SGN December 4, 2020

Celebrating 46 Years!

Issue 49 Volume 48

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N E W S & E N T E R TA I N M E N T W E E K LY

IN MEMORIAM Allena Pearcy Gabosch Community Builder Extraordinaire, Educator, Shame Eradicator, Activist, Leader March 25, 1953 ­- November 25, 2020

by Mac McGregor Special to the SGN What a journey she had. She lived two-hundred lifetimes in one and squeezed ever little drop out of each year until the end. She had a life’s philosophy of eradicating shame, spreading joy and making a difference in the world.

see ALLENA GABOSCH page 3

Settlement in Aimee Stephens Transgender bias case

Dr. Anthony Fauci honored on World AIDS Day

Aimee Stephens – Photo by Paul Sancya / AP

by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer A federal judge formally approved a settlement in the case of Aimee Stephens, the Transgender funeral home employee whose lawsuit led to Supreme Court recognition of

Trans rights in the workplace.

Stephens died on May 12, 2020, but her estate won $130,000, including $63,724 in back pay with interest and $66,276 in damages.

see STEPHENS page 19

Dr. Anthony Fauci – Photo by Andrew Harnik / AP

by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer Dr Anthony Fauci was honored on World AIDS Day, December 1, with the Global Leadership Coalition’s Lifetime Achievement Award.

The Global Leadership Foundation is an international network of former government officials and leaders in other fields who offer advice to developing countries on governance and conflict resolution.

see FAUCI page 11

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December 4, 2020

Celebrating 46 Years!

OBITUARY

ALLENA GABOSCH continued from cover

Those things she accomplished everyday of her life. Giving people a safe space to be themselves, to explore their sexuality and expression was part of her gift to the world. She saw people, she truly saw people. She genuinely loved hearing people’s stories and connecting them to others who they would resonate with.

She was extremely generous with her time and always shared the stage. She used her incredible spotlight to help launch and promote the careers of many sex and gender educators and activists. You’d be pressed to find a more passionate advocate.

Sexual folklorist and founder of Bawdy Storytelling, Dixie De La Tour shares some thoughts about Allena’s lasting impact.

“While most people refer to Allena Gabosch as a ‘powerhouse’ or ‘tour de force’, I always saw her as a brilliant connector and community leader. She had such insight into what drives people. She always left you wanting more of her. People gravitated toward Allena and all of that positive energy. She embodied being worthy of pleasure in a way that gave others permission to ask for it for themselves – and good for you, because she really wanted pleasure for you, too. Allena sucked every drop out of life, and she made you realize how lucky you were – not for your good health, but that you were fortunate enough to get to revolve in her orbit. She spent her time on the planet building a loving, empathetic community that adored her like nothing I’ve ever seen, and she taught us how to truly care for each other. Now that’s a fucking legacy! #TiarasNotTears.”

I met with Allena in 2010 in her office at the Center for Sex Positive Culture also known as the CSPC or the Wet Spot, which she was the Executive Director of at the time and had been since its foundation. I had a brief encounter with her at the Seattle Erotic Art Festival a few weeks prior to our meeting. I found her fascinating, loved her energy and wanted to learn more about her work and the CSPC. She was a founder and helped build a huge fringe community over the years that gave many a home to be themselves. A few weeks later we set up a meeting so she could give me a tour and tell me her story. We hit it off right away.

A couple of weeks after that we went out on a dinner date and spent five hours eating, sharing stories, and getting to know one another. She had recently been diagnosed with breast cancer and had her first chemo the same week. I learned of her amazing polyamorous world while dating her through the journey of her first bout with cancer.

The poly family, including her partners and her partners other partners, were amazing and we all worked as a team to be at her appointments with her and care for her after chemo. They accepted me in with open arms to be apart of the family. It was a beautiful thing to experience. She had built a community that was there for one another in a way the one rarely sees. During this breast cancer fight she started a tag line; “Cancer Sucks, but my life does not”. She also started the tradition of tiara Tuesdays where on her chemo days she asked folks around the world to wear tiaras with her in support.

Even big burley bears and yes, even straight guys sent pictures in tiaras, which made her happy. That speaks to her influence. She found that the tiaras brought joy. They made other cancer patients as well as doctors, nurses and staff smile. She even stuck to her mission of bringing joy while fighting cancer. She continued this tradition when she started treatments for mesothelioma.

One of the things that bonded Allena and I right away is that we had remarkably similar backgrounds. We were both born to 16-year-old mothers, we were from evangelical Christian backgrounds and we both had a quest to eradicate shame around sexuality and gender identity.

At 17 Allena wandered into a small early version of Portland’s Pride celebration. She did not know anything about the

Allena Gabosch – Photo by Nate Gowdy / The American Superhero Project

LGBTQ community at the time. She wandered through booths and talked with folks and then saw two men on the sidewalk holding signs saying, “Homosexuality is a Sin”, “you will all burn”. Having a religious background, she knew her Bible, therefore she decided to strike up a conversation with the men. She calmly discussed things with them. As she was sharing a view of love and acceptance being a Christian value the men began running out of counter arguments.

She said, “Suddenly, I looked around and saw that a crowd had gathered around and was watching me debate the persecutors.”

Then the crowd applauded her at one point.

She knew that experience had a profound impact on her because it showed her that she had the power to advocate for people.

Later that same weekend she snuck into a gay bar, being underage, and sat at the bar next to a beautiful blond woman.

She struck up a conversation. Anyone who knows Allena at all knows that if you are not her friend it is because you have not met her or been around her for fifteen minutes or more. She was the definition of an

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extrovert and loved to meet people and hear their stories. This blond woman ended up telling her that she was transgender and shared her journey with that. Allena was a little country girl from Idaho and had absolutely no exposure to LGBTQ folks.

As Allena always told the story she asked stupid questions and the trans woman was so patient and kind while gently educated her. She never forgot that woman’s kindness and her story changed Allena. I think that experience also helped form the way Allena educated others, with grace and kindness, never making anyone less than, for not knowing something.

An example of that generous teacher will live on in many, like our own Aleksa Manila, who says. “There are very few instances when someone incredibly special comes along and just rocks your world. That special someone is Allena. She is unique and extraordinary – she is not boring; she is not vanilla – far from it. She creates a space – a safe space for EVERYONE. She is a nurturing mama who makes sure you are OK. Her wealth of information, breadth of sex

positivity and harm reduction is outpouring. She is not selfish, she is very generous – she shares knowledge, understanding and compassion. When I was a fledgling health educator, she made me feel confident. She looked at me with her kind eyes... sending me a warm energy of “You got this, kid.”

That is all I needed to feel good, and in turn, make others feel better. I started incorporating sensuality and sexuality into my drag performances as an homage to what I have learned from her and other leaders in her field. Sex and kink make some people uncomfortable that they have become taboo subjects. Instead, Allena reminds us that these are normal behaviors that exercise love and respect for one another. In short, Allena embodies love. And I’m glad to know her and love her dearly.”

Something some folks might not know about Allena was her heart to see and help those who are homeless. For a short time, she was homeless, and she came from a modest background growing up. She never forgot

December 4, 2020

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OBITUARY

IN MEMORIAM Allena Gabosch

by Sophia Sky Iannicelli Seattle Erotic Art Festival Pan Eros Foundation Allena Gabosch passed away on a Wednesday evening, November 25th, 2020.

Allena was raised in Nampa, Idaho. After wandering the West Coast in the ’60s she settled in Washington. She was a phenomenal force in the Seattle area for decades.

Allena opened her first restaurant in Auburn, named Jake’s in the early ’90s. She was a partner and operator of Beyond the Edge Cafe on Capitol Hill in the mid ’90s. She was the Executive Director of the Lesbian Cancer Project and eventually the Executive Director of the Center for Sex Positive Culture and the Pan Eros Foundation. Allena was community-focused and served on the Seattle Commission for Sexual Minorities from 2008-2010, as well as on the boards of directors of many organizations over the years. She spoke at colleges, universities, and private venues on topics of sex and sexuality for over 20 years, guiding students from all walks of life. Allena retired in 2017 and began an adventure in Europe; circumnavigating the planet and living in Cyprus and Krakow, Poland. She returned home to Seattle in 2019.

Allena touched people by the thousands.

Each one of them individually. She had a unique gift to make anyone feel seen and heard in the moment. She lifted people up and gave them permission to be their authentic, true selves. This is the central theme to any of the thousands of people who considered themselves her friend.

Everywhere she went, whether it was the dry cleaners or an island in the Mediterranean, she changed peoples lives. She was a warrior for sexual freedom and identity.

She changed the world wherever she was.

Allena was canonized as a Saint by the Sisters of the Motherhouse of Washington, the San Francisco Motherhouse of Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, The Abbey of Saint Joan, and the Indiana Crossroads Sisters,

4 Seattle Gay News

December 4, 2020

Photo by Jim Duvall

Abbey of the Shimmering Silo. This simultaneous sainting by four orders whose mission is to promulgate universal joy, expiate stigmatic guilt and serve the community is the perfect testament to how Allena moved through the world.

She leaves behind an extended and chosen family too numerous to list. People who loved her so much and were loved by her. Allena loved the saying “Life is a banquet...” and encouraged us to see and find joy everywhere in our lives. The gratitude we all feel for having been blessed by her love and having her in our lives is so great.

And the stamp she left on us is indelible.

She lived a life impossible to summarize.

A virtual memorial will be held on Sunday, December 13th, 2020 at 3pm. Reser-

vations can be made through the Pan Eros Foundation. A party to celebrate Allena’s life will be scheduled when in-person gatherings are deemed safe by the King County Public Health.

In lieu of flowers, it was Allena’s wish that donations be made in her memory to these organizations: Pan Eros Foundation – https://www.pan-eros.org; The Gender Justice League – https://www.genderjusticeleague.org/; PFLAG Washington State Council – https://www.pflagwsc.org/; Senior Services for South Sound – https:// southsoundseniors.org URL for reservations: https://www. strangertickets.com/events/109773866/ celebrating-allena-gabosch

Celebrating 46 Years!

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those experiences and in her spare time she consistently did things to help. I’ll never forget the winters that she and I would ride around in her little red car with a back seat and trunk full of Ziplock baggies we had put together for homeless folks, and we would find folks and hand them out. The baggies contained a warm pair of socks, gloves, handwarmers, snacks and each had a five-dollar bill in them. Sometimes we would have bags of dog food as well to help those who had pups. In the almost eleven years I have known Allena I cannot think of a time when we have passed a homeless person without her stopping and giving them a couple of bucks, a sandwich or snack. She was one of the most generous souls I have ever had the privilege of knowing. When she owned the “Beyond The Edge” Café in Capitol Hill, where the Honey Hole is now, she had a policy that any homeless or hungry person who came in and said they were hungry was given a free bowl of Vegan Chili and a piece of homemade bread. Word got around and she fed the masses.

Years ago while dating my wife Dawn, when we began getting serious I told Dawn that I needed her to know that if Allena ever got sick again or needed a place to be she would always have a place with me and that to be serious with me she would need to agree with that. Dawn looked at me strangely and said we will have to see about that. At that point she had only met Allena casually, but not since she and I began getting serious. As polyamorous folks, Dawn knew that Allena was one of my partners, but did not really know her well. My birthday was around the corner and the plan was for the two of them to make a birthday dinner for me together and in turn begin getting to know one other. After the dinner and the fun those two had together in the kitchen Dawn came to me and said, “I’m all good with Allena being with us if or when she needs.” My wife is a professional intuitive and now says that I had the intuition back then.

into our home right away and my wife set her up for care at Seattle Cancer Care Alliance. My wife, Dawn, and I did everything we could to build her health, protein shakes, positive loving care, laughter and enjoying each moment we had. We were blessed to get another year and half with her. We put all our energy for that time into caring for her and trying to help her have as many little adventures and joys as possible. She was CHOSEN family and always will be. We took that very seriously and so did she. What an

Allena floated after the community love she felt from this event and made jokes the next morning that she had to think about what she would now do with her sainthood. We conversed about it, laughing. Some community members in San Francisco community made Saint Allena candles and shipped some to us so that we could show her that night. She was very touched, and we were so glad she got to see them and have that experience.

Co-author of the The Ethical Slut and ten other books, Janet Hardy, said, “It’s almost

self, and keep passing the open windows – live on in those of us lucky enough to have known her.”

She was bisexual, kinky, queer, an adventurer, generous, wise, an extrovert, had a wicked wit and sense of humor, a lover, a loyal friend, an author, a teacher, a connector, a promoter, heart-led, a visionary, a safe space creator, an activist, an advocate for others, a foodie, an amazing cook, a glorious collaborator, a mentor, a playful soul, a lover of life.

She was “Mama” to many even though she

Photos courtesy of Mac McGregor

After Allena retired from being executive director of the CSPC she enjoyed traveling to Europe and while in Poland last year was diagnosed with Mesothelioma.

She almost passed over the rainbow bridge while over there. In fact, they were calling us from the hospital telling us to say our goodbyes; they did not think that she would make it through the night. The next day she woke up, picked up her phone and looked on Facebook to over six hundred condolences. She did not have much energy, so she posted, “I’m not dead”, and sat her phone back down.

She loved that later she got to quote Mark Twain by saying “the rumors of demise have been highly exaggerated.” Then gained the nickname “Shesus” saying that Jesus may have taken three days to rise from the dead but since women are more efficient, she only took one day. The community raised the money to get her home after that with a traveling nurse, and oxygen. She was frail and none of us thought she had very long. She moved

honor to walk this journey with someone you love. Yes, there were hard moments, many of them, yet raw real love and appreciation for one another. I cannot say thank you enough to my wife, Dawn Celeste McGregor, who was willing to put her own interests aside to walk this journey with Allena, and she did this with grace and ease. Dawn expressed, “Allena’s religion was kindness and love, she was devout. She practiced forgiveness and presence with everyone she met and gave to anyone in need.”

Saturday November 21st, she made her last public appearance, literally from her deathbed. Dawn and I performed our own miracle that night, making it possible for her to rally for this event. Dixie De La Tour and I along with many Sisters from four chapters of the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence and The Sister of the Mother House of WA canonized Allena and made her an honorary Saint! She was quadruple Sainted in front of hundreds on Zoom! Bawdy did it up with love and style.

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impossible to overstate Allena’s contributions to the worlds of alternative sexuality and relationships – both here in the Pacific Northwest, and nationwide, arguably worldwide. Her formidable intelligence, enormous compassion and undauntable determination made her a figure that will be mourned by a huge number of perverts, sluts, kinksters, queers and plain old people.”

One of our local gay leather community leaders Daniel McGlothlen reflects on his many years of working with and being a friend of Allena’s. “Allena embodied the sex positivity that was her life’s work and her passion. Her commitment and charisma were a community-building lightning rod. I collaborated with her many times over the 30 years of our friendship and she always inspired, always encouraged, always delighted.”

Political journalist and writer Geov Parrish says “Allena was a mentor to literally thousands of people, in Seattle and across the continent, for decades. Her core philosophies – kindness, be authentic to your-

never birthed a child. Now there is a big hole in our hearts and the hearts of many and in my and Dawn’s home where her larger than life personality, love, laughter, wit, and zest for adventure lived. Her love, memories and work will live on in many of us as we will continue to share pieces of her with the world.

I will leave you with her favorite quote, from her favorite movie, Auntie Mame: “Life is a banquet and most poor suckers are starving to death.” The greatest thing we can do to carry on her legacy is to enjoy the banquet of life. Live it to the fullest, be authentic, erase shame, be generous in sharing our knowledge, spotlight, encouragement, creating safe space for others, and seeing folks with curiosity, compassion, empathy, and kindness.

Allena and George Bakan are probably already running things in the afterlife together. I can just see them helping folks forever along the journey. And we are sure that she is telling George about how she got to help vote Trump out.

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World AIDS Day: We’re Still Here!

Now we’re in the middle of a global pandemic that isn’t striking one segment or subculture of the population, though certain demographics seem to be suffering more so than others. What will the consequences be? We’ve already seen the mutant monstrosity and CGI abomination that was the disturbing film version of CATS. How much worse can things get in 2021? Will we still be here?

I don’t know about you, but I’m sticking around to find out. The suspense is terrible; I hope it will last.

by Tom Orr SGN Contributing Writer Gentle Readers of the SGN: Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Tom Orr, and I’m Still Here.

I was here in Seattle once before, in 1992, an L.A. native fresh out of college and newly out of the closet, full of the naivete and uncertainty of a horny young buck finding his place in a strange new subculture … think Bambi learning to walk on thin ice, to mix my metaphors. AIDS was still scary, Rock Hudson had recently passed, Ayds diet pills had been poorly named and Ellen was straight.

I quickly found a position at TWIST Weekly, a fledgling gay paper with the dubious mission of wishing to be proudly left on the coffee table when your mother comes to visit, as it was going to be “respectable” (read: prudish), not relying on ads for phone sex, massage and/or escorts, i.e. the traditional bread and boybutter that kept most alternative publications in pink ink and newsprint.

TWIST had a decent run for a couple years and I practiced my hand at all kinds of journalism: writing reviews, editorials, calendar listings, investigative reporting, my own column. However, it folded and I moved on: becoming a contributor to NorthWest OnStage, co-Editor-in-Chief of the almost biweekly Intermission (soon dubbed Intermittent by local wags) and a theatre critic for The Seattle Times under Misha Berson.

I was also doing guerilla queer theatre at Re-bar with Dan Savage and his subversively genderbending homo pomo collective Greek Active, and writing musical comedy parodies to cure my insomnia. The parodies soon became my stock in trade, with Pimpin’, Who Killed Stephen Sondheim? and the sold out SRO smash hit Dirty Little Showtunes!, an award-winning revue that ran a record-setting 26 weeks at Rebar, plus five productions in San Francisco (winning me awards for Best Lyrics, Best Actor and Best Musical), Chicago, Houston, Minneapolis, Madison, Richmond and Rancho Mirage. I moved to SF, then on to New York City (where I missed my chance to conquer Broadway, instead learning to party and becoming HIV positive at the age of 33). I moved back to the Bay Area to be the Perky Porn Star in Naked Boys Singing! in San Francisco and later Provincetown, then spent five years in Guerneville, grieving my best friend’s suicide, gaining weight, becoming celibate and further depressed, not writing or performing or producing. I had given up on myself, my career and my musical comedy dreams.

Suddenly, the presidential race of 2016 woke me from my stupor and I began to write political parodies as a coping mechanism, compiling material and planning Things That Go Trump In The Night, but I couldn’t keep up with treasonous totalitarian treachery or compete with the ubiquitous Randy Rainbow.

Soon the Russian River Sisters of Perpetual Indugence sainted me (“St. Orrpocalypse … because if Tom Orr is being sainted, you know it’s the end of the world!”) and snapped me out of my depression. I joined Grindr and Scruff, and started having sex again. Then an Act of God saved my life and got me out of my rut: the Russian River overflowed its banks, Guerneville flooded and I was homeless, so I moved here, rebooted my life, produced The Greatest ShowQueen at Unicorn, turned 50, co-starred in a 20th anniversary gala for Showtunes! Theatre with a song I wrote for the occasion, and put on a new show singing Jim Croce’s Greatest Hits in a cabaret festival. I was back in Seattle and back in the game.

Then Covid-19 hit, the world closed, and life came crashing down around us all. We’ve now been in a collective coma for months as we wait and wonder what will happen next.

6 Seattle Gay News

Pleasin’ the entire I-I-Island!

I still recall that free-for-all buzz!

Actor Slash Model!

Mentor, Scribe and Corporate Wonk!

I’m Still Here!

Raging full throttle!

Aging like a gay Fumé Blanc!

But I’m here!

My San Francisco Life’s been rife: Crisco and Disco!

Stress and Strife!

I keep on tryin’, A high-flyin’ Queer Pioneer!

I lived through Ronald Reagan, And I’m Here!

“RACE IS STILL HERE!” to the tune of “I’m Still Here” from the musical Follies music & original lyrics

by Stephen Sondheim Orriginal lyrics by Tom Orr for Race Bannon, with love

Race Bannon – Photo by Alex Ray / Courtesy of Bay Area Reporter

For me, it was something wonderful: an invitation to write again, here at the SGN as a contributing writer and OpEd columnist.

This week was World AIDS Day, and Facebook reminded me of a birthday song I’d written for Race Bannon, a friend, tribal elder, noted leather correspondent for the Bay Area Reporter and a hot daddy.

It is chiefly about him and his bio/ resume (yes, he really was a writer for The Smurfs! Could “fiddlesmurfs” and “smurflesticks” be his handiwork?) but also an extrapolation for his generation of gay men who largely died off in the AIDS epidemic that wiped out two decades of our brethren. As it now teeters on the brink of Armageddon, the world never quite recovered from that previous loss.

When you take away some of the best and brightest in every industry for 20 years – from art, fashion and entertainment to finance, science and academia to sports, big business and the military even – the very fabric of society begins to tear (or at least has a run in its stockings with no one there to offer clear nail polish or even know that trick). To illustrate my point, think of the worst excesses of the 1980s: Yanni. Zamfir. Big Hair, crimping irons and the ensuing Hole in the Ozone (TM) when women were allowed to use hairspray without adult supervision. The awful tacky clothes and garish neon colors. MC Hammer harem pants on men. The success of Andrew Lloyd Webber and the rise of the theme park ride Britain-to-Broadway megamusical juggernaut left quite unchallenged when Michael Bennett, Howard Ashman and their talented ilk died en masse.

Great Sex and Blah Sex! I’ve had it all, front and rear ...

I’m Still Here!

Hate Sex and Raw Sex! Plus two rednecks on a John Deere ...

I’m Still Here!

I’ve taken trips And staked my turf ...

I’ve written scripts For Papa Smurf!

I’ve spread my fair share of cheer ...

And I’m Here!

I’ve been through WeHo, Chelsea and Boys’ Town, my dear.

I’m Still Here!

Some guys called me “ho”!

I said, “Darling, look in the mirror!”

And I’m Here!

I can quote Scripture And Shakespeare ...

Seduce a hipster With “King Lear”!

In my own odd way, I gave up a Broadway career!

I could have won a Tony, But I’m Here!

I used to amble Through The Ramble in Central Park!

I’m Still Here!

Grunting and squealing, Kneeling at the shrine of St. Mark!

But I’m Here!

First you’re another Doe-Eyed Twink; Then you’re a Brother of the Ink. A Significant Other Who thinks kink is nothing to fear.

Then it’s Pit-Stinkin’ Daddy ...

Drinkin’ beer!

I got through my First season on Fire I-I-Island!

Wow! What a summer that was!

I ended up

...

I’ve cruised the last row ...

Gee, The Gaiety was so good!

I’m Still Here!

Watched as the Castro Became a largely straight neighborhood But I’m Here!

Conquered Chicago, More or less, Dressed head to toe In Mister S! I’ve blown longshoremen And many more men on the pier!

I saw Bette at the bathhouse!

And I’m Here!

I’ve lived to see All fifty states get Gay Mar-ar-arriage!

What a miraculous feat!

Who guessed there’d be Pups pushin’ a baby car-ar-arriage As a couple down Folsom Street!?

Great Sex and Blah Sex! I’ve had it all, front and rear ...

I’m Still Here!

Against-The-Law Sex! (Which was hotter, let’s be sincere ...)

But I’m Here!

Marched in parades!

Been drenched with Rid! I remember AIDS When it was GRID! Too many friends dead And I’ve shed too many a tear!

Still I know they’re always there ...

And I’m Here!

Look Who’s Here!

I’m Still Here!

Tom Orr is a Poet, Playwright, Producer, Performer, Protestor and Provocateur, A Musical Comedy Cabaret Porn Star best known for his satirical parody lyrics in I Feel A Thong Coming On, The Devil Wears Nada and Dirty Little Showtunes!

I’m Your Number One Tryptophan

by Tom Orr SGN Contributing Writer Twas the Night before Turkey Day, Thanksgiving Eve, But a Gratitude Attitude Few could conceive!

Ut’s so hard to feel grateful When Lockdown’s so rotten …

As Trolls grow more hateful And Tact is forgotten.

When Shelter-in-place took, You’d No One to talk to And now Friends on Facebook Are eager to block you.

We braved the Election

December 4, 2020

And watched the gap widen As Natural Selection Chose Harris and Biden!

Soon our 45th President Like his Foreign Queen Is a Beltway Ex-Resident In White House Quarantine!

Though our species has risen ‘Cause our thumb is opposable, This pandemic’s a prison Where some are disposable.

You buy it, you break it.

You break it, you buy it: But fix-its I take it Aren’t part of our diet.

It’s cheaper and easier To throw things away,

Which makes me grow queasier With each passing day.

Like an overgrown landfill Of broken appliances Our world’s at a standstill: No Arts and No Sciences!

Yet tomorrow we’ll feast Till our figures are fluffing ...

So I’m thankful at least For Much Ado About Stuffing!

Tom Orr is a Poet, Playwright, Producer, Performer, Protestor and Provocateur, A Musical Comedy Cabaret Porn Star best known for his satirical parody lyrics in I Feel A Thong Coming On, The Devil Wears Nada and Dirty Little Showtunes!

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EQUALUX 2020, a rousing success!

by Stephanie Dallas GSBA Board Chair EQUALUX: A Virtual Concert for Our Scholars, successfully brought together our community across the country and as far away as Germany. It was an evening of hearing from our amazing scholars and enjoying wonderfully moving performances. In a year like no other, it was heartening to see and feel the outpouring of support for our future leaders. Amidst so much uncertainty for our country and community, one thing that’s certain is the knowledge that when we come together, we can accomplish much – and that is exactly what happened. To all of you, we say thank you!

If you missed the event, you can watch it at https://www.equalux.org/ A huge thank you must first go to our Entertainment Partner, A Sensible Theatre Company and our producers, Jared Michael Brown and Paul Flanagan, who worked closely with GSBA Programs Manager Carlos Chavez, GSBA Sr. Development Officer Jeff Boyer, and our EQUALUX Co-Chairs, Incoming GSBA Board President Jay Petterson and his husband Michael Mattmiller, whose calm leadership and passionate support kept us focused on our mission. We couldn’t have done this without our wonderful EQUALUX Committee who worked hard to reimagine EQUALUX as a virtual event. We couldn’t be prouder and more thankful for their dedication.

We were reminded of the impact your investment has on our scholars, when Washington State Supreme Court Justice Mary Yu talked with GSBA Scholar Astro Pittman about what it means to be a young Black activist and student in 2020, and his hopes for a brighter and more just future.

What a joy to meet other GSBA Scholars including Ro Boyce, Manny Lopez, Anna Rink, Nick Takahashi, Bryant Allen, Isa Jolie, Casey Williams, and Kendrick Jackson. They are already making a huge impact on their campuses and in their communities, and we can’t wait to see the difference they continue to make after earning their degrees.

These scholars were introduced by supporters of the Fund Shay Thoelke, Jorge Peraza,

Dana Savage, Kristi Maldonado, M Abeo, Felipe Lenz Carvalho, and Kyle Rapiñan.

Only this appreciative GSBA Board and GSBA Deputy Director Mark Rosén would know the perfect way to honor our outgoing President & CEO Louise Chernin, and that was to announce the creation of the Louise Chernin Scholarship Fund. To honor and celebrate the legacy of Louise’s 19 years of passionate work and achievements in leading GSBA, an annual scholarship award will be given out each year in her name.

If you missed the opportunity on Saturday, you can still be a part of the Louise Chernin Scholarship Fund founding donors by donating on the GSBA website at https:// thegsba.org/scholarship-home/support-ourscholars/scholarship-donation-form, and in the comments box, note that your donation is designated for the “LC” Fund.

The night was perfect from the start, kicked-off by our emcee, award-winning actor and Seattle celebrity Timothy Piggee, who carried the evening with such warmth, as we celebrated our scholars through a series of truly magnificent performances.

Alex Newell opened the show with an energetic performance of “Keep It Moving.”

Then, Rheanna Attendido, Olivia Hamilton, Aviona Rodriquez Brown, Arika Matoba, and Cassi Q Kohl, sung an acoustic rendition of MUNA’s “I Know a Place,” while Lauren Du Pree sung a moving take on “Stand Up” by Cynthia Erivo later in the night. We were enthralled with a routine by two of Seattle’s acclaimed contemporary dancers Nahshon Omari and Dustin Durham who, in collaboration with Devin Marie Munoz, brought X Ambassadors’ song “Unsteady” to life through movement.

World-renowned singer Jimmie Herrod also sung a passionate take on “Tomorrow.”

The night came to a powerful conclusion with a memorable piece by the genius of Darnell White, a multi-faceted Harlem-based composer and activist, who was joined by fellow New Yorkers Nathan Tolliver, Burgundy Williams, Josh Walker, Kwame Remy, and David LaMarr – reminding us again, that indeed, a New Day is Coming!

Though we didn’t have the traditional paddle raise moment, several donors raised their virtual paddles with significant donations including Co-Chairs Jay Petterson and Michael Mattmiller, The Beeks Foundation, Glenn Johnson and Michael Melancon, and

Kevin Spratt. The GSBA Board once again stepped up with 100% participation to create a Leadership Match, which was instrumental in helping double guests’ donations.

The success of the GSBA Scholarship Fund wouldn’t be possible without our outstanding Board of Directors that I’ve had the honor of leading these last two years. A special thank you goes to Carrie Carson for her magnificent leadership as Scholarship Fund Chair. Of course, much appreciation to our sponsors, including Title Sponsor: Comcast NBC Universal, Student Empowerment Sponsor: Symetra, Science & Innovation Sponsor: Fred Hutch, and Evening Sponsors: Alaska Airlines, Amazon, Carter Subaru, DML Insurance, JPMorgan Chase & Co., Kaiser Permanente, Morgan Stanley, and Sound. We’d also like to thank our Main Stage Sponsor: ArtsWest, Voice of Scholarship: InterChange Media Arts, Mask Sponsor: Brand|Pride, and Print Sponsor: Girlie Press.

A very special thank you to the GSBA Development and Scholarship Staff, with the vision of Mark Rosén leading the team of Jeff Boyer, Taylor Briggs, and Carlos Chavez in making this evening possible, with special assistance from Toraya Miller, Gabe Neuman, Rachel Chernin, Cade Schmidt, and the rest of the amazing GSBA staff.

Most importantly, from the bottom of our hearts, we want to thank you, our guests, for helping make this year’s EQUALUX such an outpouring of community love and hope.

If you were not able to join us Saturday night, there’s still time to show your support by making a year-end gift to the GSBA Scholarship Fund. If there was ever a time we needed community and support for small businesses and access to education, it is now. If you haven’t done so, please renew your GSBA membership for 2021. If you are not yet a member, we invite your to join us in 2021. Together, we all thrive!

For equality, Stephanie Dallas (She/her) GSBA Board Chair

Images courtesy of GSBA / YouTube

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Generations Celebration combats social isolation!

2nd annual event successfully recognizes and honors LGBTQ+ elders, links lives, and builds bridges across generations while raising funds for an innovative new mentorship program.

This year’s Generations Celebration event, presented by the Goldsen Institute’s AgePride HealthyGen Center and the National LGBTQ+ Health and Longevity Center, and held on Wednesday, November 18, from 4-5pm, was held virtually, solidifying common ground in the context of a global pandemic. The free event celebrated advances in health and longevity while illuminating the steadfast work needed to advance racial equity and intersectional justice.

More than 250 LGBTQ+ people of all ages and their allies tuned in for entertainment and engaging presentations and helped raise funds for gen2gen, a new mentorship program designed to reduce social isolation by connecting diverse generations through meaningful connections. Dazzling performer Aleksa Manila MC’d the event.

The lineup of electrifying talent included the “hardest workin’ woman in blues, soul, funk & gospel,” Lady A, local drag chanteuse Arnaldo! and long-time acclaimed activist Dr. Grethe Cammermeyer.

Karina Walters Ph.D., an enrolled member of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, kicked off the event with a land acknowledgment. “We are on the traditional land of the first people of Seattle, the Duwamish People past and present and honor with gratitude the land itself and the Duwamish Tribe as well as all other First Nation people.”

Multiple speakers of different generations shared their expertise and experience, unifying in solidarity, beginning with Professor Karen Fredriksen Goldsen, Director of Goldsen Institute’s AgePride HealthyGen Center and the LGBTQ+ Health and Longevity Center at the University of Washington.

“Who are LGBTQ people in the state of Washington, and what are our experiences?”

Dr. Fredriksen Goldsen asked the audience.

“It is equally important to ask ourselves: Why are we mostly invisible in our state reports? Why don’t we have a snapshot of our community? Invisibility creates vulnerability.” Dr. Fredriksen Goldsen’s research team at the UW School of Social Work and 45 different community partners, the UW’s School of Nursing, School of Medicine, and the Dan Evans School of Public Policy sought to answer these questions. Now, for the first time, we have an accurate snapshot in the Washington State LGBTQ+’s Equity and Health Report. https://genevents.org/ wp-content/uploads/2020/11/WA-StateLGBTQ-Equity-and-Health-ReportFINAL.pdf Close to two thousand LGBTQ+ Washingtonians participated in the project, and the multiplicity and intersectionality reflect the fabric and vibrancy of our communities. “But waves of trauma have cast, and continue to cast, a long shadow on this community,” Dr. Fredriksen Goldsen said.

“When I gave a talk last year in Houston, I was stunned to learn that 28 trans women of color were murdered there last year. This is an epidemic of violence.” Dr. FredriksenGoldsen went on to describe another epidemic many are facing today, that of social isolation. “Many of the elders in our study are experiencing social isolation. Many had strong networks, but with advancing age, many cannot connect or do not receive support from their peers, and their worlds are constricting. These elders are less likely to have children, less likely married or partnered, and more likely to live alone than heterosexuals. One of the most surprising findings in our study is that young adults have comparable levels of social isolation – which is why we are committed to building bridges and linking lives, so those in our communities are not alone.”

To access the full report, visit

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From top: Dr. Grethe Cammermeyer, Aleksa Manila, Dr. Karen Fredriksen Goldsen, and Brett Butler – Images courtesy of Generations Aging with Pride

https://genevent s. org /wp - content / uploads/2020/11/WA-State-LGBTQEquity-and-Health-Report-FINAL.pdf and to hear Dr. Fredriksen Goldsen’s full talk, visit https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=48dRKxMf3hI&feature=yo utu.be Dr. Fredriksen Goldsen shared the impact of her and her research team’s work at the Goldsen Institute, including the world’s first Memory Loss program for LGBTQ+ older adults, Aging with Pride: IDEA, funded by the National Institutes of Health and National Institute on Aging. Research at the Goldsen Institute illuminates that elders in our community need affordable housing; a place they can call home. Thanks in part to the Institute’s research, the City of Seattle and Washington state have earmarked $41 million dollars to build Washington’s first LGBTQ+ affirming affordable housing. Goldsen Institute’s AgePride HealthyGen Center has also received funds from the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid and the state of Washington to develop the first evidence-based training for

December 4, 2020

Nursing Homes to ensure LGBTQ+ seniors can be visible and included.

The event proceeded with engaging presentations covering a wide range of pressing topics. The topics addressed access and disparities in BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and/ or people of color) communities; promoting equity in the face of historical trauma; HIV, resilience, and long-term survivors; exploring intersections of race, ethnicity, sexuality, and gender in health inequities; and bias and resistance in the lives of trans people.

Brent Butler, currently responsible for the City of Seattle’s Age-Friendly Program, which implements health and wellness initiatives for older adults and persons with disabilities, described a “new, unfamiliar sense of dread” that culminated during the Black Lives Matter movement this year. When asked what providers and community members can do to reduce disparities in access to services for BIPOC and BIPOC LGBTQ+ older adults, Butler encouraged organizations to invite qualified People of Color to join their boards and

focus on persons with lived experience. “If you are not successful in finding someone for your board, you should take on a mentorship role,” Butler said. “I am where I am because of the people who invested in me.

Encouraging the growth of persons who are not represented in the community you serve is an investment in the future.”

Steven Sawyer and Phyllis Little, POCAAN’s two long-standing leaders, were recognized as trail blazers this year, honored for their leadership, resilience, and commitment to serving communities in Seattle’s margins and the greater King County area. “Their steadfast work addressing HIV and health in African American Black communities has been unparalleled,” said Dr. Fredriksen Goldsen.

Upon accepting the recognition, Steven Sawyer eloquently quoted Bayard Rustin in saying, “If I do not fight bigotry wherever it is, bigotry is thereby strengthened.

And to the degree that it is strengthened, it will, thereby, have the power to turn on me.” Sawyer went on to say that “For more

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From top: Arnaldo! Drag Chanteuse, Lady A, Greg Scully, and Leo Egashira – Images courtesy of Generations Aging with Pride

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than 32 years, POCAAN has been a voice and a beacon of hope for the most marginalized, empowering the community to fight against the inequities that too often have plagued communities of color. Today, as we continue the work at the crossroads for real change, we must remember: we can root out bigotry of all kinds, ageism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, and ableism if we do not forget. We are stronger together, and together we make the difference.”

Colonel Grethe Cammermeyer joined the stage to give an intimate performance of two original songs. Her heartfelt voice paired perfectly with a graceful acoustic guitar. Grethe joined the Army at 19, and in 1988, as part of military security clearance, she disclosed that she was a lesbian, resulting in the termination of her 25-year military career. She challenged her discharge in federal court, won, and was reinstated. Her song “Did You Imagine This” played during a slideshow honoring those we have lost this year, including those we’ve lost to COVID19. It was a touching and sobering moment for the audience. [EDITOR’S NOTE: https:// www.cammermeyer.com/grethe-sings] Life-threatening illness and loss can trigger trauma and painful experiences from the early days of HIV. Support from the community is more difficult in this current pandemic climate due to social distancing. Yet, resilience strategies experienced by those living with HIV can be employed again to maintain well-being.

Aging with Pride has found that community involvement is critical and significant in resilience among those living with HIV. When we think of HIV and resilience, most important are the voices of survivors; Leo Egashira, a board member of GenPRIDE, exemplifies this inspirational resilience.

Egashira described his diagnosis almost twenty years ago, during the early stages of the HIV epidemic, as he saw first-hand the gay male community’s devastation. “Just as I witnessed the needless waste of life and political cowardice of the Reagan administration in the 1980s, I now see the same thing with coronavirus in the malfeasance of the Trump administration,” Egashira said. “I am angry that I won’t be able to do some things I had hoped to do in my ever-shortening lifespan. I am angry that fellow Americans have had to put their lives on hiatus or have their lives completely disrupted. I am angry that young people may not even get to start their education and careers. But I am glad that enough people share my anger to actualize regime change and a new start. We will survive and eventually thrive.”

Greg Scully, the operations specialist at the Goldsen Institute, introduced gen2gen, a new mentorship program bringing people together to establish strong multi-generational connections that benefit younger and older people alike. “Our cutting-edge research into vulnerable populations helped us to develop this program,” said Scully. “It’s an innovative solution to improve health, well-being, and longevity. We’re working to create a world where older people grow with younger people in ways that help everyone to thrive.”

Alisa Tirado Strayer, manager of HealthyGen Center, encourageed participants to support the program. “Older adults and the younger generations have so much to offer the world around them, but now is a time when generations have even less access to each other than usual,” Tirado Strayer says. “I give because these programs can infuse our community with the voices, humor, and wisdom of our elders that we need to guide us now.” The program is still accepting donations and encourages the community to become involved at genevents.org/gen2gen.

More than 250 people tuned in for the event on Wednesday, raising an impressive amount of money for gen2gen. Professor Karen Fredriksen Goldsen and her team look forward to a new year of many innovations and hope to see everyone again at the next Generations Celebration.

Generations Celebration thanks everyone who tuned in, participated, and donated to the HealthyGen Center.

We are grateful to our generous sponsors: Aegis Living, Long Term Care Advisors, GenPride, and The University of Washington

School of Social Work, Seattle Counseling Services, The Stranger, UW School of Social Work Tacoma, HOT 97.3, Mix 95.7, GSBA, Pierce County Aging & Disability Resources, Careforce, the UW de Tornyay Center School of Nursing, The Tacoma Older LGBT Center, Bayview Retirement Community, New Chapter Weddings and Events, and the Seattle Gay News.

For more information about Generations Celebration, including accessing the event’s full recording, please visit genevents.org/2020-conference-gala.

December 4, 2020

Seattle Gay News 9

About Goldsen Institute The Goldsen Institute is an innovation hub that researches vulnerable populations and creates interventions to improve their health, wellness, and longevity. The Goldsen Institute is dedicated to building a world where all ages thrive throughout their lives. Improvements in health, wellness, and longevity demand that we disrupt traditional intervention models, which necessitates new practices for how we live, work, and grow in our communities.

To inspire significant scale changes, the Institute collaborates with UW faculty, research staff, students, and community members to work together to discover and share innovative tools and programs. As thought leaders we help shape the ideas that influence cultural and policy change for a better society.

By fostering continuous dialogue, the Institute develops workable solutions for urgent issues confronting vulnerable populations to strengthen our global environment.

About AgePride HealthyGen Center The University of Washington’s HealthyGen Center is distinct by its focus on innovation and being responsive to the needs of elders, families, and care partners in diverse at-risk and underserved communities. Responding to the changing nature of aging in our society, the Center develops interdisciplinary, professional, and community collaborations to create new models and services to advance health promotion, wellness, and prevention for elders and multigenerational care. The Center is delivering some of the first evidence-based interventions designed to address the growing and distinct needs of at-risk and underserved communities, including health and support programs across generational programming and evidence-based training for providers to ensure culturally appropriate care. Through its community-based collaborative work, the Center promotes multi-generational health and longevity in an increasingly diverse society. More information at age-pride.org/ healthy-gen-center About the gen2gen mentorship program For decades there have been too few opportunities to build connections between older and younger generations. Today, COVID-19 and physical distancing cause further division, disconnection, ageism, and loneliness. The pandemic has separated everyone while creating an appreciation for our essential interdependence. The gen2gen mentorship program will bring generations together to fight social isolation and strengthen multi-generational connections. Through gen2gen, diverse generations will share their life stories, and lessons learned to make meaningful connections and better understand each other’s diverse experiences, histories, and perspectives. The AgePride HealthyGen Center at the University of Washington’s School of Social Work developed gen2gen. The Center bases its successful programs on strong community partnerships. Together we utilize cutting-edge information regarding vulnerable populations, such as LGBTQ older adults, to develop innovative solutions improving health, well-being, and longevity. YouthCare is a collaborating partner on gen2gen. More information at genevents. org/gen2gen.

Courtesy of the Goldsen Institute’s AgePride HealthyGen Center and the National LGBTQ+ Health and Longevity Center

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WORLD AIDS DAY

Dr. Anthony Fauci and Dr. David Ho honored on World AIDS Day with National AIDS Memorial’s Leadership Recognition Award

Dr. Anthony Fauci and Dr. David Ho during the National AIDS Memorial’s virtual World AIDS Day commemoration on Dec. 1, 2020 – Image courtesy of the National AIDS Memorial

SAN FRANCISCO (December 1, 2020) – The National AIDS Memorial’s annual World AIDS Day commemoration brought together powerful voices from the AIDS and COVID-19 pandemics together for an inspiring conversation about health justice, social activism, remembrance, and hope.

Available for public viewing at www. aidsmemorial.org, World AIDS Day 2020 – A National Conversation included a distinguished list of guest speakers and video tributes, with thousands of people from across the country coming together to honor the lives lost, the survivors, the activism, and the heroes from over the span of four decades and two devastating pandemics.

Award-winning actor and long-time AIDS advocate Judith Light hosted the day’s commemoration event, which featured Anthony S. Fauci, MD, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases; and David D. Ho, MD, director of the Aaron Diamond AIDS Research Center at Columbia University. They were honored with the memorial’s National Leadership Recognition Award for their lifelong commitment [and] work, and [the] profound impact they have had over the span of 40 years and two pandemics in advancing science, treatments, and education around both diseases.

ABC News’ chief medical correspondent Dr. Jennifer Ashton moderated the insightful discussion and, at its conclusion, asked both leaders about the forum’s theme of “hope” and to share with the audience the future health outlook regarding HIV/ AIDS and COVID-19.

“It comes back to science. I think science will deliver solutions for both HIV/ AIDS and COVID-19,” said Dr. Ho. “Given the unprecedented mobilization of the scientific community to address both of these problems, I think vaccines will be forthcoming. Better treatments will be coming. And in addition to all that, I think we will come up with testing strategies to help reopen our societies as quickly as possible.”

“I just would have to echo what David says, hope in two directions,” said Dr. Fauci. “One, the hope of what science itself would deliver, but also the hope that the world will much more appreciate the importance of science so that we can really cut science loose in the sense of getting more people involved and utilizing the enormous potential of science, particularly, getting young people involved in making science a career, whether it’s the biological sciences or the physical sciences.”

In a conversation moderated by ABC News’ coanchor of GMA3 T.J. Holmes, several leading mayors – Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, Chicago Mayor Lori E. Lightfoot, Long Beach Mayor Robert Garcia, and New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio – discussed the impact the pandemics have had on marginalized populations, particularly among communities of color.

Activists who have helped spark change and movements – Alicia Garza, principal at Black Futures Lab and co-founder of the Black Lives Matter Global Network; Cleve Jones, co-founder of the AIDS Memorial Quilt; and Kristin Urquiza, co-founder of

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Marked by COVID – were part of a conversation about activism and the ongoing struggle for social justice, moderated

by Human Rights Campaign President Alphonso David.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi offered a message of hope and honored Rep. John Lewis, who passed away earlier this year and who was as a powerful voice for social justice. The Reverend Naomi WashingtonLeapheart, director for faith-based and interfaith affairs for the City of Philadelphia, delivered the invocation.

“Today was very moving and extremely powerful on so many levels,” said John Cunningham, executive director of the National AIDS Memorial. “Today we pulled the thread forward and wove a beautiful tapestry representing forty years of the AIDS crisis, delivering a profoundly honest and inspirational conversation of hope, action, and resilience.”

Musical tributes included songwriter Alida McKeon, who performed her newly written song “Hope.” The event concluded with a beautiful virtual choir performance of “Will I See?,” produced by Kevin Mayes, which helped the Memorial officially unveil the first-ever virtual exhibition of the AIDS Memorial Quilt featured on its website, which features nearly 10,000 Quilt panels representing all 50 states and US territories, using the power and beauty of the Quilt to help the nation heal during these difficult times.

After the program, the memorial released a special video on its YouTube

Channel of the traditional reading of newly engraved names in the memorial of loved ones lost to AIDS, those who loved them, and longtime friends of the memorial.

The Presenting Partner for the World AIDS Day 2020 event is Gilead Sciences.

The co-sponsors are Chevron and Quest Diagnostics. Additional major sponsors include Vivent Health, Wells Fargo, BioMarin, Blue Shield of California, the Excelerate Foundation, the National Hemophilia Foundation, the Murray Reese Foundation, Nestlé, Tito’s Vodka, Morrison & Foerster, Aon, Recology, Splunk, Salesforce, Saks Fifth Avenue, the Human Rights Campaign, and Until There’s A Cure. Media partners include Hearst Newspapers, iHeart Radio/PRIDE Radio Network, the San Francisco Chronicle, POZ, The Advocate, and HIV Plus Magazine.

2020 marks 40 years since the first cases of AIDS were reported in the United States, a pandemic that has led to nearly 700,000 lives lost and still no cure four decades later. This year, our nation struggles through another pandemic – the fight against COVID-19 – where the horrific loss of life has surpassed 250,000 in a matter of months.

View the entire World AIDS Day event and visit the Quilt Virtual Exhibition at www.aidsmemorial.org.

Courtesy of the National AIDS Memorial

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Dr. Anthony Fauci in 1981 – Photo courtesy of Courtesy National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases

FAUCI

continued from cover The award was introduced by Elton John, whose Elton John Foundation works to combat HIV/AIDS. “What a wonderful and fitting way to mark World AIDS Day, by honoring one

of the biggest champions in the history of the AIDS epidemic,” John said. “There are very few people on this planet who have dedicated themselves to a lifetime of service to save millions of lives like Dr. Fauci.”

“His unwavering commitment to public health and innovation has transformed the approach to HIV,” John said. “And it

is his leadership and persistence that will ultimately help us overcome the COVID-19 pandemic.”

Currently the embattled director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, trying to cope with both COVD-19 and the obstructionism of the Trump administration, Fauci served as the National Institutes of Health’s AIDS coor-

Dr. Cliff Lane and Dr. Anthony Fauci discussing the first AIDS vaccine trial at the National Institutes of Health, 1987 – Photo courtesy of Courtesy National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases

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December 4, 2020

dinator before becoming the first director of the NIH’s Office of AIDS Research, where he served from 1988 to 1994.

In that post, Fauci faced protests from activists in organizations like ACT UP, which charged that his agency was not moving fast enough to fund research into the cause of the disease and potential cures.

Eventually, however, Fauci went on to collaborate with activists on research and drug trial development.

In a video conversation with former first daughter Barbara Bush that was shown at the December 1 event, Fauci recalled “putting Band-Aids on hemorrhages with no drugs available, watching literally all of my patients die,” in the initial years of the AIDS epidemic in the early 1980s. He called it “one of the darkest periods of my life.”

“It’s something that just stuck with me, of how that feels when you have people that you want to save that you can’t,” he said.

After the development of drugs to treat the disease, Fauci said, he noticed a “stunning and painful” disparity between the US and Africa on HIV/AIDS. He helped create the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, a program started in 2003 under President George W. Bush, Barbara Bush’s father, to help save the lives of those with HIV/AIDS in the developing world.

“The impact is extraordinary, and it’s the gift that keeps giving,” Fauci said. “It created a system that you can actually deliver the kind of care, prevention, and treatment in a region and in a system that most people blew off as being impossible.”

Fauci credited the longevity of the program, which continues to this day, to bipartisanship.

“The lessons learned – and boy, do we need to know it now in today’s world – is that if you’re going to get anything done, divisiveness doesn’t work. You’ve got to bring people together,” Fauci said.

“And I hope as we look forward in the future that that’s what we’re going to start seeing now, because we’ve got to get back to that spirit of bipartisan approach.”

Seattle Gay News 11

Happy Holidays!

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Sunday, December 6th - 5:00 pm Pacific

€420 billion per year is spent on public sector purchasing in the European Union.

Honoring our Amazing Artists www.givebutter.com/mor2020gala Ginkgo trees near the center of the atomic blasts in Hiroshima survived the inferno because of their resilience and deep roots, sprouting new leaves within days.

The survivor trees have come to represent the endurance of hope.

MOR’s roots in our community are deep, our resilience strong. But, we need your help to sprout new leaves.

By supporting our work, you’re also aiding our extraordinary performers and sustaining our arts community at this challenging time.

By supporting our mission, you’re making it possible for us to tell stories of hope and courage that are so needed in today’s world. MOR performs music that matters – now more than ever.

THIS AD SPACE HAS BEEN GENEROUSLY DONATED BY KRISTIN COSTELLO IN MEMORY OF SGN PUBLISHER GEORGE BAKAN

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The EU welcomes bids for tenders from companies outside the EU. BBIT SPRL is your Brussels-based guide to EU purchasing.

Let us help you expand your business across the ocean.

Want to learn more? beau@procurementeurope.com

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Celebrating 46 Years!

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Bring your partner/spouse, friends, family, children; we have room for everybody!

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Durkan Digest: Surging COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations in Seattle SEATTLE (November 28, 2020) - The region, state, and country are facing the third wave of COVID-19 cases.

Seattle is nearing 11,000 cases, with 34% of the city’s total cases in November alone. Hospitalizations have reached the same levels as March and April. And unfortunately, 12 Seattle residents lost their lives to COVID-19 in November.

This third wave is the most dangerous phase. All of us are tired, but it is our doctors, nurses, and essential workers who are the most at risk in the weeks to come. Our health care workers have been on the front lines of this crisis for the last nine months and now are seeing the highest cases to date.

Our choices matter, and we need everyone to protect our community and keep our hospitals from becoming overwhelmed. If we all do our part, we can reverse this trajectory and protect our community’s health and our economy.

We have flattened the curve before, and we must do it again. We know how to beat this virus: limit our social gatherings, mask up, get tested when exposed or [experiencing] symptoms, stay home when sick, ensure six feet of social distance, and follow public health guidance for businesses and workplaces.

The Washington DOH, Institute for Disease Modeling, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, and University of Washington show that we can change the trajectory as we did in March: Hope is on the horizon in 2021 with a vaccine, but the next few weeks and months are critical. Without a doubt, the pandemic has been challenging for our small businesses, residents, families, and workers.

People are hurting. While all of us are immensely frustrated that the federal government has yet to pass another COVID19 relief package, there are some local and state resources available.

Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, the City of Seattle has worked quickly to launch COVID-19 relief programs including rent relief, expanding shelter for people experiencing homelessness, child care, grocery vouchers, direct cash assistance for immigrants and refugees, and financial assistance to small businesses. Residents and businesses can find a list of existing COVID-19 relief resources and policies on this website [www.seattle.gov/ mayor/covid-19].

As always, please continue to write me at Jenny.Durkan@seattle.gov, reach out via Twitter and Facebook, and stay up-to-date on the work we’re doing for the people of Seattle on my blog.

Stay safe and healthy.

18 Seattle Gay News

Shop Your Block for the holidays and Small Business Saturday The Office of Economic Development has launched the new Shop Your Block retail map [www.seattle.gov/office-ofeconomic-development/shop-your-block] to support small businesses throughout the holiday season. Shop Your Block connects consumers to local small retail businesses throughout Seattle using the new retail map and online neighborhood marketplaces.

WA Department of Health: COVID19 hospital occupancy is soaring COVID-19 hospital occupancy is rapidly increasing throughout Washington as the state continues to experience exponential growth in new cases. The Department of Health is seeing alarming increases in the number of COVID-19 patients in our hospitals as well as the number hospitalized in intensive care unit (ICU) beds – critical capacity needed to treat severe COVID-19 cases as well as other patients with serious conditions.

The trend is highlighted in new data added to the state’s Risk Assessment dashboard today [https://coronavirus.wa.gov/ what-you-need-know/covid-19-risk-assessment-dashboard]. The dashboard shows that the number of confirmed and suspected COVID-19 patients in our hospitals doubled from 471 on November 1 to 932 on November 23. In addition, the number of confirmed and suspected COVID-19 patients in our ICUs increased about 75% from 124 on November 1 to 214 on November 23. If this doubling rate continues, we may have over 1,800 COVID-19 patients in our hospitals by mid-December.

Because COVID-19 patients may stay in the hospital for several weeks, hospital occupancy will continue to rise for some time even after hospital admissions level

December 4, 2020

off. In some cases, large hospital systems are facing situations that would necessitate delaying non-urgent procedures due to a lack of staffed hospital beds. Situations like this can cause other patients with non-COVID-19 conditions to have to wait, and this also impacts anyone else who may need to seek care. It is imperative that we ensure access to hospital care for anyone who needs it, whether they have COVID-19 or another illness or injury.

“This situation is extraordinarily urgent, and we need everyone in Washington state to take action now to stop the spread of COVID-19 before our hospitals and frontline healthcare workers are overwhelmed,” said State Health Officer Dr. Kathy Lofy. “I am extremely concerned about the current exponential growth of COVID-19 cases. We must all re-commit to flatten the curve now.”

Building on successful free citywide test sites, Mayor Durkan announces partnership to pilot no-cost COVID-19 testing kiosks As COVID-19 cases surge across the region and state, Seattle Mayor Jenny A. Durkan signed a new executive order and announced a new pilot and partnership with Curative to create additional testing capacity.

Curative, which currently conducts testing in cities like Los Angeles and states including Delaware, will initially provide two walk-up testing kiosks in North Seattle and Central Seattle, with more in mid-December.

Currently, the City of Seattle is conducting from 5,500 to 6,000 tests per day at the four citywide testing sites. These two kiosks sites will add capacity to conduct at least 1,000 tests per day. The City is evaluating five additional kiosk locations for the coming weeks that could add additional capacity for at least 2,500 tests. By mid-December, at least 9,000 tests per day could be administered through the City-sponsored sites.

“Across the region, state, and nation, we are facing the third wave of the pandemic.

Seattle has led the way through innovative testing, and our Seattle Fire Department is leading our free citywide testing efforts and reaching record levels of testing over the past week. With a surging virus, we must surge our testing capacity. Through a new partnership with Curative, we will be piloting new kiosks to provide additional testing capacity in neighborhoods across Seattle.

With cases surging across the country we have to employ every measure to slow the spread of the virus and keep communities safe,” said Mayor Durkan.

Similar to the free citywide test sites, individuals must register online. Beginning the first week of December, potential clients will be able to pre-register for appointments at www.curative.com or through the city’s testing website. Test results are typically returned within 48 hours via text or email.

Additional location and registration information will be available in the coming days

at Seattle’s testing website [www.seattle.gov/ mayor/covid-19/free-covid-19-testing].

Tests are self-administered using a single-use, oral sample, instead of the nasal swab common at the Aurora, Rainier Beach, SoDo, and West Seattle citywide testing sites. Clients will not be charged and will not receive a bill, regardless of insurance status. For uninsured clients, Curative will seek reimbursement from the federal Families First Coronavirus Response Act Relief Fund for the cost of the test. We anticipate that kiosks will initially be operating Monday thru Saturday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Curative may flex the days and hours of operations according to demand.

“Curative is proud to be partnering with the City of Seattle as a crucial COVID-19 testing resource for residents during this pivotal moment in the pandemic,” said Fred Turner, CEO and co-founder of Curative.

“Curative’s goal is to make testing more accessible to all, including those most vulnerable, with our easy walk-up kiosks available across Seattle. Our unique, observed, and directed self-collected oral fluid swab COVID-19 test offers a painless, simple option with quick 24-48-hour results and no cost to patients.”

“The number of tests conducted per day at our city’s four community test sites has doubled from the summer months with the holiday rush and spread of COVID-19 in our region. We look forward to seeing the mobile kiosks implemented, which will help supply the highest density areas of the city with testing and serve as a complement to our current fire-department operated sites,” said Seattle Fire Chief Harold Scoggins. “I want to emphasize that testing should be prioritized for people experiencing symptoms or for those with close exposure to a positive person for 15 minutes or longer without a face covering. At this time, we simply do not have enough capacity to test people who are only receiving a test to gather with their family for Thanksgiving.”

Of the top 30 American cities, the City of Seattle has the lowest rate of COVID-19 cases and hospitalization rates. However, in recent weeks, cases and hospitalizations have increased significantly in the region, with Seattle’s cases accounting for 20% of the total case count over the last 14 days.

As cases have surged, increased access to testing is crucial to tracking the virus and keeping communities safe.

To address the rapid increase in COVID19 cases, Gov. Inslee recently announced new restrictions through December 14, to slow the spread of the virus. In recent days, the City of Seattle released updated information on COVID-19-related programs, including rental and food assistance, utility discount programs and deferred payments, and Small Business Stabilization grants, and no-cost testing available to residents.

Courtesy of Mayor Jenny Durkan

Celebrating 46 Years!

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STEPHENS

continued from cover US District Judge Sean Cox approved the terms of the settlement between the estate and Stephens’ former employer, R.G. & G.R. Harris Funeral Homes, on November 30.

In addition to paying a cash award to Stephens’ estate, Harris Funeral Homes is prohibited from firing any future employees on the basis of their gender identity.

The consent decree also says the company, which operates three funeral homes in southeast Michigan, must pay another $120,000 to the ACLU Foundation for costs and plaintiff’s attorney fees.

Harris Homes must also pay each of the women it employed since September 2012, when Stephens began her transition, a stipend equal to the average amount it gave to its male employees for clothing.

That will total $3,040 for the period between September 2012 and October 2014 and $665 for the period since 2014, according to the consent decree.

“We are pleased that all sides were able to come to an agreement regarding damages and attorney fees,” said Jay Kaplan, Stephens’ long-time attorney at the ACLU of Michigan. “The settlement of this case is bittersweet in that Aimee passed away before matters could be resolved.”

In the Supreme Court case, a 6-to-3 majority held that when Title VII of the Civil Rights Act prohibits discrimination on the basis of “sex,” that includes sexual orientation and gender identity. Conservative Justice Neil Gorsuch wrote the majority opinion, noting: “An employer who fired an individual for being homosexual

Aimee Stephens (right) with wife Donna – Photo courtesy of ACLU

or transgender fires that person for traits or actions it would not have questioned in members of a different sex. Sex plays a necessary and undisguisable role in the decision, exactly what Title VII forbids. Those who adopted the Civil Rights Act might not have anticipated their work would lead to this particular result. But the limits of the drafters’ imagination supply no reason to ignore the law’s demands. Only the written word is the law, and all persons are entitled to its benefit.”

Stephens was fired from her job as an embalmer and funeral home director at Harris’ location in Garden City in 2013 after six years on employment. The firing came immediately after she informed her boss, Thomas Rost, that she was transitioning from male to female and planned to start wearing appropriate women’s business attire to work.

After she was fired, Stephens filed a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the

federal agency charged with preventing job discrimination.

Rost argued that Stephens’ dress would become a distraction for grieving families. His lawyer said the funeral home was within its rights to insist that Stephens adhere to its dress code for male employees during work hours.

The EEOC disagreed, and in 2014 sued Harris Homes on Stephens’ behalf.

Aimee Stephens (center) with wife Donna (l) and HRC President Alphonso David (right) – Photo courtesy of HRC

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December 4, 2020

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LGBTQ Victory Fund celebrates Sean Patrick Maloney’s election as DCCC chair WASHINGTON, DC (December 3, 2020) – Today the LGBTQ Victory Fund, the only national organization dedicated to electing LGBTQ people to public office, celebrated the election of US Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney to serve as the next chair of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC). Rep. Maloney won by a vote of 119 to 107, making him the first out LGBTQ DCCC chair in history.

Mayor Annise Parker, president and CEO of the LGBTQ Victory Fund, released the following statement: “There is enormous power in Congressional Democrats choosing an out gay man to serve as chair, especially after an election cycle where anti-LGBTQ attacks on candidates became the norm. Sean believes running diverse candidates makes the Democratic party more competitive and will prioritize ensuring they build on their majority with candidates that reflect the demographics of America. In 2020, the National Republican Campaign Committee operationalized anti-LGBTQ rhetoric to a new level. [Sean] will be a chair who forcefully stands behind candidates who face anti-LGBTQ, racist, or sexist attacks and will refuse to allow those tactics to succeed. We are thrilled that Democrats in Congress elected Sean and we know they made the right choice.”

Image courtesy of the LGBTQ Victory Institute

The LGBTQ Victory Fund works to change the face and voice of America’s politics and achieve equality for LGBTQ Amer-

icans by increasing the number of openly LGBTQ elected officials at all levels of government. More at victoryfund.org.

Courtesy of the LGBTQ Victory Fund

HRC Equidad MX recognizes record-breaking 200+ employers in Mexico for their commitment to LGBT inclusion WASHINGTON, DC (December 3, 2020) – Today, the Human Rights Campaign Foundation (HRC), the educational arm of America’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) civil rights organization, launched its fourth annual HRC Equidad MX: Programa Global de Equidad Laboral, a survey evaluating LGBT workplace inclusion in major Mexican businesses and multinationals.

This year, 212 employers earned top ratings in the 2021 HRC Equidad MX report, a 77% increase over last year’s total of 120, reflecting a growing commitment in Mexico to creating LGBT-inclusive policies and practices in their workplaces.

“In a year full of unprecedented challenges, amidst a global pandemic, the steadfast commitment to LGBT workplace inclusion in Mexico is truly inspiring,” said Human Rights Campaign President Alphonso David. “The entire Human Rights Campaign community is extremely proud to witness the remarkable progress and record number of businesses in Mexico committed to providing inclusive workplaces where LGBT workers can not only thrive but achieve their full potential while being exactly who they are.”

David will deliver remarks at a virtual launch event today at 6 p.m. CST. Interested parties can watch it live on the HRC Equidad MX YouTube Channel. The event will convene hundreds of corporate leaders, participating companies, civil society stakeholders, and influencers to celebrate LGBT workplace inclusion and the historic progress achieved by the programmatic efforts of the HRC Foundation in Mexico.

The HRC Equidad MX program is modeled after the HRC’s Corporate Equality Index, the premier LGBTQ workplaceequality benchmarking survey in the U.S.

20 Seattle Gay News

Top-scoring companies earn the HRC Foundation’s designation of “Best Places to Work for LGBT Equality” or “Mejores Lugares para Trabajar LGBT” for their commitment to creating inclusive workplaces for LGBT employees.

The groundbreaking progress and overall success of HRC Equidad MX is reflected in the rapidly growing number of companies participating in the survey and achieving top ratings for LGBT workplace equality. In the survey’s inaugural year, 32 companies in Mexico – including PEMEX, one of the largest employers in Latin America – earned top ratings. That number jumped to 69 companies in 2019, 120 in the 2020 survey, and 212 for the 2021 survey, including 83 that are based in Mexico.

HRC Equidad MX seeks to continue to expand this network of inclusive employers throughout Mexico.

The 2021 HRC Equidad MX Report assessed major Mexican businesses and multinational companies on three core pil-

December 4, 2020

lars of LGBT inclusion: • Adoption of nondiscrimination policies • Creation of employee resource groups or diversity and inclusion councils • Engagement in public activities to support LGBT inclusion “Inclusive workplaces are good for morale and for the bottom line,” said Beck Bailey, director of the HRC Foundation’s Workplace Equality Program. “If an employer wants to attract and retain the best workforce, then they must work hard to provide a workplace where its employees feel welcome and can reach their full potential. This is not only the right thing to do, it is also the best business decision. We celebrate this year’s honorees for leading the way in adopting workplace policies and practices to foster LGBT inclusion across Mexico.

“This year’s results are truly inspiring,” said Francisco Robledo and Fernando Velázquez, HRC Equidad MX Implementing Partners. “The growing number of businesses committed to promoting LGBTinclusive policies and practices in Mexico indicates that more and more corporate leaders understand and value the fairness and benefits of inclusive workplaces: 39% of this year’s top scorers are Mexican companies. This is a huge milestone for LGBTQ inclusion efforts in Mexico, and we hope that it is now serving as inspiration for other Latin American countries.”

Earlier this year, HRC staff convened with corporate leaders and Mexican-owned businesses in Guadalajara and Monterrey to conduct a series of business workshops and promote LGBT workplace inclusion with employers outside of Mexico City.

Throughout the year, the program was supported by the HRC Equidad MX Business Council, a group of leaders representing

thirteen major employers in Mexico that help mold strategies to further the existing workframe of the program across the country. Thirty-four of the companies awarded in this year’s edition participated in the HRC Equidad Mentorship program, an initiative created to foster support between veteran participants and new companies to ensure their success.

The work of the HRC Foundation in Mexico impacts approximately 1 million employees currently working for inclusive employers nationwide and represents 37 different industries.

Through the CEI, Equidad MX, and Equidad CL programs, the HRC Foundation’s work reaches more than 30.6 million employees worldwide by promoting LGBTinclusive policies, practices, and benefits.

These efforts complement the HRC Foundation’s Global program, which supports the work of organizations and leaders throughout the world that advocate for the rights of LGBT people.

For the full list of honorees, go [to www. hrc.org/resources/equidad-mx-2021-recognizes-record-breaking-200-employersin-mexico], and for more information on HRC’s Workplace Equality Program in Mexico, visit hrc.im/equidadMX or send an email to equidadmx@hrc.org and subscribe to the YouTube channel.

The Human Rights Campaign Foundation is the educational arm of America’s largest civil rights organization working to achieve equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer people. The HRC envisions a world where LGBTQ people are embraced as full members of society at home, at work, and in every community.

Courtesy of the HRC

Celebrating 46 Years!

NBJC mourns the death of Chae’Meshia Simms WASHINGTON, DC (November 30, 2020) – Chae’Meshia Simms, a Black trans woman in her thirties, was found dead in her car on November 23 in Richmond, Virginia. Police were called following reports of a car crashing into a garage, where Chae’Meshia was found having suffered from a gunshot wound.

She was pronounced dead at the scene.

Friends and family held a candlelight vigil for Chae’Meshia on November 27, and she has been remembered as a good, kind, and funny person.

“Chae’Meshia should be here. She did not deserve to die. Period. Full stop,” said David J. Johns, executive director of the National Black Justice Coalition (NBJC).

“I no longer want to talk about the resilience of a community – of Black trans women who exist in a world that continues to remind them that they are not safe and treats them like their physical existence is a threat that may invite unwarranted and unfair violence. What I want is for the violence that Black trans women experience to

meant to honor trans lives that have been lost to violence. The long-standing, continued epidemic of violence against the trans community is unacceptable. This is an issue that must be taken seriously, especially by those who hold positions of power.

We need to stand with the trans community, and push to make sure that issues they are facing are being addressed at all levels of government, in all of our communities.

The Richmond Police are asking anyone with information on the death of Chae’Meshia Simms to call either Major Crimes Detective M. Godwin at 804-6465533 or Crime Stoppers at 804-780-1000.

Chae’Meshia Simms – Photo courtesy of NBJC

end, once and for all. There is no explanation for the continued violence that Black trans women and femme-identified members of our community face, especially not during a global movement for Black lives.

This is on us, this is on all of us.”

This year, the NBJC has tracked the deaths of 45 trans or gender-nonconforming people, the highest number of annual deaths recorded to date. Two of the deaths have taken place in the week following Transgender Day of Remembrance, a day

The National Black Justice Coalition (NBJC) is America’s leading civil rights organization dedicated to the empowerment of Black lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and same-gender-loving (LGBTQ/SGL) people, including people living with HIV. Courtesy of the NBJC

NBJC receives $375,000 multiyear grant from Kresge Foundation WASHINGTON, DC (December 2, 2020) – Today, The National Black Justice Coalition (NBJC) announced it has been awarded a $375,000 multiyear grant from the Kresge Foundation. The Kresge Foundation’s mission is “to promote human progress,” which it enacts through strategic holistic investments in arts and culture, education, the environment, health, human services, and community development – all targeted toward “expanding opportunities for low-income people living in cities.”

This award will help fund the NBJC’s Thriving Summits and related educational capacity–building initiatives meant to support Black lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, same-gender-loving, other-

gender, and sexuality expansive (LGBTQ+/ SGL) students and the caring adults who support them. Through Thriving Summits, youth and adults collaborate to reimagine school policies and practices in order to foster more inclusive educational environments.

In receiving this grant, the NBJC honors our departed champion, Layla Avila. Layla led Education Leaders of Color, an organization dedicated to elevating the leadership, influence, and voices of leaders of color and to leading more inclusive efforts to improve education. Layla was intrepid in her support of connections between advocacy organizations led by people of color and philanthropies. We join the vast community who

loves her in honoring her life and mourning our loss. Her example is a beacon for us all.

“This investment in the work of the National Black Justice Coalition is a reflection of Layla’s efforts to invest in those who live on the front lines – who endeavor to change systems and policies and practices so that all of our babies and communities thrive,” said the NBJC’s executive director, David J. Johns. “We’re excited to build upon the foundation that has been laid and to work with the Kresge Foundation to grow this critically important work.”

“The NBJC is proud to join the Kresge Foundation’s family of grantees,” said the NBJC’s director of education programs and research, Dr. Kia Darling-Hammond. “We

thank the foundation for its investment in our radical work and look forward to leveraging this support to advance our mission of making thriving possible in schools.”

To learn more about this work visit [http://nbjc.org/thrive-campaign].

The National Black Justice Coalition (NBJC) is America’s leading civil rights organization dedicated to the empowerment of Black lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and same-gender-loving (LGBTQ/SGL) people, including people living with HIV. Courtesy of the NBJC

National Black Justice Coalition welcomes new directors WASHINGTON, DC (November 15, 2020) – This week, the National Black Justice Coalition (NBJC) announced two new senior-level hires, Victoria Kirby York, MPA, and Dr. Kia Darling-Hammond.

Their leadership and experience will further drive the organization’s mission to empower members of the LGBTQ/SGL community; combat racism, transphobia, homophobia, and biphobia; end stigma and provide education around what it means to live with HIV; and address issues specific to people living at the intersection of being queer and Black.

“I am excited about the passion, talents, and treasures that both Victoria Kirby York and Dr. Kia Darling-Hammond will bring to the work and the legacy of NBJC,” said David J. Johns, executive director of the NBJC. “Victoria and Kia are established leaders who have demonstrated both a love for and commitment to improving life outcomes and opportunities for Black trans, queer, and nonbinary people. The communities that we serve and the country that we work to strengthen will benefit as a result of their efforts.”

Victoria Kirby York, MPA, will serve as the NBJC’s deputy executive director.

She will manage the organization’s operational policies and efficiencies, strengthen its grassroots constituency engagement efforts, and lead the programmatic staff.

Mrs. Kirby York is a notable figure in both the LGBTQ and broader progressive movements, with prior leadership roles at the National LGBTQ Task Force, and in gubernatorial and presidential campaigns in Florida, youth education nonprofits, and the private sector. She currently serves as

Victoria Kirby York, MPA – Photo courtesy of NBJC

Kia Darling-Hammond, PhD, – Photo courtesy of NBJC

a board member for the Ballot Initiative Strategy Center Foundation and has previously served on the boards of the Center for Black Equity and the Next Generation Leadership Foundation. She was a member of the Human Rights Campaign’s National Diversity & Inclusion Council, the National Black Justice Coalition’s Leadership Advisory Council, and was, notably, the first openly gay member of Howard University’s Board of Trustees.

“As our nation grapples with police accountability, racial inequity, and a patchwork of civil rights laws that leave us behind, the NBJC feels especially called to this moment. I am honored and humbled to be able to serve our people, support our

staff and David Johns’ phenomenal leadership,” said Kirby York.

“With an epidemic of Black transgender women being murdered, over incarceration of our people in women’s prisons, and overrepresentation of our youth in suicide and homelessness statistics driven by practices not rooted in love or Christ, now, more than ever, the Black LGBTQ/ SGL community needs to be at the legislative drafting and decision making table in both Black and LGBTQ civil rights movement spaces all across this country. I look forward to engaging our community and its leaders to ensure we are shaping the agendas and policies that impact us most,” continued Kirby York.

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December 4, 2020

Kia Darling-Hammond, PhD, will serve as the NBJC’s director of research and educational programs. In this role, she will lead the organization’s efforts to ensure that policy, practice, and the space in between (praxis) account for the diverse experiences of, and unique contributions made by, Black trans, queer, and nonbinary people, both in and out of schools. Before joining the NBJC, Kia worked with a wide range of partners, from national efforts such as the US Congressional Black Caucus Suicide Prevention Taskforce to educational institutes and nonprofits, including Bank Street College of Education, the Stanford Schools Corporation, Lean In, and NEO Philanthropy. Dr. Darling-Hammond developed an intersectional Bridge to Thriving Framework for activists, scholars, youth, and others to advance the shared project of building universal thriving.

“In the work of advancing equity and justice, our communities are too often overlooked, even as they spearhead the most revolutionary efforts, shape culture, and innovate around making a way out of no way. I am excited to join the NBJC’s brilliant team in highlighting our folk across ages and geographies, while advancing an agenda to raise awareness, increase capacity, advance policy and research, and expand thriving possibilities,” said Dr. Kia Darling-Hammond.

To learn more about the NBJC’s executive board and staff, visit www.nbjc.org/ about.

Courtesy of Target Cue

Seattle Gay News 21

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Celebrating 46 Years!

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Mental Health & African Americans Forum A Discussion on Mental Health and Illnesses Saturday, Dec. 12 – 10am-12pm Overall, mental health conditions occur among African Americans at about the same or less frequency than in White Americans. However, the historical African American experience has and continues to be characterized by:

tion, grief from financial or human losses), police brutality and divisive political rhetoric adds compounding layers of complexity for individuals to responsibly manage.

Together we will discuss and learn more about:

• Poverty • Historical racism, trauma, oppression and violence • Institutional, structural and individual racism • Stigma

• Mental Health: Common & Complex • Racial, historical, generational trauma in the Black community • Hear personal experiences of those among us striving and thriving • The Systemic impact • How to address mental health in your community • Next steps for leaders and community members

Processing and dealing with layers of individual trauma on top of new mass traumas from COVID-19 (uncertainty, isola-

Specialist for African Americans • Reverend Blake Johnson, CEO ADD Health Counseling Services

Photo courtesy of AARTH

Speakers include: • Muguette Guenneguez, Executive Director, National Alliance on Mental Illness/Seattle (NAMI) • George Dicks, Mental Health Practitioner, Geriatric and Minority Mental Health

Register now at: https://events.r20. constantcontact.com /register/eventR eg?o eid k= a 0 7e h fq ev3 e c21727a 4 & o s e q = & c =f488c16 0 -777c -11e3 -a c5e d4ae5275b546&ch=f55d0150-777c-11e3aca3-d4ae5275b546 For more information, contact AARTH at aarthinfo@aarth.org or 206-270-2070.

Sponsored by AARTH / African Americans Reach & Teach Health Ministry & NAMI. Courtesy of AARTH

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater FREE holiday virtual season Dec. 2 - 31

Ailey's Jacqueline Green and Yannick Lebrun performing Alvin Ailey's Pas De Duke at The Woolworth Building – Photo courtesy of Ailey

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, beloved as one of the world’s most popular dance companies, will further a cherished legacy of uplifting and uniting audiences across the globe with a FREE holiday virtual season from December 2 - December 31, 2020 celebrating six decades of Revelations. Ailey’s extraordinary dancers will elevate a legacy of innovation and excellence in artistry with a reimagined season featuring world premieres of Associate Artistic Director Matthew Rushing, in partnership with Company member Clifton Brown, and former Company member Yusha-Marie Sorzano’s Testament and Jamar Roberts’ A Jam Session for Troubling Times. A variety of other special offerings extend throughout the holidays, including Family Programs for Revelations and Ailey & Ellington; a celebration of acclaimed dancers Glenn Allen Sims and Linda Celeste Sims with a farewell tribute performance; and a series of BattleTalk conversations, moderated by Artistic Director Robert Battle. For further information, visit www.alvinailey.org/virtualseason.

DATES & TIMES: • Wed., Dec. 2 @ 7:30pm EST thru Dec. 9 – Opening Night Virtual Benefit, featuring “Revelations Reimagined” • Sat., Dec. 5 @ 2:00pm EST thru Dec. 12 – “Ailey & Ellington Family Program” / BattleTalk – featuring an interview with Sarita Allen, former Company member and current Ailey Extension teacher, on the history of Alvin Ailey’s Night Creature, a conversation about Duke Ellington between Robert Battle and Wynton Marsalis, and newly-filmed versions of Reflections in D and an excerpt of Pas de Duke.

• Mon., Dec. 7 @ 7:30pm EST thru Dec. 14 – “Dancing Spirit” / BattleTalk – featuring Artistic Director Robert Battle in conversation with Reverend Eboni Marshall Turman and singer Toshi Reagon, plus a performance by students from The Ailey School and an excerpt from a performance of Matthew Rushing’s ODETTA by the Ailey company.

• Wed., Dec. 9 @ 7:30pm EST thru Dec. 16 – “Celebrating Glenn Allen Sims and Linda Celeste Sims” – featuring performance excerpts from Love Songs,

Visit us online www.sgn.org

Memoria, Night Creature, Polish Pieces, Revelations, and The Winter in Lisbon, plus a conversation among choreographer Ronald K. Brown and the Sims.

• Fri., Dec. 11 @ 7:30pm EST thru Dec. 18 – “Dancing for Social Justice” / BattleTalk – featuring Artistic Director Robert Battle in conversation with choreographers Kyle Abraham and Jawole Willa Jo Zollar and social justice activist Bryan Stevenson, plus excerpts of Abraham’s Untitled America and Zollar’s Shelter.

• Mon., Dec. 14 @ 7:30pm EST thru Dec. 21 – World Premiere of A Jam Session for Troubling Times by Jamar Roberts / BattleTalk – with a conversation about the music and influence of Charlie “Bird” Parker between Roberts and Artistic Director Robert Battle.

• Thurs., Dec. 17 @ 7:30pm EST thru Dec. 24 – World Premiere of Testament

by Matthew Rushing, Clifton Brown, and Yusha-Marie Sorzano, plus a conversation among the three choreographers about the work’s creation.

• Sat., Dec. 19 @ 2:00pm EST thru Dec.

26 – Revelations Family Program – featuring a performance of the beloved classic and an interactive workshop taught by former Company members Nasha Thomas and Michael Thomas with student participants learning excerpts of “Wade in the Water” and “Rocka My Soul in the Bosom of Abraham.” All ages and experience levels are welcome.

• Wed., Dec. 23 @7:30pm EST thru Dec. 31 – Decades of Revelations program – featuring rarely-seen historic excerpts of the beloved classic recorded over the last 60 years, and a workshop presentation teaching the opening section (“I’ve Been ‘Buked”) of Mr. Ailey’s signature ballet.

December 4, 2020

Seattle Gay News 23

The Ailey organization is committed to doing everything we can to support our dedicated dancers, instructors, and staff. In lieu of purchasing tickets for performances, please consider making a special contribution of any amount today at www.alvinailey. org/virtualseason.

Courtesy of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater

Allyship - an organization of LGBTQ individuals fighting for economic and social justice. www.LGBTQAllyship. org, allyship@yahoo.com, (206) 279-8169.

American Veterans for Equal Rights - www.aver.us Another Gay Social Club! - www.meetup.com/AnotherGay-Social-Club/ Bellingham/Whatcom County - www.theslowlane. com/guide.html BiNet Seattle is a mixed gender, social group for Bisexuals, their partners & other Bi-friendly folks - www. binetseattle.org.

Bremerton/Kitsap County - www.outwestsound.org Capitol Hill Alano Club - www.chacseattle.org Cascade Rainbow Community Center (Mount Vernon) - (360) 840-8499 and on Facebook.

Central Washington University GALA Hotline: (509) 963-1994.

Channel Q 103.3 FM - LGBTQ+ Talk Radio Network News and information, pop culture and music. radio.com COLAGE unites people with LGBTQ parents and caregivers into a network of peers and supports them as they nurture and empower each other to be skilled, self-confident, and just leaders in our collective communities - www.colage.org DIFFA/Northwest (Design Industries Foundation Fighting AIDS). (206) 763-8885; www.diffanorthwest. org DOMESTIC VIOLENCE & SEXUAL ASSAULT: Crisis Clinic, (206) 461-3222 (24 hour line); King County Sexual Assault Resource Center (KCSARC) - 24-hour crisis line for information, support, & medical & legal assistance: 1-888-99-VOICE; Northwest Network support & advocacy for Bisexual, Trans, Lesbian & Gay Survivors of Abuse & Dating Violence, (206) 568-7777 (voice), 517-9670 (tty), www.nwnetwork.org; Pierce County Domestic Violence Helpline: Teresa, (253) 798-4166; Seattle Counseling Service for Sexual Minorities - offers on-going support groups for men: 323-1768; Seattle Police Dept Domestic Violence Unit, (206) 684-0330; State Wide Domestic Violence Hot Line, 1-800-562-6025. In an emergency call 911.

Report domestic violence and sexual assault.

Equal Rights Washington - (206) 324-2570; www. equalrightswashington.org Everett/Snohomish Cty - www.gaysnohomish.org Freely Speaking Toastmasters - www.freelyspeaking.org Gay City promotes wellness in LGBTQ communities by providing health services, connecting people to resources, fostering arts, and building community. Gay City Health Project’s Wellness Center provides anonymous & confidential HIV/STD testing. 517 E Pike St. More info or to schedule an appointment, (206) 860-6969. www.gaycity.org Gay & Lesbian National Hotline (GLNH): 1-888-THEGLNH (1-888-843-4564). Non-profit, peer-counseling, information & local resources telephone hotline for GLBT people across the country.

Generations Aging With Pride empowers elder LGBTQ adults to live with pride and dignity by promoting, connecting, and developing innovative programs and services that enhance belonging and support, eliminate discrimination, and honor the lives of older members of our community - (206) 393-3400; info@gapseattle.org; gapseattle.org GLSEN/WA - Gay, Lesbian, Straight Education Network - (206) 330-2099; www.glsenwa.org Greater Seattle Business Association (GSBA) - (206) 363-9188; www.thegsba.org HIV/AIDS Program, Seattle/King County Dept of Public Health, provides confidential/anonymous information about & testing for HIV/AIDS. (206) 205-7837. For a comprehensive list of HIV/AIDS service organizations see the GSBA Guide or visit www.thegsba.org or call Lifelong AIDS Alliance, (206) 328-8979.

Imperial Sovereign Court of Seattle & the Olympic & Rainier Empire - www.facebook.com/ISCSORE; www. imperialcourtofseattle.com Lambert House - (206) 322-2515; www.lamberthouse. org LGBT Library - 517 E Pike St. Open Mon-Fri 2-8pm; Sat 2-5pm. A wide range of fiction and non-fiction for the LGBT community and allies can be borrowed free of charge.

LGBT MS Connection - (425) 785-8593; lgbtmsconnections@comcast.net. Support group for LGBT persons with MS and their partners and their caregivers.

Sponsored by the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.

Lifelong AIDS Alliance - (206) 328-8979, www.lifelongaids alliance.org Lion’s Main Art Collective - www.lionsmain.org MEN: Gay City: (206) 860-6969, www.gaycity.org; Knights of Mantra: (206) 329-0886, www.jetchapterkofm.com; Mature Friends: Gay men & women 40 & over, www.maturefriends.org; Northwest Bears: www. nwbears.com; The Olympians: www.TheOlympians. net; POZSeattle: www.pozseattle.com; Q-Squared: www.qsquared.org; Rain City Jacks: www.raincityjacks. org; Seattle Gay Couples: www. seattlegaycouples.org; Seattle Men in Leather: www.seattlemeninleather. org; Seattle Prime Timers: Gay & Bi men 40 & over, www. seattle primetimers.org; Tacoma Older LGBT: www. tacomaolderlgbt.org. (See also listings under Bisexual, Parenthood, People of Color, Transgender.)

MUSIC: Diverse Harmony: www.diverseharmony. org; Rainbow City Band: 1-866-841-9139 ext 2126; rainbowcityband@onebox.com; www.rainbowcity band. com; Seattle Men’s Chorus and Seattle Women’s Chorus: (206) 388-1408, (206) 323-0750. www.seattlechoruses.org.

Northwest Lesbian & Gay History Museum Project - gayhistnw@aol.com

24 Seattle Gay News

community resources Northwest Rainbow Alliance for the Deaf - www. nwrad.org Olympia/Thurston County - www.RainbowCenterOly. org Out & Equal Workplace Advocates/Seattle Regional Affiliate supports the work of LGBT employees and the growing number of ERGs (Employee Resource Groups) making a difference within local companies, including Alaska Airlines, Amazon.com, Amgen, AT&T, Bank of America, Deloitte, Macy’s, Microsoft, Russell Investments, Safeco Insurance, Starbucks Coffee, Xerox. www.outandequal.org/affiliates/seattle Out & Proud Grays Harbor Coalition - http://outandproudgh.org PARENTHOOD: Families Like Ours provides a gateway for LGBT families interested in adoption & provides a network of safe placement agencies, training, support & resources: (206) 441-7602, www.familieslikeours. org; Family Works offers support, information & activities for LGBT families: (206) 694-6727, www.familyworksseattle. org; Gay Fathers’ Association of Seattle offers support groups & social activities: www.gfas. org; Proud & Loud Families - Northwest, www.meetup.com/proudand-loud-families-northwest, plfnorthwest@aol.com; Queer Parent Networking Dinners: (206) 568-7777, qpnd@nwnetwork.org, www.nwnetwork.org; Rainbow Families of Puget Sound: www.rainbowfamiliesps.org PFLAG is the national organization for parents, families, allies, and LGBTQ people united for equality with chapters in Seattle, Bellevue/Eastside, the Puget Sound region and across Washington state. PFLAG Seattle: (206) 325-7724, info@pflagseattle.org, and www.pflagseattle.org; PFLAG Bellevue/Eastside: (425) 483-6642, info@bellevue-pflag.org, http://community. pflag.org/PFLAGBellevue; PFLAG Pacific Northwest: www.pnwpflag.org; PFLAG Washington State Council: www.pflagwsc.org.

Peer Seattle (formerly Seattle Area Support Groups) is a non-profit organization that builds community and cultivates powerful, healthy lives by providing emotional support and personal development services to those affected by HIV/AIDS, the Queer communities, and those who love them. Our work is done in a spirit of safety, trust, inclusiveness, and celebration of individual differences.

(206) 322-2437; www.peerseattle.org PEOPLE OF COLOR: AARTH (African American Reach & Teach Health Ministry), (206) 850-2070, www.aarth.org; Asian/Pacific Islander Queer Network Program at API Chaya, (206) 467-9976; Center for MultiCultural Health, (206) 461-6910, www.multiculturalhealth.org; Entre Hermanos, GLBT Latinos/as, (206) 322-7700, www.entrehermanos.org; Ile LaiLai, (206) 781-3565, iya@ilelailai.org; Men of All Colors & Cultures Together (MACCT), (206) 923-8313, macctseattle@yahoo.com, www.macctsea.org; Northwest Two Spirit Society, https://www.facebook.com/ groups/nw2spiritsociety/, Nubian Pride Productions, nubianpride@gmail.com; People of Color Against AIDS Network (POCAAN) offers rapid HIV testing, M-F, 10am-5pm, (206) 322-7061, www.pocaan.org and on Facebook; QBASS - Queer Black Alliance of the South Sound, (253) 256-1846, weareqbass@gmail. com; Sistah 2 Sistah, LBT women of African descent, (206) 322-7061, (206) 255-8951; Somos Seattle, somosseattle.org; Trikone-Northwest, GLBT South Asians, (425) 985-4376, www.trikonenw.org; Two-Spirit Honor Project, 1-866-685-0164; U.T.O.P.I.A. Seattle, www.utopiaseattlewa.org; VietQ Greater Seattle, vietqorganization@gmail.com Pierce County AIDS Foundation - (253) 383-2565; www.piercecountyaids.org Pride Foundation - (206) 323-3318; www.pridefoundation. org Pride Lives - www.facebook.com/PrideLives/ Pride Radio 93.3 HD2 Project NEON is a program of Seattle Counseling Service providing FREE information & services to Gay & Bi men to reduce health risks associated with methamphetamine use. (206) 323-1768. www.crystalneon.org Public Health-Seattle & King County Online Comprehensive Health Information for Sexual Minorities: www.kingcounty.gov/healthservices/health/personal/ glbt.aspx Q Law: The GLBT Bar Association of WA - (206) 682-6711; www.q-law.org Q Law GLBT Legal Clinic - (206) 235-7235.

Queer Geek! - queergeekseattle.org Rainbow Center - Resource Center for Tacoma/Pierce County LGBTIQA community. Through education, advocacy and celebration, the Rainbow Center expands resources, and safe space for the LGBTQIA community.

December 4, 2020

Sponsors Tacoma Pride Festival. (253) 383-2318, www. rainbowcntr.org SEAMEC interviews, researches & rates candidates for public office on issues of concern to the LGBT community. www.voteseamec.org Seattle Area Support Groups & Community Center (SASG) i- SEE LISTING for Peer Seattle.

Seattle Bisexual Women’s Network - BiSeattle.wixsite. com/SBWN and on Facebook.

Seattle Counseling Service for Sexual Minorities is a community mental health service for GLBT persons & their families providing comprehensive mental health services on a sliding scale. (206) 323-1768.

Seattle LGBTQ Commission - (206) 684-4503. www/ seattle.gov/lgbtq Seattle Out & Proud - (206) 322-9561; www.seattlepride.org Seattle Police Department Sexual Minorities Community Advisory Council: kim.bogucki@seattle.gov Seattle PrideFest - www.seattlepridefest.org Servicemembers Legal Defense Network - (202) 328-3244; www.sldn.org Sex Workers Outreach Project - https://seattle. swopusa.org Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, The Abbey of St. Joan - (206) 860-3666; www.theabbey.org Snohomish Health District HIV/AIDS Program provides free confidential/anonymous HIV counseling & testing 9am-5pm Monday-Friday, until 7pm Tuesdays.

(425) 339-5298.

South Sound Q Calendar - LGBTQ events in Tacoma, Olympia & Sound Puget Sound area; www.SouthSoundQCal.com Spokane/Inland Northwest - www.outspokane.com; www.stonewallnews.net SPORTS & RECREATION: Bent Car Guys: www. bentcarguys.org; Border Riders Motorcycle Club: www.borderriders.com; Bottom Dwellers Scuba Club: www.bottomdwellers.org; Capitol Hill Cyclers: join their Facebook group or email capitolhillcycling@ groups.facebook.com or jordan.l.simonson@gmail.com; Cascade Flag Football: www.cascadeflagfootball.org; Cascade Flyers: www.cascadeflyers.org; Emerald City Mudhen Rugby: www.mudhenrugby.com; Emerald City Softball Association: www.emeraldcitysoftball. org, www.eteamz.com/womensecsa; Ethyl Forever Car Club: ethylforever@hotmail.com; Festival of the Babes: www.festivalofthebabes.com; Olympic Yacht Club: www.oycnw.org; OutVentures: outdoor education & recreation activities, www.outventures.org; Pacific Northwest Gay Rodeo Association: www.pacificnwgra.org; Puddletown Squares: www.puddletownsquares.org; Rain City Soccer: www.raincitysoccer.org; Rain Country Dance Association: a country-western dance organization catering to the LGBTQ community but open to all, www.raincountrydance.org; Sea Dawgs: LGBT ice hockey - SkateSeaDawgs@gmail.com and on Facebook; Seattle Frontrunners: www.seattlefrontrunners.org; Seattle Gay Basketball Association: www. seattlegaybasketballassociation.com; Seattle Orca Swim Team: www.orcaswimteam.org; Seattle Otters Water Polo: www.otterpolo.com; Seattle Quake Rugby: www.quakerugby.com; Seattle Tennis Alliance: www. seattletennisalliance.org; Seattle Unified Bowling Association (SUBA): magee98106@aol.com, www. teamseattle.org/bowling.htm, www.theprideleague. com, Century 21 League; Seattle Volleyball Club: www.seattlevolleyballclub.com; Ski Buddies: www. skibuddies.org; Team Seattle Gay Sports Network is an umbrella organization for a wide range of local GLBT sports activities, (206) 367-4064, www.teamseattle.org (see website for comprehensive list of sports clubs); Triangle Recreation Camp at Bender Creek: recreational camping for GLBT folks. Must be 21; ID required. trc@ camptrc.org, www.camptrc.org, 1122 E Pike St #1069, Seattle 98122-3934.

Strength Over Speed - www.strengthoverspeed.org Tacoma/Pierce County - Rainbow Center, 2215 Pacific Ave, Tacoma, a resource center for the LGBTIQA community of Pierce County, (253) 383-2318, www. rainbowcntr.org Three Dollar Bill Cinema - TWIST: Seattle Queer Film Festival; Translations: Seattle Transgender Film Festival; Outdoor Cinema at Cal Anderson Park. www. threedollarbillcinema.org TRANSGENDER: Emerald City Social Club: (425) 827-9494; Gender Alliance of the South Sound: www.

SouthSoundGender.com; Gender Diversity: www. genderdiversity.org; Gender Justice League: www.genderjusticeleague.org; Gender Odyssey: www.genderodyssey.com; Hermanos Trans Latino & Foreign-Born

Support Group: (206) 322-7700; Ingersoll Gender Center: (206) 329-6651, www.ingersollcenter.org; Lion’s Main Art Collective: www.lionsmain.org; The New BoyZ Club: www.olympiaftmgroup.webs.com; Olympia Trans Discussion Group: www.facebook.com/pages/ Olympia-Trans-Discussion-Group/262449878114; [trans] ACTION: Trans* & Gender Non-Conforming Sex Workers’ Support Group - a safe, peer-led space. mail@utopiaseattle.org; TRANSform Washington: transformwashington.com; Trans Resource & Referral Guide: kctransguide.org; Trans Women of Color Solidarity Network: Funding the collective liberation of Trans women of color – https://m.facebook.com/ TWOCSolidarityNW/; Washington Gender Alliance: (360) 445-2411, www.washington genderalliance.com WOMEN: Aging Ballard Lesbian Exchange (A.B.L.E.): We are Lesbians 60 years (generally) and up, living (mostly) in the north half of Seattle. The purpose of the group is to connect, socialize and support each other. ruthemilyvogel@gmail.com; Aging Lesbians in South Seattle (ALISS) - Lesbian Group at the Southeast Seattle Senior Center. This is a gathering primarily for Lesbians but all are welcome to attend. Kate, (206) 722-0317; www.sessc.org; BABES: support groups for HIV+ women. (206) 720-5566, 1-888-292-1912; Coming Out Women Support Group of Tacoma: www. comingoutwomen.org; Festival of the Babes: www. festivalofthebabes.com; Mature Friends: Gay men & women 40 & over, www.maturefriends.org; Puget Sound Old Lesbian Organizing for Change: http:// psoloc.org, (253) 777-3357; Older Lesbians Organizing for Change/WA State Chapter: gloria@oloc.org, mary@oloc.org, www.oloc.org; Pacific Northwest Lesbian Archives: www.pnwlesbianarchives.org; RainshadowWomen: RainshadowWomen@aol. com; Seattle Bisexual Women’s Network: BiSeattle. wixsite.com/SBWN; Seattle Girls of Leather: www. sgol.org; Tacoma Lesbian Concern (TLC): www.tacomalesbianconcern.org; Tacoma Older LGBT: www. tacomaolderlgbt.org; Women of West Seattle (WOWS): a fun, member-driven social group for Lesbians, http:// groups.yahoo.com/group/womenofwestseattle; YWCA Women’s Health Outreach: providing low or no-cost mammograms for income eligible 40+ LBTQ individuals. Follow us at http://lbtqhealth-ywca.blogspot.com, twitter.com/ingridWHO or email lbthealth@ywcaworks. org, (206) 461-4493. (See also listings under Bisexual, Parenthood, People of Color, Transgender.)

YOUTH: B-GLAD (Bisexual, Gay, Lesbian, Trans & Questioning Adolescent Drop-In Group): Youth Eastside Services offers many programs for GLBT youth, including B-GLAD, (425) 747-4937; Coyote Central: www.coyotecentral.org; Diverse Harmony: www.diverseharmony. org; GLSEN/Washington State (Gay, Lesbian, Straight Education Network) & Washington State GSA (Gay-Straight Alliance) Network: GLSEN works to create safe schools for LGBT students. WA GSA Network supports youth-led GSA’s to fight harassment & homophobia in Washington state schools. (206) 330-2099; www.glsenwa. org; www.wagsa.org. GLOBE (GLBTQ Loving Ourselves, Becoming Empowered): a support group & HIV/STD prevention program for GLBTQ youth, 14-20, in Everett, (425) 263-2908, www. globeyouth.org; It Gets Better Project: www.itgetsbetter.org; Lambert House: an activities & resource center for LGBT youth, 14-22, 1818 15th Ave @ E Denny Way, with additional support groups organized in smaller towns throughout King County, (206) 322-2515, www. lamberthouse.org; Lifelong HEYO (Health Education Youth Outreach): for LGBTQ youth, ages 16-24: (206) 957-1665; www.llaa.org/HEYO; www.MatthewsPlace. com; The Mockingbird Society: (206) 323-KIDS (5437), www.mockingbirdsociety.org; New Horizons: social services and shelter for homeless youth, 2708 3rd Ave (in Belltown), (206) 374-0866, http://namin.org; Oasis Youth Center: for GLBTQ youth, ages 14-25, in Tacoma, (253) 671-2838, www.oasisyouthcenter. org; OKAY! LGBTQ+ Outreach for Kent Area Youth: (253) 859-0699 ext 3034. OKAY! is an open support group for youth ages 13-19 who identify as LGBTQ+. A program of Kent Youth & Family Services; OUT There Adventures: www.outthereadventures.org; Parents, Family & Friends of Lesbians & Gays (PFLAG)/ Puget Sound: (206) 325-7724, www.seattle-pflag.org; Pizza Klatch: weekly lunchtime support groups for LGBTQ youth in Thurston County, www.pizzaklatch. org; Prism: for LGBTQ youth, 14-21, in Puyallup Cherise.Alexander@ multicare.org; www.facebook. com/PuyallupPrism; Proud Out Wonderful (POW!): for LGBTQ youth, 13-21, in South King County, (206) 326-9112, www.facebook.com/proudoutwonderful; Q Youth Resources: in Kitsap County - (360) 698-3335; www.kchaf.org; Roots Young Adult Shelter: 1415 NE 43rd St., (206) 632-1635; www.rootsinfo.org; Safe Schools Coalition: www.safeschoolscoalition.org; (206) 451-SAFE, (206) 451-7233 (non-emergency), 1-877-SAFE-SAFE (1-877-723-3723) (crisis line); Seattle Young People’s Project (Queer Youth Resource Board): (206) 860-9606, www.sypp.org; Street Youth Ministries (SYM): (206) 524-7301 ext 111; www. streetyouthministries.org; Teen Link: (206) 461-4922, 1-888-431-TEEN; The Trevor Project: 866-4-U-Trevor; www.thetrevorproject.org; True Colors - Connecting LGBTQ Teens: in Shoreline, (206) 362-7282 x 8018, lbagley@chs-nw.org; The Vera Project: fuels personal & community transformation through collaborative youthdriven engagement in music and art. (206) 956-8372; theveraproject.org; Vista Youth Center: for LGBTQ, questioning and allied youth, ages 14-21, in Kennewick, (509) 396-5198, www.vistayouthcenter.org; YouthCare/ Isis Program (Transitional Living Home for LGBTQ Young Adults, 18-22): (206) 522-8412; YouthCare/ Orion Center Young Adult Shelter: 1828 Yale Ave @ Stewart St. (206) 622-5555; Youth in Focus: (206) 723-1479; www.youthinfocus.org; Youth Suicide Prevention Program (OUTLoud-GLBTQ): (206) 297-5922, ext 116, 1-800-273-TALK, www.yspp.org

Celebrating 46 Years!

www.gofundme.com/f/seattle-gay-news-needs-your-support-now • VISIT SGN.ORG

Have it your way: create a power of attorney for finances and health care with the Seattle Public Library’s free workshop on Dec. 9 SEATTLE (November 27, 2020) – Do you have a self-care plan for when you are sick or unable to make financial decisions?

At this free workshop, you’ll learn how to setup a power of attorney (POA) legal document. The workshop will take place online from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 9.

Library events are free and everyone is welcome. Registration is required, visit the Library’s event calendar to sign up [www. spl.org/event-calendar].

In Washington state, a legal document called a power of attorney (POA) can authorize another person to make decisions on your behalf. In this workshop, learn about Washington’s durable power of attorney for finances and durable power of attorney [for] health care. We will discuss the law that governs them and the practi-

cal issues to be aware of when creating or revoking them. You will also have access to forms that you can use to draft your own

durable power of attorney for finances and durable power of attorney for health care.

More information The Library brings people, information, and ideas together to enrich lives and build community. We support universal access to information and ideas, and form strong partnerships with local organizations to offer classes and workshops that are accessible to all.

On Nov. 15, the governor announced new restrictions due to a surge in COVID19 cases. The restrictions do not impact libraries, and our curbside pickup service will continue for patrons. Find out more at spl.org/roadtoreopening.

For more information, call 206-3864636 or Ask Us [www.spl.org/using-thelibrary/ask-us]. For ADA accessibility, please contact: leap@spl.org.

Courtesy of the Seattle Public Library

FILM

Acclaimed documentary Queer Japan shines a light on the spectrum of life in the island nation Opens nationwide Dec 11 via theatrical-at-home and on-demand

“The people we meet in Queer Japan represent a powerful cross-section of LGBTQ life… a cry for the absolute freedom of identity” – Variety “An engagingly colorful panorama” – The Hollywood Reporter “A moment in time that future generations will treasure” – Eye for Film LOS ANGELES – Following a successful run on the global film festival circuit, Altered Innocence has announced the North American release of Graham Kolbeins’ feature debut Queer Japan. The colorful and vibrant documentary will be available in the US and Canada December 11th via Theatrical At Home and on Digital HD, including Apple TV, Prime Video and Google Play.

Queer Japan explores the lives of Japan’s contemporary LGBTQ culture, bursting at the seams with multi-faceted and uninhibited artists as well as audacious activists fighting for equality and understanding. The documentary profiles individuals from across the spectrum including drag queen Vivienne Sato, erotic manga artist Gengoroh Tagame, butoh dancer Atsushi Matsuda, multimedia artist Nogi Sumiko, HIV+ advocate Hiroshi Hasegawa, activist Akira the Hustler, and transgender author Tomato Hatakeno.

Through five years of development and shooting, Kolbeins and his producers Hiromi Iida and Anne Ishii conducted over 100 interviews, capturing a broad scope of gender and sexuality in Japan. “There is no singular ‘queer Japan,’ because queer people are not a monolith,” says Kolbeins.

“This film merely offers a patchwork of personal experiences told by a few dozen artists, activists, community leaders, and everyday people living in Japan today. It is my deepest hope that our approach does justice to the subjects and communities we’re depicting. It’s a great honor to share

Visit us online www.sgn.org

December 4, 2020

the stories of the brave individuals who opened their lives to this film, and it’s my intention with Queer Japan to amplify their voices to audiences around the world.”

Queer Japan had its world premiere at the Rainbow Reel Tokyo, beginning a global tour of critical and audience acclaim.

The film went on to make its North American premiere at Outfest Los Angeles, going on to screen at over two dozen festivals, including NewFest, Hong Kong LGFF, Philadelphia Asian American Festival, Mix Copenhagen and Reel Afformations.

Queer Japan was produced by HIROMEDIA8 and directed by Graham Kolbeins, with writing by Kolbeins and Anne Ishii. Hiromi Iida produced, and Ishii and Kolbeins served as co-producers.

Trailblazing artists, activists, and everyday people from across the spectrum of gender and sexuality defy social norms and dare to shine in this kaleidoscopic view of LGBTQ+ culture in contemporary Japan.

From glossy pride parades to playfully perverse underground parties, Queer Japan pictures people living brazenly unconventional lives in the sunlight, the shadows, and everywhere in between.

Dazzling, iconoclastic drag queen Vivienne Sato peels back the layers of language and identity. Maverick manga artist Gengoroh Tagame tours the world with his unapologetically erotic gay comics.

Councilwoman Aya Kamikawa recounts her rocky path to becoming the first transgender elected official in Japan. At legendary kink-positive hentai party Department H, non-binary performance artist Saeborg uses rubber to create a second skin. Culled from 100+ interviews conducted over 3 years in locations across Japan, Queer Japan features dozens of individuals sharing their experiences in their own words.

Get to know a vibrant and inspiring group of human beings in a country with a unique history of queer expression.

Courtesy of Queer Japan

Seattle Gay News 25

26 Seattle Gay News

December 4, 2020

Celebrating 46 Years!

It’s time to start healing.

Sacred Rain Healing Center is open for therapeutic massage & acupuncture six days a week. Strict COVID precautions followed, with client arrivals staggered & deep sanitizing between every treatment. Masks required to enter the facility & during treatment.

Outdoor sauna, spa pool, sundeck, lockers, indoor chill spaces are all dormant until King County hits Phase 3 reopening.

Open Monday through Saturday 10am - 8pm Temporarily closed Sunday

Sacred Rain Healing Center

1100 NW 50th St. Seattle ~ 206.789.6288 ~ sacredrainhealing.com ~ info@sacredrainhealing.com

Healthy Environment!

DONATE TO SGN TODAY! www.gofundme.com/f/ seattle-gay-news-needsyour-support-now Visit us online www.sgn.org

December 4, 2020

Seattle Gay News 27