SGN September 20, 2013 - Section 1

Issue 38 Volume 41

Celebrating 40 Years!

FRIDAY September 20, 2013 FREE! 25¢ in bookstores & newsstands

Section 3

Seattle Gay News SEATTLE’S LGBT NEWS & ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY

Murray wins fifth City Council endorsement

Jean Godden says he’s the best choice to address gender inequality Matt Rourke

by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer Seattle City Council member Jean Godden endorsed Ed Murray for mayor of Seattle at a press conference held at Murray’s Capitol Hill headquarters on September 18.

Council. He then introduced Godden.

“Jean has worked on a cause I highlighted on primary night – the gender pay gap for city workers,” Murray said.

Although Murray did not refer directly to his rival, Mayor Mike McGinn, the introduction was a

“I am assured that Ed will recruit and promote qualified women to positions of authority. Working with Ed, we will address the gender pay gap in city government, then in the city as a whole.”

Godden is the fifth member of the council to endorse Murray, who is now supported by every member not running for re-election this year. None have endorsed incumbent Mayor Mike McGinn.

Acknowledging the “unprecedented” level of support he has received from sitting City Council members, Murray noted that he is now supported by a majority of the

Seattle City Council member Jean Godden

veiled slap at the incumbent, who only introduced a proposal to address gender equity on September 16.

SEATTLE MOST UNEQUAL A July report found that Seattle was the worst of the 50 biggest cities in the country for pay disparisee godden page 5

ERISA and equality ‘Over the Rainbow’ Labor Dept. says employers must treat all married couples the same

Summit on LGBT elders’ needs makes a big impact

by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer

Jacquelyn Martin

U.S. Labor Secretary Thomas Perez

Legally married same-sex spouses have the right to participate in employee benefit plans even if they live in states that do not recognize their marriage, the U.S. Labor Department said in new instructions issued September 18.

The new guidance means that Gay and Lesbian spouses enjoy the same federal rights as straight married couples when it comes to pensions, 401(k)s, health plans, and other similar benefits.

The Labor Department administers employee benefits packages that fall under the scope of ERISA (the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974), and that includes most of the country’s largest private-sector employers.

Other than in a few specific exceptions, ERISA supersedes state laws.

The new guidelines are part of a series of administrative instructions in which the Obama administration is attempting to clarify the

by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer

Seattle’s first-ever summit conference on LGBT aging issues took place September 17, and was by all accounts a tremendous success.

Jackson Holtz, an organizer for SEIU (Service Employees International Union) 775NW, which hosted the conference at its downtown headquarters, said he was see erisa page 16 “thrilled” by the capacity crowd of

150 attendees.

SEIU 775NW represents home health care workers, who are and will continue to be on the front lines of providing care for LGBT seniors, and the union played a leading role in organizing the conference.

SEIU 775 member Philip Anderson welcomed attendees “on behalf of 43,000 SEIU members in this state, and 1.3 million nationsee elders page 7

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Celebrating 40 Years!

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Local news Equality on the road

A country drive reminds us how far we still have to go

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

Classifieds Mike Andrew and Rick McKinnon Photographers

Nate Gowdy, Joseph P. Herron, Shaun Knittel, James Whitely National Advertising Rep. Rivendell Media (212) 242-6863 Website Designer Barry Thorsness/Digital Team Works Seattle Gay News is published weekly by Frogs and Ink, Inc. © 2013, Frogs and Ink, Inc., all rights reserved. Reprints by permission.

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weekend, Jason and I planned such a trip.

Our first stop was to visit his parents in Annapolis, Maryland. Among the lessons Road trips can often help keep you in learned were how great it was to have a real touch and remind you of areas that you have home-cooked meal. Jason’s mother is an innot given much thought to. So on Labor Day credible cook and made us realize how we

by Mark Segal Philadelphia Gay News

really need to learn to cook. It also made us realize that neither one of us has the time to learn to cook. Can you say seconds and thirds? ... We also realized that when you’re sitting with people you care about and having long discussions about their lives, as well as your own, you let your guard down, and that is when you learn a lot.

Next stop was Gettysburg. I’m an amateur American-history buff and have never visited the site of the great battlefields before.

What amazed me and what is not recorded much in history is that Lincoln spent the night before his Gettysburg Address in David Wills’ house, which overlooks the town square. Today, you can stand in the room where Lincoln slept, with most of the same furniture, and gaze out the window upon the street where Lincoln, hearing the crowd call for him, went down and delivered one of the most famous speeches in American history.

Then there is the video on equality – emotional.

Our next stop was Lancaster, for dinner at Miller’s Smorgasbord. But on the way there, in the middle of what is considered “redneck” Pennsylvania, we found a farmers’ market with an antiques shop. While purchasing a few items, the cashier, after hearing that we were from Philly, stated, “The civilized part of the state.” One thing led to another and I discovered that she collects Rita Mae Brown books. There were other cashiers around so this conversation was said in whispers. It made me realize that this was as far as she could go toward being out, and how lucky many of us are to live in places where it is easy.

I admired her bravery, and her actions told me how far we have to travel before the battle is won.

Mark Segal, PGN publisher, is the nation’s most-award-winning commentator in LGBT media. He can be reached at mark@ epgn.com.

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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Seattle Gay News

September 20, 2013

Celebrating 40 Years!

New poll gives Murray a commanding lead Openly Gay challenger leads McGinn by more than 20 points

by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer Seattle mayoral candidate Ed Murray jumped to a huge lead in a new KING 5 poll released September 16.

A whopping 52% of the poll’s respondents said they favored Murray, compared to only 30% for incumbent mayor Mike McGinn.

Results of the primary election on August 6 showed Murray and McGinn almost even,

of caution, however.

“While it is great to see numbers like this,” Murray campaign consultant Sandeep Kaushik said in an e-mail, “and while we do think that Seattle voters are responding positively to Ed’s message of providing effective, collaborative, progressive leadership (as opposed to the current divisive approach from Mayor McGinn), we also anticipate the race to be significantly closer than these numbers would indicate.”

“While we do think that Seattle voters are responding positively to Ed’s message of providing effective, collaborative, progressive leadership, we also anticipate the race to be significantly closer than these numbers would indicate.”

nate gowdy / seattle gay news

Seattle mayoral candidate Ed Murray

Murray endorses plan for universal preschool Mayoral candidate says pre-K education is essential to success

by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer

for all city children could start in 2015, Burgess said.

State Senator and Seattle mayoral candidate Ed Murray has endorsed a plan to provide preschool programs for all three- and four-year-olds in the city.

In a September 17 statement, Murray said he would “commend and strongly endorse” a plan first developed by Seattle City Council member Tim Burgess to provide universal preschool in Seattle.

“If I am elected mayor,” Murray said in his statement, “I will work closely with Councilmember Burgess, other members of the City Council, and stakeholders to ensure we put a proposal before the voters during my first term in office.”

Burgess first made the proposal in midAugust, and his Government Performance Committee, which oversees education, held a hearing on it September 4.

The program would be free to children whose families make less than twice the federal poverty level, or about $47,000 for a family of four. A funding measure could go to voters in 2014, and a voluntary program

‘TICKET TO OPPORTUNITY’ “Education is the ticket to opportunity in our society, and studies show that we need to reach at-risk kids early,” Murray said in his statement.

“Once they fall behind it is very difficult to get them caught up, and far too often they end up falling through the cracks. Currently nearly a quarter of Seattle’s third-graders are not proficient in their reading skills, and the results are even worse for children from communities of color – currently more than half of African American children and more than 40 percent of Hispanic children in Seattle do not read at grade level by the third grade.

“That is unacceptable. We need to act, and this plan, which draws on the successes in other cities like Boston and San Francisco, would allow Seattle to become a model for the rest of the state.”

SMALL CLASS SIZES If approved, the early education plan

with about 30% of the vote apiece. A previREASONS FOR DOUBT? ous KING poll released July 18 also showed McGinn’s people, meanwhile, said they Murray and McGinn neck-and-neck, with were skeptical of the poll’s methodology.

22% and 21%, respectively.

McGinn consultant John Wyble noted that only 10% of the poll sample was cell phones BUILDING MOMENTUM versus 90% land lines, which he said would The obvious concern for McGinn’s cam- tend to limit representation of younger votpaign is that Murray is now pulling away, ers who are thought to favor McGinn. with the incumbent seemingly unable to add “I think we are behind, but it’s much closto his base of support. er than this poll suggests,” Wyble said in an Murray was recently endorsed by former e-mail to The Seattle Times. mayoral rival Bruce Harrell, for example.

McGinn himself also downplayed the Harrell ran fourth in the nine-person pri- numbers, saying the poll did not reflect his mary field. Murray also picked up endorse- support among communities of color and ments from the Sailor’s Union of the Pacific low-wage workers. and ILWU Local 19, who had supported “This is why you run races,” McGinn third-place finisher Peter Steinbrueck. said. “At the end of the day, it will be the Steinbrueck has not endorsed either candi- voters who make the decision.” date.

The candidate preference portion of the Approve/disapprove numbers also look poll was based on a sample of 503 “likely grim for McGinn. Only 40% of the sample voters” and has a stated margin of error of approved of the job the incumbent is doing, 4.5%. The approve/disapprove portion used as opposed to 44% who disapproved. In a sample of 652 registered voters and has a contrast, Murray has a 57% approval rating, 3.5% margin of error. with only 19% disapproval.

The poll was conducted for KING 5 by Murray’s campaign tried to sound a note the national polling company SurveyUSA. would embrace several characteristics that are known to benefit the youngest students: classes would last for several hours each day, the class size would be limited to 15 children, there would be specific standards and program outcomes, and the curriculum would be “evidence-based.”

Veteran State Rep. Ruth Kagi (D-32), chair of the House Early Learning and Human Services Committee, also endorsed the

proposal and commended both Burgess and Murray.

“High-quality early learning opportunities for children birth to [age] five are critically important to getting children ready for success in school and beyond,” Kagi said. “I commend both Councilmember Burgess for proposing a universal pre-K program and Ed Murray for his willingness to make it a priority.”

godden

he doesn’t have far to walk.”

In response to a question, Godden acknowledged that “at first we did have a couple of meetings, but it turned out to be a lecture” by McGinn.

“There’s always tension between the executive and the legislature,” Murray added, “but it doesn’t have to be as bad as it is today.”

continued from cover ties between men and women. Men make 9.5% more than women, the report said, and two-thirds of the city’s payroll goes to male employees. The study was commissioned by Mayor McGinn and City Council member Tim Burgess, who is now a Murray supporter.

“Ed has committed to partnering with me to tackle this issue,” Godden said. “I am assured that Ed will recruit and promote qualified women to positions of authority. Working with Ed, we will address the gender pay gap in city government, then in the city as a whole.”

Godden added she was endorsing Murray in part because the City Council’s relationship with McGinn had deteriorated to an unworkable level.

“It’s essential to restore trust and cooperation between the City Council and the Mayor,” she stated.

“The Mayor has not sat down with me for a one-on-one meeting for over two years,” she added. “We work in the same building,

THE MONEY QUESTION Murray bristled when asked about McGinn’s charge that his “big money donors” and his political connections would shut out ordinary voters from political influence.

“That’s an odd assessment!” Murray exclaimed. “I don’t get this business about donors. I have been endorsed by 15 labor unions; I have been endorsed by Washington Conservation Voters; I have been endorsed by Planned Parenthood. I don’t know where he makes this stuff up from!”

In answer to another question about a KING 5 poll that shows him beating McGinn by 22 points, Murray was cautious.

“I don’t think we’ve got this thing in the bag,” he said. “Seven weeks is a long time in politics. A day is a lifetime in politics.”

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

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Charter Amendment 19

Once again, Seattle takes a hard look at district elections in November

by James Whitely SGN Staff Writer This November, a charter amendment that would create voting districts in the city of Seattle will appear on the ballot for the third time. First proposed 18 years ago, the mea-

can then craft solutions that serve all neighborhoods,” said Sarah Moseley, a proponent of the measure. “District representation would make for a better informed more connected City Council.”

Opponents, naturally, differ. “Right now, we elect council members to one of nine po-

“A Council member who lives in your district and knows the challenges your neighborhood faces can pass that information on to their colleagues, who can then craft solutions that serve all neighborhoods.” sure would have the city elect most of its council members by district instead of electing all of them citywide.

City Charter Amendment 19 would require the election of seven city council members by district, while leaving two positions at large. Every decade a commission would re-draw the district boundaries to bring the smallest district’s population to within one percent of the largest.

sitions, which aren’t tied to any geographic area in Seattle. Whenever they vote, their vote affects the whole city. Under a districting model, any laws passed by city council members would still affect everyone in the city,” said Marjorie Rhodes and Herm Ross of Choices Not Districts, an organization opposed to the amendment.

Seattle Districts Now, the grassroots organization that proposed the amendment, which will appear on the November 5 balCONTRASTING VIEWS lot, believes it would also reduce the cost of Proponents say district elections would running for office. result in a council more responsive to neighborhood concerns. “A Council member who CAMPAIGN COSTS RISING lives in your district and knows the chalIn 2005, winning Seattle City Council lenges your neighborhood faces can pass campaigns spent an average of $205,000. In that information on to their colleagues, who the 2011 election, the average had increased

Scott Sarber

May 21, 1961 – July 2, 2013

To my dearest friend Scott, we have so many memories that you and I made while ripping and running the streets of Capitol Hill back in the ’90s. We both worked at the most popular hamburger joint in the Broadway Market, and would terrorize R Place, Neighbours, C.C. Slaughters, and whatever other bar that would serve us tequila. We would get up and go for drives to the mountains or catch a movie or just get drunk and listen to Pat Benatar.

There was a point in our friendship when we were inseparable, but then one day you decided to pursue a dream, move to Palm Springs, and become a yoga instructor, so you packed up, sold everything, and left Seattle to capture your dream. Indeed, you succeeded, making me realize anyone who has dreams and hopes, they can be reached if we just put our minds to it.

You made many visits up to Seattle from Palm Springs and I had made many ca-

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Seattle Gay News

reer choices and career moves, but the proudest time was when I became part of the medical community. I was so proud to share this news with you. We talked on Facebook and it felt like you had never left Seattle.

Then one day I received a text with disturbing news and then the next few weeks were not the greatest for my dearest Scott. When we talked from his hospital bed, all he wanted me to do is tell him stories of when we would do crazy things and remind him of days at Hamburger Mary’s, and I couldn’t really remember a specific time because there were so many. So I told him I would get back to him with all types of stories, but then I received a text the next morning and he was gone, the angels had taken him away.

He was happy and we were sad, but this voice inside me kept saying, “Be happy, be yourself, find happiness, don’t let them take any of your spirit away.” When I want to do something crazy or put on my Dragface or scream Mariah Carey songs at the top of my lungs, I know my dearest Scott is applauding me and giving me his stamp of approval. I promise I will never be less than what I was put on this earth to be, and that is to be me.

To my dearest Scott, every time I see a white feather fall from the sky, I know it’s from the wings that you were given to you the day you were taken from us. I will always love you, my dearest Scotty, and I know Collin and you are together once again right along with your favorite two cats, Ices and Metis. My friend, we will miss you: may you rest in peace. – Edward Sampson

September 20, 2013

to $270,000. Quite simply, at-large council elections are more expensive because candidates must try to reach every voter in a city of more than 600,000 people. Districting the positions would presumably make it cheaper to run – a major reason why most major cities have instituted district elections over the years. Seattle is one of only three of the 50 largest U.S. cities that still elect their entire legislative body at large, the other two being Portland, Oregon, and Columbus, Ohio. Detroit shifted from at-large to district elections this year.

The issue is divisive and both sides ap-

pear to have valid points. Currently, Seattle voters have access to all nine council members, but those officials’ ability to respond to individual concerns is necessarily diluted by the at-large system. For voters who aim to keep as many LGBT candidates on the council as possible (currently, Seattle has two), Charter Amendment 19 might make it more of a challenge to do so, as the LGBT vote is largely concentrated in a handful of neighborhoods. For more information, visit www.seattledistrictsnow.org (supporters) and http://choicesnotdistricts.wordpress. com (opponents).

Space Needle on trial Seattle landmark’s management accused of violating workers’ rights

by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) brought the Space Needle to trial on September 17, on a number of unfair labor practices complaints filed by their employees. The trial is expected to last a week.

The NLRB is the federal agency charged with enforcing U.S. labor law. While union activists say laws generally favor employers, the Wagner Act of 1935 specifically outlaws a number of “unfair labor practices” that employers may not use against workers.

The Space Needle is accused of several such practices in connection with a two-and-ahalf-year contract battle with their employees and UNITE HERE Local 8, the union that represents them.

NLRB attorneys charge that Space Needle management is interfering with, restraining, and coercing employees to discourage them from union participation, in violation of the Wagner Act. Specific violations charged to Space Needle management include unlawfully encouraging employees to resign from the union or not pay their dues, interrogating employees about their union participation, and failing to recall union supporters to work after seasonal layoffs.

SEEKING LIVING WAGE Space Needle employees say that management has overstepped legal bounds in reaction to the ongoing contract dispute with UNITE HERE. “I have worked at the Space Needle for over 23 years, and I have never seen man-

agement act this way in union negotiations,” says Lee Plaster, a banquet captain at the Space Needle.

“They thought that this time they could bust the union and intimidate workers like me, but it has been almost three years and we are going to stay strong until we get justice, and a fair contract.”

The Space Needle workers are seeking living wages, continued access to their union health care, and job protections allowing them to keep their job if their department is subcontracted to a nonunion company.

The union also notes that leading investors in the Space Needle Corporation are also part owners of Cedarbrook Lodge in SeaTac, one of the most outspoken opponents of the SeaTac living wage initiative.

DIVERSE MEMBERSHIP UNITE HERE Local 8 represents about 4,000 workers in the hospitality industries of Washington and Oregon State, including concentrations of LGBT people and workers of color, both native- and foreign-born.

Local 8 signed on to an amicus brief supporting marriage equality in the Andersen case as early as 2006, and last year they endorsed Referendum 74, which brought full marriage equality to Washington. The union’s National Executive Board unanimously endorsed marriage equality in 2008.

In 2007, Local 8 won the first hotel contract in the country to explicitly protect Transgender workers, and now language protecting gender identity and expression is standard in its contracts.

Celebrating 40 Years!

LGBT legal clinic receives state bar award

by Shaun Knittel SGN Associate Editor The Washington State Bar Association is presenting the QLaw Foundation’s GLBT Legal Clinic with the 2013 Pro Bono Award.

The award is in recognition of the clinic’s work in providing free legal services to

elders

continued from cover ally.”

Anderson has been a member of SEIU for two years, although he was not initially aware the union existed. “A client mentioned it to me,” he told SGN with a grin. “‘Oh, you’re a union member now.’ I said ‘Oh, I am?’” Anderson had previously been in the lumber business, but lost his job in the

LGBT individuals in King County on legal issues commonly faced by members of the LGBT community.

WSBA President Michele Radosevich will present the award at the WSBA Annual Awards Dinner on Thursday, September 26, at the Grand Hyatt Seattle.

The GLBT Legal Clinic recruits volunteer

attorneys from a variety of areas of law and matches them with clients who need advice in those areas and who might not otherwise be able to access these services. More than 70 attorneys, law students, and community members volunteer their time to the clinic.

The clinics have assisted more than 400 members of the LGBT community.

MANY ARE AT RISK Care providers will face challenges in addressing their needs, Fredriksen-Goldsen said, because the needs of LGBT seniors differ from those of straight seniors for a host of social, cultural, and legal reasons.

“While most LGBT seniors will be just fine,” Fredriksen-Goldsen said, “there are serious pockets of risk” among LGBT seniors.

Eighty-two percent reported being victimized, physically or verbally, at least

Botzer added that Trans people two significant obstacles when trying to obtain appropriate medical care – access and misunderstanding.

“There are psychological, medical, cost, and class issues that impact Trans people’s access to care,” she observed. “Then when you abstract out all those things, there’s still the hard-to-describe fear of what a Trans person is.”

“It’s exciting to be able to take the momentum generated by our victories on marriage equality and go forward with programs like this.” recession and had to find other work.

“This is not the best-paying profession,” he said in his welcoming speech. “Most of us make less than $11 an hour, but the rewards of helping others make it worthwhile.

“Like the LGBT community, we caregivers have to keep fighting.”

COMING OUT AT 70 Anderson also introduced other union members who spoke movingly about their experiences in their profession. One in particular, Dave Lindberg, spoke about coming out as a Gay man at the age of 70.

“Can you image?” he asked. “For a human being to live 50 years in the closet!

Now, at 70 years old, I’m the happiest I’ve ever been, the most fulfilled as a human being.”

Lindberg later told SGN that he has worked as caregiver for 30 or 40 years and has been an SEIU member since 2004.

Keynote speaker Karen FredriksenGoldsen shared observations taken from her landmark study of health disparities affecting LGBT seniors. She is director of the Institute for Multigenerational Health at the UW School of Social Work.

LGBT seniors now number an estimated three million, she said, and will increase to nearly five million by 2030. In Washington state, there are some 69,000 LGBT seniors, and there will be 111,000 by 2030.

‘JUST THE BEGINNING’ Former Equal Rights Washington executive director Josh Friedes, another panelist, was also pleased with the conference.

“It’s exciting to be able to take the momentum generated by our victories on marriage equality and go forward with programs like this,” he told SGN. “I hope we can raise the profile of LGBT

“The GLBT Legal Clinic is an incredibly important resource for the Transgender community,” said Marsha Botzer, founder and co-president of the Ingersoll Gender Center. “It is important to have a place where they know they will be treated with understanding and respect. These clinics have been very successful and provided many members of our community with support as they move forward with gender transition. The clinics have also raised awareness in our community of the legal protections provided by the Washington Law Against Discrimination and how we can assert those rights.”

In 2011, the GLBT Legal Clinic received an award from the Ingersoll Gender Center recognizing its work with the Transgender community.

The QLaw Foundation is a registered 501(c)(3) charitable organization and the public service arm of the GLBT Bar Association of Washington, a network of more than 400 lawyers, legal professionals, judges, and law students. The Foundation sponsors the legal clinic, public-interest law grants for students who choose legal internships serving the LGBT community or people living with HIV/AIDS, and public educational panels on issues vital to the community. aging issues,” Friedes continued, “because these issues remain largely unaddressed.

We’re going to see growing disparities unless we address the needs of LGBT people.

“There will be disparities between straight people and LGBT people, and between people who were protected by marriage and those who were not, those whose partners died or whose relationships were dissolved before marriage equality became a reality.”

Conference organizers said they hoped the event would lead to further discussions among the participants.

“This is just the beginning of the dialogue,” SEIU’s Jackson Holtz told SGN. “Now we have to make specific action plans to address the issues we’re highlighting here.”

once, and 64% reported more than three incidents of victimization. About one-third of LGBT seniors identify anti-Gay discrimination as their biggest concern around aging.

Thirteen percent of LGBT seniors reported they have been denied access to health care, and 21% said they do not disclose their sexual orientation or gender identity to health care providers for fear of being denied access.

“These issues are linked with poor health outcomes,” Fredriksen-Goldsen noted. “In fact they are the strongest predictor of poor health outcomes.”

BROAD RANGE OF ISSUES After the keynote address, the group split up for panel discussions on critical topics including: Understanding Government and Retirement Benefits for LGBTQ Seniors; Best Practices for LGBTQ Seniors; Population-Specific Needs within the LGBTQ Community; and Legislative Action to Improve Care for LGBTQ Seniors.

Panelist Marsha Botzer, founder of Ingersoll Gender Center and veteran activist, told SGN she was “thrilled” with turnout at the event.

“To see so many people here!” she smiled.

“It’s so gratifying. You know, I’ve been in most of the meetings along the way…

“It just demonstrates the truth of that [Robert] Ingersoll quote: ‘The time to be happy is now!’”

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national news

Catholic students seek recognition of GSAs Church resists despite teaching homosexual orientation is not sinful

by Shaun Knittel SGN Associate Editor

BENEFITS OF GSAs CITED The students have done their homework – no pun intended. They accurately report that “in schools with Gay-Straight Alliances,

courtesy Gay-Straight Alliance

The Archdiocese of Seattle has refused to allow Gay-Straight Alliance (GSA) clubs in local Catholic high schools.

Despite the necessity of such clubs and repeated lobbying by local students, the Catholic hierarchy remains stubborn. But so too are the students, who have started an online petition that is picking up speed and galvanizing a movement.

According to the petition, a GSA is a student-run club that allows for students to meet in a safe and welcoming place where they may discuss any challenges in their lives, make new friends, and find the loving support of their schoolmates. These clubs are not overtly political – they simply seek to foster awareness and understanding and to welcome all students.

“While homosexual acts are a sin in the Catholic faith, homosexuality itself is not,” say student organizers. “Thus, these clubs do not conflict with the teachings set forth by the Vatican.”

studies have shown that students experience less bullying and contemplate suicide less often.”

The need for GSAs in the Seattle Archdiocese is imperative. LGBTQ students often feel forgotten, lost, sinful, or even suicidal at a school that refrains from even discussing “the Gay issue,” say the students.

Still other students demonstrate a lack of understanding of what being Gay even means.

By allowing GSAs in Catholic high schools, organizers say, the Seattle Archdiocese can ensure that every student feels safe at school, that every student has a support network, and that every student has the right to question their identity.

In short, the students say, a simple “yes” will create a community of solidarity and love.

They are asking that you help tell the Archdiocese of Seattle to allow GayStraight Alliances in Catholic high schools.

You can sign the petition here: http://www. change.org/petitions/archdiocese-of-seattle-allow-gay-straight-alliances-in-catholic-high-schools The actual petition is quite short. It reads, “Please Allow Gay-Straight Alliances in Catholic High Schools for the well-being of all your students. These student groups

provide a safe place for students to discuss issues in their personal lives and in the modern world. Support of GSAs does not, in any way, “sponsor” homosexuality. It simply states that the Seattle Archdiocese wishes for all its students to be welcome and happy in their schools.”

laughed. “I was totally fine.”

Still, when she did discover that she was Lesbian, Katie said she didn’t know what to do, or who to go to.

“Finding students like you is just encouraging. It’s a scary time, 15 year old. I was raised Catholic. I went to Catholic since kindergarten. I just wasn’t educated,” Katie MEETING ON THE Q.T. said.

In many cases students have formed GSA She said the same is true of many LGclubs in Catholic schools across the country, BTQ freshmen and sophomores in Catholic but these “underground” meetings are of- school settings. ten compromised when students talk about them and a teacher or parent hears what’s OUTREACH DIFFICULT going on and shuts them down.

Moreover, Katie said, it was hard for the “It’s important to have that support and underground, unofficial GSA to find potenhave that community of people you know tially LGBTQ students who were in need of you can always go to when you’re having a help and support. bad day,” said Katie, a recent graduate of a “It’s hard to get freshmen,” Katie recounthigh school where she helped found a GSA ed. “You really have to target them and say group.

‘Hey! I think you might be Gay, join our To avoid endangering the school’s accred- group!’” itation, the Ballard News-Tribune, which The group met off campus a lot. Now the interviewed Katie, did not name the school. GSA will meet on campus, but it wouldn’t Katie told the newspaper she had a rela- look like anything more than a group of tively positive experience when she came people just hanging out and chatting after out as Lesbian around the age of 15. Friends school in a classroom or in the cafeteria – accepted her and her family caused no fuss, and for all intents and purposes, that’s all it except her mom wanted her to stop dress- is. ing like a “tomboy.” Indeed, when she “As unofficial as you could be,” as Katie showed up to chat with the News-Tribune, put it. she was clad in jeans and a Russell Wilson However, having an official GSA club Seahawks jersey. would have a lot of benefits, she said.

“She got over that within a week,” Katie

Why we need GSAs

The following was written by Zeena Rivera, high school student and founder/editor of Be! Magazine.

I’m Queer and I go to a Catholic high school. I won’t tell you which one, but you could probably figure that one out pretty easily. Let me start out, though, by saying that my situation as a Queer kid in high school isn’t actually all that bad. Maybe it’s because of the specific school that I go to. Maybe it’s because times have changed and people have really started to accept the LGBTQ community. Maybe it’s just because of where I live. I don’t know.

Sometimes I can even feel a little bit guilty since my time as a Queer kid in a Catholic school hasn’t been as bad as the stories I’ve heard from older Queer people back in the day or of other Queer kids. Sometimes, the fact that my school has been overwhelmingly good to me makes me feel like I cannot be an accurate advocate for those who do face massive amounts of adversity in their school lives for being something they cannot control.

Then, I remember all of the small moments when I have felt like an alien in my

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September 20, 2013

own school. I remember the times when the dialogue in the classroom reeked of heteronormativity and I, the usually overly talkative student I am, was silenced. I remember the times during school dances, talking during lunch, and joking with friends – I remember those confused strains of words that never left my mouth because I was afraid that my friends would think of me differently because of what type of person I loved.

Getting Gay-Straight Alliances in Catholic schools will not change the awkwardness that Queer incoming freshmen feel when entering a new school not knowing what groups of people will accept them or reject them. It will not fix the problem of Queer harassment, abuse, or intolerance all together.

It will, however, provide a social change, and it will send a message to all students of varying backgrounds. I need a Gay-Straight Alliance in my school because, even though I was never physically bullied for my sexuality, I have felt alienated and alone for something I cannot change.

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Matt Rourke / AP

Pennsylvania couples in legal limbo Status of 174 same-sex marriage license recipients remains unsettled

by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer

to litigate it in the Commonwealth Court, since Judge Pellegrini virtually invited it,” Heim said.

Family attorney Dan Clifford says he is reviewing Pellegrini’s decision to determine what is and is not covered.

“The Montgomery County officials deserve an enormous amount of credit for moving the ball further down the field,” Clifford said. “Their accomplishment has been to keep the issue in the public dialogue like nothing else. Whether you agreed or not with what the registrar did, it’s forced people to take a position on same-sex marriage, and by all accounts it’s been very positive.”

Although a Pennsylvania judge has ordered Montgomery County to stop issuing marriage licenses to Gay and Lesbian couples, the ones already issued are valid, according to attorneys representing same-sex couples who obtained the licenses and the county registrar who issued them.

Judge Dan Pellegrini ordered D. Bruce Hanes, the Montgomery County register of wills, to stop issuing licenses to same-sex couples on September 12. Hanes, who had begun to issue licenses to Gay and Lesbian couples in July, indicated he would comply with the judge’s order. However, he said afWHAT ABOUT APPLICANTS? ter the court decision that he thinks the 174 Clifford added that although licenses that licenses he handed out are legally valid. already have been issued may still be valid, “I believe they are [valid] but I can’t make same-sex couples who had submitted marthat decision,” he said. riage license applications but had not yet received a license are an even bigger question UNADDRESSED IN RULING mark.

Robert Heim, a lawyer for some of the In his opinion, Pellegrini wrote, “There same-sex couples who obtained licenses are no obstacles preventing those adversely from Hanes, noted that Pellegrini said the affected by the provisions of the Marriage legality of the licenses was not an issue Law from asserting their own rights in an before him. That means that whatever Pel- appropriate forum.” Sure enough, the day legrini ordered in respect to future license after his order, a Lesbian couple sued to be applications, nothing in his decision affects allowed to marry. ones that have already been issued.

Nicola and Tamara Cucinotta of Paoli “The 32 couples that I represent are go- filed their suit against Pennsylvania Gov. ing to have to decide whether they also want Tom Corbett on September 13. In it, they

Who gets the pickup?

Texas Supreme Court to decide if state can grant same-sex divorces

Tamara Davis and Nicola Cucinotta snap a photograph of their marriage license.

shutterstock

argue that their marriage is permissible under the state constitution and ask the state to recognize their union.

The women obtained one of the first same-sex licenses from Hanes this summer, and later married.

“It doesn’t say anything about Hanes, or about Montgomery County, or whether they

received a license or (not),” their attorney, Cletus Lyman, said. “It says they are suing for the right to be married.”

Later this month a federal court is expected to take up the Whitewood v. Corbett suit, which is a challenge to Pennsylvania’s “Defense of Marriage Act.”

they now live in Texas, and since divorces must be filed in the couple’s state of residence, they cannot simply go back to Massachusetts to file.

The case of JB and HB is the second of two same-sex divorce cases now pending before the Texas Supreme Court. In an earlier case, a divorce was granted to a Lesbian couple after the state appeals court determined that state officials intervened too late.

couple any of the benefits of being married in Texas. Marriage and divorce are legally distinct, he claims, and nothing in the text or intention of the Texas ban on same-sex marriages is violated by allowing him to divorce his husband.

Daniel Williams of the statewide LGBT rights group Equality Texas said that “granting a divorce is not creating a marriage. In fact the law is very clear: the ability to get a divorce is a benefit of living in Texas, not a benefit of marriage.”

A QUESTION OF VALUES? Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott personally intervened in the JB and HB divorce case, taking the position that “because the

STATE LAWS VARY More than 30 states ban same-sex mar-

“Granting a divorce is not creating a marriage. In fact the law is very clear: the ability to get a divorce is a benefit of living in Texas, not a benefit of marriage.”

by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer The Texas Supreme Court will decide in November whether a Gay couple can apply for a divorce in the state. Oral arguments are scheduled for November 5.

When the couple, identified in court papers only as “JB” and “HB,” first filed for divorce in 2009, a family court judge granted their petition. In that ruling, the judge held that Texas’ Proposition 2, which barred courts from recognizing same-sex marriages, violated constitutional equal protection and due process protections.

In 2010, however, a three-judge panel of the state appeals court reversed the lower court’s ruling, on the grounds that same-sex marriages are not recognized in Texas, and therefore there was no marriage to dissolve.

The appeals court ruled that under a 2005 amendment to the state constitution, courts have no jurisdiction to grant divorces to Gay or Lesbian couples. Granting such a divorce, the appeals court said, would require the state to acknowledge that the couple had been married in the first place.

The couple were married in Massachusetts, where Gay partners can be both married and divorced under state law. However,

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Constitution and laws of the state of Texas define marriage as the union of one man and one woman, the court correctly ruled that Texas courts do not have authority to grant a same-sex divorce.”

Any other ruling, he said in a statement, would allow other states to impose their values on Texas.

In an amicus brief filed in the JB and HB case, a Republican state legislator contends that “this lawsuit demonstrates that opponents of traditional marriage want to exclude the people of Texas from the legislative process – and then they want to exclude the legal representative of the people of Texas, the Attorney General of Texas, from the judicial process.”

For his part, JB contends that he is not asking Texas to issue a same-sex marriage license or to afford any Gay or Lesbian

September 20, 2013

riage by constitutional amendment or statute, but the legal status of same-sex divorces varies widely. Georgia, for example, explicitly bars same-sex divorce, but Texas and most of the others merely prohibit same-sex marriage.

So JB and HB may well represent a new front in the same-sex marriage wars – what to do about states declining to grant divorces to legally married couples?

According to the brief filed by JB, “over 28 percent of the U.S. population lives in a jurisdiction where same-sex marriage is permitted.” He added that “Texas is one of the fastest growing states – attracting thousands of migrants each year, including couples from those states that permit same-sex marriage.” Sooner or later, he said, Texas will have to deal with the problem.

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The tools of manipulation Learn some of the ways abusers try to get into your head

by Mac McGregor Special to the SGN Editor’s note: This is the second in a series of articles on personal self-defense.

Psychological manipulation defined is a type of social influence that aims to change the perception or behavior of others through underhanded, deceptive, or even abusive tactics.

People with ill intent use tools of manipulation to lure people into going along with them. In this segment of our series on safety and self-defense I will go over the most common tools of manipulation used on victims of crime. It is also important to understand that all people who have family, have been in relationships, or have had close friends and co-workers will recognize

traneous details. These details become a distraction from the far-fetched story. All manipulators rely on distractions to keep the person that they are trying to manipulate from catching on. It is a trick stage magicians use all the time.

Defense: Look for the main meat of the story and then ask yourself if those extra details were important, and how many of them there were.

• Discounting the word NO: Actions are more important than words! Anyone who discounts the word NO is someone to be wary of. This is a sign that the person does NOT respect your boundaries and is working to gain control whether consciously or unconsciously. This to me is the biggest RED FLAG! It can even be a guy offering to help you carry something – you decline and he insists. This can be dangerous and can

It is important to understand that all people who have family, have been in relationships, or have had close friends and co-workers will recognize these tools. We all use them to some extent in our lives, but when one understands what they are, it is more difficult to be victimized by them. these tools. We all use them to some extent in our lives, but when one understands what they are, it is more difficult to be victimized by them. The challenging thing to decipher is that some of these same tools are taught in “rapport-building” seminars for executives, business, and salespeople around the world.

Remember even in business these tools are always used to persuade you to the manipulator’s side or opinion.

When one understands these tools, one can make the conscious decision whether to call a manipulation tool out in a relationship, or just keep an eye on it, or view it as a total red flag and get outta Dodge. It is certainly important to consider the context these tools are used in. If used on you by a stranger in a bar or someone trying to pick you up, that should be a reason to pay very close attention. When used in families it may be as benign as a parent trying to get a teen to do their chores or homework. When you do not go along with these tools of manipulation there is always the chance you will appear rude. I have made the decision that even though I am a Southern gentleman, I am willing to appear rude to save my life or hold to my consciously set healthy boundaries.

With that, here are some common manipulation tactics everyone should be aware of.

• Forced teaming: A way to establish trust through the “we are in the same boat” mentality. Makes one feel rude to not believe or acknowledge and therefore is a way to establish false trust. You share a predicament or experience with this person. This creation of a shared experience is an elegant and intentional way to breach a person’s boundaries and at times build false trust.

Defense: The way to combat forced teaming is first to recognize it and second to make it clear that you did not ask for that person’s assistance or understanding.

• Too many details: When people lie they generally include more details then necessary, because they feel that they need all of that support for their story. When people speak the truth they don’t need a lot of ex-

open the door to more access. Last week, in the article about setting healthy boundaries I mentioned intuition, the feeling that can arise when something is not right. Pay attention to that here! When you get that feeling, LISTEN! Defense: Simply ask yourself, why is this person trying to control me? Because he is.

• Humiliation: This tool will show everyone around that you don’t fit in and are just wrong and make you feel smaller and useless. This can be used in public or private and reduces a person to feeling incapable, unacceptable, and unworthy to the point of submission. A person who feels this vulnerable will easily allow the person humiliating them to be in control. This is like a wild animal circling its prey.

Defense: Ask yourself, why does this person need to belittle me to make themselves feel stronger and in control? If they were really confident in themselves they would not need to belittle anyone else.

• The unsolicited promise: This tool almost always has a questionable motive. A promise is NOT a guarantee! This tool is used when a manipulator feels you are hesitant. They use it to ease your mind about their intentions and it only shows that the person promising is trying hard to convince you of something and be more believable.

Defense: Ask yourself, why is this person working so hard to convince me of something? Why are they making promises when I did not ask for them?

• Loan-sharking: This is where a person is eager to go out of their way to help you, mainly because it places you in their debt.

This happens in families all the time, such as a parent who helps you out of a financial bind and now says you must abide by their way of living your life because you “owe” them. They now have a sense of control.

With a stranger or new person you are dating this is a definite FLAG! Defense: Ask yourself, why would someone I barely know want me to be in their debt, especially since I did not ask for their help?

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• Flattery and niceness: Controlling and drawing you in by being overtly nice or flattering is something we have all experienced in our family lives, such as when a normally hostile or aloof sibling is all of a sudden super- sickeningly sweet to you. Naturally, the first thing that comes to your mind is, what do they want from me? But most people don’t ask this question when a similar situation arises with a stranger or person they don’t know well. We should.

Defense: Ask yourself what this person’s motivation is for being overly nice.

• Typecasting: This is when a person labels you in a way that you feel the need to prove them wrong. They lure you in like a fisherman lures his dinner with bait such as, “A hot guy like you would probably never give a guy like me the time of day.” Then you don’t want to be considered a jerk or stuck up, so you work hard to prove him wrong and show that you are a nice, friendly, accepting guy. They have hooked you.

It involves a deceptive small insult to draw you in.

Defense: Recognize that you are being lured in and ask yourself why. Then follow your gut. You can say to the person, “You are probably right,” and leave it at that. It stops this tactic in its tracks.

the FBI after serial rapist and killer Ted Bundy was arrested. Bundy did not look or sound like anyone’s idea of a bad guy.

He was charming, articulate, and extremely creative in how he lured his victims in.

Many things were learned through the study, and one of the most important is how violent criminals choose victims. They do something that FBI agents call “the interview.” Some of the interview is done by reading body language and some can be done though causal contact and seeing how a person responds to these tools of manipulation.

When you understand how to set healthy boundaries, how to recognize the tools of manipulation, and how to carry yourself in a way that your body language says that you would be very difficult to control, chances are extremely high that a criminal or other potential victimizer will move on to someone else. These are the psychological parts of self-defense and safety training, and are the most important because they remove you from the selection pool almost all of the time. Information like this is also in the book The Gift of Fear, by Gavin de Becker, which is required reading for all my students and a gift I give to those I care about.

Next time, I will discuss body language and the nonverbal cues we all give off, and staHOW VICTIMS ARE CHOSEN tistics that will help us be more knowledgeVictim selection was widely studied by able about crime in order to avoid it.

erisa

continued from cover consequences of the Supreme Court’s landmark ruling in June that invalidated most of DOMA. “This decision represents a historic step toward equality for all American families, and I have directed the department’s agency heads to ensure that they are implementing the decision in a way that provides maximum protection for workers and their families,” said U.S. Labor Secretary Thomas Perez.

The new guidance “provides a uniform rule of recognition that can be applied with certainty by stakeholders, including employers, plan administrators, participants, and beneficiaries,” the Labor Department said.

ALL STATES MUST COMPLY The department said the terms “spouse” and “marriage” in ERISA should be read to include same-sex couples regardless of where they currently reside. In other words, a Gay or Lesbian couple that marries legally in New York will enjoy the same retirement and other employee benefits as a straight couple if they move to Florida, even though the state does not recognize their marriage.

The Labor Department’s interpretation is consistent with a ruling from the Internal Revenue Service last month that legally married same-sex couples can file joint federal tax returns even if they reside in states that do not recognize same-sex marriages.

To date, only the Social Security Administration has ruled that married couples are bound by the laws in the state where they reside, therefore disqualifying Gay and Lesbian couples from spousal benefits if they live in states that do not allow same-sex marriage.

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ERISA rules became a local issue in November last year, when SPEEA, the Boeing engineers’ union, demanded that the company provide equal benefits to same-sex spouses married after the approval of Referendum 74. Boeing unsuccessfully argued that since their benefits are administered under the federal ERISA law, DOMA prevented them from recognizing same-sex spouses.

The company eventually backed down after the union threatened legal action, and a union member posted an online petition for equal treatment that gathered almost 90,000 signatures.

rules for the whole country.

“We’re looking for consistency among all the federal agencies and consistency from one state to another,” said Scott Macey, president of the ERISA Industry Committee, which represents large employers. “We view this as a positive step to continue to help clarify the impact of the decision.”

Brian Moulton, legal director of the Human Rights Campaign, the nation’s largest LGBT rights group, also praised the Labor Department’s action.

“We’re pleased to see yet another agency issuing guidance implementing the decision and recognizing individuals as lawfully BUSINESSES SUPPORTIVE married for federal purposes even if they Employer groups said they welcomed the live in a state that doesn’t recognize their new guidelines since they establish uniform marriage,” Moulton said.

LGBT youth face higher rate of dating abuse

by Shaun Knittel SGN Associate Editor LGBT teenagers are at much greater risk of dating abuse than their heterosexual counterparts, with Transgender teens especially vulnerable to victimization, a new Urban Institute report shows.

“Dating Violence Experiences of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Youth” is one of the first examinations of dating violence and abuse through the distinct lenses of sexual orientation and gender identity.

Victims are more likely to be females or Transgender youth who are also more likely to be depressed, have lower grades, have committed delinquent acts, and to have a history of sexual activity.

The report is based on a survey of 3,745 youth in grades seven through 12, in New York, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey. Six percent identified as LGBT, the rest as heterosexual.

Of the LGB respondents, • 43 percent reported being victims of physical dating violence, compared to 29 percent of heterosexual youth; • 59 percent reported emotional abuse, compared to 46 percent of heterosexual youth; • 37 percent reported digital (e.g., online) abuse and harassment, compared to 26 percent of heterosexual youth; and • 23 percent reported sexual coercion, compared to 12 percent of heterosexual youth.

‘STEPPING STONE’ “Given such high rates of victimization, helping these young people is especially important since teen dating violence can be a stepping stone toward adult intimate partner violence,” said Meredith Dank, a senior research associate in the Institute’s Justice Policy Center and one of the study’s lead authors.

Although small in number, the 18 Transgender youth surveyed had the highest rates of victimization: 89 percent reported physical dating violence, 61 percent were sexually coerced, 59 percent experienced emotional abuse, and 56 percent recorded digital abuse and harassment.

To prevent dating abuse, Dank recommends an array of measures addressing the needs and vulnerabilities of LGBT youth.

School counselors, for instance, should be trained to identify signs of dating violence and how to handle such incidences. And because LGB victims are more likely to seek help than heterosexual youth, particularly from friends, schools should consider creating peer support groups.

The Urban Institute is a nonprofit, nonpartisan policy research and educational organization that examines the social, economic, and governance challenges facing the nation. It provides information, analyses, and perspectives to public and private decision-makers to help them address these problems and strives to deepen citizens’ understanding of the issues and trade-offs that policymakers face. The full text of the study can be found online at http://www.urban. org/publications/412892.html.

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Seattle Gay News 17

northwest news

GAY CITY ARTS – “FURRYSEXYMANBOYS” Gay City Arts (517 E. Pike St.) presents “FurrySexyManBoys,” an exhibition of work by Jesse Dyer thru October 7. Mixing comic books, raunchy armpits, with a bit of drag queen, Jesse Dyer boldly approaches his graphic and often humorous drawings of men. He is next in line with UK’s Mike Bliss, Tom of Finland, and comic legend, Patrick Fillion. www.gaycity.org.

zil. Tickets: $20-general, $15-student/senior. Opening Night Gala tickets: $50 (50% goes to Survival International) includes preshow cocktails (doors at 7 p.m.) and postshow dinner with artists. www.brownpapertickets.com/event/437460

SOCIAL OUTREACH SEATTLE – “BACK TO SCHOOL YOUTH BULLYING PREVENTION & SELF-DEFENSE COURSE” On Saturday, September 21, from 1:306:30 p.m., at Seattle Counseling Service FRIENDS OF THE (1216 Pine St.), Social Outreach Seattle SEATTLE PUBLIC LIBRARY presents their “Back to School Youth BulBOOK SALE lying Prevention & Self-Defense Course.”

SEPTEMBER 20-22 Friday, September 20, 6:30-9:30 p.m. www.socialoutreachseattle.com (members only preview sale – memberships BURKE MUSEUM – “BUG BLAST” available at the door – 2012 memberships On Sunday, September 22, from 10 a.m.have been extended through 2013); Saturday, September 21, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.; Sunday, 4 p.m., the Burke Museum (University of September 22, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. (1/2 price Washington campus, 17th Ave. NE & NE day). Building No. 30 at Magnuson Park 45th St.) presents their annual “Bug Blast,” (7400 Sand Point Way NE. Most items $1- bringing out their entire collection of insects $2 (Sunday will be 1/2 off). Your support for your viewing pleasure. There will also helps the Friends advocate, educate and be some intriguing live insects on display raise funds on behalf of The Seattle Public and a chef will be cooking up insects for your gustatorial enjoyment. Admission to Library. www.friendsofspl.org. the museum is $10-general, $8-senior, students (with ID) and youth (5 & up) $7.50.

SEATTLE DESIGN FESTIVAL www.washington.edu/burkemuseum THRU SEPTEMBER 22 www.designinpublic.org ARTS CRUSH SEPTEMBER 22 & SEATTLE FRINGE FESTIVAL OCTOBER 1-31 THRU SEPTEMBER 22 On Sunday, September 22, from 11 www.seattlefringefestival.org a.m.-2 p.m., at Seattle Center’s Fisher Pavilion, kick off the 4th annual Arts Crush SKETCHFEST 2013 festival which begins and runs all over the THRU SEPTEMBER 28 Puget Sound region from October 1-31. www.sketchfest.org Expect over 100 organizations with almost 200 events and more than 10,000 patrons.

NORTHWEST AFRICAN All featured Arts Crush events are FREE or AMERICAN MUSEUM – pay-what-you-will. For a complete list of “BEARING WITNESS the hundreds of arts participants and free acFROM ANOTHER PLACE: tivities, visit www.artscrush.org.

JAMES BALDWIN IN TURKEY” THRU SEPTEMBER 29 SEATTLE ARCHITECTURE The Northwest African American MuFOUNDATION – seum (2300 S. Massachusetts St.), pres“WORLD/CITY: ents “Bearing Witness from Another Place: EXPLORING THE ARCHITECTURE James Baldwin in Turkey” through SunOF GLOBAL RELATIONSHIPS” day, September 29.

THRU OCTOBER 13 Baldwin, a self-described “witness” of Seattle Architecture Foundation (1201 the civil rights movement, found refuge in Turkey during the turbulent 1960s. This ex- 2nd Ave. at Seneca St.) presents “World/ hibit features Sedat Pakay’s piercingly can- City: Exploring the Architecture of Global did photographs, which provide a private Relationships,” Tuesday through Sunday, window into the life of a very public figure 11 a.m.-2 p.m., through Sunday, October whose influence still resonates twenty-five 13. Experience architecture models, 2D renderings, digital imagery and visual art which years after his death.

Museum hours are Wed. & Fri., 11 a.m.- represents how local design and architec4:30 p.m., Thurs., 11 a.m.-7 p.m., Sat., 11 ture are linked to global issues and contexts. a.m.-4 p.m., Sun., 12 noon-4 p.m. Admis- Architecture and design professionals are sion: adults - $6; students/seniors - $4; chil- creating and producing on an international dren 5 and under - free; FREE admission stage. Inspiration, ideas, and strategies are dispersed and exchanged instantaneously, first and second Thursdays.

[NOTE: On Thursday, September 26, facilitated in part by our always connected from 6-8 p.m., join NAAM for A Communi- digital technologies and an economy inty Conversation Series: NAAM’s Program creasingly driven by global emerging marseries: “The Intersection of Race, Sexual- kets. Seattle Architecture Foundation’s 16th ity, Identity, and Culture through the Lens Annual Exhibit, “World/City,” explores the of James Baldwin” with David Leeming on global cross pollination of design, international projects, the built environment’s role “The Prophecy of James Baldwin.”] in world-wide environmental stewardship, www.naamnw.org. and design’s role in promoting well-being in increasingly dense and diverse urban cenBORDER RIDERS ters. www.seattlearchitecture.org.

MOTORCYCLE CLUB WEEKEND RUN JEWISH FAMILY SERVICE – On Friday, September 20 to Sunday, RELATIONSHIP SKILLS September 22, BRMC hosts their SeptemFOR GAY MEN ber weekend run to Kanaskat-Palmer State On Tuesday, September 24, from 6:30Park near Enumclaw.

Border Riders Motorcycle Club pro- 8:30 p.m., Jewish Family Service Capitol vides social and educational opportunities Hill Campus (1601 16th Ave.), presents a for members and other Gay men interested workshop on “Relationship Skills for Gay in recreational motorcycle touring. The Men.” Finding the right relationship can BRMC membership of over 60 men hails be difficult; maintaining one can be even from Washington, Oregon, and British Co- harder. Whether you are single and looking, have recently begun a new relationship or lumbia. www.borderriders.com. have been together for 20 years, this interactive workshop can help. Seattle therapists DASS DANCE – Larry Nicholas, MA and Bill Soderberg, “TALE OF TEN GREEN” On Friday and Saturday, September 20 MSW will cover assertive communication, and 21, at 8 p.m., at Washington Hall (153 appreciating your partner and relation14th Ave.), DASSdance presents “Tale of ship challenges specific to Gay men. Cost: Ten Green,” a new work inspired by the un- $15-advance; $20-at the door. Space is limcontacted Amazon tribes of the Awa in Bra- ited; advance registration is encouraged.

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compiled by Rick McKinnon SGN Staff Writer

Scholarships are available; please ask if Party. interested. Contact Leonid Orlov, 206-861LIFELONG AIDS ALLIANCE – 8784. www.jfsseattle.org. This event is preSEATTLE AIDS WALK sented with support from Gay City Health AND 5K RUN Project.

On Saturday, September 28, from 9 a.m.-12 noon, at Volunteer Park (14th Ave. SEATTLE VOLLEYBALL CLUB E. & E. Prospect St.), join Lifelong AIDS FALL 2013 SEASON Alliance to benefit HIV/AIDS prevention www.seattlevolleyball.com and care. www.SeattleAIDSwalk.org.

POZ SEATTLE SOCIAL WASHINGTON PARK On Wednesday, September 25, from 6-8 ARBORETUM – p.m., at C.C. Attle’s (1701 E. Olive Way), FALL ABUNDANCE PLANT SALE POZ Seattle host their new 4th Wednesday On Saturday, September 28, from 10 Social. Meet inside for drinks, light snacks provided by C.C.’s kitchen, socializing and a.m.-2 p.m., at the Graham Visitors Center, a whole lot of fun. This event is FREE (ex- Washington Park Arboretum (2300 Arbocept for the cost of beverages) and is for all retum Dr. E.), shop for trees, shrubs, and HIV-Positive men and their friends, regard- perennials, including many unusual species and varieties! Featuring the Arboretum’s less of age, shape, size, or color.

In addition to their new 4th Wednesday Pat Calvert Greenhouse (15% off inventoSocial at C.C.’s., POZSeattle will continue ry) and Plant Donations Nursery, plus these to host their 2nd Wednesday Social at The great local vendors: Botanica (unusual peCuff Complex (13th Ave. & E. Pine St.). rennials), Foliage Gardens (ferns, ferns and Donations accepted to help defray expens- more ferns), Madrona Nursery (perennials and native plants), and Tadpole Haven (lowes.

POZ Seattle is a social organization run land native plants). Plant purchases help by and for Seattle-area HIV-Positive guys support the Arboretum and are tax-free on that plans and promotes fun, social activi- the day of the sale. www.arboretumfoundation.org. ties. www.pozseattle.org.

SEATTLE CENTER FESTAL – THE ITALIAN FESTIVAL On Saturday, September 28, from 10 a.m.-9 p.m., and Sunday, September 29, from 10 a.m.-6 p.m., at Seattle Center Armory, Fisher Pavilion and Seattle Center Pavilion, enjoy live performances, audiovisual arts, foods, hands-on activities, games and a lively marketplace exploring the cultural roots and contemporary influences of Italy and Italian-Americans in the Pacific Northwest.

A “celebration of all things Italian,” The Italian Festival offers Sicilian puppet theatre, Italian films, a grape-stomping contest and bocce ball tournament to honor the “old country.”

Highlights: Mbrascatu, a five-piece, ItalDECIBEL ian-inspired world-music group from PortSEPTEMBER 25-29 land, leads an all-ages concert and dance on Celebrating 10 years of electronic music Saturday, at 6:30 p.m. On Sunday, at 2 p.m., performance and visual art. www.dbfesti- Burmer Music presents “Dante’s Inferno – val.com The Ballet,” Dante Alighieri’s classic journey through the nine levels of Hell, in a INSPIRE YOUTH PROJECT sneak preview of this dramatic new ballet.

(FORMERLY RISE N’ SHINE) – The Italian Festival is produced in partNORDSTROM MEN’S SHOP nership with Festa Italiana. www.festase& GQ FALL 2013 attle.com. FREE. RUNWAY SHOW BENEFIT On Thursday, September 26, 6:30 p.m.

MISS U.T.O.P.I.A PAGEANT – VIP celebrity party, 7 p.m. doors open for “A POLYNESIAN ODYSSEY” patron & general admission party, 8 p.m.

On Saturday, October 5, doors at 6 p.m., runway fashion show begins, at Bellevue show at 7 p.m., at Highline Performing Hyatt Regency Evergreen Room (900 Bel- Arts Center (401 S. 152nd St., Burien), the levue Way NE, Bellevue), enjoy drinks, United Territories of Pacific Islanders Allihors d’oeuvres and the highly anticipated ance (Seattle) presents the 4th annual Miss runway fashion show featuring local celeb- U.T.O.P.I.A. Seattle beauty pageant, Serity models & GQ’s style expert, Peter St. attle’s most anticipated pageant of the year.

John’s top picks from the Nordstrom Men’s Sail away and feel the magic of Polynesia as Shop Fall collections. Tickets: $60-gen- reigning Miss U.T.O.P.I.A. Seattle Marion eral admission, $100 patron, $175 VIP. Malena presents “A Polynesian Odyssey.”

All proceeds benefit the Detlef Schrempf Hosts Lady of Polynesia Tiare Fidow and Foundation and the evening’s charity part- Songbird of the Islands Chase Silva will ners – Bellevue Youth Theatre Foundation open the evening with a theatrical tribute to and Inspire Youth Project (formerly Rise ‘n Polynesian culture. The pageant will feature Shine). All ages welcome. www.www.de- contestants competing in extravagant Island tlef.com; www.inspireyouthproject.org fantasy costumes, tropical swimsuits, exciting talents, glamourous evening gowns, GAY CITY HEALTH PROJECT – closing with an on-stage contestant Q&A. GHOSTS IN GASLIGHT, The evening will also include show-stopMONSTERS IN STEAM ping performances from some of Seattle’s Gay City Health Project, along with Edi- finest drag showgirl entertainers. Tickets: tors Evan J. Peterson and Vincent Kovar, $10 advance; $20 at the door. http://missuis pleased to announce the availability of topiasea.bpt.me; www.brownpapertickets. its latest anthology: Ghosts in Gaslight, com/event/446855; www.facebook.com/ Monsters in Steam - Gay City Volume 5. In utopiaseattle this anthology, two dozen top-notch writers, poets and artists extend their creative SEATTLE claws and bare their fearsome fangs to thrill LESBIAN & GAY readers with this exciting new collection of FILM FESTIVAL LGBT inspired monster tales, ghost stories, OCTOBER 10-20 steampunk adventures and gaslight thrillers. www.threedollarbillcinema.org www.gaycity.org.

On Friday, September 27, from 7-8:30 SEATTLE SEA DAWGS p.m., Gay City (517 E. Pike St.), will host ICE HOCKEY TEAM the Gay City Anthologies Vol. 5 Launch skateseadawgs@gmail.com & Facebook

SEATTLE GAY & LESBIAN BOOK CLUB – THE DREAM OF THE CELT The Seattle Gay & Lesbian Book Club meets every Wednesday from 6-7:15 p.m., at Seattle Area Support Groups Community Center (303 17th Ave. E. at E. Thomas St.).

In September, the club will discuss The Dream of the Celt by Nobel Prize-winning author Mario Vargas Llosa, a novel about the Irish hero, Roger Casement, who was destroyed because of the homosexual content of in his notorious Black Book.

All GLBTQ folks are welcome to participate in this FREE book club. For more information, visit http://faculty.washington. edu/swittet/SGLBookClub/.

Celebrating 40 Years!

international news

Amnesty report slams EU on anti-Gay violence The European Union and its member states are failing to tackle homophobic and transphobic hate crimes and to protect all individuals from discrimination, harassment, and violence, Amnesty International said in a report published this week.

Amnesty International’s report, Because of Who I Am: Homophobia, Transphobia, and Hate Crimes in Europe, highlights gaps in the legislation of many European countries where sexual orientation and gender identity are not explicitly included as grounds on which hate crimes can be perpetrated. The report also points out the inadequacy of current EU standards on hate crimes for tackling homophobic and transphobic violence.

“Violence against people because of who they are or whom they love must be prosecuted whenever and wherever it occurs, in any country,” said Cristina Finch, Amnesty International USA Women’s Human Rights Program managing director. “The stories of

hate-motivated attacks and discrimination that Amnesty International exposes in its new report on EU countries’ failure to prevent and prosecute acts of homophobic violence are gut-wrenching. As a whole and as individual countries, EU members must do better to stop hate crimes through strengthened laws that target perpetrators and bring justice to the victims.”

mophobia and transphobia. In other cases, Gay people do not report attacks against them because they are not openly Gay and are afraid that their peers and families will find out.

Countries such as Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Germany, Italy, and Latvia have no comprehensive provisions on hate crimes, as they do not cover offenses against people based on their real or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity. In other countries such as Croatia and Greece, legislation on transphobic and homophobic hate crimes is not properly implemented and sometimes results in the homophobic or transphobic motive not being registered by the police or not being thoroughly investigated.

MOTIVES MATTER The discriminatory motive sets hate crimes apart from other criminal acts. It is crucial that when investigating and prosecuting criminal acts on the basis of the real or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity of the victims, the police and judicial authorities do whatever they can to unearth the motive behind them.

According to a recent EU-wide survey, 80 percent of homophobic and transphobic violence is not reported to the police, often because of a fear of institutionalized ho-

SOME RECENT INCIDENTS In February 2012, Michelle, a young Trans woman, was beaten by several people in Catania, Italy, because of her gender identity. The perpetrators shouted derogatory language at her during the attack such as “Disgusting! You are a man! A faggot!”

Michelle reported the attack to the police, and one suspect has been identified. However, the transphobic motive will not be explicitly taken into account in the prosecution or in the determination of the sentence because of gaps in Italian legislation.

Michelle complained, “They wanted to butcher me just because of who I am, because I have a face that is a bit too masculine and because they understood I was a Trans person from my voice.”

On September 30, 2008, Mihail Stoyanov, a medical student, was killed in Sofia because he was perceived as Gay. Five years after the murder, the trial against the two suspects has not yet started. Although the homophobic motive was well-established during the investigation, it will not be explicitly taken into account in the trial. The delay in bringing the perpetrators to justice is having a dire impact on Stoyanov’s mother, Hristina, who is left without any psychological or other support from authorities.

The report can be read online at http:// w w w. a m n e s t y. o r g / e n / l i b r a r y / i n f o / EUR01/014/2013/en Amnesty International is a Nobel Peace Prize-winning grassroots activist organization with more than three million supporters, activists and volunteers in more than 150 countries campaigning for human rights worldwide. The organization investigates and exposes abuses, educates and mobilizes the public, and works to protect people wherever justice, freedom, truth, and dignity are denied. – Submitted by Amnesty International

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September 20, 2013

Seattle Gay News 19

Kiki with D

Three’s a crowd?

by D Smith SGN Contributing Writer Dear D, My girlfriend and I have been together for two years, and everything has been great!

We have a lot of fun together and really seem to be in love with one another. I am thinking of popping the question and asking her to marry me. I really feel like I have found the one. She has some small quirks that are annoying but who doesn’t, right?

The reason that I am writing is because until recently I never doubted how she felt about me. I mean, we get along great and I felt like no one knows me better than she does. I really felt like our souls connect in a

way that I have never felt before. I can honestly say that I love her and I believe that she loves me.

However, recently she asked me for something that I don’t know I can give her without jeopardizing our relationship. I always thought that everything was good in the bedroom department but what she is asking me makes me uncomfortable. After sex one day, she asked me what I thought about having another person join us.

At first I was kind of excited about it, that is if it is another girl, but I don’t think I would be comfortable with another guy. I mean, I want to please her and want her to be happy, so I told her I would think about it, but inside, I am uncomfortable.

I want her to want me without another person, you know, just me. I don’t want to be made to feel like I have to share her or what we have with anyone else. Is that too much to ask?

What do I say to her? Do I tell her that I just absolutely hate the idea of having to do this and risk losing her, or do I just play along, do this, and risk losing her to someone else? – Ready to Put a Ring on It

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20 Seattle Gay News

September 20, 2013

Celebrating 40 Years!

Dear Ready, I appreciate you for being so open to ask for advice on such a private personal matter.

I can see and appreciate what you have with her. I have always believed that cautious sexual exploration can be healthy and a lot of fun; however, there are limits.

So, where do you go from here? My advice is to talk to her about it and let her know how you feel. Explain to her your concerns as to what you are feeling and why. Talk about your fears and your love for her.

These types of situations require looking at the heart.

Physical intimacy is just as important as emotional, but how we choose to display it is far from conventional. Take time to be open to having a conversation to find out what excites you and her try to introduce that to the equation. See if there are other things she is willing to try that you are both comfortable with. If not, then that gives you an opportunity to take a moment and evaluate things. You have stated that she is the one for you – essentially you feel that she is your soul mate. If this is true, then she will

take your concerns to heart and understand.

Hopefully, she will take the time to work on other avenues to your sexual exploration together in ways that will bond you without fear of losing one or the other.

Remember to have an open mind. This can be a lot of fun if you allow it to be. This is a time where the two of you can really be footloose and fancy-free. Find different ways to love one another. Bring excitement to the relationship in new ways. Some people like being outdoors, some just love public places while others just love the thrill of risking getting caught or seen. Take the time to find out what excites the two of you and build on that. I think that if both of you are willing and invest into getting to know one another better in a way that is mutually agreed upon and safe, you can have a wonderful and happy life together.

Lose yourselves in one another.

Hopes this helps. Stay positive and always encourage yourself! – D Life problems bringing you down? Have a burning question? Can’t tell your girlfriend? Hit me up! KikiWithD@gmail.com.

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Seattle Gay News 21

22 Seattle Gay News

September 20, 2013

Celebrating 40 Years!

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September 20, 2013

Seattle Gay News 23