Issue 12 Volume 41
Celebrating 40 Years!
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Seattle Gay News SEATTLE’S LGBT NEWS & ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY
Boeing – YES to marriage equality Workers ratify new contract that includes same-sex spousal benefits by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer Technical workers at Boeing have approved a new contract that includes pension survivor benefits for same-sex spouses of current employees.
ment made by a pension plan to a surviving beneficiary, usually a spouse, when the employee dies. It is one way that married couples – same-sex or opposite sex – can make sure at least one partner enjoys a secure retirement. Boeing shocked union nego-
resents Boeing engineers and technical workers, insisted that same-sex spouses were entitled to equal treatment and threatened to initiate legal action under state anti-discrimination laws. Kenneth Aphibal, a SPEEA member, also posted a petition to the company
“Recognizing Boeing’s commitment to equality without regard to sexual orientation, Boeing will, effective upon ratification of this agreement, extend pension survivor benefits to all spouses, as defined under either State or Federal law, whichever defines the same-sex person as a spouse.” “Recognizing Boeing’s commitment to equality without regard to sexual orientation, Boeing will, effective upon ratification of this agreement, extend pension survivor benefits to all spouses, as defined under either State or Federal law, whichever defines the samesex person as a spouse,” a letter of understanding attached to the main contract states. A survivor benefit is a pay-
tiators on November 21 last year when it announced that it would not give same-sex spouses equal pension benefits. Company officials said they were not required to do so despite the passage of Washington’s marriage equality law, because the benefits package was administered under federal law rather than state law – and therefore was controlled by DOMA. SPEEA, the union that rep-
on Change.org demanding that Boeing honor the intentions of the state’s voters and give equal benefits to Gay and Lesbian couples. NEW HIRES LEFT OUT While Boeing eventually acceded to union demands on spousal benefits, SPEEA did not win on all points. Current employees will see BOEING page 5
GLSEN’s new study finds many WA A rude shock, indeed Michelle Shocked’s slur: schools unsafe for LGBT students Singer What does it mean?
GOLDENPLEC
by GLSEN, the Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network. The findings, based on the responses of Washington students who participated in GLSEN’s 2011 National School Climate Survey, show that LGBT students in Washington schools face high levels of harassment based on their sexual orientation or gender expression and regularly hear antiGay slurs from students and staff. GLSEN’s biennial National School Climate Survey, first conducted in 1999, remains the only study to consistently document the school experiences of LGBT students nationwide. The 2011 survey includes responses from 8,584 students between the ages of 13 and 20. Students were from all 50 states and the District of Columbia, and from 3,224 unique school districts. Data collection was conducted through national and community-based organizations and targeted online advertising on the social networking site Facebook. A total of 282 respondents were attending schools in Washington, and the reported results for Washington have a marby Shaun Knittel many LGBT students, according gin of error of plus or minus 6%. to School Climate in Washington, SGN Associate Editor a research snapshot of the experiWashington state middle and ences of LGBT students in Washsee GLSEN page 5 high schools are hostile places for ington schools released this week
Michelle Shocked
by James Whitely SGN Staff Writer On Sunday, March 17, alternative folksinger Michelle Shocked (née Karen Michelle Johnston) made an impromptu speech against same-sex marriage during a performance at Yoshi’s Nightclub in San Francisco. Johnston
reportedly used homophobic slurs while she spoke, angering concertgoers to the point where they tweeted her words en masse and the concert shut down. While Johnston hasn’t been shy to the press about being a “born-again Christian” in the past, her fans in see SHOCKED page 21
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