SGN December 15, 2023

ISSUE 45 VOLUME 51 F R I D AY DECEMBER 15 , 2 0 2 3 SE AT T L E & T HE PACIF IC NOR T H W E S T ’S L GB T Q I A + NE W S & EN T ER TA INMEN T SOURCE SINCE 19 74

ABERDEEN’S GAY MAYOR-ELECT

ON CAMPAIGN CHALLENGES AND THE ROAD AHEAD

by Teddy MacQuarrie SGN Contributing Writer

Following a narrow victory involving two hand recounts, Aberdeen’s mayorelect Douglas Orr is preparing for his swearing-in on December 20. Orr won by four votes, out of 2,751 cast, a margin of 0.15%.

Orr is the first openly Gay man to be elected mayor in Aberdeen’s history, a notable distinction in the red-leaning town. His election did not come without friction or controversy, and his term faces a number of serious issues.

An Aberdeen native and lifelong artist, Orr spoke with the SGN about the challenges of his campaign, his passion for art as a driver of community, and his hopes for the road ahead.

see ABERDEEN page 7

Douglas Orr – Photo by Matt Cyphert

Balanchine’s Nutcracker How did it get this far?: at PNB brings pure joy Denny Blaine Park safe, this holiday season but questions remain Pacific Northwest Ballet company dancers in a scene from George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker®, choreographed by George Balanchine © The George Balanchine Trust.

PNB’s acclaimed production returns to McCaw Hall at Seattle Center November 24 – December 27, 2023, and streams digitally December 18 – 27 – Photo by Angela Sterling

by Sharon Cumberland SGN Contributing Writer George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker McCaw Hall December 3, 2021

Hey, Seattleites and everyone within hailing distance of McCaw Hall: Pacific Northwest Ballet is presenting The Nutcracker again! Time to get over there and into the holiday spirit!

see NUTCRACKER page 15

Andy Sheffer, project manager with Seattle Department of Parks and Recreation holds the mic as community members line up to speak against the proposed children’s play area – Photo by Teddy MacQuarrie

by Teddy MacQuarrie SGN Contributing Writer Hundreds of people packed the MLK FAME Community Center on Wednesday, December 6 to protest a proposal of building a playground at Denny Blaine Park.

The $550,000 proposal by a single anonymous donor would have placed a children’s play area at the historically Queer nude park, setting up near-certain conflicts between nudists, parents, and law enforcement.

see DENNY BLAINE page 5

Happy Holidays from the Athenian!

2 0 6 - 6 2 4 - 7 1 6 6 • AT H E N I A N S E AT T L E . C O M

HOURS | MON & THU 11-6 • FRI 11-7 • SAT 9-7 • SUNDAY 9-3 • SAT & SUN BRUNCH 9-11 • HAPPY HOUR MON & THU & FRI & SAT 3-CLOSE CLOSED DEC 24th & 25th • OPEN JAN 1st 9-3

2

SGN

DECEMBER 15 , 2 0 2 3

C E L E B R AT I N G 5 0 Y E A R S!

IN THIS ISSUE ORIGINALLY SEATTLE GAY NEWS

SEATTLE NEWS 4 REGIONAL NEWS 6 NATIONAL NEWS 8 INTERNATIONAL NEWS 9 OP-ED 12 A&E 14 FILM 16

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

Publisher Mike Schultz Angela Cragin (2020 - 2023) George Bakan (1984 - 2020) Jim Tully (1974 - 1984)

Editor Benny Loy

Copy Editor

This Month in SGN History

1978

Richard Isaac

Advertising Manager Maggie Bloodstone advertising@sgn.org (206) 751-7454

Design / Production Mike Pham

National Advertising Rep. Rivendell Media (212) 242-6863

Staff Writers Lindsey Anderson · Sara Michelle Fetters Daniel Lindsley · Isabel Mata

Contributing Writers Alice Bloch · Maggie Bloodstone Kylin Brown · Sharon Cumberland Ian Crowley · Clar Hart · Kali Herbst Minino Jack Hilovsky · Teddy MacQuarrie Cameron Martinez · JayAre Quezada

Social Media Team Lindsey Anderson · Cameron Martinez

Photography Matt Cyphert · Lauren Vasatka · SGN Staff

Comics Clar Hart SGN is published by Stratus Group LLC. © 2023. 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 t he 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.

MEMBER

FOLLOW OUR SOCIALS

@seattlegaynews

@seattlegaynews_

VISIT US ONLINE SGN.ORG

Gay Leader Murdered

by Robert Mayerson SEATTLE GAY NEWS VOLUME 5, ISSUE 22 DECEMBER 8, 1978 Harvey Milk, perhaps the best-known openly homosexual individual in the United States, is dead, assassinated. And now at least one of the thousands and thousands of gay martyrs — burned at the stake in the Middle Ages as witches, put to death for “ungodly acts,” imprisoned for “crimes against nature,” shut up in the inhuman mental institutions, given electroshock treatment or aversion therapy by modern science, rejected by family and society, driven to alcohol, drugs, or suicide — one of those martyrs now has a face.

San Francisco City Supervisor Harvey Milk and Mayor George Moscone were shot to death last Monday. Dan White, a former supervisor, disappointed that Moscone had not renamed him to his old job, later confessed to the two killings. Milk, San Francisco’s only openly gay elected official, had opposed the re-appointment.

Dan White is an admitted homophobe and opponent of gay rights, and whatever rationale he had for the mad act, it is no coincidence that one of the men he murdered was the political representative of San Francisco’s estimated 120,000 homosexuals.

Shortly before he died, Milk, who was only one of many opponents to White’s re-appointment, spoke about his former colleague, “I think he (White) came to see the city as straights against all liberals and gays… Gay people don’t feel comfortable in Dan White’s district.”

San Francisco District Attorney Joseph Freitas said Wednesday that he will seek the death penalty in White’s trial, which will probably be held elsewhere in the state.

Several memorial observances were held in San Francisco for Milk and Moscone last week. Milk was cremated Friday at Sha’ar Za’hav, a gay Jewish congregation. Acting Mayor Dianne Feinstein, who called for the city’s “emotional reconstruction” in the wake of the killings, has reportedly promised to appoint another gay supervisor to take Milk’s place.

Although Harvey Milk only served on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors for one year, he was probably the foremost gay political figure in the country. Last April, Milk and Moscone sat side-by-side at the city’s imposing, domed City Hall as a gay rights ordinance similar to Seattle’s was signed into law. Milk was one of the leaders of the successful campaign against California’s Proposition 6, which would have

Dive into the SGN archives! issuu.com/sgn.org banned gay teachers from the state’s school system, publicly debating sponsoring Sen. John Briggs several times.

Most recently, Milk was the prime mover behind the effort for a national gay rights march on Washington, which had become bogged down in factional argument.

Although Milk may not have had the spiritual stature of a civil rights leader like Martin Luther King [sic], his identification as a leading spokesman for a despised minority put him in the same endangered position. And he knew it. Shortly after his election, according to friend John Wahl, Milk made a tape “in case of just such a tragic event as occurred today.”

In the section of the tape recording released by Wahl, Milk said: “I know that when a person is assassinated after they have achieved victory, there are several tendencies. One is to have some people go crazy in the streets, angry and frustrated, and the other is to have a big show or splash.

“Naturally, I want neither.

“I cannot prevent anybody from getting angry or mad or frustrated. I can only hope they’ll turn that anger and frustration and madness into something positive so that hundreds will step forward, so that gay doctors will come out, gay lawyers, gay judges, gay bankers, gay architects…

I hope that every professional gay will just say ‘Enough!’, come forward and tell everybody, ‘Wear a sign, let the world know’ “These are my strong requests, knowing that it could happen. Hoping it doesn’t… and if it does, I think I’ve already achieved something.

DECEMBER 15 , 2 0 2 3

“I think that it’s been worth it.”

Harvey Milk was born in Woodmere, N.Y. in 1930, a grandson of a dairy farmer.

He attended the New York College for Teachers in Albany, and served a submarine rescue ship in the U.S. Navy in the Korean War. Milk moved to San Francisco in 1969, and worked as a Montgomery Street financial analyst. But on the day in 1970 when the United States invaded Cambodia, he quit his job and opened a camera shop on Castro Street, in the heart of San Francisco’s most heavily gay district. He ran for supervisor unsuccessfully in 1973 and again in 1975. In the second race, Milk finished with 53,649 votes.

Because of his strong showing, Mayor Moscone then appointed Milk to a position on the board of Permit Appeals. Last November, he won election to the Board of Supervisors, representing the Upper Market and Haight areas.

In last year’s election night victory speech, Milk said, “People thought the Pope would run the country, but after six months in office, when Kennedy started to do things, people never questioned him again. If I do a good job, people won’t care if I’m green or have three heads.”

Harvey Milk himself once spoke about the need for gay people to carry on in the face of oppression, appropriate words in the days after his death: “If I turned around every time somebody called me a faggot, I’d be walking backwards — and I don’t want to walk backwards,” he said.

SGN

3

SEATTLE NEWS Krampus is coming to town

by Lindsey Anderson SGN Staff Writer While the good kids are hanging their stockings and making their Christmas lists, the bad kids are having all the fun. On Saturday, December 9, holiday horror legend Krampus paid a visit to some of Seattle’s baddest.

The mythical demon made a special appearance at Broadway’s New York Xchange, a modern alternative fashion shop. Patrons were given the opportunity to take a photo with Krampus after making their purchases at the small business. The event was a hit, even if Krampus was a bit of a diva, demanding a warm blanket and “hot choc-ey” in between photo sessions.

Sage Quintana was inspired to stop by the New York Xchange after spotting its posters for “Christmas photos with Krampus.” Quintanna thought it would be a great image for their Christmas card with their partner. “I’m definitely a fan of Krampus,” they said. “I love horror, so I love that there’s a spooky aspect to Christmas.”

“Meeting Krampus was so fun!” Quintana continued. “Their makeup and prosthetics were fantastic and so creepy. They couldn’t say anything because of the makeup, but their demeanor was so chill and fun. They seemed to be having a really good time taking photos and would totally match your energy.”

As old as Santa Claus For those unfamiliar, Krampus is a legend as old as Santa Claus, originating in the alpine regions of Central and Eastern Europe.

A 1900s greeting card reading 'Greetings from Krampus!'

He is described as a tall, hairy creature with the cloven hooves and horns of a goat. Krampus is covered in dark hair and towers above the average man. His long forked tongue lolls out of his mouth like a hound dog, and everywhere he goes, he thrashes chains and a bundle of birch branches.

Folklore says that on the night of December 5, Krampus would come to town with Saint Nicholas. While the kindly old man would bring dried nuts and oranges to good children, Krampus would punish the illbehaved with his bundle of branches. With 20 more days until Christmas, the naughty children would still have enough time to

shape up before the 25th, but for those who didn’t, Krampus would return.

Like the legend of Santa Claus, Krampus is thought to predate modern Christmas traditions, with origins dating back to pagan rituals. His name derives from the Germanic language, with a rough translation of “dead rotten.”

Many fans of Krampus, like Quintana, admire the mythical creature’s ties to pagan traditions. “Krampus is originally pagan, as are a lot of Christmas traditions that lots of people do today,” they said. “My partner is pagan, so we like to celebrate those aspects during the holidays.”

Controversy and mainstreaming In modern times, his association with the winter holiday season has garnered controversy. In the 1930s, Krampus was banned in Austria. The rest of Europe followed suit and began distributing anti-Krampus propaganda, for fear the demonic creature might psychologically harm children.

Like many evil creatures, Krampus could not be destroyed by mere laws and pamphlets. He found his way to the United States, where, in the 1990s, he found acceptance in a rising punk scene. Video games, like 1998’s CarnEvil, brought Krampus to the mainstream. In 2004, Monte Beauchamp published a collection of holiday cards, all featuring the horned demon.

Pretty soon, Krampus began popping up everywhere, from television to film. In 2015, he even got a feature motion picture.

Today, Krampus is more than just a legend; he’s a statement and a symbol to counterculture movements, and to some, an unlikely Queer ally.

“I feel like Krampus is one of those characters that doesn’t necessarily start out as Queer, but we have come to love and identify with him, like we do with a lot of stereotypical ‘villains,’” Quintana said.

Some interpret his presence as an alternative to the hypercapitalist version of Christmas widely accepted and celebrated around the world. To them, Krampus isn’t evil, but fair. He evokes a sense of justice, and stands as a tall, hairy reminder that those filled with greed and selfish desires will eventually get what is coming to them.

Holiday events to visit around Seattle

by Lindsey Anderson SGN Staff Writer The holiday season can be hectic, what with presents to buy and halls to deck, but the most memorable December is also filled with quality time and new adventures. And the Pacific Northwest has fun holiday experiences for jolly folks of all ages. Whether your ultimate festivities involve alcohol or pictures with Santa, there’s something for everyone to enjoy!

For those 21 and up Adults 21 and over can get into the Christmas spirit(s) at several holidaythemed bars between November 29 and December 25. For example, Capitol Hill coffee shop The Woods has transformed into a Christmas dive bar for the season.

The location includes festive treats and two-drink menus aptly named “the naughty list” and “the nice list.”

Bars around the country are participating in the Sippin’ Santa collaboration, wherein select locations transform into winter wonderlands with fun holiday-themed drinks. The only one in Washington is Navy Strength Tropical Bar in Belltown, which has become Santa’s Surf Shack. Groups can book reservations for up to 12 and enjoy beer, wine, and oysters galore!

Rob Roy, a cozy and classic cocktail bar downtown, has become “Miracle on 2nd” until December 25, serving all the cutest cocktails (complete with a stuffed koala).

During the pop-up, the bar will only serve a special holiday menu and may have longer wait times than usual, but it is worth it!

Groups larger than 12 are required to make a reservation, but anyone else can walk up to get their names on the list.

Photo courtesy of Navy Strength

For kids and the young at heart Those under 21 can find holiday magic and sweet treats at the Willy Wonka Gingerbread Village at the Sheraton Grand Seattle.

This ginormous gingerbread house display includes a variety of characters and sets from both iconic chocolate-factory movies and the upcoming Wonka. It is free for all to visit, but guests are encouraged to donate to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.

The Fairmont Olympic Hotel is giving children the opportunity to travel to the magical world of teddy bears with its 2023 Teddy Bear Suite. Entry to the suite is free, and children of all ages can explore and play with the magical teddy bears, who will call this home until January 3. Guests are asked to donate to the Seattle Children’s Hospital.

Kringle’s Filling Station is guaranteed to become a family favorite for all who venture to the station at 8211 Aurora Ave. N. The Kringle family has decked their vintage gas station with festive cheer, arcade games, and holiday karaoke machines.

4

DECEMBER 15 , 2 0 2 3

SGN

Photo courtesy of Snowflake Lane

Groups must purchase a ticket to enter, but each entry includes access to the game garage, slot car races, karaoke, and one cup of hot cocoa straight from the gas pump!

If you can’t afford a flight to the North Pole this year, no worries! Bellevue brought all the cheer to the streets with its annual Snowflake Lane. Running every night from November 24 to December 24, outside Bellevue Square Mall, the parade includes floats, dancers, drummers, and some of your favorite holiday characters. Not to mention: 55 snow machines producing snow! This year, visitors can also snag a photo op with some of their favorite Snowflake Lane characters in the mall between 5:30 and 6:30 p.m.

Of course, no holiday season is complete without pictures with Santa! The big man will stop at several locations around

the Pacific Northwest to double-check his nice list. Eager kids can find his sleigh at Kirkland Urban on December 16 between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. He’ll also stop by Bellevue Marketplace at Factoria on the 16th and the 23rd between 12 and 6 p.m. While he is a very busy man, Santa can also be found at Cabela’s in Tulalip and Tacoma’s Bass Pro Shop every day between November 29 and Christmas Eve. Have naughty kids? Then bring the pets to visit Santa instead! Petsmart is hosting Paws and Claws Santa photo days on December 16 and 17 in Seattle, Bellevue, Renton, and Burien. Appointments must be booked in advance.

Snow or not, there’s always something fun to do in the Pacific Northwest, especially around the holidays!

C E L E B R AT I N G 5 0 Y E A R S!

DENNY BLAINE continued from cover

Denny Blaine Park’s passionate and protective regulars turned up to defend their space from what they overwhelmingly saw as an attempt by an affluent donor to displace a vibrant Queer community.

Andy Sheffer, the Seattle Parks and Recreation official leading the meeting, said that the City would make its decision within two weeks. Less than 48 hours later, the Seattle Times reported that the City had scrapped the proposal, a welcome development to the park’s aficionados.

Despite this decision, a major question of trust remains: How can a single unknown person instigate a process with the potential to displace a Queer community?

A higher-than-expected turnout Hundreds of people packed into the crowded room, leaving many to stand in and outside the community center’s sweltering auditorium. So many people lined up to speak that the meeting ran half an hour past its planned adjournment.

“I am so, so, so overwhelmed and happy,” said organizer Milo Kusold to the SGN. “Everyone says they’re going to come, and I have this inner child who’s like, no one’s gonna show up to the party, but everyone… showed up!”

Kusold added, “Hearing people share their stories, I think I teared up like four times.”

As dozens of people lined up to share their stories, it became clear that the park holds a special place in the lives of many who don’t always feel safe in other parts of the city. Speakers shared their stories of harassment and discrimination, and of their struggles to live in Queer bodies.

Transgender speakers, in particular, highlighted how the park is the only place in Seattle they feel safe to swim.

Other speakers brought up concerns related to the lack of necessity for the play area, referring to the affluent status of the surrounding neighborhood and Seattle Parks and Recreation’s own data that indicates that space as an “area of least concern” for its children’s play area plans.

One speaker sardonically quipped, “I’ve always heard that Seattle was becoming a playground for the rich. I didn’t realize they meant that literally.”

“We will never forgive you” A Bisexual man shared his story of movOrganizer Milo Kusold holds a sign after Wednesday’s meeting – Photo by Teddy MacQuarrie ing to Seattle from Texas to seek belonging, and how the park has helped in his struggle believe you, and we will never forgive you.” ing. “People do try to attack these spaces not just lack of laws…[That] would be an with body dysmorphia. At the end of his The crowd rapturously demonstrated its — it’s happened before, [and] it’s going to important thing.” time allotment, he looked directly at Shef- agreement.

Seattle’s laws allow for anyone to be keep happening, until the designation of an fer and said, “If you follow through on this “This is something that happens,” said actual clothing-optional space in Seattle nude anywhere in the city, except in cases project for the reasons you say, nobody will Salt, a community member, after the meet- and having actual clothing-optional laws, in which nudity would be “disruptive” or “indecent.” An example of “disruptive” public nudity includes proximity to a children’s play area. An official clothing-optional designation on the part of the City would protect the park from challenges such as this, even if the intentions of donors are not explicitly discriminatory.

Community members crowd the MLK FAME Community Center to “Save Denny Blaine.” – Photo by Teddy MacQuarrie

VISIT US ONLINE SGN.ORG

DECEMBER 15 , 2 0 2 3

Feelings of suspicion and mistrust At stake in this controversy was the community’s trust in its leadership.

In the end, both Queer people and city officials are left to grapple with a hard truth: that after this debacle, the lack of transparency and the apparently antidemocratic process that brought the issue to this point has wounded the City’s ability to assure the Queer community of its good faith.

The first step in healing this rift is to answer the question “How did it get this far?” Several people, as well as the SGN, have filed public record requests for documents concerning the process that led to this controversy. To date, these requests have gone unfulfilled, with all indications from the City that these records won’t be made available until late February.

To heal these wounds, the City must provide transparency, and take concrete action to insure that unnamed, monied private interests do not threaten the safety of the Queer community. Without these actions and this assurance, controversies like this are likely to occur again.

SGN

5

REGIONAL NEWS Community leaders strategize to address mpox

by Teddy MacQuarrie SGN Contributing Writer Public officials with the Washington Department of Health held a meeting Monday morning with leaders of communitybased organizations to discuss strategies to address the ongoing mpox outbreak in Washington state.

The meeting was led by Rael Odengo of the WSDOH, who leads the department’s mpox education and outreach efforts. Attending the meeting were representatives from organizations such as La Oficina, Spokane Pride, Seattle’s LGBT Center, Black Pride, the Tu Decides newspaper, Yakima Neighborhood Health Services, and the SGN. Each presented their organization’s successes and challenges in addressing the mpox outbreak.

Reaching impacted communities Remeka Jones, deputy director of Washington’s Office of Public Affairs and Equity, told the group that the purpose of working with the community-based organizations was “to help to implement culturally and linguistically appropriate mpox education and vaccine outreach activities.” These efforts extend to groups most affected by the mpox outbreak, including Queer people.

The meeting comes in the wake of a resurgence of infections in Washington state since the beginning of September, which the SGN reported in its November 17 issue. The count of current active cases across the state stands at 731 as of December 11, according to the tracking data available at the WSDOH’s website.

Across the board, leaders emphasized the role of communities in addressing this health crisis, including the importance of health officials being able to understand those in which they work.

Albert Torres of Tu Decides, a bilingual Spanish/English newspaper, highlighted the attention his publication brings to matters of language and culture pertaining to the Latinx community. In particular, he mentioned vaccine fatigue: “One of the comments we’ve been hearing is that people are just, after COVID, just really kinda exhausted and fatigued from vaccines, and so one of the con-

cerns we have also is that it’s not only gonna [affect] mpox … but the main vaccines that kids need to go to school.”

Matthew Danielson, executive director of Spokane Pride, described his organization’s efforts to network with other local nonprofits to push for vaccinations, which includes several coordinated events throughout the year. “My key lesson was that networking with other nonprofits is kind of our superpower,” he said.

Chris Newman of Yakima Neighborhood Health Services detailed the efforts of her organization to push vaccines and education in Queer, migrant, unhoused, and other impacted populations. She lauded the partnerships her organization has participated in and the work her staff has done to ensure that messaging and vaccine access makes it to those affected.

6

DECEMBER 15 , 2 0 2 3

SGN

Photos courtesy of Canva

Newman expressed difficulty in obtaining vaccine supplies, and fellow attendees helped to link her to information for ordering the JYNNEOS vaccine.

Synthia Herrera of La Oficina spoke of building bridges between local officials and minority communities: “Our shared cultural and language experiences position us to connect more deeply and to earn the trust of our … audience, which is a minority community… Especially when we deal with a minority community, a lot of them struggle just on that trust aspect… they don’t know who to trust, especially when they’re working with the government.”

Accurate and effective messaging As each representative described their organizations’ successes and challenges, themes that emerged included effective

messaging, access to up-to-date and accurate data on the mpox outbreak, elevating access to vaccines and education to impacted communities, and networking with other such organizations.

In the end, public health officials emphasized a crucial fact: that the mpox epidemic is not over, and that efforts to educate and vaccinate those at risk remains a high priority.

For more information about mpox, including facts about transmission, symptoms, vaccines, and treatment, visit the Centers for Disease Control’s website at https://www.cdc.gov/poxvirus/mpox.

To find vaccines and treatment here in King County, contact the Harborview Sexual Health Clinic at 206-744-3590.

C E L E B R AT I N G 5 0 Y E A R S!

Douglas Orr (l) with partner of 30 years David Rodriguez and their six-year-old border collie/lab mix Nima – Photo by Matt Cyphert

about me… but she’s a nice lady, I think, and probably would have been okay at mayor,” he said.

“But I think I would be the better leader.”

ABERDEEN

continued from cover

deen Art Center, having organized the First Fridays Art Walk.

“I’m all about using art as a catalyst for economic change and economic revival,” Orr said.

His vision for revitalization heavily features the local college, Grays Harbor College. “I want to revitalize downtown, but I want… to make it more of a college town, so that it has the lower-end services for college students, as opposed to putting in Hyatt Regency hotels or something.”

Further, he says moving the main highway one street over, away from the center of downtown, would create a quieter core. He sees this as a move that would help address the town’s homelessness situation, which is concentrated around the city center and hampers development.

Ups and downs of the campaign Orr did not win his seat without a great Leading through consensus building deal of opposition. “The biggest downside Orr’s positions may strike many as modis that a bunch of strange, weird people erate. While officially nonpartisan, the pricame out of the woodwork to hate me who mary election featured a third candidate don’t even know me, and I was just shocked whose views aligned well with the Demoat how intent they were on trying to ruin my cratic platform, but following her loss, the life, just so I wouldn’t be the next mayor,” votes did not all go to Orr. Orr said.

“I only won by four votes, so I understand Describing them as an anarchist group, that there wasn’t this massive huge majority Orr told the SGN that their accusations of people that I thought I was gonna have,” included charges of sexual assault and he said. “I think that the smear campaign “grooming” people. Denying these accusa- that they were doing on me might have tions, he spoke of it being “very strange” probably affected a lot of the votes I would that these people would seek to ruin his have gotten.” personal life.

“I think it just makes me a little more Nonetheless, neither Orr nor his oppo- humble,” he added. “It makes me underDrawing on personal experience nent spoke ill of each other on the cam- stand that everybody out there doesn’t want Aberdeen faces a homelessness crisis paign trail. “I was really careful not to say the same thing that I want, necessarily.” that overwhelms much of the population, anything negative at all about my oppoand Orr holds a unique distinction among nent. I know she’s on the far right and has Art and higher education elected officials in that he himself has the support of a lot of people who hate me, as vehicles for revitalization experienced homelessness. but she never actually said anything poorly Orr is the founding director of the Aber- “I don’t know if we’ve ever had a president

who was homeless, or who was on welfare,” he wondered.

He makes clear that his policies surrounding homelessness seek to be compassionate and humane while aiming to curb lawlessness. While property crime is a major issue, he draws a distinction between vandalism and theft with violence.

“Just because they’re homeless doesn’t mean they’re violent and aggressive,” he said. “People who aren’t homeless don’t understand what it’s like to be homeless.

I’ve been homeless, so I kinda have an idea of how it was for me, but the one thing I can say is that every homeless person out there has a different story and that it’s going to take a different solution.”

In the end, Orr’s vision for Aberdeen arises from a deep love of his community.

Taking pride in its history, including as the hometown of Kurt Cobain and the site of great natural beauty, Orr is right at home in the city he prepares to lead.

“Even if I won millions of dollars, I’d stay right here,” he said. “I’d put so much money into my community, just to prove all the naysayers wrong.”

CALL FOR INTERVIEW SUBJECTS Have you had experience as an openly LGBTQ person in the Washington State Foster Care system? As part of an article research, we would love to speak with you regarding your involvement, either as a foster parent or youth. Anonymity is guaranteed. Please feel free to email SGN's contributing writer Rhonda Brown at stigsnivel@gmail.com

VISIT US ONLINE SGN.ORG

DECEMBER 15 , 2 0 2 3

SGN

7

NATIONAL NEWS National news highlights

Photo by Tom Brenner / Reuters

by Teddy MacQuarrie SGN Contributing Writer Montana’s Two-Spirit community files lawsuit against anti-Trans law Some in Montana’s Two-Spirit community are challenging a state law that defines sex as binary, because it “infringes” on their spiritual and cultural beliefs.

The law, Senate Bill 458, defines “male” and “female” based on the presence of XY or XX chromosomes as well as reproductive systems. The legislation, which took effect in October, inserts those definitions of male and female in several parts of the state’s legal code, impacting driver’s licenses, demographic records, and the state’s anti-discrimination law.

In October, attorneys representing the nonprofit Montana Two Spirit Society along with a group of Transgender, Intersex, and Nonbinary residents, filed a lawsuit in Missoula County District Court challenging the law.

They argue that the state’s definitions of sex “improperly categorizes many Montanans, excludes others from legal recognition entirely, and deprives them of the benefits and protections of myriad state laws.” The complaint also argues that the law violates Montana’s individual dignity, equal protection, privacy, and freedom of speech laws.

The lawsuit names Montana Republican Gov. Greg Gianforte and Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen as defendants. A spokesperson for the governor told CNN the governor’s office “generally doesn’t comment on ongoing litigation.”

Emilee Cantrell, a spokeswoman for the Montana Department of Justice, said the state is expected to file an answer to the lawsuit by December 14.

Two-Spirit is an umbrella term that emerged in the 1990s, referring to people in many Indigenous and Native American communities who historically had both a masculine and feminine spirit, and who filled specialized social and spiritual roles. Some Native American people who are Queer also use the term to selfidentify.

8

SGN

Prior to colonization, Two-Spirit people had roles of honor in healing and ceremonies, but as Indigenous people were forced to assimilate, that part of their tradition was lost.

While many things have changed since colonization, violence aimed at Queer Indigenous and Two-Spirit people remains prevalent, and they experience high levels of mental health issues.

Justice Department calls Tennessee laws against people living with HIV “discriminatory” Tennessee’s decades-old aggravated

prostitution statute violates the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Department of Justice announced Friday. After an investigation, they warned the state could face a lawsuit if officials don’t immediately cease enforcement.

Tennessee is the only state in the United States that imposes a lifetime registration as a “violent sex offender” if convicted of engaging in sex work while living with HIV, regardless of whether the person knew they could transmit the disease.

Queer and civil rights advocates have long criticized the measure as discriminatory, making it almost impossible to

Photo by John Amis for Human Rights Campaign / AP

DECEMBER 15 , 2 0 2 3

find housing and employment due to the restrictions imposed on violent sex offenders. Earlier this year, the American Civil Liberties Union and the Transgender Law Center filed a lawsuit seeking to overturn the law in federal court.

The department is calling on the state to not only stop enforcing the law but also remove those convicted under the statute from the sex offender registry and expunge their convictions. The agency also says Gov. Bill Lee should introduce legislation to repeal the law.

The ADA, the landmark 1990 federal law, prevents discrimination against disabled people from employment to parking to voting and other areas. HIV and AIDS are considered disabilities under the ADA because they substantially hinder life activities.

The department’s letter was addressed specifically to Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti, Tennessee Bureau of Investigation Director David Rausch, and Shelby County District Attorney Steven Mulroy.

A spokesperson for the Tennessee investigation bureau said officials were reviewing the letter but had no other response to the DOJ’s investigation.

The DOJ letter details several of the struggles of those with aggravated prostitution convictions. A lifetime sex offender registration can stop people from visiting with their grandchildren, revoke job offers, and severely limit housing options.

One person shared that they were barred from taking a course to get a general education diploma because children might be present in the building.

The lawsuit was brought by four unidentified people and OUTMemphis, a nonprofit that serves Queer people.

“OUTMemphis welcomes the DOJ’s findings that, through its outdated and punitive aggravated prostitution law, Tennessee is discriminating against people living with HIV,” said Molly Quinn, its executive director, in a statement. “We agree, and that’s why we are suing to get the law struck down. Whether this issue is resolved informally or in court, it is long past time to end HIV criminalization.”

C E L E B R AT I N G 5 0 Y E A R S!

INTERNATIONAL NEWS International news highlights

Photo courtesy of AP

by Teddy MacQuarrie SGN Contributing Writer Russian top court declares Queer movement “extreme,” raids on bars begin The Russian Supreme Court granted a request from the country’s ministry of justice to label the “international LGBT social movement” as “extremist,” a move that has led to a violent crackdown on Russia’s Gay bars.

The decision was made behind closed doors and took less than four hours for the judges to reach. The court declared that the ruling would go into effect immediately.

Less than 48 hours after the November 30 ruling, Russian security forces raided Gay clubs and bars across Moscow. Police searched a nightclub, a male sauna, and a bar that hosted Queer parties, under the pretext of a drug raid, local media reported.

Eyewitnesses told journalists that clubgoers’ documents were checked and photographed by the security services. They also said that managers had been able to warn patrons before police arrived.

In a statement to the Associated Press before the ruling, Max Olenichev, a human rights lawyer who works with the Russian Queer community, said, “In practice, it could happen that the Russian authorities, with this court ruling in hand, will enforce [the ruling] against LGBTQ+ initiatives that work in Russia, considering them a part of this civic movement.”

The court’s ruling follows a long line of anti-Queer measures taken by the Russian government as led by Vladimir Putin, who has publicly described the West and an alleged global Queer movement as existential threats to Russian cultural values and traditions.

“The authorities’ move apparently serves a dual purpose,” said Tanya Lokshina, associate Europe and Central Asia director at Human Rights Watch, in a statement. “It is meant to increase the scapegoating of LGBT people to appeal to the Kremlin’s conservative supporters before the March 2024 presidential vote and to paralyze the work of rights groups

VISIT US ONLINE SGN.ORG

countering discrimination and supporting LGBT people.”

Before the ruling, out municipal deputy and opposition party member Sergei Troshin Sergeyev predicted that a decision in favor of Putin’s government would be the death knell of the Queer support network, denying people much-needed medical and mental health services.

“This will all be so underground that, unfortunately, I’m sure there are many people who won’t be able to get help,” Sergeyev told Reuters at the time. “They will either [die by suicide] or simply be in some terrible state — their life will be shortened, and their health will deteriorate, they will drink and smoke more, and so on, somehow trying to escape from this reality.”

UN warns that anti-Queer laws impede progress against HIV/AIDS Anti-Queer laws stop people from accessing lifesaving health services and

seriously impede progress on eliminating HIV, a senior UN official has said.

Sixty-seven countries have laws that criminalize Gay sex, and nearly half are in Africa, the continent most affected by HIV. In those countries, prevalence rates are about five times higher among Gay men than in countries where same-sex relations are not criminalized, according to figures from UNAids.

More recent anti-Queer laws have gone into effect this year in Uganda and Ethiopia, with similar legislation pending in Ghana.

“When LGBTQ+ people and other marginalized communities are stigmatized and criminalized, their access to lifesaving health services is obstructed, and the HIV response is undermined,” said Winnie Byanyima, the executive director of UNAids.

Lois Chingandu, the director of external relations at the charity Frontline AIDS, said,

“It is important that countries do more when it comes to investing in HIV prevention methods, but also show stronger leadership in countering anti-rights narratives within their countries.” Well-funded and highly organized movements are promoting antigender and anti-Queer views, she added.

Ahead of World AIDS Day on December 1, the UN said a life is lost to the disease every minute. Last year, 1.3 million people were infected with HIV. About 9.2 million people living with the condition did not have access to treatment. Gay men, Transgender people, sex workers, and people who inject drugs are among the groups most affected.

Last year, five countries — Botswana, Eswatini, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Zimbabwe — achieved global 2025 targets of ensuring that 95% of the people living with HIV know their status, 95% are on antiretroviral treatment, and 95% on treatment are virally suppressed.

Photo by Mike Segar / Reuters

DECEMBER 15 , 2 0 2 3

SGN

9

10

SGN

DECEMBER 15 , 2 0 2 3

C E L E B R AT I N G 5 0 Y E A R S!

VISIT US ONLINE SGN.ORG

DECEMBER 15 , 2 0 2 3

SGN

11

OP-ED

Jack's TAKE

A beach and a community

by Jack Hilovsky SGN Contributing Writer When I was a child growing up in Cleveland, I used to love to anticipate spring by sprinting outside our house in my bathing suit on the first warm day of the year, when the last of the snowmelt had disappeared.

It was a freeing experience. In my childhood exuberance, it didn’t matter if the thermometer had barely reached 60 degrees. The fact that the sun was blazing, the cherry trees were starting to bloom, and the green grass was showing itself were signs enough for me. There was an innocence, a hope, a beauty in my action.

Fast-forward to my twenties. While backpacking through Europe, I met a Dutchman named Tomás, who one weekend introduced me to Scheveningen, a beach on the North Sea. We arrived by bicycle, and the first thing I noticed were naked people sprawled on the sand. He told me it was a nude beach popular with the Dutch and Germans.

At first shy, I soon slid off my bathing suit and, with a running start, dove into the sea. It was salty and cold but so refreshing as I jumped up and down in shock from the temperature. I felt that childhood exuberance again and asked my new friend to take my picture as I stood proudly wearing not a stitch.

I brought that electrifying experience back with me to the States that summer and soon discovered there were beaches both in Seattle and Vancouver, BC, that welcomed people to swim and sun without having to don a clinging piece of fabric that restricted and prevented you from feeling the natural glide of the water. The freedom of not wearing a swimsuit also established an equal footing between me and others who also opted to ditch the suit.

That freedom and sense of communal joie de vivre is why I attended a Madison Park neighborhood hearing to protest a children’s playground being installed at Denny Blaine Park on the shore of Lake Washington. Hundreds of beachgoers showed up to testify that the playground, to be paid for by an anonymous donor who lived nearby, would destroy the character of the place, which has been a nude beach and gathering place for the LGBTQ+ community and other marginalized groups for over 40 years, if not longer. People argued that by building this playground — which was not a safe location anyway, due to sightlines, the ease of toddlers running from the playground into the water, and the lack of lifeguards, not to mention the lack of facilities and parking, etc. — the city would not only endanger children’s lives but encourage attacks on an existing community of people.

Some at the hearing called the donation “blood money” that would lead to attacks and violence as people unfamiliar with Denny Blaine come looking for trouble or to make a point. One person pointed out that LGBTQ+ community members have long been stereotypically lumped in with

12

SGN

child molesters, and that parents unfamiliar with the nature of the place and seeing naked people would likely call the police, causing further agitation and conflict.

In a healthy, body-positive world, the existence of nude bodies near a children’s playground would not be deemed threatening but we are far from that world — even in so-

called liberal Seattle. In fact, there is no law against public nudity in our city, only what is considered lewd or lascivious behavior. Who defines what that is, though? And does it vary depending on the eye of each beholder?

It’s unfortunate that one wealthy person’s influence could destroy a place of welcome and community for those who have strug-

Courtesy photos

DECEMBER 15 , 2 0 2 3

gled to fit into the larger society and find a sense of calm, balm, and freedom.

Happily, Seattle Parks and Recreation made the decision two days after the hearing not to proceed with the playground after so many spoke out against it. I encourage readers to contact the Mayor’s Office (https:// www.seattle.gov/mayor/contact) and Seattle Parks and Recreation (dennyblaineplayarea@ seattle.gov) to thank them for protecting and preserving Denny Blaine as a historical gathering place for our community, friends, and allies.

Always remember, our voices when united can make a difference.

By the way, at the meeting at Madison Park, one attendee suggested placing Denny Blaine on the National Register of Historic Places and designating other parks and beaches in Seattle as clothing optional as well.

Now that would be an even greater dream come true!

Jack Hilovsky is an author, actor, and blogger who has made his home in Seattle since 1986. His first book, RJ, Farrah and Me: A Young Man’s Gay Odyssey from the Inside Out, was published in June 2022.

It can be found at Elliott Bay Book Co., Madison Books, Nook & Cranny, and Third Place Books (Seward Park), among other local booksellers.

C E L E B R AT I N G 5 0 Y E A R S!

ASKIzzy

Connecting through vulnerability during difficult times

by Isabel Mata SGN Staff Writer Ask Izzy is an advice column about relationships, mental health, and sexuality. Written by Isabel Mata — a Seattle-based lifestyle writer, podcast host, and mental health advocate — Ask Izzy offers tangible expert advice so all readers can have stronger relationships, better sex, and healthier mindsets. Submit your question today by scanning the QR code below.

Photo by mikoto.raw Photographer / Pexels

Dear Izzy, My mental health is bad right now.

No matter how much I try to stay offline, I can’t get away from all the pain happening all over the world, and it breaks my heart. I feel like there is nothing I can do to help the victims of oppression, and even when I try to advocate on social media, it only backfires. I feel so disconnected from everyone around me, even though I know I am not the only one suffering.

I miss my friends, but going out to meet up with people is out of the question because of finances. What can I do to feel better that doesn’t involve spending money?

— Lonely in Lynnwood Dear Lonely, I see you. You aren’t alone in how you are feeling. Every day I wake up and feel like the weight of the world is on my shoulders and there is nothing I can do to alleviate the pressure.

And according to the surgeon general, we aren’t the only two people experiencing this. In a report published in May of

VISIT US ONLINE SGN.ORG

this year by the US Department of Health and Human Services, the rate of loneliness among young adults has increased every year between 1976 and 2019, and that number is only growing.

Before I get into possible solutions to help you feel better, I want to talk about a movie I watched recently on Netflix called Leave the World Behind. Based on the book

by Rumaan Alam, it is about a family vacation that gets interrupted by two strangers bearing news of a blackout. As it progresses and we start to see that what started as a blackout is actually a terrorist cyberattack, both families grapple with how to survive the potential crisis while trying to find their own place in this collapsing world.

Produced by Barack and Michelle Obama, the film has a lot of great takeaways, but the main thing I got from it is that the more technology we have in our lives, the further our divide is. And unless we make a change as a society, we are heading for our own downfall.

I believe that that change can be found in vulnerability and connection.

Right now, we are so disconnected in a time of trauma, war, and conflict, both externally and inside ourselves. While it would

be really easy to spiral into a pit of despair given all of this, we aren’t totally helpless.

The first thing you can do is check in with your body. Close your eyes, then place one hand on your heart and the other on your stomach. What is there? Notice how you are feeling, acknowledge whatever is present, and just sit with it. Nothing needs to change; no feelings need to be pushed aside. Just be with your pain. While this does not sound like much, what you are doing is giving yourself the attention your body is begging for, which is coming out as anxiety and fear.

The next thing you can do is take a walk outside in nature. Even better, call a friend and invite them to join you. It costs absolutely nothing to walk around the block and talk. And I don’t just mean surface-level conversation about work and the weather.

According to Dr. Brené Brown, a social worker and leading expert on courage, vulnerability, shame, and empathy, “Connection is the energy that exists between people when they feel seen, heard, and valued.”

And to create this connection, you need to be vulnerable.

“What most of us fail to understand...is that vulnerability is also the cradle of the

DECEMBER 15 , 2 0 2 3

emotions and experiences that we crave,” says Dr. Brown. “Vulnerability is the birthplace of love, belonging, joy, courage, empathy, and creativity.”

So while it may feel scary at first opening up to a new friend about what you are going through, it also opens you up for an opportunity to deepen that relationship in a whole new way.

While I know it won’t be easy to step out of your comfort zone, I do believe that true connection is the future to alleviating our global suffering. Even just one small moment of connection can make a big difference in your life and the lives of all you touch.

SGN

13

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT Indie game Lunacid a love letter to dungeon-crawl classics

by Daniel Lindsley SGN Staff Writer Before the massive success of its “Soulsborne” games, game studio From Software released King’s Field, a first-person dungeon-crawl RPG with real-time combat.

A few sequels and a console generation later, Shadow Tower Abyss hit the shelves. It was a refinement of the King’s Field formula, and it also broke the mold by adding modern firearms to the dungeon-crawl experience.

Lunacid doesn’t go so far as to put an assault rifle next to a longsword, but it very well could have. The game is set on what seems to be a postapocalyptic Earth, centuries after an elder god’s awakening cast humanity back into the Stone Age. You begin as a sorry fellow who, accused of thieving, has just been thrown into a very deep hole called the Great Well.

I’ve found it difficult to introduce Lunacid in a way that, to my satisfaction, summarizes my feelings about it. I haven’t played any of the King’s Field or Shadow Tower games, and yet, while exploring the depths of the Great Well, I often had that rare and coveted sense of inner warmth, which can only come from nostalgia being set aflame by a spark of recognition.

And a spark is all Lunacid really needs, because the game doesn’t rely solely on nostalgia. If it did, it wouldn’t have such a strong identity of its own. After all, nostalgia, while potent, can be a hollow desire, which when fed nothing but itself only grows deeper and more bitter. How often do we return to a game, or other figment of our past, and find that the “magic” we remember never made it to the present?

Then again, sometimes we leave things in the past, not because they’re truly antiquated but because we assume that they’re inferior to the new. When From Soft shifted to third-person action games with the release of Demon’s Souls, it left behind a few key parts of the old formula.

Lunacid repurposes these parts to create a combat system that’s delightfully simple but still varied enough for each player to develop their own approach.

To summarize, a player can equip two weapons and two spells at once. For a weapon attack to deal maximum damage, the player has to hold the attack button until a meter in the upper right is full. After that, they can release the button at any time to strike. They can also release it earlier or just spam it to swing wildly, but this will do less damage overall than a series of fully charged, well-timed attacks.

Each weapon has its own attributes, like damage, reach, charging speed, blocking efficiency, and “thrust” (how far an attack pushes the player forward or back), so a rapier and a greatsword will each handle very differently. There are also ranged weapons, like the crossbow, which have unlimited ammo but lack the ability to block.

Like weapons, spells need to be charged, but they can only be cast when charged fully. This can be done independently from charging a weapon attack, so it’s possible to be bashing or shooting a foe while preparing a blast of magic to finish them off.

The King’s Field and Shadow Tower games have been described as having a slow pace. Their combat is often a matter of strafing around an enemy to avoid their attacks, or moving in to strike and then backing out of range before the foe can retaliate. Lunacid’s combat can play out that way, but it can also play closer to games like Quake; it all depends on how you build your character.

As in many RPGs, slaying enemies earns you experience points that are used to level up. Each level grants skill points that can be spent to better define your play style.

Unlike its predecessors, Lunacid lets you spend skill points to increase your character’s mobility. Dexterity dictates your character’s jump height as well as their damage with

ranged weapons. Speed, as one might expect, dictates your character’s running speed.

For my first run through the game, I ended up putting nearly a half of my skill points into Dexterity and Speed, just so I could explore more easily, and evade foes by either outrunning them or leaping out of their reach, all the while pelting them with arrows and magic.

One might assume that this strategy trivialized combat, but it wasn’t foolproof; if I was ever cornered in a confined space, or subjected to the dreaded “slowed” status effect, my inferior Defense skill would do little to protect me against a direct, sustained assault. Not to mention that all the running and bouncing around made aiming and timing my attacks a measure more difficult.

That kind of situational advantage or disadvantage is a large part of any RPG’s appeal. If I had dumped all of my skill points into Strength, Defense, and Resistance instead, and focused on using melee weapons and blocking, a confined space like a tunnel could have been a boon, as it would have forced my foes to fight me one by one.

Before you invest any skill points or collect any weapons, of course, you have to create a character. Lunacid follows its pre-

14

DECEMBER 15 , 2 0 2 3

SGN

cursors in having the player enter a name and choose a starting class, which determines the character’s base skills and susceptibility to different types of damage.

But here the game diverges from the norm by letting you choose your character’s pronouns, which include neopronouns like fae/faer, ey/em, and the like.

For my first run, I went with he/him because I’m basic, and moved on to flipping through the default character portraits.

Since you never see more than your character’s hand during gameplay, a portrait is the closest you can get to customizing their appearance.

I was thrilled to find out that you can move custom portraits into the game files and use them instead. So at least superficially, your character can look however you like. And it astonished me just how much deeper that drew me into the experience; suddenly, I wasn’t playing as some boring old humanoid but a samurai rabbit with mottled fur and kind eyes.

Lunacid’s predecessors also have a reputation for being dark, brutally difficult, and punishing in some way, but it diverges here, too. It has its fair share of darkness, with haunted tombs and eerie temples, but

it’s often only as punishing as the player chooses to make it. Dying simply sends the player to their most recent save, and there’s really no deterrent to saving often — other than the fact that it can only be done by touching a warp crystal in one of many set locations.

It’s no wonder, then, that Demi (a small demon with a scythe) often reminds the player to “stay safe,” because forgetting to save for a long stretch before dying is a bummer. On that note, all of the nonplayer characters are cute as buttons. There’s even a pink slime hidden away somewhere who can become your character’s girlfriend.

Kira, the developer behind this indie masterpiece, specializes somewhat in creating games with a Playstation 1- or Nintendo 64-era aesthetic. With a colorful world to explore, a soundtrack full of bangers, and enough personality to make other games in the dungeon-crawl genre blush, Lunacid is as much a love letter to the old classics as it is a classic in its own right.

To learn more, you can visit Kira’s website at www.kira-llc.com. Lunacid is available for purchase on Steam at https://store. steampowered.com/app/1745510/Lunacid.

Images courtesy of Kira

C E L E B R AT I N G 5 0 Y E A R S!

Pacific Northwest Ballet company dancers in a scene from George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker®, choreographed by George Balanchine © The George Balanchine Trust.

PNB’s acclaimed production returns to McCaw Hall at Seattle Center November 24 – December 27, 2023, and streams digitally December 18 – 27 – Photo by Angela Sterling

version of this classic Nutcracker you can Yet this is the evening when all the ever expect to see. youngsters in the PNB dance program get And in case you think it might be too to come onstage and charm you with their continued from cover sweet for you, when I attended, Angelica skips and dances. In Act 1, they perform George Balanchine’s wonderful chore- Generosa as the Sugar Plum Fairy, and Jona- reels with the grownups at a Christmas ography of this beloved holiday story is still than Batista as her Cavalier were absolutely party and later, after the creepy midnight the best ever created, and Ian Falconer’s electric. Their super-charged eye contact as magic begins, they march as toy soldiers design of period sets and whimsical cos- they twirled and entwined with each other and stuffed animals under a mysteriously tumes helps make this the most charming was the grownup version of holiday delight. growing Christmas tree.

NUTCRACKER

Pacific Northwest Ballet principal dancer Sarah-Gabrielle Ryan as Dewdrop, with PNB company dancers in a scene from George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker®, choreographed by George Balanchine © The George Balanchine Trust – Photo by Angela Sterling

VISIT US ONLINE SGN.ORG

DECEMBER 15 , 2 0 2 3

The Nutcracker (danced by the elegant Beckett Westcott) comes to life to fight off a many-headed Mouse King (Zsilas Michael Hughes). As he defends young Clara (the lovely Caroline Antone), she saves the day by throwing her slipper at the Mouse King, who rolls around in a creepily hilarious death throe.

Together Clara and the Nutcracker arrive in the Land of Sweets, where they sit on the throne to be entertained by gliding angels, hoop-jumping candy canes, and dancing dolls (“Polichinelles”) that emerge from underneath Mother Ginger’s enormous skirts. You don’t have to be the parents of one of the 60 kids who appear in The Nutcracker to be awed and delighted by their talent. These young pros in training inspired Balanchine’s creations, and you can see how cleverly he geared his sophisticated dances to the skill level of each growing dancer.

My personal favorite among the abundance of gorgeous adult dances is the Waltz of the Flowers, in which the Dewdrop (Elle Macy) leads 14 dancers—costumed in layers and layers of gently floating petals—in a kaleidoscopic variation of movements that any military band would envy. But it’s a waltz, so if you can imagine that flower petals can fall softly to earth in Fibonacci sequences, then you can imagine the mesmerizing delight of the Waltz of the Flowers. And this is but one of the heart-lifting dances you will see in the Land of Sweets.

Ever since Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker ballet premiered at the Marinsky Theater in St. Petersburg in 1892, this delightful Christmas event has been the holiday destination for everyone who wants to enter into the season in a wonderful mood. Yes, we’re crazy-busy and yes, we have too much on our plates—but there’s always time for the uncomplicated pleasures of music, dance, and good storytelling. This is PNB’s holiday gift to the world: what director Peter Boal (one of Balanchine’s original Nutcrackers) gives to Seattle and to dance lovers every holiday season. Don’t wait another year to see it!

The Nutcracker plays through December 27, 2023 at McCaw Hall. More info is at https://www.pnb.org/nutcracker.

SGN

15

FILM Carol: The dommy mommy we all fell in love with Revisiting the sexy Christmas disaster of a movie

by Clar Hart SGN Contributing Writer CAROL Netflix Content warning: Homophobia Carol. Oh, Carol. May we all mourn the loss of our dumbest adolescent crushes with as beautiful cinematography as Todd Haynes’s queasy mess.

Like the book (reviewed last issue), there’s a distinct edge to this movie. It’s supposed to be a love story, but it’s shot like a suspense film. The eponymous Carol is played like a Hitchcock villain, seen at a distance and gone an averted gaze later.

The whole thing has an ominous weight, the shadowy edges of the frame closing in claustrophobically. It’s winter, but there’s no cozy glow, only the cold drip of an overbearing rain that traps us inside smoky bars and burdensome coats.

The beginning of Carol roars in with a rattle of metal and clank of machinery. The screen is black until the first jump scare.

“Weinstein Productions.” I gasped.

The time period this movie came from is so recent yet so far away. It was two years before the #MeToo movement took down this monster of movie producer and just a few months after Obergefell v. Hodges.

Carol seems like the union of these two events, a celebration that Queers can have just as terrible of a relationship as the straights.

We meet Therese and Carol, who both talk like they have a sexy and contagious form of asthma. Carol goes to Therese’s shop counter and asks for a doll. In what I think may be the only joke in the movie, Therese’s eyes flit to Carol’s when she says the requested doll “wets herself.” I think this is supposed to be a sex joke? It’s utterly out of character but, damn, I love it. Therese

16

SGN

convinces Carol to instead buy a train set for her daughter. Feminism, I guess.

They go to a bar. Carol’s only question for Therese is whether she likes her boyfriend and then invites Therese to her house.

Their whole relationship will follow this stuttering rhythm. Carol will make a massive jump ahead, then cut the whole thing off, then leap again. She invites Therese on a road trip after throwing her out of her house. Carol then abandons Therese on the road and leaves a letter that declares she’s breaking up with Therese for her own good.

Months later, Carol just as arrogantly struts back into Therese’s life. At their first reunion dinner, Carol invites Therese to move in and confesses her love. Do they talk about this? Does Therese find her own voice and start stating her needs or desires?

Of course not. Therese does her signature waffle, refuses Carol’s dinner invitation, goes to her own party, then leaves and runs back to Carol.

It would have been nice if Therese had shown a hint of joy here. Instead she stumbles frantically in a drunk wobble of handycam

Carol – Photos courtesy of Weinstein Co.

DECEMBER 15 , 2 0 2 3

toward Carol’s table where she stares at Carol, unsmiling and unblinking. Carol’s eyes flick up and she smiles, a smug snake eyeing its mousy prey.

Following the book, the relationship is strange — beyond the self-centered divorcee spiraling out — and that’s the infantilization of Therese, who is driven around in other people’s cars, naps, and gets tucked in by Carol. There’s also a strange parallel between Therese and Rindy, Carol’s daughter. They have identical haircuts and are often in parallel costuming, in plaid skirts or color-matched hats. Carol’s questions also veer toward Therese’s childhood, asking her what toys she wanted or tracing a photo of Therese as a child that Therese, inexplicably, has hanging on her wall.

Like the book, the choice is clear: Carol can choose to be either a mom or a Queer.

Therese is a Freudian pseudo-replacement.

It is argued that Carol has a “happy” ending, but I prefer the breakups of pulp like Spring Fire. In the regressive way that’s paralleled in many struggles, victory is put into the terms of the existing winners.

Women win when they can be as exploitative as the next CEO. Queers win when we can trap a partner into the same toxic but long-lasting relationships as the patriarchy.

Overall, Carol is reminiscent of a time that we, as Queers, still struggle with, when we were told we were degenerates. There’s an allure to romanticizing this era of the Queer as criminal, when the only way to survive was to cheat on a spouse, lie to our friends, and sneak away into surreptitious trysts in hazy hotel rooms.

That’s what Carol feels like to me. Like it’s trying to dress up the carcass of a time I don’t feel the need to pretend was glamorous. The glitz is like stage makeup used to mask the greenish pallor of a corpse, with lurid reds like roses upon a bier, an alluring display to distract from the pervasive stench of something not quite right.

C E L E B R AT I N G 5 0 Y E A R S!

Unforgettables: Cinematic milestones with Sara Michelle Working Girl: Still channeling my inner Tess McGill on its 35th anniversary

by Sara Michelle Fetters SGN Staff Writer When I was first coming out as Trans, I went to a support group at Seattle’s Ingersoll Gender Center. One of the other attendees asked me if I was “channeling my inner Tess McGill.” She meant it as a compliment, and I unquestionably took it as one. As portrayed by Melanie Griffith in director Mike Nichols’s Academy Award–winning 1988 rom-com Working Girl, Tess was something of an early spirit animal for me, her entire transformation one I secretly dreamt about and aspired to for well over a decade.

I don’t know how many times I watched it when I was in high school, but I do know it was enough that could quote several lines at the drop of a hat. I had the poster for its VHS release on my bedroom wall. Heck, as a senior, I coerced my cheerleader girlfriend at the time to style a wig similar to Tess’s secretarial look when I “lost” a bet with her and had to wear her uniform for Halloween (yes, I lost that bet on purpose — big surprise, I know).

Suffice it to say, this is one film that means a whole lot to me.

It helps that Working Girl is pretty dang great outside of my transformational personal connection too. One of a glut of Wall Street business comedies, dramas, and romances during the 1980s, it stands far out from the crowd for a multitude of reasons.

Kevin Wade’s screenplay is nimbly inven-

tive and Nichols directs with confident flair, trusting the material and allowing the talented ensemble to make their collective mark without too much unnecessary influence on his part.

Speaking of that cast — holy cow, is it a doozy! Griffith, Sigourney Weaver, and Joan Cusack were all nominated for Oscars.

Harrison Ford, communing with his inner Cary Grant — sexy as hell, and unafraid to play the foppish fool when required — should have gotten a nomination as well.

Alec Baldwin, Nora Dunn, Philip Bosco, Oliver Platt, Olympia Dukakis, Ricki Lake, and a blink-and-you’ll-miss-him David Duchovny all make early appearances, while Kevin Spacey kills it in a brief scene as a smarmy sexual predator in a performance that was far more on the nose than anyone at the time could have realized.

The plot is pure 1930s-style, old Hollywood hokum, only with a decidedly R-rated Reagan-era spin. New Jersey everywoman Tess McGill dreams of getting out of the Wall Street secretarial pool and becoming a high-powered executive. When she goes to work for firebrand Katharine Parker (Weaver), it looks like that fantasy might become a reality. But when her boss steals one of her ideas and tries to pass it off as her own, Tess turns the tables on her, impersonating Katharine when she’s injured in a skiing accident out of state.

Ford is Jack Trainer, a former high-flying marketing and advertising wiz who’s cur-

rently down on his luck, whom Tess teams with to close a major deal with multimillionaire players. Cusack is her kooky best friend and confidant Cyn. As for Baldwin, he’s Tess’s boyfriend Mick, a fan of skimpy underwear, getting his charter boat business off the ground, and — for better and for worse — a mutual acquaintance from the neighborhood, Doreen DiMucci.

Precious little happens that is unexpected.

One could easily see the aforementioned Grant or Clark Gable stepping in for Ford, Joan Crawford or Bette Davis slipping on Weaver’s shoes, and Jean Harlow or Claudette Colbert undergoing a transformation similar to Griffith’s. But Nichols’s direction is cleverly astute and observationally lithe.

He treats every key character with respect, and while he may show disdain or even go so far as to ridicule their actions, he never attacks any of them personally. He melds old storytelling conceits and modern sensibilities with pinpoint precision, giving Working Girl a complex edge that fits its era perfectly.

As a fan and a critic, there’s plenty to adore. The romance between Tess and Jack happens with seductively charming subtlety.

Ford and Griffith’s fiery chemistry is instantaneous, from the moment of their tequila and bod-for-sin meet-cute to their lunchbox, have-a-nice-day-at-work-dear morning canoodle. Weaver is a far more complex villain than it initially appears, while Cusack steals scenes left and right with her “coffee, tea, or me?” cocksure goofiness.

But there’s so much more than that.

Whether intentional or not, Wade composed a story of metamorphosis and rebirth that transcends gender stereotypes. It was eerie how so many of my own internal struggles with who I longed to be were reflected in what Tess was going through.

I loved how, even when she began to change up her wardrobe, tone down her makeup, and do something new with her hair, she still refused to fit the male stereotype of what a female in the corporate executive suite was supposed to look like. Tess maintained her femininity, and for the 1980s, presenting that with such celebratory gusto was no small thing.

With each passing year, my connection to Working Girl increases. I see new things in it that I never did before, like how, even with the nudity, director of photography Michael Ballhaus refuses to resort to exploitive sensationalism whenever his camera focuses in on Griffith’s body. We talk a lot about the “male gaze” and the “female gaze” in motion pictures, but it’s clear Nichols was ahead of the curve. If this wasn’t apparent with The Graduate or Carnal Knowledge, it certainly became so here. The human body is celebrated no matter whose it is, and if anything, it is Ford and Baldwin who are visually ogled, not the naturalistically scantily clad Griffith.

I’ve also become far more forgiving of Katharine than I was as a teenager. She’s still up to no good, and the connivingly selfcentered way she uses Tess to get ahead is irredeemably appalling. But Weaver deftly shows hints of the male-dominated worldview that transformed her into what she has become. Katharine is doing exactly what she believes every man in her office would be celebrated for accomplishing, and she’s so brainwashed by the patriarchal hierarchy that she can’t comprehend why others view her actions as reprehensible.

Happy to say, I still channel my inner Tess McGill. Not so much her look anymore, although I think I could still rock that flowing blonde bob teased to within an inch of its life if given the opportunity. No, I like to think I emulate Tess’s tenacity and her drive to accomplish the impossible. I do my best to see each morning as an opportunity to accomplish something great.

Carly Simon’s Academy Award–winning theme song, “Let the River Run,” says it best, I think. I still feel myself coming to the edge and running on that water, and even as the metaphorical fog swirls thickly around me, I know that silver cities will continue to rise in the distance, and my dreams are just as vital now — and just as capable of waking up a proverbial nation — as they were when I was a wide-eyed freshman in high school.

Working Girl – Photos courtesy of 20th Century Fox

VISIT US ONLINE SGN.ORG

DECEMBER 15 , 2 0 2 3

SGN

17

FILM Poor Things presents a feminist Frankenstein ready to make the world her own

by Sara Michelle Fetters SGN Staff Writer POOR THINGS Theaters Like an absurdist smashing-together of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, A Room with a View, The Adventures of Baron Munchausen, and the work of surrealist Spanish artist Salvador Dalí (with a little of the tale of 19th-century grave robbers William Burke and William Hare thrown in for good measure), director Yorgos Lanthimos once again sets storytelling convention on its ear with the delightfully sensationalistic Poor Things. Adapted from the acclaimed novel by the late Scottish author Alasdair Gray, this is a wickedly ambitious journey into self-actualization and human understanding that purposefully challenges the viewer with every idiosyncratic step it takes. It’s also one of 2023’s best films.

While the source material is told from multiple points of view, Lanthimos and screenwriter Tony McNamara — reteaming for a third time after their success with 2018’s The Favourite and the television series The Great — choose to keep things focused on Bella Baxter (Emma Stone).

Who she is and where she came from is one of the chief mysteries at this story’s center.

While the initial explanation for her presence is fairly straightforward and obvious (I mentioned Shelley’s iconic literary masterwork for a reason), that’s only the tip of the iceberg of this adventurously passionate and enthusiastically questioning young woman.

What does it mean to be human? At what point do we know ourselves well enough to make our own decisions in life outside of the restrictions imposed upon us by our parents? Can we make the world our own?

What role does gender play? Wealth? Poverty? Race? Sexuality? Upbringing? Education? How do all of those fit? Do they matter? Should they matter?

These are only a few of the big, broad questions Lanthimos is asking, and it’s not a spoiler to say that he’s unable (and likely unwilling) to definitively answer any of them. But that also isn’t the point. Bella’s evolution is both distinctly feminine yet also gloriously universal in its gendernonspecific ecstasy. The director keeps the focus on her, as it is her experiences that illustrate all of life’s peculiar possibilities.

Bella is a force of nature striving to know the unknowable, and much like Barbie’s Stereotypical Barbie, she will willingly

18

SGN

take the good with the bad as she strives to become the person she feels she was meant to be — even if she doesn’t quite know exactly who that is yet.

Assisting Bella as she goes from one adventure to the next are Willem Dafoe (as brilliant scientist Dr. Goodwin Baxter), Ramy Youssef (as eager medical student Max McCandles), and Mark Ruffalo (as lawyer and misanthropic lothario Duncan Wedderburn). Also along for the ride are legendary German superstar Hanna Schygulla, The Tragedy of Macbeth scenestealer Kathryn Hunter, an almost unrecognizable Margaret Qualley, the dashingly suave Jerrod Carmichael, and an odiously smarmy Christopher Abbott.

By design, Dafoe, Youssef, and especially Ruffalo make the most lasting impression, but every member of the ensemble has an important part to play, and Lanthimos makes certain all of them get their opportunity to shine. There’s a stunning moment involving Carmichael and Stone in which his character introduces Bella to life’s hidden miseries while also revealing just how little the clueless A-list aristocracy cares to know about the underprivileged hoi polloi struggling to survive literally right underneath their

very feet. There’s another in which Hunter’s brothel matriarch clues the young woman in on society’s patriarchal imbalances and helps her understand exactly what it would take for any person — let alone Bella — to subvert and conquer them.

But this is Stone’s showcase, and she makes mincemeat out of it. Bella is basically an infant at the start of the film, barely able to do more than babble as she toys with her food at the dinner table. But little by little, she learns and she grows. She begins to long for more.

She wants to head out into the world and to put all the pieces together for herself, no matter how extreme the challenges or unknown the dangers of doing so may prove to be.

Stone is extraordinary. She brazenly transverses every obstacle with passionate panache. There is a nakedly raw vitality to her performance that is continually astonishing. Bella’s wide-eyed wonderment pierced my soul. Her rapture, her heartbreak, her happiness, her pain — I felt it all.

Stone finds a way to make every emotion leap off the screen with triumphant explosiveness. Bella goes from being a lumberingly monosyllabic experiment to a determinedly self-confident woman in seemingly the blink of a cinematic eye.

Lanthimos does stumble every now and then. Some of his pointedly feminist ruminations still come from a brazenly male point of view, and there is an odd didacticism that barges in from almost out of nowhere during the last act. While the director’s technical proficiency is as stunning as ever — director of photography Robbie Ryan (American Honey), production designers Shona Heath and James Price (The Nest), and costume designer Holly Waddington (Lady Macbeth) deliver on every conceivable level — the outrageously phantasmagoric visuals he’s conceived don’t always cleanly or authentically mesh with the emotional ambiguities he is attempting to explore.

Yet Bella’s liberation in Poor Things is the type of rapturous euphoria we can all learn from. To see her grab life with both hands, refuse to let go, and then ride it unbridled and undeterred for all to see — while giving zero cares to what anyone may think — is marvelous. She is no monster created in a lab by a gifted mad scientist, meant for ridicule, fear, and derision.

This is a woman, nothing more and certainly nothing less. Sit back, relax, and listen to her roar.

Poor Things – Photos courtesy of Searchlight Pictures

DECEMBER 15 , 2 0 2 3

C E L E B R AT I N G 5 0 Y E A R S!

Imaginative Wonka a scrumdiddlyumptious surprise

by Sara Michelle Fetters SGN Staff Writer WONKA Theaters I try to not prejudge any motion picture before I’ve watched it, but I can’t say the thought of Wonka — more a prequel to 1971’s Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory than a variation on Roald Dahl’s 1964 novel — brought a smile to my face. For all his talent, I couldn’t see Timothée Chalamet stepping into Gene Wilder’s shoes. The first officially released images looked too garish and over the top. Irish singer-songwriter Neil Hannon was going to have a heck of time matching — let alone topping — Leslie Bricusse and Anthony Newley’s awardwinning songs from the original film.

But with Paddington and Paddington 2 director Paul King at the helm of this new musical adventure featuring the eccentric chocolatier, my worries were much ado about nothing. While not without its missteps, this is still a cinematic treat overflowing with pure imagination. More importantly, King once again shows how deftly he can walk a fine line between childfriendly absurdity, emotional authenticity, and outlandishly inventive comedic ingenuity, and this helps make Wonka 2023’s most scrumiddlyumptious surprise.

Fresh off the boat and with only a pocketful of coins to his name, Willy Wonka (Chalamet) has come to the fabled Galeries Gourmet to open a chocolate store exactly like the one he and his beloved late mother (Sally Hawkins) used to dream about when he was a boy. But before he can sell his first treat, a cabal of greedy chocolatiers, led by the Machiavellian Slugworth (Paterson Joseph), convince the local constabulary and their chocolate-addict chief of police (KeeganMichael Key) to shut the young man down.

With no place to stay and now without a penny in his purse, Willy is shanghaied into working in the laundry for the despicable Mrs. Scrubbit (Olivia Colman) and her odious righthand man Bleacher (Tom Davis).

But the resourceful magician and expert treat maker has a few tricks up his svelte purple sleeves. With the aid of orphaned maid Noodle (Calah Lane) and the partnership of his fellow indentured servants Abacus Crunch (Jim Carter), Lottie Bell (Rakhee Thakrar), Piper Benz (Natasha Rothwell), and Larry Chucklesworth (Rich Fulcher), Willy will be a success, and not even a chocolate-stealing Oompa-Loompa (Hugh Grant) will stop him.

The whimsy level is preposterously high,

VISIT US ONLINE SGN.ORG

Wonka – Photo courtesy of Warner Bros.

and it isn’t until Willy encounters Mrs. Scrubbit and her unreadable rent-a-room-for-the-night contract that King gets a handle on things.

The opening musical number is more obnoxious than it is endearing, and the overtly cartoonish production design from six-time Academy Award nominee Nathan Crowley (Tenet, First Man) takes some getting used to.

Where Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory director Mel Stuart kept things grounded before hurtling headfirst into Dahl-crafted absurdity once Wilder somersaulted across the screen, Wonka immediately hits the visually bonkers bull’s eye, and that’s not necessarily a good thing.

But when King does right the ship, he does so with pizazz and style. As both Paddington efforts proved, the filmmaker has an innate ability to channel his inner child in a way that is equally enthralling to adult viewers. More importantly, his script — cowritten with his Paddington 2 partner Simon Farnaby — never panders to the youngsters in the audience. Like Dahl’s books, King isn’t afraid to go into some fairly dark recesses of the human condition. But he does so in ways that are goofily scary, not terrifyingly so, and that allows hearty giggles and shocked gasps of wonderment to rhapsodically coexist with zero polarization.

Chalamet doesn’t make even a passing attempt to channel his inner Wilder, and that’s

a smart move. But this is also the loosest, most idiosyncratically alive the actor has ever been.

He’s fearless when it comes to the singing and the dancing, and while he isn’t especially great at either, his exuberance is so enchanting that the reality that he can barely carry a tune weirdly becomes more of a plus than a minus.

Chalamet is having fun, especially in his scenes with the captivating Lane, as the pair’s chemistry is out of this surrealistic world.

The supporting cast is universally excellent, the cantankerously persnickety Grant most of all. A giant second-act set piece in which Willy brings guests into a small, previs version of his fabled “candy room” from the 1971 film is magnificent, while a giant rooftop dance number with Chalamet and Lane held me spellbound. There’s also a splendid bit in Mrs. Scrubbit’s underground laundry prison in which all of the forced laborers learn just how inventive Mr. Willy Wonka truly is, and I echoed their looks of amazed stupefaction.

One element does almost derail the fun, and it concerns Key’s morally flexible law enforcement officer. A running gag involves his chocolate addiction, with the corrupt policeman extorting Slugworth and his pals for more and more boxes of candy as payment to keep him on their payroll.

This causes him to gain more and more weight throughout the story, and while the

DECEMBER 15 , 2 0 2 3

makeup and prosthetic effects showcasing Key’s transformation are impressive, there is an unspoken ugliness to this subplot that’s uncomfortably jarring.

Thankfully, King never allows this film to laugh at the character. Granted, I can’t say it laughs with him, either, but all things considered, that the chief of police is never the actual butt of any joke is astonishing.

It helps that Key is a gifted comedian and knows exactly what he is doing, and that none of the hero characters — namely Wonka himself — make a vulgar fat joke no matter how large he is by the end. But, as much as the man’s size fits Dahl’s literary world, I’d rather the filmmakers had rethought this one. The character makes a sour enough impression that he almost ruined my fun.

Happy to say that didn’t happen. In large part due to a splendid climax in a church guarded by a bunch of chocolate-obsessed monks (led by Rowan Atkinson, no less) in which Slugworth’s true motives for confectionary domination are revealed, I exited the theater with a smile on my face and a skip in my step. As if it were traveling in a great glass elevator into the stratosphere, Wonka soars, and it didn’t take a golden ticket to go along for the ride.

SGN

19