN.ORG

NOVEMBER 25, 202 2

SGN

19