SGN February 4, 2011 - Section 1

Page 1

Issue 05 Volume 39

FRIDAY February 4, 2011 FREE! 25¢ in bookstores & news stands

Celebrating 38 Years!

breakfast proTEST p. 16

queer beer p. 16

KATHY NAJIMY p. 25

Seattle Gay News SEATTLE’S LGBT NEWS & ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY

Increased services aim Pentagon “Don’t Ask, Don’t to make big difference Tell” repeal plan on table for homeless by Shaun Knittel SGN Associate Editor

Pentagon officials have released their plan to repeal the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” (DADT) policy and it looks like the implementation process will happen sooner, rather than later. At a 45-minute briefing on January 28, Vice Chairman General James E. Cartwright of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and Clifford L. Stanley, the undersecretary of defense for personnel and readiness, announced the implementation process to the press. Pentagon officials said that the process would move “expeditiously and quickly,” conceivably within a matter of months. During the implementation process, Gen. Cartwright said the service chiefs would provide feedback every two weeks on requirements such as troop training that could affect the pace of the process. DADT repeal becomes official only 60 days after the president, secretary of defense, and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff

Cherie Cullen

©2009 Jan Sonnenmair/Do1Thing.org

companied youth are often unconnected to services or shelters. As they do not have a safe, stable place to call home, many wind up “couch surfing” with friends, relatives, or acquaintances. Having said that, there does appear to be agreement that 20%-40% of youth experiencing homelessness self-identify as LGBTQ, which is disproportionate by Shaun Knittel to the percentage of LGBTQ youth SGN Associate Editor in the general youth population. Like many homeless youth, Youth homelessness is a prob- LGBTQ youth either run away or lem that doesn’t fit neatly into a are forced out of the home due to box. The exact number of youth severe family conflict, abuse, neexperiencing homelessness is difficult to determine; they are undercounted in national data, as unacsee homeless page 20

Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. James E. Cartwright Jr.

sign off that the policy changes cruiting and retention of the Armed are “consistent with the standard Forces.” of military readiness, military efsee dadt page 18 fectiveness, unit cohesion, and re-

OUR HISTORY – The Imperial VICTORY – Illinois gov. signs civil unions law Sovereign Court of Seattle courtesy of the Court of Seattle

Olympia 1 Scotty and her royal court in 1971

by Shaun Knittel SGN Associate Editor John Scott, 68, is a gentle man. He is easy to talk to. Over a cup of coffee on a rare sunny Seattle afternoon, John told me that his friends call him Scotty, and his even closer friends know him as Olympia I Scotty – the very first empress of the Imperial Sovereign Court of Seattle & the Olympic and Rainier Empire. Forty years ago, Scotty reigned supreme. Today, dressed conservatively in a blazer and button-down shirt, it would be hard to imagine him in a gown and a tiara – but the gleam in his eyes when he talks about “the good old days” immediately gives him away. Much more than a pre-Stonewall Gay man, greater a person than a mere drag queen, Scotty is a wonderful historian. We talked for quite some time, and I felt lucky to be having coffee with royalty. Scotty is aglow, and for good reason: he was recently bestowed the prestigious title of Queen Mother of Washington state by the International Court System. He joins only see court page 17

proud to Be Different

We are conveniently located on-site at Lifelong AIDS Alliance below the Thrift Store.

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Forty years of service via wigs & smiles

ing ceremony. “We believe in civil rights and we believe in civil unions.” Quinn was joined by 20 Illinois political leaders and a standing-roomonly crowd of nearly 1,000 supporters in a hall at the Chicago Cultural Center. Among those attending the signing were Chicago Mayor Richard Daley, Illinois Senate President John Cullerton, Illinois Democratic Governor Pat Quinn holds up the House Speaker signed Illinois Religious Freedom Protection Mike Madigan, and Civil Union Act Rep. Deborah by Mike Andrew Mell, Rep. Greg Harris, and Sen. SGN Staff Writer Dave Koehler. The Chicago Gay Men’s chorus Illinois Governor Pat Quinn performed at the ceremony. signed his state’s new civil unions “This legislation represents a gibill into law on January 31. ant step toward equality,” Illinois The law will take effect on June Attorney General Lisa Madigan 1. said. “Here we are in 2011 on the “If you enter a civil union, you eve of Abraham Lincoln’s 202nd can now visit your loved one in the birthday and I think this is very see illinois page 21 special,” Quinn said at the sign-

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