SGN March 23, 2012 - Section 1

Issue 12 Volume 40

Celebrating 39 Years!

CAL ANDERSON p. 3

THE HUNGER GAMES p. 25

jimmy carter p. 5

Seattle Gay News

FRIDAY March 23, 2012 FREE! 25¢ in bookstores & news stands

SEATTLE’S LGBT NEWS & ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY

Seattle LGBT Commission Kris Hermanns, Pride apologizes for snubbing Foundation’s new executive director Israeli leaders SGN EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW

courtesy NCLR

LGBT philanthropic community. As an organization that strives to inspire a culture of generosity, their influence is far-reaching, as they not only service Washington, but as far north as Alaska and as far east as Montana. The Pride Foundation envisions a world that honors diversity, fosters mutual respect, and celebrates complete equality.

It takes a strong and dedicated leader to take the reins of such an organization. The Pride Foundation Board of Directors believes they have found that person in Kris Hermanns, and recently hired her as executive director.

Kris Hermanns

by Shaun Knittel SGN Associate Editor Since 1985, the Pride Foundation has been a staple in Seattle’s

see hermanns page 16

by Shaun Knittel SGN Associate Editor Last week, the City of Seattle LGBT Commission won both praise and criticism for canceling a March 16 reception for a delegation of Gay Israeli leaders, citing Israel’s treatment of Palestinians.

The snub caught the attention of national media resulting in a firestorm of negative press for the commission, and leaving many to wonder why the Seattle LGBT Commission took a side, either way, on the topic.

The commission’s role is to effectively address and present the concerns of LGBT citizens of Seattle to the mayor, City Council, and all city departments. The commission recommends legislation, policy, programs, and budget items to the mayor. see israel page 16

SGN EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW New Hampshire

courtesy Washington state democrats

Jay Inslee

by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer Seattle Gay News last talked with Democratic candidate for governor Jay Inslee in July 2011, only a day after he announced his support for marriage equality. A lot has happened since then.

At the time, no one knew for certain that a marriage bill would be introduced in the legislature, that it would pass and be signed by the governor, or that it would be challenged in a statewide referendum campaign.

When SGN reconnected with Inslee in his busy downtown campaign headquarters, he remarked on how much had changed in the intervening eight months.

“It shows how fast people in the community are coming to accept each other,” Inslee said. “People couldn’t have had it on their radar that we’d move this fast. It’s been remarkable. Faster than anything in my lifetime.”

Jim Cole / AP

Jay Inslee, Democratic legislature keeps candidate for governor marriage equality

Rep. David Bates, talks about his amendment to a bill to repeal New Hampshire’s Gay marriage law at the NH statehouse on March 21, 2012.

equality, with only 116 voting for repeal and 211 voting against.

“Today is a banner day for the New Hampshire’s House of freedom to marry,” said Craig Representatives has decisively Stowell, co-chair of Standing Up defeated an attempt to repeal the For NH Families. state’s marriage equality law.

“This is a sad day for New Although Republicans control the legislature, the March 21 vote see inslee page 17 was almost two-to-one in favor of see new hampshire page 18

by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer

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Seattle Gay News

March 23, 2012

1800 terry ave (Corner of terry & Howell) 206-467-5309 www.seattlevaultselfstorage.com Celebrating 39 Years!

by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer Police raided the Gay resort Joluva Hotel in Granada, Nicaragua, earlier this month, arresting the owners and at least one U.S. citizen. Details of the raid are still in dispute.

According to a Seattle Gay News informant, who asked not to be identified by name, perhaps 30 people were arrested in the raid, two of them Americans. In addition to arresting the hotel owners, staff, and guests, police “stole money and took computers” from the hotel, our informant said.

The individual said he has lived in Nicaragua for the past year, and was in Granada at the time of the raid but “I decided to get the hell out,” and is now back in Seattle.

State Department spokesperson Noel Clay confirmed the raid, but told SGN on March 21 that only one American had been taken into custody.

“A U.S. citizen has been arrested and is being provided consular services, but due to privacy concerns we can’t comment further,” Clay said.

He declined to identify the American or say how he is being charged.

Among those arrested were the Belgian owners, Francis DeFranco and Jan Van Den Broek, who had hoped to make the hotel the centerpiece of Nicaragua’s first Gay resort community.

According to the English-language newspaper Nicaragua Dispatch, only five people were arrested: DeFranco, Van Den Broek, a 55-year-old Canadian, a 65-year-old U.S. citizen, and the hotel’s 18-year-old Nicaraguan bartender.

The discrepancies in the number of people arrested may be due to the fact that some individuals connected with the hotel were reportedly arrested in other locations. SGN’s informant says an American friend of his was arrested at his business in Granada.

Our informant also expressed fear for friends remaining in Nicaragua.

“We don’t know how wide a net they’re going to cast,” he said. “I have friends there who are in hiding. As of the last email I have, they haven’t gone out very much.”

Friends of our informant who were also contacted by SGN declined to be interviewed for this story, one of them in a tone approaching panic. He was still in Nicaragua, he said in an email, and he could not risk calling attention to himself.

“This is an investigation that’s still in process,” according to Granada police chief Horacio Sobalvarro.

Sobalvarro added that police are also investigating “three or four” other cases of hotels allegedly exploiting minors in Granada. Those cases could also result in raids in the coming weeks, the police chief said, but they are run by Nicaraguans.

All five men identified by the Nicaraguan

Dispatch are being held under so-called “preventive prison sentences” while they await trial on charges of promoting tourism for the purpose of sexual exploitation, pornography, and sexual abuse, according to Granada police.

“We can’t say that the tourists came with this intention, but the owners of the business did,” Sobalvarro told the Nicaragua Dispatch.

The defendants’ Nicaraguan attorney says that prosecutors have not presented any evidence of criminal wrongdoing.

Police say they have testimony from five Nicaraguan boys, ages 14-17, who claim they were exploited at the hotel.

No one claimed to have been raped, but the alleged victims did claim they were tricked, sexually exploited, and had their “moral integrity affected,” the police chief told Nicaragua Dispatch.

According to the police report, DeFranco and Van Den Broek allegedly produced and posted pornographic photos and videos of Nicaraguan boys on the internet and offered hotel guests oral sex with local boys for $20-$30.

The Hotel Joluva website made no mention of offering sex services, but did advertise “spa services” with massages ranging from $20-$30.

Same-sex sexual acts are legal in Nicaragua, and the age of consent is 18. According to SGN’s informant, DeFranco and Van Den Broek were scrupulous about keeping underage people out of their hotel.

“They’re very careful who they bring in,” the informant told SGN. “They don’t play around. You have to be over 18 and have proper ID, They work with the police to keep [minors] out – and with the other hotels.”

This story seems to be confirmed by Michael Alan on his Gay travel website TravelCostaRicaNow.com. Alan is also quoted in the Nicaraguan Dispatch article to the effect that the hotel employs “really cute guys” to give patrons massages.

“You can’t even ENTER Joluva without a key or someone letting you in so people just don’t come and go,” Alan says on his website.

“Jan and Francis weren’t stupid, they knew they would have clientele from time to time who WERE of the ‘sketchy’ type, which is precisely the reason they had cameras installed and furthermore, wouldn’t let any Nicaraguan ‘boy’ in Joluva who couldn’t prove they were of legal age.

“I witnessed this a few times and it also happened to me and D’Angelo when we befriended a guy in Granada and invited him to our room for pizza. At the time, Jan knew us very well, but the guy still had to produce his ‘driver’s license’ in order to come in.”

A long-time Granada resident who said he attended pool parties at the hotel told the Nicaragua Dispatch that the parties featured young men running around and exposing

Our informant was puzzled by the motive for the police raid.

“The Gay community is very well tolerated in Granada,” he said. “There are even a couple of Gay bars in Managua [Nicaragua’s capital]. Daniel Ortega was reelected [president of Nicaragua] last year and he says he wants to promote tourism.”

“Jan and Francis wanted to promote Nicaragua as a Gay-friendly place.” courtesy of the seattle city council

Nicaraguan police raid Gay resort, arrest Americans

themselves. But the source said there were no minors at the parties he attended, and no illegal activity – sexual or otherwise – that he could see.

SGN’s informant said the five boys who allegedly complained to police had been “banned from the hotel” and might have been seeking revenge. “Or the police might have squeezed them” to identify potential suspects, the informant added.

No one claimed to have been raped, but the alleged victims did claim they were tricked, sexually exploited, and had their “moral integrity affected.”

Cal Anderson was a trailblazer. He was an activist, a decorated Vietnam War combat veteran, a Washington state senator, and a friend. He was also Washington state’s first openly Gay legislator. Cal fought tirelessly and without fanfare for campaign finance reform, easier voter registration, open access to government documents, and Gay rights legislation. He called himself “a Democrat who happens to … be Gay,” and he made a difference in many lives. Cal Anderson died August 4, 1995, of illness related to AIDS. He was 47. On April 19, 2003, Cal Anderson Park was named and dedicated in his honor.

On March 24, at 11 a.m. at the Northwest corner of Cal Anderson Park at 10th Ave. E. and Denny Way (future site of the Capitol Hill Link light rail station, red construction wall), STart (Sound Transit art program) commissioned artist Kelly Lyles will honor Cal Anderson. We invite you to help us dedicate this new portrait commemorating his legacy.

Come meet Tim and Matt and join the family.

Go 1605 12th Avenue at Pine, Seattle (In liquor store parking garage.) Seattle Storm!

206-838-6027 or 206-898-4306 Visit us online www.sgn.org

March 23, 2012

Seattle Gay News

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Marriage not a human right, European court says nate gowdy / seattle gay news

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Seattle Gay News

Caroline Mecary, (l) lawyer for Valerie Gas and Nathalie Dubois, and Robert Wintemute, professor at the King’s college in London, during a press conference on March 15, 2012

right, at least not for same-sex couples.

“The European Convention on Human Rights does not require member states’ govIn a blow to marriage equality in Europe, ernments to grant same-sex couples access the European Court of Human Rights ruled to marriage,” the Court said in its decision.

The judges added that couples who are in on March 20 that marriage is not a human legally recognized relationships but are not married do not enjoy the same status as married couples.

The case involved two Lesbians who are civil partners under French law.

Valerie Gas and Nathalie Dubois wished to adopt Dubois’s biological child, but were unable to do so because France allows only married couples to adopt, and only allows same-sex couples to form civil partnerships, not marriages.

They sued in the European Court, claiming that the European Convention on Human Rights includes clauses that prohibit discrimination and protect privacy and family life.

The court, based in Strasbourg, France, denied their claim, saying that since the couple’s legal status as civil partners is not the same as a married couple, they do not have the same rights.

“With regard to married couples, the court considers that in view of the social, personal, and legal consequences of marriage, the applicants’ legal situation could not be said to

by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer

March 23, 2012

be comparable to that of married couples,” the court ruled.

This applies to both same-sex and opposite-sex civil partners, the court said, and therefore does not discriminate against Gas and Dubois as Lesbians.

In its latest ruling, the court referred back to a 2010 case, Schalk and Kopf v. Austria, in which it said that governments may offer same-sex couples equal rights to marriage, but were not required to do so.

According to Robert Wintemute, professor of human rights law at King’s College London, the court’s ruling in Schalk actually opens opportunities for recognition of samesex marriage.

“Although the court ruled that Article 12 of the Convention did not yet impose an obligation on European governments to allow same-sex couples to marry, the court changed its interpretation of Article 12, saying that it ‘would no longer consider that the right to marry enshrined in Article 12 must in all circumstances be limited to marriage between two persons of the opposite sex,’” Wintemute told Pink News in a 2011 interview.

“When more Council of Europe countries than the current seven (out of 47) allow same-sex couples to marry, the court will be willing to consider ordering all of them to do so.”

Currently marriage equality is on the agenda in Britain, where Prime Minister David Cameron’s government has promised to enact a new marriage law before the next election.

Some interpretations of the European court’s ruling may impede Cameron’s efforts, however.

Neil Addison, a specialist in discrimination law, told the Daily Mail newspaper that the court decision would have the effect of forcing churches to marry same-sex couples, even if they are opposed to same-sex marriage.

“Once same-sex marriage has been legalized, then the partners to such a marriage are entitled to exactly the same rights as partners in a heterosexual marriage,” Addison said.

“This means that if same-sex marriage is legalized in the U.K., it will be illegal for the government to prevent such marriages happening in religious premises.”

If Addison’s analysis is correct, the court’s ruling would shred Cameron’s guarantee to religious critics of marriage equality that no church would be forced to perform samesex marriages.

Church of England lawyers have already warned that if the government’s marriage bill goes forward, it is likely to force churches to fall into line and perform the wedding ceremonies.

Celebrating 39 Years!

Jimmy Carter endorses marriage equality

by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer

Maryland will vote for marriage equality, governor says

AP Photo

Former president Jimmy Carter endorsed marriage equality in a March 20 interview with the Huffington Post.

Carter has been on tour promoting his new Bible study book, NIV Lessons From Life Bible: Personal Reflections with Jimmy Carter.

One of the issues that came up in the interview was same-sex marriage, and Carter came down unequivocally on the side of equality.

“Homosexuality was well-known in the ancient world, well before Christ was born and Jesus never said a word about homosexuality. In all of his teachings about multiple things – he never said that Gay people should be condemned,” Carter said.

“I personally think it is very fine for Gay people to be married in civil ceremonies. I draw the line, maybe arbitrarily, in requiring by law that churches must marry people.

“I’m a Baptist, and I believe that each congregation is autonomous and can govern its own affairs. So if a local Baptist church wants to accept Gay members on an equal basis – which my church does, by the way – then that is fine. If a church decides not to, then government laws shouldn’t require them to.”

It was not the first time Carter has spoken out in support of LGBT rights. In a December 2010 interview, he said he saw no obstacle to electing a Gay president.

“I would say that the country is getting acclimated to a president who might be female, who might obviously, now be black and who might be as well, a Gay person,”

Carter told Bigthink.com in 2010.

“Because step-by-step we have realized that this issue of homosexuality has the same adverse and progressive elements as when we dealt with the race issue 50 years ago … or 40 years ago.”

Although Carter still identifies as a Baptist, he publicly split with the Southern Baptist Convention – the largest and most conservative Baptist group – in 2000.

In a letter he sent to 75,000 Baptists nationwide, Carter said he found the SBC becoming increasingly “rigid.” In particular, he said, he believed SBC leaders were distorting scripture to minimize the role and rights of Baptist women.

“I’m familiar with the verses they have quoted about wives being subjugated to their husbands,” he said.

“In my opinion, this is a distortion of the meaning of Scripture. ... I personally feel the Bible says all people are equal in the eyes of God. I personally feel that women should play an absolutely equal role in service of Christ in the church.”

He added that he and his wife Rosalynn would associate with Baptist groups “who share such beliefs as separation of church and state ... a free religious press, and equality of women.”

Both the Carters and their church in Plains, Georgia, are now affiliated with the Atlanta-based Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, a more liberal Baptist organization.

Carter previously clashed with the SBC in 1997, when SBC leaders said that Mormons were not Christians, an issue that has come to the fore again as Mormon Mitt Romney runs for the Republican presidential nomi-

Former President Jimmy Carter speaking at the University of Washington in 2006

courtesy the maryland reporter

nation.

“Too many leaders now, I think, in the Southern Baptist Convention and in other conventions, are trying to act as the Pharisees did, who were condemned by Christ, in trying to define who can and who cannot be considered an acceptable person in the eyes

of God,” Carter said then.

“In other words, they’re making judgments on behalf of God. I think that’s wrong … the people in my own local church have no interest in trying to condemn Mormons or trying to convert Mormons to be good old Baptists like me.”

the New Ways Ministry’s Seventh National Symposium of Catholicism and Homosexuality in Baltimore on March 16. According to the Washington Blade, O’Malley received a “warm reception” from the crowd.

New Ways Ministry describes itself as “a Gay-positive ministry of advocacy and justice for LGBT Catholics, and reconciliation within the larger Christian and civil communities.”

“I did not come here as a Catholic,” O’Malley, who is a practicing Catholic, said after taking the podium. “I came here as the governor of all of Maryland.”

O’Malley told the symposium that the passage of the marriage equality bill was “based on the fundamental beliefs, the fundamental principles we share, foremost among them is our belief in the dignity of every individual.

“In Maryland, we were able to find a way to protect individual civil marriage rights and religious freedom. And while it is likely to be challenged on the ballot, I believe that ultimately the voters … will come down on the side of human dignity.”

O’Malley made the marriage bill the centerpiece of his legislative agenda.

Maryland includes citizens who represent a variety of backgrounds, ethnicities, perspectives, and faith traditions, the governor said, adding that, “we should expect and

demand from all our leaders … to protect rights equally among all people.”

Other speakers included former Lt. Gov. Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, retired Bishop Geoffrey Robinson from Australia, and Barbara Johnson, the Lesbian denied communion at her mother’s funeral in Gaithersburg.

“As Catholics, we are proud of Gov. O’Malley’s ardent support of marriage equality,” said Francis DeBernardo, executive director of New Ways Ministry.

“His support is in the best tradition of Catholicism’s legacy of social justice for all. We are happy to have this opportunity to thank him for his work and to show how faithful Catholics support full equality for LGBT people.”

New Ways Ministry has been criticized by newly appointed Cardinal Edmund F. O’Brien of Baltimore.

“In no manner is the position proposed

by New Ways Ministry in conformity with Catholic teaching,” O’Brien said.

DeBernardo countered that his group is supported by many Catholics.

“Thousands of Catholic people and hundreds of Catholic institutions from across the country continue to support our programs and attend our events. They recognize that what we are doing is authentically Catholic,” he said.

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Seattle Gay News

5

Six months later, DADT repeal a non-issue

by Shaun Knittel SGN Associate Editor The U.S. military officially reversed its policy on Gays serving openly in the service six months ago. Leading up to the historic moment, right-wing politicians (particularly U.S. Navy veteran and Arizona Republican Senator John McCain) played the role of doomsayer – if DADT were repealed, it would cost the lives of Marines in battle, they said. While most Gay veterans (like myself) shrugged this off as typical political grandstanding, McCain and company’s words did frighten more than a handful of Americans who hoped against hope that everything would be OK. Six months later we have our answer. According to top Pentagon officials and the Department of Defense-directed Stars and Stripes newspaper, DADT’s repeal has been a non-issue. Everything is, in fact, OK. In a March 19 report filed by Leo Shane III for Stars and Stripes, Sgt. Pepe Johnson was surprised by the reaction he received when his fellow soldiers learned that he is

Gay. “They’ve pretty much shrugged it off,” said Johnson, who rejoined the Army last fall after nearly a decade away. “Most of them were wondering why I had a nine-year gap in service. When I told them it was because of ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,’ they shrugged it off. That was a pleasant surprise.”

Johnson was discharged from the Army in 2003 under DADT. After he shared his “secret” with some friends, others in his unit started grilling them about his sexual orientation. Feeling pressure from both his friends and others, Johnson eventually came clean to his superiors.

As the political winds changed last year, Johnson said he was speaking with recruiters about returning even before the repeal went into effect last September.

“Their biggest issue was asking when I could start, not worrying about my personal life,” he said. “There has been no backlash, nothing to worry about.”

Pentagon officials say that Johnson is not alone. Across all four branches of the military, soldiers, sailors, airmen, and Marines,

According to top Pentagon officials and the Department of Defense-directed Stars and Stripes newspaper, DADT’s repeal has been a nonissue. Everything is, in fact, OK.

6

Seattle Gay News

March 23, 2012

have come out as Gay, Lesbian, or Bisexual to little or no fanfare, and others – like Johnson – have returned to military duty. Officials say the policy change has caused “no major headaches.”

Pentagon spokeswoman Eileen Lainez told Stars and Stripes the repeal is “proceeding smoothly across the Department of Defense,” which officials there credit to the “enforcement of standards by our military leaders” and “servicemembers’ adherence to core values that include discipline and respect.”

Military leaders have seen pushback from conservative groups on some high-profile post-repeal stories – such as a picture of a Gay Marine kissing his boyfriend which circulated earlier this month – but haven’t faced any lawsuits or mass resignations predicted by some opponents.

“Last month’s White House dinner honoring Iraq War veterans included several same-sex couples among the invitees, but in their remarks military leaders didn’t even note that such a public display would have resulted in those troops’ dismissal just a few months earlier,” wrote Shane.

Still, even with Pentagon officials disagreeing with them, DADT repeal opponents remain skeptical. Elaine Donnelly, president of the conservative Center for Military Readiness, said plenty of troops remain opposed to serving with openly Gay colleagues, but fear they’ll lose their job2 if they object to the military’s new so-called pro-Gay agenda.

“The entire administration … has imposed ‘zero tolerance’ policies against persons who are not enthusiastic supporters of LGBT law,” she said. “This is what we predicted, but the effects will not be seen quickly, especially in an election year.”

Much of the repeal fight has shifted to the next rights battlefield: whether same-sex couples should receive the same housing and medical benefits as their straight peers.

“Even as we celebrate the success we have seen so far on ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’

repeal, we know that implementation cannot be entirely successful as long as we have two classes of service members. It’s past time for the Secretary of Defense to act on this front, and at this six-month mark, it would be entirely appropriate to do so. The reality is that the Department of Defense started looking at benefits long before repeal of ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ took place, including in the findings of the Comprehensive Review Working Group,” said Army veteran and Servicemembers Legal Defense Network Executive Director Aubrey Sarvis.

Benefits the Secretary of Defense has the ability to confer without coming into conflict with the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) or other federal statutes include military ID cards, hospital visitation, family housing, joint duty assignments, and a variety of morale, welfare, and recreational programs. SLDN first called on Panetta in August 2011 to extend these benefits and reiterated that call in January 2012.

In addition, SLDN and the law firm Chadbourne & Parke have filed landmark litigation representing eight married Gay and Lesbian service members and veterans.

McLaughlin v. U.S., filed in October 2011, challenges DOMA and other federal statutes that preclude the military from providing equal recognition, support, and benefits to all families. Currently, there is a 60-day stay in the case that expires on April 28, 2012.

“These plaintiffs take the same risks, make the same sacrifices, and provide the same service, yet when it comes to benefits like housing, health care, survivor benefits, and family support, they are not treated the same as their straight married peers. It’s time to repeal DOMA and change these discriminatory laws. We cannot be a nation with two classes of service members,” said Sarvis.

Petty Officer 1st Class Jeremy Johnson, a member of the active-duty Gay-rights group OutServe, told Stars and Stripes he anticipates more problems in the future, although nothing to the extent of Donnelly’s predictions. Many of the Gay troops he knows have not yet talked about their personal lives with their work colleagues, somewhat delaying the cultural impact of the repeal.

“This was never about having people come flying out of the closet,” he said. “It was about knowing you can’t be fired for being found out. There’s going to be a natural transition as more people become comfortable with the idea.”

Johnson, who was forced from the military in 2007, became the first openly Gay person to re-enlist after the repeal was finalized. He said his commanders have warned him that he could be singled out for his public role, but so far it hasn’t caused any real conflicts.

“I anticipate that this isn’t over, but I don’t anticipate major problems, either,” he said.

Celebrating 39 Years!

NORTHWEST

NEWS

compiled by Rick McKinnon SGN Staff Writer

SEATTLE JEWISH FILM FESTIVAL Cost of the lecture is $15 general, $10 MARCH 15-25 members, $5 students and includes museum www.seattlejewishfilmfestival.org admission. For more info, call 253-2724258 or visit www.TacomaArtMuseum.org.

WASHINGTON STATE MR. & MS. LEATHER CONTEST MUSIC OF REMEMBRANCE – On Friday, March 23, from 8:30-10 p.m., SPARKS OF GLORY: Doghouse Leathers (1312 E. Pike St.) hosts “NOT MARTYRS, NOT SAINTS” the contest’s annual Meet & Greet. On SatOn Saturday, March 24, at 2 p.m., at Wallurday, March 24, at 7 p.m., The Cuff Com- ingford’s Good Shepherd Center (4649 Sunplex (13th Ave. & E. Pine St.), hosts the Mr. nyside Ave. N.), Music of Remembrance & Ms. Leather Contest 2012 in the down- presents their next Sparks of Glory concertstairs dance bar. On Sunday, March 25, at with-commentary, titled “Not Martyrs, Not 11:30 a.m., C.C. Attle’s (1701 E. Olive Saints,” spotlighting contemporary chamber Way) hosts the Emerald Awards and Victory music related to the Holocaust.

Brunch. www.wsmlo.org.

The concert features three works, two by contemporary composers, Simon Sargon CAL ANDERSON and Osvaldo Golijov, and one by the audaPORTRAIT DEDICATION cious and innovative Erwin Schulhoff, who On Saturday, March 24, at 11 a.m., at Cal died in the Wulzberg concentration camp.

Anderson Park (10th Ave. E. & E. Denny MOR’s Sparks of Glory concerts are Way) at the red construction wall, Sound FREE and open to the public. For complete Transit will dedicate a newly commissioned details on this exciting concert, visit www. portrait of Cal Anderson by artist Kelly musicofremembrance.org.

Lyles to commemorate Cal’s legacy. With musical accompaniment by Rainbow City SEATTLE MEN’S CHORUS – Marching Band and Rainbow City Brass “THE BEATLES – Quintet. FREE and open to the public.

COME TOGETHER” FRIENDS AND FAMILY PREVIEW TACOMA ART MUSEUM – On Saturday, March 24, at 8 p.m., at the “HIDE/SEEK: DIFFERENCE Renton IKEA Performing Arts Center (400 AND DESIRE IN S. Second St., Renton) the Seattle Men’s AMERICAN PORTRAITURE” Chorus presents their Friends and Family MARCH 17-JUNE 10 Preview of their upcoming Beatles concert.

The Tacoma Art Museum (1701 Pacific For only $10 a seat, the audience will see/ Ave., Tacoma) presents the groundbreaking hear the Chorus fine-tune songs and staging exhibit, “Hide/Seek: Difference and Desire for their upcoming show, and have a unique in American Portraiture,” that debuted at opportunity to engage with artistic director the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery Dennis Coleman, as well as members of the in 2010 and is the first major exhibition to Chorus, in an after-show audience discusaddress the question of how gender iden- sion. Tickets: 206-388-1400 and at the door. tity and sexual orientation have shaped the creation of modern American portraiture.

SEATTLE RAINBOW “Hide/Seek” offers an unprecedented surCONTRA DANCE vey of nearly 150 years of American art and On Sunday, March 25, free lesson at 3 includes more than 100 works by masters p.m., dance from 3:30-6 p.m., at Dance Unincluding Thomas Eakins, John Singer Sar- derground (340 15th Ave. E.), join Seattle gent, Georgia O’Keefe, Andy Warhol, Jas- Rainbow Contra Dance for an afternoon of per Johns and more. The exhibit was co-cu- live music and gender-free dancing for LGrated by noted Gay historian, Jonathan Katz, BTQ folks and friends and all who want to and Smithsonian curator, David Ward. dance. March 25 features the music of Wild The museum is open Wednesday-Sun- Hair from Oregon, with Mariah Pepper callday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. (closed Monday and ing. Cost is $10 general admission.

Tuesday). On the third Thursday of each month, the museum is open until 8 p.m., “WE ARE TRAYVON MARTIN” with free admission from 5-8 p.m. AdmisPROTEST sion: $10-adults, $8-students, military, On Sunday, March 25, at 4 p.m, at Greater seniors 65+, $25-family rate (2 adults and Mt. Baker Baptist Church (2425 S. Jackup to four children under 18), children 5 & son St.), the Seattle/King County NAACP under free. For bus riders, the museum is ac- is sponsoring a public event to protest the cessible from Seattle by Sound Transit bus death of Trayvon Martin, the African-Amerlines #594 and #586. For more information ican teenager who was shot to death in Floron the exhibit and special events, call 253- ida last month. All are welcome. Sign the 272-4258 or visit www.tacomaartmuseum. petition at change.org. org.

EMERALD CITY PRIDE BINGO + TACOMA ART MUSEUM – WIZARD OF OZ NEW MUSICAL “THE LAVENDER PALETTE: TO BENEFIT GAY NORTHWEST ARTISTS CAPITOL HILL PRIDE FESTIVAL IN THE EARLY 20TH CENTURY” On Sunday, March 25, and the last SunOn Saturday, March 24, at 1 p.m., at the day of the month in April and May from 7-9 Tacoma Art Museum (1701 Pacific Ave., Ta- p.m., at Julia’s (300 Broadway E.), enjoy coma), David Martin, art historian and co- an evening of bingo and drag entertainment owner of Martin-Zambito Fine Art, presents to benefit Capitol Hill Pride Festival 2012, a lecture “The Lavender Palette: Gay North- with a special half-time half-hour presentawest Artists in the Early 20th Century,” in tion of the Wizard of Oz New Musical, which conjunction with Tacoma Art Museum’s follows the original Frank Baum stories “Hide/Seek” exhibition. of the Wizard of Oz, with songs and dance.

The reputations of many Gay artists have Must be 18+ years of age. suffered due to the lack of extant material, which is often destroyed by embarrassed QUEER ADULT ROCK CAMP family members or friends after their deaths.

FUNDRAISING PERFORMANCE Lecturer David Martin has done extensive On Sunday, March 25, at 7:30 p.m., at investigation into this subject over the past Chop Suey (1325 E. Madison St.), Stone20 years and, in this lecture, he shines a lens wall Youth and Queer Rock Camp present on Gay, Lesbian, and Bisexual artists who Queer Adult Rock Camp musicians perwere active in Washington State before forming original songs written in 3 days, 1960. Although these artists achieved local with special guest performances by Tender and even national recognition during their Forever, Secret Shoppers, Fucking Dyke lifetime, their personal lives have rarely, if Bitches and MC BenDeLaCreme. This ever, been discussed, and most of the Gay- ALL-AGES event celebrates the debut of oriented works by these artists that Martin Queer Adult Rock Camp, a new program will reveal have never before been seen by and fundraiser held in Seattle, WA to benthe public.

Visit us online www.sgn.org

efit Queer Rock Camp, a free music camp for LGBTQQIA youth and allies in Olympia, WA. Tickets: $10 for 21+, sliding scale for under 21. Queer Adult Rock Camp is a new weekend day camp of instrument instruction, songwriting, band practice, and empowering workshops bringing Queers and allies 21 and older together to build community, have fun, and rock out while promoting Queer visibility in the arts. For more information on Queer Rock Camp and Queer Adult Rock Camp, visit www.queerrockcamp.org.

“FAGTASTIC! A QUEER CABARET” On Sunday, March 25, at 8 p.m. (doors at 7 p.m.), EmpeROAR Fabulous!!! presents “FAGTASTIC! A Queer Cabaret,” at Re-bar (1114 Howell St.). Boylesque! Drag! Comedy! Music! Gay Ass Shit! Featuring EmpeROAR Fabulous!!!, Fosse Jack, Gary Gloryhole, Ultra, and Ursula Major, it promises to be a scintillating showcase of sass, sex, and insanity to seduce the senses and boggle the brain you don’t want to miss! Must be 21+.

Tickets: $15 at the door.

IN THE LIFE TV – “REVISITING HIDDEN HISTORIES” On Sunday, March 25, at midnight, KCTS-TV, Channel 9, broadcasts In the Life, the longest running television show documenting the LGBT experience. This month’s episode “Revisiting Hidden Histories,” spotlights the “Hide/Seek” exhibit, now on view at the Tacoma Art Museum, when it first opened in Washington, DC, and the controversy that it sparked. In the second segment of the program, In the Life revisits the fascinating life of professor, tattoo artist and sexual renegade, Sam Steward.

This episode can also be view online at your convenience at In the Life TV, www. itlmedia.com.

GSBA YOUNG PROFESSIONALS WITH PRIDE On Tuesday, March 27, from 5:30-7:30 p.m., at Umpqua Bank (1630 Queen Anne Ave. N.), the GSBA hosts their bi-monthly social and networking event for young professionals in the 21-39 age bracket. Event cost: $10-GSBA members, $15-nonmembers, $10-students. To register: www.thegsba.org; 206-363-9188.

RISE N’ SHINE – “THE BIG BAIL OUT” On Wednesday, March 28, from 4-9 p.m., at the Grill on Broadway (315 Broadway E.), Rise n’ Shine hosts their annual “The Big Bail Out” event to raise money to send childen affected by HIV/AIDS to camp.

Grab your team of four and come on down to the Rise n’ Shine “jail” at the Grill on Broadway where their sheriff will sentence you to an hour of “jail” time. Call friends and family to raise your “bail” and send a kid to camp. Free grub and soda!

If “jail” is not your thing, support Rise n’ Shine camp with a donation through www. risenshine.org. For more information, contact Rick at 206-628-8949 ext 216.

SEATTLE DEAF FILM FESTIVAL 2012 MARCH 30-APRIL 1 On Friday, March 30, through Sunday, April 1, 2012, at Kane Hall, Room 120, University of Washington campus (off Red Square), Deaf Spotlight presents the Seattle Deaf Film Festival SDFF), featuring short and feature length films by, about and for the Deaf Community. This is the first film festival of its kind in the Pacific Northwest.

The festival features films in five categories: drama, documentary, animation, comedy, and suspense, from the U.S. and around the world. “We believe that through cinema, we can promote a vibrant community of emerging and experienced Deaf filmmakers, actors and producers.” On Saturday, March 31, from 5-7:30pm, the festival presents: “PRISM: LGBT Films & Panels.” Tickets: $11-adult; $8-student with ID/senior 65+ with ID. Weekend passes: $95-adult; $70-student senior. The films will be accessible to both deaf and hearing persons, with many in American Sign Language, but all subtitled in English. For complete information on films and schedule, visit www.deafspotlight.com/sdff.

SEAMEC ANNUAL MEETING On Saturday, March 31, from 2-4 p.m., at the Capitol Hill Branch public library (425 Harvard Ave. E.), join SEAMEC (Seattle Metropolitan Elections Committee) for their FREE and open annual meeting. Hear a panel of local and state elected officials discuss the new same-sex marriage bill and LGBT equality issues in Washington State. Learn how you can become a SEAMEC member and/or volunteer to put your skills to use and evaluate candidates for public office in the important 2012 elections. SEAMEC has been working to improve the lives of LGBT citizens and supporters for 35 years!

For more information, email: seamec.sc@ gmail.com.

SEATTLE MEN’S CHORUS – “THE BEATLES – COME TOGETHER” On Saturday, March 31, at 8 p.m., and on Sunday, April 1, at 2 p.m., at McCaw Hall (321 Mercer St.), the Seattle Men’s Chorus presents their all-Beatles Spring concert, “Come Together,” performing over two dozen faithfully arranged songs from the Beatles’ incredible catalog of songs. Tickets: www.seattlemenschorus.org or call 206-388-1400.

NORTHWEST NETWORK – SPRING 2012 RELATIONSHIP SKILLS CLASS On Mondays, April 2-May 14, from 6-8:30 p.m., at Church of Hope (3818 S. Angeline St.), Northwest Network presents their 7 week course exploring the skills we need to build the relationships we want.

Topics include: identifying cultural norms and personal values; accountability; naming and setting boundaries; strengthening support networks; and more. This class is open to Bisexual people and their friends and loved ones, Trans people and their friends and loved ones, and other LGBTQ people, and is open to all regardless of relationship status or history. Suggested donation: $90 – no one will be turned away for lack of funds.

Scholarships and trades are available. For more information, accessibility questions or to register, contact deann at 206-568-7777 or email deann@nwnetwork.org. Pre-registration by Monday, March 26 requested.

PLUS ONE QUEER YOUTH – FREE “DINNER WITH DIVAS” On Wednesday, March 28, and the last Wednesday of every month, at 7 p.m., at the Loft (1017 E. Union St., next to and above the Lifelong AIDS Alliance Thrift Store), Plus One Queer Youth with the Northwest Network host “Dinner with Divas,” the dinner party of Queer youth – come as you are!

RAINBOW CITY BAND – To RSVP, contact Bam Mendiola at 206“TO THE STARS AND 957-1665 or bam@llaa.org. Plus One is the HEAVENS BEYOND” new Queer Youth program at Lifelong AIDS On Saturday, March 31, at 7 p.m., at EdAlliance for youth ages 16-24. Facebook. monds Center for the Arts (410 Fourth Ave. com/plus1youth.

N., Edmonds), join Rainbow City Band and Rainbow City Orchestra for “To the Stars INLAWS & OUTLAWS – and Heavens Beyond,” a concert of celesA BENEFIT FOR tial proportions, featuring Gustav Holst’s WASHINGTON UNITED stunning masterpiece, “The Planets,” and FOR MARRIAGE On Thursday, March 29, at 7 p.m., at SIFF several selections from “2001: A Space OdCinema at the Uptown (511 Queen Anne. yssey,” including Richard Strauss’ “Also Ave. N.), True Stories Project presents In- Sprach Zarathustra.” Tickets: $20-general; laws & OUTLAWS, a screening to benefit $15-seniors and children under 10. 425Washington United for Marriage and the 275-9595; www.ec4arts.org.

Approve Ref. 74 campaign. It’s their 500th screening! Tickets: $10. www.inlawsandoutlawsfilm.com.

March 23, 2012

Seattle Gay News

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by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer Pope Benedict XVI’s visit to Cuba, scheduled to begin March 26, is already controversial.

Anti-government activists were stunned when Cuban Cardinal Jaime Ortega called police to arrest 13 non-violent protestors occupying Havana’s Our Lady of Charity church to draw international attention to their criticism of the regime.

“Nobody has the right to convert the churches into political trenches,” the church said in a press release.

“Nobody has the right to disrupt the celebratory spirit of the faithful Cubans, and many other citizens, who await with joy and hope the visit of Pope Benedict XVI to Cuba.”

On the other hand, Cuban bloggers, many of them from Cuba’s LGBT community, greeted the Pope’s visit with something less than “joy and hope.”

Once forced underground by government repression, in recent years the LGBT community has become increasingly visible.

President Raul Castro’s daughter Mariela is a leading LGBT rights activist, and in 2010, her uncle Fidel publicly apologized for suppressing LGBT Cubans.

Global Voices, a collective project of more than 500 bloggers and translators who publish online reports from around the world, has translated several posts critical of the papal visit.

Yasmín Silvia Portales, who describes

herself as “Marxist, non-heterosexual, and Afro-descendant,” challenged Catholic claims to be Cuba’s “national religion.”

“I think that if we have to identify a national religion,” she wrote, “no one can deny that the competition is between the ones of African origin. These religions became something new in Cuba.

“The symbols and cultural biases of Afro-Cuban religions traverse the common sense of what is ‘Cuban’ without considering class, race, or gender. In addition, these religions are popular in the best sense of the word.”

She went on to criticize the Pope’s positions on “the recent scandals of pedophiles faced by the Catholic Church, the use of condoms, and the right to divorce.”

Blogger Francisco Rodríguez, popularly known as Paquito el de Cuba, used Catholic symbolism to mock the Pope and Cardinal Ortega.

“The Virgin of Charity is certainly much more than a religious symbol,” he wrote.

“Her legend is part of Cuban culture, a source of spirituality for many people and a source of inspiration and unity throughout much of our national history.

“Benedict XVI is not the Virgin or a saint, nor do I believe he represents any human value which I feel a part of. I understand, however, that his presence in Cuba would be positive and help from the political point of view the country’s foreign relations and dialogue with a sector of our population.”

The popular blog El Nictalope called attention to papal homophobia.

courtesy india talkies

Pope to visit Cuba, Cubans not sure they want him

Pope Benedict XVI

“For years [Benedict XVI] has attracted public attention because of his obsessive demonstrations against the rights of homosexuals and Transsexuals. Hardly a month goes by without the pope, suddenly, railing against homofamilies and equal marriage.

“Paradoxically, he seems to have been slow and reluctant to [notice] cases of child abuse by priests.”

Benedict will arrive in Mexico March 23 and then travel to Cuba on March 26. Pope John Paul II visited Cuba in 1998.

Christian groups can’t discriminate, Supreme Court says

by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer The U.S. Supreme Court has declined to consider a request by Christian groups at San Diego State University to allow them to limit membership based on religious beliefs.

The March 20 announcement means that a previous federal appeals court ruling in Alpha Delta Chi-Delta Chapter v. Reed will stand.

The case involves a Christian fraternity and sorority at San Diego State University that challenged an anti-discrimination policy at California state universities because they wished to limit membership to narrowly defined “Christians.”

The Alpha Gamma Omega-Epsilon Chapter fraternity and the Alpha Delta Chi-Delta Chapter sorority originally brought their suit in 2005.

Susan Westover, head of the California State University system’s litigation unit, welcomed the Supreme Court decision.

“We don’t want our students to discriminate, just like we don’t want our employees to discriminate,” she said.

Several nondiscriminatory religious groups recognized by San Diego State also welcomed the Supreme Court’s decision.

“I think it’s a great policy. I don’t think

there should be any discrimination at all, in any way,” said Curtis Lester, 22, a fifth-year student and president of the Aztec Christian Association.

Jayson Nicholson, assistant for the Agape House Lutheran Episcopal Campus Ministry at San Diego State, enthusiastically backs the school policy.

“I personally feel it is positive not to discriminate in any way, shape, or form,” he said.

David Cortman, senior counsel for the Alliance Defense Fund, which argued the case for the Christian groups, said San Diego State will “remain a stronghold of censorship” as a result of the court decision.

The decision not to hear the San Diego case means the Supreme Court will not revisit their 2010 decision that a California law school can deny recognition to a Christian student group that bars Gays.

In that case, a 5-4 decision upheld lower court rulings that a Christian group’s First Amendment rights of association, free speech, and free exercise were not violated by a college’s nondiscrimination policy.

The ideologically split court ruled then that the University of California’s Hastings College of the Law could refuse to recognize campus groups that excluded people due to religious belief or sexual orientation.

Come meet Tim and Matt and join the family.

Go 1605 12th Avenue at Pine, Seattle (In liquor store parking garage.) Seattle Storm!

206-838-6027 or 206-898-4306 8

Seattle Gay News

March 23, 2012

Celebrating 39 Years!

e t o v o t RegisteR

www.myvote.wa.gov

Visit us online www.sgn.org

March 23, 2012

Seattle Gay News

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10 Seattle Gay News

March 23, 2012

Celebrating 39 Years!

e t o v o t R e t s i g e R

www.myvote.wa.gov

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March 23, 2012

Seattle Gay News 11

12 Seattle Gay News

March 23, 2012

Celebrating 39 Years!

Dr. J

ap photo

Jury finds spying in Rutgers dorm was a hate crime

The marriage effect

by Dr. Joanne Stekler Special to the SGN

This article is part of a series focusing on HIV and other STD prevention and care topics for Gay/Bisexual men and Transgender individuals in Seattle & King County.

On February 13, Gov. Christine Gregoire signed a bill into law that made Washington state the seventh state to legalize Gay marriage. One week later, a federal district court in California ruled that the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) is unconstitutional.

Then, on March 1, Maryland legalized same-sex marriage.

There’s a clear and growing support for same-sex marriage in the United States.

And Public Health – Seattle & King County knows that having the opportunity to marry could improve your health and the health of the community.

Domestic partnerships have given committed same-sex relationships a “separate but equal” status for years. It’s common sense that domestic partnerships increase social, emotional, and economic support.

But domestic partnerships probably also improve your health. Compared to men without a domestic partner, men in domestic partnerships have fewer sex partners and are less likely to have unprotected anal sex

with a casual partner – risk factors for getting HIV and other STDs. But “separate but equal” is not enough.

The health benefits of same-sex marriage may be even greater than those of domestic partnerships. Partnered Gay men are less likely to have health insurance compared to married heterosexuals. Having health insurance leads to better health outcomes. When Massachusetts legalized same-sex marriage, there was a decrease in medical and mental health visits and health-care costs among Gay and Bisexual men, perhaps due to decreased stress-related health conditions. In contrast, states that ban same-sex marriage see higher rates of mental illness and substance abuse. Outcomes for cancer, heart disease, Alzheimer’s, and other diseases are all better for people who are married, though this hasn’t been studied yet for Gay and Bi men.

Now all of this is information from observational studies. No one has randomized men to either find them a husband or not! So there may be other factors that impact these outcomes that we don’t know about.

However, many health-care organizations support marriage equality. The American Medical Association (AMA) issued a policy statement in 2009 to support same-sex marriage with the goal of reducing health disparities in the LGBT community. The American Psychiatric Association did the same in 2004.

And why do I support marriage equality?

Because happier and healthier people lead to happier and healthier communities … and I’m hoping to get invited to at least a wedding or two!

March 23, 2012

Seattle Gay News 13

Joanne Stekler, M.D., MPH, is deputy director of community services for the HIV/ STD Program at Public Health – Seattle & King County. She is also an internal medicine and infectious disease physician at Harborview Medical Center, and assistant professor of medicine and epidemiology at the University of Washington.

Dharum Ravi

by Shaun Knittel SGN Associate Editor Dharun Ravi, a former Rutgers University student, was convicted on March 16 on all 15 charges he had faced for using a webcam to spy on his roommate, 19 year-old Tyler Clementi, having sex with another man.

Many believe that Ravi’s actions were the cause of Clementi’s 2010 suicide.

The verdict could make the case that national hate-crimes laws have broadened, in an era when laws in general have not kept up with evolving technology. Cyberbullying – once seen as an obscure act – has become all too real and can now be used as evidence to convict suspects in hate-crimes cases like this one.

Ravi sent out Twitter and text messages encouraging others to watch the webcam video of Clementi. Three days later, Clementi jumped to his death from the George Washington Bridge – three weeks into his and Ravi’s freshman year in September 2010.

The case set off a national debate over whether hate-crime status is the preeminent way to deal with bullying. After all, other than Clementi, who could really say if Ravi’s actions were responsible for his suicide? While Ravi was not charged with his roommate’s death, he was punished for a number of other offenses prompting some legal experts to argue that this would result in ruining another young man’s life in the wake of the suicide.

Ravi’s lawyers argued that the case was criminalizing simple boorish behavior.

Without Clementi present to speak for himself, jurors say they were left to struggle with the verdict.

“That was the hardest because you really can’t get into someone’s head,” said one, Bruno Ferreira, as he left the court.

According to The New York Times the jury deliberated longest – for well over an hour – on the bias intimidation charge.

Ferreira said he ultimately voted guilty on the bias intimidation charge because Ravi

had sent multiple Twitter messages about Clementi.

“They were being done twice, not just one day,” he said.

Another juror, Kashad Leverett, himself a student and a Twitter user, said he could relate to Ravi’s constant stream of Twitter and text messages. But the defense’s insistence that Ravi had set up the webcam because he was afraid Clementi’s visitor would steal something, he said, rang hollow.

“If I knew someone was going to steal something from me, I would definitely take it with me,” Leverett said. “Just from the fact of the second incident, it seemed that it was intentional.”

The jury of seven women and five men deliberated for 13 hours over three days after 13 days of testimony.

Bruce J. Kaplan, the prosecutor, commended the jury for sending a stalwart message against bias. “They felt the pain of Tyler,” he said.

According to The New York Times, “Mr. Ravi, 20, wearing a dark suit over his slight frame, sat expressionless as the jury forewoman read the verdict on the first count, of invasion of privacy. But he seemed surprised when she pronounced him guilty on the next charge, of bias intimidation. His eyes popped and he quickly turned his head from the jury. As he left the courtroom in a swarm of television cameras, his mother clutching his arm, he looked straight ahead and said nothing.”

The jury also found him guilty of lying to investigators, trying to influence a witness, and tampering with evidence after he tried to cover up Twitter and text messages inviting others to join in the viewing. Some of the charges carry penalties of five to 10 years in prison.

Ravi has surrendered his passport. Prosecutors said he could face possible deportation to his native India, but that decision would be left to immigration officials.

Judge Glenn Berman set sentencing for May 21.

Visit us online www.sgn.org

Chaz Bono to lead Miami Beach Gay Pride file photo

his life over his decision to participate in the show.

Bono’s public speaking career includes being keynote speaker at the annual fundraiser for the Mautner Project, as well as at numerous LGBTQ events.

While Bono has found great fulfillment in his work as a national activist, his true passion lies in reaching out and raising awareness among young minds through college lecturing.

Following the parade, the Miami Beach Gay Pride Festival will feature musical performances by Kristine W, Wynter Gordon, Jessica Sutta from the Pussy Cat Dolls, JoJo, Frenchie Davis and Inaya Day; a roster of international DJs, including Scotty Thomson; as well as 125 LGBTQ-friendly ven-

dors and businesses; a food court; refreshments; and a family-friendly play area.

Coming into its fourth year, Miami Beach Gay Pride has grown into the largest, singleday event of the year in Miami Beach. The hugely successful event in 2011 attracted more than 40,000 people from all walks of life, all parts of the country, all age groups, and all orientations. The mission of Miami Beach Gay Pride is to bring together members of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and questioning community, their friends, allies and supporters in celebration of the unique spirit and culture of the LGBTQ community.

For more information and a schedule of events that begin April 12, visit www.miamibeachgaypride.com.

Looking for change in the Deep South

by David Webb Courtesy of The Rare Reporter Chaz Bono

Courtesy of Miami Beach Gay Pride LGBTQ rights activist, author, lecturer, and Transgender issues advocate Chaz Bono will headline the Fourth Annual Miami Beach Gay Pride Parade as Grand Marshal, announced Babak Movahedi, president of the Pride board of directors.

The Miami Beach Gay Pride Parade kicks of at noon on Sunday, April 15, along Ocean Drive from 5th to 15th Streets. The year’s Pride weekend is presented by Stolichnaya premium vodka.

“Chaz’s courage, activism, and contributions to the whole community stand as inspirations to us all,” Movahedi said. “We are extremely proud to have Chaz, who is a true trailblazer, as our grand marshal this year.”

The only child of famed entertainers Sonny and Cher, Bono came out as a Lesbian to his parents at 18 years old in 1987, but he did not come out publicly until April 1995

in an interview with The Advocate, the national Gay and Lesbian news magazine. His decision to come out publicly prompted his public work in support of LGBTQ rights and social justice.

Bono has written three books including Transition: The Story of How I Became a Man – a groundbreaking and candid account of a 40-year struggle to match his gender identity with his physical body and his ultimate transformation from female to male.

He told Oprah Winfrey on her May 10, 2011 show, “As early as I had memory and consciousness, I was a boy.”

His first documentary, Becoming Chaz, is an intimate and honest documentary revealing the humanity and courage it took for him to ultimately embrace his true self. The film received a standing ovation at its Sundance debut and was nominated for three Emmy Awards. His second, Being Chaz, chronicles Bono as he embraces his new life and he prepares for his debut on ABC’s Dancing with the Stars amidst controversy and threats to

A recent visit to the Deep South showed me just how much people and places can change – or not – as we grow older.

I first drove into Montgomery in 1992 when I moved there from Dallas to start work for the Southern Poverty Law Center, a civil rights group headed by the legendary lawyer Morris Dees. The native Southerner made an internationally known name for himself by filing and winning lawsuits against Ku Klux Klan groups and other White Supremacist organizations. I was thrilled to join his Klanwatch team as a writer and researcher.

When I arrived in Montgomery and started looking for a place to live I was more than a little surprised to encounter a woman who obviously rejected me as a tenant for a little house she owned because of where I would be working. “Why do you want to go to work there?” she asked.

It was a sign of things to come, and I quickly learned the majority of white people seemed to fear violence evolving from the presence of the law center in their city and to resent the work its staff did. It also didn’t take me long to realize that in many people’s minds the Old South and the New South hadn’t changed much at all as regards racial division on both sides between whites and blacks.

The conversation at the first dinner party I attended where all of the guests were Gay white men left me stunned. Although everyone one at the table knew where I had just gone to work, they made no effort to hide their derisive opinions of the law center and its work.

As a result of that it would be at times an uncomfortable two years I spent in Alabama working for the law center, but I loved my work. I also came in time to bond with a small group of Gay people I met at Montgomery’s Metropolitan Community Church, where I became a member.

One of my favorite memories is of us all piling into a van for a trip to Washington, D.C., for the March on Washington in 1993.

I also fondly recall traveling with them to other parts of Alabama for Gay rights marches and associated meetings.

My work at the law center was rewarding in part because I was able to become active in assisting Gay and Lesbian rights activists in the state, in effect lending them the support of one of the most powerful civil rights groups in the nation. Gay rights had always been on the law center’s radar, but Dees and the other managing directors of the organization gave me the financial and moral support to take my Gay rights activism as far as I wanted.

As it happened, I only stayed in Montgomery working at the law center for a little over two years. I missed my old friends in

Dallas and the more progressive lifestyle the city offered. I also felt overwhelmed by the daily exposure I received to the news of violent hate crimes and the violent rhetoric of white supremacists.

I always regretted leaving because I realized there was so much work that needed to be done in Alabama in terms of LGBT rights and motivating people to action, which the law center continues to do and has even expanded. The percentage of people willing to live openly Gay in the city was tiny, even though the city had a large LGBT population.

Just last week I drove back to Montgomery to see an old friend with whom I have maintained contact, and I spent an enjoyable few days of sightseeing and visiting with people.

There’s been a lot of change in Montgomery in terms of new buildings being built downtown, and the city looked prettier than I remembered it. Even the law center has a magnificent new building that dwarfs the old building across the street where I once worked. Klanwatch is now known as the Intelligence Project.

Unfortunately I was unable to arrange a visit inside the new fortress, even though I once worked for the organization. With its growth in size and security, the law center has become less accessible, I gather. I did manage to talk with someone I knew on the phone who promised to call me back about getting together, but he never did. That’s understandable, considering how busy law center officials are, and that the anniversary of the 1965 “We Shall Overcome” march from Selma to Montgomery had just occurred.

As far as obvious signs of Gay life, there is still just one Gay bar in downtown Montgomery. Unfortunately, the one that operates there today appears to be about half the size of the one that I frequented in the early 1990s.

I left Montgomery to return home the day before the Tuesday Republican Primary Election so I got an earful about the Republican candidates and President Barack Obama before I left.

The remarks of one white Gay man – who, oddly, has a good friend who is a Gay black man – seemed to confirm what I suspected was an accurate portrayal of the sympathies among most white LGBT people living in Montgomery. He said, “I don’t know who to vote for, but I sure don’t want the Democrats to win. I guess I’m going to vote for the one I think will do the least harm rather than the most good. I don’t like any of them.”

A friend of the Gay man, a straight woman with whom he spends most of his time in public, added, “The only white people who will vote for Obama are transplants.”

Their comments confirmed to me that only the skyline has changed in Montgomery. The attitudes apparently remain the same.

Rich Full-Bodied Cafes Savory Homestyle Soups & Sandwiches 14 Seattle Gay News

March 23, 2012

Celebrating 39 Years!

The sensitivity games

by Leslie Robinson SGN Contributing Writer The Olympic Games are a huge undertaking for any country that hosts them. So many things can go wrong, from terrorist attacks to ticket snafus. Organizers of this summer’s London games are determined not to fail in one particular area: sensitivity.

The water polo players might drown each other and the boxers will pound one another into clotted cream, but visitors to the games will be treated with civility and respect. Every last bloody one of them.

Over 70,000 Olympic volunteers are slated to take sensitivity training ahead of the London games, which begin on July 27.

The Telegraph reported that during training sessions at Wembley Arena, volunteers answered six multiple-choice questions using electronic keypads.

This “diversity and inclusion” quiz tested how volunteers would handle “sensitive” situations, and I’m not talking about a situation like an Israeli weightlifter dropping his barbell on an Iranian competitor’s foot.

Consider the first question, the “sexual orientation” question: A spectator complains to you that there are two men holding hands sitting next to them – they feel very

uncomfortable and would like you to tell the couple to stop. What do you do?

You tell them to go watch badminton instead.

That isn’t one of the possible answers.

“You tell the person to stop being a homophobic idiot” is. So is “politely ask the couple to stop holding hands.”

The correct answer is, “You explain that there is a huge diversity of people at the London 2012 Games, which includes Gay, Lesbian, and Bisexual couples.”

Wordy, but accurate. And sensitive. The homos can continue being themselves, and the complainers get their chance to be heard.

I’d like to know what the volunteer is supposed to do if the complainer becomes testy.

Call in a supervisor, I suppose, or security.

Or that Israeli weightlifter.

The quiz also includes a “gender/gender identity” question: A spectator approaches you asking politely where the nearest toilets are. You are not sure if the spectator is male or female. What do you do?

If the spectator is American, you watch with amusement as he or she turns red at having used the word “toilet” instead of “bathroom.”

Nope, that isn’t among the choices. The options are ask the person “politely if they

are male or female,” or “panic,” or “tell them where the male, female, and accessible toilets are.”

The latter is, of course, the correct answer, although I’d give points for honesty to anyone who went with panic.

The other questions on the quiz concern “Ethnicity/Race,” “Disability,” “Age” and “Belief.” All the volunteers receive a handbook to take home, in case anyone wants to do some sensitivity cramming.

“I thought it was unnecessary and they could have spent the money in other ways,” said one volunteer from Manchester. “I know they are trying to cater for everybody but this was a bit patronizing.”

This person felt London 2012 organizers should have faith in the volunteers’ common sense, and pointed out that by the end of the quiz, “people were choosing silly answers on purpose.”

That must’ve sent organizers into a panic.

They’re probably still having nightmares of a volunteer snatching a Muslim’s hijab from her head and tossing it into a passing kayak.

The diversity quiz may be over the top, but it’s well intentioned and it certainly now has people – Olympic volunteers and others – thinking about how everybody should be treated, when they’re not poking fun at the quiz.

I volunteer to see how well the sensitivity training works. If the London organizers fly my partner and me over, put us up and get us tickets, we’ll hold hands during a basketball game. Grueling work, but we’re willing to make the sacrifice.

Leslie Robinson awaits the call from London. Email her at lesarobinson@gmail.com, and check out her blog at www.generalgayety.com.

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Seattle Gay News 15

israel

continued from cover The decision to separate themselves from the Israeli delegation was made March 15 during a impassioned commission meeting.

According to Seattle LGBT Commission officials, a vocal group spoke out against the Jewish nation, accusing them of “pinkwashing” by masking what some call its poor treatment of Palestinians by promoting Gay rights.

“We wanted to talk about LGBTQ issues,” Mac McGregor, co-chair of the commission, said to the Seattle Times. “We weren’t prepared to handle the Palestinian question.”

“We are not experts, and we don’t pretend to be. None of us wants to choose sides.”

Prior to the commission’s vote to uninvite the delegation, it had been agreed that they would host a reception at City Hall. The sixmember Israeli delegation had scheduled the meeting as a part of a West Coast tour, which included San Francisco and Los Angeles, to exchange ideas on advancing Gay rights.

According to news reports, only in Washington state did the delegates encounter opposition from local LGBT leaders and community members. The meeting at City Hall in Seattle was canceled, another in Tacoma was called off, and one in Olympia was moved because of opposition.

The group, The Israeli Jews, is part of the Alliance of Israeli LGBT Educational Organizations, a network of groups that support LGBT youth and families. Members of the delegation said they were shocked by the cancelation.

“We expected from the Seattle LGBTQ Commission a strong declaration of its intent to support all LGBTQ activists, regardless of their color, sex, or national origin,” the group said in a statement.

“Sadly, it appears that the commission, representing a minority that continues to face discrimination, also practices that same discrimination.”

According to City of Seattle Councilmember Sally Bagshaw, she and Jean Godden, along with City Attorney Pete Holmes, arranged a last-minute lunchtime meeting with the delegates and apologized for the snub.

delegation’s scheduled March 16 City Hall meeting. On March 12, Seattle University law professor Dean Spade began posting on Facebook criticizing the delegation’s visit by describing it as “apartheid and occupation” wrapped in a rainbow flag.

In a letter to City of Seattle LGBT Commission members, Spade, a Transgender activist, said, “I am concerned that you may not be aware that this event is part of a broad campaign launched in recent years by the state of Israel to respond to worldwide opposition to its outrageous harm and violence to Palestinian people.”

Spade said the campaign, Brand Israel, aimed to “respond to the growing movement against apartheid in Israel by portraying Israel as ‘relevant and modern.’”

“A important part of this effort, more recently, has been to promote Israel is an LGBT-friendly country,” he continued. “Queer and Trans activists around the world who oppose occupation and apartheid have called this strategy ‘pinkwashing’ because it is a direct effort to conceal the extreme violence and harm that Israel inflicts on Palestinians, including queer and trans Palestinians, by promoting Israel as ‘Gay friendly.’”

According to Spade, in January, he visited the Israeli-occupied West Bank as part of an LGBT delegation. He said what he saw there was “utterly devastating” and described a number of examples to back up his claim. He strongly urged the commission to reconsider hosting the delegation because “it is important to me to share my concerns with you and share resources that may help you to build greater awareness about pinkwashing so that the Commission is not used to forward an agenda that seeks to mislead people concerned about homophobia and Transphobia into supporting the horrifying violence of apartheid Israel.”

Days later, the Commission voted to back away from hosting the Israeli delegation.

GAY-RIGHTS ORGANIZATIONS DENOUNCE “PINKWASHING” Wider Bridge, a California-based Gay Jewish organization that helped to arrange the delegation’s March 16 visit, denounced the concept of pinkwashing. Officials said that “by saying that Israel has a positive record on Gay rights does not deny anyone from criticizing its civil-rights record.

“The truth is that Israel is a good place to be LGBT, and it is so because there are SU LAW PROFESSOR countless people within Israel doing amazTrouble had been brewing ahead of the ing, courageous work every day ... saving lives, including the lives of young LGBTQ Palestinians who often have nowhere else to turn,” Wider Bridge officials said.

Some local leaders in the LGBT community were outraged. In particular, Louise Chernin, president and CEO of the Greater Seattle Business Association. In a March 19 letter to Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn, the Seattle LGBT Commission, and the GSBA Board of Directors, Chernin said, “On behalf of the Board of the Greater Seattle Business Association, the largest LGBT chamber of commerce in the United States with over 1,000 members, we write to express

our utter disappointment in your decision to silence LGBT voices by canceling the City Hall event with a delegation of Israeli LGBT civil rights leaders. Succumbing to demands and lacking the courage to facilitate dialog with those who are our brethren in the LGBT equality movement will have far reaching consequences not only for the Commission but for the city of Seattle and its elected leaders.”

“As Seattleites, we are proud to be part of a City that has progressive values and is open, inclusive, engaged, and a leader in equality,” she said. “Thursday’s actions by the Commission have tarnished our image.”

Chernin says the Commission was goaded into having the City take a position that is viewed by many as anti-equality, anti-Semitic, and anti-Israel. “It has been manipulated into placing the City squarely in the middle of an age-old political controversy between Arabs and Jews, a position which we are confident that the mayor and City Council do not share and did not intend for the city of Seattle,” wrote Chernin.

“Israel, regardless of its governmental policies, which some of us may or may not support, provides more protection for LGBT citizens than any other nation in the Middle East – and that protection is for all LGBT citizens, regardless of whether the person is Jewish, Christian, or Muslim,” she continued. “We are living in a time in which the LGBT Community is facing life-threatening acts of violence against their existence in Iran, Iraq, and other countries in that region of the world and there is barely an outcry.

However, the one Middle East country that actually has laws in place extending equal benefits and protections to its LGBT citizens has its motives questioned.”

According to Chernin, the Commission’s response to withdraw its invitation to meet and talk raises serious questions not only about the motivations of those who lobbied for canceling the city’s event, but also about the Commission’s abilities and effectiveness as a civil rights entity.

“In our view, you have turned an opportunity to engage in open dialogue and education into the silencing of voices, violating the very tenants of our democracy – the freedom of speech and right to assemble,” she said. “The message sent by the Commission to the world is out of step with our city values and with the Commission’s mission. Further, your actions are contrary to the views held by the leading LGBT organizations in our city.”

Chernin said it is difficult to undo the damage done by the LGBT Commission.

“We believe our City leaders will take necessary corrective action. The Commission and the Office for Civil Rights must also look to make amends for its actions and restore the lost confidence of the greater LGBT community. A public apology to the Israeli delegation, LGBT community, and the citizens of Seattle, which should come from the Seattle LGBT Commission, Office for Civil Rights, City Council, and mayor, is a critical first step.

“In the next couple of weeks, the GSBA

will formally request meetings with the Office for Civil Rights, City Councilmembers, and the mayor to discuss the actions of the Commission, accountability of the Office for Civil Rights and address how an advisory commission is given authority to have decision-making powers with considerable and far-reaching consequences for the city.”

SEATTLE LGBT COMMISSION RELEASES APOLOGY On March 20, the Seattle LGBT Commission apologized for the “pain, offense, and embarrassment” they may have caused for canceling the event with leaders from Israel’s LGBTQ community. “We apologize both to those leaders who were invited as our guests and to the many members of the Israeli, Palestinian, and LGBTQ communities in Seattle and worldwide who were affected by our decision,” said officials in a public statement.

The Commission said they heard from many individuals who shared their thoughts, concerns, and outrage in emails, social media, and phone calls.

In an attempt to explain how they came to their March 15 vote, commission officials said, “We listened to extended public comment from members of the public, both in favor of and against the event. This was a difficult decision. Our intent to vote to cancel the meeting was not to make a stand for either side, but to recognize that we could not facilitate a neutral space for dialog and learning and keep the conversation focused on LGBTQ issues versus the larger issues of the Israeli-Palestinian relationship.”

“We also have heard from many who celebrate the cancellation of this event,” said officials. “We flatly reject the suggestion that there could be any joy or celebration in this outcome.”

The Seattle LGBT commission has extended an open invitation for community members to attend their next meeting, April 19 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. in the City Hall Boards and Commissions Room (5th Ave. and Cherry St., Room L280).

hermanns continued from cover

A self-described “country girl” from rural Wisconsin, Hermanns has nearly two decades of experience and expertise as a program manager, fundraiser, and non-profit administrator. Before joining the Pride Foundation, Hermanns was the deputy director at the National Center for Lesbian Rights, where she led the development department, provided day-to-day internal management of the organization, and advised on strategic direction. Prior to that, she was a program officer with the Rhode Island Foundation, where she created Equity Action, a fieldof-interest fund for LGBTQ concerns, and developed the grantmaking program for the Women’s Fund of Rhode Island.

As well, Hermanns worked for Brown

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March 23, 2012

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University’s Howard R. Swearer Center for Public Service, which builds links between the university and the local nonprofits by developing partnerships that address community-identified needs. She earned a Master’s of Education in Administration, Planning, and Social Policy from Harvard University and a B.A. in political science from the University of Wisconsin at Madison.

In addition to her professional work, Hermanns served on the board of directors of Funders for LGBTQ Issues and is a shareholder in the Green Bay Packers of the NFL. An avid non-fiction reader and sports enthusiast, she is looking forward to further exploring every corner of the Northwest.

Now, Hermanns has arrived in Washington to lead the Pride Foundation during a very important time in the region’s LGBT struggle for equality.

“In the three short months since joining Pride Foundation, as the new executive director, I’ve had a chance to meet many thoughtful and courageous people who are working for LGBTQ equality in the Northwest and beyond,” Hermanns told Seattle Gay News. “It has been a great honor to hear their stories.”

You can read about some of the stories that touched Hermanns the most during her Montana road trip at www.pridefoundation. org/ed-kris-hermanns-reports-trip-montana.

“There are so many grantees, volunteers, scholars, and donors who have expressed their commitment to LGBTQ equality through their involvement and support of Pride Foundation. It makes joining the team particularly inspiring,” she said.

Prior to starting as executive director, Hermanns told SGN she had always heard very good things about Pride Foundation as a vital convener in the community – bringing together leaders and resources with the ideas and programs that impact the lives of LGBTQ people in places urban, rural, and remote.

“To witness and provide leadership to Pride Foundation’s unique model of success through hands-on philanthropy has been humbling,” she said. “It is further an incredible opportunity to draw attention to and support emerging and existing community issues such as, but certainly not limited to, elder care, Trans health, and youth support, as well as advocacy work throughout the Northwest.”

And across the Northwest, communities are leading LGBTQ advocacy efforts with support from Pride Foundation. “We know that often it takes legislative and policy

work to bring equality to every person and every family,” said Hermanns. “To answer this call, the Advocacy Fund at Pride Foundation is providing financial support to key efforts that permanently and systemically change the legal landscape for LGBTQ people.”

“From research on voting trends in Montana to voter registration efforts in Anchorage, from testimonials for city legislators in Idaho to story-gathering to impact health policy for Transgender people in Oregon, to campaign interns across Washington leading conversations about the power of love and commitment … the Advocacy Fund stands in solidarity and support with all,” she said.

As a leading partner on the Washington United for Marriage coalition, Pride Foundation is committed to building the momentum needed to win and keep marriage equality on the West Coast.

“Though marriage equality opponents have vowed to restrict the basic rights of LGBTQ people, it would be a major milestone if Washington state becomes the first place in the country to affirm the rights of LGBTQ people through a public vote on marriage equality. Through working closely with our supporters and community partners we hope to be celebrating in eight months,” said Hermanns.

“If the first three months are any indication, my time with Pride Foundation is going to be a transformative experience in the same uplifting way Pride Foundation supporters have transformed the LGBTQ community throughout the Northwest over the past 27 years,” she concluded.

inslee

continued from cover “By the way,” Inslee chuckled, “my 39year marriage is just as healthy as it was before [the bill passed]. More so.”

“This issue is not new to me,” he added. In fact, Inslee has co-sponsored every piece of pro-LGBT legislation that was introduced in Congress since he was elected to represent Washington’s First District in 1999.

In contrast, his probable Republican opponent, Rob McKenna, opposes marriage equality and recently introduced a ballot description of Referendum 74 that a court determined was biased against equality.

“He’s stuck, he’s going backwards,” Inslee said of McKenna.

“This is a forward-looking state. We value

acceptance and tolerance. I’d love to convince him, but my job is to make sure that he’s retired from public office.

“In so many ways, this election is a fork in the road for the state. We’ve always valued equality. We’ve always valued innovation.

We’ve always valued environmental protection. We don’t want to go backwards.”

Inslee’s early stand for marriage equality earned him the support of Gavin Newsom, now lieutenant governor of California and a rising star in the Democratic party. Newsom will be the featured guest at an Inslee fundraiser March 30 at the Seattle Sheraton Hotel.

As mayor of San Francisco, Newsom ordered the city to issue marriage licenses to Gay and Lesbian couples, sparking the court case that resulted in a California Supreme Court decision that briefly legalized samesex marriage.

“I don’t know him well personally,” Inslee said of Newsom, “but I know his civil rights work. I think he showed great courage. He moved the situation forward. I appreciate his support. I think it shows an understanding that my race is an important one to win.”

Inslee says he has always been optimistic about his chances. Although he lagged behind McKenna in early polling, two more recent polls show him running neck-andneck with his rival.

“Early polls are going to bounce all over the place,” Inslee said. “We’ll be ahead in some and we’ll be behind in some.”

Nevertheless, he said, “We will do exactly what we need to do – which is to win. We will win because of our job-creation message, and because our value system reflects the values of the state.”

The November ballot will feature President Obama, Sen. Maria Cantwell and every statewide office including governor, a host of state legislators, and – probably – Referendum 74.

Asked if he was worried about competition for resources among all these candidates and ballot issues, Inslee said he was not.

“We’re doing well as far as resources go,” Inslee told SGN. “We’ve raised $4.2 million.

We have 20,000 donors. I expect we might be outspent, but we’ll have enough to win.

“On top of that, the president has been helping in a variety of ways. He repealed ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,’ he passed healthcare reform, he’s leading on clean energy.

And I’ve been a national leader in these areas.”

Citing Wisconsin’s Republican Governor Scott Walker, Inslee warns against “camou-

flage candidates” who appear to be moderate but take a hard right turn after they are elected.

“People are coming to understand the risks of allowing Republicans into high office,” he said.

“Look what’s going on. The environment is at risk, equality is at risk, collective bargaining is at risk, choice is at risk. We have to redebate all the issues that were settled in the ’50s!”

Inslee’s campaign slogan is “Building a Working Washington” and his central message, he says, is jobs.

“People like our jobs message,” Inslee said. “They like the focus on growing our businesses, growing new jobs, and helping our children have a good life.

“We want to harness the spirit of innovation that this state has. Washington has always been an economic leader in the technological revolutions that have shaped the modern economy – first in aerospace and then in software.

“We invent. We create. We build. That’s why I want to serve – to help the state break out of the box.”

Inslee quickly ticked off areas where he believes new jobs can be created – “aerospace, biomed, clean energy, computational services.”

“That’s why I decided to run,” he continued. “I asked myself, ‘What is the best thing I can do to create jobs?’”

Once elected, Inslee said, he hopes to build a bipartisan majority in the legislature.

Asked if he thinks he can peel away Republican votes in the same way that Republicans recently peeled away three Democratic senators to pass their budget proposal, Inslee shook his head.

“I don’t think of it as ‘peeling away,’” he said. “I think of it as trying to find a larger consensus. We’ll work with everybody. I’d like to think that Republicans can return to the rational social and environmental values they once had.”

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Seattle Gay News 17

new hampshire continued from cover

Hampshire families,” said Brian Brown, president of the National Organization for Marriage (NOM), which opposes marriage equality.

One hundred Republican legislators voted against the repeal bill.

“After the last election where Republicans gained control of both the House and the Senate [in New Hampshire], some thought that marriage equality was doomed.

But many, many Republicans courageously stood up against repeal,” said Lee Swislow, executive director of Gay and Lesbian Advocates and Defenders (GLAD).

Ahead of the vote, more than 126,000 people signed an internet petition on the website Change.org, urging state lawmakers to leave the current law in place.

A poll taken in late January by the University of New Hampshire’s survey center showed 59% of voters were against repealing same-sex marriage.

Democratic Governor John Lynch had promised to veto the repeal if it passed.

The lopsided victory was made even sweeter by the fact that opponents of marriage equality claimed they could assemble a two-thirds majority capable of overriding Lynch’s veto.

“Stripping away the freedom to marry in New Hampshire was a top priority of national anti-Gay organizations, which had predicted that they would be able to garner the vote of two-thirds of both the House of Representatives and the Senate to override the promised veto by Governor John Lynch,” Freedom to Marry explained in a press release.

Stowell, a former Marine and Iraq War veteran, credited New Hampshire citizens for the victory.

“This is a victory for our supporters,” he said, “the majority of Granite Staters who oppose any rollback of marriage equality – because they reached out time and again and told lawmakers to leave this law alone.

“This was our opponents’ best shot and they blew it. This was supposed to be the most favorable legislative climate for repeal and they couldn’t even get a majority.”

Republican State Rep. David Bates, the author of the repeal bill, also offered an amendment which would have put a non-

binding referendum on civil unions on the November ballot.

That measure was voted down 188-162.

New Hampshire lawmakers approved civil unions in 2007 and same-sex marriages in 2009, when both houses in the state legislature were controlled by Democrats.

Some 2,000 Gay and Lesbian couples have been married in New Hampshire since the current law went into effect January 1, 2010.

Under the proposed marriage repeal, those marriages would have remained valid, but the state would revert to its previous civil unions law beginning in 2013.

The proposal put NOM and its Catholic Church allies in the absurd position of endorsing civil unions.

On March 12, NOM sent out a press release urging “the New Hampshire legislature to pass HB 437, compromise legislation to restore civil unions for same-sex couples.”

The Roman Catholic diocese of Manchester, New Hampshire, followed suit with a post on their website.

“The Diocese of Manchester consistently has opposed legislation that would establish civil unions,” it said.

“However, the proposed amendment to HB 437 falls into a category of legislation which the U.S. Bishops have previously considered: bills in civil law which may not reflect the fullness of the Church’s teaching, but which nonetheless provide an ‘incremental improvement’ in the current law and a ‘step toward full restoration of justice.’”

With the defeat of the repeal attempt, New Hampshire remains one of six U.S. states plus the District of Columbia where samesex marriage is legal. The others are Connecticut, Iowa, Massachusetts, New York, and Vermont.

Washington and Maryland have approved marriage equality but the laws have not yet gone into effect.

New Jersey’s legislature approved samesex marriage last month, but Republican Governor Chris Christie vetoed it.

The constitutionality of Prop 8, which reversed marriage equality in California, is still being litigated.

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Seattle Gay News 19