SGN August 12, 2022

ISSUE 32

C E L E B R AT I N G

VOLUME 50

48 YEARS

F R I D AY

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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

FAR-RIGHT EXTREMIST ON BALLOT FOR CONGRESS IN SW WASHINGTON Joe Kent knocks out Herrera Beutler, but both trail Democrat

by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer Far-right extremist Joe Kent will be on the ballot for Congress in Washington’s 3rd Congressional District in November.

He will face Democrat Marie Gluesenkamp Perez in the November election.

In Washington state’s top-two primary system, the top two vote getters advance to the general election regardless of their party affiliation. Perez came in first in the primary count with 31% of the total, while Kent edged out incumbent Jamie Herrera Beutler with 22.74% to her 22.31%.

see 3RD DISTRICT page 18

Photo by Nathan Howard / AP

Party on: The LEO Party returns August 14

New MPV hotline available to answer your concerns

Joe Torres and Aleksa Manila – Photo by Nate Gowdy

by Georgia Skerritt SGN Intern Seattle’s annual LEO Party is making a return to Capitol Hill next Sunday, August 14.

The event began in 2003 at Neighbours Nightclub, when founder Joe Torres sought to turn his birthday into a communitycentered night of fun and fundraising for everyone to enjoy. Torres, who moved to

Seattle in his teens, spoke to the SGN about his inspiration and motives for starting the LEO Foundation, citing the found family he discovered after arriving to the city.

“My friends... became my family when I moved up to Seattle. I was at a point in my life where I was working a lot, and I felt like I needed to give back.”

see LEO PARTY page 6

Photo by SGN Staff

by A.V. Eichenbaum SGN Managing Editor Concerned citizen across the state of Washington can now call 1-833-829-HELP for the latest information on Monkeypox (MPV). The call center is a product of the state DOH’s efforts to inform Washingtonians and destigmatize MPV through readily available resources.

“As we navigate the MPV outbreak in Washington state, we cannot underestimate the need for our community members to address their questions and concerns,” said WA Secretary of Health Dr. Umair Shah.

Through an ongoing partnership with Washington 211, callers can get questions answered about MPV risk factors, vaccine

see MPV HOTLINE page 5

Episode 30: Isabel Mata Lindsey & Ash share their post-Pride summer shenanigans, talk SGN's summer book club, and give priceless fashion advice.

This week's special guest is advice columnist and podcaster Isabel Mata!

Find her at www.isabelmata.com

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

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Publisher Angela Cragin Managing Editor / Acting 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 Contributing Writers Alice Bloch • Maggie Bloodstone Kylin Brown • Sharon Cumberland Carter Hemion • Eve Kucharski Benny Loy • Isabel Mata Paige McGlauflin • Gaysha Starr Social Media Manager SGN Staff Photographers Juliana Adams • Nate Gowdy • SGN Staff Production Mike Pham SGN is published by Angela Cragin. © 2022. All Rights Reserved. Reprints by permission.

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In this Issue

LOCAL NEWS 4 A&E 8 BOOKS 15 SPORTS 16 OP-ED 17 NATIONAL / INTERNATIONAL NEWS 18 AUGUS T 12 , 2 0 2 2

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Local News

Homegrown Sandwich workers on strike in Renton

Photo courtesy of Our Union Is Homegrown @OurUnionIsHG / Twitter

by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer Workers at the Homegrown Sandwich distribution center in Renton walked out on strike August 10. Their action represents a major escalation in a months-long struggle for recognition of the workers’ union.

“Today the company is installing surveillance cameras in their vans rather than investing in fair wages and benefits,” the workers said on Twitter.

The Homegrown company runs 10 walkin cafés, including one on Capitol Hill’s Melrose Avenue, as well as a catering operation and several lines of premade sand-

wiches sold in local cafés, grocery stores, and institutional caféterias.

On June 9, workers from Homegrown sandwich cafés and Homegrown’s wholesale production and distribution facilities delivered a majority petition calling on Homegrown to agree to a fair and quick process to decide whether to form a union without threats or intimidation.

On June 13, Homegrown sent a communication only to the café workers, offering them a raise but refusing to acknowledge their request for a fair process to decide whether to form a union together with the workers who produce and distribute Homegrown’s wholesale products.

Homegrown’s wholesale products are marketed under the brand names Molly’s, Tosti, Bolt, and Shine. Workers have picketed at several Homegrown locations, as well as reaching out to customers at cafés and groceries where the wholesale sandwiches are sold, asking customers not to buy any of the Homegrown products until the company respects the workers’ decision to unionize.

Homegrown workers are organizing with UNITE HERE Local 8, a union that represents hotel and food service workers in Western Washington and Oregon.

Homegrown workers have received the support of Starbucks Workers United (another grassroots unionization drive),

MLK Labor, the central labor body in King County, and many local political leaders.

King County Councilmember Dave Upthegrove met with Homegrown workers August 1, joined via Zoom by Seattle City Councilmember Teresa Mosqueda.

Seattle City Council member Andrew Lewis also tweeted his support on July 30.

“My district has 3 homegrowns, and we are going to make sure that those locations are centers of worker power, of organizing for a fair contract,” Lewis wrote. “We’re going to stand together and through solidarity we’re going to win!”

MPV HOTLINE continued from cover

information, testing and treatment from 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. Monday, and 6:00 a.m.to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday and observed state holidays. Callers can continue to dial 1-800-525-0127 and press # to be transferred to a Washington 211 specialist. Language assistance is available in 240 languages.

“We are pleased to partner with 211 to meet this crucial need.”

It is important to note that callers will not be able to schedule appointments for vaccinations at this number, but information on local vaccination sites is available online.

“Vaccination is important,” Shah told the SGN, “but it’s not a silver bullet.”

“The best thing you can do to protect yourself against MPV is to know the risks and take precautions.” The DOH said in a press release Thursday, August 11. “Despite misinformation, we want to be clear that anyone who has close contact with a person with an infectious rash can get MPV; it is not exclusive to any community. MPV can also spread through touching objects, fabrics and surfaces that have been used by someone with MPV, and contact with respiratory droplets during prolonged faceto-face contact. If you have an unexplained rash, cover it, avoid skin-to-skin contact with others, and see a health care provider.”

This is a developing story. As the MPV situation evolves, data and prevention techniques may change. For more information and to stay up-to-date, visit https://doh.wa.gov/you-and-your-family/ illness-and-disease-z/monkeypox

Photo by Christinne Muschi / Reuters

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Local News

LEO PARTY

continued from cover He explained that from the beginning, the LEO Party has always been focused on creating a safe space and giving back to the Seattle community. This year, all profits from the event will be donated to two beneficiaries: C89.5 radio station and Pride ASIA. C89.5 is owned by Seattle Public Schools and operates from Nathan Hale High School in North Seattle. It is one of the oldest dance-music radio stations in the US, and also has other platforms that cater to LGBTQIA+ and BIPOC communities, including a podcast and a series of studentled discussions about mental health called “Coping 101.” On choosing C89.5 as a beneficiary, Torres explained, “I really just wanted to give the kids a good start and an opportunity at creating a better future.”

Pride ASIA is an API-centered, Queer nonprofit in Seattle. According to its website, the group’s mission is to “celebrate, empower, and nurture the multicultural diversity of the LGBTQ communities through the Asian Pacific Islander lens.” The organization was founded in 2012 by social activist Aleksa Manila, who also happens to be close friends with Torres and helps him organize the LEO Party each year.

On her personal connection with the event, Manila cited her close friendship with Torres as a key motivator. “I got involved of course because Joe and I are good friends, but I’m also a community organizer and event planner, so I just pull in that skill set. I’ve been helping him produce it and host it over these past 19 years,” she explained in an interview with the SGN. “He leads with his heart, so I don’t really question his decisions. He is a natural giver,” she said. “I believe I speak for the rest of the community when I say how selfless he is. I couldn’t ask for a better representative of the Seattle Queer community.”

Photos by Nate Gowdy

Neighbours hosting again The LEO Party will take place as usual at Neighbours, which opened in 1983 and is one of the oldest Gay nightclubs in Seattle.

The venue, where Torres has worked as a bartender for the last 20 years, has offered its space to the party since it began in 2003, excepting 2020, when it was closed during the pandemic.

As this is an event centered around community and inclusion rather than Queer or

non-Queer people, Neighbors Nightclub is an obvious fit as host.

When asked about the venue as both a place of work and place of community, Torres said, “It’s great. It was always for the community, and a lot of people go through there: Gay, straight, Bi, curious, or allies.

I’ve seen a lot of individuals come through who are curious or want to come out, and they usually go there because it’s a more comfortable bar to feel okay in without going straight into a Gay club.

“It’s always been a stepping stone.”

After a brief pause in 2020 during pandemic closures, the LEO Party was able to resume operations last August, with some restrictions.

“It was light. Whatever the state guidelines were at the time, we were following,” Manila recounted regarding last year’s event. “…As a community, we were just trying to follow the rules and be safe.”

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This year the event will function in the context of both COVID-19 and the newer monkeypox virus (MPV). While capacity limits and masking requirements no longer apply, ongoing health concerns have affected certain aspects of the event. This year’s party will not be able to offer meetand-greets with artists and performers, as it had done pre-pandemic.

This year the party is made possible by volunteer work by Joe Torres, Aleksa Manila, and members of both Pride ASIA and KNHC 89.5; Neighbors Nightclub; sponsorship by Muckleshoot Charities; and ticket sales and donations from the greater Seattle community.

Torres offered a final note about his motivations and goals for the LEO Party, saying, “Throughout my journey in life, I’ve come to accept everything about me and love myself, and that way I can learn to care about others.

That’s what has driven me to do what I do.”

If a night of drag, music, and inclusive community sounds like a good night for you, join the LEO Foundation team this Sunday at 7:00 p.m. Regardless of who you are or who you love, the party has room for everyone.

The LEO Party will begin at 7:00 pm at Neighbors Nightclub this Sunday, August 14. General admission tickets are $20 pre-sale or $25 at the door, and VIP tickets (which will include a “light buffet & thank-you gift’’) are $40 pre-sale and $50 at the door. Go to http://www. leofoundation.us for tickets.

If you are looking for a way to directly support grassroots efforts in the Seattle community, head to the same website for more information. Online donations are also possible for those who cannot attend the party in person but still want to show support.

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Photos by Nate Gowdy

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Arts & Entertainment

Seattle Indies brings Queer game devs together for education, support, fun

Photo courtesy of Seattle Indies

by Daniel Lindsley SGN Staff Writer Seattle and the surrounding area is home to more than a few of the country’s most prominent game companies. Tabletop titan Wizard of the Coast is headquartered in Renton, and digital distribution giant Valve operates out of Kirkland. ArenaNet, Niantic, Bungie — the list goes on.

It’s not often that we hear about the smaller Seattle studios and developers, however, unless they make it big. But there’s a whole community of them, actively networking and talking about issues in today’s games industry.

Seattle Indies has been an official nonprofit since 2011, but it was formed earlier than that. It has a broad social media presence, with both a Twitter account and a page on Facebook, as well as a Discord server of at least a thousand users in the industry — not just developers but also writers, artists, composers, and anyone else involved or interested in making games, electronic or not.

A reader might wonder now, “What does this have to do with being Queer?” Seattle Indies also has a group called the Diversity Collective, which gives Queer people and other minorities space and time to network, talk about the issues that affect them, and support each other.

For more info, I reached out to August Belhumeur, who volunteers her time and expertise to the organization as a board member, and works as a lead technical artist at Spry Fox, the studio behind Cozy Grove, a game about camping on a haunted island.

Belhumeur described Seattle Indies as a community that supports people in the games industry through all stages of game development. It has hosted events such as in-person coffee meetups, educational talks, and online game jams (in which people make games from scratch in 72 hours or less).

In June this year, Seattle Indies held its first Pride event at Mox Boarding House, the combination restaurant and tabletop

games store. It was a networking opportunity for Queer and Trans people in the industry, Belhumeur said, who might’ve been the only Queer or Trans person on their team, or might not have met another LGBTQ+ person in the industry before, whether peer or mentor.

More consistently, the Diversity Collective has meetups for all minorities, as well as smaller, more specific focus groups. Belhumeur said that a big part of these groups’ discussions around LGBTQ+ issues in the industry has to do with representation and inclusion.

More and more, games are showing Queer representation of some kind, whether through explicitly “prewritten” Queer characters (playable or not), or through allowing players the option to make certain char-

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A screenshot from Cozy Grove – Image courtesy of Spry Fox

acters Queer. So now that there are more Queer characters, the Collective often talks about how they should be represented.

In games with flexibility in characters’ appearance, this representation can be as simple as a genderfluid or ambiguous body type — which saves a lot of time, Belhumeur added, for indie studios that might not have the budget to animate both traditionally masculine and feminine figures.

As for current Queer games, Belhumeur recommended Call Me Cera, a visual novel; Unpacking, an intimate room-decoration experience; Celeste, an award-winning platformer with a Trans protagonist; Boyfriend Dungeon, a dungeon-crawler dating sim; and Spiritfarer, a cozy adventure and base-management sim. She said she’s excited for the upcoming Thirsty

Suitors as well, which is being made by the minority-led Outerloop Games.

The Collective has also discussed who is doing the writing. Some game studios have begun to run their stories by sensitivity readers, Belhumeur said, to fill in blind spots and prevent harmful elements in a final product.

“We care about equity, we care about people ‘getting in’ — you know, breaking into the industry,” Belhumeur said. “And we care about how we’re being supported... so we can be out and Queer and comfortable.”

You can find out more about Seattle Indies and its events, or join the Discord yourself, at https://www.seattleindies.org.

The organization will be at the PAX West gaming expo in September this year.

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Cancel your Gays

Streaming services continue Great Sapphic Cancelation of 2022

by Lindsey Anderson SGN Staff Writer Just as Queer women were getting used to seeing themselves represented on screen, TV networks and streaming services have begun slashing many of their most popular shows with women-loving-women (WLW) representation. As of August 2022, 18 television shows featuring a main sapphic romance or female Queer lead have been canceled.

These characters have faced a unique struggle in Western media over the last two centuries. While female homosexuality, like the male variety, was persecuted throughout much of the early days of American history, Lesbians ultimately became a more popular topic of media toward the end of the 19th century due to the fetishization of the male gaze.

While depictions of male homosexuality were still seen as vulgar and uncouth, at the turn of the 20th century, male authors began writing cheap “pulp” fiction novels featuring Lesbian romances and sex scenes. The books became incredibly popular with cis-het men.

Depictions of homosexuality remained on the page, however, as the 1930s “Hays Code” (conservative motion picture guidelines) prohibited showing LGBTQ+ people on screen.

Lesbian novels became a staple genre of pulp fiction and soon developed specific tropes. One required the degenerate woman (typically the “real” Lesbian who had tempted the “pure” woman with her sinful ways) to meet an untimely demise, reinforcing the moral that homosexuality was villainous and corrupt, and would ultimately lead to the perpetrator’s downfall.

This trope became known as the “bury your Gays” cliché. It persisted throughout the 20th century and also included male homosexuals, Bisexuals, and Transgender characters (although the latter two were much less represented in media). Even as LGBTQ+ representation became more popular and the restrictive code was forgotten, the trope remained.

Even the most sympathetic characters often met tragic endings, giving the impression to viewers that Queerness is a bigger threat to LGBTQ+ persons themselves than it is to anyone close to them. Most recently, Queer tragedies such as Moonlight, Stillwater, and The Miseducation of Cameron Post have included some form of this message.

The trope has become so ingrained in American pop culture that LGBTQ+ mental health researchers have even cited it for the alarmingly high suicide rates in the community.

First Kill – Photo courtesy of Netflix

The “bury your Gays” trope was brought to the forefront of the conversation around LGBTQ+ representation in media in 2016, when viewers noticed that female LGBTQ+ characters were targeted at an alarmingly high rate. In 2015 and 2016, 42 Lesbian and female Bisexual characters were killed off in US TV shows.

Tipping point The tipping point for the trope came in 2017, when the popular Bisexual character Lexa was killed off on The CW’s The 100. Fans of the show started “The Lexa Pledge,” demanding TV writers and producers write significant storylines and character arcs for LGBTQ+ characters, refuse to kill off a Queer character only to further the plot of a straight character, and “consider that the deaths of Queer characters have deep psychosocial ramifications” for viewers.

Since then, networks have moved to significantly improve LGBTQ+ representation by adding such characters to some of the most popular TV programs, such as Stranger Things, The Umbrella Academy, and Euphoria.

However, in 2022, fans are now calling out the networks yet again for “burying their Gays” by canceling Queer programs altogether. In 2022 alone, 18 sapphic-led television shows across networks and genres have been canceled.

While some shows, like DC Legends of Tomorrow and Dynasty, may have just run their course, fans are questioning why other young and popular shows have gotten the boot. One of the latest to get canned was Netflix’s popular teen fantasy drama First Kill. Despite remaining on the platform’s Top 10 list and receiving over a hundred million viewing hours since it premiered in June of 2022, Netflix decided to drop the show.

It cited “low completion rates” as its primary reason for canceling the show, but the creator, Victoria Schwab, thinks the streaming platform was a bit misleading in how it advertised it. “The art for the initial marketing was beautiful,” Schwab said. “I think I expected that to be the beginning and that the other equally compelling and important elements of the show — monsters vs. monster hunters, the battle between two powerful matriarchs, etc. — would eventually be promoted, and that didn’t happen.”

The Wilds – Photo courtesy of Amazon Studios

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Fans, however, think the show was doomed from the start. “Mind you, Sapphics defied the fucking ODDS for First Kill,” wrote one fan on Twitter. “Netflix had already canceled it before it even aired, and the lack of promo alone tells you they had no intentions of it making it past s1. Just anti-blackness and lesbophobia.”

First Kill wasn’t the only casualty of the Great 2022 Sapphic Cancelation. Amazon Prime announced at the end of July that it would be canceling The Wilds, another popular teen drama. Unlike First Kill, The Wilds was heavily promoted by Amazon Prime and received positive critical reviews.

The Wilds was also a fan favorite and the first Amazon Prime original teen drama.

Critics have pointed out that the program’s success may have been a big reason behind the studio greenlighting several other teenfocused shows and movies, like Paper Girls and The Summer I Turned Pretty.

Like First Kill, The Wilds also featured a main interracial Lesbian relationship, and primarily focused on the bonds between women, both romantically and platonically. The show has also been praised for its racial diversity and inclusion of neurodiverse characters.

The second season of the hit series, which premiered in May 2022, was one of Amazon Prime’s most-watched shows. The network still has not disclosed why it chose to cancel it, but fans have continued to rally on social media platforms, using the hashtag #savethewilds in hopes the program might get picked up by another network.

While viewers are continuing to rant, mourn, and rally for their favorite shows, one thing is for certain: fans of sapphic TV know not to get too attached. One way or another, the networks will find a way to bury their Gays.

Below are all the Sapphic-led TV shows that have been canceled in 2022 so far: Gentefied – Canceled Jan. 2022 Work in Progress – Canceled Jan. 2022 Batwoman – Canceled March 2022 DC’s Legends of Tomorrow – Canceled April 2022 Charmed – Canceled May 2022 Dollface – Canceled May 2022 4400 – Canceled May 2022 Dynasty – Canceled May 2022 Queens – Canceled May 2022 Legacies – Canceled May 2022 Naomi – Canceled in May 2022 Pivoting – Canceled in May 2022 Promised Land – Canceled May 2022 Q-Force – Canceled June 2022 Why Women Kill – Canceled July 2022 Gentleman Jack – Canceled July 2022 The Wilds – Canceled July 2022 First Kill – Canceled August 2022

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Arts & Entertainment

Seattle Opera’s Elixir of Love: Quanto è bella!

by Sharon Cumberland & Alice Bloch SGN Contributing Writers THE ELIXIR OF LOVE Music by Gaetano Donizetti Libretto by Felice Romani McCaw Hall Opening weekend, August 6 and 7 onstage through August 20) Seattle Opera made the right call by opening its 2022-23 season with one of the most delightful operas in the repertoire: Donizetti’s Elixir of Love (L’elisir d’amore). It has everything you hope for in a comic opera: great conducting and singing, memorable arias, clever staging, and a lot of laughs. This show is the very personification of “a good time was had by all.”

The libretto, by Felice Romani, almost guarantees a great comic opera. It takes place in a small village in Italy, where an ordinary fellow, Nemorino (Andres Acosta and Amitai Pati, in alternating performances), is hopelessly in love with the town beauty, Adina (Salome Jicia). He hasn’t got a chance — until a huckster, Dr. Dulcamara (the very funny Luca Pisaroni) comes to town selling a tonic that can solve any problem, including unrequited love.

Nemorino spends his last lira to get the fake cure-all so he can lure Adina away from her cocky suitor, Sergeant Belcore (Rodion Pogossov). Seattle’s own Tess Altiveros in the role of Giannetta adds her soaring soprano to the touching and hilarious shenanigans that ensue.

Donizetti’s music — lively marches one minute, heart-rending arias the next — is so memorable that you leave McCaw Hall humming bits of melodies. The orchestra must have been happy, too, to have debutant conductor Giampaolo Bisanti from Milan on hand to lead the forces. He specializes in Italian opera and understands the delicate balance between humor and melancholy that characterizes comic operas like this one. Bisanti’s energy and expressiveness in the pit — punctuated by gestures of applause and encouragement he signaled to the singers from the podium — were a joy throughout. Under his direction, the always excellent Seattle Symphony Orchestra musicians and Seattle Opera chorus performed with exceptional enthusiasm. A special welcome is due to Michaella Calzaretta, making her Seattle Opera debut as chorus master.

This stage production, originally created for the Santa Fe Opera, is updated to the late-WWII moment, when American troops were liberating remote Italian villages. Directed by Stephen Lawless, with colorful scenery and costumes designed

by Ashley Martin-Davis, the production abounds with effective, amusing details.

The ABCs on the school blackboard are partially erased to read “NO” when Adina rebuffs Nemorino in Act I, and then modified to read “Natura” when she explains her fickle nature, and then modified again by the smitten Nemorino to read “N+A” enclosed in a heart. A man clutches his beloved chicken in horror while watching the menu appear on that same blackboard, with every course of the planned wedding feast featuring a chicken dish. Giannetta stuffs her bra with fruit from the table, then gives up, pulls out the fruit, and takes a bite. Dr. Dulcamara raises his hands as if expecting to be arrested whenever someone calls out to him.

Instead of being the town bumpkin, as in traditional performances, Nemorino is here an auto mechanic who gazes longingly across the town square at Adina, the town’s schoolteacher. We’re always charmed to see children in operas, so we greatly enjoyed watching the small gang of kids running in and out. We were less enthralled with Belcore’s GIs, who seemed to point their

rifles at the townsfolk for no reason. These are supposed to be chocolate soldiers! Who needs reality in a comic love story?

Nevertheless, the singing was wonderful — Acosta’s Nemorino was a standout — and the whole experience was lovely. The opening night audience was appropriately dolled up, as only Seattelites can do, in that mixture

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Andres Acosta as Nemorino in Seattle Opera’s The Elixir of Love – Photo by Sunny Martini

of sparkly dresses, crazy ties, stiletto heels, and cool sneakers. The house was nearly full on opening night, less so at the Sunday matinee performance. More than half of the audience members were masked, and most observed social distancing.

It was a jolly crowd, prepared to be pleased. When Nemorino sang his big

aria, “Quanto è bella!” (How beautiful she is!) the audience seemed to feel the same way — about the music, the story, and being back in the enchanted atmosphere of McCaw Hall.

For more information and to order tickets, go to seattleopera.org.

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Tess Altiveros as Giannetta and Salome Jicia as Adina in Seattle Opera’s The Elixir of Love – Photo by Sunny Martini

Amitai Pati as Nemorino, with chorus in Seattle Opera’s The Elixir of Love – Photo by Sunny Martini

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Film

Deceitfully clever Bodies Bodies Bodies is a horrifyingly hilarious breath of fresh air

Lee Pace in Bodies Bodies Bodies – Photo courtesy of A24

by Sara Michelle Fetters SGN Staff Writer BODIES BODIES BODIES Theaters Bodies Bodies Bodies is a gnarly, uncouth, and suitably deceitful breath of fresh horror air. Acclaimed director Halina Reijn (Instinct) makes her English-language debut behind the camera, working from a screenplay penned by playwright Sarah DeLappe (The Wolves) and based on Kristen Roupenian’s original story. What the trio has concocted is a fast-paced, devilishly hilarious, and fearlessly cutthroat whodunnit thriller. It’s also one of the better films I’ve seen this year.

Socialite and recovering addict Sophie (Amandla Stenberg) and her girlfriend Bee (Maria Bakalova) have arrived late to a “hurricane party” being thrown by the former’s best friend David (Pete Davidson) at his family’s secluded mansion. Other attendees include David’s goofy girlfriend Emma (Chase Sui Wonders), the forcefully direct Jordan (Myha’la Herrold), and gregarious podcaster Alice (Rachel Sennott), who also brought along her new boyfriend, sexy fortysomething vet Greg (Lee Pace).

As the storm begins to rage, the group decides to play “bodies bodies bodies,” a variation on hide-and-seek, only in which one of them is secretly a “killer” and, after a participant is “murdered,” all of the “survivors” must come back together and try to guess which of them did the dirty deed. As everyone — save Sophie — has been drinking a bit too much, and maybe even snorted a few lines of recreational cocaine, tongues get loose and emotions fray. Their attempt to play the game devolves into a shouting match overflowing with harsh truths and even worse insinuations, and some of the ladies openly wonder why they’re all friends in the first place.

This is only the tip of a lethal iceberg.

What begins as a shrewd, female-centered satirical comedy for the TikTok generation quickly spirals into Agatha Christie–meets–The House on Sorority Row or Slumber Party Massacre territory. Featuring take-no-prisoners verbal repartee akin to something like Mean Girls as the gift wrapping concealing the diabolic antics that transpire after a party attendee mysteriously turns up literally dead, there’s so

much going on in this absurdist nightmare that I’m going to need multiple viewings to fully embrace every twist and turn.

I have to say, when we talk about wanting messy LGBTQ+ representation in horror, DeLappe and Roupenian have come up with exactly that. Unlike They/Them, there is no agenda, no attempt to walk on eggshells. Characters do not get thrown under the bus or do things that make no sense as far as the grand scheme is concerned. They do not make ghastly decisions that play into tired and offensive stereotypes.

Instead, they get to make disturbing and despicable choices that feel wholly authentic. Sophie is an entitled misanthrope who knows how to use language — both verbal and nonverbal — to get what she wants or provoke a response from those she’s trying to agitate. The same goes for Jordan. These two have committed any number of selfish acts. Now that one of their friends is lying dead in a pool of blood outside the patio door, they can’t help but make the situation more about themselves than trying to unmask the identity of a killer who is likely to strike again before the night is over.

All five of the women have their secrets, however, and almost each is prone to say something ghastly at the expense of one or

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Amandla Stenberg and Maria Bakalova in Bodies Bodies Bodies – Photo courtesy of A24

more of their supposed “best” friends. But they are equally liable to be shockingly selfless in some substantively surprising ways. While these moments understandably become few and farther between as the hurricane rages on, there is at least some genuine goodness lurking within each young woman that helps give fresh deaths, when they occur, heartbreaking emotional weight and not just visceral shock value.

The obvious enigma in all of this is Bee. Splendidly portrayed by Bakalova — an Academy Award nominee for Borat Subsequent Moviefilm, who proves that her nomination was far from a fluke — and inventively written by DeLappe and Roupenian, the newcomer to this group has precious little in common with those she’s partying with, other than they’re all roughly the same age. Her presence allows the satire to have extra bite, with Reijn cagily planting her as the audience’s avatar and filtering much of what is happening through her eyes.

Some will undoubtedly be disappointed that this mystery’s resolution isn’t particularly important. Reijn, DeLappe, and Roupenian have far more than a killer’s identity on their mind. The key to this story is listening to what Sophie, Jordan, Emma, and especially Alice are saying to one another,

a core element of the satire being their twisting of certain phrases and how they utilize modern social media buzzwords to their own benefit.

Each actor shines and, as already mentioned, Bakalova is the clear standout, but Stenberg — also one of the film’s executive producers — and Sennott are also excellent, the latter having a plethora of scene-stealing moments that are as brazenly funny as they are appallingly crude.

There’s also some grand work being turned in by both Davidson and Pace, but as they are clearly not the focal point for all this madness, it’s kind of glorious how Reijn utilizes them as masculine red herrings and not much more.

I’m not going to say anything additional, other than that Bodies Bodies Bodies features the most spectacular final reveal I’ve seen in ages. It recolors the previous 85 minutes in an entirely new light, one that made me want to go back to the beginning and take a new look right then and there. The inspired deviousness of it all filled my heart with glee, and for anyone currently bored at home and looking for something to do, heading to the theater to discover what all the fuss is about may just be the hysterically gory wakeup call they were looking for.

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Books

Agent Josephine a thrilling addition to historophiles’ shelves

by Terri Schlichenmeyer Special to the SGN AGENT JOSEPHINE: AMERICAN BEAUTY, FRENCH HERO, BRITISH SPY DAMIEN LEWIS © 2022 PublicAffairs $32.00 496 pages

Image courtesy of PublicAffairs

When Josephine Macdonald was a small child in St. Louis, Missouri, she grew to understand that her mother resented her for merely being born. Though Carrie Carson worked hard to keep the family fed, there was never enough money, so little Josephine contributed to the family by working as a maid and by dancing and street-performing for coins. That made her happiest.

Later, after she realized that she could actually make a living performing, she found stage work, but discriminatory Jim Crow laws were a constant in her life.

Believing that leaving America was her best option, she headed for Europe in the

1920s, where she knew that racism wasn’t as entrenched.

Alas, most European countries were not welcoming, either. Everywhere but in France, she was looked upon with disgust.

And so, says Lewis, Josephine married a Frenchman, took his last name, relinquished her American citizenship, and gave France her heart.

In the later part of the 1930s, when it became obvious that Hitler and the Nazis were becoming a danger to the rest of Europe and to the world, authorities began looking for what they called “honorary correspondents” to help collect covert information and to pass messages. “HCs” possessed intelligence. They were calm and patriotic people of means.

With her star power and her people skills, Josephine Baker was considered immediately; when officials interviewed her, they found that she was “a natural.”

And so Josephine became a spy, fighting the Nazis until she had to temporarily flee to a small village in France. So in a chateau there, awaiting word from her associates,

was “the world’s most famous woman of color, who hungered to fight.”

The very first thing you’ll notice about Agent Josephine is that it’s a brick. That should alert you immediately to what’s in store: that author Damien Lewis dives deep.

In his introduction, he explains what spurred him to write this book and the turns his research took, from America to Europe and into the darkest of corners of nearly-century-old history. There are jawdroppers in what he found, and questions that still remain classified.

Readers can take that as an alert, too: there’s a lot of European history to unpack to get to the biography — the reason you grabbed this book. Baker’s story is there, but it’s eked out amid a long, complicated story of World War II espionage, though a more-than-basic knowledge of Europe 1933–45 is a must.

Without it, you may flail — although a love of a good spy story could redeem this history for fans of thrillers. If that’s you, there’s no need to keep Agent Josephine under wraps.

“It’s fun to be a bookseller” 50 years of community with Island Books

by Lindsey Anderson SGN Staff Writer Just across the floating bridge sits the community epicenter of Mercer Island: Island Books. Over the last 50 years, the store has become a hub for meetings, a must-see gift shop, and the island’s largest collection of new books.

Nancy Shawn has enjoyed watching the store grow and flourish. “I’ve been working here for probably about 12 years, I’ve been in the book business for about 20,” she said.

“I love books. I like talking to people about books. That’s the beauty of bookstores. …It’s just wonderful to touch books and see them take off. I love watching authors take off, and talking about books is my favorite thing.”.

“The age of Queer normative” Over the last few decades, Shawn has not only watched Island Books grow, but she has seen a development in how readers react to LGBTQ+ books. “I used to work at Red and Black Books. It was a feminist Queer radical collective started in the 1970s,” she said. “Since then, it has been fun to see the ‘age of Queer normative.’”

Island Books has a small LGBTQ+ section, which is mostly curated by Shawn, but today readers can find LGBTQ+ books in any section, especially in the front of the store, where the employees’ picks are. “You can walk to the front of the store and see that there are best-selling books with Queer characters.

They are so mainstream. It’s really fun to be a bookseller now,” Shawn said.

Shawn has also noticed some of the best-selling books of the summer are LGBTQ+ ones. “The hottest books this summer are... Lessons in Chemistry, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow.

We usually sell a lot of mainstream mystery and thrillers. A lot of romances sell well for us. Also, in the teen section, Heartstopper has been a best seller.”

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Photos by Lindsey Anderson

Heartstopper has been so popular it has inspired the store’s book buyers to stock more teen LGBTQ+ romances. “High school kids are coming in to read Heartstopper now. And it’s everybody — Gay, Trans, and straight kids. We can’t keep it on the shelves.

“We’re a mainstream bookstore, [but] there are so many great [LGBTQ+] books out now,” she said.

A community hub The warm and cozy feel of Heartstopper pairs perfectly with Island Books, which Shawn describes as a “warm old nooks-and-cranny sort of bookstore.”

For the people of Mercer Island, it’s more than just a place to grab a new read. “It’s a community hub,” Shawn said. “It’s the center of retail on Mercer Island. People come in to get the news, gossip, and meet up with their friends. All sorts of people live here and shop here, so we have to try to cover all the bases.”

Aside from books, shoppers at Island

Books can also find small gifts, such as handmade soaps and candles, as well as art supplies and plenty of toys.

“Because there’s not a lot of retail on Mercer Island, we keep everything covered,” Shawn explained. “You can find stickers or a nice tea cup. Laurie, the owner, is great at finding nice stuff that’s usually West Coast made.”

The store also hosts many community events. This past week it celebrated “Where’s Waldo Day” with free pizza and games for families to enjoy. When school is in session, it also contributes to community events to ensure that all the kids on Mercer Island have access to new books to read.

“We run the local school book fairs at the store every fall and donate a good [part] of the proceeds back to the schools,” Shawn said.

“We’re always donating books, too. During COVID, we donated a lot to the retirement homes for people who couldn’t get out.

“We also support local businesses. We do

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lots of things, like give out gift cards to local organizations. We like to keep it local, since our community here supports us so much.”

Island Books has been a staple of the Mercer Island community for as long as many can remember. It’s its longstanding dedication to books that makes the store so special, Shawn says.

“Island Books is unique, because we have one of the most experienced book-selling staffs in the Seattle area, with decades of combined experience. The store has also been around for 50 years, and it’s way bigger than it looks,” she said with a laugh.

Whether you’re looking for the next edition of Heartstopper, a cozy summer candle, or the perfect gift for a friend, make sure to stop by Island Books the next time you venture to Mercer Island.

Island Books is at 3014 78th Ave SE, Mercer Island, or online at islandbooks. com.

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Sports Sue Bird’s final flight draws record Storm game crowd

A sold-out stadium at Climate Pledge Arena on August 7, 2022 – Photo by A.V. Eichenbaum

by A.V. Eichenbaum SGN Managing Editor The air was electric Sunday, August 7, as the Seattle Storm thundered into Climate Pledge Arena for the last home game of the regular season.

The game was tight, but in the end, the visiting Las Vegas Aces won, with a final score of 89-81 over our hometown heroes.

That didn’t matter to the crowd of 18,000 Storm fans filling the arena. They were there for the team, win or no, and they were there to say goodbye — and thanks — to Sue Bird.

Sue Bird: A summary Bird was drafted by the Storm in 2002 and was with them for all four of their WNBA championship wins. Five Olympic gold medals and twelve WNBA all-star games are just the tip of the iceberg for the longtime fan favorite’s decorated career.

It’s safe to say that the point guard — once called “one of the best point guards to ever play the game” by CBS Sports— helped shape the Seattle Storm’s fanbase and culture over the past two decades.

Aside from her historic career, her power-couple relationship with Megan Rapinoe of the Reign soccer team has long been a source of inspiration for LGBTQ+ sports fans nationwide. A favorite example of their love and support for one another is Bird’s essay responding to Donald Trump’s hateful tweets aimed at Rapinoe and the USWNT during the 2019 World Cup. So the President F*cking Hates My Girlfriend jumped to Rapinoe’s defense and showcased the admiration Bird has for her girlfriend, now her fiancée.

For Seattleites, Bird’s name is synonymous with basketball. The love and support fans showed her at her final regular season home game said it all.

Sue Bird thanking the fans on August 7, 2022 – Photo by Neil Enns / Seattle Storm

The game The largest crowd in Seattle Storm history: that’s what the announcer said in between time-outs and highlight reels of Bird’s career. Signs saying, “Thank you, Sue” and “GOAT” flooded the arena.

The halftime show was Jessica K. Haas — America’s first female speedpainter — live-painting a portrait of Sue Bird to thunderous applause. Mayor Bruce Harrell sat courtside.

To say this game was a big deal would be an understatement. It was a celebration — not only of Bird’s career but of the things Storm fans love about the game itself.

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It was loud. It was dynamic. The fans were asked to bring the thunder, and that’s what they did.

After the game, Bird spoke to the crowd. A belovedly infamous trash talker, she joked, “I’m sure I’ll be back to roast everyone I’ve ever played with,” before thanking fans for 21 years of support and giving a shout-out to famed Lesbian bar The Wildrose.

“It took me a minute to figure out who I was,” she told the packed stadium. “But once I did, I was all right. And you guys allowed me to do that… I love you, thank you so much, and I’ll see you in the playoffs.”

The Storm went on last week to beat the Chicago Sky on their home turf 111-100 in their final regular season game of the year.

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Op-Ed

Ask Izzy: Mismatched sex drives & Poly house drama

Isabel Mata – Photo by Alex Quetzali @grainy.girl

by Isabel Mata SGN Contributing Writer My name is Isabel Mata and ever since I was a kid, I have been using my own experiences (and traumas) as a bisexual, neurodivergent chronic over-sharer to help my friends, family, and even random strangers on the internet have stronger relationships, better sex, and healthier mindsets. I find joy in writing about all the things no one else wants to talk about. The more cringe, the better.

Using my experience and my innate ability to connect with empathy, every other week I will respond to your questions about life, love, friendships, sexuality, mental health, and whatever else is on your mind. Nothing is off limits.

Dear Izzy, I’ve been with my partner for over a year, and I love her. However, our sex drives don’t match up. I’m the hornier one, BY FAR. She comes from a very different background than me — I wasn’t raised religious — and I think that might have something to do with it. How do we find our balance? I want it to work out SO BAD. — Supersexed in Shoreline Supersexed: I am curious to know more about your sex life. What happens when you are turned on and initiate sex? Do they shut you down and brush it off? What do you do then? Is masturbation an option?

For many people (including myself), sexual intimacy plays a huge role in the success of romantic relationships. It’s a great way to build connections, show affection, and release stress! But only if both partners are having their needs met.

My advice is to have a conversation with your partner about how you have been feeling. Once you have shared your point of view, give your partner an opportunity to express how they feel. Are they satisfied with your sex life?

While you may have your own assumptions about how their relationship with sex was impacted by their religious upbringing, it’s important to allow them to express it for themselves. Purity culture goes very deep and can sometimes take years to unpack. So don’t be disappointed if their answer is unfulfilling.

The most important advice I can give you is to stay true to who you are in all your sexy goodness and know that you can’t change your partner. But that doesn’t mean the relationship is doomed if you are on different pages. If sex once a week is all they are comfortable with, try solo sex! Remember, masturbation is a great way to release some of that horniness, especially if your partner has a lower sex drive than you.

All it takes is a bit of open communication, love, and gentle boundary setting. You got this!

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(above) Photo by Ketut Subiyanto / Pexels, (below) Photo by cottonbro / Pexels

Dear Izzy, My roommates and I are casually seeing one another. There are a lot of us across the gender spectrum. They’re all cool, but I feel like there aren’t enough boundaries set up and sometimes I feel pressured. Help!

— Poly Polly in the CD Poly Polly: Wow, this living situation sounds like a lot! While I am sure it is fun at times and great for your sexual exploration, getting involved with roommates, whether sexually or romantically, is always a risky situation for all involved. And not one that I recommend.

I am a firm believer that your home space is sacred, and if clear boundaries are not set, it can become toxic very quickly.

Which I worry might be happening to you already. Because I know how difficult it is to find roommates you like, I am not going to tell you to move out. I know it’s not realistic, although I do think it would be the most beneficial in the long run, especially if you are already feeling like your boundaries are not being respected.

The alternative is for you to think about what kind of relationship you want to have with your roommates moving forward and reiterate your boundaries. Remember that you are allowed and encouraged to say no to your roommate’s advances! And be

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clear: the clearer the boundary, the easier it will be for them to respect it.

One example is to just no longer date your roommates. While it might be difficult at first if you’ve been hooking up with any of them, it’s okay to change your mind and do what is best for you.

My recommendation is to sit down and have an open conversation with your roommates about how you have been feeling and what boundaries you are going to set moving forward. If you get any pushback and no longer feel safe in your home, it might be time to start looking for a new place to live.

I promise there are cool people to date that don’t live in your apartment!

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National & International News

National news highlights

by Daniel Lindsley SGN Contributing Writer

Robert Fehring (l) arrives at court with his attorney – Photo by James Carbone, Newsday via AP

Retired New York man gets two years for hate crimes by post Robert Fehring, 74, has been sentenced to 30 months in prison after mailing violent threats to LGBTQ+ people, groups, and businesses over several years, including threats to blow up the historic Stonewall Inn and the New York City Pride march.

The retired schoolteacher pleaded guilty to the charges in February. His attorney, Glenn Obedin, said in an email, “We are disappointed in the length of the sentence, but Mr. Fehring is happy to be putting this nightmare behind him. He is deeply remorseful for what occurred, and looks forward to living quietly with his family once he has served his sentence.”

An FBI search of Fehring’s Long Island home turned up two loaded shotguns, hundreds of rounds of ammunition, two copies of threatening letters, and a stamped envelope addressed to an LGBTQ-affiliated attorney. The envelope contained the remains of a dead bird.

Suffolk County Police Commissioner Rodny Harrison said in a statement, “Rober Fehring made heinous threats against members of the LGBTQ community in locations throughout New York, including Suffolk Country, for nearly eight years. Thanks to the tireless work of our department’s Hate Crimes Unit... Fehring is being held accountable for his crimes.”

Licenses now, the rest later: New York DMV adds “X” gender option New Yorkers now have the option to mark their gender identity on their driver’s licenses with an “X” — no longer by standing in line but by going to the DMV website and applying for the change. The “X” option appeared after the state passed a law in 2021.

“I am excited to announce this historic change that represents another victory in our fight to help ensure equality and respect for the LGBTQ+ community,” New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said in an announcement. “In New York, we are taking action to help ensure [that] every person feels welcomed, represented, and free to live their truth, regardless of their gender identity or expression.”

DMV Commissioner Mark Schroeder said, “We are thrilled that our customers can go online to privately and simply amend their license or ID to reflect who they are without fear of judgment.”

According to the governor’s website, the state’s budget includes legislation that would require state agencies to provide the same “X” option on all state forms that collect gender and sex information.

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Photo by Elizabeth Frantz / Reuters

3RD DISTRICT continued from cover

Herrera Beutler was one of 10 Republicans who voted to impeach Donald Trump following the January 6 insurrection, earning the wrath of Trump and his far-right following.

Kent actively courted Trump and figures even further to the right. Reacting to the FBI raid on Trump’s palatial Mar-a-Lago residence, Kent told Trump strategist Steve Bannon, “This just shows everyone what many of us have been saying for a very long time.

We’re at war.”

According to the Associated Press, Kent has also aligned himself with a number of farright, white nationalist, or neo-fascist groups.

“I don’t think there’s anything wrong with there being a white-people special interest group,” Kent said during the YouTube interview with a group called the American Populist Union. He also said the immigration situation between the US and Mexico wasn’t as bad as in Europe because “their version of Mexico is Africa and the Middle East.”

The AP noted that campaign finance disclosures reveal Kent recently paid $11,375 for “consulting” over the past four months to Graham Jorgensen, who was identified as a Proud Boy in a law enforcement report and was charged with cyberstalking his exgirlfriend in 2018.

Kent is also reported to be a close political ally of Joey Gibson, the founder of the Christian nationalist group Patriot Prayer.

Since establishing the group in 2016, Gibson has organized demonstrations in Portland, as well as the city’s Washington state suburbs, where he and his followers have clashed with left-wing groups. Many of the demonstrations were coordinated with the Proud Boys.

Gibson regularly promoted Kent’s campaign on social media and spoke at a Kent fundraiser last year. When it was Kent’s turn to speak at the event, he lavished praise on Gibson, saying that Gibson “defended this community when our community was under assault from antifa.”

Photos from far-right events demonstrate that Kent’s allies have associated with

International news highlights

by Daniel Lindsley SGN Contributing Writer French PM announces official for worldwide LGBTQ advocacy Perhaps to celebrate the country’s 40th anniversary of the decriminalization of homosexuality, French Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne announced on Thursday last week that the government has created a new position: “ambassador for LGBTQ rights.”

The ambassador will be named by the end of the year, Borne said, and will be in charge of pushing for universal decriminalization of homosexuality and Trans identity. She also announced a three-million euro fund for ten new LGBTQ+ cen-

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French PM Elisabeth Borne – Photo by Michel Euler / AP

ters, making a total of 45 in the country.

Borne said that “the President of the Republic’s approach, my approach, the government’s approach is not ambiguous: we will continue to fight to make progress on the rights of the LGBTQ.” Earlier this year, French minister Caroline Cayeux was criticized for remarks activists and LGBTQ people said stigmatized LGBTQ people. Cayeux had been asked about her opposition to legalizing Gay marriage and adoption in 2013: “I have a lot of friends among those people,” she said.

About that, Borne said on Thursday that Cayeux “made unfortunate comments, [and] she apologized.”

known white supremacists. In numerous instances, Gibson as well as Jorgensen, the Proud Boy on Kent’s payroll, were recorded standing next to Jacob Von Ott, who has posted racist and antisemitic views online and expressed admiration for the founder of the American Nazi Party.

Kent has also sought support from figures associated with the white nationalist “Groyper Army” movement led by internet personality Nick Fuentes. Fuentes attended the 2017 white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, as well as the January 6 insurrection at the Capitol.

Kent admitted that a political consultant set up a conference call early in his campaign that included Fuentes, but he denied that there was any sort of formal arrangement between them.

In April, however, Kent was photographed at a fundraiser giving a thumbs-up with Greyson Arnold, a Groyper-aligned commentator who identifies as a “Christian American Nationalist.” Like Fuentes, Arnold was also at the US Capitol during the insurrection.

Uganda suspends oldest support group over “unsuitable” name Authorities in Uganda have suspended the work of Sexual Minorities Uganda (SMU), the nation’s most prominent LGBTQ+ support group, after a registrar refused to register the organization’s name for being unsuitable and a judge agreed.

SMU has been around since 2004.

SMU leader Frank Mugisha said on Saturday that authorities advised him to suspend activities, since his group now lacks documentation. “This means that the lifesaving work that we do is on hold,” he said. “We can’t protect and support vulnerable LGBT people. The background, of course, is homophobia and transphobia.” The group’s appeal to a higher court is awaiting judgment.

Homosexuality is already illegal in Uganda, but some Ugandan officials have urged harsher legislation, such as one bill from 2009 that included the death penalty for “aggravated acts of homosexuality,” or another from 2014 that included up to a life sentence in prison. Neither bill was passed.

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

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