Celebrating 39 Years!
Issue 43 Volume 40
FRIDAY October 26, 2012 FREE! 25¢ in bookstores & newsstands
seamec Candidate Dustin Lance Black ratings Interview Page 25 Page 9
Seattle Gay News SEATTLE’S LGBT NEWS & ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY
Standing his ground Thank you, Mr. President! A tale of everyday heroism in Seattle’s Central District Jeff Kemp Rinderle
Josh Hall (center) surrounded by anti-Gay protesters
by Tim Moffett Special to the SGN
by Shaun Knittel SGN Associate Editor Washingtonians got big news October 25 when President Barack Obama officially endorsed Referendum 74, which would affirm marriage equality in the Evergreen State. According to Paul Bell, press secretary for Obama’s re-election efforts in Washington state, “While the president does not weigh in on every single ballot measure in every state, the president believes in treating everyone fairly and equally, with dignity and respect. Washington’s same-sex marriage law would treat all Washington couples equally, and that is why the President supports a vote to Approve Referendum 74.” “President Obama support for marriage reflects what’s happening in Washington and across the country,” said Zach Silk, campaign manager for Washington United for Marriage, which is spearheading the Approve R-74 campaign. “As more people, and more voters, realize that only mar-
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Josh Hall, 33, was walking his dog near Pratt Park around 10:30 a.m. on October 18, when he noticed a small rally in opposition to Referendum 74 was going on in the park. Recalling that he was “shocked and upset that this kind of thing was happening in my backyard,” what Hall did next is nothing short of amazing. He grabbed an Approve R-74 yard sign and stood with it, alone, amidst the opposition crowd! He reported that several people
became angry with him for his highly visual support of R-74 and, he said, they “got in my face.” But as a former high school athlete, Hall says he found the experience exhilarating, likening it to the “game on” feeling he would get when playing competitive sports. When told that many in the community would call his action heroic, Hall demurred with a chuckle. “I’m not a hero,” he said. “I was just in the right place at the right time. I knew it was time to stand my ground.” Sounds like the very definition of a hero to the SGN.
Obama officially endorses Approve Referendum 74
see endorsement page 19
President Barack Obama
SGN exclusive interview Bill and Melinda Gates donate $500,000 to R-74
The Rev. Harriett Walden Michael Bloomberg pledges $250,000
friends of harriett walden
Rev. Harriett Walden
by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer Harriett Walden is interim pastor of Sojourner Truth Unity Fellowship Church in Seattle, and a co-founder of Mothers for Police Accountability, a group that has challenged Seattle police procedures for more than 20 years. She
is also a supporter of equal marriage rights for Gay and Lesbian couples. As a religious leader and community activist, Walden is uniquely positioned to assess support for Referendum 74 in the African American community. The community is debating the issue, Walden tells SGN.
DIVISION RUNS DEEP Walden says the divide goes beyond differing positions on Referendum 74, however. “People are divided on the Bible,” she said. “People are divided on spirituality.” “I always talk about equal protection,” she added. “People who love each other should be able to get married.” Walden says that the NAACP’s endorsement of marriage equality nationally, and Referendum 74 in Washington state is a “good thing” but adds that her community will be more influenced by personal experiences than by organizations. “It’s really about how people are living their lives. On a personal level – based on their own experiences – there are so many families who have family members who are Gay, who are loving and living
matching funds to Approve R-74 vote
Kjetil Ree
“There’s a divide – if you saw the headlines in the [Seattle] Times today – there’s a divide in the African American community,” she said, referring to a story by reporter Lornet Turnbull contrasting proand anti-Referendum 74 Black ministers.
Bill and Melinda Gates
by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer
Washington United for Marriage and the Approve Referendum 74 campaign found new reasons to celebrate this past week, when they received a large new donation from Microsoft mogul Bill Gates and his wife, Melinda, and a promsee Walden page 21 ise of matching funds from New
York Mayor Michael Bloomberg. Bill and Melinda Gates each contributed $250,000, according to state Public Disclosure Commission reports. Bloomberg offered up to $250,000 to match donations generated by the Approve R-74 campaign. see money page 19