SGN July 1, 2011 - Section 1

Issue 26 Volume 39

Celebrating 38 Years!

FRIDAY July 1, 2011 FREE! 25¢ in bookstores & news stands

2011 Pride Seattle

Special all-photo Pride wrap-up!

See Section 3

Seattle Gay News SEATTLE’S LGBT NEWS & ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY

sonja shield

New York legalizes Gay marriage tipping point the passage of same-sex marriage in New York state same-sex marriage Can bring marriage equality to Washington state?

New York state legalized samesex marriage June 24.

The Senate passed the bill 3329 at 10:29 p.m. and Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed it into law less than 90 minutes later.

Same-sex couples can begin

see new york page 26

see tipping page 26

leopardskinllama

marrying July 25.

“This state, when it is at its finest, is a beacon for social justice,” Cuomo said.

Twenty-nine of the Senate’s 30 Democrats voted for the bill, along with four of the body’s 32 Republicans.

Marriage equality is a very touchy subject to many people.

Evidence of this could be found earlier this week, as New York legislators slaved over the wording used to outline same-sex marriage in their state. Still, in the end, in a historic June 24 vote, the New York State Senate voted to legalize same-sex marriage in the state.

New York joins five other states that make marriage inclusive to all committed couples, regardless of their sexual orientation.

The New York marriage equality bill was carefully crafted. There is no doubt that this is a big win for supporters of same-sex marriage (across the globe) and that New York, along with the other states before it, set the precedent for what is correct and just in our society.

In short, this is a monumental and momentous win, one that should not be taken lightly.

Within hours of the New York vote, many Washingtonians, espe-

Edie Windsor, the lead plaintiff suing the United States to challenge the constitutionality of the Defense of Marriage Act, celebrates the passage of Gay marriage in New York State at the 2011 New York City Pride Parade.

by Rex Wockner SGN Contributing Writer

by Shaun Knittel SGN Associate Editor

Our flag, part IV: PrideFest flag Discrimination during stolen, help needed to find it Pride Parade at Westlake

The visual was stunningly beautiful: A Pride flag contingent, bigger than any that had ever been, marching along the Pride parade route toward Seattle Center for

PrideFest in steady, poetic motion.

As the last contingent of the 2011 Pride Parade, the flag, owned

by One Degree Events (the organization that produces the annual PrideFest), made a lasting impression. The theme for this year’s PrideFest was “Live Proud.”

Center, Gay couple busted courtesy Aaron smith

file photo

by Shaun Knittel SGN Associate Editor

The flag said exactly that, in not so many words. And we did live proud; the 2011 PrideFest was the most successful in the event’s fiveyear history, with 100,000 people witnessing the giant Pride flag being carried into – and at one point, over – the throngs of Pride revelers.

“I got the flag for the community so we had our own giant flag to march with, to raise, to travel to other cities to represent Seattle, and to have for special events,” Egan Orion, PrideFest producer, told Seattle Gay News. “The rainbow is a powerful symbol for our community, and on Pride Sunday this year, the color and diversity celebrated by the flag got to march with, dance under, and witness this special rainbow flag.”

Just before 9 p.m. on June 26, a PrideFest production manager pulled the flag out of a moat next to the Fountain Beer Garden to stage it for pickup by One Degree Events officials.

That was the last time anyone from the organization saw the flag.

The PrideFest flag measures 35 by 70 feet and weighs over 100 lbs. “It was rolled up like a big rainbow sausage,” said Egan. “The flag is so big it would’ve taken two

Aaron Smith (l) and Benjamin White

by Shaun Knittel SGN Associate Editor

Aaron Smith and his boyfriend Benjamin White, both 23, arrived in Seattle on June 24 to experience their first Seattle Pride weekend. The two had just attended the Pride festivities in their home of Portland, Oregon, and decided to see what all the Seattle buzz was see flag page 25 all about.

“I was excited,” Aaron told Seattle Gay News. “I heard that the Seattle Pride Parade is amazing and that the Pride festival, held at Seattle Center, was free.”

Aaron was on his way to Alaska, where he will be working in a fishery for the summer, when he and Benjamin decided to spend a weekend in Seattle. see westlake page 24

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July 1, 2011

Celebrating 38 Years!

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Celebrating 38 Years!

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Seattle Gay News

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Seattle Gay News FOUNDED 1973

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Editor In Chief George Bakan Associate Editor Shaun Knittel Editorial Assistant Nick Ardizzone Production William Creswell Calender Editors Mike Andrew and Rick McKinnon Travel Editor George Bakan Advertising Manager Marty Weisbrod Advertising Department Maggie Bloodstone Executive Assistant Mike Andrew Staff Writers

HRC store in D.C. vandalized, “Rowdy Queers” claim responsibility Brody Levesque

George Bakan, Albert S. Rodriguez, Nick Ardizzone, Shaun Knittel, Miryam Gordon, Tim Peter Contributing Writers

Rev. Barbara Allen, Mike Andrew, Eric Andrews-Katz, Madelyn Arnold, Maggie Bloodstone, Beau Burriola, Jessica Davis, Ron Anders, Jessica Price, Milton W. Hamlin, Nevin Jefferson, Keen News Service, Jason A. Miller, Liz Meyer, Rod Parke, Don Paulson, Scott Rice, Leslie Robinson, Richard Kennedy, Romeo San Vicente, Rex Wockner

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In Loving Memory Of

Steve Foiles, Scott Roger Alpert, Cookie Andrews-Hunt, James Leland Moore, Randy Peters, Lee Richeson, Shaun Shelton, Jim Tully, James Arnold

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Human Rights Campaign store in Washington, D.C.

by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer Washington, D.C.’s Dupont Circle HRC store was vandalized early in the morning of June 29 by a group of self-described “Rowdy Queers” claiming to be paying homage to the Stonewall riots.

According to the Washington Blade, the damage was “mostly cosmetic” – pink paint splattered on the windows of the store, and the word “Stonewall” spray-painted on the sidewalk immediately in front.

Michael Cole-Schwartz, director of communications for the Human Rights Campaign, called the vandalism “unfortunate.”

“HRC’s D.C. Action Center and Store was vandalized last night with paint on the front windows and an LGBT group has claimed

July 1, 2011

responsibility for the crime,” he said.

“It’s unfortunate that after a marriage win in New York that represented an unprecedented coming together of LGBT groups, some are more interested in fostering division in the community.”

A group calling itself “The Right Honorable Wicked Stepmothers’ Traveling, Drinking, and Debating Society and Men’s Auxiliary,” claimed responsibility for the action.

The group issued a manifesto “in the wee hours of June 29, 2011,” calling the HRC store “a god-awful monstrosity.”

In their statement, the group criticized HRC as part of the “Gay Non-Profit Industrial Complex.”

“Put simply,” the group said, “they suck.

What do they suck? Cash. Lots of it.”

“What have we gotten out of this bloated carcass? Not a thing worth mentioning, and every now and then, they eagerly sell Trans people up the river. Seriously, this is an organization that hoardes money and does nothing useful. It’s a sad, sick dinosaur.”

“We know you mean well,” the group continued, “but stop giving these idiots your money. Stop putting that equal sticker on your car. Stop going to their lame galas.”

The group also criticized the It Gets Better Project.

According to their statement, the group chose to attack the HRC store on June 29 to commemorate the 42nd anniversary of the Stonewall riots.

“The modern LGBT movement owes its success to three days of smashing, burning, punching, and kicking – all of it happily indiscriminate – and the confrontational tactics of groups like ACT-UP that followed in the decades since. Yet, somehow we’ve forgotten our riotous roots,” they said.

Reaction to the vandalism was curiously muted, with even the HRC itself failing to express outrage.

The Bilerico Project, which has often been hostile to the HRC, posted an equivocal criticism.

“The arguments of the group behind the vandalism are not entirely off base, but they are easily dismissed when combined with such unnecessary behavior,” Bilerico’s Adam Polaski wrote on June 29.

Even the San Diego LGBT Times, in condemning the vandalism, was more outraged

by Bilerico’s lack of outrage than by the action itself.

“It is this type of drivel in the blogosphere and beyond that causes these so-called activists to perform criminal acts against our community’s most politically influential organization,” the LGBT Times wrote in an editorial.

“What is the most concerning is the lack of outrage by many in our community – those who are complicit in the vandalism by not repudiating the act.”

This is not the first time HRC has been targeted by leftist groups within the LGBT community. On October 12, 2009 – the day after the National Equality March in Washington, D.C. – the HRC headquarters was vandalized with pink and black paint and glitter.

The group Bash Back claimed responsibility for that act, which they called “glamdalism.”

“The HRC is not a democratic or inclusive institution,” Bash Back said in 2009, “especially for the people who they claim to represent. Just like society today, the HRC is run by a few wealthy elites who are in bed with corporate sponsors who proliferate militarism, heteronormativity, and capitalist exploitation.”

Celebrating 38 Years!

Capitol Hill midnight rampage, anarchists damage property & pride courtesy queerty

Damage to the American Apparel store on Seattle’s Capitol Hill

by Shaun Knittel SGN Associate Editor In the early morning hours of Pride Sunday, June 26, several hundred self-described anarchists swarmed through Capitol Hill, the city’s Gayborhood, noisily vandalizing stores and smashing windows before dispersing into the night.

According to the Seattle Police Department (SPD), the disturbance began shortly after midnight when a flash mob gathered to dance. The mob soon got out of control and began to create havoc.

Witnesses say the anarchists marched down 12th Avenue and Broadway, yelling and chanting. Some carried rainbow flags, others wore masks and carried red-andblack flags.

The group began to smash out storefront windows, spray paint slogans, and even bashed in the windshield of a patrol car.

In addition, SPD reports a bank ATM was damaged.

Armed with gas masks and riot gear, officers swarmed the crowd of anarchists, arresting one person and using a Taser on another.

The crowd quickly dispersed.

SPD officials say the mob action did not appear to be directly linked with the weekend’s Gay Pride festivities. However, a post on the anarchists’ website said the idea of the flash mob was to protest the assimilation of Gay Pride into the commercial mainstream.

“Right before midnight last night, near everyone’s favorite Gay bar, big groups of people began to assemble on the corner of 12th and Madison. Anxiety and excitement filled the air as everyone waited for the music to start,” the anarchists posted on their website, www.pugetsoundanarchists.org.

“At the stroke of midnight, the music started, unfortunately quietly, but the energy in the crowd surpassed the need for music and people jumped and cheered with their friends. The crowd began to move quickly turning down a quiet street, which was occupied by one of the anti-youth ‘beer gardens.’

People jumped on the fence attempting to tear it down as others ran around attacking two empty police cars on the street.”

What started as a crowd of 200 shrunk to about 150 after the police car windows were smashed, said the anarchists.

“But the fabulously Queer and fierce crowd continued down Broadway, the main drag of Capitol Hill, the music could barely be heard yet the screams and cheers of everyone running through the streets penetrated the normally banal existence of the Hill,” continued the blog post. “A Bank of America ATM was smashed in front of the now 100 [member] or so group of defiant Queers.

The cops were tailing still at this point but were not willing to advance. Chants of ‘We’re here, we’re Queer, we’re anarchists,

[we] will fuck you up’ [were heard.]”

“Toward the end, an American Apparel was descended upon as a majority of the windows were broken. At this point people began to run as the number of cops increased behind the crowd,” said the anarchists.

What had started as a dance party quickly transformed into a confrontational presence of anti-Pride rowdy Queers, and the lack of music hardly mattered when it became apparent that a large number of people present there were most interested in being loud and defiant in the street, they explained.

“Being out and proud in a way that Pride was supposed to originally represent, in the way of Stonewall. Regardless of the yuppie LGBT community’s agenda of assimilation into capitalism, tonight has made it clear again that there are always those who will never submit to the ruling class’s dream of assimilation and ‘tolerance,’” the website concluded.

But in response to the vandalism, the community did not come to the same noble conclusions that the anarchists themselves did.

A user going by the handle Pedal9 wrote on the website, “The worst thing about this incident is that a group of people was nothing less than coerced into attending a march when it had been promoted as a street dance party. It was NEVER divulged in the Facebook announcement nor on handbills as having anything to do with what you think is anarchism, or worse, activism. Instead, you tricked happy Queers into supplying you with a large group in which to hide your cowardly masked and hooded selves. When the destruction of our neighborhood began, most people began bailing out. (And please please do not compare this to Stonewall.

Ever. It is a shameful slap in the face.)”

“Shame on you all,” commented user Xaioyao3500. “You will never in a million years have the support of anyone but selfish, shortsighted punks who need to smash things to feel good about themselves. Trust me, when you grow up and become professionals, you will feel ashamed. In the meantime, maybe you should spend some more time analyzing your own racism, classism, and privilege, and less time shouting stupid slogans and smashing the windows of businesses and empty cop cars like a bunch of cowards.”

Xaioyao3500’s account was promptly deleted by the anarchist site’s moderators.

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THANKS FOR TOUCHING ARTICLE

the personal loss of people that we thought once upon a time would be lifelong friends.

Unfortunately where I am living now is in When I saw your section 3 article on a bigoted discriminatory city in a Red state, 30 years of AIDS in Seattle on June 24, it so I ask that you don’t publish my email adbrought back lots of sad memories of shock- dress if you publish this letter. ing times. The first case diagnosed in Seattle was a friend of mine. In the years that folT. lowed, almost all of my circle of friends in 10 years of living there became victims and THANK-YOU FROM are all dead and gone now. How I never got THE DYKE MARCH infected and luckily survived at that time, I’ll never know. And here I am 30 years latDear SGN, er, not infected, but still mourning the loss Thanks so much for your generous donaof all of those awesome guys. Fortunately tion and for the advertising you provided for now it is a treatable disease, and people that our event. With your help, we raised over I know now that have it are doing well and $1,000, plenty to cover our expenses for this living, not dying. I still hope for the day year’s march. We really appreciate your pethat there will be a vaccine to eliminate this rennial support – it means a lot to know that dreaded disease that has shortened so many people in the community are also invested lives. in seeing the Dyke March be successful.

Thanks for the article, not a pleasant one for me, but I just wanted to let people know Whitney Fraser, on behalf that many of us are still paying the price with of the 2011 Seattle Dyke March

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July 1, 2011

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GLSEN youth attend White House Pride reception

by Shaun Knittel SGN Associate Editor On June 29, youth advocates from GLSEN, the Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network, attended the White House Pride Month reception at the invitation of the Obama administration.

According to GLSEN officials, five high school students were given a rare opportunity to share their personal experiences with anti-LGBT bullying with top officials in the federal government, including the president and first lady.

The GLSEN youth advocates urged ad-

ditional protections for LGBT students, including the federal Safe Schools Improvement Act now being considered by both houses of Congress.

“We applaud President Obama for engaging with young people and inviting them to share their stories with his administration. As their stories will detail, bullying is a public health crisis that affects students in schools around the country, and we welcome the administration’s support for bullying prevention efforts that truly leave no child behind, including those suffering because of anti-LGBT bias and behavior,” said

ECSA holds Emerald City Classic tournament

by Anthony Greer SGN Staff Writer The Emerald City Softball Association will host the Emerald City Classic, their annual tournament, this upcoming weekend.

This year, the tournament will consist of 47 teams that reside in Washington as well as Portland, Vancouver, San Francisco, San Jose, Denver, and Phoenix.

“Every team will play in two pool games, and how they finish in those pool games will determine what division they will be in,” Frank Pichinini, ECSA’s tournament director and director of competition, said. “From there it becomes a double elimination tournament.”

The first games will start at 8 a.m. on Saturday, July 2, in three different locations – Celebration Park in Federal Way, North Seatac Park in Seatac, and Underwood Park in Des Moines – and cost nothing to watch.

After all of the teams play in their two pool

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Seattle Gay News

games, they will be divided into four divisions to determine the level of difficulty at which they will play. The first games in the double elimination tournament itself will then be played that afternoon. However, it will not be possible for any of the 47 teams to be eliminated until Sunday.

“I think that the tournament as a whole is a great opportunity for Seattle to showcase what a high-caliber league we have,” Todd Bullock of the Seattle Woodpeckers said. “Like with many tournaments, I look forward to the people who come from out of town. It is awesome to further relationships every tournament with the people that you saw in the tournament prior. It is much like a nationwide fraternity.”

Holden Knecht, a member of the Portland Swallows, has played in the ECC every year since 2007. “Seattle puts on a good event,” he said. “Social activities, welcoming players, etc. It’s nice that they’ve had special recognition in the past for teams who have traveled the farthest to compete. [There’s] good sportsmanship all around.” This will be Knecht’s first year not playing in the ECC as a Seattle resident.

In addition to playing in the Emerald City Classic, the teams will take part in several events this weekend. On Friday from 6 to 10 p.m. there will be a meet-and-greet and registration at the Baltic Room. Saturday, the roughly 500 tournament players will be at two of the host bars, R Place and Purr, after day one of the tournament. Lastly, the awards party will be at Julia’s on Broadway on Sunday at 7 p.m.

“I’ve been in five tournaments since Octo-

July 1, 2011

GLSEN Executive Director Eliza Byard.

The students are GLSEN Jump-Start coordinators, youth chosen by their local GLSEN chapter to recruit, select, train, and conduct programming with a group of students in their area. They receive training from GLSEN’s national staff and ongoing support throughout the year.

About the GLSEN delegation: Layne Gianakos has been involved in LGBTQ activism with GLSEN Connecticut since his freshman year at high school, following the murder of 15-year-old Lawrence King in 2008. Attending GLSEN national summits for training and working closely with GLSEN Connecticut has allowed him to initiate change in his state. One of his main projects has been a student leadership team for Connecticut which he trained alongside GLSEN Connecticut board members, preparing them to run workshops and reach out to schools and their GSAs. Layne will be accompanied by his parents.

Dontaee Williamson has been a part of the GLSEN Jump-Start National Student Leadership team since 2010. This fall, he will begin his senior year as a dance/acting major at School of the Arts in Rochester, NY. Through his participation in GLSEN and the Gay alliance, Dontaee has overcome multiple barriers related to coming out as Gay and now works to empower his peers to improve school climate for local LGBTQ students and families.

Jessica Cohen has been a board member of the Rochester, NY, chapter of GLSEN since 2005. Currently, she serves as the adult coordinator of the local youth leader-

ship Jump-Start team. Both Jess and Dontaee work to educate the community about the importance of anti-bullying policies and practice. Having both overcome eating disorders, self-injury, and suicide attempts as a result of internalized and external homophobia, they share the vision of creating healthy educational communities for all students.

Gen Farrell is a student from the Northern Virginia chapter of GLSEN. Gen started working with GLSEN after noticing the day-to-day harassment of peers. Now feeling empowered to make a difference, Gen has developed a passion for Transgender rights.

Kaleigh Colson is a student from the Southern Maine chapter of GLSEN. Kaleigh is co-president of her school’s GayStraight-Transgendered Alliance as well as a community leader for LGBT civil rights in Maine. Kaleigh will be accompanied by her parents.

GLSEN, the Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network, is the leading national education organization focused on ensuring safe schools for all students. Established in 1990, GLSEN envisions a world in which every child learns to respect and accept all people, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity/expression. GLSEN seeks to develop school climates where difference is valued for the positive contribution it makes to creating a more vibrant and diverse community. For information on GLSEN’s research, educational resources, public policy advocacy, student organizing programs, and educator training initiatives, visit www. glsen.org.

ber, and Seattle is on my top two that I love because of the fact that Seattle players are competitive but exemplify good sportsmanship,” Knecht said. “I enjoy playing with my new league in Portland, but I look forward to catching up with many ESCAers who I used to play with and against when I lived in Seattle. … I’m also hoping that the good weather that ECC usually has will be here again.”

In addition to gearing up for this weekend’s tournament, six of Washington’s 27

competing teams will also be participating in the 2011 Gay World Series this year in Chicago. These teams include the Seattle Vendetta, Seattle Dirty Dawgs, Seattle Squadron, Seattle SIN, Seattle Sacrifice, and Seattle Buzz. Knecht’s team, the Portland Swallows, will also be participating.

The Gay World Series will start in late August.

For more information, visit the Emerald City Softball Association website at www. emeraldcitysoftball.org.

Labor takes to the streets for Seattle Pride 2011 Courtesy of Pride At Work AFL-CIO Organized labor participated proudly in this year’s Pride Parade.

Joining Pride At Work – the AFL-CIO’s LGBT constituency organization – in a special labor contingent were CLUW, PSARA, UAW 4121, and UFCW 21.

The Pride At Work contingent was endorsed by the Martin Luther King County Labor Council (MLKCLC).

UNITE HERE Local 8, Teamsters Local 117, and WFSE Council 28 organized their own contingents for the Parade.

CLUW, the Coalition of Labor Union Women, was founded in 1974 to help create a more effective voice of women within the organized labor movement. It is one of the constituency organizations affiliated with the AFL-CIO. PSARA, the Puget Sound Alliance for Retired Americans, represents retired working people. It is playing a crucial role in defending Medicare and Social Security from budget cuts.

UAW (United Auto Workers) 4121 represents graduate teaching assistants and research assistants at the University of Washington.

UFCW (United Food and Commercial Workers) 21 is this state’s largest private-

sector union local, representing more than 38,000 members in the grocery, retail, and healthcare industries.

Pride At Work is affiliated with the AFLCIO, but we also include members of Change To Win and independent unions, and non-union allies. Pride At Work was chartered as an AFL-CIO affiliate in 1997, but here in Seattle we built on years of work that had already been done by Out Front Labor Coalition.

The MLKCLC includes 150 local unions representing 78,000 workers in King County and recently reaffirmed its support for LGBT inclusive anti-discrimination language in all union contracts.

UNITE HERE 8 represents some 4,000 workers in the hospitality industry in Washington state. Local 8 is currently negotiating new contracts in all of its workplaces.

UNITE HERE 8 scored a breakthrough victory with its 2007 Westin contract – the first hotel contract in the country to explicitly protect Transgender workers.

Teamsters 117 represents workers in a number of private-sector industries, and public-sector occupations including the state Department of Corrections.

WFSE (Washington Federation of State Employees) is this state’s largest state employees’ union with some 19,000 members.

Celebrating 38 Years!

PRIDE EVENTS

CALENDAR

compiled by Rick McKinnon SGN Staff Writer

PRIDE AROUND WASHINGTON AND IN BRITISH COLUMBIA “RAINBOWS OVER ST. HELENS” – A PRE-PRIDE KICK OFF PARTY TO BENEFIT RAINBOW CENTER IN TACOMA On Thursday, June 30, at 9 p.m., at The Mix (635 St. Helens Ave., Tacoma), join Miss Gay Washington and the Imperial Court of Tacoma – The Diamond Empire.

First prize is $100 cash plus two tickets to the Rainbow Center’s annual gala with lots of others prizes for runners-up. $2 cover benefits Tacoma’s Rainbow Center. www. thediamondempire.org.

“SATURDAY IN THE PARK” VANCOUVER, WA PRIDE JULY 9 On Saturday, July 9, from 11 a.m.-5 p.m., at Esther Short Park (W. Columbia Ave. and W. 8th St., Vancouver, WA), celebrate Vancouver’s “Bigger, Better, Brighter” GLBTQ Pride for SW Washington. On Sunday, June 26, Vancouver hosts their 7th annual Gay Pride Pageant, 6 p.m. doors, 7 p.m. show, at The Northbank Bar (106 W. 6th St., Vancouver, WA).) http://sitppride.info.

“OUT IN TACOMA/ OUT IN THE PARK” TACOMA/PIERCE COUNTY PRIDE FESTIVAL JULY 9 On Saturday, July 9, from noon to 6 p.m., in Tacoma’s downtown Theater District (on Broadway, between 9th St. and 11th St., and on the plaza between The Broadway Center for the Performing Arts and the Pierce Transit Park/staging area), Out in Tacoma presents the 2011 Tacoma/Pierce Country Pride Festival. www.rainbowcntr.org or www.outintacoma.com.

BELLINGHAM PRIDE B PROUD PRIDE WEEK JULY 6-10 On Sunday, July 10, from noon-5 p.m., at Bellingham Farmers Market (1100 Railroad Ave., Bellingham), the Bellingham Pride Festival will be held. The Bellingham Pride Parade will be held on Sunday, July 10, prior to the festival. For more information, visit www.bhampride.org.

VICTORIA, BC PRIDE JULY 8-10 On Sunday, July 10, at noon, the Pride Parade steps off from Government and Pandora Sts. and travels to the Pride Festival at MacDonald Park (Oswego St. and Simcoe St., Victoria) which starts at 1 p.m. Enjoy live bands, drag performances, vendors, food fair, community groups, children’s entertainment and beer garden. A Sunset Harbour Boat Cruise will be held on Friday, July 8, from 7-10 p.m. This annual event will take you on a breathtaking tour of the Inner Harbour, and surrounding area. See cruise ships, the Johnston Street Bridge, and everything in between. Fantastic music, company, and giveaways help make this a memorable evening. www.victoriapridesociety.org.

Ave. in Kennewick at 2 p.m. and march to ive music by local performers and headlinKeewaydin Park for the Pride Festival from ers. The festival includes 140 booths with 3-6 p.m. a diverse range of products, services, and a private, beachfront beer garden. www.vanKITSAP PRIDE couverpride.ca.

JULY 16 Kitsap County celebrates Pride on Saturday, July 16, at Bremerton’s Evergreen Park (1500 Park Ave.). www.kitsappride.org.

NORTH AMERICAN OUTGAMES VANCOUVER, BC JULY 25-31 www.vancouver2011outames.com VANCOUVER, BC DYKE MARCH JULY 30 www.vancouverdykemarch.com VANCOUVER, BC PRIDE PARADE & FESTIVAL JULY 31 The annual Pride Parade, from noon-3 p.m., travels through the downtown corridor along Denman St. and ends at the Sunset Beach for the Pride Festival. The 150 parade entries include colourful floats, musical marching bands, community groups and 650,000 spectators. The celebration continues at the Sunset Beach Pride Festival, which attracts 125,000 people and features

MID-COLUMBIA PRIDE “TRUE COLORS” PRIDE WEEK JULY 10-17 Club Out & About (327 W. Lewis, Pasco) will host an LGBTQ Film Festival on 7/10 at 4 p.m., an 18+ Drag Bingo & Drag in a Bag Contest on 7/13 at 9:30 p.m., an Out & About Idol: Karaoke Contest on 7/14 at 9 p.m., the Miss Gay Columbia Basin Pageant on 7/16 at 9 p.m., and the Pink Party on 7/17 at 6 p.m. On 7/15 at 6:30 p.m., the Rainbow Awards will be presented in Walla Walla at a location to be determined. On 7/16 at Keewaydin Park (W. 4th Ave. and S. Auburn St., Kennewick), a W4W softball game will be held at 11 a.m. and a M4M kickball game will be held at 1 p.m. On 7/17 the Pride March will step off on Kennewick

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Seattle Gay News

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INTERNATIONAL

NEWS

by Rex Wockner SGN Contributing Writer Jürgen Jänen

thorities ordered the festival canceled and threatened “harsh consequences” if the order was disobeyed.

Organizers quickly lined up alternate screening locations in bars and coffeehouses, and implemented “strict safety measures surrounding the publication of screening times and places ... to stay out of the hands of the authorities for the duration of the festival,” they said.

More than 500 people, including 23 Chinese and foreign Queer filmmakers, attended. Thirty films were shown, and many of the filmmakers held talks and discussions.

“Despite, and perhaps even thanks to, the ban imposed by the authorities, the Beijing Queer Film Festival succeeded in what it set out to do: celebrate Queer film and celebrate the necessity of showing Queer films in a society where nonmainstream voices are stifled all too often,” the organizers said.

The entities that banned the festival were the Beijing Xicheng District Public Security Bureau, the Culture Bureau, and the Bureau of Industry and Trade, festival organizers said.

“While it is unfortunate that we had to be guerrilla-warriors once again in order to hold this festival, we feel empowered and invigorated by the reactions of the audience and the filmmakers, and we’re ready to continue with our goal of spreading Queer films

and Queer culture in Chinese society,” said festival chairwoman Yang Yang.

“Our biggest enemy consists of a small number of authoritarian organizations that are using the powerful national propaganda machine to subtly construct mainstream ideology,” she added. “And our biggest worth, our ultimate goal as a queer film festival, is to challenge and oppose this mainstream ideology.”

Serbian Gay magazine launched The Gay Lesbian Info Center in Belgrade, Serbia, has launched a 64-page, full-color magazine called Optimism.

It is distributed free at Gay bars and clubs, cultural and drop-in centers, and Gayfriendly venues in Belgrade, Novi Sad, Kragujevac, Nis, Leskovac, Zrenjanin, and Subotica.

The first issue looks at the legislative and legal situation of LGBT Serbians, concluding that Gays and Lesbians have legal protection only when they are single. Gay couples and Transgender people are not recognized under law, the editors said.

GLIC seeks funding to keep the magazine in print. The editors can be reached at gayecho@gmail.com or via gayecho.com.

With assistance from Bill Kelley

NATIONAL Gays protested at the Russian Embassy in Berlin on June 25 after police in St. Petersburg, Russia, broke up the second Gay pride parade and arrested the participants.

Pride ralliers arrested in St. Petersburg, Russia Fourteen activists were jailed overnight after police broke up the second Gay pride march in St. Petersburg, Russia, just two minutes after it started June 25.

The detainees said their jail cell was tiny and suffocatingly hot, and that police gave them no water.

In court appearances the following day, they received small fines (the biggest was $35) for organizing an illegal public action.

However, they face an additional charge of disobeying police orders, which can carry a penalty of up to 15 days in jail.

The “march” consisted of a boat on the Neva River carrying a huge rainbow flag, which was executed by one group of activists, an attempt by a second group to begin marching from the statue of Peter the Great, carrying flags and banners, and a similar demonstration nearby on the stairs of the Constitutional Court.

The whole thing lasted only two minutes before police swooped in and put an end to it.

The crackdown follows a nearly identical one on Moscow’s sixth Gay pride attempt in May. Both police actions violated a recent ruling by the European Court of Human Rights that Russia cannot ban Gay pride events.

The court found that previous bans in Moscow violated the European Convention on Human Rights in the areas of freedom of assembly and association, the right to an effective remedy and prohibition of discrimination.

European Gay activists have responded to Russia’s flouting of the ruling by calling on the Council of Europe to suspend Russia’s voting rights in the association.

Later on June 25, about 100 activists in Germany protested at Russia’s embassy in Berlin, including openly Gay Bundestag member Volker Beck.

“Russian LGBT activists, today in St. Petersburg, and in May in Moscow are heroes that we can be proud of,” Beck said. “The Beijing Queer Film Festival actions of the police are completely unacgoes guerrilla ceptable and I expect from our government The fifth Beijing Queer Film Festival to explicitly address this issue in bilateral discussions with the Russian government.” wrapped up June 19 after five days of guerrilla-style screenings around the city.

Three days before the opening, the auLGBTs march in former

10 Seattle Gay News

July 1, 2011

NEWS

Paul Gorman

Eastern Bloc and Tijuana LGBT people took to the streets for Gay pride June 18 in Sofia, Bulgaria; Zagreb, Croatia; Budapest, Hungary; and Tijuana, Mexico.

About 1,000 marched in Sofia, and 2,000 marched in Zagreb and Budapest. All three parades were heavily protected by police because of violence in previous years or threats from extremists this year.

In Budapest, 50 participants who had come on a bus from Austria were detained by police for two hours, and two of the individuals were arrested and held overnight.

According to Homosexual Initiative Vienna (HOSI Wien), the Austrian LGBTs were harassed as they headed back to their bus by 15 anti-Gay “neo-Nazis,” who attacked them with “terribly smelly sprays.”

According to HOSI, the attackers then told nearby police that the LGBTs were the ones who had done the attacking.

“The police then brutally dragged all 50 of us out of the bus, we had to hand over our passports, and were put, one by one, in front of the group of neo-Nazis so that they could ‘identify’ those who had allegedly attacked them,” said HOSI’s Judith Götz. “The neoNazis then picked randomly two of us as having attacked them.”

HOSI’s secretary general, Kurt Krickler, said the organization was “appalled” by the incident and expects it will have “some sort of diplomatic sequel.”

In Mexico, meanwhile, about 1,000 people joined in Tijuana’s 16th GLBTI Pride parade June 18.

Many rode on the beds of semis blasting Mexican and American dance tunes.

The colorful, rowdy procession was wellreceived by onlookers who swelled to a throng at Second Street and Constitution Avenue.

Afterward, drag queens performed on an open-air stage in Plaza Santa Cecilia, the city’s Gayest block, which slants from First Street to Second Street between Revolution and Constitution avenues.

by Rex Wockner SGN Contributing Writer

Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle

Wisconsin Domestic Partnership Registry survives legal challenge Wisconsin’s Domestic Partnership Registry was declared constitutional June 20 by the Dane County Circuit Court Branch 11.

“It is clear,” wrote Circuit Judge Daniel Moeser, “that Chapter 770 does not violate the Marriage Amendment because it does not create a legal status for domestic partners that is identical or substantially similar to that of marriage. The state does not recognize domestic partnership in a way that even remotely resembles how the state recognizes marriage. Moreover, domestic partners have far fewer legal rights, duties, and liabilities in comparison to the legal rights, duties, and liabilities of spouses.”

Gov. Jim Doyle signed the domesticpartnership measure in June 2009, granting same-sex couples rights in areas such as hospital visitation and family medical leave.

Anti-Gay activists filed suit against the

law, arguing that it violated a state constitutional amendment that bans same-sex marriage and other legal unions of a “substantially similar” nature.

Lambda sues Oregon over Trans operation Lambda Legal filed suit against Oregon on June 21 on behalf of a state employee who was denied insurance coverage in connection with his being Transgender.

Alec Esquivel, 41, a clerk for the Oregon Court of Appeals, was advised by his doctor to have a hysterectomy as part of his treatment for gender-identity disorder. But his insurer refused to pay because it does not cover transition-related health care.

Lambda’s lawsuit against the state government and the Public Employees’ Benefit Board argues that Oregon law prohibits employers from denying insurance coverage on the basis of gender identity.

With assistance from Bill Kelley

Celebrating 38 Years!

NORTHWEST

NEWS

compiled by Rick McKinnon SGN Staff Writer

BOUNCE: THE SPORT OF STORYTELLING A new spoken word competition rooted in the literary, jazz, and basketball legacies of the Harlem Renaissance joins Columbia City’s Beatwalk on Friday, July 1. BoUnce combines African storytelling traditions, poetry, hip hop and the improvisational skills of basketball for a cash prize. BoUnce is an all-ages, all genres open mic held at Cultural Corner, 3651 S. Edmunds St. Signup at 7:30 p.m. Competition from 8-10 p.m.

Seattle’s 2007 Poet Populist, Jourdan Keith, invites others to accept the challenge to perform at the BoUnce kick-off, a spoken word and basketball game between storytelling sports teams.

“You can Slam, but can you BOUNCE?” is a challenge to all spoken word artists from storytellers, to poets and hip hop artists,” says Jourdan Keith, founder and director of Urban Wilderness Project, who designed the program. The challenge, which she calls “The Sport of Storytelling” is that you must play and win as a team. The performance is a cooperative competition between two allages storytelling sports teams. Individuals sign up in advance to perform and are then randomly placed with 2-4 other individuals to form 3 on 3 or 5 on 5 teams. The competition alternates between basketball and storytelling skills. The winning team receives a cash prize. 206-464-8364; www.urbanwildernessproject.org.

EMERALD CITY CLASSIC SOFTBALL TOURNAMENT JULY 1-3 www.seattlegaysoftball.com SEATTLE INTERNATIONAL BEERFEST 2011 AT SEATTLE CENTER JULY 1-3 Featuring 160 beers from 15 countries with live entertainment. Hours: Friday/Saturday, noon-10 p.m.; Sunday, noon-9 p.m.

Cost: $20-advance; $25-gate; VIP express pass $35 advance. www.seattlebeerfest. com.

RAINBOW CITY BAND – “LIGHTS ... CAMERA ...

ACTION! MUSIC-A-THON” On Saturday, July 2, from 10 a.m.-8 p.m., at the KOMO/Fisher Plaza (4th Ave. and Denny Way) Rainbow City Band will present a 10 hour music-a-thon outdoor concert to raise funds in support of the 2011 Lesbian and Gay Band Association (LGBA) conference and concert to be held in Seattle, October 14-16. The day will be filled with music ranging from classical to pop tunes, by ensembles ranging from marching bands to jazz bands to small chamber ensembles.

Stop by to enjoy the music and/or go online to http://rainbowcityband.com/lgba2011/ musicathon.php and make a financial contribution.

The 2011 LGBA Conference Mass Band Concert “Lights ... Camera ... Action!” will be held on Sunday, October 16, at 3 p.m., at McCaw Hall (321 Mercer St.), with 200+ visiting LGBT and allied musicians in town for the conference joining Rainbow City Band for this exciting concert. http://rainbowcityband.com.

CAPITOL HILL INDEPENDENCE DAY COMMUNITY PICNIC On Saturday, July 2, from noon-5 p.m., at Cal Anderson Park (11th Ave. and E. Olive St., just north of E. Pine St.), the Cal Anderson Park Alliance hosts the 9th annual Capitol Hill Independence Day Community Pic-

nic with live bands including the Not-Its and Land of Pines, plus feel-good, all-ages interactive fun, including the amazing Carbon Neutral Spin Art Bike, full-of-surprises Pet/ Human Look Alike Contest, the fabled Root Beer Float Tasting Garden, Urban Family Photo Portraits and the unbelieveably funny Pie Eating Contest. Info: www.calandersonpark.org.

SEATTLE TENNIS ALLIANCE – SEATTLE CLASSIC 2011 JULY 2-4 www.seattletennisalliance.org MOUNTAINS TO SOUND GREENWAY 20TH ANNIVERSARY TREK JULY 2-10 www.mtsgreenway.org OLYMPIC MUSIC FESTIVAL – “CONCERTS IN THE BARN” QUILCENE, WA JUNE 25-SEPT. 4 www.olympicmusicfestival.org FREEDOM SOCIALIST PARTY KARAOKE FOR YOUR KALAYAAN* FUNDRAISER On Sunday, July 3, at 7 p.m., at New Freeway Hall (5018 Rainier Ave. S.), enjoy an evening of vocal pyrotechnics and sing out your favorite tunes. Go solo, form a duet or trio, and cheer on performers. Featuring “build your own” Halo Halo - shaved ice dessert, “mix, mix” with tropical fruits and ice cream. Door donation $5, Halo Halo $5. Proceeds benefit the Freedom Socialist newspaper fund drive. *Kalayaan is “independence” in Tagalog.

was let go for her outspoken politics. She’s about to bring a law suit against the town of Finden for illegally selling land bequeathed to the town’s safekeeping by her father. It’s been sold to a handsome, thirty-seven-yearold ex-military banking executive who has chopped down the trees to build an obscenely large dream house. When Nate breaks into that dream house and is caught by the young banker, he stumbles into a deadly web of secrets, lies and betrayals.

Compulsively readable, hilarious and heartbreaking, it’s a complex morality tale for thinking adults, as timely as yesterday’s headlines.

For more information, email nickdimartin@earthlink.net or contact SASG at 206322-2437.

FREE SHAKESPEARE IN THE PARK AT VOLUNTEER PARK On Friday, July 8, at 7 p.m., and Sunday, July 10, at 2 p.m., GreenStage presents Antony and Cleopatra at the Volunteer Park amphitheater (14th Ave. E. & E. Prospect St.). Additional performances of Antony and Cleopatra will be held in Volunteer Park on Thursday, August 11, at 7 p.m., and Saturday, August 13, at 7 p.m.

On Saturday, July 9, at 7 p.m., GreenStage presents The Tempest at the Volunteer Park amphitheater. Additional performances of The Tempest will be held in Volunteer Park on Sunday, July 17, at 7 p.m., Friday, August 12, at 7 p.m., and Saturday August 12, at 3 p.m.

For a complete schedule of GreenStage’s Shakespeare in the Park performances around Seattle and King County, visit www. greenstage.org.

On Saturday, July 9, at 2 p.m., Seattle Shakespeare Company/Wooden O presents Macbeth at the Volunteer Park amphitheatre.

On Sunday, July 10, at 7 p.m., Seattle Shakespeare Company/Wooden O presents A Comedy of Errors at the Volunteer Park amphitheatre.

For a complete schedule of Seattle Shakespeare Company/Wooden O performances around Seattle and King County, visit www. seattleshakespeare.org and select “Wooden O” from the menu at the top.

FAMILY FOURTH FIREWORKS DISPLAY AT LAKE UNION On July 4, at 10 p.m., the Family Fourth fireworks display will be held over Lake SEATTLE UNITED Union. Pre-fireworks celebration will be SOCCER LEAGUE held at Gas Works Park, noon-10 p.m. For SUMMER SEASON complete details, visit www.familyfourth.

The Seattle United Soccer League’s sumorg. (Organized clean-up on Lake Union on mer season begins on Saturday, July 9, at July 5 from 10 a.m.-1 p.m.)

Miller Soccer Complex (19th Ave. E. & E. Thomas St.). http://seattleunitedsl.com.

THE ELITE HOSTS FREE ASL LESSONS FREEDOM SOCIALIST PARTY – FOR BEGINNERS “DEBATE FOR BEGINNERS” Have you ever wanted to learn basic On Saturday, July 9, from 11 a.m.-4 p.m., American Sign Language? If so, you can get some beginning ASL instruction at the Elite at New Freeway Hall (5018 Rainier Ave. (1520 E. Olive Way). The FREE lessons will S.), Freedom Socialist Party hosts a handsbe held every Tuesday at 7 p.m. in the loft.. on workshop for opinionated people. Improve your skills as a social advocate and work out your public speaking jitters in SEATTLE GAY & LESBIAN a friendly environment with experienced BOOK CLUB – coaches. $20 fee includes lunch and materiADAM HASLETT’S als. To register, call 206-722-2453 or email UNION ATLANTIC The Seattle Gay & Lesbian Book Club FSPseattle@mindspring.com. meets every Wednesday at 6 p.m. at Seattle BALLARD SEAFOOD FEST Area Support Groups Community Center On Saturday and Sunday, July 9 and 10, (formerly Dunshee House) (303 17th Ave. E. at E. Thomas St.). All GLBTQ folks in from 11 a.m.-9 p.m. (Sat.) and from 11 a.mthe community are welcome to participate 7 p.m. (Sun.), in the heart of downtown Ballard, 22nd Ave. NW and NW Market St. , in this FREE book club.

The book for July is Adam Haslett’s Union enjoy a variety of seafood entrees, including Atlantic - a Lambda award-winning novel. the Ballard Chamber’s annual Salmon BarFailing banks, war crimes, and first love, becue, plus wine and beer garden, a great this novel has it all - a topic utterly relevant line-up of musical entertainment (includto today, an intimate knowledge of banking ing Stan Boreson) on the MainStage, and that bristles with telling details, and an ex- storytelling at the FamilyStage, along with plosive story that’s a lot like opening a bottle clowns, reptiles, musical games and lots of kids’ activities, a quality arts and crafts sale of Coke that’s been throughly shaken.

Seventeen-year-old Nate Fuller, a senior at and a sidewalk sale by local merchants, rafFinden High, has failed to fill out his college fle tickets for a Tropical Cruise and Viking applications and hires as a tutor old Char- paraphernalia at the annual Ballard Seafood lotte Graves, a former history teacher who Fest. www.seafoodfest.org.

BASTILLE DAY FESTIVAL On Saturday and Sunday, July 9 and 10, from 11 a.m.-6 p.m., at Seattle Center’s Center House and Fisher Pavilion (including the lawn and roof of the pavilion), enjoy a full schedule of events in celebration of Bastille Day, including entertainment, cooking demos, wine tastings, episodes of Rick Steves’ Europe, children’s activities. http://seattle-bastille.org.

BINET SEATTLE ANNUAL PICNIC AT RAVENNA PARK On Saturday, July 9, from 3-7 p.m, at Ravenna Park (entrance on 20th Ave. NE and NE 58th St., about a block north of Ravenna Blvd. NE), at the picnic shelter, join Bi-Net Seattle for this family-friendly event. Bring your kids and your partners and enjoy the sun and the shade. They will provide burgers, sausages, vegetarian burgers, and plates. You bring a non-alcoholic beverage and something to share, such as a salad or dessert. Please RSVP to http://www.socializr.com/event/binetseattle/picnic2011.

THIRD ANNUAL QUEER TV SHOW TO BENEFIT ALLYSHIP On Saturday, July 9, door at 7:30 p.m., show at 8 p.m., at Re-bar (1114 Howell St.), Ladyking Productions presents the Third Annual Queer TV Show, a benefit show for Allyship, starring Sylvia O’Stayformore, Aleksa Manila, Gams Galore, Renten, Anita Goodman, Pidgeon von Tramp, Dahlia Ste. Cyr, Glitter Tribe, Luscious Ladypop, and much more, with MC Kosha. Sliding scale $10-$20 at the door. For more information, visit www.LGBTQAllyship.org.

EYEWITNESS REPORT FROM LABOR COMMUNITY FIGHT BACK CONFERENCE On Sunday, July 10, from 2-4 p.m., at New Freeway Hall (5018 Rainier Ave. S.), Amalgamated Transit Union delegate Linda Averill will report back from a national conference being held June 24-26 at Kent State (Ohio), to plan a coordinated response to the devastating budget crisis. Meeting is FREE; brunch will be served at 1 p.m. for a $7 donation. All welcome. 206-722-2453; FSPseattle@mindspring.com.

“A LITTLE BIT OF GAY PARIS” – PUDDLETOWN SQUARES’ “A TASTE OF SQUARE DANCING” On Thursday, July 14, from 7-9 p.m., at St. Andrews Episcopal Church (111 NE 80th St., near Greenlake), Puddletown Squares hosts a free “taste of Gay square dancing” event – “A Little Bit of Gay Paris.” “We see London ... We see France ... Come get an Eiffel of Gay Square Dance.” So come on out and see what Gay square dancing is all about! “This ain’t your Grandma’s square dancing anymore.” Casual dress, genderneutral partnering, singles and couples welcome. Come out and meet Seattle’s LGBT veterans and first responders. www.puddletownsquares.org.

DEMIAN’S VIDEO – FREMONT SOLSTICE PARADE’S NAKED BICYCLE RIDERS 2011 – “Being Shy” – http://vimeo. com/25390586; 2010 – “Body Pain(t)”– http://vimeo.com/25327597 SEATTLE ARCHITECTURE FOUNDATION MODEL EXHIBIT – “TRANSITIONS” JUNE 21-JULY 24 Seattle Architecture Foundation presents their annual model exhibit featuring more than 100 physical architectural models, renderings and digital images, at Pacific Place (600 Pine St.), on the first floor in the former Restoration Hardware retail space. Open Tuesday-Thursday, 1:30-6:30 p.m.; FridaySunday, noon-6:30 p.m.; closed Mondays.

Free admission, small donation suggested. www.seattlearchitecture.org.

Rich Full-Bodied Cafes Savory Homestyle Soups & Sandwiches Visit us online www.sgn.org

July 1, 2011

Seattle Gay News 11

ELECTRIC

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12 Seattle Gay News

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Celebrating 38 Years!

 Broadway 

Farmers Market Visit us online www.sgn.org

NEW LOCATION! B'way & E. Pine, at Seattle Central Community College Sundays, 11am - 3pm, May 8 - Dec 18.

July 1, 2011

Seattle Gay News 13

PURR Cocktail Lounge would like to Thank All of you for a wonderful Gay Pride Weekend! We are truly grateful for each and every one of you, and are very Proud to be part of such an Amazing Community!

Cheers!

Your Friends, The PURR Staff

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July 1, 2011

Celebrating 38 Years!

Visit us online www.sgn.org

July 1, 2011

Seattle Gay News 15

16 Seattle Gay News

July 1, 2011

Celebrating 38 Years!

Visit us online www.sgn.org

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Seattle Gay News 17

NEW LOCATION! B'way & E. Pine, Broadway  at Seattle Central Community College  Farmers Market Sundays, 11am - 3pm, May 8 - Dec 18.

18 Seattle Gay News

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Celebrating 38 Years!

206 915 3125 Humanity ColleCtive

DELIVERY TILL 2:00 AM

Visit us online www.sgn.org

July 1, 2011

Seattle Gay News 19

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Celebrating 38 Years!

206 915 3125 Humanity ColleCtive

DELIVERY TILL 2:00 AM

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July 1, 2011

Seattle Gay News 21

Cleve Jones speaks in Seattle, supports hospitality workers

courtesy of The National LGBT Visual Documentation Project

Cleve Jones

by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer Renowned activist Cleve Jones spoke in Seattle June 28 at an LGBT community forum sponsored by UNITE HERE Local 8, Allyship, Ingersoll Center, Pride At Work, and SGN. Jones, a former Harvey Milk protégé, creator of the Names Project AIDS Memorial Quilt, and co-chair of the 2009 National Equality March, now works for UNITE HERE – the hotel and restaurant workers’ union.

Jones is the driving force behind the union’s “Sleep with the Right People” campaign, to get LGBT tourists and community organizations to patronize union hotels.

UNITE HERE Local 8 represents some 4,000 hospitality workers in this state, and is now bargaining new contracts with all its employers.

“It used to be,” Jones said, “that hotels were owned by a local guy, or a family, and no matter how bad they were, at least they were somewhat accountable to their local communities.”

“Now,” he continued, “hotels are all owned by giant multi-national corporations with no local ties and no loyalty to anybody.”

“You want to fight globalization?” Jones asked. “My union is fighting globalization!”

Noting that UNITE HERE represents many LGBT workers – “A Gay waiter!”

Jones exclaimed. “Imagine that!” – he said he was proud that his union had made such

an effort to build solidarity with the LGBT community.

To illustrate his point, Jones told a story.

In 2006, UNITE HERE members in Toronto, Canada, voted to strike at seven hotels in their city. At exactly that time, the 16th International AIDS Conference was scheduled to begin in Toronto.

“You can’t strike the AIDS Conference!”

Jones says he told UNITE HERE President John Wilhelm.

“Why not?” Wilhelm asked.

Jones then explained that many conference delegates were traveling from remote places in Africa and Asia where they serve local populations with HIV/AIDS, and many were themselves living with the disease.

“Many of them won’t cross a picket line, but if they can’t get into their hotels, they’ll just go home, and the conference will collapse,” Jones continued.

“This is a democratic union, I can’t make the decision to call off the strike,” Wilhelm told him. “We’ll have to take it to the members.”

In what Jones describes as “an amazing act of solidarity,” UNITE HERE members voted to postpone the strike until after the AIDS conference.

“We had members from every country,” Jones recalled. “There were Somalis, there were Indians, there were Pakistanis, there were Russians. They said, ‘We have AIDS in our own countries. We know this is important.’”

“Then [after the AIDS conference] we went on to win on every demand,” Jones

22 Seattle Gay News

July 1, 2011

grinned.

In their 2007 Seattle Westin Hotel contract, UNITE HERE 8 won a groundbreaking victory by getting hotel management to agree to explicit protections for Transgender workers. It was the first hotel contract in the country to include that language.

Now, the union hopes to have Trans-inclusive language in all its contracts.

Jones told another story about briefing union president Wilhelm on Transgender issues.

One day, he said, Wilhelm asked him for an explanation of the Transgender community.

“What is this Transgender thing?” Jones quotes Wilhelm as asking.

Jones says he explained as well as he could, and Wilhelm nodded. Then the union president walked away.

Two weeks later, Wilhelm called Jones and said, “Please list our union as being in support of complete Transgender inclusion.”

Jones was dumbfounded.

“I thought this was a conversation that would take months! Years!” Jones exclaimed.

Jones asked Wilhelm he had made his decision so quickly.

“Well aren’t Transgender workers at risk of discrimination and firing – much more than other workers?” Wilhelm asked.

Jones said, “Yes.” “And aren’t they targeted for harassment – even violence?” Wilhelm continued.

Jones agreed they are.

“So it’s a workers’ rights issue,” Wilhelm concluded. “Well, I’m for that! We’re all for that!”

UNITE HERE 8’s Seattle venues include the Westin, the Hilton, and the Arctic Club, all in downtown Seattle, the Edgewater, on the waterfront, the Best Western Executive Inn and Loyal Inn, the Washington Athletic Club, and the Space Needle.

UNITE HERE 8 has called for an informational picket in front of the Westin Hotel, in downtown Seattle at 1900 5th Avenue, on July 7 at 3:30 p.m.

LGBT activists call for veto of Rhode Island civil unions bill

by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer A bill establishing same-sex civil unions passed the Rhode Island Senate on June 29 and is now headed to the governor’s desk for his signature, but LGBT activists in that state are not celebrating.

Instead, they are calling for Rhode Island Governor Lincoln Chafee to veto the bill.

At issue is the bill’s “religious exemption” that was added to the measure in hopes of overcoming some of the objections to same-sex unions.

The bill defines a “civil union” as “a legal union between two individuals of the same sex,” assigning the same “rights, benefits, protections, and responsibilities” that come with marriage between opposite-sex partners.

It also states that religious organizations and their employees “shall not be required” to “treat as valid any civil union.”

LGBT activists say that language goes beyond the usual exemption allowing religious institutions to refuse to bless samesex commitment ceremonies. Under the bill, they say, hospitals run by religious groups may refuse to allow partners in same-sex civil unions the right to make emergency medical decisions or even to visit their loved ones.

Marriage Equality Rhode Island Board Chair Martha Holt issued a statement after the Senate vote on June 29, calling on Gov. Chafee to veto the measure.

“We are extremely disappointed that the Senate brazenly ignored the commonsense objections raised by equality and civil rights leaders here and across the country,” she said.

“This civil union bill contains dangerous and discriminatory language that, without question, will cause significant harm to countless Gay and Lesbian couples in loving, committed relationships, and we will continue to fight it through whatever means are necessary. Furthermore, we renew our request that the governor veto this hurtful and ill-conceived bill. To not do so would be a slap in the face to the gay and lesbian community, and every Rhode Islander who cares about equal rights and protections for all our state’s citizens.”

Marriage Equality Rhode Island Campaign Director Ray Sullivan called the exemption a “black eye on the state of Rhode

Island.”

“I’m not sure they’d be so quick to use the word compromise when it affects them,” he said. “You compromise on tax policy.

You compromise on labor negotiations. You don’t compromise on people’s fundamental human rights.”

Chafee said he opposes the religious exemption language but added, “Sometimes you don’t get it all.”

“Rhode Island, by our demographics, it’s a difficult state to make some of these changes,” he said. “Changes come a little slow when you have a high elderly population, the highest Roman Catholic [population] in the country. It’s just demographic factors.”

Almost 64% of Rhode Island’s population identifies as Roman Catholic. Bishop Thomas J. Tobin of Providence has been an outspoken opponent of marriage equality and civil unions.

The vote in the Rhode Island Senate was 21 to 16 in favor. The bill had already passed the state House of Representatives.

Rhode Island’s legislature is dominated

by Democrats, who have a 21-vote majority in the Senate and a 55-vote majority in the House.

The compromise civil unions bill emerged on May 3, after openly Gay House Speaker Gordon D. Fox announced that he could not come up with the votes needed to pass a same-sex marriage bill.

After passage, Senate President M. Teresa Paiva Weed called it “a historic day” for her state.

Other senators were not so enthusiastic about the legislation.

Sen. Rhoda Perry of Providence said that while it might be “historic,” it was also correct “to say this bill is not fair, nor equitable.”

Some other senators compared the bill to the “separate but equal” doctrine that justified racial segregation.

Sen. Donna M. Nesselbush, a supporter of marriage equality, said she was concerned that “this historic and momentous piece of legislation, while conferring rights, does not confer equality.”

“Rights can never be confused with equality,” she said.

Nesselbush, who said she was raised Catholic and described herself as “deeply religious,” also said that “religion has no place in the hallowed halls of this State House.”

Celebrating 38 Years!

Affordable Care Act to improve data collection, reduce health disparities

by Shaun Knittel SGN Associate Editor U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced this week several new draft standards for collecting and reporting data on race, ethnicity, sex, primary language, and disability status, and announced the administration’s plans to begin collecting health data on LGBT populations.

Both efforts aim to help researchers, policy makers, health providers, and advocates to identify and address health disparities afflicting these communities, said HHS officials.

“Health disparities have persistent and costly effects for minority communities and the whole country,” Sebelius said. “Today we are taking critical steps toward ensuring the collection of useful national data on minority groups, including for the first time, LGBT populations. The data we will eventually collect in these efforts will serve as powerful tools and help us in our fight to end health disparities.”

Under the new plan, HHS will integrate questions on sexual orientation into nation-

al data collection efforts by 2013 and begin a process to collect information on gender identity. This plan includes the testing of questions on sexual orientation to potentially be incorporated into the National Health Interview Survey. The department also intends to convene a series of research roundtables with national experts to determine the best way to help the department collect data specific to gender identity.

“The first step is to make sure we are asking the right questions,” Sebelius said.

“Sound data collection takes careful planning to ensure that accurate and actionable data is being recorded.”

The proposed standards for collection and reporting of data on race, ethnicity, sex, primary language, and disability status in population health surveys are intended to help federal agencies refine their surveys in ways that will help researchers better understand health disparities and zero in on effective strategies for eliminating them.

According to HHS officials, the race and ethnicity standards, for example, will provide additional categories from which racial and ethnic differences in health care and

HIV testing: we’ve come a long way, baby

by Dr. Joanne Stekler Special to the SGN 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.

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 and King County.

Thirty years ago, doctors around the world started to see a new, deadly disease impacting Gay and Bi men. This disease, first known as Gay-Related Immune Deficiency (GRID) and later as Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS), was quickly found to be caused by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).

A lot has happened since AIDS was identified. Presidents have come and gone.

There have been medical, cultural, and social advances, even if they’ve come slower than we would have liked. But, unfortunately, HIV is going to be with us for a while.

Today, I want to tell you about what’s going on in HIV testing. One day I hope I’ll write about a cure.

HIV testing remains one of the most important tools in the fight against AIDS. And there’s been lots of progress over the last 30 years to make tests quicker, easier, and more convenient. When the first HIV test came out in 1985, it could take up to six months after someone got infected before the test would reliably detect antibodies to HIV. Our antibody tests have gotten better, and newer tests are pretty accurate about four to six weeks after someone gets infected. We still have that wait because most tests rely on the body to make antibodies to HIV. However, if you get tested at the STD

outcomes can be examined in more detail, particularly among Asian, Hispanic/Latino, and Pacific Islander populations. The disability standards would consist of six items that are already being used successfully in the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey. It is intended to improve researchers’ ability to monitor health disparities.

“These new data standards, once finalized, will help us target our research and tailor stronger solutions for underserved and minority communities,” added HHS Director of the Office of Minority Health Dr. Garth Graham. “To fully understand and meet the needs of our communities, we must first thoroughly understand who we are serving.”

In anticipation of these efforts, HHS, over the past year, has consulted with federal agencies, requested recommendations from the HHS data council, and held listening

sessions with relevant community stakeholders.

The public may submit comments for the draft minority data collection standards at www.regulations.gov under docket number HHS-OMH-2011-0013. Public comments will be accepted until August 1. Information is also available at http://minorityhealth. hhs.gov/section4302.

Under Section 4302 of the Affordable Care Act, the secretary of HHS is required to ensure that any federally conducted or supported health care or public health program, activity, or survey collects and reports data, to the extent practicable, on race, ethnicity, sex, primary language, and disability status, as well as other demographic data on health disparities as deemed appropriate by the secretary.

clinic, Gay City, or the baths, RNA tests can detect the actual virus about two weeks after infection.

In the 1980s, people waited nervously for weeks before going back to the clinic to get results. Rapid tests now give results in 10-20 minutes. There’s a new rapid test that takes only 60 seconds. And there’s an even newer rapid test that we’re studying at the STD Clinic and Gay City that both gives results in minutes and can detect HIV before antibodies develop.

We’re trying to make testing easier so people will do it more often. For those of you who don’t like getting your blood drawn, rapid tests use finger sticks or even mouth swabs. Sometime soon you may be able to buy an HIV test at a drugstore and test yourself at home. The iTest study, going on through the University of Washington, is looking to see how this will work.

Despite the fact that testing has gotten easier and quicker, about 15% of HIV-positive Gay and Bi guys in Seattle still don’t know they’re infected. How do we know this? Because people like you have participated in the PITCH study, which will be going on again this summer. This study is important because it helps us direct future testing and other resources to where they’re needed most. So if you see the Public Health RV, and study staff ask you to participate,

please agree to help.

If you’re Gay or Bi and sexually active, you should get tested for HIV/STDs at least once a year. You should get tested every three months if you: • use meth or poppers, • had anal sex in the last year with someone who was a different HIV status than you or whose status you didn’t know, • had sex with more than 10 people in the last year (that’s any kind of sex!), or • had chlamydia, gonorrhea, or syphilis recently.

If you get tested for STDs at your doctor’s office, be sure to get a complete screen – that means your mouth, your butt, and your penis. And make sure you get tested for syphilis, since syphilis is on the rise.

I hope you took a moment to think about the last 30 years as you celebrated Gay Pride this past weekend. We indeed have come a long way! Keep your eyes peeled for AIDS@30 commemorative artwork on the red wall at the Capitol Hill Light Rail construction site on Broadway. You can submit thoughts and memories to www.hiv-30.org.

If you’re a guy who has sex with other guys, you can get tested for HIV and other STDs at Public Health’s STD Clinic, at Gay City, or at your doctor’s office. For hours and locations, call 206-296-4649 or go to www.kingcounty.gov/health/hiv.

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July 1, 2011

Seattle Gay News 23

westlake

continued from cover Like many Gay men in their 20s visiting Seattle for the weekend, the couple hit the Hill on Friday and Saturday. “We had a great time seeing the drag queens, getting cute underwear for cheap, and meeting up with friends of ours who live in Seattle,” said Aaron.

The two men found Seattle to be a very welcoming city. “On Saturday, while getting ready to go out to the Cuff, I wore high heels and feathered eyelashes I made myself with a full face of makeup,” Aaron told SGN. “We walked all the way from Harrison and Bellevue and everyone was friendly along the way, complimented me on my style, and made us feel very glad to be in Seattle.”

The next day, Pride Sunday, the visiting couple and their friends walked downtown and found a spot along the parade route and watched a good hour or so of the parade.

They then decided to sit down at a table in the plaza area of Westlake Center, with the Pride Parade marching gaily by.

For Aaron, experiencing Seattle Pride with his boyfriend had, up until that point, been a magical experience. “Gay Pride, to me, is more than simply being proud of a homosexual persuasion,” he said. “The pride comes in acknowledging the achievements of a group that, in the very short time that they have been active in liberating themselves from discrimination in societies around the world, have changed the game for not only themselves but anyone else who needs inspiration to rise up to the challenges facing them.”

When Aaron and Benjamin sat down, the parade was in full swing.

“We were sitting down for only a couple

of minutes before a security guard came over,” Aaron recalled. “He asked us to sit ‘properly, side by side.’ I wasn’t sure why he was asking us to do this. When I asked, ‘Why?’ he told us that it was the rule.”

The security officer explained to Aaron that Westlake Center has a code of conduct for family-friendly behavior. When Aaron asked the security guard more about the rule, he says the man just told him, “I don’t make the rules, I just enforce them.” The security guard then walked away.

I asked Aaron about how the couple had been sitting. He maintains that they were only sitting on each other and that nothing lewd or offensive had occurred. “The only thing that could be noted about the situation was that we were sitting on each other, with Benjamin sitting down on the bench in a normal fashion and I was sitting on his lap facing him, where my knees would be bent at his sides with my shins resting on the edge of the bench and my head resting on his shoulder,” he said.

“I was, quite simply, shell-shocked,” continued Aaron. “I heard what [the security guard] had said and it rolled around in my mind a couple of times before I could let ‘Why?’ fall from my lips.”

Upon receiving the explanation about the family-friendly code of conduct (which obviously doesn’t take same-sex relationships into account), Aaron says he began to get worked up. “You know that feeling you get when you feel like a physical altercation is about to happen?” he said. “The slight shake of your chest when you breathe in and the sharpness that comes to your thoughts? I felt that. My body was gearing me up to defend itself as though I had been physically struck.”

Realizing that an injustice was happening, he walked around the corner of the plaza to

a group of four Seattle Police Department officers to speak with them.

“I said, ‘So, me and my boyfriend were over there sitting on each other’s laps and a security guard from the mall came up and asked us not to sit on each other because it was outside of the mall’s code of conduct for family-friendly behavior. Can they uphold that?’ He nonchalantly told me that since it was private property, they could say what they wanted.”

Basically, if Aaron had a problem with the rule, he should just leave the property.

Realizing he wasn’t getting anywhere because the SPD officers simply did not care, he returned to his boyfriend at Westlake Center. He then noticed saw male/female couples sitting on each other in any direction he turned. “Some were even being intimate and kissing,” said Aaron. “There was no one telling them they could not do so.”

He brought the situation to the attention of another security guard. “I approached him because he was standing very close to a female with a male on her lap,” he said. “To the casual observer, this couple appeared to be sharing a more intimate pose than Benjamin and I had. I asked the security guard if he was going to ask them to not sit on each other since this was outside of Westlake’s code of conduct for family-friendly behavior.”

According to Aaron, the security guard immediately snapped at him saying, “No, that is different. I saw what was happening over there with you guys, you had your legs wrapped around each other and were not just sitting.”

Westlake Center officials now agree that the two men had not caused a scene and that the security guard was out of line for his summation of the situation.

“He seemed ready for a confrontation, but I, of course, was not going to start an issue with a security officer at an event that is intended to be happy for everyone,” said Aaron.

While the young man understands that Westlake Center is private property, he said, “Having a policy that asks for people on your property to behave in a family-friendly manner seems very broad to me. This leaves the decision as to what is family-friendly up to the security officer that will be enforcing this policy.”

“I am sure that not all of the security guards at the Westlake Mall are asking anyone and everyone they see who happen to be sitting on one another to dismount and sit beside each other,” he continued. “What about a daughter sitting on her father’s lap?

The only people that I am aware of who were asked not to sit on each other were my boyfriend and I. Not only that, but we were also told that a male/female grouping that I directly pointed out to a security guard was ‘different.’”

“The injustice here is that the rights that protect my boyfriend and I from being treated differently as homosexuals were thrown out the window when we were asked not even to sit on each other in a public space,” said Aaron. “This is compounded by the fact that it was Pride weekend, with the Pride parade going by not 50 feet from us, and the Seattle Police not identifying the action as being outside of the law.”

Westlake Center officials agree with Aaron. When contacted by Seattle Gay News, the management of the property, which employs LGBT workers and its plaza has been the site for pro-LGBT equality rallies over the years, distanced themselves from the contracted security firm and condemned and apologized for the incident.

David Keating, a spokesperson for Westlake Center, told SGN that the security officers are not employees of the company.

They are, in fact, employees of Valor Security Corporation, an Atlanta, Georgia-based security firm contracted by the managers of the Westlake Center property.

“The response that was taken by the security guard was not a response that we would condone,” Keating told SGN. “In response to this incident, we are working with the contracted security company to ensure that these types of interactions do not occur in the future.”

“As a company,” he continued, “we expect Valor Security Corporation to apologize for what occurred.”

Valor Security Corporation’s senior vice president released the following statement to Seattle Gay News: “Our officers are trained to be respectful of all patrons when executing their responsibilities. Unfortunately in this case, the officer’s use of discretion was not consistent with our policies for personal interactions. We apologize for the officer’s response. In addition, we are taking steps immediately to ensure that every member of our team clearly understands and enforces our policies while remaining sensitive to all who choose to visit, shop and work at Westlake Center.”

Still, the fact remains that the image of progressive Seattle was shattered in the eyes of two Gay tourists during Pride weekend. “There is no way for me to know how many pink dollars went into the pockets of Westlake that Sunday, but I can safely say that if it was up to me, I would refund every one,” said Aaron. “A business that allows for such discrimination to occur on a property against the very group that is being celebrated that day is outrageous!”

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24 Seattle Gay News

July 1, 2011

Celebrating 38 Years!

flag

continued from cover or three people to carry it away.”

Egan told SGN that, at first, he thought it was all just a big misunderstanding. Someone obviously packed it up by accident.

Surely no one would steal the flag, an emblem of the day’s success and the community’s Pride. But his summation soon turned to disappointment as, after making some calls and asking around, he realized the flag had, indeed, been taken.

“The flag belongs to our community, not just one organization or person,” said Egan.

“It’s powerful not for just one day, but all year long.”

Egan and One Degree Events want the flag back. And they intend to get it – with your help. Egan contacted SGN to ask anyone who might know the whereabouts of the PrideFest flag to step forward and speak up.

One Degree Events will make a $2,000 donation to the It Gets Better program if the flag is returned. “If you took the flag and are too embarrassed to return it, find a Gayfriendly business on Capitol Hill and just drop it off,” said Egan.

Gay City Health Project and the Seattle Gay News offices are two of the designated flag drop-off points. You can also contact Egan directly at egan@onedegreeevents. com – no questions asked.

As Egan said, this particular flag made an impact, and we’d love to see it returned to the capable hands of an organization that has dedicated the last five years to putting together a stellar Pride festival for the community.

During the 2011 Pride Parade, the flag began its journey with “about 20 people carrying it, and it added people as the parade rolled along,” said Egan. “At one point, there was somebody on every single handle of the flag, and since it has handles every 18 inches, that amounts to over 120 people.”

The idea was to carry it into PrideFest, over the heads of the people at the DJ stage at the fountain so they could dance under it (which happened), and then take it to the main stage for delivery to Egan.

“The flag lead for the day was confused about which stage was the main stage and took it to the DJ stage instead, where, exhausted, he tucked it somewhere he thought was secure,” explained Egan.

“We had plans to possibly march with it in the Vancouver parade, but really intended to have it as a flag for our community,” he said.

“With all the issues regarding flying the flag on top of the Space Needle, I got the flag so we had a massive flag just for us, one that we owned as a community and could use every year at Pride to show just how proud we are.”

“The PrideFest flag touched, literally and figuratively, thousands of people this year,” said Egan. “People who had a chance to

carry it, or dance underneath it, or just see its beautiful rainbow colors pass by were touched – some even to the point of saying it was a spiritual experience for them.

It helped to connect people, inspire others, and had others looking on in awe.”

“To the person who took it, I just ask for its safe return,” he told SGN. “What on earth would you use a flag like that for? You can’t fly it, and if you take it out next year, it’s immediately identifiable by its size and by a couple of other identifiers only we know.”

If the missing flag is not a misunderstanding and the perpetrators are caught, they could be charged with second-degree theft under Washington state law. This is considered a Class C felony, with a maximum sentence of five years in jail and/or a $10,000 fine.

As of press time, Egan and One Degree Events filed a police report and will review Seattle Center security to try to identify who took the flag.

“If the flag is returned before we find those who stole it, we will not pursue the criminal side of this any further,” said Egan. “We hate that it’s come to this, but this appears to be criminal behavior, and as the Space Needle learned – and we learned in the various things that popped up in the weeks before Pride – don’t fuck with the Gays!”

“You may have taken a giant piece of fabric, but what people experienced last Sunday when they were touched by the PrideFest flag is something you cannot take away,”

he said. “If you’re part of the LGBT community, do the right thing and make sure this flag gets back to PrideFest – then when you see the flag go by next year, you’ll know you did the right thing.”

“If somebody outside of our community took it, please understand that this flag is sacred and precious to us, and that its taking was the smallest shadow on the brightest of days for our community,” continued Egan.

“It may be just a flag, but to us it means much more: freedom, expression, diversity, love, beauty, and most of all, pride in ourselves and in our community.”

“Please return it. Tens of thousands of people will be looking for it, so they can either track you down or you can get the collective love of the community for returning it,” said Egan. “You choose.”

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Seattle Gay News 25

new york

continued from cover

Some activists said New York’s legalization of same-sex marriage marks the end of the road for the anti-same-sex-marriage movement, which took away Gay people’s right to marry in California in 2008 and in Maine in 2009, removed from the bench Iowa Supreme Court justices who legalized same-sex marriage there, and persuaded a majority of U.S. states to ban same-sex marriage by statute or in their constitutions.

“Game over,” said Kate Kendell, executive director of the National Center for Lesbian Rights.

“Now that we’ve made it here, we’ll make it everywhere,” said Freedom to Marry President Evan Wolfson, calling it an “epic win.”

“There’s no doubt that today will be revered as a major turning point in civil rights history,” said American Foundation for Equal Rights Board President Chad Griffin. “A bipartisan group of legislators have

affirmed that equal rights for every citizen is not a partisan issue, but an American value.”

AFER is behind the federal lawsuit against California’s Proposition 8, via which voters re-banned same-sex marriage in 2008. The state constitutional amendment was struck down as a violation of the U.S. Constitution in 2010, but the ruling is now stalled in the federal appeal process.

“This victory sends a message that marriage equality across the country will be a reality very soon,” said Human Rights Campaign President Joe Solmonese.

National Gay and Lesbian Task Force Executive Director Rea Carey said the legalization of same-sex marriage in New York “honors New York’s unique history as being the place where the modern Gay rights movement sprang to life 42 years ago this month at the Stonewall Inn in New York City – a place where Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender people stood up and fought back for their dignity and rightful place in society.”

Longtime New York City activist Corey Johnson called it “a watershed moment.”

“It’s a turning point,” he said. “This is a significant and tremendous loss for NOM

[the anti-Gay activist group National Organization for Marriage]. In many ways, it takes the wind out of their sails.”

The White House issued a tepid statement, saying, “The states should determine for themselves how best to uphold the rights of their own citizens. The process in New York worked just as it should. ... The president has long believed that Gay and Lesbian couples deserve the same rights and legal protections as straight couples.”

President Barack Obama has refused to come out in support of same-sex couples’ right to marry, saying he prefers “civil unions.” He has said, however, that his views on same-sex marriage are “evolving.” In recent days, the media have again highlighted the fact that in 1996, when he was running for the Illinois Senate, Obama told the Chicago Gay newspaper Outlines, “I favor legalizing same-sex marriages, and would fight efforts to prohibit such marriages.” (See tinyurl.com/obama1996.)

In New York City, at least 1,000 people took to the streets in celebration outside the Stonewall Inn in Greenwich Village. When police made an early attempt to clear the unauthorized street party, those gathered reportedly chanted, “We’re here, we’re Queer, we’re fabulous, don’t fuck with us.”

New York has no way for voters to repeal laws or amend the state constitution. The only ways to re-ban same-sex marriage in New York would be to pass a repeal measure through the Legislature and have the governor sign it, or call a constitutional convention. Both possibilities are extremely

unlikely.

There is no residency requirement to get married in New York state, and same-sex couples can begin applying for licenses online July 5. Licenses can be picked up July 24, and become valid one day after being obtained. (To fill out an application in New York City, see tinyurl.com/nyc-marr-lic.)

Same-sex marriage also is legal in Connecticut, Iowa, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont, and Washington, D.C. Same-sex marriages from elsewhere are recognized as marriages in Maryland, New Mexico, New York, Rhode Island, and California (if the marriage took place before Proposition 8 passed).

Eleven other nations allow same-sex couples to marry – Argentina, Belgium, Canada, Iceland, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, and Mexico (where same-sex marriages are allowed only in the capital city but are recognized nationwide).

tipping

continued from cover

cially in the Seattle area, asked, “If they can have marriage equality in New York, why can’t we have it in Washington?”

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www.sgn.org 26 Seattle Gay News

July 1, 2011

Celebrating 38 Years!

In other words, was New York the tipping point? Could the Empire State be the domino we’ve all been hoping for, the one which will knock down all the others across the U.S., finally ridding the nation of discriminatory anti-Gay marriage laws? And what about Washington? Could we, like New York, join in holy same-sex matrimony?

Hold your horses, say some Washington politicians and lobbyists on the marriageequality frontlines. Not just yet, they say.

“Everybody is asking the question of whether New York was the tipping point,” Josh Friedes, executive director of Equal Rights Washington (ERW), told Seattle Gay News. “When it comes to the struggle for securing marriage equality, I’m not exactly sure what the term ‘tipping point’ means.”

Friedes said that it has been clear for quite some time that momentum is with the LGBT civil rights movement. “Momentum has been building since the Hawaii lawsuit was filed two decades ago,” he said. “What I think New York represents is an incredible acceleration in the process.”

New York is an economic driver, he said.

“To stay competitive in recruiting workers, my belief is that major corporations based outside of New York will become allies in the struggle for marriage equality,” continued Friedes. “My prediction is that companies like Microsoft, Starbucks, Boeing, Amazon, and Vulcan will be more supportive and engaged in calling for marriage equality so that they can be competitive in recruiting the most talented workers.”

According to Friedes, New York is going to put huge pressure on the federal government to end the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA).

“The federal government is putting a giant burden on the New York state government by refusing to provide Gay families with the protections they have earned such as Social Security survivors’ benefits, veterans’ benefits, and so on,” he told SGN. “New York does not want to, nor should it have to provide a safety net to surviving spouses be-

cause they are being impoverished by the federal government that is denying them the Social Security or pensions they deserve.”

“New York is home to the Statue of Liberty. Now this icon is associated with marriage equality, and I don’t think one can overestimate the importance [of] New York in the American psyche,” said Friedes. “I guess my belief is that if we look at the modern struggle for marriage equality as a timeline, I think the time from now until marriage is legal in every state and the federal government recognizes marriages between couples of the same sex will be much less than the time from the filing of the Hawaii lawsuit to New York legalizing marriage equality.”

Washington State Senator Ed Murray (D43), an openly Gay politician and longtime marriage equality advocate, said that there are many differences between New York’s fight for equality and that of Washington.

“One of the major factors in the New York vote is within the Republican Party,” said Murray, who’s introduced a marriage equality bill in Olympia every year since 1997.

“Our opponents in the Republican Party in our state are far to the right of those in New York.”

Murray told SGN that, although they are working hard in Olympia to secure votes for marriage equality, it is the grassroots effort (especially outside of Seattle) that has to get energized. “This isn’t something that the legislators can do, it’s got to come from the community.”

“We are getting closer every year. But there is still a lot of work to be done,” said Murray. “For those people who are just waiting around for marriage equality, I would encourage them to doorbell, talk to their friends and family about marriage equality, and donate to pro-LGBT candidates. We have to do all that we can to elect pro-marriage equality legislators.”

Representative Jamie Pedersen, an openly Gay legislator in Washington, said that he, Sen. Murray, and the other LGBT legislators have been working very carefully on

an incremental strategy for “the last four years that has put us in a place where we: one, have domestic partnerships with all of the rights and obligations of marriage at the state level; two, recognize out-of-state marriages and give them legal effect as domestic partnerships; and three, do not have a constitutional amendment banning marriage (like Oregon, California, Hawaii, and 26 other states).”

“I think that the results in Referendum 71 support our strategy so far – we are the only state in history whose voters have upheld rights for same-sex couples,” Rep. Pedersen told SGN. “Until recently, the polling in Washington has not suggested that we could win a marriage campaign. We appear to be reaching the point where that may change.”

Pedersen says people should “Get involved in and give money to Equal Rights Washington, Lambda Legal, Legal Voice, and the ACLU of Washington, which are the main organizations that have been working for marriage equality for many years. Make appointments to talk with their legislators, particularly if they live outside of Seattle.

Give money to pro-marriage candidates, such as [gubernatorial candidate] Jay Inslee.”

Pedersen and Friedes agree that electing Inslee, a Democrat and strong supporter of marriage equality, over Republican Rob McKenna, a strong and vocal marriage equality opponent, is imperative.

The reason? Unlike New York, Washington has a referendum process. In order for LGBT Washingtonians to realize marriage equality, a bill would have to be passed, signed into law, and then defended at the ballot box. It’s the three-horned beast.

“Different states will take different paths to marriage equality based on a variety of factors including their state constitutions, demographics, and political cultures,” Friedes told SGN. “States like Washington need to be somewhat more cautious in their approach than states like New York because Washington is a referendum state, and what

makes Washington state even more unusual is that we allow referendums on the ballot every year as opposed to only in general election years.”

“The really good news in Washington is that polls show that for the first time, the number of voters who support marriage equality is greater than the number who oppose marriage equality,” said Friedes.

“However, we need to remember that polls don’t vote, people do. We have a great deal of work to do to solidify a marriage equality majority in the public. Not only do we need to continue to build support and win even larger numbers of voters over to supporting marriage equality, but we must make sure that voters, especially younger voters, are passionate about the issue so that they will mail in their ballots. Gay communities in Maine and California know all too well you can be winning in the polls and still lose an election.”

“It sounds clichéd, but the most important thing we can do is talk to our friends and families about why marriage matters and ask them to do the same thing,” he said.

“We must build a strong marriage equality majority in the electorate so we can secure marriage on the ballot. We must also be in communication with our state legislators and governor and gubernatorial candidates about why we need marriage equality. We must share our personal stories and meet with our legislators in person. And again, we must engage our social networks in lobbying our elected officials. We need to reach out to our faith communities, civic organizations, and employers and ask them to get them even more engaged.”

In addition, “We will need to raise a great deal of money to hire organizers and create a media campaign,” said Friedes.

Representative Pedersen said he is happy that the community is energized by the outcome in New York. “It was both a morale boost for us and a challenge to keep pushing,” he said. “We will win this, but it will take a lot of work and money.”

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Seattle Gay News 27

28 Seattle Gay News

July 1, 2011

Celebrating 38 Years!

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Seattle Gay News 29

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Celebrating 38 Years!

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Seattle Gay News 31