SGN February 22, 2013 - Section 1

Page 1

Celebrating 40 Years!

Issue 08 Volume 41

FRIDAY February 22, 2013 FREE! 25¢ in bookstores & newsstands

Seattle Gay News SEATTLE’S LGBT NEWS & ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY

LGBT pressure mounts on Obama Dozens of groups call for executive order against discrimination

Fifty-four LGBT-friendly organizations have sent a letter to President Barack Obama urging him to issue an executive order barring federal contractors from

“Therefore, we write to urge you to take an immediate step toward legal equality by signing an executive order banning federal contractors from discriminating against Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) Americans.”

AFP / Getty Images

by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer

This letter comes only a week after 37 U.S. senators – including Washington’s Patty Murray – sent a similar letter to the President. The latest letter was signed by all the major national LGBT organizations, including the Human Rights Campaign, the National

“We write to urge you to take an immediate step toward legal equality by signing an executive order banning federal contractors from discriminating against Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) Americans.” workplace discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity. “Dear Mr. President,” the letter begins. “We were deeply moved by the passage in your second inaugural address connecting Seneca Falls and Selma to Stonewall, and we agree that ‘our journey is not complete until our Gay brothers and sisters are treated like everyone else under the law.’

MANY WOULD BENEFIT The letter acknowledges that many companies that do business with the federal government already have LGBT-inclusive nondiscrimination policies in place, but quotes a Williams Institute study showing that some 11 million workers would benefit from additional protection of sexual orientation, and another 16 million from gender identity protections.

Gay and Lesbian Task Force, Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders, GetEqual, the National Center for Lesbian Rights, and the National Center for Transgender Equality. It was also signed by many organizations based in communities of color – NAACP, the National see obama page 16

President Barack Obama

Shanti program closing A regal affair Lack of funds cited in decision to end volunteer support group

Rosehedge/Multifaith Works, an organization that for 25 years has provided housing and support programs for people living with HIV/AIDS, multiple sclerosis, and other life-challenging illnesses, announced this week the elimination of the Shanti emotional support program, effective March 31. The Rosehedge Board said it made the difficult decision after learning of the loss of $600,000 in 2013 state and federal funding. THIRTY-YEAR RUN Since 1983, Shanti has provided emotional support to thousands of people, matching well-trained volunteers with those who are iso-

lated, vulnerable, and in need of confidential, one-on-one, nonjudgmental support. Shanti volunteers who are especially skilled at sitting with individuals at the end-of-life stage make weekly visits to residents at Bailey-Boushay House. The group also runs a prison program, with volunteers providing support to inmates at the King County Correctional Facility, the Monroe State Penitentiary, and the Women’s Correctional Facility at Purdy. The Shanti program staff is actively seeking a new fiscal agent and will be working with volunteers and community leaders to explore all options for the program’s future and fiscal sustainability.

Weddings By the Sea

Imperial Court of Seattle crowns new Emperor and Empress

Nate Gowdy, Jen DeLeo / seattle gay news

by Shaun Knittel SGN Associate Editor

A ‘PAINFUL’ DECISION “This decision was incredibly painful for the organization Shanti is one of Seattle’s original HIV/AIDS programs,” said Lauren Simonds, executive director of Rosehedge/Multifaith Works. “Funding for HIV/AIDS programs is changing and will continue to do so as the medical treatment of patients evolves. Rosehedge/Multifaith Works will, of course, evolve as well. Our staff and board remain firmly committed to the work we do in the community and the individuals we are here to help.” Rosehedge/Multifaith Works serves men and women living with HIV/AIDS who also struggle with chemical dependency and mental health issues by providing housing, compassionate health care, and support services that enhance the quality of their lives. Its programs include Enhanced Assisted Living Adult Family Homes with 24-hour care, Transitional Housing, practical and emotional support services through CareTeams, and SHIFT, a substance abuse peer-recovery coach network. Word of Shanti’s closing came just days after the nation’s oldest AIDS advocacy group, the Washington, D.C.-based National Association of People With AIDS, announced it had ceased operations and filed for bankruptcy.

Empress Sahara Dior D. and Emperor Michael David D at crowning

by James Whitely SGN Staff Writer The Imperial Sovereign Court of Seattle & The Olympic and Rainier Empire held its annual Coronation at Seattle’s Renaissance Hotel on February 16. Michael David D was appointed Emperor Rainier XXXIX, and Sahara Dior D. was crowned Empress Olympia XLII. The evening began with Em-

www.oceanshoresweddings.com 206-403-8170 Let us make your wedding day as fun as a day at the beach.

press Nicole the Great de San Diego, head of the International Court System, taking the stage to the Golden Girls theme song, “Thank You for Being a Friend.” The empress then gave her annual State of the Empire address, a tradition she began when she was appointed to lead the Court after its founder, Empress I José Sarria, retired.

see coronation page 5


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