SGN May 20, 2011 - Section 1

Page 1

Issue 20 Volume 39

FRIDAY May 20, 2011 FREE! 25¢ in bookstores & news stands

Celebrating 38 Years!

madison pub 25 p. 4

hate crime plea p. 5

OUT IN PHOENIX p. 17

Seattle Gay News SEATTLE’S LGBT NEWS & ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY

Hopeful news on SGN EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW Barney Frank visits Seattle HIV vaccine by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer “You think John Boehner cries a lot?” Barney Frank said defiantly in his rapid-fire staccato. “You ain’t seen nothin’ yet. I could return to my youth, to Johnnie Ray – ‘cry me a river.’” In Seattle on May 17 to support the reelection bid of his House of Representatives colleague, Seattle’s Congressman Jim McDermott, Frank spoke with SGN by phone as he made his way from the airport into the city. Describing McDermott as “a friend – a personal friend as well as an ally,” Frank said his reelection was important to LGBT-friendly legislation in Congress. “He’s one of the people who helps us lobby other people,” Frank told SGN. “From the day he got to Congress, he’s been one of our closest allies on the things we want to get done.” “He’s also one of the leading authorities on health care,” Frank added. “It’s been very important to have that – to have an authority on healthcare as an ally – on AIDS as

list of answers, participants’ top three concerns were marriage equality (55.5%) hate crime violence/harassment (39.0%) and healthcare (32.0%). The survey also asked respondents about the biggest issues impacting them personally. Healthcare (51.6%), marriage equality (49.0%), and lack of jobs in this economy (43.4%) were the most popular responses. This week, Seattle Gay News spoke with Seattle LGBT Commission co-chair Eleazar Juárez-Díaz, Eleazar Juárez-Díaz co-chair for the Comby Shaun Knittel mission, to find out what the group intends to do with the data. SGN Associate Editor The top concern among LGBT Last week, the Seattle LGBT Seattleites, according to responCommission released a prelimi- dents, was marriage equality. Elnary report of the results from a eazar agreed that result comes as six-week online survey to assess no surprise. “Sadly, no one is surprised to the needs of Seattle’s LGBT community on issues including hous- see that LGBT folks don’t always ing, education, health, public safe- feel safe in their communities, or that marriage equality is an issue ty, and community involvement. Nearly 1,600 people participated for us. We are excited, however, to in the survey from June 18 through have concrete data of what all of these issues look like in Seattle beJuly 31, 2010. Choosing from a multiple-choice cause it is one of the only ways to

move forward with real solutions,” Eleazar told SGN. “The Commission’s role is to advise the mayor and the City Council around any issues that are important to the LGBT community. When we set out to do the survey, we wanted the data to be a community resource with information that would benefit nonprofits, city departments, etc. Not every question on the survey will necessarily correlate to specific actions by the Commission and we want to work on the areas where we’ll have the most impact. For example, our work on harassment and relationship-building with the Seattle Police Department really leverages our role as a city commission.” “We know that this [marriage equality] is going to be a priority for our community until we get those rights, so it will continue to be an issue that the Commission works on,” he said. “Like with any issue, we will take any opportunity to support existing work that community groups might already be doing and to advocate for the efforts with city government.” Remember the Capitol Hill crime spree last summer? The sur-

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

ers reported that they had developed a vaccine that was effective in preventing SIV (Simian Immunodeficiency Virus) infections in rhesus macaques. SIV is the monkey equivalent of HIV in humans, and tests on monkeys are the standard precursor to human testing. The VGTI researchers said their study could “significantly contribute” to the development of an Scanning electron micrograph of HIV-1 bud- effective HIV vaccine. ding (in green) from cultured lymphocyte. The researchers gave 24 healthy rhesus macaques a by Mike Andrew vaccine containing a genetically SGN Staff Writer modified form of the virus rhesus Research conducted at Oregon cytomegalovirus (CMV). In 13 of the monkeys, the vacHealth & Science University’s cine appeared to offer protection Vaccine and Gene Therapy Instiagainst SIV. Of these 13, 12 montute (VGTI) may offer hope for an eventual HIV vaccine. In a study published in the journal Nature on May 11, researchsee vaccine page 19

file photo

New study could “significantly contribute” to development

Massachusetts Congressman Barney Frank

well as other things.” According to Frank, allies like McDermott are even more important now that the House is controlled by Republicans in the throes of ideological fervor. While Democrats controlled the

House, from 2007 through 2011, Frank was chair of the powerful House Committee on Financial Services (sometimes called the

by Shaun Knittel SGN Associate Editor

rumor mill has been running wild and Chris says that yes, once and for all, C.C. Attle’s is back! When asked, “So, what the hell took so long?” the look on Chris’ face tells the story of a man who has been working his ass off, against roadblock after roadblock, for months. “It’s been difficult,” he said. “The City of Seattle treated us like a new business. So we had setbacks with permitting and building code changes. Plus, permitting costs have skyrocketed.” Chris says that there were times that he and the owners of C.C.

see frank page 20

Seattle LGBT Commission to C.C. Attle’s announces put survey findings to good use opening dates courtesy entre hermanos

Otters, cubs, and bears – oh my! C.C. Attle’s will hold a “soft opening” (with a limited selection of food and alcohol) by Memorial Day weekend. Chris Daw, C.C. Attle’s general manager, told Seattle Gay News that the official grand opening is scheduled for June 11. Chris is in overdrive mode. The man is on a mission, folks. He’s been painting, building, and overseeing all parts of the remodel and reopening of the famed “bear bar” ever since the original C.C. Attle’s (first opened October 17, 1993) see survey page 21 closed late last year. The buzz and

see c.c. attle’s page 18


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